2023:
THE MONSTER OF LUNGBARROW
PART THREE
TJ Anderson has returned to her homeland of England, but she's not alone--John Spengler is with her! Naturally, everyone back home in New York is waiting to see if the inevitable is about to happen for John and TJ.
After having delivered an order of GBXes to the Ghostbusters UK--the actual reason for their visit--the two Ghostbusters prepare to attend the birthday party of TJ's uncle, Lord Sylvester Cadonfloyd, Earl of Lungbarrow. She hopes to ask him if he has any insight into the connection Eric Stantz uncovered between their ancestor, Thomas Cadonfloyd, and the mummy Ahagotsu.
The fact that Thomas's body was stolen a few days earlier adds urgency to the search for answers.
"Right on time as usual, Huntwick." Martin nodded. "Johnathan, this is Aaron Huntwick, my brother-in-law's longtime assistant. Huntwick, my daughter's...colleague, Dr. Johnathan Spengler."
"Lor, you're a tall one, ain'tcha?" Huntwick said brightly, shaking John's hand. "Pleased t'meetcha."
"Same."
Huntwick's eyes went wide as he looked at TJ. "Oh mercy, Miss Janey...you look fabulous!"
"I look like a cake topper." TJ rolled her eyes, but with a slight smile.
"But y' always looked good in purple, Miss Janey!" Huntwick giggled."Dr. Johnathan is a very lucky bloke. Were I but thirty years younger..."
"Oh stop." she blushed.
John held the car door for TJ. "Your mother taught you well, Dr. Spengler." she quipped slightly playfully.
"She started early--said it was easy after socializing Pop." John replied. "Though I think it took about the same fifteen years of time, actually..."
She laughed. John felt his heart seem to resonate with the delightful sound.
Within a few minutes, the limo was on the move.
Dammit, Janey...your Father is right there. Control yourself.
It hadn't escaped her notice even before her father pointed it out that John had looked shell-shocked when he saw her in the dress. She'd been able to hide it a little better, but...Dear God does he look...incredible. Elegant.
Gorgeous.
She'd often tried to run away from it, to not let people find out, but after all, she'd grown up in a privileged social strata. The Andersons were by no means poor; they'd been solidly upper middle class for at least three generations, while the Cadonfloyds, her mother's family, were genuine aristocracy, even if relatively low-key aristocracy. Fancy suits and frilly dresses were a fixture of that life.
Johnathan Christopher Spengler, looking like he was born to wear that tuxedo, made it so easy to imagine him fitting into the life she'd been living for her first twenty one years as easily as he fit into the last two.
The man she lo...
The man she liked a whole lot.
She shook her head Stop doing that to yourself...what can you distract yourself with...oh yes, your job.
"Mr. Huntwick?" she asked the driver.
"Yes, Miss Janey?"
"Have you heard anything about the grave robbery?"
They'd stopped at a light, so Huntwick was able to pull out a handkerchief and mop his face. "Lor no, Miss. Damnedest fing, some tosser diggin' up Lord Thomas like'at. I was the one 'at found it. I'd 'eard th' burglar alarm go off, fought it was just another dog or somefin', 'at 'appens all th' time, but...bloody hell."
"So no leads yet?" TJ asked.
"None 'ey let me know, Miss Janey." he shook his head as the light turned and the limo got under way.
"Though I 'mit I told the Constable one fing, Miss Janey." Huntwick added. "Way jus' 'at grave was dug up, an' nofin' else disturbed, even 'ough the alarm went off I almost got th' creepy feelin' that 'ooever did it knew 'is way 'round the place."
TJ and John shared a look.
Did I just call her "Janey"? Her family is starting to rub off on me...
Her family...
Are you sure her grandfather was just an Earl? Because from here she looks more like the Crown Princess of a fairy tale kingdom...
Oh yeah...our job. Adonai do I understand what Pop went through all those years...
"Who would know the place and want to do such a thing, then?" John asked, mostly locking the lovestruck schoolboy part of himself back in its box.
"No one I can fink of, Dr. Johnafan." Huntwick answered.
"Maybe Uncle will have some insight." TJ nodded at John. He nodded back.
Martin looked out the window. "Not much further to go..."
The manor house was atop a hill, though not a very high one. A small lake was at the base of the hill, and the limo went over a bridge to get to the manor.
TJ nodded as he helped her out. "Yes. This is where Mum grew up...and a number of generations before her."
