DarkRider
by
carolyn
[based on Biker Mice from Mars]
Episode Four
Modo gently laid Memphis down on the table and took off her helmet and jacket.
"Hang in there, darling. I can't lose you."
"She needs to be in a hospital." said Charley. "I don't know what to do."
"Sweetheart, what hospital will take a blue-skinned Venusian with pointed ears and a
diamond stuck in her head?"
"There's only one thing to do. Saddle up Vinnie. Let's ride."
"Where we going?"
"To find that doctor or healer or whatever she is."
"And what do we do when we find her. I don't think they're exactly on speaking terms."
"I don't know, bro. But one way or another, we'll get her here. Let's go."
"I'm okay. Really. " Memphis smiled at Modo. She tried to ease his fears. "Don't worry.
We Venusians are hard to kill. You're not getting rid of me that easily."
He leaned over the table and kissed her on the forehead. "I just want to be sure,
darling."
She kissed his hand. "Albvia will get it out. I've been hit by blast darts before. And
worse."
"I hope the guys can convince her to come here." said Charley amazed at how the
bleeding was slowing up.
"They won't have too. She's a healer. That's her calling. A healer first. A mercenary
second."
~~~~
"Mori, that's enough!" Albvia got in between the two males.
"Move away healer, or I'll do the same to you"
She stood her ground. Her hands on her hips. "I said, That's enough!"
He sat down heavily on the sidewalk. "Not nearly enough."
Albvia knelt down next to him and checked his wounds. "This assignment has gone to
hell. Hound is gone. You're shot up. Pike looks like a Venusian squashmelon. Rider with a blast
dart in her. What else could go wrong?" She stood up. "It doesn't look too bad. Unchain Pike
and let's get back to Limburger's tower. Both of you need looking after."
"No."
"No? No to getting back to Limburger's or no to unchaining Pike?"
"Both."
"Mori.."
"Rider needs you, go find her."
"I will, but I'm not leaving him chained up like some animal. And you're bleeding on
the sidewalk."
Moribian struggled to his feet and retrieved his chains. Pike sank to the ground. "I will
cough kill you cough k'Toji."
Moribian sat back down on the sidewalk, propped up against his bike. Albvia opened
her bag.
"I said go, Albvia. I'm all right." Mori nodded towards Pike. "He'll survive."
"It's you I'm worried about. Besides I don't even know where to look. I don't know
where the cave mice took her."
"Follow the blood trail. It will take you to Memphis."
"Mori, I've got to get those bullets out."
He pulled his knife and held it up to her pretty face. "Go!"
She sighed and looked over at Pike. She shook her head. "Very well. Give me your chip,
so I can find you. I'll be back as soon as I can. That is if those mice don't kill me first."
"They won't. They need you. Rider has become their friend so they won't harm you."
The sun was going down. Albvia touched the infrared on her helmet and followed the
trail of Memphis' blood.
"Say, Throttle. Do you have a plan? I mean where do we look?" asked Vinnie
"We look where we found Charley. It's a starting point."
"They probably went back to fat fish's tower. I wouldn't be..."
"Hold up bro. I hear something."
"It's that clown Pike coming back for more. Time to party. Again." Vinnie twirled his
Martian blaster with his tail.
"I hear that. And we better take him down now. If Modo gets to him........"
"He'll turn Pike into a Martian mushburger."
"He'll be lucky if that's all that Modo does."
Albvia stopped when she saw them. "Cave mice, I have no quarrel with you. I'm
looking for the Commander. Rider." She took off her helmet. "I'm not here as a soldier."
"Wow." Vinnie whispered. "Man, these Venusians are lookers."
"We were looking for you."
"Please, take me to her. "
"Where's that Pike character?"
"Why?"
"Why? So I can send him back to Venus, in a horizontal position. " Vinnie held up his
blaster. "Why do you think?"
"That won't help the Commander will it?"
"You trust her, Throttle?"
"We have a choice?"
"I repeat, I have no quarrel with you."
"You heard the lady, Vin man."
"It's out. I guess you'll live." She smiled. "How do you feel?"
Memphis looked up at the familiar face of Albvia Sea. "Like I've been hit by a blast dart.
MY blast dart."
Albvia held it up. "Want to keep it?"
"I should. It's become such an intricate part of my life." She looked around. "Where's
Modo?"
"Oh, he's here. I threaten to let you bleed to death, unless he got out of my way." She
looked at her old boss curiously. "I'm sure you will tell me about this little tryst of yours when
the opportunity presents itself. Now I have to get back to Moribian. Drink this."
Rider sat up. "Aaaghh. Why? What happen to him? Where is he?"
"He tried to beat Pike to death. Pike shot him. I have no idea where he is." She held up
the chip. "That's why I have this."
"What? Bad?"
"No. Not really. But if I don't get those bullets out...." Albvia sat down in the chair next
to the table. "Commander, something is wrong. Wrong with Mori, I mean. He's been acting
very strange."
"He always acted strange."
"No Commander, there's more to it. He's been this way since he heard you were on this
planet. It has something to do with you. He doesn't want me to help him. Memphis, Moribian
wants to die. It's like he has nothing left to live for. And Hound is gone too."
"Gone?"
"Down into one of those large craters. He went over with the Earth woman's truck."
Albvia bowed her head. "It blew up. This assignment is a mess. It was never like this when you
were leader."
"Hound? Damn." Memphis whispered. "He was a good man."
"True. Greedy, but dependable."
"In all these years, I never lost a man. Never."
"It had to happen sooner or later. I just wasn't prepared for it, I guess. We're done for,
Memphis. Our ride is over."
She took Albvia's hand and sighed. "You're right. It's finished. The DarkRider is history.
Go home Albvia. Get your money and go. Live the rest of your life in peace."
" Yes. I better go. I'm worried about Mori. I got to patch up Pike too." she laughed.
"Once a healer always a healer."
"I'd better go with you." Rider swung her legs to the side of the table.
"Oh, no. You need to rest."
"I need to see Mori. "
Albvia took a long needle from her bag. "Move one centimeter and I will put you to
sleep forever."
"You're a pain, Albvia. You know that?"
"You stay here and rest. Don't worry, I'll contact you." Albvia felt a presence behind
her. She turn and saw Modo standing over her chair. "I've got to go. You seem to be in good
hands, Commander. Just rest awhile."
"Why do you keep calling me that?"
"That is your title isn't it? Pike couldn't lead a herd of sheep." Albvia got up and let
Modo take the chair. "She's okay. She just needs a little sleep. The drug I gave her will take
care of that."
"Thanks Miss Albvia-ma'am." Albvia bowed and walked over to her bike. Charley,
Vinnie and Throttle were standing nearby.
"Is she gonna be okay?" asked Vinnie.
"The Commander's not as young as she used to be, but she is strong. She'll be fine." She
looked at the three curiously. "You care for her, don't you?" They nodded. "The gray one. He
will take care of her. Yes?"
"Better believe it, sweetheart."
She turned on Moribian's tracking chip. "I must get to Moribian."
"Is he okay?" asked Charley.
"No."
"What happened?"
"Pike tried to kill the Commander. Moribian tried to kill Pike. Pike tried to kill
Moribian. Good-bye, cave mice. Earth woman. " She bowed, got on her bike and left the
hideout.
~~~~
"Hey, ya know bro, that Albvia isn't half bad. Not half bad at all. Yeeoooww!"
Charley emptied a cold can of root beer all over Vinnie's head. "Hmmph!" she said.
Throttle, Modo doubled over with laughter.
"Hey, sweetheart, whas' up with that? What did I say?"
"We'd better go see what old fish bait is up too." said Throttle laughing and handing
Vinnie a towel.
"Let's go!" said Modo. "I want that Pike character."
"You better stay with Memphis, big fella. "
"Charley can look after her. She's asleep anyway." He looked at her snoozing peacefully
in his bed.
"Modo, I've got to go back to the garage. Her bike was pretty banged up. I need my
tools."
"We'll handle Pike."
"I'd rather handle him myself." Modo slammed his fist into the palm of his other hand.
Throttle put his hand on Modo's shoulder. "When the lady wakes up, it'll be your face
she'll want to see."
Modo watched them leave. "That Pike should be mine." he muttered.
"Leave Pike for me, Modo. I want that pleasure." Rider's weak, but determined voice
sounded behind Modo.
He spun around. "What? You're supposed to be asleep. What are you doing out of bed?
Albvia gave......."
"Please, do you honestly think I would drink that vile tasting stuff Albvia dishes out?
Besides I don't need sleep. I need...huh?"
Modo deftly scooped her up in his arms and brought her over to his bed. "I want you to
rest up."
"So you can sneak off and deal with Pike yourself?"
"I'm not going anywhere. In the bed you go."
She put her arms around his neck. "There is no arguing with you is there?"
"Nope. Look, I thought I was going to lose you back there." He set her down and sat
next to her. He took her hands in his and looked at them. He twirled the gold earring he had
put on her finger. "If I lose you, Memphis. I will be lost. I will have no purpose."
"You do have purpose. Rid this planet of Limburger."
"No purpose without you. Darling." He looked into her face. "I want to take you back to
Mars with me."
She was surprised. "They won't allow me there."
"They will. You'll be with me. And if you're not allowed, I'll leave. We'll go some place
else. Simple as that."
"But that's your home. You'll miss it. You miss it now."
"My home is anywhere you are."
She touched his furry face. Kissed his bionic eye. Modo looked away.
"Is something wrong? Modo?"
He was silent for a moment. "Karbunkle."
"What?"
He got up and walked over to the scoreboard opening and looked out over Quigley
Field. Suddenly Modo was removed from everything. Lost in his own world. He snarled.
"Karbunkle. He did this to me. "Modo flexed is mechanical arm. "This too. That sicko mad
scientist took off half of Vinnie's face."
"Modo, don't....."
"Throttle, Vinnie, myself and some of the resistance became prisoners of war. We were
captured and taken to his vivisection lab. Throttle........
........and Modo were each in a cell. A dozen or so assistants ran around the lab, strapping the soldier
mice to various tables. There were at least ten tables. Each one had a struggling mouse strapped to it.
Vincent was strapped to a table on the far side of the lab. His eyes held open by clamps. Karbunkle was
standing over him. "Now, this won't hurt a bit. I just want to look inside your head, and see your brain. Then
I'm going to duplicate your furry little face for my Martian Mice Robots. Hee hee hee hee."
Karbunkle pulled forward a cutting device that was attached to a machine by a long robot arm. The
device looked like a mask with two small cutting saws attached. Karbunkle flicked a switch. The machine started
to whir. The saws started to rotate. Karbunkle brought the mask closer to Vinnie. The white mouse squirmed,
trying to break free.
"Just lie still. This will only take a few minutes."
Flesh and blood flew around the room as Karbunkle brought the mask on top of Vincent's face. Modo
could smell the burning flesh as he watch his friend being tortured. Vinnie's antennae quivered and then
drooped. He screamed out. A blood curdling scream.
"Come on, you're a big strong mouse. You can handle a little pain. Hahaha."
Noise from the other side of the room distracted the deviant doctor. He turned off the mask saw, and
went over to see what it was.
"What are you incompetents doing over there?"
Throttle and Modo looked at their comrade on the table. Throttle got sick and dropped to his knees. He couldn't
believe the horror he saw. Modo had never seen so much blood and fur in his life. He had never heard a scream
like that either.
"Vinnie, can ya hear me? Damn, Modo, his face! Look what that deviant did to his face! Vinnie?"
Modo shook his head. "He's dead bro. He couldn't have survived that. No one could. Karbunkle, ya piece
of slime. I'll kill ya. When I get outta here......"
"Be patient, my muscular friend. You'll be out shortly."
Karbunkle went back over to Vinnie's table. The mouse was motionless.
"Look at this mess." Karbunkle moved Vinnie's head from side to side. "I'll have to work on that mask. It
doesn't give a clean cut. Oh well. I deal with that later." He looked at one of his assistants. "Get over here and
clean this mess up. Get me that gray, big mouth mouse. He's next. I have great plans for him. He will be my
greatest triumph."
Modo tried to bend the bars of his cell. But it was Plutarkian glass steel. The strongest alloy ever made.
