Okay, this is my second original story that isn't a one-shot, hopefully this one won't die out like my first one did... Anyway I hope you like it, I think it's my best story yet. Please, please, PLEASE read and review!!! R&Rs make my day -
Obviously, I own nothing except the plot and the wording. How sad...
The Machine
"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Luigi said skeptically, inspecting the new machine.
"Of course I am, sonny!" Prof. E. Gadd replied, waving a hand dismissively. He walked up to the strange contraption and patted its smooth metal casing fondly. "This ghost portal will allow me to further my research on the supernatural and expand my already vast knowledge of the matter."
"Let me get this straight." Luigi said, crossing his arms. "This machine, if it works, will let us look into the ghost realm, and also allows ghosts to come here?"
"Of course, ghosts can exit their realm anywhere at any time, if they get the notion," Gadd said, checking his calculations which he had scribbled on a piece of paper on a clipboard in his large hands. "But this is without a doubt the only way we can go there."
Luigi cast a nervous glance at the machine. It was a freestanding thick metal ring on a metal base, with steps leading up to the opening. The hole itself was large enough to walk through. The entire thing was covered in lights, knobs and switches. It was brand new, and its smooth, gleaming surface seemed out of place inside the cluttered, dimly-lit laboratory.
"And you wanted me to help because…?"
"Well, you've helped me before with this sort of thing," the aged professor said with a shrug. "I don't really know anyone else who'd be up to the job. You've had experience with the Gameboy Horror, and the Poltergust-"
"Wait, the Poltergust?" Luigi interrupted. "You're going to try to catch ghosts in their own world?"
Gadd waggled his finger at the young man. "You mean we," he corrected. "You'll be taking the prototype Poltergust 3000, and I'll have the newer Poltergust 3001. I want to see if there are any more famous or interesting ghosts I can add to my gallery."
"But- but-" Luigi stammered. The last thing on earth he wanted to do was go into a world full of nothing but ghosts. And the idea of going there armed against them? It was absurd. They were bound to be outnumbered a million to one.
He was suddenly snapped out of his thoughts by a large hand grabbing him by the wrist and tugging him over to the portal. The short old man was hopping up and down excitedly and waving his free hand. "This is it! One small step for men, a giant leap for ghost researchers everywhere!" he cried animatedly. He let go of Luigi's wrist and, after adjusting his large, round, thick-lensed glasses, he reached up and pressed a large silver button.
Nothing happened. Luigi was about to suggest that maybe they should just accept that it was a complete failure, oh well, and can I go home now? when he realized that E. Gadd hadn't stopped at one button. He was busily flipping switches, pushing buttons and turning knobs, obviously concentrating hard.
"Let's see…" he muttered under his breath. "Fourth row up, sixth from the left, third switch, eighth switch… oh, Luigi, would you mind grabbing the Poltergusts and Gameboy Horrors? And my knapsack, of course, and you may want to bring a flashlight or two- it could be dark in there." He spoke without turning away from the portal or stopping the complex procedure of turning it on.
Luigi sighed. It looked like there was no changing his friend's mind; he was going, whether he liked it or not. He turned and walked to a large table, where Prof. Gadd had arranged all of their equipment. Strapping on his Poltergust and grabbing a flashlight (which Gadd kept dozens of) he glanced over the supplies. It looked like the brilliant scientist had thought of everything, except… it seemed like there was something missing.
"Um, Professor?" he said, staring over his shoulder at the metal ring. "How long are you planning on having us in there?"
"Oh, a month or so," the old man replied, as though he were talking about taking an extended vacation on Isle Delphino. "Give or take. It all depends, young feller."
"Won't we need food?" Luigi said, looking back at the gadgets that E. Gadd had prepared.
The professor chuckled. "Ohohohoho, it's true young men always think on their stomachs! No, we won't be needing food. If my theories are correct, we'll need food there as much as they need food here. It'll be like we're the ghosts in their world."
Luigi's stomach churned at the idea of him being a ghost. He shook his head clear of the thoughts and grabbed the supplies. When he picked up Gadd's backpack he nearly dropped it on his foot, it was so heavy. "Oof. What've you got in this, lead?"
