Disclaimer: I don't own JQ or any of the Quest team, at least not yet anyway.
Hanna-Barbara owns them. I am not making any money out of this
either. This is merely to satiate the fans while waiting for
a third season.
"Memory Never Fades........"
Part 1-Surd's Victory
by
Elan Morin Tedronai
Note: This story takes place after the events in "The Robot Spies"
The capsules were just the size of coffins in this well hidden,
underground laboratory. It was a pretty large lab, although empty. A very thin
layer of dust said the air filtration system has been off-line for a very
short while, possibly no longer than about six months. It wasn't messy, which
meant whoever owned the lab intended to return. There were computers setup in
four different places and a mainframe which undoubtedly took care of all the
maintenance that the lab required, at least, when they were operating.
Everthing was quiet except for the hum of the power generators
operating at the minimum power neccessary to keep the capsules operating.
Without warning, all the lights and computers sprang into activity
as the power generators kicked in to maximum power outage.
With a hiss and a light blast of steam, one of the capsules opened
and a bald, oriental man opened his eyes and stepped out into the world, and
started laughing.
Quietly at first, almost a chuckle, but got louder the longer he
laughed.
"Heh heh heh.....heh ha heh ha ha ha HA HA HA HA HA.......!!!!"
*******************************
It was a beautiful morning on the Florida beach, the sun had barely
completely come over the horizon by this time. There was a house inland,
almost big enough to be called a mansion, but not quite. The house was only
part of this patch of land owned by a world reknowned Inventor. Being
private property, the blonde haired 15 year old boy in his pajamas had no
problem with obstacles as he ran for his life.
Not four feet behind him was a red haired 16 year old girl, also in
her pajamas.
"You won't get away from me, Jonny Quest!" Jessie Bannon yelled at
her friend.
"Awww, come on Jess, it was just a harmless practical joke," Jonny
yelled back.
"When I get my hands on you, I'll show you harmless!" Jessie
responed, quite angrily at that.
"But Jess,---oof!" Jonny, looking back to talk, tripped and fell face
first into the sand, and with the tide having gone out not a half an hour
ago, the sand was still nice and wet.
Jessie reached him and stopped, all anger disappearing from her face.
When she saw Jonny lift his head, she immediately burst into laughter.
Jonny's face, as well as most of the front side of his body, was covered in
sand. He merely looked at her and spit sand out of his mouth.
"HA HA HA HA......here, let me *hee hee* help you up," Jessie said,
offering her hand to Jonny.
Jessie, once Jonny took her hand, realized her mistake as she saw
the grin on his face the instant before he pulled her down into the sand
with him.
"AAAAHHHHHH!" Jessie screamed when Jonny picked up a handful of sand
and threw it at her. She retaliated by grabbing a handful of sand, slightly
pulling out his pajama bottoms and dropped the sand into them.
Jonny merely froze for a moment, not expecting that, then stood up,
and started to grin evilly towards Jessie when they saw thier fathers, Race
Bannon, and Dr. Benton Quest, walking towards them. Race had a camera in his
hand.
"Hadji is going to love this one," Race said as she and Jonny stood
up, brushing as much sand off of themselves as possible, which was very
little. Hadji was in Bangalore for the time being. He was the Sultan of that
small country, but decided he couldn't stay away from those he called family,
and so was only Sultan part-time. This was one of those times.
"Alright kids, let's get back to the house so we can eat breakfast,
after you clean up, of course," Dr. Quest said to them.
"And I'll see you later in Questworld," Jessie said, looking at
Jonny.
"You're on!" Jonny told her.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"I have some good news. The work rebuilding the Quest compound in
Maine is proceeding ahead of schedule. We should be able to move back in
about two weeks," Dr. Quest told them cheerily, after finishing his
breakfast.
"Florida is nice, but I liked Maine a lot better," Jonny said.
"Yeah, I can't wait to get back," said Jessie.
Finishing thier breakfast, Jonny and Jessie headed towards the room
Dr. Quest set up for them to play in Questworld while down in Florida.
"Don't forget, we have that party that the governor is holding
tonight. So be sure to be ready to go by five," Dr. Quest told them as they
left the room.
"No problem, Pop," Jonny said, leaving the room.
The Questworld gaming room wasn't too far from thier own rooms, only
a couple doors down. The room itself looked very similar to the one in
Rockport, only this one wasn't in a lighthouse. There was the main computer
over on the desk, the reclining chairs in the center of the room, and a big
portion of the north wall was a large number of monitors set up to make one
big picture.
"Okay," Jonny said, as they walked into the room,"Since one of us has to be
outside monitoring at all times, let's make this a race against time with
some dummy racers to make a little bit more challenging. I go in first, run
the course against the drones Iris set's up, then you go in to try and beat
my time."
"Sounds good to me. Of course, you should go in first, that way, you
have hope of winning, at least until I log on," Jessie says with a smile on
her face.
"Not a chance."
Jonny goes to sit in one of the chairs and attached the V.R. hookup
on his head. Jessie starts typing in commands on the keyboard. "Questworld
logon, subject, Jonny Quest. Counting down in 5....4....3....2....1....."
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
Someplace else........not too far away........
"Have you been able to locate them yet, Julia?" said the shell of a
man named Jeramiah Surd. Living in a custom built hoverchair, unable to move,
except for a few fingers on his right hand, unable to even talk without the
assistance of the computer built into his chair, he blames Race Bannon for
his condition. His plans foiled many times by the Quest clan, he lives only
to see himself triumph over them for good, but most of all, to see Bannon in
the same condition he is.
