Ghost Town

Ghost Town
By: Canary, Dragon, Perfect Tommy 2, Rocketman, Secret Squirrel, and Tommy Boy

The Hong Kong Cavaliers are on a road trip in the west. It's early summer and the gang are playing out of the way venues. One night they stop and play in Aspen at The Tippler. The next day while traveling south from Aspen they hear about a side road that will take them to some abandoned mines. Perfect Tommy who usually likes to indulge in out the way things, convinces the gang to take the gravel road out of Granite Colorado to go exploring. After traveling down the road, they arrive in Winfield. From there are different hiking trails to mining settlements. However when the bus went to make it's turn around, the worst thing that could happen did. Both the back axle and the universal joint went out. Being in the mountains and not close to known settlement, any phone and go phone were limited or of no use.


The World Watch One did carry a motorcycle for emergencies. Out of the fifteen members one would go to the closest town to call for help. But being in Colorado, supplies may be limited and take a day or two to get the parts in for the converted tour bus.


In the mean time our Cavaliers explore the town and paths. Anyone can be watching. Maybe even a ghost.

Chapter 1: Canary


After much discussion and debate, it was finally decided that Sam would be the one to take the motorcycle and head for the nearest big town. After more discussion, and several views at the map, Leadville was chosen. It was only eleven miles from Granite, where as Buena Vista was
nineteen miles. Then there was the discussion about whether Sam got to take the map with him or not. Rawhide finally pointed out that Sam might need the map, they weren't going any where till Sam got back, so why did they need a map? Everything was suppose to be within walking distance, anyway, wasn't it?


Sam finally got under way. As the Cavaliers listen to the receding sound of the motorcycle, More than a few of them felt the hairs on the back of their necks rising. And it did seem a little cooler suddenly, didn't it?

A vote was taken, and the remaining members of the group split in half. Perfect Tommy's group would go out site-seeing first, then Rawhide's group would go when they got back.

Perfect Tommy's first choice was the Swiss Boy mine. He had seen it from the bus and was eager to explore it. They found the road easily and started walking up it.


About halfway up, they came to a stand of Aspen trees growing across the road. It took a few minutes of looking, but they eventually found they way through the trees. Not too far past the small grove was the entrance to the mine. Lit by the sunlight, it didn't look very dangerous, as the sign at the entrance proclaimed. It also warned against straying from the roped off trail, as accidents had been known to happen. The sign also listed the last owner of the mine, Jacob Sands. The interior of the mine looked cool and inviting and Perfect Tommy was all for heading in immediately.

Dragon:
New Jersey and Pinky sniff the stale air as they step into the dim entrance of the mine. Both crinkle up their noses at the same time but it's Pinky that gets out the first words, "What the hell am I smelling here Perfect Tommy?!"

New Jersey, still with his nose scrunched up answers, "I think that's bat guano."

Someone behind them says, "Eeyou!"

Perfect Tommy tried to consul his comrades, "Don't worry this will be fun!" Then he adds, "I
promise!" Up ahead in the mine shaft there is a strange noise and someone shouts out, "What was that?!"


Perfect Tommy 2:


Everyone draws their weapons. Unwittingly, Perfect Tommy is in the lead, since everyone has unconsciously shrunk back a few feet. He turns and looks at them, then shakes his head.
"Chickens," he mutters, then starts off. "Anyone bring a flashlight?"

Pinky laughed, then followed Tommy into the mine. New Jersey shrugged, then followed.

Several minutes went by, but the noise did not repeat itself. Everyone relaxed a little, but kept on their toes.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" yelled Perfect Tommy. Pinky held everyone back. "You OK?" he yelled
"Yeah. Just peachy." Tommy's voice was a little faint. Pinky crept forward until he found where Tommy had fallen. The light shone faintly through the dust, but from what Pinky could see, Tommy was OK. He was in a shallow shaft, about ten feet down.


"Having fun yet?"
"Tons. Get me the hell out of here."
"Gotta go back to the bus for some rope. Hang tight."
"All of you got to go?" Perfect Tommy asked.
"Not all of us. Just everyone smart enough not to fall in down a shaft."
Perfect Tommy's reply was unprintable.

Three hours later, Tommy was back on solid ground. Dusty, ruffled, and a little torn up, but safe and uninjured. Pinky had stayed with Tommy until New Jersey and the others came back with more rope and more flashlights and batteries. Tommy shined his light around. "Well, kiss my grits...." he breathed.
All around them, as far as they could see, were gold nuggets. Only problem was, the nuggets were on the other side of the shaft Tommy had fallen in.
The passageway was smooth rock, and the shaft entrance took up the entire width of the passage, and went ten feet down the passage.
A plan was hatched.

Rocketman:


"OK, New Jersey, tie this rope here around your waist," Perfect Tommy was already doing so, "and you can jump across to the other side. Once you get there, then you can tie the rope off to
something."

"Wait! You guys want me to try vaulting that?" New Jersey pointed at the ten-foot wide expanse before them, thinking about Perfect Tommy's drop to bottom.

"Well, yeah, buddy," Tommy turned on the charm. "Physically, you're built for it, long legs and all. You're the -only- guy to do it, man."

New Jersey thought about it for a moment. "Since you put it that way, alright. I'll do it" He smiled with recognition of his importance.
Behind him, Pinky smiled and gave a thumbs up sign to Perfect Tommy, whose return smile gleamed in the faint flashlight glow.

Perfect Tommy finished tying the rope around New Jersey's waist. As New Jersey moved back down the shaft a bit, to get a running start, Perfect Tommy patted his comrade on the shoulder, and pointed at the gold with his flashlight. "Think about the view. Go for the gold, man!"

New Jersey looked over at his friend, and nodded. He stretched, ran in place a few times, and then crouched down, like an Olympic runner. "Go for the Gold, Sidney", he muttered to himself. Then, surprisingly like a cat, he took off down the shaft.

When he reached the chasm, he jumped. As a soared out to his destination, he rose toward the ceiling. Instantly, he realized his hat was about to hit the top of the mineshaft. On instinct, he tucked his body to pull his head down, which did keep his hat out of harm's way. Unfortunately, the acrobatics of saving his Stetson destroyed his form, and he was now tumbling forward, with no way to stop. New Jersey succumbed to gravity soon thereafter, landing stomach-first, with his long legs hanging down into the abyss. A large cloud of dust plumed about him, and he lay there
motionless.

"Hey, New Jersey, you made it!" said Perfect Tommy, genuinely surprised. He had really expected New Jersey to fall into the hole, but from there help hoist Pinky to the other side. New Jersey had impressed him.

"Ugh…… yeah- cough, cough. I'm here." He pulled himself slowly out of the hole. "You owe me, big time." He began to knock the dust from his clothes, and started looking around for a good place to tie off the rope. As he looked around the side of a support beam, he was caught completely by surprise. "Whoa, Nelly! Hey guys, you gotta see this!"


Secret Squirrel:


"What is it?" Pinky leaned forward, trying to get a glimpse at what New Jersey had seen. Perfect Tommy grabbed the back of his collar and yanked backwards as, off-balance, he began to tip forward.

"Be cool."

New Jersey quickly checked the support beam for stability and anchored his end of the rope around it. "Come on guys."

Pinky and Tommy wasted no time, crossing the chasm hand over hand until they were in reach of New Jersey's long arms. He reached out and unceremoniously hauled Perfect Tommy the rest of the way. Tommy, shrugged off his helping hand.

