The Silver Age #9

By Derrick Ferguson

"Voyage Into Fear!"

          The shuddering impact of the behemoth striking The Jules Verne knocked everyone off his or her feet. The control room was filled with cries of dismay, vile curses and a couple of groans. The lights dimmed abruptly. Red got to his feet and made his way to the pilot's chair where Corinna was grimly struggling with the controls, fighting to maintain control of the submarine. "What the hell happened, baby?"

          "That…thing…it moved so fast, Red…. I had just begun evasive maneuvers when it picked up speed and hit us. It's got us and got us good." Corinna's hand went out to the weapons console. "Shall I give it a shock?"

          "Not until we've done a damage check on the ship and see if anybody's hurt." Red turned around to shout at his teammates, "everybody okay?"

          Rocky was bending over Ace, who was lying on the deck, unconscious. The left side of the pilot's face was purpling. "Ace is out cold. I'm going to run him into the infirmary, see what I can do for him. Gimme a hand, Juney."

          Red nodded. All of the Challengers were trained paramedics and Red knew that between Rocky and June, Ace was in good hands. Prof was already at the master computer's console, checking the diagnostic readouts of the sub's condition. Red helped a shaky Lois Lane to her feet. "You okay, Lois?"

          "When you boys go out to play, you play rough, don't you? What the hell hit us?"

          "That overgrown beach ball, I figure. Prof, we in any shape to fight back?"

          "According to the computer, we're okay. Some minor hull damage but we weren't breached. Some minor electrical damage but the auto repair systems are working on that now. We'd better reinforce the hull damage just so we won't have to worry about it later."

          Red nodded. "Okay. Lois, you feel up to giving Corinna a break?"

          "Aye, aye, sir."

          "Good. Go to it. Corinna, you find out everything you can about that thing that's got us. Prof and I will take care of the repairs." Just then, full lighting came back on, to everybody's immense relief. Prof had re-activated the exterior cameras and what he saw didn't exactly fill him with confidence.

          Red examined his partner's face with dismay. Prof's long face was usually serious even under the best of circumstances but right now he was looking like a man who'd just been told he has a week to live. "What happened, Prof?"

          "I could be wrong, but I don't think so. I'm going to have to run a few scans but I believe we're inside that giant creature, the big one."

          "Correct me if I'm wrong but I don't recollect seeing a mouth or even a head on that thing before it hit us. Just how in the hell did it swallow us?"

          "Absorbed us right through its skin would be my guess." Prof replied. "It sped up, hit us and let momentum do the rest." Prof pointed at the monitor screen. "Look at that…it's like were inside some gigantic gelatinous filled sac."

          Corinna had joined them. "What are those things floating around us?"

          "They could be organs. I just don't know." Prof's eyes were shining with excitement. "And I won't know until I go out there and see for myself."

          "Whoa, whoa, WHOA. Now you just hold on one cotton-pickin' minute there, sparky!" Red placed a hand on Prof's bicep. "If you think I'm letting you crawl around inside the guts of an alien creature that we don't know anything about-"

          Prof smiled down at the shorter man. "Ace and Rocky are going to be sorry as hell they missed this. The world famous daredevil Red Ryan counseling caution."

          "I just think you oughta think about this a bit more, man. That's all."

          "Red, what do we call ourselves? 'Challengers Of The Unknown', right? Well, it doesn't get much more unknown than this. And this is my specialty. We're inside a hitherto unknown species of underwater life. I can learn more in three minutes of swimming around inside than I can from four hours inside scanning with the onboard computers and you know it."

          Red grumbled uncomfortably. "Yeah, yeah, I know. I just don't wanna hear Ace's mouth if something happens to you out there."

          "Like Ace said earlier, this is your mission so it's your call. If you really don't want me going out there, I'll respect your decision."

          "Nah, you're right, Prof. I'm just not used to being in charge of things, that's all. Tell you what: we'll reinforce that hull damage together then I'll help you get suited up to go outside."

          Prof clapped his partner on the shoulder. "Let's get to it."

          As to be expected, Rocky wasn't all that thrilled with the plan himself but he didn't see where they had much choice. Ace was still unconscious but after careful examination by both Rocky and June, they judged that he didn't have a concussion and should be coming out of it in about fifty to ninety minutes.

