VOYAGERS! - The Voyager Chronicles
OLD FRIENDS, NEW BEGINNINGS - BOOK 6
(Sequel to A Ray of Hope)
By DA Daugherty (VoyagersFan)
December 2008 (Revised 03/2010)
Previous disclaimers apply
Chapter 8 - A TERROR LIKE NO OTHER
Tired, oxygen-deprived and unsteady on their feet, Bogg, with Jeff in his arms, along with Mallory supported each other as they struggled to reach the door of the Dodge House. Using the last bit of strength they could muster, the three managed to step up on the front porch, open the doors and walk inside. No sooner than they had closed the doors behind him, a middle-aged man dressed in a nightshirt and cap emerged from a small room behind the front desk.
"Can I help you gentlemen?" He asked before rubbing his eyes and yawning.
Mallory paced himself as walked over to the desk. "Are you the proprietor of this establishment?" He asked.
"Sure am. What can I do for you three so late in the evening?"
"We are in need of a place to sleep for the night. Do you have any spare rooms?" Mallory asked.
"We're almost booked up this evening, but I believe I may have something. Let me take a gander at the book here." The proprietor turned the sign-in book to face him and began to rummage around in his pockets, apparently looking for something.
"Excuse me a moment while I find my spectacles." He said with a chuckle. "I'm pretty much blind without them."
Mallory glanced over at Bogg and smiled. "By all means, sir, please do." Mallory acknowledged.
With his spectacles now in his hand, he polished them on his nightshirt and clipped them to his nose. As he leaned over to get a better view of the book, he began to thumb through its pages.
"Hmmmm…let's see now… Oh yes… here we are… Gentlemen, it looks like I only have two spare rooms left. Will that do?"
Mallory turned to Bogg to get his answer. "How 'bout it, Phineas? He's got two rooms left. Is that ok?"
Bogg rolled his eyes and grimaced as the dead weight of his partner was now taking its toll on his body. "That's fine Shawn. Besides, I'm too tired to carry the kid anywhere else. Jeff and I can share a room; you take the other, ok?"
"Are you sure?" Mallory asked.
"Positive." Bogg replied. "We'll be fine."
Bogg hadn't realized that even though his partner's eyes were closed, he was very much in tune with what was currently going on around him.
"Jeff and I have bunked together before." Bogg continued. "It's not bad…really. You just have to get used to his awful snoring. Sometimes it gets so bad, I have to put a piece of jerky in my ears."
"What?" Mallory exclaimed. "You put jerky in your ears?"
Without warning, Jeff slowly lifted his head and began to speak.
"I do NOT snore!" Jeff said sleepily. "And Bogg doesn't put jerky in his ears either."
"Shhhh, kiddo!" Bogg whispered. "I'm just teasing."
Jeff put his head back down on his partner's shoulder and closed his eyes.
"Sir, we'll take them both." Mallory said as he leaned against the desk. "How much?"
"Rooms are two bits a night in advance."
Mallory reached down, picked his backpack up off the floor and slid it onto the counter. He unzipped it, reached in and began to dig around inside. After a time, he pulled out a single gold doubloon and placed it on the counter.
"Will this take care of it?" Mallory asked.
The old man picked up the doubloon, held it close to his eye for a moment and then bit the edge of it.
"Why yes! What is it?" He asked while continuing his examination of the coin. "From the looks of it, it's quite old"
"It's a Spanish doubloon." Mallory explained. "It's very rare and 100% pure gold."
Extremely satisfied with the payment, the proprietor turned the large sign-in book around, dipped a pen in a nearby ink well and passed it to Mallory.
"If you would, please sign here…and here." The proprietor said as he pointed to two lines in the book.
Mallory scribbled his signature onto the book, glanced at Bogg and gave him a big thumb's up. The proprietor smiled curiously before reaching under the desk to retrieve the room keys.
"Gentlemen, here are your keys. You will find your rooms at the top of the stairs on the right. Oh, one last thing. Breakfast will be served in the dining room beginning at 6:00 am."
Bogg breathed a sigh of relief. "Whew! Finally I'll be able to put the kid down. He's heavier than he looks, you know."
Mallory smiled and nodded at Bogg's statement before turning his attention back to the proprietor.
"Thank you sir." Mallory whispered.
"If there's anything else I can do for you gentlemen, please ask." The proprietor said as he turned and walked toward the door to his sleeping quarters.
