Chp. 1

Sparkswood was more than Flint Lockwood had ever imagined. Not only did he finally obtain the perfect laboratory, but the love and friendship he'd been longing for since childhood. Much of the vegetation covering Swallow Falls had been cleaned off for the citizens to rebuild their homes and businesses while keeping the territory of the Foodimals, such as Coconut Falls and Big Rock Candy Mountain, bordered with 10-foot metal fences several miles away from town.

On that particular morning, as an orange sun rose on the horizon, Flint Lockwood and Sam Sparks were inside the top floor of their lab, the round den that used to belong to Flint alone. They were standing at a round table that sat in between the two gaping computer monitors to their left and right.

Using the greatest of care, Flint placed an object covered in tarp on the table as if it were as fragile as a newborn baby.

"Behold…the latest addition to Sparkswood technology…another amazing, yet hopefully NOT dangerous, innovation in the world of science…I give you…"

Flint pressed a red button on a remote control, and a tiny metal claw lifted the tarp.

"The Brain Transmogrifier!"

The tarp revealed a black motorcycle helmet with a red police siren bolted to the top. There was a horizontal row of four toothpaste caps on each side of the helmet, modified to resemble tuning knobs, as one would see on a radio or vintage television. A vertical, clear, plastic meter sat above each knob. On the far right, toward the back was a genuine tuning knob, the size of a man's palm, with the words "On" and "Off painted on the helmet with white permanent marker. The same marker had also been used to decorate the helmet with Flint's signature, jagged-line pattern.

Sam's eyes lit up. "Oooh…what's it do?"

"With enough fine-tuning and solid testing, this device will be a breakthrough in the everlasting struggle to rid the world of mental illness!"

Sam gasped. "Oh Flint, this is probably your most generous idea ever! Think of all the lives we could save with a remedy like this!"

Flint beamed and shook his hands like an ecstatic teenage girl. "I wish I could show this to all the doctors in the world! They'd all love it!"

Sam opened up her WWN email account in her computer behind Flint's. She had 193 unread messages in her Inbox. "You know, Flint, ever since that incident with Chester V, the Weather News Network has referred us to all sorts of other news outlets across the country! National TV News, Knox News Station, New York Times! They all wanna hear stories about us and Sparkswood!"

Flint's eyes went wide at all the emails. "Whoa! Well, I said we need all the friends we can get, so this'll be a chance for us to go make some!"

Just then, a voice on an overhead intercom spoke out. "Flint, Sam, you two want some breakfast?"

"Sure, Dad!"

"Coming, Mr. Lockwood!"

Flint and Sam headed down an elongated, pneumatic, elevator tube down toward the kitchen, and had turned Flint's theme song into a duet for the two of them to hum to each other.

At the base level of Sparkswood was a replica of the Lockwood's kitchen from their old house. While Tim fried some eggs on the stove, Manny read the morning newspaper at the kitchen table. Barb was fixing up some coffee by the brewer.

She stared at Steve with affection as he nibbled on a pancake covered in syrup.

"Oh, Steve, last night was wonderful! We should do something like that again really soon…"

"Sweet!"

Barb blushed. "Oh, you!"

Everyone stopped and turned around as the elevator gently landed in an opening next to the fridge, and Sam and Flint finished their duet.

Tim smiled. "That's a cute little song you got there."

"Thanks, Dad, though it's not really a song yet. Still a work in progress."

Barb poured everyone some coffee in some colored mugs, and served one to everyone at the table. "Here ya go, guys. A mild mocha for Sam, a soy latte for Flint, and Manny? Un cappuccino con mocha extra, y un toque de menta."

Manny smiled, and took his mug. "Muchas gracias, señorita mono."

Tim joined the rest of his family down for pancakes. "So, son, what are you and Sam workin' on up there?"

"Well, besides the Brain Transmogrifier, I've been meaning to test a new invention that's the perfect touch for life's most exciting moments! The Para-Shooter!"

Flint held his hands up as if he thought he was holding it, but instead, he was holding Manny's camera case. Flint's face went wide with alarm. "Where is it?! Where'd it go!?"

Just then, "STEVE!"

