Last time as you may or may not recall, several of our intrepid and brave space-time pioneers and travelers were in cliffhanging situations from new and old foes alike; for Professor John Robinson, that cliffhanging was a literal dangle over the side of a plateau, with not just one but two giant cyclops below his death defying fall and the evil Time Merchant, ala Time Lord, Dr. Chronos, who still wanted the Professor's life span...

John clang to vines on the side of the fern covered cliff, below him the two giant cyclops monster of Priplanus were thrashing it out at one another, smashing each other into the sides of the deep ravine. Above John Robinson, there stood Dr. Chronos, holding his scythe up and wearing a blue outfit, the same outfit he wore when they last met---except that then it was red, now it was blue. The only difference. "Professor Robinson, you still owe me your life time!"

John puffed, looking up and holding on, "Chronos..."

"Doctor Chronos," he raised the staff higher.

John continued, "...you again. So YOU'RE behind all this, are you." It wasn't a question. It made sense to John that a Time Merchant should be taking bits and pieces of all time and space and rearranging them, especially someone as immoral or amoral as Chronos.

"I suggest you worry about all that is BEHIND YOU." The monsters beneath were growling. Chronos raised his staff as if to hit John's head, "But still we should let past times be past times, aye?" Instead of bringing it down, he slowly started to step on John's right hand fingers. John took it for a bit but closed his eyes and tried to scramble upward but couldn't. Chronos was enjoying this way too much, "You now PAY THE PIPER!"

An explosion near Chronos occurred and after it a man in a green minstrel outfit and a cape, was there. "Did someone mention my name?"

Chronos lifted his foot off John, "You----Piper, what ARE you doing HERE?" Chronos turned to him, "You belong in the Village."

As the two sparred, John relaxed a bit and climbed up over the edge of the cliff.

Piper smiled which turned into a full sneer, "You called me, ingrate."

"Get back there and deal with our friends trying to get into the complex."

"The final indignity," Piper said, "You called me. Just because you were once a Time Lord doesn't give you the right to lord over me!"

John was thinking, "Smith?" This new alien was obviously not really human, just human shaped. His fantastic resemblance, indeed, identical look to Dr. Zachary Smith was obvious from the start as well. He didn't wait around to find out how this could be--like so many things in his encounters with space beings and space itself---it just was. He took this chance to sneak off past a large hillside.

Chronos squawked, "You see, you made him get away! Be gone!"

"That's the thanks I get. You should be kinder to your friends if you intend to keep them."

"Just go!"

"Oh very well, youngster," Piper snipped and vanished in a similar blast of sparks and smoke.

Chronos walked past the hillside but saw John in an open area facing a Roman soldier! John grabbed the soldier's sword arm and flipped him back and over. The Roman landed on his back. A Viking came from a nearby cave and launched a spear at John. John dodged it and readied himself to face this new fighter. Chronos was annoyed and sat on a flat rock, "Oh now I have to wait!" He crossed his legs and put a hand on his chin, the other on his elbow. John grabbed the Viking's arm---which sported a hand holding a long dagger aimed at John's face. The Viking tried to push the point into John's face but John held it away. The struggle moved the knife in both directions. Chronos relaxed and made a bag of popcorn (with young Calvin Klein models on the sides) appear. He began to eat some popcorn as John fought. "I have time so what's the differential," he said in a cordial manner. John punched the Viking with his free hand and the Viking fell back. John kicked at him and hit him again and again until he fell. John then ran toward a natural rock stairway in the hillside which went down. As he did, a Spanish Conquistador grabbed his arm from the other side of the stairway's rocks and from behind a Saxon warrior held him. A Ninja warrior came up the rock steps and held a large shiny sword---leveled at John's stomach! The Time Merchant, Chronos, grew bored, "I do so not like this part of my business. Call me when it's over." He vanished with a wave of his staff. John struggled to break free but couldn't. This was it. The It he knew would have come sooner or later. He just thought he had more...more time. Chronos would have been amused by that.

"Hold it! I mean hold him! I want him as a prisoner only!" A familiar voice called forth. It was strong and masculine.

John was allowed to turn around but his captors held him. He saw a man in a black outfit with a star on the chest area, a band around his head. "Oh no," John puffed and turned back away from the approaching alien, "I don't think I can stand any more old space reunion surprises. Myko!"

From behind his moustache, Myko gave one of his patented devilish grins, "Why Professor Robinson, how nice to see you again."

"Cut it out Myko, just how many of you are in on this? How many species have sold out the other?"

"Why Professor, I don't know what you mean. I have nothing but my...well, you know, my games." Myko nodded, "Hurry him along!" The warriors pushed John toward an area that Myko wanted him in.

"Let me go!" Davros, the mutant Kaled scientist, yelled at Admiral Nelson, who was pushing the mutant man's glide chair toward the door of the lab the madman was torturing Tarzan's ten year old friend Jai and Valerie Ames Scott in. Robot was guarding the door.

Nelson intoned a threat, "Tell them to stop!"

Daleks were coming for the lab door. "I would not even if they would listen."

Val came up behind Davros's chair, "Well, I thought they always obeyed the grand impudent."

"You will pay for your insults." He said it less loudly and his almost-whisper made it seem scary.

Val was undaunted and feigned deep thought, "Or is that impotent?"

"Stop them now!" Nelson pushed Davros outside the door into the hall as a parade of Daleks, of every color, approached. Val and Jai stood behind the chair, Nelson and the Robot.

"Halt!" Davros tried to stop the Daleks. "Halt!" He yelled as a Dalek fired a stray bolt of ray power.

"We obey," the Daleks stopped, "Halt, halt."

"We want a way out," Nelson ordered, "A ship will do." He pushed Davros closer to accentuate the threat to their master and creator.

"We will not. Not allow you to escape. We will not!" A Dalek in front yelled.

"They will kill me," said Davros.

"SO? So! So? So?" That one Dalek yelled back and the others chorused with him, "So!"

"Not in such a high...chair, are you, Davros?" Val thumped the side of Davros's wheeled-glide chair mechanism.

