Here we go. I had to make sure I didn't have Tatt singing
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Ralph and the green guys circled around in the storm, feinting attacks to see who would attack first.
Just then, Murphy lunged forward, and Ralph quickly sidestepped the jump. He then picked up a rock and threw it as hard as he could toward the group. It caught the other green guy in the midsection and the impact flung him back about 50 yards, stunning him.
Ralph turned and faced Murphy, who flung a bolt of lightning from his hand. Ralph put up his arms to shield his face, and felt the impact. Unlike the last time, the lightning stung, and caused him to stagger back. *That hurt,* Ralph thought. *I wonder if my not eating well is affecting the suit’s powers. I need to put these guys out of commission and regroup quickly, or we’ll all die.*
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HD, Tatt and Jack were huddled behind the table again, with Jack keeping a close eye on Mel. She had been ill again, and Jack knew that she couldn’t handle more of this.
“Look here, HD, I can’t take it anymore,” Jack said. “Ralph needs help, and I’m going to help him.”
“No Jack, you’re not going out. Ralph can handle this on his own.”
Jack got up from behind the table and looked out the window. Though the storm was whipping around the grass and other items, he could see Ralph fighting the green critters. He grimaced when he saw Ralph get hit with the lightning bolt, but, unlike last time, he staggered back, and looked dazed.
“Damn it, HD, Ralph’s getting hurt. He got hit with a lightning bolt before, and it didn‘t hurt him. This time, it’s dazed him. I don’t think he’ll survive many more if he continues.”
“Jack, I’m warning you. …” HD threatened. He felt as though if Jack helped Ralph and got hurt, something tragic would happen in the long run.
“I’m going, and nothing you say will change that I. …” His rant was cut off when he received a right cross from HD. Jack slumped down to the ground, out cold.
“Sorry, Jack, I can’t let you go out there,” HD said. “Tatt, go and find something I can bind his hands together.”
“HD, I’m going out there,” Tatt said simply, bringing the rope.
“Now don‘t you start with the heroics. Mel is still having problems with the drug, and I need someone to take care of her as while I’m the storm lookout.”
“Look, HD, this all seems out of place, and you know something I don’t. You needn’t say what, but if I don’t help Ralph, I think we’ll all die. Now you can try to knock me out too, but I’m just as good a fighter and you know it.”
HD looked at him and nodded. He knew Tatt’s punches were just as hard. “All right, you go. If Jack asks when he comes to, I’ll say you just copied my hit and left. I’ll keep an eye on Mel.”
Tatt grabbed a rope and six-shooter. He went out in the storm, walking out in the storm and knowing he needed to help Ralph, and soon.
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Bill still had the knife pointed at Fokus. “Now, start talking. What is so important about the rubies that you’d try to get Ralph to give up the suit,” Bill said. Dr. Torus lay on the floor. He had just come around, but not before Pam had gotten Bill’s handcuffs from his pocket and cuffed Torus’ hands together.
“The suit allows him to travel anywhere and destroy this ship, you know that. Keeping him in the past is an added bonus, as we want California as well. Although you might have won this battle, Ralph must still make the decision,” Fokus said.
“Really, well, maybe we can tell him,” Bill said. “What makes them so special. And none of that double talk, fella. I can make it more difficult for you as well.”
“The rubies are an energy source for our spaceships, but there are some that are good and some that are deadly.”
“Keep talking,” threatened Bill.
“There are asters, or stars as you say, in the rubies, focus the energy toward the center. The ones with red asters bring positive energy, which powers our ships, ones with a black asters destroy. When someone has both at one time, they cancel each other out and become normal star rubies. Not that it matters, you know, you can‘t tell Ralph about them, he‘s in the past, and you’re here.”
“Right, well since you showed us that he can sense us in the past, so he’ll probably sense we know,” Bill said.
“Maybe, but maybe not,” Fokus said, glancing at Dr. Torus.
“He’s right,” said Torus. “Ralph can tell whether you are all right or not, but that’s it, so your at a stalemate. Ralph will have to choose.”
Pam and Bill looked at each other. “Why don’t we try to get off the ship,” Pam said. “We could relay a message through the storm to Ralph.”
