Title : Surrender
Chapter: 2
Author: Squeezynz
Universe: Land of the Giants
Rating: PG
Type: Adventure
Spoilers: Hardly
Disclaimer: see chapter one......

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Barry had been feeling restless for weeks. He couldn't exactly pinpoint what he was restless about, he just felt the urge to be doing something, but had no idea what. " Guess that's what being a teenager is all about " he groused to himself. He had turned thirteen with a small party given by his friends at the Spindrift, but despite the attempts to mark the occasion, the real marker was his own body. He had grown nearly six inches in the two and a bit years since he had landed with everyone else on this planet. He felt awkward and clumsy and hated that his clothes were too small now, Betty had made a decent attempt at replacing his clothes as he grew, but he still felt ungainly, neither a child or an adult. His restlessness drove him to seek out a special place that the others didn't know about. He had found it, but it was near the picnic area and therefore a bit dodgy when Giants used the area. Still it was his place and he escaped there when the adults back at the Spindrift became just too much for him to bear. He sorely missed anyone of his own age to talk to. He treated Commander Fitzhugh as an Uncle, and possibly had the closest relationship with him, but it wasn't the same as someone his own age. Barry greatly admired Steve, being the Captain of the Spindrift, and he also had a great admiration of Mark Wilson. He was the only member of the crew that could challenge Barry at Chess, Mark even won against Barry once in a while, and he had presented Barry with a chess-set for his thirteenth birthday, made of small carved wooden pieces that Mark had fashioned himself. Barry had been happy to spend the next hour with Mark, planning strategies on the makeshift board drawn on the ground. Valerie had given him a soft drawstring bag to keep the pieces in, and Steve had given him a new quiver complete with arrows made by Dan. Mr Fitzhugh had given him his watch, and since it was a wind up rather than battery operated it still kept excellent time. Barry had been deeply touched. Then finally Betty had given him a parcel of clothes. As soon as he could, without raising suspicions, he had run to his hideout and cried his eyes out. Chipper had whined, knowing something was wrong but not understanding, and Barry had stayed there, rubbing the dogs ears until he got himself under control again.

Now he stood on top of possibly the most important discovery made by anyone, since they had landed here. He had been checking his place, it was high enough not to have been effected by the rain, but he was always worried that some small animal, or insect would discover it and move in. On the way back from there, he had been hiding from the family of Giants that had entered the picnic area behind him. They weren't looking for any Little People so didn't notice him watching them. When the family had finally moved off, Barry had got up and started to turn towards camp. It was then that he had noticed the oddly familiar shaped mound in front of him. He had gone to it and as he got close he realised it wasn't a rock, or even a mound of dirt, it was exactly what he had seen on top of the Spindrift. The round dome of the radar housing. He scraped some of the moss off with his fingers, and felt the hard shell underneath, then he stepped back and took a good look at the surroundings and reached the inescapable conclusion that a ship was buried right under his feet. He couldn't breath for a few seconds then he whipped out his radio and called the camp. Betty had called Steve right away and now, he could see them all standing a little way off, so he climbed to the top of the dome and waved like mad to attract their attention. It worked. Steve and the rest were coming down the slope towards him, he could see that Valerie had her mouth open in astonishment, and even Dan looked totally surprised. Barry just grinned and shouted to them.

" I told you it was a spaceship "

His shipmates arrived and quickly started firing questions at Barry, who answered them all with a huge smile on his face. He turned to Steve and Dan who were starting to scrape more vegetation away from the dome to see it better. " I was right, wasn't I"

" Yes Barry, I do believe you were right " Steve smiled at the excited boy, he knew how he felt, he couldn't believe their luck. If only the ship was intact, they might actually be leaving this planet soon.

Valerie came up to Barry " I brought you some lunch, and a bottle of water, here " she handed the backpack to Barry who gratefully took a swig from the bottle of water.

Mark was walking around the area, trying to see where the dirt started and the ship ended. He came back to where Steve and Dan had cleared most of the dome.

