T H E
U N O F F I C I A L

H O M E P A G E

Fan Fiction

This page is created by a fan for other fans and is in no way affiliated with, approved of or endorsed by Hanna Barbera or Turner Productions. Please see my disclaimer.

---

Updated August 11, 1997

THE REAL ADVENTURES OF JONNY QUEST

"CYBERGHOST"

by

Gerald  Blackwell


The Net was always beautiful at this time of night, he thought.  
He gazed out across a vast black expanse lit by innumerable 
iridescent globes, all connected by a sparkling spiderweb of 
light beams.  One globe loomed larger than the rest, expanding 
until it filled his vision like a rainbow-colored wall; this was 
his destination.

He chuckled.  This would be too easy.  "The skull is connected to 
the skeleton...," he sang to himself, and a glowing key topped by 
a skull appeared.  "Little bank, little bank, let me in," he 
said, and the key arrowed at the wall.  It struck with a flash, 
and a round section slid aside.  He glided through the hole and 
saw another web of light beams, each one tipped by a tiny cube.  
He felt his tongue move across his lips.  "Argh, mateys!" he 
crowed.  "The Bank of Rockport has surrendered!  There be loot 
here!"

He drifted lazily among the cubes, touching them here and there, 
transferring a few dollars from each one; passcodes were *so* 
easy to get these days.  A few more accounts, he thought, and 
Jack Drowd will have his rent and groceries.  Why, I might even 
have enough to ask my neighbor out.

He touched the last cube.  Oooo, he thought. A big one.  Looks 
like there's a fun evening in my future...

Had he been in the real world, the hairs on the back of his neck 
might have stood up.  He might have had some warning.  But this 
was *not* the real world, and the power surge hit him like a 
tidal wave.

****

This was all so ridiculously easy, Jeremiah Surd thought as his 
virtual body flew through the Internet aether.  He grudgingly 
gave credit to Benton Quest for inventing the QuestWorld system; 
yes, Quest was definitely a genius.  "Not as great a genius as 
*I* am, though," he said, laughing.  "For every hole they manage 
to plug, I make a new one.  I only wish I had found this way in 
through their PC banking system sooner.   Ah ah ah, Dr. Quest.  
It's never healthy to leave your back door unlocked!" He sped on, 
cackling evilly, paying no heed to the opening in the Bank of 
Rockport node, and ignoring the slight resistance he met as he 
entered the Quest account.  Soon, he found himself in QuestWorld.  
"Now," he said, grinning.  "To the hunt."

****

Jonny Quest loved the wide open spaces, even if they were only 
virtual.  He had wanted to go jet-skiing today, but a storm 
blowing in from the North Atlantic had prevented that.  So he 
chose the next best thing, and now he was bouncing over the waves 
of a virtual ocean, following the line of a fantastic, palm-
covered beach, the sun high in the QuestWorld sky.

"This is great, Hadji!" he said.  "The new QuestWorld upgrade 
makes the landscape more realistic than ever!  I can even feel 
the wind and seaspray on my face!"

"Don't thank me, my friend.  It was Jessie who did all the design 
work.  She has become quite a capable programmer."

"Remind me to thank her."

As he spoke, Jessie Bannon entered the room.  Her eyes paused 
briefly on Jonny's unmoving form seated in the induction chair, 
the active visor clipped to his ear, then moved to the activity 
on the interface screen. "You're welcome," she said, smiling.

"Oh, hi Jess!" Jonny's screen image said.  "Come on in, the 
water's fine!"

"I think I'll do that," she said, and seating herself in the 
induction chair next to Jonny's, clipped a visor to her ear.  
"QuestWorld log on.  Subject: Jessie Bannon.  Going hot in 
5...4...3...2...1..."

And nothing happened.

Jessie sat up and looked to Hadji.  "What's wrong?"

Hadji was tapping at the keyboard.  "I do not know.  We have been 
locked out of the system!"

Jessie looked at the interface screen and gasped.  The sound 
brought Hadji's eyes to the screen as well.  Jonny was zooming 
along on his virtua speeder, oblivious to the sinister vectorized 
fin that broke the surface behind him, moving closer second by 
second.

****

Jonny turned the speeder toward the beach and watched for Jessie 
to materialize.  A moment passed, and when she didn't appear, he 
furrowed his brow with concern.

"Yo, Jess!" he called.  "What's keeping you?"

He looked around and noticed a shape in the virtual waters to his 
left.  As he watched, a vectorized fin broke the surface, 
followed by a tapered snout.  A single black eye and a tooth-
filled maw completed the picture.  The maw then curled into an 
incongruous grin and the eye fixed him with a baleful stare.  
"Going my way, sailor?" the beast said in a voice that was all 
too familiar.

"Surd!"

"Right the first time, boy!!!"  the monster roared, and leapt at 
him, jaws gaping.

Jonny throttled the speeder all the way up and veered right, 
allowing the jaws to snap shut on empty virtual air.  He glanced 
over his shoulder and saw the Surd-monster fall into the water, 
sending up a column of spray.  He looked forward and saw a stand 
of palm trees rushing to meet him.  He tried to veer left and 
miss them but he wasn't quick enough.  The speeder struck a tree 
and spun, flinging him clear before it plowed into the virtual 
sand and vanished.

Jonny hit the ground rolling and came to a stop, stunned, at base 
of a sand dune.  He shook his head to clear it and saw the form 
of Jeremiah Surd striding from the water, lit from behind by a 
blood-red sun hanging low in the virtual sky.

"The young lady is unable to attend your little beach blanket 
soiree," Surd said as he drew nearer, until he stood astride 
Jonny's prone form.  "It's just as well that she's not here, I 
guess.  After all, it is no fun when your date has lost his 
head!"  He cackled as his hand became liquid and reformed into a 
spinning buzz saw.

****

Jack Drowd awoke to find himself lying on a beach.  A pleasant 
place, to be sure, but it was not where he had expected to be.  
"This is *not* my apartment," he observed.  "So where the spung 
*am* I?"

He looked down and saw a vectorized humanoid body.  Hellll-o, he 
thought, what's this?  He willed himself to stand, and the body 
responded.  Cool.  Maybe that power surge killed me and I'm in 
hacker heaven.  Nah.  Hackers only go to hell.  And what have we 
here? He thought as he picked up a bag which lay at his feet.  He 
rummaged through its contents, discovering a spray can, a brick, 
a dictionary, a skull-topped key, a small black sphere- "Hey! 
These are my programs!  This must be my cyberdeck!  Very cool.  I 
always wanted a bag of tricks.  This must be some sort of VR 
setup, but I've never seen *anything* like this."  He took a deep 
breath and smelled the sea.  "Wow.  Full sensory input.  Might as 
well have a look around as long as I'm here."  He slung the bag 
over his shoulder, and walked along the beach, singing to 
himself.  "Wastin' away again in Margaritaville..."

