Author: Lyle P. Blosser
E-mail: lblosser@raex.com
DISCLAIMER: Jonny Quest and distinctive characters copyright Hanna-Barbera
and/or Warner Bros. This is strictly a fan-created, not-for-profit
work, and is in no way affiliated with or approved by Hanna-Barbera
or any other copyright holders. No infringement of any rights,
stated or implied, is intended by this work. What's mine? The story
idea and its execution in written form.
RATING: G
ARCHIVERS: Permission granted
NOTES: I grew up on CJQ, and was always disappointed that it ended after only
one season; my efforts are attempts to correct that, at least for fans.
This story takes place after the events in _The Invisible Monster_, and
just before those in _The Sea Haunt_.
PREMISE: Dr. Zin sends someone to Cave Island to infiltrate the follow-up group
sent there by the US government after he learns of Dr. Quest's report
on the living energy creature; he wants to harness the elemental
force as a weapon.
"Return to Cave Island"
In the drenching rain pouring from the black clouds that rolled by overhead, two figures moved slowly along a sloping jungle trail struggling with a bulky crate. All around them the dense vegetation trembled in the storm's onslaught. Suddenly a searing blue-white bolt of lightning shattered the gloom; thunder cracked and boomed across the landscape.
"Man that was close!" One of the figures, a smallish man with dark horn-rim glasses and sparse black hair plastered across his forehead by the rain, glanced uneasily upward.
"Be careful, Simons!" lashed the other taller man as he fought to keep from dropping the box. "If my device is damaged..." Cautiously they lowered the heavy crate to the ground to re-establish their grips.
"What's the rush, Dr. Fleischer?" queried Eugene Simons. "Why can't we wait until after the sto--"
"Look, are you going to help or not?" Lemuel Fleischer snapped. "I thought I could count on your assistance." Fleischer scowled and crossed his arms in an attitude of disgust as another lightning bolt flashed by overhead, illuminating his stern expression.
"You can, doctor, you can," Simons bent over to grab the rope handle on one side of the wooden crate. Fleischer suppressed a smirk; Simons was totally cowed. Even slight control of another's career could be useful in so many ways. He reached for the handle on his side of box and they resumed their progress along the slippery jungle trail.
The entrance of a cave thirty meters ahead was like a yawning black mouth. As the thunderstorm rolled over the island, they covered the remaining section of the trail and entered the relative shelter of the cave. Fleischer reached along the wall and flipped a switch. A series of overhead lamps sprung to life, lighting the way inward.
A few more minutes work saw the crate moved into the depths of the cave next to large metallic structures that loomed out of the shadows thrown by the overhead lights. One of the machines looked like nothing so much as a giant-sized ray gun, its business end disconcertingly aimed downward at them. The whole set-up gave Simons the creeps. It was as if there something inherently malevolent about the devices. Which was ridiculous, of course, and Simons knew it. But still...
Fleischer quickly unpacked the small but heavy device from the crate and connected several large cables that snaked across the floor of the cave into ports on its top surface. He worked feverishly, as if racing against time.
Simons watched silently, afraid to make the first move to help Dr. Fleischer; afraid to even ask the other man if he needed or wanted his help for fear of unleashing Fleishcer's wrath once again. Dr. Eugene Simons, a Ph.D in his own right, hated himself for the way he was intimidated by the other man but facts were facts. With his funding running low, Simons desperately needed the assistance Fleischer had promised for his cooperation. He wondered how it all could go downhill so quickly. The sounds of the storm outside echoed off the walls of the cave and seemed to reverberate through his mind.
Finally Fleischer turned from the small device and began powering up the mysterious larger device that towered over it.
"Dr. Fleischer! The rest of the team agreed we'd wait to activate --" Simons faltered as Fleischer glared in his direction.
"I have neither the time nor the inclination to argue with you or anyone else on this so-called team," Fleischer growled in a tone Simons knew well. "If I waited until the rest of those..." He choked back his words with difficulty then resumed in a slightly calmer manner. "My proposal for tapping into the power thrown about by these frequent storms was unfairly ignored. I intend to provide a suitable demonstration that will change their small minds." He returned to the device, jaw clenched. Simons stood meekly by, afraid to make even the slightest sound. Lightning was not the only dangerous power being thrown about; Fleischer's short-fused temper was legendary.
The larger device made a low-pitched thrumming sound that seemed to drill right through Simons' gut. Glancing nervously up at the machine, he thought he could detect a shimmering of the air around the tip of the barrel. It was hard to be certain, though. The flashes of lightning from the still intensifying storm coupled with the rather dim lighting in the cave played havoc with his senses. His rain-spattered eyeglasses did not help matters. He nervously wiped at them with his fingers but only succeeded in smearing the water around. The scene before him took on a surreal appearance, a watercolor painting with the colors all running together.
Fleischer threw a switch. "There! That should --"
With an ear-splitting crash a blinding purple-white bolt of lightning struck just outside the cave entrance. The surge of electricity raced down a set of cables leading into the cave; frying the rubber insulation on the cables as it went. The supercharged stream leapt down the cables and struck the large machine. For a split-second the device channeled the surge in the only direction it could, out of the nozzle in the front, generating a tremendously bright beam of pure energy that lanced downward. Then as the electricity from the superbolt proved to be too much to handle, the device ripped itself apart in a tremendous fireball. The explosion knocked Simons flat on his back; he lay dazed and nearly paralyzed from the shock.
Fleischer had instinctively thrown up his arms to shield his face as the fireball blossomed, but it was too little, too late. The next thing he knew he was on the floor, somehow behind one of the larger machine consoles which had been toppled by the force of the explosion. The stinging sensation on his hands and face told him he had suffered burns as well as lacerations from the bits and pieces of jagged metal and glass hurled in all directions. As he struggled painfully to his feet, he caught a glimpse of a shimmering white blob of light as it moved slowly toward the entrance of the cave nearly twenty meters away. *What in the world is that? Ball lightning?* He shook his head and the faint shape dimmed then vanished altogether. It slowly came to him that the lightning might have overloaded his nervous system, causing him to hallucinate. He still heard a strange ringing in his ears. He was lucky he was not dead.
Standing shakily on his feet in the smoking wreckage that was now the cave, he looked around. Something was wrong. He stared at the remains of the big machine that had exploded then let his gaze wander to the device he and Simons had --
That was it -- where was Simons? He was certain the man had been right there with him just moments before the lightning strike. A brief search of the cave confirmed that Simons was no longer present. Where had he gone? Fleischer wondered if he had been unconscious for an extended period rather than just the momentary blackout he had presumed up to now. Outside, the storm seemed to be abating; the flashes of lightning were occurring a bit less frequently. Inside, anger boiled upwards at the thought of Simons abandoning him while he lay unconscious on the cave floor.
So Simons had cut and run at the first sign of trouble. He would not get away with it, not if Fleischer had anything to say about it. Carefully picking his way through the debris scattered over the ground, Fleischer headed out of the cave and back toward the main camp. When he found Simons he would --
A wierd undulating sound brought him up short as he approached the entrance to the cave. Like the call of an animal in pain. But not quite. He paused, peering out through the pouring rain, but the sound was not repeated. Then his anger surged and he stomped down the trail toward the small group of quonset huts that served as the expedition's headquarters.
* * *
Dr. Alicia Barnaby jumped as the door to the hut slammed open, framing a soaking wet and bleeding Fleischer.
"Good grief! What happened to you?"
Fleischer stomped into the hut, letting the door hang open and splashing mud and water everywhere.
"Where's Simons?" he growled.
"Simons? Haven't seen him since supper -- um, wasn't he with you, doctor?" Barnaby queried the two junior techs that were in the room with her eyes. Sam Waterson and Jenna McDonnel looked at each other and shrugged.
"Yes, he was," Fleischer fumed, stressing the word was. "But after the explosion, he cut and ran like the coward--"
"Explosion?" interrupted Dr. Barnaby. "What explosion?" She had had this problem with Fleischer before; he was so wrapped up in his own view of things that often important data had to be gleaned from offhand comments like this. Being able to focus was one thing, she told herself, but not at the expense of what could be critical information.
Fleischer gave her a look of pure disdain then threw himself down into an empty chair with a sigh, as if answering questions was a total waste of his time. "We were down at the cave checking things out. Lightning struck." Seeing her stare, he continued. "The lightning caused a power surge that ran down the main cables and blew the place to pieces. I'm lucky I wasn't killed." Never mind that the accident probably would not have happened if the machine had not been powered on. "I was knocked out; when I came to, Simons was gone. He just left me there. To die, for all he knew." Just thinking about Simons made his blood boil.
McDonnel had been rummaging in a cabinet as he spoke and now turned with a handful of gauze bandages and some alcohol. As she unwrapped the bandages, he held his arms out peevishly. Waterson approached with a small tweezers and a glass beaker and gently began picking tiny bits of glass and metal out of the man's skin.
Meanwhile Dr. Barnaby was gazing steadily at him, as if weighing his testimony. When he did not say any more, she nodded slightly, as if confirming something to herself.
"We'll find Simons, and find out what happened. It's not like him to just run away from his responsibility." She drew a deep breath. "But there's a bigger problem, based on what you told me."
*A bigger problem than Simons?* Fliescher railed internally. *I don't bloody think-- oh, right, the machine in the cave.* "You mean the destruction of the equipment in the cave."
"Exactly, doctor," Barnaby confirmed. "You know that set up was an integral part of our investigation. We were hoping to gain some key insights into our problems here when Dr. Quest arrives on site to oversee the investigation." *And judging by that look on your face, Dr. Fleischer, you have a big problem with giving up your position to a higher authority. Or is it just Dr. Quest you have a problem with?* "And when Dr. Quest arrives here the day after tomorrow, it's now my unhappy task to inform him of this unexpected development." She paused and looked at him inquiringly. "You're sure it's destroyed?"
"Absolutely. Nothing left but bits and pieces."
Barnaby seemed to deflate, uttering a soft sigh while slumping backward in her chair. "Well. Now I've got to come up with a plan for this situation." She waved a hand at him in dismissal. "Go get yourself taken care of, and get some rest. Unless I miss my guess, the day after tomorrow's going to be a big day. Not very pleasant, but definitely big."
* * *
"Dad, why are we going back to Cave Island so soon?" Jonny Quest paused at the entrance to the VERTOL plane's cargo hold where he and Hadji were packing their luggage. "Didn't you give a full report to Mr. Corvin when we got back the last time?"
"Yes, Dr. Quest," chimed in Hadji. "There is not a problem, is there? The monster has not come back, I hope?" The boys exchanged worried glances and Bandit growled.
"No, boys," Dr. Benton Quest replied with a chuckle. "Nothing like that."
"That's good," came Roger "Race" Bannon's muffled voice from the cockpit where he was running through the pre-flight checklist. "I can do without another problem like that!"
"The U.S. government sent a scientific team to do a thorough analysis of Dr. Norman's work and they've hit some snags," Dr. Quest continued. "And since I'm not scheduled to attend that conference in Singapore until the end of the month, I've been asked to lend a hand. I figured leaving Palm Key a few days early wouldn't be a problem." He handed a large brown duffle bag to Jonny who stowed it securely in the hold. "So while I sit in on some high-level meetings, you boys and Race can enjoy a small vacation for a few days. Then we'll all head to Singapore."
"A vacation I can handle," said Race as he swung down from the plane's cockpit, the pre-flight check completed.
"Me, too!" chorused Jonny and Hadji, while Bandit barked to show his approval of the plan.
Soon the packing and other preparations were finished and Palm Key was buttoned up for the duration. After checking in with local air traffic control, Race lifted off and they were on their way. As was the case with their last trip to the island, they left in the late afternoon. The trip took nearly twelve hours and they planned to arrive at Cave Island soon after local sunrise. The boys and Bandit slept through nearly the entire trip; Dr. Quest spelled Race at the plane's controls.
* * *
The sky had lightened considerably and dawn was not far off when Dr. Quest roused Jonny and Hadji.
"Time to wake up, boys. We're about half an hour from Cave Island." Both Jonny and Hadji stretched in their seats but Bandit remained motionless on his rug on the floor near Jonny's feet.
"Hey, that means you, too, sleepyhead," Jonny scratched behind Bandit's ears. The pup slowly opened one eye, licked Jonny's fingers, then promptly rolled over to catch a few more winks. Jonny rolled his eyes at Hadji, who chuckled.
"One never knows when the next chance to sleep will come," quoted Hadji.
"And Bandit uses every chance he gets," retorted Jonny.
Cave Island soon appeared over the horizon, a dark landmass with a volcanic peak thrusting upward on its eastern half. As they approached the island the dark landscape brightened into many shades of green; a thick jungle covered most of the land with relatively few clear areas. The coast sported wide sandy beaches along the southern and western edges of the island but to the north and east the land met the sea in a rocky jumble.
"There's the research vessel assigned to the team," Dr. Quest pointed out a rather large ship moored just off the coast. A few of the crew could be seen working on the expansive deck of the ship; a small helicopter was berthed at one end. As they flew on toward the island they could see a few smaller boats resting on the beach; a couple of quonset huts were set up near the edge of the jungle. "Set down in the compound, near where we did the last time."