"We will, sir." Mallory replied. "Goodnight!"
"Good night to you all." The proprietor replied.
After a dizzying climb up a long flight of stairs, the three approached the door of the first room. With Bogg's hands full supporting the exhausted Jeff, Mallory opened the door and motioned for the two to go inside. Bogg, whose will was now concentrated on reaching the bed inside before he collapsed, pushed the door open and entered the room. Concerned about Bogg's unsteadiness with Jeff in his arms, Mallory followed closely behind him. Trying not to wake his sleeping partner, Bogg tiptoed over to the bed and gradually lowered Jeff down upon it. He sat down beside him for a moment as he gently removed his sneakers and placed them on the floor. Upon standing, he pulled the covers up over his partner and tucked him in.
"Poor kid…" Mallory whispered as he stared at the frazzled young Voyager. "He deserves a good night's rest. A kid his age shouldn't have to experience what he did today."
"I agree." Bogg whispered as he continued to observe Jeff's every breath. "This was probably the worst thing that's ever happened to him as a Voyager. He's one tough kid though. A few hours sleep and I believe he'll be fine."
Mallory walked over to his preceptor and put a hand on his shoulder. "Phineas, you've got a really good kid there." He whispered. "You are a very lucky guy."
Bogg grinned sheepishly. "Sometimes I wonder… especially when he's being a real pain."
Mallory smiled a bit. "We were all his age once. Being a pain just goes along with the territory. You know, I'm surprised I made it this far, especially after some of the things I did when I was his age."
Bogg continued to show great concern for his partner. While he stood there, watching the rise and fall of the covers with Jeff's every breath; Mallory's words began to echo in his mind. For a brief moment, he slipped back in time to his childhood to relive one of his own 'mischievous moments'.
It was late summer in Breezy Point. Young Phineas Bogg, who had just marked his 8th birthday was out in the back yard of his home, engaged in his usual pirate conquest on the open seas. His mother, Sonora, was in the kitchen watching her young son play as she prepared the evening meal. As she turned away from the window for a brief moment to stir a pot of stew, Young Phineas, dressed in his pirate hat and eye patch, quietly crept through the kitchen door. With his wooden cutlass held high in the air, he tiptoed over and stood behind his mom.
"Aye, me hardy!" He announced in his best pirate brogue.
Sonora, realizing it was Phineas who now stood behind her, dropped her spoon and quickly turned to face her young son. She smiled a bit before she threw her hands into the air.
"Help! Help! There's a pirate in my kitchen!" She screamed playfully.
"I'm Bogg the pirate!" Young Phineas boldly announced. "I'm here for the treasure. Now hand it over!"
"Please don't hurt me, you mean ol' pirate." She pleaded as she inched her way over to the pantry door. "Give me a minute and I'll pull out my treasure chest. It's safely hidden behind this door. You can have everything in it, every last piece of gold and silver I have."
"No tricks, or me and me mateys will have to rough you up." He threatened.
"Oh please! I'm too old to be roughed up!" She pleaded as she slowly opened the door to the pantry and reached inside.
"Remember, no tricks!" Young Phineas warned as he again waived his wooden cutlass in the air.
Unbeknownst to her young son, Sonora knew just how to handle intimidating pirates of a diminutive nature. Without warning, she pulled a rather large broom out of the closet and started playfully swatting her son with it.
"Take that! You mean ol' pirate!" Sonora yelled. "And that! And that!"
Young Phineas dropped his cutlass and tried to shield his body with his hands and arms.
"Hmmmm…I'll teach you…threatening to rough up an old woman and steal her treasure!" Sonora yelled playfully as she continued to swat her son with the broom. "And in her own kitchen too!"
"Stop, ma! It's just me, Phineas!" He yelled as he removed his hat and eyepatch. "I was just playing…I'm not gonna hurt you!"
Sonora took another swat at her son, while trying to hold back her laughter. "I don't care… Pirate or not, you get outta my kitchen now… If you cause me to burn my stew, I'll be doing some roughing up of my own, you hear!"
"Yes ma'am." He replied. Knowing that he had met his match, Young Phineas grabbed his cutlass, licked his wounds and quickly ran out the door.
Once the memories had faded, Bogg returned to the present moment. He nodded his head and smiled as he realized just how ill-behaved he was at Jeff's age.
"Shawn, you've got a point…" Bogg acknowledged. "I guess I shouldn't be so hard on him. I too was a little pain when I was his age."
