The New Super Strawberry Squeeze 7000 Challenge!
In a strawberry field outside of New York, Kate Gardner bended down, and picked another strawberry from the green hairy vine. She put it in her basket, which was lined with a fancy red silk. Only the best for Camp Half blood's strawberries. She continued doing this, and picked all of the strawberries for the plant. She stood back up, and started to walk back to her cabin.
Her cabin was like a greenhouse, but with wood walls. There was a small assembly line on the inside. When Kate reached the cabin, she gave the basket to Lily and Rue, who were in charge of canning. Lily thanked her, and put them in three 8-ounce jars, filled with syrup. Lily shrewd the caps on, and passed it to Rue, who boiled the jars. In just a few minutes, they had four jars of canned strawberries. June packed them in a box, with the label:Delphi Strawberry Service.
Kate went back to harvesting. Only Three children of Demeter where in the field, The rest had other responsibilities, like training or quests. That made harvesting very, berry hard. In the past years, the Hephaestus cabin always made a new contraption to help them. Kate always refused.
The sound of water on rocks roused Kate's attention. A satyr was in the field, playing his pipes. The strawberries when mad, growing and mutating in all directions. "Hey, Kate!" The Stayer called. The Stayers always helped out, playing there reed pipes to make the strawberries grow.
"Hey, Cliff!" Kate yelled back, waving. Then, a small boy with red hair named Mat ran up to Kate.
"Kate, can you harvest the north field, I need to go!" Mat asked.
"Ok." Kate said. "What do you need to do?"
Mat looked panicked. "Um... Archery practice" . With that, Mat ran off.
"By Kate!" Cliff said, and went back to playing.
-le page break-
By mid-afternoon, Kate was thinking that Mat did not have archery, but was too lazy to harvest the North field. She could tell why. The sun seemed to be beating down at her from all directions, making her skin peel. Also, she was facing the forest, and that was scary enough without the strange sounds. The camp used the forest to attack monsters to fight. Sometimes, people went into the forest, and never came back. About month ago, a griffon came out of the forest. It was shot down by the Apollo cabin.
Kate had nearly three baskets full when she heard something out of the ordinary. Something artificial. Something that no monster could make. Only something of the Hephaestus cabin.
"Tick".
Kate looked into the forest. Only darkness. Kate squinted her eyes. She could just make out two 7-inch tall green glowing...things. Glowing green. She gasped. Kate gently put down her strawberries (So she would not damage them), and ran across the field. She stopped when she got to the Hephaestus Cabin.
"Rick!" Kate called. "Rick!"
"Yha, Kate" a boy said. said, getting up from his custom car that he was working on. Rick looked like any Hephaestus camper: large, dark, and in a grease stained shirt that would have said "Camp halfblood."
"There is an Automaton in the forest. Heading towards our fields." Kate said. Rick smiled, and his eye lit up.
"Cool!" Rick said, and he ran out, along with most of the Hephaestus cabin. Like they always did when something like this happened.
"It's in our North field" Kate explained. Now, most of the other campers also joined the group. There was excited mumming.
When they got back, it became clear that the Tick was not alone. Mechanical sounds were escaping the forest, and there were two headlights along with the glowing eyes. One in a while, there was a spark of light, with a fizzing sound.
"Tick BANG hic" The Bang was like a motorcycle backfiring. "Tick BANG hic…Tick BANG hic rattle-rattle-rattle…Tick BANG hic…Tick BANG hic…Tick BANG hic rattle-rattle-rattle...Tick BANG hic… Tick BANG hic-!"
From the darkness of the forest, and cow-casher appeared, along with a podium. "Tic BANG hic rattle-rattle-rattle…Tic BANG hic …"
Mummers ran threw the crowd. "This will be so epic!" Rick cried. Then, It stopped,and it chugged out faster. "Tick BANG hic…Tick BANG hic."
First, Kate did not know what she was seeing. Its main body was three red boxes, stacked on top of ecoer, each a foot farther away from another. They were also a foot high. The topmost one was warped near the end. It had gold foil around the corners. The back wheel only had a diameter of one foot, and was made of metal. The front wheel was made of wood, and had a three-foot diameter. A large metal hood covered it. Near the bottom ,there was a red box, with a glass window, with conveyor belt on the inside. On the Right side, there were two buttons, that looked like it had been messed with so the button could not be pressed.
