Chapter 2

*Meanwhile, up in the sky, a silver spacecraft glides through the clouds. It is the Trimaxian, or as its more commonly known: Max. Sitting on the pilot's seat is Logan, kicking back as Max flies through the sky. But he is not alone on this maiden voyage. For other than his friend and mode of transport, Max, a new crew member stands by his side: Popeye the Sailor*

Logan: Steady Max. I can see the ground just below us. Let's make sure we have a soft landing this time.

Max: Compliance.

Logan: *looks to Popeye* How're you holdin' up, Popeye?

Popeye: I must say, this is no boat that I'm used to! When you said we'd be leaving on a "ship", I'd assume you meants the kind with anchors and planks and what-not.

Logan: Don't worry, you'll get used to it. I  know I did. *turns back to Max* So Max, how far away are we from New York?

Max: Only about a couple of kilometers from our current position. According to my navigational readings, we appear to be out along the countryside of the destination.

Logan: Great! I can't wait to see Benny and the gang again after all we've been through.

Popeye: So, let's me gets this straight. You take me "out" from Earth... Just to go backwards? Kind of messed up I thinks.

Logan: Not exactly, Popeye. Unlike you, my friends live on earth, but in the 21st century. Max had to time travel to get us here.

Popeye: *scratches his head* Time Travel? Well, what do you know?

Logan: Speaking of which… *turns back to Max* are you SURE we're in the right time period, Max?

Max: I may have to do a systems check to make absolutely certain. I still have some glitches since the wormhole incident, but nothing that can't be fixed. Not to worry, we're about as close as we can get.

Logan: I hope you're right.

*They can feel the ship making it's landing onto the ground*

Max: We have arrived.

Logan: Okidokee, then. *stands up out of his chair* C'mon, Popeye.

*Popeye follows Logan close behind as the back walls liquify to reveal a ray of sunlight nearly covering their vision. The steps solidify as the duo slowly make their way out of the ship to readjust to their surroundings*

Logan: *breathes in some fresh air* Ah, it's good to be… Huh?

*Something clearly wasn't right the moment they stepped off the ship. On the other hand, they could see the same sky, the same fields of grass, and they can hear the sound of rushing water. Except everything felt so different. For one, what appeared to be a small stream was much bigger and some of the grass was practically taller than them. And when they looked down on the ground, some of the pebbles looked like rocks. It took them a while to realize it…till it dawned on them*

Logan: This isn't New York… And how did we get SO SMALL?!?!

Popeye: *looks at himself* Blow me down! We've been toirned to munchkinz!

Logan: MAX!!!!

Max: *sticks out of the ship* You called, Master Logan?

Logan: Max, this ISN'T New York!! And why are we the size of cockroaches?!

Max: *observes the area* I had assumed that the glitches in my system were small… Never identified this as being "small". It would seem as if the trans-dimensional transporter must've altered our size during our transport. If I'm to assume: It's not "us" that have shrunk; this place is "big".

Logan: *sighs* It's Devil's Bayou all over again…

Popeye: So, where or when are we, anyways?

Max: According to my scanners, we appear to have landed somewhere in the country. There's a farm not to far from our current position. As for time, we seem to have landed around some point between the 1970s and the 1980s.

Popeye: Hmm... Well, at least we're in the future.

Logan: *sighs* Not what I intended. But all right. Since we're here, we might as well look around. But we must be careful: At our size, that leaves us open for potential predators. We'll have to proceed with caution.

Popeye: Eh, what abouts Max?

Max: Not to worry, Master Popeye. I will circle the atmosphere of the planet, so as to avoid any unnecessary discovery. When Master Logan calls, I will come by to pick you up when I can.

Logan: Good call, Max. *looks to Popeye* Come on, Popeye. If we were brought to this place, then we were brought here for a reason.

