Doctor Zeitgeist sat at his imposing desk, sipping from the coffee brought in by his servant, Ragdin. His phone rang as he expected it to. He turned on the speaker.
“Well?”
“No good, boss.” It was “Scarface,” his chief lieutenant. “I tried to nab the girl back by tampering with the security system, but it encased them in glass, and I couldn’t get to them before the police arrived.”
“I’m very disappointed,” said Zeitgeist. “But the game still goes in our favor. She may unwittingly do my bidding without any persuasion. Follow and observe from a distance. No more interference unless they deviate from the plan.”
“As you command.”
The line went dead.
“Sara? Sara?”
Sara’s eyes slowly opened at the sound of her name. Strong hands helped her to her feet.
“Take it easy. It’ll take awhile for the gas to wear off.” The young man wore a shirt and tie with a leather jacket over top. His face was covered by his unruly hair and a 5 O’ Clock shadow. His name was Maximilian Sebastian Orwell Maddock, but he was known as…
“Junior?”
“So, you remember me, Sara?”
“It hasn’t been that long, has it?”
“It’s been long enough, I dare say,” replied Junior.
“How’s the gang doing? Are they…?”
“I’m afraid that we haven’t done much together,” said Junior. “Not since Daring disappeared.”
“No sign of him, then?”
“I don’t understand how he could just disappear like that. If something happened to him…”
“I haven’t stopped looking,” said Sara. “We will find him.”
“What happened to Daring?” asked Zoey as she struggled to her feet.
“He disappeared about a year ago,” said Junior. He gave Zoey a warm hug. “It’s good to see you again, Zoey.”
“You never visit,” replied Zoey. “You’re almost as bad as Sara.”
“My apologies,” said Junior. “But something always comes up at the last minute.”
“And no clues about Daring?” asked Zoey to Sara.
“None. No note. No ransom. None even claiming credit.”
“Why not refresh yourselves and then we can talk about why you came here in the first place?”
An hour later, Sara, Zoey, and Junior were sitting in front of a computer terminal.
“Khyber Gorah?” asked Junior as he typed in the entry. “The most relevant search topic is a very old one. According to legends, there was a Temple of Khyber Gorah. Monks of some kind inhabited the place, trying to expand their bodies and minds. It’s said that something fell from the sky into the temple, and so after, the monks exhibited talents beyond their capabilities.”
“What became of the monks?” asked Sara.
“It doesn’t say,” replied Junior. “Sometime after their ‘enlightenment,’ they dispersed throughout the stars, creating different sects. The mysterious object, if it exists at all, was locked away in the temple, guarded by untold booby traps.”
“Where is the temple located?” asked Sara.
“That’s the thing I can’t figure,” said Junior. “You said that the Cabal might be interested in it. The thing is the sun in that solar system went supernova one year ago. The planet, which luckily survived, is uninhabitable. Without a sun, the planet would make our arctic regions look like a summer getaway.”
“But you could take us there, couldn’t you?” asked Sara.
“Well,,,”
“No problem, right?” asked Zoey. “Nothing’s impossible for a member of the Brilliant 5.”
Junior sighed.
Junior led them into a storage room. “Well, if you’re so gung ho about going to visit a dead planet, then you’d better dress the part.” He pulled a large box off one of the shelves. “Luckily, Teresa designed a whole bunch of gear from extreme weather.”
He spread them out on the table before them. “You’ll need to wear at least three layers of this heavy thermal fabric. All of your body parts must be covered, or the cold will freeze it right off. There’s also a matching balaclava to cover your head.” He held up a pair of goggles. “These are for your eyes. Double reinforced.”
Junior then picked up a small box, no bigger than the palm of his hand. “Since there is no longer a sun, not only will it be cold but virtually no light as well.” He opened the box to reveal a pair of dark contact lenses. “These are designed to absorb as much light as possible to maximize your visibility. They’re also the last line of defense against the cold in case something happens to your goggles.”
Junior also gave them two devices that fit snuggly on their throat. “Communicating will be a lot easier with these. They pick up the vibrations in your vocal cords and transmit them to your earpieces. Any questions?”
“When do we leave?” asked Sara, who wasted no time in helping Junior pack the flying saucer with supplies. Whether their mission bothered Sara at all, no one could tell, but Zoey was fearful of this bleak place they sought but kept brave for Sara’s sake. Sara offered for Zoey to say behind, but Zoey declined.
“You need someone to keep you out of trouble,” replied Zoey.
The trip itself was rather uneventful. The Brilliant 5’s flying saucer was a technological wonder and a smooth ride as well. The only turbulence they experienced was when they entered the dead system. The two women started to put on their survival gear as the saucer neared the planet. After they had put on their multiple layers of protection, Junior double checked each of them to make sure they didn’t miss anything and then helped them with their cumbersome backpacks,
“Remember,” said Junior. “Nothing came be exposed to the cold.” He lowered the saucer through the planet’s atmosphere. “I’ll keep a low orbit and if I don’t hear from you in twenty four hours, I’ll came back.”
“If you don’t hear from us in twenty four hours,” said Sara, trying out her new throat mike. “Then, it’ll be too late.”
Junior landed the saucer in a clearing. “I found a faint power source about a mile north of here, in the woods.”
“Thanks, Junior,” said Sara and walked down the ramp.
“Well,” said both Zoey and Junior. He held out his hand, but Zoey pulled him into a full hug.
“Take care,” was all Junior could think to say as Zoey walked down the ramp.
Even bundled up, the two women could feel the sharp wind cut them to the bone. The sky was dark; without a sun, it was an eternal night. A thick layer of snow covered the ground and the surrounding dead trees. The air was thin, like in high-altitude areas. They silently trudged through the snow until a bloodcurdling howl echoed through the forest.
Zoey stopped in her tracks. “What was that?”
“Just the wind.” Sara’s voice came from the small transceiver in Zoey’s ear. “Nothing could survive in this weather.”
“There’s animals that live in the Antarctic,” replied Zoey.
“Good point. Let’s keep moving.”
They kept moving as fast they could, but they were moving into the wind. The cold burned their face despite the layers of protection. Suddenly, Sara grabbed Zoey’s arm and pushed them both to the ground. A large animal flew over them. It looked like a mountain lion covered in white fur. While still formidable, it was evident that the creature had not eaten in a while and planned on having the two women for dinner.
“When I say ‘Run…’” started Sara and turned to see Zoey had already taken off. Sara sighed inwardly and followed her. The creature wasted no time in going after its mobile meal. Sara and Zoey weaved in-between trees in the hopes of losing the creature, but it was unshakeable. The thick snow did nothing but slow them down.
Inevitably, the creature caught up with them. It leapt, using its powerful leg muscles, and pounced onto Zoey. She fell face first into the snow. The creature’s large jaws ripped into her backpack. It would only be a few moments before its sharp teeth would find Zoey’s tender flesh. Sara looked on, powerless to stop it.
A crack of thunder echoed the dead forest, followed by several more. The creature lurched forward and fell, dead. Sara helped a weary Zoey to her feet.
They watched a stranger, wearing similar survival clothes, emerged from the darkness. He held a high-powered rifle, wrapped in strips of cloth.
“I’ve been expecting you,” came his voice through their transmitters.
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Written by J M Emmons. The story and all characters are copyrighted by J M Emmons.
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