"What? Zoomers?"

Torn looked astonished when Jak revealed this information, as did Olto and Ashelin. This was a momentous discovery if it were true, one which could change their fortunes entirely on this island.

"Are you absolutely sure, Jak?" asked Ashelin.

"Positive," Jak answered, his smile still decorating his face. "I know what I saw, I'd recognise them anywhere. They were zoomers alright."

"Oh my god," said Ashelin, breaking into a building smile of her own.

"Wait," said Olto, "Then this means... they could be our ticket out of here!"

"Exactly," said Jak with a proud nod and an even wider smile. "If we get them out, then we can finally go home!"

There was a moment of joyful silence as everyone finally understood the full implications of what this meant. Then they all laughed together. Zoomers! There were zoomers inside this dome that could carry them to their freedom. But then they got serious. There was no debating it. This was too important to ignore. They had to get them out.

They spent another half an hour discussing the best way to achieve this, and lengthening their vine rope by several more metres so they could reach deep enough. But eventually, they agreed on a plan, a difficult and risky plan, but a plan nonetheless.

It was late afternoon by the time Jak fearlessly descended into the dome once again, but this time he did not linger or bask in its wonder; he was single-minded and his eyes were focussed downwards, seeking out the shelf where the zoomers lay. Deeper and deeper he went, past all the ones he had cleared and beyond, until... there they were! The extra metres of rope they had added really made the difference, and soon he was level with the ancient machines, and could get a proper look at them.

"I've reached them!" he called up from the depths.

"How do they look?" asked Olto from high above.

"Absolutely beautiful!"

Three in total, and in marvellous condition, they looked just how he remembered them, complete with their double propellers, shining orange metalwork, and broad, sweeping tailfins. A stream of memories suddenly came flooding back to him, of all the times he had spent racing Keira's original model. It had carried him across deep, treacherous waters and canyons of molten fire. How the engine would scream! They truly were a remarkable and indispensable creation, one that had played a vital part in his past quests and adventures, and he wished all the more now that Keira could see them too. She would surely cry with happiness.

He pulled himself closer, and climbed up onto the shelf so that he was sat among the vehicles. There was not enough room for him to lie down or stand up, but he felt strangely comfortable in his position regardless. He observed the dashboard of the one closest to him. It looked very different to the modern-day descendants he had become used to, but it all came back to him in an instant. He knew exactly what to do if he were to jump into the saddle again.

"How you doing, Jak?" Ashelin called down, breaking him out of his happy reminiscence.

"I'm on the shelf now!" Jak answered, remembering that there was work to be done. "I'm right next to the zoomers. You've really got to see them!"

"That's great, Jak," Ashelin shouted happily, "But how heavy are they? Do you think we can lift them out?"

Jak tried to shift the nearest vehicle with his hands, gauging its weight. It was hard to budge, and just as heavy as he expected. This was not going to be easy, but thinking back to the past, he remembered how he, Daxter and Keira were able to pick up and carry their original model around if they all lifted together. If three scrawny teenagers could do it, then four grown adults should have no problem. But the big question here was whether the rope would take the weight.

"I think we can manage it," he called back up, and waited for the echoes of his voice to fade out a bit before continuing. "Let's give it a go. I'm going to tie the vine to the first zoomer now."

Diligently, he undid the bindings on himself, and he suddenly felt much less secure now he had severed his connection to the surface, as if he might topple into the shaft at the slightest lean forwards. However, there was plenty of length in the rope to lash around the zoomer, so he set to it, wrapping it around the mid-section where he thought the weight would be most balanced, and fastening it securely with the strongest knots he knew. When he had double and triple checked the lashings, he shouted back up again.

"OK, the zoomer's attached! Start pulling it up when you're ready, but be careful. It's going to be heavy!"

Up on the surface, the others heard his signal, and prepared themselves for a tough haul, taking the strain on the rope.

"OK Jak! Here we go!" shouted Ashelin. "Now!"

She, Torn and Olto all took slow, synchronised steps backwards down the hill. They could feel the weight now, and gripped tightly as it threatened to pull back on them and drag them into the pit.

