9. The Wabbit and Tonk's Vulnerability

But the Wabbit wasn't coming. Before he knew what was happening, Tonk took on enormous planet-like proportions. He spoke from behind the mountains. "This is my planet and I do what I like."  He grinned a malicious grin. "Ha ha ha," he laughed, "I shall have your map and all copies." The Wabbit floated prone just above the surface of the planet's ocean. He looked up to his left and saw Lapinette and Quantum drop into orbit. "Your friends cannot help you. I am master of all I survey." The Wabbit thought Tonk was too big for his boots and muttered the very same. He twisted and turned, He could break out of this position, he'd done it before. He could see Lapinette and Quantum as they coasted closer. "The drunken rabbit manoeuvre, Quantum," said Lapinette. "I'm a time travelling train, but I'll do my best!" protested Quantum. He went into a steep dive then pulled up under Tonk. Then he dived again. "What the devil," screamed Tonk. "Up, spiral and ram," said Lapinette. Her calm voice suggested she knew what she was doing. The Wabbit knew she'd detected a time rift and he smiled. Quantum bore down and, with all the power of a locomotive, slammed Tonk amidships. Tonk flew apart like a jigsaw and fell through the mountains. Lapinette manoeuvred to the surface. Using technology they'd recently acquired from a space brigand, she beamed the Wabbit aboard. "It works then," boomed Quantum over the loudspeakers. "Maybe he's not the original Wabbit," observed Skratch. The Wabbit was dazed. "Must be my turn to buy drinks," he mumbled. "It's him all right," grinned Wabsworth. 

8. Lapinette on an Adjacent Planet

Quantum and the rest of the crew parked at an adjacent planet. Lapinette and the rest got off and hopped around. The rain was a fine mist that quickly dried on their fur. Skratch strode forward like Captain Kirk of the Enterprise. "Are we just supposed to wait?" Lapinette wheeled round. "Aye Captain." She listened to the walkie talkie but heard only static. Wabsworth complained about the rain. "I don't like this precipitation. It leaves a residue." Lapinette mused on that. "What about the lakes?" Wabsworth tested the liquid. "A tolerable mixture of water and methane." "Tolerable to whom?" "To me," smiled Wabsworth. Quantum grumbled from the rear. "I find being treated as a car most demeaning." Lapinette snorted. "Lump it!" Quantum continued under his breath. "A brain the size of the universe and they treat me like a vehicle." Lapinette was the rabbit in charge, "Stop moaning and compute me the size of this planet and its distance from the Wabbit." Wabsworth groaned because he always disagreed with Quantum. He offered up a number. "5,150 km circumference and hardly any distance from the Wabbit." So close!" Lapinette was stunned. "I can see him coming," added Wabsworth. Lapinette drew herself up to her full height. "Any other vital information?" Both Quantum and Wabsworth snickered. "He's bringing Uber Teller Tonk." "And a crate of Intergalactic Prosecco," laughed Quantum.

7. The Wabbit and the Planet of Tonk

The Wabbit materialised on the planet below. Quantum departed to locate a parking place. He grumbled but off he went. They'd picked up a creature on sensors and it might be Uber Teller Tonk. The Wabbit was delegated to find out. He sauntered on the rough surface of the planet and whistled a merry tune. Tonk was oblivious. He stared at his reflection in the skies. "I am master of all I survey!" he exclaimed. Behind him lay his watery planet. And so did the Wabbit. "Hello there Jimmy," he murmured. Tonk did not turn, but his tinfoil ears moved a bit, "Who dares disturb me here, on my very own exoplanety planet." His arms embraced the scene as if to indicate the scope of his ownership. "Just a wee bit Wabbit from Earth," said the Wabbit. "What do you want?" groaned Tonk. "I'm on vacation," replied the Wabbit. He rummaged in his fur for the reverse map. "You're in the Rough Guide for the Best Planet. It says here for a Wee Visit, speak to Tonk." Tonk continued to stare into space. "I never agreed to any such thing." The Wabbit rocked back on his heels. "Uberclerk Zzorp has papers. Invoices and receipts." Tonk paused. "I should never have got involved with his stupid bed and breakfast scheme." The Wabbit relaxed into holiday mode. "Where are the padlocks with the codes? I'm ready to settle in." Tonk breathed along sigh. "Over there on my watery planet. Every cave has a special number. Please get it right." The Wabbit grinned. "Otherwise?" Tonk grimaced. "It explodes with you inside."

