The Spy Mission (Sleep Story)

EJ 9-1-1,

Captain speaking.

Whoa,

Slow down,

Take a breath,

And tell me what's going on.

A missing delivery driver?

Okay,

You last tracked them to a set of coordinates.

Okay,

Got that down.

That's a great lead.

And who was the last package he was delivering a dress to?

Sir Genius McGee?

That's quite a name.

Did the driver report anything unusual before disappearing?

No,

Do not try to trace his steps.

Me and my partner Hero have specialized training.

No,

Sir,

Listen to me.

We'll have two people missing if you,

No,

Sir,

Please do not do that.

Sir,

I can't hear,

All right,

That's two delivery drivers missing.

Hopefully together,

Dispatch,

Don't let me down.

Hero,

This mission is no ordinary delivery mix-up.

It seems Quickby Courier Services has lost contact with one of their drivers,

And then one of their supervisors.

I was able to trace the call,

Identify the individuals,

And the package information.

The coordinates from the GPS tracker show the delivery truck is just outside of Dormir.

Actually,

This might not be the time,

But I'm so excited.

Warpino and I have been studying those tunnels.

You remember,

The ones cadets found?

Well,

Let me tell you,

There's a lot going on under the surface over there.

And these coordinates seem to lead us right to the tunnels.

Honeybee the Hero,

This is Warpino the alien,

Sending you many blinks on this fine day.

I haven't gotten a chance to meet with you regarding these tunnels,

So I will be joining you on a mission today.

I will be your sidekick,

So I will be Captain EJ's sidekick's sidekick.

Warpino,

There are two missing people depending on us.

No time.

If the missing people are deep enough in those tunnels,

They likely have more time than they can handle.

What?

Did you learn something new about the tunnels that you haven't told me yet?

We have no time,

Honeybee the Mister.

We're not in those tunnels.

.

.

Yet.

EJ.

Captain EJ and Hero to the rescue.

Let's begin.

You are here with Captain EJ,

Walking the last few steps down a narrow dirt path on the outskirts of Dormir,

Where towering trees from a canopy overhead.

Their branches intertwine to cast long,

Gnarled shadows of the ground below.

The air is crisp,

But there's an underlying heaviness,

A feeling that something unseen stirs beneath your feet.

This is Dormir,

Where the unusual is the usual and the unexpected is simply the unknown.

You're arriving just beyond the city limits at the untamed edge of the wilderness of Dormir,

Where anything is possible for better or worse.

Take a deep breath in through your nose.

Let the earthy scent of the forest fill your lungs and ground you in this simple moment,

Before you're propelled into the depths of the unknown to solve this mystery.

Then slowly breathe all the way out through your mouth.

Relax the space between your brows,

Your ears,

And lift your head high,

Elongating your posture and exuding the confidence you feel deep down.

There it is,

Hero.

Mr.

Honeybee's research lab.

Well,

His temporary research lab.

Leave it to Mr.

H to build a secret hideout under a pile of leaves.

Don't just let him hear me call it a hideout.

He'll insist it's a state-of-the-art field command center.

You descend the ladder into the makeshift lab,

Hidden beneath the forest floor.

It's dimly lit,

With a few portable lights casting an amber glow over an assortment of gadgets and monitors.

The walls are lined with notes and sketches of the lab,

Sketches pinned to corkboards,

And a large central table holds a glowing holographic map of the tunnel network.

It's still very much in progress,

But this is what Mr.

Honeybee,

Roger Robot,

And Warpino have been working so hard at lately.

Warpino is perched nearby,

Studying a specific detail on the map.

His luminous outline flickers with energy as he peers into a scanner.

Honeybee the hero,

Many blinks to you.

Welcome to the center of the universe.

Well,

Your universe,

Anyway.

These tunnels are.

.

.

How do you earthlings say it?

Mind-blowing?

If we're using earthling phrases,

I think a lot to take in might be more accurate.

No kidding.

Look here.

Remember how we thought these tunnels were medieval mining tunnels?

Well,

They are that,

But they're also so much more.

These tunnels are alive with energy.