"We have one last chance," Nelson moved quickly, sending Davros right at the Dalek line, "Run!" Daleks shot but could not hit Nelson who was behind the chair! Jai and Valerie were able to make it to a different hallway, jutting out past the Robot's back. Nelson reeled Davros into a Dalek and ran off as Robot shot at that Dalek's ray gun, blowing the gun off it. Other Daleks fired blasts at Nelson who ducked. Explosions and debris just missed his head as he ran. One blast caved in a part of a wall. Nelson called, "Come on, Robot!"

"Affirmative!" Robot turned and slid away but kept his upper body facing the Daleks, firing the entire time. One Dalek, hit, spiraled around, sparking. Robot wheeled himself after Nelson.

The spiraling Dalek was shouting, "Losing coordination! Losing coordination!"

Jai ran ahead of Valerie who stopped and called, "Admiral! Nelson!" She waited for him, looking at an adjoining cross hall, "Admiral Nelson?" She prayed he made it past the monster pepper pots with living things inside them. Suddenly a gold mass rushed at her. She screamed. From that adjoining hall, a Gold Dalek came at her.

"Exterminate! Exterminate!"

Robot came up behind it, "Danger! Danger!"

The Gold Dalek turned at Robot and shot off a blast. Robot wheeled out of the blast's way. Nelson rushed up behind the Dalek and wheeled it off. Val ducked from a stray blast which caused an explosion near the wall by her. Robot, thanks to Nelson, was able to get off a series of bolts which blasted the Dalek. A large piece of it fell away and inside was a squirming crab like creature with green tentacles. It was losing liquids and oozing. Hurt, it seemed to self destruct and blow up of its own accord. The others had time to move off but more Daleks were rushing down the hallway behind Nelson that he just came from, "Exterminate!"

Val gasped, "Don't they ever say anything constructive!"

"To them, that is!" Nelson ushered Val down the hall. Robot followed, firing bolts at pursuing Daleks.

Jai, at a round doorwell, called to them, "Over here! I think I found a way out!"

Nelson raced to it first, "It looks big enough to be a spaceship hub! Nice job, Jai!"

Jai smiled. Val gasped, "Can you get inside?" There were three pieces that seemed to be connected to the wall on top.

Robot arrived, "We have but momentarily given them the slip as you say."

Nelson opened the round moving hatch which had its three pieces move upward. Inside he saw the lumbering figures of two giant Cybermen marching at them! Val screamed and Nelson shut the door! "More Cybermen! Run!" They dashed down to another door. A Cyberman smashed through the door and reached for Valerie and Nelson! "They must have taken over the Dalek's ships!" The foursome run from this threat. Another Cyberman came through the wall and grabbed the Robot's entire body.

"Danger! Danger! I warn you, leave go of me! You little punk!" Robot sent the Cyberman flying into a wall opposite him and zapped him. "Danger! Danger! Cybermen approaching!"

Seven of them came down from another bay door. Val gasped, "See that. Behind them. We have to get to one of those ships!"

The four ran back to the way they just came from. Robot warned again, "Danger! Danger! Warning! Daleks approaching!"

"Exterminate! Exterminate! Exterminate!"

Nelson found a door and opened it, "In there!" Jai, Val, and Robot rushed into it just as a squad of Daleks faced a squad of Cybermen! A few seconds before and the foursome would have been caught in between! Daleks opened fire on Cybermen, making them burn their metal to a melting smoulder. More Cybermen came out of the dock areas and many were firing lasers from their temples. Daleks were bursting open, screaming! Robomen were also running into the bay where Jai, Nelson, Valerie and the Robot were hiding behind a saucer ramp. Cybermen marched out of the saucer, firing at the Robomen, who fell all over the ramp. Val peered out and saw one fall next to her--his arm hanging. Nelson saw it too, "Get the gun!" Cybermen were off the ramp now and marched into the hall. Daleks fired on them, exploding them into masses of twisting metal. A gaggle of Cybermen cornered two Daleks and began to punch them apart. First, the metal-organic beings pulled off the Dalek's laser guns, then began to rip off the outer casings of the Daleks. The crab-squid like creature inside was now defenseless against an outright blast. Jai and Valerie worked quickly and soon handed Nelson the roboman's gun, detached from his arm. Two Cybermen were hanging back inside the saucer. Now they approached the group from the doorway of the spacecraft, surprising them. Nelson turned quickly, "Down." Fortunately, the group was not spotted. The two Cybermen were more interested in the battle outside the saucer bay.

In the halls, Cybermen were defeating the Daleks, however, more and more Daleks arrived, in massive numbers, spreading out of more and more hallways. Cybermen were soon exploded and blasted to the ground, even though many of them were able to explode several Daleks. Three Daleks passed through a line of Cybermen unchecked, continuous firing from their guns, "Exterminate! Exterminate!" This chant was as continuous as the firing, perhaps more so. The three Daleks entered the saucer bay.

Jai whispered, "Look."

The trio of machine-living creatures rolled toward the ramp as the two Cybermen on the top of it marched down, emitting the head laser rays. One of the three Daleks was hit and spiraled off, on fire and yelling, "Out of control! Out of control!" It screamed as it hit a wall panel which burst more flames and sparks onto it. One of the two remaining Daleks fired a ray and made a flaming hole in the chest of the Cyberman on the left side of the ramp. Nelson looked up and fired the Robot gun at the other Cyberman. This one was hit by him in the head and the head sparked up--a laser ray just coming out of it, exploding with the ray from the robogun. Nelson jumped up the ramp, followed by Jai and Valerie. He didn't have to even tell them what to do, they were too afraid to not follow him. Robot electrified at the Dalek guns and rolled up the ramp after the trio past the groaning, sparking Cyberman, who, even in death, seemed lumbering and lumber some. And still on its feet! The two Daleks rushed up the ramp after them, firing rays. Rather ruthlessly, Nelson thought, Val and Jai pushed the Cyberman into the Daleks, who avoided it as it fell. This allowed the four to retreat into the saucer. The two Daleks followed, yelling, "Exterminate! Obey! Halt! Exterminate," and well, you get the idea.