The two continued to observe Jeff as he slept peacefully.
"Shouldn't you be getting some rest as well?" Mallory whispered to his partner.
"I'll be ok, Shawn." Bogg said unconvincingly. "I'll just pull that chair over beside the bed and keep an eye on him for a while."
Mallory could still sense the concern in the tone of his preceptor's voice. Bogg was worried about his partner; so much in fact, he was brooding over him like a mother hen. Jeff, though not willing to admit it, had been terrified by their ordeal and Bogg would not rest until he knew for sure his partner was ok.
"Phineas, I've got an idea!" Mallory exclaimed. "Why don't we take turns keeping an eye on him? That way, you can get some rest yourself."
"Thanks for the offer, but I'll be ok." Bogg replied warmly. "You go and get yourself some sleep. Besides, one of us has to have our wits about us to complete this mission."
"Are you sure, Phineas?" Shawn asked.
"I'm sure." Bogg replied.
Mallory walked over to the side of the bed and put his hand on Jeff's shoulder. "You get some sleep, guy." He whispered. "I can't complete this mission without you."
Bogg smiled warmly at Mallory and whispered. "Thank you."
"Us Voyagers have to stick together…through thick and thin." Mallory whispered as he turned to exit the room. Before he reached the door, he stopped for a moment and looked back at his preceptor.
"Good night Phineas."
"Good night to you too, Shawn."
Upon leaving the room, Mallory quietly closed the door behind him.
Hours passed. As he continued to keep vigil over his partner, Bogg jumped to his feet with each and every move his partner made to make sure he was ok. After several hours of this unrelenting exercise, his fatigue got the best of him and he fell fast asleep in his chair.
Not too long after, Bogg reached the point of deep sleep. His subconscious mind had taken control as he began to dream, vividly. In his minds' eye, he was whisked away from his current reality and suddenly found himself in the midst of a dark and seemingly empty space. All around him was an eerie green luminous mist whose icy fingers seemed to reach out and tug at his soul. Now, all alone in this most uninviting of places, he began to push his way through the mist, seeking out his partner as well as a means of escape.
After a time, with no sign of his partner or an obvious way out of his fix, Bogg stopped for a moment and sat down. Sitting there in the midst of the nothingness, engulfed body and soul by the green mist, a feeling of all-encompassing fear came over him. It was a feeling he had never felt before, a sort of primeval urge, almost uncontrollable. He began to feel trapped, like a lion in a pit with no way out. His heart raced as his fear had pumped his system full of adrenaline. He felt like at any moment, the slightest touch could cause him to jump out of his skin.
As the waves of the luminous mist twisted and contorted around his body, Bogg lowered his head as the eerie concoction had begun to sting his eyes. Reaching into the pocket of his jerkin, he pulled out a handkerchief and held it over his eyes for a time to get some relief. Later, upon removing the cloth, he was amazed as well as puzzled to discover the mist which had surrounded him was gone. Unexpectedly, he found himself once again in the time vortex with Mallory and Jeff.
Bogg, Jeff and Mallory's trip through the time vortex was progressing as usual until suddenly the transport bubble they were travelling in began to shake violently. Outside, the ripples in time that normally passed them in rapid succession began to slow down and their light diminished in intensity. After a few moments, the transport bubble stopped and the three found themselves in the middle of the time vortex, with the vastness of space surrounding them.
"Booooogggg!" Jeff exclaimed. "Why have we stopped?"
Bogg, who was somewhat confused by the sudden change of scenery, stared out into space and did not respond.
"Bogg!" Jeff repeated. "Are you ok?"
"Uh…umm...wha…what?" Bogg replied.
"Why have we stopped?" Jeff asked.
"Kid. I don't know." Bogg replied. "Something must have happened with the omni. Shawn, what does your omni say?"
Mallory pulled out his omni and opened it. Much to his surprise, both lights were flashing in a rather unusual pattern. "Beep, beep, beep, ding, beep, beep, beep, ding."
Upon seeing this, Mallory had an epiphany. "Wait a minute! I remember this code from one of my classes. This sequence of lights means the omni has lost its location tracking ability."
"How do we fix it?" Jeff asked.
"We don't." Bogg replied.
Jeff's eyes grew wide. "What? What do you mean, Bogg?"
Bogg waived his arms and floated over beside his partner. He put his arm around Jeff and tried his best to calm his fears and explain the situation.
