"Brainwashed"

by Andrew Norris

The morning sun scattered shadows of light across the Toad Homeworld. 
The scientists of the aggressive Toad Empire had just created the 
latest piece of warfare, which would surely terrify any mammal to cross 
its path. This sunrise was not just any other sunrise; it marked a 
strategic moment when the Toads would've surely become invincible.
 
The Toads' iron-fisted leader, KOMPLEX, along with his robotic Supreme 
Commander, Toadborg, gazed their burning red eye-sensors across the 
bulk that lay before them. The instrument that would surely shatter the 
bravest of hearts seemed somewhat pathetic in appearance. A box, that 
was all it was. A cuboid-shaped machine, littered with coloured wires, 
switches and small gauges. One Toad Technician stepped forward; the 
clinking noise of tools in his huge pockets could be clearly heard.
"We are ready for testing, oh mighty KOMPLEX." He quivered, afraid that 
his death may be nearer. Instead, KOMPLEX just sniggered, and said, 
rather evilly "And I have already found our test subject." 
 
Meanwhile, in the deep regions of Sector One, the Righteous Indignation 
trekked silently through the darkness. The well-known space hero, Bucky 
O' Hare, scanned his watery pink eyes across the depths of space, as 
his sweaty gloved hands firmly grasped the controls. There was a short 
set of beeps as a message came in on the videophone. When First Mate 
Jenny went to switch on the radio, the pale, ageing face of the 
Alderbarren Queen came up. 
"I'll check the Engine Room." Bucky sighed, and clambered down to the 
lower decks. He knew well that Jenny couldn't be able to share their 
knowledge of Alderbarren with 'Outsiders'. 
 
"Jenny, we need you on Alderbarren at once." The Queen coughed finally.
"Why?" was all that Jenny could come out with.
"I will explain to you on Alderbarren." The communication was then 
severed before Jenny could reply. 
"Bucky. Can I speak to you for a minute?" Jenny called, looking rather 
worried.
"What's' up?" he asked, trying to read Jenny's' face.
"I...I need to go to Alderbarren."
"More secret stuff?"
"Probably, she wouldn't even let me know. I'm rather worried."
"Nevertheless, I'll take you to Alderbarren anyway. I'll leave the 
Righteous in free-float for you.
 
Jenny was at least felt a bit more secure, knowing that Bucky was 
nearby should trouble arise, but still, she felt there was something 
going on down there which made her flowing pink hair stand on end. 
Buckys' orange titan of a ship was soon in orbit around Alderbarren, 
while Jenny set off in the Toad Croaker, still nervous about what was 
happening.
Indeed, Alderbarren certainly had changed. The Toad Croaker had landed 
only a 5 minute walk away from the Palace and its' grounds, and not 
even the sound of the wind whistling could be heard. Jenny looked 
around her. The way to Palace was through a maze of whitewashed brick 
walls, with patches of sweet smelling herbs clustered about the ground. 
On the opposite side was a clump of trees, behind it stretched brown 
fields and the countryside beyond. Nothing stirred nor seemed to live. 
The patches of herbs seemed to lack any scent, the vegetation seemed to 
lack in any life. It seemed like everything had died. 
 
Jenny decided to go on, was it this that the Queen was concerned about? 
Or was this a spiritual warning to all sent by the planet itself? Jenny 
couldn't make head or tail of it. The maze appeared to be filled with 
wooden doors, each with its' own different name, GARDEN OF SPIRITUAL 
AWARENESS, LOUNGE OF THE SOULS, every one was some kind of Aromatherapy 
Lounge, or some kind of miniature Feng Shui spa. But at the 'Garden of 
Fragrance', several slimy green hands restrained her. Around the room 
were several Toad Soldiers, Frix and Frax among them. In front of her 
was the Toad Airmarshall, and the unusual new machine, now with two 
harpoon-like spikes pointing out of it.
"Stupid Jenny." The Airmarshall hissed. As he spoke, the harpoon spikes 
blasted two red beams of light into Jenny's' eyes, the impact thrusting 
her back. She opened her emerald-green eyes slowly, and smiled 
sinisterly at the Toads around her...
 