His reverie was interrupted by what sounded like a jet engine, 
then a crash.  So he was *not* alone here!  Paying no heed to his 
usual caution, he ran toward the sound.  Soon he heard someone 
shouting and laughing.  He climbed a nearby sand dune and peered 
over the top.  He saw two figures with vectorized bodies similar 
to his. One of them, lying on the ground, was smallish and 
slender and had a shock of yellow hair on its head.  The other 
was big and strong-looking, with features that looked like they 
were chiseled from marble.  This one was cackling like a fiend 
and brandishing a buzz saw on the end of one arm.

This must be some kind of game, Jack thought.  Ah, well, when in 
Nome... "Hey, spamhead!" he shouted, standing.  "Leave that kid 
alone!"

Both figures looked up at him, startled.  Then the big one looked 
down at the small one and placed a hand on its hip.  "Well, well, 
boy.  I see you've added some new security features since I was 
last here.  How kind of you."  It began to walk up the slope 
toward Jack, then paused and turned on the one it had called 
"boy".  "Don't go away," it said, pointing a finger.  Four giant 
staples sprang into being and imbedded themselves in the sand at 
"boy"'s wrists and ankles.  "I'll be right back."  It advanced on 
Jack, its cackling quickly replaced by the whine of the buzz saw.

****

Jessie hated feeling so helpless; she wanted to reach out and 
pull Jonny from the induction chair.  But she knew that would be 
useless; her friend's mind would still be trapped in QuestWorld, 
at Surd's mercy.  "We've got to do something!"

Hadji continued working at the keyboard.  "I am sorry, Jessie.  
We can do nothing until I find a way through Surd's lockout."

Jessie looked back to the interface screen.  "Jonny could be dead 
by then," she said softly.

"Hey, spamhead!  Leave that kid alone!"  Both of them started at 
the sound of a new voice.  A new vectorized figure had appeared 
on the screen.  It looked like an artist's mannequin made of 
chrome, and its most distinguishing feature was its lack of a 
face.  One hand clutched a bag, and the other gestured tauntingly 
at Surd.

Jessie and Hadji could only gape in disbelief.

****

Surd strode up the dune toward this new opponent, his buzz saw 
arm poised to strike.  Jack began to back away, reaching into his 
bag.  This thing thinks I'm a security feature?  What kind of 
game is this?

"Pretty cowardly for a security program, aren't you?"  Surd 
laughed and continued to advance.

As Surd topped the dune, Jack pulled a brick from his bag and 
held it high.  "Compliments of Ignatz," he shouted, and hurled 
it.

Surd's hand went up reflexively to fend off this attack, but then 
he saw that the brick had landed at his feet.  He smiled, then 
called over his shoulder. "You'll have to write better code than 
this if want stop me, boy!"  He continued to stride forward, but 
before he could take his next step the brick instantly expanded 
into a high, translucent wall, clipping him in the chin as it 
grew.  The blow sent him reeling, and he tumbled back down to the 
base of the dune.

It was Jack's turn to laugh now, and he did so, loud and long.  
"Don'cha *hate* it when that happens?"

He was answered by an almost inhuman growl which grew to an 
equally inhuman yell, and he saw Surd charging at the Codewall.  
He raised his buzz saw arm high and brought it down, shattering 
the wall.  Jack winced.  That's quite an Icepick, he thought.  
Maybe I've bitten off--  he didn't finish the thought, as Surd 
was upon him, buzz saw screaming.

"Now, you stinking sack of substandard coding...!"

--more than I-

"I slice!"

Jack dodged, avoiding the whirling blade.

--can-

"I *dice*!!"

Another miss, but just barely.

--chew?

"I DECAPITATE!!!!!"

The blade struck him diagonally across the chest, wracking him 
with a pain beyond any he had ever experienced.  He looked down 
at his body, saw the jagged, glowing gash and wondered vaguely if 
the screaming in his ears was his own voice or that of the saw.  
His knees buckled and he fell, clutching his bag.

Surd kicked him savagely.  "Get up, scum, so I can finish you 
off!"

WhycantIjackoutwhycantIjackoutwhycantIjackoutwhycantIjackoutwhyca
ntIjackout???
Through the haze of horrible pain, Jack thought only of escape, 
but he could not disconnect from this program.  You idiot, he 
thought.  You had to go and get cocky, and now you're gonna get 
gakked by somebody's homegrown version of "Doom" and-

Surd kicked him again.  "I said GET UP!!!"

"Go away," Jack mumbled.

Surd was aghast.  "What did you say??!"

Jack rolled over, pulling a spray can from the bag.  "I said 'go 
away'."  He depressed the button, and Surd was enveloped in a 
cloud of sparkling purple mist.

Surd screamed as he saw his QuestWorld body begin to dissolve.  
"What have you done to me?!!"

Jack lay there, chuckling at such a stupid question.  "It's a 
Corrode program, you jerk!"

Surd's limbs had vanished now, and his torso was rapidly doing 
the same.  His voice was a terrified shriek.  "Julia!  Julia!!  
Log me out of QuestWorld!!!  NOW!!!!"  He vanished, still 
screaming.

Jonny was struggling at his bonds when he heard Surd scream.  
Then, to his astonishment, the staples disappeared.  The 
QuestWorld sun returned to its place, high in the virtual sky.  
He wondered what had become of Surd, and ran up the dune where 
his enemy had gone.

****

"The system is unlocked, Jessie!  Surd is gone, but another user 
is still connected to QuestWorld!"

Jessie looked at the interface screen, saw Jonny ascending the 
sand dune.  "Wait a minute, Jonny," she said.  "I'm coming in."

She sat back in the induction chair and clipped the visor to her 
ear.  "Log me in, Hadji."

"I am going to attempt a trace on Jonny's rescuer."  Hadji said. 
"Be very careful, both of you."

Jessie nodded.  "You don't have to tell me twice!"

In seconds, Jessie materialized next to Jonny.  "Hadji says 
there's another user connected to QuestWorld.  He's doing a trace 
now."

Jonny's eyes grew wide  "How can that be?  You can't just log 
into QuestWorld from any old computer!"

Jessie shrugged.  "Maybe we can ask *that*," she said, and cocked 
her thumb in the direction of the silvery figure sprawled on the 
sand nearby, a glowing gash across its chest.  It gripped a bag 
in one hand.  As they approached, they could hear a weak, 
staticky voice coming from it.

"Feelin' good now...punchin' meat now...sucking eggs now...the 
weenah and still champeen..."  It waved a fist in the air weakly, 
then went limp.

As she knelt for a closer look, Jessie realized she had been 
wrong in thinking this thing had no face.  It did have one, of a 
sort: fuzzy, dancing shapes denoted the location of eyes and 
mouth, the effect making her think of some ghostly computer-
generated jack-o'-lantern.

"Are...are you all right,"  Jonny asked as he joined Jessie, 
unsure of what else to say.

The jack-o'-lantern face came into sharper focus.  "Only hurts 
when I laugh, kid...or move...or breathe..."  It made a 
dismissive gesture.  "By the way, what's your point value?"

Jonny blinked incredulously.  "What?"

The figure began to sit up, the wound in its chest slowly 
knitting closed.  "You know, *point value*.  Standard game term.  
I gak the monster and rescue the victim, I get a point award."  
Jonny and Jessie stared, uncomprehending.