"Hey, you're messing up my clothes."

New Jersey shook his head ruefully, "Too late."

Meanwhile Pinky poked his head around the corner to see what has caught New Jerseys attention. The beam of his flashlight bounced off a million glittering surfaces, breaking up into a dazzling display of rainbow light. "Wow." he breathed. New Jersey stood abreast of him and soaked up the sight while Perfect Tommy began assiduously digging into the wall with his pocket knife, trying to loosen one of the gold colored nuggets from the wall.

"You'd think this would be easier." he muttered. A soft scrape behind him caused him to whirl around, his hand on his gun just in time to see . . .
Tommy Boy:


Meanwhile, back at the bus.


Rawhide and the remaining crew were setting up camp. They had camping gear stowed on the bus. There was a large tent to house a large group. They would spread out their sleeping bags. Several members went looking for firewood for a camp fire for the night. With the team work, they performed needed duties in short time.


After setting up camp and having Pinky visit for rope for the mine expedition, the group set up to explore the buildings that made up Winfield. There was of course a saloon. There was also a hotel, general store, black smith shop and several other cabins in various states of deterioration


The group went into the saloon. Rawhide spotted the piano first. Others moved in various directions around the room. There were several good tables and chairs. Pecos went behind the bar and looked around to see what was there.


Dusting off the cobwebs off the piano, Rawhide opened the keyboard cover. The keys still looked in good shape. He tickled the ivories and to his surprise it sounded in nearly in tune.


Rawhide played several tunes that were inspired to play because of the setting he was in. Slowly he started hearing voices. Laughing and hoot calls. A cool wind came over him. He looked back and saw nothing. Rawhide passed it off as his nerves for being in such a place. 'One usually thought of ghosts in a ghosts town, right?' he thought.


Fellow team members were setting up a table and someone had pulled out a deck of cards they had. "Never thought I would actually play poker in a ghost town. Deal them out Jake."
Rawhide looked around again, something didn't feel right. He hoped things were going well for the team in the mine. They had been gone a few hours. Rawhide hoped they would return soon so they could go look.

Rawhide looked at his watch again, "Where are you guys?" he muttered out loud.



Canary:


He looked around the saloon once more, shrugged his shoulders, took a deep breath and started playing the piano again.

He usually found a sense of peace and calm playing the piano, but this time the hairs on the back of his neck were dancing to a tune of their own. The song he was laying was called "Sourdough Sue" and it was a song that had been popular in mining camps all over the west. But Rawhide had never played it before. Out of the corner of his eye he would swear he could see people, but when he turned to look, there was no one there.

At the poker table, Big Norse was feeling like someone was watching her, almost breathing down her back. She noticed that Pecos seemed distracted as well. The room seemed awfully cold and there were sounds that she just couldn't identify, or was even certain she had heard.

Dragon:
Startled from his digging Perfect Tommy shines his flashlight in the direction New Jersey has his gun pointed, wipes the sweat from his brow with a silk and offers, "Hold it there pal... haven't you ever seen a spider before?!"

"Not as big as that..." he chokes, "I haven't!" New Jersey steps back a step.

A wall is completely covered with web, ceiling to floor.
"Don't bother it and it shouldn't bother us, okay?" Tommy states as he turns back to the the nugget he finally pulls from it's burial, "yes!"

New Jersey shines the light on the huge web and makes a discovery, "I think there's a tunnel behind that spider."
Perfect Tommy 2:
Pinky looked over New Jersey's shoulder. "Wonder where it leads. How are we gonna get rid of this web?"

Perfect Tommy grabbed a rock. A large rock. Grunting with effort, he grimaced and heaved. The rock took our a good chunk of the web, and the giant spider scrambled away. New Jersey sighed, relieved. "I guess that answers that."

The group moved down the shaft. Funny, New Jersey thought. It's too smooth to have formed naturally. Wonder who, or what made it?

Pinky was thinking along the same lines. "I've heard that the US Government invested a lot of money and manpower in making under ground cities. I wonder if this is an off-shoot?"

"Could be," Perfect Tommy said. "I also heard that there was some kind of alien showdown beneath Dulce, New Mexico. Apparently, the government and some alien reptile race entered into some kind of agreement, then the Feds realized that all the abductions that were going on were perpetrated by them, and they had it out. The Feds came this close to losing. Now, there is an
uneasy peace. It's quite possible that-"

"Look out!" New Jersey yelled. He shoved Perfect Tommy out of the way as a giant scythe swung down, nearly killing New Jersey. As it was, the material of his shirt was torn by the scythe, which did not swing back. Pinky shined his light on it.
"Holy crap, that was close."
"Tell me about it. I owe you one, bud." Perfect Tommy stood shakily and helped New Jersey up. They looked around, and found a small platform which, if someone stepped on it, acted as a trigger. "Whoever made this tunnel didn't want any visitors. Let's be on the lookout for more triggers and booby traps."
They move on.

Rocketman:


"Is it getting drafty in here, Pinky?" said New Jersey. It seemed colder to him somehow, as well.

Pinky stuck the butt of his flashlight through the rip in the back of New Jersey's shirt, causing him to jump reflexively. "Ya gotta pretty big hole in your threads, man. Air must be getting in."

Content with that explanation for the moment, New Jersey nodded his head and kept walking. His boots made scraping sounds on the dirt below, and seemed unnaturally loud. Curiously, he couldn't hear his comrades' footfalls at all.

Ahead of the team lay a long corridor cut into the rock, into which was swallowed the light of their flashlights. Walking down the shaft, it seemed to all of them that it went on forever. Step after step, they encountered very little but dirt and rotted wood support beams. And the occasional spider or two, the presence of which visibly bothered New Jersey.

Seeing his friend's discomfort, Perfect Tommy clapped him on the back, and said, "Hey, their just bugs. I mean, I'm not going to grab one up or anything, but you leave them alone, they'll leave you alone." He smiled, "Besides, you are a much bigger animal than they are. Lighten up."

"Yeah, I guess you're right", said New Jersey, "let's keep going."

With that, the three Hong Kong Cavalier explorers turned to head back down the shaft.

Almost in unison, they lifted their flashlights. They were greeted by the biggest animal any of them had ever seen, a bear standing over them, poised to attack.

"Aw, hell. RUN!" Perfect Tommy yelled as he turned and pushed Pinky down the corridor. New Jersey sidestepped their retreat and moved closer to the bear. He knew death was in the room then, but not his own, nor his friends. With his training as a physician, he knew what death looked like, and the sight before him qualified.

He whistled loudly, and then cupped his hands to his face. "Hey! HEY! Come back, fellas! This isn't a real bear, I mean it was, but it's stuffed now. Get back here, there's more, I think."

Secret Squirrel:

The Hong Kong Cavaliers followed New Jersey further into the cave which was populated with every type of animal known to man, stuffed and mounted in lifelike poses.

"Weird man." commented Perfect Tommy, as he poked the bear. He jumped straight in the air as his touch caused the bear to let out a roar. "Really weird." A faint breeze stirred and a cold wisp of air brushed against the back of Perfect Tommy neck, he shivered a moved away from the bear. "Kind of creepy too."

"Yeah." echoed Pinky, "I tell you, if we find a stuffed person I'm outta here."

"Jeremy Bentham" interjected New Jersey from the other side of the grotto.

