Mary Ann and the Professor returned to the Howell's estate in New York, and shared with everyone the news about Kincade, his plans to kill them off and how the assassin that tried to murder Mary Ann, also killed Eva.
Thurston was the one that called Skipper's lawyer, Oliver Vanderbrock, about the new theory. Mr. Vanderbrock planned to look into Jonathan Kincade and he seemed quite excited. They now had reasonable doubt and a theory to give to a jury.
But the seven former castaways had something else that needed to be discussed-Alien Gilligan.
"I fully believe that that alien and the race of people he comes from, are responsible for that plague that was on the island." the Professor said solemnly.
"I don't understand," Skipper said slowly, "I mean you seem to think that these aliens were watching us for awhile."
"I do. And eventually one of them decided they wanted to look like Gilligan." Professor answered.
"Why?" Gilligan asked.
"To fit in. I now think the plague was used as a distraction. So we wouldn't notice that Gilligan wasn't acting like himself." Professor guessed.
"But we don't know that for sure, do we?" Thurston asked. "I mean what puzzles me IS the plague. How did it begin? Who infected Ericka Tiffany Smith and the sailor that came with her?"
The Professor frowned.
"That is what has been bothering me. I believe Ericka Tiffany Smith and the man she came with, infected the head hunters we encountered later on. And none of us came across anyone infected, before she returned to the island. I have been in contact with doctors from the Center of Disease Control, that are still combing the island. They have found many dead head hunters but they cannot seem to pinpoint the source or cause of the plague."
"But that alien would know, wouldn't he?" Lovie asked. "If he and his people were watching us, then he'd know."
"Yes," Ginger agreed, now looking at Mary Ann, "since he 'knew' that Jonathan Kincade sent someone to kill me, and they got Eva by mistake."
Mary Ann ignored Ginger.
"What do you want to do?" she asked the Professor directly. The Professor sighed, then answered.
"You said he had his ship in the woods of this estate..."
"What?!" Lovie cried out in horror. "Thurston, did you hear that?"
Thurston put his arms around Lovie and gave both the Professor and Mary Ann hard looks.
"I did indeed! How long have you known that an alien was squatting on our property?"
"Not long, Mr. Howell. And if we're truthful with ourselves, there was little any of us could do about it, without looking insane. If we had alerted the authorities to our 'problem', I'm sure this alien would have disappeared making us look like fools." Professor said bluntly.
"Okay, so you think he's here now?" Skipper asked.
"Yes. I think it is a very good possibility that he is here," Professor said, now turning his attention to Mary Ann, "and I want you to draw him out."
Mary Ann looked confused.
"Professor, what happens when I do bring him out into the open? None of us are any match for him. I watched him kill a head hunter and he killed that assassin. He doesn't even need to touch someone to end their life." Mary Ann told them all.
The Professor did not answer that. He did not want Mary Ann to know that he had people waiting to question Alien Gilligan. Government people. And as soon as Mary Ann brought him into the open, he would be captured. He moved over to grasp her hands and squeeze them.
"I don't want you to worry about that. And I hate the fact that I have to put you in danger like this. But you do seem to be the only one of us this alien has any regard for. I will make sure no one gets hurt. You do trust me, don't you?" the Professor asked, pulling one of her hands to his lips and kissing it.
Mary Ann nodded, smiling softly. Ginger thought she would be sick! She rolled her eyes and left the room, her mind now on how this story seemed to be changing quickly. It could only add to the interest in her story as a movie, if the Skipper's obsession with her, and Kincade's efforts to kill her, were well known.
She was about to head to a phone, when she felt someone touch her arm. She turned to find herself face to face with the Professor!
"My, didn't I just see you slobbering over Mary Ann?" Ginger asked sarcastically. The Professor took the phone out of her hand and hung it up.
"In order for this work, no one can know. Including your 'agent'."
"My agent knows nothing..." Ginger began. But the Professor put his hand up.
"Spare me your theatrics, Ginger. I am still at a loss as to what happened on the island between all of us. How you could so heartlessly use the Skipper in such a manner, that he would marry Eva Grubb, is beyond comprehension. Clearly, he did that because he could not be with you."
"None of that was my fault. The Skipper is a grown man. And this all started with you. You and your stubbornness over Ericka Tiffany Smith's boat!"
"Actually," the Professor said, "I think it was about a little more than that. I remember more than a few attempts on your part, to seduce me. And I never reciprocated. At first I thought the attempts were made to curry some favor from me. But now I am beginning to realize that you did indeed expect something else to happen between us."
Ginger said nothing to that. The Professor picked up the phone and handed it to her.
"Here. Call your agent. I have also realized that you have precious little in your life these days. If it helps to turn this whole unfortunate situation into a film, then so be it."
Ginger shook her head!
"Don't put this all on me! So what if I think this whole story, on film, starring ME, could revive my career? Professor, I may not be book smart, but I'm not stupid. You're telling me you're not planning on writing a book of some sort about this? Or at the very least, you want to get your medical findings about this plague published? And if you can use your poor fiancee to find out why this whole thing happened, the more the better, right?"
"I'm going to pretend you didn't say that. I am also going to pretend as if we are still the dear friends we used to be, back when we were stranded on that island." the Professor said, hanging up the phone and walking off.
