Spiders poured out of the ceiling as Sergant Brutus West
ran
down the probe ship corridor. Justin and Jenny were in front of
him -
Dr. Ninjara Smith was behind. Back on the Discovery 2, Timmothy
madly
worked his keyboard, trying to control the Terminator.

TIMMOTHY ROBINSON
These controls are too slow! Activate holographic interface!

COMPUTER PROGRAM
Interface program activated.

He stepped inside the 3D hologram image, and on board the
Challenger, the actual T-800 followed Tim's movements. As
Timmothy
fired the hologram's weapon simulators, the real Terminator
fired plasma
blasts from its Pulse Rifle at the spiders, his torso swiveling
so that
he could fire and retreat at the same time. The plasma
blasts
obliterated the spiders into scraps - but the T-800 couldn't
keep up.
There were too many spiders!

As Tim watched through the robot's eyes, he stared at some
of
the downed aliens. Suddenly he realized the healthy spiders
were
chomping on them, as if they were lunch.

TIMMOTHY ROBINSON
Ack, gross. They eat their wounded.

TERMINATOR T-800
THEY EAT THEIR WOUNDED. <Repeats his words>

In the corridor of the probe ship, Jenny shot at a fire
sensor
panel in the wall behind them, hoping to trap the aliens.
Emergency
lights flashed as the corridor's entrance slammed shut. No more
spiders
could come in. But the bulkhead at the corridor exit slammed
shut, too.
Now there was no way out!

JUSTIN ROBINSON
We got to get that door open! <They all ran for the far end.
Only
Brutus stayed put, preparing to fight the aliens>

BRUTUS WEST
A million bucks of weaponery on our ship...and I'd trade it all
for a
lousy can of Raid!

He slammed a pulse enhancer on the barrel of his gun. Then
he
hit a stud on his jacket control panel. A scalloped blast helmet
with
visor slid down over his face. Justin fiddled with the exit
door.

JUSTIN ROBINSON
I can't override the fire protocols!

TERMINATOR T-800
FATHER, STAND CLEAR!

The T-800 charged towards the closed door, its claws charged
with electricity. It hit the door at top speed and smashed
through,
blowing a hole in it. Brutus kept firing at the spiders trying
to push
through the ravaged door, taking them out one by one. Suddenly,
the
corridor was quiet. Were they all gone? It couldn't be that
easy. A
giant queen spider reared up in front of him, without any
warning!

BRUTUS WEST
Oh s***! <He blew it away with one shot>

But that wasn't enough. Spiders were still coming - by the
hundreds! Brutus turned and ran. The aliens nipped at his heels.
He
sprinted down the corridor toward the blast door. The rest of
the team
was huddled there, unable to get the airlock to open to let them
back
into the Discovery 2. A spider's long leg grabbed Brutus's arm,
and he
lost his footing, stumbling and hitting the deck. As he crashed
onto
the ground, spiders swarmed over him, like ants at a picnic.

But before they started munching on him, the Terminator stood
in
the doorway. The spiders attacked, trying to snack, their
teeth
gnashing metal and plastic. Brutus felt himself being pulled to
his
feet. It was Jenny, helping him stand.

JUSTIN ROBINSON
Let's move it! <He finally gets the airlock door open>

Everybody rushed inside the airlock, preparing to leave the
probe ship behind. The only one missing was the Terminator.

JUSTIN ROBINSON
Tim, can you get him in here?

Timmothy tried to throw off the aliens. But for each one he
threw off, more became attached.

TIMMOTHY ROBINSON
I can't move him without letting the spiders into the ship,
father!

JUSTIN ROBINSON
Then you'll have to leave him behind.

Timmy gazed at the T-800. He was becomming a feast for the
spiders.

JUSTIN ROBINSON
Seal the lock, now!

A spider rushed toward the dropping door and lunged at Dr.
Ninjara who screamed and turned away in horror shielding her
eyes. The
door closed, cutting off the alien's leg. Brutus stared at the
leg that
twitched and then stopped moving.

TIMMOTHY ROBINSON
Goodbye Terminator, I'm sorry. <He said as the 3D holographic
image
faded around him>

MARTIN ROBINSON
It's okay. You couldn't save him.

TIMMOTHY ROBINSON
Save him? Of course. <He ran to the console>

He slammed a disc into his deck. Then he started a download
of
the CPU. He stared at the program bar. He had
85%...90%...95%...Then
the screen went blank. He hadn't finished the download
completely - but
he got enough of it. Maybe it would be enough to rebuild.

Martin sat down at her own console, shaking her head. Gurgi
bounded onto the bridge, up his hair, over his head and into his
lap.

MARTIN ROBINSON
What's this? Who are you?

GURGI
I'm sorry, I didn't mean to frighten you sir. Gurgi only wants
to make
friends.

MARTIN ROBINSON
Oh, cute, heh-heh. <He grins and laughs>

BRUTUS WEST
This is a fun picnic.

He walked back onto the Discovery's bridge and releasing
them
from the docking ring of the probe ship.

BRUTUS WEST
First a furry little ape-like creature, then giant spiders. I
can't
wait to see what's next! <He threw the main engine
switch>

The roar of the thrusters scared the creature.

