Year 1, Day 10

The seven teens lay sprawled about the arena, bloody, bruised, and unconscious. The robeast had just been locked in its lair, and the crowd was cheering exuberantly. Zarkon, sitting in his observation throne, spoke to the guards standing next to him. "Have them bandaged up and thrown back in their cell until I decide what to do with them," he ordered, gesturing to the teens.

"As you command, sire," the guards bowed. They entered the arena and drug the teens away.

Year 1, Day 11

The teens lay sprawled around their cell. They were filthy, their clothes were in tatters, and their wounds were covered in blood-soaked bandages. Slowly they groaned, opened their eyes, and propped themselves up against the walls of the cell.

"I'm really getting sick of this," Zack commented.

"You're not sitting here half-naked," Kimberly shot back.

"At least we're alive," Matt said.

"I'm not sure I want to be," Jason replied. "Everything hurts." He winced as he moved his leg, emphasizing his point.

"Anybody know how long we've been unconscious?" Trini asked.

Zack glanced at his watch. The crystal was cracked and the hands were not moving. "Not a clue. My watch is broken."

"A full day," Kim replied, reading her still-working watch.

Just then a guard came to the cell carrying a tray with seven dented bowls of gray metal which held a gray-green foul-smelling liquid. The guard slipped the tray through a horizontal slit in the bars of the cell. "Here's your dinner," he growled and walked away.

"I wish I still was out," Zack said.

"What is this stuff?" Kimberly asked, slowly stirring one of the bowls of lukewarm liquid with her little finger.

"I'm not too anxious to find out," Trini replied.

"We have to get out of here," Sam said. "This place is driving me crazy."

"I'm open to suggestions," Matt told her.

"Is there any way to pick the lock?" Jason queried.

"It's electronic," Billy answered examining the lock as best he could from the inside of the cell.

"Maybe we can short it out," Sam suggested.

"How?" Zack wanted to know.

"Wait a minute!" Trini exclaimed. "The guards use nonmetal key cards."

"So?" Kim looked at Trini.

"So, these bowls are metal," Trini said.

"If we could break a piece off-," Zack put in, picking up on Trini's thought.

"We can stick it in the lock-," Billy realized.

"And short it out!" Matt finished triumphantly. "Great idea, Trini!"

"There's only one problem," Jason spoke up.

"What?" Trini looked at him curiously.

"Whoever shorts out the lock will get a heavy dose of electricity," Billy said.

The mood of the friends in the cell abruptly became more subdued. "It's probably our only chance to get out of here," Matt said.

"We could always try rushing the guards," Zack suggested.

"Not with these wounds," Sam told him. "Right now I don't think I could take on a chimpanzee."

"So who does it?" Trini asked.

"I sort of got us into this mess," Matt said. "I'll do it. Besides," he grinned, "I've gotten fried so much lately that one more time probably won't hurt that much."

"No way," Sam shook her head. "You're in no shape to do it."

"I'm in better condition than the rest of you," Billy spoke up. "I should be the one."

"Uh-uh," Sam vetoed. "You're arm's too big. Mine will fit through the bars. I'll do it."

"Fine by me," Jason said.

"No complaints here," Kim added. Neither she nor Jason particularly wanted that electricity coursing through their bodies.

"So when should we do it?" Zack asked.

"Midnight," Matt decided. "It's not exactly original, I know, but the number of aliens up and around then should hopefully be the least."

"These bowls are fairly flimsy," Billy commented, working on tearing a wedge of metal from his bowl.

"Let me help you with that," Jason said, moving to help Billy. Half an hour later they had a wedge-shape piece of metal to use on the lock.

"I hope this piece will work," Billy said.

"So do I," Matt replied.

"Now what?" Kim asked.

"We wait," Matt replied simply.

The teens made themselves as comfortable as possible and went to sleep. Several hours later, Kimberly woke up and looked at her watch.

Year 1, Day 12

Kim quietly roused the others. "Hey, guys! Wake up. It's time."

The other teens quickly came fully awake.

"Sis, you ready?" Matt asked concernedly.

"As ready as I'll ever be," came the reply.

"Good luck," Trini said.

