Under Pressure

The sleek, black submarine glided through the water as if it were flying. It moved quickly, hardly making any noise, and surprised a school of brightly colored tropical fish as it came over a ridge. It continued making it’s silent way down, deep into the Pacific Ocean, reaching a level where the sun almost didn’t reach. Their destination, however, was light up by it’s own lights, making the trip there easier.

“Pac Deep One,” the pilot said, turning his head to the group of men in orange jump suits and chains behind him. “You’re new home, boys. Get a good look now, it’ll be the last time you see the outside of it.”

James Devorall looked out the window at the massive structure in front of him. It was mostly dome shaped, with a large, round tower behind it. The two shapes were connected, however, to form one great structure. He was surprised to see that most of the lights were windows. He never expected a maximum-security prison to have that many windows in it.

Behind the structure was a large mountain. He knew what that was right away. Apparently, one of his fellow prisoners didn’t, because the man next to him bumped his arm and pointed with both hands.

“What is that?” he asked.

“It’s called Mount Poseidon,” James said. “It’s a volcano.”

“A volcano? Under water?” the other man asked.

“Sure,” James replied casually, sitting back in his chair. He’d seen all he needed of the prison facility. “There are lots of them down below the sea.”

“Why’s the prison built next to a volcano?” another man asked, hearing the conversation.

“Power,” James replied. “They use it to provide power to the who facility.”

“Isn’t that dangerous?” the second man asked.

James shook his head. “It’s dormant. Hasn’t gone of in thousands of years.”

“How do you know all this?” the first man said, looking sideways at James.

“Simple,” Jack said, settling in his seat more and closing his eyes. “I was part of the team of Navy SEALS that scouted out this area ten years ago, before they started building the facility.”

**********

James and the other new inmates, six men in total, were brought to a large room with several fold-up chairs that all faced a podium. James noticed that everything, even the podium, was made out of a light plastic. Probably designed to fall apart easily and no doubt had a low melting temperature. Easy to get around if someone wanted to use them as a weapon.

Guards with rifles led him and the other men to the seats, but didn’t force anyone to sit in any particular row. James chose a seat in the middle, rather than in the back with most of the others. Only one other man sat in the middle, a younger man, in his early twenties from the look of him that looked like he was trying his hardest to show how tough he was. Tough enough to not sit in the back row, but not enough to sit in the front row, or even in the row in front of James. Just in the same row. James smiled and turned to look at the podium.

There was no one standing at on it at the moment, which didn’t surprise James. The head of the complex was a man of power, and men of power liked to throw their power around. Making people wait was a very simple way to show those people that you were the one with the power. It was all very predictable to James. Behind the podium, on the wall, was a white board that had the remains of some previous meeting, nothing James could really make out. And standing on either side of that whiteboard were two guards, wearing bullet proof vests and holding shotguns. These guys were serious here. James smiled. Good. That would help curtail any desire he might have to escape.

A few moments later, a large man in a uniform that was identical to the guards walked into the room. That surprised James. He was expecting a man in a business suit. This man was a cop, and still an active one to look at him. He was muscular, tall and walked with that confidence that only someone that has served in the military has. James looked at all the various subtle clues that let him know this was a man that, should it come down to it, James would have a tough time beating in a fight. He was older, sure, and probably a hair slower than James was, but you wouldn’t know it by looking at him except for the thinning, gray hair on his head. He came up to the podium, stood behind it, and stood in an At East stance.

“My name is Captain Richard Waverly, and all of you will come to know me as Sir,” he said, and James realized he was serious. “Welcome to Pac Deep One. I won’t belittle you by calling this your new home. There is nothing homey about Pac Deep. You will spend your time here in your cell, except for four hours a day where you will do work we assign you. You will piss, shit and eat in your cell. You will not have much in the way of entertainment except that which we give you. This place is not home, gentlemen. This place is Hell, and I am the Devil. And just like Hell, no one gets out. These gentlemen behind me with the large shotguns will take you to your cells, and tomorrow you will get your first work assignment. This ends orientation.”

And with that, Sir walked out of the room through the same door he came through. James let loose a low, slow whistle. That was a serious hard ass. All business, no bullshit. The two guards rounded up everyone and moved them down a hallway in the opposite direction Sir went in. James was kind of surprised that there weren’t that many people out and about. He saw some below in what looked like a glass dome, doing something that looked like farming. He realized quickly that the dome was filled with water. The men inside were wearing orange wetsuits that didn’t look much different than the jumpsuit he wore now. They harvested a long, green plant that James figured was some kind of sea weed, probably so it could be processed into food for the surface. Hell with the surface, probably fed the prisoners, here too. Pac Deep was built to be self supporting.

That was about all he saw on his first tour of the facility, though, as the guards took his group to an elevator, down a few levels and then down a plain, white hallway to their cells. These were not traditional, Hollywood cells, made out of stone with iron bars. These were high tech cells, with smooth, almost soft plastic walls that you couldn’t hurt yourself on, and solid metal doors. There were no windows on the door, though James noticed there were windows in the cells themselves. Small portholes would be a better description, but they were there none the less. After entering his cell and looking out it, he realized why. The only view was the deep, dark ocean. It sent a clear signal. Escape is impossible. There is nowhere to escape to.

**********

The next day, James got his first meal and his initial thoughts about the seaweed proved to be true. He was fed a gruel of green paste that tasted salty. Surprisingly, despite it’s rather one sided taste, it was satisfying. It was difficult to tell time in Deep Pac One, given that the light outside the window never changed, and the lights above his head only shut off at Lights Out, and who know what time that was, really. Still, James figured it was about noon time when he was called to his first work shift.

A guard came and got him from his cell. He spoke little, only calling James a dirt bag, and took opportunity to shove and smack James with the butt of his shotgun as often as possible. It became obvious quickly that this man had something personal against James. Great, that mean he knew who James was. Not good. To make matters worse, James knew that he could disarm and kill the man in a matter of seconds. He wouldn’t even know what happened. But his victory would only last a few more seconds before he was shot by one of the other guards that were all over the place. James decided a different tact.

“All right,” James said the next time the guy hit him in the back with the rifle. “I get it, you don’t like me. I’m walking as fast as I can with a guy jabbing me in the back every twenty seconds.”

“I ain’t done shit to you yet, you traitor,” the guard said. Yup, James though, this guy knew. At least, he knew the story the media spun.

James walked the rest of the way in silence. No need to further provoke the man. Especially since the outburst seemed to have caused the number of hits from the gun to drop drastically. The guard led him to an elevator that took him down to the bottom floor of the complex. James wondered briefly if that was the sea floor, of if the place went underground. That was answered when they exited the lift and James was staring directly at the large domed seaweed garden he saw yesterday.

“Welcome to you first work assignment,” said the guard. “I hope you fucking drown.”

With that, he turned and headed back to the elevator, leaving James with four other prisoners. There appeared to be no one else present. Sure, there were guards, on the catwalk half a level up, but no one official looking.

“Dr. Lee will be here in a second,” one of the other prisoners said to James. “Dude is always late.”

As if on cue, another elevator door opened, and out came a young man in a blue and black wet suit covered in police symbols.

“Sorry I’m late guys,” he was saying as he cleaned off his glasses with a rag, “Sir was chewing me out of always being late. Ah, newcomers,” he said when he put on his glasses and looked at the group. “Excellent. Let’s get started, shall we?”

The man, who introduced himself as Dr. Marcus Lee, botanist and seaweed farming expert. He explained to the group what they would be doing, suited them up in their orange wetsuits and gear, and set them out.

“Keep in mind that your suits can communicate to each other via radio, but that all communications are monitored,” he concluded his lecture. “So, keep it civil and work related in there. Okay, let’s go.”

The six men all entered the dome to get to work. It was dreary work, and surprisingly difficult, but satisfying after being cooped up in his cell all day. James liked the simple, repetitive nature of it. Good, hard labor, his dad used to call it. Builds character, and now James was starting to see what that meant. It just felt… right.

“Hey, you Devorall?” one of the other prisoners said after sideling up to him.

James just looked at him and nodded. Things were about to start.

“You really a Navy SEAL?” the man asked.

James nodded again, returning to his work. James didn’t recognize him as one of the men on the sub on the way in to Pac Deep, so that means someone on that sub blabbed.

“Think you’re a tough guy, huh?” the man said, and James had to fight from rolling his eyes. He had been expecting this since he stupidly let slip his former profession. “You don’t look so tough. I bet I can take you.”

