Johnny's Quest

Version:1.0 StartHTML:0000000168 EndHTML:0000004710 StartFragment:0000000586 EndFragment:0000004693Seven years' old Johnny Dexter is living in a foster home with a rather strict middle-aged couple, Mr. and Mrs. Lewis, and Mr. Lewis's sister, Elizabeth.He has experienced a very strange, recurring dream, during which he's transported from his bedroom to some far away location.Johnny, worried about what's happening to him, and afraid no one will listen to him, tries to discover some explanation for this, and he seeks help from his local village library, where he reads about some exciting inventions and exploits once held top secret, but now released from government archives.Intrigued by an account he reads about in one of the books, describing a mysterious, and still unexplained happening which took place in 1943 during the height of World War II with a brief mention of a plan to research the possibility of investigating further the '43 event, with the help of present-day advances in technology.Eager to learn more about this, Johnny is unaware that, during this time, in an isolated and desolate, ice-bound forest in far northern latitudes, a secret, and heavily guarded, underground installation has been established by a depraved professor, Doctor Konrad Dietrich, to which he has abducted several scientists from around the world, known to be studying space and time phenomena. Unable to continue his own research, his captives under threat to the safety of their families are ordered to work towards the ';breakthrough' with which he's become obsessed.The trapped scientists can only hope to seize any chance to escape.Two of the group, Philip and Janet Merton, do manage to make their escape but, having kept their own research results secret from their captor and, though still untested, they are desperate, and decide to take the risk, but are forced to leave their colleagues behind to the wrath of Doctor Dietrich.Later, now safely back in England to their great relief and surprise the Mertons summon help from a contact of an intelligence agency source, and an immediate rescue of their fellow prisoners is mounted, which results in near tragedy, before they are at last freed.These two brave young people are now free to continue their lives without further threat and they, and their fellow scientists, are able at last to return to their families.And Johnny's ';quest' is finally over, and he no longer needs to fear those frightening dreams