"Calling Bucky, come in please, over." The Righteous' radio crackled at 
last.
"Bucky here, go ahead Jenny." Bucky beamed; glad to know she was safe.
"The Queen demands to see you."
"Why?" The communication was severed after Bucky had spoken this. He 
was now becoming worried; it could be clearly seen on his face. Bucky 
had no choice but to take the Righteous down.
 
With a whining of engine, Bucky guided his orange whale of a ship down 
steadily, until it landed close to the Toad Croaker. The silence that 
followed was so eerie, not even Bucky O' Hare could stand it. 
"Bruiser, you and Blinky stand guard. Deadeye, come with me." He 
shivered.
"Yes Sir." Bruiser saluted, standing as straight as he could, with 
Blinky dwarfed by the size of Bruiser. Deadeye grasped a maser pistol 
in each of his four hands, and followed Bucky into the spooky maze 
ahead.
 
Meanwhile, in a cosy little terraced house in San Francisco, Earth, 
Willy Duwitt, Warp Drive Mechanic to Bucky O' Hare, sat hunched on his 
bed, reading a book of "Chuck Bodgers In The 28th Century." Willy 
glanced at the Alderbarren Memory stone on his computer desk, given to 
him by Jenny, should trouble ever arise.
"I wonder why Jenny hasn't called." He pondered to himself, and being 
an inquisitive lad, decided to find out why.
 
With his Photon Accelerator activated, his passageway to the Aniverse 
was activated, and through his bedroom door, he stepped straight into 
the engine room of the Righteous Indignation. Bruiser and Blinky were 
surprised that he'd arrived, but none the less glad to see Willy again.
 
 
"Hey Willy!" Bruiser slurped contentedly.
"Hi Bruiser, where's Bucky and Jenny?" Willy squeaked, smiling back.
"The Queen o' Alderbarren wants to sees them." The oversized gorilla 
replied.
"I wonder why." Willy mumbled to himself. Being an inquisitive lad, he 
decided to investigate, but Blinky barred his way.
"Humble Android ask why Engineer Duwitt must leave ship." He buzzed.
"Oh, err, Blinky. I...I need to check on the Toad Croaker." Blinky took 
some time to calculate this, but let Willy go on his way.
 
Bucky and Deadeye meanwhile had troubles of their own. They were 
checking behind each of the wooden doors should there be a trap 
anywhere. It was when they searched the 'LOUNGE OF ETERNAL TRANQUILITY' 
when they became worried. Inside were the Alderbarrens, tied and gagged 
with metallic rope. The Queen and the Palace Guards among them, a 
shocked expression clouded Buckys' face. Never before had he seen such 
a large amount of beings imprisoned together, squealing and screeching 
in their efforts to talk.
"You are a foolish one, Bucky O' Hare." The pair spun around to be 
confronted by Jenny, now hypnotized by KOMPLEXs' Brainwashing Machine. 
In her grasping hand was a Maser Pistol, which sent Bucky and Deadeye 
to sleep before they'd time to react. The Alderbarrens watched as their 
unconscious bodies were dragged away, and any spell they would try 
would be no match for this 'Black Magic' which now controlled Jenny's' 
mind.
 
Willy, whom had seen the whole thing, rushed straight back into the 
ship, almost knocking over Blinky. He clambered up to the Cockpit, and 
switched on the radio, mumbling "Come on. Pick up!" hoping that there 
was another ship nearby that could help.
 
Indeed, there was a ship nearby. Another Mammalian Frigate, the 
Indefatigable. Commander Dogstar, a bulldog to whom fear was nothing, 
scanned his cloudy eyes across space. The beeping of an incoming 
message made him jump; First Mate Wolf was the first to answer the 
message.
"This is the Indefatigable. Identify yourself, over." Wolf coughed.
"Wolf, this is Willy Duwitt. Of the Righteous Indignation?" the reply 
caused Dogstar to take over the radio.
"I say Willy. What's the trouble?" Dogstar boomed, hoping to grab some 
action.
"Bucky and Deadeye have been captured, and Jenny has gone a-wol!" 
"I say, that's a tricky situation! What is your location?"
"The planet Alderbarren."
"Roger Willy, we'll rendezvous in 10 minutes. Over and out."
 