James continued to work, but the man just wouldn’t let it go. James looked outside the dome and saw that a couple of guards were watching them. They had been listening. For some reason, Dr. Lee didn’t seem to notice what was happening, even though they all shared the same radio frequency.

“Hey, I’m talking to you, boy,” the other man said. “No one ignores Willy Brown.”

He pushed James hard, up against the edge of the dome. James was surprised at how strong the other man was. He kept pushing, trying to jerk James’ arm around his back for leverage. James reacted before he even thought about it. He grabbed the Willy’s wrist and bent it at an unnatural angle. Then, as the man started to let go, he spun around and smashed his hand into Willy’s visor, causing it to break and lodge shards of sharp plastic into his nose and left eye. Not done yet, James twisted Willy’s arm around his back and slammed him up against the wall of the dome, yanking the breathing tube out of his mouth after he had Willy pinned.

He got up close to Willy’s face then, his good eye staring franticly at James. Even though he knew it would be picked up on the radio, for effect, he whispered to Willy, “I suggest that you not try that again.”

Then, he let go. A second later, Dr. Lee had some sort of cattle prod looking device on James, and he felt the electricity travel through his body. He cried out for a moment and dropped to the floor. Unresisting, he allowed the wet suited guards drag him out. He spent the next three days in his cell with the window closed, no outside time at all. He accepted the punishment. He also knew that Willy would spend the next few weeks in the prison hospital.

After that, no one bothered James again, and things settled into a routine. Sergeant Fox, the guard that hated him, would come get him every day for his work assignment. He mostly got assigned to the seaweed farm, but he also did food processing and some machinist work once it was learned by the staff that he could fix things. And so it went, for six months near as James could tell. He learned to like Dr. James, who was the only member of the staff that was even remotely nice to the prisoners, and he accepted the punishments of Sergeant Fox as due for the crime he was, in fact, guilty of.

Then, one day, Poseidon awoke, and brought fire and brimstone to the watery Hell.

**********

James was working in the seaweed garden that day. He was focused on the task, floating in the water and enjoying the simple pleasure he always gained from doing this. It therefore took him a few moments to realize that the ground was shaking. He felt it in the water. He looked up to see that people outside the dome had noticed and were stopped. Everyone was looking around in confusion, wondering what was going on, and how long would it last.

“Hey Doc,” he said to Dr. Lee, who had also noticed the strange activity, “has there ever been an earthquake at Deep One before?”

“Not that I recall,” Dr. Lee answered. “I think we should exit the farm for now, return you all to your cells until this is over.”

Just then, the alarms went off. James knew instantly what was happening. A second later, the shaking got worse, and James heard a rumbling coming through the walls.

“It’s Poseidon,” he said. “It’s erupting.”

“Now way, man,” said one of his fellow prisoners in a panicked tone of voice, “I was told that thing was dormant.”

“Well, it ain’t dormant anymore,” James said, rushing to the farm doors behind Dr. Lee. Dr. Lee was pushing buttons, but the door wasn’t opening. James saw the terrified look on the older man’s face. They didn’t have time for this.

“The alarm must have closed all doors,” Dr. Lee was saying, “we need Sir’s authorization to open this up.”

James gritted his teeth. It was likely that Sir was headed to a private submarine by now. Quickly, James looked around to find something, anything, he could use to smash through the dome. But, he know it was futile. The dome was Plexiglas, and nothing inside it was powerful enough to get through it. That’s when he settled on something outside the dome. One of the guards that watched the prisoners in the farm was still standing outside, his shotgun drawn.

James waved frantically to get his attention, and finally he did so. He mimed shooting a gun at the wall, but the guard only narrowed his gaze. He turned to look at Dr. Lee. The radio on the Doc’s suit would be able to communicate with the guard outside.

“Doc,” James said, “you gotta tell the guard outside to shoot the dome down.”

“What?” Dr. Lee asked, turning to face James. “Don’t be ridiculous, James.”

More rumbling could be heard, and the shaking got momentarily worse. James could see pieces of the facility start to fall, mostly small chunks of the ceiling. Damnit, they needed out. He looked back at Dr. Lee, and sighed.

“Sorry, Doc,” he said, “you leave me no other choice.”

Quickly, he grabbed Dr. Lee and put him in a headlock, making sure to do all this while the guard outside was watching. He pointed to the doctor, and then once again mimed shooting, this time with one hand, at the wall. He figured that the guard would get the wrong impression, but that’s what he was counting on. Sure enough, it worked, and without hesitation, the guard swung up his gun and shot the Plexiglas dome. The water rushed out the hole, shattering the rest of the section of dome the hole was made in, and causing thousands of gallons of high pressure water to pour out. The guard out side, James, Dr. Lee and the four other men in the dome with them were all pushed to the floor.

Without waiting, James got up and started moving. He wasn’t sure where he was going, just yet, but he knew he couldn’t stay here. Just to be sure some guard still trying to do his job wouldn’t stop him, he grabbed the now unconscious guard’s shotgun. He checked it for ammunition. It was one of those newer magazine fed shotguns, and thus still had several rounds in it. They were odd weapons, as far as James was concerned, but it worked, and that was all he needed. He would be dammed if he let them drag his ass to his cell to wait for death.

He didn’t get very far, though, before he heard an explosion. He turned just in time to see fire bursting through the upper levels of the facility. He ducked and took cover in a hallway, and then ran to a lift that he saw several other people cramming into. The lift moved up, but it was away from the destruction caused by the explosion. He watched as emergency bulwarks came down to seal off the rushing ocean water that was entering the gaping hole in the facility. He lost sight of it after a second, though, as the lift entered an upper section.

Another, larger explosion happened, a few seconds later. Wherever it was, though, it was not in the section James still found himself in. But, it rocked the facility hard, and caused the lift emergency programming to kick in and stop, opening the doors and depositing everyone on whatever floor they were. Just in time for the power to shut off, too. There, in the dark, he listened as people screamed and ran around in terror. People were attacking other people, some times killing them. One arm grabbed him, and without hesitation he lowered the shotgun in the direction of that arm and fired. A few moments later, the lights came back on. At least, some of them did. It was dimmer, sure, but at least they could see. But what James saw had him worried that no one was going to be leaving Deep Pac One alive today.

Through a large observation window that must be in one of the Staff lounges, he saw that the facility was now split nearly in two. Special, emergency bulwarks, built to be lava proof, were holding the molten material at bay, but for now, James and the people with him were stuck here, separated from everyone else. It didn’t take long for most everyone there to see the same thing he saw, and in a few moments, they all stood silently, or sat on the ground and sobbed. They stayed that way, watching the magma pour out of Poseidon into the sea around them, for about an hour before it all stopped. Now, James knew, came the hard part. Getting out of the damaged facility alive.

**********
“Okay, everyone,” a voice was saying. James turned to look, and saw an older man in glasses and what looked like a lab coat that was a size too big for him. He was addressing everyone in the lounge, his arms raised as if to get everyone’s attention. “It looks like it’s all over. Now, it’s time to start to restore order and get things back to normal.”

Oh, great, thought James. This guy was going to try and put everyone back in their cells. He had no idea what kind of real damage that volcano did. Pac Deep One was split nearly in two, and no doubt there were several areas that were flooded. Escape was what was needed here.

“Now, it’s likely that the facility’s automatic SOS beacon went off the moment the volcano first erupted,” the older man was saying. “Which means that help is already on the way. So, what we’re going to do is gather up all the prisoners and put them back in cells, whatever ones are available here on this level. The rest of us will try as best as we can to go about our duties.”

As James knew it would, that announcement started an outburst of noise. People on both sides of that statement started arguing. Prisoners weren’t willing to simply go back to their cells, or even someone else’s cells. And what happens when there isn’t enough cells to hold the prisoners here? James ignored it all, and looked out the window. The damage looked even worse from here. It was obvious that the lava, which was still out there, was corroding the bottom of the dome, and it was only a matter of time before it collapsed in on it self. However, as he walked around the room, looking out the window, he saw something. Something that would be their salvation.

The rampage was still going on, and James saw that the few guards in the room were outnumbered by angry prisoners that were ready to charge them, shotguns or no. James raised his gun to the ceiling and shot it, getting everyone’s attention on him.

“Listen up folks,” he said. “This building is falling apart. It’s only a matter of time before the whole dome collapses. And at this point, even if the SOS beacon went out, which we can’t be sure of, it will take help several more hours to reach here. This facility was built in a remote location on purpose.”

“And what evidence do you offer that the building is falling?” the man in the lab coat asked.

As if on cue, the building shook, hard, and some dust rained down for the ceiling.