"Right, doctor." Race banked the plane to circle once over the area to make sure it was clear then began the vertical descent. A group of people came out of the barracks and headed toward the landing area. In a few moments the plane was safely down; Race cycled the systems off while Dr. Quest undogged the hatch in the side of the cabin. The door opened to the warm tropical breezes and bright sun of a Cave Island morning.
"Hello, Dr. Quest!" came the cheery greeting from a woman striding purposefully toward the plane. "I trust your flight was uneventful?"
"Dr. Barnaby, hello!" Dr. Quest descended the stairway to shake her hand. "It was a very pleasant flight, thanks."
Dr. Barnaby introduced the rest of her small group: Dr. Lemuel Fleischer, a sullen man with a look of extreme discomfort on his face, and two technical aides, Jenna McDonnel and Sam Waterson, each looking enthusiastic and eager to get down to things. As Race and the boys came down the walkway, Dr. Quest introduced them as well. A sharp bark drew their attention upward to where Bandit stood at the lip of the hatch, tongue hanging over his lower lip as he grinned at the people below.
"Oh," chuckled Race, "Let's not forget our most important passenger!" The rest of the group, with the exception of Fleischer, laughed at the small dog's expression. From the nearby jungle a cacophany of bird calls greeted them with hoots and chirps and outright melodies. All of a sudden, Bandit gave a small yelp and disappeared back into the cabin.
Jonny rolled his eyes at Hadji as if to say "Now what?". Both boys trudged back up the walkway to see what was going on with their canine companion.
"Dr. Quest," Dr. Barnaby began, a somber look descending over her smile. "Sorry to hit you with this right away, but we've had a few setbacks." She paused to look at the other members of her team, then nodded. "And some mysteries need solving." She motioned toward a small structure near where Dr. Norman's lab had stood before it had been levelled, and they all began walking toward it. They had traversed nearly half of the distance when from the direction of the jungle a strange undulating cry arose. It was apparently quite some distance away and persisted for a few seconds then faded. It was not repeated.
Stopping to look intently at the newly-arrived visitors, Dr. Barnaby said, "And that sound, or more correctly, the source of it, is one of those mysteries. That sound, some destroyed equipment, and a missing man." She took a deep breath. "Come this way please; I'll fill you in on the whole story over some coffee."
Turning away from them, Dr. Barnaby missed the look that passed between Race and Dr. Quest as they followed her into the mess hall. Race glanced at the doctor, raised his eyebrows inquiringly and tilted his head in the direction of the jungle. Dr. Quest nodded once in grim confirmation.
* * *
Inside the plane, Jonny and Hadji were having some unexpected trouble with Bandit, who did not seem at all pleased to be back on the island. The normally friendly and outgoing pup was hiding under Jonny's seat and would not budge.
"Aw, come on, Bandit," Jonny pleaded. "We just spent all night on the plane; don't you want to go for a walk?" He reached under the seat; in response, Bandit backed even further under it.
"That is not like Bandit," observed Hadji. "It is as if he is afraid of something."
"Yeah, but what? I can't imagine--"
"Listen!" Hadji leaned out of the plane's hatch as a weird sound rose above the calls of the birds from the nearby jungle. "Do you hear that?"
"Yes, I do." Jonny poked his head out of the hatch and they both listened to the strange, but somehow familiar, sound. As the sound faded into the background noise of the jungle, Hadji turned to look intently at Bandit, then at Jonny.
"Did that sound remind you of anything?"
Jonny's forehead creased momentarily with thought, then his eyes opened wide. From the look in Hadji's eyes, Jonny knew they were thinking the same thing. "Come on, let's get Bandit, and go tell Dad."
* * *
Race and Dr. Quest had just settled themselves in Dr. Barnaby's office in one of the quonset huts. By the look on Dr. Quest's face, Race could tell that the doctor was trying to decide the best way to inform Dr. Barnaby of the alarming turn his thoughts had taken him. Then just as the good doctor was opening his mouth to speak, Jonny and Hadji burst into the hut. They were followed, as usual, by a barking Bandit.
"Dad! Dad!" Jonny was nearly breathless after having run at top speed across the compound.
"Easy, son. Catch your breath," instructed Dr. Quest with a wry smile on his face. This was not the first time the boys had rushed in with faces flushed and hearts pounding. Although this time, he reflected ruefully, likely they had good cause. Very good cause.
"Dad, we heard it!" Jonny blurted after gulping air for a mere second or two. "Out there, in the jungle!"
"It is true, Dr. Quest," confirmed Hadji. "We both heard the sound." Bandit barked in apparent agreement, a surprisingly loud sound that echoed off the metal walls inside the hut.
Dr. Quest looked at Race then at Dr. Barnaby, who was obviously perplexed, before turning back to Jonny. "Yes, son, we know. We heard it too."
"Do you really think it's the same creature, doctor?" Race asked. "I thought you had thoroughly reduced it to its component parts the last time."
"I'll never forget that sound, Race; do you have any real doubts?" Race shook his head after a moment's thought. Jonny and Hadji stared at each other as their worst fear was confirmed.
"Would you mind explaining what's going on here?" asked a confused Dr. Barnaby. "Obviously you know something; what's this all about?"
"What man can make and unmake," Dr. Quest stated wearily, still staring into Jonny's and Hadji's faces, "apparently can be made again." After a brief pause he stood up and turned to face Dr. Barnaby, his hands now resting on the boys' shoulders. He held her attention with an intense gaze. "I believe that the energy creature originally created by Dr. Norman in his initial experiments, and thought to have been destroyed by our actions after his unfortunate demise, has been resurrected and is roaming free on this island once again."
* * *
"This really is a mess," Race said, shaking his head. Dr. Barnaby had led them down to the cave to survey the damage. It was soon very obvious that the device that Dr. Quest had originally used to vanquish the monster would not be functioning again; there was not a piece of it bigger than a half meter left anywhere. Race turned to where Dr. Quest was sifting through the rubble further along the wall. "Can we build another one, doctor?"
"Extremely doubtful," came the scientist's terse reply. "At least not not without starting from the ground up with all new components." He looked at Race then at Dr. Barnaby. "I don't think we have that kind of time."
"What do you mean, Dr. Quest?" asked Barnaby. "Are you saying we're up against some sort of deadline?"
"That's exactly what I'm saying," confirmed Dr. Quest as he tossed the shattered chunk of metal he was examining onto the floor. "Let's go back to your lab and I'll lay it all out for you."
* * *
"So you see, doctor," Dr. Quest concluded after an intense half hour, "By my estimates, using my best guesses from our previous experience with the creature, we have just about a week before we'll have to evacuate. That is, if we can't neutralize the creature before then. After that time it'll be beyond the capabilities of current technology - we won't be able to develop the energy levels needed to destroy it."
Dr. Barnaby shook her head, still reviewing the figures on the computer screen. The data were hard to believe, but Dr. Quest had been very thorough in his presentation. Evacuation of the island was not the worst part, however. If they had to leave without finally resolving the problem, literally the entire region and eventually the world was at risk. There was no theoretical upper limit to the growth of the creature.
"There's one more thing," Dr. Quest stated matter-of-factly. "This may explain what happened to Dr. Simons. It's happened before."
"You mean he was consumed by the creature, don't you?"
"Yes, I'm afraid that's what I am saying. Dr. Norman, my good friend and colleague, suffered the same fate. I am sorry."
The rest of the scientific team had been called in for the discussion and were sitting around the lab looking stunned. Jonny, Hadji, and Bandit were equally subdued, sitting off to one side.
"How definite are the time parameters?" Jenna McDonnel asked. "If the rate of this thing's growth is different that that of the earlier creature, or if it started out smaller --"
"Or larger," interrupted Sam Waterson.
"Yes," resumed McDonnel, "or larger, then our estimates may by off by a factor of a day or more. That could make all the difference."
"I concur," replied Dr. Quest. "The first order of business is to gain some first-hand observational data."
"And just how do we do that?" Barnaby posed.
"As carefully as possible, doctor," came Race's laconic reply. "And from as far away as possible." He paused. "Didn't I see a helicopter on your ship?"
"Yes. Seats two; three in a crunch."
"Then that's the ticket, Dr. Barnaby. If I may, I'll borrow it for some quick aerial reconnaissance."
Barnaby nodded in agreement. "OK, it sounds like you know what you're looking for. I'll radio Captain Shelby and let him know you're coming."
"Come on boys, let's go take a tour of that ship we flew over on the way in." Jonny and Hadji got up and Bandit did the same.
Dr. Barnaby and the others gathered around Dr. Quest for some more strategy discussions as Race and the boys left. All except Dr. Fleischer, who quietly exited the lab and headed back down the trail toward the cave.
* * *
Walking swiftly through the jungle, Fleischer nervously listened for any hint of the creature he had inadvertantly loosed on the island. He was no fool, despite what the others might think; he knew that it was his unauthorized powerup of the large device in the cave that had led to the recreation of the monster. So much the better, even if the timing had not been perfect. If his device was still serviceable, and there was no reason to think it was not, he still might be able to proceed with his plan. Success might yet be wrestled from the fangs of failure. And success was to be achieved at all costs. His employer, the man who had pulled a number of strings to get him here in the first place, did not tolerate failure.
No, Dr. Zin did not tolerate failure at all.
* * *
"Hey, Race," Jonny asked from the front of the small boat as they pushed off the beach and headed for the larger craft moored out in deeper water. "Do you really think the monster is back, invisible again?"
"You heard your dad," Race replied. "I'm willing to bet that if he says it's back, it's back. I just hope he can come up with a way to handle it." There was not much to say after that and they all fell silent as they crossed the sparkling waters of the cove. As they neared the ship, Hadji tossed the mooring line to a waiting crew member who peered down at them from the deck nearly ten feet above. After the man secured the line, first Jonny then Hadji clambered up the rope netting that hung along the hull.
Race followed with a subdued Bandit tucked in the crook of his arm. Poor Bandit. He did suffer a bit from motion sickness, and seemed to know he was in for a bit of tossing on board the ship. Fortunately the water was fairly calm and the ship's motion was not too severe. Jonny picked him up and that helped, too.
Captain Anthony Shelby, USN, greeted them as they came on board. He was a slim athletic-looking man in his early forties, with a salt-and-pepper mustache that made him look somewhat older. Shelby led them aft toward the flight deck where the chopper waited. A pilot was already on board the sleek craft doing the preflight checks. Quick introductions were made, then Race explained to both the pilot and the captain what he wanted to do. After ironing out the details, Race climbed aboard and the boys retreated with the captain across the deck. Soon the helicopter lifted upward, swung in a smooth arc, and gained altitude as it headed back toward the island.
As the chopper shrunk to a small indistinct dot in the skies over the island, Captain Shelby led everyone onto the bridge where they could monitor the chopper's progress on radar and converse with its occupants via the radio.
"You're coming in loud and clear," Shelby responded to an incoming transmission from the chopper's pilot, then continued with a smile at the boys. "Go for Operation Monster Search!" Jonny and Hadji just looked at each other and Bandit whined a bit as he snuggled deeper into Jonny's arms.
* * *
The pilot was a muscular dark-skinned man named James Murphy, and after only a few minutes Race felt quite comfortable riding shotgun instead of sitting behind the controls as he normally did. The man was a very competent flyer and he and Race exchanged aircraft small talk as they approached the island -- what types of craft they had flown, what they did and did not like about each, and so on. It was not often that Race got the chance to chew the fat with another aircraft afficianado. But as they began to circle the island, both men dropped the chatter and focused on the task at hand.
"You say this thing is invisible, yet we can track it from the air?" Murphy was doubtful.
"Right." Race responded. "The thing leaves a trail of chewed up trees and blasted vegetation visible for quite a ways. If it's moving around we'll find it." Race pointed. "There. See what I mean?"
Murphy grunted acknowledgement; down below the normally continuous green of the jungle canopy was broken by a swath that moved in sinuous curves across the landscape. It looked like a drunken giant had used an equally giant lawn mower.
"That's how we found it the first time," Race continued. "We saw this path of destruction moving through the jungle and followed it as it headed toward one of the beaches. Imagine our surprise when it emerged from trees, but we still couldn't see it."
"How do you track it when it's not in the trees?"
"It leaves footprints."
"Footprints?"
"Yeah. Scorched circular prints. Burned into the ground."
"You're kidding."
"Nope." Race went on to explain how they had ended up dousing the energy creature with paint mixed with phosphorescent dye, effectively painting the creature so they could keep a visual on it.
Murphy chuckled. "Painted the beast, eh? Who thought that one up, the scientist?"
"Dr. Quest?" returned Race. "No, actually, it was his son that came up with it."
"Smart kid."
Race was about to reply when he caught motion out of the corner of his eye. Murphy swung the chopper around at almost the same instant.
"Is that what we're looking for?" About two hundred meters away, the tops of trees were apparently being swallowed whole, disappearing from sight in a meandering line. Occasionally a muffled explosion could be heard and a faint flickering, like lightning confined to the ground, could be seen through the trees.
Race was grim. "That's it." He picked up the radio handset.
* * *
"Well, they've spotted what looks to be your monster, Dr. Quest." Captain Shelby was reporting Race and Murphy's findings to the team back at the compound. "Or at least its effects. They're following it, trying to get a fix on it's direction and speed. We'll let you know as soon as we do."
