LS: Era Of The Choc Ban - Ch 8

L&S: Era of the Chocolate Ban

CHAPTER EIGHT:

    Work was underway at the old warehouse - Stitch and Reuben were helping out with the other alien exps (who agreed on fighting back at the chocolate ban) by removing the crates from the storeroom and carrying it into the workstation. Luckily that the ingredients weren't touched by troopers and other authorities.

    "I wonder why these items weren't destroyed," Stitch pondered as he placed a crate down on the ground.

    "Perhaps it's all in the features of the handheld detectors possessed by the troopers," Reuben commented. "The ingredients can't be picked up on the detectors, but once you mix it all together, it'll show up on the detector. It's like mixing many different chemicals and having the whole thing blow up in your face."

    "Perhaps we gotta be careful about what we should do," Stitch told. "Maybe we should store the finished products in lead-lined containers - the detector's signals won't pick them up. That way they won't be able to get in their way!"

    "Great!" Reuben replied happily. He used his whole strength to pull the lid off the crate, revealing several packages of sugar. Strangely enough, they were no signs of mice gnawing their way into the crate or any other damage, so they were ready for the challenge.

    After taking down the ingredients off the storerooms, the alien exps. began working on their first batch - Yang was carrying the bowls and utensils here and there, while Richter carried several tins and sachets to the preparation table. Despite working hard like ants, the alien exps. were having short conversations inbetween their work, and the sound of commands such as "Touch more cocoa butter", "Drop more milk", "Pinch more sugar" and such were heard.

    Fast forward a few minutes later and the chocolate mixture started to take on a runny tesure. Reuben was stirring it as if his arms got tired of the repetitive stirring. Using some sort of sugar thermometer, Stitch checked the temperature of the chocolate mixture - it appeared that the mixture is at exactly the right temperature - not too hot, not too cold. After placing the mixture in one of the supplied baking trays, Stitch placed the mixture in the fridge.

    To kill time, Stitch and the other alien exps. set up their living quarters in the remaining space of the old warehouse. Strangely enough after a good old five minutes, the mixture had set hard - not rock hard, just hard as normal chocolate. It was when Stitch realised that preparation of the first batch of chocolate waas accomplished, with only one more thing to do... try the mixture. And it seemed easy - to involve the alien experiments in the taste-testing sessions. The large slab of chocolate was cut up into twelve small equal pieces - Stitch gave each piece to each alien exp. on his team.

    "That tastes great!" Reuben quoted, nibbling on one of the homemade chocolate bars. "Well, it may not beat the sandwich, but I like it!"

    "Mmm, smells nice too!" Cannonball squealed as well. "So much for a good old one hour preparing the whole thing."

    "Well, we started on the chocolate bars," Richter pondered, "but what are we gonna do?"

    "Well, we could hibernate," Sparky answered, "but I don't think I could uptake too much sugar in one sitting, and besides, none of us here are capable of sleeping without eating between breaks."

    "What?" Holio asked, quizzically. "I have hibernated once in protest against unfair judgement and never felt hungry!" He approached Sparky as if supporting him.

    "Yeah," Reuben agreed. "I think I simply have enough fat on from napping."

    "Stitch, I know you've done a good job working with the others," Belle began, as she came out from hiding of the empty crates. "But we've got to think in the others too. Didn't you have that dream a few nights ago?"

    "What dream?" Stitch quizzically asked.

    "You know," Belle quoted. "When your guardian angel told you to do... you made your own chocolate... what do you do now?"

    "Dunno," Yang sighed, sadly. "We're going to fall victim to the cruel ban. How are we supposed to squish it flat now?"

    Stitch thought for some time. Then he turned his muzzle to the tray of uneaten chocolates, then the alien exps. Stitch smiled, as if he had found a good idea on his paws.

    "Maybe we could sell the chocolate bars," Stitch quoted.

    For a while, the alien exps paused for some time. Yaarp stared at Stitch, as if he had heard something stupid. "You... are going... to sell chocolates?" Yaarp gasped. "No, no, no wait, you want us to sell the chocolates?"

    "Errrhhh..." Stitch was about to say something... when Yaarp interrupted him.