On the top, there was a large light bulb, that was the source of the spark. It was taller than Katie. A curvy wire ran around its base, and it hummed with power. "Tick BANG hic rattle-rattle-rattle…Tick BANG hic"
After the light bulb, there were two veridical pipes, one with a ball for a top, and the other had a blown top. On the side, three small pipes ran into the device. It was connected to a barrel; which was connected to a large tube, with some type of sucker at the end. Instead of a drivers seat, there was a couch.
What was on it shocked everyone the most.
(Hey, reedy for some Ponies?)
The first reason why everyone was so shocked is because unicorns don't exist in Greek myths (Then again, neither do griffons). To add, they are wild, savage things, much like the centaurs in Greek myths. But, clear as day, where where two tan unicorns. Their hair was stripped like bacon, with their manes looking overgrown, and full of sticks. There tals where in the same way. They were dressed like barbers from old movies. They had strawberries on their flanks. One had a old-timey mustache.
The second reason why they were so shocked is that they jumped down. Their device kicked into high gear.
"Tick BANG hic…Tick BANG hic…Tick BANG hic rattle-rattle-rattle"
The one without a mustache stared out by saying:
"Well, look what we have hear, brother of mine,
it seems to be the same in every town:
hardworking people with dry mouths and sore backs, and no harvester to be found!"
"Maybe they're not aware that there is no need for the constant working" The one with the mustache said. "That you and I hold the key the solving the sad workman shortage and that you and I will share…"
The crowd murmured.
"Oh, you got opportunities" They both sang, while they started to walk, and throw up their hats. "In this very community!"
"He's Flim" said the mustache-less one
"He's Flam" Said Flim
"We are the world famous Flim-Flam brothers! Traveling salesmen nonpareil!" They both sung, dragging out the last word.
""OK, what?" Matt said
Flim ran up to Mat and said:
"Nonpareil, that's the reason why, you see?" Flim ran back up to the Device.
"No one else will give you a chance to be where you want to be."
"And That's a new world, with no work!" Yelled Flam. "Or any strawberry harvesting!"
"We can harvest more strawberries than what you are thinking" Said Flim, drawing out the last sybille in "thinking".
"So take this opportunity!" The brother sang.
"In This very community" joined the crowd.
"He's Flim"
"He's Flam"
"We are the world famous Flim-Flam brothers! Traveling salesmen nonparallel!" Again, they dragged out the last wood.
"Now I suppose by now you are wondering: about our strange form of transport" Said Flim.
"I say, our mode of locomotion!" sung Flam. "Tick BANG hic rattle-rattle-rattle…Tick BANG hic"
"And by now, you are wondering, where are these promised strawberries?"
"ANY PERSON CAN MAKE A CLAIM, AND ANY PONY CAN DO THE SAME!" sung Flam.
"But my brother and I" said Flim.
"Have the best new thing" said Flam.
"Unseen In any time"
"In this big new world"
"AND THAT'S AN OPPORTUNITY!" They dragged out the last word.
Flim ran up to people in the crowd. "It's the one and only, the biggest and the best!"
"The unbelievable!" Said Flam.
"Indispensable!" said Flim.
"I-Can't-believable!"
"The Flim-Flam-Brothers-New-Super-Speedy-Strawberry-Squeeze-7000!" They both sung.
"Tick BANG hic...Tick BANG hic!"
"So, what do you say!" Flim said.
"We got opportunities!" The crowd sung. "In our community, please Flim, please Flam, They will help us in our jam, with the Flim-Flam-Brothers-New-Super-Speedy-Strawberry-Squeeze-7000!"
The Device shifted gears with a large BANG!
"Tick BANG hic rattle-rattle-rattle"
Flam ran up to Kate. "Young girl, would you seem fit to let my brother and I use some of your wonderful strawberries for our presentation!".
"Tick BANG hic rattle-rattle-rattle"
"Um…fine" Kate said.
"Tick BANG hic rattle-rattle-rattle"
"Opportunities…Opportunities!" The crowd chanted.
"Reedy Flim?"
"Reedy Flam?"
"LETS BING BANG-ZAM!" Two green beams of magic shot out of the twins' horns, and shot into the vertical pipes. It traveled down, and the sucker came to life. It searched for a strawberry plant, and sucked it up.
"And show these tired people a world of wonderful strawberries!"
"Strawberries! Strawberries! Strawberries! Strawberries!" The crowd chanted.
