The Solid Hold (The IQ Testing Book 4) Read online

  Buffo shouts, back stepping from the hole. He crouches, holding the baseball bat, too. “Pair up! Slam then smash the robots! Hit the kill switch!”

  The me-chee travel one at a time through the numerous barrier walls, marching towards a pair of farmers.

  The farmers break off tree branches, lift metal picnic chairs, and raise baseball bats, readying for the fight.

  The me-chee attack the fragile teens, breaking arms and busting nose holes.

  The farmers kick and punch, trying to slam the particular accouterment, and then de-activate the robots.

  Chapter 9

  12:31 pm

  map room

  Rincon fingers the wall. “Put the current electromagnetic wave on the wall, replacing the pink glowing Tonkey radiation pits.”

  Nephella press the button. “Okay. It’s up. The black wave flows up and down and up and down, like a smooth rolling hill along a flat cow pasture. This is a very low frequency resonance wave. These gently smooth up and down single wave surrounds each e-field, which is around each outer township.”

  Rincon studies the wall and the wave. “Okay, for this to work, we need a very high frequency resonance wave. So, the current smooth rolling hillside wave, going across the flat cow pasture must increase upwards like a high mountain peak, roaring over the landscape.”

  Hatch exhales, studying the wave. “And, how are we going to do that?”

  Rincon nods. “A resonance wave is modified, when a rolling wall of cold temperature air slams into a wall of heated temperature air. The electrons shimmy and shake, making any type of hole collapse and then close along an electromagnetic field.”

  Hatch nods. “Creating tornados, too!”

  Nephella monitors the radar screen. “Nope! No tornados! This is a tender rain storm with heavy rain drops for the crop fields of seedlings and lots of warm air. Hit me, again!”

  Rincon exhales. “Okay. A resonance is modified by Mother Nature using a series of bright lightning strikes. If the rain storm is producing numerous lighting bolts then the barriers holes will collapse by themselves…”

  Jara gasps. “Look! I see more openings along the barrier walls. Is that really happening, there?”

  Hatch smiles, nodding. “It’s Buffo and the other teens. They’re capturing the me-chees from behind the wall of…”

  “Colfax…,” Rincon says and views Hatch.

  Hatch nods, swinging towards the door.

  The teens ran then stand outside in the rain. They see the golden jumpsuits of the farmers, dancing near the barrier wall, slamming the weapons into the me-chees.

  Rincon punches on Hatch, saying. “We gotta help them, too. Buffo and the farmers can’t fight with indestructible robots.” He leads into the map room.

  Nephella walks then stands over the console. She studies the radar screen of clouds. “Naw! No lightning strikes, today. Mother Nature is both not our enemy and not cooperating. What else, Rincon?”

  Hatch says, pacing side to side, studying the walls of Dandine. “Falling objects, like rocks or boulders, will trigger a resonance sound, which will affect the opened holes inside the e-field.”

  Nephella frowns then says. “No signs of falling rocks or boulders. What else, smart Rincon, not silly hatch?”

  Hatch grins. “And, if ya bang on earth minerals with a set of steel plated hammers, like copper, gold, or silver, the earth minerals will emit a set of new pretty colors. The new colors will oxidize the surrounding air current and then the air will shift, causing the e-field to modify. Then, the modified e-field will close the barrier wall of Tonkey.”

  Nephella frowns. “No copper, gold or silver, here. What else, Rincon? Shut up, Hatch!”

  Jara studies the wall then swings to hatch. “A resonance is nothing but a heightened sound, like music. We should play music, causing the e-field to collapse.”

  Hatch nods, walking to the console. He studies the panel of instruments. “Okay! There’s a radio dial. We raise the recorded music to the highest level then create a new high frequency wave.”

  Nephella shakes her curls. “Not high enough.”

  Jara studies the wall, narrowing her eyelashes. She smiles and fingers the wall. “Inside Dandine, each building has a bell. There’s a school bell, a church bell, a firehouse bell, a lunch bell. All the bells produce pretty loud and high pitched tones of musical notes. We activate all the bells at the same time. Then, the musical tones will shift the ions inside the e-field. The holes will fall back into solid form.”