"Oof!" grunted Olto from the end of the line. "This is heavy!"

But they had the procedure all carefully worked out in advance; by walking down the slope of the hill in this way, they were able to slowly pull up the zoomer with a minimum of effort, using their own combined weight as a sort of counterbalance and the extra help of gravity to aid them.

Meanwhile, deep inside the dome, the zoomer began to lift before Jak's eyes, ever so slowly. He kept a hand on the tailfins, preventing it from swinging out wildly into space and keeping the heavier front from tipping forwards too much. Soon it was hanging freely in the centre of the shaft. The rope creaked threateningly as the zoomer rose inch by inch, but it was enduring. Their plan was working!

Jak waited until the zoomer rose above the edge of the next shelf up. "Stop!" he called back up, and the movements halted. "Hold it there a moment!"

On the surface, the others planted their feet firmly against the hillside and leant back with the weight of the rope, holding it suspended and steady. They knew that the zoomer must now be hanging level with the next shelf, but now their anxiety was peaked, because this meant that the riskiest part of the procedure had come.

Inside the dome, Jak climbed up and pulled himself onto the shelf above him, as quickly but as carefully as he could. He did so without incident; all of his climbing adventures in the past had prepared him well for this. But taking a quick look down into the endless drop still made his stomach lurch fearfully. This was almost as bad as in Gol and Maia's citadel, where he had been forced to navigate many floating platforms and rickety walkways high over a deep abyss, one of the most frightening and technical climbs of his life. Beneath him, the shaft continued downwards, with still more shelves bearing artefacts, no end in sight, and up above, the opening to the surface world was a distant pinprick of light.

Bringing himself back to the task at hand, he reached out again and pulled the zoomer towards himself, while at the same time the others on the surface lowered it gently when they felt the movement, until the zoomer was resting upon the metal beside Jak.

On the surface, the others relaxed the tension in the rope, much to their relief. This was a promising start; it had only taken them a few seconds to raise the zoomer up by one shelf, and they were still barely halfway down the hillside. But there were still many more levels to go.

After a short rest and checking that everything was still alright, they repeated the process, one step at a time, using each shelf on the way up as a resting point. Ashelin, Torn and Olto kept pulling, while Jak guided the effort from below. It was slow and strenuous work, but metre by metre, shelf by shelf, the zoomer was rising ever closer to the top, until it rested on the last one beneath the opening. This was the final obstacle, but also the most difficult.

"We've just got to go for it now!" said Jak encouragingly. "We're almost there. Just pull it up all the way."

The others prepared themselves for the final heave, and took their last steps back down the hill. By now their arms were pulsing from all the exercise, but they pulled on. They were so close. Then, for the first time in who knew how long, the zoomer finally emerged into the open air. They heaved it up onto the top of the dome, their muscles protesting, and it now sat before them, shining in the afternoon light. Ashelin, Torn and Olto were all amazed by the sight of it.

"Wow!" said Ashelin. "When you said zoomers, I never imagined them to look… like this!"

"But it looks great, doesn't it?" said Olto, feeling the chassis with his hand. "I'm going to look forward to flying one of these."

They took another rest, spending a few minutes admiring the old machine, before they once again set themselves at the rope. There were still two more zoomers down there, but after having successfully brought one up, they now felt much more confident about their chances of retrieving the others.

They repeated the entire procedure twice more, sending Jak back down into the depths, attaching the vine, and pulling up the other zoomers shelf by shelf. It took them a long time to complete their task, but the promise of escape made them persist boldly. All through the rest of the day they toiled. The sun was low and the shadows were long when the second zoomer was drawn out, and night had fallen by the time the third broke free of its prison. Ashelin, Olto and Torn were nearing the end of their strength after so much pulling, but they felt happy and rewarded with their efforts as all three zoomers now sat before them on the hilltop. They looked even more beautiful in the moonlight.

Finally, they helped Jak out too, and once he was back among them, they all hugged each other, and sat down together on the shoulder of the dome for another rest, basking in their achievement beneath the expanding night sky.