"Where is it now, Captain?" Dr. Barnaby asked.
"About ten klicks due east of the compound, headed south-southeast."
"Thanks. Keep us posted."
"Roger, doctor. Wilco. Oh, Dr. Quest, I'm having one of my men bring your boys back over to the island, if that's all right."
"Fine. I think I'd prefer they be here for the time being."
"I understand, sir. I've got three kids of my own. We'll drop off Mr. Bannon after they've completed their recon."
"Thank you; you've been most helpful."
"Glad to oblige, doctor."
"I don't know if I'd say I'm actually relieved," Dr. Quest stated after Captain Shelby had signed off. "But at least we've confirmed what we're dealing with, and where it is."
"What do we do next?" Jenna McDonnel asked.
"That," replied Dr. Quest in a wry tone, "is the question of the hour."
* * *
Dr. Fleischer listened carefully to the conversation going on between the compound and the ship on the walkie-talkie he had appropriated. "So," he muttered. "They've actually managed to track down the creature. Excellent." Fleischer resumed packing his device onto a small hand cart, fastening it with a couple of bungee cords. Once it was secure, he unfolded a map of the island and studied it carefully. "How nice of Captain Shelby to provide its location for me." He giggled to himself; things were going very well. Very well indeed. Now all he needed to do was get set up in the vicinity of the creature, spring the trap at the appropriate moment, and the creature would be his. Well, Dr. Zin's eventually, but his first. He gazed at the map, tracing the routes of several trails marked on it until he found one that suited his purpose. No problem; everything should be in place within the hour. Well, there was one small problem. He needed some way to lure the beast into his trap. He had read Dr. Quest's account of the first encounter but had no intention of serving as bait as the doctor had done. No, there must be another way. Oh! And there was! Snapping his fingers in triumph, he grabbed the cart and headed out of the cave.
* * *
"Where's Bandit?"
"I don't know, son, I haven't seen him since just after you boys arrived back in camp." Dr. Quest looked up from his work. "He probably found a shady spot to sleep off his motion sickness."
"Your dad is probably right," chimed in Hadji. "He was a little wobbly after riding on that ship, followed by the helicopter ride back here."
"Yeah," Jonny ruefully grinned. "You saw that, too, huh?"
The two boys walked out of the hut and Dr. Quest concentrated again on the copy of Dr. Norman's lab notes provided by Dr. Barnaby. There had to be a clue in there somewhere, a clue that would help them defeat the creature once again. Too bad about the equipment in the cave. He sighed. That would've been almost too easy, he reflected sardonically. It seemed like the problems kept getting harder and harder. Or maybe he was getting old. Shaking off his temporary funk with a slow twist of his shoulders and a quickly-exhaled puff of air, he bent back to the task at hand.
* * *
"Boy, he sure found a great hiding spot," complained Jonny after searching under the seats in the jet's cabin. It seemed they had looked nearly everywhere possible within a hundred meters of the camp and still no Bandit. He did not say it aloud, but he was starting to get worried. It was not like Bandit to wonder off; he usually stayed close by. Of course, Jonny mused, there was that skunk incident in Canada.
"He's not in here, either," called Hadji from the cargo hold. Dr. Quest and Race had opened the hold and carried off some pieces of equipment earlier, and the gangway into the large storage area would have allowed Bandit easy access.
Jonny exited the cabin and walked up the sloping ramp. Hadji was methodically replacing some boxes after having moved them to get a better look in one of the hold's corners. "This is not like Bandit," Jonny's brother replied.
"You read my mind," replied Jonny as he scanned the hold, furiously thinking about the next place to search. Then he saw the rocket packs in one corner.
"Hey, let's use the jet packs! We can cover a lot more ground that way." He began tugging one of the packs free from its restraining straps. Hadji joined him and removed another one. It was the work of a few minutes to check the packs out; both boys remembered the trouble Hadji had experienced before and neither wanted a repeat of that near-catastrophe. Soon they were in the air, hovering about ten meters above the treetops.
"Let's set up a grid search pattern," suggested Hadji. "So we don't miss anything or look twice in the same place." Jonny agreed and they mapped out a flying pattern over a nearby area with a few gestures. The packs could keep them airborne for well over an hour but there was no sense in pushing their luck more than they had to.
Twenty minutes later they had covered a fair-sized section of the nearby jungle. Then Jonny spotted a man working in a small clearing nearly a mile from the camp. He was bending over a cluster of small boxes and what looked like some electronic equipment. Scattered about were packing material, manuals, cables and a lot of other miscellaneous items. "Maybe he's seen Bandit," Jonny thought as he glided down into the clearing.
"Hey, mister--"
"What the--?" The man jumped like he had been stung. It was that other scientist, Jonny realized, the one that seemed always grumpy. Maybe he should not have landed after all.
"Well, what do you want, boy," Fleischer snarled. "Can't you see I'm busy?" He turned back to a small device and flipped a few toggles on a console sitting atop a waist-high gleaming metallic device; the machine hummed into life.
"I'm looking for my dog, mister. Have you seen --?"
"No time to waste looking for your mutt." He paused. "You should leave; my experiment is very--"
Suddenly, Jonny's ears picked up a faint sound. He looked in all directions, trying to make sure. Was it? It sounded like -- yes! It was! It was Bandit barking! But the sound was strange; it seemed muffled, like Bandit was inside something.
"Hey! That's Bandit!" Jonny desperately tried to determine where the sound was coming from. Then he saw a small box wobbling not ten meters away. Without another moment's thought, he ran over to the box and opened it up. Bandit leaped up into his arms, barking and panting and whining all at the same time.
"Too bad you did that, kid." Jonny whirled to see Fleischer approaching him with a stout length of bamboo in his hand.
"What were you doing with Ban--"
"Shut up. You're messing where you shouldn't be messing." The man drew closer and Jonny instinctively backed away. "I was hoping to use your little mutt in my experiment...but maybe you'll do even better." The man made a grab for him, but he jumped back, tumbling backward over some boxes, out of the man's immediate reach. Fleischer angrily kicked away the box and loomed over Jonny, who still held Bandit tightly. Jonny's eyes widened as he looked upward from the ground where he lay.
"Come here you little ---oof!!" Hadji dropped like a tan lightning bolt out of the sky, smashing into the man's head and shoulders. Fleischer fell forward and slightly to one side, just missing Jonny as he crumpled to the ground.
"Nice work, Hadj!" Jonny exclaimed as he scrambled to his feet and away from the unconscious scientist. "I saw you coming but, gosh! I was afraid you wouldn't make it in time!"
Hadji looked with some relief at his friend. After seeing the man threaten Jonny, he had known that something had to be done, and quickly. After hitting the man from behind and above, he had rebounded from the impact and landed on his knees. "Come on, let's get out of here!" He turned the control on his rocket belt and lifted into the air.
"I'm with you!" Jonny replied, getting a firm grip on Bandit and activating his own rocket pack. Thankfully it worked, despite the tumble he had taken, and they joined Hadji in the air. Gaining some altitude, they streaked back to the camp. Only once did Jonny look back; he saw the man still unconscious on the ground near his machines. Then the trees hid the scene from view.
Shortly after Hadji, Jonny, and Bandit had made their escape, but before Fleischer had regained consciousness, a warbling, eerie sound echoed from the jungle near the clearing where Fleischer lay. The otherworldly sound was repeated about half a minute later, and seemed to be coming from somewhere abit closer nearby. The third time was closer still.
* * *
"Dr. Quest, I think you need to hear this." Race Bannon stood framed in the door to the hut where the efforts to find a way to destroy the ravenous energy monster were underway. Everyone in the room looked up; it was obvious that discussions were not going very well. Looking at Dr. Quest's haggard face, Race amended that thought. The discussions were a total wash-out.
When Dr. Quest motioned Race inside, Jonny and Hadji followed. Jonny was holding Bandit tightly in his arms, and everyone had a grim look on their faces.
"What is it?" asked Dr. Quest as Dr. Barnaby and the rest gathered around. "From the looks on your faces, it doesn't appear to be good news."
"It's both good and bad news, sir, "Race began. "The good news is, the boys and Bandit are safe." He paused, looking around the room. "The bad news is, well, it seems we have more trouble than we thought."
"More trouble?" For the life of him, Dr. Quest could not image what would be worse news than an unstoppable monster.
"I'll let the boys tell you, doctor, just like they told me not two minutes ago." Jonny and Hadji stepped forward.
* * *
"You were right, Race, this is bad news." The assembled crowd had gasped audibly when Jonny stated in a quiet but steady voice how Dr. Fleischer had threatened both Bandit and himself. Hadji corroborated Jonny's tale with a ring of authority that none could easily dismiss.
"It's easy enough to verify," Race concluded. "I'm heading down to that clearing and check things out."
"I believe I'll come with you," spoke Dr. Barnaby with noticeable firmness.
Dr. Quest nodded. "I think we'll all go."
Ten minutes later they all were walking down a rather well-worn path through the jungle to the south of the main camp. For most of the trip, everyone was silent, trudging along in their own thoughts. As they neared the clearing, Race brought everyone to a halt.
"Dr. Barnaby and I will scout ahead." Race looked at the doctor who nodded her head in affirmation. "Given Dr. Fleischer's past history, I can't say what state he might be in. I'll give a shout if the coast is clear." He and Dr. Barnaby moved up the trail and into the clearing. They could just barely be seen through the dense foliage, walking around the site for several moments.
"Dr. Quest!" Race called. "Come on down. We've another mystery."
As everyone gathered in the clearing, they took in the boxes and cables and machines scattered about. Dr. Barnaby motioned them over to a small humming device.
"That's Fleischer's machine," she said. "I'd recognize it anywhere. He never seems to let it out of his sight." With a motion of disgust, she powered down the machine.
"And over here's the bamboo club," Race continued. "That pretty well clinches it." He looked inside a small box. "But here's the absolute closer -- look inside that box, Dr. Quest."
"If I didn't know better, I'd say those were scratch marks on the inside." Dr. Quest peered closely into the box, then reached in and pulled out what looked like a piece of lint or white cloth. "Bandit's fur." He looked at the dog, then at the boys. Then, he looked around the jungle. "But where's Dr. Fleischer?"
Jenna McDonnel spoke up. "Look over here." She pointed to a dark splotch on the ground near one of the boxes. "And over here." She pointed to another splotch. It looked like the ground cover had been scorched.
"There's more over here!" Sam Waterson called. He pointed to a line of splotches that ran off into the jungle. They all followed the line with their eyes. It looked like dark footprints that meandered through the clearing, then led back into the jungle near a charred tree trunk.
"Our monstrous friend has been here," Race stated flatly.
"Right," said Dr. Quest. "Dr. Barnaby, everyone, let's head on back to the camp." He looked at Fleischer's machine. "Can someone bring that back? I think it may be important."
"Got it, doctors," Sam replied. "Give me a hand, Jenna?" Together they hoisted the device onto Sam's shoulders and then set off down the trail toward the camp.
* * *
Some time later Dr. Quest looked up from his examination of the small device that they had dragged back from the jungle clearing, and caught Dr. Barnaby's eye.
"Well, Dr. Barnaby," he said. "I must admit I have no idea how Dr. Fleischer came to be in the possession of this little machine, but my examination leaves no doubt in my mind as to what he was doing, or at least attempting to do."
"It's some sort of energy trap, isn't it?" Dr. Barnaby asked.
"Yes, it is," Quest nodded in confirmation. "And an amazingly efficient one, at that. While it isn't capable of containing the creature indefinitely, it may be able to effectively neutralize it for a number of hours." He looked around the room and saw that the boys and Bandit had gone back out into the warm tropical afternoon. Then he continued speaking in a somewhat lower voice. "I believe Fleischer was attempting to lure the energy creature into the trap, using Bandit as bait. I further belive he would've used my son as bait as well, if Hadji hadn't stopped him." A grim look passed over Dr. Quest's face.
"What could he possibly have hoped to gain from trapping the creature?" Barnaby wondered aloud.
"Living energy, if it could be controlled or directed, could be a fearsome weapon if it fell into the wrong hands. That's one reason why Dr. Norman was so secretive about his experiments in the first place. He thought Cave Island would be sufficiently remote to help keep things under wraps." He paused. "Obviously word has gotten out about this little development."
"Oh?" Barnaby raised an eyebrow. "Why do you say that, doctor?"
"I don't think Fleischer could've invented or constructed this device and kept it a secret. Do you?"
Barnaby shook her head. "No, definitely not. Some of the components here are beyond anything available in our labs."
"Exactly," confirmed Dr. Quest. "Ergo, he had outside help."
Suddenly there was a commotion outside the hut. Dr. Quest heard Bandit barking and what sounded like Jonny's voice. He got up from where he had been kneeling next to Fleischer's device and went to the door. Dr. Barnaby and the rest of the team followed.
Looking across the compound, he saw Jonny, Hadji, and Bandit running toward him. He also saw Race headed at a jog in the opposite direction, toward two men that were approaching from the edge of the jungle.
"Dad! Dad!" Jonny called breathlessly. "It's him! It's that Dr. Fleischer!" With that, everyone rushed forward to where Race had confronted the two figures. Both were pretty roughed up but the smaller man standing beside Dr. Fleischer looked like Death warmed over. Even so, he was obviously in control; his arm gripped Dr. Fleishcer's like a vise. Fleischer looked like a man who had been beaten into the ground.