“That’s a great idea Counselor,” said Bill. Once they tied Fokus up, Pam and Bill looked at the control panel. “Which button do we punch?” said Pam.
When the green guys balked, Bill grabbed Dr. Torus by the scruff of his collar. “Well, answer the lady,” he said.
Dr. Torus nodded to a button on the control panel. Bill and Pam pressed the button, and the last thing they saw was a sudden bolt of electricity.
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Ralph crouched low as he and Murphy circled around. The other green guy seemed to be having trouble getting up from the rock Ralph threw. Ralph himself started to feel weaker, and noticed his vision would blur slightly on occasion. *This is definitely not good,* Ralph thought *I better keep my wits about me though so he doesn’t see my temporary Achilles heel.*
“If you think you’ll defeat us Ralph, you have another thing coming,” Murphy said.
“Well, I’m not the one who tried to unlevel the playing field,” Ralph mocked.
The two were about to face off again, when Ralph saw a figure moving toward them. It wasn‘t a green guy. Murphy looked at Ralph and grinned, knowing Ralph would do whatever he could to protect those in this time period.
Ralph noticed the murderous glare in Murphy’s eyes. “Get out of here, Tatt,” Ralph shouted.
“Don’t worry Ralph, I’ve got my gun, and have come to help,” Tatt said continuing forward.
Suddenly, Murphy shot out a bolt of lightning not toward Ralph, but toward Tatt. The bolt struck inches from Tatt, sending up debris, which struck him in the head. He fell to the ground as the storm was coming closer to him.
Without a moment’s hesitation, Ralph ran over to Tatt and picked him up in a fireman’s carry. He then took three steps and flew toward the cabin. *We can settle this later,* Ralph thought about Murphy.
Murphy smiled at Ralph’s reaction. *So, you’ll always help your fellow man. Well, this fight can wait a little longer, that is, if the tornado doesn’t do the work for me.* He and the other green guy, who had recovered, flew away to a location where they could see the impending disaster.
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“What happened to Tatt,” HD said as Ralph placed him down on the ground. Ralph checked Tatt’s pulse, looked into his eyes and breathed a sigh of relief.
“He was hit by some debris from a lightning bolt,” Ralph said. “He’s probably got a concussion, won't know 'til he wakes up. Why did he go out to help me?”
“I tried to stop him Ralph, but he insisted that you needed his help,” HD said. “I had to hit Jack to keep him from going out, but Tatt would have done the same to me if I refused.”
“Well, can’t have all of you hurt,” Ralph mused. “How’s Mel?”
“Don’t know exactly. She’s come around a few times, but has been ill each time. Whatever it was the green fellers put in the whiskey has really affected her.”
*Not good. It must have a stronger effect on those without the suit’s protection,* Ralph thought. “Well, HD, I don’t know what it was, but I need you to try to keep her awake the next time she comes round. Also, make sure she gets some fluids into her.”
“Like chicken broth?” HD asked, and Ralph nodded as he stood. Suddenly, the room spun around, forcing Ralph to sit down. Carrying Tatt used up the last of his stregnth, and he barely had any reserves left. “Ralph, you all right?”
“I had a dizzy spell, and before you ask, this time it was real,” Ralph said. “Do you have anything I can eat?”
“Well, not much. There’s food under that bunk there.”
“I don’t know about that,” Ralph said. “Has anyone unusual been in the bedroom area recently?”
“No, just the five of us, and it’s been that way all day. Plus, the food’s tinned, and can’t be broken into without being noticeable. So help yourself, I know you need it to defeat the bad guys.”
Ralph nodded and got the food, opening it up and quickly eating eat. As he was eating, Jack came around, groaning. “HD, you scoundrel, what’d you do that for?” he growled, looking at his bound hands.
“Sorry, but I said you couldn’t go out.”
Jack saw Tatt lying on the ground. “Well, did Tatt have the same request?”
Before HD could speak, Ralph responded. “Tatt managed to sneak out without HD looking and tried to help me fight the green critters. They shot a lightning bolt near him, causing a mini explosion, and he was hit in the head. He’s unconscious and probably has a concussion. So, it didn’t matter, you’d have been in the same boat as Tatt.”
