The Screaming Jungle

The episode commences as Barbara, Ian, and Susan arrive in a dense, overgrown jungle, immediately confronted by Susan's terrified reaction to an unseen "screaming" sound, which she identifies as "evil." This initial encounter establishes an unsettling and dangerous atmosphere. They locate ancient ruins, the presumed hiding place of the micro-key, but find the main archway entrance impassable due to thick, aggressive vines. Ian, Altos, and Sabetha decide to circumnavigate the walls in search of another entry, leaving Barbara and Susan to guard the initial position. While alone, Susan is physically attacked by a seemingly sentient climbing plant, confirming the jungle's active and deadly nature, despite Barbara's initial dismissal of Susan's fears. Barbara then discovers a more accessible, hidden archway. Driven by urgency, she enters alone, navigating a dark tunnel to an idol where she believes she finds the micro-key. However, the idol acts as a trap, ensnaring Barbara and rotating to conceal her. Ian, returning with Altos and Sabetha, discovers Barbara's disappearance and the retrieved key. Sabetha, examining the object, immediately identifies it as a clever imitation, not the true micro-key. This critical turning point escalates the stakes, creating doubt about their ability to escape the jungle. With Barbara's fate uncertain and the mission significantly complicated, Ian makes the difficult decision to send Susan, Altos, and Sabetha ahead with the fake key, while he alone re-enters the treacherous idol to search for the real key and rescue Barbara.

Ian re-enters the rotating idol, emerging into a booby-trapped courtyard where he is immediately warned by Barbara, who has survived and navigated the initial dangers. They reunite, confirming the fake key and understanding the extreme peril of their environment. As they search for the real key, they encounter a series of deadly traps, including an axeman and a descending ceiling armed with knives, which ensnares Barbara. An old man, Darrius, appears, initially suspicious and questioning Barbara's identity, mistaking her for a Voord. After Ian frees Barbara, they discover Darrius is gravely injured and dying from the encroaching jungle vines, a stark illustration of the environment's accelerating destruction. Before succumbing, Darrius provides a cryptic clue for the micro-key: "D E 3 O 2," pointing to a hidden door. Ian and Barbara initially misinterpret this as a safe combination, attempting to open a safe in Darrius's living quarters without success. Their investigation then leads them to Darrius's diary, which reveals his biological experiments and the existence of a "growth accelerator" that has dramatically increased nature's destructive tempo. They realize the "whispering" Susan heard earlier is the sound of the jungle's accelerated encroachment. As darkness falls, tendrils visibly push through the walls, confirming the jungle is actively attacking the building, transforming their search into a race against a rapidly consuming, unnatural force.

The climax of the episode unfolds as the accelerated jungle launches a full-scale assault on Darrius's living quarters. Tendrils aggressively push through the walls, physically attacking Barbara by grabbing her ankles, creating an immediate and visceral threat to their survival. As Ian struggles to free her from the encroaching vegetation, his gaze falls upon a broken glass jar, revealing a chemical formula: NH4NO3. This visual cue provides the critical breakthrough, illuminating the true meaning of Darrius's dying words, "D E 3 O 2." Ian realizes the code refers to chemical elements, directly linking to Darrius's biological experiments and the jungle's unnatural growth. This sudden insight transforms their frantic search. With renewed urgency, they scour the remaining jars, quickly identifying and retrieving the genuine micro-key, which is hidden within the container bearing the correct chemical formula. The jungle's destructive advance accelerates further, making their position untenable. With the mission's primary objective achieved and their lives in immediate peril, Ian issues a desperate command for Barbara to activate her travel dial. They successfully escape the rapidly collapsing ruins and the overwhelming, deadly vegetation, securing the micro-key and progressing to their next destination, having survived the unique and terrifying threat of the screaming jungle.