    "Actually, what you said would mean a one way trip to the wire cage," Yaarp scolded. "Perhaps you should have found out what happened to Fudgy now... after having himself stripped of his chocolatey coat, look at what he's got now... at least ten years behing bars... and all because he's trying to be innocent! Didn't you hear what Deforestator said?"

    "I don't actually remember..." Stitch moaned, "were you there when I said something about the black market to him?"

    "Well... I was there," Yaarp admitted. "I was just walking down the beach when I saw Deforestator being beaten up... until YOU came along."

    Stitch then heard a voice in his head. "If you want to wind up as a fish out of water," it echoed, "then go ahead, do it, but if you risk getting arrested, it's what you deserve! Even the slightest action you take could alter your fate in many ways more than the Earth could even imagine."

    Stitch sighed in despair, then walked away, sadly, and hid somewhere behind the crates. He closed his eyes and curled up into a little ball, and the nsobbed quietly to himself. Holio heard the quiet sobbing noises coming from where Stitch is... quietly, Holio left Sparky's side and approached Stitch, who was hiding behind the crates.

    "Stitch, don't listen to what others say," Holio quietly advised. "They're just worried about you."

    Stitch turned to look at Holio in the eye... then quickly he shut his eyes and gazed at the floor, sobbing. "No, no, no, don't worry, listen," Holio reassured. "I don't care who is against your opinions... but what they know... they're just worried about what'll happen to you. But whatever it is... you must get up off the ground, and then think... you can either risk our lives... or sit here, looking like a complete sulk and suffer in silence. Think about it."

    Stitch then turned to look at Holio again. He took a deep breath and got off the ground, empowered. "Holio..." Stitch began, taking a deep breath... "you're right. We must do something."

    The alien exps talk amongst each other, confused. Stitch approached the group and then said, with a tear in his eye... "Guys, listen. Either we must take the risk... or we sit in silence and risk being the victim. What should you pick?"

    Yaarp approached Stitch, not happy, and then put on a rather simplified rant... "Stitch, I know it's part of your plan, but I don't think you should be doing this."

    "Cousin, please," Stitch interrupted. "What about Fudgy? What will become of him? Why would he deserve such a downfall? What would you do to fight for not only your rights... but for his... and everyone else's?"

    Yaarp looked at the ground for some time , then the rest of the alien exps. and then slowly turned his face to Stitch.

    "All this ranting has made me hungry," Yaarp moaned. "But we're actually hungry for payback."

    "What, I don't get it," Stitch replied, confused.

    "You're right Stitch, let's do it," Yaarp suggested. "But we might need help... lots and lots of help..."

    - - - *O.O* - - -

    Yaarp had decided to go with Stitch's idea of selling the chocolates. But there were a few problems... one of them was that the likelihood of police officers stalking their territory  - well, Stitch found it easy - since some of the alien exps have lost their jobs due to the ban, Stitch decided that Richter and a few alien exps guard the area - luckily that the old factory was less likely to be patrolled after its most recent raids at the start of the ban. The second problem was that there are more likely that police will even take up disguises to help hoodwink bootleggers out of their criminal work - however, Reuben had got around this - he spread a little greeting that helps tell the trustworthy customers from the disguised police officers - and strangely enough, it consisted of: "I'd like something to keep myself up for a while please - something that'd give me a buzz." Yesh, it was a bit challenging to negotiate with humans... well, thanks to his multi-lingual capability, Reuben had got the whole thing pinned down.

    On a similar subject, if you were in any other counrty outside the Hawaiian islands, there was more likely the chance that you'll meet a bootlegger - well, that is, the ones who think were trying to fight back against the chocolate ban. But no matter where you are in the world, well let's just say compared to the alien exps. taking up the challenge, the human bootleggers were blamed for selling inferior items... yesh you'll never know that behind the scenes the humans were using whatever they could find - in fact, when I mean inferior, I mean that the 'chocolate' mixtures did not contain any real chocolate at all. At the worst possible moment you are more likely to get a chunk of wood wrapped in foil once you bit into it. But despite all this, Stitch and his exp. team were honest dealers - even though the price is a bit over before-the-ban's standards, you are more likely to get a decent product in return.