"Dr. Simons!" Barnaby's voice rang out in shock. "We thought you were dead!"
The man gave a small self-deprecating smile then glanced at Dr. Fleischer before returning Dr. Barnaby's gaze. "The reports of my demise were a bit premature..."
* * *
Half an hour later, with Fleischer secured in a locked hut, Dr. Simons finished telling his side of the story. After the explosion in the cave during the thunderstorm, he had been dazed and battered, cut in myriads of places by the flying debris. But he never completely lost consciousness. He had seen a shimmering blob of light emerge from the ruins of the lab and head toward him, at which time he had turned and run for all he was worth out of the cave into the storm. He had lingered temporarily by the cave entrance, torn between curiosity regarding Dr. Fleischer's condition and that of the lab, and fear of what he instinctively knew was the reincarnated energy monster. Then he had heard Fleischer's angry muttering as he stormed out of the cave. The fear of what Fleischer would do to him overriding all else, he had hidden in the dense vegetation beside the trail until the man had passed.
"Then why didn't you come to us later? Why hide in the jungle for the last two days?" Dr. Quest could see that Barnaby felt a great deal of sympathy for Simons. But he could also see that, as a scientist, she had to know the truth. It was a trait he often found in himself.
"I'm not too proud of that," Simons admitted. "I felt that Dr. Fleischer would sway any discussions we might have had about the incident; I needed to get some proof or at least find some way to make sure he couldn't harm me or ruin my career." Simons hung his head briefly then looked up again. "I was hiding in the jungle when Fleischer threatened Dr. Quest's son. Before I could make up my mind as far as what I could do, the other boy solved my problem for me by dropping like a meteorite from the sky. After they all left, I went over to Fleischer's body. That was when I heard the cries of the energy creature and I knew it was headed right for us." He paused, looking at the people gathered around. "I'm not proud of this either, but...I considered leaving Fleischer for the creature."
"Doctor Simons!" Barnaby was obviously dismayed at Simons' admission.
"But I couldn't do it," Simons continued. "I just couldn't. So I dragged him off down another path and avoided the creature as it stomped through the clearing. Then after he regained consciousness, we came here."
"Dr. Barnaby, Dr. Quest," Race interjected. "While I appreciate the troubles Dr. Simons has gone through, we have a more urgent matter."
"Yes, of course," Dr. Quest acknowledged. "That creature is still out there. However, I think I've come up with the beginnings of a plan. I'll need to talk to Dr. Fleischer, though, to confirm some details about his machine."
* * *
Flesicher was sullen but helpful. It was obvious he considered his position as one of defeat. He answered all of Dr. Quest's questions about the device; its features and functionality, its capacities, and even its origin. When Dr. Quest learned who had been Fleischer's sponsor, he got up and left.
"Zin!" was Race's disgusted response when Dr. Quest informed him. "Why am I not surprised?"
"We're going to have to do something about that man one of these days," Dr. Quest stated. "But right now, that will have to wait."
"Was Fleischer forthcoming about his little pet project?" Dr. Barnaby asked as she approached the two men.
"Yes, he was, Dr. Barnaby. In fact, I was just on my way to see you and the rest of the team. It's time we resolve this problem, hopefully once and for all."
* * *
"So it's really that simple," concluded Dr. Quest. The others around him did not look exactly relieved or ecstatic but hope was beginning to show on their faces again. "Once the creature is trapped in the device, we'll have several hours to dispose of it properly. Once that's done, I recommend we vacate the premises, seal the records from both our efforts, and put this all behind us."
"I'm for that," Dr. Barnaby confirmed. The rest agreed; even Bandit barked his approval.
* * *
The lights and other electronic equipment were spread out in a large semi-circle in front of the cave. They were almost finished with the wiring, through which power would be fed from a portable generator located deep within the cave. Just inside the cave was another set of lights and devices, on a separate circuit. Further inside was a third.
The cave had been chosen as the location for the trap since the creature, for whatever reasons or processes that possessed it, seemed to favor that area of the island. Additionally, it provided a natural means for directing the movement of the creature, which was critical to the plan.
The plan was this: as the energy creature was drawn to and began consuming the energy in a circuit of equipment, power to the devices would automatically be shut off. Then the next level of devices would be activated. As the creature was thus drawn inside the cave, it would be led toward the small device that Fleischer had been given by Zin. Immediately surrounding the device were a large number of other pieces of equipment selected specifically for their relatively large electrical emissions. It was hoped this would provide an irresistable target for the creature's energy appetite. Fleischer had confirmed that if the creature was within three meters of the device when activated, it should be drawn into the internally-shielded container within the device and trapped.
As an added precaution, Race supervised the installation of a Vue-Comm in a corner of the cave where it could command a view of the entire setup. Since it used a relatively low level of power, it was hoped that the device would not be at risk from the energy creature or draw it away from the trap.
Finally, all was ready.
* * *
"Now we wait," Dr. Quest said as they all gathered around the monitoring console. The screen showed the dimly-lit cave interior with its silently-waiting banks of equipment. The generator could be heard chugging softly as it provided its trickle of electrical power.
"Flying Eye to Base Camp, come in," the radio crackled with an incoming transmission. "Flying Eye to Base camp." Dr. Barnaby reached for the handset.
"Base Camp, here, Flying Eye. What's your status? Over."
"We have the creature's position and movement, Base." James Murphy, the pilot, raised his voice to be heard over the noise from the helicopter's rotors. "Looks like you're in luck; the thing seems to be moving toward the cave. Over."
"Roger, Eye. Just keep a safe distance; we don't want any nasty surprises. Over."
"Roger that, Base. Will keep you appraised. Flying Eye, out."
Tension almost visibly mounted in the room. The creature was heading toward the cave and the trap. Would it take the bait? Would the trap work? Would the device hold?
"Flying Eye to Base Camp!" Everyone jumped at Murphy's voice coming over the radio so soon after the last transmission. "Looks like we've got one of those nasty surprises for you -- someone's approaching the cave on foot!"
"Say again, Eye? Over."
"I repeat, someone is approaching the cave entrance on foot. This is not part of the plan as it was explained to me, doctors. Over."
Just then Jenna McDonnel burst into the room. "Dr. Fleischer's gone! I went to bring him his supper and the door was wide open!"
"Well, at least we know who our mystery man is," Race quipped as he grabbed the radio microphone. "Flying Eye, this is Base. We've identified the man approaching the cave as Dr. Fleischer. Do not attempt to stop him. He may be armed and is almost certainly dangerous."
"Roger, Wilco. But he's in a heap of trouble, Base. We track the monster not forty meters away, heading directly for the cave. Over."
"Keep an eye on him and the creature, Eye," Dr. Quest commanded, taking the microphone from Race. "Base, out." As soon as he returned the microphone to its cradle, he looked at Race, who immediately nodded.
"I'll take a jet pack and a spare Vue-Comm. There may be just enough time."
"Be careful, Race."
"I will, doctor." He looked at Jonny and Hadji as he exited the hut. "Oh, and boys?"
"Yes, sir?" they both answered simultaneously.
"Just keep Bandit indoors this time, OK?"
"Yes, sir!"
* * *
"There he is, Dr. Quest." Dr. Barnaby pointed toward the monitor receiving the signal from the Vue-Comm installed in the cave. A shadowy figure could be seen approaching, a dark silhouette against the light streaming in from the cave entrance.
Just then Race checked in. "He must've gone into the cave, Base; he's nowhere in sight out here."
"Yes, Race, we see him on the monitor. Can you reach him?"
"Not in time. The monster's only twenty meters from the cave. I could get to him, I think, but we'd never make it out."
"Affirmative. Keep yourself out of harm's way. We'll try talking to him from here." Dr. Quest toggled on the switch that activated the cave-installed Vue-Comm's voice circuit.
"Dr. Fleischer! Dr. Fleischer, can you here me?"
* * *
Inside the cave, Dr. Fliescher was startled by the disembodied voice that came out of the deepest part of the cave. But only momentarily; he quickly got hold of himself and searched until he soptted the Vue-Comm hanging high along the back wall of the cave. He walked over and looked up into it.
"I hear you, Dr. Quest. I also hear my destiny approaching."
"What do you hope to accomplish, Dr. Fleischer?"
"Don't worry, Quest; I'm not going to disrupt your little plan." Fleischer chuckled ruefully. "I'm just here to insure that it succeeds." And to redeem myself, he added silently.
"Listen, there may still be a chance! Go to the furthest part of the cave and cover yourself with some of the debris from the explosion. Some of it is lead-lined and it may be enough to--"
"No, Dr. Quest. My days of hiding and self-preservation at the expense of others are over." He looked over his shoulder as the monster entered the cave, then turned back toward the Vue-Comm's camera. "I must do this. Tell everyone I am sorry for the man I had become. Especially tell Dr. Simons that I -- I --" Fleischer stuttered and nearly choked as his rising shame threatened to overwhelm him. With a supreme effort he regained control and steadied his voice. "Tell Simons that he's a better scientist than I ever was. He will find a way to succeed." Behind him the monster wailed and crunched forward through the second set of equipment in its path. He looked up into the camera one last time. "Good-bye."
Ignoring the urgent voices pleading with him from the Vue-Comm's speaker, he resolutely turned and walked over to the small device that he had smuggled onto the island. The small device he had been given by Dr. Zin who wanted him to use it to further Zin's plans, whatever they were. He had realized while he had been locked up in the hut that Zin had never mentioned the intended purpose for the living energy creature. He had also realized that he, the great Dr. Lemuel Fleischer, was being used by Zin just as any other disposable tool was used. With some dismay, he realized that he had been used for a long, long, time. He had decided, then and there, that it would end on his terms, not Dr. Zin's.
He could feel electrical tension and magnetic fields building in the cave as the creature approached. He was glad they had not had time to make it visible; it was somehow easier to wait for it since it could not be seen. He placed his hands on top of the small device in front of him, drew in a deep breath, and closed his eyes.
* * *
A blinding white flash like many lightning bolts seen all at once poured from the monitor, and everyone watching it involuntarily flinched away from the visual overload. A horrible shrieking noise like metal being twisted and torn accompanied the blast of light. Then as suddenly as it started, it stopped. The inside of the cave was dark, and still.
"Dr. Quest! Come in, Base! Come in!" Race's voice crackled over the Vue-Comm's speaker. "I heard a horrible sound, and saw a flash of light -- what's happened? Come in, Base, come in!"
"Race," Dr. Quest answered wearily. "It's over."
* * *
It only took a few moments for Race to cautiously enter the cave and confirm that the monster indeed appeared to be trapped inside Fleischer's device. At least the readings indicated a high energy source was now contained inside. There was no sign of Dr. Fleischer.
As he pulled the device free from its couplings, he called to Murphy in the helicopter. "I've got the box! I'll be outside in a few seconds; lower your winch!" Shortly thereafter Race had secured the device inside the makeshift cradle connected by a stout cable to the underside of the 'copter. After a quick hand signal, he stepped back as the helicopter pilot lifted the device up into the air, then swung away to the east, heading out over the ocean.
"The package is on its way," Race radioed back to the scientists waiting at the main camp. Soon the helicopter was but a tiny dot in the azure blue sky. Then it disappeared.
* * *
Within two hours the helicopter had returned to its berth on the supply ship, its mission accomplished. The small device containing its captured bundle of living energy had been dropped into the sea, directly over the Marianas Trench, the deepest part of the ocean. The device sank swiftly into the depths, passing from daylight through twilight to the absolute night of the ocean floor. If it survived its trip to the bottom of the sea, no one would ever be able to tell. Perhaps it did; or, perhaps, the intense water pressure, thousands of pounds per square inch, crushed it into a unrecognizeable tangle of metal before it hit the bottom. In any case, in the inky blackness of the ocean depths, more than five miles beneath its surface, the second known creature of pure animated energy met its end.
* * *
"Good-bye, Dr. Quest, Mr. Bannon," Dr. Barnaby firmly shook their hands as they stood next to the VERTOL's gangway. Dr. Simons, Jenna McDonnel and Sam Waterson stood behind her.
"Good-bye, Dr. Barnaby," replied Race, who then proceeded into the plane's cockpit and began his pre-flight checks. Hadji and Jonny stood in the plane's hatch, Bandit secure in Hadji's arms. The boys waved and Bandit barked, then they, too, disappeared inside.
"I'll send you a copy of my report, Ben," Dr. Barnaby said.
"I'll do the same for you with mine, Alicia," Dr. Quest replied.
"Doctor, I do have one last question for you." Seeing Dr. Quest's raised eyebrow, she continued. "Are all your consulting jobs this...um...interesting?"
"Not all of them, doctor," Dr. Quest replied with some amusement. "Are you looking for another job?" Seeing her head shake, he chuckled. "Well, if you ever decide to go looking, and need a reference, let me know."
"I'll do that, doctor. Safe journey."
"Thanks."
With that, the door to the plane closed and the walkway was raised. The plane was soon a swiftly-shrinking white dot in the deep blue cloudless sky over Cave Island.
Dr. Alicia Barnaby and the rest silently watched until it disappeared.