"Be careful," Zack cautioned.

"Thanks, guys."

"Let's do it," Jason said.

Sam silently took the piece of metal Billy handed her and walked over to the bars. She stuck her left arm through halfway up her bicep and tried to insert the wedge into the key slot, but she came up short. "Guys, I can't quite reach!" Sam called back, her voice strained.

"Try to relax your arm, Billy suggested.

"I can't!"

Jason moved to Sam's side. "Here, Zack, give me a hand."

Jason and Zack squeezed on Sam's bicep, contracting it even further. Her arm moved slightly closer.

"Ow!" Sam exclaimed.

"Sorry," Zack apologized.

"No, it's okay," Sam told him. "I've almost got it." She strained towards the lock, the metal wedge she held in her hand brushing against it. "Almost…almost…okay-stand back; here goes nothing!"

The other teens stepped backwards and shielded their eyes as Sam stuck the piece of metal into the slot. Sparks flew from the lock. Sam's whole body went rigid and she cried out in pain. When the teens opened their eyes they saw burn marks on her hand and forearm, and the door had popped open slightly.

"Sam!" Matt exclaimed, "Are you all right?"

"Not really," Sam groaned, "I'm stuck."

Sirens began to wail.

Matt stepped over to Sam and tried to pry her arm loose. "We've got to get you out of here," he said to her.

"Ow! No. They're coming. Run while you still can."

"I'm not leaving you behind. When he finds out we've escaped that monster king will probably flay you alive."

"Look, brother, I appreciate the concern, but you have to get out of here or they'll catch you too. You can always come back for me."

Suddenly a guard's voice rang down the corridor. "There they are! Don't let them escape!" Magenta laser blasts screamed down the corridor.

"Go!" Sam shouted at him.

"C'mon, Matt, we gotta go!" Zack pleaded.

"I'll be back. I promise," Matt told her. I have no idea how, he thought to himself, but I will. I swear.

"I know," Sam said.

The teens, minus Sam, took off down the corridor in the opposite direction of the guards. Matt was in the lead and Zack and Billy helped Jason along. Trini and Kim were in the middle of the pack.

"Good thing those guys are such lousy shots," Kim commented.

"We're not going to be able to outrun them like this," Billy said.

"I'm just slowing you guys down," Jason said. "Just leave me. You can pick me up when you come back for Sam."

"We're not leaving anyone else behind," Matt told him in a voice that dispelled all argument.

"Matt, I hope you know where you're going," Trini said.

"So do I," Matt replied.

The teens ducked down a side corridor as a volley of laser fire hit the wall where they had just been.

Zarkon was lying in bed. When the alarms began to sound he sat bolt upright and pressed a switch on his bedside table. "What is happening?" he growled into the built-in communicator.

"Sire, the humans that fought in the arena are escaping!" a panicked guard's voice came back.

"Stop them, you fool!" Zarkon ordered.

"We're working on it. They're heading toward the docking bay."

"I'm on my way. Zarkon out." Zarkon immediately rose out of bed and began getting dressed.

The teens raced into the docking bay and stop, staring at the space entrance--down at Earth.

"We're in space?" Jason gaped.

A barrage of laser fire flew past the teens from the corridor. The six friends half dove, half tumbled behind a stack of crates.

"We have to get to a ship," Matt panted.

"How about that one?" Kimberly asked, pointing to a smaller scout vessel.

"Looks good," Matt told her. "On three. One…two…three!"

The teens dashed out from behind the crates to the ship, Zack and Billy again helping Jason, staying low to avoid the laser fire. They ran up to the side hatch and stopped.

"How do we open it?" Trini asked.

"Maybe this--aah!" Kim cried out as she was hit in the arm by a laser blast when she went to reach for a silver panel on the right side oof the door.

Billy hit the panel, which was about chest high, and the door hissed open. "Everyone inside, quick!" Matt ordered.

The teens rushed inside just in front of a barrage of laser fire from the soldiers taking up position behind crates and other ships. Matt, the last one in, hit a panel similar to the one on the outside to close the door. The laser blasts bounced harmlessly off the hull.

