Week 19.3 – Cortex’s Theory

Previously: Digger was telling the members of Defcon 5 the story of what happened with Twain. And now…

After Digger had related the rest of his story, Cortex looked thoughtful. “Something doesn’t make sense. If his plan was to go back to Mongolia all along, why all the rigamarole with the cup?”

“I don’t know,” Digger said. “Although… his attitude did seem to change after I got back from the past. He was quieter. I thought he was just working out a new plan. I guess he was, but it wasn’t the kind of plan I thought.”

“So maybe something did change in the past.”

“No,” Digger said. “Nothing changed.”

“So then perhaps you learned something important,” Boon prompted.

“No, I didn’t,” Digger said. “Everything was the same as when it first happened. The only new thing was…”

“What?”

“Well, I did discover that the crystal had a Chinese letter carved in it,” Digger said.

“Character,” Metalord corrected.

“Yeah,” Digger said. “The one for time. He explained how it was supposed to represent a Chinese water clock.”

“What the hell are you talking about?” Metalord asked. He grabbed Cortex’s tablet and opened a drawing app. He drew a stark black character on the sceen with a few deft strokes of his fingertip. “Does that look like a clock to you?”

“That’s not the character I saw.” Digger took the tablet and tried clumsily to reproduce the character he remembered.

Metalord look at what he’d done and drew another character next to Digger’s shaky attempt. “Is that it?”

“Yes.”

“That’s not time,” Metalord said. “That’s moon.”

“City of the Moon,” Digger breathed.

“And so you’re coming to us hoping what, exactly?” Cortex asked.

“I don’t really know,” Digger said. “Whiz said you guys had fought the Czar a few times…”

“Whiz?” Katrina cut in.

“Cole’s brother? The douche?” Migi asked as her sister Hidari blushed and looked away.

[blockquote type=”blockquote_quotes” align=”right”]“Whiz?” Katrina cut in. “Cole’s brother? The douche?” Migi asked as her sister Hidari blushed and looked away…[/blockquote]“So I thought maybe you could give me directions,” Digger said, realizing how lame it sounded. “Or something.”

“Well, I suppose we can help you get your luggage out of your wrecked car,” Cortex said.

“Don’t have any,” Digger said.

“Then where’s your passport?”

“Don’t have one,” Digger said.

“I’m sorry, but how were you planning to go to China without a passport?” Boon asked.

“Still working on that one,” Digger said. “I thought my frien Ron might be able to help.”

“Ron in Customer Service?” Hidari muttered and Migi giggled.

“What was that?” Digger asked.

“Sorry,” Hidari said. “Just making a joke about AcroCop.”

“You know him?”

Hidari’s jaw dropped. “You weren’t seriously talking about him, were you? He’s nobody. He doesn’t even have any powers.”

“But maybe he still has contacts,” Digger said. “Right now, powers can’t help me. I need someone with pull, maybe in the State Department, who can get me overseas.”

“Well, good luck with that,” Cortex said. “Sorry we can’t be more help, but we can’t take on the Czar without a more concrete threat.”

“Didn’t expect it,” Digger said.

Katrina took his arm and smiled. “But let me take you to dinner, at least.”

So what will Digger’s next move be (and I don’t mean with Katrina)? Be here tomorrow for the next episode.

To read from the beginning, click here…