“As I said,” James said, “falling apart. I, for one, don’t plan on waiting around here for the building to collapse in on me. Now, I also noticed something else while looking out this window. A sub bus. Like the kind that took most of us prisoners here. It must have been dropping off a new load when the volcano erupted. It looks like it’s only four floors down. I suggest we all go down there, and get out of here on that bus.”

Silence followed for a few moments before the chaos of arguing exploded again. James let it go for a while before raising his shotgun to the ceiling again. He didn’t have to fire another shot, though, before one of the larger prisoners shouted to get everyone to shut up and pay attention to the man with the gun.

“Listen, folks,” James said. “This isn’t up for discussion. I’m heading towards that sub, one way or another. If any of you want to come with me, you’re welcome to. Anyone that wants to say with this nice, but insane, man in the lab coat, is welcome to.”

With that, James started walking out. He didn’t have to look back to know that several people followed him. He also knew that several stayed behind. He didn’t much care for them, though, he had other people to look out for now. Once he got to the lift that was further down the hall, the one he thought was closer to the location of the sub, he stopped and turned around. He saw about forty people, guards and prisoners alike, behind him. He nodded.

“Here’s the plan, folks,” he said, pointing to the lift with the shotgun. “Unless I’m mistake, the emergency power that’s running the lights right now doesn’t run the lifts, so they’re out of commission. Am I right?”

“You are,” said a man in the back, another guy in a lab coat.

“So, what, you gonna make us climb?” said a prisoner in the back. James recognized him as one of his fellow seaweed farmers.

“Nope,” James said simply. “You are more than welcome to stay behind with those guys at the end of the hall.”

With that, he turned to the lift and started trying to pry open the door. A few seconds later, a man was touching his shoulder. He looked up to see someone he wasn’t expecting. Sergeant Fox was standing behind him, shaking his head. James raised his eyebrow.

“You don’t need to pry it,” Fox said. “Back up power doesn’t run the lifts, but it does run all the doors, including the lift doors.”

With that, he entered a quick set of numbers into the keypad next to the door, and it slid open. Beyond them was an empty elevator shaft. James eyed Fox once again. Fox nodded.

“Look,” Fox said, “I may not like what you did, or your reasons for doing it, but I also know you’re our best bet of getting out of here alive. I can always re-arrest you when we get back to the surface.”

James smiled, and Fox smiled back.

“I’ll give myself up to you once we’re out of here, Sergeant,” James said, and meant it.

James looked into the shaft. As he expected, on the wall next to the door was a set of metal bars that extended down into the depths below.

“Come on, all,” he said. “It’s a long trip down.”

Without any further waiting, he started climbing. He looked up to see that Fox was helping people onto the ladder. He knew that the guard would be the last on. Sure, some of that was out of pure willingness to help others, but mostly it was because Fox was the only other person in their group with a shotgun, and he wanted to keep an eye on all the prisoners in the group.

The trip down was slow, and painful, if James had to be honest. The group of them climbed down a total of twelve flights. They exited into large room one that appeared to have been a conference room before the eruption. The boardroom table in the middle of the room was smashed in two, and the lights from the ceiling lay crushed in the middle of them. James waited in that room until all forty people had climbed down. He gave them all a five-minute break to catch their breath, and then announced he was moving on.

Moving on proved to be more difficult than he at first expected. It seemed easy, sure, moving down hall way after hall way, following directions from staff and guards, they ran into a corridor that was flooded, and blocked off by blast doors. The hallway was opened to the ocean itself. Thankfully, there was a way around it. Unfortunately, flowing lava that had managed to eat through the blast doors also blocked the way around.

James made a decision. He called over Fox to confer before taking action.

“Are you insane?” the guard was saying in a harsh whisper. “It’s still two hundred yards to the sub! You’ll never make it.”

“I will,” James said, waving away any further protest along that line. “I’m more concerned on if the second part of my plan will work. You’ve piloted those subs before, right? You’re the expert, you tell me.”

Fox thought about it for a few seconds. “Yeah,” he said at last, “It should, if you can keep the sub steady long enough.”

James nodded. He didn’t wait for any further discussion, and headed towards the flooded hallway. Fox quickly moved everyone to another section of hallway, where he lowered another blast wall with a code. James waited for that wall to drop before opening the pressurized door on the other side. He let the water rush in around him, holding onto the door for support. When it was up to his face, he took in a deep breath, and then dived under and started swimming. Years in the SEALS had taught him how to hold his breath for an extended period of time, and he used that training as he swam out the hole in the wall to the sub. It took him five minutes to get there, the longest he had ever had to hold his breath, and when he got through the air lock and into a pressurized air cabin, he was gasping for breath.

He didn’t waist any further time, however. He went to the pilots seat and started up the sub. He couldn’t get the docking clamps to release remotely, it required a password that he just didn’t have time to try and figure out. He just pulled and pulled on the sub until they broke off. Sadly, they took chunks of the sub with them, but at least it was to a part of the ship that he wasn’t going to use. He drove the sub back down the maze of corridors to the particular hole in the wall that lead to the hallway he was in last.

He waited there for a few minutes, and was starting to wonder if he had the wrong hall. As he watched the water, waiting for someone to come out that hole, he started to give up, planning on going to another hole and checking there. Just as he was about to do that, however, he saw a figure come up through the water towards the sub. James sprung to life, rushing towards the airlock, letting the figure in. It was an older man, a prisoner that had been there since Pac One had gone online. He told James that Fox was sending people in one at a time, so as not to crowed the air lock.

It was slow going, but eventually, all forty, including Fox, were on board. Once he was in the sub, James smiled.

“Good job, there, Sergeant.,” he said. “I thought you might just take the opportunity and re-arrest everyone.”

“Well,’ Fox said, “like I said before, you’re the last chance we have of getting out of here alive. And it looked like I was right.”

“Well,” James said, extending his arms to the guard. “I’m good on my word. I’m turning myself into your custody.”

“Damn straight you are,” Fox replied. “And the first think I want you to do is to pilot us to the surface.”

James smiled. “You got it, Sergeant.”

The End

Week 19

Hey gang,

I apologize for the lateness of this post. My family and I went to a ren faire, and I got caught up in that. As a result, the story wasn't finished this morning. But, still, here it is, Sunday, and I'm posting! Sadly, I was really happy with the begining of this story, but the ending is week. Not enough action, no danger for the hero. I'll have to fix that when I revise this one. In the mean time, enjoy!

Full Story now Up

The full story of the Tale of Toto is now up. I hope you enjoy it!

The Tale of Toto

Bark! Ah-hem. Excuse me, old habits I’m afraid. I know that for quite some time, I have remained silent. And though many other animals in this wondrous land do speak, this has caused many of our readers have questioned this over the years. Also, I have recently received some fan mail indicating that many would like me to tell my side of the story. The original story, that started it all. Oh, yes, you’ve heard this story before. Hundreds of times, no doubt. But, as a member of Dorothy’s companions whose tale has yet to be told, it is high time I tell it. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Toto, the dog.

It started pretty much like you’ve already heard. Dorothy and I lived on the farm in Kansas with her Aunt and Uncle. I never quite knew what happened to her parents, except that she was an orphan. See, I was a gift to her from her Uncle. He’s a good man. And Dorothy and I fell in love right away and have been close ever since. I suppose I should start by explaining my relation to Dorothy. Let me start by saying that I am not her “pet.” I am her companion. She and I have a deep love and respect for one another.

Understand that when I say I love her, it is not the love one feels for a close friend, but it is also not anything close to a “owner/pet” relationship either. Yes, it is true that she took care of me, fed me and such. But it’s not like it’s possible for a dog to do that on his own on a farm. I could hunt, I suppose, but I’d get in serious trouble if I took a chicken. Also, there’s something you have to understand. Dogs view the world in terms of packs. We’re social animals that need that structure to operate. Dorothy is my pack. There’s not really a human equivalent for it. It’s kind of like family, except stronger. Or at least, a more loyal bond that most humans seem to have for their family.

At any rate, life was nice on the farm. True, the humans struggled. Kansas was going through a dry spell, both in terms of farming and economically, and Dorothy’s aunt and uncle were doing everything they could just to keep the farm. Sadly, while Dorothy and I were about to go on the adventure of a life time, things were going to get bad for them.

The storm wasn’t really a surprise; it had been building up for days. At least, I could tell this. There was just something in the air, a sent that’s hard to describe. But, it smelled like a storm, and a big nasty one too. But, all I could do was bark and point my noise in the direction the storm was coming from. None of the humans understood me. So, when the storm finally hit, they were unprepared. Dorothy’s aunt and uncle rushed outside to get the animals to safety while Dorothy and I stayed in the little farmhouse that was our home.

