The Life and Times of Agent Sot; Chapter 3: A Crazed Brit

By: Zak Rosen '16

Chapter 3: A Crazed Bit

       The two women woke up tied on opposite sides of a thick doric column, a small lantern to the side of them. Though equally dark, this room was obviously much bigger than the chamber Sanders had taken Sot to. The light didn’t even reach the ceiling, and it felt like they were sitting under a starless sky. The air was so cold they could almost believe they were outdoors.

       “It seems that whoever we’re looking for didn’t wait for us to come to them,” Sot panted.

       “Give me a moment. I can cut us out.” Sanders slipped the small pearl bracelet she wore of her left wrist. It had nominally been a gift from Tyler; it actually contained a small knife and some C4. A few flicks of her finger and the rope fell away. The two women got up, brushing dust from their pants.

        A noise began to emanate from their right. Glancing at each other silently, the women nodded their heads. They began to walk, silently, taking protective stances. Whoever the attacker was had gotten the better of them once. It would not be allowed to happen again.

         As the darkness encroached behind them, a new light, diffuse and green, starts to glow in front of them. Eventually, the pair came upon a set of over a dozen gigantic computer monitors with a chair situated in front of them. Some of the monitors showed images from classes, students moving about and teachers lecturing. One focused on Cirillo, his unconscious body lying prostrate on the nurse’s cot. There was no noise, only the images playing out silently.

         “Show yourself. Maybe you’ll be spared. That’s more than you deserve considering all the trouble you’ve caused,” Sanders yelled, brandishing her pearl bracelet knife.

        “Oh, how quaint,” a distinctly British voice chuckled. The chair turned around to reveal the pale figure of Dr. Norledge, stroking a snow white cat. “You’re too late.”

         The two gasped. “Norledge,” Sot whispered, “I thought we killed you in Berlin.”

         “Oh you tried. And succeeded. This school has a remarkable distaste for loose ends. Luckily, I was able to build myself a doppleganger and implant my consciousness. And here we are.”

         “What have you done?” Sanders shouted.

         “I’ve unbalanced the space time continuum around the school. In a matter of minutes, we’ll all be sucked into an alternate dimension.” The crazed Brit began to laugh maniacally.

         Sanders leaped and pinned him to the ground. Sotiropolous lounged at the key board, furiously typing command after command to override the destruction module. The screens lit up with the words, “Please say the password.”

         “You’ll never guess,” screamed Norledge, his head squished onto the floor.

          Sotiropolous thought. Carefully, with tears in her eyes, fearful of the end, in the most British voice she could muster, she said, “Tea and Crumpets.”

          The screens all turned off. “NOOOO!!!!,” cried Norledge. Sanders promptly punched him in the face.

                                                                              ----

          Norledge’s clonebot was dismantled, the computer apparatus stored in another secret chamber, and Cirillo was given an antidote. Sanders and Sot shook hands. This wouldn’t be the last conflict, but the school had been saved for now. That was what was important.

                                                                              ----

          Somewhere, in a dusty closet in subbasement 9, where the computers were stored, the door opened. A young man with black glasses and a shiny bald head took his seat at the console. The lights flicked on. Gvozden smiled.