A Meerca's Mission

      Another successful day lay low. My undercover mission is going even smoother than I’d hoped. I got away with so many things! While I was out on the recreation deck, I reread my favourite book: Scary Sloth Stories. No one even looked at me twice! I was studying my master right under their noses and they didn’t even suspect it. I’m so good at this.

      I’m still working on my plan to find Sloth again. I’m sure he’s up at the Space Station working on his master plan to conquer Neopia. But sadly, I’m stuck out here with no special clearance. Every time I try to sneak a peek at what might be going on in the Hangar, I get shooed out as soon as some Grundo grunt catches me lurking. Don’t they understand that I’m on their side? I could probably be a big help with whatever evil business they’re up to! I bet if Sloth knew I was looking for him, he’d let me waltz right on through.

      I was talking to a guy who works on the supply deck and he was telling me that they’ve got some pretty fancy technology up there - including futuristic printers. That got my attention. If I can just get a look at someone’s ID card, maybe I could go onto a Space Station computer and use that printer to make an exact replica of one! Just with my picture instead of someone else’s, unless they don’t look too closely.

      So that’s gonna be my goal for tomorrow: get a good look at someone’s ID, commit it to memory, and replicate it at the supply deck. It’s genius! It’s foolproof! Dr. Sloth is gonna be so proud of me when I finally see him. After I prove how smart and resourceful I am, I’ll be welcomed into his inner circle of conspirators with open arms. I can’t wait!

      …

      Matatat knew that his plan to copy someone’s ID card would work. And why was that? Because he had his super special sneaky shoes on, that’s why! The brown loafers that he picked up from a clothes shop always helped him slide right through the Space Station without being noticed. Well, except when he knocked things over or coughed while trying to eavesdrop. But that wasn’t the fault of his shoes, just some bad luck. This time would be different. Luck would be on his side, and he would be able to get past the Hangar and into… well, whatever secret places were beyond it. He could figure it out when he got there.

      Slowly making his way through the halls of the supply deck, Matatat kept his eye out for any Grundos or other employees with ID badges dangling from their belts or clipped to their shirts. So far, all he could see was tourists. Bah, tourists! Ridiculous people from down on continental Neopia who didn’t know that it was okay for them to take their helmets off once they were out of the open space. Matatat couldn’t wait until Dr. Sloth was back in power and every Neopian recognized him as one of his trusted allies. Then they would all cower in fear and hand over their lunch NP!

      Finally, after what felt like hours of looking (despite only minutes passing on his watch - was the dumb thing broken or something?), Matatat spotted a Grundo with an ID badge clipped to the front pocket of his dress shirt. A perfect target! The 8-bit Meerca innocently trotted over to the Space Station employee, wearing what must’ve been a relaxed, unassuming smile on his face. “Hey, can I ask you a question?”

      The Grundo looked over at Matatat, seeming a little startled by him coming out of nowhere. “Uh, yeah, sure. Are you okay buddy?”

      The corner of Matatat’s mouth twitched slightly from grinning so wide. “Oh yeah! Totally fine. So uh, I just wanted to ask you something. It’s super important, but hopefully, I’m not interrupting any of your business. I’m sure you’ve got lots of things to do, lots of official Space Station things.” While he chattered on, his eyes casually and subtly started to drift down to the ID card. It had the Grundo’s name, Horgrax, and a picture of him on it. Below that was some sort of scanner-bar thingy, like they had on products at the shops.

      “Come on man, just spit it out,” Horgrax said. “And can you quit staring at my shirt? It’s weirding me out.”

      Matatat’s eyes shot back up to the Grundo’s face. “Oh! Yeah! Sorry.” Maybe he hadn’t been as subtle as he thought. He would have to try harder now. “So I was just walking around the Space Station - and this is a really cool place, I’ve lived here all my life, but there’s a couple of places I haven’t seen yet after all these years. Like the Hangar, for example. There are always people going in and out, but I don’t know what they do down there!”

      By the time his eyes were back down at the ID card, Horgrax snapped his fingers in front of Matatat’s face. “Hey dude, eyes up here! What in Fyora’s name is wrong with you?” After they were making eye contact again, Horgrax rubbed his chin. “Hmm… wait, I remember you! You’re that one Meerca that’s always sneaking around places! My coworkers keep complaining about you trying to get into employees-only rooms and secure zones. What’s your deal?”

      Matatat started to sweat. “I’m just a regular, curious Neopian, that’s all! It seems like there’s always stuff going on here at the Space Station, so is it so wrong that residents might want to know what you guys are working on?”

      “Buddy, the last room they caught you trying to sneak into was the break room. There’s nothing in there but a pool table and mouldy Gargapples in the fridge. If you’re looking for secrets, you’re not gonna find them there.”

      Matatat’s chest deflated. “Well, why can’t I know about the secrets?”

      Horgrax’s antennas twitched with irritation. “Look, if you’re so curious, there are job listings at the front desk near the supply deck. You can go fill one out. Then you can search the break room and employee bathrooms to your heart’s content. But stop harassing the workers here, will ya? We’re just trying to get our jobs done.”

      “Fine,” Matatat said with a sigh, his pixelated tail beginning to droop. “Sorry to bother you.”

      Without another word, Horgrax rolled his eyes and walked past Matatat, going back to whatever business he had been doing before. Matatat watched him go with his optimism beginning to crumble inside of him. Apparently his super sneaky shoes couldn’t stop a trained Space Station employee from being able to tell what he was looking at. And after that whole conversation, Matatat could barely remember what had even been on the ID badge! His mission was a failure.

      Dejected, he started to trudge back towards home, which was the pod area above the recreation deck. All of the permanent residents of the Space Station lived there, from the born and raised like him, to the fresh new recruits out of Kreludor University looking to advance their career. But the only friendly face Matatat had to go home to was that of his Malevolent Sentient Poogle Plushie: Eliv Thade 2.

      Back when he was little, Matatat read a book about Eliv Thade and was enamoured with his story. He wasn’t as cool as Dr. Sloth, sure, but a guy who talks in anagrams and makes puzzles that drive people insane? Sewaeom! So, not wanting to take Dr. Sloth’s name so lightly, he named his evil Poogle plushie Eliv Thade 2, or Eliv 2 for short. Eliv 2 was a great listener when Matatat would ramble on about his evil plans, and it would surely never reveal his deepest, darkest secrets to anyone. Especially not the fact that he still slept with a nightlight on.

      As Matatat made his way back to his assigned pod, he happened to notice someone staring out one of the large windows that overlooked the vast expanse of space beyond the station. A royal Lupe gazed out into the abyss, her expression unreadable. Maybe she was interested in observing the ships coming and going, but maybe she was bored. Either way, she didn’t look like someone Matatat had seen around, but she didn’t look like a tourist either. Normally he wouldn’t think twice about random people at the Space Station, but there was something different about her that he just couldn’t place.

      “Um, excuse me, ma’am?” He asked, carefully approaching her. Up close, she was somehow even more intimidating than she was from far away. A thick lump began to form in his throat. “Are you lost?”

      The Lupe’s ears twitched and she looked over at Matatat with a curious look on her face. “Hm? No, not at all. In fact, I think I’m right where I need to be.”

To be continued…