"Kid, this is something we can't fix. It means the omni has lost communication with the control computer back at VHQ."
"Are you saying we're lost?" Jeff asked, now trembling with fear.
"No, kid, were not lost." Bogg reassured. "More like stuck."
Bogg, I'm scared…" Jeff said with his squeaky voice. "
"Hey, kiddo. There's nothing to be scared about." Bogg said with a smile. "We're all in this together. Shawn and I are not gonna let anything happen to you. Isn't that right Shawn?"
"Voy…ger Mallo…This…Miss…Con…ol",
"Shawn, that sounds like Mission Control." Bogg exclaimed. "Can you do anything to clear up that signal?"
"Sure, Phineas." Mallory replied. "Hold on."
Mallory fiddled with one of the buttons on his omni and after a few moments, they could hear Mission Specialist Connors quite clearly.
"Voyager Mallory, this is Mission Control. Do you read?"
Bogg turned to his worried partner and exclaimed. "See kid, they know we're here. Lindsey will straighten this mess out."
"Mission Control, this is Mallory, Go ahead." Mallory replied.
"Voyager Mallory, are you and your colleagues ok?" Connors asked.
"Yes, we are all ok." Mallory reassured. "We just feel like a flies trapped in a jar of ointment."
"Well, don't worry." Connors replied. "We are working on the problem as we speak. We should have you out of that ointment shortly. Just be calm and hang in there."
"Can you tell us what happened?" Mallory asked.
Connors began to explain their predicament. "It's a long story. And I don't have all the answers yet. Some faults developed in the Omni Control Computer. So far, we've determined the problem is located in several memory banks used primarily for omni location tracking. I've got IS & T and two of my best technicians working on it. It's too bad you aren't here right now, I could sure use your technical expertise."
"That's ok, Lindsey. If you need help you can contact me here." Mallory replied. "I can say I'm not going anywhere anytime soon."
"Will do, Mission Control out."
Several minutes had passed. Jeff was getting more and more scared with each passing moment. His partner had realized this and was again attempting to dispel his fears.
"Everything's gonna be just fine kiddo." Bogg reassured his partner. "We'll be outta here shortly."
At that moment, Connors contacted Mallory.
"Voyager Mallory, this is Mission Control. Do you read?"
"Go ahead Mission Control." Mallory replied.
"Guys, I've got some good news and some bad news. Which would you like first?"
"The good news of course." Mallory again replied.
"Well, we've figured out a way to get you out of the time vortex." Connors announced.
"Lindsey, that's great." Mallory replied excitedly. "Ok, what's the bad news?"
There was a short pause as Connors got up the nerve to give them the awful news.
"Shawn… Guys… I'm so sorry… I wish this was not so…" Connors said as she attempted to hold back her emotions.
"What, Lindsey, what's wrong?" Mallory asked.
"We can get you out of the vortex, but we're only able to free two of you. One of you will have to stay behind."
"What!" Mallory exclaimed. "What do you mean 'stay behind'?"
Connors explained further, while trying her best to keep from falling apart, emotionally.
"Shawn, we can only save two of you. One of you will be trapped forever in the vortex."
"This can't be! There must be another way… There must!" Mallory shouted.
"I'm sorry, Shawn." Connors said as her voice began to tremble. "We've examined all the possibilities. Given the short amount of time we have to rescue you, we will only be able to save two of you."
Upon hearing this, Jeff reached over and clung to Bogg. "Bogg! I'm real--ly scared."
"Shhhh, Jeff! It's gonna be ok."
"Bogg, why can't you use your omni to get us out of here?" Jeff whispered.
Bogg retrieved his omni from his belt, opened it and held it up for Jeff to see.
"Good thinking kiddo. The only problem is my omni won't work inside the time vortex." Bogg explained. "The only omni that functions inside the time vortex is the one that initiated the transport sequence."
"Lindsey, we need to discuss this amongst ourselves. We'll get back to you shortly, ok?" Mallory said nervously.
"Please guys, don't take too long. You only have a small amount of breathable air left."
"Mallory out."
"Well, guys, you heard what she said." Mallory said in a downtrodden tone. "I'm not ready for any of us to be left here forever. I don't like this…not one bit!
"We heard, all too clearly, Shawn." Bogg replied as he nodded his head. "And we're not too thrilled about the idea either."
"Which of us is to remain?" Mallory asked with a tear in his eye. He paused in thought for a moment and then spoke up. "I believe in light of the situation, it should be me."