MARTIN ROBINSON
Don't worry. Everything's going to be all right.

GURGI
If you say so master. Gurgi thinks Martin is friend.

BRUTUS WEST
We're clear. Everybody hang on!

The Discovery 2 pulled away from the Challenger. Spiders
kept
leaping off the probe ship, trying to attach themselves to
the
Discovery. A few splattered on the windscreen.

BRUTUS WEST
Anybody have any windshield washing fluid?

NINJARA SMITH
Don't be so cocky. Remember your nightmares from childhood,
Sergant.
Monsters are never evaded so easily. They always come back.

BRUTUS WEST
Is that so? Well, why don't you go out and talk to them? Bug to
bug.

NINJARA SMITH
I think they'd rather come inside to talk to you.

A spiral of spiders burst out of the Challenger. They hurled
themselves at the Discovery 2 with their arms and legs
retracted, their
bodies spinning like silver discs.

BRUTUS WEST
Arming warheads. Fire in the hole!

A dozen rockets fired into the flock of flying spiders. The
rockets flared and went dead as soon as they were launched. They
were
duds. Justin shook his head.

JUSTIN ROBINSON
The Terminator must have damaged the detonator cores. They won't
blow.

Brutus stared at the spiders. They were shooting webs at the
Discovery 2, then pulling themselves up like rock climbers. They
were
on the hull, using their limbs to burrow their way inside.
Brisby
walked out from below decks, holding the severed spider's leg.
She
placed it under her life science analyzer.

BRISBY ROBINSON
Checking DNA now, <She announced> It's silicone-based.
Adiantum shell
and lack of respiratory system suggest an ability to live in
deep space.
Tiny front brain implies communal relationships. Like bees.

BRUTUS WEST
If the biology lesson is over, Professor. I could use some help
here.

More spiders crashed against the hull of the starship. They
nearly covered the windscreen.

BRISBY ROBINSON
If you can't find what hurts an enemy, Sergant, you could find
out what
the enemy loves. These insects may be attracted to heat and
light.

BRUTUS WEST
Um...yeah. It does! <He nodded, looking chagrined>

He began typing, trying to connect to the probe ship again.
Because it had been set up as a Remote Ops station, he could
access its
power as well as the Discovery 2's own. If he could make the
Challenger
more appealing than the Discovery 2, all the spiders would
attack it
instead.

BRUTUS WEST
They want heat and light? We'll give it to them. <He engaged
the
thrusters>

He banked towards the glowing probe ship. The spiders
followed,
hanging onto the Discovery 2 by silvery webs.

COMPUTER VOICE
WARNING. INNER HULL BREACH IN 20 SECONDS.

BRUTUS WEST <Frowns at Justin>
Did you invent that annoying computer voice too?

JUSTIN ROBINSON
Uh, yes, actually.

BRUTUS WEST
Then tell it to shut up! I'm busy here.

He piloted the ship through the wake of the Challenger's
burning
fusion drive. The spiders began jumping off onto the hot probe
ship.

JUSTIN ROBINSON
What are you doing?

BRUTUS WEST
Never leave an enemy stronghold intact. <He pressed a
button> One of
your father's first rules of engagement. <He prepared to fire
at the
fusion drive>

COMPUTER VOICE
WARNING! FUSION DRIVE OVERLOAD.

JUSTIN ROBINSON
Sergant, stop. That's a direct order. We might need to
salvage
something from that ship.

BRUTUS WEST <Ignores him>
I hate spiders! <He punched the thrusters>

The probe ship's nuclear core overloaded. The Challenger
EXPLODED! It burst out into a huge fireball against the black of
space.
A moment later a massive shockwave headed right for the
Discovery 2.

JUSTIN ROBINSON
Now you done it idiot! Gravity harnesses! Now! <Shouts to his
crew>

The crew were pulled into their chairs. Local artifical
gravity
fields would keep them from flying all over the ship when they
crashed.
The shockwave hit the ship seconds later. The Discovery 2 was
knocked
into the atmosphere of the planet beneath it. A furious blizzard
filled
the windscreen as the ship headed straight for a giant,
snow-covered
mountain range.

JUSTIN ROBINSON
Pull up! Pull up!

BRUTUS WEST
Really? No kidding? Gee, thanks for the help. <He banked the
controls>

The Discovery 2 tilted to one side, narrowly passing between
two
snowy peaks. They avoided that disaster, but the ship was
still
pitching down, towards the planet's icy surface. Brutus could
just make
out a smooth plateau.

BRUTUS WEST
I'm reading a clearing ahead. Hang on, everyone. It's going to
be a
bumpy landing.

The Discovery 2 grazed the treetops as Brutus tried to land,
bits and pieces of the hull breaking off with the impact.
Suddenly
Brutus spotted an alien ocean ahead and angled toward it. This
wasn't
going to be pretty, but it just might work.

BRUTUS WEST
YeeHaw! <Yells the Dukes Of Hazzard Rebel Cry>

The belly of the Discovery 2 hit the water. It skipped like
a
stone across the sea.

BRUTUS WEST
Prepare for impact!

The starship crashed to a halt at the edge of a crater.