The assistants moved cautiously over to the cell.
"Ya won't get me without a fight, ya monster."
"Oh, shut up." said Karbunkle as shot Modo with a blaster. The big mouse was knocked out cold. In the
other cell, Throttle pushed and pulled at the bars.
"Ya touch him, ya little cockroach, and I'll...................."
One of Karbunkle assistants pulled a live electrical wire and touched the bars. Throttle went sent to the
back of his cell. He hit the wall with a thud. The other assistants brought Modo over to a lab table and strapped
him down. Karbunkle gathered up his scalpels and other surgical tools. Then he replace the unit he used on
Vinnie with something that looked like a electrical apple corer. He flipped a switch and bent over the comatose
gray mouse. There was a whirring sound. Then a grinding sound.
Throttle woke up and ran to the edge of his cell. "Modo! MODO!" The grinding sound made his fur
stand on end. He put his hand over his ears. "Modo!"
"Ah, perfect." Karbunkle held Modo's left eye, nerves and all, up to the light. "Now for the other one."
The mad scientist put both eyes in a glass jar. Then he picked up one of his robotic eyes. He inserted it
into Modo's right eye socket, connecting it to the brain. Just as he was about to insert the other, a heart clutching
cry came from the table Vincent was lying on. Karbunkle jumped and dropped the robotic eye. It rolled across
the floor and was immediately stepped on by another assistant running over to see what was going on. "Watch
out! Drat, you fool. Look at what you've done. Do you know how long it took me to perfect that eye?" Karbunkle
picked up a pan that held tools and sent it crashing into the assistant's head. "Now be quiet! I have work to do.
And shut that mouse up."
Vinnie moaned and writhed on the table. He woke up and caught a reflection of himself in the shield
over the table. The results were obvious. The assistants hurriedly wrapped up Vinnie's face to avoid looking into
the mangled visage of the once-whole young mouse.
"Oh well. This will have to do for now." Karbunkle gathered his tools and ordered his assistants to bring
him the new mechanical arm he just built. Karbunkle took down the apple coring object and replaced with a
saw. Flicked the switch again and brought it down on Modo's arm. Right at the shoulder joint. The gray mouse
regained consciousness. just as the amputation was about to start. He let out a scream equal to Vinnie's. After the
arm was removed Karbunkle took the mechanical arm and rammed into the empty socket.
"With this arm, you'll be able to take out anything. It's equipped with small rocket launchers. Totally
bionic. My best invention yet. You'll be able to annihilate those infernal cave mouse friends of yours. This planet
will be ours and we won't lose one single Plutarkian. Hahahahah. His Royal Cheesiness will be so pleased."
Karbunkle fiddled around some more, then stood back to admire his handiwork.
"How does it feel, muscle mouse?"
Modo tried not to think about the pain. He involuntarily flexed his new arm and it sent off a charge. It
knocked the doctor clear across the room.
"It feels great, ya worm. Jus' great."
Modo was in great pain, but he managed to use his arm to shoot at his bonds. Then he fired shots
around the room. Assistants scattered. He jumped off the table, but fell to the floor. His head spinning. He put his
hand to his head. Something was wrong. He looked into one of the steel trays. His face was different. His left eye
was missing. And his right eye was glowing. A bright blood red. He opened his mouth. He was screaming. No, it
wasn't him. The scream was muffled. It was Vinnie. Modo pushed himself to his feet.
"Hold on bro, I'm comin'."
He ran over to the table, shooting at the bonds of his fellow prisoners as he went. The soldier mice
jumped off of their tables. Two of them released others in the holding cells. Others fought with the assistants. He
ran over to the table. He pulled the wrappings from Vincent's face. Modo thought he was going to be sick. He
tried to collect himself as he freed Vincent.
"Just hold on , I'll get ya outta here." A wave of dizziness came over him again. He clutched the table to
keep from falling. One of the soldier mice released Throttle. He ran over to the table.
"Modo. Lean on me."
"No, get Vinnie out."
There was another crash. A table holding Karbunkle's chemicals had been knocked over. They
immediately caught fire. Through the flames, they could see Karbunkle escaping down a hatch. Modo wanted to
go after him, but Throttle held him back.
"Forget 'im Modo. Let's blow this pop stand."
"Right behind ya.......augh!" Modo hit the floor and didn't move. "Go, I can't make it. I........." He passed
out.
"Not a chance bro. I ain't leaving ya here ." Throttle hoisted the big mouse on his shoulder. He then
scooped Vinnie up and placed him on his other shoulder. As chemicals exploded around him, Throttle raced for
the door. Just as he managed to gain some ground, the lab.........
"......blew up." Modo spoke quietly. Barely above a whisper.
Memphis sat on the bed quietly. She did not interrupt. She could see it was a catharsis
for him. Modo didn't even take a breath until the story was finish. She got up and walked up
behind him. She put her arms around his waist and laid her head on his back. "They will pay,
my love. I will see to it. They will pay."
He wrapped his tail around her. "All I want to do is get that foul fish tank and go
home. Take you and go home."
"I will be at your side."
"You're not going to stay in bed are you?"
"No."
"Well, I guess I'll just have to put you back and get in with you." He turned and smiled.
Her eyes lit up.
~~~~
....."You owe me, Jenko. I saved your miserable hide. Twice. Remember that."
Two men, a Venusian and a Uranian sat in a dark corner of a run down inn in Axle Drop. They
hunched over the table speaking in low tones. Their faces covered by black cowls. Two bodyguards stood behind
the smaller Uranian. The larger Venusian kept his shotgun on the table as a sign of good faith.
"Don't worry. I'll remember. Where's the money?"
The Venusian pushed 100,000,000 droyets across the table. "Just snare him. A Galaxy shuttle will take
him to Jupiter. The Galaxy States will pay you the rest."
Tesh Jenko sipped his sckull. The foam crystallizing on his beard. " What did he do, stiff you?"
"My reasons are none of your business." The Venusian leaned further across the table. The bodyguards
reached for their weapons. "Rider better be in good shape when he reaches Jupiter."
"Or what?"
"You won't get the money. You will lose your life."
Jenko took another sip. "Jupiter executes mercenaries."
"Just do your part. And make sure all the codes come from Pike Sage."
"No problem, k'Toji." Jenko motioned to his bodyguard, who picked up the droyets. "No problem at
all."....
The healer found Moribian right where she left him. On the sidewalk. He was writing
on a torn piece of paper. He wrote with his talons. His ink a mixture of cigarette ash and his
own blood. He wrote and wrote. He didn't look up when Albvia sat down next to him.
"She's okay?"
"She's fine. Memphis will out live you." Again Albvia opened her medical bag.
"She probably will. Don't bother Albvia. Just leave it." Moribian closed his eyes. He felt
his world was closing in on him.
"Mori, you're going to bleed to death. What is wrong with you?"
"Do you know how Memphis got caught, Albvia?"
"Pike......."
"I made a deal with Jenko."
"You what?"
"Do you know why?"
"You made a deal?"
"I love her. Loved her for years."
You sent......?"
"I wanted to be able to spend time with her. If she went to Jupiter, everyone in the
galaxy would think she was dead. I would take her somewhere. Some moon or other. We
could start a new life?"
"You put everyone through this, because you wanted to take Memphis somewhere and
start a new life."
"It would have worked. It seem so perfect in the planning." He laughed to himself.
"You let Pike take the fall."
He went back to his writing. "I couldn't have asked for a better goat. His ego was
perfect for my plans. He wanted her out of the way so he could become Commander."
"I think you misjudged him, Moribian. He has nothing against Rider. Even he wouldn't
stoop that low. I wouldn't trust Pike to buy me lunch. But he would have never sent Memphis
to her death. I'm amazed that you could convince her otherwise."
"I made sure all codes came from him. What else would she think?"
"Now she's a fugitive. Do you know what will happen if she's recaptured?"
Moribian sighed.
"Mori, they will execute her on the spot."
"They won't get her. The cave mouse will see to it. He really loves her. I don't know
what made me think we could be together. It seemed so perfect. I don't know......" Moribian
began to ramble on. Albvia looked at him as if she had never seen him before. "Stop saying
that. It wasn't perfect. Mori, how could you be so foolish. You were the closest to her. She did
love you. Just not the way you wanted. Why couldn't you accept that?"
"If I had her alone, to myself, she would have loved me. We could have had a family.
We could Growing old together. No one would bother us."
"The Galaxy States would have found you eventually. Is that your confession?"
"No. I had that....I mean, I thought I had that worked out. And this is none of your
business." Moribian finished his letter, folded it and put inside his coat.
Albvia snorted. "You fool. Your plan fell apart the minute you thought it up."
~~~~
Modo read the last verse of the poem and closed the book.
"That was beautiful. I could listen to your voice for hours." She nestled against him.
Comforted in his soft fur. "I could do this forever."
He gently eased himself away from her, and got up from the bed.
"Now what?"
"There's a newspaper around here somewhere. I saw it.... here it is."
He sat down at the table and began thumbing through the pages. Again Memphis got
out of bed. Without looking up, he said. "Get back in bed, girl."
"Why should I? You're not there." She kissed his neck. "What are you doing?"
"Here's one. Problem is, I have no money."
Memphis looked over his shoulder. "I have money."
"You do?"
"I always get some of the currency of the target area. Just in case I have to bribe the
local yokels. My clients always know I need currency up front. Limburger was no different."
She walked over to her bike and lifted up the seat. She took out a wad of bills and handed it to
Modo
He got up and kissed her. "Miss Memphis ma'am. You are full of surprises."
She laughed. "Wait. You ain't seen nothing yet, big fella."
He picked up the newspaper. "Shall we give this a whirl, Miss Memphis ma'am?"
She bowed. "I would be so honored, Sir."
"This looks like the place, darling. What do you think?"
"I am ready." said Memphis, as she put her arm through his.
With helmets on, they entered into the building.
~~~~
Pike managed to get to his feet and climb on his bike. His face was swollen almost
beyond recognition. It was hard for him to talk. "I think it's about time you tell me why you set
Memphis up and put the blame on me?"
"Who says I did?"
"Don't play with me, k'Toji. Memphis is Albvia's idol. Hound didn't have enough brains
to plan something like this. That leaves only one person. And that person isn't me." Pike
painfully put on his helmet and revved up his engine. "I'm blowing this planet k'Toji. I'm
going back to Venus. If you ever show your face there. It will be the last place you will ever
see."
Pike looked at himself in the mirror. "Zeus, I guess I should consider myself lucky to be
alive. k'Toji packs quite a punch."
The elevator doors opened. Lawrence Limburger and Doctor Karbunkle stepped off.
"Ah, there you are, you antiquated assassin. That last skirmish of yours was a disaster. I really
must....aaaggghhh"
Pike turned and faced the Plutarkian. Limburger and the doctor cringed. "Uh, did
something happened?"
"I had words with Moribian." He turned back to the mirror.
"Oh my, I am truly sorry. But, well. As I started to say. Those insufferable squirrels are
still alive. Therefore I must inform you that our contract is forfeit."
"I lost a man because of you, Plutarkian. A good man."
"And my condolences, Mr. Pike. I will be glad to send flowers, if......"
"You're going to pay for that man, Plutarkian. That was your miserable plan.
Remember!"
"Excuse me? Now see here Sir. I am not in the habit of...MMPPHH!"
"Pike turned again this time with his pistol in his hand. He shoved it into Limburger's
oversized mouth. "Let me say it again fat fish. I lost a man. A good man. You will pay for that
man. Understand me?"
"Mmpphh, Mmpphh."
"Exactly. Now have that plutarkian psychopathic lackey over there give me all the
money you have. NOW!!!!"
"Mmmppphhh mmpphh! Mmmpphh." Limburger waved his arms towards the doctor.
Karbunkle bristled at being called a lackey. "I'm sorry, Your Puff Tartness, but I can't
understand you. You have a gun in your mouth." Pike pulled his shotgun and aimed at the
little doctor. "Uh, oh yes, money. Right away. Uh, excuse me Your Grated Parmaseaness. But I
don't know where the money is."
Limburger pointed to a picture of His Lord High Chairman Camembert on the far wall.