In a control room, two Cybermen, obviously more steel than the others, and more advanced in design, looked at a monitor and a report console. "Good, good. We are at an advantage, the element of surprise is on our side," it said in monotone, computer sounding voice.

"Perhaps a momentary cease fire."

"Oh, an excellent idea."

Jai, the Robot, and Nelson ran into a hallway in the saucer. Val stopped and looked into the control room and spotted two more Cybermen! She looked back and saw the other three had gone. Nearby her was another door and round window. Smaller than the rampway door but inside was some kind of control room. She heard the Cybermen talking.

"I believe we should round up our last crew and have them attack as well."

Val slipped back from the door window but a Dalek sucker stick hit her from behind, sticking to her back and pushed her. "Inside! Inside! Inside!"

"All right, all right, all right!" Val yelled back as the door in front of her opened up and the Dalek, flanked by the second, rolled into the room. Val was in front of the two Cybermen immediately. She screamed as they moved at her.

"Halt!" One of the Cybermen held up a hand, "We want to organize a cease fire!"

"A cease fire!" The Dalek behind Valerie yelled back. Val found herself wondering not when they would kill her or which would, but if the Daleks had any idea of what a cease fire is.

"Yes, indeed," the obviously more cultured Cyberman said, "These humans are our common enemy. Why not seek them out and destroy them?"

"We have this female human," the Dalek screeched, "She will lead her friends to us. I will inform Davros we have organized a cease fire!" Val gasped and wanted to cry but she wouldn't show either of these bullying races that.

In the dome, Davros reeled down a control area, in front of Daleks, "Cease fire! Cease fire!"

A Dalek blasted an onrushing Cyberman, "Exterminate!" It exploded.

A Cyberman fired a cannon he held in his hands at two Daleks, embalming them in a fire ball, "Halt fire," it yelled after that. "On order of the Controller, halt fire."

A Dalek shot another Cyberman! Davros repeated, "Cease fire! Cease fire, I say! I order it! Obey!"

"We obey." Finally all firing stopped.

"The humans are on board saucer B-12. If we cooperate we can have them lead us to who caused all this."

The saucer took off out of the dome hatchway into a snow ridden sky. Inside the control room of the saucer, the Dalek without Valerie asked, "Why have you lifted off?"

"The humans will lead us as Davros said," the Cyberman moved closer.

"No," Val smiled, grimly, "They are going for reinforcements. They have a rocket ship on the other side of the mountain."

"Traitor! Betrayers! The cease fire is off!"

"She," the Cyberman pointed a metallic hand in Val's face, "...is lying!"

Val turned her head away from the pointy fingers, the fingers that only this Cyberman apparently had, "Only they don't know that the rocket, their ship, and their ally, Jedikiah, was destroyed."

"NOW you die," The Cyberman moved to grab her.

Nelson opened the door and blasted the Controller away from Valerie. The other Cyberman at the control console further off shot his head laser at Val but she ducked and it hit the Dalek behind her, blasting it. The Dalek turned wild, screaming, dropping Valerie, who fell to the floor. The other Dalek fired its way at Nelson but moved past Nelson and the Robinson Robot. A warning ray shot past them and out into the hallway. Jai, out there, almost was hit by it as he tried to peer into the room to see what was happening to Valerie. He jumped back as the Dalek rolled out past him. He ducked behind a scanner in the hallway. A ray from the Dalek hit the scanner and the Dalek vanished down a hallway. Jai peeked out as the scanner burned. Robot was electrifying the second Cyberman and it fell down.

"Admiral," Robot waved his arms, "I detect the presence of an immense bomb in the area we are approaching."

"Take me to it," Nelson said. The two moved out of the room.

Val looked at the controls and called back, "Maybe I could learn how to fly this crate. I saw the Daleks..." She realized the others were gone but Jai snuck in.

"I wouldn't." The two looked at the console.

"Well, you wouldn't. I'm not a jungle boy..." Val realized as soon as she said it that she shouldn't have. She looked at him and took his bare shoulders, "Oh, Jai," She saw his wounded face, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean it. I just meant, that I'm not as smart as you either but I saw them fly this...Jai, I didn't mean to hurt you." She rubbed his nose with her knuckles and his downtrodden face grew into a huge grin of perfect white teeth. "C'mon, help me look at them anyway."

As they studied it, trying to recall how the Cybermen and Daleks flew it, the second Cyberman, shot by Robot, moved his arm to drag himself away from them and over to the Dalek casing. Inside the casing was the squirming mutant creature, a living thing, now dying.

In a large engine room of the saucer, Robot told Nelson, "This, I believe was meant to destroy the Dalek dome once the Cybermen captured who they wanted."

"Who they wanted? You mean...Davros?"

"Affirmative." Nearby was a large capsule--a bomb.

In the control room, Val expressed, "I think I can fly it now!"

"So soon?" Jai doubted.

"Die!" They heard. The Cyberman was up and when the pair turned around, they saw it holding in his two vice hands, the crab like Dalek creature--its two large claws moving at Valerie! The spinal column attached to it moving horribly like a fish out of water. The Cyberman pushed the thing at Valerie but she grabbed its arms to hold it off. She moved her face to the side to keep the Dalek form from swiping her. Wounded, the Cyberman was weak enough to not force her back more. That monstrosity of a living-dying thing was near Val's face. Jai was behind the Cyberman, pulling him back from around the waist and legs. The other Dalek came in and shot a ray at Jai! Jai screamed, hit in his bare back, and fell. The Dalek then shot the Cyberman's back and it fell, crushing the creature in its hands in his own death throes of agony.

Val was free, "Thank you!" Then she saw Jai, "Jai! What have you done?" She rushed to the boy.

"He is alive. I merely want you both alive until I destroy your other friends."

"Oh?" Val spotted Nelson and the Robot behind the Dalek, coming in the doorway, "What for?"

"To bring them to this room."

Val backed up to the control panel, "Should I invite you to drop in?" She was so far back the Dalek worried. Or at least it seemed that way.

"Halt, do not move! Halt!"

"Oh stop ranting! It's so annoying!"

