This is Science Friction feature on Hudson River Radio dot Com, Episode thirteen,
The Creature of Rowatonga, Hey Ma. Professor Ellis just got back from his
trip. Can I go see what he brought back? No, dear,
it's too close to dinner time. Please just for a little while. I
don't know, can it wait? He only went to Berlin or was it
Belgium? Borneo map Borneo on the other side of the world. Can you
imagine all the cool specimens he collected? Good? Heavens, I suppose if
you want to go hungry and see a bunch of creepy be crawley things rather
than have a delicious pot roast dinner with your family, be my guest.
And I made pineapple upside down cake for dessert. Great, save me a
piece. I'll be right back. It was a warm summer evening in nineteen
fifty four in Stony Point, New York, and Lucy Montgomery had spent every
waking minute of the school vacation running around the woods, wading through streams,
and just enjoying being a ten year old kid with boundless energy. She wanted
to be an explorer like her next door neighbor, Professor Ellis, who traveled
the world collecting artifacts and flora and fauna for museums and zoos. Well,
Lucy, so good to see you. I only got home a few hours
ago. How have you been. What's new? Oh? I'm fine and
nothing is new, Nothing is ever new in Stony Point. Tell me about
your trip. What did you see? What did you bring back? Can
you show me all the stuff? Did any headhunters chase you? Did they
shoot poisoned darts? Ooh? Whoa slow down, young lady. I'm much
too tired to tell you everything that happened in the last six months. And
if my nose doesn't fail me, I believe your mother has made her famous
pot roast for dinner. Oh please, Professor Ellis, just one story,
please, Okay, just one, and I guess I could give you what
I brought you. Really, you brought me something back all the way from
Borneo. Of course, I couldn't forget my favorite junior explorer. I think
it's in the crate over here. The Professor's living room was piled high with
wooden crates and steamer trunks, which must have been packed with exotic items that
would make Lucy's head spin. But right now she only cared about one thing,
whatever Professor Ellis brought back for her. What is it? What is
it? Hang on, let me pry this open. Here we go,
now, let me see. Yes, here it is. Professor Ellis carefully
pulled back a long sheet of very thin paper and began to gently unfold it.
I'll close your eyes and put out your hands. Lucy was breathless with
anticipation, secretly hoping a shrunken head was about to be placed in her hands.
But instead, what she felt was something literally as light as a feather.
Opening her eyes, she wasn't disappointed because there was the most dazzling,
brightly colored feathered headdress. Oh, Professor Ellis, it's beautiful. It's the
most beautiful thing I ever saw. This is the headdress of a princess of
the top Bara tribe of Rowatana. I had to trade a flashlight and two
packs of gum to get it. Wow, a princess of road Tonga.
This is the neatest thing ever. Excuse me, Lucy, I'm expecting a
call from the university. I wonder what else is in the crate. I'm
just going to take a peek on tiptoes, Lucy strained to peek into the
open crate, but she leaned too hard and it started to fall over.
She caught it just in time, but something rolled out and hit the floor.
Oh no, what have I done? It looks like a big egg
shaped rock and it's cracked. I better take it home and glue it.
Lucy quickly covered the rock with the headdress and ran for the front door.
Lucy, where are you going? I was gonna tell you a story.
Gotta go home for dinner. Thanks so much, see you soon back at
the Montgomery house, Lucy, come back here. Dinner is on the table.
I'll be right down ma. After carefully placing the feather headdress on her
pillow, Lucy put the rock on her desk. As anxious as she was
to glue the crack. That pot roast smelled so good she figured it could
wait until after dinner. But when she returned, something strange had happened.
Oh no, the rock is broken in half. What will I tell a
professor? Alis? Wait, it's hollow. It's not a rock, it's
an egg and something has hatched. Later that night, Lucy, are you
in the kitchen again? Just getting a snack? More? That's your third
snack of the night. I'm a growing girl. Here you go, Barney,
I brought you some more pot roast. Come on, don't be shy,
oh you bid me? Hey, where are you going, Barney?
No, don't run away? Oh no, he went out the window.
The little creature that hatched from the egg and hungrily devoured several slices of pot
roast seemed to be growing by the hour. It was a hideous looking half
gargoyle, half bat, and half monkey, with bulging, blazing red eyes
and stringy black strands of hair. But Lucy thought he was adorable and named
him Barney from Borneo. But now Barney had gotten loose and would have to
find more food somewhere. Three days later, at the Stony Point Police station,
Hello, Stony Point Police, Well, Missus Ferguson, haven't heard from
you in days. What's that? A creature of myth and legend, red
bulging eyes that attacked little Fluffy. You hit it in the head with a
baseball bat and it ran off. Yes, Missus Ferguson, I wrote it
all down and we'll be sure to tell the other officers. Yes, Missus
Ferguson, we always enjoy hearing from you. Don't tell me, crazy old
missus Ferguson saw a monster. How did you ever guess vampire? Werewolf?