  Hatch chuckles. “A solid hole or a solid hold…”

  Nephella frowns. “Shut it, Hatch!”

  Rincon studies the console and instruments. “Yes. Jara’s correct. The ringing bells will excite the electromagnetic ions. Then, the electromagnetic components will smash and then scatter. Then, the ions will collide and then collapse, closing the barrier wall holes.”

  Nephella nods. “All the barrier holes will close, not just the big one in Tonkey. The holes in Burrville and Colfax will close up, too. The workers can’t escape.”

  Hatch nods and smiles. “The ringing bells will stop and capture everyone’s attention. Then, the workers will not be dying, anymore. Then, we attack…”

  “Attack the mayor,” Nephella swings to Jara and Hatch, nodding.

  Jara exhales. “You are going to create buckling motion within the waves, too.”

  Nephella nods. “Yes. My mama’s crazy. We need to capture and contain her. Once the Colfaxians learn of her malice, she will be impeached or dismissed or something…”

  Hatch nods and smiles. “Excellent plot, Nephella! Excellent plan, Rincon! Do it, to it and the mayor. Yee-haw!”

  Jara frowns. “The electromagnetic wave is going to buckle. Then, the wave will explode inside Dandine, killing all the plants, trees, and all the wildlife animals, including birds, probably….”

  Rincon nods. “The workers will faint from the high pieced sound…”

  Nephella frowns. “Ugh! We will faint from the high pieced sound, too.”

  Hatch shakes his skull at Nephella. “Naw.”

  Nephella nods. “Yeah.”

  Hatch frowns. “No, girl!”

  Nephella nods. ”Yes, guy! The console panel for the ringing bells is inside my mama’s office, not here. This is the map room, showing the outline of the mayor’s territories. We have to activate the musical bells inside the tower room, over there.”

  Rincon nods, swinging around, moving towards the door. “We take that chance, saving the Dandine workers.”

  Jara gasps, fingering the wall. “Look! One of the me-chee has spotted Ketona behind the platform.”

  Rincon jogs towards the door. “Hurry across the bridge. We gotta save Ketona, Buffo, and the workers of Dandine.”

  12:52 pm.

  Dandine

  Barrier wall of Burrville and Dandine

  I swing around. My heart pumps both fear and blood into my neurons.

  The me-chee slowly swings around, standing and staring at Ketona. Its computer neurons register numerous movements in the far distance.

  I sneer then jog towards the me-chee. It will expose my rescue plan and capture the escaping workers. I run, flinging my wet arms back and forth, gathering speed in the blinding rain storm. I wipe the drops from my face, where my eyeballs are exposed.

  The me-chee studies the commotion in the background, analyzing the situation.

  I snarl, running faster then jerk sideways from the standing me-chee.

  The me-chee turns its metal face towards Ketona, analyzing the situation.

  The other me-chees, within the large circle, corral and push the remaining workers towards the fiery pits of the exposed barrier wall.

  The mayor watches without speech, smiling. Marsilla giggles, bouncing inside her chair.

  Duchie stands, crying and wiping off the tears.

  I slide out of control on the wet grass, slamming into the pile of tree branches, where the platform was constructed. I moan with pain then slowly
stand, lifting the heavy shovel with my arms.

  The circle of me-chees ignores Ketona, being issued the single deadly command from the mayor, shoving the helpless workers into the radiation pits of Tonkey.

  I pace towards the me-chee with an excellent plan, twirling the shovel in front of my body, threatening bodily harm. I view the sight on my left, seeing the steady flow of Dandine workers, exiting through the barrier wall. This is it, my moment to save the other workers.

  I dash, raising the shovel above my cowgirl hat then smash the collar bone of the me-chee, without damage, of course.

  No one can beat upon a machine.

  The shovel handle and I quiver and then I back step from the machine.

  The me-chee grabs then jerks the handle from Ketona, breaking it into two parts. It drops the broken wood onto the wet grass.

  I gasp then growl, running around the me-chee, out of its arm span.

