Author: Lyle P. Blosser
E-mail: lyle@classicjq.com

DISCLAIMER: Jonny Quest and distinctive characters copyright Hanna-
            Barbera and/or Warner Brothers.  This is strictly a fan-created,
            not-for-profit work, and is in no way affiliated with or
            approved by Hanna-Barbera or any other copyright holders.
            No infringement of any rights, stated or implied, is
            intended by this work.  What's mine? The story idea and its
            execution in written form.

RATING: G
ARCHIVERS: Permission granted

NOTES:   I grew up on CJQ, and was always disappointed that it ended
         after only one season; my efforts are attempts to correct that,
         at least for fans.

         This story takes place after the events in 'The Invisible
         Monster', and just before those in 'The Sea Haunt'.

PREMISE: Dr. Zin sends someone to Cave Island to infiltrate the follow-
         up group sent there by the US government after he learns of Dr.
         Quest's report on the living energy creature; he wants to
         harness the elemental force as a weapon.



"Return to Cave Island"


In the drenching rain pouring from the black clouds that rolled by
overhead, two figures moved slowly along a sloping jungle trail
struggling with a bulky crate.  All around them the dense vegetation
trembled in the storm's onslaught.  Suddenly a searing blue-white bolt
of lightning shattered the gloom; thunder cracked and boomed across the
landscape.

"Man that was close!" One of the figures, a smallish man with dark horn-
rim glasses and sparse black hair plastered across his forehead by the
rain, glanced uneasily upward.

"Be careful, Simons!" lashed the other taller man as he fought to keep
from dropping the box.  "If my device is damaged..."  Cautiously they
lowered the heavy crate to the ground to re-establish their grips.

"What's the rush, Dr. Fleischer?" queried Eugene Simons.  "Why can't we
wait until after the sto--"

"Look, are you going to help or not?"  Lemuel Fleischer snapped.  "I
thought I could count on your assistance."  Fleischer scowled and
crossed his arms in an attitude of disgust as another lightning bolt
flashed by overhead, illuminating his stern expression.

"You can, doctor, you can," Simons bent over to grab the rope handle on
one side of the wooden crate.  Fleischer suppressed a smirk; Simons was
totally cowed.  Even slight control of another's career could be useful
in so many ways. He reached for the handle on his side of box and they
resumed their progress along the slippery jungle trail.

The entrance of a cave thirty meters ahead was like a yawning black
mouth.  As the thunderstorm rolled over the island, they covered the
remaining section of the trail and entered the relative shelter of the
cave.  Fleischer reached along the wall and flipped a switch.  A series
of overhead lamps sprung to life, lighting the way inward.

A few more minutes work saw the crate moved into the depths of the cave
next to  large metallic structures that loomed out of the shadows thrown
by the overhead lights.  One of the machines looked like nothing so much
as a giant-sized ray gun, its business end disconcertingly aimed
downward at them.  The whole set-up gave Simons the creeps. It was as if
there something inherently malevolent about the devices.  Which was
ridiculous, of course, and Simons knew it.  But still...

Fleischer quickly unpacked the small but heavy device from the crate and
connected several large cables that snaked across the floor of the cave
into ports on its top surface.  He worked feverishly, as if racing
against time.

Simons watched silently, afraid to make the first move to help Dr.
Fleischer; afraid to even ask the other man if he needed or wanted his
help for fear of unleashing Fleishcer's wrath once again.  Dr. Eugene
Simons, a Ph.D in his own right, hated himself for the way he was
intimidated by the other man but facts were facts.  With his funding
running low, Simons desperately needed the assistance Fleischer had
promised for his cooperation.  He wondered how it all could go downhill
so quickly.  The sounds of the storm outside echoed off the  walls of
the cave and seemed to reverberate through his mind.

Finally Fleischer turned from the small device and began powering up the
mysterious larger device that towered over it.

"Dr. Fleischer! The rest of the team agreed we'd wait to activate --"
Simons faltered as Fleischer glared in his direction.

"I have neither the time nor the inclination to argue with you or anyone
else on this so-called team," Fleischer growled in a tone Simons knew
well.  "If I waited until the rest of those..."  He choked back his
words with difficulty then resumed in a slightly calmer manner.  "My
proposal for tapping into the power thrown about by these frequent
storms was unfairly ignored.  I intend to provide a suitable
demonstration that will change their small minds."  He returned to the
device, jaw clenched.  Simons stood meekly by, afraid to make even the
slightest sound.  Lightning was not the only dangerous power being
thrown about; Fleischer's short-fused temper was legendary.

The larger device made a low-pitched thrumming sound that seemed to
drill right through Simons' gut.  Glancing nervously up at the machine,
he thought he could detect a shimmering of the air around the tip of the
barrel.  It was hard to be certain, though.  The flashes of lightning
from the still intensifying storm coupled with the rather dim lighting
in the cave played havoc with his senses. His rain-spattered eyeglasses
did not help matters.  He nervously wiped at them with his fingers but
only succeeded in smearing the water around.  The scene before him took
on a surreal appearance, a watercolor painting with the colors all
running together.

Fleischer threw a switch.  "There! That should --"

With an ear-splitting crash a blinding purple-white bolt of lightning
struck just outside the cave entrance.  The surge of electricity raced
down a set of cables leading into the cave; frying the rubber insulation
on the cables as it went.  The supercharged stream leapt down the cables
and struck the large machine.  For a split-second the device channeled
the surge in the only direction it could, out of the nozzle in the
front, generating a tremendously bright beam of pure energy that lanced
downward.  Then as the electricity from the superbolt proved to be too
much to handle, the device ripped itself apart in a tremendous fireball.
The explosion knocked Simons flat on his back; he lay dazed and nearly
paralyzed from the shock.

Fleischer had instinctively thrown up his arms to shield his face as the
fireball blossomed, but it was too little, too late.  The next thing he
knew he was on the floor, somehow behind one of the larger machine
consoles which had been toppled by the force of the explosion.  The
stinging sensation on his hands and face told him he had suffered burns
as well as lacerations from the bits and pieces of jagged metal and
glass hurled in all directions.  As he struggled painfully to his feet,
he caught a glimpse of a shimmering white blob of light as it moved
slowly toward the entrance of the cave nearly twenty meters away.  *What
in the world is that?  Ball lightning?*  He shook his head and the faint
shape dimmed then vanished altogether.  It slowly came to him that the
lightning might have overloaded his nervous system, causing him to
hallucinate.  He still heard a strange ringing in his ears.  He was
lucky he was not dead.

Standing shakily on his feet in the smoking wreckage that was now the
cave, he looked around.  Something was wrong.  He stared at the remains
of the big machine that had exploded then let his gaze wander to the
device he and Simons had --

That was it -- where was Simons?  He was certain the man had been right
there with him just moments before the lightning strike.  A brief search
of the cave confirmed that Simons was no longer present.  Where had he
gone?  Fleischer wondered if he had been unconscious for an extended
period rather than just the momentary blackout he had presumed up to
now.  Outside, the storm seemed to be abating; the flashes of lightning
were occurring a bit less frequently.  Inside, anger boiled upwards at
the thought of Simons abandoning him while he lay unconscious on the
cave floor.