" Its going to take some time to dig even part way down, I suggest we aim at uncovering the side door, then we can get inside and access the damage more easily." Mark waited for Steve to climb down.

" I think that's out best bet...lets break out the shovels and get started...Betty, you take up a position so you can warn us if any Giants come back to the picnic area, okay ?"

" Sure Steve, whatever you say....I'll need a radio" Betty held out her hand.

" Take Dan's, and Betty.....be careful" Steve looked her in the eye, Betty just grinned and saluted Steve before taking off through the bushes. Steve turned back to the those remaining.

" Okay, well lets start, we'll dig over there, Valerie.....you and Barry see if you can find some branches and leaves to cover the work area after we finish today, we need to leave it as well disguised as possible from any prying Giants." Valerie and Barry took off together to find whatever they could.

Dan, Mark and Steve started to dig behind the mound, roughly where they expected to find the main hatchway. The dirt was quite loose after all the rain, and they had made a good-sized hole, before Steve called a halt for a lunch break. The men flopped down with their backs to the mound, while Valerie brought over the lunchpacks and water bottles. Mark sucked greedily on the water then wiped his mouth, he was sweating freely like Steve and Dan and took a towel from Barry with a grateful smile. Valerie had already taken a pack to Betty, who reported no movement so far in the picnic area.

" If we keep up this pace, we'll be inside by nightfall, always supposing we can open the hatchway." Mark looked at Steve for his opinion.

" I agree....we need to get inside, that's paramount. Barry....take Chipper back to the ship, tell Fitzhugh we'll be here till after dark, then bring the torch cutter back with you. Take one of the lanterns, it'll be getting dark by the time you return." Steve took a long swig of a water bottle.

" See you later then." said Barry, and he took hold of Chippers lead and headed out, disappearing from view almost immediately.

" This excavation is going to take everything we have " Dan was sitting with his hands draped over his bent knees. " have you considered how on earth we're supposed to pull it out of this hole ?" Dan looked over at Mark.

" I've been thinking about that, we could rig a pulley and winch system with that tree over there, we have enough rope, but we would have to make the pulley's by hand. The ratchet winch should help, with our combined effort on the pulleys.". Mark looked over to Steve for confirmation.

" It's a definite possibility." Steve mused. " of course, if the engines are still operational we can use the Beta-control system to move the ship by itself." Steve rubbed the back of his neck to ease the muscles.

" All this speculations going to be for nothing if a Giant discovers the ship before we can get inside." said Mark.

" Barry and I found a ton of stuff to cover the hole when you've finished tonight, Mark, no-one will know its here....don't worry." Valerie had come to sit down beside Mark and rested her hand on his arm, then slid it down to grasp his hand. Mark looked at her and smiled a slow smile, Valerie held his look for a beat before breaking eye contact. At the sound of a cough they turned to see Steve regarding them with an amused look. Steve just shook his head and started to get up.

" Come on guys, back to the hole....the days a wasting!"

They trooped off, while Valerie cleared up the lunch stuff. The men took turns inside the growing hole, while the other two cleared as much dirt away from the opening as possible. The sun continued to shine, and insects buzzed around, the sound of birds was the only other sound over the grunt and puff of the men laboring next to the mound. Valerie was startled from a drowsy nap by a shout from Dan. She jumped up and quickly moved to where the men clustered around, what was now, a very big hole. She could see an expanse of grey painted metal ship, with a faint outline where the door might be.

" Have you found the hatch ?" Valerie asked.

" Yes, its here, just where it should be." Mark gave her a grin from a mud smeared face. All the men were covered in dirt, Steve had a big smear on his forehead, and his t-shirt clung damply to his chest and back. Mark's shirt, once pale blue, was now a dusty brown with large sweat patches front and back. Dan was the only one that looked remotely tidy, but even his trousers were heavily caked with dirt. They were looking expectantly at Steve, who was brushing off the edges of the hatchway.

