Melinda Metz: The Vanished

"Let's just do it!" Isabel shouted.

Max handed the canister to Major Manes, and all Isabel could do now was hope that they'd made the right decision.

Quickly Isabel grabbed Michael's leg, and Adam grabbed Max's arm. Maria and Liz were already connected through Max. Together they opened a hole large enough for the end of the canister.

Mr. Manes thrust the tip of the weapon through the hole and squirted a long stream of chemicals into the cavern outside.

He pulled the spent canister back in just as the group could hold the hole open no longer.

Isabel slumped against Adam, feeling more drained than she'd ever felt before. They were in here. The chemicals and DuPris were out there.

Now all they could do was wait.

And hope.

Max waited. He waited for the crunch of the ship that would let them know they hadn't been successful in neutralizing DuPris. The final crunch that would end their lives.

Then a thought struck him-a disturbing thought. Something none of them had even considered.

DuPris had opened the wall of the ship and jammed them inside. If the chemical killed DuPris and the walls stopped closing in, who would let them out?

Panic started to squeeze Max's heart the same way DuPris had crushed the ship-in sudden, painful jolts.

But then, miraculously, the walls of the ship began to fade.

Max climbed onto his knees, peering at the wall closest to him. It definitely seemed less substantial than it had a moment before. It was becoming transparent!

It was dissolving.

In less than a minute the ship had melted away, leaving Max, Liz, Isabel, Michael, Maria, Adam, and the Major lying on the slick floor of the cavern.

"The gas!" Isabel cried, sitting up. "Is it still in the air?"

"Don't worry," Mr. Manes said. "I only used a minuscule amount. It should have dissipated by now."

Max took a deep breath and glanced quickly around the cave.

DuPris was nowhere to be seen. He had vanished.

Taking the ship with him.

Max's first reaction was disbelief. DuPris was unbelievably strong. He had survived the chemicals and managed to transport himself away with the ship. How were they ever supposed to fight someone that powerful?

A cold wash of disappointment flooded Max. Without the ship, their chance at saving Alex had vanished, too.

DuPris could have transported himself-and the ship-to anywhere on earth. Maybe DuPris was even strong enough to teleport someplace off the planet… like the moon.

Alex was trapped until they found DuPris again or until the collective consciousness recovered their strength enough to open another wormhole. But by that time Alex could already be dead.

"What do we do now?" Maria asked Max.

He was the one who always got asked questions like that. He was the one his friends turned to. "I have no idea," he admitted, forcing himself to look at her as he answered.

"What does that do?" Adam asked.

At first Max thought Adam was talking to him. Then he realized Adam's question was for Mr. Manes.

Max turned toward the Major. He had a shiny, copper-colored ball in his hand. As Max watched, he gently placed it on the floor of the cave.

"The orb, that is, this little ball here, has the ability to store and magnify power used in its presence," Mr. Manes explained. "More specifically, power thrown off by that stone DuPris had in his possession."

Mr. Manes swallowed. He now had Max's full attention, and Max was sure that all his friends were listening as intently as he was.

"It might have stored up enough power now to bring Alex home," the Major said.

Max blinked at Alex's father. The Major knew where Alex was. That surprised Max so much, he was left speechless.

"How do you turn it on?" Liz asked, pointing at the ball. "Or use it. Whatever."

"Like this," Mr. Manes replied. With a flick of his wrist he set the ball spinning on the cavern floor. And then he scuttled back out of the way.

After the initial force to get it started, Max noticed that the ball spun faster and faster under its own power, seemingly in defiance of several basic laws of physics.

Max couldn't take his eyes off the spinning orb as it began to whirl so rapidly, it was nothing but a coppery blur.

Then it began to throw off sparks.

Dazzling lights surrounded the ball, also whirling in some intricate dance of their own. With the brilliant satellites swirling around it, the ball reminded Max of an atom and its electrons. Or the planets revolving around a star.

Something began to form in the air over the gyrating orb. A whirling haze of molecules.

Max squinted, trying to bring the fuzzy shape into focus.

It was an image.

An image of Alex.

Max felt Liz take his hand, and he gave her hand a soft squeeze in response. He couldn't stop staring at the image sharpening over the spinning, sparkling, luminous ball.

The image was growing stronger-clearer-with every passing second. And it wasn't just a hologram. Those were physical, solid molecules gathering above the ball. It wasn't merely made of light.

The ball-whatever it was-was bringing Alex back.

Excitement rose in Max's throat like a bird trapped in a chimney. It was going to work! Alex was coming home!

But then the ball began to slow down.

Mr. Manes let out a pained growl from deep in his chest as the ball developed a wobble. The image of Alex began to fade.

"No!" Max shouted. "Don't let it stop. Connect, everybody connect now!"

Max was already holding hands with Liz, so he reached out with his free hand and clamped onto Isabel's arm. In less than a second all six of them had once again formed their thrilling, essential union.

They were one.

Send everything we've got at the ball, Max instructed the group. Send it all! Keep it spinning! Keep it spinning!

For a moment Alex's image became clear and crisp. His eyes moved from Isabel to Max to Liz, and Max was sure that Alex saw them. Saw them!

But then the image flickered.

And winked out.

[ front blurb]

Max received an image from Alex of pure fear, of shadowy threatening presences, of misery and loneliness. There was no place for Alex to relax or rest. He was constantly on the run. Running for his life.

What is it? Max sent out frantically. Alex, what's wrong? What are you running from?

But before Alex could reply, another being took his place-an unfriendly entity who blasted Max with images of fire and destruction. Max recoiled… and lost track of Alex in the whirlwind of auras.

He thrust himself into the storm, struggling to hold on to Alex's signature energy, but to no avail. The angry being had blocked Alex from further communication.

Alex, he sent, Alex, if you can hear me, we're trying to bring you back! We all miss you, and we want you to come home! I promise… I promise we will find a way to get you here where you belong!

[ Version History]

1.0 – scanned, formatted, and spell-checked from mass-market paperback. ISBN: 0-671-03561-4

2.0 – July 12, 2004 – The_Ghiti – proofed in detail against deadtree format.