The professor Zignos also were associated with "Aerodynamics Zapata", where he often puts all his wages. This industry builds small jet planes for Executives.
It was in 5.757 [1997] that the professor quits his job at "Copper Industries", with a big amount of money, sum that he uses to buy the 51 % shares of the "Aerodynamics Zapata".
As the General Manager, he finds that some Directors were stealing merchandise, so he fired them all, together with administrative personnel. He gave job to new people, in order to keep going straight.
He finds that in the Scientific Division there were some very clever scientists, young personnel capable of new inventions. He saw there some new models of planes, together with new kinds of engines.
The Industry sends models to several foreign countries, in which parts they were showed, promoted and sell in good quantities.
So after three years, the Professor it's a wealthy man. He receives all kinds of suggestions from his employees, and also revolutionary proposals...such as the one two engineers puts on his desk one morning.
An engine of a new design, an electric net instead of the wings, used as movable engines, as it produces a continuos flow of energy, capable of the necessary impulsion for a common jet plane.
The professor summoned the engineers , and they enter to his office.
- Good morning, gents. Please be seated.- Said he.
Both young fellows seated in front of the giant desk. They were Mr. Atilio Guzman and Elios Bugoti.
- I saw here a new kind of engines, and the disappear of the wings. How did you think this can be ?
- Good morning, Professor Zignos. I am Elios Bugoti, and his name is Atilio Guzman...Well, we send you that model for you to see. Now I can told you we has a workable model, of two meters wide. The new engines has more energy than a WK 34 motor. {The WK 34 was the standard engine used in the " Aerodynamics Zapata"}
- Nice put. But the revolutionary engine would ask for a new design of airplane. Also, as it moves, it will need a complicated machinery." Said the professor.
- Yes, we know at first it will be expensive, but after the first model, all would be fine." Answered Atilio Guzman.
- The other day I were looking at some old magazines, "Ford Times", and Mr. Henry Ford was a guy that uses to build the weirdest engines of all. So why cannot indulge myself with yours ? "- Smiled the professor.
So then it began the realization of the new engines. They also builds a special vessel, named " The Black Hawk". When assembled, 9 months latter, the new airplane zoomed past the air field, making all personnel yells of joy.
It was a success.
But it was a one man's airplane. The energy that the nets used was great, and so the generator occupied almost all the ship.
- We need big hulks, in order to storage the generators and also have room for passengers, crew and ...or...cargo.- Said Atilio to the Professor Zignos.
- I can see that. It is a big handicap, as the cost will duplicate itself. But we will do some of them anyway. To work, gentlemen!"- Smiled the Professor, after the conversation.
So the prototypes were build, and probed in flight. They were swift, and with not problem at all.
The planes were Chilean made, but in U.S.A. the prototypes were the sensation . All the airplane builders wished the copyrights of the new models. So the professor sell it to the Spoeing Company, in several millions dollars.
With them in his pocket, he bought the rest of the company's shares. He get full direction of the same, and then he sold both new planes to the japans, obtaining a good chunk of money.
The little planes with the new engines were the sensation of the moment. In U.S.A. they already tested them as capable to go to Outer Space.
The two big planes were used to put satellites in orbit, by the Japans.
So the Professor made another beautiful vessel, with care they also put locks and space suits in it. The 30th. May the Professor and a team went to outer space for the first time in it, after two years of hard work.
- We will travel to the Moon. It's near, and we can communicate easily with the Base."- Said the Professor Zignos.
- Pity we go in summer, uncle ! We could had gone there in winter."- Said Dioclesiana, eating a Mankeke.
- Oh, niece ! We must do some sacrifice, in order to attain our goals."- Answered Professor Zignos.
His nephew, Torcuato, interceded, saying: - I think she could very well stay at home with my aunts. There is nothing for her in the Moon...or any other place, for that matter."
Professor Zignos asked her if she preferred to stay at home, but she was enraged now with his brother, so she accepts to go to the Moon.
A dozen days elapsed before the take off, as there were minor problems with the heat system. At last, they depart in a hot summer morning, in secret.
- We are in orbit, Sir." Announces Spok, the first officer.
- Good. We need some calculations, and then we'll depart to the Moon."- Said the captain Kirk.
The professor delivered the calculations in time, and 65 minutes later the engines rumbles again, giving the necessary impulse to keep on going to the Moon.
The big sphere of Earth was at their backs. In front of them loomed the bitten surface of Selene.
- Fray Mauro it's our destination. I am hungry to see the remnants of the Apollo voyage."- Announces Professor Zignos.
- I wish we could lunch now, uncle."- Asked Dioclesiana, with a beaten face.
- Ask the cook. His name is Troilus."- Answered the Professor Zignos.
She went to the rear part of the vessel . In the middle it were a long corridor, linking all the dependencies of the vessel. At the rear part the cook has his kingdom, and he was a little fellow with a rat face.
- My uncle says you must gave me something to eat."- Said Dioclesiana to the cook.
- Lady ! We have here chicken, turkey, potatoes, rice, lettuce, spaghettis, you name it, I have it. What do you desire to eat ?"- Offers the cook.
- Well...smashed potatoes with a big chunk of turkey, please. Coke and a bread."- Answered she.
The cook fumbles with some mechanism, and handled the girl a plastic dish with three kinds of jelly.
- Bon appetite."- Said he.
- What ? Are you dumb ? I asked potatoes and turkey. Coke and bread."- Repeated Dioclesiana, turning red in the face.
- Lady! All the meals are jelly here. Coke and bread are in that dish...the brown jelly. The yellow it's the potatoes, and the green it's the turkey. Sorry, the other kind didn't exist here. Your uncle's orders."- Pronounces the Cook.
She turn away ,leaving the dish in the cook's hands.
- Well if she don't eat it, I will..."- Said Troilus philosophically , unwrapped the plastic foam and eat the jelly , using a plastic spoon.
Meanwhile, Dioclesiana stumbled into the chamber of command, saying she will not eat that stuff.
- You will, dear. There is not any other meal aboard. We cannot turn back now. You'll be accustomed by the time we return to Earth."- Advised Professor Zignos.
Dioclesiana yells and after a while of that, she went to her bed, crying. And eating, as there she had some candies and chocolates of her own...
Captain Kirk began revising the systems , aided by officer Spok.
- This here lady is a rotten child. Look at her belly ! It bounced every time we accelerate ! She should be happy to obtain a free diet here."
- Don't be such a felon ! The lady needs to replenish her belly. Her anatomy functions like that. We cannot be all thin and good looking."- Answered the first official.
They repaired some minor problems in the engines, and they get back to the control room, just in time to see another ship locating itself in front of their path.
- Red alert!" - Brawls Kirk in the Intercom. Every one in the ship seeks refuge in the special cubicles existent in the ship.
Kirk deviated the "Cullin", just in time . They saw the bolts in the hulk of the alien ship passing by , at the other side of the bull's eye's glasses...
-Few ! Another inch, and we are dead meat!"- Growls Captain Kirk.
- Yea. And who in hell those jerks could they be ?"- Asked Torcuato, pale as a sheet of paper.
- Shit ! Again a fellow asking what nobody knows !"- Grumbled Kirk, from his central seat.
- Pardon him Captain. The fellow is young."- Speaks Professor Zignos.
- And remember it's my uncle who's paying your salary. Another brawl in your part, and we will not pay you a dime."- Announced the nephew, enraged with the captain.
- Oh, what a scare ! "- Laughs the captain Kirk, thinking in how far they were from Earth and the need of money.
The "Cullin" fixed it's new course. The alien ship stayed nailed in it's place, but suddenly accelerated and puts itself again in the "Cullin"'s path.
- Again that silly maneuver ! Those jerks are nuts !"- Yelled Torcuato, who was the man encharged of the radar.
- No way. We will stop."- Kirk affirm, and he reverse the engines.
When doing it, they all saw an enormous rock hurtling at them. Kirk made a final burst of the engines, and managed to land , in a rough manner, in the center of a small crater
.
The rock carried them so swiftly, that in seconds the alien ship was out of sight, together with his animosity.
- We are saved ! God heard my prayer !" - Told Dioclesiana, with a fat sigh.
- In God we trust."- Said the professor, putting his hands together.
Kirk and Spok went outside, using the special garments.
- A magnificent solitude...But the stars gave me a head ache."- Confided Kirk to the First Officer, as the rock stumbles along his path...
The rest of the crew looked at the professor, who were unable to do any calculation, due to the fact the sky was revolving in a merry go round way over them...
Kirk find a cave near by, and with Spok went inside. It was huge, and some carving were chalked in one wall.
- Please! Look at that! " - Yells Kirk , doubting his own eyes.
Spok wrote patiently the scribbling, and said"- I will study it in my chamber...using the Computer's aid."
They return to the "Cullin", and all were very exited because what they find in the cave.
- Probably some space ship landed here, who knows when, and one of the crew entertains himself writing who knows what." - Said the Professor.
- Possibly."- Condescended the First officer, with a disdainful look.
Spok tried hard to find a meaning of those chalked letters, but he cannot imitate Champollion. Much to his sorrow.
- We have a limited amount of food, and less water. We will run out of energy soon, and we will froze to death. The rock is traveling 34 times much faster than the vessel could, so that are the facts. We can take off, leaves this rock, and then we will know in which part of heavens we are."- Said Spok.
They all looked the streaked sky with apprehension.
- I prefer to seat here and die, rather to go out and find we are as far as we couldn't return never to Earth."- Said Dioclesiana.
- Captain, please see we leave this asteroid. We must use in a satisfactory way what resources we have. "- Ordered the Professor Zignos.
- Yellow alert !- Said Kirk, seating himself in his post.
They all looked for a shelter, fastening the security belts round their bodies. Suddenly, the ship goes up, taking speed, and they all saw how the big chunk of an asteroid flies away, a black form fading in no time.
They all smiled, and Dioclesiana gave a fart, crying afterwards for no plausible reason.
Two days accelerating carried them to the Earth's orbit. Pity that Earth was 234.000.0000 kilometers away...and getting farther with each millisecond.
- No way chasing the planet. It has a velocity the "Cullin" never can attain. We must content with Mars, that it's trailing in this direction. "- Sighs the Professor Zignos, retiring his spectacles from his long nose.
- Mars ! A barren world, full of sand storms! "- Yells Dioclesiana, and crying she retired to her chamber.
- So we are in danger, gentlemen. We better get hurry , or the air will be ended before the arrival to the Red Planet."- Announces the First Officer, with his lack of humanity.
They all fasten to their seats, and they depart, with the engines at full speed, to the rendezvous with Mars.
They attain the exact point at due time, so they circled once the surface of Mars.
- We better landed in the Big Scar. I saw something gleaming there. As in the North Pole also are water, but also are sand storms. We can see the clouds..."- Said Captain Kirk, looking by the central visor of the "Cullin"
The captain landed near the bright spot. It was a beautiful pond, receiving the waters of a near - by Paramount mountain.
