Voynich Shift - Season One (COMPLETED)

Leonis, 1:1, 2:14 - Roach Hotel - The Only Good Agent Is A Dead Agent

            "Katie!"

            "Katie what?" Ronald inquired with a grin.

            "Katie Fentz!"

            "Ohhhhhh! Like Rudolph Fentz?"

            "Yeah, he's my grandfather."

            "And it looks like we have a celebrity here with us tonight, folks!" Ronald said to the smiling onlookers.

            "Nah, the celebrity's my granddaddy, I'm just a fan..."

            "Well, how is your famous grandfather?"

            Katie lowered her head. "Sadly, he's in the hospital right now...but he wanted me to come here, since I had already bought tickets. He says there's nothing I can do by sitting around and brooding over him."

            "Awwww," the audience sang.

            Ronald gave the girl a hug. "Well, you pass this hug on to the brave Mr. Fentz and tell him we all love him and wish him well, okay?"

            "I will," Katie replied as the crowd began clapping and then gave her a standing ovation.

            "Alright, 'just-a-fan', Katie, let's take a moment and let Diane get the viewers at home up to speed and when we come back, we've got something totally awesome for you...alright?"

            Katie nodded her head up and down excitedly."

            "Alright, Diane, catch us up!"

            Diane pointed over toward the large monitor at the center of the rotating stage. "At this point, we have zero Negexis casualties and one R.R.O.A.C.H....um..."

"Extermination!" the audience yelled out and began laughing in chorus.

Diane took a deep breath and continued. "True, but our favorite machines won't be denied a bit of good ol' fashioned revenge, will they Ronald?" On the screen, a woman with dark-hair was running down an alley with Unit ONE hot on her heels.

            "Absolutely, Diane! It looks like that agent is about to get hers.  Now, young lady..." Ronald pointed up toward the screen. "I'm sure you've heard of this part of the show where one lucky member of the audience will get to decide which Mega-Bug our enemies will face next?"

            "Oh, yeah, I've dreamed about this moment since I was a little girl...I think I might pee myself I'm so excited!!!"

            Ronald quickly removed his arm, stepped back, and laughed with the audience. "Well, now, let's not let that happen...Diane? Tell her what Katie will win if she selects the winning Mega-Bug! And sweetie, try to control your bladder!"

            The red-cheeked girl placed a hand on each side of her face. "I'll try!"

            The audience laughed once more.

            Diane strode over the stage in her black high-heels and stood next to a podium. Three big red buttons were placed one after the other on its surface. "Since Katie is such a big fan, send her on up!"

            "Really!!! Oh my gawd!" The excited fan raced up onto the stage and bounced up and down next to Diane, wrapping her arms around the game show host's slender neck.

            Diane patted the teenager on the back. "Okay, okay, let's take it down a notch and get ready to play."

            "Yeah, yeah, okay. Sorry!"

            "Alright, your choices for tonight's Mega-Bug Decision are..."

            The studio lights dimmed as the monitor flashed to life with music and video. Flashing lights and laser beams danced over the audience just as the rotating digital image of a tank-like machine appeared on the screen.

            "First up, it's BATTLEZONE!!!" said the disembodied electronic voice from above.

            "Yaaayyy!!!"

            Katie leaned in to Diane. "I love Battlezone, but I wanna see who else their giving me to choose from."

            Diane produced a grin and nodded.

            "Or you can choose...BERZERKER!"

            The girl screamed.

            "And last but definitely not least, MILLIPEDE!"

            "I choose Millipede! That's who I want!"

            Ronald turned toward the audience. "Fantastic choice for tonight! At four meters long and equipped with a pair of 'stompers', Millipede, as we all know, can climb walls and absolutely loves crushing and squeezing the life out of our enemies! So, Katie..."

            "PRESS THAT BUTTON!!!" the crowd shouted in chorus with Ronald.

            Katie smacked the third red button and confetti exploded from the ceiling.

            "YOU WON KATIE!!!...YOU WON A BRAND NEW 1985 DATSUN JUPITER!" the digital announcer said over the loudspeakers.

            Diane was practically mauled by Katie. The teenager grabbed the woman by the neck and jumped up and down over and over as a pair of black and red curtains opened to reveal a shiny gold Japanese car. The vehicle sat in the middle of a rotating platform sparkling under the stage lights.

            Katie darted over to the vehicle and jumped behind the wheel.  "I won! I really won!"

            The sound of automatic gunfire suddenly echoed throughout the studio. The audience's excitement quickly dissipated as the video on the screen switched to the pursuit of Parker by one machine gun-equipped R.R.O.A.C.H. Parker ran headlong toward the subway and then unexpectedly jumped, bringing the crowd to their feet in roaring applause. With machine guns blazing, the terrifying mechanical beast known as Unit One managed to shoot Parker just before plowing into the subway entrance and disappearing down the stairs.

Even Katie fell silent as she watched Parker lying motionless and bleeding on the windshield of the old taxi...she had no idea why she suddenly cared.