Lily Wilde Versus the Ravenous Cats
This was the first Strange Worlds story about Lily Wilde, Jungle Professor. It was improvised on March 30th, 2013.
Episode Summary
A volcano erupts on the island of Botan, trapping a vacationing couple. With the assistance of Bellwether Blue and her Liberty Aces, Lily Wilde pilots a plane overhead to rescue them. She lowers a rope as the lava encircles them. They grab hold and Lily flies away, moments before the volcano explodes!
Upon her return to her research station, she is confronted about her expense report by the head of the department Dr. Moneybux and his assistant Jennifer. They examine her botanical experiments, including poisonous plants and a vine that grows gold. Lily's friend Bobo arrives from the Andes with news of Colonel Douglas who had ventured deeper into the jungles and disappeared three weeks ago with orders not to follow him, but leaving a note for Lily. He writes that the Dark Priest of Ouelowapa is no longer a myth and Douglas has retreated into the jungle sanctuary as the Dark Priest's powers grow greater. Bobo also tells her that many back at the Andes camp have taken ill and she notes the black spots on his scalp. Moneybux and Jennifer depart, leaving Lily free to help her friends.
A shadowy figure sits outside a jungle temple, killing and eating a sloth before summoning the Dark Priest X, a woman dressed in cat skins and adorned with a jaguar skull headdress, and revealing her vision that someone is coming to oppose them. The Slothkiller chants, calling up a wind that sweeps the hay into the air, taking on the shape of a dark figure.
Lily arrives at the Andes camp as Colonel Douglas emerges from the jungle. They examine the ailing soldiers, who feverishly moan a string of nonsense about cats and trees and volcanoes. Lily questions Douglas about the natives, who he says aren't friendly but are honorable. One of the soldiers whispers "Dark...Priest" before dying, causing another soldier to panic, shouting about priests and cats before succumbing himself. Lily observes there have been no cats native to that particular area for years. She asks Douglas for some soldiers to accompany her as she investigates deeper in the jungle.
The Dark Priest X and Slothkiller set a trap for the approaching interlopers. X asks her savage companion to prepare a truth serum, and if their poison is reaching the natives yet. Slothkiller says it has and questions the Dark Priest's plans. But X says she is not ready to reveal her deeper secrets just yet.
Lily questions the chief of the Mubutu tribe, who says they do not trust outsiders. In order to prove her worth, Lily duels with the tribal champion Noko, his arms adorned with skull tattoos of every man he has killed. They are evenly matched and revel in the dance of combat until Lily distracts Noko with a kiss, defeating him. The chief offers their guidance into the jungle.
Slothkiller returns with the Tree of Thorns as the Dark Priest X reveals that Lily is with the Mubutu tribe, half of whom are dead from their plague. Slothkiller asks that she spare the chief as he is dear to her, but the Dark Priest insists that all the men must die. Slothkiller challenges her and X relents slightly, saying they will discuss the chief once Lily Wilde has been dealt with.
Accompanied by soldiers and natives, Lily comes to the river. They follow it, despite the warnings of a Mubutu warrior woman called Ocelot who tells that no one in their tribe has come this far and survived save for her. Lily and Ocelot pledge their lives to each other, when suddenly the ground opens up and they fall into a trap! The Dark Priest X and Slothkiller emerge, killing Noko and all the male natives and soldiers. Slothkiller darts Lily with the truth serum, who confesses she is there to investigate the plague. X (so named for the female XX chromosome) reveals that she is the cause, wishing to rid the Earth of the blight of mankind who despoil the plants and beasts of the jungle by killing all the males so that the species will die out, leaving only the jungle to survive protected by the Gods of the Black Cat.
Lily and Ocelot are held prisoner with Slothkiller as their guard. Bobo, who had secretly followed them through the jungle, arrives and tries to shoot Slothkiller, but his gun jams and Slothkiller slays him. He drops his gun at Lily's feet. Lily tells Slothkiller she should remove the body lest she be infected as well. As she comes close, Lily attempts to kick her in the head, but the hunter proves too strong for the blows and departs. The Dark Priest X arrives and unchains Lily, giving her the chance to seize the gun at her feet and release Ocelot. Lily fights X, who summons her pet jaguars to defend her as she passes out. Ocelot battles the returning Slothkiller to avenge her tribemates, but is killed. Lily punches one of the jungle cats out, and dives at the other as it lunges for her, each knocking the other to the ground. But Lily is the only one to come back up. Witnessing this, Slothkiller flees with Lily in pursuit.
Lily stalks the dark corridors of the temple, adorned with pictures of fighting cats of all shapes and sizes, before coming to the laboratory where the plague was developed. She sets the equipment on fire, the chemicals erupting flame and shaking the entire temple. Lily runs, but is stopped by Slothkiller just outside, determined to kill her for destroying the temple of her gods. As she takes aim, she is distracted by a sloth in the trees above her, giving Lily the chance to shoot her. Catching her dying form, Lily apologizes and lowers her to the earth as she chants her last words and dies. A sloth emerges, and drags her body into the jungle as Lily escapes the grounds of the exploding temple!
Back at the camp, Lily uses the sample of the plague she salvaged to engineer a vaccine for the soldiers and natives. A recovering Colonel Douglas thanks her, but she warns him that the Dark Priest X is still at large. He vows to protect his little corner of the Earth. Lily laments that so many had to die, but Douglas assures her that she has done right because of the good in her heart. As she prepares to depart, burdened by death and guilt, he softly speaks his final order to his civilian friend: "At ease."
