Title: Land of the Lost - Alternative Universe Ending
Chapter: 4
Author: squeezynz@free.net.nz
Universe: Land of the Giants
Rating: PG, Adventure
Archive : visit my site http://landofthegiants-tv.co.uk/Entrance.html
Feedback: always appreciated
Disclaimer: originally IA's and the writers, no offence intended,
just having fun, purists beware.

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Conversation was impossible. The journey through the sub-basement complex seemed to take hours, in actuality it was only about one hour. Androse carried the Little People deep into the underground complex, passing through concealed doorways and hidden entrances until eventually they arrived in an area that had obviously seen alot of foot traffic recently. There were posters and maps pinned to the crumbling walls, boxes and packing cases scattered around, some used for seating, others for fuel. Fires burned fitfully in metal drums, making the air smoky and foul. Down dark passageways people were glimpsed, but Androse rushed on, not stopping and not pausing to rest. The narrow corridors opened out into large open spaces, the ceilings high and hung with pipework and wiring, but Androse looked neither left or right, keeping to his own course. More importantly no-one seemed alarmed to see a slave running through their domain. No-one shouted out or called him my name, they just stared and turned back to whatever they were doing before he appeared. Steve tried to keep track of their direction but was lost before they even reached the original stairwell, let alone the underground complex. Finally Androse slowed to a walk, his head turning, looking for something or someone. Coming to a halt infront of a metal hatchway, Androse glanced down briefly at his passengers before knocking on the metal door and turning the handle. Stepping through the door, Androse deposited the cage on a table in the centre of the room.

The room had a high ceiling and stretched some distance in either direction. Coming towards the table were several people, all dressed in sombre robes, but not wearing any collars. Androse bowed and made a complicated gesture with his hand that Steve assumed was a form of salute to the older man that had stepped forward from the group approaching.

" We are pleased to see you back unharmed, did you have any problem securing the merchandise ?" said the older man, after acknowledging Androse's gestures with a languid hand.

" No alarm was raised, Sire. I managed to get away un-noticed," Androse replied.

" Get yourself to the security room, Chancel will get that abomination off your neck, it can't be comfortable," the man ordered, gesturing to the collar around Androse's neck.

" I will be grateful to get it off, I thank you Sire," with a final bow, Androse left the room. The rest of the Giants started to come forward, crowding round the table to get a closer look at the cage.

The Little People had watched the proceeding with an air of caution. After disentangling themselves and counting their bruised limbs, surprised to find them unbroken, they found the harrowing trip had left them all exhausted and trembling with the strain of trying to avoid a major injury. Mark and Steve both slumped to the floor of the cage, their muscles protesting at the rough ride. Barry and Valerie were equally stressed, having been bounced around like peas despite Steve and Marks best efforts.

" They don't look strong enough to have caused us so many problems," said one of the Giants, peering at the slumped figures.

" Poor creatures, and look, one already wears the collar," said another.

" Do you think it's safe to handle them ?" said a gruff voice, the owner pushing through to look.

" They're not animals, or toys, they are Little People, and if our information is to be believed, they are not even from our world, let alone our continent," this from the tall patriarch Androse had called Sire.

" Where are we going to keep them, they can't stay in that tiny cage. If they are friendly, as our source suggests, should we not house them somewhere more comfortable ?"

" My thoughts exactly, Plius, see how they are coming with the accommodations for our tiny guests, they should be finished by now,"

One of the Giants hurried out of the room, shutting the door with a clang behind him, leaving the others gathered round the table. Steve, finding his legs able to support him, stood up shakily and looked up at the faces above him.

" Why have you brought us here, who are you ?"

" We brought you here to keep you safe, Titus would have killed you eventually and we consider you far too important to waste so negligently," the Giant replied, pulling up a chair and sitting next to the table.

Further questions were stalled by the entrance of Plius, followed by another Giant, a woman carrying a box.

" Ah Plius, you are back quickly, good, is everything ready ?"

" Yes Sire, everything is in readiness for our guests, Sina here will take them to their place of rest immediately, if you so desire," said Plius, bowing deeply.