"Don't be silly. Lead is much too dense. Most of it's stainless steel and silicon… oh, it's my research equipment," he added at Luigi's questioning look. "Didn't think I was goin' in there unprepared, did ya? Speaking of which, hand me my camera. It should be on top. I want to document every part of our journey."
Luigi opened the pack and grabbed a rather old looking camera out of the bag of high-tech gadgetry. Gadd, who had stopped pressing buttons and flipping toggles, took the camera from the young man and snapped a picture of the large machine. "Could you do me another favor, and flip that first toggle on the right of the doorway?"
Luigi raised an eyebrow. "Wait, toggle? You mean switch?"
"Just flip it, already!"
He shrugged and reached up, grabbed the handle of the large switch, and pulled it down. "Great, now flip the second toggle." Luigi did as he was told, and for the first time he noticed signs of the machine actually working. It was emitting a low mechanical hum, like an old computer. Lights around the mouth of the ring began to blink with green and purple lights. Prof. Gadd took another picture.
"Everything's working! I knew it would, I knew it I knew it! Are we all ready? Everything packed? Do we have extra batteries? Good! This is it!" he cried, bouncing up and down on his heels. He reached up and extended a finger towards the machine, and pressed the large silver button again.
A flash like lightening came from the center of the ring, and the lights in the lab flickered and went out. Luigi squeaked fearfully. "Don't worry; I anticipated that this would happen! The machine is draining the power from the rest of the house! LOOK!" the professor cried, pointing at the ring.
Luigi couldn't have looked away if he'd tried. From the center of the round doorway pure darkness was spreading outwards to the rim of the portal, like a mist made of nightmares. At last the shadow came in contact with the edges of the thick metal hoop, and it seemed to become a tangible thing- the young man was horrified to find that he had an overpowering desire to reach out and touch the darkness, to embrace it, let it wash over him. Let it drown him. He shook violently.
Purple lightening flashed across the opening, but it seemed distant- miles away, perhaps. The bulky metal machine had undoubtedly become a doorway into the unknown. The professor took a shaky step up the first stair leading to the portal. He slowly reached his hand out to the darkness, but withdrew it before he came in contact. Raising the camera to his face and stepping back a pace, he snapped a picture of the swirling vortex.
"Well, Luigi my boy," he said, suddenly solemn. "This is really it. Now or never, this is the last chance to back down. What do you say?"
Luigi was staring into the portal, his bright blue eyes wide. He was terrified, and yet… fascinated, somehow. He suddenly realized that he couldn't turn back now if he wanted to. Something inside of him wanted desperately to see the other side of the door, and he knew he couldn't resist it, no matter how scared he was. He turned his head to face Gadd, and nodded resolutely.
"Oh, good. For a minute there you had me worried," the little scientist said. Then he cleared his throat and announced to the world in general (though only Luigi was around to hear him), "Let the records show that I, Professor Elvin Z. Gadd, at approximately 7:35 PM, along with my friend and colleague Luigi Mario, will with the aide of the Gadd Atomic Displacement Ghost Portal cross the barrier between the world of the living and the realm of the dead, which has until now eluded the grasp of mankind."
He grinned. "How was that for a speech, eh, young feller? Made it up just now as I was standing there. Well, there's no time to waste! This is the single most important moment in the history of supernatural research, so let's not hinder it, eh?" he said, and, hefting his pack and dragging the Poltergust 3001 behind him, he gravely climbed the steps. He paused for a brief moment, and then stepped into the black hole. And vanished.
Luigi stared at the spot where the small scientist should have been. What was he doing?!? He needed to leave, right now. Gadd was crazy; he'd get himself killed in there… Luigi shook his head. No way. He had to go, no matter what. The modified vacuum strapped to his back he found oddly comforting, even more than the thin light produced by the flashlight held in one trembling hand, and he was glad to have it. He swallowed hard, and stepped up to the screen of pure black. Squeezing his eyes shut tight, he bit his lip and stepped through.