A Sinister Plot
By
Adam Tucker

Matt, Number 98601, walked through the flow-metal doors into Spacestation 7214’s library archives. He stopped and glanced around in awe at the rows of energy scrolls. (An energy scroll is a holographic projection containing a living story, which allows a person to be any of the characters.) His wonderment was cut short when he heard a voice boom out of the intercom, “Twenty minutes till closing time!”

Hoping to catch a few minutes of a book, he headed to his favorite section. After searching for a while, he lifted down a scroll entitled David Copperfield. He watched the book swim into view, shimmering as its time portal opened. Sitting on a nearby bench, he felt himself sucked through the portal and into the story. When he finally pulled his head out of the story, he was shocked to find the library lights were dimmed, and the archives were deserted. He sat still, listening for any sounds around him. Something did not feel right, and he wondered what was amiss.

As a member of the station’s police force, he had a sixth sense for crime. Pulling his flashlight out of his belt and gripping his sonic pistol, he crept out into the main atrium. Matt heard voices coming from the Nonfiction section. Activating his jumpboots, he leaped onto the nearest shelf with ease. Creeping along until he was directly over the voices, he pulled out his secret listening device. “So, are we finally ready to set this plan into action?” a cold metallic voiced sounded from below. It belonged to a Seeker, a trained robot assassin used by warlords. Another voice spoke from below, a human voice this time.

“Yes, but keep your voice down. The walls have ears these days. The plan will commence tomorrow night, but we can plant the explosives tonight. Once the people lose their archives, they will be fearful and lost with their precious books!”

“Do you have the goods with you?” the harsh voice of the Seeker echoed through the silent library.

“Yes, here they are, in this backpack.” Matt peeked over the edge of the shelf to see the man, a beaded, vile-looking creature, pull out a backpack with C4 explosive protruding out the top! Matt knew he had to get help. With a gigantic leap, he soared through the air towards the doors. What happened next seemed to take hours but really lasted only seconds! The Seeker spun, saw Matt flying through the air towards the door, and launched himself after Matt in a split second. The man let out a cry as Matt twisted in the air firing his sonic gun. It stunned the man but had no effect on the pursuing robot.

Sparks flying, Matt skidded to a stop in front of the flow-metal doors. He ducked, and the Seeker flew past him, crashing loudly. Racing back through the aisles, Matt cast a glance over his shoulder; the robot was after him again. The robot’s sonic rays glanced off the shelves knocking scrolls everywhere. Matt paused, looking in all directions. Then, taking a gigantic leap, he cannoned through an air vent that was positioned in the ceiling above him. He slid through a semi-dark tunnel that was lit by glowstrips. Matt barreled out the end and landed in the hallway outside.

The Seeker slid out of the tube, landing next to him in a shower of sparks. It sprang up, and Matt had to roll out of the way as he dodged the robot’s ray gun. Matt sprang up and raced down the corridor, yelling frantically for help. He skidded around a bend and found himself facing his favorite librarian, a squat old man with round glasses perched on the end of his nose. The librarian, Rob, was a quiet man who usually kept to himself. However, seeing the Seeker who was pursuing Matt, he sprang into action. “Get more help, Matt!” he cried. Pausing for only a moment, Matt sprang off towards the station. Looking back, he gasped as Rob bunched his small body and leaped onto the back of the robot. Fortunately, at that very moment, down the hall appeared the whole police force, which had been alerted by a silent alarm from the library. Soon it was all over, and the criminals were history. Wiping his brow, the small librarian threw a pudgy arm around Matt as they strode back towards the archives. “Wow, that was more exciting than an energy scroll!” he exclaimed.