So Simons had cut and run at the first sign of trouble.  He would not
get away with it, not if Fleischer had anything to say about it.
Carefully picking his way through the debris scattered over the ground,
Fleischer headed out of the cave and back toward the main camp.  When he
found Simons he would --

A weird undulating sound brought him up short as he approached the
entrance to the cave.  Like the call of an animal in pain.  But not
quite.  He paused, peering out through the pouring rain, but the sound
was not repeated.  Then his anger surged and he stomped down the trail
toward the small group of Quonset huts that served as the expedition's
headquarters.


* * *


Dr. Alicia Barnaby jumped as the door to the hut slammed open, framing a
soaking wet and bleeding Fleischer.

"Good grief!  What happened to you?"

Fleischer stomped into the hut, letting the door hang open and splashing
mud and water everywhere.

"Where's Simons?" he growled.

"Simons?  Haven't seen him since supper -- um, wasn't he with you,
doctor?"  Barnaby queried the two junior technicians that were in the room
with her eyes.  Sam Waterson and Jenna McDonnel looked at each other and
shrugged.

"Yes, he was," Fleischer fumed, stressing the word was.  "But after the
explosion, he cut and ran like the coward--"

"Explosion?" interrupted Dr. Barnaby.  "What explosion?"  She had had
this problem with Fleischer before; he was so wrapped up in his own view
of things that often important data had to be gleaned from offhand
comments like this.  Being able to focus was one thing, she told
herself, but not at the expense of what could be critical information.

Fleischer gave her a look of pure disdain then threw himself down into
an empty chair with a sigh, as if answering questions was a total waste
of his time.  "We were down at the cave checking things out.  Lightning
struck."  Seeing her stare, he continued.  "The lightning caused a power
surge that ran down the main cables and blew the place to pieces.  I'm
lucky I wasn't killed."  Never mind that the accident probably would not
have happened if the machine had not been powered on.  "I was knocked
out; when I came to, Simons was gone.  He just left me there.  To die,
for all he knew."  Just thinking about Simons made his blood boil.

McDonnel had been rummaging in a cabinet as he spoke and now turned with
a handful of gauze bandages and some alcohol.  As she unwrapped the
bandages, he held his arms out peevishly.  Waterson approached with a
small tweezers and a glass beaker and gently began picking tiny bits of
glass and metal out of the man's skin.

Meanwhile Dr. Barnaby was gazing steadily at him, as if weighing his
testimony.  When he did not say any more, she nodded slightly, as if
confirming something to herself.

"We'll find Simons, and find out what happened.  It's not like him to
just run away from his responsibility."  She drew a deep breath.  "But
there's a bigger problem, based on what you told me."

*A bigger problem than Simons?* Fleischer railed internally. *I don't
bloody think-- oh, right, the machine in the cave.*  "You mean the
destruction of the equipment in the cave."

"Exactly, doctor,"  Barnaby confirmed.  "You know that set up was an
integral part of our investigation.  We were hoping to gain some key
insights into our problems here when Dr. Quest arrives on site to
oversee the investigation."  *And judging by that look on your face, Dr.
Fleischer, you have a big problem with giving up your position to a
higher authority.  Or is it just Dr. Quest you have a problem with?*
"And when Dr. Quest arrives here the day after tomorrow, it's now my
unhappy task to inform him of this unexpected development."  She paused
and looked at him inquiringly.  "You're sure it's destroyed?"

"Absolutely.  Nothing left but bits and pieces."

Barnaby seemed to deflate, uttering a soft sigh while slumping backward
in her chair.  "Well. Now I've got to come up with a plan for this
situation."  She waved a hand at him in dismissal.  "Go get yourself
taken care of, and get some rest.  Unless I miss my guess, the day after
tomorrow's going to be a big day.  Not very pleasant, but definitely
big."


* * *


"Dad, why are we going back to Cave Island so soon?"  Jonny Quest paused
at the entrance to the VERTOL plane's cargo hold where he and Hadji were
packing their luggage.  "Didn't you give a full report to Mr. Corvin
when we got back the last time?"

"Yes, Dr. Quest," chimed in Hadji.  "There is not a problem, is there?
The monster has not come back, I hope?"  The boys exchanged worried
glances and Bandit growled.

"No, boys," Dr. Benton Quest replied with a chuckle.  "Nothing like
that."

"That's good," came Roger "Race" Bannon's muffled voice from the cockpit
where he was running through the pre-flight checklist.  "I can do
without another problem like that!"

"The U.S. government sent a scientific team to do a thorough analysis of
Dr. Norman's work and they've hit some snags," Dr. Quest continued.
"And since I'm not scheduled to attend that conference in Singapore
until the end of the month, I've been asked to lend a hand.  I figured
leaving Palm Key a few days early wouldn't be a problem."  He handed a
large brown duffle bag to Jonny who stowed it securely in the hold.  "So
while I sit in on some high-level meetings, you boys and Race can enjoy
a small vacation for a few days.  Then we'll all head to Singapore."

"A vacation I can handle," said Race as he swung down from the plane's
cockpit, the pre-flight check completed.

"Me, too!" chorused Jonny and Hadji, while Bandit barked to show his
approval of the plan.

Soon the packing and other preparations were finished and Palm Key was
buttoned up for the duration.  After checking in with local air traffic
control, Race lifted off and they were on their way.  As was the case
with their last trip to the island, they left in the late afternoon.
The trip took nearly twelve hours and they planned to arrive at Cave
Island soon after local sunrise.  The boys and Bandit slept through
nearly the entire trip; Dr. Quest spelled Race at the plane's controls.

* * *

The sky had lightened considerably and dawn was not far off when Dr.
Quest roused Jonny and Hadji.

"Time to wake up, boys.  We're about half an hour from Cave Island."
Both Jonny and Hadji stretched in their seats but Bandit remained
motionless on his rug on the floor near Jonny's feet.

"Hey, that means you, too, sleepyhead," Jonny scratched behind Bandit's
ears. The pup slowly opened one eye, licked Jonny's fingers, then
promptly rolled over to catch a few more winks.  Jonny rolled his eyes
at Hadji, who chuckled.

"One never knows when the next chance to sleep will come," quoted Hadji.

"And Bandit uses every chance he gets," retorted Jonny.

Cave Island soon appeared over the horizon, a dark landmass with a
volcanic peak thrusting upward on its eastern half.  As they approached
the island the dark landscape brightened into many shades of green; a
thick jungle covered most of the land with relatively few clear areas.
The coast sported wide sandy beaches along the southern and western
edges of the island but to the north and east the land met the sea in a
rocky jumble.

"There's the research vessel assigned to the team," Dr. Quest pointed
out a rather large ship moored just off the coast.  A few of the crew
could be seen working on the expansive deck of the ship; a small
helicopter was berthed at one end.  As they flew on toward the island
they could see a few smaller boats resting on the beach; a couple of
Quonset huts were set up near the edge of the jungle.  "Set down in the
compound, near where we did the last time."