" Pass me a water bottle Valerie, I want to wash the locking mechanism clear of mud ." Valerie handed the bottle to Mark who passed it to Steve at the bottom of the hole. Steve squirted the door, rubbing with his hand to clean the surface. They could clearly see the door button, and Valerie held her breath when Steve pressed the hatch release. Everyone jumped a foot when the door, after an initial hesitation, slid open as if it hadn't been buried under a heap of mud. Dan let go another yelp, this time the grin on his face nearly reaching his ears.
Valerie ran back to the packs and pulled out the torches, handing them to Mark to pass to Steve and Dan. She kept one for herself.

" You don't think you going to leave me out of this, do you ?" said Valerie, she raised her eyebrows in reply to Marks look of inquiry. Mark only shook his head and reached his hand to help her down into the hole. Steve had already gone inside, with Dan close behind him when Valerie reached the opening.

" What do you see Steve " called Mark. He could see Dan's torch light waving over the walls of the entrance corridor. Steve's reply floated back to him out of the dark.

" Its just like our ship, Mark, but with a few changes. The airs okay, come on in. Watch out for the stuff on the floor, there seem to be a few tools strewn about." Steve briefly stuck his head out of the cockpit door to shine his light on the floor. Valerie could see a wrench and hammer lying on the floor, as if a workman had just left them. In fact except for the layer of dust, now swirling in the air from being disturbed by Dan and Steve, the ship looked eerily familiar. Almost ghostly.

Valerie moved further inside and turned to open the door into the passenger compartment. The door swooshed open, as smoothly as the front hatch, and she swung her torch in front of her. Mark was right behind her, shining his light over her shoulder to illuminate the far wall. Valerie coughed as the dust caught in her throat, her light jumping over the unfamiliar sight that greeted her eyes. Instead of the expected rows of passenger seats, found in their Spindrift, there were boxes and crates, stacked against the outer walls, with only two chairs bolted to the deck, near the doorway. There was cargo netting hanging from the ceiling, holding smaller boxes and containers. Mark had passed by her once they got into the room. He was moving towards the back to check out the engine rooms. Valerie saw a blinking light next to the doorway, so she pressed it, and nearly dropped her torch in surprise when the cabin lights came on, making her squint and cover her eyes.

" Ouch, that's bright....." Valerie held one hand over her eyes as they became accustomed to the new light source. Mark had disappeared into the engine room, so she slowly made her way towards the galley, hoping to find something there. She heard Mark let out a whoop and changed direction to see what he had found. Mark nearly knocked her over as he burst out of the doorway. Just as quickly Mark grabbed her round the waist and swung her around, while Dan and Steve came to see what the commotion was about.

" Steve, its a miracle, the engines are all fine....nothings burnt out, nothing appears damaged, I can hardly believe it....." Mark whooped again and Valerie laughed as he planted a kiss on her lips.

Dan and Steve exchanged a look.

" This could be our ticket off this rock, Steve"

" Yes it could....it really could....lets look around some more, I'd like to know who brought this ship here, and what happened to them."

" Maybe there's something in that cupboard on the wall....you check the cockpit Steve, and I'll search the cabin. Valerie....you check out the galley " Dan moved over to the corner and started to open the cupboard, only to jump back when a red, leather bound book fairly jumped out at him.

" Geez that gave me a fright" he wheezed," don't know what the hell I'm frightened of " Dan gave a nervous laugh, and reached down to pick up the book. At the same time Steve's hand radio squawked from outside the cabin, so Dan went to listen. Valerie had disappeared into the galley and Mark was missing, presumably checking the engine room.

" What's the news, Steve ?" asked Dan.

" It was just Barry, letting me know he was back at camp, and had the Torch Gun, Fitzhugh wanted to come out here, but I told him to stay put and man the radio, Barry is leaving Chipper at camp too. He should be back here before its full dark." Steve turned back towards the control panel in front of the pilots chair.

Valerie poked her head into the cockpit. " I'm just going outside to gather up the backpacks, no sense leaving them out there for the birds to peck at...back in a tic." and she was gone.

