The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest and all related characters are the 
property of Hanna-Barbera and Turner Production. No copyright 
infringement is intended.

This story and all original characters are the property of the author.
________

Chapter One


Jessica Bannon tilted her head and examined the monitor before her 
skeptically. "I don't think it's supposed to do that."

"I know that, okay?" Jonathon Quest cast her one annoyed glance and 
returned to the computer. "I think I know what I did wrong."

"Why don't you just wait until Hadji gets back?" Jessie asked. "He 
should be here any minute."

"I can handle one stupid program glitch!"

"It certainly doesn't show! You've been working on this for hours!"

"You didn't do any better!"

"I'm not the one who-"

"Why is it," came an amused voice, "that whenever I walk into a room 
you two are fighting?"

As one the two combatants turned toward the doorway. "Hadji!" 
Jessie shouted. She grabbed the newcomer in a hug. "Thank God! 
Jonny wrecked the combat simulator and we're going crazy trying 
to fix it!"

Hadji Singh rolled his eyes and smiled down at her. "It's nice to know 
how much my family appreciates me," he said wryly.

"Hey, Hadji," Jonny greeted. "Ignore her. It's good to have you back. 
I've been dying for intelligent company these past few weeks."

Jessie glared. "And what is that supposed to mean?"

"Before this becomes a new argument," Hadji interrupted. "What did 
you do to the combat simulator?"

Jonny glowered at both of them.

***

"Here we go." Hadji turned toward Jessie and Jonny. "It should 
be all set. Ready to try it out?" He held out two visors.

Jessie took one and grinned. "Nothing makes a girl feel useless like 
seeing someone fix in ten minutes what she spent three days sweating 
over."

Jonny took the other visor. "How do you think I feel? I'm the one who 
busted it."

"Oh, it's always about *you,* isn't it?"

Jonny gave Hadji a helpless glance before taking his seat and slipping 
on the visor. "Ready, Hadj?"

"In five... four... three... two... one..."

The world brightened, then dimmed, and Jonny felt the same falling 
sensation he always experienced when logging on to Questworld. The 
virtual reality came into focus around him, so real that it was 
sometimes hard to tell the difference between Questworld and the real 
world. He glanced to his left and saw Jessie, dressed in the hi-tech 
metallic armor that was requisite for the simulation. He knew that if 
he looked down he would find himself dressed in the same type of 
armor. A window appeared between them, listing the weapons and 
tools they would be allowed to use during the combat. Having lost the 
last match he was given first choice of weapon and he chose a 
quarterstaff. He was a little out of practice and the idea of facing 
Jessie with a sword or something equally life-threatening before he'd 
even had a chance to warm up was an unpleasant one, even if it was 
only VR.

Jessie took her staff as it appeared in the air before her and the two 
combatants squared off. Jessie circled slowly, watching for an 
opening to attack. She saw her opportunity as Jonny let his staff drop 
a little too low and she lashed out, sending the staff whirling toward 
his arm, intending to disarm him. Jonny saw her coming though and 
twisted out of the way, bringing his own staff up to block hers and 
forcing it away from him.

They resumed the circling, exchanging quick comments meant to 
distract rather than insult. But the serious practice rapidly dissolved 
into name calling and instead of practiced, fluid movements of attack 
and retreat, they ended up using the staffs as bats, each trying to 
smack the other upside the head, while dodging the blows that came 
at them. Hadji's voice came seemingly from nowhere "It seems the 
combat simulator isn't the only thing that needed some readjustment."

Jessie and Jonny exchanged delighted glances and collapsed 
into laughter.

Their elation was short lived however. Just as they were beginning to 
get themselves under control Hadji's voice once again came through. 
"Jonny, Jessie, something is very wrong here. You'd better-"

"Better what? Hadji?" Jonny exchanged a much more serious glance 
with Jessie. Something was wrong. "Hadji? Hadji, what's happening?"

Questworld suddenly seemed to warp around them - images and 
shapes becoming twisted and distorted. Jonny stared at the scene 
before him, trying to watch, but the constant movement made him 
nauseous and his hear started to pound. He closed his eyes and willed 
the world to stay still.

He heard Jessie gasp and opened his eyes to see what could only be 
described as madness.

"Stairs," he said disbelieving. "It's stairs." All around them was 
staircase after staircase, some leading to doors, others continuing 
until they vanished from sight and all directions. "What *is* this?"

"My young friends, *this* is your fate."

Jonny whirled to face the direction the voice had come from. He half 
knew what he would see, and despite the fact that his heart practically 
leapt through his ribcage, he wasn't surprised at what he saw.

Jeremiah Surd stood on a staircase not twenty feet away and smiled 
the 
smile of a maniac. "Ready to see the future?"

***

When next Jamie opened her eyes she immediately wanted to close 
them again.

She was in a void of nothingness - that was the only way to describe 
it. There was nothing in any direction except deep grey nothingness. 

It was... disconcerting.

She struggled to get to her feet and had to choke off a gasp when she 
realized there was nothing beneath her. No floor, no way to get her 
balance and get to her feet. "Oh, man..."

Taking deep breaths and concentrating she carefully managed to twist 
herself into what she believed was a standing position - who could 
tell in this place? She ran a hand through her hair, then frowned as 
she caught sight of the green fabric covering her arm. She glanced 
down at herself and wasn't sure what to make of what she saw. She 
most certainly had not been wearing *that* when all this started.

She sighed and decided she really didn't care. After all, there was only 
one place she could be.

Virtual Reality.

And she knew better than to trust anything she saw in VR.

But still...

She spotted movement far off in the distance and raised her eyes 
again, wary of what she might encounter in this virtual world. VR 
may not affect your physical body, but it could play havoc with your 
mind.

After a moment her wariness subsided. The figures coming towards 
her were those of two young women, each approximately her age. The 
first was tall, 5'8'' with long blond hair and pale skin. She wore a 
white t-shirt and jean shorts, sneakers without socks. Her companion 
was a few inches shorter and a year or two younger with black hair 
that fell to her waist in a shimmering shower of midnight. A gold 
circlet wound around her forehead, and Jamie saw the faintest hint 
of a small red jewel directly in the center of the band. She wore a red 
belly shirt and white jean cutoffs; white sandals were laced up over 
her ankles.

Jamie stepped forward to meet them halfway. She didn't need 
to see anymore to recognize her oldest and dearest friends.

She'd know Amanda Quest and Indira Singh anywhere.

***

"Dira," Amanda called. "Over there."

Indira followed Amanda's gaze. "Jamie?"

The young woman was pretty far away, but as Amanda and Indira 
moved ever closer - not an easy task in this grey void - they saw 
clearly that it was precisely who they had thought. Auburn red hair 
fell around the girl's shoulders, and emerald green eyes stood out 
against her pale skin. The green t-shirt she wore matched her eyes, but 
what caught Indira's attention was the jean shorts she wore. "It's 
winter back in Maine," she said. "Why would Jamie be wearing 
sorts?"

"VR, Dira," Amanda reminded her. "We weren't wearing this stuff 
when we were caught, were we? Maybe he did the same to Jamie."

"Whoever 'he' is."

"That is a pretty big part of the problem."

The object of their attention had apparently caught sight of them, for 
she was coming to meet them. Indira had to smile despite the 
circumstances.

No matter what they were in for, it was good to see Jamie Bannon-
Meyers again.


Continued in Chapter 2