"What kind of cockamamie setup have I jacked into?"  the figure 
asked, frustrated.

Then Jonny understood.  "This isn't a game,"  he said.  "This is 
QuestWorld, and I'm Jonny..."

Jessie grabbed his arm and shushed him, but the damage was done.  
The figure was on its feet, clutching its bag and backing away.

"You...oh frak...you mean...you mean I been dealin' with *people* 
all this time?  Aw, spung!"

Jonny pulled away from Jessie and moved slowly toward the figure, 
trying to be as non-threatening as he could.  "Now, don't be 
scared, fella, we're not gonna hurt you, we just want..."

The figure dropped the bag on the ground and stepped into it, 
then fingered the side of its head.  "Gottagoseeyabye!"

Then it vanished, leaving Jonny and Jessie to puzzle over what 
they had just witnessed.

****

Jack pulled the plug from his head, and his computer room sprang 
into being around him.  "What the hell was that all about?" he 
asked, feeling another headache coming on.  I need a painkiller, 
he thought.  He got up and felt a lingering pain across his 
chest, where the crazed VR thing had hit him with the buzz saw.  
I *definitely* need a painkiller.

He picked his way over the cables littering the floor, being very 
careful not to kick anything.  This was his haven, his inner 
sanctum, lined from floor to ceiling with computer equipment of 
every description.  This room was home to him most of his waking 
hours, and was the permanent home of his cyberdeck, the device 
which, when plugged into the implant in his brain, allowed him to 
control any computer by thought alone.  He picked up his pace, 
the pressure on his bladder reminding him that he had been 
sitting for far too long.

He finished and washed his face.  As he reached to open the 
medicine chest he noticed his reflection and chuckled derisively.  
"Such a perfect specimen of manhood."  Deep-set grey eyes, an 
unkempt mop of black hair.  A smallish nose, full lips and a 
strong, unshaven jaw completed this impromptu portrait, and the 
harsh light of the single bulb made him look more pale and 
ghostly than he was.  Portrait in the can.  Perfect, he thought.  
But its what's *inside* that counts.  He fingered the small 
socket behind his left ear.

He heard a knock at the door.  "Hold on a minute," he said 
loudly.  He opened the medicine chest, grabbed a bottle of 
acetaminophen and codeine prescribed for Larry Gibson and shook 
out two, three pills, and swallowed them without water.  Then he 
headed for the door, fingering his dingy T-shirt and curling his 
lip in mild disgust.  He peered through the peephole, then opened 
the door to a tall, attractive woman with shoulder-length brown 
hair and sparkling hazel eyes.

"Oh. Hi, Susan," he said.

Susan smiled.  "Thought I'd show you the movie I bought today.  
Want to come down and watch it with me?"  A mild Southern accent 
decorated her voice.

Jack had met Susan Parsons when he had first moved here, and this 
was something of a weekly ritual for the two of them.  He looked 
at the videocassette in her hand.  _Forbidden Planet_, one of his 
favorites.  But the pain in his head and chest would not subside, 
and he shook his head no.  "I think I'd better beg off tonight.  
I don't feel so good.  Maybe some other time."

Susan's shoulders sank.  "Aw, another migraine?  I've told you 
there's a doctor at Camden General who specializes in this kind 
of stuff.  Why don't you go see him?"

Jack shrugged.  "I'll think about it.  Thanks for stopping by, 
though.  See you later."

"Bye, Jack."  His door closed, and Susan sighed and headed back 
to her apartment.

Jack leaned his head on the door.  She is your only regular human 
contact.  You avoid everybody in this building except her, and 
now you're chasing her away.  He stood there a moment, softly 
pounding his head on the door.  "Ah, what the hell," he said, and 
opened it.

"Uh, Susan," he called.

She was opening her door when he called, and she turned to look.

He gave her a lopsided smile.  "You know, you've been pretty nice 
to me since I moved in and all and, well, I've come into a little 
extra money, so I wonder if you might let me take you out 
someplace."

She thought briefly, then smiled.  "Why, yes, Jack.  I'd like 
that."

"Great!  Let me get cleaned up, and I'll see you in an hour or 
so."

****

"I have a trace on the signal that piggy-backed you, Jeremiah,"  
Julia said, looking up from her terminal.  "The name is William 
Niven."  An address and phone number appeared on her screen, and 
a printer came to life behind her.

Surd's eyes narrowed to slits.  "Excellent." His rasping voice 
came from the vocoder mounted on his chest.  "Lorenzo, you will 
take some of your...associates and retrieve Mr. Niven.  And bring 
any equipment you find; this person may just prove quite useful 
to me."

Lorenzo grinned and loaded his pistol.  "Sure, Dr. Surd.  When 
have I ever let ya down?"

His employer's silence spoke volumes.

****

Hadji beamed with uncharacteristic pride.  "Our visitor is a 
hacker of great skill.  I had to trace him through 27 layers 
before I found the source.  It appears he was trying to hack into 
our account at the Bank of Rockport."  He showed Jonny and Jessie 
his printout.  "The phone number belongs to one William Niven, 
and he lives in Camden, not far from here."

Jonny bristled.  "Tried to rob us, did he?  I say we oughtta go 
up there and turn that guy over to the police!"

"Turn him over to the police?" Jessie asked.  "Hacking our bank 
account or not, is that any way to treat somebody who saved your 
life?"

"You heard him, Jessie.  He thought he was in a game, for pete's 
sake.  When he found out we were real he couldn't get outta there 
fast enough."

"He only found out 'causa your big mouth."

"Hey...!"

Hadji intervened.  "It does not matter how he got in or what he 
was doing.  We will have to upgrade our security again anyway 
because of Surd.  And I believe that *he* was in some way 
responsible for Mr. Niven's unexpected appearance."

His statement was punctuated by the sound of an approaching 
helicopter.  "That will be Race and Dr. Quest returning from 
Boston.  We should tell your father what happened, Jonny.  He 
will know what to do."

Moments later, the three of them stood near the Quest compound's 
helipad as Race Bannon brought the helicopter in for a landing.  
Bandit came running from near the main house, jumping and barking 
happily.  Jonny's father waved as the aircraft touched down.

"You three came down here in quite a hurry,"  he said as he got 
out, speaking loudly to be heard over the chopper's idling 
motors.  "Anything I should know?"

Jonny grabbed his father's two overnight bags and handed one to 
Hadji.  "Not much, Dad.  Just that our old buddy Surd tried to 
kill me today."

Quest's smile faded.  "What?  I thought sure the new security 
protocols on QuestWorld would keep him out."  He sighed.  "I 
guess he found another way in."

"Did I hear Surd's name?"  Race strode around the chopper, his 
overnight bag slung over one shoulder and his free arm around 
Jessie.  "That guy's worse than athlete's foot and harder to get 
rid of.  What's happened, Dr. Quest?"

Anger began to show through Benton Quest's usually calm veneer.  
"He's tried to kill Jonny.  Again."  He walked quickly toward the 
main house,  Jonny, Hadji and Bandit following, and said nothing 
more.

