DISCLAIMER: All major characters are copyright 1996 to Hanna-Barbera, Inc. and Turner Entertainment. No permission was asked. No money is being made (although it is a wonderful thought). =)
AUTHOR'S NOTE: This is for all the HR's out there (and you know who you are! *grin*) and my college roommates Jen, Julie and Tahnee. . .without whom, I would still be watching JQ with a straight face.
And the plot thickens. . . .
FIRST DATE (Part IV)
by lil'nix
Hadji stared at the monitor of Dr. Quest's laptop. His friends were somewhere in Questworld, and in danger. His eyes narrowed slightly as he concentrated on the situation.
"There must be something we can do, doc," Race Bannon said from the far side of the room.
Dr. Quest looked at his friend. An observer would mistake Race's expressionless face as a sign of coldness. But Benton knew the ex-Navy SEAL better than that. He was tense, pacing from side to side in the back of the room, and nervous. His daughter was in trouble and he was worried, possibly scared. Benton felt the same way about Jonny.
"I'm not sure," Dr. Quest replied with a resigned sigh. "But whatever it may be, we can't do it from the study. The answer is in the lighthouse."
"Are you suggesting that we go into Questworld and look for them?" Race asked. "Surd might find us and --"
"Perhaps not, Race," Hadji said, cutting him off. Both older men noticed a dark expression on Hadji's face. "I might be able to find them *without* going into Questworld. If I concentrate on their life essence I can locate them." He looked at the two men. "But this is a large area and it will take come time. I'm not certain it will work."
Race looked at Hadji hopefully as Dr. Quest placed a hand on his adopted son's shoulder. "There's only one way to find out."
***** ***** *****
Jessie remembered hearing Surd explain his little game.
"It's quite simple, really," he told the two teens. "It's a . . . do pardon the pun . . . a race." He pointed far off into the horizon. "Somewhere out there is a castle. The first one to reach the top of the tower is the winner. The prize, if I win, is that I get to trade bodies with you, young Mr. Quest. If I lose, and I don't intend to, you both go free."
"And what happens to Jessie if you win?" Jonny asked.
Surd thought on that for a moment and smiled. "I'll leave her to Julia. You are a bit young after all, and if Julia switched minds with Ms. Bannon. . .well, the possibilities would be endless."
The last thing Jessie remembered was a bright flash of light and Jonny calling her name. When her eyes focused again, she saw various shades of gray. She was confined in a circular cell with no door and a small window twenty feet above her. The ceiling was bitmapped, so she was still in Questworld. The atmosphere in her cell matched her mood.
Jessie was angry.
First, Surd had the gall to ruin her first *real* date with Jonny. Second, he had trapped them in Questworld for one of his silly games. Third, he had the nerve to make *her* a Damsel in Distress.
"I hate being a Damsel in Distress!" Jessie yelled.
She fumed for a few minutes before sitting down on the floor with a resigned sigh.
*Getting angry isn't going to help me.* Jessie told herself. *And I can't rely on Jonny beating Surd this time. I have to find a way out.*
***** ***** *****
Dr. Quest and Race had just reached the lighthouse when Hadji called them.
"Dr. Quest," Hadji said over the communicator Benton had given him. He stared helplessly at Dr. Quest's laptop. "Something has happened."
"What's wrong?" Dr. Quest's voice came in a panic over the communicator.
"Surd's devised a game between he and Jonny," Hadji tried to explain. "It's a race. If Surd wins, he'll use his neuro-cybernetic transfer on Jonny. If Jonny wins, both he and Jessie get to go free."
Dr. Quest punched in the Questworld code on the computer in front of him and every screen in the room came to life. Race looked at the screens, then at Benton.
"What about Jessie?" Race said.
Hadji heard the bodyguard's question. "I'm not sure, Race. She's disappeared."
"What do you mean disappeared?" Both Benton and Race asked.
Hadji replied, "She just vanished from my screen. Surd probably locked her in the tower of the castle that they are racing to."