Behind it was the Plutarkian's safe. When Karbunkle opened it, millions in dollars and gold
gills fell out. Karbunkle jumped back in shock. "What.......? All this, and I've never been paid."
"Mmmppphh mmm..."
Karbunkle walked up to Limburger with his hands on his hips. "All this time I've work
for you. I have not been paid and you had all this money."
"Put it into the saddle bags, slime bucket. Or they'll be scraping you off the walls." said
Pike.
"Mmmmph, mmmph mmmmpphh..."
"I want to get paid."
Pike cocked the trigger of his shotgun.
"Oh, all right, if you insist. But it isn't fair."
Karbunkle stuffed hundreds of dollar bills and gold gills into the saddle bags on
mercenary's bike. Pike let Limburger go.
"Mmmpphh, I mean, GOONS! GOO...."
Pike brought down the handle of his pistol on Limburger's head. "Shut up, you smelly
sardine." Pike turned towards Karbunkle. The doctor ran for the elevator just as the doors
open. Greasepit was about to emerge when the doctor slammed into him, knocking Greasepit
back into the car. The doors closed.
"Old Rubber Gloves is probably getting your goons now. Doesn't give me much time."
He rode over to the transporter and starting pushing buttons an levers. "Okay!!" He turned to
Limburger still prostrate on the floor. "It's been real, fat face. But it's time to say good bye. Give
my regards to Memphis and my team mates. "He laughed as he rode into the transporter.
The doors to the lab opened. Bullets came from all sides. Greasepit, Karbunkle and the
goons burst in. Limburger, who was struggling to get to his feet, fell down to the ground and
covered his head with his hands. He looked up tentatively and smiled. "GOONS. ALL MY
GOONS. VENTILATE THAT VENUSIAN VAGABOND. GET HIM. DON'T LET HIM LEAVE."
"I wouldn't try that." Pike grabbed his last nukebomb and lobbed it towards Limburger,
Karbunkle and Greasepit.
"AAAUUGGHH!" The two oversize creatures plus one small creature tried to run away.
The more the tried, the more they ran into each other.
~~~~
"What are you going to do now?
"Go somewhere. Get my money and go somewhere, anywhere! "
"What about Pike?"
"What about him?"
"Does he know. Does he know that you used him against Memphis?"
"He figured it out."
"The Commander should know the truth."
"Why? Let her think it was Pike. He'll be on Venus and she'll be...on Mars, I guess."
"Look, I'll go with you, but you'll have to tell her."
"No."
The blast echoed in their ears.
Albvia stood up. "It's Pike! Zeus, Now what?"
Moribian pushed himself to an upright position. "Memphis might be in trouble. We
better go."
"Will you tell her, after this is all over?"
"Healer, what part of "no" don't you understand?"
"It's not right.
"Albvia..."
As they rode off, she said "I will not let you do this."
~~~~
"How do you feel?" asked Modo as he help Memphis out of the side car.
"Wonderful. And you?"
"The same, darling. You are the best thing that's ever happened to me." He took her in
his arms.
"Next to meeting Throttle and Vinnie. Charley too."
"That's not true."
"Yes it is. And I understand it. Those two care about you so much. As you do them. They
don't want you hurt." She held him at arms length. "I will say this only once. I know, that if at
any time Throttle or Vinnie think I was scamming you, they would take me out. I would do the
same for my friends. Always stay together. Don't let anything break you up. That is important.
Promise me."
He looked at her incredulously. "Promise. You are something else, lady. Something
else."
"And now, you're stuck with me."
"Yep."
They heard the rebel yell from down below.
"AAAOOO! Vin Man is in the house. Women SWOON before me."
"Swoon?"
"Don't ask. How are you feeling Memphis?" asked Charley as she got off of Vinnie's
bike.
"Fine." She looked at Modo. "Just fine."
Throttle rode in a few minutes later with cases of root beer and some hot dogs. "Here's
the food, let's eat."
"I just can't stand these things." Memphis stared at the wiener. She took it out of the
roll. Scrape off the onions and mustard. Then ate the roll. "Ummm. Yum."
Vinnie stared at her like she landed from another planet. Then he leaned toward her.
"Memphis, dudette, if you're gonna be my girl, you better learn to love this delicacy." He
winked. Charley grabbed the unsheathed wiener mustard and all and hit Vinnie on the head
with it.
They all laughed. "Good to see you laughing again Memphis."
"And such a lovely laugh it is." said Modo as he kissed her.
"Hey, hey! On your own time. Okay?"
Modo blushed.
"Did you find Pike or the others?" she asked.
"Didn't see a soul, Dudette. Limburger's kinda quiet too."
"Damn. He'll probably get Karbunkle to send him back to Venus. I'm worried about
Mori too. Albvia says he's acting funny." Memphis went to get her helmet. "I've got to get
there."
"Whoa, whoa. Lady. You're supposed to be recovering." said Throttle.
"I am recovering. And I'll recover even more after I remove a painful thorn."
"Memp......"
The blast sounded in the distance but still rocked the scoreboard.
"Oh man, what was...."
"Memphis snarled. PIKE!!! ENOUGH OF THIS!" She ran and grabbed her helmet, leaped
on her bike and left the scoreboard before the four even had a chance to stand up."
"Wait, I'm not finished with your bike." said Charley.
The alien touched her belt, The X-Gal started. "As long as it gets me there." She rode
through the opening.
"But your weapons?"
"MEMPHIS WAIT!" yelled Modo. Memphis was already in hyper speed.. But the guys
were seconds behind her. Vinnie swooped his tail around Charley's waist as he rode off. They
all headed for Limburger Tower.
~~~~
Goons scattered in all directions. Limburger, Greasepit and Karbunkle laid toe to toe on
the floor. They sat up, shaking the cobwebs out of their heads just as Moribian and Albvia
came crashing through the windows. Greasepit sat up, his head whirling around. Small
nukebombs circled his head. "Uh boss, I tink da phun is ringin' Uggh." He fell back again.
Limburger started to rise to his feet just as Moribian grabbed him. He brought
Limburger close to his helmet. "What is happening here Plurtarkian?"
"MY MONEY. GET MY M-O-N-E-Y!" Limburger pointed to the transporter. "GET
HIM!!!!!"
"Money?" said Albvia.
"THAT SKINNY SPACE PIRATE HAS MY MONEY."
"You paid him?"
"PAID?!!!!!! HE STOLE MY MONEY, YOU FOOLISH FEMALE. He has all my money in
those saddle bags. Get him before he transports." He yelled at Greasepit, who was still trying to
get up, but he kept slipping in his own oil. "WOULD SOMEBODY GET THAT ASININE
ASSASSIN!!!!"
"Too late, my friends. My ship is taking off." Pike smirked as the transporter started to
throb. "It's been real."
Moribian dropped Limburger and raced towards the transporter whirled his chains
around his head ready to release them.
"I said it's too late." Pike blasted Moribian off his bike. It skidded into the transporter.
Albvia drew her shotgun and fired. Pike disappeared.
"HE GOT AWAY. YOU VENUSIAN VERMIN. HE GOT AWAY WITH MY MONEY!"
"Gee, boss. ya can always make more. Uh, can't ya?" Limburger took a chair and hit
Greasepit in the head with it.
"Shut up you worthless wormhole. KARBUNKLE, GET HIM BACK."
"I'm trying, Your Cheapskateness. I can't bring him back. It's too....."
"PIKE!!!!!!" Memphis yelled. She jumped off her bike and tore off her helmet. She
banged on the door of the transporter and screaming her nemesis' name over and over. But
Pike Sage was already on Venus with Moribian's bike and a small hole between his eyes.
"Stop that, you heinous heifer. That is delicate equipment." Karbunkle looked at
Limburger. "Look at what she's doing to my transporter."
"It would seem, my dear doctor, that our blue-tinged friend has lost her mind."
"It would seem so."
"I think this would be a good time to vacate these premises."
"A perfect time Your I Can't Believe It's Not Butteriness." The pair quickly and quietly
made their escape.
Modo pulled Memphis away from the transporter, and took her in his arms. "Stop. It's
over."
"Commander, rest assured, he did not reach Venus alive. I hit my mark. Pike Sage is no
more." Albvia holstered her shotgun. and went over to her fallen comrade."
Memphis whirled around. "You cheated me out of my revenge, Albvia Sea. That was
my take."
"Pike cheated me out of my money, Commander. THAT was my take. He cheated us all."
"Damn you. I wanted him so badly, I could taste it." She stopped venting when she
realized that Albvia was kneeling over Moribian k'Toji.
"Mori. Oh no. Will he be alright?"
Albvia shook her head. "There is nothing I can do for him now. His first encounter
with Pike left him in a weakened condition. And he wouldn't let me help him."
Memphis took his hand in hers. "Mori, talk to me. Let Alb help you."
"Tell her."
"Tell me? Tell me what?"
"Tell her Mori, or I will. Don't leave like this. Not with a lie on your lips.'"
"Lie?"
"I mean it, Moribian. Pike was scum. But he was not responsible for Jupiter.."
"What?"
Mori sighed and then coughed. "Take your revenge out on me Memphis. I was the one
who sent you there."
"......Thanks to your number two man, the hunter is now the hunted. And the
hunted has been snared..........."
Memphis stared at Moribian. "No I refuse to believe this. You're my best friend. My
best hunter. My...... YOU were my number two man." She put her hand to her chest as if
trying to calm her heart. "Why? Why would you do this to me?" She leaned over and grabbed
him by his coat. "ANSWER ME. "
Albvia put her hand on Moribian's chest. "He can no longer hear you, Commander."
Memphis looked at Albvia. "But...."
"He wanted the galaxy to think you were dead. Then you two could go off somewhere.
Something like that." She took the letter out of Mori's coat, and gave it to Memphis.
Memphis looked at the letter and then down at her friend's lifeless form. His chains
were still in his hand. She picked them up. "Was he crazy?" Memphis whispered.
"No, Commander, just in love."
Limburger's voice came over the loud speaker. "GOONS! RID ME OF THAT VERMIN IN
THE LAB. DESTROY THEM!"
'Limburger!" Throttle said. "I didn't even realize he was gone."
"That deviant doctor too. What's the plan?"
"Commander, help me get Moribian back to Venus. Neither of us are of use to you
now."
Memphis was still in a state of shock. She just stared at Moribian. "Love?"
"NOW, Commander, before the Plutarkian comes back."
"That's the plan. Let's get him in the transporter."
Charley ran over to the transporter and reset the coordinates. Throttle, Vinnie and
Modo lifted the big alien up and put him inside.
" We've been on this road a long time Commander. I will miss you. Be happy in your
new life. This mouse cares for you. You will do fine." Then she gave her boss a Venusian salute
and got into the transporter. "Take care of her cave mouse."
The goons came back just as Charley pulled the lever. "Time to bail." said Throttle. "We
had enough excitement for one day." The mice, Memphis and Charley made short work of
Limburger's goons and roared out of the tower.
Memphis slowed her bike and then stopped. She removed her helmet. The others
stopped a little ahead of her. Modo turn around and rode back.
"I'm sorry, darling. I wish there was something I could say to comfort you."
"There's nothing. I...I just want to go somewhere. I want to be by myself." Her eyes
began to well up. "I just can't believe all of this."
"This is not the place for us." Throttle said quietly to Vinnie and Charley. "Let's get back
to the garage."
They sat on the lake shore, just as they had four days ago. She down by the water's
edge, toying with Moribian's locking chains, as he sat further back on the shore. He leaned
against his bike, never taking his eyes off of her. Memphis opened the letter Albvia gave her.
The homemade ink was smudged in spots, but she got the gist of his confession.
I CAN'T EXPLAIN THIS. IT WAS JUST STUPID. IT SEEMS SO PERFECT. BUT IT FELL APART. I HAVE LOVED
YOU AND WANTED TO BE WITH YOU SINCE OUR ARMY DAYS. I HAVE THOUGHT OF NOTHING ELSE ALL THESE
YEARS. I THOUGHT WE COULD SPEND OUR FINAL DAYS TOGETHER. NO BOUNTIES, NO SHERIFFS, NO GALAXY
STATES. IF THE COSMOS THOUGHT YOU WERE DEAD. WE COULD LIVE THE REST OF OUR LIVES IN PEACE. ALL
THIS TIME I THOUGHT YOU COULD LEARN TO LOVE ME AS I LOVED YOU. I JOIN THE SQUAD BECAUSE OF YOU.
