THE RED COMET

The Final Chapter

Release in 1936 by Rolling Credits Productions

By Mr. David R. Dorrycott

Petunia was beside herself in anger. Not only had the dastardly evil scientist known as Silver Star managed to capture her, now the hated mouse was about to take a picture of Petunia with her own camera. Off all the cheek.

“Stretch more please” Silver Star requested. “Arch your back.”

“And if I do not” the intrepid reporter asked.

“Then I have my machine stretch your body for you” Silver Star answered. “Either you stretch, or chance having your arms pulled from their sockets. It really doesn’t matter to me.”

Swallowing a statement that would probably get her the machine, Petunia forced herself to stretch upwards even more.

“Perfect.” There was a flash of light. “Hold that pose my dear, I want another. Just in case this one doesn’t come out.”

Fighting her bodies demand to relax the young reporter held her position until the second flash nearly blinded her. ‘My flash lamps, my film and my camera. Oh she will pay dearly for this injustice’ the vixen swore in her thoughts. Silver Star however seemed immune to the daggers Petunia was throwing with her eyes, turning away as she wound the camera’s film.

“You may relax now spy” the mouse called as she walked away. “Until I need to work out more of my frustrations.”

Petunia relaxed, feeling that hated rope allow her bound paws to drop a little more than last time. Whatever the rope Silver Star had used was made of Petunia could not guess. Yet after every stretching, if she allowed it to relax by stretching her body almost to the breaking point it gave a bit more slack each time. ‘Perhaps’ she thought. ‘If that wretched woman stays away long enough, I may escape yet.’ Gritting her teeth she pulled hard on the rope, feeling her ankles scream their pain as iron collars bit into them. ‘Then again’ she thought. ‘If I cripple myself first, what good is escape? She would catch me in moments.’

Thus it was for the captured reporter. A battle between personal pain and the ever lengthening pearl colored rope.

Silver Star though was unconcerned about her captive, or that rope. What dear Petunia didn’t know was that Silver Star was aware of her attempts and that as the vixen slept, she quietly reeled in the length her rope had been stretched. Now though she was in her darkroom, making a print of those pictures she had taken. No great camera woman she was unsurprised that the first negative was nearly useless. Her second though was almost perfect. Continuing her work she soon had several prints made of Petunia, stretched as she was between the floor and unseen ceiling. Most would go out in the next day post. One though would be slipped into a certain would be hero’s gear. To soon be located by the local police because of an unknown snitch. One need not kill to make ones enemies go away the mouse knew.

When next Silver Star approached Petunia the woman was in distress. “Water please” the vixen begged.

“Water. Then next food. After perhaps a bed” Silver Star laughed. “You have vexed me enough brash reporter, for no good reason. Nothing I am doing may be affected by yourself, or your poor hero.” She glanced at a watch hanging from around her neck. “Who by now is very much busy explaining to the local police why he has a photograph of you bound like this. It should prove interesting to see if he is able to talk his way out of this one.”

Petunia made an effort to spit, failing only because her mouth was dry. “Your trying to destroy the Earth. It is my duty to stop you” she finally responded.

“Destroy the Earth? With myself still on it? My dear vixen you are sadly mistaken. I am in no way suicidal. I am simply bringing that comet into a close orbit. Then I will raise this mountain, and thus my laboratory, up to its surface. After which the governments of Earth shall bow to me or face my Gravatonic Rays effects.”

Petunia stood tall, taking a deep breath, which forced the cloth over her chest to tighten most delightfully. “America will never bow to you. We would rather die first.”

Silver Star blinked her one eye, looking away for a moment. “I would not like to be forced to kill Petunia.” Turning back to face her vixen captive she shrugged. “Still if they insist, why should I refuse them their desire?”

“It won’t work anyway” Petunia laughed, though the doing so caused her dry throat to billow with pain. “You cannot breath in space. There is no air so you will die.”

