MONSTEROPOLIS EPISODE 1:
Heroes and Villains
By Hadrian (Hardman) Howell
Chapter 1
-Megaopolis Science and Technology Center
-February 13th, 2096 AD
-Account Subject: Dr. Albert W. Wily
My desk is immaculate. I can find anything. Granted, that’s more because I remember which pile of junk I left whatever I’m looking for than any great organizational skill on my part, but it fulfills my criteria, so screw the rest of you.
Across my desk sat one of my associates. I have six associates I actually care to name. In order of most to least favorite, they would be Dr. Thomas Light, fellow Master Amadeus Caine, Dr. Sergei Cossack, Dr. Isaac Vincent Orson Kintobor (in future reference, he shall be Ivo because it bugs him and that makes me happy) Master Vladimir Weil, and last and most certainly least, Dr. Alexander Hojo.
I actually hate Hojo. I hate him a lot. He’s very creepy.
But at present, I was addressing Amadeus.
And he was speaking, which was odd in and of itself. “Albert, I assure you we have nothing to worry about from some radical religious group. This… ‘World 3’ has gotten some press, and that’s it.”
I was, obviously, unconvinced. “Any radical group with a double-encrypted website has enough going for it that it merits attention. ESPECIALLY when its stated goals amount to ‘Consuming the heathen unbelievers in FIRE.’”
“You’re being ridiculous,” Amadeus said dismissively. “We have larger fish to worry about. The Mayor-“
“That incompetent boob?” I cut him off. “Please. I’ve had bowel movements more inspiring than that man.”
“Still, he’s been making some reasonable requests,” Amadeus pressed on. In 20 years of association he’s learned to move past my somewhat caustic wit. He set a folder full of files on my desk, and it almost immediately fell off like water on a duck. “These are simple improvements to public transportation and safety. We could knock things like this out of the park in a week and get him off our backs.”
I scoffed. I’m a good scoffer. “Please. Delegate it to someone who ISN’T a council member and it’ll get done in a month, which is still faster than that Italian moron expects it.”
“Point, but I feel like we’ve been taking it a little too easy after the Six.”
“You didn’t do shit!” I practically shouted. “Thomas and I did all the design and programming work for that project. You and the other five kept sending us memos about more important work we should have been doing, and lo and behold, the Six is the most successful project the STC has turned out since the first Intelligent Mechanical! It’s just like you fucking hacks to jump on the bandwagon of success after it has long gone from the station.”
Amadeus sat there in shock. As well he should! Of COURSE the Six were successful, but how DARE he try and claim credit or say we’d been lazy since their implementation. Six unique mechanicals tasked with different portions of Megaopolis’s operation and security, with multiple copies of each in place to service this massive city the best way they can, were a brilliant idea. It wasn’t even mine, I’m surprised to admit.
That said, it wasn’t Caine’s either. I snapped up the folder and flung it back at him. “Get your nonsense out of my office so I can come up with something worth my time.”
He glared at me on the way out the door. He slammed the door. I heard him walk down the hall. I smiled and leaned back in my chair.
“God I love doing that,” I said out loud to no one in particular. Then, to my computer, I said “Bring up that dossier on this ‘World 3’. I don’t care what anyone says…”
“Certainly, Dr. Wily,” the system responded.
Images flashed on my screen, each remaining there until I said ‘next’ through my rather bushy mustache. The encryption of their website and the server behind it had been… less than child’s play to hack. This had been my first red flag, Of course, in the city’s history there’d been several such groups with a focus on destroying this amazing accomplishment that had been constructed here over the last 50 years, and as a hobby I’d taken to infiltrating those advanced enough to use the internet. In fact, I was acutely aware that the Office of Internal Affairs had a department devoted to that very same hobby.
And none of the screen names or IP signatures that I normally associated with the OIA had discovered this group yet. This was a concern. One of several, actually. The organization was organized into tiers, with the top two tiers being composed only of people who referred to themselves by the unimaginative naming schema of ‘Agent Color’. The top dog, however, seemed to be the one they called ‘Sigma’.
After some wizardly hacking, I’d figured out that some of these Agents had already infiltrated Monsteropolis, integrating themselves into the city. Agent Red and Agent White were my two largest concerns, because their messages seemed to originate from within the Science and Technology Center. While this was admittedly a large complex of buildings and only a few positions were important like mine, it was still a concern.