I WOULD DO ANYTHING TO BE NEAR YOU. BUT YOU NEVER NOTICE. YOU SAW ME AS A FRIEND. I WANTED
MORE. THAT WASN'T FAIR TO YOU.
IT WAS EASY ENOUGH TO GET YOU TO BELIEVE IT WAS PIKE. YOU TWO HATED EACH OTHER. OR I
THOUGHT YOU DID. ALBVIA SAYS DIFFERENT. ALL THE CODES WERE PASSED THROUGH PIKE, BUT HE HAD NO
IDEA IT WAS A SET-UP. I MADE A DEAL WITH TESH JENKO. HE OWED ME A FAVOR. I COLLECTED. I WOULD
HAVE GOTTEN YOU OFF JUPITER. BUT SOMEHOW, THAT FAT PLUTARKIAN GOT TO YOU FIRST. I DIDN'T EVEN
KNOW YOU HAD ESCAPED TILL I ARRIVED HERE. BUT IT WORKED OUT. I STILL COULD HAVE TAKEN YOU.
THAT IS UNTIL YOU TOLD ME ABOUT THE CAVE MOUSE. I THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO DIE WHEN YOU TOLD
ME ABOUT HIM. NOW I AM GOING TO DIE. IT'S FOR THE BEST. ALL I CAN DO IS ASK FOR YOUR FORGIVENESS.
ASK THAT YOU NOT HATE ME. I KNOW IT WILL BE HARD, BUT PLEASE TRY. I PRAY YOU LIVE THE REST OF YOUR
LIVE IN HARMONY. MODO CARES FOR YOU VERY MUCH. LIVE LONG WITH HIM.
MORI
She looked out over the lake. It was still hard for her to comprehend what happened.
She continued to stare out over the lake. Then she disrobe and walked into the lake. The water
was cool and inviting. Modo was instantly on his feet. He ran down to the shore. But soon
realized that she wasn't going to end her life. She just needed the calm that she found being in
water. He looked at how the moonlight played on her wet pale blue skin. Her wet hair glowed.
she gets more beautiful by the minute he thought to himself.
"I didn't know he loved me like that." she said as she walked back to the shore. "All this
time, when I thought it was Pike, I wanted to kill him. I hated him. But, well, I can't hate
Moribian. I just can't"
"That's because you were very close to him. I think you did love him in a way." He put
his arms around her and held her close. The smooth wetness of her skin exhilarating him.
"I love you. Modo. There has never been anyone else and never will be. I'll miss Mori.
I'll miss him dearly. He was my truest friend. And there will always be a place for him in my
heart. But it is you I love. For the rest of my life I will be by your side."
"That's all I can ask for. Besides, I promised Albvia. I will always love and take care of
you."
"We will always be together."
"Always. We are one now."
They kissed passionately. And spent the rest of the night on the shore.
~~~~
"Hey, you two are just in time for breakfast." said Vinnie through a mouth full of hot
dogs.
"Don't you guys ever eat anything else?" Memphis laughed. Spending the night with
Modo brightened her spirits.
"Is there anything else?"
Memphis shook her head. She decided she really didn't want to go through Vincent's
eating habits again.
"How about some eggs and bacon?" asked Charley as she put more hot dogs on the
table.
"Eggs and what?"
"Bacon. Goes great with the coffee." said Charley. "Come join me."
"Sure, why not?" she looked at Modo. "Will I like it?"
"Don't know, darling. I never had eggs and bacon." He sat down and started helping
himself to the hotdogs.
"Bros. Limburger is still around. He has sent the last of his stupid villains a........
Throttle looked sheepishly at Rider. "Sorry, Memphis."
"No need for apologies. Pike was not the smartest in the world. And I guess Albvia,
Mori and Hound had more loyalty than sense. I don't know."
Charley put a cup of coffee in front of her. "What is your plan, Throttle?"
"We must eliminate Limburger. It is time we rid this planet of this plague." said
Memphis.
The loud voice came out of nowhere. Everyone jumped. Vinnie's hot dog skittered out
of its bun and into Charley's coffee, splashing the java all over her and Memphis. The voice
was unmistakable, even through the loud speaker.
"GOONS, ALL MY GOONS. REMOVE THIS PUTRID PIECE OF PROPERTY OFF THE FACE
OF THE EARTH. ELIMINATE ALL WITHIN ITS WALLS. ATTAAAAAAAAAAAAAACK!!!!!!" Bullets
and bombs started to fly into the garage. The five inhabitants leaped for their motorcycles.
"Memphis." said Charley as she got on her bike. "I still need to work on your weapons."
"It doesn't matter now. I'll use what I got."
They burst through the side wall, where they were met by six or seven of Limburger
goons.
"The battle is on, bros, lets divide and conquer number forty-five."
"Forty-five?" asked Vinnie
"I'm out of maneuvers, Vincent. Just use anything that comes into your head. The five
split and each took on their own set of goons. Vinnie circled around four goons. He released
the grappling hook from the back of his bike and hog-tied them. He raced around one
lamppost and then another. The goons were suspended mid air between the two poles.
Throttle had separated two more goons from their dune buggies by using his nukenucks.
Charley had added more fire power to her rocket launcher and decided this was a good time
to test it out. She sent one rocket over to Limburger's limousine. He responded by taking a
machine gun and firing out the roof window. The doctor joining him. Memphis's cloaking
device was still functional. The fat Plutarkian never saw her coming. The next thing he knew
he and his machine were on the ground wrapped up in Moribian's chains. The grappling
hooks dug in to the ground and stayed there.
"Oomph! GET ME OUT OF THIS THING. GET ME OUT, YOU LITTLE DEVIANT."
Limburger yell at the doctor.
"Will I get paid, Your Bucket of Artery Clogging Fatness?"
"Anything. All my money. Just get me OUT!"
"Promise."
"Oh for Plutark's sake. Yes, yes I promise. NOW GET ME OUT OF THESE CHAINS."
Karbunkle pulled and tugged with all his might. The more he tugged the tighter they wrapped
around Limburger ample frame. Memphis circled back and grabbed Limburger, Karbunkle,
chains and all and dragged them down the street. They looked like oversized, oddly shaped
balloons that had escaped their master. Memphis headed for the Tower.
"Hey guys look at that." said Vinnie.
"Looks like your lady hooked a big one, Modo. LET'S GO" said Throttle
"Heh, heh heh That's my girl!" laughed Modo
"ALL RIGHT!" Charley fired a few more rounds at the goons and followed her friends
to Limburger Tower. Memphis burst into the tower with her prey in tow. She rode around the
transporter and threw them inside. "Kiss this planet good-bye, Plutarkian. You will never see it
again." Limburger landed with a dull thud. His head hit the wall of the transporter and he was
knocked out cold.
Rider's comrades followed her into the building. Throttle rode over to the transporter
and set the coordinates for Plutark. It was hard for him to believe that they're were finally
sending Limburger to his just reward.
"No. Set it to Jupiter. If he goes to Plutark, Camembert will just send him back or
somewhere else. Jupiter will finish him." said Memphis.
"This is it, stink breath. You're going down." said Modo. He took his lady in his arms
and gave her a long passionate kiss.
Vinnie swooped his tail around Charley. "One good thing came out of this Charley
girl."
"I know. As much as I hate to say it. We should thank that fat cheese. Without him we
would never have met." Their kiss matched Modo and Memphis' second for second.
Then the five freedom fighters gave each other the high sign. "Are we the baddest
mammajammers in the universe or what?" yelled Vinnie.
During this time Karbunkle crawled, unseen, out of the transporter. "Wrong, my
Martian friends. This will not be the end of Plutarkian rule." Karbunkle mumbled. "If his Royal
Lard Butt goes down, so do I. I cannot allow that." Karbunkle knew he couldn't pull
Limburger, who was still out cold, from the transporter without attracting attention. So he
tried to get to the launch button and cancel the process. Greasepit and the remainder of the
goons came roaring in.
Throttle saw Karbunkle trying to change the coordinates. He tapped him on the
shoulder. "Naughty, naughty, doctor. No touchie or you'll get a spanking. Like this!!" Throttle
decked the doctor.
Greasepit came up behind Throttle. "Yur mine, now, mousie." Greasepit knocked him
to the floor. "Hey, I gots 'im. I gots da mousie. Boy, won't mom be proud. Huh? Hey!"
The slightly dazed Karbunkle grabbed Throttle's Martian blaster and started shooting-
in all directions. Greasepit, trying to duck Karbunkle's onslaught, slipped in his own oil. As he
slid across the room he passed Memphis and inadvertently yanked the silver circlet from
around her neck. Then he hit the wall with a resounding thud. A shelf holding Karbunkle's
various mutating liquids in various vials and beakers fell. One landed on Greasepit's head and
lodging itself there. He dropped the necklace trying to get the beaker off. Charley saw it fall to
the floor and picked it up.
Vinnie let loose his grenades. Five goons were knocked out of their buggies "Modo,
behind you buddy!" He yelled.
Modo turned in time to see two of the goons try to hog-tie him. His bionic eye glowed.
The goons changed their minds. "HaHaHa, Don't even think about it wrench heads."
Greasepit, with the beaker still lodged on his head stumbled near the transporter.
Rider had made a leaping double kick and knocked the gun out of Karbunkle's hand. Throttle
got to his feet, pounced on two goons and knocked their heads together. Two more goons
came up behind Memphis and grabbed her. She struggled, trying to fight them off.
Then everything happened in slow motion. The goon crashed into Karbunkle.
Karbunkle crashed into Rider. Memphis fell backwards into the transporter and landed on top
of Limburger. He regained consciousness. "What? Where am .......NOOOOOOOO!"
Greasepit yanked on and broke the lever
Vinnie tried to grab Memphis, but she was just out of his reach. "OH MAN. GET OUT
OF THERE." yelled the white mouse.
Modo stopped just short of vaping three more goons when he saw the scene at the
transporter. NOOOOOOOO!!" yelled Modo. "MEMPHIS!!!!!!!"
"Oh my God." gasped Charley.
Throttle, on his knees trying to shake the cobwebs. "Wha....Damn, what happened?"
Memphis Rhyme also known as The DarkRider, most wanted by the Galaxy States,
fugitive from justice, was transported to Jupiter.
The big gray mouse climbed over the various bodies of the goons he dispatched. Vinnie
was already at the transporter trying to kick down the door. Throttle used his nukenucks to
break the control panel. Then he and Charley tried to rework the wiring, but to no avail.
Modo grabbed the doctor by the collar. "BRING HER BACK!!!!!!! BRING HER BACK,
YOU RANCID RUNT, OR I'LL POUND YOU INTO JELLY." Modo yelled as he swung Karbunkle
over his head. He threw against all four walls. Picked him up and threw him again.
"Big fella, stop it! Modo! You're gonna kill him!" Throttle yelled.
"I....I.....I can't. The lever.....broken." cough the doctor passed out.
"Modo, Modo! It's too late, bro. We can't get to her." said Throttle, as he tried to stop
his friend. "She's gone. I'm sorry Modo." Throttle put his hand on Modo's shoulder. "We tried
everything. We just....we just weren't fast enough."
Charley and Vinnie stood helplessly by the transporter. Out of frustration Vinnie gave
it one last kick. Charley looked down at the silver circlet in her hand and started to cry.
Vincent took Charley in his arms. He wanted to cry too, but he wouldn't do it in front of his
friends.
Modo threw Karbunkle into the transporter and dropped down to his knees. He let out
a blood curdling cry. It was a cry that was heard on all the streets of Chicago. A cry that was
heard in all of Illinois. A cry heard though out the world and the universe.
On Jupiter, Memphis heard the cry in her heart and met her fate with her last words.
"I love you Modo."
end of episode four
note: memphis rhyme, pike sage, moribian k'Toji, Albvia Sea and Hound are strictly from the demented mind of carolyn rebecca jones.
All other character are the property of brentwood television funnies, inc.
please do not sell or change this writing.
this episode was edited by amice, to whom i give my heart felt thanks.
