Tom Swift Jr #34, Chapter 4: Rattlesnake Island

Tom Swift felt himself slowly regain consciousness. His head was swimming. “What happened?” he asked weakly.

“It’s good to see you coming around, Tom!” a voice replied. Tom opened his eyes and saw that he was lying in a hospital bed in the Swift Enterprise infirmary. Doc Simpson was sitting on a chair next to him and had a concerned look on his face. Harlan Ames, the chief of security, was standing behind the doctor.

Doc Simpson looked at Tom sternly. “Next time you want to conduct an investigation, Tom, bring along your security team! There’s a whole department of people here whose job is to protect you, but they’re not going to be successful if you keep running off like you did last night. You took a nasty blow to the head and have been unconscious for hours. Frankly, I’m surprised you weren’t killed!”

Tom’s first thoughts were for his friend. “Where’s Bud?” he asked.

“Right beside you,” Doc replied. Tom turned and saw a second bed in the room. It contained the bandaged form of his friend Bud Barclay, who appeared to be fast asleep. “He woke several hours ago, Tom. You were closer to the source of the blast and took a much harder hit than he did, so it’s taken you longer to come around. You’ll both be fine in a few days, but I strongly recommend not doing that again!”

“How did you find us?” Tom asked. “All I remember is the explosion, and then everything went black.”

Ames spoke up. “The explosion registered on the plant’s security systems. As soon as I saw the blast I gathered my men and raced over to see what was going on. We found you and Bud lying on the ground, obviously injured. I called Doc immediately and rushed you here to the hospital. That was last night.”

Tom shook his head ruefully, and then winced in pain. “Thanks, guys. I think I can explain what happened.” He then told Ames about the jamming signal he had noticed the night before, and their short investigation in the woods. “It’s now obvious what was actually going on. The truck was just a projected hologram, set there to act as a decoy. I bet the real communications jammer was being hidden by a hologram of a tree or something equally innocuous. Bud and I probably walked right by it. Then, like an idiot, I threw the rock – ”

Ames nodded. “And set off the security system, which triggered the blast that destroyed their equipment. It must have been right behind where you were hiding, Tom. We’ve recovered a few pieces of it that we’re analyzing, but it’s pretty much destroyed. It looks like the hologram generator was based on your 3D telejector technology, but that’s only a guess.”

“Any idea who might be behind it?” Tom asked.

Ames frowned. “Well, it’s obviously someone with a lot of technical expertise. Not only was he able to jam your private ear signal, but he hid his jammer in a very sophisticated way. It almost sounds like the Black Cobra, but I wouldn’t jump to any conclusions. It could be Brungarians, or someone else entirely.”

Tom nodded. “There are probably many enemy nations that envy our relationship with the space friends and would like to use it to their own advantage. I’ll let you know if I can think of anything.”

“You do that, Tom. In the meantime I’ll double the watch around the grounds. And try to stay out of trouble!”

“Thanks,” Tom said. As Ames left the room Tom attempted to get out of bed, but Doc restrained him.

“You’re not going anywhere, Tom! You’ve had a nasty head injury and very nearly broke your neck. This hospital room is where you and Bud are going to stay for the next couple days – and no arguments!”

“Okay, Doc. I am feeling a little shook up, and the rest will probably do me some good. Thanks for putting me back together.”

After Doc left, Tom picked up the phone and dialed Arv Hanson, whom he asked to come over. A few minutes later Arv walked into the room. Hanson was one of Tom’s most loyal employees. The hulking six-footer was not only a talented craftsmen, but also a veteran pilot and astronaut.

Hanson eyed Tom and Bud carefully. “You look like you’re in rough shape, skipper!”

“I’ll be fine, Arv. Listen, I wanted to speak to you for a moment about the repela-suit. There are a few changes I’d like to have made to it.” Tom told Arv about the test he had conducted the day before, and explained that he wanted to boost the suit’s lifting power. “I think the solar batteries can provide more than enough energy. It’s just a matter of installing more beefy repelatrons. They need to be able to handle a much heavier load in emergency situations.”

Arv looked at Tom thoughtfully. “Won’t that increase the weight, though?”