6. The Wabbit and the Mirror Stage

Back in Quantum the Time Travelling Train, the Wabbit's team sped to the chrome planet. Quantum was grumbling. Covered in frost, he felt colder than space. The planet - or rather planets - came in sight. It was like looking in a crazy mirror. "That must be Tonk's place," murmured the Wabbit. "You have a knack for stating the painfully obvious," grumbled Quantum. "We're reflections," gasped Lapinette. "It must be the mirror stage of space," meaowed Skratch. "We're much dependent on external objects," grinned the Wabbit. Wabsworth the android chipped in, "We're being chased by them." A spacecraft and its reflection converged on the planet. "Uberclerk Zzorp!" growled the Wabbit. "Maybe you shouldn't have taken his money," said Lapinette. "And you never gave him any maps," grinned Wabsworth." "Maybe he's mad at you," hissed Skratch. "At us!" shrugged the Wabbit. The team braced for trouble. They heard a noise from the engine room. Skratch's ears stood on end. "A stowaway. In my engine room." "In MY engine room," snapped Quantum. The cabin door opened and through it came a Reclamoid bearing a coffee pot. "Coffee anyone?" it squeaked, "I made it strong." Wabsworth looked with disdain. "Where are the cups?" The Reclamoid hung his head. "I forgot them." The Wabbit shook his head. "Don't worry, I always have coffee cups." He plucked six cups from his fur. Quantum began to vibrate as he disengaged lattice drive. "I'll pass. I'm already shaking enough." The Wabbit saw his face reflected in the shiny surface of the planet. "Find somewhere for us to park." Quantum growled. "I'm a train not a parking attendant." They heard Tonk's giggle from the surface. "Chrome plated pillock!" groaned Wabsworth.

5. The Wabbit and the Reclamoids

The robots looked twee but were far from that. The Chief Robot ticked off every item and barked in a stern voice. "I am Uberclerk Zzorp. Please clear your belongings in the shed provided." His underlings scuttled around, carrying their discarded objects to an unknown destination. "These are the Reclamoids. Do not impede them." Wabsworth looked at Zzorp with utter disdain. "Do you call yourself a robot, Sir?" Your demeanour is objectionable." He thumped a foot and turned to look at the Wabbit. The Wabbit shrugged in exasperation. Zzorp continued. "These objects have been discarded and are circulating without authorisation in controlled airspace. They are escaping our synergised memory audits. This is impermissible." The Wabbit shook a fist. It was all he could think of. "It's just old junk." Uberclerk Zzorp shook his head in a bumbling bureaucratic fashion. "Immaterial. Sentimental salvage tax applies. A thousand QUIDs each item." He stomped and cavorted. Lapinette batted her eyelashes. "Tell him." "About the reverse map?" snorted the Wabbit. Zzorp changed his tune. "You have a reverse map?" Reclamoids stopped scurrying. "Oh. You're interested, Zzorp?" Wabsworth's commanding tone was a sneer. Skratch had been a bystander but now he effected interest. "We could make a deal," he hissed, "But the maps are scarce as feathers on a fish." Zzorp grunted. "We'll only pay 15 QUID per item." Lapinette pirouetted. "Then we'll make an arrangement with the next reclamation plant on the next chunk of rock." Zzorp responded without thinking. "You know Uber Teller Tonk?" "Tonk has already offered TerraQUIDS," pouted Lapinette.