- - T H E E N D - -
E-mail: lblosser@raex.com
DISCLAIMER: Jonny Quest and distinctive characters copyright Hanna-Barbera
and/or Warner Bros. This is strictly a fan-created, not-for-profit
work, and is in no way affiliated with or approved by Hanna-Barbera
or any other copyright holders. No infringement of any rights,
stated or implied, is intended by this work. What's mine? The story
idea and its execution in written form.
RATING: G
ARCHIVERS: Permission granted
NOTES: I grew up on CJQ, and was always disappointed that it ended after only
one season; my efforts are attempts to correct that, at least for fans.
This story takes place after the events in _The Invisible Monster_, and
just before those in _The Sea Haunt_.
PREMISE: Dr. Zin sends someone to Cave Island to infiltrate the follow-up group
sent there by the US government after he learns of Dr. Quest's report
on the living energy creature; he wants to harness the elemental
force as a weapon.
"Return to Cave Island"
In the drenching rain pouring from the black clouds that rolled by overhead, two figures moved slowly along a sloping jungle trail struggling with a bulky crate. All around them the dense vegetation trembled in the storm's onslaught. Suddenly a searing blue-white bolt of lightning shattered the gloom; thunder cracked and boomed across the landscape.
"Man that was close!" One of the figures, a smallish man with dark horn-rim glasses and sparse black hair plastered across his forehead by the rain, glanced uneasily upward.
"Be careful, Simons!" lashed the other taller man as he fought to keep from dropping the box. "If my device is damaged..." Cautiously they lowered the heavy crate to the ground to re-establish their grips.
"What's the rush, Dr. Fleischer?" queried Eugene Simons. "Why can't we wait until after the sto--"
"Look, are you going to help or not?" Lemuel Fleischer snapped. "I thought I could count on your assistance." Fleischer scowled and crossed his arms in an attitude of disgust as another lightning bolt flashed by overhead, illuminating his stern expression.
"You can, doctor, you can," Simons bent over to grab the rope handle on one side of the wooden crate. Fleischer suppressed a smirk; Simons was totally cowed. Even slight control of another's career could be useful in so many ways. He reached for the handle on his side of box and they resumed their progress along the slippery jungle trail.
The entrance of a cave thirty meters ahead was like a yawning black mouth. As the thunderstorm rolled over the island, they covered the remaining section of the trail and entered the relative shelter of the cave. Fleischer reached along the wall and flipped a switch. A series of overhead lamps sprung to life, lighting the way inward.
A few more minutes work saw the crate moved into the depths of the cave next to large metallic structures that loomed out of the shadows thrown by the overhead lights. One of the machines looked like nothing so much as a giant-sized ray gun, its business end disconcertingly aimed downward at them. The whole set-up gave Simons the creeps. It was as if there something inherently malevolent about the devices. Which was ridiculous, of course, and Simons knew it. But still...
Fleischer quickly unpacked the small but heavy device from the crate and connected several large cables that snaked across the floor of the cave into ports on its top surface. He worked feverishly, as if racing against time.
Simons watched silently, afraid to make the first move to help Dr. Fleischer; afraid to even ask the other man if he needed or wanted his help for fear of unleashing Fleishcer's wrath once again. Dr. Eugene Simons, a Ph.D in his own right, hated himself for the way he was intimidated by the other man but facts were facts. With his funding running low, Simons desperately needed the assistance Fleischer had promised for his cooperation. He wondered how it all could go downhill so quickly. The sounds of the storm outside echoed off the walls of the cave and seemed to reverberate through his mind.
Finally Fleischer turned from the small device and began powering up the mysterious larger device that towered over it.
"Dr. Fleischer! The rest of the team agreed we'd wait to activate --" Simons faltered as Fleischer glared in his direction.
"I have neither the time nor the inclination to argue with you or anyone else on this so-called team," Fleischer growled in a tone Simons knew well. "If I waited until the rest of those..." He choked back his words with difficulty then resumed in a slightly calmer manner. "My proposal for tapping into the power thrown about by these frequent storms was unfairly ignored. I intend to provide a suitable demonstration that will change their small minds." He returned to the device, jaw clenched. Simons stood meekly by, afraid to make even the slightest sound. Lightning was not the only dangerous power being thrown about; Fleischer's short-fused temper was legendary.
The larger device made a low-pitched thrumming sound that seemed to drill right through Simons' gut. Glancing nervously up at the machine, he thought he could detect a shimmering of the air around the tip of the barrel. It was hard to be certain, though. The flashes of lightning from the still intensifying storm coupled with the rather dim lighting in the cave played havoc with his senses. His rain-spattered eyeglasses did not help matters. He nervously wiped at them with his fingers but only succeeded in smearing the water around. The scene before him took on a surreal appearance, a watercolor painting with the colors all running together.
Fleischer threw a switch. "There! That should --"
With an ear-splitting crash a blinding purple-white bolt of lightning struck just outside the cave entrance. The surge of electricity raced down a set of cables leading into the cave; frying the rubber insulation on the cables as it went. The supercharged stream leapt down the cables and struck the large machine. For a split-second the device channeled the surge in the only direction it could, out of the nozzle in the front, generating a tremendously bright beam of pure energy that lanced downward. Then as the electricity from the superbolt proved to be too much to handle, the device ripped itself apart in a tremendous fireball. The explosion knocked Simons flat on his back; he lay dazed and nearly paralyzed from the shock.
Fleischer had instinctively thrown up his arms to shield his face as the fireball blossomed, but it was too little, too late. The next thing he knew he was on the floor, somehow behind one of the larger machine consoles which had been toppled by the force of the explosion. The stinging sensation on his hands and face told him he had suffered burns as well as lacerations from the bits and pieces of jagged metal and glass hurled in all directions. As he struggled painfully to his feet, he caught a glimpse of a shimmering white blob of light as it moved slowly toward the entrance of the cave nearly twenty meters away. *What in the world is that? Ball lightning?* He shook his head and the faint shape dimmed then vanished altogether. It slowly came to him that the lightning might have overloaded his nervous system, causing him to hallucinate. He still heard a strange ringing in his ears. He was lucky he was not dead.
Standing shakily on his feet in the smoking wreckage that was now the cave, he looked around. Something was wrong. He stared at the remains of the big machine that had exploded then let his gaze wander to the device he and Simons had --
That was it -- where was Simons? He was certain the man had been right there with him just moments before the lightning strike. A brief search of the cave confirmed that Simons was no longer present. Where had he gone? Fleischer wondered if he had been unconscious for an extended period rather than just the momentary blackout he had presumed up to now. Outside, the storm seemed to be abating; the flashes of lightning were occurring a bit less frequently. Inside, anger boiled upwards at the thought of Simons abandoning him while he lay unconscious on the cave floor.
So Simons had cut and run at the first sign of trouble. He would not get away with it, not if Fleischer had anything to say about it. Carefully picking his way through the debris scattered over the ground, Fleischer headed out of the cave and back toward the main camp. When he found Simons he would --
A wierd undulating sound brought him up short as he approached the entrance to the cave. Like the call of an animal in pain. But not quite. He paused, peering out through the pouring rain, but the sound was not repeated. Then his anger surged and he stomped down the trail toward the small group of quonset huts that served as the expedition's headquarters.
* * *
Dr. Alicia Barnaby jumped as the door to the hut slammed open, framing a soaking wet and bleeding Fleischer.
"Good grief! What happened to you?"
Fleischer stomped into the hut, letting the door hang open and splashing mud and water everywhere.
"Where's Simons?" he growled.
"Simons? Haven't seen him since supper -- um, wasn't he with you, doctor?" Barnaby queried the two junior techs that were in the room with her eyes. Sam Waterson and Jenna McDonnel looked at each other and shrugged.
"Yes, he was," Fleischer fumed, stressing the word was. "But after the explosion, he cut and ran like the coward--"
"Explosion?" interrupted Dr. Barnaby. "What explosion?" She had had this problem with Fleischer before; he was so wrapped up in his own view of things that often important data had to be gleaned from offhand comments like this. Being able to focus was one thing, she told herself, but not at the expense of what could be critical information.
Fleischer gave her a look of pure disdain then threw himself down into an empty chair with a sigh, as if answering questions was a total waste of his time. "We were down at the cave checking things out. Lightning struck." Seeing her stare, he continued. "The lightning caused a power surge that ran down the main cables and blew the place to pieces. I'm lucky I wasn't killed." Never mind that the accident probably would not have happened if the machine had not been powered on. "I was knocked out; when I came to, Simons was gone. He just left me there. To die, for all he knew." Just thinking about Simons made his blood boil.
McDonnel had been rummaging in a cabinet as he spoke and now turned with a handful of gauze bandages and some alcohol. As she unwrapped the bandages, he held his arms out peevishly. Waterson approached with a small tweezers and a glass beaker and gently began picking tiny bits of glass and metal out of the man's skin.
Meanwhile Dr. Barnaby was gazing steadily at him, as if weighing his testimony. When he did not say any more, she nodded slightly, as if confirming something to herself.
"We'll find Simons, and find out what happened. It's not like him to just run away from his responsibility." She drew a deep breath. "But there's a bigger problem, based on what you told me."
*A bigger problem than Simons?* Fliescher railed internally. *I don't bloody think-- oh, right, the machine in the cave.* "You mean the destruction of the equipment in the cave."
"Exactly, doctor," Barnaby confirmed. "You know that set up was an integral part of our investigation. We were hoping to gain some key insights into our problems here when Dr. Quest arrives on site to oversee the investigation." *And judging by that look on your face, Dr. Fleischer, you have a big problem with giving up your position to a higher authority. Or is it just Dr. Quest you have a problem with?* "And when Dr. Quest arrives here the day after tomorrow, it's now my unhappy task to inform him of this unexpected development." She paused and looked at him inquiringly. "You're sure it's destroyed?"
"Absolutely. Nothing left but bits and pieces."
Barnaby seemed to deflate, uttering a soft sigh while slumping backward in her chair. "Well. Now I've got to come up with a plan for this situation." She waved a hand at him in dismissal. "Go get yourself taken care of, and get some rest. Unless I miss my guess, the day after tomorrow's going to be a big day. Not very pleasant, but definitely big."
* * *
"Dad, why are we going back to Cave Island so soon?" Jonny Quest paused at the entrance to the VERTOL plane's cargo hold where he and Hadji were packing their luggage. "Didn't you give a full report to Mr. Corvin when we got back the last time?"
"Yes, Dr. Quest," chimed in Hadji. "There is not a problem, is there? The monster has not come back, I hope?" The boys exchanged worried glances and Bandit growled.
"No, boys," Dr. Benton Quest replied with a chuckle. "Nothing like that."
"That's good," came Roger "Race" Bannon's muffled voice from the cockpit where he was running through the pre-flight checklist. "I can do without another problem like that!"
"The U.S. government sent a scientific team to do a thorough analysis of Dr. Norman's work and they've hit some snags," Dr. Quest continued. "And since I'm not scheduled to attend that conference in Singapore until the end of the month, I've been asked to lend a hand. I figured leaving Palm Key a few days early wouldn't be a problem." He handed a large brown duffle bag to Jonny who stowed it securely in the hold. "So while I sit in on some high-level meetings, you boys and Race can enjoy a small vacation for a few days. Then we'll all head to Singapore."
"A vacation I can handle," said Race as he swung down from the plane's cockpit, the pre-flight check completed.
"Me, too!" chorused Jonny and Hadji, while Bandit barked to show his approval of the plan.
Soon the packing and other preparations were finished and Palm Key was buttoned up for the duration. After checking in with local air traffic control, Race lifted off and they were on their way. As was the case with their last trip to the island, they left in the late afternoon. The trip took nearly twelve hours and they planned to arrive at Cave Island soon after local sunrise. The boys and Bandit slept through nearly the entire trip; Dr. Quest spelled Race at the plane's controls.
* * *
The sky had lightened considerably and dawn was not far off when Dr. Quest roused Jonny and Hadji.
"Time to wake up, boys. We're about half an hour from Cave Island." Both Jonny and Hadji stretched in their seats but Bandit remained motionless on his rug on the floor near Jonny's feet.
"Hey, that means you, too, sleepyhead," Jonny scratched behind Bandit's ears. The pup slowly opened one eye, licked Jonny's fingers, then promptly rolled over to catch a few more winks. Jonny rolled his eyes at Hadji, who chuckled.
"One never knows when the next chance to sleep will come," quoted Hadji.
"And Bandit uses every chance he gets," retorted Jonny.
Cave Island soon appeared over the horizon, a dark landmass with a volcanic peak thrusting upward on its eastern half. As they approached the island the dark landscape brightened into many shades of green; a thick jungle covered most of the land with relatively few clear areas. The coast sported wide sandy beaches along the southern and western edges of the island but to the north and east the land met the sea in a rocky jumble.
"There's the research vessel assigned to the team," Dr. Quest pointed out a rather large ship moored just off the coast. A few of the crew could be seen working on the expansive deck of the ship; a small helicopter was berthed at one end. As they flew on toward the island they could see a few smaller boats resting on the beach; a couple of quonset huts were set up near the edge of the jungle. "Set down in the compound, near where we did the last time."