Tom shook his head. “Not by more than 10 or 15 percent. It should be fine. Do you think you could make the changes to the existing suit as soon as possible? I’d like to get the design perfected and turned over to Hank Sterling as soon as possible so we can begin making production units. Now that we’re going on a deep-space expedition it looks like we’ll need them sooner rather than later.”

Hank nodded. “Can do, Tom. I’ll try to have the unit ready for you tomorrow. Are you headed to Mars again?”

“I’m going a lot further out than that!” Tom told Hank about the unusual request he had received from his space friends. “That reminds me – I need to resend those messages! I bet our space friends are wondering what happened to us. I’ll see if Dad can do it for me. He should be back by now.”

As Arv left the room Tom picked up the phone and dialed his father’s private office. Tom Sr. answered the phone immediately. “Tom!” he said. “I’m glad you’re awake. I was down in the infirmary earlier but you were still unconscious. How are you feeling?”

“A little woozy, but I think I’ll live. I was wondering if you could do a favor for me, Dad.”

“Sure, Son. What is it?”

Tom explained what had happened the night before, and asked his father to resend the message that he had been unable to deliver. Tom Sr. promised to do so immediately and said he would relay the response to Tom. “So it sounds like you have decided to make the voyage!”

“I’d like to, Dad, but it’s an enormous challenge! There’s a lot of hard work ahead of me.”

“Have you devised a way to avoid the light barrier?”

“I’ve got a few ideas, but I don’t know if they will pan out or not. I’ll keep you posted.”

After Tom hung up from talking to his father he took from the nightstand a pencil and a pad of paper and began sketching out equations. By the end of the week he and Bud had fully recovered from the effects of the blast and were discharged from the infirmary by Doc. Tom immediately went to his laboratory and continued his work.

Several days later, Bud walked into Tom’s private laboratory. He found Tom seated at his workbench, staring absently out a window. Bits of paper and electronics were strewn all over the lab.

Bud walked up to Tom and put his hand on his shoulder. “How’s it going, genius boy?”

Tom shook his head. “It’s not, Bud. I keep hitting dead ends! There’s got to be a way to do this, but I just haven’t found it it yet.”

“That, my friend, is why I am here! I’ve got a quick quiz question for the mighty brain. Who invented the television?”

Tom frowned. “Are you thinking of my Dad’s talking pictures?”

“Right! That was a Swift invention. Tell me, Tom. When was the last time you sat down and actually watched it?”

“It’s hard to say, Bud. I suppose I’ve seen the news a few times with my parents. Does that count?”

Bud laughed. “I’m not surprised! You and your dad invented the future, and yet somehow you never have time to actually enjoy it. This is the twentieth century, Tom! You need to get outside every now and then. Clear the cobwebs from that brain of yours. It’ll do you good!”

Tom smiled. “Let me guess! I can see where this is going. You’ve set up a double-date with Phyl and Sandy!” Phyllis Newton was the daughter of Ned Newton and Tom’s regular girlfriend. Sandy Swift was Tom’s seventeen-year-old sister and went out with Bud on a regular basis.

“Phyl is a great girl, Tom. You really should spend more time with her! Where would you be if your father had spent all his time in his lab? Poor Mary Nestor might have gone on to be a librarian instead of your mother, and the future would never have been the same.”

Tom sighed. “You’re right, Bud. When do we leave?”

“Right now! The girls are outside in the car. You better not keep them waiting!”

A few minutes later the four of them were speeding down the road in Bud’s silver atomicar. “I can’t believe Bud actually pried you from the lab!” Phyl said teasingly.

“How could I say no to such a great offer?” Tom replied. “Speaking of great offers, where are we going?”

Sandy spoke up. “I thought it would be nice to spend an afternoon at Lake Carlopa. Mother provided all the food we’d need for a picnic, and the car doubles as a great speedboat. Should be fun!”

“Sounds good to me!” Tom replied. Bud switched on the radio, and the group was soon listening to the popular music of the day.

When the atomicar reached the lake, Bud activated the repelatrons and the car leaped into the air. The group was soon soaring just over the surface of the water.