"Who or what is Jeremy Bentham?" Perfect Tommy asked as he rolled his eyes.

"British philosopher who had himself . . ." Pinky broke off from sharing one of his facts as an eerie sigh drifted from across the other side of the room. The three Cavaliers shared a brief glance, then pulling out their guns, fanned out to cross the room.
Tommy Boy:


At two o'clock, the second half of Perfect Tommy's team arrives back in camp. Rawhide already not liking what they are about to say.


Rawhide, arms folded look over the younger members. "Tommy and New Jersey and Pinky swung over a chasm and continued on into the shaft. The four us decided to check out the trail around the mine."


Rawhide shook his head. 'Well at Pinky is keeping those two in line,' he thought to himself.


"Jake, Reno and Pecos. Get your gear, lights, ropes and such." He looked up at he mountain. "Go see what those fools got themselves in to."


Five minutes later the three of them are set to leave the camp. "Soon as you find them you are to return to camp immediately." Pecos nodded. She knew that Rawhide was not happy with the situation and knew not to question.


With seeing the three off to get Perfect Tommy out of what ever he lead New Jersey and Pinky into, Rawhide turned his attention to the camp.


Buckaroo was in the bus reading. He was trying to read all he could for a discussion symposium he was going to the next week in Phoenix at the Camelback Inn.


Rawhide lit a cigarette, his gaze over the buildings that had made up Winfield. He had seen towns like it before, being from Wyoming, but there was something here. Faintly he heard music coming from the saloon. No one was in there, he knew that.


Rawhide started walking toward the saloon doors. He walked into the saloon and . . .


Canary:
Maybe it was being sun-blind, coming into a dark room after being out in the Colorado sun, or maybe it wasn't, but Rawhide was certain that he saw, just for a moment, a saloon full of people and the beings of a gunfight. Once he was in the building, and his eyes adjusted, there was
nothing there, no people or music. Just dust and their footprints and hand prints.

"That's odd," he thought to himself. "I left the lid up on the piano..." Rawhide walked over to the piano. Not only was the lid closed, the dust was as thick as when he had opened it the first time.
The hairs on the back of his neck started rising. Turning he started to walk out of the saloon and came face to face with an old man.

An old man wearing a bowler hat and chewing on a cigar. His face was one of those young/old faces. He carried a mug of some alcoholic beverage. His muttered apology and smile did not quite reach his eyes, though. And the eyes were tired, very tired.

Rawhide took an involuntary step backward. Where had this guy come from and what was he doing here? Rawhide turned to ask the guy what his name was and if he lived here. The man was sitting down at the piano, which surprisingly, didn't have any dust on it anymore. Rawhide took a
deep breath and looked around him. There were lots of people in the saloon now. All dressed in 1800's type clothing and all totally ignoring him, as if he wasn't there, as if he didn't exist. All except the piano player...

Dragon:


Back at the mine...

Perfect Tommy, Pinky and New Jersey had moved on from their recent discovery. Darkened tunnels and occasional openings were the highlights they would later tell about even though it wasn't much.
New Jersey, "Tommy, how far we going to go into this thing... I'm getting hungry and a little unnerved about this whole thing."

"Okay doc, it's time we go get us some grub anyway..." he shown his light into the tunnel before them, "we might just as well..." he hesitated,"look, what's that?!"

The lights all converged on the spot Tommy had pointed out.

"Looks like some sort of device... machine, electronics... there is a cable running from it into the ceiling..." Pinky noticed out loud.

On closer inspection the three found it to be some sort of strange device of unknown origin or purpose. "Strangest thing I've ever seen." Pinky said to his two friends.

Perfect Tommy pointed to some symbols, "Is that lectroid writing on this thing?"

New Jersey with a concern in his voice, "I'm hearing a faint humming from this thing... I think it's got power of some sort... we'd better be careful, it might be a bomb."

Just then the three heard noises from the direction they'd come from. they pointed their guns and lights only to see Reno, Pecos and Jake.

Reno, "What the hell you boys doing thins far in the earth? And what in tarnation did you find here?"
Perfect Tommy 2:


"What are we doing? What are YOU doing here?" Perfect Tommy spluttered.

"Yeah," chimed in New Jersey. "We thought you were back at the bus."

"Looking for you. Rawhide is getting nervous, so he sent us after you." Reno
looked around, and drew Pecos a little closer. "Weird place."
"Tell me about it. Have any trouble with the chasm?"
"Not really," Pecos said, shining her light on Perfect Tommy's outfit. "Looks like you did."
"Shut up."
"Make me."
"Come on, you two," Reno moved forward. He looked at the writing on the object. "Hmm... Looks like Sanskrit, or something."
Pecos looked. "It says 'matter transference beam'. Like Star Trek, maybe?"
"Beats the hell out of me." Reno rubbed some of the dust away. "What about
this?"

Pecos looked closely. "It says 'Do not touch.'"
Perfect Tommy and New Jersey looked at each other. "Don't even think about
it," New Jersey warned.
"Whattaya talking about? There's no power anyway." He leaned back, and
suddenly, the lights came on. "Aw, man. Hands up who didn't expect that to
happen."
Panels lit up and machines began to hum more loudly. Perfect Tommy straightened up and looked behind him. He'd leaned on a wall switch, one of those giant levers that were featured in those 1950's horror flicks, he thought. He looked down.
"Aw, damn. Look at my clothes. If I don't get changed, I'm gonna have to
resign my position as most handsome dude in the group."
The matter transference device hummed quietly. Reno and Pecos were examining
it carefully. Suddenly Pecos stood straight. "Our orders were to find you and
get you back to the bus ASAP. So let's go. I'm getting the creeps."
"Me too," New Jersey said. "We can mark the location and come back again, in
say, thirty or forty years."
"Okay. Okay. Let's get the hell out of here."

Rocketman:


Rawhide watched the scene in the saloon unfold in front of him, and was both alarmed and puzzled. He regarded the piano player as he began to play another round of 'Sourdough Sue', which elicited a huge number whoops and hollers from the rest of the seemingly spectral
crowd. Every few notes, the old man at the ivories would look at him, and smile savagely and wink. This was really beginning to hack Rawhide off.

"Hey, old man, who in Hades are you?", he said as he moved closer, "and why the heck are you buggin' me?"

The piano man stood up from his playing, and slowly closed the distance between them. The music continued without him. "Mr. Rawhide, we've been waiting for you. In fact, we're very surprised that it took this long for us to meet." Faster than his elder nature would imply,
he drew a beautiful, if not deadly looking, Colt revolver from a holster under his jacket.

"Back Off, Casper!" shouted Rawhide, drawing his own firearm. The two forms regarded each other, each considering the next move. This guy might be a ghost, can I actually hurt him?, thought Rawhide.

Just then, a strobing of flashing multicolored lights enveloped Rawhide and his tormentor. Fury crossed the face of the old man, and he looked up to one corner of the room. "No! Not yet! He hasn't completed his teleportation." The power of rage coming from the man was startling, and Rawhide stepped a back slightly in response. In doing so, he looked down to watch his step, and realized he could look through his boot to see the dusty floor beneath.

"That tears it! I'm gone!" Rawhide fired a shot at the old man during the confusion, and turned to quickly leave the saloon. The shot appeared to go right through the menacing musician, though the old fellow did flinch.