Race shared his friend's anger.  Jonny was like a son to him.  
And Surd's continuous attacks on their children only proved what 
a bully and a coward he really was.  He vowed that if the 
opportunity ever presented itself, he would kill that fiendish 
maniac.  He recoiled instantly at the thought.  Killing was not 
new to him, but cold-blooded murder was not his way.  That would 
make him no better than Surd.

As they walked, Jessie saw her father's bemused expression.  "You 
okay, dad?"

Race shrugged.  "Yeah, Jess.  I was just thinking about how it 
always seems to be my old enemies who always come back to haunt 
us.  Jonny, Hadji, Dr. Quest..."  he stopped, and looked at her.  
"You.  If you were to...if *anything* were to happen to any of 
you, I'd never forgive myself."

Jessie hugged her father, then looked him in the eye.  "You and 
Dr. Quest taught us that the surest way for evil to succeed was 
for good people to stand by and do nothing.  Well, we're *doing* 
something, and I wouldn't have it any other way!  It makes me 
feel really good when we help somebody."  Her face broke into a 
mischievous grin.  "It makes me feel even better when we screw up 
some bad guy's day!"

Race smiled.  "Out of the mouths of babes..."

Jessie punched him in the arm.  "Hey!  Don't call me 'babe'!"

He laughed.  "I wouldn't think of it."  He felt a raindrop hit 
his cheek, and looked up at the leaden sky.  "We'd better get 
inside.  Looks like that storm that blew in this morning is 
coming back for another round."

As if in answer, a single stroke of lightning split the sky, 
followed by a peal of distant thunder.

After Race and Dr. Quest had unpacked, everyone sat down to 
dinner, and Jonny, Jessie and Hadji told them of the happenings 
earlier that day, of Surd's attack on Jonny and his rescue at the 
hands of an unknown hacker who had inexplicably appeared in 
QuestWorld.  Bandit paid little heed to the conversation, looking 
up only when Jonny spoke, his attention focused mainly on his 
food bowl.  "...and when I let it slip that he wasn't in a game, 
he got scared and disappeared," Jonny said, gulping down the last 
of his soda.

"But before he got away, I was able to trace him," Hadji said.

"Too bad Surd had the system locked up, or you might have been 
able to trace him, too," Race said.

"I still say we could've learned more about him if you hadn't 
spilled the beans," Jessie said.

Jonny rolled his eyes.  "Let's not start *that* again!"

Quest put down his coffee cup.  "That's enough with 
recriminations, you two.  What's done is done."  Now that he had 
everyone's attention, he continued.  "The only way to access 
QuestWorld is with specialized equipment.  So that means our 
interloper, Mister...what was that name again, Hadji?"

Hadji looked at his printout.  "Niven, Dr. Quest."

"Thank you.  So that means our interloper, Mr. Niven, has access 
to equipment and software far beyond the realm of ordinary 
computing."  He paused briefly, thinking.  Then his face 
brightened, and he stood.  "You know, IRIS keeps a recording of 
every QuestWorld session.  It is a passive system, so Surd's 
lockout is unlikely to have affected it.  Perhaps viewing that 
recording will give us some clues about him.  The 'who' and 
'where' we have; I want to see if we can find out more about 
*what* we're dealing with.  With any luck, he might just lead us 
back to Surd.  Let's get to the lighthouse, shall we?"

The single raindrop Race had felt earlier heralded the arrival of 
a full-blown storm, and now the beacon atop the lighthouse swept 
its beam in a stately arc over land and sea.  In spite of their 
raincoats, the short trip from the main house was a wet one, and 
everyone had to do a bit of drying off.  Even Bandit, who had 
been nestled inside Jonny's raincoat, had to shake himself 
vigorously.  Jonny looked out the window at the driving rain.  
Man, *nobody* with any brains is out in this, he thought.

****

Lorenzo flinched and cursed at another stroke of lightning; damn 
Surd for making them fly in this weather!  The gadget he was 
looking for wouldn't do them a bit of good if they all died in a 
helicopter crash.  "Oh, well," he said, "Jeremiah's the boss."

His grip on the controls tightened as a blast of wind buffeted 
the aircraft.  His employer and his sister Julia were blissfully 
unaware of the weather, he knew.  They were using QuestWorld, and 
he preferred not to speculate on what they might be using it for.  
He shrugged.  "Whatever feather tickles ya..."

Through the driving rain he saw city lights approaching, and 
checked his position on the heads-up display.  Camden, it was 
about damn time!  He adjusted the display to show local 
topography and found a flat, clear, uninhabited area several 
miles away.  We'll put down there, he thought, and then I can get 
some shut-eye.  I'll call Chester and Big Louie in the morning to 
let 'em know I'm here.

The unmarked black chopper angled toward its new destination, 
ignored by the city below.

****

Jack and Susan burst through the door of their apartment 
building, drenched and laughing.  The rain had caught them by 
surprise when they left the restaurant, and they were both soaked 
by the time they got to Jack's car.

"I really hated to cut things short, Jack, but I work seven to 
three at the hospital tomorrow, and I need to get to bed."

"I understand," he said, nodding.  "I work some odd hours myself, 
sometimes.  Can I at least see you to your door?"

She smiled.  "I'd expect no less from you."

"All righty, then," he said, proffering his arm.  Susan took it, 
and they ascended the stairs together.

"I had a lot of fun this evening,"  she said.  "I've driven by 
that little Italian place a few times, but I never got around to 
going in."

"Glad I was able to take you,"  he said, smiling his lopsided 
smile.  "You know, I can't remember the last time I went out..."  
His voice trailed off.

Susan looked at him, her face questioning.

"...with, uh, someone as nice as you," he finally stammered.  Oh, 
that was *too* smooth, butthead, he thought.

She smiled again.  "Well, you're pretty nice yourself."

They went the rest of the way in silence, arm in arm.

"Well, I, uh, I guess this is good night," he said as they 
reached her door.

"I guess it is," she said as she turned to face him.  They stood 
very close now, and Jack shifted nervously under her gaze.

"Um, we better get inside, uh, before we catch cold."

"I'm an RN, Jack.  I can handle a cold."  Her voice was lower 
now, and he found himself leaning closer.  Throwing caution to 
the wind, he moved to kiss her cheek.  Just as he was about to 
make contact he heard her whisper "No, no."

"Huh?"

Before he could react, she put her hand on his cheek and gently 
turned his face toward hers.  Then she pressed her lips to his.  
After a long moment they parted.  "You can start breathing again 
now," she said.  She opened her door and entered, then turned to 
smile at him again.  "Good night, Jack," she said, and her door 
closed.

"G...g'night," was all Jack managed to say.  He stood there a 
moment, then headed slowly down the hall to his apartment.  He 
felt another headache coming on, but he didn't care.

****

"IRIS, pause,"  Quest said, and the image on the screen froze.  
He looked intently at it for a long moment, absently twirling his 
pen.  "Curiouser and curiouser."

