The Wanderers--Chapter Three

The Cross-Over Internet Adventures
XIA#2--The Wanderers
Chapter Three: "Boo Guy Nights"
by Richard Prekodravac

 A cacophony of images moved in complete random patterns in the hundreds of mirrors scattered in the room. The tall man busied himself, watching the images before him with a cautious reserve. He displayed no emotions, but stood observantly and distant. On one mirror a swarm of golden butterflies flew across an emerald lake, whilst on another mirror tornadoes ripped across cities. The man displayed neither joy, pity or anger.

 When the girls had left, he watched the pictures before him until he was sure he was alone. He occasionally made comments speaking into a large microphone attached to a Bakelite radio device that occupied a good section of a wall. The room he was in was immediately defined by the mirrors which at first seemed like ice. The room itself was cluttered with odd gadgetry, scribbled down paper and wires that criss-crossed the room which had looked like the Paris metro, London underground and New York subway had twisted inside out.

 The room afforded little order; chaos seemed to thrive, and somehow you knew that the mirrors, the gadgetry, the wires and the notes were a reflection of the man in the middle of it all - an utterly insane fractured mind.

 The tall man watched a particular mirror intently: an image of a man scampering on rocks. "Oh Dr Smith, I wonder if you remember..."

 

Maureen walked up the ramp of the Jupiter 2, wondering where the girls had gotten to. Penny and Judy were usually glad to help prepare the food. "Penny," she called out, "Judy." She heard nothing. She smiled to herself remembering the strange mood they were in. She finally worked it out... they were completely exhausted from their expedition. Maureen smiled to herself and decided that it was best to the let them rest. She walked back out to return to her duties.

 

"Major West, how far is it te yuir ship?" Jamie asked as they walked at a steady pace.

 Don paused to work out what Jamie had said. "I would say only about five more minutes," he said, realizing that Jamie was getting tired. "You should be able to rest and grab something to eat while I find the the equipment necessary to repair the Robot."

 "Ah, that's not... I'm quite fine," Jamie lied, "I wis jist thinking that the Doctor and Zoe could do with something tae eat."

 "I'm sure we could..." Don was cut off in mid-sentence by a high-pitched whine from a nearby hill.

 "Oh, Major West!" It was Dr Smith. "Oh, Major West! I was hoping you might be able to help me. I was attcked by three strangers," he said as he limped towards them.

 "Now calm down Dr Smith. Tell me what had happened."

 Dr. Smith stopped to catch his breath and then stopped in fright when he saw Jamie. "Major," he cried, pointing an accusing finger at Jamie, "that's one of the people who attacked me!"

 

"Professor Robinson," The Doctor grabbed ahold of John's arm, pulling him closer, "I am quite impressed with your Robot here--particularly with the flexible, and I assume extendable arms."

 'Thank you Doctor, but as you can see there's not much to be impressed by at the moment. I'm more interested in how you came to be here...and how you intend to leave?"

 "Well my companions and myself are merely here out of curosity. We're wanderers much like yourselves."

 Zoe had overheard. "With not much more control over how we travel," she added.

 The Doctor clasped his hands together and looked sternly at Zoe. "Well what is the point of exploring new places," he said, "if you are only going to go to places you have already been to?"

 "We don't have many options." John had said. "We have to survive with what we find."

 "It must be very hard," Zoe sympathized.

 "Too hard sometimes." John looked over at Will as he cleaned off the Robot.

 "But you have your family," The Doctor said.

 "Yes, I suppose we do."

 "Dad!" Will called out. "There's a component missing from Robot. It must have fallen off. I'm going off to find it." Will ran off and disappeared behind some rocks.

 "Will!" John called out.v "Don't worry," Zoe said, "I'll go and get him." She ran after Will. "Now be careful Zoe, come straight back!" The Doctor shouted, then looked at Professor Robinson. "They should be fine, Zoe's quite resourceful."

 

Maureen decided that she might see if Judy and Penny needed anything. When she entered their room she was shocked to see it in a complete mess, and not containing either Judy or Penny. Maureen decided to contact John, but just before leaving, she noticed the mirror that was standing in the room. She admired it with a strange curiosity. She moved closer, holding her hand out, reaching slowly to touch the mirror. As she drew near, a hand jumped out of the mirror and grabbed onto Maureen's wrist, pulling her through.

 

"What are you talking about! We've never met!" Jamie protested. Don didn't know what to do, or who to trust.

 "I tell you Major West," Smith protested, "this young man is resposnible for what happened."

 "Now look, before I decide anything, we'll go back to the Jupiter 2 and--"

 Before he could finish, they heard a loud growl.

 "It's one of the monsters!" Jamie exclaimed. Don took out his pistol and held it up cautiously.

 Dr Smith began to feel tense. "Major West, do something!" The noises were coming closer.

 Dr Smith fainted.