Steve started to check what, if anything, was powered up on the console. It was almost completely dark on the board, with only two telltale lights blinking slowly. One was the emergency generator light, letting Steve know it was still on stand-bye, which accounted for the lights and door's being able to operate. The other light was a warning light for the solar batteries, not surprisingly they were at their lowest setting. Dan was checking the ventilation system, in readiness for full operation, running through the test routines like clockwork. Steve began his own pre-flight check and was pleased to see more and more lights confirm Marks original prognosis of the ships general condition.

" Dan, I think we are onto a winner here." Steve turned to his long time friend and co-pilot and together they started laughing and slapping each other on the arm in jubilation.

Suddenly Steve's radio squawked again, this time it was Betty.

" Steve, Steve come in please.....its Betty....."

" I'm here Betty, what's the problem ?"

" Steve there's a Giant coming, and he's going to trip right over you if he keeps walking in direction he's coming now. He just passed me." Betty sounded frantic.

" Betty, calm down, are you okay..?"

" Yes I'm fine, he was just very close...took me by surprise, for a Giant he walks really softly...but Steve....you have to get out of there, he's nearly on top of you !!" Betty's voice was rising with her agitation.

" Betty stay where you are, try and keep an eye on the Giant, if he spots the ship, we'll need you to tell us what's happening out there." Steve quickly thumbed the radio and turned to Dan.

" Get Valerie in here quick....she's outside......hurry !!"

Mark had come into the corridor and heard Steve's instructions, before Dan could move he was out the hatchway and calling to Valerie.

" VALERIE.....GIANT COMING... GET BACK TO THE SHIP....NOW !!" Mark started to scrabble up the muddy slope, but Valerie suddenly appeared at the edge of the hole, backpacks in hand, looking scared.

" I'm here Mark........I can see the Giant, we don't have time to cover the ship." Valerie sounded distressed.

Mark helped her down into the hole and through the doorway, hitting the door-lock and closing it.

" We can't help that now Val....take those into the main cabin, then go strap yourself into one of those chairs, I'll be there in a minute."

Valerie gave him one last look, and hurried into the cabin, dumping the backpacks onto the floor and getting into the nearest seat.

They could hear the footsteps of the Giant, for a brief moment it seemed to the three men listening in the cockpit that the Giant was passing by and they let go a collective breath in relief. It was short lived. The ground suddenly shook as the Giant knelt down to get a closer look at the buried spaceship. To the Giant it would look like a child's buried toy. Steve hoped that, as there were no lights yet visible, the Giant would not automatically assume there were any Little People inside.

He signalled for Mark and Dan to be silent then started to strap himself into the pilots seat, Dan got himself into the co-pilots chair and Mark moved quietly back into the main cabin to take the spare seat next to Valerie. Her pale, set features turned to him when he strapped himself in, Mark tried to give her a reassuring smile, failing miserably, but Valerie appreciated the effort and reached over to take his hand in her chilled one.

Outside, overlooking where the Giant was now looking closely over the buried spaceship, Betty nibbled her nails, and resisted the urge to scream at the Giant to go away. Steve had instructed her to keep a close watch and inform him the moment the Giant left. She had spoken to Barry who was even now working his way around to her position. As she watched, the Giant finally noticed the hole beside the ship, she hoped he would think it was an animals marks, not anything to do with the Little People, and it looked, from her vantage point, that the Giant may have thought that too. But to Betty's horror, she saw the Giant pick up a rock and jam it into the hole, blocking the hatchway entirely, and ruling out any possibility of the ships small occupants getting away if the Giant left. The Man then rose and started to leave, Betty waited until he was out of sight before calling Steve. She had to compose herself before she could bring herself to tell her friends the awful news.

" Steve....this is Betty, come in please "

" Betty, I read you, what's happening out there ?"

" Oh Steve....your trapped, the Giants left, but I have the feeling it won't be for long. He's jammed a rock in the hole you dug, and its blocking the doorway." Betty bit back a sob.

" Yeah we figured that was what had happened, we heard it scraping against the hull.....Betty, has Barry joined you yet ?"