"What do you see, Dad?" Jonny asked.

"That chrome-colored figure there.  It looks like one of the old 
humaniform vector models I used when I was first experimenting 
with QuestWorld.  Evidently, our visitor's inbound data stream is 
very similar to what we use to create our virtual bodies.  If it 
wasn't, then the system would have just kicked him out."

"Then you think he has equipment like ours," Jessie said.

"Possible, but not likely.  In any case, it would be crude.  
IRIS, resume."

The playback continued with the silver figure pulling a brick 
from its bag, holding it high and shouting "Compliments of 
Ignatz!" as he threw it.  Race chuckled.

"What's funny?" Jonny asked.

"We know this guy likes comics.  IRIS, pause."  He continued.  
"That was a reference to _Krazy Kat_, an old, old comic strip 
from the Thirties.  IRIS, resume."

They watched as Surd stepped over the brick and went tumbling 
when it transformed into a wall.  Then the room erupted with 
laughter.  "Good shot!" Jonny guffawed.  "Better than 'Looney 
Tunes'!"

The recording ran its course, and Quest brought the lights back 
up.  Jonny spoke first.  "So, what do you think, Dad?"

Quest stroked his beard.  "What it looks like we have here is 
IRIS producing a graphical representation of Niven's signal using 
existing data.  The old vector model, the lack of a discernible 
face..." He paused, thinking.  "The bag is what I don't 
understand.  I am convinced that it's a piece of hardware of some 
kind, but I have never seen programs invoked that rapidly.  Even 
the defensive software we use in QuestWorld takes time to run.  
Niven's programs had almost no run time, and I've never seen that 
kind of processing speed before.  I'd like very much to know what 
kind of processor he uses."

"I still don't understand how he got in at all," Jessie said.  "I 
can almost understand Surd getting past our firewalls, but not 
some garden-variety hacker."

"I agree with Dr. Quest that we are dealing with no ordinary 
hacker," Hadji said.  "When I ran the trace on Mr. Niven I found 
damaged code at the ends of the pipeline between IRIS and our 
account.  Surd uses a 'brute force' method to get into our 
system, so his handiwork was easy to spot."  He paused, gathering 
his thoughts.  "That pipeline is the only route from our account 
to IRIS, and I think that Niven's signal piggy-backed Surd's, 
causing our system to read them both as a single user."

"Interesting idea, Hadji," Quest said.

"Do you think we could have the police bring charges against 
him?" Race asked.

Hadji shook his head.  "That is doubtful, Race.  Surd caused so 
much damage that there is really nothing to show that anyone else 
was ever there.  And there is no money missing.  It is as though 
our account was hacked by a ghost."

"Then it looks like we'll have to pay Mr. Niven a little visit,"  
Quest said.

"Are you sure that's wise, Doc?" Race asked.  "I mean, with Surd 
and all..."

"To be honest, I don't think we have anything to fear from Mr. 
Niven.  In fact, I'm as concerned for his safety as I am for 
ours.  If we were able to trace him, chances are Surd was able to 
trace him, too.  We need to get to him as soon as possible."

"Great!" Jonny exclaimed.  "When do we leave?"

Quest's expression turned stern.  "*Race and I* will be leaving 
in the morning."  Thunder crashed outside.  "Or whenever this 
storm lets up," he amended.

"But, Dad..."

"No 'buts', Jonny.  I need you three here to repair the damage 
Surd caused to the system."

"And if I know Jeremiah Surd," Race added, "he won't risk another 
attack on the compound.  You'll be safe here."

Jonny sighed.  And bored, he thought.

****

Jonny watched disconsolately from his window as the family Land 
Rover pulled out of the driveway.  Why was it that whenever 
things got exciting their fathers would lock them down like this?  
"It's not like we can't take care of ourselves," he said to no 
one in particular.

He turned when he felt Jessie's hand on his shoulder.  "I'm just 
as peeved about this as you are," she said.  "But as long as 
we're stuck here, we can make QuestWorld security so tight that 
Surd'll *never* get back in!  C'mon! Hadji's waiting in the lab!"

Reluctantly, he followed her.

****

The drive to Camden had been short and pleasant; the morning sun 
gleamed in the numerous puddles left by last night's storm, and a 
cool breeze moved lazily over the Maine countryside.  Quest and 
Race quickly found the apartment building they sought, and parked 
across the street to plan their next move.

"So, Doc," Race said, eyeing the place, "shall we rappel off the 
roof and swing in through the window?"

Quest chuckled.  "No, Race.  I think we can get away with 
knocking on the door like respectable visitors."

Race snapped his fingers in mock disappointment.

"Well, let's be about it,"  Quest said, and they left the car and 
set out across the street.

It was not long before they stood before the apartment door.  Dr. 
Quest positioned himself directly in front of the peephole and 
Race stood next to the door with his back to the wall so he could 
watch both ends of the hallway, as well as the stairs they had 
just ascended.  Quest glanced at Race, shrugged, and rapped on 
the door loudly and firmly.  A moment passed.

"Wizzit," a sleepy-sounding voice said from within.

"This is Benton Quest," he answered, pitching his voice to be as 
deep and authoritative as possible.  "I have something important 
to discuss with you, Mr. Niven.  Something about some recent 
*computer experience*."

There was a long silence.  "You got wrong place.  There's nobody 
here named Niven."

"We both know that's not entirely true.  I have the right place, 
that's certain.  I came here out of concern for your safety.  All 
I want is a few minutes of your time.  I think we can clear up a 
few questions."  He paused.  "And you have my word," he 
continued, "that I have *not* contacted the police.  Yet."

Jack's eyes grew wide as he looked through the peephole at his 
visitor.  Oh smeg, he thought, it *is* Quest!  He looked over at 
his coffee table, a piece of lacquered plywood supported by milk 
crates, and saw the three-month-old issue of _Time_ which lay 
there.  The owner of the face on the magazine's cover now stood 
outside his door!  His fingers hovered over the latch as he 
thought furiously.

*This isn't a game!  This is QuestWorld, and I'm Jonny...*

"Quest," Jack said, and opened the door.

Quest had no idea what to expect when the door opened; now he was 
faced with one of the most non-descript human beings he had ever 
seen, and found himself feeling vaguely disappointed.  "May I 
come in?" he asked.

The apparition blinked at him, then began to shrink away from the 
door.  "Uh...yeah.  Sure.  Nice of you to drop...by..."  His 
voice trailed off at the sight of Race entering the apartment.

Quest glanced over his shoulder, then looked back.  "This is Mr. 
Bannon," he said without preamble.  "He'll be joining us."

Race nodded, his face a mask, and closed the door.  Then he moved 
to the left of the doorway and stood next to a cheap-looking 
table lamp which sat atop a stout barrel.

His host's eyes followed Race, then refocused on him.  "Uh...have 
a seat," he said, motioning toward a group of mismatched chairs 
surrounding the coffee table.

"Thank you," Quest said as he did so.  He noticed the copy of 
_Time_ and picked it up.  "You have me at a disadvantage.  You 
know who *I* am, obviously, but I'm sure that 'William Niven' is 
not your real name.  Am I right so far?"