"Right, doctor." Race banked the plane to circle once over the area to make sure it was clear then began the vertical descent. A group of people came out of the barracks and headed toward the landing area. In a few moments the plane was safely down; Race cycled the systems off while Dr. Quest undogged the hatch in the side of the cabin. The door opened to the warm tropical breezes and bright sun of a Cave Island morning.
"Hello, Dr. Quest!" came the cheery greeting from a woman striding purposefully toward the plane. "I trust your flight was uneventful?"
"Dr. Barnaby, hello!" Dr. Quest descended the stairway to shake her hand. "It was a very pleasant flight, thanks."
Dr. Barnaby introduced the rest of her small group: Dr. Lemuel Fleischer, a sullen man with a look of extreme discomfort on his face, and two technical aides, Jenna McDonnel and Sam Waterson, each looking enthusiastic and eager to get down to things. As Race and the boys came down the walkway, Dr. Quest introduced them as well. A sharp bark drew their attention upward to where Bandit stood at the lip of the hatch, tongue hanging over his lower lip as he grinned at the people below.
"Oh," chuckled Race, "Let's not forget our most important passenger!" The rest of the group, with the exception of Fleischer, laughed at the small dog's expression. From the nearby jungle a cacophany of bird calls greeted them with hoots and chirps and outright melodies. All of a sudden, Bandit gave a small yelp and disappeared back into the cabin.
Jonny rolled his eyes at Hadji as if to say "Now what?". Both boys trudged back up the walkway to see what was going on with their canine companion.
"Dr. Quest," Dr. Barnaby began, a somber look descending over her smile. "Sorry to hit you with this right away, but we've had a few setbacks." She paused to look at the other members of her team, then nodded. "And some mysteries need solving." She motioned toward a small structure near where Dr. Norman's lab had stood before it had been levelled, and they all began walking toward it. They had traversed nearly half of the distance when from the direction of the jungle a strange undulating cry arose. It was apparently quite some distance away and persisted for a few seconds then faded. It was not repeated.
Stopping to look intently at the newly-arrived visitors, Dr. Barnaby said, "And that sound, or more correctly, the source of it, is one of those mysteries. That sound, some destroyed equipment, and a missing man." She took a deep breath. "Come this way please; I'll fill you in on the whole story over some coffee."
Turning away from them, Dr. Barnaby missed the look that passed between Race and Dr. Quest as they followed her into the mess hall. Race glanced at the doctor, raised his eyebrows inquiringly and tilted his head in the direction of the jungle. Dr. Quest nodded once in grim confirmation.
* * *
Inside the plane, Jonny and Hadji were having some unexpected trouble with Bandit, who did not seem at all pleased to be back on the island. The normally friendly and outgoing pup was hiding under Jonny's seat and would not budge.
"Aw, come on, Bandit," Jonny pleaded. "We just spent all night on the plane; don't you want to go for a walk?" He reached under the seat; in response, Bandit backed even further under it.
"That is not like Bandit," observed Hadji. "It is as if he is afraid of something."
"Yeah, but what? I can't imagine--"
"Listen!" Hadji leaned out of the plane's hatch as a weird sound rose above the calls of the birds from the nearby jungle. "Do you hear that?"
"Yes, I do." Jonny poked his head out of the hatch and they both listened to the strange, but somehow familiar, sound. As the sound faded into the background noise of the jungle, Hadji turned to look intently at Bandit, then at Jonny.
"Did that sound remind you of anything?"
Jonny's forehead creased momentarily with thought, then his eyes opened wide. From the look in Hadji's eyes, Jonny knew they were thinking the same thing. "Come on, let's get Bandit, and go tell Dad."
* * *
Race and Dr. Quest had just settled themselves in Dr. Barnaby's office in one of the quonset huts. By the look on Dr. Quest's face, Race could tell that the doctor was trying to decide the best way to inform Dr. Barnaby of the alarming turn his thoughts had taken him. Then just as the good doctor was opening his mouth to speak, Jonny and Hadji burst into the hut. They were followed, as usual, by a barking Bandit.
"Dad! Dad!" Jonny was nearly breathless after having run at top speed across the compound.
"Easy, son. Catch your breath," instructed Dr. Quest with a wry smile on his face. This was not the first time the boys had rushed in with faces flushed and hearts pounding. Although this time, he reflected ruefully, likely they had good cause. Very good cause.
"Dad, we heard it!" Jonny blurted after gulping air for a mere second or two. "Out there, in the jungle!"
"It is true, Dr. Quest," confirmed Hadji. "We both heard the sound." Bandit barked in apparent agreement, a surprisingly loud sound that echoed off the metal walls inside the hut.
Dr. Quest looked at Race then at Dr. Barnaby, who was obviously perplexed, before turning back to Jonny. "Yes, son, we know. We heard it too."
"Do you really think it's the same creature, doctor?" Race asked. "I thought you had thoroughly reduced it to its component parts the last time."
"I'll never forget that sound, Race; do you have any real doubts?" Race shook his head after a moment's thought. Jonny and Hadji stared at each other as their worst fear was confirmed.
"Would you mind explaining what's going on here?" asked a confused Dr. Barnaby. "Obviously you know something; what's this all about?"
"What man can make and unmake," Dr. Quest stated wearily, still staring into Jonny's and Hadji's faces, "apparently can be made again." After a brief pause he stood up and turned to face Dr. Barnaby, his hands now resting on the boys' shoulders. He held her attention with an intense gaze. "I believe that the energy creature originally created by Dr. Norman in his initial experiments, and thought to have been destroyed by our actions after his unfortunate demise, has been resurrected and is roaming free on this island once again."
* * *
"This really is a mess," Race said, shaking his head. Dr. Barnaby had led them down to the cave to survey the damage. It was soon very obvious that the device that Dr. Quest had originally used to vanquish the monster would not be functioning again; there was not a piece of it bigger than a half meter left anywhere. Race turned to where Dr. Quest was sifting through the rubble further along the wall. "Can we build another one, doctor?"
"Extremely doubtful," came the scientist's terse reply. "At least not not without starting from the ground up with all new components." He looked at Race then at Dr. Barnaby. "I don't think we have that kind of time."
"What do you mean, Dr. Quest?" asked Barnaby. "Are you saying we're up against some sort of deadline?"
"That's exactly what I'm saying," confirmed Dr. Quest as he tossed the shattered chunk of metal he was examining onto the floor. "Let's go back to your lab and I'll lay it all out for you."
* * *
"So you see, doctor," Dr. Quest concluded after an intense half hour, "By my estimates, using my best guesses from our previous experience with the creature, we have just about a week before we'll have to evacuate. That is, if we can't neutralize the creature before then. After that time it'll be beyond the capabilities of current technology - we won't be able to develop the energy levels needed to destroy it."
Dr. Barnaby shook her head, still reviewing the figures on the computer screen. The data were hard to believe, but Dr. Quest had been very thorough in his presentation. Evacuation of the island was not the worst part, however. If they had to leave without finally resolving the problem, literally the entire region and eventually the world was at risk. There was no theoretical upper limit to the growth of the creature.
"There's one more thing," Dr. Quest stated matter-of-factly. "This may explain what happened to Dr. Simons. It's happened before."
"You mean he was consumed by the creature, don't you?"
"Yes, I'm afraid that's what I am saying. Dr. Norman, my good friend and colleague, suffered the same fate. I am sorry."
The rest of the scientific team had been called in for the discussion and were sitting around the lab looking stunned. Jonny, Hadji, and Bandit were equally subdued, sitting off to one side.
"How definite are the time parameters?" Jenna McDonnel asked. "If the rate of this thing's growth is different that that of the earlier creature, or if it started out smaller --"
"Or larger," interrupted Sam Waterson.
"Yes," resumed McDonnel, "or larger, then our estimates may by off by a factor of a day or more. That could make all the difference."
"I concur," replied Dr. Quest. "The first order of business is to gain some first-hand observational data."
"And just how do we do that?" Barnaby posed.
"As carefully as possible, doctor," came Race's laconic reply. "And from as far away as possible." He paused. "Didn't I see a helicopter on your ship?"
"Yes. Seats two; three in a crunch."
"Then that's the ticket, Dr. Barnaby. If I may, I'll borrow it for some quick aerial reconnaissance."
Barnaby nodded in agreement. "OK, it sounds like you know what you're looking for. I'll radio Captain Shelby and let him know you're coming."
"Come on boys, let's go take a tour of that ship we flew over on the way in." Jonny and Hadji got up and Bandit did the same.
Dr. Barnaby and the others gathered around Dr. Quest for some more strategy discussions as Race and the boys left. All except Dr. Fleischer, who quietly exited the lab and headed back down the trail toward the cave.
* * *
Walking swiftly through the jungle, Fleischer nervously listened for any hint of the creature he had inadvertantly loosed on the island. He was no fool, despite what the others might think; he knew that it was his unauthorized powerup of the large device in the cave that had led to the recreation of the monster. So much the better, even if the timing had not been perfect. If his device was still serviceable, and there was no reason to think it was not, he still might be able to proceed with his plan. Success might yet be wrestled from the fangs of failure. And success was to be achieved at all costs. His employer, the man who had pulled a number of strings to get him here in the first place, did not tolerate failure.
No, Dr. Zin did not tolerate failure at all.
* * *
"Hey, Race," Jonny asked from the front of the small boat as they pushed off the beach and headed for the larger craft moored out in deeper water. "Do you really think the monster is back, invisible again?"
"You heard your dad," Race replied. "I'm willing to bet that if he says it's back, it's back. I just hope he can come up with a way to handle it." There was not much to say after that and they all fell silent as they crossed the sparkling waters of the cove. As they neared the ship, Hadji tossed the mooring line to a waiting crew member who peered down at them from the deck nearly ten feet above. After the man secured the line, first Jonny then Hadji clambered up the rope netting that hung along the hull.
Race followed with a subdued Bandit tucked in the crook of his arm. Poor Bandit. He did suffer a bit from motion sickness, and seemed to know he was in for a bit of tossing on board the ship. Fortunately the water was fairly calm and the ship's motion was not too severe. Jonny picked him up and that helped, too.
Captain Anthony Shelby, USN, greeted them as they came on board. He was a slim athletic-looking man in his early forties, with a salt-and-pepper mustache that made him look somewhat older. Shelby led them aft toward the flight deck where the chopper waited. A pilot was already on board the sleek craft doing the preflight checks. Quick introductions were made, then Race explained to both the pilot and the captain what he wanted to do. After ironing out the details, Race climbed aboard and the boys retreated with the captain across the deck. Soon the helicopter lifted upward, swung in a smooth arc, and gained altitude as it headed back toward the island.
As the chopper shrunk to a small indistinct dot in the skies over the island, Captain Shelby led everyone onto the bridge where they could monitor the chopper's progress on radar and converse with its occupants via the radio.
"You're coming in loud and clear," Shelby responded to an incoming transmission from the chopper's pilot, then continued with a smile at the boys. "Go for Operation Monster Search!" Jonny and Hadji just looked at each other and Bandit whined a bit as he snuggled deeper into Jonny's arms.
* * *
The pilot was a muscular dark-skinned man named James Murphy, and after only a few minutes Race felt quite comfortable riding shotgun instead of sitting behind the controls as he normally did. The man was a very competent flyer and he and Race exchanged aircraft small talk as they approached the island -- what types of craft they had flown, what they did and did not like about each, and so on. It was not often that Race got the chance to chew the fat with another aircraft afficianado. But as they began to circle the island, both men dropped the chatter and focused on the task at hand.
"You say this thing is invisible, yet we can track it from the air?" Murphy was doubtful.
"Right." Race responded. "The thing leaves a trail of chewed up trees and blasted vegetation visible for quite a ways. If it's moving around we'll find it." Race pointed. "There. See what I mean?"
Murphy grunted acknowledgement; down below the normally continuous green of the jungle canopy was broken by a swath that moved in sinuous curves across the landscape. It looked like a drunken giant had used an equally giant lawn mower.
"That's how we found it the first time," Race continued. "We saw this path of destruction moving through the jungle and followed it as it headed toward one of the beaches. Imagine our surprise when it emerged from trees, but we still couldn't see it."
"How do you track it when it's not in the trees?"
"It leaves footprints."
"Footprints?"
"Yeah. Scorched circular prints. Burned into the ground."
"You're kidding."
"Nope." Race went on to explain how they had ended up dousing the energy creature with paint mixed with phosphorescent dye, effectively painting the creature so they could keep a visual on it.
Murphy chuckled. "Painted the beast, eh? Who thought that one up, the scientist?"
"Dr. Quest?" returned Race. "No, actually, it was his son that came up with it."
"Smart kid."
Race was about to reply when he caught motion out of the corner of his eye. Murphy swung the chopper around at almost the same instant.
"Is that what we're looking for?" About two hundred meters away, the tops of trees were apparently being swallowed whole, disappearing from sight in a meandering line. Occasionally a muffled explosion could be heard and a faint flickering, like lightning confined to the ground, could be seen through the trees.
Race was grim. "That's it." He picked up the radio handset.
* * *
"Well, they've spotted what looks to be your monster, Dr. Quest." Captain Shelby was reporting Race and Murphy's findings to the team back at the compound. "Or at least its effects. They're following it, trying to get a fix on it's direction and speed. We'll let you know as soon as we do."