" Of course," turning back to face Steve," I will talk with you all soon, but in the meantime, you will need to rest from your ordeal, Sina here will take you to a more comfortable place, please step out of that cage and enter the box, it is only a short trip to your new home,"

Seeing nothing in the faces above them but an obvious desire for their well being, Steve urged the others to get up and exit the cage, helping Barry while Mark helped Valerie, all of them stiff and sore from the rough ride. The woman, Sina, had placed the box on the table and lowered the side like a ramp to make it easy for them to enter. Inside the box was padded with material and they all sank down gratefully into the soft surface. Once they were all in, Sina refastened the side and picked up the box, careful not to knock or jolt it. After a brief nod to the gathered elders, she turned and quickly left the room, carrying the box down another corridor to an adjoining room where she lowered the side once more and waited for the Little People to enter their new accommodation.

Once they had all stepped out of the box, Sina took it away and left the room, closing the door behind her. The four Little People looked around in amazement.

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Dan and Fitzhugh had landed quite safely, despite Fitzhugh's dire predictions. Folding the chutes quickly, they followed the flight of Steve and the balloon, seeing it land. They then followed the two Giants that arrived to collect the balloon, again finding it easy enough to follow. It was only when they tried to keep the balloon in sight in the maze of passageways and corridors that the plan came unstuck. Fitzhugh was carrying the parachutes, while Dan carried the backpack with the explosives and climbing gear. Both men tried to keep up, but it proved impossible and once the balloon disappeared they found themselves painfully exposed in the empty hallways. Seeing a pot-plant set in an alcove, some way in the opposite direction, Dan decided that discretion was the better option and led Fitzhugh towards the plant, only just reaching it in time before two more Giants marched down the passageway.

Pushing their way behind the pot, they watched as several more Giants, all wearing the control collars, passed their hiding place, none even glancing at the plant.

Dan fingered the radio tucked into his jacket, longing to call Steve to try and reorganise the rescue attempt, but Steve had been adamant that Dan had to wait for Steve to call, not for Dan to call him. Steve felt the radio was their one ace in the hole and Dan could easily blow it by calling too soon. Fitzhugh sat next to Dan, his face slack as he rested, squashed behind the pot. Dan had already tried to call Betty to let her know they had arrived safely but the distance was too great still. He only hoped they would all be seeing Betty and the Spindrift in the not too distance future.

A noise of someone running made Dan poke his head out of their hiding place. He saw a Giant running swiftly down the passageway, and, if he wasn't mistaken, it was the same Giant that had collected Steve and the balloon not that long ago. The Giant appeared to have something hanging from his hand. As the Giant passed Dan saw that it was a metal cage, but the Giant passed too quickly for Dan to make out if any of his friends were inside. Thumping the pot in frustration Dan settled back down to wait. A soft snore alerted him to the fact that Fitzhugh appeared to have settled down for the night. Suppressing a wry smile, Dan hoped that Steve knew what he was doing. As rescues went, this one was not exactly starting off well.

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Everyone was asleep, except Steve. After running on pure adrenaline for the last twenty four hours, he had expected to pass out from sheer exhaustion, but he couldn't stop his mind from running around like a rat on a wheel. His main concern was the whereabouts of Dan and Fitzhugh. He hoped they were safe and not in Titus's hands yet.

Steve turned on his side and surveyed the other occupants of the room, still amazed at how their luck had changed in so short a time. The smooth fabric under his cheek was heavenly, reminding him of the luxuries he'd taken for granted back on earth. Soft sounds from the three other people in the room reminded him that he too should be resting, making the most of this brief respite, but sleep was proving elusive. Steve envied Barry his youthful ability to sleep almost anywhere, anytime. The boy had all but collapsed straight into sleep when they found the room with the beds. Valerie hadn't been far behind, only taking the time to kick off her boots before falling full length on the covers, her eyes shutting and a deep sigh of contentment her only comments. A brief survey of their new quarters had drawn gasps of wonder from them all. It was like finding all their unspoken desires suddenly laid out for them, after suffering so many privations since crashing on the Giants planet, they had had to make do and put up with so much discomfort. Now they were being given rooms that contained every conceivable luxury. It was heady stuff. Their first view had been of a large, open planned living area, complete with comfortable looking furniture, an eating area with table and chairs, a bathroom leading off the main room, complete with a working shower and essential plumbing. Another room opening off the main room turned out to be the bedroom, one room, four beds. It had almost seemed surreal, like walking into someone's apartment back on earth, or a hotel room somewhere. Despite the oddness, no-one complained, the bedroom being the first stop for the exhausted travellers. It was like coming home.