His host stood where he was, nervously shifting his feet and 
rubbing the back of his head.  "Yeah. You're right."

"So, what shall I call you?"

Anything but late for breakfast, he thought.  "Jack will do.  
Jack Drowd."

"I want to thank you for saving my son, Jack."

Jack looked at him.  "Then I wasn't hallucinating?  Those were 
all real people I was dealing with?"

Quest nodded.  "You were in QuestWorld, a virtual reality system 
of my own design.  My son and his friends have also helped to 
develop it."

"It's quite a setup."

"Indeed.  And it requires specialized equipment to establish an 
interface.  I'd like to know what equipment you're using."

Jack remained silent and stared at the floor.  And I'd rather you 
*didn't* know, he thought.  Then he looked at Race, who hadn't 
moved from his post by the door.  He sighed.  "Ahtahellwithit," 
he said finally.  "If you can't trust Doctor Benton Quest, who 
can you trust?"

Then he turned and walked toward what Quest assumed was his 
bedroom.  He entered, then emerged moments later carrying a black 
box and a handful of cable in one hand, and a diskette box in the 
other.  He set them on the coffee table.

Quest inspected the box, and was not surprised when he found no 
manufacturer's mark.  "It looks like a PC.  The power switch and 
the floppy drive I recognize, of course, but what does this port 
connect to?"  He pointed to a multi-pin port below the floppy 
drive.

"That's where *this* goes," Jack said, uncoiling a length of 
cable with a multi-pin plug at one end and an unrecognizable 
device on the other.  He inserted the plug into the port, then 
held up the device, turning it slowly in his hand.  "This part," 
he said, indicating a tongue-like protrusion, "goes in the floppy 
drive of the computer you're using.  Next is where the fun 
begins!"

Quest cocked an eyebrow.  "Oh, really?"

He uncoiled another length of cable, this one much thinner, with 
a plug on each end.  "This end goes here," he said, inserting the 
plug in a socket on the black box.  "And this..."  He held up the 
remaining plug, then shoved it into the socket behind his ear.

Quest's eyes went wide, and he leaned forward, fascinated.  
"Complete neural interface," he said.  "No wonder your programs 
run so quickly.  You're using the most powerful computer in the 
world as your processor: the human brain!"

Jack smirked.  "You catch on fast.  You *must* be a scientist."

"Where did you get this?" Quest asked.

Jack shrugged.  "I have no idea.  Y'see, the last thing I 
remember is waking up in the back of a van with this thing 
plugged into my head."

Quest nodded.  "Go on."

"So I figured my waking up probably wouldn't contribute to my 
continued good health, and since there was nobody around,  I 
blew."  He pulled the plug from his head and placed it on the 
black box.

"Taking this equipment and these diskettes with you," Quest 
added.

Jack looked at Quest.  "I had a choice?  Anyway, after a while I 
figured out I was in New York City.  I got out of town as quick 
as I could, and I've been moving ever since."

"Haven't you been concerned that whoever did this to you might 
try to find you?"

"I've spent the last year and a half or so scared witless that 
somebody was gonna kick in the door in the dead of night."  He 
shrugged.  "Nobody's showed up so far."

Quest stroked his beard, thinking.  "An interesting story, Jack.  
And considering what's happened recently, I'm concerned that you 
may be in danger."

"Yeah, you said something about that before I let you in."

"Yes.  You've no doubt figured out that I was able to trace you 
here.  I fear that an enemy of mine may have traced you as well.  
He's the one you fought in QuestWorld.  His name is Jeremiah 
Surd."

Jack shook his head.  "Never heard of him."

"He's a vicious and evil man," Quest continued.  "And he'll stop 
at nothing to get what he wants."

"Sounds like he's great fun at parties."

"I think we should get you out of here as quickly as possible.  
You can stay at my compound at Lighthouse Point until this matter 
is resolved."

Jack started to speak, then hesitated, his gaze moving from Quest 
to Race and finally to the floor.  He sighed. "Looks like I don't 
have much of a choice," he said sullenly.

"Jack, my primary interest is your safety."  He smiled.  "And you 
said it yourself: 'If you can't trust Doctor Benton Quest, who 
can you trust?'"

Jack made a face.  "Like I said, I don't have much of a choice.  
Okay, I'll go with you.  It'll do me good to get out.  By the 
way, what if I had refused?"

"Simple, Jack.  I'd have had Race here hog-tie you and carry you 
to the compound."

Jack cast a sideways glance at Race, whose scowl transformed into 
a pleasant smile.

"I guess I'll have to pack a bag," Jack said, not taking his eyes 
off Race.

"Excellent," Quest said.  "Now, if I could use your phone, I'll 
call my son and let him know we'll be having a houseguest."

Jack nodded toward the telephone, and Quest picked up the 
handset, dialing his number.  He listened a moment, then his brow 
furrowed.  "That's strange," he said, and dialed again.  After 
listening with growing concern, he hung up.

"What's wrong, Dr. Quest?" Race asked, tensing.

"I don't know, Race," Quest said.  "I keep getting a message that 
my number has been disconnected."

"I think we'd better go *now*,"  Race said, his voice urgent.

He turned toward the door, then shrank back as it flew open with 
a crash.  Quest recognized the intruder at once and stood to face 
him.  "Haven't you ever learned to just *knock*, Lorenzo?"

Lorenzo smirked.  "This way's more effective, Quest."  He stepped 
into the apartment, a small pistol in his hand.  "Well, *this* is 
convenient.  I come lookin' for one pigeon and I find two."

"Make that three," Race growled.

Lorenzo turned, but Race's fist plowed into his jaw before he 
could raise his weapon to fire.  He staggered back and fell over 
the chair Quest had been sitting in, the pistol bouncing under 
the coffee table.  "Chester!  Louie!" he shouted.  "Get in here!"

"Doc!  Jack!  Get outta here!  NOW!"  Race yelled as the two 
thugs Lorenzo had called came through the door.  One was short, 
bald and thick-bodied, the other was built like an ogre, and both 
were equally ugly.  He hefted the barrel he had been standing by 
a moment before, sending the cheap-looking lamp crashing to the 
floor, and hurled it at the doorway.  The projectile struck home, 
sending the two shaved apes stumbling back into the hall.

"Fire escape," Jack said as he grabbed his cyberdeck and ran for 
the kitchen, Quest following.  Lorenzo disentangled himself from 
the furniture, recovered his weapon and pursued.  As he stepped 
through the doorway a potted cactus struck him in the shoulder, 
and he yelped and backpedaled the way he had come.  By the time 
he had recovered his wits his quarry was out the window and out 
of sight.

Race was having problems of his own in the hallway.  The two 
thugs had recovered from his barrel attack and had put some 
distance between themselves, with the ogre covering the stairs 
closest to the apartment.  Just great, he thought, as the bald 
man closed in on him.  I should have seen this coming.

