//------------------------------//
// 4-gotten: Launch 
// Story: The Sparkle in his Eye 
// by Tatsurou 
//------------------------------//

	Following the tutorial provided by Stewart, the group was readily able to figure out how all the power systems of the station worked, and made their way forward to reset the system.  This proved to be a very simple, if time consuming, endeavor, moving all around the station itself generating power before connecting sub-stations to the main station with 'cable cannons'.  Twilight eventually grew bored muttering over how inefficient the whole system was, and eventually the group found other ways to spend the time while working their way around, as even hostiles didn't crop up often enough to be entertaining.

With the station fully restored, the lockdown on the Hall of Paradoxology disengaged, and a launchpad became available to send the group straight to their destination.  "Well...that's convenient," Twilight murmured thoughtfully.

"You seem conflicted," Alister pointed out curiously.

"Well..." Twilight began awkwardly.

"Let me guess," Nefarious spoke up.  "On the one hand, 'Yay!  No backtracking!'  On the other hand, 'Aww!  No more Guardian rides!'  How close am I?"

Twilight giggled through her blush.  "Dead on.  How'd you know?"

"Because it's exactly what I was thinking!" Nefarious cackled happily.

"Me too!" Qwark spoke up happily.

"If you three don't get moving, I'll turn us around and backtrack anyway!" Alister snapped out as he moved to the launcher.

"Just because you're the mature adult, what makes you think you're in charge?" Nefarious snapped back, but complied since Twilight already had.

As they moved forward towards the entrance, an alarm went off and the Stewart spoke up.  "Warning!  Critical failure detected in outer security grid."

"What happened?" Qwark gasped out worriedly.

Twilight cursed under her breath.  "I knew this would happen!" she grumbled.  "A system this old...that much power all at once probably fried something!  We need to hurry!"

"Let's go then!" Alister shouted out, taking point.

Just as the group got to the platform halfway along the final bridge to the Hall entrance, the bridge came apart around them.  "Detecting incoming enemies!" Stewart spoke up.

"So close!" Nefarious snapped out.

Taking to the air, Twilight flew across the remaining distance before the enemies could arrive.  "Come on!" she shouted out.  The rest of the group quickly locked on with their swingshots, and the group made their way into the Hall of Paradoxology, the locked door providing only a momentary hurdle for Twilight's magic.





The inside of the H.O.P. at first proved to be rather narrow and poorly decorated.  It wasn't clear if this was just bad taste on the part of the designers or the ravages of time and neglect, but it left the group eager to rush through, even as they heard from the videos that this is where studies of Creatures and their Caretakers was done.  "So...this is where this all began, then?" Twilight murmured as she ran with the group.

The only detail of significant information came about when it was revealed that the altered behavior and energies of the Creatures was due to being irradiated at some point in the past, long before the Tharpods came across them.

When they got into the second hall, however, the video messages changed.  "Good evening, Nevo," the lone scientist spoke up.  "I recorded this message in anticipation of your pathetic assassination attempt.  This lab, as you've no doubt realized...is a decoy!"

"Dammit!" Alister snapped as the group stared around the large room, containing only what looked like a shuttle of some sort.

"I've already moved all our research to the Phonica Moon," the message continued.

"Really?" Nefarious asked, his voice flat.  "Either you're trying to set a trap, or are just really bad at this if you're telling the enemy you're fleeing where you're going."

"I know what you're trying to do," the message continued as though there had been no interruption, "and I will not let it happen."

"I get the feeling we don't have all the information we should..." Qwark murmured as the video ended.

"So...what now?" Twilight asked.  "Contact Aphelion and send Daddy and the others after Dr. Croid on the moon and get directions from them?"

"Or..." Nefarious offered, gesturing to the large rocket-like vehicle.  "Or we can use this prototype orbital craft to make our own way to the moon through the dangerous asteroid field so we can confront Croid ourselves!"

"I like the idea of sending Ratchet..." Alister began.

"Rocket!" Qwark called out eagerly.

"Rocket!" Twilight agreed readily.

"Dammit," Alister grumbled, snapping his fingers as Nefarious grinned from ear to ear.





Once the craft exited the atmosphere, most of it fell away leaving only the Lunar Module, which contained the four pods the group were inside and the manually controlled engines to maneuver them through the field to the moon.  "Alright," Alister began carefully.  "We only have so much fuel here, so we need to be fast but careful."

"Scanners indicate a few gelatonium capsules along the route we can collect to replenish our fuel," Nefarious added, "so we should consider priorities whenever we come across them, but gather any that we can without wasting more than we'll gain from grabbing them."

"And above all else, we should avoid bumping into any asteroids," Twilight confirmed.  "There's no way to repair the module mid-flight, so we're done for if it breaks."

"Follow my lead everyone!" Qwark proclaimed as he maneuvered the rocket he had control of.  "I'll see us through safely!"

"...how about we let Nefarious set the course?" Alister suggested cautiously.  "He's got the strongest sensors available, after all.  I'm pretty sure we'll be fine here as long as he takes the lead."

Frowning, Nefarious shifted his communicator so Twilight wasn't in the signal.  "You're also thinking in terms of my temporal sensors in case of Orvus having to turn back time, aren't you?" he demanded calmly of Alister.

"Didn't want to remind Twilight of the possibility, but yes," Alister confirmed.

"Right!" Nefarious proclaimed as he shifted back to open comms.  "Follow my lead.  I'll get us there in six minutes or less."