The tall Hong Kong Cavalier burst outside through the saloon doors to find Buckaroo running right towards him. "Buckaroo! This place is damn weird. I think we've got a ghost-impersonating convention here." Rawhide looked down at his boots, once again solid and sturdy.

Buckaroo pointed in the direction of the mineshaft. "I'll bet it has something to do with that."

Overhead, electrical sparks, flashes, and assorted vapors flew into the sky. Accompanying the spectacle was the most horrendous screeching sound, like ancient mechanisms, unoiled but coming to life.

"Do we still have a team in there?" asked Buckaroo.

"Yes, and I sent Reno, Pecos and Jake after them. We have to get them out." said Rawhide.


Buckaroo drew his weapon. "I agree and right now."
Secret Squirrel:


A brilliant bolt of blue lightning flashed across the room, effectively cutting off the Hong Kong Cavaliers from the exit.

"Hit the deck," shouted Pecos, suiting words to action as the hum of electricity grew louder in the small space.

"What the hell's goin' on?" muttered Reno at almost the same moment.

"Looks like Perfect Tommy started up the machine," New Jersey replied as he tried to meld himself into the stone floor.

Reno sighed, "Great, any idea how to shut it down."

"I could try pushing the lever back down," said Perfect Tommy who was somehow managing to give any casual onlooker the impression that he actually wanted to be lying on the floor.

"Not unless you want to get fried," Pinky responded as another bolt split off from the main trunk across the room and slammed into the lever.

"Looks fused now. We'll have to find another way of shutting it down."

"I knew we should a just said no when Rawhide asked you to go looking for you guys," commented Reno "we were having such a nice afternoon. . . Now were gonna spend the rest of the day waiting for another search party 'cause Tommy's playing with the equipment."

"Hey! It's not my fault." shouted Tommy, as he sat up to glare at Reno. He yelped as another bolt of electricity shot right over his head and quickly laid back down.

"Never is."

"I dunno," commented New Jersey "this electrical thing seems a little too responsive to me."

"What do you mean?" asked Pecos warily, New Jersey was well known for making connections that were neither obvious nor encouraging.

"Well, first we say we're leaving and the entry is shut off, then Tommy says he's going to shut down the machine and the off switch gets fragged."

"So we're being watched?"

"Seems likely."
Tommy Boy:


At the bus all Cavaliers present themselves. Buckaroo and Rawhide both keep a watchful eye at the sky to the growing colored cloud over the mountain. With no communications beyond the valley it was the Hong Kong Cavaliers versus this unknown force.


Buckaroo analyzed the situation. "We got six people in that mountain." They could hear the crackle of energy in the air. "Rawhide, you take Panther and Sky. See what you can do to get them out of there." Buckaroo looked over the crowd. "The rest of us will hold down the fort."


Buckaroo looked to his friend. They both knew that this was an unknown force and didn't have a clue how to counter it. Buckaroo also knew that Rawhide wouldn't let him volunteer to go in.


Armed with their side arms, flashlights and ropes, they started up the mountain. Panther, the new lead singer was built like a construction worker. Just enough muscle to make the girls compete for his attention against Perfect Tommy. Sky acted as a shy girl who played synthesizer but was born and raised in Sao Pablo, Brazil. She knew how to scrap with the best of them.


While walking up the path to the mine entrance, Rawhide muttered to himself, "I bet Perfect Tommy start all this."


They approached the mined entrance, a steady flow of energy was coming out of the mine entrance, feeding the cloud above. It left clearance still to enter the mine.


Rawhide looked at the changing cloud above. "What did we get ourselves into this time?" he asked himself. Shaking his head, he lead Panther and Sky into the tunnel.




Canary:


Buckaroo watched his friend until he was swallowed up by the trees on the mountain side. He hoped that metaphor would stay a metaphor.

Turning he looked at his watch. It had been nearly five hours since Sam had left. He looked up at the sky, the sun was awfully close to the western edge f the small valley they were in. Darkness would come soon.

He hoped Sam would, too.


He pulled his Go phone out of his pocket and tried to reach Sam. All he got was static. They were going to be stuck here over night. Time to figure out and set up accommodations for the
night. And watches. If, when, he corrected himself, Rawhide and the
rest returned, they'd have to be on their toes.


Maybe there was something up with what ever Perfect Tommy had found, but it was a ghost
town, a fairly good sized one at one time, too. Strange and unexplained things happened in ghost towns, even without outside help.

Buckaroo motioned to Jake and one of their roadies, Mike, time to scout out sleeping locations. The bus was too small or the 15 of them.

Dragon:


Back at the mine shaft:
Perfect Tommy screams at the top of his vocal cord's ability, "Doesn't anyone have any ideas how to get us out of here!"

Reno, Pecos and New Jersey kept close together. None of them had an answer for Perfect Tommy. The cavern was lit up by the flashes of energy and the flow that has heading out towards the mine's entrance.

Reno gets an idea, "If our movements are somehow being watched, maybe we can distract it or
something."
Pecos looks at Reno and New Jersey and says, "Like what?! You want me to strip down and do a little lap dance for this damn machine while you all figure out how to stop it?"

All four of the guys actually ponder the prospects of this working just long enough for Pecos to get frustrated and scowl.

New Jersey, "Oh, I'm sorry, you weren't serious?"

"But she might have a good idea." Reno says as he moves over to where Perfect Tommy and Pinky are trying to hide. A few moments later the three move back toward Pecos and New Jersey and they quickly explain their plan.

Rawhide, Panther and Sky cautiously enter the chamber where the machine and their comrades are, being careful not to come in contact with the flow of energy moving through the tunnel.

The opportunity presents itself and they act.

As Rawhide and the other two enter Reno and Pacos head around one direction, Perfect Tommy and Pinky head around the other side of the machine and New Jersey stands up and waves his hands frantically toward the device.

Rawhide looks around the spectacle and yells out, "What in tarnation are you all up too?!" He ducks a bolt of energy.

Everyone is frantically looking over the device trying to see anything that will help them while dodging and weaving around. It looked like a demented dance troupe performing their last engagement before hitting the road again.

Perfect Tommy trips and falls to the loose dirt floor. He let's out a anguished yell, more for the stains on his clothes than the embarrassment or pain.

Abruptly the lightning and flow of energy wink out, like someone pulled the plug on the strange
device.

Cheers echo through the tunnels. Grins form on faces. Backs are slapped.

As Perfect Tommy stands up and brushes off he sees a cord in the dirt. He bends down to examine it closely, shining his flashlight. "Well I'll be damned!" He pulls on the cord and holds it up. He shouts, "Look everyone, it's an extension cord!" he shines the light on the end where two cords were connected.

Reno, "Way to go dude!"

Perfect Tommy bends down with his light again and moves around the loose soil, he comes up with the other cord, "Look!" He takes the two ends and moves them together...

Several people shout, "NO!"

...but he stops in the last half inch and grins, "Just foolin' around!" He drops the extension cords safely away from each other and strides toward the exit.

"I saved the day, again!" he says smugly.

"You're also the one who turned on the thing in the first place and got us into this mess." New Jersey points out before anyone else could.

"You are so picky New Jersey." Tommy shakes his head and brushes himself off with a small whisk broom he has for just these occasions, "Let's not stand around here all day, let's get a move
on!"

Everyone grumbles as they walk through the mine shafts and exit.

Back in the darkness of the mine in a tunnel that the group hadn't yet discovered near the chamber that the machine stands still in, a pair of eyes wink to get the dust out and the body below them breaths a heavy sigh.