(c) 1996 carolyn
by
carolyn
[based on Biker Mice from Mars]
Episode Four
Modo gently laid Memphis down on the table and took off her helmet and jacket.
"Hang in there, darling. I can't lose you."
"She needs to be in a hospital." said Charley. "I don't know what to do."
"Sweetheart, what hospital will take a blue-skinned Venusian with pointed ears and a
diamond stuck in her head?"
"There's only one thing to do. Saddle up Vinnie. Let's ride."
"Where we going?"
"To find that doctor or healer or whatever she is."
"And what do we do when we find her. I don't think they're exactly on speaking terms."
"I don't know, bro. But one way or another, we'll get her here. Let's go."
"I'm okay. Really. " Memphis smiled at Modo. She tried to ease his fears. "Don't worry.
We Venusians are hard to kill. You're not getting rid of me that easily."
He leaned over the table and kissed her on the forehead. "I just want to be sure,
darling."
She kissed his hand. "Albvia will get it out. I've been hit by blast darts before. And
worse."
"I hope the guys can convince her to come here." said Charley amazed at how the
bleeding was slowing up.
"They won't have too. She's a healer. That's her calling. A healer first. A mercenary
second."
~~~~
"Mori, that's enough!" Albvia got in between the two males.
"Move away healer, or I'll do the same to you"
She stood her ground. Her hands on her hips. "I said, That's enough!"
He sat down heavily on the sidewalk. "Not nearly enough."
Albvia knelt down next to him and checked his wounds. "This assignment has gone to
hell. Hound is gone. You're shot up. Pike looks like a Venusian squashmelon. Rider with a blast
dart in her. What else could go wrong?" She stood up. "It doesn't look too bad. Unchain Pike
and let's get back to Limburger's tower. Both of you need looking after."
"No."
"No? No to getting back to Limburger's or no to unchaining Pike?"
"Both."
"Mori.."
"Rider needs you, go find her."
"I will, but I'm not leaving him chained up like some animal. And you're bleeding on
the sidewalk."
Moribian struggled to his feet and retrieved his chains. Pike sank to the ground. "I will
cough kill you cough k'Toji."
Moribian sat back down on the sidewalk, propped up against his bike. Albvia opened
her bag.
"I said go, Albvia. I'm all right." Mori nodded towards Pike. "He'll survive."
"It's you I'm worried about. Besides I don't even know where to look. I don't know
where the cave mice took her."
"Follow the blood trail. It will take you to Memphis."
"Mori, I've got to get those bullets out."
He pulled his knife and held it up to her pretty face. "Go!"
She sighed and looked over at Pike. She shook her head. "Very well. Give me your chip,
so I can find you. I'll be back as soon as I can. That is if those mice don't kill me first."
"They won't. They need you. Rider has become their friend so they won't harm you."
The sun was going down. Albvia touched the infrared on her helmet and followed the
trail of Memphis' blood.
"Say, Throttle. Do you have a plan? I mean where do we look?" asked Vinnie
"We look where we found Charley. It's a starting point."
"They probably went back to fat fish's tower. I wouldn't be..."
"Hold up bro. I hear something."
"It's that clown Pike coming back for more. Time to party. Again." Vinnie twirled his
Martian blaster with his tail.
"I hear that. And we better take him down now. If Modo gets to him........"
"He'll turn Pike into a Martian mushburger."
"He'll be lucky if that's all that Modo does."
Albvia stopped when she saw them. "Cave mice, I have no quarrel with you. I'm
looking for the Commander. Rider." She took off her helmet. "I'm not here as a soldier."
"Wow." Vinnie whispered. "Man, these Venusians are lookers."
"We were looking for you."
"Please, take me to her. "
"Where's that Pike character?"
"Why?"
"Why? So I can send him back to Venus, in a horizontal position. " Vinnie held up his
blaster. "Why do you think?"
"That won't help the Commander will it?"
"You trust her, Throttle?"
"We have a choice?"
"I repeat, I have no quarrel with you."
"You heard the lady, Vin man."
"It's out. I guess you'll live." She smiled. "How do you feel?"
Memphis looked up at the familiar face of Albvia Sea. "Like I've been hit by a blast dart.
MY blast dart."
Albvia held it up. "Want to keep it?"
"I should. It's become such an intricate part of my life." She looked around. "Where's
Modo?"
"Oh, he's here. I threaten to let you bleed to death, unless he got out of my way." She
looked at her old boss curiously. "I'm sure you will tell me about this little tryst of yours when
the opportunity presents itself. Now I have to get back to Moribian. Drink this."
Rider sat up. "Aaaghh. Why? What happen to him? Where is he?"
"He tried to beat Pike to death. Pike shot him. I have no idea where he is." She held up
the chip. "That's why I have this."
"What? Bad?"
"No. Not really. But if I don't get those bullets out...." Albvia sat down in the chair next
to the table. "Commander, something is wrong. Wrong with Mori, I mean. He's been acting
very strange."
"He always acted strange."
"No Commander, there's more to it. He's been this way since he heard you were on this
planet. It has something to do with you. He doesn't want me to help him. Memphis, Moribian
wants to die. It's like he has nothing left to live for. And Hound is gone too."
"Gone?"
"Down into one of those large craters. He went over with the Earth woman's truck."
Albvia bowed her head. "It blew up. This assignment is a mess. It was never like this when you
were leader."
"Hound? Damn." Memphis whispered. "He was a good man."
"True. Greedy, but dependable."
"In all these years, I never lost a man. Never."
"It had to happen sooner or later. I just wasn't prepared for it, I guess. We're done for,
Memphis. Our ride is over."
She took Albvia's hand and sighed. "You're right. It's finished. The DarkRider is history.
Go home Albvia. Get your money and go. Live the rest of your life in peace."
" Yes. I better go. I'm worried about Mori. I got to patch up Pike too." she laughed.
"Once a healer always a healer."
"I'd better go with you." Rider swung her legs to the side of the table.
"Oh, no. You need to rest."
"I need to see Mori. "
Albvia took a long needle from her bag. "Move one centimeter and I will put you to
sleep forever."
"You're a pain, Albvia. You know that?"
"You stay here and rest. Don't worry, I'll contact you." Albvia felt a presence behind
her. She turn and saw Modo standing over her chair. "I've got to go. You seem to be in good
hands, Commander. Just rest awhile."
"Why do you keep calling me that?"
"That is your title isn't it? Pike couldn't lead a herd of sheep." Albvia got up and let
Modo take the chair. "She's okay. She just needs a little sleep. The drug I gave her will take
care of that."
"Thanks Miss Albvia-ma'am." Albvia bowed and walked over to her bike. Charley,
Vinnie and Throttle were standing nearby.
"Is she gonna be okay?" asked Vinnie.
"The Commander's not as young as she used to be, but she is strong. She'll be fine." She
looked at the three curiously. "You care for her, don't you?" They nodded. "The gray one. He
will take care of her. Yes?"
"Better believe it, sweetheart."
She turned on Moribian's tracking chip. "I must get to Moribian."
"Is he okay?" asked Charley.
"No."
"What happened?"
"Pike tried to kill the Commander. Moribian tried to kill Pike. Pike tried to kill
Moribian. Good-bye, cave mice. Earth woman. " She bowed, got on her bike and left the
hideout.
~~~~
"Hey, ya know bro, that Albvia isn't half bad. Not half bad at all. Yeeoooww!"
Charley emptied a cold can of root beer all over Vinnie's head. "Hmmph!" she said.
Throttle, Modo doubled over with laughter.
"Hey, sweetheart, whas' up with that? What did I say?"
"We'd better go see what old fish bait is up too." said Throttle laughing and handing
Vinnie a towel.
"Let's go!" said Modo. "I want that Pike character."
"You better stay with Memphis, big fella. "
"Charley can look after her. She's asleep anyway." He looked at her snoozing peacefully
in his bed.
"Modo, I've got to go back to the garage. Her bike was pretty banged up. I need my
tools."
"We'll handle Pike."
"I'd rather handle him myself." Modo slammed his fist into the palm of his other hand.
Throttle put his hand on Modo's shoulder. "When the lady wakes up, it'll be your face
she'll want to see."
Modo watched them leave. "That Pike should be mine." he muttered.
"Leave Pike for me, Modo. I want that pleasure." Rider's weak, but determined voice
sounded behind Modo.
He spun around. "What? You're supposed to be asleep. What are you doing out of bed?
Albvia gave......."
"Please, do you honestly think I would drink that vile tasting stuff Albvia dishes out?
Besides I don't need sleep. I need...huh?"
Modo deftly scooped her up in his arms and brought her over to his bed. "I want you to
rest up."
"So you can sneak off and deal with Pike yourself?"
"I'm not going anywhere. In the bed you go."
She put her arms around his neck. "There is no arguing with you is there?"
"Nope. Look, I thought I was going to lose you back there." He set her down and sat
next to her. He took her hands in his and looked at them. He twirled the gold earring he had
put on her finger. "If I lose you, Memphis. I will be lost. I will have no purpose."
"You do have purpose. Rid this planet of Limburger."
"No purpose without you. Darling." He looked into her face. "I want to take you back to
Mars with me."
She was surprised. "They won't allow me there."
"They will. You'll be with me. And if you're not allowed, I'll leave. We'll go some place
else. Simple as that."
"But that's your home. You'll miss it. You miss it now."
"My home is anywhere you are."
She touched his furry face. Kissed his bionic eye. Modo looked away.
"Is something wrong? Modo?"
He was silent for a moment. "Karbunkle."
"What?"
He got up and walked over to the scoreboard opening and looked out over Quigley
Field. Suddenly Modo was removed from everything. Lost in his own world. He snarled.
"Karbunkle. He did this to me. "Modo flexed is mechanical arm. "This too. That sicko mad
scientist took off half of Vinnie's face."
"Modo, don't....."
"Throttle, Vinnie, myself and some of the resistance became prisoners of war. We were
captured and taken to his vivisection lab. Throttle........
........and Modo were each in a cell. A dozen or so assistants ran around the lab, strapping the soldier
mice to various tables. There were at least ten tables. Each one had a struggling mouse strapped to it.
Vincent was strapped to a table on the far side of the lab. His eyes held open by clamps. Karbunkle was
standing over him. "Now, this won't hurt a bit. I just want to look inside your head, and see your brain. Then
I'm going to duplicate your furry little face for my Martian Mice Robots. Hee hee hee hee."
Karbunkle pulled forward a cutting device that was attached to a machine by a long robot arm. The
device looked like a mask with two small cutting saws attached. Karbunkle flicked a switch. The machine started
to whir. The saws started to rotate. Karbunkle brought the mask closer to Vinnie. The white mouse squirmed,
trying to break free.
"Just lie still. This will only take a few minutes."
Flesh and blood flew around the room as Karbunkle brought the mask on top of Vincent's face. Modo
could smell the burning flesh as he watch his friend being tortured. Vinnie's antennae quivered and then
drooped. He screamed out. A blood curdling scream.
"Come on, you're a big strong mouse. You can handle a little pain. Hahaha."
Noise from the other side of the room distracted the deviant doctor. He turned off the mask saw, and
went over to see what it was.
"What are you incompetents doing over there?"
Throttle and Modo looked at their comrade on the table. Throttle got sick and dropped to his knees. He couldn't
believe the horror he saw. Modo had never seen so much blood and fur in his life. He had never heard a scream
like that either.
"Vinnie, can ya hear me? Damn, Modo, his face! Look what that deviant did to his face! Vinnie?"
Modo shook his head. "He's dead bro. He couldn't have survived that. No one could. Karbunkle, ya piece
of slime. I'll kill ya. When I get outta here......"
"Be patient, my muscular friend. You'll be out shortly."
Karbunkle went back over to Vinnie's table. The mouse was motionless.
"Look at this mess." Karbunkle moved Vinnie's head from side to side. "I'll have to work on that mask. It
doesn't give a clean cut. Oh well. I deal with that later." He looked at one of his assistants. "Get over here and
clean this mess up. Get me that gray, big mouth mouse. He's next. I have great plans for him. He will be my
greatest triumph."
Modo tried to bend the bars of his cell. But it was Plutarkian glass steel. The strongest alloy ever made.
The assistants moved cautiously over to the cell.