- We will use the water to provide us of air. All hands out !"- Said Captain Kirk, organizing the works.
They connect a hose to the boilers and sucks water from the pond. In no time they were seeing how the tanks of air began to fill with the breathable gas.
When donned, they replenish the water tanks, and then everyone were smiling...except the woman.
- What a bore! We have water, air and small jelly/food/. But how much time we must to spend here?"- Dioclesiana asked, half standing in front of them.
- Ah ! My niece, this is easy to solve...not before 9 months. We must wait until both planets began to approach themselves...then ,as a little grasshopper, we will gave the big leap, and we will be again in our beautiful and polluted world."- Answered the old scientific, gazing through his pot bellied glasses.
Chapter 2
Mars.
Nine months later...
As they get used to the Mars atmosphere, they began to goes out just with the oxygen tanks and helmet, but using ordinary pants and trousers, as the weather was mild in that season, using part of the day to recognize the site, or just plainly doing nothing.
- The ship it's good, but too many days inside that metal can it's enough to broke anyone his nerves."- Said Dioclesiana to Troilus, the dwarf cook of the expedition.
- Yes, lady. But you must have a little patience now. Suddenly your uncle will discover some way to fasten the return to our planet. Remember there is not enough food for us . We cannot wait 9 months here, as there is no more stock than for a dozen days more."- Confess the Cook.
- Be gentle, then, with me...I need more jelly. I am hungry all day long !"- Begged Dioclesiana.
- I could do that...but you must be nice with me..."- Answered the Cook, and when the woman looked at him, startled, he saw two shining eyes looking at her !
- You swine ! I will tell my uncle of your impertinence !" - Brawls the girl.
- So ? And what did he said ? He cannot fire me , now...We are in Mars, beauty."
And the little man depart, leaving her in deep thinking.
As two other days elapsed, she felt the hard fingers of hunger in her big belly. There were no extra rations from the Cook now. The guy looked at her with lust...
One night he knocks in her cell , and she peeks out...finding a dish of jelly in front of her room. She grabs it, and shut the door. Also eats the jelly in big mouthfuls
At the other day, she was embarrassed, and Troilus smiled at her with kindness.
She finds another pot of jelly, in the night, after some weak knocks in her door.
She grabs it and munched. Also felt some hotness, a desire of air...She opened. There stood the dwarf, naked till the waist, with dark hair in his chest, looking at her with lustful eyes...She closed hers, and extended her fat arms in his direction.
A door was locked, and the silence resumed to the corridors of the "Cullin"...
At the other day, she feigned a migraine, so she were at her room all day.
It was because the Cook carried her a big bowl of jelly each two hours. The girl munched it until her belly seemed to explode. She began to feel herself happy...
- You loathsome bandit! You bought my love with a pot of jelly!- Told her to the cook.
- My lady ! It is only a token of my sympathy for you !"- answered the hairy dwarf.
- You devil you ! Came..."- Said Dioclesiana, putting aside the half emptied bowl of jelly she was eating...
In three days there were no more jelly aboard ship. So Kirk summoned Troilus to the deck, and questioned there for a while.
- I gave special rations to Lady Dioclesiana, who was starving..."- Confess the Cook, with abated eyes.
Everyone began to suspect something more was afoot between the Cook and the niece of the Professor, so Kirk admonished the dwarf, and dismissed him without punishment.
- We must find something eatable."- Ratiocinated Spok, with a big sigh.
- Why we don't go some other part of this globe ? We can discover something near the ice fringe."- Said Martino, the Adjutant.
They fasten their belts, and depart due north.
In the vast lands they were crossing nothing green ever appeared. Just rocks, shadows and more rocks.
- Seems we are doomed."- Said Dioclesiana, and then they saw a pool of water, shining down there.
They landed, doing Kirk an example of it. They all went down, and saw, sparkling in the borders , some queer plants, similar to the Chilean Cochayuyo.
They cut some of it, and the Cook made a dish out of them. They all eat, and smiled. The cochayuyo of Mars was very similar to his cousin of Earth...
The Cook gave his lover a good portion of it, but the Captain Kirk admonished him that no further predilections would be aloud. So the dwarf began by giving the lady his part, or almost, so she was thankful of him, and keeps on chatting with him by night...
They keeps on living there, until the sand storm arrives, hurtling tons of grains of sand unto the ship .
- Beware of the wind! You see ? It can tumbles down our beautiful ship!"- Yelled Torcuato to his uncle.
= Calm down, son ! Waits until the Captain Kirk arrives to a solution!"- Asked the Professor Zignos, bewared.
Captain Kirk orders " All man to his post ! Red alert! We abandon this site!"
So he gave full throttle , seconds afterwards, and everyone felt their lungs at the testicle's heights, 'cept the lady, of 'couse, that felt's it at her big fat belly's end 's part.
The "Cullin" vessel departs with a jerk, and the sand storm receded. They were high in the night sky.
- Due north, please, captain . I guess in the ice's fringe exists some more food for us."- Asked Torcuato, with his idea fixed in his mind.
So they arrive to the North Pole, but the sand storms were there as thick as fleas in a street dog.
So they return to the middle portion of Mars, where they spotted another pool, this one near a chain of mountains.
- I guess the mountains will save us of another sand storm. We'll see."- Wished Professor Zignos, disembarking the first.
They find Martian cochayuyo in that pond, and the Cook made a special ration for everyone, but to Dioclesiana he gave a special special portion, who gives her belly a lustrous condition.
The dwarf mounted her in the night, so she gave a chain of farths , audible throughout the entire vessel. Even Spok were amazed by this pyrotechnic demonstration...
Kirk and Spok went to climb the mountain, in a sunny midday. They arrive to the summit at two o'clock, and they could see to the other side.
- A wide expanse! Look how far we can see ! Almost for ever."- Kirk said.
- Fantastic. But I don't know that you do the proper remark, Captain. Are you not seeing what's in that ravine?- Asked the First Officer of the "Cullin".
- No, what ? Oh, I see ! Something glitters there...We could go and check it..."- Kirk said.
- I think it's rather probably , Captain, but remember we must be in the vessel at 19.00 hours sharp, or we freeze."- Remembered Spok.
- There we go, then."- Kirk mumbles, and they began the descent.
The spot was covered with big rocks. Some queer trees, in all similar to dry rocks, elevated themselves more than 20 meters high. Their leaves were as cardboard, and of a reddish color.
- Look at those trees ! They mimetic with the field...that's why we cannot spot them from above."- Kirk said, rushing to the spot.
The trees were all in a spot no bigger than a hectare. The center of that little forest were occupied by a small pond. The waters were translucent, and some plants , similar to the cochayuyo, floated lazily there.
- More food ! A good spot, indeed...The colonizers will have food in Mars. Provided some country interested himself in this dry lands."- Said Spok, and he seated with his back to a tree.
Kirk walked around the pond, and in the far side he takes something from the shore, with an exclamation.
He return to Spok, showing him something metallic.
- Look what I found! A button..."
- Yes, it's a button. Fantastic. This tell us somebody human has walked by this places before us...Did you bring a pfeisser, captain?"- Asked Spok.
- No, I were unaware of the fact the writer would be summoning me for this adventure...It's twentieth century back there in Earth. Pfeissers aren't invented yet."- Remembered Kirk, smiling to the First Officer.
- Well...we better be going. We have a whole mountain to climb."- Remembered Spok.
- No way ! We can walk by the foot of the mountain, turning so we can find the vessel in a pair of hours. What do you say ?"
- You are the skipper here. I follow you."- Answered the tall man.
They began walking by the foot of the mountain. After one hour, they find a big precipice, cutting their path. The accident born in almost the top part of the mountain.
- We must return, or climb and try to pass by there, in almost the top part of the mountain. There is no other logical way."- Said Spok.
- Logical, logical! Me and my ideas...Lest start climbing."- Ordered Kirk, and in another hour they were almost at the top.
- Look there, Captain. There is some cave entrance, there."- Informs the first officer.
They enter the place. It was a mine. The roof of the entrance were supported by metal rods.
- Looks like there are miners here. Ancient ones."- Said Spok.
- Yes. Interesant."- Answered the Captain, looking at some bones , who resembled him like belonging to the human race.
- Let's continue our travel, Spok. Here are only rocks."
They climb the rest, a hard work because there the earth were loosed. When looking to the other side, they saw a pair of black objects hovering over the "Cullin". Some dark figures were chasing people, down there.
- They are attacking our vessel ! Let's go there to help!"- Yelled Kirk, running down the mountain.
By the time they put their foot in the "Cullin" vessel, the aliens were out of sight.
- There is nobody inside the ship, Captain. They were abducted."- Informs Spok.
Kirk were aware of it. He had seen the entire scene. The fat woman and the rest were shipped and flown away.
- Guess we are the only remnant of the expedition. We will spent the night here...To morrow we will move the vessel to some secure place."
They did guards in the night, afraid that the enemy vessels appears again. So, at the first morning lights, they climb the heavens in the "Cullin" and landed at the other side of the mountain. There they pushed the vessel under the big trees, and also put leaves and stones over it's hulk.
- Just in case. Of 'couse they can spot us, using a metal detector, but I guess they use just the normal vision. Just like us. "- Kirk utters.
-Yes. There is little else to do , but wait. Three months and a half, and we could be departing to Earth."- Remembered Spok.
- There is the matter of the missing people. What they will do to them?" - Asked Kirk.
- I can only guess, Captain. They didn't shoot at them, they just herded away...Some sort of cattle business. I logically take for granted we will never see those punks again."- Yawned the tall man.
An so it was, as they waited there until the day of the departure, sick to be eating cochayuyo three times a day. They travel fast to the Earth, almost burning the engines out, and landed in Hollywood, were they resume their lives as movie actors.
Meanwhile, Professor Zignos and the rest of the former "Cullin" crew, were in the hands of the Grays, those little beings from outer space.
They were surrounded, herded to some Flying Saucer, and packed into a cell. There they were gassed, and sleeping they arrive to Lunaria, the Gray Base on the Moon.
When their lungs were liberated of the hibernation produced by that gas, they were pushed to the caves of the Moon, provided with picks and shovels , so they could unearthed the minerals the Grays needed.
They learned , from the various other slaves there, that the Grays worried but very little thing about their health, as they were shipping abductees by the dozens, every week of the year. So if somebody died, they has a new replacement ready .
- Impossible! I read in a book this guys has some monkeys for this labors."- Announced the Professor Zignos.
- Yeah ? We haven't seen them here, pal"- Answered the guy next to them.
He was a Negro man, 2 meters high, with a scar running from his left hear to the chin . He was clothed with rags, and bootless.
They all worked in ill lit tunnels, 12 hours a day. The sleeping time was passed after a swift meal of some jelly the Grays putted in some big bowls. Every one must be there fast, and grabs the food in any way he can manage. The older there used pieces of metal to carry their part, but the majority has just their bare hands or mouth.
