It was almost evening at Mt. St. Helens and setting sun was giving a warm orange tinge to the infinite blue sky. A golden eagle returning to the nest observed a scary flying object making deafening noise, previously never seen in the sky over there. The eagle found the flying object was much larger than him and scared, he changed his path immediately.

It was a chopper with Samuel and Ultrina in it! Samuel being the human and Ultrina – the humanoid.

“Easy dawg! Relax. We can do it some other time. One more minute down there and you will find yourself being roasted in crater of this volcano. John, I repeat for the fifth time, come up immediately”, yelled Samuel, a well-built nigro in his 40s, in microphone of his headset and tried to look down from window glass of the helicopter. But all he could see was thin layer of puffy white clouds.

Ultrina, a humanoid seating on the pilot seat, looked at him while holding cyclic and throttle of the sky-blue and white coloured chopper Airbus H225 Super Puma.

“Don’t stare at me like this, skull face”, murmured Samuel with subtle disgust,“  John should give this robot a human face or cover it with silicon mask at least! This iron skeleton look is sheety damn scary.”

Ultrina looked back to dashboard without any response.

Samuel felt like being ignored and insulted. He yelled at Ultrina, “Don’t appreciate it Iron gal! You and your boss are ignoring me. You can’t ignore me rascals. Don’t forget this is my chopper. A twenty eight MILLION DOLLAR chopper!”

Ultrina again looked at Samuel and looked back at dashboard. Leaving only mechanized sound of neck movement as answer!

Samuel lost his patience by this gesture and shouted, “What the hell does this mean? We are hovering over a volcano about to erupt. John is hanging upside down over it and trying to fondle the crater risking his life, and both you guys just don’t care about it!? To hell, if you don’t care butyou can’t blow my money and my life like this”

Ultrina once again looked at Samuel and looked back at dashboard but this time she pointed her finger at the warning indicator on whether display.

Samuel looked at the screen narrowing his eyes and his heart skipped  a beat out of fear, “Oh gosh! It’s a fu**inghurricane warning! How the fuck they didn’t predicted earlier”.

All he could do was to hold his head full of tiny curly hairs with both hands andshout in theheadset, “John, to  hell with your alien code investigation. It'sgoingto be tornado here along with volcanic eruption. Do you have a understand? We're  f**kedboth ways if you realize! Comeup immediately or I’ll cut the rope. I am not going to blow my $28 million baby!”

Buthe stilldidn’t receive responsefrom John’s side.He knew that John is not replying deliberately. He wasalso knowing that John will not give up till he completes the mission. But at the same time, he also knew that it’s not safe for any of the four (fourth one was Airbus super puma of course!)  to stay back any longer.

He shouted again, “Johnny, takethis seriously! I have 99 ideas to die in a brave act. But sacrificing myself and my 28 million dollar chopper to volcano is certainly not one of them!”

********

300 meters beneath the hovering chopper, beyond layer of swiftly moving thin, white clouds, upside down hanging Johnny sensed the heat in Samuel’s outburst. And felt it was more than the heat his face was feeling, being inches away from the slowly and consistently emerging lava.

Johnny, a former NASA scientist turned a freelancer spy, was hanging, near the middle most part of the football stadium sized crater with his legs fastened to the rope hooked in the chopper. His ears were numb for a while after Samuel’s high pitch high decibel shout. His head was feeling heavy by hanging upside down for more than 30 minutes. The ash clouds were also making it difficult for him to see clearly.

“Just few seconds more! I will definitely be able to send the Rovercube inside the throat of the volcano”, he murmured to himself but forgot that Samuel can listen to him through mic in his helmet.

“Forget it! There is nothing like an Alien Code. Once again we are letting ourselves being fooled. RETURN IMMEDIATELY. Or I will take throttle in my hands and fly away” shouted of Sam out of frustration.

Johnny was desperately trying to reach exactly over the throat of the volcano as he was swinging with commencement of heavy blowing  streams of winds. Even in this dire situation, he couldn’t control his laughing on hearing Samuel’s threat. “Sammy! My ace boon coon. You don’t even know driving and you will fly a chopper!?”

Samuel was scared but Johnny’s laughing at him made him furious.

“Yes I can’t fly my baby but I can detach the rope with just a press of button. I am going to count twenty down. Decide, if you yourself want to travel through the throat of volcano along with the Rovercube!”,Sam yelled while looking at his Rolex.

“Pls count at least fifty Sammy!,” Johnny tried to control laughing while trying to balance during  swings.

Samuel ignored and started, “Twenty… Nineteen…Eighteen.. “

Suddenly, a sharp gust of stormy winds came from nowhere and swinged Johnny back much away from his target. He hardly saved himself from banging into the tall wall of the crater. He was gradually feeling like he was going to faint and was struggling hard to keep awake. Ash clouds, heat of lava, stormy winds and his exhausted body capacity made him feel he would have to abort the mission.