"Right, doctor."  Race banked the plane to circle once over the area to
make sure it was clear then began the vertical descent.  A group of
people came out of the barracks and headed toward the landing area.  In
a few moments the plane was safely down; Race cycled the systems off
while Dr. Quest undogged the hatch in the side of the cabin.  The door
opened to the warm tropical breezes and bright sun of a Cave Island
morning.

"Hello, Dr. Quest!" came the cheery greeting from a woman striding
purposefully toward the plane.  "I trust your flight was uneventful?"

"Dr. Barnaby, hello!"  Dr. Quest descended the stairway to shake her
hand.  "It was a very pleasant flight, thanks."

Dr. Barnaby introduced the rest of her small group: Dr. Lemuel
Fleischer, a sullen man with a look of extreme discomfort on his face,
and two technical aides, Jenna McDonnel and Sam Waterson, each looking
enthusiastic and eager to get down to things.  As Race and the boys came
down the walkway, Dr. Quest introduced them as well.  A sharp bark drew
their attention upward to where Bandit stood at the lip of the hatch,
tongue hanging over his lower lip as he grinned at the people below.

"Oh," chuckled Race, "Let's not forget our most important passenger!"
The rest of the group, with the exception of Fleischer, laughed at the
small dog's expression.  From the nearby jungle a cacophony of bird
calls greeted them with hoots and chirps and outright melodies.  All of
a sudden, Bandit gave a small yelp and disappeared back into the cabin.

Jonny rolled his eyes at Hadji as if to say "Now what?".  Both boys
trudged back up the walkway to see what was going on with their canine
companion.

"Dr. Quest," Dr. Barnaby began, a somber look descending over her smile.
"Sorry to hit you with this right away, but we've had a few setbacks."
She paused to look at the other members of her team, then nodded.  "And
some mysteries need solving."  She motioned toward a small structure
near where Dr. Norman's lab had stood before it had been leveled, and
they all began walking toward it.  They had traversed nearly half of the
distance when from the direction of the jungle a strange undulating cry
arose.  It was apparently quite some distance away and persisted for a
few seconds then faded.  It was not repeated.

Stopping to look intently at the newly-arrived visitors, Dr. Barnaby
said, "And that sound, or more correctly, the source of it, is one of
those mysteries.  That sound, some destroyed equipment, and a missing
man."  She took a deep breath. "Come this way please; I'll fill you in
on the whole story over some coffee."

Turning away from them, Dr. Barnaby missed the look that passed between
Race and Dr. Quest as they followed her into the mess hall.  Race
glanced at the doctor, raised his eyebrows inquiringly and tilted his
head in the direction of the jungle.  Dr. Quest nodded once in grim
confirmation.


* * *


Inside the plane, Jonny and Hadji were having some unexpected trouble
with Bandit, who did not seem at all pleased to be back on the island.
The normally friendly and outgoing pup was hiding under Jonny's seat and
would not budge.

"Aw, come on, Bandit," Jonny pleaded.  "We just spent all night on the
plane; don't you want to go for a walk?"  He reached under the seat; in
response, Bandit backed even further under it.

"That is not like Bandit," observed Hadji.  "It is as if he is afraid of
something."

"Yeah, but what?  I can't imagine--"

"Listen!"  Hadji leaned out of the plane's hatch as a weird sound rose
above the calls of the birds from the nearby jungle.  "Do you hear
that?"

"Yes, I do."  Jonny poked his head out of the hatch and they both
listened to the strange, but somehow familiar, sound.  As the sound
faded into the background noise of the jungle, Hadji turned to look
intently at Bandit, then at Jonny.

"Did that sound remind you of anything?"

Jonny's forehead creased momentarily with thought, then his eyes opened
wide.  From the look in Hadji's eyes, Jonny knew they were thinking the
same thing.  "Come on, let's get Bandit, and go tell Dad."


* * *


Race and Dr. Quest had just settled themselves in Dr. Barnaby's office
in one of the Quonset huts.  By the look on Dr. Quest's face, Race could
tell that the doctor was trying to decide the best way to inform Dr.
Barnaby of the alarming turn his thoughts had taken him.  Then just as
the good doctor was opening his mouth to speak, Jonny and Hadji burst
into the hut. They were followed, as usual, by a barking Bandit.

"Dad! Dad!" Jonny was nearly breathless after having run at top speed
across the compound.

"Easy, son.  Catch your breath," instructed Dr. Quest with a wry smile
on his face.  This was not the first time the boys had rushed in with
faces flushed and hearts pounding.  Although this time, he reflected
ruefully, likely they had good cause.  Very good cause.

"Dad, we heard it!" Jonny blurted after gulping air for a mere second or
two.  "Out there, in the jungle!"

"It is true, Dr. Quest," confirmed Hadji.  "We both heard the sound."
Bandit barked in apparent agreement, a surprisingly loud sound that
echoed off the metal walls inside the hut.

Dr. Quest looked at Race then at Dr. Barnaby, who was obviously
perplexed, before turning back to Jonny.  "Yes, son, we know.  We heard
it too."

"Do you really think it's the same creature, doctor?" Race asked.  "I
thought you had thoroughly reduced it to its component parts the last
time."

"I'll never forget that sound, Race; do you have any real doubts?"  Race
shook his head after a moment's thought.  Jonny and Hadji stared at each
other as their worst fear was confirmed.

"Would you mind explaining what's going on here?" asked a confused Dr.
Barnaby.  "Obviously you know something; what's this all about?"

"What man can make and unmake," Dr. Quest stated wearily, still staring
into Jonny's and Hadji's faces, "apparently can be made again."  After a
brief pause he stood up and turned to face Dr. Barnaby, his hands now
resting on the boys' shoulders.  He held her attention with an intense
gaze.  "I believe that the energy creature originally created by Dr.
Norman in his initial experiments, and thought to have been destroyed by
our actions after his unfortunate demise, has been resurrected and is
roaming free on this island once again."


* * *


"This really is a mess," Race said, shaking his head.  Dr. Barnaby had
led them down to the cave to survey the damage.  It was soon very
obvious that the device that Dr. Quest had originally used to vanquish
the monster would not be functioning again; there was not a piece of it
bigger than a half meter left anywhere. Race turned to where Dr. Quest
was sifting through the rubble further along the wall.  "Can we build
another one, doctor?"

"Extremely doubtful," came the scientist's terse reply.  "At least not
without starting from the ground up with all new components."  He
looked at Race then at Dr. Barnaby.  "I don't think we have that kind of
time."

"What do you mean, Dr. Quest?" asked Barnaby.  "Are you saying we're up
against some sort of deadline?"

"That's exactly what I'm saying," confirmed Dr. Quest as he tossed the
shattered chunk of metal he was examining onto the floor.  "Let's go
back to your lab and I'll lay it all out for you."


* * *


"So you see, doctor," Dr. Quest concluded after an intense half hour,
"By my estimates, using my best guesses from our previous experience
with the creature, we have just about a week before we'll have to
evacuate.  That is, if we can't neutralize the creature before then.
After that time it'll be beyond the capabilities of current technology -
we won't be able to develop the energy levels needed to destroy it."