Val's hand moved to a lever on the console. The floor hole that was used to get Jai and she up into the saucer opened. Snow gushed up with a slight wind. It was between Val and the Dalek.

"Now I will exterminate!" It pointed the gun at Val from across the gap.

Nelson rushed behind the Dalek and pushed it forward. The swivel turned at Nelson so Val ran to help him, unacknowledging the deadly fall before all of them. She pushed the Dalek forward as well! Rays shot off from the gun and filled the room! The pair shoved the irate Dalek off the gap and it fell out of the saucer, screaming. "Impaired! Impaired! Impaiiirrrrrrrrr..." The thing cascaded into the snowy sky and flipped, then flopped down onto an icy slope, breaking into pieces and goo.

Robot held the capsule shaped bomb in his arms. Kneeling, Val sat Jai up, "Jai, Jai. Jai." She felt terrible, "Jai, you'll be all right, Jai."

"How...?"

"He's stunned but he'll come around, right?"

Robot moved to look at him, "If I may..." Bending, he scanned the boy, "Your prognosis Miss Scott is correct."

Val smiled, "Hey, Robot, you can call me Valerie."

"Yes, Miss Valerie."

Val winced, "Ms."

"Ms? Ms Valerie or Miss Ms?" Robot stood.

"You know you almost off set the nastiness of those robots."

Robot stood, offended slightly, "Those, the Daleks and the Cybermen, are not robots. They are living beings that were once totally human like yourselves."

"Right, I forgot...sorry, I CAN make mistakes, you know."

Jai groaned, "That because you not a jungle boy...we don't..."

Val laughed, "You saved my life..."

Nelson smirked and looked from them to the controls, "Right, now let's prepare to return some of the Dalek-Cybermen hospitality."

Soon, the dome was blasted into the snow as they dropped the bomb out onto it. The saucer flew onward.

Judy Robinson, Captain Crane, and Tony Newman walked down a dark, stone corridor that was laced with webs and dust. On either side were ancient stone pedestals. Judy looked behind them, "The Sleestak aren't following us here."

Tony looked with her, "Yeah, I wonder why. They don't seem the type to give up."

"No," she agreed, "but it is dark, maybe they're afraid of the dark," she smiled at Tony. He laughed.

Crane pointed, "Up ahead...I see a light."

"A way out," Judy turned to look.

"Let's..." Crane stopped the two. All three of them began to shiver.

"Why am I so afraid?" Judy gripped her own shoulders and then elbows.

"Not just you," Tony murmured as if something were going to come out of the walls and attack them, "I can feel my hair standing on end like when a cat gets afraid."

Crane swallowed, "Some kind of fear field."

The Time Tunnel showed Judy, Crane, and Tony to Ann, Ray, Kirk, Jerry, and Jiggs back in their present day. Ann sat, looking at the console, "We can try for a transfer on Tony now."

Kirk nodded, "What about the captain and Miss Robinson?"

Ray frowned from his seat, "Not enough of an image."

Kirk sighed, "All right then, we'll try for Tony."

Jerry hit a timer on the side wall controls, standing, "Power building." The hum of the tunnel rose.

The Time Tunnel staff looked up at the tunnel screen. Crane grabbed Judy's arm, "We'll push on toward that light. This fear should end there." Crane moved on ahead.

Tony asked, "But how will it end? With our end?"

Judy didn't step forward with Crane, "It's almost unbearable now. I don't know if I can go on."

Tony looked at his arm, pulling his green sweater sleeve up. He saw goose bumps. "We have to, Judy. Listen..." From behind they could hear the gurgles of the Sleestak, "They will chase us in here."

Crane came back and pulled Judy's arm, "Outside we'll be safe," he said, his voice full of confidence.

Outside, something very huge waved a tremendous, city block sized hand with four claws.

Myko took John Robinson into a Roman Coliseum. John realized it was THE Roman Coliseum. Inside the arena, was an open training area where John saw many warriors from many times and many planets: Egyptians, Persians, American Indians, Trojans and Greeks, many different types Greeks--Spartans and Athenians, Tartars, and various alien beings, some with more limbs than humans. Handy for holding more than two weapons. Behind John was a Spanish warrior, a Conquistador, John thought, and a Ninja. John looked around, "This is some place you have here, this time, Myko." The warriors were sparring with dangerous sharp weapons.

"Both of us have here, Professor Robinson."

John turned to the voice. From one of the tunnel archways he saw a familiar bald headed alien. The Ruler, Quano's father. "You. I must admit, I thought you had more, well, more honor."

The Ruler smirked with gleaming teeth, annoyed but trying to cover it, "I have. You see before you the makings of an army that will wipe out the opposition."

"Opposition?

Myko ignored John's question. "Many were just roaming about in bands, fighting one another until I..." He looked at the Ruler and back to John, "...and my powerful ally made them see our way."

John intervened, "You mean those that cooperated with you are here. The others? Well, I can guess they're dead or imprisoned. Can't you two see that we're being...we are all of us...being manipulated. That those of us who are not vanished from the universe are out for a reason?"

Ruler nodded and looked at the training, trying to cast aside this, "I see that. But it is a matter of survival now."

Myko asked John, "What reason, Professor?"

"I don't know yet. Look, I want to know one thing from both of you. Did you kidnap my wife?"

Myko smiled as if this were good news for him. "She is missing? How nice."

John frowned and looked at the Ruler.

The Ruler looked him in the eyes, "You have my word, Professor. We know nothing of Mrs. Robinson's disappearance." John nodded. He looked at Myko who smiled some more that infuriating fake one smile with that pencil thin moustache and slight beard. That furrowed brow...he couldn't allow himself to hate...not here. A Knight flung a spiked ball and chain at a Mongol, who ducked. The ball hit a wooden post behind the Mongol.

Riley and Kowalski stopped swimming. Riley puffed, "Ski, I can't go on. We've been swimming for miles."

"Just hold on. Look ahead."

A huge cutter swam toward them. Riley, gasped, paddling, "It doesn't look very inviting." A skull and crossbones flag blew from the masthead.

"I know but its temporary salvation."

"Is it? Or a...plague?"

