"I see some!" "Take me down ten feet!" "Haven't you've got enough of those stupid mushrooms by now?" "They're not mushrooms, they're jungle truffles." "If you ask me the only truffles worth eating are chocolate not fungus." "That's enough?" "Marguerite stop!" "What?" "Take me back up five feet." "Oh, make up your mind." "Veronica!" "Marguerite!" "Who are you?" "At the dawn of the last century" "A band of explorers searched for a prehistoric world" "Driven by ambition" "Secret desires" "A thirst for adventure" "And seeking the ultimate story" "They are befriended by an untamed beauty" "Stranded in a strange and savage land" "Each day is a desperate search for a way out... of the Lost World" "Hey, what's going on up there?" "Alex Linden, miss." "Looks like I got here just in time." "You certainly did." "You better let me take care of this." "I think there are ... quite a few things around here you could probably take care of." "This is a very deep well." "Lucky thing for Veronica." "Marguerite, if you ever." "You must be Veronica?" "I'm Alex." "A-Alex?" "Is something wrong?" "Are you injured?" "No." "I'm fine." "Where did you come from?" "The jungle." "No." "What she means is how did you get here on to the Plateau?" "Our expedition was trying to find the source of the Amazon." "When the rainy season started we took shelter in some caves, but we lost our way." "We got split up, when I saw the sun again I was all alone." "I've been wandering around for months trying to find my way back." "My treehouse isn't far..." "I could mend your shirt." "You must be sore after all of that effort." "How about a nice hot bath... sooth those tight muscles." "You're so kind, both of you how could I resist." "Yes exactly, how can you." "There, my electrostatic accumulator is ready." "How can you tell?" "In order to send radio signals..." "I need to create electromagnetic waves." "Now, to do that I'm going to use the windmill ... to generate sparks between those two copper ... plates set up on those trees there." "You're trying to generate radio waves?" "Exactly!" "Now, all we have to do is test the equipment." "Good, you take that positive lead and you take the negative one." "Uh positive and a negative, isn't that dangerous?" "Only if it doesn't work." "One. two. three" "These cables seem to need a touch more insulation." "You did that on purpose." "Uh, Marguerite and Veronica seem to be returning." "I can't wait to taste this rare jungle delicacy." "She's seems to have outdone herself this time." "There's a difference?" "A rare jungle delicacy indeed." "So do you think you can find your way back to the caves..." " that brought you on to the Plateau?" " I believe so, sir." "At least, I think it's not too far from here." "So you could take us there." " I could certainly try." " This is my father's favorite." "I was saving it for a celebration ... and I guess this is it." "Don't have too much of that Alex, it might affect your... appetite." "He's been wandering for months." "Yes, all by himself." "Yes we know all that." "So you were searching for the source of the Amazon ..." " whose expedition was that?" " Oxford University." "I read Geology there." "Geology, at Oxford?" "Then you must know my very good friend Lionel Holt." "Holt?" "I don't believe I do." "Professor Holt is the head of the Geology department." "Well, he must have been before my time." "T-Rex." " That came from the clearing." " My accumulator." "They're not afraid of dinosaurs?" "Oh, he's more afraid about the dinosaur ruining his new invention." "You know what scientists are like ... boys and their toys." "No offence meant." "No wait!" "I don't think it's the patient sort, George!" "No, there's a better way." "You divert it between those two trees over there." "Well hurry!" "Hey, you big galoot!" "Over here!" "Anytime, Challenger!" "Almost there." "He's close enough." "Perfect." " What is that device?" " Challenger, it worked." "Challenger it worked!" "Well like most of Challenger's inventions we're not quite sure." "Well for a few seconds." "Still, at least I solved the problem of making those cables heat resistant." "Sir..." "I found your demonstration fascinating but..." "I do have one question." "By all means." "What if you hadn't been able to divert the T-Rex?" "Surely your invention is too cumbersome to be used as an effective weapon?" "It's not a weapon." "It's not?" "Oh no, not at all." "Once I have affected a few repairs and modifications, the spark you saw will be artificial lightning." "Each bolt will generate bursts of radio static powerful enough... to carry Morse-coded signals all the way to London ... to let them know we're still alive." "You can send an electromagnetic wave halfway across the world?" "Oh my boy, if I had an energy