 

It had taken 4000 years for the two sexes of the Hdojjwh to unite against their common enemy. The Aanotihf'ew had divided their people for forty centuries with a bloody civil war. It had been a miracle that they had survived. Each side had practiced the art of cruelty. Each side endured the pain caused by their opponent then each side returned with a greater and bloodier vengeance. Two sides making the same patterns while clashing against the other. Each side had set up breeding camps with captured enemies. They encouraged their own kind. And killed off those who weren't needed.

 This was how the war that had divided Hdojjwh raged for 4000 years. It had been by some miraculous fate that rebelious groups emerged, ones that were against the indoctrination of fighting. They cut themsleves off from their own kind teaching themselves how to live in peace, and working out ways to teach others. Two independent rebellious groups grew in isolation from each other and their own kind, unaware they had support among their opponents. Eventually they sacrificed everything that linked them with their people. They eliminated any distinguishing features of their sex. They united, and slowly taught the two sides how to live in peace. But their unity was short lived, as their common enemy, the Aanotihf'ew, who had began their war, destroyed them all.

 

The Aanotihf'ew were a race who were guided by their divine wisdom. They took it upon themselves to teach primitive races the value of their wisdom. Aanotihf'ew took pity on the various races they came across; none had ever reached enlightenment. So Aanotihf'ew had taken new approaches. Their most successful campaign had been with the Hdojjwh. They had instigated a war of division to teach them the inefficiencies of mating in pairs.

 However, unfortunately for the Aanotihf'ew, the Hdojjwh had developed in ways they had never expected. When the two divided species remained isolated from each other, new bifurcations emerged, sexless beings who had sacrificed everyhting that was meant to be Hdojjwh. Through sacrifice they brought about unity. A unity through peace, and a new unity ... unified together in war against those who had divided their species. For the Aanotihf'ew this had been but a small distraction. However, the Hdojjwh proved difficult to defeat. 10 years had passed and they were still in this war. But this was now the last battle. They had tracked down the last of the Hdojjwh to this planet.

 A cloaked Aanotihf'ewite checked the readouts on its screen. "Scout ship Tihf'ewa'ano, begin descent to the planet's surface." They had tracked down the last of the Hdojjwh to this planet and were about to destroy them forever.

 

Jamie lifted a fallen Dr Smith onto his shoulders as Don fired his laser at the monster. It had been a creature similar to the one that had attacked Jamie and the others earlier.

 "I dinna think we're safe quite yet, Major!" yelled Jamie.

 "If we can get back to ship,we might be able to defeat it! I only hope Maureen and the girls are already inside."

 The monster advanced. Don had been able to shoot a few times, but to no avail. "This creature's tougher than I thought," he yelled out.

 "Look, thair's the ship!" Jamie saw the Jupiter 2 sitting on the ground, with a ramp leading into the ship.

 Major West shouted for Jamie to run up the ramp, and after firing a few shots to provide cover, he was right behind them.

 When they were inside the Major closed the ramp behind them. The party dropped to the floor trying to catch their breath whilst the banging of the creature on the metal ship's surface echoed through the chamber.

 

Maureen found her reflection dragging her own body through the mirror and then disappearing. She didn't know what to expect or understand. She looked back at the mirror she had come through. All she could see was the room she had just been in. Maureen immmediately tried to go back through, but the surface remained unyielding. She resigned herself quickly that she was trapped. A thought struck her. If she'd been pulled through, she suspected that the girls were here somewhere and that she had better find them before even thinking of returning home of the Jupiter 2. After all, the only thing that was waiting was a meal to prepare--and she was sure her husband was quite capable of doing that on his own.

 

"Professor I have a passing curiosity in your travels. I'm quite fascinated with your endurance." The Doctor took his scarf out of his top pocket and waved it about wildly.

 "How can I help, Doctor?"

 "Well I would like to take a look at your ship." The Doctor smiled. John said nothing, looking around for Will and Zoe. The Doctor moved a little closer. "Perhaps I might be able to repair some of your systems." He looked to see if anyone was nearby, then whispered conspiratorily, "I'm quite good at that sort of thing. In fact I'm considered to be an expert." He nodded smugly.

 "I wonder where Will and Zoe had gotten to?"

 The Doctor's smile quickly turned sour.

 

The voice from the mirror answered Professor Robinson's question. "Home, professor, home."

 

Maureen had been wandering down what seemed like hundreds of corridors. Each corridor had hundreds of mirrors of various shapes lining the walls. Each time she looked into a mirror she saw her own refelction staring back, but she couldn't help wonder if anything was hiding behind it. It was all far too creepy for her; she became more concerned for Judy and Penny as each idle thought grew upon the fear of next one.

 Maureen eventually found herself in a chamber with hundreds of mirrors hanging in mid air, cluttering up the room. However this time she spotted a man staring trance-like at all of them . She felt a cold chill creep down her as she quietly watched this man. The man occasionly muttered to himself. Finally, he said, "Now my Aanotihf'ew friends, I'm glad you could join us!" He then turned quickly around in his spot and stared at the thousands of reflections in the mirror, all of which lined up directly staring at Maureen.

 "I'm glad you made your way here, Maureen." He grinned. "Here's to you, Mrs Robinson."

 To Be Continued...

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