- Like pigs ! And the jelly isn't worth the trouble...but you better try to eat that jelly, buddy, or you starve here in no time, as the work is hard, and there is no calefaction..."- Said Joe Mungno, the nigger.
The fat lady and the dwarf were working together, so they could talk.
- Those swains ! Grays, you said their names are? "- Asked Dioclesiana, using half hearthedly his pick.
- Yes, Lady. The grays ,I read in some part, once, that they take little kits and people from the Earth. Nobody knows for certain what they did to them. Some said they implant tunings in their bodies, to track them down. "- Said Troilus.
- Yes...But here we are laboring for them ! For free ! And I want to get back to Earth...Can you think how we can escape from this mine?"- Asked Dioclesiana again.
- No, Lady. I am no pilot myself, just a Cook. And a lover." Smiled he.
- Don't came to me for love anymore! I am pregnant."- Advised Dioclesiana.
- Pregnant! Of me ?"- Asked Troilus, incredulous.
- Yes, you monkey -ass ! To whom I could be pregnant, the cochayuyos of Mars ?"- Yelled Dioclesiana, startling a Gray who were passing by. The E.T. touches her arm with a stick, and the arm gets dumb. She scream as the Gray looked closer to her.
- Leave her alone, buddy !"- Warns Troilus, beaten the Gray with his shovel.
The head of the alien cracks as a nut, and went down, limp. Some sirens sounded then, perhaps a device of alarm the Gray has in his garments.
- Now you do it ! They will eat us for lunch!"- Yelled the lady.
Professor Zignos runs to them ,also the rest of the crew. When seeing the Gray in the floor, with his head broken down, he said: -"We better move fast guys, or we will be in deep sh...trouble. Follow me."
They run up the tunnel, and they saw several Grays going down, so they ducked , and mysteriously the E.T. paid not attention to them.
They arrive to a well lit place, and they saw the entrance of the cave, meters away.
The professor runs there, but was pushed backwards by an electrified camp. He return to his people, saying " Let's go somewhere else. Here are an electrified camp."
In that moment arrived a cargo of new humans, guided by some Grays, armed with those sticks. They pretended to be working, and when seeing the electric fence were down, they attack the Grays, smashing their fragile skulls, so they were able to run outside.
The void of space was feel by the first of them, Adjutant Martino, who explodes as a balloon, when out of air and pressure.
- Beware ! Let clothed ourselves with the spatial garments of this aliens!" Said the Professor.
As they all were bigger, the troubles of to be using those garments was a Herculean work, but they did it, so they run outside.
They saw two big ships, this ones painted in black, just like a submarine. One of the ships were with their gates opened, and nobody in sight. The other were wobbling, at 45 meters high.
- Let's duck inside !" - Yelled the professor, and run for his life.
Inside the vessel, they find some other aliens, but they were dispatched in no time. Then the Professor finds the Control Chamber. There were some tables full of little buttons, so he chooses the bigger table of all, thinking that it was the main controller.
He pushed buttons, looking in the tiny 23 monitors the table has in front. So he send the ship sky high, much to the astonished look of both alien and human's races.
- I made it ! I don't know how I did it, but we're flying...!"- Informs the Professor to his associates.
The ship was programmed to flight to Earth, and when fumbling the Professor with the controls, the main computer aboard sees that the commands were in an error sequence, so it takes command and send the Flying Cigar to Earth.
In 32 minutes 1/4 they arrive to a seclude place in the Andes Mountains, Chilean side. The hatch opened, and they all went outside.
The professor yelled, as much as the others, included the Negro man, Joe, that were following his new friends.
- A mountain in the Earth ! What a luck ! I had being an eternity in those alien mines ! Thank to God Jehovah, we are free again!"- Yelled the nigger, kissing the snow.
They walk due west, and in three days of hard work, they find a huaso man, mounted in a horse.
As the Professor Zignos was a Chilean, he told the huaso they were tourist in search of a place where to bathe and eat.
- Oh, se perdieron, entonces ? Siganme, caballeros, Senorita."- Said the guy, and without dismount, he guided them 7 kilometers due west, arriving to a little town, where they lodged in a tiny old hotel, to pass the night.
The lady of the Hotel gave them rooms and they could bathe themselves in a bathtub, with the lady in charge pouring steam water with a big kettle inside the bath.
- This is life !"- Yelled the dwarf, laughing.
They slept that Sabbath's night, and in Saturday the professor exchanged his watch and a pair of boots for tickets in a bus, that carried them to Santiago.
They arrived to Santiago in 8 hour's travel, and then they all walked to Professor Zignos's house, where they again bathed themselves, and eats superb.
That night the Professor summoned all personnel to his study room, to tell them "- We are here by a special grace of God. So let us pray, fellows, to gave Him due thanks."
So they prayed. After it, the Professor Zignos adds : - "I will be returning to the Moon, as our comrades Kirk and Spok were there."
- What? Are you crazy ?"- Asked Torcuato, leaving the room, very angry looking.
- Do not count with me, uncle. I am pregnant, so I will marry Troilus. He is the father of the future child. " - Announced Dioclesiana, smiling as just the pregnant women can do.
The professor seats himself, out of breath . She and the Cook!
The meeting dissolved, attained not a solution, Troilus and Dioclesiana went to her room, where she told Troilus: - WE love each other well, and nobody will separate us ever."
- Yes, darling.- Said he, mounting the ton of flesh.
Two weeks later, the house of Professor Zignos were fully lit, as his niece were getting married. Troilus were dressed in a Tuxedo, using big soles in his shoes, in order to appear taller.
- Big soles, fat woman, nice richly uncle...what more a man wants in life ?" - Told Troilus to every one that gets near him.
The ceremony was accomplished, and then the Blue Danube, the dance and the meals.
At 3.00 o 'clock the bride was with his brand new husband at her bed room.
- Oh, my beloved ! "- Said she ,embracing Troilus.
He was drunk .
At midday of the following day, using a bag with ice on his head, Professor Zignos talked to Torcuato.
- As you don't want to accompany me in the new expedition, good it will be to leave you here with a purpose."
- Yes, uncle. Pardon me , but I find very upsetting the last expedition. We sere trapped and used as slaves, then the runaway, the walking by the mountains, the arrival...Guess we would 'nt have so much lucky next time."- Said Torcuato, seated in a sofa.
- You have no courage."
- Yes, uncle. I prefer being at the city, and see the TV . There are so many heroes in it ! And I can pretend I am the hero."- Torcuato laughs in spasmodic efforts.
- I will leave you here with one condition: see that nobody enters to my Lab. Also maintain the house in the present state. There are so many burglars out there !"- Said the Professor.
- Yea. We'll , we are in accord. But there is the little matter of money, uncle. I need some of it to run the house and entertain myself, you know."
- Yes. I will leave you with an special account. Every day you would receive a modest sum, so there will be no troubles . "- Said the Professor, handling him some bank notes.
Astonishing [for the Professor} Torcuato accepts those terms. It was because Torcuato knew people that will pay all in advance, 'cept a small percentage ...
The Professor talks his niece about the expedition, but she refuses point blank.
- No, no ! Are you crazy ? We must enjoy our honeymoon, Troilus and I. So you must go with Torcuato."
- No, he will stay here. I gave enough money to run the house. But for you, dear niece, I have this little check."
He handled her the bank note, and it was a big chunk of money, enough for to go to Las Bahamas for a couple of months.
- Oh, dear uncle! How nice of you !"- Said Dioclesiana, hugging the ancient professor.
In the afternoon the professor was desperate. Nobody wished to go with him...
He called some students , some colleges, all were engaged in researches , specially with the new kind : computers and clonations. The fashion of the year...
He went out, to breathe air. In his old car he went to San Cristobal Hill, and he stops in a wooden place. It was late afternoon, and the birds were flying to their habitual trees. The city roars dimly down there, as a forgotten dream...
Suddenly, he remembered an old acquaintance of him : professor Forgodden and then, another pair of students...
He went to professor Forgodden's house, and rings the bell of his shaggy old house. The garden was unkempt, and even a tire were there, smeared with what seemed dog's urine.
The door creaked open, and a pair of spectacles appears, followed by the white face of professor Forgodden.
- What, which, how ? Who's there , I pry you ?"- Asked Forgodden, looking ahead.
- It's me , Zignos. I came to pay you a visit."- Told the professor, suddenly feeling he was in the wrong place.
- He? Who's Zignos...Ah, yes ! My dear fellow, please come in ! I was reading a lot..."- Invited the old man.
He was fat, middle height and in his sixties. He wore a robe ,and spectacles.
The living room has several couches, several tables, and a lot of books and sheets of papers , this last obviously from a printer attached to a PC.
The PC was lighted, and the old fellow sets in an arm chair, facing the machine. Several lights were on, no matter the sun was shining outside.
- How do you do ? I was passing by, and I decided to pay you a visit. I hope I am not intruding."- Said Zignos, putting some books on the floor, and seating in a couch.
- Very well, thanks you. I remember you were teaching in some University..."- Said the bespectacled Sir.
- Yes, but now I am dedicated to the exploration of planets. I bought some good Companies, and here I am, asking you to follow me in one of my expeditions."- Said Zignos, coughing. The air were stale ,there.
- Yes, yes. Expedition to the planets...A fine thing, indeed. Seems you are loosing your sight, as I am very old...I couldn't resist the tensions of a take off, my chap! "- Laughs the professor Forgodden, typing something in the PC.
- Yes, I figure it, but take notice I have now an alien machine, capable of a sweet take off you wouldn't notice. We could be traveling to the moon and beyond. "- Offers Zignos.
- A fine compliment, I assure you. To came searching an old crow like me...Wish you could hear this."- And he ask the PC to read aloud some paragraphs , Zignos heard the strange voice of the machine reading the next phrases :
" Edgar Rice Burroughs, 1875-1950, was the writer of many science fiction and fantasy. Besides the Tarzan series, he wrote the John Carter of Mars books, the Pellucidar series, the Venus series, and many stand-alone adventures.