“Ten… Nine…Eight..,” Samuel was anxiously counting down.

Despaired Johnny accepted the defeat. The amount of lava coming out of the volcano had suddenly increased and it was taking form of a fountain gradually.Johnny was about to press the pullback button on his helmet when a powerful gust of wind blew him away again, but this time the swing was taking him near towards the throat, his target. This was unexpected! In a fraction of the moment, Johnny  realized the opportunity and jolted his body so that he can he could pass over the throat during the swing.

“Five. ..Four..,” Samuel moved his hands towards the detach button on the dashboard, with a heavy heart and tears in his eyes. Ultrina again turned her robotic head towards Samuel. Samuel  felt as if eye shaped cameras on her face were pouring out pain. But he didn’t pull his hand back and said, “Being robot is a bliss, you don’t have to struggle with emotions. Ultrina, I have a family, unlike Johnny. I can’t afford to loose myself. But I also can’t afford to loose Johnny”. Samuel lost his patience and cried, “Showme a way out, skull face! Use your intelligence, if you’ve got any!”

Ultrina was still staring at her without any  response.

*****

300 meters down, hangingJohnny'sthrust turnedout to be fruitful. He couldpass exactly over the throatand he threw the Rovercube at the target with full force.

But alas! An unexpected jolt made him miss the shot! And he found himself going away from the crater.

“Sammy, you son of a b***!,”he shouted, “I was about to..,” before he could finish, he heard Samuel ‘s shout.

“F** you John. Ha.. Ha..  ha..! To hell with your alien expedition. Bow to me and lick my feet, I just saved your lonely worthless life.”

Frustration flooded on Johnny’s face. He knew Samuel did what a true friend always does. But he was dismayed as he lost the opportunity that he earned by risking his life. He murmured, “Sam, you saved my life but you’ve put millions of lives in danger. I wish you could understand severity of the situation!”

Samuel, by the time, had put the headphones down and was joyous as the misshaping was averted.

Legs tied, upside down hanging Johnny could feel decrease in heat, hecould see the crater going away from him every second and disappearing beneath clouds as their chopper was moving skywards.

Few moments later, Johnny was removing his helmet and suit  on the backseat when allthree in the chopper could hear loud explosions, bubbles bursting, rumbling, hissing, sounds of erupting volcano; roaring like a jet engine.

Samuel beamed with pride and joy and teased disappointed Johnny , “Baby, you repent being safe and alive with us? Don’t worry, I can still throw you out if you want! Then you can try f**king your luck in the coming tornado. ”

Johnny wished he could thrash his face right now. But he tried the old butsure shot trick rather than getting angry.

“Sammy, my dear Cane Corso, you can throw me out, but tornado will strike in few moments,” he pointed his finger at finger at the warning indicator on dash board and continued, “I hope you can get through the tornado safely all alone on your own. WITHOUT ME!”

His trick worked. Laughing Samuel got tensed instantly.

“What do you mean all alone!? Ultrina is there. Don’t forget WE saved you,” Samuel tried to show that he is not afraid.

“Well Sammy, I hope you are not overlooking the fact that Ultrina is almost drained,” said Johnny pointing at charging indicator on Ultrina’s stomach.

It was only 2%.

Scared and miffed Samuel tried to laugh but it came out like a cat meowing for milk. “You know I was joking, right Johnny?  I wouldn’t have saved you if I wanted to throw you out!,” he tried to stay calm but couldn’t and begged holding Johnny’s hands, “ NOW PLEASE TAKE CONTROLS IN YOUR HAND BEFORE THIS SKULL FACE FAINTS. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE!”

Johnny couldn’t help laughing.

*********************************************************************

It was almost midnight and Samuel was struggling to sleep on thermal bed laid on the thick layer of ice in the tent installed by Ultrina. Johnny landed the chopper on a safe flat surface away from from the crater and route of the tornado.  He could have slept peacefully in the extreme cold but he was aware that his BFF was disappointed. He knew that Johnny can’t accept defeats is upset. Deeply inside his heart, he was feeling bad as Johnny couldn’t complete the mission he considers a matter of utmost importance, because of him. And that low feeling swirling inside his mind was not letting him sleep completely. He gave up on effort of sleeping and silently turned to his side to see whether Johnny is asleep or not. As he couldn’t see much due to profound darkness, he lit the torch with his hands on the torch so that sudden light may not awake Johnny.

But to his shock, the bed was empty.

Before he could think much, Ultrina emerged from dark and took away the torch, turning it off.

Annoyed Samuel couldn’t help becalling, “You moron m***er ....” Before he could finish vituperating, he heard voice of Johnny.

“Stop abusing her Sammy. I have asked her to maintain complete darkness. Come out if you don’t want to sleep”.

