Paraworld Zero (33 page)

    “Um,” Simon stammered, “I think—I think you made a mistake.”

    The miniature woman looked up in shock at the boy before her. “Oh, dear me.”
The image stuttered for a few seconds. “Re-sequencing for new owner…” she announced. “Complete.”
She smiled. “What is your request, young master?”

    “Call me Simon,” he responded.

    “What a lovely name,” she said. “What is your request, Master Simon?”

    “Well, I was kinda wondering what your name was?”

    The old woman raised her little hand and cried, “How rude of me! My
designation is Holo-649. How may I be of service?”

    Simon pointed to the monstrous machine. “What can you tell me about that big
machine over there?”

    The old woman laughed. “Very funny, Master Simon. I’m glad to see that you
have a sense of humor. King Pentagola was always so drab.”

    “No, really. I don’t have a clue what that machine does.”

    “You don’t know what it does!” she declared, aghast at his ignorance. “The
very key to this planet’s survival and you have no idea what it does?”

    “Key,” Simon repeated. He brought out the little red book excitedly and read
the inscription. “‘
The key to the machine that will save us all.
’ Does this have something to do with
it?”

    “Well, my stars! Of course it does, Master Simon. That key you’re holding
turns on the machine.”

    “I read that the ancient Puds were going to get rid of all the dragunos. What
does the machine do, exactly?”

    “Ancient?” the hologram asked with a frown. “How long have I been
deactivated?”

    “Um… maybe a thousand years,” Simon broke the news to her.

    “A thousand years!”

    “
Shhh!
” Simon tried to hush her.

    The gilaworm startled slightly but kept moving. They had just left the huge
room and were now winding down another dark passageway.

    “So you’re telling me, young man, that the machine was
never turned on?
”

    Simon shrugged. “It looks like it’s on.”

    “That’s just the generator sucking up all the electro-magical energy to give
power to the machine.”

    “So there
is
—” Simon started. “I mean, there
was
electro-magical energy on this planet at one time?”

    “Oh, dear me.” The old woman paced around Simon’s hand. “If the generator has
been charging this whole time, then I suppose the magical energy from this parallel world has
been utterly drained. That would also mean this world has been completely cut off from the
outside. Oh, dear, dear me. And Pudo has probably been designated a dead planet.” She put her
hand to her face. “Please wait a moment, and I’ll process the final datastream I received from
Master Pentagola.”

    The hologram faded in and out for a moment and then came back to normal.
“Horrible!” she exclaimed. “Simply horrible!”

    “What is?”

    “The final battle of the dragunos.”

    “Holo-6-4, uh—” He forgot her designation. “Holo, I have to know what
happened. Tell me everything you know, starting from the first.”

    “Do you want the long version or the short version?”

    “Long version, I guess.”

    A second projection sprang from the shard of metal and showed an image of a
little baby eating. A deep, melancholy voice spoke from within the device. “
Here we observe as the infant takes his first few bites of solid food. Notice how he enjoys
the savory carrots. Soon, he will dine on other delectable vegetables such as peas, green beans,
butternut squash, sweet potatoes, bananas, pears, apples…
”

    “Okay, okay! Give me the short version,” Simon belted out impatiently.

    The image fast-forwarded to show a large egg resting on the bottom of the
ocean. As the camera panned out, it revealed hundreds of thousands of similar eggs lining the
ocean floor.

    “
Dragunos,
” the deep voice sounded. “
The word is synonymous with terror. Here we observe one of the many reptilian nests, but,
unfortunately, for every one nest we find and destroy, ten more lie hidden.
”

    The image changed to show three scientists cutting open an egg with a
laser.

    “
The tough shells are lined with a unique chemical that preserves the embryo from
calcification. Scientists have discovered that the creatures have a thousand-year gestation
period. This allows the lizards to ravish the planet for food and then lay their eggs so the
cycle can continue again. The draguno life expectancy is not known, but experts suggest that
these deadly reptiles live for only a few weeks.
”

    “What about the machine?” Simon asked.

    “Don’t worry,” Holo-649 assured him. “We’re getting there.”

    The little projection zoomed out to show the mountain where Highland City
lay.

    The deep voice of the narrator continued. “
Project Purity:
the combination of both the big and the small citizens of the capital city joining forces to
rid the planet of the dragunos.
”

    The next scene showed a big Pud speaking before a grand audience.

    “As your president, I promise I am doing everything possible to ensure the
safety of the planet.” A roar of clapping ensued. “This is a momentous occasion. For the first
time in my life, our two races have become one in purpose.” More clapping followed his words.
“Magic alone cannot save us from this impending disaster. As you know, our smaller brothers are
more adept at harnessing the powers of science, so under the direction of General Banton, they
have written up the plans to build a great machine that will save us all.”

    The crowd yelled with ecstatic fervor, but the big Pud raised his hands to
calm them down. He needed their full attention before he could introduce the controversial
conditions of the plan.

    “However,” he began carefully, “sacrifices must be made.” The crowd grew
silent. “In order to generate enough power to protect the entire planet, the machine must collect
an enormous amount of electro-magical energy. This being the case, we’ll have to put our magical
abilities on hold for a time.”

    The big Puds protested loudly.

    “Furthermore,” the president spoke over their incessant moaning. “Paratravel
will be discontinued until the threat is over.”