"We've all done really well today," said Torn with a tired but proud smile, leaning back against the metal hillside. "Good work, everyone."

"Yeah, we've had a real workout today," said Olto, flexing his arms back and forth. "We'll sleep well tonight!"

They were all feeling the ache of a long day's work, both physically and psychologically. Their entire bodies felt tingly and numb. Jak, who was the least tired, remained crouching by the zoomers, examining them fondly and carefully. Ashelin looked over to him, and then realised a problem that was now staring them in the face.

"We're one short," she said. "There's four of us but only three of these."

Torn and Olto saw it as well. "She's right."

"Jak, did you see any others when you were down there?" Ashelin asked.

Jak tried hard to remember. "I don't think so. Not on any of the nearest shelves at least. There could be more I suppose, but they're probably in much deeper. We might never get them out." He took another wary look through the opening.

Olto gave a smirk. "Guess two of us might have to share one then if we can't find another."

This dealt a dismal blow to their feeling of success, knowing that their work might still not be complete. They still needed to test if these zoomers actually still worked as well, but right now they were too tired to care.

"Oh, let's work this out tomorrow," said Ashelin at last. "It's too late now and I'm beat. Let's just get these things back to the camp and crash."

"In that order," Olto added humorously, sparking up a light chuckle from the group.

So all together, they summoned up their last strength and carried the zoomers, one by one, back through the trees. Compared to their previous workload, this did not take them long at all, and very soon, all three of the enigmatic vehicles were lined up on the sand beside their unfinished — and now perhaps unneeded — raft.

Ashelin, Torn and Olto were feeling ready to collapse into sleep by now, but Jak lit one last fire and prepared some food, handing it out before they all turned in. They ate and talked together until the fire started to burn itself down, and when it did, the green sun rose above the ocean, directly ahead of their camp, and everyone turned to look at it. It was a peaceful and sleepy feeling to sit in its glow, and the ancient zoomers twinkled majestically, facing the open ocean, ready to ride. And this made them realise that tonight could perhaps be their final night on this island, the last time they would sit here and bask in the stars. They took a moment to collectively think about all they had been through here, the good and the bad.

"Can't wait to leave this place," said Ashelin.

"Yeah," added Torn, finding nothing else to say. Out of all of them, he was the one who had arguably suffered the most on this island, and there was nothing here that he would miss.

"But hey, I'd say this has been a real adventure here," said Olto, remaining cheerful as always. "Sure, it's not always been easy, but we've made it through, haven't we? And we're probably stronger now than we were before, and we've found all this treasure! Seriously though, I just want to say that I'm honoured to have been through this with you guys."

They all appreciated his sentiment. Then Ashelin yawned, and it contagiously affected the others.

"Well, let's finally call it a day then, shall we?" said Torn.

"Yeah, let's get some sleep," agreed Jak. "Tomorrow, let's see if these bad boys still work."

They all went to sleep that night in high spirits, nestled in the grass under the roof of the shelter that they had built from the ground up. If this was to be their last night on this island, then they could not be in a better mood for it.

High above them, the tops of the trees shuddered.

The night passed calmly without a single cloud, the four friends slept deeply, and the next morning dawned like any other before it, but in the air there was a sense that something great was about to happen.

When Jak woke up, the first thing that immediately came to his mind was the zoomers. In fact they had never truly left his thoughts throughout the entire night. He could not wait to get going with them, to find out how well they worked, and if they really could use them to get home. But despite his eagerness, he took a little moment to lie still among the grass, taking in the simple comforts of their primitive home, maybe for the last time. Outside he could hear the whispered voices of Ashelin and Torn, chatting over the crackling of the campfire.

At last he sat up, and saw that Olto still lay asleep close by, buried in the grass. He crawled past him quietly and emerged outside into the fresh morning air. Ashelin was sitting by the fire, eating some cooked fish slices with pieces of fruit, their usual breakfast.

"Morning," she said quietly, spitting out a fish bone as he came to sit beside her.

"Hi," he said back. "Where's Torn?"

"You just missed him actually. He's gone to the bathing lake," Ashelin explained. "Fruit?"

