Earos watched the proceedings with a great deal of interest. Aside from the untimely entrance do to a breakthrough, these five people might prove to be interesting...given the right circumstances.
In the shadows, Everis watched his colleague. For the first time since the beginning of time, he was about to challenge the outcome to one of the experiments. And he had no idea how it was going to end.
Thank you.
Glancing around quickly to see if the others had heard, she smiled back at him.
Ray says there's only a little more to go. You can make it.
"Come on Egon, it's only a little further," Winston said. "Don't make me carry you."
"How much longer on time Ray?" Peter asked.
"Half an hour," he answered. "Plenty of time."
Apparently Pala'lan didn't think so. The wind suddenly picked up dramatically and began whipping around them. Egon and Janine looked around, they knew what was coming.
"We have to get shelter!" Janine yelled at the three.
"Not a chance!" Winston yelled back. "We have to get to that portal before it closes."
"You don't understand!" she insisted. "The climate is very unpredictable here. This could be the start of some major weather front!"
"No!" Ray yelled over the wind. "It's just Earos trying to stop us from reaching the gateway!"
Winston and Peter helped Egon up. "We have to keep walking." Winston said.Earos watched the five struggle through the winds towards the safety of the gateway despite the female's objections. He knew that her will and loyalty was strong and that it would prevail if she believed her companion would be hurt. He smiled, he knew the exact way to stop them before they reached the gateway.
No Earos, you shall not.
The blond demi-god turned to observe his companion in these experiments.
Why do you object so to this experiment, Everis? Earos asked. Why does this one bother you? Could it be that you have developed an affinity for these creatures over the centuries?
I warned you before this began that this experiment would even badly, Everis said approaching the blond man. We are only here to observe, not to create obstacles. These two subjects would've eventually overcome their differences. Now, you may have destroyed everything that we usually work to achieve.
Nonsense, Earos said, turning back to the globe. Look at these five specimens Everis. They are perfect for the experiments, they are the triumph of everything we strive to achieve. They're perfect. Would you not love to keep them here and observe how they work together? It would advance out project by millennias.
They deserve to reach home and sort out their problems themselves, Everis insisted. Which is what they're going to do.
Earos stood up, his eyes now blazing a shade of red. I don't think so.
As quickly as it begun, the winds stopped. Janine looked around, then cast a worried glance back towards Egon. He was holding on, but just barely. She stopped suddenly, causing Peter and Winston to stop before they ran into her.
"What is going on here," she demanded. Ray glanced at his watch.
"Twenty minutes," he said. "Janine, we'll tell you when we get back through the gateway."
"No, you'll tell me now." she insisted. "We need to rest anyway, Egon's barely on his feet."
Ray looked back at Egon, who was barely holding on to Peter and Winston. His eyes were half closed, and his back was bleeding freely again. He looked bad.
"He isn't going to make it much longer," Peter said softly. "We have to get him home."
Janine looked at Egon worriedly, understanding exactly what Peter meant.
Can you make it? she asked him. Eyes still closed, he shook his head slightly.
Peter frowned. "He can't walk anymore."
Janine looked at Ray. "We have to figure out something else if you want to keep walking."
Ray nodded towards Janine. "Winston, can you carry him the rest of the way?"
Winston nodded, hoisting the blond scientist over his shoulder. Janine winced at the anguished cry that echoed through her mind.
"Let's go," Winston said.
Ray grabbed Janine's hand. "Come on, before they start up again."Above the two demi-gods that worked together observing relationships for longer than the stars have been in existence were at war. And as they fought, Pala'lan began to crumble.Above them, the sky began to fall. The four kept running, avoiding the falling trees, and the explosions rocking the ground around them.
"What is going on?" Janine yelled over the noise.
"The two gods that created this place are at war," Ray yelled back. "Pala'lan's falling apart."
An explosion rocked the ground, cutting off anything she was going to say and pitching them to the ground. Peter and Ray got up and helped Winston to his feet. Egon was still over his shoulder, now unconscious.
Ray looked over his shoulder.
"There it is!" he shouted, pointing towards the trees. In the distance, they could see a faint light.
"How much time do we have?" Peter asked. Ray checked his watch.
"A little under ten minutes," he said.
"We'd better hurry!" Winston said.
The four rushed towards where the light was stationary. On the other side they could just make out parts of the firehouse. Before they could reach the gateway, a bright explosion rocked the area in front of them, blinding them. When the light cleared, standing in front of the portal was a tall, blond, muscular man.
You will not leave! he said, his voice rumbling through the trees.
"You must be Earos," Peter said.
You will not leave Pala'lan, mortals, Earos told them. Not when there are so many things to learn yet.
"We'd love to stay pal, but we have a sick friend and we just have to get back," Peter deadpanned.
You will not leave, Earos repeated.
"Get ready with the pack," Ray whispered to Peter.
Everis was mistaken when he tried to help you, Earos continued. But he has learned the error of his ways. There is much to learn from you, and many more experiments to be run.