“Perhaps” the mouse agreed. “But have you wondered at the doors to my laboratory? This place is airtight. I will have enough air for two normal lifetimes. After all, I have no intention of spending my life alone.” She turned away, pulling a lever as she passed a control board. Instantly Petunia was nearly drowned in near ice cold water as a massive shower head above her opened up.

Sometime later Silver Star was working in her control room. She was watching an image of a red colored comet as it approached Earth. As to the reason for such an unusual color her spectroscope could not tell her, for the elements it showed were not known to the mouse. It was of little importance though, for soon she would be living on that bodies surface. Then it would be a simple matter to don her modified underwater suit, go out and collect a sample.

A sound caught her attention. Turning she barely had time to realize that Petunia had somehow escaped and was carrying a large section of table leg. Raising her arm to protect herself the mouse was battered down by Petunia’s first blow. Her first, but by no means her last.

Breathing heavily Petunia dropped the wooden table leg, staring down at the unconscious form of her hated enemy. It was obvious to the reporter that Silver Star was not going to wake up anytime soon. If Petunia had anything to do with it, the mouse would never again threaten the Earths people. Taking a few minutes to bind the mouse in her own clothing the reporter then turned her attention to that control board.

Though not as highly educated as the mad scientist at her feet, Petunia did hold a university degree. It was only a matter of time before she worked out the controls, and what was going on. Especially since the mouse’s journal was lying open on the control consul. Out in space the red comet was being drawn into orbit by pulses of Silver Stars Gravatonic Ray. As to why the pulses that was easy to determine. Had the ray been on constantly it would have been ripped from its mountings by the forces involved. Instead, over the months it had nibbled at the comet. Turning in onto a course that Silver Star wanted. At present the comet was on a course that would allow it to pass harmlessly between Earth and her moon. If Petunia did nothing, then in two days time that comet would fall into a stable figure eight orbit around both Earth and moon. But if she stopped the ray anytime in the next few hours the comet would fly past. Giving Earth a spectacular yet harmless display. A few minutes more reading and Petunia knew what she had to do.

Silver Star woke with not only a pounding headache, but pain signals from all over her body. She tried to move only to discover she was bound in her own clothing. Her spine screamed from where the table leg had struck it causing a groan of pain to escape her battered lips, a groan that caught the attention of Petunia.

“Very good. You are awake to see your fate madwoman” the vixen announced.

Silver Star though only closed her eyes again. “Go ahead. Kill me, for you have most truly proven yourself the better of us.”

“Kill?” Petunia shook her head no, though her captive could not see the movement. “Unlike yourself I do not kill. No. I fear that death is not for you. I have stopped your ray. The red comet will pass harmlessly between earth and the moon. But as it passes Earth this mountain, laboratory and you will be drawn up. To live forever upon its bloody surface. Exactly as you deserve.”

“You will escape?” Silver Star asked, though she kept her bruised eyes closed.

“Oh most certainly. I will most assuredly escape within your own aircraft. I do wish you and your companion a very long life. Trapped in space. For I have broken your little ray gun.” She stood then, reaching over to throw one last switch. “Fifteen minutes Silver Star, or whatever your real name is. Will your companion get here soon enough to save you, will he simply escape, leaving you to your fate. Or will you both vanish forever into darkest space. I trully wonder what kind of companion you chose to live with in space, forever forbidden the Earth. Still I must leave now, so this is the last goodbye.”

Silver Star then did open her eye, to watch the vixen run away. “Alone. A lifetime alone. I shall certainly go mad Petunia” she whispered before her pain caused her to pass out again. Petunia though was no where near close enough to have heard those words.

Fifteen minutes later a great blossom of fire surrounded the mountain. Petunia, sitting in silver stars aircraft at several thousand feet, watched in her stolen aircrafts mirror as the mountain was drawn up into the sky. “So vanishes forever from this Earth a madwoman. I wish them well, for the comet will not return for hundreds of years.”

Winds abruptly buffeted the sturdy aircraft and it was only with extreme effort and great skill that Petunia remained airborne. As soon as the winds had calmed she turned north. North to America, and an editor waiting for her story.