Galaxy of Fear_ The Nightmare Machine Part 5

As Lando and Fajji drifted into conversation, Zak shook his head and turned away to look at the view from the window. Far off he could see the lagoon where the Whaladon swam. Closer up, Zak saw the Star Chamber, which contained a three-dimensional map of the entire galaxy. Almost beneath his feet, at the steps of the administration building, Zak could see a crowd of tourists walking across the plaza.

He wondered if he really had just been the victim of a computer glitch. No one else seemed to be concerned about Fun World. Certainly not the crowd below him. He squinted, trying to focus on the faces of the beings milling about the plaza.

As he did, the entire crowd vanished.

CHAPTER 9.

Zak was so startled that he didn't cry out. He blinked, thinking his eyes were playing tricks on him.

They weren't. The plaza beneath the administration building was empty. The crowds had vanished. "They're gone," he said in pure astonishment.

"They're all just gone."

"Who's gone?" Tash asked.

"Everyone!" he said, pointing out the window. Tash and Lando rushed to the window. As far as the eye could see, the streets were empty.

Hologram Fun World was deserted.

"See!" Zak insisted. "I told you something was going on here." He turned to Danna Fajji and demanded, "What happened to everyone?"

Fajji stammered, "Please-please, I a.s.sure you, no one has been harmed..."

Lando glowered. "Zak may be right about this place after all. I think you've got some explaining to do, Fajji."

The chubby man tugged at his red heard. "Master Calrissian, I'm afraid I do owe you an explanation." He sighed. "You see, business at Hologram Fun World has not been as good lately as it could be. We haven't had many visitors. And when the park is so empty, the people that do come feel less excited about being here. So in order to make the park appear full, we-"

"You created holographic visitors," Tash guessed.

"Exactly," Fajji confessed. "We do have a few real visitors in Fun World, but most of the crowds you've seen today-they're computer-generated images."

"I knew it," Deevee sniffed.

"Deevee, you knew that?" Tash started.

"Of course," the droid replied. "Any droid worth his circuitry would know the difference."

"But most species wouldn't," Fajji acknowledged.

"An investor certainly wouldn't," Lando said accusingly. "Fajji, why do I have the feeling you were trying to trick me into investing in your Fun World? "

"Master Calrissian, I-"

"Don't say another word!" Calrissian snorted indignantly. "I'll have to reconsider our arrangement and speak to you tomorrow. Good day!"

Calrissian stomped out of Fajji's office with the two Arrandas and their droid in tow. As all four descended in the turbolift, Lando surprised his friends when his angry glare turned into a pleasant chuckle.

"Wha-?" Zak sputtered. "You're not mad? That Fajji tried to trick you, and you're laughing?"

Lando's eyes flashed mischievously. "Just a businessman's trick. I would have done the same in his place. In fact, I admire Fajji's guts for trying to pull off the hologram trick."

"But you seemed so angry in there," Zak replied.

"Remember," Lando said in return, "things are not always what they seem. Let's go back to the lodge."

That night, Zak dreamed.

He dreamed that he was on Uncle Hoole's s.h.i.+'ido homeworld-a planet that, like Uncle Hoole himself, was a mystery. At first it was calm and beautiful, with clean, well tended streets and tall, elegant s.h.i.+'ido walking by. Zak felt peaceful and calm.

Then, in the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of a large head and flas.h.i.+ng red eyes. Two long, multi-jointed arms wriggled through the air, reaching for him. But when Zak turned toward the image, the entire world melted and changed shape.

Suddenly he was surrounded by Imperial storm-troopers. When Zak turned to run, the world shape-s.h.i.+fted again, and Zak plunged into a thick bog. Swamp water rose up to his chest. As he struggled through it, Zak felt the thick tentacle of a one-eyed, water-dwelling dianoga brush past his arm.

But again his attention was caught by a movement just out of eyesight. This time Zak managed to glimpse a huge domed skull before his dream melted and changed. A whole series of nightmares blended together as Zak plunged into a pit of writhing, squirming crystal snakes.

Zak awoke suddenly. He felt the sheets crumpled around him, soaked with sweat.

Zak had had nightmares before, but never so many all at once, and never so many different kinds. It was almost as though his brain were sorting through a list of the most frightening scenes imaginable. And what was that thing that kept moving in the corner of his eye? He tried to recall the image exactly as it had appeared in his dream, but he couldn't.

"Just like a dream to do that," Zak muttered.

He got out of bed and went to his window. It was morning, but still too early for anyone to be awake. All the attractions of Hologram Fun World had been shut down, and the amus.e.m.e.nt park stretched before him like a vast pool of darkness.

Zak left his room and walked down the hall to Tash's. He was surprised that Deevee wasn't standing in the hall-the caretaker droid's usual post when the two Arrandas slept. He rang Tash's door buzzer once.

Then twice. On the third buzz, Zak thought he heard Tash call out from the other side of the door. He pressed the Open switch, and the door slid back.

Her room was dark, but Zak could see his sister's silhouette outlined against a view window. She was sitting on the edge of her bed, very still. Although he couldn't see her face in the dark room, he could tell she was looking at him.

"Tash," he said softly as the door slid closed behind him. "I couldn't sleep. Something about this place is still bothering me. Are you sure you aren't getting any of your... you know, your feelings? The Force, or whatever it is... isn't it telling you anything?"

His sister didn't reply.