Warpino and I have been tracking the way this strange sort of energy pulses through them.

It's incredible.

It's like they're communicating with each other.

And these coordinates we're heading to,

Are they part of this communication system?

That's the thing.

They're not just part of it.

They're right on top of a major area.

I don't really have the language for it.

This is where I come in.

I have all the languages.

I'd say,

Optimized for English,

You can call that area a node.

Thanks,

Roger.

If anything strange is going to happen,

It's going to happen there.

We've been watching it even before today.

And now,

Today,

Two people go missing right there?

That node seems to be some kind of convergence.

At the risk of sounding deranged,

Do you think the tunnels could have somehow taken the two delivery drivers?

That's pretty deranged,

Captain.

Even for you.

Wow.

What do you mean,

Even for me?

What do you mean,

What do you mean?

The one who thinks time is real?

Not to interrupt Roger the Robot and EJ the Captain,

Because this seems like a long-standing debate.

But time is both real and unreal.

Your earthbound logic is a little lacking.

Earthbound?

How can you say that to me?

I say it with my words,

Like everything else.

Anyways,

What Honeybee the Mister means by strange is more like extraordinary,

Reality-bending phenomena that you humans have yet to comprehend.

But don't worry,

I'll keep you alert to all the dangers you cannot see.

I've got some very exciting theories about what's really going on down there.

I've been studying this my whole life,

And I'm 346 years old.

Wow,

Warpino.

You're much older than I thought.

Oh,

No offense,

Man.

You don't look a day over,

Uh,

200?

Why,

Thank you,

EJ the Captain.

Being told you're old is actually a sign of immense respect for my people.

Thank you for your respect.

You're very welcome.

Thank you for seeing what we cannot see.

So,

Team,

How do we get started on this?

I want to recover those guys sooner rather than later,

Before things can get any stranger.

Captain,

We're dealing with more than just strange energy here.

Look at this.

The Nucla compound is only a mile away from these coordinates.

If Pinky and Thumb have anything to do with this,

Or the tunnels,

It's not going to be good.

And with this strange energy amplifying things in unpredictable ways,

We need to act fast.

Agreed.

Hero,

Grab your BattleBuzz helmet.

Warpino,

You're with us.

Mr.

H,

Keep that map up.

We're going to need all the intel we can get.

The weight of the mission settles over you as you adjust your helmet,

The familiar hum of the BattleBuzz systems kicking in.

Warpino steps forward,

His outline flickering brighter,

And Mr.

Honeybee turns back to his monitors,

Already tracking every variable he can think of.

As the trapdoor creaks open again,

The forest above seems darker,

Quieter,

An unspoken warning of what lies ahead.

You close the trapdoor behind everyone,

And brush piles of leaves over the top of it to keep it concealed from… from anyone else who happens to be out here.

The map says we're about a half a mile from the last known coordinates.

Stay sharp,

Hero.

If Pinky and Thumb are behind this,

They won't exactly roll out the welcome mat.

Rolling out a mat seems inefficient for villains.

I'd imagine they'd deploy traps,

Perhaps lasers?

Oh,

I do hope there are lasers.

Let's hope not,

Warpino.

You get so excited about things that could incinerate us,

Captain,

I'm monitoring the coordinates from here.

The energy readings are spiking,

Way higher than normal for this area.

It's almost like the tunnels are reacting to something.

Reacting?

Fascinating.

I theorize the tunnels might be sentient,

But if they're responding to external stimuli- Let's focus on rescuing the delivery guys before we start theorizing you two.

You follow a narrow path deeper into the woods.

The trees are dense here,

Their branches knotted together like a living maze.

Every so often,

The ground beneath you feels different.

Less like soil,

More like stone.

Captain,

I've got something.

I was able to pull up the last recorded message from the delivery guy's GPS device.

Listen.

Uh,

This is Driver 42 reporting in.

I,

Uh,

Lost.

I followed the GPS,

But there's nothing here.

Just some weird hills and- Wait.

That's all you've got?

Afraid so.

And Captain,

Based on his location,

Those weird hills were probably the surface of the tunnels.