Looking over the bow was Deek and Smeek, two alien space pirates. Deek was crusty green and wore a patch over his left eye, a gun belt, and a black striped shirt. He resembled a lizard man while his partner, Smeek, resembled a hairy wolf but was more humanoid than wolf. From the side rail, a huge man with a thick beard and a large pirate hat on, pointed, "What have we here? Two mermaids from the misty depths. Shanghai em' up here!" He had a lavish red outfit on, a jacket that the two would soon recognize.

A line came down to the two and they climbed up. Ski is grabbed by two burly men, bare chested pirates and brought before the captain, "Blackbeard!"

"Aye, matie, ye remember thee!" He sounded happy to see Ski again. Not long ago, Ski was taken over by the ghost of Blackbeard and since this wraith before him knew about that, this must be the ghost or Blackbeard returned to life after that incident which was roughly about 1982 if he could remember correctly. His recall of that event was slightly hazy (well of that event and others--such as when the Deadly Amphibians took him over or the aliens from space that wanted to attack Earth or the snow icemen or...). He brought his mind to the here and now again. Blackbeard had almost made him a pirate the last time. Would he try to do the same thing now? Or were there more important things to do?

Riley was grabbed as well. The two looked around and saw the odd mixture of crew. Culled from definite pirate types and others who looked new to this "game" recruited probably. A few were very young and from other times and places. Ski looked at Blackbeard and sounded almost pedantic, "Have you been stealing people from time?" He talked to Blackbeard as if scolding a spoiled child.

"Aye, no, matey but ye should take a care fer ye attitude!"

Deek pointed a musket at Ski's face, "I say we keel haul em' from the highest riggin."

Smeek laughed and put a knife at Riley's stomach, "No, I want to skin em' alive."

Riley moved his head closer to Ski's, "Salvation, did you say?"

It was night and very dark as Don West and Doug Phillips ran across the lawn of a fortress. Bombs blasted behind them, making them race into an alcove. Soldiers of all sorts of uniform were battling soldiers of all kinds of uniform. The lawn became riddled with bullets and bombshells. A blast hit the top of the alcove and it crashed down, making the two men push themselves closer to the door beneath the alcove and previously behind them. In a furnished hall, they ran but two Nazi soldiers came from a larger open room and grabbed them, pointing Lugers. The two men looked Swedish, and talked as if they were. Their accent was Swedish as they said things like, "You will come with us." Both men rolled their eyes.

"I'm sick of that line," Don spouted.

"And of guns," Doug added, "But they have them. And we don't."

"We can also understand them. Maybe they'll take us to the people behind all this mess." The Nazi men told them to shut up and shoved the two down a hallway to the right.

In the large complex, Dr. Chronos appeared out of thin air next to Mr. Pem, the Space Trader, Olos and Fieldar, Alpha, and Mallory. Chronos smiled, "How are things going? Ahead of schedule I might hope, for once!"

Mr. Pem smiled also, a fake smile, "Charming. We can expect Myko's war on the New Reich soon enough."

Alpha turned, "That will surge the power to the actuator."

"Good," Chronos said, "But have we...have you found out why that is so yet?"

"No," Olos frowned, "Did you settle your differences?" He was the most serious of the bunch.

"No, I did not," Chronos snapped as if it were none of the others' business, "Untimely interference from that wretched Piper and insipid Myko forced me to return."

The Trader frowned also but his tone was much more facetious, "We've tried to test Mrs. Robinson here..." He motioned toward the tube that Maureen was asleep in, suspended. "...at every angle. None of our instruments work on her. And I'm not sure why."

Pem pointed to Maureen, "All I know is that some force---some power within her is protecting her. I tried to sap it with my device but the energy wouldn't fill it."

"We must find out why that is protecting her and why it will not react to our efforts," Olos said, stammering for the first time showing some emotion.

The Trader shrugged and then gulped, "Those Saticons will be here soon with their leader," he chuckled, "I am not afraid to admit that he frightens me."

"Me as well," Chronos gulped, "But we must keep releasing more life forms to not only confuse the Robinsons and the Seaview crew but him as well. He and his Saticons will no doubt try to wrest control of the actuator from us."

"Let the Flying Sub group hit the field---I want them inside the field but outside this complex," Mallory stated, "I want them to experience what we've done. Chief Sharkey will just be a nuisance if he gets in here and I think for what he did last time, helping Captain Crane, he should pay."

"Very well," Chronos said, "I will alert that green cloaked Piper."

"And Dr. Lovelace," Pem waved his time piece.

The Flying Sub flew through a red sky. Inside, Dr. Smith and Mr. Fitzhugh sat behind Chief Sharkey and Betty Hamilton. Betty asked, "Chief, aren't we any closer?"

"I don't understand why but every time we get closer to that field, we just get further. It doesn't figure."

Betty looked out at a glowing curtain forming in front of them, "It must be this changing dimension. But...look at that..."

Sharkey put his hand on Betty's, "That's it. We're converging on the point. Now the question is if we can penetrate that shield."

"I don't think we should try," Fitzhugh sparked, "It's too dangerous."

"Indeed, I agree," Smith added.

"I thought they were being a little too quiet," Sharkey turned to look at Betty and then the other two behind, "We try. Hang on!" Before Smith and Fitzhugh could start one of their famous protests, Sharkey zipped the Flying Sub right at the silvery curtain. Sharkey also fired a beam from the Flying Sub nose which opened a part of the curtain. The Flying Sub skipped through but the laser controls on the console sparked up. The curtain closed, hitting the tail of the Flying Sub, the effect, putting the tail of the Sub on fire! Smoke began to fill the cabin!

"See, I told you!" coughed Fitzhugh.

"We're going to die!" Smith choked.

The Flying Sub on the other side of the shield spiraled out of a blue sky, leaving a trail of black smoke! Sharkey saw an ocean and an island ahead, "Get out the back!" Betty unbuckled herself and ran past the two older men to open the back door.

"You mean jump?" Smith unbuckled himself as well...

"I mean jump!" Sharkey yelled, "Out the back! Now!"

Smith gasped, "Oh dear! Oh deeaaaarrrr!"

