Warden Follies - The Diabolical Plan Succeeds at Last!

[Prime]

The Great Experiment

(Where Prime's secret plot is almost thwarted by his cunning rival, the mysterious Jaxton Gray)

 

 

With a soft grinding, the whirling sphere of cosmic energy dug into the hard earth, tearing the rock apart and compacting it into dense pebbles behind him as Prime walked slowly forward. It had taken weeks of effort to reach this far. But soon. Very soon. His plan would reach its ultimate fruition.

 

He finally paused as a bit of cleared concrete revealed a red brick façade. Holding a mini-flashlight up with his tail, he unfolded the map, making the necessary calculations. Yes. It was here. Soon he would have all the tools and supplies he would need for his ultimate creation!

 

“Muhahahaha!†rang out just once in the cramped tunnel before he slapped a paw over his mouth and reminded himself that maniacal laughter was something only villains were supposed to do and was definitely not conductive to a stealthy operation.

 

Now that he was at his goal, he would require other tools. A quick jog to where he left a little child-size red wagon laden with tools a few yards behind him was all that was required. A few carefully placed screws, hinges, and metal bands. Some careful work with a file. And voila, a newly installed ‘secret door’ into his destination was in place. Nearly undetectable to mere human eyes due to his superhuman reflexes and small nimble fingers.

 

With a quick shove, a monkey-size portion of the brick façade swung outwards, revealing a dark silent basement filled with cardboard boxes and wooden crates. A narrow wooden staircase led up to a trapdoor. A trapdoor conveniently bare of any form of lock or bar.

 

Very very carefully he lifted the trap door. At 3 a.m., the place should be deserted. But, he didn’t want to take any chances now. Not after weeks of effort. Silent. Dark. Clear. Finally, he could get to work. He slipped into a small back room and rifled through the scarred wooden desk wedged into one corner of the makeshift office. Yes! The secret formula! “Muhahahaha!†Oh. Dang it! Prime grimaced as he realized he’d done the whole ‘laughter thing’ again. Boy, this stealth thing is tricky . . .

 

Returning to the main chamber, he let his eyes linger over the vast array of machinery and tools now at his disposal. And all the ingredients were in place. While not a master chemist, he knew how to follow directions and went to work with a precision oft demanded by Professor Herbert. A bit of this. A bit of that. A wave of heat radiated forth as he slammed his palm down on a bright yellow button and slid a metal tray towards the awaiting inferno. Now, nothing to do but wait, Prime sighed, as he settled down in a corner.

 

It was done! He could barely contain his glee as the bubbling oozing creation was released from the depths of the machine. Not even worried about burning his tender paws, he slid his creation into a waiting box and turned to flee the scene of the crime. But wait. There was one last thing to do. He pulled out from one of his robe’s pockets a slim envelope and left it on the desk. Now, time to return to his cell, he thought, as he slid shut the secret door and scampered down the tunnel.

 

As he settled onto a Lazyboy recently ‘liberated’ from the Warden Base’s lounge and lifted the box’s lid, a rich tapestry of smells wafted forth. It was everything he had imagined. Now, for the final culmination of his great plan. “Muhahahaha . . . er . . . ha†he began to laugh as the cell’s rusting steel door slid open at the hand of a rather startled visitor.

 

Jaxton carefully looked over the scene. Okay. Prime was laying on the ‘missing’ recliner. Metallic orange fur – and the fabric beneath him - coated with a thick layer of dirt and grime. A portable tv perched precariously on the foot-rest. An open pizza box resting in his lap as he held up slices in both grubby paws. . . . The manical laughter was definitely a bad sign. Jaxton roughly cleared his throat, then began, “Prime, security reported a disturbance up at the old abandoned prison. . . . Er…. Just return the recliner to the lounge when you are done with it . . . . Um. Wash it first.†Hastily he backed back out of the room.

 

Prime sighed as he reminded himself, next time while doing secret-type stuff, lock the door first, then dug into his home-made fried-banana pizza. His ears perked up as he realized that the ‘secret tunnel’ from the old Alcatraz prison to Mama Mia’s Italian Eatery was still his little secret. Yes! Infinite late night snack runs were still well within his grasp. “Muhahahaha!â€