Spending most of the time in the virtual reality portable Questworld
unit given to him, never feeling whole outside of it, he plans yet again,
the demise of the Quest clan. Unaware that even now, someone else is
executing a plan to hurt them more than anyone every could.
"I think so, Jeramiah," said the lovely woman who has stood by him
all these years. "As you know, after their home was destroyed by some huge
spider looking robots created by some unknown person or persons, they went to
live at what I think is a compound somewhere in Florida. However, I have been
able to narrow it down to one of the keys off of the Florida coast."
"Very good, Julia. I'll be in Questworld. Log me out when you have
found them, and contact Lorenzo and tell him what he needs to know."
"Yes, Jeramiah."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
"I can't believe you got me Jess, I know that course like the back of
my hand. It was because I was hit by that #3 racer at that turn in the
tunnel. It slowed me down."
"Then you don't know the back of your hand like you think you do. You
almost wrecked three times, not counting that one you mentioned."
"I must be losing my touch. I'll get you next time, count on it."
"Whatever you say, Jonny," She says, not without sarcasm in her
voice.
Dr. Quest pokes his head in. "Race and I will be going into town to
get some supplies. We shouldn't be gone for more than a couple of hours."
"We can trust you two to stay out of trouble while we're gone?" asks
Race as he walks into the room.
"Sure thing, Dad."
"No problem, Race."
The two men look at them for a moment with a "Why even ask?" look
on thier faces, then leave.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
One hour later........
"Okay......the score is tied. Want to do a tiebreaker round?" asks
Jonny.
"We have to. I have to beat you once and for all. But what are we
going to do after this?" Jessie asks with a yawn, "I'm kinda getting bored
with Questworld. We are so limited with Questworld programs since most of
them were in Maine and got burned up."
"I don't know. We'll figure something out."
Jonny sits down in the chair and attaches the Questworld V.R. input
device to the side of his head.
Jessie activates the computer, "Counting down.....5....4....3....2...
..1....."
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
"Jeramiah, I have found them!" Exclaims Julia, "And they are in
Questworld!"
"Excellent Julia. See if you can connect to their system, I have a
few surprises in store for them," Surd says, laughing maniacally, "And
contact Lorenzo and tell him his instructions."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
"Okay Jess, let's see you better that time!" Jonny says.
"No problem. I can eat that for breakfast!"
Jonny walks over to the computer as Jessie sits in the chair and sets
up the V.R. input device. "Logging into Questworld, subject Jessie Bannon
in 5...4...3...2...1"
The familiar green band of light goes across her eyes as Jonny says
one and her concious self is put in the future city setting, complete with
tall buildings and domes, and roads above the ground, with the look she has
come to know so well. She wondered for a minute what new program she could
write for Questworld.
"Com on, Jess. It's no use putting off losing."
Jessie sighs with a small smile, "Iris, activate virtuacycle."
Not an instant after she gave the command did a Q-101 virtuacycle
appear before her. Programmed for speed, the virtuacycle is a small, sleek
machine, at least, as much as a machine can be in Questworld.
She readied herself as Iris spoke,"On your mark......get.....set....
...GO!" and she sped off with a quick start.
Manuvering around corners and turns, as well as around the drone
racers, she thought, *Gee, I'm doing good, Jonny won't like this.* She smiles
to herself, *I'm gonna waste him!*
Jessie continues to deftly work the course like it was nothing,
leaving the drones. When the finish is just in sight, she hears Jonny say in
a frantic voice,"Jessie! Someone got through the security, I can't----,"
She swerves to the side and slides a small distance before she stops
and yells, "Jonny! Jonny, what happened? Where are you?"
"I would start worrying more about yourself, my dear!" says a voice
coming from all around. A voice she knew all too well.
"Surd."she says quietly, then yells "What have you done to Jonny?"
"Why, I have done nothing, but I can't say the same for Lorenzo! HA
HA HA HA HA HA HA HA.........."
"What do you want, Surd?"
"What do I want? Why, I want what I've always wanted, to get rid of
you all! At this moment, Lorenzo should be bringing your precious Jonny back
to me. Heh heh heh heh........"
*No. Oh, Jonny.* She falls to her knees and sits, coming very close
to tears. She remembers a day, not too long ago, in which her, Jonny and
Hadji came across this ghost island near Nova Scotia. On this island her and
Jonny were possessed by ghosts. During that possession, they kissed. That
kiss affected her a lot more than she first thought. It was then that she
realized she was developing feelings for Jonny. Something more than
friendship.
A few seconds later, the scene changes into a huge, life size maze.
One made out of bushes and shrubs, at least vectorized bushes and shrubs.
Then a cloud forms into Surd.
"If you want your friend back, you must make your way though the
maze. If you do, I'll give him back."
"If you really expect me to believe that, Surd, then you're even
dumber than Bozo the clown."
"No matter if you beleive me or not, it is the only way! HA HA HA HA
HA HA HA.........oh, and one more thing, watch out for the playing cards!
BWHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" and with that, he disappears.
*Don't worry Jessie, you'll get him back. Playing cards?!?*
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
"Okay Doc, we're almost finished loading the supplies for our trip to
southern Brazil next week," Race says.
"Great. I am willing to bet there's something else about this trip you
are looking forward to more than the scientific aspect." Benton says, with a
slight grin.
"You know me too well, Doc. Yeah, I can't wait to see Estella again."
"The incident with Zin seems to have brought you two a little closer."
"It is still not enough though,"
"Well, who knows what the future holds. That appears to be
everything. Let's get going."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
To be continued.........
(c)1997 Elan Morin Tedronai
Comments, questions, and awards may be sent to me at Ishamael@dnc.net