"No Shawn! Absolutely not!" Bogg yelled. "You have your whole life ahead of you and besides you have a wife."
"And what about you? You have Jeffrey!" Mallory argued. "Who is gonna take care of him if you are not around?"
"You are!" Bogg yelled.
"NO! BOGG! You can't leave me! I won't let you do it!" Jeff yelled as he hung on tightly to his partner.
Back at the Dodge House, Bogg began to move about in his chair and was mumbling in his sleep.
"No, Jeff I don't want to leave you!" Bogg said as he jerked his head to one side.
"Jeff, please. Don't make this harder for me than it has to be." Bogg pleaded. "I don't want to leave you, but I don't want anything to happen to you either."
"But Bogg, why?" Jeff pleaded. "Why does it have to be you?"
"I thought I just explained that, kid."
"If you are staying behind, then so am I." Jeff said staunchly. "Were PB & J and there's no separating us!"
"Jeffrey, look at me." Bogg said as he lifted Jeff's chin. "You know you cannot stay behind. You are just getting started and you have your whole life ahead of you. Me, I've lived my life and it's been a good one."
"But Bogg, you can't give up now… You just can't!" Jeff exclaimed.
Bogg looked at his son and partner with a tear streaming down his face. He swallowed hard as he attempted to hold back the flood of emotions coming from within.
"I've enjoyed every moment of everyday I've spent with you. You have been the one thing that made it all worthwhile." Bogg said lovingly. "But now, fate has dealt us our cards. Like a game of schnibbitz, whatever hand is dealt us; we must either play or fold. This time, kiddo, I've got a bad hand and there's no way I can bluff my way out of it. So, it's time to fold.
Back in his room, Bogg's agitation was intensifying as his nightmare continued to unfold. "NO!...won't leave you Jeff…schnibbitz…bad hand…" He mumbled.
"NO! BOGG!" Jeff yelled. "YOU CAN'T GO!"
"Jeff, you must go with Mallory. It's the only way." Bogg whispered softly. "Mallory and Rosalyn are good people. They will take good care of you and give you all the love, support and help you need as you transition into adulthood."
Suddenly, Bogg sat up in his chair. Still asleep and trapped in his dream-state, he shouted out into the darkness. "Jeff, you must… No! NO!" Uncontrollably, he fell back against the chair, his head bowed and his chin resting on his chest.
"NO… Bogg! No! I won't let you do it!" Jeff yelled as he began to wail.
"Phineas, I can't let you do this." Mallory exclaimed.
"I'm the senior Voyager on this mission!" Bogg said staunchly. "I've made my decision! I'm staying!"
Mallory shook his head in disbelief and breathed a heavy sigh. "This can't be happening! I can't be-lieve this is happening!"
By this time, Jeff had buried his face in Bogg's chest and was holding him so tightly he could scarcely breathe. Bogg looked down at him and put his arms around him.
"I won't let you do it Bogg!" Jeff yelled. "I won't!"
"I have to do it, kiddo." Bogg said softly. "I have to do it for your sake."
"What will I do without you, Bogg?" Jeff wailed.
Bogg looked at his partner and nodded his head as tears began to slowly run down his cheek. He glanced over at Mallory and whispered. "You better contact Mission Control and inform them I'll be hanging around for a while."
Mallory, unable to hold back his emotions, turned his back to his two partners and contacted Lindsey at Mission Control. While Mallory explained the situation to her, Bogg used what little time he had left to console and comfort his partner and prepare him for what was about to occur.
Bogg attempted to lift his partner's chin with his finger. "Look at me, kiddo. You are gonna be a great Voyager." He said as he forced a smile and sniffled a bit. "You're gonna go far and do great things in your life. I know this to be true, not only because Chancellor Garth said it would be, but also because I've already seen you in action. I'm so proud of you and what you have become. Always remember that, no matter what happens."
"I will Bogg." Jeff said sullenly.
"And even though I won't be around in body to witness all those good things you will do…" Bogg said warmly as he pointed to Jeff's heart. "I will always be with you in spirit…in there."
"But I don't want you to go!" Jeff wailed.
"I know...kid…I know. I don't want to go, but I don't want to see you hurt either. The thing that makes me so sad is that once again, someone you love and who loves you will be taken away from you." Bogg said sadly, before lowering his head, succumbing to his emotions. "It's just not fair…I wish there was something I could do to change this."
