Chapter 10.
WILLIAM ROGERS USAF BASE,
GLEN LARSON, SCOTLAND
(JULY 26, 1981)
The grayish-colored shuttle came to a graceful landing within the hangar. Along with its two-fighter escort. Whereupon, the American major general called everyone to attention. A minute later, the shuttle's doors opened.
The stately old gentleman who emerged from within it wore a dark blue cloak with matching unitard. He was flanked by two younger men who bore formidable-looking sidearms. And, whose uniforms were identical to the pilots who emerged from the almost oval-shaped fighters.
The major general spoke first.
"Commander Adama, I presume?"
The stately old gentleman nodded.
"I am General James Henderson, United States Air Force. On my left? My adjutant: Colonel Straker. On my right? Sir Gerald McAndrew: Member of Parliament representing our host country, Scotland of the United Kingdom of Great Britain, in general. And, this district of Scotland in particular."
Commander Adama bowed, twice more, before replying.
"Greetings, gentlemen. And, on behalf of the Quorum of Twelve, I thank you for arranging this historic moment with such relative promptness."
Watching this first contact situation via closed-circuit television, Hank Summers of the DRI turned to the pair of scientists next to him.
"Aren't you guys interested in this?"
Dr. Mortinson, from the Pacific Technological Institute in Los Angeles, smiled and shook his head.
"I'm the one who _introduced_ Troy and Dillon to them. Remember?"
Dr. Douglas Jackson (nee Vladek Jankowski) was a bit more dour-looking as he added his metaphorical two cents.
"I am fully aware how much we owe the Galacticans for their aid against that flotilla of flying saucers. Right now, though, I am more concerned with solving the mystery of how these blue-skinned beings can replicate us, so easily. Taking over their abductees through psionic transference is one thing. Your friends in the Legacy have proven the efficacy of that. But, an entire undersea base staffed with clones of us? That would require samples of genetic material from each person at S.H.A.D.O.! And, how on Earth could they possibly get hold of those?"
Hank shrugged.
"I don't know. Maybe the answer to that question would also explain how this renegade Galactican, Xavier, bears such an uncanny resemblance to Prince Voytek of Clan Tzimice."
SUNNYDALE HIGH SCHOOL,
OCT. 31, 1997 (7:17 P.M./PST)
Fenestra was not deterred by the implied threat.
"He plans to use the anomalous energy of this nexus to blow up the power plant of the refugees' Moonbase. The discharge from which will act like thrusters on a spaceship. Propelling your Moon out of its orbit and deep into space!"
"What?" exclaimed Will, not believing what he had just heard.
"He knows what that will do to Earth," she continued: "But, he doesn't care! Not if it also destroys those he calls 'the Tomorrow People.' Earth youngsters, like yourself. But, ones whose psionic potentials have been recently activated. Unaided, and centuries early. Because, he fears them! He fears their descendants s-s-supplanting. . .him!"
Fenestra pressed her hands to her pain-wracked forehead, all the harder, now. While Iblis' face was positively beet-red, he was now so flustered.
"And, you wouldn't? What about this young whelp? Do you relish the prospect of _him_ supplanting _you_ as the star of Marvello's troupe? Assuming, of course, you can sign him up at all. Oh, yes, he needs you as a conductress right now! Yet, what about a few yahrens from now? How long till he outgrows his need for you?"
Will and Fenestra looked at each other, as if the Elder Being had gone mad.
"What if I made it so he could _never_ leave you?" Iblis persisted: "What if you could keep him in the palm of your hand, forever?"
"You're crazy!" Will declared.
"Am I?" retorted Iblis.
Whereupon, he pointed at Will with his right index finger. Causing the latter to disappear with a reverberating "pop!" Fenestra sprang to her feet, her gasp echoed by Jeannie in perfect unison.
"What have you done to Will Robinson?!" the former cried.
Iblis' grin could only be described as diabolical.
"Exactly what I said I'd do. Look at the palm of your right hand."
Fenestra did as instructed, out of pure reflex. And, she gasped once more as Will rematerialized.
Albeit, at only three inches tall!
* * * * *
Darth Vader momentarily paused before replying to Dooku-Dracula's boast.
"If what you say is true, you must know I will not permit that. I owe that to Padme's memory."
The possessed vampire laughed with shameless arrogance: "And, just how do you plan to stop me?"
Vader did not reply, verbally. Instead, he closed his eyes and concentrated on what he had glimpsed on the opposite wall, just behind his opponent's back.
Namely a water fountain.
He concentrated on its liquid contents slowly building up pressure. Trying and trying to geyser upward and outward. But, to no avail. Causing even more pressure to build up. And, Dracula-Dooku was completely unaware of this! Or, rather, he remained so. . .up until the entire fountain began to rattle.
"What in the name of the F. . .?" the latter started to ask, half-aloud.
BOOM!
As the possessed vampire turned around, the fountain virtually rocketed away from the wall. Slamming into Dooku-Dracula's stomach so fast, even the Force could not help him to evade it! Conversely, of course, his concentration broke enough that Vader was able to dodge to his right. Letting Dooku-Dracula now occupy the spot where he had been pinned, seconds earlier.
"Now, we end this," declared the cyborg Sith Lord.
Whereupon, he used the Force to retrieve his fallen lightsaber and reactivate it. He then raised it over his right shoulder. Fully intending to decapitate his foe while the latter was still disoriented. Before he could follow through, however, a new voice shouted for him to:
"STOP!"
Vader looked up.
"Who dares. . .?!"
He saw three teenage boys before him. One with black hair, flanked by a tall one with red hair, and a short one with brown hair.
"My name is Adam Newman," said the black-haired boy: "These are my friends, Kevin and Megabyte. And, together. . .we're the Tomorrow People."
tbc
S.H.A.D.O. (Supreme Headquarters, Alien Defense Organization): a fictional Anglo-American task force founded to protect the Earth-week after week-from invasion by blue-skinned aliens, in beehive-shaped flying saucers, on "UFO." One of the few non-puppet shows done for television by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson, it ran in syndication for one season circa 1970 (though set ten years in the then-future).
Tomorrow People: I understand there was a previous BBC series by that title that was sort of a cross between DOCTOR WHO, STAR TREK: TOS, and THE X-MEN. American translation? Like the Nickelodeon-syndicated remake (1992-95) that I'm more familiar with, it was about various teenagers gaining psychic super-powers as part of the next step in Earthling evolution. And, using said powers to protect the world from various evil-doers.