Popeye: All rights, but I gets the feelings that somethings a screwy here…

*As Logan and Popeye journey through the tall blades of farm grass, Max ascends back into the sky. Neither man know where the open fields have in store for them, what dangers they may encounter. But if what Logan said was true and they were brought for a reason, then Logan was determined to find out what. All they knew for sure: They wouldn't have come to this place shrunken, if not for a good reason*

*Sometime later, Mrs. Brisby runs home clutching the envelope to her chest. She enters a hollow log and stops. There's a disturbance at the other end. She climbs up through a hole in the top of the log, and approaches the sound from above. String is tangled in the branches at the far end. Mrs. Brisby peers over the end of the log, and sees a large black* bird hanging upside down, tangled in the string and making frustrated noises. This is Jeremy the crow*

Mrs. Brisby: Is everything all right here?

Jeremy: What the… Oh! Lady, don't sneak up on me like that!

Mrs. Brisby: I didn't mean to frighten you…

Jeremy: *laughs* Oh, you didn't frighten me, I was just sort of…working out. You just broke my concentration, that's…

Mrs. Brisby: You look more like you're all tangled up.

Jeremy: Er, yeah, I guess that's enough exercise for one day.

Jeremy: *pulls himself up to the top of the log and takes a seat* Besides, I'm really after this terrific string! I'm working on a love nest for two. You know what I mean?

Mrs. Brisby: *starts untangling one of Jeremy's feet* Oh I see… You have a girl.

Jeremy: Well, not really, I mean… I haven't found "Miss RIght" yet. But when I do, *sings* the whole world will hear us singing…

*While singing, Jeremy leans back too far, loses his balance and falls off the log with a big splash. Dripping, he pulls himself back up*

Jeremy: Excuse me, pardon me.

Mrs. Brisby: Well, you keep making all that noise and Dragon will hear you. If he hasn't already.

Jeremy: Wouldn't you sing too? I mean, if you felt… Heh heh … if you felt the call of the wild, but…

Mrs. Brisby: *loudly* I would… *lowers her voice* I would not, if I knew there was a cat nearby. *bites through one of the strings*

Jeremy: But… But SHE'S out there… Somewhere… And when I find her I'll feel it, way down in my wishbone! I -- what cat?

Mrs. Brisby: Dragon! He belongs to Farmer Fitzgibbons. Look towards the house. See if you can see him.

*Jeremy spreads his wings and flies up to a branch sticking straight up in the air. Mrs. Brisby, holding onto the strings entangling him, is pulled along after him. She swings at the end of the string down at the bottom of the branch*

Mrs. Brisby: *pulling on the string* Come back down here! He'll see you for sure up there!

Jeremy: Hey, there's a cat out there!

Mrs. Brisby: Quiet! Does he see you?

Jeremy: No. *pause* Yes!

Mrs. Brisby: Stand perfectly still.

Jeremy: *weakly* Everything's fine… He's headed right for us.

Mrs. Brisby: Don't panic! Fast or slow?

Jeremy: Medium. Make that fast. Very f -- I have to go now! Excuse me, I really…

*Panicking, Jeremy tries to flap away, but keeps getting more and more tangled in the string. Mrs. Brisby is caught up in the flailing string, and ends up swinging upside down by one foot. Finally, Jeremy pulls with all his might*

Jeremy: Break!

*Mrs. Brisby jumps up and bites through the cord he's straining against, and he goes flying backward, nearly falls over the edge of the log again, then pulls himself up. They both look down inside the log and see something approaching quickly with a "thumping" noise*

Jeremy: *weakly* Oh my goodness.

*Jeremy screams and tries to take off again, but is pulled up short by the string. He falls back down and ends up swinging in front of the entrance to the log, barely missing a rabbit that runs out of the opening*

Mrs. Brisby: It's a rabbit!

*Immediately Jeremy's panicked screaming turns into laughter*

Mrs. Brisby: Well of all the silly nincompoops! You got yourself all worked up over a rabbit! *bites through the string holding Jeremy up*

Jeremy: *falls to the bottom of the log* You should have seen yourself!

Mrs. Brisby (OOV): Will you keep quiet?

Jeremy: You were scared stiff! A rabbit! I knew it all along!

*Unseen by Jeremy or Mrs. Brisby, the monstrous cat: Dragon creeps up on them from inside the log. He was a large cat with a tick coat of fur, sharp claws on his paws, a mouth full of sharp teeth, and appeared to be blind in his left eye as it was blue, whereas the right eye was orange*

Mrs. Brisby (OOV): Will you hush up?