Steve was outside by the front door holding a brown backpack that had a white pull string dangling out the flap.

Flint raced over waving his frightened arms in front of him. "AHH! STEVE, NO NO NO NO, DON'T PLAY WITH THAT! GIVE ME BACK THAT-"

WOOSH! The minute the string was pulled, Flint and Steve were shot up several hundred feet in the air with the backpack! They were being propelled by a miniature rocket turbine, which left a thick trail of smoke and confetti where they had taken off. When the two were about a thousand feet in the air, they started plummeting back down!

Flint dug a desperate hand inside the pack. "WHERE'S THE PARACHUTE, WHERE'S THE PARACHUTE?! C'MON, C'MON, HURRY!"

FWOOM! The parachute shot up when they were a hundred feet above their mailbox, landing gently on the ground just in the nick of time. Sam, Tim, Barb and Manny were waiting below.

After the two had landed, Flint and Steve trembled violently on the front lawn as one would during Earthquake. Everyone else helped Flint up to his adhesive-coated feet.

"Flint, are you ok?!" Sam cried.

"You're shakin' like a leaf, son!" Tim added.

A mere three seconds later, Flint stopped shaking altogether, and instead, beamed with excitement. "YES! Ha ha, it worked! Oh, I can't wait to try that again!"

As Flint stuffed the parachute back into the backpack, the gang helped pick up all the mail that had scattered on the grass. Barb noticed one particular envelope, cocked her head, and then gasped when she saw the address.

"FLINT, FLINT, GUYS, YOU GOTTA SEE THIS! YOU GOTTA SEE THIS!"

Barb handed Flint the envelope. It had a red, presidential seal stamped onto the flap, a stamp of the American Flag, and it was sent from Washington DC!

"It's a letter from…THE WHITE HOUSE?!"

Flint quickly opened it up, and read it out loud.

Dear Mr. Flint Lockwood,

In light of your recent, extraordinary acts of heroism in regards to the food storm and the defeat of Chester V, I invite you to speak at a public convention, sponsored by the National Science Foundation, at Washington D.C. on November 1st of this year. This esteemed, government organization has recognized your outstanding courage and contributions to science as deeds worthy of nationwide appraisal. Should you, your friends, and family decide to attend this exclusive event, you shall receive an official Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Mentoring, and a $1,000,000 grant for an expansion of Sparkswood Laboratories at any United States location of your choosing.

It is an immense honor having brilliant minds as those now running Sparkswood Laboratories pave the way for the future of science in America.

Sincerely Yours,

UNITED STATES PRESIDENT WILLIAM OSWALD BAINE

Sam's eyes and jaw gaped. "The President wants us to come and speak about Sparkswood?!"

With wide eyes and an even wider smile, Flint pulled the string on his Parashooter again without a trace of hesitation, sending him flying up in the air again.

"WOOO-HOOOOOOOO!"

Steve stared up and jumped excitedly. "Go! Go! Go! Go!"

Barb nodded and swooned with ecstasy. "Well of course we're going, Steve! Finally, a golden opportunity for all mankind to see apes in a more respected light!"

Sam added. "AND he's given us a million dollars to expand Sparkswood to another branch in the rest of the US! We can inspire people all over the world in ways Live Corp could only dare to dream!"

Manny was filling out page after page in his tiny notepad. "I will make sure each and every member of my biological and surrogate family hears about this."

He then put his hat over his heart and stared up at the heavens. "Great Grandfather Abuelo, today, I have made you proud."

Tim caught his excited son in his arms and smiled. "I don't believe it. My son, a national hero. I don't think your mom would've been any more proud of ya."

Flint smiled back and hugged his dad for a moment.

Sam wrote down some more on Manny's notepad. "And we can't forget to invite Earl and Brent! Oh, and the whole town's gonna wanna watch too! Manny, make sure Swallow Falls stays connected to the major news networks!"

Flint shook his fists together with excitement. "How soon can we get there?! How soon can we get there?!"

Sam looked at her cell phone. "Well, today is October 25th, so the event's not for another week."

"Then it's settled! We'll leave in twenty minutes!"

"Huh?!"