          Lois stood over the bunk bed Ace lay in, looking down worriedly at him. She had insisted on going to the infirmary and checking on Ace herself before reliving Corinna. "Can't you give him something to bring him out of it?"

          "We could give him a stimulant, sure," June confirmed. "But it's better to let him come around on his own. He's okay, Lois, really." June placed a comforting arm around the reporter. It hadn't escaped June's notice that Lois was developing quite a liking for the pilot. Probably because he was a military man and Lois had grown up around the type.

          Lois smiled her thanks at June. She would really have preferred Ace was up and around. Not that Red, Rocky and Prof weren't in charge of the situation. Each one of The Challengers was a leader in their own right and depending on the situation and who was most capable of dealing with it, they were used to passing off being in charge and issuing orders. But there was just something about Ace Morgan that inspired confidence. When he was on the job you just knew everything was going to turn out okay and right now Lois would have liked to have a nice fat jolt of that confidence.

          "Maybe nobody's thought of this yet, but why don't we yell for the cavalry?" Lois asked. "I mean, there's no shame in asking for help."

          The Challengers gave the reporter a look that plainly said that they didn't appreciate her tone of voice. Rocky folded his massive arms across his chest and his deep voice filled the infirmary. "Though you were supposed to be tough, Lois. What's the matter, don't like getting into a scrape unless Superman's right around the corner to bail you out?"

          "Got a suggestion for you, Davis. Why don't you pucker up and kiss my sweet-"

          "-we've sent out a signal to The Sea Devils, Lois." Prof interrupted. "As well as The Justice League asking for Aquaman's assistance. But there's no way to tell if the signal is getting through."

          "And why is that?"

          "Well, since we're inside a creature of unknown characteristics and physical makeup, the signal might be blocked."

          Lois shook her head in frustration. "The weapons work so why don't we just torpedo our way out of here?"

          It was Red's turn to fire back an answer. "Because you may have forgotten that the purpose of this trip is to find my brother and as long as there's a chance that this creature has something to do with his disappearance, I'm not about to destroy it and maybe kill a valuable clue as to where he is."

          "And in any case, Lois, I wouldn't allow anybody to kill this creature until and unless our lives were in danger, " Prof said slowly. "I'm a scientist and this creature represents a scientific find of colossal importance. To kill it unnecessarily would be criminal."

          "So we're just going to sit here swimming inside its innards until Sadie Hawkins Day?" Lois demanded.

          "Lois." June's voice was not as friendly as it had been a few minutes ago. "I think you ought to go relieve Corinna, okay?"

          Lois looked at the grim faces of The Challengers and said, "Yeah, I think I'd better." She stormed out of the infirmary and once she was out of earshot, June thumbed the intercom.

          "Corinna, pick up."

          "What's up, June?"

          "Lois is coming forward to relieve you. Before she gets there, lock down the weapons console so she doesn't have access to it."

          "Is everything okay?"

          "We'll fill you in when you get back here. Just lock down the weapons."

          "At once."

          Rocky was nodding in approval. "Good move, Juney. I was thinkin' the same thing."

          "Don't get the wrong idea about Lois, boys. She's got more nerve than most men I know. But I also know how she can get when she thinks things aren't happening fast enough for her."

          "Far as I'm concerned, you brought her so she's your problem," Prof said. "As long as she stays out of the way. C'mon and give me a hand climbing into my suit. Time for me to get wet."

          The diving suit looked more like a futuristic space suit than something made for swimming in Earth's oceans. The suit was put together in sections, starting with the legs. Red turned an arm section over in his hands, surprised at how heavy it was. "You've been working on this for a while, haven't you?"

          Prof nodded. "Ace and I have run a couple of tests on it already. It's perfect for this kind of unknown environment. The plasteel helmet can resist any kind of corrosive known and the unique polycorobondium ceramic shell of the main body of the suit should do the same." Prof smiled warmly at Red, who still looked worried. "I'll be fine. Trust me. I've still got to get that damned crystal out of Dora's head, remember? You don't think I'd do anything to jeopardize that, do you?"

          "Still, I think I'll be standing by on the torpedoes all th' same, Prof," Rocky said and held up a wide hand when Prof started to protest. "I don' wanna hear it. Red says you can go out there, it's all good. But I'm gonna be standing by with my finger on the trigger. You give me any shit about it and I wake up Ace an' let him have th' final word."