"Now, as we speak" Flim said. -"Tick BANG hic rattle-rattle-rattle"- "The strawberries are being cleaned, and separated from the plant in the guts of The New Super-Speedy-Strawberry Squeeze 7000! Then,-"Tick BANG hic rattle-rattle-rattle"- They are canned and shipped out the back! This can cut the work in-"Tick BANG hic rattle-rattle-rattle"- half! We can harvest this enter field, in less than a day!"
"Strawberries! Strawberries! Strawberries! Strawberries!" The crowd yelled.
"Tick BANG hic rattle-rattle-rattle"
"So, who wants to put the Flim-Flam-Brothers-New-Super-Speedy-Strawberry-Squeeze-7000 up to the TESSSSST!" sung Flim.
"Tick BANG hic rattle-rattle-rattle...Tick BANG hic rattle-rattle-rattle"
"Hey!" Yelled Mat, giving his hand out to shake. "You can harvest the fields, and we can split the profit!"
"I also agree!" Said Lily. The rest of the Demeter cabin also agreed.
"So, it's a fact. We will split it 75" "25!" Flim and Flam said, together.
"In whose favor?" Kate asked.
"US!" Flim said.
"We provide both Super-Speedy-Strawberry-Squeeze-7000, and the magic to activate it!" Flam explained. He glowed his horn to show.
"Then No deal!" Kate said.
"Ok then, If we are not partners!" Flim said.
"Then we are competitors!" Flam said. "Hear, get your nice, Flim-Flam made candied Strawberries!"
"Lets get out of hear." Kate said. "I need to harvest strawberries."
"But, we can use it!" pointed out Mat.
"Kate, I think that we should do it." Lily said.
"And lose the profit?" Kate said.
"What Will it be?" Asked Flam.
"Still No!" Kate yelled. "I am going off to make some….strawberry cider!"
"There is no such things as strawberry cider." Lily pointed out. Kate dismissed her, and stormed off.
"But we can make Cider too!" Flim said.
-le page break-
"Tick BANG hic…Tick BANG hic…Tick BANG hic rattle-rattle-rattle" The device sang, as it lay ital. That was the sound that Kate herd. All day, as she picked the berries, chopped them, and boiled them in jars. All alone. "Tick BANG hic…Tick BANG hic…Tick BANG hic rattle-rattle-rattle"
How do two unicorns just go into camp, and persuade the enter camp with just a song to give them 75% of their profit? Kate wanted to know that. Then, when she was in the middle of canning, Lily ran up to her.
"We are doing a pact with the Flim-Flam brothers" She explained.
"Good. How is it?" Kate said, relieved.
"65-45"
"What! Let me talk to them!" Kate said, and ran out of the cabin, and to the brothers.
"Tick BANG hic…Tick BANG hic…Tick BANG hic rattle-rattle-rattle… Tick BANG hic…Tick BANG hic…Tick BANG hic rattle-rattle-rattle".
"HEY!" Kate yelled, running up to them. "Hey, Stupid!"
"What is it, Kate?" asked Flim.
"Is something of the matter?" asked Flam.
"Yes, something is of the matter. It's you!" Kate said. "Get off my land!"
"Oh, are you wary because of our horns, If so, I can gladly explain how we got here, if that is the case." Said Flim.
"No, I want you to get off my land because you want to take the job of strawberry harvesting." Kate explained.
"Oh, but you can't make us!" Flam explained.
"Yes, You have been overruled by your own cabin" Flim said. "Its a unanimous vote!"
Now, Kate was on her end. She did the only thing that could save her, her job, and her summer.
"Ok then, But first, I challenge you to a strawberry game!" Kate yelled, pointing to the brothers. Flim laughed.
"Ok then, wow Flam, that was fast, you have one hour to make more canned strawberries than us. It starts at… Three-Thirdly. That gives you Thirdly minutes to prepare!"
"Deal!" Kate said.
A few seconds later, Kate was regretting her act. How would she do it? Kate's thoughts were imputed as she heard: "Tick BANG hic…Tick BANG hic…Tick BANG hic rattle-rattle-rattle… Tick BANG hic…Tick BANG hic…Tick BANG hic rattle-rattle-rattle… Tick BANG hic…Tick BANG hic…Tick BANG hic rattle-rattle-rattle" The Super-Speedy-Strawberry-Squeeze-7000 was moving to a new part of the field. Flim tipped his straw hat to Kate. "HAVING A GOOD TIME?" Flam yelled. The brothers laughed.