That’s when I became surprised. I could smell something on the air, something different from the storm. It was a sent I had never smelled before, but one I would later come to associate with Oz. I started barking again, but this time Dorothy listened to me. She saw the tornado form outside our window. By then, however, it was too late. There was no place to go. The giant twister had ripped the whole house right out of the ground by the time she and I even reached the front door.

It was an odd sensation, traveling inside the farmhouse being carried a tornado. Everything was spinning and the scents and sounds were beyond my comprehension. Neither of us could stay standing, and he feeling of dizziness was causing my stomach to do flip flops. Then, just as suddenly, it stopped. And that’s when we fell.

As Dorothy and I reached a window to look out, we saw the sky fly by as we fell towards the ground. I started to think that I wanted to be back in the tornado. When we finally hit ground, a process that seemed to take hours, the landing was rough, but by far gentler that I had expected. We were tossed about, but not hurt. It did take us a few minutes to recover from the whole ordeal, but at some point, I went over to Dorothy, who appeared to have passed out, and licked her face to wake her up.

I needed her help. The scents and sounds that were assaulting my senses were new and strange to me. Everything seemed sharper, somehow, more vivid. And there was still the smell of the strange tornado, though it was fading into a background scent. Dorothy woke up and started to get her bearings. She was always a headstrong girl, and it didn’t take long before she just threw open the door. Outside, the site that greeted us was amazing. The gray, bleak landscape of Kansas had been replaced with a bright panorama of greens and blues; a full, lush field of grass and flowers.

It wasn’t long after that we realized we were in some sort of village or town. People started coming out of their houses to see what had happened. The scent of these people! Mostly, they smelled like any other people I had ever met, but overlaid with that was the same smell the storm had, plus something unique to them, a scent I can only describe as “blue.” Most of them were rather short, about Dorothy’s height. Other’s were of normal human height, and in all other respects seemed to be normal people.

One of them pointed to the house, shouting something. When I looked where he was point, I was able to determine that source of a particularly sour smell I had noticed inside. It was the remains of a person, but all we could see were her feet and the fine silver shoes she wore. The people, who I saw now wore the color I had associated to their scent earlier, all rushed up and crowded the farmhouse. They looked from the house to the feet and back again, and then, they started to look at us.

Someone shouted that the Wicked Witch of the East was dead, and that somehow this made all of them free. In moments, a raucous celebration was underway, and we were the guests of honor. Throughout the chaos that followed, Dorothy was able to determine that we were in the Land of Oz, and more specifically, Munchkin Country. These people, being citizens of the eastern Land of Oz, were Munchkins. None of them had ever heard of Kansas, or knew how to get back.

The party went on around us, and it wasn’t long before long tables appeared, and food appeared on top of those. We were invited into the home of a rather wealthy Munchkin, named Boq, who smelled mostly of greed, but also did not smell dangerous. We dined with him, and Dorothy told him our tale, which seemed to delight him, and he declared Dorothy a Witch, because who else could have killed the Wicked Witch of the East.

Everything was moving very quickly during this time. A new guest appeared, a tall woman wearing all white and appearing somewhat like one of the fairies in Dorothy’s books back home. She introduced herself to us as the Good Witch of the North, and also declared that Dorothy had to be a witch. She claimed that the Wicked Witch was far more powerful than she, or she would have killed her herself long ago. She was grateful to us for freeing the Munchkins, and offered us the silver shoes worn by the Wicked Witch as a gift.

The shoes smelled of magic and that same scent that the tornado had. The Witch smelled like it too. I suspected that the shoes had some power in them, but was unable to determine what that might be. Just as quickly as she arrived, the Good Witch of the North disappeared without any further instructions or aid. It was Boq that told us if we wanted to find a way home we should travel to the Emerald City, in the center of Oz, to talk to the Wizard. He would know how to send us home.

He pointed us towards the Yellow Brick Road that lead directly to the Emerald City. So, without so much as a second thought, Dorothy gathered up the basked of supplies provided us by the Munchkins, placed me in it, and set of down the road towards our destiny. At this part of the story, there is not much different from my perspective than the story told by Dorothy. The facts are mostly the same.

It wasn’t long after leaving the Munchkin village that we ran into the Scarecrow. The strange thing to me was the he smelled just like a scarecrow from the farms in Kansas. It surprised me as much as Dorothy when he started talking to us. He was stuck on a pole and Dorothy helped him down. He stated that he wanted a brain, and Dorothy said that if the Wizard of Oz could get her and I back to Kansas, he could surly give the Scarecrow a brain. So, he came with us.

A short time later, we ran into Nick Chopper, the Tin Woodsman. He was another that didn’t smell like a person, just tin and oil. He had apparently stayed outside during a rainstorm, and had rusted in place, unable to move. Thankfully, he had an oilcan in his hands, and we were able to release him from this bondage. He told us a story about wanting a heart, and so Dorothy told him the same thing she had said to the Scarecrow. If the Wizard of Oz can return us to Kansas, maybe he can give the Tin Woodsman a heart. So, we had another companion.

I really have to say that, during these journeys to Oz with Dorothy, Nick Chopper was my favorite after Dorothy. He and I became fast friends, even this early into our adventurers. He would scratch behind my ears, and the two of us would stay up late after Dorothy and the others had gone to sleep. It was at this time I learned I could talk, and Nick and I would stay up and discuss all kinds of things we had learned in life. How to hunt, using the stars to navigate and even on love. I learned of Nick’s true origins and his Munchkin love. And he promised not to tell Dorothy that I could speak, and I was yet unsure how she would react. In fact, it wasn’t until a much later adventure that anyone else would come to know I could speak. Just Nick. I always appreciated that about him.

Next on our journey, we discovered someone that I related to far more than anyone else we ever traveled with. The Lion. I refuse still to call him Cowardly, even though he uses that name himself. Lion, being the hunter that he is, managed to keep his sent largely hidden from me, though I did sense his coming just before he jumped out of the woods at us. He roared and growled and tried to make it appear as he wanted to attack us. I, however, could smell the fear in him, and started barking at him. Dorothy, seeing that I was unafraid, was also unafraid, and stood back up. She whacked the Lion on his nose, causing his surrender. He admitted that he was cowardly to us, and that what he wanted most was to be brave. It’s hard to be the king of beasts when you’re not brave. So, Dorothy once again offered the services of the Wizard of Oz to this strange creature. I began to wonder if the Wizard would be grateful for all this work Dorothy was promising of him.

It was at the point that we reached the Emerald City that my account of things differs significantly from Dorothy’s. Not long after entering the city, with the aid of some of it’s more cosmopolitan citizens, the two of us started to be come aware of the complex political situation in Oz. Specifically, we became aware that the Wizard, ruler of the city, had a political rival in the Wicked Witch of the West, who ruled a land called Winkie Country. Apparently, the Wizard never entered Winkie Country, and that appeared to be out of fear of the Witch and her flying monkey army. Nick and I devised a plan.

Dorothy was granted an audience with the Wizard, but not until the next day. He was a busy monarch, after all. So, that night, the Tin Man and I snuck into the Wizard’s palace, and made our way to his secret chamber. Nick was unable to make it in, but I was small enough to get through the airshaft into the private chambers of the Wizard himself. It was there that I first discovered a truth that my companions wouldn’t discover for some time. The Wizard was a human, one from Earth, from the smell of him. Not Kansas, but some place very similar. When I confronted him, he seemed startled, and afraid of how that knowledge could ruin his rule over Oz.

I presented him with a proposal. If he truly did possess the power to send Dorothy home, and aid my friends as well, we would do something for him. He assured me that he, as the Wizard of Oz, did, indeed, possess the power to help us all. So, I suggested that Dorothy, as a powerful Witch her self that had already eliminated one Witch, could be possibly kill the Wicked Witch of the West for the Wizard. She would eliminate a political rival and return Winkie Country to the control of Emerald City. The Wizard mulled on this for a bit, and then agreed. One final condition he put on his agreement was that when Dorothy approached to him tomorrow, the idea appear as his own. I agreed immediately.

I returned through the vent back to Nick, and we rejoined our fiends in sleep. The next day, everything went just as planned. The Wizard played his part perfectly, though I thought the show of the images of a giant head and a ball of flame were a little much. However, there was no doubt in any of my companion’s minds that the price for their requests was the elimination of the Wicked Witch of the West. Dorothy, as bull headed as always, agreed without even thinking of what she was saying. The Tin Man, who felt that it was his job to protect Dorothy, a trait I loved in him, and so he agreed to join her. The others soon fell in step behind him, and so the five of us were off to Winkie Country.