"Ya won't get me without a fight, ya monster."
"Oh, shut up." said Karbunkle as shot Modo with a blaster. The big mouse was knocked out cold. In the
other cell, Throttle pushed and pulled at the bars.
"Ya touch him, ya little cockroach, and I'll...................."
One of Karbunkle assistants pulled a live electrical wire and touched the bars. Throttle went sent to the
back of his cell. He hit the wall with a thud. The other assistants brought Modo over to a lab table and strapped
him down. Karbunkle gathered up his scalpels and other surgical tools. Then he replace the unit he used on
Vinnie with something that looked like a electrical apple corer. He flipped a switch and bent over the comatose
gray mouse. There was a whirring sound. Then a grinding sound.
Throttle woke up and ran to the edge of his cell. "Modo! MODO!" The grinding sound made his fur
stand on end. He put his hand over his ears. "Modo!"
"Ah, perfect." Karbunkle held Modo's left eye, nerves and all, up to the light. "Now for the other one."
The mad scientist put both eyes in a glass jar. Then he picked up one of his robotic eyes. He inserted it
into Modo's right eye socket, connecting it to the brain. Just as he was about to insert the other, a heart clutching
cry came from the table Vincent was lying on. Karbunkle jumped and dropped the robotic eye. It rolled across
the floor and was immediately stepped on by another assistant running over to see what was going on. "Watch
out! Drat, you fool. Look at what you've done. Do you know how long it took me to perfect that eye?" Karbunkle
picked up a pan that held tools and sent it crashing into the assistant's head. "Now be quiet! I have work to do.
And shut that mouse up."
Vinnie moaned and writhed on the table. He woke up and caught a reflection of himself in the shield
over the table. The results were obvious. The assistants hurriedly wrapped up Vinnie's face to avoid looking into
the mangled visage of the once-whole young mouse.
"Oh well. This will have to do for now." Karbunkle gathered his tools and ordered his assistants to bring
him the new mechanical arm he just built. Karbunkle took down the apple coring object and replaced with a
saw. Flicked the switch again and brought it down on Modo's arm. Right at the shoulder joint. The gray mouse
regained consciousness. just as the amputation was about to start. He let out a scream equal to Vinnie's. After the
arm was removed Karbunkle took the mechanical arm and rammed into the empty socket.
"With this arm, you'll be able to take out anything. It's equipped with small rocket launchers. Totally
bionic. My best invention yet. You'll be able to annihilate those infernal cave mouse friends of yours. This planet
will be ours and we won't lose one single Plutarkian. Hahahahah. His Royal Cheesiness will be so pleased."
Karbunkle fiddled around some more, then stood back to admire his handiwork.
"How does it feel, muscle mouse?"
Modo tried not to think about the pain. He involuntarily flexed his new arm and it sent off a charge. It
knocked the doctor clear across the room.
"It feels great, ya worm. Jus' great."
Modo was in great pain, but he managed to use his arm to shoot at his bonds. Then he fired shots
around the room. Assistants scattered. He jumped off the table, but fell to the floor. His head spinning. He put his
hand to his head. Something was wrong. He looked into one of the steel trays. His face was different. His left eye
was missing. And his right eye was glowing. A bright blood red. He opened his mouth. He was screaming. No, it
wasn't him. The scream was muffled. It was Vinnie. Modo pushed himself to his feet.
"Hold on bro, I'm comin'."
He ran over to the table, shooting at the bonds of his fellow prisoners as he went. The soldier mice
jumped off of their tables. Two of them released others in the holding cells. Others fought with the assistants. He
ran over to the table. He pulled the wrappings from Vincent's face. Modo thought he was going to be sick. He
tried to collect himself as he freed Vincent.
"Just hold on , I'll get ya outta here." A wave of dizziness came over him again. He clutched the table to
keep from falling. One of the soldier mice released Throttle. He ran over to the table.
"Modo. Lean on me."
"No, get Vinnie out."
There was another crash. A table holding Karbunkle's chemicals had been knocked over. They
immediately caught fire. Through the flames, they could see Karbunkle escaping down a hatch. Modo wanted to
go after him, but Throttle held him back.
"Forget 'im Modo. Let's blow this pop stand."
"Right behind ya.......augh!" Modo hit the floor and didn't move. "Go, I can't make it. I........." He passed
out.
"Not a chance bro. I ain't leaving ya here ." Throttle hoisted the big mouse on his shoulder. He then
scooped Vinnie up and placed him on his other shoulder. As chemicals exploded around him, Throttle raced for
the door. Just as he managed to gain some ground, the lab.........
"......blew up." Modo spoke quietly. Barely above a whisper.
Memphis sat on the bed quietly. She did not interrupt. She could see it was a catharsis
for him. Modo didn't even take a breath until the story was finish. She got up and walked up
behind him. She put her arms around his waist and laid her head on his back. "They will pay,
my love. I will see to it. They will pay."
He wrapped his tail around her. "All I want to do is get that foul fish tank and go
home. Take you and go home."
"I will be at your side."
"You're not going to stay in bed are you?"
"No."
"Well, I guess I'll just have to put you back and get in with you." He turned and smiled.
Her eyes lit up.
~~~~
....."You owe me, Jenko. I saved your miserable hide. Twice. Remember that."
Two men, a Venusian and a Uranian sat in a dark corner of a run down inn in Axle Drop. They
hunched over the table speaking in low tones. Their faces covered by black cowls. Two bodyguards stood behind
the smaller Uranian. The larger Venusian kept his shotgun on the table as a sign of good faith.
"Don't worry. I'll remember. Where's the money?"
The Venusian pushed 100,000,000 droyets across the table. "Just snare him. A Galaxy shuttle will take
him to Jupiter. The Galaxy States will pay you the rest."
Tesh Jenko sipped his sckull. The foam crystallizing on his beard. " What did he do, stiff you?"
"My reasons are none of your business." The Venusian leaned further across the table. The bodyguards
reached for their weapons. "Rider better be in good shape when he reaches Jupiter."
"Or what?"
"You won't get the money. You will lose your life."
Jenko took another sip. "Jupiter executes mercenaries."
"Just do your part. And make sure all the codes come from Pike Sage."
"No problem, k'Toji." Jenko motioned to his bodyguard, who picked up the droyets. "No problem at
all."....
The healer found Moribian right where she left him. On the sidewalk. He was writing
on a torn piece of paper. He wrote with his talons. His ink a mixture of cigarette ash and his
own blood. He wrote and wrote. He didn't look up when Albvia sat down next to him.
"She's okay?"
"She's fine. Memphis will out live you." Again Albvia opened her medical bag.
"She probably will. Don't bother Albvia. Just leave it." Moribian closed his eyes. He felt
his world was closing in on him.
"Mori, you're going to bleed to death. What is wrong with you?"
"Do you know how Memphis got caught, Albvia?"
"Pike......."
"I made a deal with Jenko."
"You what?"
"Do you know why?"
"You made a deal?"
"I love her. Loved her for years."
You sent......?"
"I wanted to be able to spend time with her. If she went to Jupiter, everyone in the
galaxy would think she was dead. I would take her somewhere. Some moon or other. We
could start a new life?"
"You put everyone through this, because you wanted to take Memphis somewhere and
start a new life."
"It would have worked. It seem so perfect in the planning." He laughed to himself.
"You let Pike take the fall."
He went back to his writing. "I couldn't have asked for a better goat. His ego was
perfect for my plans. He wanted her out of the way so he could become Commander."
"I think you misjudged him, Moribian. He has nothing against Rider. Even he wouldn't
stoop that low. I wouldn't trust Pike to buy me lunch. But he would have never sent Memphis
to her death. I'm amazed that you could convince her otherwise."
"I made sure all codes came from him. What else would she think?"
"Now she's a fugitive. Do you know what will happen if she's recaptured?"
Moribian sighed.
"Mori, they will execute her on the spot."
"They won't get her. The cave mouse will see to it. He really loves her. I don't know
what made me think we could be together. It seemed so perfect. I don't know......" Moribian
began to ramble on. Albvia looked at him as if she had never seen him before. "Stop saying
that. It wasn't perfect. Mori, how could you be so foolish. You were the closest to her. She did
love you. Just not the way you wanted. Why couldn't you accept that?"
"If I had her alone, to myself, she would have loved me. We could have had a family.
We could Growing old together. No one would bother us."
"The Galaxy States would have found you eventually. Is that your confession?"
"No. I had that....I mean, I thought I had that worked out. And this is none of your
business." Moribian finished his letter, folded it and put inside his coat.
Albvia snorted. "You fool. Your plan fell apart the minute you thought it up."
~~~~
Modo read the last verse of the poem and closed the book.
"That was beautiful. I could listen to your voice for hours." She nestled against him.
Comforted in his soft fur. "I could do this forever."
He gently eased himself away from her, and got up from the bed.
"Now what?"
"There's a newspaper around here somewhere. I saw it.... here it is."
He sat down at the table and began thumbing through the pages. Again Memphis got
out of bed. Without looking up, he said. "Get back in bed, girl."
"Why should I? You're not there." She kissed his neck. "What are you doing?"
"Here's one. Problem is, I have no money."
Memphis looked over his shoulder. "I have money."
"You do?"
"I always get some of the currency of the target area. Just in case I have to bribe the
local yokels. My clients always know I need currency up front. Limburger was no different."
She walked over to her bike and lifted up the seat. She took out a wad of bills and handed it to
Modo
He got up and kissed her. "Miss Memphis ma'am. You are full of surprises."
She laughed. "Wait. You ain't seen nothing yet, big fella."
He picked up the newspaper. "Shall we give this a whirl, Miss Memphis ma'am?"
She bowed. "I would be so honored, Sir."
"This looks like the place, darling. What do you think?"
"I am ready." said Memphis, as she put her arm through his.
With helmets on, they entered into the building.
~~~~
Pike managed to get to his feet and climb on his bike. His face was swollen almost
beyond recognition. It was hard for him to talk. "I think it's about time you tell me why you set
Memphis up and put the blame on me?"
"Who says I did?"
"Don't play with me, k'Toji. Memphis is Albvia's idol. Hound didn't have enough brains
to plan something like this. That leaves only one person. And that person isn't me." Pike
painfully put on his helmet and revved up his engine. "I'm blowing this planet k'Toji. I'm
going back to Venus. If you ever show your face there. It will be the last place you will ever
see."
Pike looked at himself in the mirror. "Zeus, I guess I should consider myself lucky to be
alive. k'Toji packs quite a punch."
The elevator doors opened. Lawrence Limburger and Doctor Karbunkle stepped off.
"Ah, there you are, you antiquated assassin. That last skirmish of yours was a disaster. I really
must....aaaggghhh"
Pike turned and faced the Plutarkian. Limburger and the doctor cringed. "Uh, did
something happened?"
"I had words with Moribian." He turned back to the mirror.
"Oh my, I am truly sorry. But, well. As I started to say. Those insufferable squirrels are
still alive. Therefore I must inform you that our contract is forfeit."
"I lost a man because of you, Plutarkian. A good man."
"And my condolences, Mr. Pike. I will be glad to send flowers, if......"
"You're going to pay for that man, Plutarkian. That was your miserable plan.
Remember!"
"Excuse me? Now see here Sir. I am not in the habit of...MMPPHH!"
"Pike turned again this time with his pistol in his hand. He shoved it into Limburger's
oversized mouth. "Let me say it again fat fish. I lost a man. A good man. You will pay for that
man. Understand me?"
"Mmpphh, Mmpphh."
"Exactly. Now have that plutarkian psychopathic lackey over there give me all the
money you have. NOW!!!!"
"Mmmppphhh mmpphh! Mmmpphh." Limburger waved his arms towards the doctor.
Karbunkle bristled at being called a lackey. "I'm sorry, Your Puff Tartness, but I can't
understand you. You have a gun in your mouth." Pike pulled his shotgun and aimed at the
little doctor. "Uh, oh yes, money. Right away. Uh, excuse me Your Grated Parmaseaness. But I
don't know where the money is."
Limburger pointed to a picture of His Lord High Chairman Camembert on the far wall.