" 'Ello, Fenwick, I brought some more partygoers!" Huntwick told the man at the door, who looked rather a lot like Huntwick. Fenwick nodded, and consulted a list.
"Mister Martin Anderson, Miss Tessa Jane Anderson..." he looked at John suspiciously. "...With guest."
John grinned cheesily.
"Lord Sylvester is waiting for you." Fenwick said, checking off the new arrivals.
"Right 'is way!" Huntwick said, indicating the others to follow him.
"We know the way around here..." TJ nudged John. "...But you don't. Don't wander off and get lost."
"But then how will I get into trouble?" John asked with mock indignation.
TJ chuckled slightly, and nudged him again. "Behave. You're about to meet the rest of my eccentric relatives."
"Hey, you've been dealing with mine for two years now, so fair is fair." John replied. "Lead on, Milady."
"What? And miss this? I won't get another opportunity to go to a sixtieth birthday party until 2029!" Martin replied cheerily, shaking the man's hand.
"Janey!!!" the hatted man said excitedly, turning to TJ. "I scarcely knew what to say when your father said you'd be here!!! Seems like I barely see you anymore!!!"
"You just saw me last autumn, Uncle." TJ chuckled, as her uncle kissed her gloved hand.
"It seems so much longer." Uncle Sylvester shook his head, then grinned. "And that dress--my Dear, you look fabulous!"
John coughed behind them.
"Forgive me my manners!" Sylvester said, removing his hat and bowing theatrically. "Sylvester Cadonfloyd, Seven Earl of Lungbarrow, and you must be my niece's guest!"
"Johnathan Christopher Spengler, PhD." John responded, doing a bow of his own. He and Sylvester shook hands.
"I understand you're one of Janey's Ghostbuster friends." Sylvester stated. "She must be a credit to your organization."
"Very much so, yes." John nodded. "Janey is indispensable."
TJ was a bit taken aback. That's the first time John's ever called me "Janey"...it feels so odd...yet somehow...
Martin noticed this too, and raised an eyebrow.
Sylvester smirked slightly, gently elbowing John. "Is that in a professional or personal sense, Doctor?"
"Um..." John blushed slightly. TJ did too, then coughed.
"Do you have a moment, Uncle?" TJ asked him. "John and I want to ask about something."
Sylvester looked quizzical, then answered. "Certainly...to the terrarium..."
"My Mom would love this place." John said.
"Yours too? That makes all three of us, then." Sylvester said. "My Mum was a florist before she married my Father. My sister Lisa Jane liked to say hanging about in here gave her a green thumb too, and it's why she got into botany."
"Uncle, I hate to be direct..." TJ broke in. "But believe it or not, and I'm a little weirded out by the coincidence myself, a bit of family history came up when one of our colleagues was researching a case last year."
TJ then told him what she could about the incident the year before: the appearance of a mummy at the Zagnut concert was public knowledge; the talking cat and the mention of Thomas Cadonfloyd in the notes of an eccentric Orford man named Eric Collins was not.
After digesting the story, Sylvester looked contemplative. "Hm..."
"Did Grandfather, or your grandfather, Thomas's son, ever say anything about anything like that?" TJ asked him.
Sylvester started spinning his hat. "Well, there were all sorts of stories about Thomas being involved with, in Grandfather's words, 'strange people'. That Tobin character, for one, and an American, I think his name was Carter. But yes...I do remember a story when I was small, from Grandfather talking about the time he got into trouble for telling the other children at school about his father bringing home 'a really mean talking black cat'."
John and TJ looked at each other.
"That's about all I can remember. He and Father had a good laugh about it--you know what a cat lover your Grandfather Colin was--but I can't think of anything else. "
"Thank you, Uncle." TJ hugged him. "Should you think of anything else, let me know."
"I will." Sylvester nodded. "You really think this wanker mummy had something to do with the grave robbery?"
"We don't know, Uncle." TJ shook her head. "We hope not."
Sylvester shrugged, plopped his hat back on, and started back to the main hall. "I had better get back out there before your Aunt Dori sends a search party after me. Not even an Earl can disappear from his own party for long." He winked at them. "Take all the time you need, Dear."
There was an awkward pause as TJ and John were alone.
"We had better get back too."
"Yeah."
There was Paul Cadonfloyd, Sylvester's son and TJ's cousin. He managed several charities that the Cadonfloyds funded (including a cat rescue shelter founded by the late Colin Cadonfloyd). Paul's wife, Daphne Halloway, wasn't there, because their three year old younger son, Warren, "...Would find this adult party dreadfully boring and probably be asleep by now." Daphne was a medical doctor.
