Mysteries of Unexplored Worlds #33

In the eerie quiet of a town listed on every map but seemingly abandoned, census taker Henry L. Tolliver finds himself isolated in Paulston, where no one answers his calls, his car disappears, and the streets are empty despite signs of recent activity. As he searches for help, he encounters a suspicious farmer who warns him not to trust anyone—only to confirm that Paulston doesn’t exist at all.

Humberto Logan, a wealthy promoter, discovers Eden Isle and builds a paradise for 2,000 elite residents, unaware he’s been manipulated by a mysterious, heat-dwelling being who controls the island’s dormant volcano. As the luxurious colony thrives, strange anomalies begin to surface—unusual temperatures, eerie warnings, and a growing sense of unease among the guests—until the volcano suddenly erupts, revealing the true nature of the island’s unseen master.

Jonathan Jones, obsessed with his theory of co-existing Earths across time, uses a spinning device to glimpse other versions of our world—only to accidentally travel back to the past, where he witnesses a grim, suffering humanity. Shocked by the vision, he returns to the present, aged and shaken, but relieved to be back with Lucia, vowing never to seek the future again.

Gregory, the crew's seemingly clumsy and out-of-place astrogator, suddenly displays startling new insight after a head injury, guiding the ship with uncanny precision. As the crew marvels at his transformation, Fanchia begins to suspect he’s not human—his alien nature revealed in subtle ways, like his ears and an eerie connection to the planet below. With Explorer VII about to land, Gregory prepares to leave them behind, hinting at a deeper truth about his origins.

When prospector Buxton stumbles into a restricted nuclear test zone, he narrowly avoids capture—only to vanish in an instant when a blast goes off at precisely the time he checks his watch. Though scientists assume he’s been utterly destroyed, Buxton awakens in a strange new reality, unseen and unheard by everyone he knows, including his loyal burro, Za Za.