Jeff began to sob as he came to the realization there was nothing neither he nor his partner could do to change the outcome of their situation.
"I know it hurts…But you have to be strong…for the both of us..." Bogg whispered as he wiped his tears on his sleeve. "Once I'm gone, you must go on with your life. To do otherwise, would make my sacrifice pointless."
"It'll be painful for a little while, but you'll eventually get over me." Bogg softly reassured his partner.
Jeff raised his head and looked Bogg squarely in the eye. "Bogg, I will never, repeat NEVER get over you or forget you for that matter. NEVER!"
"I hope I never, ever forget you either, kiddo." Bogg replied, tears falling down his cheek and his voice breaking under the strain of the moment.
"There's one other thing I want you to promise me Jeff." Bogg said.
"What?" Jeff asked.
"On your oath as a Voyager, I want you to promise me that when this is over, you won't try to come back in time and rescue me." Bogg said as he bowed his head.
"But Bogg? Why???" Jeff argued.
"No Jeff. You must let it be." Bogg said sternly. "This is meant to be and you must promise that you won't break the Voyager Code by coming back to rescue me. Is that understood?"
Jeff looked at his partner and reluctantly agreed. "I…I promise…I won't come back to rescue you."
"Jeff…I love you!" Bogg said warmly as he continued to hold him tightly in his arms for the remaining moments they had left.
Several minutes passed. The sound of Connor's voice pierced the emptiness as she contacted Mallory once again.
"Mallory, this is Mission Control."
"Go ahead, Lindsey."
"We're ready, if you guys are." Connors said as she choked back tears. "Shawn, can Phineas hear me?"
"Yes, he can hear you loud and clear." Mallory replied. "Do you want to speak to him?"
"Yes, please." Connors said as she began to break down.
Mallory handed his omni to Bogg. "Lindsey, it's Bogg." He said as he tried to keep his spirits up.
"Phineas…oh my…what can I say?" Connors asked while choking back tears.
"Well, Lindsey…there's much that can be said and many different ways to say it." Bogg reassured. "I guess the simplest and least hurtful is, 'Goodbye! I love you!'
"Phineas, you deserve much more than that. I will never forget the look on your face several days ago when you thought you were being disciplined and reviewed. If I knew then, what I know now, I would have never played that trick on you."
"Lindsey, it's ok, really." Bogg said warmly. "It was a good prank and no harm came from it. After it was all over, I thought to myself, 'I could have pulled something like that.'"
"You will always be number one in my book!" Connors said softly. "I will never forget you and I'll make sure everyone remembers the sacrifice you made on this day for your fellow comrades."
"Thank you Lindsey!" Bogg replied before handing the omni back to Mallory.
"Lindsey, it's Shawn, are you ready?" Mallory asked.
"Yes, Shawn, unfortunately we are." Connors replied.
Mallory turned to Bogg and whispered. "They're ready."
Bogg looked at his son and kissed him on the forehead. "Kid, it's time. You must be strong for the both of us, ok? Always remember, I love you and I'll always be with you."
Jeff kissed his dad and whispered to him one last time. "I love you too, Bogg!"
Bogg put his partner's hand in Mallory's and whispered to him, "Shawn, please take good care of him. You and Roz are all he has now."
"Roz and I will take good care of him, Phineas. You need not worry about that." Mallory whispered. "I will become his partner and teacher. While I can never replace you in his eyes, Phineas, I will always be there for him. He won't ever be alone."
Mallory reached over and put one arm around Jeff and the other around Bogg.
"Phineas…. what can I say?" Mallory asked with tears in his eyes. "You've been the best friend anyone could have ever had. You're the greatest. I couldn't have had a better preceptor. I hate to say goodbye."
"Shawn, let's not say goodbye, let's just say, until next time." Bogg said as he smiled a bit and bowed his head.
By this time, Bogg had begun to shift about in the chair and was waiving his arms about in the air. "NO! I don't want to die! Jeffrey, don't leave me here." Bogg mumbled
"C'mon Jeff…" Mallory said softly. "I guess it's time."
Shawn and Jeff floated over to one side of the transport bubble and then contacted Mission Control.
"Mission Control… This is…Mallory…We're…ready." Mallory said with overwhelming emotion.
"Acknowledged…" Connors replied.
At that moment, the transport bubble they were in split into two parts and the part containing Mallory and Jeff started to float slowly off into the time vortex.