" No, I.....oh yes, he's here now." Betty turned gratefully when Barry suddenly appeared behind her. He looked grimly down at the hapless ship, wiping the sweat off his forehead as he tried to think of a solution to their problem.

" Betty, we can't get out of here, its going to be up to you and Barry to try and track the Giant when he comes back . I'll radio Fitzhugh to fire up the radio-range finder, in case you lose sight of us or we lose contact with you and Barry."

" All right Steve, we'll try not to let you down." Betty thumbed off the radio, and looked over at Barry, who was hunkered down amid the ferns, staring down at the luckless craft. Suddenly he sat up and started to move off, towards the spaceship. Betty grabbed his arm and tried to stop him.

" Barry...what are you doing, you can't go down there !!"

" Let me go, don't you see, they left their tools down there, in plain sight, if I don't get them, the Giant will know for sure there are Little People around, maybe already inside the ship...let me go."

" Alright, but be careful.....and quick, I don't know how long we have." Betty released his arm and Barry shot off, sliding on the gravel and loose rocks.

He reached the dig site and quickly gathered up the precious shovels, and started to carry them back to Betty's hiding place, then he turned back for the ropes and lanterns, getting them all back just in time for the Giant to return as he threw himself into the ferns, next to Betty.

" That...*pant*...was...*puff*...too close !" Barry flopped onto his belly and went back to observing the actions of the Giant.

Down in the ship they had switched off the lights in the cabin and cockpit, leaving only a faint glow from the control panels to illuminate their tense faces. They could hear the Giant scuffling around the outside. They all jumped with fright when there was a loud clang of a spade blade hitting the hull. Valerie screamed and put her hands over her ears as the sound rang through the ship.

Steve and Dan looked at each other with trepidation." I hope this ships' skin is up to the punishment." said Steve.

" We'll find out soon enough....I just want to know what he intends to do with it...if he thinks its a toy, does that mean he's digging it up for his kids ?" Dan added.

" I wish I knew, but there is a silver lining to our situation."

Dan looked at Steve in disbelief. " And that would be ??"

" Well think about it....he's doing all the digging for us, if this ship is in as good a shape as Mark says, we may get an opportunity to recharge the solar batteries and fire up the engines. We may yet fly ourselves out of this mess." Steve replied.

Dan shook his head and chuckled. " Nothing keeps you down for long, does it Steve."

All conversation in the ship ceased when they felt the craft rock violently from side to side as the Giant attempted to work the spacecraft out of the mud. In the back compartment Mark and Valerie were thrown against their restraints and Valerie moaned in pain as the straps bit into her shoulders.

" Hold tight Val...we just have to hang on." Mark whispered.

" What's going to happen to us......what could a Giant want with us." cried Valerie.

" Val he doesn't even know we're in here....just hang on tight." The ship shook violently to and fro and they needed all their concentration just to keep themselves in their seats. Dan and Steve were only slightly better off in the closer fitting flight chairs, and they fervently hoped the Giant would get them out of the hole soon, or else they would be shaken to pieces. With one more violent jerk, the ship began to rise and they realised they were free of the dirt.

Betty had winced in sympathy when she saw the Giant rock and roll the ill fated ship. She hoped that all her friends were well strapped in and avoiding any serious injuries, but still, it would be far from comfortable to be inside the ship right now. She watched as the Giant gave one final heave and lifted the ship clear of the ground, picking it up high in the air then turning around and placing the ship in the middle of a piece of tarpaulin with a bump that made even Barry shut his eyes in sympathy for the discomfort of the poor passengers.

Inside the ship the traveller felt the last jarring bump right through their teeth. Valerie started to sob in fear as the boxes held up in the cargo nets came loose and tumbled down behind her, creating an avalanche of sound as the ship tilted to the side and the boxes careened across the floor. Marks chair was battered by the loose cargo and a smallish metal box bounced up and hit his forearm, making him yelp and hold the injured member close to his body. Valerie had seen the injury and called out.