Bucky and Deadeye awoke in the Garden Of Fragrance, tied back to back, 
and surrounded by Toad soldiers, sneering at mocking the position Bucky 
was now in. 
"At last, Bucky O' Hare, you are mine!" The Toad Airmarshall sniggered.
"What ye fly-suckin' tadpoles up to?" Deadeye spat at him, ruining his 
boots.
"We now have a Brainwasher, which has been tested by your friend Jenny 
here." Jenny stood silent and straight, as though she could hear 
nothing of this.
"Anyway," the Airmarshall continued. "Once we hypnotize the entire of 
Alderbarren, we will take over the Mammalian Coalition. With all 
opposition ruled out, the Aniverse shall be ours! And you will be the 
next for our machine." He cackled sinisterly, a chorus of evil laughs 
from the troops, including Jenny, echoed around the garden.
 
The chorus of laughs and cackles were so loud; no one heard the 
Indefatigable landing nearby. Bruiser and Blinky had now realised what 
had happened, and insisted on helping. Dogstar was too concerned that 
there may be a high casualty list, and only allowed Wolf, Pete, Bruiser 
and Blinky to come along, leaving Digger, Rumble Bee and Willy alone. 
"Can't have a good crew go to waste!" as Dogstar had said. Both Digger 
and Willy felt left out of the action, when both of them came up with 
the same idea...
 
The Brainwasher by now once again had its' spikes ready. Bucky and 
Deadeye were the new targets. Bucky was too busy attempting to break 
Jenny free.
"Jenny! It's me! You're my Pilot!" but no matter what the distressed 
rabbit cried out, nothing seemed to work. Frix and Frax by now had set 
the controls, and all seemed to go well, until the voice of: "I say, 
Bucky m'lad! Where are you?" caused everyone to halt. The entrance of 
Dogstar caused everyone to riot. Masers fired to and fro, fists swayed 
back and forth, it was more horrific than anything depicted at 
Waterloo. Bruiser and Pete did a good job 'pulpating' the slimy 
invaders, including the Airmarshall, but when Jenny grasped for the 
Brainwashing master switch, and aimed her maser pistol at Dogstars' 
head, screeching "Get back or the rabbit is toast!" Things began to 
look grim.
 
A blast of masers from up above caused the Brainwasher to explode until 
there was nothing more than smoking scrap metal. Jenny fell back, 
exhausted and confused now she had been set free. Everyone looked up, 
and saw the Indefatigable flying overhead. An excited Willy Duwitt was 
at the controls.
"Yee-ha!" he screeched, sounding rather like a witch on a broomstick.
"Leave here or die, Toadies, bzz, bzz." Rumble Bee hissed, and began a 
full-blown attack on the warty fiends. Bruiser and Pete, now recovered 
from the shock of the Brainwashers' explosion, also pitched in to help. 
Bucky and Dogstar meanwhile carried Jenny back to the Righteous 
Indignation to rest.
 
It was quite some time until the Toads were forced to retreat. The 
Alderbarrens were soon set free, and with a special herbal remedy, 
grown in one of the gardens, she was soon back on her feet. The moment 
the Indefatigable touched down, Dogstar went ballistic.
"Engineer Duwitt! If you've broken my ship, I'll! I'll!" he roared.
"Its' OK, Commander, The Indefatigable is tip-top." Digger squeaked as 
he tried to regain his balance. To Dogstars' amazement, Digger was 
right. Not a dent or scratch anywhere. Bucky too was surprised, and 
could think of only one thing to say to Willy. "Good Flying, Engineer. 
Good Flying."

THE END