A PRINCESS OF MARS , 1917; TARZAN OF THE APES , 1914; THE GODS OF MARS , 1918; THE RETURN OF TARZAN , 1915; THE MONSTER MEN (1929; THE WARLORD OF MARS , 1919;THE CAVE GIRL (1925; THE BEASTS OF TARZAN , 1916; AT THE EARTH'S CORE 1, 1922; THE LOST CONTINENT (1957; PELLUCIDAR , 1923; THE SON OF TARZAN , 1917; THUVIA, MAID OF MARS , 1920;TARZAN AND THE JEWELS OF OPAR , 1918; THE LAND THAT TIME FORGOT 1918;THE PEOPLE THAT TIME FORGOT 1918; OUT OF TIME'S ABYSS 1918; JUNGLE TALES OF TARZAN ,1919; TARZAN THE UNTAMED , 1920;TARZAN THE TERRIBLE , 1921;THE CHESSMEN OF MARS, 1922; TARZAN AND THE GOLDEN LION , 1923; THE MOON MAID 1923; TARZAN AND THE ANT MEN, 1924;THE MOON MEN 1925;THE ETERNAL SAVAGE (1925, THE MASTERMIND OF MARS , 1928; TARZAN, LORD OF THE JUNGLE , 1928; TARZAN AND THE LOST EMPIRE , 1929; TARZAN AT THE EARTH'S CORE TANAR OF PELLUCIDAR , 1929; A FIGHTING MAN OF MARS ,1931;TARZAN THE INVINCIBLE , 1931; THE LAND OF HIDDEN MEN (1932; *TARZAN TRIUMPHANT , 1932; TARZAN AND THE CITY OF GOLD, 1933; PIRATES OF VENUS , 1934; LOST ON VENUS , 1935;TARZAN AND THE LION MAN , 1934; TARZAN AND THE LEOPARD MEN (, 1935;SWORDS OF MARS , 1936; TARZAN'S QUEST (, 1936; BACK TO THE STONE AGE , 1937: TARZAN AND THE FORBIDDEN CITY, 1938; TARZAN THE MAGNIFICENT , 1939; CARSON OF VENUS , 1939; SYNTHETIC MEN OF MARS , 1940;TARZAN AND THE MADMAN, ; ILLANA OF GATHOL , 1948;ESCAPE ON VENUS , 1946;BEYOND THE FARTHEST STAR JOHN CARTER OF MARS LAND OF TERROR , 1944; TARZAN AND THE FOREIGN LEGION,1947;
SAVAGE PELLUCIDAR THE WIZARD OF VENUS AND PIRATE BLOOD TARZAN AND THE CASTAWAYS .
Edgar Rice Burroughs begin to write at his 36 years old, at which point, after many failed careers, he was making a living as a pencil-sharpener salesman. In the next 38 years, he wrote 91 books--science fiction and fantasy, Westerns, contemporary novels, potboilers--as well as many nonfiction articles and short stories. Burroughs's work has been translated into at least 32 languages; adaptations of his works into comic strips, radio programs, comic books, movies, and TV have made his stories--especially Tarzan--an enduring part of our culture. And, yes, Tarzana, California is named after TARZAN of the Apes --it was originally the site of Burroughs's Tarzana Ranch. "
A silence fell when ending the lecture. Zignos stirred in his post, and professor Forgodden seemed to goes out from a trance, and speaks in a hurried voice: " Yes, I know what you can be thinking, that those lectures are way out from my field of action, but I can confide in you, to tell you I am so doing as a hobby. Science fiction has been always a delight for me to read. "
- Yes, I understand you, dear Forgodden. But let me tell you this here travel I am offering you will gave you science fiction/virtual . You will be there, in the spot . Oh, you don't imagine how many breath spelling adventures I had have with my team ! Pity that the team doesn't works , now. They all are settled down. "- Professor Zignos said.
- Yes. To resign and leave a life in a suburb, working and looking at the TV set. I understand . Well, I can just say you yes, buddy. I will accompany you, most of all as you seems in real need of a partner. I just wonder if I can carry aboard my PC...It's a toy for me, and I have it's eight millions megabytes replenished with all the fun I need. "- Asked the Professor Forgodden.
- Of 'couse you can ! I just wonder if the intake of electricity will satisfy your computer...I just don't know how many volts, if any, has the ship."- Answered Zignos.
- So you ignore how many volts have your own ship ! A big thing is that, my friend ! You surpassed me ! And I were thinking I was the biggest forgetting being in Chile !" - And Forgodden begins to laugh heartily, accompanied by Zignos, who were laughing but for another reason !
Zignos abandoned his friend an hour before his entrance, and it was decided he will gave the date of departure to the professor Forgodden via Internet.
Also he will go to fetch the old fellow, as he could easily forgot after receiving the message...
Zignos went to the University, and post an advertise in a wall board, saying he request bold and adventuring persons in need of strong emotions, and leaves there his address.
He received a bunch of students, but only four wished to stay with him when telling the chores...
So he post an advertisement in several Supermarkets, and then he receives the visit of several hard cored people.
Some of them visits him in the night, leaving his motorcycles in the well mowed grass of his house.
The bunch of seven men were seated at his living room, and the fatter of them all asked for beer. He used intricated tattoos in both arms.
- Well, boys, tell me from where are you. "- Asked Professor Zignos, handling them cans of beer.
- Thanks, old papa. ..Well, we are from Renca. Do you know where is Renca ?"- Asked the leading man.
- Yes...I mean , never being there , actually, but I know that it is in the west side."- Answered Zignos.
- Ja, ja ja ! The oldie has humor in his veins ! Yes, big daddy, Renca is in the west side of Santiago. As it's called Renca City ! "
And all the rest of the gang laughed.
- Well, I can inform you I am preparing an expedition to find a space vessel and then went to the Moon, or farther. I hope you can leave your houses without problems. A month, perhaps, in all, it will take the expedition."- The professor said.
- A month! I can go unnoticed from home a whole year!"-- Brawled a big hairy man, smashing his hand in somebody else's leg.
- I cannot offer a wage. Just the emotion of the trip, the meals and the bed."- Ended by saying the old bachelor.
- O.K. for me, buddy. I learned from the first time I put my eyes on you that it will be no dug in this !"- The leading man expostulate, and everyone roared with laughter.
- When we depart ?" - Asks a thin fellow, with too much hair.
- I guess as soon as I find eight persons for the ride. I ignore how many of you wants to go."- Answered the Professor Zignos.
- Well, guys, let me gave you a little speech."- The leading man said, and everyone in the room ,except the Professor, laughed and repeated " Speech, speech!"
When the roar ends, the guy said, in a curious lecturing manner:- " You guys knows me better. My nickname is Lancelot. I am a bit of a Quixote, too. {laughter's}. I wish you all goes in this trip: we are seven, and the professor here wants eight in his Ark. {Laughs}. Now, make your votes. The ones that wants to go with me and the professor, rise an arm. The ones that didn't, no matter, fellows, they can rest in Earth..."
Everyone of the punks reunited rises their adorned arms.
- You see, gentleman? This here gents are all one heart...with too many hands !" - Lancelot affirms, and everyone laugh merrily. They asked more beer, and the professor gave some money for them to go and drink in some Bar. So they all depart, swearing they all would came back in three days elapsed, to begun the expedition.
The professor was delighted and somewhat scared of the appearance of those punks. He believed they were only a bunch of brawling kits, and nothing more...
He guessed that in deep space they all would loose they attitudes of bravado, and became frightened teenagers...
Professor Forgodden appears the next morning, and some hired hands brings along his computer and a pair of ancient bags, heavy and battered.
- Hi! I preferred to came sooner . I am afraid to forget the date and be unavoidable. Guess I don't interrupt something?"- Asked the Professor.
- Oh, no , not at all ! Better for me; I winded some crew you don't imagine ! They are all punks."- Informs Zignos.
- Punks ...What's that, a disease or something?"
- No, it's some kind of a fashion..."- Smiled Zignos.
He ushered Forgodden to a cozy little room, and the PC he puts in a table, near the stove. There Forgodden installed himself, and after a while of typing, he seems to have forgotten where he was.
Zignos receives some more adherents to his trip. As they were common people, he takes the addresses of each one, and told them he would call them afterwards...
- I receive more adventurers to-day! I have some 39 names...And I can carry about a dozen. More it will require too many food, and the place isn't so big."- Informs Zignos to his friend, at supper time of the next day.
- Yes, I guess you will need a lot of food up there...Why you don't hibernate them all?"- Asked Forgodden, sipping his soup.
- Because I find not such a device in the flying apparatus. Remember that I didn't do it. "- Smiled Zignos, munching a piece of bread.
- Yes...Well, this soup it's superb...Pass me some more wine, will you?- Asked Forgodden.
Zignos pours the wine in the glass, and said:- I remember the book Treasure Island...They have the same problem as Cristobal Colon. There are not too many good men to voyage far away and with an unknown destination..."
- Yes, but, have you not an idea to where are you going to travel ?- Asked Forgodden, munching a bread.
- I wish to go to the Moon, but there is nothing there 'cept troubles. No gold, no silver...And there is no water, no resources at all ! No wonder those guys from the Apollo Missions quits !"- Zignos said.
- Well, choose well, my friend. But here in this Solar System there is no trees 'cept in Earth..."
They went to chatter a little while more in the living room, and afterwards Forgodden went to bed.
Zignos, contrary to his routine, reminded seated in the living room. He were wanting to travel, but he has no clear idea to where. Also, the controls of the apparatus were a bit difficult for him to master appropriately.
He went to his bookshelf, and searched for a Star Map. Finding an old one, he extended it on the desk, and searched for a near by star , capable of to have planets in orbit.
The binary system he excepted, as a planet in that environment would have serious difficulties in to travel in some eccentric orbit...if he doesn't exploded first.
Some 23 stars selected, he began making annotations for to travel to those sites.
He studied and make charts until dawn.
He went to sleep after drinking a glass of milk. At midday he awoke, being shaken by Forgodden, who was afraid he may be dead.
- I saw you lying there, with your mouth open...Sorry. also, I have a little hunger. I used to lunch at twelve sharp.- Informs Forgodden, who was clad in white.
- Well, you may go to the kitchen. There the cook will prepare you whatever you like most."- Zignos answered, staring from his bed.
- Very well, chap! I will ask a smashed potatoes, and a steak. A big fat beefsteak, if you don't mind."
- I don't mind less. Go."- Zignos said, going out of bed. He takes a shower, and went to the street, in his car.
He went to the University, and talked with his former friends. They were teachers, who were very interested in Zignos plans, and very disinterested in adventures.
Some students gaze in his direction, so he went and asked them for the adventure, but they all decline his offers, as they prefer their careers instead than to go zooming away , in some star's direction...
Zignos went to lunch to El Mercado, leaving the car near by. The crowds were milling incessantly around that part of the city, as it offers cheap dishes for all pockets.
He asked a fried hake, and some lettuce. Also a glass of wine and bread. He probed the chilies. He seems to have fire in his mouth, and he eaten and drinks wine, to ease the ardor. Some near by client laughs, saying:- Oh, it's hot?"
But he didn't answer. He dislikes to make friends in public places...
He finished, and goes to his car. He paid some $100 {Chilean currency} to the pirate-looking guy who were there for the keeping of cars.
- Thanks you, sir. Came whenever you wish."- Offers the guy.
He drives home, thinking that he will depart with a bunch of ignorants...
In the streets, some jerk almost crashed unto his car, and the guy, instead of apologizes, yells an obscenity in his direction, and keeps going as a bullet , zigzagging ahead.
- Crazy fool ! - Utters Zignos, slowing down his car.
When arriving home, he looks unto the Internet , but nobody were interested in space flights, or perhaps they didn't believe the offer, as in Internet there is too many wackos.
He revise his calculations, and at two in the morning he went to sleep.