" Mark..Mark....are you okay?" There was a violent jerk to the other side and Mark waited until they had settled before he replied.

" It's just bruised, not broken...hurts like hell though." he gasped.

Steve and Dan were holding on to whatever they could. The movements of the ship were now less jerky and more like a regular rhythm, swaying back and forth like a swing. Steve decided to risk radioing Betty.

" Steve to ground....can you read me Betty ?"

" We read you Steve....*puff*...the Giant has you wrapped up in a tarpaulin...*pant*.... carrying you away to the south east.....we're trying to keep you in sight...*puff*.... but its getting harder by the minute.." Betty was obviously running and talking at the same time.

" Betty, don't try....get back to camp, I'll leave my radio on so you can track us, you know our general direction....radio Fitzhugh and make sure he has the range-finder up and working." Steve thumbed on the radio signal to its maximum, then secured the radio to his seat.

" Lets hope Fitzhugh's been monitoring our radio messages." said Dan.

" Yeah....if we ever needed him to be on the ball, its right now !" observed Steve with a wry smile.

The Giant continued to carry its precious cargo for nearly an hour before he took a brief rest. Inside the tarpaulin the battered friends took stock of their choices. Steve had left the door to the cockpit and cabin open so they could converse freely with Mark and Valerie in the back. Now as the Giant rested and they were not moving they decided to review their situation.

" Any idea where we are headed ?" asked Mark

" Not yet....Dan, radio Barry....use frequency twenty two....they should pick that up separately from my signal. See if they know anymore than we do."

Dan thumbed on his radio and changed to the right frequency, then called the Spindrift camp.

" Dan to Spindrift.... Dan to Spindrift, does anybody read me ?"

"....zzz...*crackle*...we read you Dan..zzzz..*hiss*...but very faintly.....can you hear me...*fizz* " Barry's voice sounded faintly from the small speaker.

" Barry, any update or information about our location ?" Dan asked.

"...*fizz*....we have you on the...zzz...scope...your way out to the south...*crackle*...near the edge of the...zzz...lake...*pop*...I think he may be...zzz...*hiss*...headed for the cabins there...*buzz*.." Barry's voice faded and a hum filled the cockpit.

Steve looked a query at Dan. " The lake, that's near that food dump we visited last month, isn't it ?" Dan's expression looked thoughtful.

" Yeah....yeah....its about a three hour trek from our camp, there are about six fishing cabins scattered over the area." Dan remarked.

" It's not the hunting season yet, so he may be an itinerant, hiding out at the empty cabins. Doesn't explain why he would want a supposed kids toy..or why he would be bothered to carry it all that way." said Steve.

" Regardless of the why or where, if he doesn't take off this cover, we won't have a chance of recharging the solar batteries." interjected Mark.

" Your right.....maybe he'll try to clean the ship of the dirt outside, we can try and recharge then.... Mark, how long do you figure it'll take to recharge enough to give us flight ?" asked Steve.

" If the batteries are all okay, and the sun is shining directly on us, in a couple of hours and we'll have enough juice for a short hop." replied Mark. " of course, that's alot of 'ifs', and I haven't had a chance to really look over the batteries or check the housings for leaks yet." Mark continued.

" If the Giant reaches the cabins soon, you may get that chance, but for the time being stay strapped down tight. It may get even rougher the more tired his arms get." Steve looked back at his two anxious passenger and saw that they were still firmly held in their chairs.

As if hearing his tiny stowaways, the Giant ended his rest and bent to pick up the tarpaulin wrapped bundle, shifting it from one arm to the other and shaking the contents unmercifully. He moved off and continued his trek towards the lake.

The bone-jarring ride finally came to a welcome end when the Giant reached a secluded cabin, very near the waters edge, and put the big bundle on the gritty shingle in front of the hut. He then shouldered open the door and disappeared inside. By now it was late afternoon and the sun was dipping below the trees on the opposite shore of the lake, creating a colourful sunset, completely unappreciated by the battered occupants of the toy sized spaceship. Inside the craft, the Little People had finally unstrapped themselves from their seats. Not because they believed the Giant had finished tossing them around, but because they simply had to move cramped limbs and restore circulation to abused body parts, as well as attend to other needs. The well equipped galley-come-bathroom in the back saw alot of traffic over the next half hour.

