The cat searched the controls, the devices, something to give him a direct connection to drain, but he didn’t find the connection he wanted. Snarling he went up the elevator to the one place he knew there would be aetheric energy…the spinning eyes at the front.
He was so preoccupied that he hadn’t noticed the air kraken had stopped attacking until he reached the deck. They placidly floated around the ship, while clockworks watched them intently and a human man looked about terrified. Broken parts and burnt kraken littered the deck, and he could see the Vole was smashed and its balloon hanging by the rope.
He couldn’t stop to think about what had happened up here as he turned to the devices in the front and grabbed hold to draw in energy. He was scared of repeating what had happened at the power station, but he had to try.
The aether flowed into him; perhaps it was because they were over the Fells, but he didn’t feel like he was losing control. He was almost ready when he heard Dr. Dinosaur speak behind him, and the cat froze as he heard the tesla gun priming. “Is that you, feline?”
He turned and faced the Doctor, who kept his weapon trained on him and motioned for the few clockworks that remained with him to stay back. Arnold moved away from the device, slowly, as he watched the weapon apprehensively. “Yes.”
The lizard moved closer to his target, aiming his weapon for Arnold’s center. “I knew you’d come, all the cats I’ve collected. Now, where is my receiver?”
Arnold stared at him and hissed, “Bombay.”
“Bombay?” The doctor asked, confused. The weapon began to hum louder as he prepared to fire. “You didn’t seriously send it to Bombay?”
“No, I gave copies to several scientists.” As an afterthought he added, “Diagrams too.”
The lizard seemed shocked, but the shock quickly transformed to outrage. “You…did….WHAT!?!”
He saw movement, and he spoke even louder, keeping the raptor’s attention on himself. “I didn’t know anything about the device, I didn’t even care! All I cared about was what you were doing to me, and then to the cats to get to me!”
Dr. Dinosaur hefted the weapon to fire. But then, a hiss sounded from behind the lizard, and Lisa leapt onto its back, whipping her jacket over its eyes. The Doctor dropped his gun and it clanked over the side, as Lisa yowled a battle cry and tied the jacket tightly. “Hurry, Arnold!”
He blinked at her, and then roared as he jumped at Dr. Dinosaur, clawing at him as Lisa leapt off. The raptor screeched as he tried to claw at the cat, the jacket, and the urchin who had just gotten off of him. Claws struck them both, ripping through flesh and cloth, sending blood flying into the night sky. “RUN! I can handle this!”
Lisa backed away, as the clockworks moved forward but stopped as their logic processors recalled their orders to stay. Looking back at them, and then at Arnold, she asked, “Are you sure?!”
Dr. Dinosaur managed to tear off the jacket, and he snapped his jaws at Arnold, biting into his arm. The cat let out a pain filled yowl, “GOOO!”
Lisa dove back to the elevator, as Arnold bit the raptor on the shoulder, digging in his own teeth.
The lizard hissed as he pushed the cat away and the two broke off of one another. They stared balefully at one another, hunched over on their hands and knees as they caught their breaths. Their clothes were shredded and bloody as if two feral animals had torn into them. “I just have one thing to say to you, Doctor!”
Snarling, the dinosaur moved to stand up. “And what is that, lunchmeat?”
Arnold could still feel the energy he had been storing this whole time, and even from out here, now that he was aware of it, he could feel that strange living thing. He took this small moment to let the energy flow out of him towards the strange wardrobe.
He gasped from as the exchange left him, and a strange sound filled the air and Dr. Dinosaur looked about in shock. “What?!” He got to his feet and ran to the elevator, looking down. “My Time Egg!”
The sound stopped, and he rounded on the cat, furious. The cat tried to get back up, all four limbs shaking and unsteady after the transfer and blood loss, but his voice was clear, “My name is Arnold, and I told you I’d make you bleed!”
Dr. Dinosaur glared at him. “Your name is bologna when I’m through with you! So you managed to activate it–whatever! This will end soon!” The lizard tapped a button on the ruined sleeve of his coat, and Arnold hissed as the ship vibrated ominously.
The deck began to move, opening up the back of the ship across from the two. A seat rose from the pit and the Doctor moved and sat in it, ignoring his clockworks, who were still held back by his command, and Arnold, who was still trying to recover from what he had just done.
As soon as he was seated, iron and copper machinery rose up around the seat, connecting and assembling into a larger machine with a dinosaur’s head. Arnold watched in horror as the device became a massive mechanical Tyrannosaurus that towered before him. “You have to be kidding me!”
The entire ship tilted as the large construct came to life, steam flying out of pistons as it stood up, sending Arnold and the clockworks flying around the deck. Arnold grabbed hold of the nearest propellor and held on for his life, as the raptor’s clockworks plummeted to the Fells below.
Dr. Dinosaur yelled triumphantly from the monstrosity, “SAY HELLO TO MECHA-REX!!!”
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