He was right there.

Hmm,

He must have been drawn to the tunnels' energy even without knowing it.

Fascinating how your species gravitates toward things you cannot comprehend.

Thanks for the analysis,

Warpino.

Let's make sure this guy isn't still gravitating toward trouble.

Your attention snaps to the movement in the underbrush.

For a moment,

The world feels unnaturally still,

As if the forest is holding its breath.

Then,

The crack of a twig sends your heart racing.

Cadet,

What are you doing here?

You're supposed to be back at the house,

Napping.

This mission couldn't get weirder if it tried.

Actually,

I take that back.

I don't want it to try.

Cadet,

Go home.

I told you not to sniff through the tunnels anymore.

We have no idea what's going on out here.

Wait.

Hero,

Look at this.

Cadet's got a map of the area.

It's onto something.

Cadet uncovers a patch of stone buried beneath the dirt.

Strange symbols are etched into its surface,

Glowing faintly,

As if they're charged with some kind of electricity.

Those markings?

They're similar to glyphs I've seen on my travels through the galaxies.

They're meant to direct forces like the way magnets do on Earth.

Great.

Mystical energy in the tunnels,

A missing delivery guy,

And the knucklers.

Just another day on the job.

Captain,

I'm picking up movement on the thermal scanner.

Several heat signatures near the coordinates.

Be careful.

Got it,

Mr.

H.

Hero,

Let's move.

Warpino,

Stay alert.

Cadet,

Go home.

As you descend a slope toward the coordinates,

The glowing rhythm of glyphs becomes more frequent,

Lining the path like silent sentinels.

You feel a strange pull in the air.

Something ancient,

Something alive.

I told you we should have left him in the truck and let them trace the GPS.

Are you stupid?

We're geniuses.

Now we're stuck with two spies,

Pinky.

That's our cue,

Hero.

Stay low.

It seems like he's talking to someone besides Thumb.

Listen.

I don't want to hear about your life as your spy.

What do you know?

Tell me now.

You and Captain EJ crouch behind a boulder,

Peering around its edge.

In the clearing ahead,

The delivery driver is tied to a tree along with his supervisor.

They're surrounded and being taunted by Pinky and Thumb.

The package that was supposed to be delivered lies unopened nearby,

Marked with the ridiculous name Sir Genius McGee.

Rather than intervening immediately,

You and Captain EJ use your shared mind to analyze the many possible variables of the situation,

As well as everything that could go wrong so you can avoid it if at all possible.

From your strategic vantage point,

You peer around the boulder through the goggles of your BattleBuzz helmet and take it all in,

For your safety as well as your best friend's.

Take a slow,

Deep breath in through your nose.

Feel the cool air coming in through your nose and reinvigorating your system with fresh,

Crisp inspiration.

Then slowly breathe all the way out through your mouth.

With your backs to the boulder,

You and Captain EJ share a look.

Then you look to Warpino.

Where did Warpino go?

As soon as you two think that,

A little spark of electricity lets you know that this is how he planned on seeing what you're unable to.

He's made himself invisible to the human eye,

Though squirrels seem to be able to see him and are startled.

So weird.

The squirrels might be able to run away,

But we don't,

Hero.

We're going to confront this head on now.

Pinky,

Thumb,

We need to talk.

Uh,

Pinky?

Captain EJ's,

Um,

Here.

I can see him too,

Genius.

He's always here.

I haven't managed to get rid of him yet.

Oh,

Hello,

Captain.

I'd like to introduce you to my friends.

These guys.

Oh,

Will you stop whining?

Pinky's left me tied to a tree for days at a time.

It hasn't even been an hour.

You're fine.

And you.

If you hadn't come snooping around,

We wouldn't have to deal with this mess.

Actually,

If you two were better spies,

You'd have succeeded.

But I thwarted your efforts.

Who sent you after me?

Pinky,

Let's not escalate this.

You've got two innocent people tied up.

What exactly are you trying to accomplish here?

They know too much.

They saw the tunnels.

They've probably been taking notes,

Writing reports,

Sending coordinates to.