Present, however, was Paul's older son, nine year old Christopher. The boy had a buzz cut that made his ears look ridiculously large.
Christopher was awestruck when he realized who he was talking to. "You're a Ghostbuster like Cousin Janey?!"
"Yep. Hey, and I'm a Christopher too--it's my middle name." John showed him his GBX, but didn't let him touch it. "Sorry, I don't think Cousin Janey would approve."
"To paraphrase Johnathan's father, 'Ghostbusters equipment are not toys'." TJ said with mock sternness.
"Aunt Dori" referred to Dorothy Cadonfloyd, Sylvester's wife and Paul's mother. John remarked to himself that she was just the sort of blunt, no-nonsense woman an eccentric type like Sylvester needed; John was very familiar with that dynamic (in a fairly literal meaning of "familiar").
"You're from New York?" Aunt Dori asked. "You look more like you're from Ireland..."
"Great Grandma Lillian on my mother's side." John explained with amusement, pulling on a strand of his deep red hair . "She immigrated in the 1920's, and credited the guardian angel she said she had on her shoulder for the idea. And for meeting Great Grandpa Brandenburg."
Dori laughed, and pinched John's cheek. "Good choice this one is, Janey. He's going to fit in with this lot just fine. He already babbles about his ancestry in the proper Cadonfloyd manner!"
"Maybe we should get some punch?" TJ said, pulling John away from Aunt Dori.
"Thanks." John exhaled. "At least you didn't have to deal with all of my eccentric relatives at once."
TJ giggled slightly "She means well." She grabbed his arm and led him toward the food tables. "And Mister Huntwick makes a fine strawberry punch."
Fenwick briskly walked over to the car. "There's nobody else on the guest list! Who in the bloody hell is..."
A man with short, thick brown hair, goatee, and pony tail, wearing a dapper tuxedo, got out of it from the passenger side.
Fenwick stopped, and gasped.
"Really, Mister Fenwick." the man said breezily. "I would think that Lord Sylvester would approve of my attendance."
"But...where have you..." Fenwick started to sputter.
"Ask him if you have doubts, Fenwick. I'll wait." He turned to the obscured driver of the car. "Park where I told you to. I'll let you know when I need you."
Fenwick gulped, and started to dial a number on his phone.
Sylvester was relaying some family history "If you see the hill from above, it looks like a set of lungs--thus the name 'Lungbarrow'. The pond in the middle was named 'Cadon Pond'. So when some of our ancestors set up in the area in the late Eighteenth Century, their name was 'Floyd' until they renamed themselves 'Cadonfloyd' to sort of claim the pond, as it were."
TJ whispered "And this is the short version. You should have heard Grandfather Colin tell the tale..."
John chuckled.
Sylvester continued "The first Earl was William Cadonfloyd, who served the Royal Navy with distinction during the Crimea War, and Her Majesty Queen Victoria granted him a title. Six generations later, here I am probably boring you to tears, aren't I?"
Before John could answer (in the negative), Sylvester's phone rang. Sylvester rolled his eyes and answered it. "Problem, Mister Fenwick?" He listed for a moment, his face turning serious and slightly...confused? "Really? I'll be right there..."
"Problem, Uncle?" TJ asked.
"I hope not." Sylvester said cryptically, and walked off.
The two Ghostbusters sat there for a few more moments.
TJ inhaled deeply. "Father told you, didn't he? About what happened to my Mum?"
"Yeah." John nodded. "I know it doesn't help much to say I'm sorry, but I am. I can't even imagine what growing up without your Mom would have been like."
"I really envy you, you know." TJ said. "Not just because your Mum is still with you, and she's wonderful, even if she is a bit pushy doing things like making certain we were sent here alone."
"That's what Eden and I both figured too." John nodded. "Mom's a character, that's for sure."
"But it's not just that--it's what happened to us over the last few months, our two..." TJ looked around, measuring her words "..'strange adventures' that Delphia sent us on."
She was referring to their two recent time trips, first to 1986 to prevent one of the original Ghostbusters from being murdered by a deranged wannabe, the second to 2003 to help defeat a team of "Anti-Ghostbusters".