Ginger stared at his back, then at the phone. She then sighed and ran her hands down her face. Things did seem less complicated when they were back on the island. But they were no longer there anymore and everyone had to forge some kind of life for themselves now.
She decided to see this whole 'alien capture' thing through, until she told her agent about it.
Gilligan was the first to notice, as the seven of them eased their way through the woods, the extra men hiding behind trees, that looked like military soldiers. He nudged the Skipper, who saw them as well. It was clear that the Professor had truly planned this whole thing out. The Skipper felt safer knowing they had some kind of back up.
The Professor and Mary Ann walked ahead of Gilligan and the Skipper, while the Howell's carefully tipped around behind them, with Lovie carrying a parasol. Ginger was in a slinky dress, in heels behind them.
It seemed after awhile that this whole thing was some kind of fairy tale. There just didn't seem to be anything else around but woods filled with things that should be there.
Then, the ship materialized. It was as if it was revealing itself.
Or Alien Gilligan was allowing them to see it. Why?
The Professor looked at Mary Ann, who smiled wanly at him, before letting go of his arm and walking up to the ship. The door opened and Alien Gilligan came out, wearing similar clothing to Gilligan. That actually annoyed Gilligan! Why couldn't this 'alien' find someone else to imitate?
"Hello." Mary Ann said softly.
Alien Gilligan's jaw was hard.
"This is clearly some kind of a trap."
Mary Ann took a deep breath. Of course he would know that! He seemed to know everything else!
"We just want to know how the plague started on the island? You knew everything else. Please, could you just tell us that?"
"You mean tell the Professor, don't you? I can't see how that information would matter to anyone else." Alien Gilligan countered.
"Fine. Yes, please tell the Professor. He is back there..."
"I know where he is. I know where those men are that are waiting to trap me. I am sorry that you felt the need to go along with this." Alien Gilligan said, before he pulled her to him suddenly, and kissed her hard!
When the kiss was over, Mary Ann gasped!
She was not in the woods anymore.
She was back on the island.
Along with the Professor, Gilligan, Skipper, Ginger and the Howell's!
"NO!" the Professor almost screamed. Helicopters could be heard and he turned to run towards them! The scientists from the CDC had finished their work there and the last helicopter had just finished taking off! The Professor waved his hands wildly, but was not seen.
Ginger's mouth gaped open in shock!
"We're...we're...we're back on the island! The alien did this to us!"
"The alien did this because we tried to trap him!" Skipper barked. "Thanks, Professor!"
"Yes, Professor, smashing plan!" Thurston complained. "The first time around Skipper was responsible for stranding us here! Now it's your fault!"
"He felt betrayed," Mary Ann said softly, "and he did this to punish us. Or me."
Gilligan shrugged.
"Oh well. I'm going to check the huts to see that they're still in good shape."
And with that he walked off, seemingly accepting of their circumstances. Skipper stared after his little buddy. Well, that was how Gilligan was. And he supposed he was right. They were back on the island and there was work to be done.
He followed after Gilligan.
Lovie looked at Thurston.
"Thurston, we were unable to take all of our valuables after the first rescue. I want to make sure those scientists didn't steal from us." she purred.
Thurston raised a brow. His wife was right! With so many people roaming the island after they left, there was no telling what could be missing from their hut! He and Lovie made their way after Gilligan and Skipper.
Ginger said nothing and followed after the Howell's. The Professor had been right, of course. She had always wanted him. And now she would have all the time in the world to wrest him from Mary Ann. And that wouldn't be hard. For she did not believe for one moment that they had seen the last of the alien. And when he returned, he would continue where he left off, with Mary Ann, Ginger was sure.
"Professor this is all my fault! Not yours! We can't remain stranded here again!" Mary Ann cried.
"Darling, let's just consider this a short stay. Chances are that alien will come back. And when he does, we will convince him to take all of us with him. But for now, let's just act as if we were never rescued at all."
Mary Ann looked at him skeptically.
"Pretend as if we were never rescued at all? I don't know."
The Professor reached for her hand and they began walking after Ginger.
"I think it will be easier to do than you think." he told her as they made the trek back to the hut area.
Meanwhile, Alien Gilligan watched the island from a screen within his ship. All of the military men that the Professor had conspired with to capture him, lay slain in the woods. That little speech he made to Mary Ann, could not have been easy for him, being a man of science. Alien Gilligan knew that for as long as the Professor stayed on that island, he would live in fear that one of the seven of them, would become infected with the contagion, that had affected the head hunters and humans on that island.
Alien Gilligan smiled, turning off the monitor. That would be a fine revenge. For now. Until he was through being angry with Mary Ann. Until he was through playing with the Professor's head.
For it would never occur to any of them, that Ericka Tiffany Smith and her sailor, had been the ones to unwittingly, bring the virus to the island, after stopping at ANOTHER island before they reached that one. An island where a rather sinister, mad scientist lived that called himself, Dr. Boris Balinkoff.
But somehow, Alien Gilligan doubted the Professor would EVER figure that out unless he told him. And somehow, he also suspected that Dr. Balinkoff would be paying these castaways another visit soon, either in person, or by way of another contagion.
THE END