"Where is it now, Captain?" Dr. Barnaby asked.
"About ten klicks due east of the compound, headed south-southeast."
"Thanks. Keep us posted."
"Roger, doctor. Wilco. Oh, Dr. Quest, I'm having one of my men bring your boys back over to the island, if that's all right."
"Fine. I think I'd prefer they be here for the time being."
"I understand, sir. I've got three kids of my own. We'll drop off Mr. Bannon after they've completed their recon."
"Thank you; you've been most helpful."
"Glad to oblige, doctor."
"I don't know if I'd say I'm actually relieved," Dr. Quest stated after Captain Shelby had signed off. "But at least we've confirmed what we're dealing with, and where it is."
"What do we do next?" Jenna McDonnel asked.
"That," replied Dr. Quest in a wry tone, "is the question of the hour."
* * *
Dr. Fleischer listened carefully to the conversation going on between the compound and the ship on the walkie-talkie he had appropriated. "So," he muttered. "They've actually managed to track down the creature. Excellent." Fleischer resumed packing his device onto a small hand cart, fastening it with a couple of bungee cords. Once it was secure, he unfolded a map of the island and studied it carefully. "How nice of Captain Shelby to provide its location for me." He giggled to himself; things were going very well. Very well indeed. Now all he needed to do was get set up in the vicinity of the creature, spring the trap at the appropriate moment, and the creature would be his. Well, Dr. Zin's eventually, but his first. He gazed at the map, tracing the routes of several trails marked on it until he found one that suited his purpose. No problem; everything should be in place within the hour. Well, there was one small problem. He needed some way to lure the beast into his trap. He had read Dr. Quest's account of the first encounter but had no intention of serving as bait as the doctor had done. No, there must be another way. Oh! And there was! Snapping his fingers in triumph, he grabbed the cart and headed out of the cave.
* * *
"Where's Bandit?"
"I don't know, son, I haven't seen him since just after you boys arrived back in camp." Dr. Quest looked up from his work. "He probably found a shady spot to sleep off his motion sickness."
"Your dad is probably right," chimed in Hadji. "He was a little wobbly after riding on that ship, followed by the helicopter ride back here."
"Yeah," Jonny ruefully grinned. "You saw that, too, huh?"
The two boys walked out of the hut and Dr. Quest concentrated again on the copy of Dr. Norman's lab notes provided by Dr. Barnaby. There had to be a clue in there somewhere, a clue that would help them defeat the creature once again. Too bad about the equipment in the cave. He sighed. That would've been almost too easy, he reflected sardonically. It seemed like the problems kept getting harder and harder. Or maybe he was getting old. Shaking off his temporary funk with a slow twist of his shoulders and a quickly-exhaled puff of air, he bent back to the task at hand.
* * *
"Boy, he sure found a great hiding spot," complained Jonny after searching under the seats in the jet's cabin. It seemed they had looked nearly everywhere possible within a hundred meters of the camp and still no Bandit. He did not say it aloud, but he was starting to get worried. It was not like Bandit to wonder off; he usually stayed close by. Of course, Jonny mused, there was that skunk incident in Canada.
"He's not in here, either," called Hadji from the cargo hold. Dr. Quest and Race had opened the hold and carried off some pieces of equipment earlier, and the gangway into the large storage area would have allowed Bandit easy access.
Jonny exited the cabin and walked up the sloping ramp. Hadji was methodically replacing some boxes after having moved them to get a better look in one of the hold's corners. "This is not like Bandit," Jonny's brother replied.
"You read my mind," replied Jonny as he scanned the hold, furiously thinking about the next place to search. Then he saw the rocket packs in one corner.
"Hey, let's use the jet packs! We can cover a lot more ground that way." He began tugging one of the packs free from its restraining straps. Hadji joined him and removed another one. It was the work of a few minutes to check the packs out; both boys remembered the trouble Hadji had experienced before and neither wanted a repeat of that near-catastrophe. Soon they were in the air, hovering about ten meters above the treetops.
"Let's set up a grid search pattern," suggested Hadji. "So we don't miss anything or look twice in the same place." Jonny agreed and they mapped out a flying pattern over a nearby area with a few gestures. The packs could keep them airborne for well over an hour but there was no sense in pushing their luck more than they had to.
Twenty minutes later they had covered a fair-sized section of the nearby jungle. Then Jonny spotted a man working in a small clearing nearly a mile from the camp. He was bending over a cluster of small boxes and what looked like some electronic equipment. Scattered about were packing material, manuals, cables and a lot of other miscellaneous items. "Maybe he's seen Bandit," Jonny thought as he glided down into the clearing.
"Hey, mister--"
"What the--?" The man jumped like he had been stung. It was that other scientist, Jonny realized, the one that seemed always grumpy. Maybe he should not have landed after all.
"Well, what do you want, boy," Fleischer snarled. "Can't you see I'm busy?" He turned back to a small device and flipped a few toggles on a console sitting atop a waist-high gleaming metallic device; the machine hummed into life.
"I'm looking for my dog, mister. Have you seen --?"
"No time to waste looking for your mutt." He paused. "You should leave; my experiment is very--"
Suddenly, Jonny's ears picked up a faint sound. He looked in all directions, trying to make sure. Was it? It sounded like -- yes! It was! It was Bandit barking! But the sound was strange; it seemed muffled, like Bandit was inside something.
"Hey! That's Bandit!" Jonny desperately tried to determine where the sound was coming from. Then he saw a small box wobbling not ten meters away. Without another moment's thought, he ran over to the box and opened it up. Bandit leaped up into his arms, barking and panting and whining all at the same time.
"Too bad you did that, kid." Jonny whirled to see Fleischer approaching him with a stout length of bamboo in his hand.
"What were you doing with Ban--"
"Shut up. You're messing where you shouldn't be messing." The man drew closer and Jonny instinctively backed away. "I was hoping to use your little mutt in my experiment...but maybe you'll do even better." The man made a grab for him, but he jumped back, tumbling backward over some boxes, out of the man's immediate reach. Fleischer angrily kicked away the box and loomed over Jonny, who still held Bandit tightly. Jonny's eyes widened as he looked upward from the ground where he lay.
"Come here you little ---oof!!" Hadji dropped like a tan lightning bolt out of the sky, smashing into the man's head and shoulders. Fleischer fell forward and slightly to one side, just missing Jonny as he crumpled to the ground.
"Nice work, Hadj!" Jonny exclaimed as he scrambled to his feet and away from the unconscious scientist. "I saw you coming but, gosh! I was afraid you wouldn't make it in time!"
Hadji looked with some relief at his friend. After seeing the man threaten Jonny, he had known that something had to be done, and quickly. After hitting the man from behind and above, he had rebounded from the impact and landed on his knees. "Come on, let's get out of here!" He turned the control on his rocket belt and lifted into the air.
"I'm with you!" Jonny replied, getting a firm grip on Bandit and activating his own rocket pack. Thankfully it worked, despite the tumble he had taken, and they joined Hadji in the air. Gaining some altitude, they streaked back to the camp. Only once did Jonny look back; he saw the man still unconscious on the ground near his machines. Then the trees hid the scene from view.
Shortly after Hadji, Jonny, and Bandit had made their escape, but before Fleischer had regained consciousness, a warbling, eerie sound echoed from the jungle near the clearing where Fleischer lay. The otherworldly sound was repeated about half a minute later, and seemed to be coming from somewhere abit closer nearby. The third time was closer still.
* * *
"Dr. Quest, I think you need to hear this." Race Bannon stood framed in the door to the hut where the efforts to find a way to destroy the ravenous energy monster were underway. Everyone in the room looked up; it was obvious that discussions were not going very well. Looking at Dr. Quest's haggard face, Race amended that thought. The discussions were a total wash-out.
When Dr. Quest motioned Race inside, Jonny and Hadji followed. Jonny was holding Bandit tightly in his arms, and everyone had a grim look on their faces.
"What is it?" asked Dr. Quest as Dr. Barnaby and the rest gathered around. "From the looks on your faces, it doesn't appear to be good news."
"It's both good and bad news, sir, "Race began. "The good news is, the boys and Bandit are safe." He paused, looking around the room. "The bad news is, well, it seems we have more trouble than we thought."
"More trouble?" For the life of him, Dr. Quest could not image what would be worse news than an unstoppable monster.
"I'll let the boys tell you, doctor, just like they told me not two minutes ago." Jonny and Hadji stepped forward.
* * *
"You were right, Race, this is bad news." The assembled crowd had gasped audibly when Jonny stated in a quiet but steady voice how Dr. Fleischer had threatened both Bandit and himself. Hadji corroborated Jonny's tale with a ring of authority that none could easily dismiss.
"It's easy enough to verify," Race concluded. "I'm heading down to that clearing and check things out."
"I believe I'll come with you," spoke Dr. Barnaby with noticeable firmness.
Dr. Quest nodded. "I think we'll all go."
Ten minutes later they all were walking down a rather well-worn path through the jungle to the south of the main camp. For most of the trip, everyone was silent, trudging along in their own thoughts. As they neared the clearing, Race brought everyone to a halt.
"Dr. Barnaby and I will scout ahead." Race looked at the doctor who nodded her head in affirmation. "Given Dr. Fleischer's past history, I can't say what state he might be in. I'll give a shout if the coast is clear." He and Dr. Barnaby moved up the trail and into the clearing. They could just barely be seen through the dense foliage, walking around the site for several moments.
"Dr. Quest!" Race called. "Come on down. We've another mystery."
As everyone gathered in the clearing, they took in the boxes and cables and machines scattered about. Dr. Barnaby motioned them over to a small humming device.
"That's Fleischer's machine," she said. "I'd recognize it anywhere. He never seems to let it out of his sight." With a motion of disgust, she powered down the machine.
"And over here's the bamboo club," Race continued. "That pretty well clinches it." He looked inside a small box. "But here's the absolute closer -- look inside that box, Dr. Quest."
"If I didn't know better, I'd say those were scratch marks on the inside." Dr. Quest peered closely into the box, then reached in and pulled out what looked like a piece of lint or white cloth. "Bandit's fur." He looked at the dog, then at the boys. Then, he looked around the jungle. "But where's Dr. Fleischer?"
Jenna McDonnel spoke up. "Look over here." She pointed to a dark splotch on the ground near one of the boxes. "And over here." She pointed to another splotch. It looked like the ground cover had been scorched.
"There's more over here!" Sam Waterson called. He pointed to a line of splotches that ran off into the jungle. They all followed the line with their eyes. It looked like dark footprints that meandered through the clearing, then led back into the jungle near a charred tree trunk.
"Our monstrous friend has been here," Race stated flatly.
"Right," said Dr. Quest. "Dr. Barnaby, everyone, let's head on back to the camp." He looked at Fleischer's machine. "Can someone bring that back? I think it may be important."
"Got it, doctors," Sam replied. "Give me a hand, Jenna?" Together they hoisted the device onto Sam's shoulders and then set off down the trail toward the camp.
* * *
Some time later Dr. Quest looked up from his examination of the small device that they had dragged back from the jungle clearing, and caught Dr. Barnaby's eye.
"Well, Dr. Barnaby," he said. "I must admit I have no idea how Dr. Fleischer came to be in the possession of this little machine, but my examination leaves no doubt in my mind as to what he was doing, or at least attempting to do."
"It's some sort of energy trap, isn't it?" Dr. Barnaby asked.
"Yes, it is," Quest nodded in confirmation. "And an amazingly efficient one, at that. While it isn't capable of containing the creature indefinitely, it may be able to effectively neutralize it for a number of hours." He looked around the room and saw that the boys and Bandit had gone back out into the warm tropical afternoon. Then he continued speaking in a somewhat lower voice. "I believe Fleischer was attempting to lure the energy creature into the trap, using Bandit as bait. I further belive he would've used my son as bait as well, if Hadji hadn't stopped him." A grim look passed over Dr. Quest's face.
"What could he possibly have hoped to gain from trapping the creature?" Barnaby wondered aloud.
"Living energy, if it could be controlled or directed, could be a fearsome weapon if it fell into the wrong hands. That's one reason why Dr. Norman was so secretive about his experiments in the first place. He thought Cave Island would be sufficiently remote to help keep things under wraps." He paused. "Obviously word has gotten out about this little development."
"Oh?" Barnaby raised an eyebrow. "Why do you say that, doctor?"
"I don't think Fleischer could've invented or constructed this device and kept it a secret. Do you?"
Barnaby shook her head. "No, definitely not. Some of the components here are beyond anything available in our labs."
"Exactly," confirmed Dr. Quest. "Ergo, he had outside help."
Suddenly there was a commotion outside the hut. Dr. Quest heard Bandit barking and what sounded like Jonny's voice. He got up from where he had been kneeling next to Fleischer's device and went to the door. Dr. Barnaby and the rest of the team followed.
Looking across the compound, he saw Jonny, Hadji, and Bandit running toward him. He also saw Race headed at a jog in the opposite direction, toward two men that were approaching from the edge of the jungle.
"Dad! Dad!" Jonny called breathlessly. "It's him! It's that Dr. Fleischer!" With that, everyone rushed forward to where Race had confronted the two figures. Both were pretty roughed up but the smaller man standing beside Dr. Fleischer looked like Death warmed over. Even so, he was obviously in control; his arm gripped Dr. Fleishcer's like a vise. Fleischer looked like a man who had been beaten into the ground.