“Where are you going?” Tom asked.

“There’s a small island about a mile from here,” Phyl explained. “We thought it would be just the place to spend the afternoon.”

Tom nodded. “You must be talking about Rattlesnake Island! I haven’t been there in years.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever been there,” Bud replied.

The vehicle quickly reached the island in question. Before landing, however, Bud directed the silver car higher into the air and made a quick overhead circle of the island. From the sky they could see that the island was almost entirely covered in trees, with only a thin strip of beach on its outer edges.

“I thought there was a cabin there somewhere,” Sandy said.

“The cabin was a dilapidated wreck back when Dad was our age,” Tom replied. “It’s probably gone by now.”

“The foundation should still be there, even if nothing else is,” Phyl said.

Bud landed his car on one of the island’s small beaches, and the four of them then exited the vehicle. Phyl grabbed the picnic baskets from the trunk and soon had lunch ready for the group. It didn’t take them long to devour the meal that Mrs. Swift had prepared.

“This is great!” Bud said, after finishing his third helping of fried chicken. “Your Mom sure can cook, Sandy!”

She laughed. “You sure know how to put it away! I’m so glad we’re out here today. It’s perfect weather for going to the lake.”

Tom had to agree. Even though it was well into autumn and the leaves had begun to change, the sun had warmed the air to a comfortable temperature. The sky was blue and cloudless and the lake was calm. “This is probably one of the last nice days of the year,” he said. “Winter will be here soon.”

“Has the lake ever frozen over?” Bud asked.

Tom nodded. “It has in some spots, but I doubt you could walk from the shore to this island. It gets cold here in the winter, but not that cold.”

“I want to walk around the island before we go boating,” Phyl announced.

Bud leaped to his feet. “Lead the way, Tom! I’m ready to see another piece of Swift family history.”

After they cleaned up the area and packed their supplies back into the atomicar, the group headed off into the woods. Tom was chosen to act as leader and guided them into the forest. They soon came across an old, overgrown path, which they decided to follow. It only took them a few minutes to leave the sound of the lake behind them. In every direction all they could see were trees heavy with autumn leaves. The forest floor was thick with dry leaves that crunched underfoot as they walked down the path.

“Speaking of family history, how did you and Bud meet, Tom?” Phyl asked.

Tom looked at her, surprised. “You mean you don’t know?”

She shook her head. “You just brought him over one day, introduced him to my family, and said he came from California. I don’t think you ever explained how you two happened to get together.”

Tom and Bud looked at each other, and then burst out laughing. “I don’t think you’d believe us even if we told you,” Bud said.

Sandy looked at him and frowned. “Now Bud, be nice. You and Tom met about a year before he started building his Flying Lab. Tom had gone out to California to run some initial tests on the nuclear-powered aircraft that was the forerunner for the Flying Lab, and – ”

“But there’s more to it than that,” Tom said. “Key parts of that story is still highly classified. I only know what Dad was doing out there because I accidentally got involved.”

“What are you talking about?” Sandy said. “Dad was there?”

Tom bit his lip. “Well, -”

Phyl spoke up. “I hate to interrupt, but is that the famous cabin?”

The group came to an abrupt halt. “I would have missed that completely,” Tom said. In the woods, about a hundred feet from the path, was the ruined foundation of an old cabin. By the size of the foundation they could see that it had once been a sizable structure, but all that remained now was a section of the basement. Large trees were now growing out of the foundation, and the remaining walls were covered in thick vines.

“So that’s the cabin where your father was held prisoner,” Bud said.

Tom nodded. “It was much more impressive back in the day. It even had electricity and phone service.”

Phyl looked surprised. “Way out here? On an island? How did they manage that?”

Tom shrugged. “Beats me! I don’t think Dad stuck around to find out.”

“Evil villains like their creature comforts,” Bud explained. “No matter where their sinister lair might be, they’re always going to make sure they have the latest conveniences.”

Sandy threw Bud a sour look. He laughed.

Phyl walked around the ruins of the cabin. Tom joined her. “I wish I could go back in time and see what it used to look like,” she said.