Apparently, Agent Gray was due to arrive in the city any day now. Also already present were Agents Gold, Blue, and Black. Agent Purple was being delayed by some manner of trouble, but many of the other entities in the World 3 seemed to be awaiting his arrival.
It would be too easy to assume I could figure out who these people actually were. They were unlikely to make themselves obvious, and it would be easy and probably foolish to assume that those that WERE obvious were involved. This Megaman character that was making a splash in the news might well have been Agent Blue, and if this was true the World 3 was well equipped. Occam’s Razor, on the other hand, would suggest that these two things were unrelated.
Another thing that was concerning me was the fact that Leomund Koopa, Matthias Bison and Mr. Dedede, the three most infamous men in the city, were meeting soon for a ‘business discussion’. The only way three mafia bosses would meet, face to face to face, would be if they felt they were being threatened.
So what did they know? More importantly, how could I learn what they knew?
I chuckled. Well, that was as easy as picking up my secure phone and making a call.
To his credit, he answered on the second ring. “Wesley Knack,” came the voice.
“Weasel,” I said, “I need you to do a bit of spying for me.”
I could hear the smile in Weasel’s voice. He liked working for me. I paid him up front and very well. “Well, Dr. W, I am always at your disposal! My usual fees apply, of course.”
“Oh, most certainly. In fact, I’m doubling your rate for this one,” I told him. There was a small squeak on the other side of the line. “Don’t be so excited. The pay will match the difficulty of the job.”
“No job to big,” Weasel exclaimed.
“Even spying on Koopa, Bison and the Penguin Man?”
There was silence, which was to be expected. Weasel was one of Monsteropolis’s… less than popular people. It’s why I used him, honestly. No one but no one believed a word he said. Hell, I only believed him because I paid him to say things.
“Um… am I looking for something in particular?” Weasel asked carefully. “Like… a woman? Or… I dunno… a bullet in my brain or something?”
“Quit being a baby, Wesley,” I smiled. “You know none of those three will ACTUALLY kill you. Maybe set you on fire, but not ACTUALLY kill you.”
“I hope you REALLY need me to spy on them,” Wesley sighed. “I mean, REALLY need me to spy on them. I’d hate to think this was some enormous personal risk on my part simply for your amusement or something.”
“I’ll triple your rate, Weasel,” I assured him. “Now there’s a few keywords I’m looking for. Listen VERY well to anything pertaining to… let’s see…” I dug out a note pad with some words scrawled on it I’d prepared before my conversation with Amadeus. “World Three, Agent, Religious Nut Job (or anything with that general connotation), the Six, Megaman, or the Mayor. Take a Dictaphone if you think you’ll be able to get it to work right this time.”
Wesley Knack seemed to think about this for what would be for him a long time. Four whole seconds before taking a potentially life-threatening job. He must be getting older and worried about his longevity.
“Done and Done, Dr. W,” he replied. “I’ll track ‘em down and listen hard.”
“Thank you Wesley. Keep in touch.”
I hung up the phone and leaned back again in my chair. I felt hungry, but I was loathe to leave my office. If I ran into any of the rest of the Council in the halls, I was likely to hear someone’s feelings on my earlier treatment of Amadeus. It wasn’t that I felt guilty, I just didn’t give a damn about what lesser minds thought. And don’t get me wrong, they were ALL lesser minds. Not much, admittedly, but still less.
My computer made a soft noise. “Dr. Wily, the time is 4 pm. This is your meeting reminder. You have an appointment to see Leonard Hikari on the production floor in twenty minutes.”
I sighed. “Thank you, GLaDOS,” I said, standing up and taking my lab coat off the back of my chair. “Time to see if Mr. Hikari can deliver on his promises. Don’t wait up for me, dear.”
As I left my office, the lights dimmed. The hall was blissfully clear of other people. I let myself smile, ran a hand through my minimal hair, and set off towards the elevator at a brisk pace.
Only a few more days before I could really start setting things in motion. Only a few pieces left. Then? Oh yeah, then I’ll show them all. I’ll show them all what a REAL genius can do.
It’s going to be fantastic.