Winkie Country proved to be far more dangerous than I expected. The Wicked Witch, apparently, was expecting us. She sent a plethora of foes after us, including wild animals and bees. But I believe it was her Winkie soldiers that scared me the most. Like the Munchkin Country, where everyone wore blue, and the Emerald City where green was predominantly on display, the people of Winkie Country had a chosen color as well. Theirs was yellow. And the shock troopers of the Wicked Witch had these yellow uniforms that made them appear fearsome to my eyes. Maybe it was my diminutive size, but I swear, if it weren’t for the Tin Woodsman, I wouldn’t have been able to face them.

But, face them I did. One of the not spoken of incidents with said soldiers was during a camp out in Winkie Country, before we arrived at the Witch’s castle. It was late at night, and once again Nick Chopper and I were conversing about highbrow matters. I specifically think we were discussing the flavors of various rabbits. My scent of smell kicked in just then. Winkie soldiers have a unique smell to them, one that distinguishes them even from common Winkie citizens. I don’t know what causes it, but it’s a sour sort smell. Very subtle, but you start to pick up on it after you’ve been smelling it for some time. And that was the smell I was experiencing right then. I informed my companion, who took up his axe. It wasn’t much of a fight, believe me. The Winkie’s were driven back my the large, tin man in front of them waiving a very sharp axe. It bolstered my courage that I also joined in the quick fight. I bit one of the soldiers in the leg. I started to spit it out almost right away because there was blood, but I felt proud of myself for over coming fears.

But, for all that I thought the soldiers were scary, the winged monkeys were terrifying. They came down out of the sky, hardly making a sound until they were right on top of us. Even their smell was just that of normal monkeys. I never once thought of the scent as dangerous until it was too late. They captured all five of us and brought us straight to the Witch’s castle.

Terror is the only word I can use to describe their attack. The Scarecrow and my good friend, the Tin Woodsman, were brutally torn apart by the monkeys. Their parts were scattered across the countryside. I was taken with Dorothy and the Lion to the Witch’s Castle. I was in a lot of shock. Two members of my pack, one I considered a close friend, were to all appearances dead. However, the grief didn’t last long. The Witch desired the silver shoes Dorothy had been wearing this whole time. The ones that used to belong to the Wicked Witch of the East. So, she decided to just kill her and take the shoes. Lion and I were powerless to stop her, despite our best efforts, which included me biting her. Oddly, she didn’t bleed, even though my bite on her was definitely deeper and more vicious than the one on the Winkie soldier. However, it turned out we needn’t have bothered. Dorothy was under the protection of the Good Witch of the North, and thus could not be killed by the Witch of the West.

So, instead, she threw Lion into a prison cell and tried to starve him, while she made Dorothy her personal slave, hoping to steal the shoes off her. I was largely over looked, being thought of as nothing more than a simple family pet. This was to my benefit. As Dorothy was sneaking food to the Lion, I was studying the Witch. I noticed several things. The first was that she was afraid of the dark. I never saw her venture out of her chambers when the sun went down. It made it easier to guard Dorothy, let me tell you, as I didn’t need to worry about the Witch trying to steal the shoes while Dorothy slept.

The second thing I noticed was that she was very, very dry. Even her scent lacked any trace of water. Apparently, her own wickedness had dried her up, like a prune. It made me wonder what would happen if she got any water, having been dry for so long. So, I arranged things. Dorothy would have you think this plan was the doings of the Wicked Witch herself, but that is not true. It was all me.

One day, while Dorothy was taking a bucket of water someplace for the Witch, I placed an invisible pole in front of her path. Why the Witch had such strange devices in her castle, I still don’t understand, but as I found them via scent, I decided to put them to good use. With Dorothy splayed on her stomach after tripping over the pole, the Witch took advantage and stole one of the slippers right off Dorothy’s food while she lay there on the ground. The Witch cackled with glee while Dorothy quickly stood up, preventing the Witch from taking the other shoe.

But, I know my Dorothy, and she reacted just like I had predicted. Anger took over the spunky little girl, and she started to throw a fit right in the Witch’s face. And that wasn’t all she threw. A few seconds into the temper tantrum, she lifted up the water bucket and tossed the water in it right onto the Wicked Witch of the West.

Now, I fell that I should explain something about what happened here. My goal was, in fact, to have Dorothy throw water onto the Witch. I wanted to see what happened when she was connected with water. What did happen was not at all what I was expecting. Watching a person melt is not a pleasant site, believe you me. So, I will dispense with any details. Needless to say that when all was said and done, we had completed our task, and the people of Winkie Country were free. In fact, they were as overjoyed as the Munchkins to be free of their Witch overlord. In gratitude, they gathered up all the pieces of the Scarecrow and the Tin Woodsman and put them back together again. Nick was returned to us, and I couldn’t have been happier.

In fact, a special note should be made of Nick and the Winkies. So impressed were they with his abilities in combat, that they asked him to be their King, now that the Witch was gone. Nick, of course, agreed. However, he declared that he would only do so after finishing his quest to aid Dorothy, and help her find a way home. This seemed to please the Winkies, and they agreed.

So it was that we returned to the Emerald City, brought there through the gratitude of the Flying Monkeys, who were also under the Witch’s spell. Even the citizens of the green metropolis were cheering us as heroes when we returned. Apparently, the Wicked Witch of the West was more of a threat than the Witch of the East. Immediately, we were taken to the Wizard. I was sure that, having fulfilled our end of the bargain he would now fulfill his. All of us would get our wishes granted, and Dorothy and I would go home. To be honest with you, though, I wasn’t sure I wanted to return home. I very much liked Oz, and was feeling a strong desire to stay here. But, Dorothy had this notion in her head that her Aunt and Uncle would need her, so she was determined to go back to Kansas.

Little did I know, however, that the so-called Wizard of Oz was a sham artist, and had no intention of ever helping us. Oh, not out of a lack of desire, but more out of a lack of ability. When the five of us confronted him, he hemmed and hawed, and tried his best to back out of the bargain. I was furious. I took this as a breach of the agreement that he and I had reached, and no longer felt any need to keep his secret. So it was that I opened the curtain and revealed the man that the Wizard of Oz really was.

He slumped deafened, and even cringed when Dorothy shook her fist at him. And really, who could blame him. She had killed two Witches since her arrival in Oz. This made her a power to be reckoned with, even at her young age. He told everyone his story. He was a circus magician, used to using smoke and mirrors to appear to be something he wasn’t. One day, he created a hot air balloon with the words OZ, his initials it turns out, as promotion. A wind caught it and took him to Oz, to the Emerald City. At the time, he explained, the Witches had usurped the four lands of Oz for themselves from the King, who had gone missing. So, without a ruler, and impressed by his obvious mighty powers, the citizens of the Emerald City made him ruler.

He then provided our companions with tokens. Focuses, he called them. He later explained to me that they were otherwise useless items that in the hands of these men, would be focuses for their beliefs, and thus be what they thought they were. Brains for the Scarecrow, a heart for my friend the Tin Woodsman and courage for the Lion. I was very happy for my friends, especially for Nick. I knew his true story, and what it meant for him to get that heart.

The Wizard revealed that he still had the balloon that had taken him to Oz, and that he could use it to return he and Dorothy back to Kansas. Now, as I said before, I was in no hurry to leave. I had a fondness for this land, and wasn’t sure I wanted to return to the life of an average pet, even one who was as well loved as I was. In Oz, I had friends, a real pack, and I wanted to stay with them.

So it was that just as the balloon was getting ready to take off, I leaped out. I choose a random cat at my target, and chased after it, making it appear that I was just the average dog. Dorothy, ever the one to stay at my side, jumped out of the balloon after me. I stopped then. I realized right away, as the line snapped and the balloon left without Dorothy in it, that in my selfishness, I had trapped Dorothy in Oz. Dorothy, who had cared for and loved me all these years. Dorothy, who had a earnest desire to return to her family back in Kansas. I had ruined her one chance to get home.

But not so, she was told. A Soldier of the Emerald City, one that we had seen briefly before, with a long, bright green beard, told us of Glinda the Good Witch of the South. Apparently, she was the most powerful of all the Witches, and that if anyone could send Dorothy home, she could. I sighed. It meant that once again, we would have to travel on a great journey across Oz, this time into Quadling Country. Here, the people mostly wore read. I also noticed that the majority of the flowers here were red. Oz was a strange place, in regards to color. Still, Dorothy, determined to get home, and me feeling guilty for trapping her here, set off to go see Glinda. Our three companions agreed to travel with us once more.