Mark had tried to talk to Steve, taking the bed between Valerie's and Barry's, but even he had to give up the fight, finding his bed just too comfortable to resist the urge to lie down and rest his aching limbs. Steve had worried briefly about the collar that Mark wore, wondering if Titus's control reached this far, but as Mark didn't have any reactions from the collar, Steve supposed the area they were in was either too far away or maybe shielded somehow. The concealed lighting in the room had dimmed since they had entered, making Steve think that the room was monitored by the Giants, but he didn't really worry too much. His tired brain had finally decided to give his body a break and he felt himself relax completely, his eyes closing and his breathing deepening as sleep claimed him.

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Dan had slipped into an uneasy doze, the drone of Fitzhugh lulling him into sleep. There had been little traffic down the corridor since the first flurry when they had hidden behind the pot plant. Now, suddenly, there was movement, and more specifically, movement next to the pot they were hiding behind. Dan tried to keep his movements small to avoid drawing attention to himself, but a dousing in cold water made him cough and splutter. Above their heads someone was watering the plant and not being exactly fussy about where the water was ending up. Several dollops of water cascaded down and soaked Dan, also wetting a fair portion of Fitzhugh in the process, making the older man wake with a snort and a cry. Dan tried to muffle the noise but the damage was done. The Giant above them stopped pouring and instead parted the leaves, looking for whatever had made the noise. Dan hoped that the gloom at floor level would be sufficient to cloak their presence, but he hoped in vain. After much rustling and movement a hand reached down and grasped Dan firmly around the middle, carrying him quickly up through the leaves and into the bright light of the alcove.

" Good grief, how many more are there of you ?" asked a female voice.

Dan found himself almost nose to nose with an olive skinned woman with soft brown eyes. The hand holding him was quite gentle but firm, attesting to the woman's familiarity in handling delicate items.

" You are in great danger here, Little Man, where are your friends ?"

Dan watched as the woman looked left and right, her hair whipping back and forth in her haste to check that no-one was near. Dan was torn between trusting the woman and revealing Fitzhugh, or keeping the other mans presence a secret. But reasoning told him that Fitzhugh left alone was a disaster waiting to happen. Depending on what the woman planned for her tiny captive, Dan would include Fitzhugh in his own fate.

" What do you intend to do with me ?" Dan asked, watching the woman closely.

" I am not your enemy, I will endeavour to get you to safety, but I will have to pick my time carefully, are you able to keep very quiet ?"

" If my life depends on it, you won't know I'm there," Dan replied, liking the woman's obvious concern for his welfare.

" Then I will take you with me, but you'll have to ride in my pocket,"

" I've had worse offers, but you should know that I have a companion with me, an older man, he's still hiding behind the pot,"

" Then call him out, now, time is precious, my Lady will be calling me if I dawdle too long with the watering,"

Dan did so, Fitzhugh reluctantly appearing, still clutching the parachute pack. The woman reached down and scooped him up with her other hand, then put both men into a large pocket on the front of her skirt.

" You must be still and quiet, when the time is right I will carry you to someone who will take you to safety, but for now silence will keep us all safe,"

Not waiting for an answer, the woman gathered up her watering can and implements and hurried down the deserted corridor. In her pocket Dan and Fitzhugh exchanged worried glances, their fate, for the time being, out of their hands.

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" Hey, sleepyhead, time to wake up,"

Valerie stirred, her nose twitching to the smell of something suspiciously like coffee being wafted next to her face.

" I must be dreaming, that smells heavenly," she murmered, pushing her hair out of her face and sitting up slowly. In front of her, Mark sat on the other bed, a steaming mug held in one hand. His face split into a wide grin when Valerie's eyes opened wide and she swung her legs round to face him.

" Not exactly coffee, but the next best thing on this planet," he said, holding out the mug. Valerie shot him a quick look, then reached out a hand and took the proffered mug. Closing her eyes and inhaling she let go a sigh of contentment, then her eyes snapped open again and she took a closer look at the mug. On one side was a bold insignia in the shape of a stylised eagle with a ringed planet in the background.

" I feel like I should know what this logo means, who it belongs to,"

" You most probably flew the airline a hundred times, its the sign used by the Saturn Corporation, they flew commercial and private space liners around the world," Mark explained.

" So how am I holding one of their mugs ?" asked Valerie, taking a cautious sip of the hot beverage.

" I'm assuming that the ships Titus told us about came through the same space anomaly that we did, they must have salvaged stuff off those ships,"

" Creepy, but this drink is wonderful. I don't suppose there's anything to eat as well ?" Valerie asked, noticing for the first time that she and Mark were the only occupants of the bedroom.