At last the appointed day came. The assembled crew , with all his efforts, were:
Himself
Professor Forgodden and his PC plus assorted paraphernalia
Punk Lancelot and his girl friend, Brenda
Simian, the cook
Maloso Cercantes, helping hand
Fersaldo Vargas , Plumber
Ivan Coco , student of Philosophy
Juan Manquehue, astrophysicist
The punks just didn't appeared, except Lancelot and his girl friend Brenda, a nice looking blonde with superb legs.
In a rented car, they were carried until there were no roads. From them on, they keep going at foot. The paraphernalia of the Professor Forgodden was carried by Maloso, Fersaldo and Ivan, who also carried their own belongings.
At a slow pace, they begun the ascension. At midday they were very far from the tiny road, the van gone hours ago.
- A peace rarely found anywhere had seated in this mountains. It enters our own self, as a message of Jehovah himself."- Forgodden said, panting hard.
- Yes, there is too much quietness here. I guess I understand the Incas now, how they preferred the mountains instead of the easy life of the jungle"- Zignos answered.
- Provided the Incas territory was very wide, but always on top of the Cordillera. As an eagle. "- Smiled Forgodden, who were clad in a pale brown uniform. His pockets were bulging, as the professor were carrying all his more delicate instruments himself.
At eighteen hours they catch a glimpse, and there was the alien ship !
The professor Zignos opened the hatch, and everyone enters, leaving the burden in a heap, with sights of ease.
- I expect we have some beer here, Professor."- Asked Lancelot.
- Yes, there is some in that bag."- Offered the professor Zignos, indicating a sack.
So the punk find the beer, six canes of it, and went out, with his girl friend, laughing.
The others were waiting to know their locations. So the professor locate them as best as he could. He said:- " You aren't allowed to jerk cranks, push buttons or try to open strange boxes. This is a spatial ship."
They all looked him open eyed.
At 22:00 hours they eat a soup the cook has made. The punk and his girl friend spit the soup, and went out again.
- Our friend prefers brew."- Laughed Professor Forgodden, under the serious look of the cook.
- From here to where, captain ?"- Asked Fersaldo Vargas, a young professor of physics , who were there at instances of Forgodden, who promised to teach him some abstruse matters.
- To Carina , Jehovah God helping me. I had studied the light spectrum of that far star, and also there is the important notice that there is ,at least, one planet there."- Zignos answered.
- Oh, yes ! I read something about it...A giant planet, they said."- Fersaldo acknowledged.
- I can say a giant planet forbids us the entrance, but where there is one , it can be more. That's the chance I am taking."
- Yes, a chance you take in the name of all of us..."- Smiled Forgodden.
- And you know of another safer way ? Take notice that we are going where nobody as gone before."- Zignos indicated.
- For me any part it's the same. God is looking at us just the same."- Maloso points out.
At dawn , and everyone strapped to their seats, the professor Zignos ends his fumbling with the alien mechanism, and with a mighty jerk, the long apparatus fly over the mountains, leaving at its back the Cordillera de Los Andes, South America and even the Earth itself, in a matter of seconds.
In two hours the entire Solar System was way back them, and the vessel were speeding head long to the far away appointment with star Carina.
CHAPTER THREE
IN THE HEAVENS
- We are in the heaven."- Zignos smiled.
- With no beer.- Appointed the punk, and everyone laughs heartily.
The professor and his technicians aboard rechecked his calculations, and then they decided there were not necessary another correction by the meantime.
Several ice asteroids passed really near the ship, and Professor Zignos, seated at the controls, sweats trying to avoid them, as the automatic mechanism seems to be out of order.
- Good bye to the calculations! Now we will need to recalculate all over again !"- Complained Juan Manquehue.
- Yes, dear young fellow, but take no heed of the time, as we have plenty.- Said professor Zignos, red in the face.
- Let's put an eye on those asteroids. Later we can think in corrections of orbits !- Yelled Professor Forgodden, fastened in his seat.
Half an hour later, and with no ice asteroids in sight, Professor Zignos gave a big sigh of relief, and said:- Seems the ice
belt it's gone. Now pay attention: we must rest and get some sleep. We will continue here a routine of 8 hours sleep and 16 hours awake. "
- O.K. for me. I am no big sleeper, anyhow."- Maloso said, banging his head on a wall, producing an hollow sound.
- Why did you do that? Are you crazy, or what?- Asked Brenda to Maloso, chewing a finger.
- I am crazy, Senorita. Ja, ja ! No more than the rest, I suppose !- Answered Maloso.
The professor keeps on being at the controls, explaining to Juan Manquehue how to avoid objects in the path. It was really easy, as the steering of the vessels were just a stick, very similar to the Sega Genesis playing stations...
The professor went to sleep, and everybody went also, except Juan Manquehue, who was at the main controls.
Eight and a half hors later, a recuperated professor Zignos came back, and release Juan Manquehue of his post.
- No signs of nothing near, Professor Zignos. Just the faint stars, the gases and comets hurtling yonder."- Yawns the young student, and went to sleep, with the benedictions of Professor Zignos.
The rest of the crew appeared shortly after, everyone chewing bread, drinking milk and making jokes, 'cept Professor Forgodden, who was eating of his own meals: this time it was a big onion and a piece of melon.
- From where did you take those exotic meals, daddy ? "- Asked Lancelot, hugging his fiancee, who giggles a lot.
- From my own reservoir, young punk !"- Answered Forgodden.
- So you have one, you ! I need some stuff...have you a shot ?"- Asked Lancelot, but the professor denied.
- This here daddy ! Sure he has some stuff...I get to make amends with him. You'll see, he will provide us with great stuff!"- Whisper Lancelot to Brenda, who was with her head at his shoulder, sleepy.
Professor Zignos told his colleague to seat near by, and asked him a few questions, in order to command him to make a new course for the elusive star Carina.
- Quite well ! I can do it in a blink, and with the aid of my PC I have the Universe in my pocket."- Brawls Forgodden, and Lancelot cheers him, because the punk were intending to establish a good intercourse between them.
All for the sake of his purposes
It takes Forgodden three whole days to finish his calculations. In those three days Lancelot was his shadow, and helping hand. So much so, that the scientific begun to confide in him, and then Lancelot told him : - Well, daddy, you let me see your bastiments. "
- What do you say ?
- Your bag of supplies, daddy . Wish you have a can of pineapples my favorite desert, you know...I remember mum, when eating those slices..."- Lancelot said, with long eyes.
- O.K., sun, go and take one can. I have several. I am busy now. I must release this calculations to the skipper."- Told Forgodden to the spoiled guy.
- Fine, daddy. "- Yelled the punk , going to the crates the professor has in a locked chamber, and with Brenda helping him, he revised all three crates, finding, in the last one, a pair of metallic canes, containing drugs and needles.
- Bingo ! The travel begins !"- Yelled the punk, holding the whole bunch of cans in his arms, and locking the storerooms, he went to his chamber.
With Brenda laughing, he prepared a cocktail and shots both of them. In no time they were experimenting the heaven of drug addicts...
In the command chamber, both professor were looking how the main computer digest the data, and in six minutes elapse, they were realizing the vessel was off course.
- Better we correct now the deviation. Send red alert to all hands. !"- Told Zignos to Maloso, who went by the corridors yelling : Red alert, red alert!"
In 15 minutes the ship released a flow of energy and rectify the deviation.
- We will be 23 seconds with full impulse. " - Said Zignos, smiling to the green face of Forgodden, whose body handled in a poor manner those accelerations.
In fact, the vessel has anti gravity devices for not to burden the crew with those effects in their bodies, only the professor Zignos weren't knowing it. He just uses 25 % of the necessary knowledge to drive the alien ship !
Ivan Coco ,seeing both professors together, told them "= I wish to do a evaluation of both of you in deep space."
- Are we need to do some exercises, or what ?- Asked Zignos acidly, as he detested to do any physical exertion.
- No, just a mind tournament . Lets see, what are practical principles ?
- Practical principles are propositions which contain a general
determination of the will, having under it several practical rules.
They are subjective, or maxims, when the condition is regarded by
the subject as valid only for his own will, but are objective, or
practical laws, when the condition is recognized as objective, that
is, valid for the will of every rational being." - Answered Forgodden, out of breath.
- Fine for you, professor ! And now, you, Professor Zignos, tell me which determining principles for the will contains the principle of private happiness ?"
- The principle of private happiness, however much understanding and
reason may be used in it, cannot contain any other determining
principles for the will than those which belong to the lower
desires; and either there are no [higher] desires at all, or pure
reason must of itself alone be practical; that is, it must be able
to determine the will by the mere form of the practical rule without
supposing any feeling, and consequently without any idea of the
pleasant or unpleasant, which is the matter of the desire, and which
is always an empirical condition of the principles. Then only, when
reason of itself determines the will (not as the servant of the
inclination), it is really a higher desire to which that which is
pathologically determined is subordinate, and is really, and even
specifically, distinct from the latter, so that even the slightest
admixture of the motives of the latter impairs its strength and
superiority; just as in a mathematical demonstration the least
empirical condition would degrade and destroy its force and value.
Reason, with its practical law, determines the will immediately, not
by means of an intervening feeling of pleasure or pain, not even of
pleasure in the law itself, and it is only because it can, as pure
reason, be practical, that it is possible for it to be legislative.- Zignos quoted Kant, faultlessly.
- Fine for you too ! I see now that the accelerations we have suffered are no harmful for us. "- Ivan Coco told them.
- A thing it was established with Gagarin."- Zignos asseverated .
The machine was traveling by the void. There wasn't obstacles in it's path.
-I find some games, back there. - Announced Lancelot, spitting .
- Games ? Let's see that."- Forgodden interested himself, and he was leaded by the punk to a rear room, where some monitors were showing landscapes and objects.
- See ? You punch the buttons, and the game began."- Lancelot said, and he did it in one of the boards.
To Forgodden it seems it was some kind of visual Encyclopedia, with the possibility of enhance themes.
In the control room, Professor Zignos were saying : "- The star ...it's at 22 light years from here. This vehicle is traveling at 0.7 light years."
- So we will be here 28.6 years ! The stock of food 'll end in months !"- Said Simian the cook.
- I assume nobody will arrive there...We should turn around."- Expostulated Brenda, chewing gum.
- Yes. I don't want to die here."- Fersaldo Vargas said , grabbing the professor Zignos' s arm.
Suddenly, the alarm rings began sounding, and everyone looks each other very worried.
- Are you going to accelerate now, Professor Zignos ?- Asked Juan Manquehue, as the professor were seated at the pilot's desk.
- No ! It's some automatic alarm. "
Then everyone fasten his seat belts. The ship changes the lights, from white to red. A rumble were audible.
- We haven't external vision."- Forgodden said, arriving with the punk.
Zignos were fascinated seeing how all lights and indicators in the desks were working fast.
This enigmatic situation lasted by two days. In that lapse of time they offered hundreds of theories, and at the third day the light changes again to white, and Forgodden said "- The monitors are operational now! Look at that !"
A pair of suns shines before them, and the enormous masses of some planets , illuminated by the suns, orbited in an elephantiasic way round those ardent luminaries.