Dr. Barnaby shook her head, still reviewing the figures on the computer
screen.  The data were hard to believe, but Dr. Quest had been very
thorough in his presentation.  Evacuation of the island was not the
worst part, however.  If they had to leave without finally resolving the
problem, literally the entire region and eventually the world was at
risk.  There was no theoretical upper limit to the growth of the
creature.

"There's one more thing," Dr. Quest stated matter-of-factly. "This may
explain what happened to Dr. Simons.  It's happened before."

"You mean he was consumed by the creature, don't you?"

"Yes, I'm afraid that's what I am saying.  Dr. Norman, my good friend
and colleague, suffered the same fate.  I am sorry."

The rest of the scientific team had been called in for the discussion
and were sitting around the lab looking stunned.  Jonny, Hadji, and
Bandit were equally subdued, sitting off to one side.

"How definite are the time parameters?" Jenna McDonnel asked.  "If the
rate of this thing's growth is different than that of the earlier
creature, or if it started out smaller --"

"Or larger," interrupted Sam Waterson.

"Yes," resumed McDonnel, "or larger, then our estimates may by off by a
factor of a day or more.  That could make all the difference."

"I concur," replied Dr. Quest.  "The first order of business is to gain
some first-hand observational data."

"And just how do we do that?" Barnaby posed.

"As carefully as possible, doctor," came Race's laconic reply.  "And
from as far away as possible."  He paused.  "Didn't I see a helicopter
on your ship?"

"Yes.  Seats two; three in a crunch."

"Then that's the ticket, Dr. Barnaby.  If I may, I'll borrow it for some
quick aerial reconnaissance."

Barnaby nodded in agreement.  "OK, it sounds like you know what you're
looking for.  I'll radio Captain Shelby and let him know you're coming."

"Come on boys, let's go take a tour of that ship we flew over on the way
in."  Jonny and Hadji got up and Bandit did the same.

Dr. Barnaby and the others gathered around Dr. Quest for some more
strategy discussions as Race and the boys left.  All except Dr.
Fleischer, who quietly exited the lab and headed back down the trail
toward the cave.


* * *


Walking swiftly through the jungle, Fleischer nervously listened for any
hint of the creature he had inadvertently loosed on the island.  He was
no fool, despite what the others might think; he knew that it was his
unauthorized powering up of the large device in the cave that had led to the
recreation of the monster.  So much the better, even if the timing had
not been perfect.  If his device was still serviceable, and there was no
reason to think it was not, he still might be able to proceed with his
plan.  Success might yet be wrestled from the fangs of failure.  And
success was to be achieved at all costs.  His employer, the man who had
pulled a number of strings to get him here in the first place, did not
tolerate failure.

No, Dr. Zin did not tolerate failure at all.


* * *


"Hey, Race," Jonny asked from the front of the small boat as they pushed
off the beach and headed for the larger craft moored out in deeper
water.  "Do you really think the monster is back, invisible again?"

"You heard your dad," Race replied.  "I'm willing to bet that if he says
it's back, it's back.  I just hope he can come up with a way to handle
it."  There was not much to say after that and they all fell silent as
they crossed the sparkling waters of the cove.  As they neared the ship,
Hadji tossed the mooring line to a waiting crew member who peered down
at them from the deck nearly ten feet above.  After the man secured the
line, first Jonny then Hadji clambered up the rope netting that hung
along the hull.

Race followed with a subdued Bandit tucked in the crook of his arm. Poor
Bandit.  He did suffer a bit from motion sickness, and seemed to know he
was in for a bit of tossing on board the ship.  Fortunately the water
was fairly calm and the ship's motion was not too severe.  Jonny picked
him up and that helped, too.

Captain Anthony Shelby, USN, greeted them as they came on board. He was
a slim athletic-looking man in his early forties, with a salt-and-pepper
mustache that made him look somewhat older.  Shelby led them aft toward
the flight deck where the chopper waited.  A pilot was already on board
the sleek craft doing the preflight checks.  Quick introductions were
made, then Race explained to both the pilot and the captain what he
wanted to do.  After ironing out the details, Race climbed aboard and
the boys retreated with the captain across the deck.  Soon the
helicopter lifted upward, swung in a smooth arc, and gained altitude as
it headed back toward the island.

As the chopper shrunk to a small indistinct dot in the skies over the
island, Captain Shelby led everyone onto the bridge where they could
monitor the chopper's progress on radar and converse with its occupants
via the radio.

"You're coming in loud and clear," Shelby responded to an incoming
transmission from the chopper's pilot, then continued with a smile at
the boys.  "Go for Operation Monster Search!"  Jonny and Hadji just
looked at each other and Bandit whined a bit as he snuggled deeper into
Jonny's arms.


* * *


The pilot was a muscular dark-skinned man named James Murphy, and after
only a few minutes Race felt quite comfortable riding shotgun instead of
sitting behind the controls as he normally did.  The man was a very
competent flyer and he and Race exchanged aircraft small talk as they
approached the island -- what types of craft they had flown, what they
did and did not like about each, and so on.  It was not often that Race
got the chance to chew the fat with another aircraft aficionado.  But
as they began to circle the island, both men dropped the chatter and
focused on the task at hand.

"You say this thing is invisible, yet we can track it from the air?"
Murphy was doubtful.

"Right." Race responded.  "The thing leaves a trail of chewed up trees
and blasted vegetation visible for quite a ways.  If it's moving around
we'll find it."  Race pointed.  "There. See what I mean?"

Murphy grunted acknowledgement; down below the normally continuous green
of the jungle canopy was broken by a swath that moved in sinuous curves
across the landscape.  It looked like a drunken giant had used an
equally giant lawn mower.

"That's how we found it the first time," Race continued.  "We saw this
path of destruction moving through the jungle and followed it as it
headed toward one of the beaches.  Imagine our surprise when it emerged
from trees, but we still couldn't see it."

"How do you track it when it's not in the trees?"

"It leaves footprints."

"Footprints?"

"Yeah.  Scorched circular prints.  Burned into the ground."

"You're kidding."

"Nope."  Race went on to explain how they had ended up dousing the
energy creature with paint mixed with phosphorescent dye, effectively
painting the creature so they could keep a visual on it.

Murphy chuckled.  "Painted the beast, eh?  Who thought that one up, the
scientist?"

"Dr. Quest?" returned Race.  "No, actually, it was his son that came up
with it."

"Smart kid."

Race was about to reply when he caught motion out of the corner of his
eye.  Murphy swung the chopper around at almost the same instant.

"Is that what we're looking for?"  About two hundred meters away, the
tops of trees were apparently being swallowed whole, disappearing from
sight in a meandering line.  Occasionally a muffled explosion could be
heard and a faint flickering, like lightning confined to the ground,
could be seen through the trees.

Race was grim. "That's it."  He picked up the radio handset.


* * *


"Well, they've spotted what looks to be your monster, Dr. Quest."
Captain Shelby was reporting Race and Murphy's findings to the team back
at the compound.  "Or at least its effects.  They're following it,
trying to get a fix on it's direction and speed.  We'll let you know as
soon as we do."