Behind it was the Plutarkian's safe. When Karbunkle opened it, millions in dollars and gold
gills fell out. Karbunkle jumped back in shock. "What.......? All this, and I've never been paid."
"Mmmppphh mmm..."
Karbunkle walked up to Limburger with his hands on his hips. "All this time I've work
for you. I have not been paid and you had all this money."
"Put it into the saddle bags, slime bucket. Or they'll be scraping you off the walls." said
Pike.
"Mmmmph, mmmph mmmmpphh..."
"I want to get paid."
Pike cocked the trigger of his shotgun.
"Oh, all right, if you insist. But it isn't fair."
Karbunkle stuffed hundreds of dollar bills and gold gills into the saddle bags on
mercenary's bike. Pike let Limburger go.
"Mmmpphh, I mean, GOONS! GOO...."
Pike brought down the handle of his pistol on Limburger's head. "Shut up, you smelly
sardine." Pike turned towards Karbunkle. The doctor ran for the elevator just as the doors
open. Greasepit was about to emerge when the doctor slammed into him, knocking Greasepit
back into the car. The doors closed.
"Old Rubber Gloves is probably getting your goons now. Doesn't give me much time."
He rode over to the transporter and starting pushing buttons an levers. "Okay!!" He turned to
Limburger still prostrate on the floor. "It's been real, fat face. But it's time to say good bye. Give
my regards to Memphis and my team mates. "He laughed as he rode into the transporter.
The doors to the lab opened. Bullets came from all sides. Greasepit, Karbunkle and the
goons burst in. Limburger, who was struggling to get to his feet, fell down to the ground and
covered his head with his hands. He looked up tentatively and smiled. "GOONS. ALL MY
GOONS. VENTILATE THAT VENUSIAN VAGABOND. GET HIM. DON'T LET HIM LEAVE."
"I wouldn't try that." Pike grabbed his last nukebomb and lobbed it towards Limburger,
Karbunkle and Greasepit.
"AAAUUGGHH!" The two oversize creatures plus one small creature tried to run away.
The more the tried, the more they ran into each other.
~~~~
"What are you going to do now?
"Go somewhere. Get my money and go somewhere, anywhere! "
"What about Pike?"
"What about him?"
"Does he know. Does he know that you used him against Memphis?"
"He figured it out."
"The Commander should know the truth."
"Why? Let her think it was Pike. He'll be on Venus and she'll be...on Mars, I guess."
"Look, I'll go with you, but you'll have to tell her."
"No."
The blast echoed in their ears.
Albvia stood up. "It's Pike! Zeus, Now what?"
Moribian pushed himself to an upright position. "Memphis might be in trouble. We
better go."
"Will you tell her, after this is all over?"
"Healer, what part of "no" don't you understand?"
"It's not right.
"Albvia..."
As they rode off, she said "I will not let you do this."
~~~~
"How do you feel?" asked Modo as he help Memphis out of the side car.
"Wonderful. And you?"
"The same, darling. You are the best thing that's ever happened to me." He took her in
his arms.
"Next to meeting Throttle and Vinnie. Charley too."
"That's not true."
"Yes it is. And I understand it. Those two care about you so much. As you do them. They
don't want you hurt." She held him at arms length. "I will say this only once. I know, that if at
any time Throttle or Vinnie think I was scamming you, they would take me out. I would do the
same for my friends. Always stay together. Don't let anything break you up. That is important.
Promise me."
He looked at her incredulously. "Promise. You are something else, lady. Something
else."
"And now, you're stuck with me."
"Yep."
They heard the rebel yell from down below.
"AAAOOO! Vin Man is in the house. Women SWOON before me."
"Swoon?"
"Don't ask. How are you feeling Memphis?" asked Charley as she got off of Vinnie's
bike.
"Fine." She looked at Modo. "Just fine."
Throttle rode in a few minutes later with cases of root beer and some hot dogs. "Here's
the food, let's eat."
"I just can't stand these things." Memphis stared at the wiener. She took it out of the
roll. Scrape off the onions and mustard. Then ate the roll. "Ummm. Yum."
Vinnie stared at her like she landed from another planet. Then he leaned toward her.
"Memphis, dudette, if you're gonna be my girl, you better learn to love this delicacy." He
winked. Charley grabbed the unsheathed wiener mustard and all and hit Vinnie on the head
with it.
They all laughed. "Good to see you laughing again Memphis."
"And such a lovely laugh it is." said Modo as he kissed her.
"Hey, hey! On your own time. Okay?"
Modo blushed.
"Did you find Pike or the others?" she asked.
"Didn't see a soul, Dudette. Limburger's kinda quiet too."
"Damn. He'll probably get Karbunkle to send him back to Venus. I'm worried about
Mori too. Albvia says he's acting funny." Memphis went to get her helmet. "I've got to get
there."
"Whoa, whoa. Lady. You're supposed to be recovering." said Throttle.
"I am recovering. And I'll recover even more after I remove a painful thorn."
"Memp......"
The blast sounded in the distance but still rocked the scoreboard.
"Oh man, what was...."
"Memphis snarled. PIKE!!! ENOUGH OF THIS!" She ran and grabbed her helmet, leaped
on her bike and left the scoreboard before the four even had a chance to stand up."
"Wait, I'm not finished with your bike." said Charley.
The alien touched her belt, The X-Gal started. "As long as it gets me there." She rode
through the opening.
"But your weapons?"
"MEMPHIS WAIT!" yelled Modo. Memphis was already in hyper speed.. But the guys
were seconds behind her. Vinnie swooped his tail around Charley's waist as he rode off. They
all headed for Limburger Tower.
~~~~
Goons scattered in all directions. Limburger, Greasepit and Karbunkle laid toe to toe on
the floor. They sat up, shaking the cobwebs out of their heads just as Moribian and Albvia
came crashing through the windows. Greasepit sat up, his head whirling around. Small
nukebombs circled his head. "Uh boss, I tink da phun is ringin' Uggh." He fell back again.
Limburger started to rise to his feet just as Moribian grabbed him. He brought
Limburger close to his helmet. "What is happening here Plurtarkian?"
"MY MONEY. GET MY M-O-N-E-Y!" Limburger pointed to the transporter. "GET
HIM!!!!!"
"Money?" said Albvia.
"THAT SKINNY SPACE PIRATE HAS MY MONEY."
"You paid him?"
"PAID?!!!!!! HE STOLE MY MONEY, YOU FOOLISH FEMALE. He has all my money in
those saddle bags. Get him before he transports." He yelled at Greasepit, who was still trying to
get up, but he kept slipping in his own oil. "WOULD SOMEBODY GET THAT ASININE
ASSASSIN!!!!"
"Too late, my friends. My ship is taking off." Pike smirked as the transporter started to
throb. "It's been real."
Moribian dropped Limburger and raced towards the transporter whirled his chains
around his head ready to release them.
"I said it's too late." Pike blasted Moribian off his bike. It skidded into the transporter.
Albvia drew her shotgun and fired. Pike disappeared.
"HE GOT AWAY. YOU VENUSIAN VERMIN. HE GOT AWAY WITH MY MONEY!"
"Gee, boss. ya can always make more. Uh, can't ya?" Limburger took a chair and hit
Greasepit in the head with it.
"Shut up you worthless wormhole. KARBUNKLE, GET HIM BACK."
"I'm trying, Your Cheapskateness. I can't bring him back. It's too....."
"PIKE!!!!!!" Memphis yelled. She jumped off her bike and tore off her helmet. She
banged on the door of the transporter and screaming her nemesis' name over and over. But
Pike Sage was already on Venus with Moribian's bike and a small hole between his eyes.
"Stop that, you heinous heifer. That is delicate equipment." Karbunkle looked at
Limburger. "Look at what she's doing to my transporter."
"It would seem, my dear doctor, that our blue-tinged friend has lost her mind."
"It would seem so."
"I think this would be a good time to vacate these premises."
"A perfect time Your I Can't Believe It's Not Butteriness." The pair quickly and quietly
made their escape.
Modo pulled Memphis away from the transporter, and took her in his arms. "Stop. It's
over."
"Commander, rest assured, he did not reach Venus alive. I hit my mark. Pike Sage is no
more." Albvia holstered her shotgun. and went over to her fallen comrade."
Memphis whirled around. "You cheated me out of my revenge, Albvia Sea. That was
my take."
"Pike cheated me out of my money, Commander. THAT was my take. He cheated us all."
"Damn you. I wanted him so badly, I could taste it." She stopped venting when she
realized that Albvia was kneeling over Moribian k'Toji.
"Mori. Oh no. Will he be alright?"
Albvia shook her head. "There is nothing I can do for him now. His first encounter
with Pike left him in a weakened condition. And he wouldn't let me help him."
Memphis took his hand in hers. "Mori, talk to me. Let Alb help you."
"Tell her."
"Tell me? Tell me what?"
"Tell her Mori, or I will. Don't leave like this. Not with a lie on your lips.'"
"Lie?"
"I mean it, Moribian. Pike was scum. But he was not responsible for Jupiter.."
"What?"
Mori sighed and then coughed. "Take your revenge out on me Memphis. I was the one
who sent you there."
"......Thanks to your number two man, the hunter is now the hunted. And the
hunted has been snared..........."
Memphis stared at Moribian. "No I refuse to believe this. You're my best friend. My
best hunter. My...... YOU were my number two man." She put her hand to her chest as if
trying to calm her heart. "Why? Why would you do this to me?" She leaned over and grabbed
him by his coat. "ANSWER ME. "
Albvia put her hand on Moribian's chest. "He can no longer hear you, Commander."
Memphis looked at Albvia. "But...."
"He wanted the galaxy to think you were dead. Then you two could go off somewhere.
Something like that." She took the letter out of Mori's coat, and gave it to Memphis.
Memphis looked at the letter and then down at her friend's lifeless form. His chains
were still in his hand. She picked them up. "Was he crazy?" Memphis whispered.
"No, Commander, just in love."
Limburger's voice came over the loud speaker. "GOONS! RID ME OF THAT VERMIN IN
THE LAB. DESTROY THEM!"
'Limburger!" Throttle said. "I didn't even realize he was gone."
"That deviant doctor too. What's the plan?"
"Commander, help me get Moribian back to Venus. Neither of us are of use to you
now."
Memphis was still in a state of shock. She just stared at Moribian. "Love?"
"NOW, Commander, before the Plutarkian comes back."
"That's the plan. Let's get him in the transporter."
Charley ran over to the transporter and reset the coordinates. Throttle, Vinnie and
Modo lifted the big alien up and put him inside.
" We've been on this road a long time Commander. I will miss you. Be happy in your
new life. This mouse cares for you. You will do fine." Then she gave her boss a Venusian salute
and got into the transporter. "Take care of her cave mouse."
The goons came back just as Charley pulled the lever. "Time to bail." said Throttle. "We
had enough excitement for one day." The mice, Memphis and Charley made short work of
Limburger's goons and roared out of the tower.
Memphis slowed her bike and then stopped. She removed her helmet. The others
stopped a little ahead of her. Modo turn around and rode back.
"I'm sorry, darling. I wish there was something I could say to comfort you."
"There's nothing. I...I just want to go somewhere. I want to be by myself." Her eyes
began to well up. "I just can't believe all of this."
"This is not the place for us." Throttle said quietly to Vinnie and Charley. "Let's get back
to the garage."
They sat on the lake shore, just as they had four days ago. She down by the water's
edge, toying with Moribian's locking chains, as he sat further back on the shore. He leaned
against his bike, never taking his eyes off of her. Memphis opened the letter Albvia gave her.
The homemade ink was smudged in spots, but she got the gist of his confession.
I CAN'T EXPLAIN THIS. IT WAS JUST STUPID. IT SEEMS SO PERFECT. BUT IT FELL APART. I HAVE LOVED
YOU AND WANTED TO BE WITH YOU SINCE OUR ARMY DAYS. I HAVE THOUGHT OF NOTHING ELSE ALL THESE
YEARS. I THOUGHT WE COULD SPEND OUR FINAL DAYS TOGETHER. NO BOUNTIES, NO SHERIFFS, NO GALAXY
STATES. IF THE COSMOS THOUGHT YOU WERE DEAD. WE COULD LIVE THE REST OF OUR LIVES IN PEACE. ALL
THIS TIME I THOUGHT YOU COULD LEARN TO LOVE ME AS I LOVED YOU. I JOIN THE SQUAD BECAUSE OF YOU.