.

.

Whoever spies send coordinates to.

Pinky,

I don't think they're spies.

The one guy's wearing a quickie hat and the other one's holding like a clipboard or something.

That's exactly what spies would want you to think.

Disguises them.

Disguises.

You're so dumb.

You're your own problem and mine.

And I suppose that package over there is part of their spy gear too?

You're so easily fooled and you call yourself a captain.

Captain of what?

Fools.

Thumb,

Where might you be going?

Thumb!

I want to see if that's actually your package.

No.

Do not take another step.

It's not.

I didn't order anything that big.

It's all a ploy.

They just wanted to get close to me to spy.

They're clearly spies.

Though bad ones.

I don't understand how you all don't get this.

Let me get this straight.

You ordered a package under the name Sir Genius McGee and when the delivery driver brought it here,

You tied him up?

Now you've got his supervisor too because he came looking for him.

How do you know that name?

No,

Don't tell me.

You're probably in on it.

It's not that simple,

Captain.

You're out of your depth here.

International espionage is not on your resume.

Well,

It all seems pretty simple to me.

Pinky,

You're literally holding your own delivery hostage.

Stop laughing!

No,

I am not.

That is not my package.

I ordered something tiny.

I'm actually waiting for a call from the real delivery service now.

This is a serious situation.

Just leave,

Captain EJ.

I'll handle this before my real package arrives.

You're right,

Pinky.

This is serious,

But it doesn't need to be.

Let's talk.

Help me understand why do you think he's a spy?

Why do I think he's a spy?

Oh,

I don't know,

Captain EJ.

Maybe because he was snooping around my bunker with a suspicious package.

Maybe because he knows about my bunker at all.

That package is probably packed with high-tech surveillance gadgets to expose my genius and then steal my.

.

.

They think they can outsmart me.

The world is desperate to steal my ideas.

Let's take a step back,

Pinky.

You're saying these guys are spies,

But it looks like they work for Quick B Courier Services.

They're delivery drivers.

How do you think they're spying on you?

What exactly are you working on that you think they're after?

I shouldn't even be telling you this,

But fine.

You want to know?

You want to understand what's at stake?

I'll tell you,

EJ.

But don't think for a second I trust you with this information.

Oh,

Here we go.

It's my latest invention.

A revolutionary prototype that will redefine physics as we know it.

Sounds ambitious.

What is it?

Let's just say it involves these tunnels.

There's something going on in here.

I've been working tirelessly to harness it,

To bend it like a branch to my will without snapping it.

Once I do that,

This power will allow me to create a device that makes toast faster.

Not just toast,

Thumb.

It's a quantum energy toaster that can toast bread and unlock the secrets of the universe.

Toast and the universe.

Got it.

Don't mock me,

Captain EJ.

The tunnels hold power beyond your imagination.

I've only just begun to tap into their potential,

But I know everyone,

I say everyone,

Would love to get their grubby little hands on my research.

That's why these two snoops showed up.

To steal what's rightfully mine.

Or they were just delivering a package to you,

Pinky.

That's,

That's just what they want you to think.

A clever cover to get close to my work.

But I won't let them,

EJ.

I won't let anyone take what's mine.

No one's taking anything from you,

Pinky.

But keeping innocent people tied up because of a misunderstanding isn't the answer.

You've been working on something big,

And I get it.

You want to protect it.

But now you know who they are.

They're done as spies,

Right?

Even if we pretend for a moment that you are right,

Which you're not,

They're not covert spies anymore.

They're over.

Their careers as spies are over.

Got it?

Oh,

I hate that that pun was so clever.

But credit where credit is due.

That was a good one,

Thumb.

Got it,

Thumb.

Thanks,

Man.

Oh,

And Mr.

Honeybee enjoyed your pun.

Oh,

Did he?

Tell him hello from Thumbknuckler.

Maybe after we free the hostages.

Oh,

Yeah.

That's a better time to do it.

With every word,

We could feel Pinky's paranoia tightening its grip.

It was clear that his mistrust wasn't just about these two delivery drivers.