Jack lowered his head in shame. “Well, did you get the bad guys,” he said.
“No, but for some reason, they let me come back here. Don’t know why, except for maybe they think the storm will do the work for them.”
“Which is nearing us again,” HD said. We’d better get down behind the table. As all of them huddled, the necklace with the bad ruby slipped out from Ralph’s tunic and landed on the ground. As the storm tore through again, Ralph noticed something unusual he didn’t notice the first time. There was field of some sort around the entire group and though the storm was rough, the field kept strong.
HD and Jack were also amazed at the sight and looked at Ralph, their thoughts clicking at the same time. Ralph just shrugged, not knowing how this was happening himself, though he knew it had something to do with the rubies and the suit combined. What made them special enough to protect them, Ralph pondered.
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Bill and Pam slowly opened their eyes and looked around. They were in a room of some sort, and while they couldn’t tell where exactly they were, they knew Fokus and Dr. Torus were not in the room.
“Counselor, are you OK?” Bill asked.
“Fine considering I feel as though I was hit by a bolt of lightning again.”
A third, different voice filtered through the air. “You basically were, Mrs. Hinkley, but rest assured, that wasn’t as bad as what could happen.”
A door suddenly swung open, and Bill stood in front of Pam, who covered her eyes.
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As the storm finished crossed over, Ralph began to feel better. He had eaten the contents of two tins about an hour ago, and hadn’t felt any ill effects, so he was sure that it hadn’t been messed with.
He thought about how close he came to giving up the rubies to the green guys. It had seemed almost too easy to give them up. *I wonder if in my weakened state they were able to use some kind of mind push on me,* he thought. *I know I wasn’t going to give the rubies to them. If they are used to power their ships, why do they use them to destroy? And, why would they offer to keep Pam, Bill and me alive after getting what they want? It’s not logical, since they’ve tried to drug me to get the rubies. No, that was a ruse to try to get me to give them up.* He realized that Tatt had saved all their lives by coming out after all, even though he’ll have a headache when he comes to from it.
His mind turned towards Pam and Bill. He hadn’t felt any vibes that they were in danger, so he was certain they were all right, at least for now. Ralph hoped that maybe the two got information from the other green guys that would help him destroy the right ruby.
He looked at Mel, who Jack, after HD released his hands, was taking care of again. She was pale, and probably dehydrated from everything she’d been through. Jack had been able to get her to drink something the last time she came around, which helped her improve, but couldn’t keep her awake. She was now mumbling something unintelligible, and Ralph couldn’t decipher it.
Ralph looked down and saw that one of the rubies had slipped from his tunic. He picked it up and tucked it into the sleeve of his shirt. When he saw no one looking, he shook out the front of the tunic and placed the other ruby in the other sleeve, not realizing he canceled out the two again.
“HD, how does it look outside,” Ralph asked.
“It looks better,” HD said. “Well, I guess for what we can call better now. Take a look at the maple, Ralph. Now we’ve been through several storms that make typhoons look like a gentle rain, but the maple is not damaged. Odd that. Anyway, how are the others.”
“Well, I checked on Tatt, he’s still out, but his breathing and heart are still strong,” Ralph said.
“Mel’s getting better, but she won’t stay awake for longer than a couple of minutes,” Jack said. “I’m really worried about her, Ralph. I love her too much to let some green critters’ drug kill her. I hope you get them, Ralph.”
Ralph nodded. He too was worried about Mel. If she died from this, it would he would disappear. The bad green guys were trying to get him, but instead got Mel. He prayed that she would stay awake long enough to get the food she needed to survive this. Right now, all Ralph could do was wait until the bad green guys made their move.
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“Come on, not again, Ralph has to be the luckiest suit wearer they’ve ever had,” groaned Murphy as he saw the cabin was undamaged.
“Don’t worry, my colleague, we are at an advantage. Ralph realizes he’s protecting the others in the cabin when he’s there, and that is affecting his decision. Mel being drugged instead of him was an inadvertent bonus, and soon he’ll make a decision that will be a mistake. When he does that, we’ll pounce on it.”
The two grinned and continued their vigil on the cabin. It was only a matter of time, they both mused again.
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