I will not bore you all with the details of this journey. For the most part, things are as Dorothy has described to the Royal Historian of Oz before. The most notable part of the journey was when we discovered the wild animals of the forest there, where Lion kills the king of the Spiders that have been terrorizing the animals. In gratitude, the animals make Lion their king. He agreed, but like Nick, felt that he needed to finish his quest first, and would take up this honored position after he had helped Dorothy get home.

Eventually, we made it to Glinda the Good Witch of the South. Like the Wicked Witch of the East, she lived in a castle. Glinda’s palace, however, looked like something out of a fairy tale. And the scent! It smelled like magic, but sweeter, as if someone had coated the whole castle in cinnamon and sugar. Glinda was waiting for us, and greeted us with kindness and open arms. She even gave me a pat on the head and a knowing wink. I think she knew I could talk and was keeping it a secret.

Glinda was a straight shooter who told us up front the most important thing we needed to hear. The shoes that Dorothy was wearing, the silver ones she got off the body of the Wicked Witch of the East, were magical. They were enchanted shoes that allowed one to travel anywhere simply by thinking about their destination. All you had to do was click your heels together three times. Magic. I couldn’t tell you how angry I was to hear this. We could have gone home at any time? That ridiculous Witch of the North. What, was she just scatter brained? She gave us these shoes, but didn’t bother to explain what they did.

At any rate, this was the end of our journey. At least, this time around. We said our good byes to everyone. Dorothy gave them all hugs, and I said a private good bye to Nick. I wished him luck as King of the Winkies, and he thanked me. He said he hoped Dorothy and I both made it back to Oz one day. I told him that I sincerely hoped that one day we could return and stay. Of course, we would, but it would be quite some time before we did.

And so, Dorothy took me up, clicked her heels and wished us back to Kansas. It was not a bumpy ride, either, let me tell you. We shot off into the sky like a rocket. Apparently, the journey from Oz to the normal world took all the magic of the shoes, because by the time we returned home, they were gone. We arrived to find that Dorothy’s Uncle and Aunt had been looking every where for her, and that they feared she had died in the tornado. Dorothy, for her part, worried about the farm, but they waved down that protest. The farm could be rebuilt. Dorothy, on the other hand, was precious. I, of course, agreed.

I have to admit, it felt good to be home. But, still, I longed to be back in Oz. It would take some time for my return, though Dorothy would go back several times without me. But, my return to Oz is another story.

The End

Week 18 (somewhat delayed)

Well, I have good news and I have bad news. The good news is that a story is getting posted this week (albeit, very late). The bad news is that its not complete. Here's my excuse:

I work in the flower industry. This week has been the week from hell at work, including having to work a sixth day this week (Saturday). As a result, I've been tired as crap when I get home. All of this combined to result in not a lot of story writing time.

So, as I don't want there to be a week with no story, I'm posting what I have written. It's 3500 words long, and incomplete. But, there's only 1500 words left, which I will finish tomorrow and then post in the story blog so that by tomorrow, there will be a complete story.

End result: Partial story on time (that being posted on Sunday) and the full story being posted just a day late. I can live with that.

So, please, enjoy Week 18's story, The Tale of Toto.

The Lost Jewels of Luna, part 3

Jared looked over his shoulder at the receding jungle behind him as he continued to run. At first, he thought for sure that escape had happened. Then, he saw them. At first, it was only a few women, in their shiny, silver jump suits, but he could see the remaining hundreds in the trees behind the first. All were armed with the now familiar laser spear carried by the warrior women of Callisto, ready to fire as soon as he and his crew were visible. He turned back to the remainder of his crew up ahead.

“They’ve broken through,” he shouted. “Keep going, we’re nearly at the ship.”

He opened his communicator and set it to call the Destiny. “Katie,” he cried into it to his ship’s pilot, “fire up the rockets. We need a quick get away!”

“I’m already warmed up and just waiting for you guys to get back on board,” came the crackly reply.

Jared and the five members of his crew that were running came over a hill and saw the tall rocket named Destiny, that had been their home for the past few weeks. He smiled, but only briefly as the tall rock next to him exploded in a cloud of dust. The women behind him had started firing their laser spears. He ducked and moved to the right to avoid the largest of the rocky debris and maybe avoid another shot. Then, he turned at his torso, continuing to run forward, and fired his ray gun in their direction. He knew he wouldn’t be accurate at this range, but he wasn’t trying to be, so much as he just wanted them to duck too.

A few of his fellow crew were firing over their shoulder as well, but just like him they were not very effective. It didn’t matter, though, because the lead they had gained running through the jungle meant they would reach the ship before the warrior women did. Then, he heard a cry, and turned to his left to see Phil Dixon fall to the ground, a laser spear blast through his back. He saw Alicia reach down and start to grab their fallen crewman, and he rushed up to help. Together, they ran as best they could, Alicia going backwards.

More shots came their way, and Jared looked in Alicia’s eyes. She only nodded, her mouth a grim line of determination. They were gaining, that look said. Another shot came in and hit the ground near his foot, causing him to slip to his knee and almost drop Phil. He scrambled back up and kept running, though.

“Katie!” he shouted at the top of his lungs, hoping that the pilot would hear him. “Give us some covering fire!”

The guns on the Destiny swiveled just then, and started firing. The larger ship guns were far more effective than their hand held blaster weapons, taking out a dozen warrior women in one shot. However, in order to avoid hitting Jared and crew, Katie had to aim back, and thus the women closest to him were still on his tail. Jared dared not look back, but he could feel them getting closer. More shots came. They missed, but they were higher up and landed further in front of him. They were very good with those laser spears, he thought.

As they got closer to the ship, the ramp came down, and on it was standing a tall, dark skinned muscular man in a black uniform that was the spitting image of Jared’s, minus the star and rocket emblem Jared wore. Jared realized that it was Dexter, and he sighed in relief. He was carrying a large ray cannon, and fired off a few shots before the ramp even hit the ground. Coming out behind him were other crew members, firing their own ray guns and giving Alicia and Jared the cover they needed to get up the ramp into the ship. Jared heard Dexter fire a few more shots from the cannon before the ramp closed behind them.

He set Phil down and slammed his fist on an internal ship communicator. “Katie, we’re all on board, take off now!”

The pilot didn’t need a second order, or even bother waiting to make sure everyone was buckled in. The rocket, who’s engine’s had been idling, roared into life and everyone was pushed to the ground as it took off. A few clanging thumps from the walls let Jared know the warrior women were still firing their laser spears at them. After a few moments, the pressure of blast off eased, and everyone was able to stand. Jared looked around the room and found the last member of his landing crew, and old and wrinkled man in a ship uniform that was too large for his skinny frame. He grabbed the old man by his jacked and hauled him to his feet.

“What the hell was all that, Phenius?” he cried.

“How was I supposed to know that the queen remembered me?” he said. “It’s been thirty years since I was here last, and I was a site more better looking then, I can say. At least we got away alive.”

“We were supposed to get away with the ship repaired,” Jared said. “A fully repaired ship would have made a far more impressive sight then the damaged one we’re in now when we land on Io.”

In disgust, he tossed the old man onto the floor, and turned to look back at Phil. The man had a hole in his gut, and blood was pouring out of it. It didn’t look like he was breathing. He looked to Alicia, who shook her head.

“I’ve already called for Flynn,” she said. Flynn was their ships medic, but this looked like it was beyond his skills.

As if on cue, the door opened and Flynn rushed in with a medical kit in hand. He rushed straight to Phil, and paused as he looked at the wound. He gently touched it, looking at Phil’s face as he did so. Phil didn’t respond. He checked Phil’s neck and arm for a pulse. A single tear ran down his cheek and he turned to Jared and just shook his head. Jared nodded. He knew that the man had been dead as soon as the spear blast hit him, but like Alicia, he couldn’t stand to leave his companion behind.

He wheeled back to Phenius, his face turned into a frown and fire in his eyes. He pointed a finger at the old man. “I hold you responsible for his life. When we return to Luna, you will pay for this, I promise you.”

He stormed out of the room without looking back, but had he, it would have been to a surprising sight. Up until now, Phenius had been unflappable. Nothing seemed to put him off, even when it was obviously his fault. But Jared’s threat left him speechless and looking after the young Star Captain with a look in his eyes that could only be described as pitiable.

A few moments later saw Jared in his quarters, staring out the porthole at the stars. A knock came at his door, and he waved his hand to get the automatic door to open without turning around. Alicia walked in a moment later.