          Prof changed his protest to a wry grin. "Fair enough, big guy."

          Prof emerged from the airlock to find that he was right. The interior was a thick, gooey gel that was full of millions of small sparks, like twinkling gold flakes. It was somewhat difficult to move through but thanks to the unique hydrojet propulsion system built into the suit, he was able to maneuver. The suit actually drew in the gel through vents on the shoulders and used them to propel Prof through the goo. It would have worked a hell of a lot better in water but Prof was pleased to see that the suit's mechanism adapted well to the goo.

          Red's voice came through the suit's speakers as clearly as if the plucky young daredevil was right in the suit with him. "Talk to me."

          "I'm okay, Red. All the suit's systems are operating within acceptable parameters. Some of the readings are off…hey, I never designed this rig to work in an environment this extreme but everything's okay." Prof turned and looked back at The Jules Verne and didn't like what he saw. "Red, come in."

          "Go ahead, Prof."

          "I'm about forty feet from the sub and I can see where there's some kind of membrane forming around it. It looks like this creature is beginning an absorption process."

          "That is not good, I take it."

          "No. It's not." Prof consulted the HUD read-outs on the inside of his dome like helmet. "You know what's also not good?"

          "Go ahead, make the situation worse, why dontcha?"

          "This stuff I'm swimming around in…it's an 84% percent match for amino acids."

          "Amino acids...you say that like I should know what the significance of that is."

          "Amino acids are the molecular units that make up protein, Red." Prof replied patiently.

          "Prof…let me ask you a question: If I were to ask you about the aerodynamics that went into the making of a snowboard-"

          "Point taken, Red…. suffice it to say that the goop I'm swimming around in is the building blocks of life."

          "Hah?'

          "This is a living creature, Red! We're inside a gigantic life form!"

          Lois's sarcastic voice was heard next in Prof's ears. "Wasn't this a Star Trek episode?"

          "If you're not going to contribute anything useful, Lois, I'd appreciate it if you'd keep this channel clear," Prof said in a voice that clearly communicated that he meant what he said. "To continue…while it doesn't have anything resembling a skeletal structure or nervous system or cardiovascular system as we know it-"

          "It's on the outside." Rocky's voice said with conviction. "The thing's got a hard outer shell, right? That's the skeleton. Protectin' the soft insides. Prob'ly can open up when it wants to swallow tasty morsels like us. Where d'you reckon it keeps its brains, Prof?"

          "No clue at all. What did you have in mind?"

          "Find it and stun the thing into unconsciousness then drag it back to Miami where you eggheads can study it all the livelong day while I get back to makin' my movie."

          "You know, that isn't bad at all, Rocky. I'm impressed."

          "Then climb on back inside. Your suit computers got enough data for you to analyze?"

          "Just give me another minute or so and-" Prof broke off. The creature's goo was somewhat cloudy but he could have sworn that he saw several man-sized shapes near the sub. "Rocky, do me a favor. Go check the airlock. Make sure it's secure."

          Red's worried voice said, "What's going on out there, Prof?"

          "I'm not sure and I don't want to worry you guys unnecessarily. Just check the airlock."

          Rocky heard somebody following him and he turned to see Corinna Stark close behind. "Mind some company?"

          "Nah. Prob'ly nothin'. You know how Prof can be. Guy can't even leave his house without checking all the burners on the stove and the faucets to make sure everythin's off. But it don't hurt none to humor him."

          It took them less than a minute to enter the airlock chamber and as soon as Rocky's foot hit the floor he knew something was wrong. "Crap. What's this stuff on the floor?"

          Indeed, there was a film of some sticky fluid all over the floor. Corinna bent and dipped a finger into the stuff. It was drying fast. Rocky was at the airlock and he seized the handle and twisted. He turned to Corinna with a look of alarm on his face. "Watch yourself, Corinna! This thing's been opened! From the outside-"

          The creatures hit them from both sides. Corinna leapt upwards and spun in a devastating roundhouse kick that knocked two of the creatures backwards into a third. Two of them sprang from behind a supply locker and piled on Rocky but they proved woefully inadequate to the task of holding him. Rocky Davis was as strong as a human being could be without being metahuman and his reached his big hands around, grabbed the creatures by the neck and simply slammed them into the deck where they lay quivering. And now they could get a good look at what they had been fighting and both Rocky and Corinna stepped back, filled with revulsion.