Having cleaned themselves up, and consumed some food and drink, the kidnapped crewmates of the Spindrift look-alike crammed into the cockpit and attempted to contact their worried friends back at camp.

" Spindrift this is Steve.....are you receiving me...come in Spindrift."

The hand-held radio stayed ominously silent except for static and faint crackles.

" Spindrift come in please.....Barry, Betty.....can you hear me." Steve tried again. " Fitzhugh.....are you receiving me." Steve paused for a reply.

" Maybe we are just out of range, or blocked by a hill or something." said Dan.

" Or maybe Fitzhugh couldn't get the range-finder to track properly." interjected Mark.

" Can't we use this ships radio to boost the signal ?" asked Valerie.

" Of course, why didn't I think of that...... Dan patch some of the back-up power from the sub-systems to the ships radio. We should be able to get a signal out, even with the tarpaulin over us."

Dan flipped some switches and reached over behind Mark to a bank of buttons, pressing them in sequence. He looked over to Steve and nodded his head. Steve grasped the ships mike and thumbed the button.

" Okay, lets try this again.....Steve to Spindrift, are you receiving me ?" Everyone held their breaths, hoping against hope for a reply.

" Spindrift to Steve..reading you loud and clear..are you all right ?" Fitzhugh's voice sounded clearly over the cabin speakers.

Valerie turned and hugged Mark, Dan and Steve grinned. Steve took up the mike once more. " We're all fine here, a bit battered and shaken up but essential okay, have you been able to pinpoint our location ?"

" We have you plotted and flagged, those maps Mark and Valerie brought back have been a big help....what do you want us to do now ?"

" We're safe here for the time being, we have supplies and the ship is ventilated and heated, so we'll stay here for now. Any indication of the weather forecast for tonight and tomorrow ?"

" We caught the tale end of the local airport forecast, they aren't expecting any change to the current weather pattern." reported Fitzhugh.

" That's good news....you and the others turn in for the night, we'll do the same here and reassess the situation in the morning. We are considering attempting to fly this crate if the opportunity arises, so stay by the radio and we'll keep you informed."

" Okay Steve....goodnight to you all, sleep safely...talk to you in the morning."

" Goodnight to you to Fitzhugh, Barry and Betty as well, sleep well."

Steve switched off the radio and turned to regard his companions.

" Lets see what those boxes and crates contain, we'll need something to make the beds out of." Steve left Dan to shut down the console and followed Mark and Valerie back to the main cabin.

After he had shut down the power console, Dan picked up the leather-bound log book that he had found in the cabin. Opening the book he scanned the first page, then called out to the others in the ship.

" Hey, I know the name of this ship.....its the Windsifter, a recent prototype for a cargo ship based on the original Spindrift design. It was privately owned by the Vortex Corporation out of LA....hey, I've heard of them, they're huge, they had their own airport hanger, I remember they specialised in nearly every conceivable area, from computers to satellite technology....big players in the space field." Dan continued to scan pages of the book, looking for the latest entry.

" Here we go, last log entry of flight 505, Captained by Henry Bishop....hey, didn't you know him Steve ?" Dan looked up from the book.

" Yes, I knew him." Steve said quietly.

" Captain Bishop had a co-pilot, Peter Ellis....and two cabin crew..Richard Bryant and Cody Shaw....hmmm I know that name." Dan looked thoughtful, sightlessly watching the others move amongst the scattered crates.

Mark had found a crowbar and was levering off the lid of a big crate just behind Valerie's chair. The staples protested with loud squeaks but gave way and the wooden cover fell to the cabin floor. Valerie looked over the edge, there were smaller boxes inside, packed out with large, thick blanket-like material. " That takes care of the bedding at least." she observed.