Race backpedaled, keeping one eye on the ogre.  The bald man 
lunged, grabbing his arm.  Race twisted his body, using Baldy's 
momentum against him, and pitched him into the ogre.  Wood 
splintered as the banister gave way, and both men fell the eight 
feet to the landing below.  "Have a nice plummet," Race chuckled.

He felt a stab of pain at his shoulder and his vision began to 
blur.  He turned unsteadily, and saw Lorenzo standing in the 
doorway with his pistol raised, smirking his usual smirk.  Race 
lurched forward, seized by a desire to wipe that smirk off 
Lorenzo's face.  "Yuh...uh," was all he could manage to say.

"I don't *think* so, Bannon," Lorenzo said, and Race was suddenly 
aware that the floor was rapidly rising to meet him.  His world 
faded to red, then to black.

Quest and Jack descended the fire escape and hit the ground 
running.  "What about G. I. Joe back there?" Jack asked.

Quest urged him on.  "Don't worry about Race.  I've got a car 
across the street.  We can get you out..."

A tall, athletic-looking woman appeared from around the corner of 
the building.  She raised a pistol and squeezed the trigger.  
Quest stopped short, his hand going to his chest.  Jack stopped 
and turned, and saw Quest pull his hand away and stare dumbly at 
the small tufted dart protruding from a point slightly above his 
left breast pocket.  The doctor collapsed to the pavement with a 
groan.

Looking back at the woman, Jack stood transfixed as she 
approached.  Her stride was confident, unhurried; she knew there 
was nowhere he could run.  As she drew nearer he saw a grim 
beauty in her features, and took a small comfort in the knowledge 
that he was about to be killed by such a good-looking woman.  
Almost as pretty as... "Susan", he said softly.

The woman stopped less than ten feet from him and looked at him 
quizzically.  "Actually, the name's Julia," she said.

Jack finally found his voice.  "You...shot..." he stammered, 
looking from her to the fallen Quest and back.

Julia smiled.  It was not a pleasant expression.  "Don't worry, 
he's not dead.  Not yet."

"I guess begging for mercy won't do any good, huh?"

"No," she said.  "But I like your sense of humor."  She raised 
the pistol and pulled the trigger.  Jack went numb, and her 
derisive laughter rang in his ears as consciousness left him.

Julia watched him fall, then pulled a small walkie-talkie off her 
belt.  "It's done, brother dear," she said into the device.  
"Let's get out of here."  She waited, and soon Lorenzo appeared 
with Chester and Big Louie.  Big Louie was carrying an 
unconscious Race Bannon over his shoulder, like a much smaller 
man would carry a sack of potatoes.

All the finesse of a drunken wildebeest, she thought.

"Ran into a little trouble," Lorenzo said.

"I gathered as much," she replied.  "Let's load them up and go."

In moments they had gathered their sleeping burden into a dark 
green van, and with a screech of rubber on asphalt, they headed 
out of town.

****

"...And that is the last of it," Hadji said as he pressed the 
"Enter" key.  "Now all we have to do is reset the system and the 
new security protocols will be enabled."  A few more keystrokes, 
and his screen went blank for a moment, then displayed the 
message "Initiating System Reset, Please Wait..." followed by the 
flashing cursor.  A moment more, and the screen flickered and lit 
up with familiar stylized "Q" that was the Quest Enterprises 
logo.

"Yessss!" Jessie said, giving Jonny a high-five.  "Slammin'!" he 
said.  "If  Surd breaks into this system again his butt will be 
*toast*!"

"To say nothing of the rest of him," Hadji added, smiling.

Jessie looked at her watch.  It was approaching one o'clock. "I 
don't know about you two, but I'm *starving*!"

Jonny was already making for the door,  Bandit on his heels.  
"There's a turkey and Swiss down there with my name on it!"  He 
started running  down the slope toward the main house.

Jessie took off after him.  "Oh, no you don't, Jonny Quest!" she 
shouted.  "You're not sticking *me* with meat loaf!"

Hadji watched them go, chuckling.  "Oh, Hadji, we would be most 
pleased if you would join us for lunch," he said with exaggerated 
cordiality.  "Oh no, the pleasure is all *mine*.  You honor me 
with your invitation."  He smiled, and followed his friends' 
trail to the main house.

Some minutes later, the three of them were gathering around the 
kitchen table.  Bandit waited patiently nearby, ignoring his 
heaping bowl and watching for any scrap which might make its way 
to the floor.  Jonny had been generous, letting Jessie have the 
last of the sliced turkey and Swiss cheese, while he concentrated 
on constructing an edible edifice of his own.  He made several 
trips between the counter and the refrigerator, and when he 
finally brought the finished product to the table, Jessie gaped 
in awe.  Hadji looked up from his plate of curried chicken and 
rice, and when he saw what Jessie was staring at, his eyes grew 
wide as well.

"Do you plan to eat that or use it as a bludgeon?"  Hadji asked.

"Hey!" Jonny said, taking mock offense.  "This is a culinary 
masterpiece!"

"Indeed," Hadji replied.  "Even Shaggy would be impressed."

"I hope you left something in the refrigerator," Jessie added.

Jonny smirked at her, and attacked his sandwich with gusto.  "You 
know," he said between bites, "I figured Dad and Race would be 
back by now.  Or at least they would've called."

Jessie shrugged.  "Maybe they took that Niven guy to lunch."

Hadji nodded.  "Or maybe he was not home, and they are waiting 
for him."

"That's an idea, Hadj," Jonny said as he got up and went to the 
telephone.  "I'll call 'em on the car phone and see what's going 
on.  If they're not in the car then the phone'll page them."

He dialed the number and, after four rings, heard the paging 
tone.  He tapped in his code and hung up the phone.  "There," he 
said.  "We should hear from 'em in a few minutes."

By the time they finished eating and cleaning up their dishes, 
Jonny was becoming concerned.  "This is too weird," he said.  
"It's not like Dad not to answer a page."

"Yeah," Jessie said.  "I hope they haven't run into any trouble."
Jonny stood, his face suddenly grim.  "When Jeremiah Surd's 
involved there's nothing *but* trouble!  I say we get to Camden 
*now*!"

He headed for the door, Jessie and Hadji following, with a 
barking Bandit pulling up the rear.

Soon they stood before the Quest Compound's enormous garage.  
Jonny went to the keypad next to the door, tapped in a code, and 
with a hum of hidden machinery the huge door rolled up and back.  
The afternoon sun glinted off the grille of the Questream.  Jonny 
stood a moment, looking at the imposing vehicle.

"Surely you do not plan to drive *that*," Hadji said.

Jonny looked at his friend.  "Of course not, Hadj.  We're taking 
the bikes!"

At the back of the garage were parked three trail bikes, one 
black, one red, one purple.  Usually they were used on the 
numerous bike trails in the woods surrounding the Compound, but 
*this* outing would be on pavement, not dirt.

Jonny got his gloves and helmet from their place on the shelf.  
"Let's saddle up, guys," he said, putting the gear on and moving 
the black motorcycle toward the door.  The others followed suit, 
and moments later they all had their bikes running.

