Fire Storm (3 page)

Authors: Steve Skidmore

The pyrodogs sense victory and spit more streams of fire at you as you fly through the cavern, blazing like a fireball.

The situation is getting too dangerous for you. “Teleport,” you order.

A white light envelops you and you find yourself back in the OPS room.

“Have you destroyed Vulkana?” asks QTee.

“Not yet. It was getting too hot for my liking,” you explain. “Don’t worry, I’ll head back when I’ve rearmed.”

QTee shakes his head. “Vulkana will know we are onto her and be ready for you next time. Earth will be consumed by fire…”

If you are feeling more heroic,
go back to 1
.

You fly towards the dragonmanders, avoiding the streams of flame that head your way. “Launch missiles,” you order. “Aim for their mouths. Lock on multiple targets.”

As you fly through the air, spinning and rolling to avoid the dragonmanders’ fireball attack, your weapons system fixes on.

You give the command. “Fire.”

Missiles shoot through the air, hitting the creatures and tearing into their throats. You hear a series of muffled explosions as the missiles detonate inside the creatures’ bodies. The dragonmanders instantly swell up in size as the foam expands. Before your eyes, they grow bigger and bigger and begin to drop from the sky.

As they fall to the ground, their bodies continue to expand, until their skin is tight. Then each of the creatures burst open, before exploding into thousands of pieces.

Sweet!
you think as you replot your course to the entrance to Vulkana’s kingdom.

Go to 35
.

You activate your weapons and fly towards the entrance to the cavern.

Suddenly all hell is let loose. Exploding fireballs of lava come shooting from out of the walls. The entrance was booby-trapped and you are the booby!

You are hit time after time by the hail of deadly missiles. The flames eat at your suit. The tunnel is filled with lava and flame. The heat is intense. You know you can’t last long here.

If you wish to teleport back to Earth,
go to 43
.

If you wish to try to fly through the firestorm,
go to 10
.

You order the computer to arm the bomb.

“WEAPON ACTIVATED.”

But before you can launch the bomb, the titan launches a deadly stream of fire at you. The air is filled with red and yellow flames. You are sent spinning through the air and you hit the ground hard.

The titan storms forward, sending wave after wave of flame your way. The blaze engulfs you, burning at the DART suit. The heat is intense. You feel as though you are melting!

If you wish to launch the bomb,
go to 5
.

If you wish to try to fly away,
go to 42
.

“We have no time to lose,” you say. “Send me to Fireworld, right now!”

QTee raises one of his large eyebrows. “Your bravery is admirable, but your haste is stupid. You need to know more about Vulkana and her world. If you don’t, you will die quickly.”

You realise that QTee is right. “Sorry,” you say.

Go to 49
.

You shoot at Vulkana with your eGun, but she holds up her Staff of Power and sends out a stream of mini fireballs that cause the energy blasts to explode before they reach their target.

You realise that attacking with your eGun is hopeless.

You switch over to your needle laser, and shoot beams of deadly light towards Vulkana.

This time she holds up her whip and uses it to deflect the laser beams. You wonder how you are going to be able to defeat her.

At that moment hundreds of fire imps appear from the entrance to the cavern. They use catapults to sling flaming tar balls at you. The air is filled with thousands of these missiles, which stick to your suit and burst, covering you with gluey fire.

Vulkana joins in the attack. She holds out her staff and waves of lava leap up from the pool, and crash down on you.

To try to escape,
go to 42
.

To teleport back to Earth,
go to 43
.

You fly towards the entrance and order the computer to arm the bomb.

“WEAPON ACTIVATED.”

But before you can launch the bomb, you are spotted by the flame trolls. They point at you with their flame-throwers and send a deadly wall of fire at you.

You are hit by the blast and are sent spinning through the air. You slam into the ground as the trolls continue their attack. Sheets of flame engulf you, scorching the DART suit. The heat is intense. You feel as though you are melting!