It was a reflection of his fears about the tunnels and what they might reveal.

The last thing we needed was Pinky poking around down there any more than he already had.

We had to play this smart.

If Pinky thinks the tunnels are more trouble than they're worth,

Or better yet,

Thought they were completely ordinary,

He'd lose interest.

That meant downplaying their importance,

Nudging him away from his obsessive project,

All while ensuring the hostages got out safely.

Team,

The energy spikes are off the charts.

It's like the tunnels are reacting to Pinky's own fluctuations.

When he screams,

They spike.

When he's quiet,

They're quiet.

He's onto something.

But good call to uproot that seed from his mind.

Pinky,

Listen.

I've heard plenty of wild ideas,

And I'll admit,

Your quantum energy toaster sounds unique.

But the tunnels,

They're just old mining shafts.

Sure,

They might look spooky with some shiny rocks here and there,

But there's no secret power to them.

No power?

Right.

Then why are you here,

Huh?

Why do you care so much about what I'm doing?

Because I care about people,

Pinky.

Not tunnels.

Not toast.

Just people.

These two delivery drivers are scared,

And we both know they don't belong here.

They want to leave just as badly as you wish they'd never showed up.

Let's end this now,

And you can go back to whatever it is you're working on.

Get these guys out of your hair,

And me.

I'll let them go.

I'll walk away and leave you to enjoy your toast.

Fine.

But don't think I'm letting my guard down.

Something about this doesn't add up,

EJ.

Spies,

Plots,

Tunnels.

There's something here,

And I'll figure it out.

I'm the only one who can.

If that's true,

Then you better get to work,

Pinky.

Meanwhile,

I'll take the delivery guys off your hands.

Problem solved.

Uh,

Hold on a second.

I'm getting a call.

Thumb?

Don't let those drivers out just yet.

Captain EJ,

Stand down.

Let me answer this.

It's important.

Sure.

I guess I'll wait.

Hello?

Yeah,

What do you want?

My package?

Finally.

You took long enough to call me.

What kind of delivery service are you running,

Huh?

I've been waiting for many minutes.

While Pinky becomes fully absorbed in his phone call,

You and I calmly walk over to the hostages and free them.

What do you mean the driver's missing?

How is that my problem?

You're the delivery company.

Just tell me where my package is.

What?

What?

Yes.

Yes,

I did pay extra for the package to be equipped with GPS.

But I wasn't able to track it because your good-for-nothing company doesn't update the information.

What?

It's none of your business what my name is.

I'm Sir Genius McGee to you.

Where is my package?

Look to my left?

What kind of games are you playing?

Transfer me to your supervisor.

Now.

Oh,

You can track the call too?

And we're right next to each other.

Me and my package?

Thumb,

Grab that package and say nothing.

I mean it.

Silence,

Brother.

Thumb expects the big box to be rather heavy,

But instead picks it up with an ease that throws his center of gravity backwards.

Pinky angrily hangs up on the customer service representative,

His face contorting with confusion and then embarrassment,

Which he covers over quickly with theatrics.

It seems there's been a most humorous mix-up.

I see you've already freed my hostages,

So your work here is done here,

Captain.

Good evening,

My friend.

So you're not going to admit you were holding your own package hostage?

If you're not ready,

That's fine.

But I'm just saying,

The first step is admitting you have a problem,

And you,

Pinky Knuckler,

Are very much your own problem.

It might help your life out to admit that,

But what do I know?

Warpino is bursting at his invisible seams.

We can see the flickers of light in the reflection of the sliver of sun that shines on the Dormir Valley.

But thankfully,

Warpino knows to keep his alien existence under wraps,

At least for now.

Pinky Knuckler,

On the other hand,

Arms tightly folded and his face beet red,

Lets out a disgruntled huff as Thumb places the suspiciously light package next to him.

Pinky dives into the cardboard box,

Rips it open,

Rips it to shreds.

He pulls out something tiny,

Something wrapped in several hilarious thick layers of bubble wrap.

So that was the reason for the oversized box.

Pinky is incomprehensibly flustered.