    Yes, things were looking upwards for Stitch and his cousins. Production increased and the money they made grew... and Stitch's idea was to put some of the money in Nani's wallet and using it to help pay the bills. But there was the third problem... it was somehow to do with the supply. Once the supply of ingredients ran out, well, let's just say Stitch stumbled into one, but however there was a catch - since in the past the bootleg chocolates were sold for 25 cents each... the price rose to four times as much to cover the cost of the supplier (even though Stitch still has enough to help pay off the bills.)

    After a few successful weeks, things were settling in nicely... the area wasn't broken into, and things were just the way it intended... well, almost.

    - - - *O.O* - - -

    At the deserted warehouse where Stitch and the alien exps. are currently living in, Stitch was lying awake in his sleeping bag, sleepless. Why was he sleepless? Perhaps he was either homesick - wishing to return back to Lilo's house... perhaps he is anxious because one day he will be caught by a police officer or be trapped in one of their plans... or maybe he was worried about Fudgy... after all, Fudgy tried to be innocent, and requested that be be set free.

    But no, Stitch was anxious - he had the feeling that someone was sneaking around the place... worried, Stitch got out of the sleeping bag, then used his night-vision-eyesight to see what's going on... so far no-one was nearby.

    But Stitch's super sonic hearing picked up something... the sound of footsteps landing on the concrete floor as quietly as the tresspasser can allow. Curious but scared, Stitch quietly stepped and then relied on his hearing and night-vision to track the tresspasser down...

    "Hello?" Stitch quietly called out. "Anyone awake?"

    No answer... except the sound of someone tipping over some tins and running over to another place with it. Stitch finally caught sight of the tresspasser and then attempted to follow it... but to no avail. Stitch decided to sound off again... "Hello?" Stitch cried out. "Is anyone in here?"

    No reply... just the sound of someone puncturing the tin and then eating its contents, then a loud belch was heard. Stitch finally knew where the tresspasser was... somewhere in the storerooms where some of the food was kept. Stitch quietly entered the storeroom and then stood in the doorway... using his little paw he reached for the light switch...

    With the flick of the light switch, Stitch found that the tresspasser turned out to be an alien experiment... Deforestator was sitting in the middle of the storeroom, feeding on a tin of beans he had found in another room. This almost gave Stitch a fright - after Stitch let out a frightened scream, Deforestator did too!

    "Deforestator!" Stitch shouted, worried. "How did you get here?"

    "Nothing personal," Deforestator chuckled. "I just wanted to share with you the news that happened while you were away from the Pelekai household."

    "Deforestator, what are you doing in the storeroom?" Stitch scolded. "And why are you literally taking a bite out of our food supply?"

    "I was just hungry," Deforestator answered.

    "Everyone is trying to sleep!" Stitch explained, then showed Deforestator where the other alien experiments are sleeping. "See? They've had a hard time working on our one-way road to victory!"

    But while trying to explain, Reuben moaned and woke up from his sleep. "Cuz, how many times do I have to tell you - don't wake me up while I'm having some well-earned rest!"

    "Reuben, I'm sorry," Deforestator explained, "but I'm here to tell you guys about what happened while you weren't here!"

    "Tell us in the morning," Reuben yawned, as he attempted to resume his sleep.

    Deforestator stood on the spot for a while. "Where am I going to sleep now?" he asked. "I've got the feeling that someone's looking for me."

    "What is it," Stitch asked, "are they following you again?"

    "Ummm, not really," Deforestator answered, "but I was wondering... I think I might have to stop by for a while or else they'll catch me."

    Stitch immediately entred the storeroom and got out a few blanket rolls. Carefully, Stitch laid them next to Stitch's sleeping bag. "Here," Stitch explained. "You can sleep here, right next to me."

    Quietly, Deforestator laid himself on the blankets, appreciating its warmth, and then used another blanket to cover himself. Stitch stared at Deforestator, warmly, and then got into his sleeping bag.

    "You know about what I said about you trying to fight back against the ban?" Deforestator began. "I'm sorry, I was just worried."

    "That's okay," Stitch replied.

    Both Deforestator and Stitch drifted off to sleep, optimistic of what might happen later when they wake up.

    But little do they know, Stitch and the alien experiments will be the latest victims of a silent trap set up by the police officers. Perhaps Deforestator's warning from one fortnight ago may have been right. But needless to say, Stitch appears to have pleasant dreams.