The teens followed a short corridor to the bridge, Kim clutching her laser-burned arm.

"How's the arm?" Matt asked Kim.

"I'll live," she replied.

"That's it, I've had it!" Trini shouted, exasperated. "When this is all over I'm crawling into bed and staying there for the rest of the summer."

"If we live that long," Billy said grimly. "Those guards were shooting to kill; their rifles weren't set on stun."

Matt sat in the command chair on the bridge. The others settled into the five seats arrayed around the perimeter of the bridge.

"I don't suppose anyone knows what these controls do," Zack commented hopefully.

"Those two consoles right in front of the viewscreen look like pilot and copilot stations," Matt observed.

"These two look like gunnery stations," Jason gestured to the consoles on the right and left sides of the bridge toward the rear. "But I can't read this alien writing."

Trini scrutinized the station at the center of the rear bridge wall. "I think this is the place to monitor ship's status," Trini said.

With that information, Matt handed out the job assignments. "Jason, you take the internal monitoring station. Trini and Billy, you have weapons. Kim, Zack, you're piloting. Start pushing buttons-eventually something will kick in."

Zack pushed a large red button on his console and the engines roared to life, bringing the other systems online with them. "We have ignition!" Zack shouted triumphantly.

"Great! Take us out." Matt ordered.

"Aye-aye, Captain," Zack saluted. He twisted a dial and the scout ship skipped and bounced across the docking bay and out into space.

"And away we go!" Jason exulted.

Kim stared out of the forward viewport at the moon below them. "Would you look at that?" she said softly. "We were on the moon!"

"You know," Zack said, "If we weren't being chased by bloodthirsty aliens, I could really enjoy this."

Zarkon strode majestically into the docking bay and approached the lead guard. "Well?" he demanded. "Have they been recaptured yet?"

"Ah, no, sire. They stole a scout ship," the nervous guard replied.

"Don't just stand there, you fool! Scramble the cruisers and go after them!"

"Yes, sire!" the guard bowed and ran off to relay the order. Seconds later Draconian ships began boiling out of the docking bay.

Meanwhile, in the scout ship, Matt was watching the tactical read-out display. "Heads up, guys!" he said when he saw the Draconian activity behind them. "Incoming-three blips at six o'clock high. They look bigger than us-and they're launching smaller blips!"

"Probably those big cruisers that attacked the cavern launching smaller fighters," Billy said.

Kimberly groaned. "Wonderful. Just what we need."

Suddenly magenta laser fire started streaking past the forward canopy.

"Hang on-I'm going evasive!" Zack shouted.

The scout ship twisted, turned, dove, and climbed, trying to shake the pursuing ships. Magenta laser beams screamed past it. One hit threw sparks from the hull and caused the little scout ship to rock.

On the bridge a cascade of sparks flew from an overhead panel. The bridge began to fill with smoke.

"We've been hit!" Jason reported.

"Doesn't this thing have shields or something?" Kim asked.

"How are you guys coming with the firing controls?" Matt called to Billy and Trini.

"I think we've just about got it!" Trini called back.

"There! We're ready." Billy reported a moment later.

"Then start firing!" Matt said. "We need to get these freaks off our tail."

The scout ship continued to try and evade the pursuing cruisers and fighters. The ship's lasers start firing and manage to hit a couple of fighters. As the fighters closed the gap a flurry of laser blasts struck the aft end of the scout ship, just forward of the engine pods.

Bridge panels exploded, producing sparks and smoke. The lights went; emergency lighting provided the only illumination, along with the glow from the few working bridge panels.

"The entire aft section is on fire!" Jason shouted.

"Zack, can you make it to the cavern?" Matt asked.

"Where is it?" Zack questioned.

"Um, to the west-about twenty kilometers, I think," Kimberly replied. "With this alien script it's hard to tell."

"I'll do my best. We're entering the atmosphere now." Zack bent over his console, concentrated solely on getting the scout ship down in one piece.

A flurry of laser bolts from one of the cruisers hit the scout ship dead center, renting the hull.

More sparks flew from the bridge panels, and the remaining monitors went dead.

"I've lost helm control," Zack reported. "Engines are gone."