"Where is it now, Captain?"  Dr. Barnaby asked.

"About ten klicks due east of the compound, headed south-southeast."

"Thanks.  Keep us posted."

"Roger, doctor.  Wilco.  Oh, Dr. Quest, I'm having one of my men bring
your boys back over to the island, if that's all right."

"Fine.  I think I'd prefer they be here for the time being."

"I understand, sir.  I've got three kids of my own.  We'll drop off Mr.
Bannon after they've completed their recon."

"Thank you; you've been most helpful."

"Glad to oblige, doctor."

"I don't know if I'd say I'm actually relieved," Dr. Quest stated after
Captain Shelby had signed off.  "But at least we've confirmed what we're
dealing with, and where it is."

"What do we do next?" Jenna McDonnel asked.

"That," replied Dr. Quest in a wry tone, "is the question of the hour."


* * *


Dr. Fleischer listened carefully to the conversation going on between
the compound and the ship on the walkie-talkie he had appropriated.
"So," he muttered.  "They've actually managed to track down the
creature.  Excellent."  Fleischer resumed packing his device onto a
small hand cart, fastening it with a couple of bungee cords.  Once it
was secure, he unfolded a map of the island and studied it carefully.
"How nice of Captain Shelby to provide its location for me."  He giggled
to himself; things were going very well.  Very well indeed.  Now all he
needed to do was get set up in the vicinity of the creature, spring the
trap at the appropriate moment, and the creature would be his.  Well,
Dr. Zin's eventually, but his first.  He gazed at the map, tracing the
routes of several trails marked on it until he found one that suited his
purpose.  No problem; everything should be in place within the hour.
Well, there was one small problem.  He needed some way to lure the beast
into his trap.  He had read Dr. Quest's account of the first encounter
but had no intention of serving as bait as the doctor had done.  No,
there must be another way.  Oh!  And there was!  Snapping his fingers in
triumph, he grabbed the cart and headed out of the cave.


* * *


"Where's Bandit?"

"I don't know, son, I haven't seen him since just after you boys arrived
back in camp."  Dr. Quest looked up from his work.  "He probably found a
shady spot to sleep off his motion sickness."

"Your dad is probably right," chimed in Hadji.  "He was a little wobbly
after riding on that ship, followed by the helicopter ride back here."

"Yeah," Jonny ruefully grinned.  "You saw that, too, huh?"

The two boys walked out of the hut and Dr. Quest concentrated again on
the copy of Dr. Norman's lab notes provided by Dr. Barnaby.  There had
to be a clue in there somewhere, a clue that would help them defeat the
creature once again. Too bad about the equipment in the cave.  He
sighed.  That would've been almost too easy, he reflected sardonically.
It seemed like the problems kept getting harder and harder.  Or maybe he
was getting old.  Shaking off his temporary funk with a slow twist of
his shoulders and a quickly-exhaled puff of air, he bent back to the
task at hand.


* * *


"Boy, he sure found a great hiding spot," complained Jonny after
searching under the seats in the jet's cabin.  It seemed they had looked
nearly everywhere possible within a hundred meters of the camp and still
no Bandit.  He did not say it aloud, but he was starting to get worried.
It was not like Bandit to wonder off; he usually stayed close by.  Of
course, Jonny mused, there was that skunk incident in Canada.

"He's not in here, either," called Hadji from the cargo hold.  Dr. Quest
and Race had opened the hold and carried off some pieces of equipment
earlier, and the gangway into the large storage area would have allowed
Bandit easy access.

Jonny exited the cabin and walked up the sloping ramp.  Hadji was
methodically replacing some boxes after having moved them to get a
better look in one of the hold's corners.  "This is not like Bandit,"
Jonny's brother replied.

"You read my mind," replied Jonny as he scanned the hold, furiously
thinking about the next place to search.  Then he saw the rocket packs
in one corner.

"Hey, let's use the jet packs!  We can cover a lot more ground that
way."  He began tugging one of the packs free from its restraining
straps.  Hadji joined him and removed another one.  It was the work of a
few minutes to check the packs out; both boys remembered the trouble
Hadji had experienced before and neither wanted a repeat of that near-
catastrophe.  Soon they were in the air, hovering about ten meters above
the treetops.

"Let's set up a grid search pattern," suggested Hadji.  "So we don't
miss anything or look twice in the same place."  Jonny agreed and they
mapped out a flying pattern over a nearby area with a few gestures.  The
packs could keep them airborne for well over an hour but there was no
sense in pushing their luck more than they had to.

Twenty minutes later they had covered a fair-sized section of the nearby
jungle.  Then Jonny spotted a man working in a small clearing nearly a
mile from the camp.  He was bending over a cluster of small boxes and
what looked like some electronic equipment.  Scattered about were
packing material, manuals, cables and a lot of other miscellaneous
items.  "Maybe he's seen Bandit," Jonny thought as he glided down into
the clearing.

"Hey, mister--"

"What the--?"  The man jumped like he had been stung.  It was that other
scientist, Jonny realized, the one that seemed always grumpy.  Maybe he
should not have landed after all.

"Well, what do you want, boy," Fleischer snarled.  "Can't you see I'm
busy?"  He turned back to a small device and flipped a few toggles on a
console sitting atop a waist-high gleaming metallic device; the machine
hummed into life.

"I'm looking for my dog, mister.  Have you seen --?"

"No time to waste looking for your mutt."  He paused.  "You should
leave; my experiment is very--"

Suddenly, Jonny's ears picked up a faint sound.  He looked in all
directions, trying to make sure.  Was it?  It sounded like -- yes! It
was!  It was Bandit barking!  But the sound was strange; it seemed
muffled, like Bandit was inside something.

"Hey! That's Bandit!" Jonny desperately tried to determine where the
sound was coming from.  Then he saw a small box wobbling not ten meters
away.  Without another moment's thought, he ran over to the box and
opened it up.  Bandit leaped up into his arms, barking and panting and
whining all at the same time.

"Too bad you did that, kid."  Jonny whirled to see Fleischer approaching
him with a stout length of bamboo in his hand.

"What were you doing with Ban--"

"Shut up.  You're messing where you shouldn't be messing."  The man drew
closer and Jonny instinctively backed away.  "I was hoping to use your
little mutt in my experiment...but maybe you'll do even better."  The
man made a grab for him, but he jumped back, tumbling backward over some
boxes, out of the man's immediate reach.  Fleischer angrily kicked away
the box and loomed over Jonny, who still held Bandit tightly.  Jonny's
eyes widened as he looked upward from the ground where he lay.

"Come here you little ---oof!!"  Hadji dropped like a tan lightning bolt
out of the sky, smashing into the man's head and shoulders.  Fleischer
fell forward and slightly to one side, just missing Jonny as he crumpled
to the ground.

"Nice work, Hadj!" Jonny exclaimed as he scrambled to his feet and away
from the unconscious scientist.  "I saw you coming but, gosh! I was
afraid you wouldn't make it in time!"

Hadji looked with some relief at his friend.  After seeing the man
threaten Jonny, he had known that something had to be done, and quickly.
After hitting the man from behind and above, he had rebounded from the
impact and landed on his knees.  "Come on, let's get out of here!"  He
turned the control on his rocket belt and lifted into the air.