Betty jumped out, followed by a shaking Fitzhugh. Smith yelled and held onto the rafters, "No! No! I can't do it! I can't!" The deck tilted as the Sub headed for jagged rocks.

Sharkey abandoned the controls and ran behind Smith, "I can!" He pushed Smith out from the back and dove after. The Flying Sub missed the ocean but smashed onto the jagged rocks on the island. Little remained of it.

The Manta Ray shaped submarine faced a large drill shaped sub and another oddly shaped submarine which looked like it was covered with coral. Scaly gillmen brought Dan Erickson and Mark Wilson back to the control deck. A fish faced being told them, "They are Mu ships. We are outnumbered."

Dan smiled, "That food was good."

Mark whispered, "Yeah, if it wasn't drugged."

"We have the position of the Seaview," an octopus man turned from a suction cup device in the wall.

"Good," Proto said.

"Seaview?" Dan asked, squinting.

"It's an Earth submarine," Mark said, "I once helped, ummmm, oh, what was his name, a famous Admiral, one...oh yeah, Admiral Nelson, redesign its functions."

"Draw it to us," Proto ordered.

The octoman waved tentacles over the suction cup devices and Seaview was pulled down under the ice. On board, Patterson looked, "Mr. Morton, we're diving!" He was at a sonar station.

Chip grabbed a mike, "Ballast, what's going on? I didn't order us to dive!"

"Mr. Morton, it's not us doing it."

"What do you mean?" Chip looked at the mike.

"Something's pulling us," Patterson turned, "And I've received three blips on screen. Alien subs by the look of them, sir."

"Just what we need. Are you sure?" Chip ran to the radar, "You're sure. Alien all right."

Sparks looked from the radio shack, "Mr. Morton, sir, a voice just signaled us. It said, in English, that we are under the control of---Atlantis?"

Seaview dove deeper into the ocean. The fish leader Proto said, "You...Earth men, you talk to the Seaview and explain."

Dan looked at Mark and then at Proto. He took the mike, "Seaview, this is Dan Erickson from the space liner 6-12 Spindrift of Intra Space Airlines. Listen, this is hard to explain but a lost civilization has amassed a great army, Atlantis and is at war with another very similar group from Mu."

"Leader," another gillman called from a console, "Look at this!" Proto went to look at the radar.

Chip called back, "Dan Erickson? Thank God you're all right. Is Mark Wilson with you?"

"Yeah but..."

"We met your captain and crew, Mr. Erickson. What can you do?"

Dan finished, "Nothing for the moment but they intend to use Seaview to outweigh the balance of power."

Mark puffed, quietly, behind Dan, "We'll all be destroyed."

"You sound like Dr. Smith," Dan turned and smiled.

"Sometimes being as realistic as he is, is all that's left," Mark frowned.

"When Seaview gets here, we make our move," Dan whispered, "Mr. Morton, right now they have us...and you."

Sharkey trod up the beach of rocks to see a beautiful canyon leading up to a lush, green forest. He walked up the hillside and saw equally beautiful structures. Sharkey climbed up an outcrop of rock to a garden---a neat and colorful one. He was between two portals---a front entrance to something called the Village. A sign overhanging. "Wales, North Wales. This is Port Meirion." Golden sands, walkways, trees, muddy paths, and uniquely clean and smooth shaped buildings filled this Village. The composition of this menagerie of architectural types included domes, archways, gateways and gates, pavilions, open air restaurants, umbrella stands, fountains, ponds, statues of very odd looking people, a town hall, a Pantheon trellace, and various shops. All empty, all beautiful and yet the entire Village--as an architect's delight---was somehow displaced. Trees could hide a gateway or a gateway could hide a spacious lawn. Hotels of all shapes lined the area along with private bungalows. One has a huge Number 6 on its front door post.

Betty ran out of a cave, spotting him, " Chief! Help!"

Behind her, two Silurian, reptile men with three eyes, one upper in the middle of their forehead, came out. They were shooting that third eye's ray weapons at Betty. Blasts hit behind her feet as she ran.

"Miss Hamilton!" Sharkey ran to her near a fountain, "What's wrong?"

Betty was caught in his arms, "Those things, don't you see them?" She turned back, "They...they're gone." She relaxed and Sharkey let her go, "Oh, thank you." She took in the Village for the first time and the summery air hit her, Not a bad place considering some of the places we saw on the way. But just like New York---deserted."

"From what you told me---New York was far from deserted," he looked past her from where she had just run from, "You did see something?"

Betty shrugged, "Yes, but they are gone now. The important thing now, is where are we, Chief?"

"You're in the Village," a cold British voice blurted from one of the many loudspeaker podiums. Cold and indifferent, unemotional. "No one ever leaves the Village."

Silence. Brief silence.

Then a startling blare as a woman's soft voice blurted out rather happily, "You'll enjoy your stay. There's plenty to do and see and eat. It is the pleasure of all Village employees to make you happy and mutual to all. Good day. Be seeing you." Her voice was rather relaxing...and phony.

The man's voice repeated, "Be seeing you."

Betty and Sharkey looked at each other and shrugged. Betty whispered so those two phony voices couldn't hear her but she felt as if even though she whispered, they would be able to hear her and she also felt they could see her as well, "Chief, shouldn't we go look for Mr. Fitzhugh and..."

Warming music filled the air. Betty and Sharkey moved through the Village, trying to find the source. Betty blinked, "What's going on here?"

Sharkey shrugged, "A beautiful Village. A warm day. Look even my clothes are dry by now. Nice music. A romantic Village. Who knows?" He stared blankly at Betty. He moved at her and took her arms with his hands.

Betty allowed herself to enter his grasp again but this time closer. She put her head on his shoulder. Then she realized the music was not just any music. It was flute music. Pipe music. She recalled something in the back of her mind...something about a cage, a boy, rats, a mountain retreat, lost kids, a Senator, a deal and ----the Pied Piper, that intergalactic being of mystery and subversion. "Chief, no!" Betty moved back a bit but he held his hands behind her shoulder blades, "It's that music---it's...oh, stop, oh , I know this is going to be hard to believe but it's, it's the Pied Piper, you know, of Hamlin. Just don't let it get a hold on your mind...your spirit."