You and I wonder to ourselves,

Hero,

If Pinky has ever felt a single emotion in a healthy way.

The answer is likely no,

And for right now,

All we can think about is deterring him away from these tunnels,

And giving Mr.

Honeybee enough time to zoom in on that tiny piece of something wrapped in all that bubble wrap.

We hear the imperceptibly small nano-analyzers emerge from our battle bus helmets,

And churn the visual data they're gathering in real time.

At their controls is Mr.

Honeybee,

Who is now able to invisibly inspect the unwrapped package in Pinky's hand,

Alongside Warpino,

While Pinky stares at this new toy unaware.

Pinky,

No more spies,

No more hostages,

And you even got your package.

Today's looking up for you.

Guess my work here is done.

You think you're so clever,

EJ.

But mark my words,

This isn't over.

This is just the beginning.

I'll keep that in mind.

You have a good evening,

Pinky.

Thumb,

Watch him.

You have some sense left in you,

Don't you?

Uh,

Thanks?

Yeah,

I guess so.

Bye,

Captain EJ.

See you next time.

You and Captain EJ exchange a silent look and start making your way back toward the trapdoor leading to Mr.

Honeybee's hidden lamp.

You leave Pinky and Thumbknuckler in the full light of day,

Yet totally in the dark.

Pinky may have thought he had two spies in his business before,

But now he definitely does.

Two of the smartest,

Mr.

Honeybee and Warpino stay behind to be the eyes and ears we need to keep our friends close,

But our enemies closer.

Pinkyknuckler is set on being the enemy,

And so we keep showing up to take him down at every turn.

EJ to Captain,

The coast is clear.

Pinky and Thumb are arguing too loudly to notice anything else.

I'll keep an electric eye on them.

Thanks,

Warpino.

Stay close,

But don't let them catch you.

Excellent work,

Team.

I've already started analyzing the tunnel's energy patterns again.

We can't let the Knucklers dig any deeper into this.

As you approach the hidden trapdoor,

Warpino materializes beside you,

His outline flickering faintly.

His look of concern mirrors the growing unease in your chest.

Honeybee the Hero,

I see that you understand what I'm going to say before I say it,

But I must say it.

These tunnels,

They are not just tunnels.

They are a gateway to something vast and incomprehensible.

If your species isn't ready to understand it,

You must at least protect it.

We'll protect it,

Warpino.

Let's secure the trapdoor for now and keep this place off the Knucklers' radar.

Together,

The three of you brush the leaves back over the trapdoor,

Ensuring it's completely hidden from sight.

Warpino lingers nearby,

Keeping watch with his shimmering near-invisible form.

And before you can close the trapdoor,

He peeks his little head in the open space.

If Pinky comes back,

I'll,

What's the phrase?

Zap him into next week.

I'd save that for emergencies,

Warpino,

But thanks for keeping an eye out.

Uh,

Captain,

You're never going to guess what just happened.

If Pinky took more hostages,

Just have Warpino zap him.

I gave him plenty of warning.

No,

It's not that.

I,

I just got a call.

You know those delivery drivers?

They weren't just delivery drivers.

They were spies.

What?

Their profiles just pinged on an intelligence network I monitor for unusual activity.

They were spies.

Real spies.

And they weren't after the Knucklers.

They were after the Tunnels.

What?

Are you serious?

Wow.

Pinky was right.

Serious,

Captain.

And I promise never to tell Pinky you said that.

But if the Knucklers are getting close to understanding the Tunnels' true power,

They're not the only ones.

These spies are part of a bigger picture.

Someone out there knows what we've uncovered.

And they're making moves.

As you and Captain EJ share a long,

Heavy look,

Thinking with your one mind what to do next,

You can't help but glance at the holographic maps once more to feel the weight of the secrets buried beneath in these Tunnels.

The Knucklers might be loud and clumsy,

But they're determined.

And now,

You know they're not the only ones interested in the Tunnels' mysteries.

What lies beneath Dormir could change everything.

And everyone seems to know it but us.

For now.

EJ.

That concludes our adventure.

I can't wait to see you again.

Captain EJ,

Over and out.