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Electric Personality

     John, Aki, and Mara awaited the airplane near a small airstrip adjacent to the research center. Soon, a small shape in the sky was seen and an odd shaped plane appeared. The plane landed and released two passengers. One was a Japanese, military mechanic named Ken Osaka and the other was an American physicist called Nikola Tesla. The two met with the research team and greeted one another cordially.

     "Hey, I recognize you," said John Carter." You’re Nikola Tesla, the electrical engineer from Edison works, right?"

     "Yes," said Nikola. "But unfortunately, I’m thinking about leaving that juncture. Edison and the folks back at Menlo Park aren’t very keen on innovating with alternative sources of electricity. I’m curious, how do you know me?"

     "Oh, we haven’t met before, I just read your thesis paper on modern electric dynamos. It was very revealing." Replied John.

     "I’m glad you found it interesting. I’m working on a new book. It’s about how living things can generate electricity and fire. I was writing it back in the states, but things can be so distracting there. I mean, the New York Stock Exchange just crashed, those damn lynchings in Mississippi have stirred up all manner of riots, and Chicago is still looking for the perpetrators of the St. Valentine’s day massacre. I’m actually glad to have left the U.S last week."

      Breaking the conversation, Ken began to wrap up the gathering.

     "OK, people we got no time for pleasantries, get your gear moving, this isn’t a luxury cruise, you know!"

     Aki and Mara gave each other a pessimistic look, then obeyed the pilot’s stern order by throwing their gear into the plane’s small cargo hold.

     "Heh…don’t mind Ken," said Nikola. "He’s kind of an eccentric spirit if you know what I mean."

    On board the plane, Mara sat close to Aki and asked a curious question.

    "That man, Nikola Tesla -- did you know that he was an expert at all things electric?"

     "Yes," said Aki. "He’s a genius imported from Yugoslavia. He’s American now, but you can tell by his faint accent that he came from some other motherland. Nevertheless, the man is the world’s leading expert on everything from experimental electric bulbs, high-frequency coils, and Electro conductors."

     "Yeah, but I don’t get it, why send him on our team? …And what was he doing exploring the coasts of Monster Island?"

     "I’m not sure, but I did hear a rumor that he found something that is actually generating powerful electrical currents – something conducting radioactive-spawned electricity like a living conductor."

     "What? …A ‘living’ conductor? You mean that something organic is producing these massive electrical surges? What kind of creature could possibly do that?" Asked Mara astonishingly.

     "I don’t know, but such things aren’t impossible. Did you know there has been several discoveries of living beings that can actually use electricity to kill their prey and defend themselves?"

     "No…that’s not possible!" Said Mara.

     "Oh, yes it is. Spanish naturalists have recently discovered a long fish they call an Electric Eel. They have even discovered a small beetle that can actually release fiery acid from its abdomen to defend itself. If these things have been discovered in the more normal jungles of South America, what makes you think even more amazing beasts can’t be found on Monster Island?"

     "Wow, I’m in awe of that idea. But I’m just curious as to what kind of creature ‘sparked’ Tesla’s interest on Monster Island." Replied Mara subtlety.

No Bounty But Death

      The sky above the elongated plateau of Monster Island’s West Coast sparkled like an orange jewel. The sun was coming up and the natural beauty of these lands was very evident. Nestled behind a tall mountain range was a massive savanna. Driving at top speed, three jeeps rushed through the open ground. These vehicles held three of Japan’s most renowned bounty hunters. In truth, they were big game hunters that had traveled the world for their wildlife trophies.

     Recently, Con Oil Company had hired them amongst other poachers to track down and kill as many large beasts that they could. Con Oil had spies among the first expedition team from Monster Island and quickly learned of its rich oil deposits there. 

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