Sharkey pulled her back to him, very close now as the music pined on and on, "Miss Ham...Betty...do you know what it's like on a submarine filled with..."

"Stop it!" Betty squirmed free, "Chief!"

"No, I mean it!" He grabbed her shoulders now.

"The music, Chief, the music. It's the music!" Betty eventually had to slap him to make him let her go. As he felt his face, Betty felt guilty about hitting him, "He's controlling you."

Sharkey left his hand on his slapped cheek, blinked, and said, "Miss...Miss Hamilton?"

Betty smiled and fought back tears, "You can call me Betty."

"Let's find Fitzhugh and Dr. Smith," he told her.

"Yes sir," Betty snapped into line.

The Piper, hiding behind a bronze statue of the Greek god Zeus, stopped his playing of flute music and turned, "Drat!" He looked at the dome shaped Parthenon and saw a door opened by itself. A small midget dressed immaculately in a suit and tie, came out. He carried a multi colored umbrella as a shield from the sun. In another hand was a drink with a small umbrella, also of varied colors, propped inside it as a token.

Fitzhugh and Smith were running from a grove of caves where more Silurian came out into the open. One, older and green, told a young, brown one, "Those are what the surface dwellers look like."

"Ewlll."

Smith and Fitzhugh ran to a square full of umbrella graced tables. Smith gasped, "I shall never be the same. My entire system has undergone a traumatic experience!"

On a table they leaned on, a puppet three foot doll appeared. It looked exactly like Dr. Smith, dressed in his clothing, too. "You're a funny man," it said in his voice. His voice but colder, as if it didn't mean what it was saying.

"Oh dear, I'm seeing things! I've finally cracked!"

"No, I see it too and horrifying as it is, it is real!" Fitzhugh was wide eyed.

"He's funny too!" A Fitzhugh doll appeared next to the Smith one.

"He is funnier!" The Smith doll argued.

"No, no," the Fitzhugh puppet insisted, "Mine is funnier."

"Let's kill whomever we decide is funnier!"

"I am not funny, I have never been funny, nor will I ever be funny," Smith proudly pronounced in a fit, then recovered, realizing how silly he sounded, "Oh dear."

A trash can cover, near the table, rose up. Zalto's dummy appeared under the floating cover and his eyes lit up and his mouth dropped trash out of it, including a banana peel, "Hello Dr. Smith. Remember me?"

"No, I certainly do not! I don't want to! Leave us alone you puppetted pip squeaks."

The Fitzhugh doll shook his head, "Did you hear what he called us? Little people! Making fun of little people, are you?"

"I..." A new, harsher more grown up voice said, more serious and therefore more scarier, "...am Professor Multiple."

"Who is?" Fitzhugh turned around to find it, "Show yourself."

Professor Multiple laughed, which echoed round the courtyard. He walked out from behind a brick divider which had flowers on top in pots, "I am the puppet master, sort of speak."

"What do you want form us, sir?" Smith quivered.

"For you to be afraid," laughed the man, who was in a gray suit jacket and tie.

"I can't be any more..."

Fitzhugh stopped Smith and interjected, "Well, we won't be!" Fitzhugh used his arms to swipe the dolls off the table and they flung threw the air. They vanished, yelling. Fitzhugh shook the umbrella loose from the table and pulled it up, then immediately stuffed it into the trash can. Zalto's doll yelled and vanished as he was smashed downward, arms affray. "There!" Fitzhugh felt defiant. Multiple merely laughed at this.

Smith shivered but joined Fitzhugh's side, "Afraid? I?" His voice rose, "Of puppets? Never!"

Multiple nodded and snapped his fingers. Doll replicas of Betty Hamilton, Admiral Nelson, Valerie Scott, Sharkey, Lee Crane, Chip Morton, Steve Burton, John Robinson and his children Penny and Will, Barry Lockridge, and Tony Newman appeared in a circle around Smith and Fitzhugh. Calmly, Multiple said, "Kill them." Smith screamed and Multiple rose his order to a yell, "Kill them!" His eyebrows seemed to meet as he moved his upper body at them.

"How do you want them?" Nelson's doll laughed, knowing the answer.

"Dead!" Multiple raged, "Dead. Dead!"

"Dead, dead, dead, dead, dead, dead," mimicked the other dolls. All joined in and pulled large knives from out of their clothing. Fitzhugh managed to kick a few dolls over and pulled Smith's arm. They ran out from among the circle. The dolls started to get up, a parody of their human selves and followed. Each chanted, "Dead! Dead!" Over and over.

Sharkey and Betty stopped running in front of Number 6's little cottage. Betty puffed, "No sign of them."

In a circular electronic room, cranked cameras turned and men sat on them watching, chairs high on the end of each device. A man in a white round chair petted a furry, white cat. This man had no hair and wore a glass spectacle in his left eye, "Good," he snarled quietly, "Keep surveillance on them. Dr. Lovelace should be up to something by now as well. Maybe we'll find out what he knows."

A midget clown walked out from behind a gold cart. In his hands he held a machine gun. He faced Betty and Sharkey, "Don't move. You cannot find the heart of the complex, you know," he spoke in deliberate tones, very cultured and educated but with a dripping menace and deep voice, "We plan for all the universe to be like this. And all the people in it to be chosen."

"Chosen?" Sharkey shrugged, "By you, you clown."

"Yes and when they have freedom it will be given to them by the servo actuator."

Betty gasped, "The servo actuator? That's doing all this mess?"

"I see you are aware of the brilliant device."

"Now what? You shoot us?" Sharkey asked. Betty held his arm, and moved closer.

"No, not if I don't have to, not this time. I want to show you how fun the universe is going to be--all in one place---one point in time and it will encompass all space and time." Lovelace smiled, "I, Dr. Lovelace came from the 1800's. One Jim West, my mortal enemy, my best enemy, could never find me here. Keel, Slave!" The cottage door opened by itself, inward and with an electronic sound.