Frankenstein? No, this is a new one, something like a three foot
tall gargile, but with bat ears, glowing red eyes, and pointy teeth
and claws. She said it tried to eat Fluffy. A rat could eat
that little pip, sweet dog of hers. You know, we have been
getting a lot of calls about missing pets. It's summer and all the animals
are going out having a good time, which is what I should be doing
instead of working the night shift. When was the last time you and Joan
went out? Too long ago? Between my late shifts and her work at
the university, we never seem to have time for each other. Sonny point
police. Yes, mister Wagner your cat, I'm sorry to hear that.
Yes, sir, I'll make a note of it now. What the Wagner's
cat is missing and their son found some blood in clumps of hair in the
yard. The coyotes at give animal control call in the morning. We'll be
right back with more of Science Friction theat on Hudson Driven Radio dot com.
We now return to Science Friction theater on Hudson crivnradio dot com. A week
later, forty six dogs and cats were missing. Something had gotten into Missus
Fraser's henhouse, and there wasn't a pigeon to be found in the town park.
People were demanding answers. Stunny point police, what Oh No, I'll
send someone right over. Another missing pet. No, the little gentsen twins,
they were playing in the sandbox and all that's left or some shreds of
clothing. By the end of the next week, seven more children were missing,
and reports were coming in of a hairy gargoyle the size of a man.
A town meeting was arranged for the following night, but later that day,
Oh, professor Ellis, how good of you to check in again.
How was the little patient Missus Montgomery any better? No, I'm afraid Lucy
is just getting weaker and her fever is making her delirious. Any idea what
bit her? She keeps muttering something about Barney Barney from Borneo. I thought
it might have to do with that big egg you gave her. Egg.
I gave her a featherhead dress, not an egg. Do you mind if
I see it? Certainly it's on the table in the living room. Why
this was supposed to be a fossil, or so I thought. Now that
it's broken in half, I can see it's definitely an egg. Oh no,
I hope everything that's happening isn't because I inadvertently brought home a dangerous animal
from Borneo. I need to speak to Lucy immediately at the town meeting the
next night. I assure you we are doing everything in our power. Our
local police are coordinating with the Sheriff's department at the state Police and the Civil
Defense Force. What is this thing? It's probably just a wild animal that's
come down out of the mountains. Missus Ferguson says, it's a creature of
myth and legends. Well as we all know. Missus Ferguson says a lot
of things. Mayor please may I speak, oh, Professor Ellis, Yes,
yes, please. We could all benefit from your level headed wisdom and
knowledge. It just may be a creature of myth and legend. Right wait
what? Quiet? Quiet everyone, professor please explain yourself. As many of
you know, I just returned from Borneo. I brought back what I thought
was a fossil, but it turned out to be an egg, an egg
that hatched. Quiet, yeah, Professor, continue, My neighbor's daughter,
Lucy Montgomery took the egg and when it hatched there was a strange little creature
inside. She fed at pot roast, which is the last thing she should
have done. And why is that? Because when the bogeron tastes flesh,
he becomes a monster for the last time. Everybody quiet, Missus Ferguson,
Please, we're trying to hear what the professor has to say. No,
Mayor, Missus Ferguson is right. I'm afraid there are many mythical creatures in
Bardio, but none is more feared than the Bogarong of raw Tonga. It
is said to be seven feet tall, with bulging red eyes and razor sharp
teeth and claws. When it's young, it feeds on small animals and children.
When it reaches maturity, it attacks and consumes adults by it. Buy
it, by it. But this is true, and that's a big if.
Then we just need to hunt down this bo wrong rang and kill it.
I'm afraid it won't be that simple, now, Mayor. If you
had acted immediately when I first called the police when it was small, you
may have been able to kill it, but now at its full size and
power, that won't be possible. So now you're saying this creature can't die.
No, I didn't say that the bog Arong can be killed, all
right, but only by lightning. This is this is nonsense. This is
all complete nonsense. Mayor, please. The legend does say that the bog
wrong was released from the underworld by a mighty bolt of lightning, and only
lightning can return it. Well great, that's just great. And how do
you propose to make a bolt of lightning strike this creature? Anyone? Anyone?