"BOGG!!! NO! BOGG!!!!!" Jeff exclaimed. "THIS CAN'T BE SO! BOGG!!!!"
"JEFFREY!!!! OH MY! JEFFREY!!" Bogg yelled out to his partner as he began to panic at the sight of Jeff and Mallory's transport bubble floating away from him.
As the two time bubbles continued to slowly drift away from each other in the time vortex, Jeff continued to watch and wail for his partner with his face and hands pressed against the side of their bubble.
Suddenly, Bogg saw something in the distance which his mind could hardly believe. As he stood there, gazing at his partner, from across the vastness of space, he noticed his old foe Drake was now standing behind Jeff. The sight of Drake sent Bogg into a frenzy, as he knew his partner was in immediate danger. He began to climb the walls of the bubble he was in, trying his best to get to his partner.
"No Drake! You hurt Jeff and I'll hunt you to the ends of the universe!" Bogg yelled out as he continued to waive his fists in the air and turn his head from side to side.
As Jeff stood there, his face pressed against the side of his bubble, he realized Bogg had become highly agitated. In the distance, Jeff could see him yelling furiously and waiving his clenched fists into the air.
"Bogg… Bogg!", Jeff said softly with the little bit of remaining strength he now had. "What is it? What's wrong? I don't understand."
Without warning, a sinister, yet all too familiar laugh came from behind him. This unmistakable sound sent a chill down Jeff's spine. As he slowly turned around to look for his friend Mallory, he was shocked to discover the face of their biggest rival, Drake standing behind him.
"Hehehehe!" Drake spewed confidently while wringing his hands. "I'm finally rid of the great Phineas Bogg…forever! Hehehehe!"
Where's Mallory?" Jeff barked. "What did you do to him?"
"Mallory?" Drake replied with a bit of panache. "Young Mallory is back on Planet Voyager."
"What? He was just with us?" Jeff yelled, while taking his aggression out on the evil fiend. "What did you do to him? Tell me, you brute!"
Drake, tired of Jeff's heroism and banter, took hold of the young Voyager and threw him against the far side of the bubble. He bounced off the wall and in the zero gravity environment went whizzing past him.
"Let me guess, you were him all along!" Jeff exclaimed. "This was all a set up. You planned this!"
"Such a simple, yet devious plan." Drake said with a cold and callous tone. "First, I disguise myself as young Mallory and gain your confidence. Then, sabotage the OCC and set it up so that we get trapped in the time vortex with only one means of escape, by leaving someone behind. And here's the best part. Get rid of the great Bogg by allowing him to sacrifice himself rather than see you or another Voyager die. It was just too easy and besides, your dear old dad played right into my plan."
"I can't believe you would leave Bogg to die!" Jeff yelled. "What did he do to deserve this? And how could you do it to him after he saved your life."
"I've been planning the ultimate demise of Voyager Bogg ever since he foiled my plans of taking over VHQ." Drake boasted with a fiendish voice. "And now I've gotten my revenge. Bogg's gone, once and for all, never again to interfere with my plans."
"Please Drake, please!" Jeff pleaded. "Save him! Do what you will with me, but don't let him die."
Drake stood there silent and undaunted as he turned a deaf ear to the pleas of the young Voyager.
Jeff, realizing his words were getting him nowhere, floated back over to the side of the bubble and pressed his hands and face against it as he continued to watch his partner get further and further away.
Drake floated over beside the young Voyager and with his usual cruel and heartless manner, announced to the universe. "And now, Phineas Bogg…the time has come to put the finishing touches on your epitaph! Goodbye, Voyager Bogg! Hehehehe! Goodbye, forever!"
"Bogg! Don't leave me!" Jeff whispered. "Bogg!!"
Back in their room at the Dodge House, Bogg's nightmare had reached its apex. He was now frantically yelling out Drake's name, and thrashing about in his chair. Awakened by all the yelling and noise, Jeff leaped from his bed and ran over to his partner.
"Bogg!! Bogg! Wake up!" Jeff said softly as he shook him. "It's just a dream! C'mon wake up."
"NO DRAKE! You can't have him, I won't let you." Bogg yelled angrily.
Bogg continued to thrash about in the chair as he battled the demons inside his mind. With Jeff standing in front of him attempting to try and wake, Bogg, without realizing it, swung a clenched fist into the air toward him. Luckily, Jeff noticed Bogg's arm coming at him out of the corner of his eye and darted over to the side of the chair, just in the nick of time. Now safe and out of the line of fire, he leaned over and whispered in his partner's ear while gently nudging him.