Rocketman:
As the group approached the bus, Buckaroo spotted them, and gave them a thumbs up. "Way to go, team!", he shouted. "Everybody all right?"

Rawhide waved back. "Yeah, we had a peck a trouble back there, but we got it all cleared up." He looked around at the bivouac. "How're Y'all?"

Buckaroo jerked a thumb behind him. "Everyone's sacking out for the night," he said, "and I suggest we do the same-"

"Alright!", exclaimed Perfect Tommy.

"-after a debriefing in the Bus." Buckaroo smiled. "I know, you all must be pretty beat. We'll keep it short."

"Allright……" said Perfect Tommy again, not feeling nearly so happy.

Behind them, there was a rustling in the bushes. Everyone in the approaching team made a barely perceptible pause, then continued walking as naturally as possible. They weren't talking anymore,
however. Again, the vegetation was disturbed.

"Scatter! Lectroid!" said Buckaroo, as he drew his weapon. Rawhide, in synchronous fashion, pulled his own as he crouched to the ground, out of his friend's line of fire. The rest of the HKC exploded from the scene, to take defensive positions around the camp.

Stepping out of the bushes, with holding his pistol loosely by his side, was the old man. He was a dirty, sooty mess, and he looked positively dejected. "You!" he said, raising his gun to point it at
Rawhide.

"Yeah, me! Drop it or I drop you!" Rawhide motioned to the ground.

"No." The old man started to cock the hammer on his firearm.

Bounding out of brush came a blur of motion, a lithe female figure. Pecos. Jumping into the air, she seemed to fly as she caught the old man in the center of the back with her feet. His legs and arms
jerked and spread akimbo, and he landed face-first flat on the ground, with a large "oof!" Pecos stepped on the attacker's weapon arm, and pried the old man's gun from his grasp. Others came to hold down the intruder, securing him.

"Man, I knew there was somebody ghosting us from the caves. I could hear this old guy shuffling around the whole time we were exiting."

She pulled her hair out of her eyes and looked at Rawhide. "Are you OK? He didn't seem to like you much."

"I'm doing fine, now. Thanks to you, ma'am.", said Rawhide, now standing up and holstering his weapon. "Buckaroo, you said this dude's a lectroid?"

"Yes, and we had better get his mouth covered.", said Buckaroo, looking meaningfully at Rawhide. "Reno, could you get a containment mask from storage?"

Rawhide turned a little pale, and unconsciously rubbed at his back. "Yeah, uh, get that mouth
covered."

After their first encounter with the Red Lectroids, the henchmen of the self-styled Lord John Worfin, it became apparent that any lectroid prisoners would have to have a binding put over their spider-spitting mouths. After nearly dying from one of their oral projectiles, Rawhide became the head designer for the containment mask for the purpose.
It consisted of a simple meshed mouthpiece, covering from the chin to under the nose, and was anchored by a nylon webbing strap around the captive's head.

Reno returned shortly with the mask, which Rawhide took great pains to secure onto the old man's face. He made sure it was very tight.

"Buckaroo, this is the old fart I thought was a ghost. Shoulda known it was a set-up." Rawhide turned to the former piano player. "Alright, what's your story?"

"Yes, out with it.", said Buckaroo.

"Okay, okay.", said the old man, "my name is John Wayne."

Tommy Boy laughed. "John Wayne? Is that some kind of joke?"

"Yes, actually. The ghost town, the western setting, it was Lord Worfin's idea. He thought sending me, John Wayne, to this post was incredibly funny."

"Hmm.", muttered New Jersey, "Yes, very funny. Hah."

"Continue", said Buckaroo.

"I've been waiting for you for a long, long time, Mr. Rawhide."

Rawhide was getting annoyed. "You told me that in the saloon. Now tell us why."

"Lord Worfin had followed Dr. Banzai and Dr. Hikita as they developed the Overthruster. You were to be lured to this old town when the device was near completion, and I was instructed to kidnap you, Mr. Rawhide. You were to be ransomed for the Overthruster." He looked down
at his feet. "That was three years ago. I was just about to beam you to Yoyodyne when your friends stumbled upon my nest. Now, what will I do? My Lord will destroy me if I do not return with you." He sighed.

"Well, don't worry about that too much", said Buckaroo, "I helped destroy Worfin and his minions a year ago. Frankly, I'm surprised to find you here. How did you keep abreast of our whereabouts? How did you lure us here?"

"My contact is in the Asia continent, that is all I know."

Asia? Hanoi Xan?, thought Buckaroo. "Well, that's neither here nor there. Reno, you and Pecos please escort Mr. Wayne to a secure location on the bus. We'll drop by Los Alamos Labs on the way home. Maybe they can learn some more from him there." Reno and Pecos each took an arm, and began to lead their prisoner away.

"Buckaroo", said Rawhide, "we are going to need to get back to the mine to smoke out the rest of Mr. Wayne's team. From what I saw in the saloon, he's got a mess of subordinates."

"Hey!", exlaimed the Lectroid, as he dug his heels in the dirt, "I'm proud of my operation here. No other lectroid could have held this together alone this long like I have!"

"Then who were all those people I saw in there with you?"

"I don't know what you're talking about, monkeyboy." He turned as Reno and Pecos continued to escort him away.

Rawhide, Perfect Tommy, and New Jersey looked at each other for a moment. In unison, they said: "Ghosts?"

A slow smile spread across Buckaroo's face. "Ghosts. Come on, let's get that debrief finished, so we can get some shuteye. We have a road trip ahead of us."

Secret Squirrel:


While Buckaroo and Rawhide debriefed the team members who had explored the caves Panther, Sheba, and Sky kept a close eye on the captive Lectroid who seemed completely demoralized by the news that his leader had been vanquished long before. Worried for the safety of their friends they attempted to determine how many other Lectroids were in the area by questioning their prisoner, setting up an arrangement of answering one question of his for one answer. They quickly determined that John Wayne was indeed the only member of his species in the area, John Whorfin not being willing to let many of his subordinates stray far from his sight.

"The only way to gain true power is to vanquish those who hold power over you and assume their place." John Wayne was declaiming as Buckaroo and the others rejoined their comrades in the bus.

"We have to keep him on the bus?" Pinky asked, his nose wrinkling as he got close enough to smell the Lectroid warrior's pungent aroma.

"You have a better plan?" queried Buckaroo, "As soon as we are able to contact the rest of the world we'll turn him over, until then however . . ." he grinned "I'm sleeping outside."

Just then Jake and Mike returned to the bus, after quickly catching up on the events they had missed while looking for a place to bunk they informed the others that they had found a nice and secure place to set up camp just around the other side of the ghost town. Buckaroo quickly made the decision to stay around the bus, in light of their having acquired a prisoner.

"We'll set up watches so everyone has the opportunity to get some rest and fresh air."

"We have a gig tomorrow night" interjected Panther "we might want to practice a little."

Perfect Tommy responded scornfully. "Nah, we don't need to practice."

"Doesn't mean we can't bring out the gear and have a little fun though." said New Jersey as returned from his firewood hunt with a pile of old timber. Buckaroo simply nodded as he dumped his essentials in a pile beside the bus.

"Just don't dance." warned Perfect Tommy, "I hate it when you dance."

Off in the distance the faint sound of an engine was heard . . .
Tommy Boy:

A cycle engine could be heard echoing off the sides of the valley. Sky picked up a pair of pwer binoculars that were being tested by the institute for military support. She could see in the distance Sam returning.


