Entry #2 - 5.13.5502

I can't believe it's been almost two months since my last entry -- I've really got to start writing more regularly. I know it's a lousy excuse, but we've been so busy re-fitting the labs that the weeks just flew by.

I guess the event of greatest importance since my last writing was the discovery of Dr. Hershel's new-found cohorts, a pair of rotten sewer rats named Richie and Gina who've already proved themselves a serious risk to our well-being. We first learned of Hershel's hench-rats about a month ago -- when they launched a successful "attack" on a high voltage cable connected to the telepods and almost fried 101. It happened just before midnight as Athena and I were finishing a re-wire of the system's mainframe, a project that had taken the better part of three days, when 45 and 101 dropped by to see how we were doing.

"Wassup?" 45 queried with his usual insouciance as the vermin entered the lab through a newly chewed hole in the wall.

"You guys wanna go make a pizza?" 101 chimed in -- more interested in a late-night snack than in the work we were doing.

"In a few -- first we gotta finish testing these circuits." Athena answered flatly, trying hard to concentrate on the task at hand and ignore her sudden hunger pangs. We'd been working on the hardwire up-links since early afternoon and hadn't broken for even a snack -- but now the mere mention of food had set our stomachs to growling.

"So what's the deal?" 45 asked again as he sauntered over for a closer look, trying hard to act cool and not reveal his excitement. "How long before these things are working?" Ever since we found the pods 45 had been aching to use them -- he's a major history buff and thrilled at the prospect of time-tripping.

"Assuming we got the wiring right," I explained, "they're pretty much back in order, short of re-writing some programming. Won't know for sure till we juice 'em up, though -- which we should be ready to do any minute now. Athena...?"

"Just...about...ready." Athena stretched-out the words while straining to reach the last connection she needed to make. "There!" She said finally, as she extricated herself from the tangle of cables behind a pod.

"OK then, let's give it a shot." I said, moving to the main board where I started flipping switches that supplied the juice. "Number one, on and within acceptable tolerances. Number two, on and within acceptable tolerances. Number three, on and..." and with that, a trunk cable snapped with an explosive "CRACK!" -- it's loose end writhing wildly and spitting white-hot sparks in every direction. "Holy sh...!" Athena screamed as she backed rapidly away from the hissing stream of electrons.

It took only seconds to shut the system down, but it seemed an eternity as the severed line continued to threaten like an injured cobra striking blindly in all directions. With the power finally off, we began surveying the scene for damage -- and that's when we saw 101 unconscious on the floor, his tail singed and smoking.

45 was first to reach the little guy, quickly checking for breathing and a pulse. "He's OK." 45 reported, much to our relief. "Just stunned -- couldn't have gotten the full brunt of it."

"Ooooowww..." 101 moaned as he began to regain consciousness. "What happened?"

"Looks like vandalism..." Athena replied from across the room where she'd gone to inspect the now-dead power line, "...like a rodent-sized somebody's been chewing on this insulation." It was then that we heard a small, sinister snicker from the far side of the lab, and turned just in time to see two nasty little sewer rats disappear around a bend. And while at first we hadn't connected the sewer rats with Dr. Hershel, a few days later 14/2 (never one to let suspicious behavior go unchecked) found the two and tailed them, ultimately discovering their identities and evil alliance.