Tom’s jaw dropped. “That’s it! Of course!”

“What’s what, Tom?”

“The answer! It’s been staring me in the face all this time. How could I have missed it? Superluminal travel isn’t a matter of space, it’s a matter of time!”

“Super-what?” Phyl asked.

Bud spoke up. “Hey now, genius boy, no inventing on your day off! Save it for tomorrow.”

Tom grinned. “All right, Bud, I’ll give it a rest. It’ll keep. But – wow!”

After getting their fill of the ruins the group made their way back to the beach. Just before they left the woods, though, Bud suddenly stopped them. “Shhh!” he said.

“What is it?” Sandy asked quietly.

Bud motioned for Tom to join him, and then pointed into the distance. “Do you see what I see?”

Tom nodded. “It looks like someone is messing with your car!”

The girls gasped. “What should we do?” Sandy whispered.

“Stay hidden in the trees,” Tom replied. “Bud and I will go investigate.”

“Be careful, Tom” Phyl said.

While Sandy and Phyl crouched down and hid in the underbrush, Tom and Bud made their way around the edge of the forest, being careful to stay out of sight. After several minutes of careful effort they reached a clump of trees just a few yards away from the automobile. From their vantage point they could see a man crouched under the car. He was dressed in jeans and was wearing a white polo shirt.

“What’s he doing?” Bud whispered.

“Probably trying to access the power plant,” Tom answered quietly. “You can’t open the hood without a key, and I’ve got it with me.”

Bud nodded. “I doubt he’s just a curious bystander. Do you see that motorboat over there?”

Tom looked in the direction Bud indicated and saw a powerful black boat idling just offshore. The person that was at its helm had crouched behind the windshield and was difficult to see.

“Now’s our chance, Tom – while he’s occupied under the car! If we can grab him we can chase the boat in the atomicar and apprehend them both.”

“Sounds good, Bud! You grab the suspect and I’ll get the car started.”

On the count of three, the two men rushed the unsuspecting man. As they approached him from behind the lookout in the boat yelled out a warning. The man turned just in time to be bowled over by Bud, who sent him sprawling into the sand. As Tom jumped into the driver’s seat of the car Bud grabbed the downed suspect and began pinning his arms behind his back.

While he wrestled furiously with his opponent Bud was suddenly startled by the sound of gunfire. The lookout in the boat was shooting at them! Bud heard several retorts and saw small tufts of sand kick up just a few feet away.

The sound of gunfire had startled Bud just long enough for the man to escape his grasp. He lunged into the water and headed toward the boat. Bud, meanwhile, dived behind the atomicar to shield himself from the lookout in the boat, who was still shooting at him.

Moments later, the man climbed into the boat, which immediately roared off into the distance. Bud climbed into the passenger seat of the car and looked at Tom curiously. “Why aren’t we chasing them?” he asked.

Tom looked at the car sourly. “It won’t start, Bud! They must have done something to the wiring.”

Bud sighed and watched their foes roar off down the lake. “Can we at least call the police? They’re getting away!”

“I know, Bud, but the car phone won’t work unless the car is turned on, and it’s electrical system is dead. I didn’t think to bring my pencil radio with me – this was just a picnic, after all!” Tom sighed. “While I check out the car, can you go get the girls? I don’t want them to wonder what’s happened to us.”

“Sure thing, Tom.”

A few minutes later, Bud returned with a worried Phyl and Sandy. Tom was leaning against the car, holding a white piece of paper.

“Is everything ok?” Sandy asked.

Tom nodded. “It was easy enough to fix. They weren’t actually trying to damage the car, Sandy. All they wanted to do was delay us long enough to make their escape. Their real purpose was to deliver this message, which I found secured under the car.”

Tom gave it to Bud, who read it aloud. Neatly typed on a white piece of paper were these words:

YOUR RECKLESS ATTEMPTS TO HELP YOUR SO-CALLED SPACE FRIENDS ARE ENDANGERING ALL LIFE ON EARTH. STOP TRYING TO RESCUE THEM OR WE WILL STOP YOU! THIS IS YOUR LAST WARNING.