" Steve and Barry are out in the kitchen dishing up now, if you care to join us ?"

" Just point me in the right direction and stand clear," said Valerie, a martial glint in her eyes. At that precise moment her stomach decided to remind her just how long it had been since her last meal. The loud growl made Valerie blush furiously, but Mark only laughed and stood up, holding out his hand to help her up, then he led the way out of the bedroom, Valerie still clutching her precious mug.

Their first meal in the basement complex was the best they'd had in quite some time. Steve almost felt guilty that the other members of the group weren't on hand to join the feast. While the Little People had slept, someone had left provisions set out on the large table in the main living room. Platters heaped with fruit pieces, bread and meat vied with miniature jugs of water and juice. A hot-water jug made the 'coffee' possible, and plates and implements from the doomed Saturn Corp ship made the whole process remarkably civilised. Steve and Barry were just starting when Mark appeared with Valerie in the doorway of the bedroom. Valerie looked flushed and rumpled, making Steve wonder how Mark had woken her, but her obvious interest in the food displayed in front of her made Steve raise a hand and gesture for them to join them at the table.

" Well they don't intend to starve us, at least," said Steve, passing a plate to Mark as Valerie made herself comfortable.

" A few days of this sort of fair, and I might just need to let a seam or two out," quipped Valerie, piling her plate with fruit pieces. Mark passed her another mug and proffered a jug of juice.

" Care to wash that mountain down with something ?" he asked, eyeing her full plate with amusement. Valerie only quirked an eyebrow and proceeded to make short work of her plateful. They all made decent inroads into the food, making the most of the unexpected bounty. Barry was the first to push back from the table, groaning that he was about to burst if he had another bite. Valerie wasn't far behind, complaining that she simply didn't have room for another nibble. Both of them made their way to the comfortable looking furniture against the wall of the 'living room' next to the kitchen. Steve and Mark finished their meal companionably, then joined the pair on the couch, professing their repletion.

" That's me done for the day, what time is it anyway ?" asked Mark, checking his own watch, but finding it stopped.

" I'm not sure, my watch appears to have stopped sometime yesterday," said Steve, holding his time piece up to his ear.

" Odd, mine isn't working either," said Valerie, holding it out to Mark at his request. Checking the time of all three, Mark found that the watches had all stopped at the same time.

" I'd hazard a guess and say they all stopped when we were brought into the control room the first time," said Mark, his brow creased in thought.

" Maybe its a side-effect of the force beam that brought us here," suggested Steve, looking over at Mark who was trying to prise the back off his own watch.

" There must have been a huge electro-magnetic power source nearby to have affected all our watches like that. That sort of level could be lethal to anyone our size, have you tried to contact Dan and Fitzhugh yet ?" asked Mark, giving up on his watch for the time being.

" I tried just after I woke up, but I got nothing but static, maybe the shielding down here blocks radio waves as well as the control signals,"

" Shielding ?" queried Barry, looking perplexed.

" If one supposes that our disappearance has been noticed, what's the first thing that Titus is going to do ?" asked Mark, looking over at Barry. The boy appeared to think, then his eyes brightened.

" Activate the control collar I guess,"

" That's the most likely, and I've felt nothing since we've been down here, so its reasonable to suggest that we're adequately shielded from the effects of the control beam," said Mark, smiling at Barry as the boy flushed under his praise.

" Didn't they send Androse to have his collar removed ? maybe they can get that off for you too," said Valerie, looking at the metal around Marks throat.

" I'm hoping so, it's not exactly my choice in neck-wear, too formal by half," joked Mark, making the others chuckle.

" Have our hosts made an appearance since we arrived ?" asked Valerie, looking round the room and finding no windows and only the one door to the outside.

" Apart from leaving the food while we slept, not a sign, but I feel that we are being monitored, so expect a visit soon," said Steve.

Appearing as if on command, a Giant voice called to the Little People, requesting that they come out and talk. After an initial startled glance, all four made their way to the door and stepped outside. In front of their 'apartment' stood the same Elder that had been addressed by Androse as 'Sire'.

" I hope your rest was comfortable ?" he asked, seating himself so that he was level with the earthlings.

" Very comfortable, we thank you for the food and drink, it was most welcome and generous of you," said Steve.

" The least we could do, considering your ordeal in the hands of Titus," said the Giant. Leaning forward the Giant took a closer look at the collar around Marks neck.