          The creatures were man-shaped but that's where any resemblance to anything human ended. They were like man-sized transparent sacs of fluid. Internal organs lazily drifted around them and they all had one gigantic eye right in the middle of their heads. Rocky bent down and gingerly turned one creature's head to the side and pointed at a collection of grayish walnut sized growths that were attached to silvery filaments that extended all throughout the body.

          "Check this out, Corinna! I'll bet you my last week's paycheck that that's what passes for a brain in this thing. Them strings is prob'ly it's nervous system."

          Corinna smiled and placed an affectionate hand on the back of Rocky's neck. "And they say you're the dumb Challenger. How little do the people know."

          Rocky grinned up at her. "Well, maybe I don't got a wall covered with PhD's like Prof but I-URK!"

          The creature Rocky had been examining suddenly reached up with both hands, wrapping them around Rocky's neck. Taken by surprise, Rocky and attacker rolled over and over on the sticky floor while the others bounded upwards as if made of rubber and closed in on Corinna. She leaped into the air, effortless somersaulting over the heads of the charging creatures and landed next to the wall intercom and hit the alarm button. Warning klaxons began hooting all over the sub. Corinna turned, fists coming up into a defensive position as the creatures swarmed over her.

          "So what the hell is happening now?" Lois demanded.

          "I don't know but I'm going to find out!" Red said grimly. "June, you stay with Lois."

          "I've got a better suggestion: take Lois with you and I'll take over the controls." June gave Red a meaningful look and Red got it: better to not have Lois at the controls where she might do something rashly impulse and possibly endanger Prof who was still out there. Lois was already scrambling out of the pilot's chair, a delighted grin on her face. Red nodded and went over to a weapons locker and pressed his thumbprint against the electronic lock. The locker sprang open and Red pulled out a pair of black .45 automatics and passed one over to Lois as well as a pair of ammo clips. "You know how to use that, right?"

          Lois snorted in derision and with quick, professional movements that bespoke years of expert handling of weapons, she checked her firearm, slammed a clip home and pulled the slide back, ratcheting a shell into the chamber. "My dad didn't believe in his girls playing with dolls, Ryan. I knew how to take apart and put back together a .45 by the time I was five."

          Red grinned and motioned for Lois to follow him and as they charged down the main corridor, Prof's voice crackled out of the radio. "What's going on over there, June? Is everything okay?"

          "I'm not exactly sure what's going on, Prof. Rocky and Corinna went to check the airlock as you requested and a few minutes later, the alarms went off all over the ship. Red and Lois have left the bridge to see what's going on."

          "I don't like you being there by yourself, June. And somebody should be with Ace. I'm coming back inside!"

          "Whatever it is, Prof, we can handle it. And I'm perfectly okay here on the-MUEFR!!"

          A greasy, gooey arm had wrapped itself around the lower part of June's face and she struggled as transparent, slimy hands dragged her from the pilot's chair as huge staring transparent eyes looked into her startled blue ones. The creatures bore her to the deck in eerie silence.

          "June? June! JUNE!" Prof gave it up and kicked in the jets and started heading back toward the sub. Something had gone terribly wrong aboard The Jules Verne and it was vital that he get back on board to help his teammates.

          Something off to his left attracted Prof's attention and he paused as something came floating through the goo towards him. He couldn't quite make it out at first as it kept changing shape, writhing and pulsating with an inner life of it's own. Closer and closer it came and Prof's eyes widened with horror as it became clear.

          Tino Mannery was attached to the surface of a grayish mass that looked a lot to Prof like a brain. Tendrils were sunk into Tino's flesh and his terrified eyes were open as wide as they would go as he looked at Prof with a pleading horror. A tube was in his mouth and a rational part of Prof's brain that wasn't affected by the horror before him guessed that that was how the brain was supplying Tino Mannery with air.

          As Prof watched, the brain stopped and one of Tino's arms lazily floated upwards and pointed at Prof and a telepathic voice inside Prof's head echoed eerily:

          "Youuuuuu allllllll DIEEEEEEEEEEE…."

          NEXT ISSUE: Things don't look good for The Challengers and Lois Lane, do they? Not to mention the hapless Tino Mannery. But The Challengers have been counted out before and they're still here so come back for next issue's "Journey Into Terror!" to see if and how The Challengers get out of this one!