“It’s not your fault, you know,” she said. “All of us knew that when we joined this crew, there was a chance it would be our last adventure.”

“It is my fault, I’m the captain,” Jared said. He turned away from the window and sat on his bed, looking up at Alicia. She sat at the large chair by his desk. “I’m responsible for the safety of this crew. I was the one that brought Phenius on board, I was the one that decided to trust him and come to Callisto to get repairs instead of going straight to Io. If I had just gone straight there, Phil might still be alive.”

“All of that is true,” Alicia said, causing Jared to stare up at her in surprise. It was definitely not the answer he was expecting. “You are the captain, as you said. A Star Captain, to boot. You are responsible for our safety. And, if you had gone straight to Io instead of Callisto, Phil would still be alive. For now. There’s no guarantee’s in space travel, and as a Star Captain, you know that. There’s every chance that Phil would have died on Io. And what about Chris? He died, too, and that was no more your fault that Phil’s death was. Death is a part of being a Star Captain. I’ve seen members of my crew die in my career. All I can tell you is that it doesn’t get any easier. But, you are a Star Captain. And our captain. As a member of your crew, if you’re not okay, I’m not okay either. Harsh as this is to say, you just need to accept that Phil is and move on. Later, when this is over, you can morn him properly. Dexter would tell you the same thing. You’re job, right now, is to lead those of us still alive, and complete your mission. If you quit now, Phil and Chris will have died in vein.”

Jared stared at his fellow Star Captain, who was now serving as a member of his crew. Her eyes were as black as her hair, but somehow they were warm and inviting. And he knew that she spoke the truth. He sat up, squared his shoulders, set his jaw and nodded.

“When we return to Luna, Chris and Phil will be buried as heroes of the state,” he said. “But for that to happen, I need to claim the throne, and for that I need the Lost Jewels of Luna. I’m not going to let them have died in vein. We’re going to Io, and nothing is going to stand in my way.”

Alicia stood and clasped Jared on his shoulder. “Well said, Star Captain,” she said. “It is an honor to be a member of your crew.”

Jared realized then that Alicia was the right person to be his First Officer. He had thought several times that it should be Dexter, the more experienced of the three of them, but he was learning that Dexter was somewhat headstrong and more of a shoot first and think later kind of guy. Alicia, while as ready to jump into the fray as anyone, was more slow to action and more prone to thinking her way through ha problem. It was a trait that Jared was getting more and more to like, and one he was trying to cultivate himself.

It only took a few hours for the rocket ship Destiny to arrive at Io. They radioed down to the capital city, Io City.

“This is the rocket ship Destiny to Io City Tower. My name is Star Captain Jared Decker, Prince of Luna,” Jared said into the microphone. “I have come here to speak to your king and retrieving the Lost Jewels of Luna.”

There was a few moments hesitation before a reply came back. “Rodger that, rocket ship Destiny. You are cleared to land at the Royal Landing Platform on the south side of the city. You will be greeted there by the Royal Guard who will take you and your first officer to the king. The rest of your crew are requested to remain onboard your ship.”

“Understood, Io City Tower,” Jared replied, expecting something similar to this. “We will land in the next half hour.”

A short while later, the Destiny was landing on the large, gold and purple colored landing platform. Jared couldn’t help by smile at the pure gaudiness of it all. Even his uncle, who reveled in this wealth and power as King of Luna, would never think of decorating his personal landing pad. It was obviously designed to show off the wealth of Io. He turned to Alicia, resplendent in her dress uniform just as he was, and they both smiled at each other.

When they walked down the exit ramp, the captain of the Royal Guard came up to them and indicated that he was to take them to the royal palace, immediately. There, they would speak to the king in person. Once again, he turned to Alicia, and she nodded as well. As much as he liked Alicia, he really wanted the face of someone he knew well, which left Angus. But, Angus would not be able to pass himself off as the Destiny’s first officer. Plus, Alicia was better at dealing with royalty than Angus.

When they arrived at the castle, everything inside was every bit as gaudy and pretentious as the landing strip was. The people of Io really wanted their guests to know they had money to spare. It only made Jared smile at the absurdity of it all. The original settlers of Io were pirates, and would have happily stripped this castle and the landing strip.

The guards led them to a large set of brass double doors, and then stopped and stood on either side of it, making two rows of six men. It took Jared a moment to realize that he and Alicia were to go through. He pushed open the doors, which were far quieter than Jared was expecting, and walked into a large, mostly empty, throne room. Jared thought it should be filled with courtiers, but apparently the king wanted few witnesses to this meeting. The walls were decorated with banners and portraits of past kings, as well as the flags or ships plaques of several of the pirate ships that originally colonized the moon.

They eye was immediately drawn, however, to the large pair of thrones that sat in the center of the wall opposite the door. They were made out of steel, from the looks of them, and inlaid in bone. Soft, overstuffed cushions were built into the seat and back, making them look immensely comfortable, despite the hard construction materials. Seated in the thrones were two people, and old man with pure white hair on his head and a full bear on his chin. He wore a fine silk purple and gold robe, and had a fine, thin gold crown on top of her head. Obviously, the king.

Seated next to him, however, was someone that had Jared’s undivided attention. She was a beautiful young woman, about the same age as he was. She wore a fine green dress that hugged her curves without being immodest, and a solid emerald necklace that complimented the dress well. She was obviously the King’s daughter, the princess. Her eyes fell to his and he saw they were as green as the dress and emerald. He also saw in those eyes an instant understanding. This, then, was what the poets called Love At First Sight He was smitten with this fine maiden, and all logic be damned. And he knew, looking into those eyes, she felt the same way.

A poke in the rib by Alicia brought him to the present. He turned his gaze from the young princess to the old king, and knelt down on one knee.

“You’re Royal Highness,” Jared began, “We have come to you’re fine kingdom to…”

“I know why you’re here,” the king interrupted. His voice was gravelly and harsh, and the one was from one obviously used to giving orders and having them obeyed. “You, like many before you, claim to be a Prince of Luna, and you come to steal a treasure that has been in my family now for generations.”

“After it was stolen from Luna first,” Jared said. Blurted, really, and afterwards he decided it was better to stand up to this old man that just be defeated here and now because he doesn’t want to give up the prize.

“Look, your Highness,” Jared said, noticing that the king had stopped talking, but hadn’t really acted or looked angry. “We both know that the jewels are useless to you, locked in a safe that you can’t open. I understand that you’ve held them for centuries, and that its’ a source of pride for you and your pirate ancestors. But, I aim to reclaim my throne from my treacherous uncle, and the only way for me to do so is with those jewels. So, one way or another, I intend to leave with them. I’d prefer your permission, but my crew and I are willing and capable to get them in less underhanded fashions.”

His speech over, Jared just stood there, staring at the King and fearful that he had now spoken out of turn in a very disrespectful tone. The King of Io looked him up and down, examining this challenger to his power and possessions. After a few tense moments, the king threw his head back and let loose with a mighty bellow of laughter. He laughed for a good long time, and even the princess on the throne looked warily from Jared to her father and back again. Finally, the laughter stopped, and the king got up out of his throne, made his way down the stairs, and gripped Jared on the shoulders. Old he may be, but that grip held the strength of a younger man.

“My young princling,” the old king said. “I appreciate someone that speaks their mind. It hardly happens around my court, everyone is scared. But,” and this he said in a whisper, “I rather like it that way. I think I shall give you a chance to get the Jewels of Luna. But, keep in mind that I am unwilling to simply part with the Jewels. I am, however, willing to present you with a challenge. I’m a gambling man and I’m willing to bet that you will fail this challenge.”

The king pressed a button on his throne and the whole chair swiveled and turned to his right. He then pushed another button, and a whole section of wall recessed into the floor, revealing a long, very wide, almost bare hallway. At the end of the hallway was a large metal box that Jared recognized right away. The Lost Jewels of Luna. There they were, at last. He was nearing the end of his quest.

“All you have to do,” the King said, “is make it down this hallway to the safe. Then you’ll need to open the safe, something only a member of the Royal Family of Luna can do. If you can do those two things, the Jewels are yours.”

The King pressed a button on his throne once more and the wall came back up, covering the view of the hallway. “But that,” he said, “will be for tomorrow. Tonight, we feast, and you will rest in my guest chambers. It is not often that we get visitors out here.”