Furious Samuel slowly moved his legs on thick velvety layer of ice to move out of the tent. He was still murmuring looking angrily at Ultrina, “You were just 2%. I gave you juice from my chopper’s battery. Don’t forget you skullface....”

He stepped outside the tent and couldn’t finish his sentence. His jaws dropped to see that there was no darkness outside; instead the sky was shining bright with colourful lights. The sky seemed decorated with shining diamond like stars and beautiful colours in the horizons.

“This is Aurora,” Johnny whispered while still staring at sky. Angry Samuel held his face from chin and turned it towards his face and yelled in slow suppressed voice, “I know this is Aurora. We were in the same class and same school right?”

But he instantaneously lost the grip over his chin as he noticed tons of worry on his face. He has never seen his alter ego so nervous and tensed. His heart melted to see this.

Without thinking much, he dragged Johnny and hugged him tightly. He was repenting about being harsh without knowing what Johnny is going through.

“Johnny, my dear bro, what happened?” Samuel’s words were filled with affection, “This stressed look doesn’t suit my macho masculine brother. I am here. With you as always and forever.”

Johnny felt the warmth of love Samuel had for him in his suffocating tight hug. He too reciprocated with a lovely whole hearted hug. Their eyes were damp with feeling true brotherhood affection.

All petty grudges swept away in that brotherly shower of sentiments.

The emotional state would have continued little longer if Ultrina has not tapped on both friend’s shoulders.

Ultrina signalled them to go inside the tent. None of the two could understand what the reason was! Ultrina lifted the curtain of tent and pointed finger to the small cube shaped device with rounded corners.  So far silent device, was now omitting tiny beams of lights in pulsating motion.

“Oh damn!,” shocked Johnny rushed into the tent and took the device it his hands. He turned it back and noticed three dots moving towards red circles.

Samuel and Ultrina reached inside the tent by the time, “What is this Johnny?” asked Samuel holding Johnny’s shoulder.

“Sammy. This is more dangerous than tornado.”

“But WHAT IS IT?”Samuel was losing patience.

“This devise is called DeTriLo. Me and Lucy together designed it. It warns us whenever those Degolins are within 10km radius,” answered  Johnny in one breath.

Samuel noticed his expressions even in low light while he took name of Lucy. But didn’t think it appropriate to speak about it.

“Degolins...You mean that mythological demonic tribe?” Samuel was not in mood to believe this inane myth .

“Mythological? Sam are you kidding? Degolins are mystical not mythological. They look like humans but they aren’t! How can you forget my last close encounter with them, “ Johnny couldn’t believe Sammy forgot the incident.

“Ah! My dear, I am not Ultrina who can remember everything and recall in real time. I mean, it’s almost a decade before when you told me about it.”

Johnny took a deep breath and expressed his worry, “We must not let them see us at any cost. Ultrina can uproot the tent in no time and we will bury ourselves into ice wearing thermal life jackets. But ....”

Samuel never liked his style of creating suspense. He instantaneously asked , “But??”

“But what to do with the chopper. This mammoth can’t be hidden”. Johnny expressed his concern in worried voice.

Samuel could see Johnny’s breaths becoming shorter out of tension. He was frightened even more. Being afraid too easily was innate nature of Samuel but he never exhibited it. He faked courage once again, “Degolins may be the demonic tribe. But don’t forget we have ME – THE SAMMY! Samuel is near , Nooooo Fear!”

Johnny forgot the danger for a moment and laughed. “Ok dear Sammy. I will love to see you fighting with Degolins. Go ahead. And yeah, just try not to forget that these Degolins have been in existence since thousands of years. They are believed to be ETERNAL....”

Samuel couldn’t keep calm and intervened, “Little correction Johnny! I am going to fight with my super duper brain. And make these demons bite the dust. Uh! Not dust, the snow to be precise. Here is the plan.”

“And what’s the plan?” Johnny asked in playful vein.

“Ultrina will fight the Degolins and we will leave the place immediately in the chopper,” said Sammy dancing his eyebrows , “How’s the plan!?”

Ultrina turned her back and went away.

Samuel grabbed the chance, “See your tin machine Johnny. She needs to be programmed for some etiquette. Don’t’ you think so?

Johnny was disappointed with his absurd idea. He sighed and tapped Sammy’s head lightly, “They can move at enormous speed even without vehicle. Take off will take at least 15 minutes and they will be here within  10 minutes.”

“So now?”scared Samuel was biting his teethes now.

Johnny replied with subtle voice, “Hope they are not aware of the rovercube I tried to place in the crater of Mt. St. Helens. It is believed that Degolins are secret keepers of earth’s connection to the other worlds. They don’t like if anyone dares to go close to these secrets.”He sighed a bit and said, “Only God can help us now.”

What happened next? Read Chapter - 2 The clear and present danger

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