source stronger than the windmill..." "I could send signals to the moon." "You see Alex, science is neutral." "It's what someone does with those scientific discoveries... that determine whether it benefits humanity or harms it." "You know, it's been argued over the years..." "Ah hem, the foods getting cold." "It isn't time for one of your lectures George." "Alex is hungry." " And tired" " And ready for bed." "See you boys later." "Do you think for Alex's sake we should go and keep him company?" "I think we'd be safer in a clearing with a T-Rex." "If you're still hungry, the kitchen's over there." "I'm going to check on Alex." "I already did, he's sleeping." "Veronica, this unseemly interest you have in Alex." "What would Ned say?" "He might as well be my brother." "What about you and Roxton?" "Now you two obviously make a perfect couple." "Roxton?" "He's too old for me." "Why I thought that's the way you like them Marguerite," " old, wrinkly and rich." " Why you little..." "Someone's at the accumulator." " Is that Alex?" " No, he's sleeping." "Dirkon's Scavengers?" "No, they haven't been around here for months." "That's right, don't want to give an old man a heart attack." "Who do you think it is, sis?" "Whoever it is this will teach them a lesson." "That is not an electrical effect." "What the hell was that?" "Whatever creature that was, it certainly wasn't human." "Those scorch marks are not electrical." "Challenger!" "Footprints?" "Burned into the ground." "Extraordinary, and they seem to stop as they enter the jungle." "Professor Challenger!" " Alex?" " Are you hurt?" "It chased me, some kind of monster all red and glowing." "I thought you were asleep?" "I went for a walk and didn't want to disturb you." "What were you doing by the accumulator?" "I wasn't anywhere near it." "It wasn't me, honest." "Should we go after it?" "No, it's more important to find the caves that lead off the Plateau." "But first we must repair the accumulator and wire it into... the perimeter fence." "Just in case this ... creature decides to return." "Easy." "The rest is up to Challenger." "Time for a swim." "Come on Alex, last one in is a rotten egg." "What are you looking at?" "Oh!" "as if I couldn't guess." "Sorry you missed the show." "My... my, what have we here, a young man's secret diary?" "Don't you dare." " Didn't go for a swim?" " I really don't like the water." "Marguerite said you wanted to see me." "I once had two leather bound field journals... custom made on Hyde Street... one for myself... and one as a birthday gift for my very dear friend Lionel Holt." "He gave it to me... when I was his student." "Why did you lie to me?" "When you asked me about Professor Holt ..." "I realized you didn't know what happened to him." "Go on." "He was brilliant, but bitter about being passed over for the Nobel Prize." "He believed that his theories deserved greater recognition." "Don't we all." "At a conference last year, he attacked his colleagues, physically I mean." "Made all sorts of wild accusations and then disappeared." "Poor Lionel." "I know how much you admired him sir." "I didn't want to be the one to deliver such upsetting news." "Alex, what were you doing outside last night?" "Exactly as I told you sir." "Are we going to try and find the caves which brought me here?" "All any of us want to do is go home." "I've just got to get back to my laboratory." "The Zanga call this the hard lands." "More like the hot lands." "It looks very much like the terrain..." "I found when I came out of the caves." "We're only a day's march from the treehouse Alex, yet I do recall you saying you had wandered for months." "I obviously walked in circles sir." "I certainly wish I had been able to convince the..." "Professor to come out with us." "He may have an explanation." "Believe me, Challenger won't be leaving his lab until he... finds out what happened to his accumulator." "Yeah, give him a scientific puzzle and he's like a dog with a bone." "I didn't think Marguerite was that way inclined though." "Oh, Marguerite." "Her specialty is gemology." "She has a lot of experience in geological analysis... years of experience in fact." "She's actually a lot older than she looks." "Moving on." "Challenger?" "I've seen this kind of inclusion before." " Is it heat related?" " Not just heat... it's been in contact with molten rock, lava." "The creature did glow for an instant but at the temperature of molten rock?" "I mean, how could this be possible?" "You're the scientist, you tell me." "I'm going to get lunch." "I think this is far enough for one day." "We should make camp back in the jungle." "Good point, no use getting caught out here in the open if we don't have to." "Why don't I climb to the top of that ridge... see if I