"You and Eden both, and Eric to a lesser extent, got an unfathomably unique gift. You saw your parents as they were when...well...they weren't that much older than we are now. And then you saw them as they were when you were four years old, basically as they were as you first really remember them." She sighed.
"Yeah...it still just...weirds me out." John admitted. "Especially Mom and Pop in 1986; they'd already known each other for almost three years and clearly had feelings, but were still neck deep in not knowing what to do about it." He shook his head. "I really am their son..."
TJ chuckled. "I do see a recurring pattern or two, yes..." She sighed again. "Is it so wrong of me to wish Delphia popped up tomorrow with a problem in London sometime in early 2005? Where I can write a note to Mum saying 'Don't take the tube on July 7'?" She shook her head. "I know, I've seen enough Doctor Who to figure I'd be told 'fixed point in wibbly wobbly timey wimey' rubbish.."
"Nothing wrong with you at all." John said. They had looked up and their eyes met. "It's not even in the same league as your wish, but I certainly wanted to shake 1986 Mom and Pop a time or two and go 'Just stop doing this crap and get together! Don't waste the next twelve years on bullshit!' "
She moved closer, eyes shining. "They would most likely be wanting to say the same thing to us, wouldn't they?"
"Yeah..." He moved closer. Those ruby lips looked so inviting...
She felt his warm breath on her face, but even that wasn't close enough for her anymore.
She gently removed his green-rimmed glasses.
He took her in his arms.
Their rapid heartbeats synchronized.
It wasn't a taunt or a comeuppance this time.
The kiss was mutual, heartfelt, and deep.
"Fantastic!" he whispered.
They both groaned as he pulled out his GBX.
She wiped her lipstick off his face with his handkerchief. "Janine's right--you really didn't fall far from that tree, did you?' she chuckled, before her face hardened, and she looked around, her police and Ghostbuster instincts starting to kick back in. "What is it?"
"Not sure..." he looked around. "The reading isn't strong, but it's..."
About then, they noticed that there was a commotion near the entryway. Paul came out of the crowd.
Christopher looked away. "I wasn't watching Cousin Janey snogging Doc Spengler! Honest!!!"
Paul patted his head, but otherwise ignored him. "Janey! You've got to get over here--you won't believe who just turned up!!!"
The source of the commotion was the man now standing with Sylvester.
John heard TJ gasp.
John took a look at the newcomer; he was wearing the sort of tuxedo John and the rest of the men in the room were also wearing. He was about the same age as John and TJ, and John realized that the newcomer looked, if you shaved off his goatee and ponytail, almost the spitting image of the younger version of Martin Anderson John had seen in a photograph earlier that evening.
Martin was regarding the newcomer with a look of shock on his face. He was shaking. "J...Jacob?! Is that...is that really you?!"
John's mind raced "Jacob"?
Martin chuckled slightly. "And she didn't hear the end of that for about a week. My son Jacob..."
"Come now, Janey, you know how much I enjoy surprising people." Jacob grinned.
Martin was about in tears. "Good God, Son, I just..." he grabbed Jacob and hugged him.
Jacob looked a bit uncomfortable, but after a few seconds returned the hug.
"I'd say this is quite the birthday surprise, isn't it?" Dori poked her husband.
"You have no idea..." Sylvester smiled.
TJ looked unusually intense. She whispered to John "He isn't the source of that PKE signal, is he?"
John blinked. "Huh?" He glanced at the meter. "No...it's outside somewhere..." he whispered back "...but not far away...you didn't really think..."
"I didn't want to, no." she admitted. "But there's been a damn rather impressive amount of coincidences lately..."
I don't have time for this... he angrily chided himself. I came here for a reason...
His eyes met his sister's.
Janey's suspicious. She's always been perceptive. She doesn't know why I'm here...but she's on guard.
His eyes narrowed.
Who is that with her?
"It is...good to see you again, Jacob." TJ said. "You can't imagine how worried we've all been..."
"I am a full grown man, Janey." Jacob replied, with an impish grin. "I had to find out who I am away from all the expectations of being an Earl's grandchild. I know you understand that."
"That's true." she admitted. Maybe she was just being too paranoid. "But still..."
"There will be time for all the questions later, Janey." Martin broke in, putting one arm around each of his children. "Today's still supposed to be about Uncle Sylvester, after all."
"Quite right." Jacob agreed.
"So you're TJ's brother, huh?" John spoke up. "Hope that PlayStation didn't get too badly damaged."
Jacob looked at the taller man. "She's been telling stories, I see. But yes..." he extended his hand. "...I'm Jacob Alexander Anderson."