If you wish to attack the trolls with your eGun,
go to 18
.

If you wish to launch the bomb,
go to 5
.

If you wish to try to fly away,
go to 42
.

You head towards the entrance to Vulkana’s kingdom, flying over the body of the fire titan. As you glance down at the creature, there is a roar of flame and the titan leaps up. He pins you between his damaged arms, and pulls you into his flaming body. You struggle to get free, but his grip is too strong.

The intense heat burns into the suit. You try to activate your weapons, but the suit doesn’t respond as it begins to melt.

Pain rips through your body as you feel your skin begin to blister. Then, mercifully, you feel nothing more as you are reduced to ash in the grip of the dying fire titan.

Begin your adventure again,
go to 1
.

You fly towards the fire titan and pound the creature with round after round of energy.

However, the creature seems to absorb the energy from your attack and burns more brightly. The titan sends a wall of flame at you, which hits you and sends you flying backwards. The surviving flame trolls join in with the attack! The heat from their combined attack eats at your DART suit.

To use your bomb,
go to 25
.

To use your missiles,
go to 39
.

If you wish to retreat,
go to 42
.

To teleport back to Earth,
go to 22
.

You move in to attack, dodging the wave of lava just in time. It crashes down, sending molten rock flying across the cavern.

You begin to shoot at Vulkana with your eGun, but she uses her whip to deflect the blasts of energy.

She holds out her staff again and more lava rises from the pool, heading your way. Once again, you just manage to avoid the deadly molten rock, and it smashes into the cavern walls.

You continue to fire volleys of energy blasts at Vulkana, but she holds up her staff and sends out a stream of mini fireballs that cause your shots to explode harmlessly. She turns on you but you manage to block her whip attack, and avoid the streams of lava and fire bombs. As the battle continues, you realise that you cannot do this for much longer. You will have to use your bomb!

If you chose the TD bomb,
go to 19
.

If you chose the earthquake bomb,
go to 41
.

“Scan creatures,” you order.

Seconds later the computer replies. “DANGER! Creatures are dragonmanders! Extinguish their fire to kill them.”

You are puzzled that such tiny creatures could be so dangerous. But as you stare ahead, the small creatures transform into huge dragons. Their eyes and tails burn with liquid fire. They head towards you at incredible speed, spitting fireballs, which explode in the air about you.

To attack the creatures with your eGun,
go to 3
.

To use the foam missiles,
go to 23
.

If you wish to try to fly away from the dragonmanders,
go to 47
.

“Fire at the head.”

The missiles are launched and smash into the titan’s head. But before the foam can set, the creature burns it off.

He turns on you and blasts you with a jet of flame. The heat rips at your suit.

The trolls follow their leader and blast at you with their flame-throwers. You are engulfed in a firestorm!

To teleport back to Earth,
go to 22
.

If you want to fly away,
go 42
.

You take out another of the pyrodogs with a missile and spin around in the air to attack the leader of the pack.

However, as you turn, you are hit by a wave of liquid fire. It covers your visor and begins to burn into it. The visor blisters and bubbles up — you cannot see! Another stream of liquid fire hits you, sticks to the suit and begins to burn into it.

If you want to open your visor, to try to see,
go to 44
.

If you want to try to teleport back to Earth,
go to 21
.

If you want to try to fly out of the cavern,
go to 42
.

You continue your journey flying over the desolate surface of Fireworld. You know that it was vital to have captured Hurrikano’s crystal to enable the DART suit to fly. Without it, this mission would be impossible.

“Entrance to cave system ahead,” warns the NAV system.

You look ahead and see a volcano rising up into the sky. Smoke and ash bellow out from its depths and slow rivers of lava flow down the slopes. There is a gaping hole in the side of the volcano. It glows red and black. Dense smoke pours from the opening.

“DANGER!” warns the suit.

You see that the entrance is guarded by a group of huge ugly creatures. “Identify enemy,” you order.