Buckaroo and Rawhide went outside the bus to wait for Sam to pull up.


Sam seemed happy with himself. He pulled up next to the bus and pulled off his helmet. He looked around and saw sentries posted and weary faces. "Looks like you had a bit of fun without me." Sam told them.


"We'll fill you in as soon as you tells us your news." Rawhide told Sam.


"Got some good news and some bad."


Buckaroo shook his head then took a chance on the old age joke. "The good news?"


"Got all the parts ordered to fix the bus."


"And the bad news is?"


"They won't be in till late tomorrow, so the bus isn't moving for at least 36 to 48 hours."


Several groans could be heard from the group that had gathered around to hear what Sam had to say. "But I did call home and Mrs. Johnson is dispatching from Denver, 3 vans and a small truck to get you and the equipment out of here in the morning." Sam said with a grin. "Two BBI's are coming in with the parts and help me fix the bus so we can catch up with you later."


Buckaroo grinned. Sam took care of them to the hilt.


With that said Sam went in the bus and gave a howl to the smell of the Lectroid on board. "Man you did have a party while I was gone." you could here him exclaim.


Buckaroo and Rawhide looked at each other. "Looks like we'll get out of here soon enough." Rawhide commented.


Buckaroo looked around the ghost town, "Not soon enough for me. There is something about this place other than an Lectroid being here." It was a feeling he couldn't shake.


Rawhide tended to agree with him on that part. Now they just had to get through the night.
Rawhide looked around and saw a few of the gang settling here and there. Pecos and Reno were taking residence in the large tent. Perfect Tommy and New Jersey were talking around the makeshift camp fire they built. They had opened up their bags to sleep under the stars. Perfect Tommy had also brought out his guitar. He settled down and started strumming tunes that were clear to all in the camp.


Rawhide was starting to feel comfortable for the first time that day. 'Maybe the night won't be so bad after all,' he thought. He turned to follow Bucakroo into the bus to get their gear so they could get some sleep themselves.






Round Five


Canary:


Most of the night passed uneventfully. But, about 3:00 in the morning, the wind started to howl and a thunderstorm blew in. A typical Colorado thunder-boomer. Lots of lightning and thunder building up to a brief, torrential rain. While everyone tried to find shelter, a small group ended up in what had once been the General Store. The roof leaked, but not badly. Big Norse, Panther, Sky, New Jeresy, and Pinky. Watched through the window and door as the rain first drenched, then drown the dirt street. Sky and New Jersey kept ducking every time a particularly
loud clap of thunder came.

After a few minutes, Pinky turned to lok at the interior of the building, to check it out when the was a flash of lightning. There was nothing there, except some really strange after images after the
lightning. Later, when the rain had stopped and everyone had regrouped around the bus, Pinky mentioned it to Rawhide. Reno and Pecos let out a big breath of air.

"Thanks for saying that, Pinky. We thought we were the only ones who saw anything."

Rawhide looked around, "Did anyone see anything during that storm?" A few sheepish hands raised.

After much talk, it was decided that if what they had seen were ghosts, and Perfect Tommy was certain there were no such things, everyone decided that they weren't going to bother anybody. So, nobody was going to bother them.

Just at sunrise, the sound of vehicle motors could be heard. No one had slept too much after the storm and the thought of leaving Winfield, was starting to be a very good thing. Soon, two vans pulled into Winfield.

The drivers only too glad to help load the equipment into one and the people into another.
Although there was quite a bit of discussion about where to put the Lectroid. Soon every one was ready to leave, except Sam.

Buckaroo and Rawhide walked over to Sam, "You going to be okay here by yourself?" Rawhide asked?

"Yeah. I got a bus to work on. I'll be okay. If you're worried about them ghosts bothering me, don't. I'll just put them to work." Sam turned to Buckaroo. "You guys have got a concert this evening, so go on, get. I'll be fine. Really."

Buckaroo and Rawhide boarded the van with a last wave to Sam, they all pulled out of the mining town of Winfield.

Dragon:


Four hours later...

The entire entourage, on foot, dirty and tired, walk up to Sam who is under the Bus working.

"How's it going under there Sam?" Rawhide asks.

Sam shimmies out from under the bus and blinks up at his comrades, "Why are you here... something go wrong, again?"

New Jersey chimes in, "Damnedest thing, we were driving along just fine, all hyped up for the gig this evening and the engines just quit running. There's plenty of gas, the fuel filters aren't clogged, we checked everything..." his voice trained off as he shrugs.

"Well, I'm just about ready for a break, how about some grub? You all must be thirsty and hungry, how long you been walking?" Sam asks.

Buckaroo, "It's been almost three hours, the vans are about 8 miles out." He shook the dirt out of his hair and combed it with his fingers, "I could use a drink!"

New Jersey chimes in with, "This road trip... if it ain't one thing, it's another, I tell ya."

Rawhide nods and tips his hat.

The gang quench their thirst and eat some canned provisions. As most play a friendly game of poker using pocket change for bets to pass the time, repairs are being made to the Bus.

In the not too far distance, down the center street of the ghost town, a dust devil forms and twirls dust and decades of garbage into a mini tornado.

Pinky point it out, "Look! It's a dust devil, cool!" He smiles.

Everyone finds a window in the Bus to watch from. The twirling mass increases in size and speed as it continues toward them. Reno worriedly grabs hold of Pecos and says, "Should we do something, like close up the windows on the bus?" The mass of dust engulf the bus and their vision is blinded for several moments. The Bus rocks and the winds batters it about.

When the dust clears, everyone looks out the dirty windows at the ghost town...

...it has come alive.
Rocketman:

People were walking around everywhere. Translucent people. Their clothing appeared of late 19th century vintage, and suited to life in the Rocky Mountains. There were horses and carriages situated at a couple of locations on the street. A large group of ghostly roughnecks were entering the saloon, from which once again came the catchy melody of 'Sourdough Sue'. The former vitality of the town was all around the HCK.

A large, satisfied grin spreads across Rawhide's face, and he turns to
Buckaroo. "What do you think about them apples?" Then he turns to Pinky.

"What? Why are you looking at me like that?" says Pinky.

"You thought I was a loon, didn't you?"

Pinky started getting a little defensive. "Oh no, not me!" He was indignant. "I just thought your story was, uh, unlikely."

"That's not what you said at the debrief, Pinky. What was it you said?
'No way, you're nuts Rawhide. There are no ghosts.' Yeah, that was it." Rawhide continued smiling, and stepped over to Pinky.

"Hey, now, I didn't mean anything by that. I was just ribbin' ya, I mean . . " Rawhide cut him off.

"Whoa, its OK. I thought I was crazy too." He clapped his friend on the back. "I'm just glad someone else can see the little specters, y'know."

By now, the team had closed in around Buckaroo, and were looking to him for guidance. Pecos was the first to speak.

"Well, chief, what do you think we need to do?"

Buckaroo surveyed the scene before him for a few more moments before answering. "Pecos, everybody. It doesn't appear that the citizens of this town even know that we are here. If we keep alert, we should be safe to investigate." He looked at Perfect Tommy. "You take point. Pinky, you take the rear guard."

"Okay", said Perfect Tommy, "Where do we go first?"

New Jersey answered immediately. "I want to check out the saloon. Rawhide's piano has piqued my interest."