"My board's completely dead; If we can eject we'd better do it now," Jason said.

Just then the lights died completely. Zack's console exploded, throwing him back badly burned.

"Zack!" Kim turned to him.

The ship rocked violently, and the rest of the consoles exploded, sending their respective owners tumbling to the deck. Fires began to erupt on the bridge.

"I don't see an ejection control anywhere!" Billy yelled.

"We're dead," Trini said.

"Maybe we can jump out the main door," Jason suggested.

Kim looked at him. "You're crazy! At this speed?"

"It's the only chance we've got," Matt decided. "Everyone unbuckle and go to the door."

The teens unbuckled themselves, Kimberly helping Zack who was somewhat incapacitated. The ship rocked again, throwing the teens hard to the deck. Then it started to break apart. Fire began to eat it's way forward. The teens lay on their back, dazed, as the bridge was consumed in flame. Just as the scout ship exploded, the teens were coated in a white light and disappeared.

The scout ship's violent explosion spewed flaming debris everywhere. Among the debris six shafts of white light exited the explosion and coalesced on the ground, transforming back into the teens. They laid sprawled on the ground in the midst of the debris as the Draconian ships fly overhead. The ships circled several times and then flew away.

After the Draconian ships disappeared, the teens slowly tried to get up. Zack and Jason were unconscious, and all of them had moderate burns covering their bodies. Their clothes had been reduced to rags.

"W-what just happened?" Trini asked weakly.

"I-I don't know," Billy answered. "Maybe some sort of teleportation?"

"Well, at least those ships are gone," Kimberly commented, scanning the sky.

"With any luck they think we died in the explosion," Matt said.

"We almost did," Trini said, but nobody responded.

Zack and Jason lay prone on the ground. They emitted weak groans but didn't move. Kimberly crawled over to them.

"Help me turn them over," Kim requested to the others.

Matt, Billy, and Trini crawled over to Kim and helped her roll Jason and Zack onto their backs. Kim checked for pulses and breathing while Matt, Trini, and Billy looked at her questioningly.

Kim straightened up. "They're alive," she said, "but their breathing and pulses are weak. We need to get them help fast."

"We should probably get them back to the cavern," Matt said. "That's the most likely place around here we'll get help."

"Is it wise to move them in their condition?" Billy asked.

"We don't have any food or water," Trini said. "If we stay out here we die. That cavern's the only thing around here; besides, I'd like to find out what's so special about it."

Matt nodded. "The cavern's our only real chance. Kim, how far do you think it is?"

"It should still be to the west," Kim replied. "I'd say about fifteen kilometers. We curved back east when we crashed."

"Then let's move out. We have a long hike and wounded to carry."

Matt and Kim took Jason by the armpits while Billy and Trini did the same with Zack. The four set off side-by side hauling their heavy burdens.

Meanwhile, in the torture chamber of Zarkon's palace, a naked Samantha was chained upright and spread-eagled to a wall, her back to the rest of the chamber. Angry red welts criss-crossed her back. Standing behind her and to her left was a mean-looking guard with a whip in his right hand. Zarkon stood about a meter to the guard's right.

"It is a pity your friends left you here," Zarkon mused to Sam. "Now you are forced to pay for their mistake."

"At least they escaped," a sobbing Samantha shot back.

No sooner had Sam spoken than the door to the torture chamber opened and a robot enters, bowing to Zarkon.

"Sire," the robot reported, "our ships have returned from chasing the escapees."

"Were they successful?" the evil king asked.

"They destroyed the scout ship, milord. They then proceeded to circle the debris zone, but detected no survivors."

"Excellent," Zarkon said. "Now leave me."

The robot turned and walked out.

"So," Zarkon mused to Sam, "it looks like your friends did not get away after all."

"NO!" Sam shouted.

"Silence!" The guard said, lashing the whip across her back and evoking a cry of pain.

"You may continue," Zarkon told the guard. "When you are finished, chain her with the princess in the arena. Prepare for their execution in seven days' time."

The guard bowed to his master. "Yes, milord."

The guard continued to whip Sam, who sobbed more and more with each blow. Zarkon turned and marched out of the room.

The End... for now