"Dr. Simons!" Barnaby's voice rang out in shock. "We thought you were dead!"
The man gave a small self-deprecating smile then glanced at Dr. Fleischer before returning Dr. Barnaby's gaze. "The reports of my demise were a bit premature..."
* * *
Half an hour later, with Fleischer secured in a locked hut, Dr. Simons finished telling his side of the story. After the explosion in the cave during the thunderstorm, he had been dazed and battered, cut in myriads of places by the flying debris. But he never completely lost consciousness. He had seen a shimmering blob of light emerge from the ruins of the lab and head toward him, at which time he had turned and run for all he was worth out of the cave into the storm. He had lingered temporarily by the cave entrance, torn between curiosity regarding Dr. Fleischer's condition and that of the lab, and fear of what he instinctively knew was the reincarnated energy monster. Then he had heard Fleischer's angry muttering as he stormed out of the cave. The fear of what Fleischer would do to him overriding all else, he had hidden in the dense vegetation beside the trail until the man had passed.
"Then why didn't you come to us later? Why hide in the jungle for the last two days?" Dr. Quest could see that Barnaby felt a great deal of sympathy for Simons. But he could also see that, as a scientist, she had to know the truth. It was a trait he often found in himself.
"I'm not too proud of that," Simons admitted. "I felt that Dr. Fleischer would sway any discussions we might have had about the incident; I needed to get some proof or at least find some way to make sure he couldn't harm me or ruin my career." Simons hung his head briefly then looked up again. "I was hiding in the jungle when Fleischer threatened Dr. Quest's son. Before I could make up my mind as far as what I could do, the other boy solved my problem for me by dropping like a meteorite from the sky. After they all left, I went over to Fleischer's body. That was when I heard the cries of the energy creature and I knew it was headed right for us." He paused, looking at the people gathered around. "I'm not proud of this either, but...I considered leaving Fleischer for the creature."
"Doctor Simons!" Barnaby was obviously dismayed at Simons' admission.
"But I couldn't do it," Simons continued. "I just couldn't. So I dragged him off down another path and avoided the creature as it stomped through the clearing. Then after he regained consciousness, we came here."
"Dr. Barnaby, Dr. Quest," Race interjected. "While I appreciate the troubles Dr. Simons has gone through, we have a more urgent matter."
"Yes, of course," Dr. Quest acknowledged. "That creature is still out there. However, I think I've come up with the beginnings of a plan. I'll need to talk to Dr. Fleischer, though, to confirm some details about his machine."
* * *
Flesicher was sullen but helpful. It was obvious he considered his position as one of defeat. He answered all of Dr. Quest's questions about the device; its features and functionality, its capacities, and even its origin. When Dr. Quest learned who had been Fleischer's sponsor, he got up and left.
"Zin!" was Race's disgusted response when Dr. Quest informed him. "Why am I not surprised?"
"We're going to have to do something about that man one of these days," Dr. Quest stated. "But right now, that will have to wait."
"Was Fleischer forthcoming about his little pet project?" Dr. Barnaby asked as she approached the two men.
"Yes, he was, Dr. Barnaby. In fact, I was just on my way to see you and the rest of the team. It's time we resolve this problem, hopefully once and for all."
* * *
"So it's really that simple," concluded Dr. Quest. The others around him did not look exactly relieved or ecstatic but hope was beginning to show on their faces again. "Once the creature is trapped in the device, we'll have several hours to dispose of it properly. Once that's done, I recommend we vacate the premises, seal the records from both our efforts, and put this all behind us."
"I'm for that," Dr. Barnaby confirmed. The rest agreed; even Bandit barked his approval.
* * *
The lights and other electronic equipment were spread out in a large semi-circle in front of the cave. They were almost finished with the wiring, through which power would be fed from a portable generator located deep within the cave. Just inside the cave was another set of lights and devices, on a separate circuit. Further inside was a third.
The cave had been chosen as the location for the trap since the creature, for whatever reasons or processes that possessed it, seemed to favor that area of the island. Additionally, it provided a natural means for directing the movement of the creature, which was critical to the plan.
The plan was this: as the energy creature was drawn to and began consuming the energy in a circuit of equipment, power to the devices would automatically be shut off. Then the next level of devices would be activated. As the creature was thus drawn inside the cave, it would be led toward the small device that Fleischer had been given by Zin. Immediately surrounding the device were a large number of other pieces of equipment selected specifically for their relatively large electrical emissions. It was hoped this would provide an irresistable target for the creature's energy appetite. Fleischer had confirmed that if the creature was within three meters of the device when activated, it should be drawn into the internally-shielded container within the device and trapped.
As an added precaution, Race supervised the installation of a Vue-Comm in a corner of the cave where it could command a view of the entire setup. Since it used a relatively low level of power, it was hoped that the device would not be at risk from the energy creature or draw it away from the trap.
Finally, all was ready.
* * *
"Now we wait," Dr. Quest said as they all gathered around the monitoring console. The screen showed the dimly-lit cave interior with its silently-waiting banks of equipment. The generator could be heard chugging softly as it provided its trickle of electrical power.
"Flying Eye to Base Camp, come in," the radio crackled with an incoming transmission. "Flying Eye to Base camp." Dr. Barnaby reached for the handset.
"Base Camp, here, Flying Eye. What's your status? Over."
"We have the creature's position and movement, Base." James Murphy, the pilot, raised his voice to be heard over the noise from the helicopter's rotors. "Looks like you're in luck; the thing seems to be moving toward the cave. Over."
"Roger, Eye. Just keep a safe distance; we don't want any nasty surprises. Over."
"Roger that, Base. Will keep you appraised. Flying Eye, out."
Tension almost visibly mounted in the room. The creature was heading toward the cave and the trap. Would it take the bait? Would the trap work? Would the device hold?
"Flying Eye to Base Camp!" Everyone jumped at Murphy's voice coming over the radio so soon after the last transmission. "Looks like we've got one of those nasty surprises for you -- someone's approaching the cave on foot!"
"Say again, Eye? Over."
"I repeat, someone is approaching the cave entrance on foot. This is not part of the plan as it was explained to me, doctors. Over."
Just then Jenna McDonnel burst into the room. "Dr. Fleischer's gone! I went to bring him his supper and the door was wide open!"
"Well, at least we know who our mystery man is," Race quipped as he grabbed the radio microphone. "Flying Eye, this is Base. We've identified the man approaching the cave as Dr. Fleischer. Do not attempt to stop him. He may be armed and is almost certainly dangerous."
"Roger, Wilco. But he's in a heap of trouble, Base. We track the monster not forty meters away, heading directly for the cave. Over."
"Keep an eye on him and the creature, Eye," Dr. Quest commanded, taking the microphone from Race. "Base, out." As soon as he returned the microphone to its cradle, he looked at Race, who immediately nodded.
"I'll take a jet pack and a spare Vue-Comm. There may be just enough time."
"Be careful, Race."
"I will, doctor." He looked at Jonny and Hadji as he exited the hut. "Oh, and boys?"
"Yes, sir?" they both answered simultaneously.
"Just keep Bandit indoors this time, OK?"
"Yes, sir!"
* * *
"There he is, Dr. Quest." Dr. Barnaby pointed toward the monitor receiving the signal from the Vue-Comm installed in the cave. A shadowy figure could be seen approaching, a dark silhouette against the light streaming in from the cave entrance.
Just then Race checked in. "He must've gone into the cave, Base; he's nowhere in sight out here."
"Yes, Race, we see him on the monitor. Can you reach him?"
"Not in time. The monster's only twenty meters from the cave. I could get to him, I think, but we'd never make it out."
"Affirmative. Keep yourself out of harm's way. We'll try talking to him from here." Dr. Quest toggled on the switch that activated the cave-installed Vue-Comm's voice circuit.
"Dr. Fleischer! Dr. Fleischer, can you here me?"
* * *
Inside the cave, Dr. Fliescher was startled by the disembodied voice that came out of the deepest part of the cave. But only momentarily; he quickly got hold of himself and searched until he soptted the Vue-Comm hanging high along the back wall of the cave. He walked over and looked up into it.
"I hear you, Dr. Quest. I also hear my destiny approaching."
"What do you hope to accomplish, Dr. Fleischer?"
"Don't worry, Quest; I'm not going to disrupt your little plan." Fleischer chuckled ruefully. "I'm just here to insure that it succeeds." And to redeem myself, he added silently.
"Listen, there may still be a chance! Go to the furthest part of the cave and cover yourself with some of the debris from the explosion. Some of it is lead-lined and it may be enough to--"
"No, Dr. Quest. My days of hiding and self-preservation at the expense of others are over." He looked over his shoulder as the monster entered the cave, then turned back toward the Vue-Comm's camera. "I must do this. Tell everyone I am sorry for the man I had become. Especially tell Dr. Simons that I -- I --" Fleischer stuttered and nearly choked as his rising shame threatened to overwhelm him. With a supreme effort he regained control and steadied his voice. "Tell Simons that he's a better scientist than I ever was. He will find a way to succeed." Behind him the monster wailed and crunched forward through the second set of equipment in its path. He looked up into the camera one last time. "Good-bye."
Ignoring the urgent voices pleading with him from the Vue-Comm's speaker, he resolutely turned and walked over to the small device that he had smuggled onto the island. The small device he had been given by Dr. Zin who wanted him to use it to further Zin's plans, whatever they were. He had realized while he had been locked up in the hut that Zin had never mentioned the intended purpose for the living energy creature. He had also realized that he, the great Dr. Lemuel Fleischer, was being used by Zin just as any other disposable tool was used. With some dismay, he realized that he had been used for a long, long, time. He had decided, then and there, that it would end on his terms, not Dr. Zin's.
He could feel electrical tension and magnetic fields building in the cave as the creature approached. He was glad they had not had time to make it visible; it was somehow easier to wait for it since it could not be seen. He placed his hands on top of the small device in front of him, drew in a deep breath, and closed his eyes.
* * *
A blinding white flash like many lightning bolts seen all at once poured from the monitor, and everyone watching it involuntarily flinched away from the visual overload. A horrible shrieking noise like metal being twisted and torn accompanied the blast of light. Then as suddenly as it started, it stopped. The inside of the cave was dark, and still.
"Dr. Quest! Come in, Base! Come in!" Race's voice crackled over the Vue-Comm's speaker. "I heard a horrible sound, and saw a flash of light -- what's happened? Come in, Base, come in!"
"Race," Dr. Quest answered wearily. "It's over."
* * *
It only took a few moments for Race to cautiously enter the cave and confirm that the monster indeed appeared to be trapped inside Fleischer's device. At least the readings indicated a high energy source was now contained inside. There was no sign of Dr. Fleischer.
As he pulled the device free from its couplings, he called to Murphy in the helicopter. "I've got the box! I'll be outside in a few seconds; lower your winch!" Shortly thereafter Race had secured the device inside the makeshift cradle connected by a stout cable to the underside of the 'copter. After a quick hand signal, he stepped back as the helicopter pilot lifted the device up into the air, then swung away to the east, heading out over the ocean.
"The package is on its way," Race radioed back to the scientists waiting at the main camp. Soon the helicopter was but a tiny dot in the azure blue sky. Then it disappeared.
* * *
Within two hours the helicopter had returned to its berth on the supply ship, its mission accomplished. The small device containing its captured bundle of living energy had been dropped into the sea, directly over the Marianas Trench, the deepest part of the ocean. The device sank swiftly into the depths, passing from daylight through twilight to the absolute night of the ocean floor. If it survived its trip to the bottom of the sea, no one would ever be able to tell. Perhaps it did; or, perhaps, the intense water pressure, thousands of pounds per square inch, crushed it into a unrecognizeable tangle of metal before it hit the bottom. In any case, in the inky blackness of the ocean depths, more than five miles beneath its surface, the second known creature of pure animated energy met its end.
* * *
"Good-bye, Dr. Quest, Mr. Bannon," Dr. Barnaby firmly shook their hands as they stood next to the VERTOL's gangway. Dr. Simons, Jenna McDonnel and Sam Waterson stood behind her.
"Good-bye, Dr. Barnaby," replied Race, who then proceeded into the plane's cockpit and began his pre-flight checks. Hadji and Jonny stood in the plane's hatch, Bandit secure in Hadji's arms. The boys waved and Bandit barked, then they, too, disappeared inside.
"I'll send you a copy of my report, Ben," Dr. Barnaby said.
"I'll do the same for you with mine, Alicia," Dr. Quest replied.
"Doctor, I do have one last question for you." Seeing Dr. Quest's raised eyebrow, she continued. "Are all your consulting jobs this...um...interesting?"
"Not all of them, doctor," Dr. Quest replied with some amusement. "Are you looking for another job?" Seeing her head shake, he chuckled. "Well, if you ever decide to go looking, and need a reference, let me know."
"I'll do that, doctor. Safe journey."
"Thanks."
With that, the door to the plane closed and the walkway was raised. The plane was soon a swiftly-shrinking white dot in the deep blue cloudless sky over Cave Island.
Dr. Alicia Barnaby and the rest silently watched until it disappeared.
- - T H E E N D - -