can see any landmarks." "Possibly even the caves." "Be my guest." " I'll come with you." " No, you stay here..." "I'd like to do something for you for a change." "I'm sure I can think of something." "I'm sure I can think of something." "Starting to sound like Marguerite there." "Ned, you're jealous." "Jealous?" "Of what?" "Of lost and lonely bulging with muscles Alex?" "Alex!" " What happened?" " I fell..." "I'm sorry." " Do you think it's broken?" " Oh!" " I don't know." "Can you put weight on it?" " I don't think so." "Great, it looks like we're stuck out here in the open after all." "Challenger!" "You have to come up here." " No, I'll have my lunch down here." " No you won't." "Look at this." "The creature was here." "No Marguerite, Alex was." "What?" " I really do apologize." " These things happen Alex." "Look." "What the hell is that?" "Stay where you are!" "Ned?" "Alex!" "Sorry Lord Roxton, but guns are not the weapons we fear." "Veronica, Malone?" "Are you all right?" "Yeah, where's Alex?" " Alex was one of them." " What?" "Those things felt as if they were made of stone." "Alex isn't like that." "Veronica I saw his hand glow red hot." "He was the creature we saw at the treehouse..." " and he led us into this ambush." " Whatever those things are." "Why did they bring us here?" "Whatever they want they better hurry up and ask... cause we are going to cook in here!" "Are you sure those handprints on the balcony railing were Alex's?" "What other explanation can there be?" "Let's just hope we can find the other's ..." " in time to warn them." " Professor Challenger!" "Alex what happened?" "We were ambushed by the same creatures that attacked your experiment." "What happened to our friends?" "They took them to a cave." "I can show you where it is." "I'm sure you can." "How did you get away?" "We all had to run, I guess I was lucky." "I guess you were." "Just give me a minute to get my breath back and... then you can show us where they went." "I was so worried about you." "You were?" "Well you must know how you make me feel?" "I must?" "Well if you don't I'll have to show you." "Do something to take your breath away." "Marguerite I think I might have miscalculated." "Well done Marguerite." "If he's hurt the others, his breath won't be the only thing I take away." "Whoever or whatever you are, we want the truth." "What have you done to our friends?" "And however did you obtain that journal I gave to Lionel Holt?" "You don't understand surface dwellers." "You are not in control." "I spent over a year perfecting that alloy for my accumulator." "It will withstand even molten lava." "We're wasting our time Challenger." "There's a trail of footprints that we can follow, we don't need him." "Your alloy needs more work Professor." "Any theories on what these creatures are?" "Trolls, Tommyknockers, Kobolds." "They're all mythological creatures of the underworld." "Lionel Holt, he believed that those myths were based on fact." "Why are they after us?" "Now that is a very good question." "I don't like the look of that rope." "I don't like the look of his head." "Don't even think about tying us up." "We need water." "Ah forget it Malone granite face doesn't understand a word we're saying." "Maybe he'll understand this." "Water." "Water." "Malone remember?" "When we went swimming yesterday." "And Alex didn't." "Heat expands and cold contracts... elementary physics." "Challenger would be proud." "Well I really cracked him up." "Oh Malone, save it for your journals." "Alright, we've got two of them coming around the bend." "I'll get them both with my canteen." "Oh, sorry." "You're alive." "Not if we don't keep moving." "Yeah, Veronica's right, we can trade notes back at the treehouse." "You'll be happy to know your boyfriend's one of those stone things." "You mean your boyfriend." "Don't, don't fight over me, girls." "Stand back everyone." "I'm going to enjoy this." "No, no, no need for that." " Lionel?" " George." "As young Mister Malone might put it... in one of his trite little war stories." "at last we meet again." "Lionel." "Lionel bloody Holt." "Good heavens." "On the contrary George." " How deep are we?" " At this position, fifty miles." "That's impossible, why the heat and the pressure... at this depth would kill us instantly." "Yet here we are." "The earth's electromagnetic field." "Yes, you understand." "You understand." "The field has ionized the air to create light... and generated an atmospheric pocket suitable for human life." "George, it took me a year to work that out." "Yet, you saw it all in seconds." "Well it's quite obvious given our surroundings." "Not to the blind fools of the Nobel committee." "My theories of geo-magnetism predicted... that conditions like this would exist... as well