Dan had gone to the outside hatch and attempted to open it, but was met with only the tarpaulin tight against the ship. No way out that way yet. He shut the hatch and went back to reading the book.

" It says here they left LA in August, 1983, that's not long after we crashed here, and were scheduled to fly to Berlin. I guess that flight took a detour." Dan grimaced at his bad joke.

" Hey Dan, why don't you give us a hand, you can read that book when we've got the beds sorted out, I could use a hand with the crowbar." said Steve.

Mark and Steve had cleared the smaller boxes away, hanging up the cargo net again, but now for use as hammocks, also laying the thick material on the floor to make pallets.

" Valerie, you and Mark take the floor, Dan and I'll take the hammocks...that okay with you Dan ?" asked Steve.

" Oh sure..." Dan was rummaging around inside a crate, unwinding the blanket material from the contents.

Without warning the ship lurched and the floor tilted at a forty-five degree angle. All the loose material slid over to one side, taking out Mark and Valerie. Dan fell into the crate he had been working on, while Steve held onto the cargo netting as the ship tilted. Valerie screamed as she slid down the floor and connected with the bulkhead, hitting her head sharply. Mark had become entangled with one of the chairs and missed catching Valerie when the ship slewed. He held onto the chair, helpless to help Val until the ship ended its crazy tilt-a-whirl impersonation.

Unbeknown to the Little People the Giant had come out of the shack and been enjoying the early stars before retiring for the night. Spotting the bundle on the gravel he had decided to inspect his find more thoroughly by the light of the cabin's lantern. It was the process of removing the tarpaulin that caused the spacecraft to lurch so sickeningly. After he had uncovered what he mistook for a large toy, he lifted the craft and took it inside the hut and put it down on the wooden table under the swinging oil lantern.

Inside the wildly lurching vessel the men clung on and rode out the jolts and jerks. Valerie remained unconscious against the wall, covered by the loose flotsam. When the Giant finally put the ship down on the table Steve was jerked loose from his grip on the cargo net and fell heavily to the floor, winded by the fall. He lay gasping and groaning until Dan managed to clamber out of his crate and come to his aid. Mark untangled himself from the chair and crawled over to where he had last seen Valerie, now buried under the boxes.

" Valerie, can you hear me....answer me, dammit!" Mark started pulling boxes away from the wall, throwing them behind him in a mad scramble to find her.

" Steve are you okay." Dan knelt beside Steve, nursing a cut on his own head that was bleeding slowly. Steve lay on his back, with his mouth open trying to suck air into his squashed lungs.

"..*gasp* fine...*wheeze*..help...*gasp*...Val." replied Steve, pointing to Mark.

Dan moved over to the pile that Mark was rapidly moving, helping remove more boxes. Seeing Valerie's legs appear from under the cargo, Mark continued working his way up her body, finally reaching her head. He gently gathered her into his arms and pulled her away from the wall. He lifted her onto one of the blanket pallets, smoothing the hair from her pale face, checking her limbs for breaks, but thankfully finding none.

" Come on Val, open your eyes for me....please, open your eyes." Mark pleaded, but she stayed out for the count, the wound at her temple looking bruised and swollen, an ugly cut high on her cheek. Steve had managed to get to a sitting position and wrapped an arm about his ribs as he got his breath under control.

" Dan, get a cloth from the galley, see if you can find a bowl for the water...*choke*...you need to dress that head wound of yours, as well *cough*."

Dan staggered upright and weaved his way to the galley, stepping over boxes strewn everywhere. He came back quickly carrying a soaked cloth for Mark, and holding one to his own head. Steve crawled over to check on Valerie, but had to leave her in Mark's care, as his ribs were still aching. Mark gently bathed Valerie's face, careful not to jar the rapidly swelling bruises. She still hadn't opened her eyes but her pulse was strong and steady. Mark had escaped relatively unscathed, he looked up at his injured companions, then down at Valerie laying so still on the blanket.

" What now ?" was his only comment.

What now indeed.