With everything that had happened over the past three weeks while they were trapped in Pala'lan, this was the last thing Janine had ever thought of. It was also the final thing she could handle. Eyes blazing with indignity, she stormed towards the demi-god, mindless of his power or the danger to herself.
"An experiment?" she said, her voice slowly raising in octave. "Everything I've been put throughout for the past three weeks, was just an experiment?"
"Now!" Ray yelled and Peter fired. Earos, who, like many other demi-gods, was backing away from a furious Janine,was hit dead on in the chest. He was thrown back, slamming into the portal. The portal hummed loudly, shining brighter. It threw Earos back into the proton stream. The demi-god screamed, then disappeared, in a bright flash of light. Peter shut off the pack.
"Is he gone?" he asked.
"I don't know, and I'm not waiting around to find out," Ray said. "We have under a minute to get through this portal."
"Then stand back." Peter charged up the proton pack again and aimed it at the gateway.
"On three, we all go through."
"Three," Ray called, and Peter let loose a stream. The portal brightened again, then exploded as all five jumped through.The first thing Janine remembered was waking up in an ambulance as it raced towards the hospital. A young medic looked at her.
"How are you feeling?" the medic asked.
"Dizzy," Janine said. "Where are the guys? Where's Egon?"
"Your friends are going to meet you there, and Dr. Spengler is right there," he said, pointing towards the next stretcher where another medic was trying to stop the bleeding. He looked back at Janine. "What happened to you two?"
Janine looked at him, then everything went black again.When she awoke again, she was in a hospital bed. She tried to sit up, but someone put their hand on her arm.
Egon? she thought.
"Hey Winston, she's awake." she heard Ray say. She opened her eyes to see Ray and Winston smiling at her.
"How are you feeling?" Ray asked.
"Did we make it?" she asked.
Winston smiled at her. "Yep, no problem. We got out, then called an ambulance for you and Egon."
"We think you two were more affected because of the extended length of time you spent there." Ray told her.
She lay back looking at both of them. "It was all just an experiment?"
Ray nodded. "Two beings decided to take people and study their reactions if put in stressful circumstances. You and Egon were chosen, although one of the beings didn't like the idea. He came to us and helped us find you."
She frowned. This was all way too confusing to her. "Why?"
Ray shrugged. "Who knows. He didn't go into details."
"Gods don't need reasons." Winston stated dramaticly.
"Ah, Miss Melnitz, I see you're awake," Peter said walking into the room. "I suppose you're going to want tomorrow off because of this. Even though you had almost a three week vacation already."
Janine looked at him. "I would hardly call that a vacation, Dr. Venkman," she stated.
He smiled at her. "I expect you in the office bright and early the day after tomorrow."
She smiled, then a thought passed through her mind. "Where's Egon? Is he okay?"
Peter grinned again. "I was wondering when you were going to ask about him. He's doing fine. Although he won't be doing his share of the work for a long time," He looked at her curiously. "So tell me Miss Melnitz, what really did happen for those three weeks between you two?"
Janine smiled. "Now that would be telling."Janine came back to work after a day of resting, and catching up with everything, plus telling her family that she was fine and nothing weirder than usual was going on. Egon was released from the hospital at the end of the week only after the other three swore that they wouldn't allow him to do anything too strenuous for the next month.
Janine was sitting at her desk finishing up the billing when Ecto pulled in. She glanced up at it, her heart feeling like it was going to pound out of her chest. She hadn't gone to see him, except once, after they'd released her. He'd been sleeping when she walked in. After everything that had happened, she didn't know what to say to him. She knew the guys told him what had happened, and she didn't know what he thought about that or what would happen between them after he found out it was all an experiment.
Ray and Winston were helping him out of the car while Peter was griping about the unfairness of it all.
"Why can't things like this ever happen to me?" he complained. "I could use a month off."
Janine smiled; this was too easy. "Why Dr. Venkman," she drawled. "You'd actually like to be trapped in a paradise with me for almost a month. I'm flattered."
He stuck his tongue out at her, then mumbled his way up the stairs. From the corner of her eye, she could see the other three smile. She turned her attention to Egon.
"How are you feeling?" She asked. He winced a little as he turned the wrong way, then looked up at her.
"Sore."
"You need anything? I could make you some tea."
He stopped slightly, then shook his head. "Not right now, thank you. All I want now is sleep."
"The doctor drugged him up before we left." Ray explained. "It's a wonder he's still awake."
Janine watched them walked towards the stairs, sighing silently. Looks like things are back to normal. she thought, returning to her typing. Her fingers froze on the keys.
Not quite yet. Came the answer in her mind. I estimate you have at least two more days to keep your thoughts clean.
Janine looked up towards the stairs, surprised. Egon was on the steps, smiling at her. She smiled back.
This could prove to be interesting. she thought mischievously.
Egon chuckled lightly. Ray and Winston looked at him, then down at Janine who was back to her typing wearing a slight smile on her face. Winston looked over at Ray.
"You get the feeling something's going on that we don't know about?"
Ray looked at him. "I get that all the time here." he said.