Jak took the bit he was offered with thanks, and looked around the camp contemplatively as he ate it. He had become quite proud of how it had developed over their time here, and it really did feel like it had become a home now. Everything they had gathered had its place and represented a part of the journey they had taken here: the Freedom League emblem still hanging on its tree; the long shell that Olto had found after the storm; the Hellcat seats and the rest of the debris that had all washed up on the beach; the stacks of wood for building and burning; the unfinished raft; the pile of Precursor artefacts from the dome; and finally, the three magnificent zoomers, all lined up at the edge of the beach, exactly where they had left them and just waiting to be flown.

Ashelin noticed how his eyes lingered passionately upon them. "You excited about today?"

"You bet I am," Jak answered with a grin. "Just look at them."

"You really think they'll work?"

"I sure hope so," said Jak. Though he did not like to admit it out loud, he was all too aware of the possibility that, like a few of the other artefacts they had rescued from the dome, these zoomers might also have mechanical problems after such a long time of not being used, and then they would be back to square one. However, he had a good feeling about this. Keira's old zoomers which these were based on were tough and reliable, and his positive spirits and anticipation made the chance of failure feel less perceptible.

"I hope they're comfortable," Ashelin said, groaning as she straightened her back. "I'm still feeling a bit stiff from all the lifting yesterday. Once Torn comes back from the lake, I think I'll go for a soak myself. Still, can't wait for a proper bath when we finally get home. How I've missed soap."

She chuckled, and Jak joined in too. It was funny how they could find humour in such simple things today.

"Alright, you ready to try them out?" asked Jak after he had quickly finished off his food, unable to maintain his patience.

"Shouldn't we wait until we're all here? Olto's not even up yet."

"Come on, we don't all need to be here for this," said Jak. "And they'll find out soon enough anyway."

He held out his hand in an offer to help her up, and Ashelin found it difficult to argue. Jak clearly could not force himself to wait. Not only was she just as keen about this as he was, but there was something about the roguish smirk he gave her that was extremely persuasive.

"Alright then," she said after a moment, relenting. "Let's give it a go. Lead on, Jak."

The two of them began by moving the heavy zoomers further out onto the open beach, one at a time, and placing them down about ten feet apart. While Ashelin massaged her still aching arms, Jak approached the last one they had carried over, and dug a circular pit in the sand beneath so that its base propeller would not get stuck when they turned it on. But once he was sure it was ready, he swung his leg over it and settled himself into the familiar saddle.

"Now let's see if these babies work!" he said, rubbing his hands together with excitement.

As he checked over the controls, Ashelin came to stand by his side to get a closer look at the dashboard.

"Hmm, it looks quite different to our modern ones back home," she said observantly.

But Jak knew exactly what to do. He gripped the handlebars and waited for a moment, taking in the feeling, but Ashelin stayed at his side looking on.

"You'll want to step back," he warned her.

Ashelin did as she was advised and took about ten paces backwards, then stood to watch with her arms folded, wondering just what would happen. These old models weren't dangerous, were they?

In the saddle, Jak made his final checks, and then gave Ashelin another mischievous smile. "Here we go!" he said, and then he slammed his fist down upon the ignition switch.

At once, the vehicle started to hum and vibrate underneath him, getting louder and stronger. Both propellers began spinning and built up speed, faster and faster until they were both a blur. Jak disappeared in a billow of sand, and Ashelin had to unfold her arms to shield herself from getting covered. Now she understood why the distance was necessary. But when she braved to open her eyes again, she saw the wondrous sight of the vehicle hovering in place, and Jak celebrating in the saddle, pumping a fist into the air. She also assumed he was cheering, but the zoomer was making so much noise that he couldn't be heard. She had not expected this thing to be so loud, the primal engine roaring with monstrous ferocity!

Jak was absolutely ecstatic, and was laughing hard all the while. It was working! He leant forwards a little and the zoomer began to move, drifting over the beach and leaving a cloud of sand in its wake. It behaved just as he remembered, and the controls were all coming back to him; the steering, the acceleration, and the noise! Then he gave it some speed and really began to put it through its paces. He pulled off a few sharp turns, made some jumps, and even flew out over the shallow waters, screaming over the low waves. There was not a single splutter from the engine nor a single glitch in the controls; it handled perfectly!