"I'm with you!" Jonny replied, getting a firm grip on Bandit and
activating his own rocket pack.  Thankfully it worked, despite the
tumble he had taken, and they joined Hadji in the air.  Gaining some
altitude, they streaked back to the camp.  Only once did Jonny look
back; he saw the man still unconscious on the ground near his machines.
Then the trees hid the scene from view.

Shortly after Hadji, Jonny, and Bandit had made their escape, but before
Fleischer had regained consciousness, a warbling, eerie sound echoed
from the jungle near the clearing where Fleischer lay.  The otherworldly
sound was repeated about half a minute later, and seemed to be coming
from somewhere a bit closer nearby.  The third time was closer still.


* * *


"Dr. Quest, I think you need to hear this."  Race Bannon stood framed in
the door to the hut where the efforts to find a way to destroy the
ravenous energy monster were underway.  Everyone in the room looked up;
it was obvious that discussions were not going very well.  Looking at
Dr. Quest's haggard face, Race amended that thought.  The discussions
were a total wash-out.

When Dr. Quest motioned Race inside, Jonny and Hadji followed.  Jonny
was holding Bandit tightly in his arms, and everyone had a grim look on
their faces.

"What is it?" asked Dr. Quest as Dr. Barnaby and the rest gathered
around.  "From the looks on your faces, it doesn't appear to be good
news."

"It's both good and bad news, sir, "Race began. "The good news is, the
boys and Bandit are safe."  He paused, looking around the room.  "The
bad news is, well, it seems we have more trouble than we thought."

"More trouble?"  For the life of him, Dr. Quest could not image what
would be worse news than an unstoppable monster.

"I'll let the boys tell you, doctor, just like they told me not two
minutes ago."  Jonny and Hadji stepped forward.


* * *


"You were right, Race, this is bad news."  The assembled crowd had
gasped audibly when Jonny stated in a quiet but steady voice how Dr.
Fleischer had threatened both Bandit and himself.  Hadji corroborated
Jonny's tale with a ring of authority that none could easily dismiss.

"It's easy enough to verify," Race concluded.  "I'm heading down to that
clearing and check things out."

"I believe I'll come with you," spoke Dr. Barnaby with noticeable
firmness.

Dr. Quest nodded. "I think we'll all go."

Ten minutes later they all were walking down a rather well-worn path
through the jungle to the south of the main camp.  For most of the trip,
everyone was silent, trudging along in their own thoughts.  As they
neared the clearing, Race brought everyone to a halt.

"Dr. Barnaby and I will scout ahead."  Race looked at the doctor who
nodded her head in affirmation.  "Given Dr. Fleischer's past history, I
can't say what state he might be in.  I'll give a shout if the coast is
clear."  He and Dr. Barnaby moved up the trail and into the clearing.
They could just barely be seen through the dense foliage, walking around
the site for several moments.

"Dr. Quest!" Race called.  "Come on down.  We've another mystery."

As everyone gathered in the clearing, they took in the boxes and cables
and machines scattered about.  Dr. Barnaby motioned them over to a small
humming device.

"That's Fleischer's machine," she said.  "I'd recognize it anywhere.  He
never seems to let it out of his sight."  With a motion of disgust, she
powered down the machine.

"And over here's the bamboo club," Race continued.  "That pretty well
clinches it."  He looked inside a small box.  "But here's the absolute
closer -- look inside that box, Dr. Quest."

"If I didn't know better, I'd say those were scratch marks on the
inside."  Dr. Quest peered closely into the box, then reached in and
pulled out what looked like a piece of lint or white cloth.  "Bandit's
fur."  He looked at the dog, then at the boys.  Then, he looked around
the jungle.  "But where's Dr. Fleischer?"

Jenna McDonnel spoke up.  "Look over here." She pointed to a dark
splotch on the ground near one of the boxes. "And over here." She
pointed to another splotch.  It looked like the ground cover had been
scorched.

"There's more over here!" Sam Waterson called.  He pointed to a line of
splotches that ran off into the jungle.  They all followed the line with
their eyes.  It looked like dark footprints that meandered through the
clearing, then led back into the jungle near a charred tree trunk.

"Our monstrous friend has been here," Race stated flatly.

"Right," said Dr. Quest.  "Dr. Barnaby, everyone, let's head on back to
the camp."  He looked at Fleischer's machine.  "Can someone bring that
back?  I think it may be important."

"Got it, doctors," Sam replied.  "Give me a hand, Jenna?"  Together they
hoisted the device onto Sam's shoulders and then set off down the trail
toward the camp.


* * *


Some time later Dr. Quest looked up from his examination of the small
device that they had dragged back from the jungle clearing, and caught
Dr. Barnaby's eye.

"Well, Dr. Barnaby," he said.  "I must admit I have no idea how Dr.
Fleischer came to be in the possession of this little machine, but my
examination leaves no doubt in my mind as to what he was doing, or at
least attempting to do."

"It's some sort of energy trap, isn't it?" Dr. Barnaby asked.

"Yes, it is," Quest nodded in confirmation. "And an amazingly efficient
one, at that.  While it isn't capable of containing the creature
indefinitely, it may be able to effectively neutralize it for a number
of hours."  He looked around the room and saw that the boys and Bandit
had gone back out into the warm tropical afternoon.  Then he continued
speaking in a somewhat lower voice.  "I believe Fleischer was attempting
to lure the energy creature into the trap, using Bandit as bait.  I
further believe he would've used my son as bait as well, if Hadji hadn't
stopped him."  A grim look passed over Dr. Quest's face.

"What could he possibly have hoped to gain from trapping the creature?"
Barnaby wondered aloud.

"Living energy, if it could be controlled or directed, could be a
fearsome weapon if it fell into the wrong hands.  That's one reason why
Dr. Norman was so secretive about his experiments in the first place.
He thought Cave Island would be sufficiently remote to help keep things
under wraps."  He paused.  "Obviously word has gotten out about this
little development."

"Oh?" Barnaby raised an eyebrow. "Why do you say that, doctor?"

"I don't think Fleischer could've invented or constructed this device
and kept it a secret.  Do you?"

Barnaby shook her head.  "No, definitely not.  Some of the components
here are beyond anything available in our labs."

"Exactly," confirmed Dr. Quest.  "Ergo, he had outside help."

Suddenly there was a commotion outside the hut.  Dr. Quest heard Bandit
barking and what sounded like Jonny's voice.  He got up from where he
had been kneeling next to Fleischer's device and went to the door. Dr.
Barnaby and the rest of the team followed.

Looking across the compound, he saw Jonny, Hadji, and Bandit running
toward him.  He also saw Race headed at a jog in the opposite direction,
toward two men that were approaching from the edge of the jungle.

"Dad! Dad!" Jonny called breathlessly. "It's him! It's that Dr.
Fleischer!"  With that, everyone rushed forward to where Race had
confronted the two figures.  Both were pretty roughed up but the smaller
man standing beside Dr. Fleischer looked like Death warmed over.  Even
so, he was obviously in control; his arm gripped Dr. Fleishcer's like a
vise.  Fleischer looked like a man who had been beaten into the ground.