I WOULD DO ANYTHING TO BE NEAR YOU. BUT YOU NEVER NOTICE. YOU SAW ME AS A FRIEND. I WANTED
MORE. THAT WASN'T FAIR TO YOU.
IT WAS EASY ENOUGH TO GET YOU TO BELIEVE IT WAS PIKE. YOU TWO HATED EACH OTHER. OR I
THOUGHT YOU DID. ALBVIA SAYS DIFFERENT. ALL THE CODES WERE PASSED THROUGH PIKE, BUT HE HAD NO
IDEA IT WAS A SET-UP. I MADE A DEAL WITH TESH JENKO. HE OWED ME A FAVOR. I COLLECTED. I WOULD
HAVE GOTTEN YOU OFF JUPITER. BUT SOMEHOW, THAT FAT PLUTARKIAN GOT TO YOU FIRST. I DIDN'T EVEN
KNOW YOU HAD ESCAPED TILL I ARRIVED HERE. BUT IT WORKED OUT. I STILL COULD HAVE TAKEN YOU.
THAT IS UNTIL YOU TOLD ME ABOUT THE CAVE MOUSE. I THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO DIE WHEN YOU TOLD
ME ABOUT HIM. NOW I AM GOING TO DIE. IT'S FOR THE BEST. ALL I CAN DO IS ASK FOR YOUR FORGIVENESS.
ASK THAT YOU NOT HATE ME. I KNOW IT WILL BE HARD, BUT PLEASE TRY. I PRAY YOU LIVE THE REST OF YOUR
LIVE IN HARMONY. MODO CARES FOR YOU VERY MUCH. LIVE LONG WITH HIM.
MORI
She looked out over the lake. It was still hard for her to comprehend what happened.
She continued to stare out over the lake. Then she disrobe and walked into the lake. The water
was cool and inviting. Modo was instantly on his feet. He ran down to the shore. But soon
realized that she wasn't going to end her life. She just needed the calm that she found being in
water. He looked at how the moonlight played on her wet pale blue skin. Her wet hair glowed.
she gets more beautiful by the minute he thought to himself.
"I didn't know he loved me like that." she said as she walked back to the shore. "All this
time, when I thought it was Pike, I wanted to kill him. I hated him. But, well, I can't hate
Moribian. I just can't"
"That's because you were very close to him. I think you did love him in a way." He put
his arms around her and held her close. The smooth wetness of her skin exhilarating him.
"I love you. Modo. There has never been anyone else and never will be. I'll miss Mori.
I'll miss him dearly. He was my truest friend. And there will always be a place for him in my
heart. But it is you I love. For the rest of my life I will be by your side."
"That's all I can ask for. Besides, I promised Albvia. I will always love and take care of
you."
"We will always be together."
"Always. We are one now."
They kissed passionately. And spent the rest of the night on the shore.
~~~~
"Hey, you two are just in time for breakfast." said Vinnie through a mouth full of hot
dogs.
"Don't you guys ever eat anything else?" Memphis laughed. Spending the night with
Modo brightened her spirits.
"Is there anything else?"
Memphis shook her head. She decided she really didn't want to go through Vincent's
eating habits again.
"How about some eggs and bacon?" asked Charley as she put more hot dogs on the
table.
"Eggs and what?"
"Bacon. Goes great with the coffee." said Charley. "Come join me."
"Sure, why not?" she looked at Modo. "Will I like it?"
"Don't know, darling. I never had eggs and bacon." He sat down and started helping
himself to the hotdogs.
"Bros. Limburger is still around. He has sent the last of his stupid villains a........
Throttle looked sheepishly at Rider. "Sorry, Memphis."
"No need for apologies. Pike was not the smartest in the world. And I guess Albvia,
Mori and Hound had more loyalty than sense. I don't know."
Charley put a cup of coffee in front of her. "What is your plan, Throttle?"
"We must eliminate Limburger. It is time we rid this planet of this plague." said
Memphis.
The loud voice came out of nowhere. Everyone jumped. Vinnie's hot dog skittered out
of its bun and into Charley's coffee, splashing the java all over her and Memphis. The voice
was unmistakable, even through the loud speaker.
"GOONS, ALL MY GOONS. REMOVE THIS PUTRID PIECE OF PROPERTY OFF THE FACE
OF THE EARTH. ELIMINATE ALL WITHIN ITS WALLS. ATTAAAAAAAAAAAAAACK!!!!!!" Bullets
and bombs started to fly into the garage. The five inhabitants leaped for their motorcycles.
"Memphis." said Charley as she got on her bike. "I still need to work on your weapons."
"It doesn't matter now. I'll use what I got."
They burst through the side wall, where they were met by six or seven of Limburger
goons.
"The battle is on, bros, lets divide and conquer number forty-five."
"Forty-five?" asked Vinnie
"I'm out of maneuvers, Vincent. Just use anything that comes into your head. The five
split and each took on their own set of goons. Vinnie circled around four goons. He released
the grappling hook from the back of his bike and hog-tied them. He raced around one
lamppost and then another. The goons were suspended mid air between the two poles.
Throttle had separated two more goons from their dune buggies by using his nukenucks.
Charley had added more fire power to her rocket launcher and decided this was a good time
to test it out. She sent one rocket over to Limburger's limousine. He responded by taking a
machine gun and firing out the roof window. The doctor joining him. Memphis's cloaking
device was still functional. The fat Plutarkian never saw her coming. The next thing he knew
he and his machine were on the ground wrapped up in Moribian's chains. The grappling
hooks dug in to the ground and stayed there.
"Oomph! GET ME OUT OF THIS THING. GET ME OUT, YOU LITTLE DEVIANT."
Limburger yell at the doctor.
"Will I get paid, Your Bucket of Artery Clogging Fatness?"
"Anything. All my money. Just get me OUT!"
"Promise."
"Oh for Plutark's sake. Yes, yes I promise. NOW GET ME OUT OF THESE CHAINS."
Karbunkle pulled and tugged with all his might. The more he tugged the tighter they wrapped
around Limburger ample frame. Memphis circled back and grabbed Limburger, Karbunkle,
chains and all and dragged them down the street. They looked like oversized, oddly shaped
balloons that had escaped their master. Memphis headed for the Tower.
"Hey guys look at that." said Vinnie.
"Looks like your lady hooked a big one, Modo. LET'S GO" said Throttle
"Heh, heh heh That's my girl!" laughed Modo
"ALL RIGHT!" Charley fired a few more rounds at the goons and followed her friends
to Limburger Tower. Memphis burst into the tower with her prey in tow. She rode around the
transporter and threw them inside. "Kiss this planet good-bye, Plutarkian. You will never see it
again." Limburger landed with a dull thud. His head hit the wall of the transporter and he was
knocked out cold.
Rider's comrades followed her into the building. Throttle rode over to the transporter
and set the coordinates for Plutark. It was hard for him to believe that they're were finally
sending Limburger to his just reward.
"No. Set it to Jupiter. If he goes to Plutark, Camembert will just send him back or
somewhere else. Jupiter will finish him." said Memphis.
"This is it, stink breath. You're going down." said Modo. He took his lady in his arms
and gave her a long passionate kiss.
Vinnie swooped his tail around Charley. "One good thing came out of this Charley
girl."
"I know. As much as I hate to say it. We should thank that fat cheese. Without him we
would never have met." Their kiss matched Modo and Memphis' second for second.
Then the five freedom fighters gave each other the high sign. "Are we the baddest
mammajammers in the universe or what?" yelled Vinnie.
During this time Karbunkle crawled, unseen, out of the transporter. "Wrong, my
Martian friends. This will not be the end of Plutarkian rule." Karbunkle mumbled. "If his Royal
Lard Butt goes down, so do I. I cannot allow that." Karbunkle knew he couldn't pull
Limburger, who was still out cold, from the transporter without attracting attention. So he
tried to get to the launch button and cancel the process. Greasepit and the remainder of the
goons came roaring in.
Throttle saw Karbunkle trying to change the coordinates. He tapped him on the
shoulder. "Naughty, naughty, doctor. No touchie or you'll get a spanking. Like this!!" Throttle
decked the doctor.
Greasepit came up behind Throttle. "Yur mine, now, mousie." Greasepit knocked him
to the floor. "Hey, I gots 'im. I gots da mousie. Boy, won't mom be proud. Huh? Hey!"
The slightly dazed Karbunkle grabbed Throttle's Martian blaster and started shooting-
in all directions. Greasepit, trying to duck Karbunkle's onslaught, slipped in his own oil. As he
slid across the room he passed Memphis and inadvertently yanked the silver circlet from
around her neck. Then he hit the wall with a resounding thud. A shelf holding Karbunkle's
various mutating liquids in various vials and beakers fell. One landed on Greasepit's head and
lodging itself there. He dropped the necklace trying to get the beaker off. Charley saw it fall to
the floor and picked it up.
Vinnie let loose his grenades. Five goons were knocked out of their buggies "Modo,
behind you buddy!" He yelled.
Modo turned in time to see two of the goons try to hog-tie him. His bionic eye glowed.
The goons changed their minds. "HaHaHa, Don't even think about it wrench heads."
Greasepit, with the beaker still lodged on his head stumbled near the transporter.
Rider had made a leaping double kick and knocked the gun out of Karbunkle's hand. Throttle
got to his feet, pounced on two goons and knocked their heads together. Two more goons
came up behind Memphis and grabbed her. She struggled, trying to fight them off.
Then everything happened in slow motion. The goon crashed into Karbunkle.
Karbunkle crashed into Rider. Memphis fell backwards into the transporter and landed on top
of Limburger. He regained consciousness. "What? Where am .......NOOOOOOOO!"
Greasepit yanked on and broke the lever
Vinnie tried to grab Memphis, but she was just out of his reach. "OH MAN. GET OUT
OF THERE." yelled the white mouse.
Modo stopped just short of vaping three more goons when he saw the scene at the
transporter. NOOOOOOOO!!" yelled Modo. "MEMPHIS!!!!!!!"
"Oh my God." gasped Charley.
Throttle, on his knees trying to shake the cobwebs. "Wha....Damn, what happened?"
Memphis Rhyme also known as The DarkRider, most wanted by the Galaxy States,
fugitive from justice, was transported to Jupiter.
The big gray mouse climbed over the various bodies of the goons he dispatched. Vinnie
was already at the transporter trying to kick down the door. Throttle used his nukenucks to
break the control panel. Then he and Charley tried to rework the wiring, but to no avail.
Modo grabbed the doctor by the collar. "BRING HER BACK!!!!!!! BRING HER BACK,
YOU RANCID RUNT, OR I'LL POUND YOU INTO JELLY." Modo yelled as he swung Karbunkle
over his head. He threw against all four walls. Picked him up and threw him again.
"Big fella, stop it! Modo! You're gonna kill him!" Throttle yelled.
"I....I.....I can't. The lever.....broken." cough the doctor passed out.
"Modo, Modo! It's too late, bro. We can't get to her." said Throttle, as he tried to stop
his friend. "She's gone. I'm sorry Modo." Throttle put his hand on Modo's shoulder. "We tried
everything. We just....we just weren't fast enough."
Charley and Vinnie stood helplessly by the transporter. Out of frustration Vinnie gave
it one last kick. Charley looked down at the silver circlet in her hand and started to cry.
Vincent took Charley in his arms. He wanted to cry too, but he wouldn't do it in front of his
friends.
Modo threw Karbunkle into the transporter and dropped down to his knees. He let out
a blood curdling cry. It was a cry that was heard on all the streets of Chicago. A cry that was
heard in all of Illinois. A cry heard though out the world and the universe.
On Jupiter, Memphis heard the cry in her heart and met her fate with her last words.
"I love you Modo."
end of episode four
note: memphis rhyme, pike sage, moribian k'Toji, Albvia Sea and Hound are strictly from the demented mind of carolyn rebecca jones.
All other character are the property of brentwood television funnies, inc.
please do not sell or change this writing.
this episode was edited by amice, to whom i give my heart felt thanks.
(c) 1996 carolyn