as the subterranean life forms." "I tell you George the Kobolds have a magnificent society." "Their geological sciences are years ahead of ours." "Years?" "Yeah, if you like living like a fungus." "Let's go!" "What is this place?" "It's the only access to my base camp." "Stay close to the guides." "Lava flows in constantly changing direction, undermining the ground." "Look." "Why did you set up base camp in such an inhospitable location?" "Safety issues George." "You'll understand when you see our lab." "My new friends and I have expended a great deal of effort... to track you down and entice you to join me." "I presume my journal was a sufficiently intriguing bait?" "Alex, tell them to move forward." "They're afraid of a little lava?" "The Kobolds evolved to withstand the... immense pressure of the earth's core." "As they move closer to the surface... they must generate an electromagnetic... field to keep their body compressed." "Otherwise they would explode ... much like a deep sea fish being raised up into shallow water." "Precisely George, but such fields require a great deal of energy." "Sudden contact with extremes of temperature ... hot and cold can prove disruptive." "Fortunately we have far less mass then the Kobolds, if they can make it across then, so can we." "We follow that one." "Do you lose many of your new friends that way?" "This canyon is impassible without the Kobolds assistance George, a fact that you and your friends might like to bear in mind." "You make it sound as if we won't be going back." "That will be entirely up to you." "Only the scientists will proceed." "The rest of you will stay here with me." "Come on, George." "Lionel I must confess, I'm tempted by the... notion of working with you again." "But since the Kobold's knowledge of electromagnetics clearly... exceeds my own I really have no idea why you need me here." "Because of this." "Very impressive whatever it is." "I call it the Uranium engine." "Lead floors, water for cooling... but what kind of Uranium can be this radioactive?" "An extremely pure isotope mined by the Kobolds." "The power it contains." "well... as Einstein has proposed..." "Energy equals Mass times the speed of light squared." "The greatest secret of the universe... atomic power." "Lionel you've done it." "What can I do?" "How can I help?" "I knew I could count on you George." "To do what?" "To transmit the power of this engine through the earth's crust." "So the Kobolds will have an unending supply of ... electrical energy to maintain their pressure fields." "Broadcast electrical energy just as Nikola Tesla proposed, but he never had an energy source powerful enough to realize his dreams." "But now George, you and I do." "When do we start?" "Well thanks for volunteering me Challenger." "Do you have any idea what we're doing for this idiot?" "Advancing scientific knowledge." "You would have done that anyway, all he... had to do was send a simple invitation." "So why Alex, why the lies, why hold the others prisoner?" "They can't help him." "There's something you're not telling me." "Don't look at me like that, Challenger, you know what's going on." "Go ahead George, tell her." "The Uranium engine will be used to... broadcast energy to the Kobolds." "Why do the Kobolds need more energy?" "Tell her George." "A brilliant mind like yours must have puzzled it out by now." "In order for them to survive on the surface for more than a few ... days they need another source of energy." "Why do the Kobolds need to survive on the surface for more than a few days?" "Oh go ahead, say it." "It must be obvious, even to the lovely Miss Krux." " You're going to attack the surface." " Bingo." "Well Stockholm actually." "The access tunnels have already been prepared ... directly beneath the headquarters of the Nobel committee." "After that, well the sky's the limit." "Do something, you have to stop him." "Explain it to her George." "Marguerite, even if I didn't feel the way I do... about advancing science, even if I didn't want to help..." "Lionel with his Stockholm plan." "I would still have to finish my work for him." "Why?" "Because if I don't, he'll kill you all one by one before my very eyes." "And you Marguerite, you would be the first to die." "What can I say, the man's a genius." "Well I just figured out something for myself." "You're only pretending to go along with Holt to save us all." " I'm doing it for science." " Don't give me that, Challenger," "I know you." "You're working out a way to sabotage that..." " infernal engine." "There is no way." " I've had enough of your interfering." "What I am doing is for science pure and simple." "Now what Holt does with that science is his responsibility, not mine." "You." "Alex, Miss Krux has completed her