"Sounds good", said Buckaroo, "Perfect Tommy, lead the way."

With that, the group started walking towards the Saloon, and no one was unimpressed with what they saw. Ghosts went back and forth across the streets, going about their business like they had never shook their mortal coils. New Jersey, originally very intimidated by the improbability of it all, was now warming up to the idea of spirits around him. He decided to perform some experimentation. Ever so often, he would say a greeting to a ghost passing near him, looking for a reaction. There was none.

"Well", he said to himself, "this is getting me nowhere. There has to be a way to reach them."

By this time, the crew was filing into the saloon. The scene that had greeted Rawhide during his first encounter with Mr. Wayne unfolded again. Eerily, it appeared to him that the patrons were re-enacting the same scene that he had witnessed before.

"Buckaroo", said New Jersey, "I've tried contacting the spirits in this town, but nothing has worked. I have to say I'm disappointed."

"Well, I think these guys are on automatic pilot, so to speak. They are simply acting out things that were important to them when they were alive. Sort of a spiritual recording.", Buckaroo replied.

"No, Buckaroo, I don't think so. Rawhide's description of this place gnaws at me about this." New Jersey stood there pondering the situation.

His companions were mildly shocked that he was disagreeing with Buckaroo. Not that it was taboo to have a different view from their leader, but most new recruits, not knowing Buckaroo well, thought that it was. This was growth for New Jersey, and garnered much goodwill from his teammates.

"Wait! I know what to do!" New Jersey rushed over to the piano. The player, a much younger-looking man this time, one of the roughnecks, was just beginning to get up from the instrument. When he did, New Jersey sat down, cracked his knuckles, and began to play 'chopsticks'.

Every ghost in the saloon turned to look at him. New Jersey exchanged
glances with Buckaroo and Rawhide. "Hah! I thought so."
Secret Squirrel:


Buckaroo smiled "Seems you're in charge here, New Jersey."

New Jersey's pleased expression dimmed a little. "Me? Uh . . ." He turned to face the spectral roughneck who had just gotten up from the piano "Hi."

"Not from around here are you, sonny?" the figure growled menacingly.

"Um . . . no."

"Well, if you're gonna play, play. If not, you had better be offa my stool by the time I get back, these fellas are not the most patient audience and there will be trouble if things get too quiet."

"Trouble . . ."

"Yep." With his warning issued the spectral pianist wandered off in the direction of the bar.
New Jersey spun around and began racking his brain for an appropriate song to keep "trouble" from starting. Looking back at Rawhide, who had doubled over in laughter, a sudden inspiration struck and he began to play the Hong Kong Cavalier's namesake.

"What sort a music is that? a skinny, malnourished looking man hollered from across the room.

New Jersey replied without missing a beat, "A classic, from where I come from."

"Oh yeah, and where's that?" the scrawny man riposted as he crossed the room.

"New Jersey."
Tommy Boy:


The Cavaliers looked on around them, watching the like a hologram in front of them. Panther mentioned to Reno, "It looks like the Haunted Mansion at Disney. The Ballroom where all the ghosts are dancing around."


There were several groups playing poker, drinking and smoking. At the far end of the bar were a group of men talking, very loudly.


The piano player came back to the piano with a beer in his hand. "Need to move it. It's almost time for the show."


"Show?"


"Miss Ruby." the man announced.


Everyone looked at each other. The piano player settled into an introduction production. The men settled down around the saloon, finding chairs to sit in. A few made their way to sit in front of the small stage by the piano.


Then the introduction came to a song that was known as a vixen song of the old days. A buxom blond came out from the wings dressed in a nearly revealing corset dress, belting out the song with a well practiced voice.


The Cavaliers watched her dance and perform for the mining men who hooted and whistled at every wink and waist shake she did.


All to soon the show was finished and she returned behind the stage. The men of the bar went back to their to activities.


Then a commotion could be heard outside in the street. Horses riding in hard and men yelling something. The Cavaliers make their way out of the saloon to investigate what is going on outside with the rest of the saloon occupants.


A large crowd had gathered out side of the various buildings. Several men were itching horses to a buckboard. The front man of the group of horsemen leaned dow to talk to the sallon keeper. Pecos overheard them speaking, alarm showing on her face.

"Where's the Doc?"

"Haven't seen him since dinner. What's up? Why all the commotion?"

"There's been a cave in at the Tasmania Mine. Several miners are trapped. We need somebody to find Doc. Now!"

The cowboy shouted for some help and several of the men from the saloon grabbed their horses or just started running up toward the mine. Pecos relayed the information she had heard to the rest of the group. After a few minutes of discusion, all but Perfect Tommy agreed to follow the
ghostly citizens out of the town and see what happened. Perfect Tommy had decided that he had enough of ghosts and mines for one trip.
Besides, he said, what about John Wayne? Who was going to stay and guard him?

As everybody left the little town, Perfect Tommy suddenly realized how quiet it had gotten. It seemed that even the ever present sighing of the wind had ceased.

When he got back to the bus he foud Lectroid John Wayne in a state of terror. Wayne was so frightened that all he could do was babble. Tommy knew he hadn't heard what was going on, besides, there weren't real.

They were only ghosts, weren't they? Maybe Lectroids were terrified of ghosts for so reason. Tommy tried to talk to Wayne, but all the Lectroid did as curl into a tight ball and whimper.

The crowd of semi transparent ghosts hurried north out of town, most of them on foot. About half a mile was covered before the Cavaliers spotted the entrance to the Tasmania Mine. There were many miners laying around attended by other ghostly figures in filthy clothes, many showing
serious injuries and making agonizing sounds. It was truly haunting.

"Isn't there anything we can do to help?" asked Pinky as he knelt down to take a closer look at one of the worse injured. Ghostly blood covered his spectral clothes, his skin was very pale and he was unconscious.

"I wish there was something we could do," Buckaroo said, "but how can the living help those who are not?" He shook his head with sadness.

Someone yelled out in the commotion, "Here's the Doc!" and the crowd of ghosts parted as a middle aged man carrying a black bag hustled as best he could. He was shaking and off balance.

"I think he's drunk as a skunk," commented Reno.

The Doc went briefly from man to man taking a quick note of their conditions and telling the bystanders what to do with each. On several occasions he simply paused and shook his head.

"Are there any more in the mine?" asked the Doc, slurring his speech. Someone in the ghostly crowd spoke up with, "No, everyone's been accounted for, we got them all out."

Those who could be saved were carefully carried in the arms of the town's people. The rest were left.

The Cavaliers gloomily and silently followed the grim parade back towards town.


Back in the Bus, Perfect Tommy tried to comfort the Lectroid John Wayne. Finally he got some words out of him, "they... from... eighth dimension...no... go... back there..."

Tommy asked, "Are you talking about the ghosts man? Oh come on, haven't you ever seen a ghost before?" than he wondered out loud, "Oh, I get it! You saw a ghost and think they are from the eight dimension... or that you are back in the eighth dimension, is that it?"
The Lectroid shook his head 'yes'.

"Come on bud, don't worry about them, look," he put up his hand in front of the alien, "see, I'm here and I'm not from the eighth dimension, we aren't in the eighth anything, those are just ghosts!"
This seemed to ease the Lectroid's stress.

Perfect Tommy walked away and scanned out a window muttering to himself, "If he'd had said, 'I see dead people', I think I would have just shot him right there! He shook his head.
In the distance Perfect Tommy spied the parade making their way back into town. "Now what?!"