Race brightened slightly, knowing his daughter was all right for the time being.
"We must move quickly," Benton said, typing another set of commands into the Questworld computer. He told Hadji, "Race and I will concentrate on trying to help Jonny get to that castle. Try getting in touch with them spiritually and see if you can locate their physical bodies."
"I'll begin right away," Hadji replied.
"Good luck," Dr. Quest said and turned the communicator off. He looked at Race, preparing a VR helmet and taking a seat in one of the chair units they used to access Questworld. "I won't be able to communicate with you. Surd has the program tapped and silence will give us a slight advantage. But the moment he knows you're there, you have to log out. Ready, old friend?"
"As I'll ever be," Race replied, sitting in the chair and giving him the thumbs-up signal.
Dr. Quest typed a log-on command into the system. "Questworld log-on. Subject, Race Bannon. Going hot."
***** ***** *****
Jonny watched as Jessie faded from sight. He tried to grab a hold of her arm, but she had faded too quickly. He screamed her name.
"What have you done to her?" Jonny yelled at Surd.
Surd smiled. "Something I know she's not happy with."
Jonny looked angrily at Surd. He was about ready to charge him when Surd continued, "Don't worry. She's not harmed in any way."
Surd pointed to the horizon. As they watched, a massive castle appeared in the distance. As the castle materialized, a dense jungle filled in the area between the castle and the two opponents. There were no other signs of life.
"She's there, in the castle," Surd told Jonny. "You've got to get to her before I do."
Jonny tried to get a grasp on the challenge ahead of him and concentrated on a strategy. Deep down he knew he could beat Surd at his own game. But there was a lot at stake if he couldn't, and it made him nervous -- a little scared even. Surd was the master in this part of Questworld. He couldn't log out or contact his family.
Suddenly, a shield appeared on Jonny's arm and a sword in his hand. Jonny looked at them in surprise.
"You don't think I would let you use a laser blaster do you?" Surd asked him. "But I don't want you to be completely helpless. Otherwise, you wouldn't be much of a challenge."
Jonny only smirked at his opponent. He was ready.
Meanwhile, Race had arrived in Questworld. When he appeared, he found himself surrounded by thick trees and bushes. His arms and legs felt prickly, like they had fallen asleep. In a clearing ahead of him, he saw Jonny and Surd.
*The doc's body shifter is working. Neither of them noticed my entry,* Race thought. *Now I need to get Jonny's attention.*
"Let the games begin," Surd said with a laugh.
***** ***** *****
Hadji sat cross-legged on the floor of Dr. Quest's study. He didn't want to leave in case Race or Dr. Quest needed his assistance. He closed his eyes and concentrated on his friends. It was difficult at first, but once he was able to ignore the happenings on the computer, Hadji was able to make contact with auras all over the local area.
*I know you are out their, my friends,* Hadji's mind called out. *Your minds may be in Questworld, but your life essences are unmistakable, like fingerprints. Where are you?*
***** ***** *****
*I need to get Jonny's attention without drawing attention to myself.* Race thought. *He should be coming this way any moment.*
Race looked around him. There was a large coconut tree to his left with good leaf coverage. He decided to climb it and wait.
Not noticing Race, Jonny started to make his way through the jungle-like playground Surd had created. It was difficult to cut his way through with just a sword. Hacking a few times at the leaves and vines, they began to give way. And he couldn't be too careful. He didn't know what Surd had planned for him during the game.
Jonny was finally making progress through the dense vegetation when a coconut came flying at him. He brought his shield in front of him and it hit with a THUD.
"I didn't think there was any other life out here," Jonny wondered out loud.
"Speak for yourself, kid."
Was Jonny imagining it, or was it really Race's voice?
As if hearing Jonny's thoughts, Race peeked through some leaves. He motioned for Jonny to keep quiet.