"C'mon Bogg… wake up. It's me Jeff! You're having a bad dream. C'mon, wake up, ok. "
At this point, Bogg ceased his yelling and thrashing as he began to awaken from his terrible nightmare. Gradually, he opened his eyes and looked up, noticing his partner who was currently standing beside him.
"JEFF!!" Bogg yelled as he shot up from the chair, threw his arms around his partner and lovingly caressed his head.
"Bogg, it's ok. You just had a nightmare." Jeff said as he wrapped his arms around him.
"Kid, it was awful…" Bogg said as he gasped for a breath. "I thought I was going to lose you."
"You're not going to lose me…ever." Jeff reassured. "I'm like a bad penny, always turning up somewhere."
Bogg looked at his son and then sat back down in his chair.
"It…it was….it was so real…" Bogg exclaimed as he attempted to shake off the dream's effects and wipe the tears from his eyes. "I was back in the time vortex…we were stuck… and only two of us could get out. You and Mallory had to leave me behind."
"Leave you behind?" Jeff asked, somewhat dumbfounded by the statement. "I don't think so!"
Bogg continued to explain the details of his nightmare to Jeff as he attempted to get a handle on his emotions.
"Mallory wasn't with us, it was Drake in disguise…and he had planned this all along." Bogg said as he pulled his partner over to him.
"Come here, kiddo." Bogg said as he rubbed his eyes. "I just want to hold on to you. I know it was just a bad dream, but it was so unnerving. The thought of losing you to Drake was more than I could handle."
Jeff looked at him for a moment and smiled a bit.
"Hey, did you really think you were going to get rid of me that easily?" Jeff teased. "I don't think so… Besides, I get a real kick out of nagging you and making your life miserable. You know, the 'smart kids give me a pain' thing."
Bogg hinted at a smile. "Kid, you are just too much."
At that moment, a knock came at the door of their room.
"Phineas? Jeff? It's Shawn. Are you two ok?" Mallory asked as he yawned. "I heard someone yelling. Can I come in?"
"Sure Shawn, the door's open, come on in." Jeff yelled.
Mallory opened the door and walked inside.
"Are you two ok?" Mallory asked with concern. "I heard someone yelling all the way down the hallway."
Mallory slowly made his way over to the chair where Bogg and Jeff were now sitting.
"Phineas, what's up?" Mallory asked. "You are holding onto Jeff like he's going to run away or something?"
Bogg suddenly released his bear hug on his partner as Jeff turned to explain the situation to Mallory.
"Shawn…Bogg, just had one heck of a nightmare." Jeff explained. "It was about Drake and from the sound of it, it was worse than any horror flick I've ever seen. You should have seen him. He was absolutely terrified when he finally woke up."
"I'm so sorry, Phineas." Mallory said as he leaned over and put his hand on his shoulder. "I've had a few of those in my lifetime. Scary isn't a strong enough word to describe what I went through. "
"Thanks Shawn." Bogg replied as he yawned a bit.
Jeff looked up at Mallory. "Shawn, can you help me get him to bed? He's been so worried about me, I think, now's the time to return the favor."
"Sure, Jeff."
"Kid, I'm not ready to go to bed, not just yet." Bogg said as he yawned once again.
"Yes, Phineas, Jeff's right." Mallory quipped. "You need to get some sleep, especially after what just happened to you. Now come on, let's get you over to the bed."
"C'mon, ol' timer. We need to get you to bed so you can get some sleep." Jeff whispered. "Tomorrow's a big day for us all."
Mallory and Jeff took hold of Bogg, eased him out of the chair and slowly escorted him over to the bed. Bogg sat down, pulled off his boots and put his feet under the covers as Jeff reached over and tucked him in.
"Looks like everything's control, so I'm going back down the hall and get some sleep." Mallory said. "If you need me just bang on the wall or something, ok? Good night to you all."
"Thanks Shawn. Good night!" Bogg replied.
Once Jeff knew his partner was safely tucked in, he ran around to the opposite side of the bed and climbed in. He pulled the covers up to his chin and closed his eyes.
"Jeff?" Bogg whispered.
"Yea, Bogg."
"I love you, kid. Don't ever forget that." Bogg said lovingly.
Jeff sat up in bed and looked over at this dad, who was lying there staring at the ceiling.
"I love you too, big guy."