Guybrush seized the weapons controls. Elaine read his intent instantly. "No-" was all she had time to shout before Guybrush shot a single red pulse of energy right into the heart of the egg plain.
There was no preliminary. The entire cavern instantly flooded with burning red light, causing all three inside Boss Hog to shout out and drop to the floor.
It was a minute before Guybrush risked opening one eye a tiny fraction. No light. He opened it a little more, then raised himself up off the ground.
"What happened?" asked Elaine.
"See for yourself," said Guybrush.
Elaine and Wally stood beside him. The monkey had gone. The eggs had gone. The whole cavern had gone. They floated in empty space.
"Oh, no," moaned Elaine. "What have you done now, Guybrush?"
"Hang on, I don't think things are that bad..." said Guybrush.
"NOT THAT BAD?!? For all we know we could be in another Universe! Didn't you have any idea what you were doing?"
"Not much time for anything else," said Guybrush. "Besides, these stars look familiar."
"Well, whoop-de-doo!"
While this debate was going on, Wally was at the computer console, typing madly. "Hang on a sec, guys," he said. "Here. According to the computer, we're still in the same spot."
Guybrush and Elaine looked at each other.
"We haven't moved any," Wally clarified.
Guybrush relaxed. "Well, I guess that's a start. At least we're not any worse off." He peered around. "That blast must have blown up the whole planet or something."
"Simon won't be happy," said Elaine, unable to resist a small chuckle - not at Simon's misfortune, but because life suddenly seemed very good again.
"Who?" said Guybrush and Wally.
"Uh, nevermind," said Elaine. "But there's something you two ought to know." She looked at them, at their hopeful, expectant faces, savouring a moment she knew might never happen again. "I know how to use the portal stones. We can go home."
Guybrush and Wally stood dumbstruck. Then they shouted out. All three of them shouted and danced about in the cockpit, capering with glee.
Sometime later, when everybody had calmed down and the effects of the
synthathol had worn off, Elaine recounted her story.
"So that's how it works," said Guybrush.
Wally was bouncing around with excitement. "We could make that work," he said. "If I... if..." He suddenly ran out of the rec room and down to the storeroom.
"Why'd they knock you out and dump at the mouth of the cave?" asked Guybrush.
"I think they wanted something to occupy any teleporting monkeys nearby," said Elaine. "Luckily, you showed up first."
"Well... yeah." Guybrush grinned. "How do you feel about returning home?"
"I'll be a lot happier once I'm back, believe me," said Elaine. "I've barely been able to sleep for worrying about Chora Luna. I mean, Upchuck isn't going to go after it too, is he?"
"Yeah, but isn't there some small regret, too?" asked Guybrush. "Here we are, further from Earth than any human's ever been, the galaxy at our feet. We could explore the Universe, all on our own."
"Do you really want to do that?" asked Elaine.
"Uh... no," admitted Guybrush. "I think it'd get boring very quickly. Give me the pirating life any day." A thought struck him. "Say, didn't you mention something about some 'she'?"
"That's right," said Elaine. "Simon seemed to think some woman had seeded his solar system, as well as ours, and probably every one in the Universe, with portal stones. Even said he'd met her at some stage, but that was all I got out of him."
"Well, I guess than if the monkeys were some sort of naturally evolving lifeform - if they were, they'd probably wipe out everything in the Universe sooner or later. I know the top of the food chain when I see it. No, this way it looks more like some incredibly vengeful terrorist attack. Against every living creature that ever existed."
"Whoever did it certainly meant to do damage," mused Elaine. "The portal stones weren't placed on inhabited planets, they were all hidden on outer moons or satellites. That way, they'd only be discovered by civilisations with space-going capabilities - and the capabilities to spread the portal stones further."
"But who's she?" asked Guybrush.