    The people were now in an uproar. The president tried to continue, but the
crowd was too loud. Suddenly, amidst the chaos, a blue bubble of electricity appeared in the air,
and out walked a man who looked more like a human than a Pud. The enormous crowd bowed in unison
as the High King floated to the ground.

    “Citizens of Highland City. I ask you to listen to reason. Your lives are
more important than magic,” he said. “The smaller Puds do not even care for magic, yet they live
happy lives. Do not give up the
needs
of tomorrow for the
wants
of today. You
must
carry on with this wise and prudent plan.”

    The king looked out at the people, both big and small, and saw that he had
pacified them—at least for the moment. “General Banton,” he called. The leader of the tiny Puds
bounded up the stage. “If I may?” King Pentagola said as he picked the tiny man up and placed him
on the shoulders of the president.

    “Here stands the brave warriors of Pudo…” he spoke methodically. “The big and
the small—fighting as one, living as one, dying as one. May we always look back to the day we
overcame our pride, stood up for what is right, and defended our planet from the evil forces
within.”

    The galvanized crowd roared with approval. Soon, all of the little Puds were
sitting on the shoulders of the larger Puds, and everyone was cheering with excitement. The years
of segregation and turmoil had finally ended.

    “That was a happy day,” the old holographic woman noted somberly as the
projection faded away into the darkness. “My master was very fond of this planet,” she continued,
still deep in thought. “He met his wife on this planet… His first son was born on this planet…
Even his life was taken… on this planet…”

    “What happened?” Simon asked.

    The woman wiped a holographic tear from her eye. She looked up slowly and
then snapped to attention. “
Duck!
” she screamed.

Chapter 21
    

    

    Simon looked up quickly to see the gilaworm’s head enter a burrow. The sharp
overhang of the entrance came at him in a rush, but he lay flat on his back just in time.

    He stuffed the hologram and the little red book into his pocket and then
rolled over and gripped the rippling body of the gilaworm as it plunged into the dark abyss.
Deeper and deeper into the mountain they slid.

    Just as Simon felt he couldn’t possibly hold on any longer, the bumpy ride
came to an abrupt halt. They appeared to be in some sort of resting chamber. Dozens of giant
worms lay dormant on the warm floor, and a faint rumbling sound echoed throughout the cavern. A
crack in the ceiling allowed the beginnings of morning to slip in. Had he really been in the cave
that long?

    The tired gilaworm’s huge body sagged to the ground, and the creature quickly
fell into a deep sleep. Gusts of sweltering air made Simon want to sleep as well. Tingling
sensations spread throughout his body as the spider venom slowly attacked his nervous
system.

    Forcing himself to stay awake, the boy stood up and reached for the crack in
the ceiling but couldn’t quite get to it. If only he weren’t so short. He then tried jumping, but
when he landed, he slid off the worm’s rubbery hide and smashed onto the hard floor.

    Sprawled in the hot dirt and too tired to move, the young wizard contemplated
for a moment whether or not he should cast the growing spell on the gilaworm. The gruesome image
of the giant spider crunching against the walls of the cave entered his mind. He quickly decided
against it.

    Simon pressed his ear to the ground. The rumbling seemed to be getting louder
every second. Previously, he had assumed the sleeping worms were just snoring, but now he
realized the noise must be coming from somewhere else. He decided to investigate.

    The morning light crept up the rock wall, which made the mineral deposits
sparkle. Simon followed the grumbling sounds all the way to the other side of the chamber. Now it
sounded like a thousand wheels grinding all at once. He stretched his hand to touch the vibrating
wall but withdrew it immediately and thrust his burnt fingers into his mouth. The boiling magma
must be right on the other side!

    Simon started to run when, suddenly, the wall gave way, and a pool of deadly
fire began to flood the room. He jumped on the first worm he could see and ran down its rubbery
body. When the burning lava touched the unsuspecting creature, the gilaworm immediately reared
its head high into the air.

    Simon jumped to the next worm nearby and ran down the length of its body as
well. It also jerked as the hot lava pierced its thick skin. One by one, the helpless gilaworms
awoke from the scorching river—each worm standing up on its tail before collapsing.

    Simon frantically hopped from worm to worm, desperate to stay alive, but the
fiery demon remained close behind. The silent screams of the poor creatures were heart wrenching,
and the young wizard wished he knew of a spell that could stop the senseless carnage, but he
didn’t.

    Wrought with despair, he looked longingly at the wide crack in the ceiling
and felt that, soon, he too would feel the wrath of the volcano. He threw himself over to the
last gilaworm—the same one that had carried him so far, and at that very moment, the cruel lava
awakened the creature from its slumber.

    As the worm sprang upwards from the pain, Simon landed on its head and, as a
result, catapulted high into the air. The boy grasped for the opening in the ceiling and made
contact. He readjusted his grip and looked down to see his traveling companion being devoured by
the flames below.

    Tears filled his eyes, but the heat reminded him of the immediate danger. He
continued to pull himself to safety, despite his left arm threatening to dislocate itself. Simon
wished his arm would simply fall off. Then perhaps the pain would subside.

    Fresh air filled his nostrils as he finally emerged from the cave. The bright
sun blinded him temporarily. He tried to stand, but his legs gave out, and he tumbled down the
grassy slope of the volcano. He had exited near the bottom, so he didn’t have far to roll.

    The boy rested on a patch of grass at the base of the mountain. He was too
tired to even rub his freshly bruised body nor dwell on the excruciating pain in his
shoulder.