Chapter 2: The Wrong Stuff

"Location: Retroville, The World Of Nickelodeon, July 12th 2109"

The Retroville Air and Space Museum was situated in the desert, a half-hour's drive from the center of the city. It was fairly large, having been built out of a decommissioned NASA observatory, and was one of the largest collections of experimental planes and rockets in the state.

Taffta wasn't very enthusiastic about it.

She sat in the Pink Lightning, a sullen expression on her face. Around her, the other Sugar Rush racers (except Candlehead), Cinndon, Candace, Damon, and Crepe were driving their karts, while Toxika was sitting with Vanellope in the Blender.

"Can somebody tell me why I have to come? And how did Candlehead get out of this?" Taffyta asked.

"She didn't. She's going to meet us there." Snowanna replied.

"Wait, I could have just used a portal to get there or something? Why didn't you tell me that?" Taffyta asked angrily.

"Because if I had, you wouldn't have showed up." Vanellope replied.

"I know, it would've been great." Taffyta muttered.

"Come on, Taffyta. It'll be fun!" Cinndon said.

"What the heck could be fun about a space museum?" Taffyta asked.

"Everything! It's a space museum!" Cinndon replied.

"Not everyone wants to be an astronaut, Sodagard." Taffyta said angrily.

Just then, the Sugar Rush racers, Cinndon, Candace, Toxika, Damon, and Crepe arrived at the museum. They pulled into the parking lot in front of the entrance to the museum and parked next to a rocket that was on a pedestal.

"Oh my gosh, it's a Saturn V!" Adorabeezle exclaimed, jumping out of the Ice Rocket.

"Look at the size of that thing. It says it's the tallest rocket ever used by NASA." Crumbelina said, impressed.

"This is going to be a long day." Taffyta muttered.

"Location: Amity Park, The World Of Nickelodeon, July 12th 2109"

"Mr. Collins, cancel my two o'clock and call Mr. Grey. I need to speak with him." Vlad ordered.

"Yes, sir." an assistant said.

Vlad strode into his office and sat down at his desk, his assistant closing the door behind him. He opened a drawer and pressed a button. A speaker emerged from the middle of his desk.

"Skulker?" Vlad asked.

"Plasmius? What is it now? I'm busy hunting!" Skulker asked.

"I need you to gather as many ghosts as you can. I need to gather a force against the Syndicate." Vlad replied.

"But you work for the Syndicate." Skulker said in confusion.

"I did, but now I don't. Offer them whatever they want, provided it doesn't concern Daniel." Vlad explained.

"Why?" Skulker asked.

"I don't pay you to question me, Skulker. Get to it." Vlad replied.

He pressed the button, and the speaker vanished.

"Location: Retroville, The World Of Nickelodeon, July 12th 2109"

Meanwhile, the Sugar Rush racers, Cinndon, Candace, Toxika, Damon, and Crepe waited in the atrium of the museum for a tour guide. They were not alone. Apart from Candlehead, they had been joined by P.I.X.A.L.

"Welcome, one and all!" a voice greeted.

A man walked into the room. He was a somewhat rotund and stocky man, with thinning brown hair and a moustache. He wore a green waistcoat with a white tie, blue trousers, and black sneakers.

"I am Jack, the curator of this museum. I'll be your guide today. We got things to see, so if you'll kindly follow me, the tour can begin." the man introduced.

The tour stood in front of a rickety-looking wood-and-canvas biplane.

"This is the Wright Flyer, which was flown by Orville and Wilbur Wright..." Jack started to announce.

"Wait a minute. Isn't the Wright Flyer in the Smithsonian in the real world?" P.I.X.A.L. asked.

There was a long silence.

"Please don't tell them." Jack replied. He then shook his head and said "Anyway, moving along…".

"And this is the Messerschmitt Me163 Komet. It was the first and so far only rocket plane ever to see military service." Jack announced, pointing at a very strange and rather stubby looking aircraft.

"Why didn't anybody else make a rocket plane?" Toxika asked.

"Because they are stupidly dangerous! Once your up, you only have six minutes of fuel before you plummet out of the sky! And it's got no landing gear, just skids! It's madness, utter madness! Only a fool would willingly take it up!" Jack replied.

"Vanellope, can I have one of those?" Candlehead asked.

"No." Vanellope replied, bluntly.

Swizzle gazed on the rocks, a gleam in his eye.

"One day." Swizzle whispered to himself.

"They're just rocks, Swizzle." Taffyta said.

"You don't understand." Swizzle said.

"And now for our latest exhibition, kindly donated by Doctor Craig Lawrence Amitous. The prototype Space Elevator." Jack announced, walking up to a large metal blast door at the other end of the museum.

He pressed a button thatwas next to the door. It lifted open and Adorabeezle's jaw dropped. She was looking at a large open silo, with a cylindrical metal box at the center. The box was attached to a long tall line of steel that stretched into the sky, and it was flanked by four massive rockets.

"It's... it's beautiful." Adorabeezle whispered.

"It's incredible." Rancis said.

"It's... pointy." Jubileena said.

Jack sighed.

"It's only a demonstration, I'm afraid. The real thing is being built in a secret location, so I heard." Jack explained.

Just then, his phone rang.

"Hold on, I have to take this." Jack said. He answered the phone and said "Hello... oh, hello boy, good to hear from... oh, fair enough, I'll tell them... bye then!". He hung up the phone, turned back to everyone, and said "My nephew just called. He's volunteering today and he's offered to give five of you a private look inside the Space Elevator.".

Adorabeezle's hand shot up. Jack nodded.

"Okay, you pick four friends and head inside." Jack instructed.

Adorabeezle looked at Taffyta.

"No." Taffyta said.

"Meanwhile, the rest of us will go look at some exciting airplane engines." Jack announced.

Taffyta sighed.

"Fine, I'll come." Taffyta said.

"I'm telling you, Taffyta, you just have to open your mind!" Adorabeezle said.

They, Vanellope, Candlehead, and Gloyd were making their way towards the door of the Space Elevator.

"I tried that. All that happened was that I got bored faster." Taffyta snapped.

"Come on, once you see what's in here, I guarantee..." Adorabeezle started to say.

Vanellope, Taffyta, Candlehead, Adorabeezle, and Gloyd stepped through the door, which slammed shut behind them, leaving them in total darkness.

"What in the name of..." Vanellope started to say.

A spotlight turned on, revealing a figure in the middle of the room.

"Why, hello there, Von Schweetz." Eustace greeted coldly.