  The mayor sees the motion from the corner of her eyeballs then views the single brave Dandine worker. She says. “Kill it, me-chee!”

  I pick up another shovel on the wet grass, rotating around the me-chee, making lovely musical tones on its metal body.

  The me-chee swings around, stomping in her direction then twists around, stomping into the opposite direction of the dancing worker.

  I slam the shovel into its back muscles.

  The me-chee bends forward from the impact then slides away from Ketona.

  I gasp with shock, studying the grass. I whisper. “It’s wet and slick. The metal is shiny and slippery.” I giggle, squatting and collecting a second shovel. I dance around the me-chee, banging in its metal parts.

  The me-chee twirls around then slides away from Ketona over the wet grass.

  I giggle, twirling around then bang on several of the backs of other me-chees within the circle.

  The alert me-chees still then swing around, analyzing the situation.

  I slam the shovel into the left body parts, making more musical tones.

  The me-chees power down then fall onto their metal faces.

  I giggle, dancing around the circle of me-chees.

  The mayor stands along with Marsilla. She fingers the fallen me-chees. “Get it! Kill that dancing worker, me-chees! Stand up and fight!”

  Marsilla leans into the mayor. “Ms. Mayor, a me-chee is not programmed to fight. It can capture and hold onto a person…”

  The mayor shouts. “Capture the dancing worker, now, me-chee! Capture. Now! I wanna know who that worker is…”

  The me-chee separate from the circle. The remaining workers run away from the hole, the me-chees, and the mayor.

  The mayor flings her hands, shouting. “Capture the worker, now!”

  I giggle, dashing towards the wooden platform. I fling the shovel tip in the wood, banging and chopping on the thin homemade wooden leg.

  The me-chee chase after Ketona.

  I twirl around, running towards the rows of houses then halt. I gasp.

  The mayor ordered the destruction of the pretty houses, building her homemade platform of doom.

  I growl then run towards the last house.

  The me-chees chase after Ketona.

  I run passed the house then cut back, going around the house with the me-chees in hot pursue. I giggle, running between the house then hide inside a dark corner of the front porch.

  I slam the shovel into the metal face of the approaching me-chee. The shovel and I shimmy side to side from the collision. I drop the shovel from the violent impact. I grunt then squat and grab the shovel, again. I jump from the front porch, facing a row of me-chees. I swing the shovel up and down, side to side as the me-chees come closer.

  1:05 pm

  platform

  The mayor frowns with annoyance, swinging around the platform. She gasps, seeing the escaping workers. She stomps her shoes, crinkling her facial piercings into her wrinkles. “Me-chees!? Where are the row me-chees along the barrier wall?”

  Marsilla giggles, watching the me-chee fight the Dandine worker then exhales. She swings around, viewing the escaping worker. “The me-chees are missing. The me-chees have fallen through the barrier wall, dropping into Colfax. I told ya’ll that they did that.” She nods, crossing her arms.

  Duchie spins around, gasping then smiles. She sees the escaping workers then leans into the mayor. “Your malicious reign is over, mayor. The me-chees have fallen through the barrier wall, landing onto the concrete of Colfax. The cowardly Colfaxians didn’t like violent or trouble. Look at the mess you caused, Ms. Mayor. You have murdered innocent people, here, in Dandine. Now, the me-chees are running wild and fighting with the Colfaxians.”

  The mayor gasps. “No!” She smirks then views Duchie. “You have murdered your own innocent people, when the teens of Dandine found an opening inside the barrier wall. You are the causation of the Colfax violent and the Dandine killings, intern Duchie. You work for me. You report to me. You are responsible to me. Therefore, you will be punished for your failure to me. I will be conducting another trial inside the map room for the Colfaxians to see and taste, including you and your nosy teenager friends. They are no match against my me-chees soldiers.”

  Duchie gasps.

  Marsilla giggles, leaning across the railing. “I would include Hatch and Jara, too. They’re behind the barrier wall inside Colfax, messing with your me-chees, Ms. Mayor.”

  I hit the me-chees, rattling my bones and powering down one of the many me-chees. I yell, swinging around, running towards the platform.