work... it's time for her to return to the others." "No, I won't believe it." "Grow up Roxton, we all have a price." "You mean you do." "You don't think I know what you would do for... the chance to go back and save your brother." "Or you, to find your parents." "Or you, win the Pulitzer for your bloody journals." "Yes you're right Roxton, I do know what my price is." "But whatever I have done for it, what Challenger's doing now is much worse." "To jeopardize all of humanity just for scientific knowledge." "Pay attention Malone." "Scientific knowledge is Challenger's price." "And Holt has paid him in full." "Lionel." "Alex." "It's time." "Are you ready for our experiment?" "Yes." "I have every faith in our fellow seeker of truth." "George would you do the honors?" "The Uranium engine is your creation, I insist." "I've never felt such power." "You did it George." "I knew you could." "This is a great day for science." "For all of us, I hope." "Challenger's done it." "He's started broadcasting power to the Kobolds." "We have to stop him." "The only way to do that is to stop Challenger." "Challenger's my responsibility... and if it comes to that I'll deal with him." "How long before we can make these temporary modifications permanent?" "Well if you finally trust me to replace the primary fuses, no more than an hour." "I'll get them for you George." "Thank you." "This guy needs to cool off." "Once the Uranium engine begins broadcasting power... you and your forces will be able to remain on the surface indefinitely." "Finished" "And, who knows George, in time faced with the superior power and intellect... of the Kobolds, imperfect humanity... may at last go the way of the dinosaurs." "That's not much of a threat Holt." "Where I come from there are plenty of dinosaurs." "Kill them." "You first." "No, Marguerite put that down." "You wouldn't." "I don't give a damn about Alex... but I will not let you damage this machine." " George." " Marguerite." "What kind of a monster are you?" "Thank you George, I'll take over now." "No, I'm the kind of monster... who likes to finish what he started." "Just a few minor adjustments." "But, you said you were finished." "You'll destroy the Kobolds!" "Don't just stand there like lumps of stone." "I'm rescuing you, and you you nearly spoiled my plan." "Lionel." "Challenger, no!" "No, Challenger!" "Are you insane?" "If anyone deserves to die, it's him." "I believe everybody deserves at least one chance to redeem themselves." "What did you do to the machine?" "I reversed the polarities on the engine." "That way it will weaken the Kobolds' field rather than strengthen it." "In order for them to survive they're going to have to return to the earth's core." " What if they don't go back?" " Watch." "Just think of it as a bad case of the bends." "Let's go." "Hold on, hold on, hold on." "If the Kobolds are blowing up why do we have to keep running?" "Because my dear Marguerite, when I reversed the ... polarity on that engine I had to make some severe modifications." "How severe?" "In approximately ten minutes that engine is going to explode." "Einstein predicts it will be the most power explosion in scientific history." "I'm sorry Lionel, you left me no choice." "Well if the clock's ticking lets get going." "We'll have to risk the lava pits." "Well that's not very scientific, John." "That should cool things down a bit." "You had this figured out from the beginning." "One does the best one can." "Well come on quickly, stay where the water's cooled the rock." "George!" "This is wrong!" "You have to deactivate the engine!" "For the sake of science!" "For the sake of humanity I can't." "One day we might find a use for the Uranium atom... but not as a weapon." "Oh, come with us Lionel." "There's so much to learn." "So many we can help." "One chance at redemption Challenger." "Take it from me, sometimes you have to pay for your mistakes." "George, help me." "Lionel." "Come on." "Watch your step." "Faster, that reaction is unbound." "Get down and cover your ears." "What have I done?" "Hey, you saved us all." "In this case it might be best to omit... the technical details of the Uranium engine." "That sounds like censorship." "If Lionel and I could make that engine explode, others can too." "Keeping the details to ourselves... is not hiding the truth, it's buying time... until humanity can better prepare itself to ... deal with the consequences." "Humanity or the Kobolds?" "If we can't deal with the consequences... then perhaps ... we deserve to be replaced." " We thought a repair might be in order." " No, leave it." "As a reminder?" "As a warning." "Something wrong?" "No, it's just this is one story I think I'll let someone else write," "hopefully a long, long time from now." "*"