Jeremy (OOV): Admit it! You were scared!

Mrs. Brisby (OOV): Oh… Fiddlesticks. Hold still.

Jeremy: If I had actually been near a cat, I'd be sneezing my brains out. See, I'm allergic to ca…I'm allergic to caaaaa… I'm allergic to…mfffff…ah..ahhh-CHOOOOOO!!! I'm allerg… *turns his head and sneezes right in Dragon's face* AHHH-CHOOOO!!!  Excuse me, pardon me.

Dragon: RAAAWWWRRR!!!

*Jeremy screams and tries to take off. Mrs. Brisby dives for cover. Jeremy again is brought up short by the string, so Mrs. Brisby leaps out and bites through it. He flies up into the sky, leaving Mrs. Brisby alone with Dragon. At that moment, Logan pushes a couple bits of grass aside looking around the area*

Logan: Man, how big IS this farm anyway?

*Suddenly, Logan hears the loud roar causing him to turn at attention. With Popeye looking over him, they see a giant cat standing on a log apparently stalking something*

Logan: Holy cow! Is that a cat?!

Popeye: Well it's certainly no mountain lions from the looks of it.

Logan: Stay low… Maybe it won't see us.

Popeye: Wait… There's somethings else over there!

Logan: Yeah, you're right. That cat's hunting something… Probably something that needs our help.

*At that moment, the cat is just at the top of the log. Unknown to the duo, Mrs. Brisby makes a run for her medicine, then doubles back, ducking under Dragon as he pounces. He smashes the dead branch to bits. Mrs. Brisby suddenly trips over Jeremy's string, and drops the medicine. It falls down into the water. Mrs. Brisby runs after it, Dragon forgotten for the moment, and tries to reach it. Logan and Popeye finally see what the cat is after, but they have no time for words. From above her, Dragon roars again, and leaps*

Logan: NO!!! *leaps forward*

*In the nick of time, Logan leaps forward and pushes Mrs. Brisby into the water, clear from the cat. They attempt to swim away as the cat lunges for them with his claws. From above, Jeremy grabs the cat's tail and tries to hold him back. A chunk of Dragon's fur rips out. Dragon lunges for Mrs. Brisby and Logan*

Logan: *eyes widen* WHOA!!!

Popeye: *jumps in* Back off, pussy! *swings a fist, hitting it's face*

*Course that just makes the cat angry and roars again! The force of the cat's breath knocks Popeye onto his back into the water. The two pick him up and start running as the cat goes after them*

Jeremy: The string, quick! Grab the string!

*Jeremy, trailing a length of string behind him, flies past the trio, Dragon right behind him. They grab the string, and are pulled up into the branches of a tree. The string tangles in the branches, and they are knocked loose. Dragon leaps up the tree after her, chasing her out to the tip of a branch, overhanging a waterfall*

Logan: *looks below, then back at the others* We're gonna have to jump!

Popeye: Are ya nuts? That's a long ways down from here for our size!

Logan: It's the only choice we have. Now, on the count of three…

*They turn and see Dragon leaps toward them*

Logan: THREE!!!

*They jump backward, falling down into the water. Dragon follows as the branch snaps under his weight. The water is not deep, and he hits the bottom hard. Dragon decides he's had enough. The trio struggles with the pull of the waterfall for a moment, then breaks free and swims toward the waterwheel of the old mill, riding it up out of the water. A few moments later, Jeremy lands and enters the mill as well. Inside the mill, Mrs. Brisby sits crying. Logan and Popeye sit by, soaked to the bone, not sure what to do or how to comfort her*

Logan: Are… Are you all right?

Popeye: Aww. Whys you cryin', little mousey?

Jeremy: Hey, Miss Mouse, don't worry, I'm okay. *whistles* See? I'm alright.

Mrs. Brisby: That's not the reason I'm crying.

Logan: Then what is?

Mrs. Brisby: I lost Timmy's medicine.

Popeye: Timmy?

Logan: Oh… That's terrible. *turns to Popeye* She must have a kid.

Popeye: Oh, what a shame…

Jeremy: Aw, don't cry. I hate to see a woman cry… Hey! Was I great, or was I great? Did you see that cat out there? All dripping, and… And wet…With water…

Logan: *frowns at Jeremy* You're really not helping.