"If Surd finds out I'm here you're both dead," Race said. "Your father and I mapped out this place as best as we could. I'll try to lead you to the castle"
Race's face disappeared behind the leaves. There was a rustling sound and Jonny expected Race to climb down from the tree. Instead, a large tiger leaped from the branch Race had been standing on. Jonny wanted to scream for Race when the tiger said, "Your father programmed my persona to become a tiger after finding you. In disguise it will be easier to get around without making Surd aware of my presence. Actually, I feel like a Mighty Morphin Power Ranger."
Jonny cracked a smile and nodded his head.
"Let's go find Jessie," Jonny whispered.
***** ***** *****
"I really, REALLY, hate this," Jessie said, digging her heel into a loose stone.
Jessie sat in the growing darkness of her cell. She had tried forming different objects with her mind. They all lasted a few seconds before dematerializing. She had even tried growing and shrinking, but neither one worked. Surd had thought of everything.
Or had he?
Jessie felt something pulling at her, calling for her, but she couldn't describe it in words. It was more like a spiritual pull rather than a physical one. For a moment she thought she was imagining it. Her limbs began to tingle -- not a sleepy kind of tingle, but the kind of tingle one would feel if their spirit was leaving their body and then being snapped back into the person.
Hadji.
Hadji was one of the three people Jessie had been thinking about before she passed out at Padros. She called out to them wishing they could hear her.
Hadji heard her.
*If you know it's me, Hadj, you've got to help us.* Jessie concentrated on sending her thoughts to her friend, but was positive he couldn't hear her this time. She was, after all, in Questworld.
Then she thought of something. Hadji had been trying to teach her and Jonny to meditate, focus outside of themselves. Of course, neither of them had really been serious about it, often laughing or giggling while practicing. Now, though, Jessie was completely serious as she closed her eyes and tried to clear her mind. Once she had succeeded, she turned her mind outward in search of her friend.
*Hadji,* she called out. *Please find us. Help us.*
***** ***** *****
Hadji was traveling on the astral plane when her heard Jessie's call.
"Help us."
Hadji concentrated a second longer before opening his eyes.
"Dr. Quest," Hadji nearly shouted as he stood. He grabbed the communicator beside the computer. "I've found them. How are things in Questworld?"
Dr. Quest sighed as he picked up his communicator. "Not well I'm afraid. Race and Jonny have made it to the temple without much incident. Surd slowed them down with an animal trap, but now he's no where in sight. It's doubtful he's at the temple, but I can't be sure. Race only has another minute before Surd's program will pick him up."
"This is not good," Hadji's voice came through the communicator in the lighthouse.
"I'll let Race know we've found them," Dr. Quest told his adopted son. "I just hope we can get to them before this insane game ends."
***** ***** *****
Jonny heaved a sigh. They had made it to the temple. And no sign of Surd.
"Careful, Jonny," Race said. "He may already be here."
"First we need to find a way in."
"No. My time is almost up. If I stay any longer, Surd's program will detect me."
Jonny looked helpless. He wouldn't have made it this far if Race hadn't saved him from the animal trap. How could he get to Jessie without help?
*I have to,* Jonny told himself. *Jess is counting on me.*
"Alright, I'll find a way in and try to stall as long as I can," Jonny told Race.
"Good boy," Race replied. "Hang in there."
With that, Race disappeared from Questworld.
Jonny stood silently for a moment, then began to search the walls for an opening. He found nothing.
Suddenly the huge front doors creaked open.
*Why not,* Jonny thought. He walked over to the doorway and looked across into a courtyard. He glanced up at the tower. Jessie was there, and he had to get to her.
"I'm comin', Jess," Jonny said running toward the tower.
***** ***** *****
Race took off the VR visor that took him into Questworld.
"Any luck, doc?" He noticed Hadji standing beside him. Judging from his grin. . ."I'll take that as a 'yes'."
"They are in a warehouse about fifteen minutes outside of Rockport," Hadji told him.
"And there is only one warehouse in that area," Dr. Quest added.
"The Old Mill Storage facility," Race said with a smile. "Let's get moving."