"Tash?" he whispered. "C'mon. What's en your mind?"

Tash spoke in a slow, low voice.

"One of us must die."

CHAPTER 10.

"One of us must die."

Tash repeated the phrase, this time a little faster.

"Tash?" Zak replied, craning his neck forward to see her face.

"What are you talking about?"

"One of us must die!" she hissed urgently.

Now that he was close enough, Zak could see that Tash's eyes were open, but her stare was blank. She was looking at him, but she seemed to see something else. It was as though she were in a deep trance.

Zak touched her shoulder, and before he could speak her name again, Tash shuddered and blinked rapidly. Her eyes closed, then opened again.

This time she focused on her brother's face.

"Zak? What are you doing here?"

"What did you mean by 'one of us must die'?" he asked in return.

His sister rubbed the sleep from her eyes and brushed back a wisp of blond hair from her face. "What are you talking about?"

Zak explained how he had found Tash sitting on the edge of her bed, how she'd looked, and what she'd said.

"I don't remember saying that. I was dreaming something... but it's gone now. The next thing I knew, you were waking me up."

Zak told her about his own nightmares. "I just can't shake the feeling that something's wrong. Aren't you getting any of your feelings?"

Tash rubbed her forehead. "Nope. Just a headache. Sorry, Zak. Can't you try to relax? This is supposed to be our vacation. The whole point of coming to Hologram Fun World was to find a place far away from Project Starscream. Fun World may be weird, but there's nothing dangerous here."

Zak grimaced. "Don't tell me you believe what Fajji says."

Tash shrugged. "Why not? It fits, doesn't it? How could all those people vanish if they weren't holograms in the first place?"

They debated until a holographic sun rose across the artificial sky of Fun World, and Tash's door buzzer rang. Deevee entered a moment later.

"Good morning. Master Calrissian asked me to inform you both that he plans to continue to explore Fun World this morning. He's invited you both along."

Zak hesitated. He liked Lando, but he had misgivings about re-entering the park. "I don't know, Deevee..." he started to say.

The droid put his stiff mechanical arms on his hips. "Zak Arranda, your uncle gave me the responsibility to make sure you and your sister relaxed while at Hologram Fun World. I will not have you sulking in your room while a galaxy full of perfectly safe adventures awaits."

Deevee's eyelike photoreceptors glowed at them as he waited.

Tash stood up and yawned. "C'mon, Zak. There's nothing to worry about. Let's go."

Zak found himself in a very strange position. Normally he was willing to take a chance. But even the bravest adventurer would have second thoughts after seeing himself turned into a monster in the Hall of Reflection.

Or had he?

It could have been a hologram, Zak told himself.

After all, that's what holograms were for-to fool people. Maybe that's all that had happened.

Besides, Zak thought, even Deevee is encouraging me to enjoy Fun World. Their bionic baby-sitter was normally so cautious that Zak sometimes thought he'd been programmed by a nursemaid. If he caught even a hint of danger, Deevee would have them on the next shuttle to the safest star system in a thousand light-years. Yet the droid did not fear Fun World.

"Maybe you're right," he said at last. "Let's go."

Hologram Fun World was br.i.m.m.i.n.g with tourists-real or holograms, Zak couldn't tell-as the Arrandas followed Deevee to their meeting place with Lando Calrissian. Lando was waiting for them in the plaza near the administration building. He looked handsome in a flowing scarlet cape that fastened around his neck with a golden cord.

"And how did you two sleep?" he asked as they approached. His sparkling eyes fell on Tash. "Are you all right? You look a bit pale."

"I've got a little headache," she said quietly. "Nothing to worry about."

Zak said, "I can't believe you're still considering getting involved in this place after everything that's gone wrong."

The gambler shrugged. "There's nothing wrong with this operation that a smooth hand couldn't fix. But I think I'll drop this 'horror'

theme down a black hole. Doesn't seem to do much for the park."

A pair of Bothans happened to be walking by at that moment. "Excuse me," Zak said, stepping in front of the white-furred humanoids.

"May I be of service?" one of the Bothans asked, smoothing a tuft of hair on his cheek.

"Yes," Zak replied with just a hint of mischief, "I was just wondering. How does it feel to be an illusion?"

The Bothan's fur stiffened. "I beg your pard-"

It never finished. A powerful roar swept across the plaza like a storm, echoed by the thunder of giant footsteps cras.h.i.+ng down on the ground.

The rancor had come back.

Screeching, the Bothans bolted for the nearest building. They dove into the administration building, and the doors slammed shut behind them.

Zak laughed. "That's prime! Those Bothans are going to feel like fools when they learn that the rancor is just a hologram."

Tash only shrugged. "Can't blame them. We did the same thing when we got here."

As they spoke, the huge rancor continued to charge forward. Now it was ten meters away, its head lowered, its jaws open wide to swallow them.

They ignored it. "If you don't mind," Lando said casually, raising his voice to be heard over the artificial roar of the rancor, "I'd like to get your opinions on some of the other attractions. Then I'll make my final decision about Fun World."

"No problem!" Zak shouted back. "Let's just wait for this pest to pa.s.s."

"You know, an old friend once dared me to look a rancor in the eye," Lando said with a chuckle, "and I never back down from a dare." He turned and shouted right into the rancor's face. "Get outta here, meat breath! Your program couldn't fool a greenie from Circarpous IV!"