Fighting against the lethargy, he forced his eyes open and shuddered to see the ground rippling beneath him. The ancient words on the cave walls glowed brightly—so brightly, in fact, Simon saw that he had landed on a gigantic worm. The grayish-white skin reminded him of a maggot. Was this the same type of worm—a gilaworm, as Thorn had called it—that Mrs. Troodle had served him the first night after he had woken up from his coma? How did it get so big?
Simon lay flat on his back and tried to forget the pain in his shoulder. He took out his mother’s medallion and played with it in his hand. The glowing runes on the cave walls reflected upon its shiny surface. He noticed the similarities of the medallion and the emblem on the red book. How strange.
“I wouldn’t be alive if it wasn’t for you,” Simon said to the medallion. His voice possessed a distinct twinge of pain. “What other tricks do you have for me?” He clenched the medallion tightly as the poison traveled down his arm. “Can you stop this poison?”
As if his own body mocked his request, Simon sneezed. It was the first sneeze he could remember since… since living on Earth. He wasn’t sure if it was the poison or not, but he felt a sudden urge to take a puff from his inhaler. He sneezed again.
“Ahhh!” Simon yelled in disgust. He had forgotten how sickly he used to be in his own paraworld, and it made him angry to remember.
Abruptly, the gilaworm stopped moving. It reared its head upwards and then doubled back towards Simon. Terrified and in pain, the boy tried to stay calm. Although the huge worm didn’t have any eyes, it obviously could hear and smell. The massive creature opened its giant mouth and sucked in deeply as it probed the intruder on its back. Simon held his breath and gazed into the toothless mouth above him. He felt another sneeze coming on but forced it to go away.
The gilaworm must not have sensed any immediate danger, because it brought its head back to the front and started moving again. Simon exhaled quietly.
After a couple of minutes, he glanced around and realized the worm was moving on top of an old monorail built inside a deep trench. Dim artificial lighting replaced the glowing runes in this part of the cave. Curious, Simon sat up and discovered that the tunnel had opened up into a large and spacious cavern. High above him, he saw a giant machine that filled half of the room. The tremendous height of the machine took his breath away, but the fact that it appeared to be turned on astounded him even more.
Simon couldn’t believe that after hundreds of years the colossal machine, built by an ancient civilization, still hummed with power. He wanted to get closer to it, but there was no way; the narrow channel he and the gilaworm traveled along sunk into the floor like a moat around a castle and prevented him from getting to the machine. Even when standing on the worm, Simon couldn’t quite reach the top of the ditch. The ancient Puds must have used the track to haul out the rubble when they dug the tunnels. And the ditches, he realized, correlated with the height of the big Puds.
Even the ancient Puds practiced slavery, he thought to himself.
While pondering this topic, Simon spotted a glint of metal shining near the track below. An insatiable urge came over him to pick it up, but he didn't know why. The artifact might help him convince the little Puds of his journey under the city, but it could also be a trap. He felt like a moth drawn to a flame. Should he risk losing his ride for the chance at getting a piece of worthless metal? The shard seemed to beckon him closer. He felt himself lean towards it.
Before the boy realized what he was doing, he slid off the worm and picked up the strange object. He promptly thrust it into his pocket and ran back to his ride, but when he tried to jump on, he slipped off the worm's rubbery exterior. After a few more attempts, Simon finally clambered onto the giant creature.
Terribly exhausted, he lay on his back and rested. The effects of the poison crept into the joints of his left hand. He flexed his fingers to keep the numbness at bay and wondered how long the poison would taunt him like this. Did he have minutes to live, or would the spider venom string him along for days before it finally snuffed out his life?
Simon closed his eyes and then remembered the artifact in his pocket. He pulled it out and ran his fingers along the smooth surface. Paper-thin grooves decorated the silver device. He wondered how it had kept its shine after all these years. Upon close examination, Simon could find no discernable buttons to activate it. The internal batteries were most likely dead anyway. It was probably just a child’s toy or trinket—hardly worth keeping. Then, near the top of the object, Simon saw ancient words engraved in the metal, so he read them aloud. “Holo-649.”
“Voice activation enabled.” An elderly woman’s voice sounded. A needle shot out of the device and pricked Simon on the wrist.
“Ouch!” he yelled.
The boy quickly sat up and looked over at the worm’s head, but the docile creature didn’t seem to care that he had just raised his voice.
“DNA confirmed.” A pleasant chime welcomed the image of a tiny hologram that fit in the palm of Simon’s hand. “What is your request, Master Pentagola?” the old woman asked pleasantly.
“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
The Creatures of Pudo
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 w
izard 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.
Lying flat on his back, Simon gazed past the blemished lumps of mountains that pierced through the hard, earthen floor and saw the yellow disk of sun bleach the sky with its magnificent glory. He felt so small and so alone. How could he possibly save the planet from the dragunos?
Just then, a large tongue came out of nowhere and licked his face. Startled, the boy realized that something big stood above him: a farbearus. Simon had first seen one when Har’s mother had come to plead for her son’s freedom. He also remembered seeing the big Puds use the docile creatures to haul the wheat in the fields. This one must have gotten left behind by accident.
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