"Johnathan Christopher Spengler." John replied, shaking his hand.
" 'Spengler'?" Jacob looked quizzical "And American? Oh my, Janey, I'm beginning to think you're human after all..." Jacob smirked, then went over to Sylvester. "Perhaps it's time for a toast or something, Uncle?"
John rubbed his chin, and looked at the GBX one more time. I don't know Jake as well as TJ does, obviously, but there's something...off about that guy...
As the others started to walk off, John paused. TJ noticed, and stopped as well.
"I need to check out that reading." he whispered. "I know places like this have a lot of history and it may be nothing, but..."
"First rule of Ghostbusting is never go alone." she whispered back. "But if I leave, especially now, it'll be noticed."
Neither one was happy about it, but they both joined the others starting to move to the dining room.
There were a few laughs in the crowd. John laughed too. I GOTTA tell Uncle Ray about this...this is great...
"Of course, it does have some benefits--I wrote to the Beeb and got to meet Jon Pertwee and Patrick Troughton for my tenth birthday! And in the Nineties there was a writer who even asked for permission to name a place on Gallifrey 'Lungbarrow'." After a beat. "Grandfather pretended it was an insult, but he actually got a kick out of it."
"But time goes on, and Grandfather isn't here anymore." Sylvester shook his head. "And three years ago Father left us. I like to think he's somewhere--call it Heaven, call it the Afterlife, call it the Other Side--having a right jolly laugh about this with Mum and Lisa Jane."
TJ felt herself tear up a little at that last remark.
"But let's not dwell on those who have left us! This very night a long lost member of the family, my prodigal nephew Jacob Anderson! Talk about a surprise birthday present!"
There were a few approving grunts.
"I'd say here's to sixty more, but since there's only been one person to ever live that long and no men ever have, I doubt I'll make it." There were a few uncomfortable chuckles. "But hoping to make it to eighty seven, and beating Grandfather Peter, well, that one I think is quite plausible."
"Just have to stop doing so much daft stuff, Luv." Dori quipped.
Sylvester feigned contemplation. "Well, okay. When I'm seventy, I promise!"
There was another round of laughter.
Not far away, Jacob Anderson looked contemplative. I'm growing bored with this smug self-congratulatory blather. He stood up.
"Something you like to say, Son?" Martin, who was sitting next to him, asked.
"A little party favor of sorts." Jacob said enigmatically, and pulled an item out of his jacket pocket. It was about the size of an orange, and looked like it was made of old, rotted stone in the shape of a skull.
"An Aztec death whistle?" John asked quietly.
Jacob blew into the whistle.
It made a horrific shrieking noise.
Everyone but John flinched and covered their ears.
Then he heard something else. A car door opening?
He grabbed his flashlight and started to look around.
The driver side door of 6D1US, Jacob Anderson's Mini Cooper, was one the one that had opened.
"Hey! You lot! I realize Mr. Jacob had you stay in the car, but..." Fenwick gasped. "WHAT THE BLOODY HELL ARE YOU!?!?"
He didn't get to say any more before he was smacked unconscious.
"You've definitely inherited Sylvester's sense of humor, haven't you?" Aunt Dori quipped. Sylvester looked like he wasn't sure whether to be shocked or flattered.
"The actual purpose of these instruments are disputed..." Jacob started to say.
"Prevailing theory is that Aztec warriors blew them at the beginning of battle, possibly to either intimidate their enemies or assure the warrior an honorable death. However more recent research suggests that they instead performed a role in religious ceremonies." John broke in.
Jacob smiled slightly. "I suppose I should not be surprised that a man named 'Spengler' would know of such things."
John shrugged. "My Pop has one of those."
"Right, but while this is certainly a ceremony, it's not a religious one and certainly not Aztec." TJ noted. "What possible purpose could that rubbish noise have served?"
Jacob Anderson gave a wide Cheshire grin. "Why, my dear Sister, it's a signal."
"Signal of what?" she asked, expression hardening.
The door to the dining hall was opened with a tremendous crash.
Someone...or perhaps something lurched into view. It was easily as tall as John, but with a stockier build; the creature had unnaturally ashen skin of a purplish tinge, save for one shock of bright orange hair at the top of its head. It was clad in a simple tunic and pants tied together by belts made out of vines, with soft shoes of clearly aged and abused material.