- It's a new Planetary System !"
- Are we arrived, Professor Zignos ?"-
- All seems we are near the end of our voyage."- Smiled Zignos, excited.
He find he has again full control of the ship.
He studied an orbit, with the valuable assistance of Juan Manquehue. They established an orbit round a planet type T, and the alien ship reduced it's velocity, so he began cleaving the new atmosphere with it's prow.
They traverse the mass of clouds in three minutes and appeared before them a planet full of greenery, high mountains , meander rivers, lakes crystal clear.
= Hurrah, we made it !"- Yelled Lancelot.
The professor tried to land in an open plain, near a wood. Suddenly, the craft loosed altitude , falling down.
It reaps dozens of trees and a big rock stops it completely, damaging the prow seriously .
Inside, the darkness . Professor Zignos leaves his post, releasing the brochures of the security belt, feeling as he has three broken ribs.
He goes to the lock, but the mechanism doesn't works at all.
Looking to poop, a clarity was discernible, so he went there. A gap in the keel permits him to go outside.
The air was humid and it was hot. The clothes sticks to him, as he began sweating instantly. He felt his legs hardly able to sustain himself upright, so he seated in the grass.
Over his head the clouds forms a ceiling, of an almost white color, that hinders to see the twin suns.
A sweet breeze blows, spasmodically, over the trees.
Looking astern he saw a real avenue of broken trees: it was the path of the landing... The vessel looked him twisted , forever gone the smoothness from it.
So he looks the other way, and he saw the big rock ,where the vessel has inscrusted it's bow. Beyond the debris, he sees a big mountain, several hundred meters high.
A tremor begins, and the whole earth was quacking. The vessel moves to the other side, so the aperture rests at 2 meters from the floor, now.
A sizzling begins.
Walking with feeble legs, Zignos went to the site. It was the boosters. One of them were expelling some form of gas, and also a foam, that trickles down to the grass...
He climbs to the gap, and someone did the opposite, coming from the interior of the vessel. It was the punk Lancelot, who cursed devilishly, jumping down.
After him appeared Brenda, with blood on her face, and she was aided by the professor Zignos to step down.
- We must to go and search for the rest. Seems this artifact has something going on."- Zignos told the punk, but Lancelot goes in the minute to the woods, and Brenda after him.
- Youngsters !- Zignos spat, and went inside the machine.
As it was dark, it was a big work to go and search the rest, but he manages, helped by Juan Pudahuel, who was in better shape than the rest.
Half an hour expended in this, and all the former crew were out of the alien ship
- We must get moving. The ship is going to explode."- Said Zignos, and everyone finds in that advice enough energy to began following the Professor Zignos, who walked to the woods in a straight line.
Two hours of hard walking elapsed. A big explosion shakes the earth, and everyone went to the floor. A gust of fiery warm air passed , almost shocking the humans.
And then it was over.
- That surely was the ship. Good bye for ever, alien vessel !"- Professor Forgodden said.
- And we'll forever stranded here."- Simian lamented.
- It's a nice planet, in all cases."- Affirms Maloso, coughing.
GROWL !
A big hearty growl shakes the trees almost visibly, and a gray form planted itself before them.
It was a big lizard, 20 meters high, with four big foots. It's mouth was armed with long teeth, and it's eyes were round and bloodshot.
- A Dinosaur !"- Said Professor Forgodden, open mouthed.
The lizard runs and grabs Maloso Cercantes with it's teeth, crunching the body horribly.
- Geaaa !
And then the monster gallops into the wood, leaving everyone trembling of fright...
Chapter 4
In the land of the giants.
-The death of Maloso...a terrible disgrace. There are very ferocious animals ...very old ones by here.- Juan Manquehue said.
- So it is . We must follow ahead and find some secure place."- Zignos ordered.
They arrive to a wide river, of muddy waters.
- Once I went to Buenos Aires and the water was like this. It smelled like swamp."- Remembered Manquehue.
- Ah. I went there once and in the Hotels it were potable water. In the Railway Station the water wasn't potable."- Forgodden added.
= Listen ! Something came...by that direction !"- Brenda announced with trembling voice.
It was a very large serpent, with a pointed head. They throw her stones, and the animal rise his head about 2 meters and charged !
It grabs the Cook, and it coiled round his neck. Everyone began to shout and tried to release the serpent . A noise of broken bones was heard, and then another. The face of Simian enlarges, and his eyes protruded from their sockets.
He jerks, but at last he went limp. Zignos said -" Repulsing spectacle ! We had no knifes , the only way to kill this monster !
Half an hour they remain there, but then they retire, unable to keep on hearing the sound of broken ribs, as the serpent keeps on tightening round the cook's body.
- We must run at the first signal of danger ! It was a futile jest that , throwing stones to that snake. "- Zignos said with a tired voice.
The afternoon began to end, and they didn't find a shelter. The wood has numerous clearings, in which parts the tall grasses dueled. A good place for those snakes to roam !
They stop near some rocks. Several men tried to lit a fire, using two sticks , but none produced the necessary heat.
- It's panicking to live this experience."- Speaks Brenda.
- I never thought the ship was going to fail."- Zignos accepted.
- You savants don't know right from left. !"- Yelled the punk Lancelot.
- At least we try to understand."- Answered Forgodden.
- Are you meaning I am dumb ?"- Rumbles the punk, menacing the old man.
- You are an asshole !"- Forgodden affirms.
The punk Lancelot grabs the savant by the feeble neck, but then Juan Manquehue takes the guy by the jacket and throw him to the floor, kicking him with his knee.
- Ah, the university sissy wants to fight ? Fight you 'll have !
And Lancelot stands up and went to Manquehue, falling both of them to the grass, and they roll to the left.
Nobody sees them clearly, as the night was on. They hear a yell, and then silence.
- Listen! It sounds like somebody munches ! "- Brenda said.
They paid attention, and lo ! Some beast sure was feasting on them !
- Do you believe, Professor Zignos, that there is a beast there ?"- Asked Professor Forgodden, with trembling voice.
- Sure ! We better start moving, gents !"- Zignos said, and they all take each other by the hand and began walking fast, in the opposite direction of those hideous sounds...
They enter the woods again, climbed a tree and precariously grabbed to the branches, they passed the long and windy night.
At dawn they descended and searched for food, namely fruits, that there were scarce. They find some red apricots, who tested to paraffin, but they were too hungry to be choosy
- Seems we cannot smoke, or we 'll start a fire.- Zignos made his first joke in the new planet, but nobody sees the humor in it.
When the pair of suns climbs to the sky, they began the march again.
Professor Zignos has a sea-compass and he chooses north. At noon they find a creek, where they bathed themselves when crossing to the other side.
- Nice cold water. It tastes good.- Brenda said.
- We should make some examinations of the water, first. It can be poisoned.- Forgodden panted.
- We haven't the means. = Zignos grumbles. He was bad tempered, as his stomach were burning for lack of food.
The trees were very thick in that part, presumably an ancient forest. The branches were located four meters from the ground.
Suddenly, a big animal was seen by the Scouts. It weighed 39 tons, and he was using four legs to stand up and a pair of arms to grabs the upper branches, in order to munch the leaves.
- A nice guy. Let's take a detour, quick !- Zignos ordered , running at a trot.
After an half hour, they seated between a pair of big roots, and rested there.
- What a monster ! But it was an herbivore. No problems with herbivores.- Brenda said.
- Not proved.- Zignos said, munching a piece of root.
Suddenly, Brenda fainted. All the males surrounded her, trying to realize what was happening. The body of the woman stiffen itself, and began to take a sickening red color.
- Seems all his blood vessels are ripening.- Forgodden comments.
- Watch ! Her clothes are ripping !- Zignos said, backing one step
The body takes a size twice the original Brenda has some minutes ago. The eyes of the woman opened, and seeing the horrified look on the male's eyes, she asked - What is going on, fellows ?
But she looked unto her body, and seeing it swollen and naked, began to yell.
From a near by tree descended a big ape, that at a glance catches the situation, and brandishing a big branch, began hurting the humans...excepting Brenda
They all retired some meters away, and then the ape takes Brenda in his arms as she wasn't weighing 200 kilos, and then run to the upper part of those big trees, where the humans weren't able to catch a glimpse of them. also, the yelling of the woman was fading very rapidly, and the silence fell soon.
- Loosed.- Said the professor Zignos, with a sigh.
They returned to the creek, and began following it's curse. In the late afternoon they find a lake, but it was getting dark, so they get into the bushes, to sleep the night.
- We cannot have fire, we are without meal, and now without a woman.- Lamented himself Zignos.
-What ? Are you suggesting the lady were going to be our mistress ? Our commune mistress ?- Asked professor Forgodden, alarmed.
- Yes...In the end, yes."- Smiled feebly the other scientific.
- I cannot believe your lack of considerations for the lady ! At this hour she must be mated to that hideous monster !- Remembered the Plumber.
- Well...it must be not so much a change, taking in consideration that her former lover was a punk.- The philosopher Coco explained.
They slept until midday of the next day. They smiled to each other, as they were in good spirits, also nothing evil materialized in the night to them.
- Seems we can take a ride to day. I feel optimistic. Yes, don't you laugh ! Perhaps all the vicissitudes are over now.= The Plumber Vargas pointed out.
They went to the lake, bathed and then walked by the shore.
Suddenly, from the waters, some big tortoises began to followed them, so they run into the woods, climb a tree and panting looked down to the floor.
The tortoises weren't the ordinary clumsy animals they know of Earth. This others runs fast, has terrible fangs, and red eyes. And there were three of them, trying to tear apart the big trunk of that tree...
- Damned beasts ! Seems we aren't going to have lunch , to day.- Zignos grunts.
- Sir, pardon me, but we can eat this yellow fruits are dangling near by - Juan Coco said, and grabbing some pear-like objects, began munching them in the best of spirits.
They all imitated him feeling their bellies replenished with the fine food.
- Looks like the tortoises were knowing we were hungry.- Smiled Forgodden, eating heartily.
At mid afternoon the tortoises gets back to the lake, so they all descended.
- No point in returning to that blemished lake, fellows. We better find our way in other direction.- Commanded Zignos, looking in his compass.
They followed him due East, and in three hours walk they find a big mountain in front of them.
- Another mountain, gentlemen. We climb or what ?- Asked Zignos.
They all choose to go turning the foot of that mountain, but the night fell before they see the other side of the valley.
- We better take some rest in a high place, gents. No point on be here in the open.- Ordered Zignos, so they climb the mountain about 120 meters, and finding a cave, they put rocks in the entrance, and that task was finished in pitch black obscurity.
They slept hearing noises, but none of them became a menace.
Dawn appears, and they walk to the other side of the mountain.
They stare at the beautiful landscape: tall grasses, some scattered trees, and a windy river going east.
- Nice picture, lads. Sorry I must tell you I am spotting dinosaur's necks all over the confounded place.- Fersaldo Vargas said, as he has a battered pair of lenses.