As he mounted his cycle, Jonny noticed Bandit pawing at his leg.  
"Aw, you wanna come too, boy?"  He dismounted, scooped the little 
bulldog up and put him in the canvas pack mounted behind the 
seat.  Bandit popped his head out, panting happily.  Jonny 
remounted, gunned the engine and took off at speed, popping a 
wheelie.  Bandit yelped and sank back into the pack, burying 
himself beneath the bungee cables he found in the bottom.

Jessie and Hadji watched as their friend roared off toward the 
main road.

"He's nuts," Jessie said.

"Most likely," Hadji replied.  "But he is ours."

They gunned their bikes and took off after him.

****

Jack awoke with a killer headache in a place he did not 
recognize.  This is getting old, he thought.

He found himself in a large and not uncomfortable chair.  As he 
looked around he saw he was in a large room so crammed with 
computer equipment that it made even his computer room look 
paltry.  A low hum suffused the place, and the lighting made his 
skin look gray.

Seated across from him in chairs similar to his were Benton Quest 
and Race Bannon.  Each was wearing a glowing visor-like device he 
had never seen before, and they both sat straight and unmoving.

"Uh...Doc?  Race?  Are you guys all right?"  They didn't answer.  
He moved to stand, and felt a hand grip his shoulder hard.

"Don't bother gettin' up," he heard a familiar voice say.  He 
looked back, and saw the same smirking fellow who had earlier 
kicked in his door.  He had a pistol in his hand.

"You're paying for my door, monkey boy," Jack said, his voice low 
and angry.

The grip on his shoulder tightened painfully.  "A word to the 
wise, guy.  Be nice, or be dog food."  The pistol inched toward 
Jack's head.

"Stop it, Lorenzo," a woman's voice said.  "That macho act 
doesn't scare anybody."  Jack looked, and saw emerge from behind 
a console the same attractive woman who had earlier shot him with 
a drugged dart.  She returned his gaze for a second, then called 
to someone he could not see.  "Jeremiah, our guest is awake."

"Excellent, Julia, excellent," Jack heard a voice reply.  "It 
isn't often I get to receive visitors here, let alone offer 
them...hospitality."

He recognized that voice and his blood ran cold.  Then he heard 
the whirring sound of electric motors.  The sound grew louder, 
and he drew a breath at the sight of its source.  It was a man, 
shrunken and ancient-looking, and so encased in life-support 
equipment that it was difficult to tell where machine ended and 
flesh began.  The man-machine drew nearer, and Jack now saw that 
his host was in a powered wheelchair.  He heard the hiss of a 
respirator, and wrinkled his nose at the strong scent of 
disinfectant.  The man's wrinkled face was frozen in a perpetual 
frown.  But the eyes were expressive.  They darted about, then 
zeroed in on Jack.  They seemed to bore into him.  Anger, hatred, 
madness...he was not sure what lurked behind them.

"Welcome back to the land of the living," his host said in a 
voice that passed for cordial, and came from a speaker mounted on 
his chest.  "Allow me to introduce myself.  I am Doctor Jeremiah 
Surd."  Surd cast a glance toward the two immobile men sitting 
across from Jack, then focused his gaze back on him.  "Perhaps 
you've heard of me."

Jack avoided Surd's eyes, and tried to sound nonchalant.  "Nah.  
Never heard of you."

"I'm sorry about any rough handling you may have experienced," 
Surd said, his synthesized voice dripping with insincerity, "but 
I just *couldn't* stand by and let Dr. Quest and Mr. Bannon 
besmirch my good name, now could I?"

"You mean saying things like you're vicious and mean and you 
enjoy killing people?"

Surd appeared to take offense at that remark.  Careful, Jack 
cautioned himself.  It isn't healthy to mess with crazy people...

"You strike me as one who likes his information straight, so I'll 
say this only once: trifle with me and you will die.  Do we 
understand each other?"

"Can't get much clearer than that," Jack said.

"Good," Surd replied.  "Now, to business.  This device of yours.  
Where did you get it?"

Jack couldn't resist.  "Well, there was this flying saucer, see, 
and..."

He felt the muzzle of a pistol against his head and shut up.

Surd's eyes narrowed.  "You're *trifling*..."

"All right!" Jack spat. "I'll tell you.  I got nothing to gain by 
lying to you, anyway.  Just tell monkey boy here to stop pointing 
his thing at me."

"Stop calling me 'monkey boy'," Lorenzo growled.

Across the room, Julia supressed a giggle.

Surd's eyes gleamed, and a sound which passed for a chuckle 
issued from his vocoder.  "Oh come now, Lorenzo, I think the name 
rather fits you."  His gaze returned to Jack.  "Now, my friend, 
let us talk awhile..."

****

The trip to Camden had been as short as Jonny, Jessie and Hadji 
could make it without exceeding the speed limit by *too* much.  
As it was the middle of the afternoon, traffic was light, and the 
three friends had little trouble finding the apartment building 
they sought.  They saw the Land Rover parked across the street 
and parked their motorbikes near it.  Nothing looked suspicious.

Jonny dismounted first and removed his helmet and gloves.  As he 
looked at the building across the street, Jessie and Hadji 
followed suit.

"You realize we're in deep kimchee if it turns out nothing's 
wrong," Jessie said.
Jonny shook his head.  "Doesn't wash," he said.  "Dad always 
answers my page."

"Well, my friends,"  Hadji said, "we will *never* learn what is 
going on if we continue to stand here."

Jonny smirked at his friend.  "Profound as always.  Well, guys, 
let's get to it."

Jonny lifted Bandit out of the pack and set him on the sidewalk.  
The little bulldog sniffed about for a moment, then walked to the 
Land Rover.

Jonny smiled.  "Gonna find Dad and Race for us?"

Bandit barked, then set out at a trot across the quiet street.  
Jonny, Jessie and Hadji followed.

They ascended the front steps of the apartment building and 
entered.  Bandit sniffed about the hall for a moment, then took 
off, barking, up a flight of stairs.  The three friends ran to 
keep up.

The remains of a bannister littered the third landing they came 
to.  "Nice decor," Jessie commented.  Bandit continued up the 
stairs.

They found themselves in yet another hallway, and the toppled 
barrel which lay in the floor was impossible to miss.  "Looks 
like Race has been here, all right," Jonny said.

"Indeed," Hadji replied.

As they looked about the empty hallway, Jessie was the first to 
notice that the door leading into one of the apartments stood 
slightly ajar, and the frame near the the doorknob was damaged as 
if from a blow.  Bandit walked over to the door, and began 
sniffing and pawing.  "Looks like this is the place," Jessie 
said, pointing.

The three friends exchanged looks, hesitating.  Finally, Jonny 
squared his shoulders and walked the few remaining steps toward 
the door, then pushed it open.  He turned to look at Jessie and 
Hadji.

"Looks like we're committed now," he said.

© 1997 Gerald
Blackwell 
 
Please direct all comments about this story to the author at gandabla@erols.com.
 

Disclaimer

The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest and all characters,
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Inc., a Turner company. No copyright infringement is intended by
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 Created February 2, 1997