All the while, Ashelin watched as he lost himself to the thrill of speed, and cheered him on. This was fantastic! The zoomer worked, and in the experienced hands of Jak it could really fly!

At last, Jak brought it back, slowed it to a halt alongside the others, and hit the switch. The zoomer touched back down delicately on the sand, and as the roaring of the engine died away, Jak replaced it with a roar of his own as he celebrated the success, both arms held high in victory.

"Woo! Yeah!"

Ashelin came running over, losing herself to her own excitement. "You did it, Jak!" she cheered, bright and beaming. "It works! It works! Isn't this great?"

Jak dismounted from the saddle and ran a hand along the chassis, feeling its warmth. "Man, I've missed this!"

"Loud, isn't it though?" said Ashelin, still laughing. "I bet that's woken Olto up!"

Jak was already looking to the two others, raring to continue the feeling of success. "Come on, let's test the other two. Take your pick."

"Alright!" said Ashelin, unable to resist. She was excited to have a go herself, but also a little nervous at the same time about whether she would be able to control it. She could fly the modern ones well enough of course, but she did not know what to expect from these older models, or how different they would be.

However, once Jak had explained the simplified basics and she was up in the saddle with the engine running, it all came to her quite naturally. Apart from the heavier weight, the whirring propellers and the different angle of the handlebars, it was almost the same as their modern descendants. This was easy! Though she couldn't keep up with Jak's greater vehicle skills, she was soon flying confidently.

The two of them raced each other up and down the sand for a few minutes, just enjoying themselves. Finally they pulled up together, and from their saddles, they smiled broadly and triumphantly at each other, and then exchanged an excellent high five and a shout of success. Once they were back on their feet, they each threw a fond arm around each other, sharing in their joy and exhilaration.

"They're all perfect!" said Jak proudly, once they had calmed down a bit. He couldn't believe their luck. "Now we really can go home!"

"I know!" Ashelin said, "But we'll still need one more though. Let's hope there's another one somewhere in the dome, huh?"

"Yeah, it's worth another look anyway," said Jak. He had completely forgotten about that. "But what if we can't find another one?"

"We'll figure something out," Ashelin replied confidently. "But right now, let's go tell Olto and Torn the good news. Then we can put our heads together and start properly planning our journey home."

"Sounds like a plan," said Jak, squeezing Ashelin's shoulder again. "You head back to camp first, I'll come in a minute."

Ashelin jogged excitedly back to the camp, while Jak knelt down beside one of the zoomers again, dusting the sand off their bodies. For some reason he thought they should be kept as pristinely clean as possible. But he smiled to himself as he worked, unable to keep his positive emotions suppressed for any long time.

Keira's in for a real treat when we ride back into the city on these bad boys! he thought to himself, patting the seat.

But suddenly, a harrowing scream shattered his pleasant thoughts, and the sound of it struck him like an icy dagger to the stomach. He looked up. That was Ashelin's voice, and it came from the camp! Without any hesitation, he abandoned the zoomers and sprinted back there as fast as he could, sand kicking up behind him and fear coursing through his very veins. He had never heard Ashelin scream before; she just wasn't the person to let loose such fear like that, and only the most extreme peril would cause her to do so!

"Ashelin!" he called out as he ran. "Ashelin, are you OK?"

There was no answer, and sensing danger, he ran even faster. He skidded into the boundaries of the camp with no idea of what awaited him. But Ashelin was there, standing as still as a statue with her back to him... and apparently unharmed.

Jak was momentarily relieved and confused at the same time. "Ashelin, what is it?"

But when he stepped up beside her, he could see what had made her scream, and he would have too, had his voice not frozen up inside his throat.

Then Torn came crashing through the trees, dripping wet and shirtless. He too had heard Ashelin's scream all the way from the lake, and had immediately rushed to the aid. But he arrived finding that there was nothing he could do, for on the ground before them, in the centre of the camp, Olto lay dead.