- No kidding! Perhaps are of the herbivore kind.- Begged Ivan Coco, and the Plumber looked again, and said piously "- Yes, now that you are asking me, they are all of the herbivore kind."
Not even the professor Forgodden believe that, but nobody utters the contrariwise, as it would have been unwise for their morale...
They cut branches, making shafts.
- With this we would eat meat.- Zignos said, laughing.
They were surrounded by a group of bipeds, insects with faceted eyes and long arms, armed with pointed hunting knifes.
Pushed, they stumbled in the mud, as they were carried near the water, in which shore a lot of houses on top of beams existed.
They climbed by the used wooden stairs, among the chirping and rumbling of those fiend's throats.
Abandoned in a little room, they saw how the roof was retired, and the insects throw them some half rotten fruits and vegetables.
- What did they think we are, pigs ?"- Yelled the Plumber, suddenly enraged.
The lid was closed over their heads, and they rested in the most miserable of the darkness.
- Now we have a problem - Zignos sighed.
- They are feeding us. Perhaps they are no evil persons.- Forgodden panted.
- Or they eat humans. - Pointed out the Plumber, among clenched teeth.
- See if the walls can be ripen - Zignos told to the Philosopher Coco.
- Ah ! Yes, there are some loosed logs, here...With a little effort, perhaps...yes ! Look : we can go outside."= Laughs Juan Coco.
- There are more than a hundred fiends out there. Perhaps they'll not look with sympathetic eyes our departure."- Forgodden informs.
- We will wait until dark. Then we will do our little move.- Ordered the professor Zignos, and he began to slept.
- This here man it's inhuman! He has no nerves at all !- Expostulated Forgodden, imitating his friend...
The Plumber remembered Brenda, and how he never make a pass at her. He surprised himself about this kind of thoughts, as he should be more worried by the imprisonment than in sexual affairs...
Juan Coco told Fersaldo to hear .
- I hear those insects fumbling up and down. Wish I knew what they are planning.- Said Fersaldo.
- Reason it's the best weapon, plumber. I guess those insects are over / grown replicas of Earth's bugs. They must weighed nothing. Also, they have no bones.
- And what if they had no bones ?
- They have all his meat inside a shelf. You broken the shelf, and what did you get ? A fluffy substance, that's what. And so, you broken the carcass and they spilled over all the place.
= Nice thoughts you have there. I wish to probe it.
- Lets get out there and probe.
- But they are too may and we have no guns.
- We need some rock. Some rock in the point of a stick. Let's see...there! I easily release a beam...now another...So we tie some stone with our shirts...there ! And now we affirm our manhood...we are clever, we have strength, we are sons of Jehovah ! Enough of inside strength . There we go !- Coco yells, and both of them went outside.
The insects looked at them in surprise. The tamed animals were transformed in lions !
They began by hitting one insect in full chest. It broke as an egg. The guy went down as a log.
From then on, it was butchery. The cudgels broke the chitin's shelves by the dozen. The insects shrieks and throw their javelins, so the pair of men receives some wounds, but not one of them mortal.
As the din increases, the rest of the humans went outside the hut, and began fighting the insects with javelins.
Soon all the town was there, trying to surrender the humans, but the fire was in their blood systems, and they didn't stop until the insects, seeing all efforts were in vain, flee from the camp.
- Let's get out of here, in the double !- Forgodden propose, and they all began to walk by the shore, so in a few moments the houses were leave behind.
- I prefer to walk by the woods. Remember those creatures from the lake.- Zignos said, so they turn and enter the near-by wood.
Three hours walk carried them very far, so they rest at the feet of a big tree.
- Wish I could eat something ! I'm starving.- The Plumber complaints.
- Nice world, a pity it is so wild.- Utters Forgodden.
- Rest here. I'll go seeing if we are followed.- Coco said.
He climbs the tree, and from the upper branches he looked in all directions.
Some dinosaurs were eating plants over the north side, but no other animals were in sight.
He descended.
- Seems the insects have enough.- Laughs he, seating in the turf.
They rested some two hours, and then they resume they march, finding some fruits of not so palatable taste.
- Better than the fire on the guts.- The plumber grunts.
- It's hotter, here. Must be the summer time in here. - Zignos said, munching the fruit.
- Yes. A summer in hell.- Utters the plumber, spitting some seed.
Their shoes were torn, the clothes weren't more than rags, and their faces were full of scratches, due to the branches of the wood.
- We must find water."- Forgodden remembered them.
They find a marsh before the darkness fall over them. Multitude of little blood suckers feasted on them, so they retreat to the forest, climbed a big tree , to pass there the night hours.
- We need to improve our luck. "- Zignos rumbles, touching the bites in his arms.
- Yes, a nice little cottage, a chair and some old good reliable book. "- Smiled Coco.
- Perhaps a good woman, in need of love.- The plumber laughs.
- A nice cold bath, a pair of silken sheets, and the rest from a hard day's job. - Offers it's version Forgodden.
They were day dreaming...
The stars weren't visibly, due to the clouds. The darkness was complete.
- I always thought a planet orbiting two suns weren't existing. And here are we ! God really knows how to do calculations, didn't He ?- Asked Forgodden.
- The mathematics of that feat it's great. Perhaps we orbits just one of the suns, being the other in perpetual opposition to us._"- Propose Coco.
- It's possible. "- Yawns Professor Zignos, scratching his legs full of bites.
- To-morrow we must go in other direction than to the swamps...or we will be eaten."- Asked Fersaldo Vargas, the plumber.
Coco was thinking in how to get ride of that preoccupation. If they go due north, they will be leaving swamps, lake and biped insects behind. The compass of the professor Forgodden was a very useful instrument. He will ask him to lead in that direction.
At dawn he asked Forgodden to do so.
- No problem, my young student of philosophy. We will go due north, provided there is no Paramount in that direction. - Smiled Forgodden.
They descended the big tree, find some fruits and depart, at a good pace.
The forest was interminable. The insects abounded around the spot, and they shoo them with leaves.
At midday the hotness increases, and they looked unto each other. The professor Zignos said :- Dear gentlemen, we are facing an increase of temperature I find abnormal. Perhaps the other sun it's approaching us. If that is the true, we cannot find shelter in the open. We must find some cave."
- To find caves we must find the mountains, first. "= Coco pointed out.
So they were looking for mountains, climbing the big trees, but they find no mountains by that sector. At night, they remembered the hot of the day, and trembling of fright, decided to go down the tree at first light.
So they did, and at midday they were breathing pure fire, so they breathed behind a bunch of leaves behind their nostrils.
- What a heath ! - The Plumber complaints each three meters.
They find a creek, but the water was very warm. The same they stopped there, and at the end of the day they began walking by the side of the creek, in search of the origin of it.
So they find a mountain, after an all night's march.
- Looked there ! Caves !"-The Plumber laughed heartily , running uphill.
From one of the caves a growl answered his cries, and a black bear, with six legs appeared, sniffing the dawn's air...
The Plumber stops cold, and the rest urged him to descend, thing he does in no time, being chased, also, by the beast, that weighed around 7 tons.
- Help me, my brothers !- Yelled the Plumber, but he was caught in the middle of the run, and munched in the site.
- We better leave this place, Gentlemen. There is too many danger here.- Asked Zignos to the terrified comrades of his expedition...
They walk by the mountain, and find some other caves, in the opposite side, The heat was terrible there, with no trees to shade the reverberation. They enter a cave, and find it wasn't used by no bear.
- Peace and solace !- Cried Coco, entering a passageway. Inside the darkness of the pace, the humid walls were a blessing for the burned bodies of them all.
- At last a refuge ! I just cannot feel happy , seeing we have no Plumber now. - Remembered the professor Forgodden.
- One life less. A pity. The guy has his potentialities. Ignorant, but brave, he was.- Coco said, feeling the grains of sand of the floor.
- This cavern it's ample, and the corridors, or funnels, seems to go deep inside the mountain. A nice shelter. - Analyzed Forgodden, panting.
- Yes, and no food, no water. And if the hotness increases much, we will be not able to go outdoors. And the food will be fried there, also the water will eventually evaporate !- Coco said, in a monotonous voice.
- So let's dance and be merry, because the future is black !- Zignos said, and he began singing " April in Paris " with an attuned voice.
The singing wakes up the owner of that old cave, who blinked and began to descend by one of the funnels...
- April in Paris !" - Were uttering the Professor, when the dweller appears in front of them. They all saw it clearly, as the luminescence of the day was enough.
- Vreui oisd isisi."- Said the dweller.
It was a machine, of 56 centimeters high, with four wheels, some lights blinking, and an assortment of apparatus.
= Nice little chip ! From where it sprouts ?- Asked Coco, kneeling before the object.
-Seems a crossbreed between Arturito and a Formula 1 car."- Laughed Zignos, eyeing the robot.
- Car.- Said the robot.
- A little parrot we have here !- Laughed Forgodden, with a tinge of worry, as he began suspecting they all were becoming mad, seeing visions...
- Here.- Said the robot, chirping .
- Let's find us food and water.- Asked Zignos to the little four wheels.
The artifact lights increased it's brilliance, showing all the details of the funnel. Then it began to retrace it's former curse, so they all followed it, making nervously uttered jokes...
- He is guiding us, all right ! Perhaps he has some broads down there !' - Coco said.
- Or water and food !'- Expected Zignos.
They find the object began to increase the descend, so they almost end by running , not to loose it from sight...At their backs, the funnel was pitch dark.
At last, the tiny robot stops. Near him, a big hulk was visibly.
- Look at that, gents ! Seems a space ship to me.- Coco said.
The hulk was supported by several trains of wheels. The surface was battered, but in good shape. An ajar door waits for them...
The tiny robot pushed something in the hulk, and a ladder descended.
- What are we waiting, comrades ? Are we to deceive the invitation of this midget, or what ?"- Asked Coco .
They all went inside, the door shuts automatically. The darkness there was very great, but suddenly the light came, blinding them for a short while.
- Wow ! This here thin it really works !' Yelled Coco, trying to see every detail.
The door in front of them opens, and some green gas came to their encounter, being breathable.
- Perhaps it's a decontaminating of some kind. Nothing to be worried about, gents.- Said the Professor Zignos, shuddering. Here the temperature was very low...after the hotness of the exterior, it was welcomed.
Some passageways were before them , but some red lights blinking in one of them makes them believe it was some guidance system, so they follow the red lights, ending in the Control Room.
There, a personage stands up from one of the chairs, and salute them with this words: - Welcome to Baran 34, gentleman. I am Usher, the Dweller of the Darkness. Be seated, please, and I will answer all your questions."
The person was a serpentoid, with devilish eyes, scales in his back, big scaled hands, and nails sharpened as razor blades.
The scientific personnel seated themselves in front of the dangerous looking serpentoid, and listened .
- Do not be very much afraid of me, gentlemen. I am a member of the Serpentoid race, of Atilas 7, planet of the Archangel Stars. I am here because I am passing the Resting Period in solitude, as you must know all of our race uses to spent, each 3.000 years."