"I only hope Jonny can keep Surd busy enough until we get there," Dr. Quest said.
***** ***** *****
Jonny kept running up the staircase of the tower.
"And I thought the lighthouse had too many stairs," Jonny said aloud. He was breathing heavily as he reached the top.
"Jess? You in there?"
No answer.
Jonny glanced over his shoulder back down the staircase. No sign of Surd. He looked back at the door and slowly reached a hand toward the door knob. Before he could finish turning the knob, the door dissolved.
Jonny found himself falling through darkness. He waited to hit bottom.
Meanwhile, Jessie had gotten frustrated with her meditation and began pacing her cell.
She heard a strange sound, like fabric tearing, and looked up. The top of her cell was opening up and something was coming through. She braced herself against a wall. Whatever was coming through wouldn't catch her off guard.
Jonny yelled into the darkness. He watched as the ground below him began to tear open. There was light down there, and someone. . .could it be Jessie?
Jonny finally hit solid ground. He landed on his back with a CRACK. For a moment he laid still, not certain what was in the room with him.
Jessie stared in disbelief at Jonny.
"Jonny!" she nearly screamed. "Jonny, are you okay?"
Jonny opened one eye. His vision was blurred for a second. Then he caught sight of one of the most beautiful things he'd ever seen.
Jessie's smiling face.
"Glad you could join me," she said jokingly.
Jonny grimaced as she helped him sit up. He shook his head to clear it, then looked at Jessie. She didn't look hurt in any way. Surd had actually told him the truth. . .for once.
"Are you okay?" Jonny asked just to be certain.
"I've been better," Jessie said.
Jonny tried to stand, but fell down. He laid back down with a groan.
"No, no, no. Don't do that," Jessie said. She placed his head on her lap. "You may have a hard head, Jonny Quest, but you still hit the floor pretty hard."
Jonny cracked a smile at Jessie. "Some first date this turned out to be, huh?"
Jessie brushed some stray hairs out of his eyes and replied, "Yeah. But I can't say I've been on better."
Jonny sighed. "Me, either."
Silence.
"At least we got through dinner," Jonny said. "I'm sure our dads thought we'd never make it that far--"
"Without trying to kill each other," Jessie smiled down at Jonny. "They're probably mad at us by now. anyway."
"Yeah," Jonny said. "Curfew was at least an hour ago."
Again, silence.
"Jess, have you given Todd an answer yet?"
Jessie sighed. She knew he'd ask her that eventually. She had thought about a reply for weeks, but she still didn't know what to tell him.
"No," she said truthfully. "I haven't made up my mind yet, I guess."
"Oh," was all Jonny said.
"Now isn't this cute," Jeremiah Surd's voice made the walls of the cell rattle slightly.
Jessie immediately stood up. Jonny followed, with Jessie's help.
"You've cheated Surd," Jessie said. "This isn't the game you promised."
"No I don't suppose it is," Surd's voice replied. "But I did tell you that I had no intention of letting either of you escape."
Jonny finally gained his balance and moved away from Jessie.
"So what's next?" Jonny asked.
As if waiting to be asked that question, the scenery around the two teens changed again. The stone walls and floor disappeared, revealing a landscape Jonny recognized. The floor was gridded like the ceiling was before, only the markings were red. There were purple cliffs in the distance and the horizon was a dark orange.
Jonny looked at Jessie with dread.
It was the same landscape where Surd had brought Race to transfer his mind into Race's body.
Jessie stared at her new surroundings. Jonny's look told her she wasn't going to like what Surd had in store for them now.
Surd materialized on the opposite side of a geyser behind the two teens. The geyser erupted then dissipated. When the geyser's waters had disappeared, a second figure -- a woman -- stood beside Surd. She looked slightly thin, but built. Her dark hair was cut short and her eyes looked like a cat's.
Julia.
Jonny and Jessie looked at each other, each thinking the same thing.
*We're in for it now.*
END PART 4