Most disconcerting, though, were its droopy eyes--completely blank white sclera, with no pupils or iris in sight.
"Why, to him!" Jacob replied.
"Johnathan! Look at it! It's the monster from the Zagnut concert!"
John realized TJ was right. Neither of the two, or John's sister Eden, had actually seen the creature that Eric said may have been called "Bombie" (Eric suffered a head injury that by his own admission made his memories of the attack suspect) but had been able to create what he felt was a reasonably accurate "police sketch" of the attacker.
TJ and John, now in full Ghostbuster mode, were still analyzing the situation.
"Jacob! Isn't this taking the joke a little too far?" Sylvester asked.
"This isn't a joke, Sylvester Cadonfloyd." Jacob said, his voice acquiring a new intensity. With that, he pulled some manner of high tech gun out of his pocket, and shot his uncle with it. A kaleidoscopic of energy swirled around Sylvester, and he crumpled to the ground. "This is science!!!"
"What in heaven's name are you doing?!" Martin screamed. "Jacob!!!"
John and TJ had both moved toward him. "None of you move!!!" Jacob snarled. "The weapon is currently set to stun, but I can change that with a flick of a switch!!!"
John, being a physicist and electrical engineer, could easily see the truth in those words. Might be using some photonic beam effects...
"Bombie!" Jacob shouted. "The man I stunned! He's our quarry!!!"
Bombie silently went over to Sylvester's crumpled form, and lifted it up as easily as lifting a pillow, and slung the unconscious man over its shoulder.
"No lasting harm will come to dear Uncle Sylvester, I assure you." Jacob said, pulling yet another item out of his jacket. A translucent green visor that he placed over his eyes. "But he's needed for a great leap forward! And he's the most suitable candidate of all of those available!!!"
Paul and Huntwick were holding back Paul's hysterical mother, who looked about ready to try to take on her nephew and the creature all by herself.
"Jacob!" TJ shouted.
"Don't call me that anymore, Janey Anderson." he replied coldly. "I have a new name now---I am Doctor Vidius."
She shivered.
"Jacob!!! Don't do this!!!" Martin shouted. "You're my son, I love you! We all love you!!!"
Jacob--Vidius--didn't even look back as he and Bombie left the room.
"He's not going to get away, we..." TJ started to say.
"We what, TJ?!" John said, clearly agitated himself. "We have no proton packs, no traps, and no idea where he's going and what he's up to!"
"We have to do SOMETHING!!!" TJ shrieked.
"Agreed, but..." John started to reply.
Behind them, Martin made a garbled noise. "Jacob...Janey...I can't...oh Lisa Jane how I've failed you..."
And then he crumpled to the ground, holding his chest.
"Father!!!" TJ screamed
Ghostbusters 2023 Created by Fritz Baugh and OgreBBQ
"Lungbarrow" is not a real place, but is instead an in-joke to a somewhat notorious Doctor Who novel written by Marc Platt in 1996, presenting an origin story of the Doctor that only looks restrained and respectful of continuity compared to "The Timeless Child". (So yeah, that business about "naming a place on Gallifrey 'Lungbarrow'" is me being meta.)
John's Mom's green thumb comes from "A Ghost Grows In Brooklyn" by Mark and Micheal Edens (RGB-76051; #250)
John's Great Grandma Lillian Brandenburg is a combination of a character seen in "Janine's Day Off" (RGB-76044; #201) by Micheal Reaves and Steve Perry; a character mentioned by Janine in a deleted scene in Ghostbusters Afterlife by Jason Reitman and Gil Keenan; and a fan character previously mentioned in my story "Mister Stay-Puft's Christmas Adventure"
The fact that John's Pop has an Aztec Death Whistle (a real item) is another trivia bit from Ghostbusters Afterlife
Characters not taken from official material were created by Fritz Baugh unless otherwise specified.
Some development of TJ Anderson aided by EGB Fan.
Ghostbusters UK created by Iain Bennett, Ben King, and Tommy Simpson
The "strange adventures" TJ mentions are two instances of time travel made earlier in 2023 by the current team of Ghostbusters, first to 1986 as seen in "Future Shocks" by me, and then to 2003 as seen in "Separated at Rebirth" by Kingpin.
Bombie created by OgreBBQ and Fritz Baugh. He was loosely inspired by the "Zombie Monster" from Kenner's Real Ghostbusters toy line. His name is a tribute to the classic story "Voodoo Hoodoo" by Carl Barks (W OS 238-02).