Mayor Yes, Sergeant, my girlfriend Joan, I mean doctor Buford works
with these big electrical generator things at Hudson River University chuff and jokes about zapping
things with bolts of lightning she makes in the lab. Well, get her
here asapp of course, all we have to do now is hunt this thing
down. I've got us covered there. I've asked Kit Hansen to join us,
the only known man to ever capture a boger Wrong. His flight from
Australia landed this afternoon and he should be here any minute. Missus Ferguson,
I have to ask I understand Professor Ellis's knowledge on the subject, But how
did you, of all people know all of this? When I was head
of Pacific Allied Intelligence during the war, I was in New Guinea in Borneo,
and I met Kit on a special secret operation to eliminate a boger wrong
that was preying on our troops. Hadn't seen him since we had drinks with
Ike in the White House last year, but I knew he would drop everything
and come if I called him. The Mayor, Professor, Sergeant, and
everyone else in the room sat in stunned silence as they tried to process what
crazy old missus Ferguson had just said. The silence was finally broken when a
tall man with flowing blonde hair entered the meeting hall. Every woman gasped and
every man was intimidated as this half Tarzan, half Captain America, and half
Greek gods specimen of manhood strutted up to the podium. M good eye,
Fergie tells me, you've got a pesky boger wrong in town. Nasty business
those creatures. Good thing you called before all of Stony Point was destroyed.
Hey, you must be mister handsome. That's hansome, But I don't mind
the compliment, mate, Yeah, have you really hunted and killed these things
before? Just one? And I only trapped it lightning to the rest.
Everyone was glued to kits every word as he related how he wrestled the boger
wrong with his bare hands, tied it up and carried it to a mountain
peak high atop the jungles of Rowatonga and used army flagpoles and to create a
giant lightning rod over the creature. It was pouring right and then there was
a blinding flash for lightning and the Burgeron disintegrated into a puff of black smoke.
They were sucked back into hale. Women lined up to get his autograph
and slip him their phone numbers, while the men tried to stand up taller
and suck in their stomachs and considered growing their hair long before Kit left to
go to Missus Ferguson's house to crack open a bottle of fifty year old Scotch
and talk about old times. A meeting was arranged for the next morning to
bring together the bogeroon hunter and doctor Joan Buford, the lightning Woman, to
devise a plan Unfortunately, that night, three adults and a cow went missing.
We will be right back with more of science fiction theater on Hudson River
Radio. Adults call and now for the exciting conclusion of science fiction Theater on
Hudson River Radio dot Com. Very early the next morning, at the Montgomery
House, Missus Montgomery. Yes, oh, oh, you must be mister
handsome. It's handsome man, but I appreciate the compliment. Well, come
in please, What can I do for you? Would you like some breakfast?
A cocktail? Perhaps? Do you need a place to stay? No,
ma'am, I heard your little girl got bitten by the burger rong.
Yes, not even penicillin seems to help. Well, she's lucky it was
just a baby at the time, but the hatchlings are still dangerous. I
brought you some arabs from the jungles of Barnio that'll help as directions in the
pauch. Oh bless you? And are you sure I can't make you a
drink? No, ma'am, six am is a bit early, even for
a nasci. Well, Missus Montgomery, help your little girl is better soon.
A command center had been set up in the town hall overnight. A
large map of Stony Point stood on an easel, and colored thumb tacks marked
the locations where every pet, child and adult had gone missing. Five more
thumb tacks had been added in the last hour, Doctor Buford, thank you
so much for coming. The sergeant has told me so much about you.
Nice to meet you, Mayor. I'm happy to help. But what's all
this nonsense about a creature from Rowa Tonga as if on qe. A blood
curdling shriek echoed through the hills. Good, heavens, what was that?
That's that's the cry of the creature. He's he's probably celebrating his latest victim.
Oh, how awful. Tell me what you need me to do,
the bogaroon hunter. He'll fill you in. The handsome guy he's here now.
Oh you must be mister handsome. It's right, And you must be
doctor Beautiful. If I'd had teachers that looked like you, i'd never left
school. Oh it's doctor Beauford. But but please call me Joan. No,
I'm pretty well setting calling you beautiful. Yeah. Can we get down
to business please? Of course, mate. I've been studying maps of the
town. Oh my god, it's it's the creature. It's it's hideous.
Run everybody, run for your lives. The creature was terrifying, over seven
feet tall, with greasy black strings of hair hanging next to its bulging red
eyes. Its teeth were like white daggers until they trickled with crimson blood of
the stenographer who was caught in the creature's clutches. Joan fainted at the gruesome
sight, and the police opened fire, but the bullets just bounced off the
thick, leathery skin. Everyone ran for the exit, except Kit Hansen,
who ran towards the fearsome bogerong and punched it right in the nose. Take
that you ugly basted. The creature cried in pain, jumped out the window
and ran off. That was incredible. No, Biggie just stunned him.
The burgerong is a very sensitive nose. He'll be back and twice as angry.