"Hey, Want any help?" Cliff ask, appearing out of nowhere.
"GHA!" Kate said, taking a step back. "Don't scare me like that."
"Sory." Cliff said.
"No, I will not accept help. It's the Demeter cabin only." Kate said. Kate knew that she would regret her didson.
At 3:30, Kate was there. She was ready. She was going out with a bang. Flim and Flam where laying on the couch. Lily stated the rules.
"Now, the Teams have an hour to make the most canned strawberries. Reddy, Flim and Flam?"
"Reddy!" Said Flim and Flam, at the same time.
"Reddy, Kate?" Asked Lily.
"Yes?" Said Kate.
"Good. GO!" Lily yelled.
Flim and Flam did not do anything for a few seconds. Then, they got up, and shot two beams of green light into the Super-Speedy-Strawberry-Squeeze-7000. The Hose searched for a plant, and sucked it up. Flim and Flam sat down again. The Super-Speedy-Strawberry-Squeeze-7000 just went on, and sucked up the rest of the plants.
Kate ran up to the Hephaestus cabin. She hoped that they kept them. She could remember each one clearly. The harvesters.
After ten minutes of moving around cars and engines, she found one. It was a modified lawn mower, and a metal cage was on top of the mower, with a duct leading to the bottom of the mower. She took that out. She ran back in, and pulled out two canes with hooks on the end. One of the most basic ones, but she could use it. Kate attached the sticks, and tuned on the mower. She was going out with a bang.
"Hey look, now who hates technology!" Rick said, walked up to Kate.
"Leave me be, Rick." Kate said.
"Well, you see, I talked to the brothers, and now, I can help you. I would hate to never use that mashery." Rick said.
"Fine, get started." Kate said. She smiled.
Soon, Rick was driving a car threw the field. The frond was two rotating pieces of metal, with nails on it to take in the strawberries. The rest of it was flat, except for to cockpit. It gave out a loud rumbling sound. Kate was in the Hephaestus cabin, running the berries into a assembly line. They were producing strawberries almost as fast as Flim and Flam.
"Um, Flam?" Flim said.
"Yes." Flam said, getting up. He was getting ready to take a nap, feeling 100% certain that they would win.
"They're gaining on us." Flim said. Flam looked at the team, on the other end of the field. They had about 18 boxes of canned strawberries, to their twenty. Flim horn started go glow.
"No, not that. Moor steam!" Flam said. Flim ran to the back of their device, and used magic to turn a knob. Smoke started to come out of the vertical pipes.
"That will do the trick!" Flam said, and laid back down.
"They're going faster now!" Kate said. "Got anything that will go faster?"
Rick stopped his car, and said: "No. But, there is a can of lubrication in the cabin. It is in a coffee can. Bring it out, and put it in my fuel intake."
Kate did so, and Rick pushed a button that said: Maximus overdrive. The rumbling increased, and Rick slammed the gas pedal There was 10 minus left.
"TIME!" Lily called. Both teams stopped their devices. "AND THE WINNER IS...KATE AND RICK!".Kate ran up to the brothers, who had their mouths open.
"HA!" She yelled. "We won! Now, Get the Hades out of my land!" She pointed towards the forest.
"Um...fine" Flim said. They started up the device.
"I win! I beat the mashen!" Kate said.
"Yes, you did." Lily said. Flam started it up.
"Now get out! Out I say! OUT OUT OUT!"
"Ok Kate, we get the point-"
"OUT!" The brothers derived on, getting away from the camp, and Kate. Kate smiled. Rick walked up.
"You know what you should do? Write a letter to my dad. Apologising for your bashing of technology." he said.
"Fine then. Get me a pen."
-Le page break-
Dear Hephetis
I wanted to tell you that I am sorry for refusal the help of your children. That is all.
P.S eat your strawberries. We have too much of them now.
Katie Peat.
-Le Epilog-
AppleJack heard a familiar sound. "What do they want now..." She said. She stopped AppleBucking, so walked to the road.
"Tick BANG hic...Tick BANG hic…Tick BANG hic…Tick BANG hic…Tick BANG hic…Tick BANG hic..Tick BANG hic… Tick BANG hic"
"Ah told yall! Get off of mhy... wat?"
Rick was on his own device, modeled after the original Super Speedy Strawberry Squeeze 7000. He looked at AppleJack. He looked around.
"Screw this, My world is messed up enough." He said, and drove back to the EverFree forest.