The Offices of M. Coopersmith

Chapter Eight

The Sky Eels had come much farther than M. Coopersmith would have expected in so short a time.  They could sense the energies of the Remnant, detect its collected power, knowledge, history, and now, finally, its use.  They had traveled across space packed inside a tiny metal capsule, ever tracking the distinctive energy signature of the Remnant, and understood, as much as their primitive brains would allow, that whichever planet they seized upon as the Remnant's home would have to be correct; for their transport capsule would be rendered useless for further travel once they emerged from it.  But now they knew beyond all doubt that they had been correct:  the Remnant was here, waiting for them to destroy it...and, along with it, all who stood in their way.

***

M. Coopersmith re-tied the little brown bag and hooked it to one of his belt loops.  "We have to go now," he said.

And off they went.

"Mr. Coopersmith," Chris began after a few moments spent hurrying down the passageway, "I want to ask you something."

"Of course, my boy!"

"Out of all those creatures we saw, which one are you?"

"Remember the big tall blue ones?"

"That's what you really look like?"

"Similar, anyway," said M. Coopersmith.

Within minutes they had arrived at what would be their next to last portal.  M. Coopersmith once again yanked it open for Chris and Samantha to pass through first, only this time he remained on the other side.  "You two get on over and wait for me," he instructed them.  "We're almost at the surface again."

Chris glanced down and realized the ground had an upward slope, becoming steeper as the cave went on.

Samantha said to M. Coopersmith, "What about you, though?"

"I've got my trap to set."  He eyed her conspiratorially.  "Here's the beauty of it.  These Sky Eels are some of the hardiest, most difficult to kill creatures known.  But it can be done.  Those little blue lights we've used to navigate are far more than just sources of illumination.  In fact, that was never really their purpose.  I built them to transmit energy, lots of it!  There's enough in their power cells, I think, to kill those two Sky Eels dead in their tracks.  And here's something that's almost as a good.  The Enemy designed the implants in their heads to self-destruct when the life functions of a Sky Eel cease.  They disintegrate completely upon death.  That was done to keep us from studying the technology the Enemy used to control them.  I used to think it was a problem, but now I'm grateful for that feature.  It means that when these two Sky Eels die, there will be no trace left of our Enemy at all.  Its last foul vestiges will be wiped clean from the universe.  Isn't that nice?"

"That sounds great," Chris said quickly.  "I guess you should start working on it right now, huh?"

"Good idea," M. Coopersmith said, chuckling when he realized Chris was trying to get him to hurry up and do what he promised, instead of just talking about it.