Kit then gently lifted up Joan and held her limp body in his powerful
arms. It was at this point that the sergeant rushed in and feared the
worst. No worries, sergeant, she find it here. She's coming around.
You're okay, beautiful, it's Beautiford and I'll take care of her from
here on, if you don't mind. The sergeant was beginning to wonder what
was the most dangerous thing in town, the bulgaron or the bulgaron Hunter.
Later that afternoon, I'm fine, really, I'm so embarrassed that I fainted.
Well, I never should have let you come here alone, and I'm
not leaving your side again. It's okay. Stony Point needs you, and
Kit can take care of me. Yeah, I bet he can. I'm
not budging, all right. As long as you're staying, you can help
me get the equipment out of the crates. What is all this stuff?
Looks like something out of the science fiction movie. These are the components for
the giant Tesla coils, and each is capable of producing a few million volts
with extremely high amperage. I don't know how you keep all those big words
in that pretty little heat of yours. Well, this is all over and
we get married. The only electrical stuff you need to worry about is iron
and vacuum cleaner. I don't the creature. It just attacked the Senior center.
It was being used as a shelter. It's awful. All those people,
they had no chance, they had no chance week. Everyone, Let's
get this equipment set up in the park asap. Beautiful. How long before
you're operational? I'll need an hour, maybe less. But how will you
get the creature into the park? Leave that to me. In exactly one
hour, I'll have the bug wrong and the crosshairs of your lightning machine forty
five minutes later in the park. Okay, The three Testla coils are set
up in a triangle. As soon as Kit gets the creature anywhere between them,
it will be toast. I don't want you anywhere near that creature.
I can flip the switch. No, it's my fault that the bogarong is
here. I should be the one to flip the switch. Thank you both.
But there's more to managing these complex instruments than just flipping a switch.
And I'll be perfectly safe inside the Faraday cage. What you mean that oversized
bird cage. You can't be serious. I know what I'm doing. Now.
Please get inside the bank where it's safe. You can watch from there.
It's getting closer. Go go now. If the witnesses lived another fifty
years, it was a sight that they would never forget. Right down Main
Street came the fearsome Bogarong stumbling backwards from the repeated blows of the Aussee's mighty
fists. The creature desperately tried to slash with its deadly claws, but Kit
defintely dodged right and left, down and back. The Bogong roared in fury
and then yelp inane every time the fearless man landed a blow squarely on its
nose, which by now was profusely bleeding purple blood. Not so tough,
after all, your bogar old boy. The creature stumbled a few more feet
and then turned to run. Oh no, you don't. Kit pulled a
coil of rope from his belt and lasso the creature like cattle in the outback.
Come on, now, mate, you'll have a dayton hell. Can't
believe my eyes. Neither can I. He's tied up the creature and is
carrying it on his shoulder. Every woman left in town was peering out their
windows watching this epic display of strength and courage. Allot, they're beautiful.
You're the prettiest cage bird I ever saw. Got a special delivery for you,
darling, Oh my drop it in the center, then run to the
bank. Kit dropped the massive beast right between the huge tesla coils, but
rather than run away, he squeezed into the cage with Joan. It was
a tight fit, but neither of them seemed to mind. Now, my
beautiful goddess of lightning, do your thing. Okay, here we go.
It's not enough. Oh I'm just getting warmed up. That's it, beautiful,
it's working full power. He did it. The biogrong is disintegrated and
been sucked down to hell. We did it. You are amazing. I
never met a man like you. Nothing too. It beautiful if a man
who knows what he's doing. I guess I need to get one more of
these tattoos. Rolling up his sleeve, Kit flexed his enormous bicep show the
tattoo of a bogarong with an X over it. Joan felt herself swooning as
she fainted into his arms. Both Joan and Stony Point were safe, but
neither would ever be the same again. Two weeks later, so Professor ellis
how is Lucy Montgomery well sargeant. Thanks to the herbs mister Hanson brought,
she seems to have made a complete recovery and the residents are slowly starting to
return to Stony Point, but hundreds are still missing. Well, there's only
one person I'm missing. Yes, I'm so sorry to hear that. Joan
went back to Australia with mister Hanson. How could any mere mortal compete with
him? He was like a modern day Hercules. You know, I once
lived for a year with a tribe in New Guinea and they had the perfect
solution for broken hearts. Really, what's that some sort of jungle herbs.
No, they got blind staking drunk for a week on homemade hooch, and
danced naked under the full moon. Sounds like a plan, Professor Ellis,
think I'll put in for a week's vacation right now. This has been Science
Friction Theater, a production of Hudson River Radio dot Com, written by Linda
Simmony. Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast so you'll never miss an exciting
adventure. See you next time on Science Friction Theater.