The group made their way together along the wooden pathway to closer to the water. Before long, they started to approach the very end of the wooden pathway, just above the water and seeming uncomfortably close to the massive waterspout. A brief sojourn over the water led them to another set of wooden platforms, during which they received a report from Ratchet, Clank, Cronk, and Zephyr. The weather device controlling the the waterspout was apparently called a Weather Alterations Systems Platform, or WASP for short. It was designed to release a burst of electrons into the clouds to create lightning storms, and was patented by Nevo Binklemeyer.
"Isn't that the partner of Dr. Frumpus Croid?" Qwark asked. "The one who was working with him to study the energy in the creatures?"
"And didn't that first video log talk about Nevo Collectus?" Alister added. "Coincidence?"
"Obviously not," Nefarious countered. "Obviously, the energy inside the creatures that they extracted for study is manipulating Nevo Binklemeyer to do all this, probably to arrange such things so that it can unleash either an imprisoned race or its full power. Further logs will probably have confirmation of that, and maybe a few more details."
"Seems like a sound theory," Twilight allowed. "We'll probably need more details to know exactly what we're up against...especially if it's something the Cragmites felt had to be imprisoned. Maybe we might even come to understand a logic behind the Cragmites actions."
"They were trying to exterminate all sentient life in the galaxy," Alister growled out. "How, exactly, can that be logical?"
"What if the energy entities required a neuro-chemistry of a certain level of complexity in order to accomplish their goals, and whatever their goal is was so unspeakable the Cragmites felt mass extermination of anything that could be a viable host was preferable?" Twilight countered calmly.
"And what kind of goal could be that bad?" Alister demanded irritably.
"Would you like an itemized list?" Nefarious offered. "I can think of seven goals a race of energy-based entities capable of manipulating entities of matter might have that would be worse from the perspective of matter-based entities than mass genocide. Once I actually start listing, I can get at least a dozen more."
"...you are being sarcastic, aren't you?" Alister asked hopefully.
"Not in the slightest," Nefarious replied. "I'm already up to 25. Would you like them arranged in order of length, effort required, or predicted levels of atrociousness?"
"I'd rather you not tell me anything that would make me empathize with the Cragmites," Alister grumbled. "The last thing I need is that on top of the guilt I'm already carrying around."
"Fair enough," Nefarious allowed. "But if it turns out that is the case, I will be telling you where on the list it is, ordered by predicted levels of atrociousness."
"If you must," Alister groaned with a roll of his eyes.
Before long, the group found another local standing by a yellow boat, seeming impressed at seeing how easily the group made their way through. "Well hello there!" he greeted warmly. "I didn't think anyone was left in town. What can I do for you?"
"We're attempting to reach Terawatt Forest to find Dr. Frumpus Croid, so we can learn how to stop Ephemerus," Twilight explained. "Can you help? A nearby railway station, perhaps?"
"Well, there's a station over by the lighthouse," the local offered. "I'd take you there myself, but the water's too dangerous for boating. Ephemerus hauled in that WASP last month to create a natural habitat for the Sepiads. The storm ran everyone out of town."
"We could do something about that WASP," Alister mentioned idly. "How do we get up there?"
"Well, the collectors use that cannon over there to launch food to the Sepiads," the local explained, gesturing down another path. "I...suppose you could use it to reach the platform."
"What's a Sepiad?" Qwark asked Nefarious.
"Those tentacles we've been seeing," Nefarious explained. "Sea dwelling predators indigenous to Reepoor."
"The Cragmite homeworld?" Twilight gasped out in surprise.
"Exactly," Nefarious confirmed as the group made their way to the cannon. "They usually travel in packs and bring food back to their king."
"We probably don't want to tangle with the king, do we?" Qwark asked nervously.
"But we'll probably have to, won't we?" Alister grumbled, checking his weapons.
"Yeah, that sounds about right," Twilight offered nervously, climbing back up to Qwark's back.
At that moment, a massive crustacean with a tooth-filled maw, stalk eyes, and two large tentacles dragged itself partway onto the platform. The group immediately opened fire, trying to unleash enough damage to either destroy it or at least make it back off. However, no matter how much damage they inflicted on its front, it just took it, not seeming to even flinch.
After a time, however, a sonic buoy activated beside a nearby crank station. When rung, it lowered food of some sort above the Sepiad. It raised up, trying to get at the food, exposing its less protected underbelly. Damage inflicted there resulted in a much stronger reaction, and before long it fell over before slumping back into the water, either unconscious or dead.
As the group prepared to make their way across to the cannon, another video log rose up out of the water. The screen displayed various images of a wrecked lab and a traumatized scientist. "Holo-diary, 002," the voice that had narrated each of the entries began, sounding desperate and panicked. "A heinous crime has been committed. This morning, I awoke to find my laboratory in shambles. The vectomorphic triciliscope was smashed, the crack resistant flume canisters were cracked, and worst of all...an egregious theft had been committed. The plans for the protomorphic energy extractor...gone! All that was left behind was a recipe for Drophyd stew! Mr. Dinkles, my friend, my muse! Someone had taken him. But it couldn't be...no! Nevo, what have you done?" With that, the log ended.
"Who else thinks Mr. Dinkles - or the energy inside him - is manipulating Nevo?" Qwark asked.
"Me," Alister confirmed.
"Me!" Twilight added.
"I hate agreeing with you, Qwark!" Nefarious snapped. "...but me too."
"As long as we know what we're doing!" Qwark proclaimed happily.