From the cottage came a huge boy dressed like a hillbilly. Barefoot, ragged straw hat, space leggings too small for him, also ripped and with a rope tie around his waist. Accompanying him was a very tall, huge bodied and muscled Slave, dressed in a vest and no shirt underneath. He was the Slave of an Arabian like space thief. The two huge men ushered Sharkey and Betty ahead. Lovelace waddled after them, chuckling to himself.

From the clear blue water around the Village, two huge white rounded balls came up. Blofeld, in the electronic surveillance room, ordered, "Send the rovers for those two buffoons." The white Rovers, looking like giant balloons came up out of the water, disengaged themselves from the surface of the aqua and began to bounce onto the beach, rolling to the main Village.

Fitzhugh and Smith stopped running at a white Hospital, which was labeled as such. They leaned on the wall. Smith puffed, "I cannot go another step. It's too much. I can't take any more."

"Nor can I," agreed Fitzhugh, "But we can't give up or give in. We must find our two comrades."

"I agree. I feel safer with them than just with you." Smith realized how that sounded.

"Indeed." Fitzhugh said in retort.

"What I mean, dear, dear friend," Smith said, "Is that...there is strength in numbers and we must find them to ally our positions."

"Yes," Fitzhugh smirked, "Precisely."

Two Rovers bounced from a corner and one, from over a brick wall. They landed next to Fitzhugh and Smith. The two men yelled but the roaring white balls crunched them into each other and began to cover their faces! Their mouths were still open as the whiteness embraced their flesh. Blofeld called into a mike, "Do not kill. Take them after Lovelace and the others. The four of them will be together again as they wished. Follow but do not, I repeat do not kill." Blofeld turned to the faceless, nameless men in the room, "They do so want to kill, you know. Maybe one of them, later."

The Rovers carried Smith and Fitzhugh, gliding across a field that lead away from the shiny Village. The midget Butler, the small one in the tie and suit with the umbrella and drink, rode past a tricycle on one of the cameras that Blofeld and his men monitored.

Judy Robinson, Capt. Lee Crane, and Tony Newman reached the end of the tunnel. Sleestak were just behind them but as the trio jumped out into a leap from the cave, the insect men backed up. The brightness would stop them for a bit before the other three. Tony looked back as brilliant and blinding daylight hit the three human's eyes. "They're not following."

Crane said, "They will. Remember they came out of the daylight. It will just take their eyes longer to get accustomed to..." Recovering his own eyesight made him look up. Huge mountains were all around an larger, open area. But one of those mountains moved. "Godzilla!"

Godzilla towered over them. The trio ran just as Godzilla swipes a large clawed hand at them. A jet sound came from above, ear splitting as it grew in volume. A parody of a giant pterodactyl, hundreds of timers larger than any found in fossilized form, flew from over one of the titanic mountains. Rodan snapped at Godzilla's head, several times. Crane lead Tony and Judy to a rock ridge. Godzilla shot fire from his mouth in a steady stream at Rodan, who bellowed like some mutant bird. It moved away through the air but circled Godzilla, sneaking around from all sides. Finally, it beaked into Godzilla's head again from above and behind. Godzilla roared, Rodan made laughing sounds and threw its head back, wings flapping furiously. Godzilla's tail swiped rocks around on the ground. The three humans ducked behind the rock ridge as more and more boulders came from the area, shooting all over the place. Any one of them could kill them all. And the rocks were more and more massive. Judy screamed but no one could hear her over the din. Ahead, on the other side of their cover, a giant multi sectioned caterpillar crawled at them. Tony yelled, "We've had it!" But the worm, bigger, longer, and thicker than any train, with huge saucer eyes, merely crawled along the length of the ridge, admittedly not far from them but then it just crawled to the end of the ridge and past them.

Ann, Ray, Kirk, and the tunnel crew were watching the trio of giant, impossibly sized monsters overhead from the trio of humans via the tunnel screen. Kirk was wide eyed, "Transfer Tony now!"

Mothra was shooting web from its double mouth onto Godzilla's face, molding Godzilla's jaws shut, happily for the three humans. The sound of his bellowing and roaring was deafening. Now, it stopped ant their ears rang. Godzilla began to try to scratch the web off his mouth, giving his hands something other to do than try to attack Rodan or reach for the humans below, whom for the most part were ignored when Rodan showed up. Rodan laughed from the air. Mothra shot its jaws as well. The bird flew off but came back again.

Ann looked up at this, "Ready."

"Do it now," Kirk said.

The tunnel picture changed to the inside of the Dalek saucer where Jai, Tarzan's friend; Valerie, Nelson, and the Robinson Robot were. The Robinson Robot vanished with a bell like pop. Val was startled by this, "He...he's gone!"

Kirk gasped, "The image has changed! Quick send him back! From a saucer in flight, we don't..." The new image sizzled out. Explosions came from within the tunnel! Sparks flew across it and out of it. Smoke filled the innards of the striped tunnel.

Ray pointed, "Too late, General. Look!"

The white mist gave way to a blue one, a radiation bath. From the smoking colors came the Robot, blundering, his arms out. They heard his voice but it was not the friendly voice they had watched across the tunnel image projector. It was colder, mechanical, "De-stroy! Destroy cabin pressure control! Destroy!"

Kirk pulled a pistol from his hip, "What's happened to him?"

Ann gasped, "The trip must have erased his tapes to an earlier point in history!"

"Des-troy! Dest--roy!" The Robot came from the lip of the tunnel. It fired an electric blast at a device in front of Ann. It sparked and blew. Ann screamed and moved back. Kirk fired a gun at the Robot but the bullets bounced off, making a mere dent. "Destroy! Destroy!"

"No!" Jiggs, the security officer, ran at the Robot with a rifle and bayonet attached to it. "Stop!"

"Jiggs, no!" Ray yelled and put his arm out.

The Robot fired electricity at Jiggs's chest and the man yelled, cringing. He fell back into corner. Other security men moved to help him.

"Des-troy!"

Ann puffed, "Nothing can stop the Robot now!"

"Destroy!" The Robot lumbered down from the platform of the tunnel and moved at them all!