He pressed yet another button, and suddenly the throne room was filled with people, pouring out of doors that were made to look like the walls. No, not people, Jared realized, but robots. Android servants, who brought out tables, chairs, and an amazing amount of food. Jared and Alicia sat and ate. The food was amazing. All grown right there on Io, the King assured them. He asked of their adventures, and the two told the tail of their trip from Luna to Io, including the colossal robot on Mars, Phenius and the Warrior Women of Callisto. The Kind laughed and looked somber at all the right places. Jared was surprised that he seemed genuinely sad at the loss of their crewmates. The whole time, though, Jared wondered where all the people were. Surely the King and his daughter were not the only Iotians.

After dinner, they were lead to their bedchambers. The chambers were truly huge, each one large enough to comfortably house the entire crew of the Destiny. Which reminded him that he needed to report, so he pulled out his communicator and called in. He then took full advantage of the pool sized bathtub and Jacuzzi, the silk bed clothes, and started to head to bed. That was when he heard a noise. He grabbed his ray gun from the holster on the chair, and spun around. Instead of the robot assassin he expected, however, he saw the princesses.

“Please lower your weapon,” she said. “I am here to help you.”

Jared lowered his gun, but was not yet willing to put it away.

“I am Princess Julia,” she said. “And I wish for you to take me with you when you leave here.”

“What?” Jared asked. This was not what he was expecting.

“My father has gone mad,” she said. “All the royal courtiers have been killed or banished for trying to take his gold or his throne. All hogwash, of course, but he has gone insane and believes everyone wants his gold and throne. He plans to kill you tomorrow as well. I will help you, and in return I want you to take me with you when you leave.”

Jared’s eyes went wide. This explained so much. He nodded his head. He would have gladly taken the beautiful young princess anyway, of course, but for this, he was at her service. “I will protect you, Julia,” he said, giving the Star Captain salute. “You are now under my protection, and when I leave here with the Lost Jewels of Luna to reclaim my throne, you will accompany me.”

“Oh, thank you,” she said, and rushed up to him. She wrapped her arms around his muscular frame and hung on as if he were a life preserver. After a moment, she looked up into his eyes, and they kissed. There was passion in that kiss, to be sure, but this, Jared knew, was a kiss of love. Finally, she stopped the kiss and pushed herself away from him.

“Take this,” she said, handing him a small black box with two buttons on it, one red and one green. “The hallway you need to travel down tomorrow is trapped. The red button will enable you to get safely past the hallway guardians. My father has a special trap on the safe itself. The green button will disable that trap. For the last part, you will be on your own. Are you truly a member of the Royal Family of Luna?”

Jared nodded. She sighed in relief.

“Good,” she said. She hugged him once more. “My prince. My Star Captain. I look forward to our life together once we have escaped here.”

And before he could say anything to her, she left the room through what Jared now saw was a secret doorway. He shook his head, and stared down at the little black box. If he hadn’t been holding it, he could swear that what just happened was all a dream. He shook his head and went to sleep.

The next morning, he and Alicia were escorted down to the throne room once more.

“I’m pretty sure this is all a trap,” she said. “The King doesn’t seem all that stable.”

“Yeah, I agree,” he said. “However, I have an inside track that will help us out of this.” He showed her the black box. Her look was confused, but he didn’t explain it right away, hiding the box once more in his jacket.

“Ah, you’re here,” The King said from his throne. Jared wondered briefly if he ever left the chair. “I trust you slept well? Good, good. Shall we get right to it then? I know I’m looking forward to the show.”

With that, he opened the wall revealing the hallway once again, and sat back in his chair, preparing for the entertainment that was to come. “All you have to do,” he said, “is get to the other end of this hall and open the safe. Simple. Ah, just you, my dear Star Captain. You’re first officer will stay here with us and watch.”

Jared nodded to Alicia, who reluctantly took the seat brought in by another robot servant. Jared took a breath, looked over to the Princess, who smiled, and then exhaled as he moved to the hallway. He gave one last look back, nodding to the King, and then drew his ray gun and entered the hall.

He moved slowly, looking back and fourth for any signs of a trap. He wasn’t sure what to look for exactly, but he doubted it mattered. The walls were smooth and metal, cold to the touch. The floor was the same, except that it had a red carpet on it. His footsteps could still be heard, though. As he inched his way across, he saw little else. The ceiling seemed to be one long light, glowing softly. About half way down was when the trap was finally sprung.

Doors suddenly appeared on the previously seamless walls. Jared stopped and aimed his ray gun, but there were hundreds of doors. He wasn’t sure where to aim. And then out came the robots. Hundreds of them, at least three or four per door. The hallway would quickly be crowded thick with the things. All of them were identical, skeletal looking machines, with blinking red eyes and a grinning skeletal like face. Each had a lethal looking blade on its right arm instead of a hand. And he had no doubt that each knew how to use them.

He took a few shots at the robots with his ray gun, but it became quickly apparent that a force shield protected them. The gun would penetrate eventually, but by then it would be too late. He didn’t hesitate any further. He reached into his jacket pocket, pulled out the black box and pressed the red button. Immediately, all the robots stopped where they were and powered down, arms falling limply at their sides. Jared quickly put the box back in his jacket.

“Hmmm…” said the King of Io. He was stroking his beard. “I don’t know how you did that. But, still, you haven’t yet reached the safe, or opened it. Please, continue.”

Jared, confident that there would be no further threats on the way to the safe, simply walked down the hallway the rest of the way. He stopped when he got to the safe and examined it. It was a dark, black metal, with an obvious door and handle on one side. The door was just as obviously locked. In the middle of the door was a plate with the image of a human hand on it. A scanner, Jared realized. He knew, though, that he couldn’t yet touch it. He decided to test the trap, and touched the safe with his ray gun. A shock of lightning arced down from the ceiling and shot the gun out of his hand and across the hallway. He could hear the King laughing from his throne.

Jared reached into his pocket again and pulled out the black box, this time pressing the green button. The lightning field crackled again, but then dissipated. Jared extended a finger and touched the safe. It was cold and hard and smooth, but no lightning. He smiled. Behind him, the King bellowed in rage. Now came the last part. Jared placed his hand on the hand print plate on the safe. It light up, and Jared could feel a tickling sensation on his hand. It made it itch. A few seconds later, the plate turned green and he could hear bolts unlatching. Excitedly, Jared reached down and opened the door to the safe. Inside was a large sack that contained three perfectly cut diamonds, all about the size of Jared’s fists. The Lost Jewels of Luna. He had done it!

The King let out a roar of anger, and Jared feared he would push another button on his throne that would lower the ceiling and crush him where he stood. But the yell was followed quickly by a ray gun shot. Alicia, he realized. Jared placed the jewels back into the bag and sluing it over his shoulder. He then ran down the hallway, retrieving his own ray gun as he went.

When he exited the hallway, he saw that Alicia had her gun drawn and had it aimed, inches away, at the Kings head. The King of Io sat staring at the gun, sweat trickling down his forehead. The Princess raced to Jared as soon as he exited.

“You did it, my Prince!” she said, wrapping her arms around his neck.

Alicia looked at Jared with a single eyebrow raised.

“The princess aided me,” Jared said, pulling the black box once more out of his jacket. “Without her, I would have surely died in there. And as her reward, she will return with us to Luna, where she will be safe from her father’s insanity.”

“Noooooooo!” came the anguished cry of the King.

“Shall I kill him,” Alicia said, putting her gun right up to the King’s temple.

Jared shook his head. “No.” he said. “It is better to leave him here, to wallow in his loneliness and paranoid delusions. Understand this, King of Io. I am now the ruler of Luna, and if you do anything to harm me or a member of my crew, you will have to face the prospect of war with my kingdom. Do you understand?”

The King of Io only nodded his head, but Jared believed he had made his point.

“Come on, Alicia,” he said. “Let get out of here and go home.”

“Yes sir, Star Captain,” Alicia said.

On the way back to the ship, Alicia looked at Jared. “So tell me, Jared. What happens if when we return to Luna your uncle decides he still doesn’t want to give up the throne?”

Jared laughed and turned to look at her. “Do you really think that with you, Dexter Steele and the rest of the crew of the Destiny facing him down he’ll refuse?”

This time it was Alicia’s turn to laugh.

“Still,” Jared said. “I suppose that’s a possibility. We’ll have to face that adventure when we get to it.”

The End

Week 17

17? Wow, can you believe it's been 17 weeks already? 17 Weeks, 17 stories. Unbelievable.

And here, this week, is the conclusion to the Lost Jewels of Luna! This has been a total blast to write. I think, though, I need to do more research on the tropes of 50's pulp sci-fi. If I ever edit this beast, what I'd probably do is do that research, and re-write the whole thing as one long story with more details. Though I did like that each story started in the middle of the action. That was fun too.

Anyway, I've babbled on long enough. To the story!