" We will remove that contraption for you, it must be a burden and an irritation,"

" I'll be glad to get rid of it....not my choice of adornment," said Mark, giving the collar a tug.

" I should really introduce myself, my name is Kaius, I am the rightful ruler of this land. But as you see, I am currently exiled here to the Deep City, but we hope that will change....soon,"

" I take it, it was at your instigation that Androse 'rescued' us from Titus ?" asked Steve.

" Oh yes, Androse is my third son, he suggested that you were too valuable to leave to Titus's tender mercies, given his track record with previous Little People," said Kaius, shaking his head.

" How did Androse know we were going to be caught by Titus ?" asked Mark.

" We have others in the Palace who keep us informed of all things that go on in the upper levels. We were aware that Titus had been trying to obtain more of you Little People for some time now. Given the distance and time required to obtain you from the other land, we had plenty of time to prepare once it was known you were on the way," Kaius explained.

" What do you plan to do with us now ?" asked Valerie.

" We ultimately plan to return you to your own land, as quickly as possible, but we also hoped that you might be able to help us," replied Kaius, his expression hopeful. Steve and Mark exchanged a look before speaking.

" What could we possibly do to help you ?" Asked Steve, " we didn't bring anything with us, only what you see here,"

" We would ask that you explain some of the workings of the ship that crashed here, we have replicated alot of the technology, but there are some things we simply have no understanding of, it would help us greatly in our fight to regain our rightful place and freedom," explained Kaius, regarding the Little People intently.

" Titus wanted our knowledge as well, to build weapons of war to defeat the other Giants in the land over the sea," stated Mark, his expression impassive.

" We have no wish to conquer the other continent, the Sea of Segatus makes trade and travel well near impossible, what we want is the ability to develop our own lands and resources. To do that we need to free ourselves from Titus and his control collars. Your technology could mean the difference between success and failure," said Kaius.

Crossing his arms over his chest, Mark regarded Steve and the two men held a silent conference while Kaius waited for their reply. Finally Steve rubbed his chin and turned back to the Giant.

" We need time to digest your request, Kaius, remove Mark's collar and we'll talk over your situation among ourselves." said Steve. Kaius nodded his head, a smile spreading over his face.

" I understand, of course you need time to talk it over. If you will come with me, Mark, I will take you to have the collar removed, then I will have you returned to discuss my proposal with your companions. I should add that whether you decide to help our cause or not, we will still arrange for you to be returned to the other land,"

Holding out his hand, Kaius waited for Mark to settle himself in his palm before getting up and carrying Mark out of the room. Steve herded Valerie and Barry back into the 'apartment', Valerie looking as if she was about to burst with questions. Steve settled himself back on the couch and waited for the outburst.

" Talk about out of the frying pan....the only difference is, this pan is alot more comfortable than what Titus had on offer," Valerie said, her arms crossed, her posture rigid with mistrust.

" Are we going to help them, Captain Burton ?" asked Barry, sitting down cross-legged on the floor.

" I don't know Barry, we are certainly better off here than with Titus, but both sides want the same thing from us...information, knowledge, who's to say we can help them even if we wanted to ?"

" What are you going to do about Dan and Fitzhugh ? they're still out there somewhere, maybe captives of Titus already," said Valerie, her expression deeply concerned for their missing friends. " And what about poor Betty, she must be going spare, wondering what's happened to us all,"

" She knew where we were going and why, Val, she won't be expecting us back for another day or two, and Betty is the most capable of all of us,"

" I know Steve, I'm just worried about her,"

" Why not test out the bathroom facilities while Marks gone, we could all do with freshening up, now's as good a time as any, who knows what the next few days will bring," suggested Steve, causing Valerie to give him a rueful smile.

" What are you trying to say Steve...oh never mind, I need something to take my mind off things. Don't decide anything before I come back, okay ?"

" Promise, cross my heart," said Steve, laughing and holding up a hand while the other made the sign of a cross over his chest.

" I won't be long," so saying, Valerie approached the door leading to the bathroom complex and went in, closing the door firmly behind her.

" Will Betty really be okay ?" asked Barry, looking down at his hands.

" I'm sure Barry, why don't you come and help me tidy up the plates and stuff left over from our meal, Mark will be back soon, then we can all talk about what we're going to do," Steve got up off the couch and started towards the table, hoping that the distraction would work on them both.

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