Mrs. Brisby: I'll… Go back to Mr. Ages tomorrow, and…

Jeremy: You weren't so bad yourself. Hey, we make a pretty good team! Oh, here, you dropped this back there. *hands Mrs. Brisby the envelope of medicine*  Nobody messes with ol' Jeremy, boy. Nobody!

Logan: Is that…?

Mrs. Brisby: That's it! Timmy's medicine! Oh, thank you! Thank you so much!

Popeye: Huh, will you look at that…

Jeremy: *distractedly* Huh? It i... What? It is? I mean, it is. Well, I saw it lying there, and I said uh… *remembers his manners* My name is Jeremy.

Mrs. Brisby: I'm Mrs. Brisby. *turns to Logan and Popeye and gasps*

Logan: What? What is it?

Mrs. Brisby: Y…You're… You're humans?!

Logan: Um… Yes. Yes, we are. I'm Logan, and this is my first mate, Popeye.

Popeye: *takes off his hat* How do you do, Miss. *puts it back on*

Mrs. Brisby: How do you do. Forgive me for prying but… I thought humans were taller.

Logan: Well… We're not exactly from around here. It's a long story. *clears his throat* So, Mrs. Bisby, eh? Do you by any chance…have a first name?

Mrs. Brisby: I… Um… I… Thank you, for helping me back there. I have to go home now.

Logan: *looks to Popeye* I take it she doesn't HAVE a first name.

Popeye: Me thinks she does, but has no wish to tell, I thinks.

Logan: *nods* Good point.

Jeremy: Uh, where's home?

Mrs. Brisby: In the garden patch, by the stone.

Jeremy: Well… Do you like me?

Mrs. Brisby: Of course I like you! Bye now.

Popeye: Uh, we'll gladly escorts you back to your home on the way. In case ol' whiskers shows up again.

Logan: Yeah, it's the least we can do after all that's happened… If that's okay.

Mrs. Brisby: Of course. That's very kind of you. *tugs on a rope to be sure it's secure, then they slide down it into an old lobster trap lying on the ground*

Jeremy: Hey!  I mean… I mean, um… I mean, you don't think I'm clumsy or anything?

*Jeremy loses his balance and falls through the hole that Mrs. Brisby just descended through, into the trap. Immediately, he gets tangles in the old netting*

Jeremy: Oh… Sorry. Excuse me, pardon me.

Mrs. Brisby: Oh! Well, if you're going to feather a nest, you've got a lot to learn about how to treat a lady.

Logan: *turns to Popeye* I doubt they'd survive.

Popeye: *chuckles*

Jeremy: Huh? Maybe it's my approach. Say! You were a girl once! You could teach me how to…you know, how to…

Mrs. Brisby: Behave yourself?

Jeremy: I'm not that bad! I just need a few pointers to polish my style. *tries to strike a pose, and falls flat on his face*

Logan: Yeah, that's REAL smooth, buddy.

Mrs. Brisby: Jeremy, I have got to go home.

Popeye: Waits for usk, ma'am! *follows after Mrs. Brisby*

Logan: Yeah, hold up! *follows after her too*

*Jeremy follows them out of the mill, trying to shake a piece of netting off his foot*

Jeremy: Well, let me… Let me fly you home! We can talk on the way!

Mrs. Brisby: Oh, no thank you. I'm afraid of heights.

Logan: *to Mrs. Brisby* Good call.

Jeremy: Okay, then we'll walk.

*Logan and Popeye follow Mrs. Brisby, who crosses to the other side of the millpond, leaping nimbly from one lily pad to another. Jeremy follows, but the pads don't support his weight as easily, and he splashes across noisily.

Popeye: *calls out* Cans ya gets any noisier?

Jeremy (OOV): I think I got real potential, I mean, girls go for the athletic type, don't they?

Mrs. Brisby (OOV): Jeremy, you're stepping on my tail.

Jeremy (OOV): Oh! Oh, yeah! Excuse me, pardon me…

Logan (OOV): Ow! Hey! That's my foot!

Jeremy (OOV): Oh! Sorry! Excuse me…