"Dr. Simons!" Barnaby's voice rang out in shock.  "We thought you were
dead!"

The man gave a small self-deprecating smile then glanced at Dr.
Fleischer before returning Dr. Barnaby's gaze.  "The reports of my
demise were a bit premature..."


* * *


Half an hour later, with Fleischer secured in a locked hut, Dr. Simons
finished telling his side of the story.  After the explosion in the cave
during the thunderstorm, he had been dazed and battered, cut in myriads
of places by the flying debris.  But he never completely lost
consciousness.  He had seen a shimmering blob of light emerge from the
ruins of the lab and head toward him, at which time he had turned and
run for all he was worth out of the cave into the storm.  He had
lingered temporarily by the cave entrance, torn between curiosity
regarding Dr. Fleischer's condition and that of the lab, and fear of
what he instinctively knew was the reincarnated energy monster.  Then he
had heard Fleischer's angry muttering as he stormed out of the cave.
The fear of what Fleischer would do to him overriding all else, he had
hidden in the dense vegetation beside the trail until the man had
passed.

"Then why didn't you come to us later?  Why hide in the jungle for the
last two days?"  Dr. Quest could see that Barnaby felt a great deal of
sympathy for Simons.  But he could also see that, as a scientist, she
had to know the truth.   It was a trait he often found in himself.

"I'm not too proud of that," Simons admitted. "I felt that Dr. Fleischer
would sway any discussions we might have had about the incident; I
needed to get some proof or at least find some way to make sure he
couldn't harm me or ruin my career."  Simons hung his head briefly then
looked up again.  "I was hiding in the jungle when Fleischer threatened
Dr. Quest's son.  Before I could make up my mind as far as what I could
do, the other boy solved my problem for me by dropping like a meteorite
from the sky.  After they all left, I went over to Fleischer's body.
That was when I heard the cries of the energy creature and I knew it was
headed right for us."  He paused, looking at the people gathered around.
"I'm not proud of this either, but...I considered leaving Fleischer for
the creature."

"Doctor Simons!" Barnaby was obviously dismayed at Simons' admission.

"But I couldn't do it," Simons continued.  "I just couldn't.  So I
dragged him off down another path and avoided the creature as it stomped
through the clearing.  Then after he regained consciousness, we came
here."

"Dr. Barnaby, Dr. Quest," Race interjected.  "While I appreciate the
troubles Dr. Simons has gone through, we have a more urgent matter."

"Yes, of course," Dr. Quest acknowledged.  "That creature is still out
there.  However, I think I've come up with the beginnings of a plan.
I'll need to talk to Dr. Fleischer, though, to confirm some details
about his machine."


* * *


Fleischer was sullen but helpful.  It was obvious he considered his
position as one of defeat.  He answered all of Dr. Quest's questions
about the device; its features and functionality, its capacities, and
even its origin.  When Dr. Quest learned who had been Fleischer's
sponsor, he got up and left.

"Zin!" was Race's disgusted response when Dr. Quest informed him. "Why
am I not surprised?"

"We're going to have to do something about that man one of these days,"
Dr. Quest stated.  "But right now, that will have to wait."

"Was Fleischer forthcoming about his little pet project?" Dr. Barnaby
asked as she approached the two men.

"Yes, he was, Dr. Barnaby.  In fact, I was just on my way to see you and
the rest of the team.  It's time we resolve this problem, hopefully once
and for all."


* * *


"So it's really that simple," concluded Dr. Quest.  The others around
him did not look exactly relieved or ecstatic but hope was beginning to
show on their faces again.  "Once the creature is trapped in the device,
we'll have several hours to dispose of it properly.  Once that's done, I
recommend we vacate the premises, seal the records from both our
efforts, and put this all behind us."

"I'm for that," Dr. Barnaby confirmed.  The rest agreed; even Bandit
barked his approval.


* * *


The lights and other electronic equipment were spread out in a large
semi-circle in front of the cave.  They were almost finished with the
wiring, through which power would be fed from a portable generator
located deep within the cave.  Just inside the cave was another set of
lights and devices, on a separate circuit. Further inside was a third.

The cave had been chosen as the location for the trap since the
creature, for whatever reasons or processes that possessed it, seemed to
favor that area of the island.  Additionally, it provided a natural
means for directing the movement of the creature, which was critical to
the plan.

The plan was this: as the energy creature was drawn to and began
consuming the energy in a circuit of equipment, power to the devices
would automatically be shut off.  Then the next level of devices would
be activated.  As the creature was thus drawn inside the cave, it would
be led toward the small device that Fleischer had been given by Zin.
Immediately surrounding the device were a large number of other pieces
of equipment selected specifically for their relatively large electrical
emissions.  It was hoped this would provide an irresistible target for
the creature's energy appetite.  Fleischer had confirmed that if the
creature was within three meters of the device when activated, it should
be drawn into the internally-shielded container within the device and
trapped.

As an added precaution, Race supervised the installation of a Vue-Comm
in a corner of the cave where it could command a view of the entire
setup.  Since it used a relatively low level of power, it was hoped that
the device would not be at risk from the energy creature or draw it away
from the trap.

Finally, all was ready.


* * *


"Now we wait," Dr. Quest said as they all gathered around the monitoring
console.  The screen showed the dimly-lit cave interior with its
silently-waiting banks of equipment.  The generator could be heard
chugging softly as it provided its trickle of electrical power.

"Flying Eye to Base Camp, come in," the radio crackled with an incoming
transmission.  "Flying Eye to Base camp."  Dr. Barnaby reached for the
handset.

"Base Camp, here, Flying Eye.  What's your status?  Over."

"We have the creature's position and movement, Base."  James Murphy, the
pilot, raised his voice to be heard over the noise from the helicopter's
rotors.  "Looks like you're in luck; the thing seems to be moving toward
the cave.  Over."

"Roger, Eye.  Just keep a safe distance; we don't want any nasty
surprises.  Over."

"Roger that, Base.  Will keep you appraised.  Flying Eye, out."

Tension almost visibly mounted in the room.  The creature was heading
toward the cave and the trap.  Would it take the bait?  Would the trap
work?  Would the device hold?

"Flying Eye to Base Camp!" Everyone jumped at Murphy's voice coming over
the radio so soon after the last transmission.  "Looks like we've got
one of those nasty surprises for you -- someone's approaching the cave
on foot!"

"Say again, Eye?  Over."

"I repeat, someone is approaching the cave entrance on foot.  This is
not part of the plan as it was explained to me, doctors.  Over."

Just then Jenna McDonnel burst into the room.  "Dr. Fleischer's gone!  I
went to bring him his supper and the door was wide open!"

"Well, at least we know who our mystery man is," Race quipped as he
grabbed the radio microphone.  "Flying Eye, this is Base.  We've
identified the man approaching the cave as Dr. Fleischer.  Do not
attempt to stop him.  He may be armed and is almost certainly
dangerous."

