A Bigger Picture (1): No Turning Back

It had been an unusually quiet week on Club Penguin.  Being that the Island was in between parties, only a new newspaper had debuted in the past week.  EPF duties had become incredibly dry and remedial as of late.

This was what Dot had thought as she emerged from her igloo on a very uneventful Friday morning.  It was just after nine in the morning and it was time to go to work.  She figured there would be no field work, no disguises today.  Just more paperwork.

She couldn't have been more wrong.

Source: Club Penguin Wikia

As Dot went up the steps of the EPF headquarters, she floated her hand along the outside of the door.  Truth be told, she missed the private feeling that the EPF dresser in the PSA headquarters had once given her.  She missed the PSA itself.  And then, just when she had gotten used to the stone walls on the EPF entrance, to the Command Room, to the VR Room, Herbert had ripped that away too.  How much loss could the protectors of Club Penguin take?

She heard a polite, "ahem," from behind her.  She turned around and discovered that two Everyday Phoning Facility workers were waiting behind her, below the steps, trying to get to their work place.

You see, in recent weeks, only one major event had happened.  That was Gary beefing up the amount of agents on the force.  Applicants had been flooding in and Gary had found a place for each of them.

He also had created a new position: Everyday Phoning Facility employees, who worked on office paper work (AKA: declassified EPF/PSA files) while sitting at the desks in the lobby.  They were assigned to make the place feel less....suspicious.  They also were keeping their ears open for any info that citizens might drop during a phone call at the facility.  Mostly beginning agents, injured ones, the ones with the flu, or those wanting to put in a bit more work than the daily job assigned were stationed here.

Source: Club Penguin Wikia

The whole move was weird.  It was the most exciting thing that had happened in weeks.  "Why did Gary feel the need to do all these things?" Dot often wondered.  However, she would then just think, "This is Gary we're talking about."

Dot quickly murmured an apology and disappeared into the building.  She was in the HQ before the other two, who had been caught off guard by her sudden movement, had even opened the door.

When she stepped into the HQ, she was struck with how quiet it was.  The Director only employed a couple full time workers - Dot, Rookie, Jet Pack Guy, and Gary.  Other agents came and went doing duties off and on.  The Command Room was usually incredibly busy.  Now, it was a ghost town.  Only Rookie, Jet Pack Guy, and herself stood in the room.  It struck her as odd.

Dot exchanged greetings with the two, who were in deep conversation.  She walked over to the desk where she picked up her assignments, which were always neatly placed in a folder, every morning.

Source: Mimo777

Her folder was incredibly light.  It had been for the past few weeks, but this was ridiculous!  It was as heavy as air!  It was as thin as a hair!

She flipped it open and found a lone sticky note, which was not angled in a straight manner as Gary usually made sure such things were.  It read:

Important briefing at 9:30 in the meeting room.

- Gary

These two things - the absence of neatness and the strange simplicity and urgency of the orders - were signs three and four that something was off.

Dot looked down at her watch.  In roughly two minutes, her questions could be answered.

Source: Bellerophont

Dot walked down to Rookie and Jet Pack Guy, wanting know if they had any new info.  Neither did.  They were just as confused as her.  Or at least that's what they told her...

Anxious, Dot looked at her watch again.  It was 9:30:00.  

Always one to be punctual, Gary arrived on the floor from the elevator not a second later.

"Hello, agents," G said curtly, in a serious tone.  Sign five.

"Hello, G," they all responded in unison.

Gary walked out of the elevator.  "I'm sorry that I have been so mysterious in the past few weeks," he said.  "I never wanted to be so vague with you...but, I had to keep you out in the cold, at least for a little while.  Those were the circumstances.  Those were the cards that I was dealt."

Source: Club Penguin Cutouts

As Gary slowly walked down the steps, he said, "For awhile now, I've had my suspicions about a second threat against the EPF.  One far larger....far more expansive than Herbert's front."  He stopped at the head of the table.  After a quick pause, he said, "I'm sorry to say I've confirmed these reports."

Gary remained calm and serious.  "I've been building up to this confirmation by hiring many new agents and even creating a new position, as you may have noticed.

"And, I gave all the part-time agents a day off so us full-timers could have a little.....heart-to-heart.  You see..."  There was a long pause.  Gary rubbed his temples.  You could tell he hadn't been getting much shut-eye lately.  "....Our reports, well...my reports, have confirmed there is a double agent amongst us."

Shock and confusion showed on the three agents' faces.  Dot, who knew she was innocent, was nonetheless afraid she could have been framed.  She also was afraid that someone close to her had betrayed them.

Source: Club Penguin Fanon Wiki

Gary put his hands on the table and leaned forward.  The tired part of himself, which he had shown for a mere moment, gave way to a pleading, exasperated, shocked, but yet very strong Gary.  

Then he said the words that would change everything.

"I'm going to give it to you straight.  No tiptoeing around.  I want the truth,"  Gary paused.  "After all we've been through, why did you sell us out, Rookie?"

To Be Continued

Listen to the special audiobook recording of this chapter by Red498 here!