The
edges of reality appeared to be heating up around them. Doc tamped out
his pipe and motioned to Captain Future. “Still need to work on the power
supply, I guess. Got a leak somewhere in the second dimension, someway,
that causes that overload. We'd best be getting on our way if we're going
to stop Ace Britely and Sci-Fye permanently!”
Captain Future nodded
as Doc reached for the toaster. “Finish your toast while I make some more,”
smiled Doc as he inserted two fresh pieces of rye bread into the glowing
machine. With a flip of his hand the two super pals shimmered and seemed
to disappear into thin air while Mr. Munay snarled back into life, choking
on his tums tablet and peering wildly around him for the source of his
heartburn.
Outside
the bank president's private door, Doc led the way through the bank while
the people around them stood still, lost forever in the act of completing
their unfinished work.
Captain
Future carefully righted a tipping coffee pot before it finished spilling
out of the hand of a matronly grip, and turned an urchin another was clutching
so that he would kick his foot against one of the marble columns instead
of his mother's knee when they both came out of the time warp.
“Be careful, Cap
... even changing one detail may have devastating consequences we cannot
guess at,” cautioned Doc Tyger.
It seemed to Captain
Future like they were in a small force bubble that only slowed time down
around those immediately nearby them. He followed Doc Tyger out of the
bank and into a waiting taxi before Doc switched off the strange properties
of the toaster.
They
both stared up into the amazed eyes of a couple who were just in the process
of stepping past the open taxi door to climb inside. “Sorry, we'll make
room for you,” prompted Doc Tyger. The couple stepped back and slammed
the door closed mumbling together about not having noticed the cab being
already occupied. It wasn't long before the two men were at Doc's laboratory,
half smothered by the smog of the valley's industrial complex.
From the outside it
looked much like a computer warehouse rambling over several acres of prime
Privy Ledged real estate. Captain Future followed Doc inside and was soon
lost in a winding maze between whirring gizmos and colorful, bubbling beakers
of unknown chemistry. the air became cooler as Cap was led down into a
large underground room where computer lights winked busily back at them.
Doc turned a proud eye on his mechanical brain child while a smooth familiar
male voice erupted from the middle of the room to greet them.
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