  The Dandine workers have scattered from the mayor and the platform.

  I climb the platform, flinging the shovel tip at the wood, chopping hunks out of the wood.

  The mayor screams, wobbling side to side. She swings around, leaning over the railing, ordering to the me-chees. “Stop that dancing worker, now, me-chee…”

  I giggle, standing the shovel on its tip. I leap off the wooden staircase railing then fly over the metal heads of the me-chees. I don’t make it then land on top of the me-chees, sliding down the wet metal, like a kid on a playground slide.

  I giggle, rolling onto the wet grass. I stand then fall onto the grass, too. I stand, giggling.

  The me-chees tumble over each other, falling over the grass and the staircase.

  I giggle, hitting the shovel into the left side of the body parts. The attacked me-chees power down then fall over the active ones.

  I giggle, again, hitting more me-chees. I scan the grassy ground, seeing rain drops, fallen me-chees, and no workers. I hear and see the pretty pink pits boil and burp inside Tonkey.

  The barrier wall is being held opened by two heavy and thick lead cylinders, the width of my biological body. I don’t have the body strength, pulling the cylinders from the wall. So, I’ll wait on Buffo to finish powering down the me-chees machines then he can remove the twin cylinders. Then, I will win over the mayor.

  I sneer than slam the shove into anther me-chee, downing the machine.

  Duchie giggles, fingering the fallen me-chees. “I would surrender, right now, mayor. You are losing the battle. All the me-chees are powered down. And, my daddy’s shotgun is loaded, too. The escaping Dandine workers are running back home to fetch their guns with the intent to end your life force…”

  The mayor gasps, back stepping from Duchie, shaking her curls, crinkling her facial piercings into wrinkles.

  1:37 pm

  Colfax

  Office of the mayor

  Nephella leads across the bridge in the rain, walking through the open door. She dashes across the open floor of the mayor’s office then turns towards the side wall.

  The wall is painted in white with no handle or door.

  Nephella stands in front of the wall, wiping off the dust. She taps on the wall with her knuckles, watching it break apart.

  Rincon frowns. “What are you doing?”

  Nephella racks off the crumbled wall, twisting the knob inside the hidden wall. “A long time ago, before an e-field surrounded each
the outer township, a good mayor would call a meeting by ringing the church bells. Over the years, the bells were built into different buildings for both beauty and fun. This old room holds a set of levels, ancient levels, which will activate all the bells inside each outer township, all at once, in case of an emergency. This is an emergency.”

  The wall crumbles down towards the floor, revealing a dark and damp room, without windows.

  The teens cough, wiping the dust from their faces.

  Nephella enters the room, first, scanning the wall.

  The single wall holds an assortment of rusty levels scattered over the wall and embedded into the rotten wood.

  Jara gasps. “Do all these levels really work?”

  Nephella nods. “Yes. They do work.”

  Hatch cuddles Jara, standing beside Rincon. “Which level represents Dandine?”

  “Don’t know.” Nephella stands in front of the numerous rusty levels on the other side of Rincon.

  Hatch asks. “Which level represents Colfax?”

  “Don’t now.” Nephella says.

  Rincon nods. “Okay. We drop all the levels. We left Ketona, alone, fighting one of the me-chees, or probably, all of them, by now. We’re outta time, ya’ll.” He grabs a level. “Grab a level or two then jerk it down…”

  Jara grabs a level. Hatch grabs two of the levels. Nephella touches the level.

  Rincon exhales, jerking the level. “Drop it!”

  The levels slowly drop towards the floor with guidance from the hand. Then, all the level tips are pointing towards the floor.

  They back step from the levels, watching for any movement.

  Hatch laughs. “I don’t hear any bells or whistles or fireworks.”

  Jara stomps her foot. “I didn’t work, ya’ll. Now, what’s next?”

  Nephella nods. “It will, just wait.”

  The sound of bells ringing is faint within Colfax. Then, the sound grows loud and fierce from every ringing bell, inside every building of Colfax. The tall buildings rumble from the ringing music and then the glass windows break from the growing resonance harmonic frequency.