"Roger, Wilco.  But he's in a heap of trouble, Base.  We track the
monster not forty meters away, heading directly for the cave.  Over."

"Keep an eye on him and the creature, Eye," Dr. Quest commanded, taking
the microphone from Race.  "Base, out."  As soon as he returned the
microphone to its cradle, he looked at Race, who immediately nodded.

"I'll take a jet pack and a spare Vue-Comm.  There may be just enough
time."

"Be careful, Race."

"I will, doctor."  He looked at Jonny and Hadji as he exited the hut.
"Oh, and boys?"

"Yes, sir?" they both answered simultaneously.

"Just keep Bandit indoors this time, OK?"

"Yes, sir!"


* * *


"There he is, Dr. Quest."  Dr. Barnaby pointed toward the monitor
receiving the signal from the Vue-Comm installed in the cave.  A shadowy
figure could be seen approaching, a dark silhouette against the light
streaming in from the cave entrance.

Just then Race checked in.  "He must've gone into the cave, Base; he's
nowhere in sight out here."

"Yes, Race, we see him on the monitor.  Can you reach him?"

"Not in time.  The monster's only twenty meters from the cave.  I could
get to him, I think, but we'd never make it out."

"Affirmative.  Keep yourself out of harm's way.  We'll try talking to
him from here."  Dr. Quest toggled on the switch that activated the
cave-installed Vue-Comm's voice circuit.

"Dr. Fleischer!  Dr. Fleischer, can you here me?"


* * *


Inside the cave, Dr. Fleischer was startled by the disembodied voice
that came out of the deepest part of the cave.  But only momentarily; he
quickly got hold of himself and searched until he spotted the Vue-Comm
hanging high along the back wall of the cave.  He walked over and looked
up into it.

"I hear you, Dr. Quest. I also hear my destiny approaching."

"What do you hope to accomplish, Dr. Fleischer?"

"Don't worry, Quest; I'm not going to disrupt your little plan."
Fleischer chuckled ruefully.  "I'm just here to insure that it
succeeds."  And to redeem myself, he added silently.

"Listen, there may still be a chance!  Go to the furthest part of the
cave and cover yourself with some of the debris from the explosion.
Some of it is lead-lined and it may be enough to--"

"No, Dr. Quest.  My days of hiding and self-preservation at the expense
of others are over."  He looked over his shoulder as the monster entered
the cave, then turned back toward the Vue-Comm's camera.  "I must do
this.  Tell everyone I am sorry for the man I had become.  Especially
tell Dr. Simons that I -- I --"  Fleischer stuttered and nearly choked
as his rising shame threatened to overwhelm him.  With a supreme effort
he regained control and steadied his voice.  "Tell Simons that he's a
better scientist than I ever was.  He will find a way to succeed."
Behind him the monster wailed and crunched forward through the second
set of equipment in its path.  He looked up into the camera one last
time.  "Good-bye."

Ignoring the urgent voices pleading with him from the Vue-Comm's
speaker, he resolutely turned and walked over to the small device that
he had smuggled onto the island.  The small device he had been given by
Dr. Zin who wanted him to use it to further Zin's plans, whatever they
were.  He had realized while he had been locked up in the hut that Zin
had never mentioned the intended purpose for the living energy creature.
He had also realized that he, the great Dr. Lemuel Fleischer, was being
used by Zin just as any other disposable tool was used.  With some
dismay, he realized that he had been used for a long, long, time.  He
had decided, then and there, that it would end on his terms, not Dr.
Zin's.

He could feel electrical tension and magnetic fields building in the
cave as the creature approached.  He was glad they had not had time to
make it visible; it was somehow easier to wait for it since it could not
be seen.  He placed his hands on top of the small device in front of
him, drew in a deep breath, and closed his eyes.


* * *

A blinding white flash like many lightning bolts seen all at once poured
from the monitor, and everyone watching it involuntarily flinched away
from the visual overload.  A horrible shrieking noise like metal being
twisted and torn accompanied the blast of light.  Then as suddenly as it
started, it stopped.  The inside of the cave was dark, and still.

"Dr. Quest!  Come in, Base!  Come in!" Race's voice crackled over the
Vue-Comm's speaker.  "I heard a horrible sound, and saw a flash of light
-- what's happened?  Come in, Base, come in!"

"Race," Dr. Quest answered wearily.  "It's over."


* * *


It only took a few moments for Race to cautiously enter the cave and
confirm that the monster indeed appeared to be trapped inside
Fleischer's device.  At least the readings indicated a high energy
source was now contained inside.  There was no sign of Dr. Fleischer.

As he pulled the device free from its couplings, he called to Murphy in
the helicopter.  "I've got the box!  I'll be outside in a few seconds;
lower your winch!"  Shortly thereafter Race had secured the device
inside the makeshift cradle connected by a stout cable to the underside
of the 'copter.  After a quick hand signal, he stepped back as the
helicopter pilot lifted the device up into the air, then swung away to
the east, heading out over the ocean.

"The package is on its way," Race radioed back to the scientists waiting
at the main camp.  Soon the helicopter was but a tiny dot in the azure
blue sky.  Then it disappeared.


* * *

Within two hours the helicopter had returned to its berth on the supply
ship, its mission accomplished.  The small device containing its
captured bundle of living energy had been dropped into the sea, directly
over the Marianas Trench, the deepest part of the ocean.  The device
sank swiftly into the depths, passing from daylight through twilight to
the absolute night of the ocean floor.  If it  survived its trip to the
bottom of the sea, no one would ever be able to tell.  Perhaps it did;
or, perhaps, the intense water pressure, thousands of pounds per square
inch, crushed it into a unrecognizable tangle of metal before it hit
the bottom.  In any case, in the inky blackness of the ocean depths,
more than five miles beneath its surface, the second known creature of
pure animated energy met its end.


* * *

"Good-bye, Dr. Quest, Mr. Bannon," Dr. Barnaby firmly shook their hands
as they stood next to the VERTOL's gangway.  Dr. Simons, Jenna McDonnel
and Sam Waterson stood behind her.

"Good-bye, Dr. Barnaby," replied Race, who then proceeded into the
plane's cockpit and began his pre-flight checks.  Hadji and Jonny stood
in the plane's hatch, Bandit secure in Hadji's arms.  The boys waved and
Bandit barked, then they, too, disappeared inside.

"I'll send you a copy of my report, Ben," Dr. Barnaby said.

"I'll do the same for you with mine, Alicia," Dr. Quest replied.

"Doctor, I do have one last question for you."  Seeing Dr. Quest's
raised eyebrow, she continued.  "Are all your consulting jobs
this...um...interesting?"

"Not all of them, doctor," Dr. Quest replied with some amusement.  "Are
you looking for another job?"  Seeing her head shake, he chuckled.
"Well, if you ever decide to go looking, and need a reference, let me
know."

"I'll do that, doctor.  Safe journey."

"Thanks."

With that, the door to the plane closed and the walkway was raised.  The
plane was soon a swiftly-shrinking white dot in the deep blue cloudless
sky over Cave Island.

Dr. Alicia Barnaby and the rest silently watched until it disappeared.



- - T H E   E N D - -