Sam the mechanic stumbles into the Bus, "Tommy, I've finally got this old girl ready for the road!" He walks to a cabinet and opens it, withdrawing a bottle of whiskey and two glasses. Sam pours a generous portion for each of them and offers Tommy one. "Salute!!" Tommy and Sam gulp down the smooth beverage and watched the movement outside. "What's going on Tommy?"
"I haven't a clue, something about a mine cave-in."

On a console at the center of the World Watch One a light flashes to a annoying peeping. Sam and Perfect Tommy rush to check it out. After checking the readouts and resetting the sensors and checking again, they both find themselves unable to believe what their finely tuned instruments
tell them.

The Cavaliers gather around the Bus, Sam and Perfect Tommy greet them. "Buckaroo, the Bus is ready to go and we just got something weird on the World Watch One sensors..."
Big Norse makes her way to the console. Sky sits down beside her to help double check what Big Norse finds.
With the instrumentation coming to life in the valley where it was dead for almost 24 hours, Big Norse was questioning all data coming.
From their sensors and data, all the information was reading the time and date that they entered the valley, the day before.
One of the roadies standing outside the bus having a smoke called out, "Dust devil." And climbs on board the bus followed by other members of the band hanging outside the bus.
Again the dust devil approaches, increasing in size while it travels down the road towards the bus. It surrounds the bus, causing it to rock and shake for a few minutes.
Big Norse communications goes out again with the interference.
Then the dust devil moves on through the valley.
Then World Watch One starts up again, giving more data.
Big Norse confirms the first reaction, "Technically we have just arrived here by all standards."
Rawhide and Buckaroo look at each other as do the rest of the pack. Somehow they time traveled.
But they still had an additional passenger, Lectroid John Wayne.
"No body is going to believe this." New Jersey said out loud.
"I don't believe it and I lived through it." Reno commented.
Buckaroo looked around the gang, "Sam check the bus to see if we can leave. Big Norse, get a channel open to the institute and confirm with Mrs. Johnson our last communique with her."
Rawhide was heading to the front of the bus, he wanted to see the town before they left. He headed to the saloon. He walked in, looking through the dust laden air, it looked like no one had touched the place for a long time. Rawhide scratched is 2 days old beard and headed back to the bus.
Sam came around the bus and met up with Rawhide, "Bus is fine to roll."
"Then lets get out of here." Sam got on board. Rawhide stopped before the door and looked back. If he didn't know better he thought this was an elaborate plan by someone. He shook his head and got on board.
The driver started up the engine and engaged the clutch. The bus started rolling. He swung long and headed up the gravel road that had brought them in yesterday, excuse me, just a few minutes before.
Translucent figures watched the bus roll out of their town. It took much work on their part, but they able to turn over the being that had used their town for his own business. Now he was gone, gone for good they hoped. With the bus disappearing, the townspeople went back to their own lives.


Rocketman:

Epilogue:

It was always electrifying, heading to the stage. Jauntily, Buckaroo
and the HCK made their way through the crowd, the fans clapping and
cheering them on. Buckaroo smiling and high-fiving the people
gathered, Rawhide tipping his hat, and New Jersey, a little
self-conscious as usual, but clearly enjoying himself and smiling
broadly. Along with them were Pinky, casually striding to his post
onstage, and Tommy Boy strutting very seriously through the crowd.
His uncanny effect on the ladies as strong as ever, his
too-cool-to-be-bothered expression only serving to increase his
magnetism.

Bringing up the rear were Pecos, Peggy, Big Norse, Starshine and Tommy
Boy, to uproarious applause. The new female group had been garnering
great reviews during the current tour, and became an anticipated treat
as they moved from town to town. The ladies bowed in unison, then
hopped onto the increasingly crowded stage to get to their places.

"Tarnation, Buckaroo, those ladies are stealin' our thunder!", said
Rawhide as he passed by on the way to the piano. He was all smiles.

Buckaroo was grinning even more. "Yes, they are. And they're getting
better at it every night." He stepped up to the mike.

"Hello out there! You folks ready to rock?"

The crowd replied "Yeah!" in unison, cheers and applause quickly
followed.

"Ok! Let's start with an oldie but goody, folks." He looked around at
the band. And out into the crowd, where in one corner was John Wayne,
flanked by a couple of local chapter BBI's. He sat with his arms
crossed over his chest, unimpressed. Buckaroo addressed him. "This
one's for you, John. One, two, three!"

Quietly, from the piano came a simple melody, for a few bars. An
amiable, old western feeling came from the tune. Buckaroo pointed
behind him, and drums began playing. Perfect Tommy next received the
nod, and a base note began to wind its way into the music, and the
tempo increased. Rawhide let out a rebel yell, and one by one, the
band came alive. So did the crowd. John Wayne still sat with a bored
expression. But his feet were tapping.

A hundred years out of time, and with a new energy, 'Sourdough Sue'
had been returned to the world.

------------------------------

John Wayne made an appearance at Los Alamos Labs, as Buckaroo
promised. The trip took a number of hours to complete, and, at first,
the strain of having a mortal enemy on board was high. But, given
time, a certain level of trust built between the old alien and the
HKC. Winding down through the mountains leading to the facility, the
guards could swear they could hear singing. Sure enough, as World
Watch One rounded the last corner to the entry gate of the lab, one
could hear the standard of "100 Bottles of Beer on the Wall" issuing
forth. In a cloud of New Mexico dust, the WW1 stopped, and out
quickly bounded Sky and Perfect Tommy, with John Wayne between them.
He no longer wore his containment mask.

"We radioed ahead about our passenger, er, prisoner here, sergeant",
said Sky to the guard in charge. John gave him the Peace sign. The
guard blinked at that, then reached for his walkie-talkie to get
confirmation.

"Well, Mr. Wayne, this is where we part ways. Be nice to the gents in
there, ok?" Perfect Tommy offered his hand to him, and he shook it.

"Thank you for taking me out of that wretched town, Mr. Perfect
Tommy." The lectroid shuddered. "I don't know what those people would
have done to me, if I had stayed."

"Now, they were only ghosts, you know", said Perfect Tommy, "they
couldn't really hurt you. I told you that."

"I don't know, I don't know……" John Wayne looked down at the ground,
and shuddered again.

Shortly, a quarantine transport pulled up to the gate, and Sky gently
ushered him inside. The alien was truly a rather old being, as old as
he appeared as a human, and genuinely frail. Sky stepped down from
the van, and whistled to the bus: "Let's go!"

Around the corner of the van popped John Wayne's head, and he waved.
"Be cool, y'all! Don't be mean!" he grinned, and then sat back down in
the transport. "Ahh, those are a bunch of great guys. For
monkeyboys", he said to the guard next to him. The rear doors of the
van closed, and the vehicle drove away towards the lab.

Buckaroo and Rawhide stood at the base of the WW1 steps, watching the
van take John Wayne away.

"Y'all?" Rawhide chuckled. "Never thought I'd see the day I would make
friends with one of his kind. The Red lectroids tried to kill me, I
thought I 'd never forgive 'em." Rawhide sighed.

"Expect the Unexpected", quoted Buckaroo.

"Peace is where you find it", returned Rawhide.

"Yes, my friend", said Buckaroo, "very true. C'mon let's go home."

@ 2005 Tommy Boy fan fiction * design and content by Paula C. *