The Vanishing Warlord - Part 9.1

[ButchyBoy]

It was just after 9am on Harry and Cricket's second full day in London. Cricket had "awakened" from her re-charge, and was getting dressed. She was just buttoning up her white blouse when she noticed she seemed to be alone in Dr. Browning's lab.

"Hello", Cricket called out. "Anyone here?"

The robot walked around looking, and making double sure she wasn't sticking to any metal, or that anything was suddenly flying into her hands. She saw an open door and peeked in, and spied who she thought had to be this Dr. Charles Browning fast asleep on a bed, still in his clothes. Cricket just smiled. The poor man must have been up all night looking after her, she deduced. She knew he couldn't hear her, but she wispered, "Thank you for fixing me" anyway. She crept out wondering where Harry had gotten to. She looked around the lab once more quietly calling his name out. Then she spied a note on the table. It was Harry's handwriting and had her name on it.

Darling

Gone back to the museum. Have a hunch Benwolf is somehow involved in these murders AND he arranged our little party with Shang....whoever he really is. Find Louis Smithers. He's the key to that little bundle of joy and speaking of which if you don't hear from me by 10am, something has bound to have gone wrong so get to the hotel and collect our green friend, then get to Scotland Yard and tell them everything......even if it's Hargrove you have to tell. Good luck to both of us.

I love you
Harry

Cricket looked at the note, making sure nothing else was written. "Nice touch....darling", she said outloud, referring to how the note was signed. "But I'm still mad at you, going off along like that." Still, she thought, that was Harry. Time waited for no hunch with that man. She looked at her watch. 09:10 it read. Enough time to play a hunch of my own, thought the little blond fembot.

[ButchyBoy]

She looked around and spotted a desk with a laptop. "I'm sure Dr. Browning won't mind me using this", she said as she turned it on. She sat down, taking a long thin cable from her purse. She had some difficulty, but managed to insert one end in a small port near the small of her back. Then she inserted the other end into the laptop. She blinked hard and a cute looking welcome screen appeared with the handwritten name CRICKET in bright pink letters; flowers, bunnies, and birds everywhere around it. A sickly sweet voice, much like Cricket's said, "Password please."

"Wodem" came the reply.

"Password accepted. Welcome back Cricket!", the voice said cheerfully.

The young droid smiled and got to work. "Access memory index 050520220923.45" On the screen was on image of what took place in the museum basement yesterday morning. All from Cricket's point of view through her eyes. "Begin", she stated and the scene came to life.

There was the crate being examined, Harry, then the crate again. Voices of Dr. Benwolf, Professor Peng, Harry, and Inspector Hargrove. Harry opened the crate, and there was the Warlord's suit, sans body. It was looked at up and down, then the dagger was spotted and picked up, and examined with microscopic view. The dagger was handed to the Inspector. The the laughter was heard and everyone looked around. Suddenly the screen went fuzzy, as if a old style tv set had gone 'on the blink'. "Freeze image", she said. It froze, a mass of lines and blurry images. Cricket tried typing in several letter and number cominations on the keyboard, not nothing could clear up the image very much. "Back .37" she said. The images started to play in reverse, looking pretty much the same as playing forward. It froze on the very last frame before Cricket got her "headache". "360 View", she commanded. Now she could use the mouse to zoom in on each person in the frame. She began with Inspector Hargrove.

Funny, Cricket thought. At the moment trouble began, the Inspector wasn't reaching for her stun pistol, but the device that had scanned Cricket.

"That little toy do more than identify robots Inspector?"

Next, she looked at Joe Tam.......he seemed to be holding something...near his chest. It looked to be some sort of necklace

"Strange"

The elder professer was next. He didn't seem to be looking around like the rest of them. His eyes seemed.....trance like. And something else.

"What have you got in that jacket pocket, Professor?"

Then, there was Nigel Benwolf. When she zoomed in on him, Cricket couldn't believe what she saw. He was reaching for the dagger the Inpector was holding, looking to take it like a little boy trying to swipe a cookie. Harry was right! She quickly looked for a disc to copy this image.

"Second drawer on the right", a voice said.

Cricket turned to look, somewhat limited with a cable stuck in her back. "What?" She saw Dr. Browing.

"I assume you want a disc for whatever your doing on my laptop." he said, opening the drawer, and retriving one for her.

Cricket smiled. "Oh yes. Gathering evidance. Hope you don't mind?" she asked rather nervously.

He just smiled letting her know it was all ok. "Not at all. Anything to further the cause of justice." Cricket smiled as she put the disc in, getting a copy of the image. Dr. Browing contined to play the perfect gentleman, helping her unhook, and making sure the evidance was secure in a dust cover. Cricket though for a second how hansome he was as he helped, but then remembered what she had to do.

"Thank you so much Dr.....for everything, really". She kissed him on the cheek before running off, but stopped suddenly, and what digging through her purse. "Here's our adress, you can send the bill..."

The doctor put his hand up. "No need. It seems any expenses in repairing your I'm to bill to a certain Carl Throckhammer."

"Really?" Cricked replyed. "Wow, good old Throcky", she said grinning. She was dashing off again when Dr. Browning cleared his throat rather harshly. That made Cricket stop, turn and look. He held up the disc in his hand. "Oh......right" The robot was blushing bright red as she took it and placed it in her purse.

"Anything else I can do?", the doctor asked.

"No, you've been great, thanks....Oh wait.....There's a Louis Smithers, he used to be a big shot at the British Museum......Any idea where I can find him?"

[ButchyBoy]

Next: Dagger, dagger, who's got the dagger?

[DollSpace]

And the plot continues to thicken! Keep doing the great work there myow! Something to get everyone's mind off the stressful world of politics, win or lose! ^_^

*hug*
Ryn