- So you have more than 3.000 years ? Impossible.- Smiled Coco, doing a deprecating movement with one of his hands.
- Please don't overestimate my patience, gentleman. You will find it very nasty .
- I beg your pardon, serpentoid Usher. You may proceed.- Asked Zignos, eyeing Coco, who was nervous from then on.
- Well...As I were saying to you, gents, I am in solitude, in this hot planet. I walk every day over there, to feel the increase in hotness, as the planet orbited near and near the second sun. When the planet reaches the closest spot, my period of solitude ends, and I can get back to my business, in my home planet...or where I choose better.
- And this time you speak, it's near ?- Asked Forgodden.
- Two days elapse. Then I'll be going. And you are here..."- Remembered the serpentoid, with fixed eyes.
- How nice. The hotness of the exterior burns our bodies. We searched a nice damp place, so we are here, But if this spot it's being occupied by you, we almost instantly will depart, for not to disturb you, Mighty Serpentoid.- Zignos expostulated.
- Oh, no ! There is a pattern in all of this. I had being awaiting here for 45 years. Two days in your company it's really nothing, in comparison."- Usher utters.
He offered them drinks, very similar to the Moca Cola.
- I just cannot believe ! Moca Cola in Space !'- Laughed Coco, serving himself another glass from the bottle.
- Moca Cola ! Ah, yes, the humans prefers that ! This it's from another source, I am afraid it is obtained distilling Fergurson's maggots, with a little amount of serpentoid's ersatz blood. Plus glucose."- Usher informs, doing a little bow.
Coco didn't drinks the rest of his glass...And have some difficulties not to vomit the ingested part.
- You speak very well the English. Did you travel to Earth ?= Asked Coco, to think in other matters than in maggots
-Oh, no ! The English it's the old Falcon Language, used in all the Universe ! Of 'couse there are some minor differences, that I am not actually using, to your benefit.= Said the Serpentoid, walking to some table near by.
The serpentoid height was around the two meters. His chest was like a barrel. He used some shorts, and several belts, from where dangled some artifacts of unknown purposes.
- There is not much I don't know from you, gentlemen, as here in this vessel I have a Universal Listener. I know what is happening out there, as I usually hear the broadcasts. Not only from my people, but from Earth and every other point the waves should came."- Usher said.
- It is hard for me to hear that, Honest Serpentoid. as there are several big equipment in Earth, trying to hear the voices of the Void. SETI , for example."- Informs Zignos to the serpentoid and to his own comrades.
-SETI...Yes, I knew something of it. Specially from the Internet...Bunch of scientists, looking in the wrong direction..."- Said the Serpentoid, and fumbling with some machines, that it came to life, showing vistas in some monitors, and also voices and sounds.
Suddenly, it was connected with some radio emitter from Earth. The broadcast was heard clearly, and the images were in full color. It was some diplomatic team talking of the Arabs and Israel...
- Fights, burning places, children lives blows apart...Some minor floods, people drowned...That are your news, back in Earth."- The serpentoid moves sadly his ugly head.
Some moments elapsed, they were invited to sleep in the machine. So they accepted, and they receive a room for each one, with a big bed, some bottles of beverages, and food in form of a green jelly.
The serpentoid wished them a good sleep, and retires.
- Nice dear monster ! And the appearance it's scary.= Coco said.
- Nothing to worry about. If this beings eats flesh, now they are more civilized than us.- Laughed Zignos, going to his bed.
Usher was in his room, listening them through a device. He growls, waited three more hours, and enters to Coco's room.
The young fellow was totally asleep.
The serpentoid closed the door, and approaching the man, bites hard in it's throat, munching at last living flesh.
- Ah, this is life !' Burps the serpentoid, seeing how the body of the human were in spasms.
He eats all the body, and get his sleep there, among the broken bones of his banquet.
Professor Zignos awakes in that moment, with his body full of transpiration. He sensed some kind of threat.
He walked to see if his team was making a good sleep, but finds the serpentoid among the remnants of the deceased Coco the Philosopher.
He bits his knuckles. He knew he must think as fast as possible.
He searched for a rod, finding one in a dusted corridor, With it in his hands, went to the serpentoid and stabbed him in the middle of his chest, nailing it to the floor.
- Freiiii ! - Said the serpentoid, spitting green blood and pieces of human flesh.
The fiend tried to stand up, but the iron was nailed to the wooden floor.
Suddenly, the serpentoid falls back, and died in the middle of chokes of the ugliest kind.
Kicking the dead body, the doctor return to his chamber, to sips a little water from a glass. He then wakes up the rest of the crew, and told Forgodden :'- I find the serpentoid among the remnants of the young Coco."
- Usher ?
- Usher the serpentoid. Are you dreaming ?
- No...Let me see...the serpentoid was an evil person, at the end of this tale ?- Asked Forgodden , feeling dizzy.
- Yeap. A bad nasty monster, just as he looks like . No lucky to our theory of evolution, my friend. "- Zignos puts a hand in the other's arm.
- How pity ! And where he is now ?
= Who?
- Usher.
- Dead as a log. And also Coco is dead. I already told you so."- Zignos said, slurping some jelly.
- Now I understand. We are alone in this fantastic machine, now we came to the controls, you drive us out, and then we return to the Earth, with this magnificent Trophy...perhaps we will be mentioned in some Universities."- Said Forgodden , showing the other that he was now fully awake.
- Let's find out. We must be sure, or some other serpentoid appears, and takes charge of the ship."- Zignos said, smiling unafraid.
They walked by the corridors for hours, finding there were some capsules with serpentoids asleep.
- We must kill the bastards, dear fellow. Somehow..."= Forgodden said to his friend, shacking .
- Perhaps freezing them to death..."=
But the systems were life-proof. Each time the temperatures went too much below zero, the system activates itself and an increase of the same took place.
- No way. Perhaps using some kind of weapon...?- Propose Forgodden. They find some electric rods, who produces heat when touching an object. But the lids of the pods were indestructible.
- We can open the hatches. Then we stabs the bastards.- Forgodden thinks aloud.
So Zignos did it with one of the pods. But the system awake the serpentoid, so it was hard job to have him killed. He almost kill the humans bare handed !
Looking the chattered remnants of the second serpentoid, Zignos said: - We better leave this fiends alone. I hope the system will be having them all freeze for a long time. Let's see if I can manage to drive this machine out."
So they study the different guidance systems that were at the control room. They used some of them and in two days the professor was able to move the artifact.
A long corridor was in front of it. The vessel moves slowly with the trains of wheels, and it rested, facing a metal gate.
- We must find how to open that.- Zignos said, transpiring, as there was heat there.
As the days went by, and no system respond to the opening of that entrance, he fired some rays in the direction of the gate, who melted away in some three hours.
- Look that radiance out there ! Must be the two suns shinning in unison ! Look !' - Cried Forgodden.
Zignos gave full throttle , and the machine went out as an arrow, as it passed by the forest, cutting trunks with violent smashes.
- Up, up you fool !' = Cry Forgodden, as Zignos fight with the controls. It succeeded, and began the incline.
In 4 minutes he was free from the gravitational pull of the planet, and the heat was extreme, so he set a random curse, in the opposite direction of the two blazing suns over them.
In one hour the decrease of heat was substantial, and then they sigh.
- What a spot to fry eggs !- Laughed Forgodden, banging in his friend's back.
- Yes, it was near enough ! I suppose the serpentoid would had waited until the second sun were at a great distance again..."- Said Zignos, smiling feebly.
- Yes ! A pity we leave all the crew down there...eaten.'- Forgodden said.
- Brenda wasn't eaten at all.- Zignos remembered.
- Yes, that ape perhaps hides her from the heat.- Forgodden made a wish.
- Open sky again ! In an alien ship...That seems to me more slowly than the other."- Said Zignos.
- Don't be too choosy ! Perhaps we could return to mother Earth, after all !' - Forgodden panted, and suddenly, feeling from his heart, went backwards, hitting the floor.
Zignos felt his pulse, for not avail, The old scientist was dead, from an heart attack.
- Too many emotions. "- Said Zignos, as an epitaph.
He clothes the deceased in a blanket, and expels it to the space.
- May your soul rest in peace.- He utters.
In the subsequent days he searched for the Earth in the sky. It was a hard work, as he personally wasn't learned about of the appearance the sky has in the vicinity of Earth.
-I only know this mother fucker it's in the fringe of the Galaxy."- Growls the professor, with clenched teeth.- I can waste all my life in this search."
He abandoned the middle stars, and began the searching. Two months it takes the ship to appear near a planet, and then it wasn't with atmosphere, so he discarded it. The rest, four planets, were barren balls of ice.
He sets curse to another yellow star, and in two weeks he eats all the remnants of the green jelly. Also, the fruits he knew not how to create, so he began to starve.
In his searches for food, he passed along the coffins of the serpentoids race, thirteen of them, one emptied. So at the seventh day, he opened one, killed the monster with an hot iron rod, and fried the body in an oven.
- So I am a serpentoid's eater, myself. Good. It's a nice revenge, for the death of my personal friend, Coco."- Remembered Zignos, each time he stabs another serpentoid.
So he eats them all, in the course of three months.
Also he arrives to a planet with trees, air, rivers and mountains...but it wasn't Earth.
- I will stay here. I cannot spent my life up there in the stars, searching eternally. I am old now. Also there is no more meat..."- Said Zignos to himself, a custom he acquired in the solo-flight....
So he landed as he could, leaving a shattered wood in his wake, as he chooses so, in order to braking the ship somehow.
He went outside, and revise the vessel.
The landing gear was gone, but that was all the damage.
- I can live here the rest of my life.- Laughs he, and he dance an Indian theme in the soil of the new planet.
He captured birds, that were by the thousands. The little creatures didn't run from him, so he catches easily with bare hands. Also he eats the eggs, and water from a creek, inside the forest.
His clothes weren't, so he go naked everywhere, but there were no insects who could bite him, no dangerous animals in the vicinity.
So, one day he felt a terrible dizziness, and knew he were about to die.
- Guess I'll stick here for a while."- He smiled, and his eyes close sweetly, for the very last time.
THE END
SF
" TREKING"
Saga of Star Trek Alternative by Alfredo Juillet Frascara.
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Book One.....Zignos
Book Two....Veresdino
Book Three....Verne
Book Four.....Second
Book Five......Sadiron
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BOOK ONE
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" ZIGNOS "
3.1997.
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Cast of characters.
Professor Zignos
Nephew Torcuato
Sister Laurencia
Sister Rubor
Nephew Dioclesiana
Adjutant Martino
Captain Kirk , of the Cullin ship
First Official Spok
Troilus the Cook
Usher the Serpentoid
Professor Forgodden
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Chapters
1.- 5.757 page 01
2.- Mars page 06
3.- In the heavens page 19
4.- In the land of the giants page 24
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Chapter One
5.757
The old professor Zignos had worked all his life in the " Copper Industries" , where he attained the charge of Director of the Board.
