Chapter 4- Memory Lane

"Judging by the density of these rocks and the 8.825 yards it spans over them, if we dig at an average rate of one foot per minute then we can maybe get out in time," Kowalski confirmed. "I am not exactly sure though."

"I can't believe we were so stupid," TJ moped. "This was completely my fault. I take full responsibility for what has happened here."

"But it's all my fault," Skipper insisted. "I shouldn't of let Steak Knife set that bomb."

"It doesn't matter whose fault it is," Lieutenant Austin argued. "Come on."

The beeping of the bomb made them snap out of blaming each other and they tried to move the rocks. They tunneled at the rocks and barely got anywhere, but their time would be up in twenty five minutes. They were getting nowhere.

"So this is how it's going to end," Kowalski said depressingly. "At least I think I lived a full life."

"Yeah, I think I might of too," Skipper agreed. "Steak Knife has prepared me for death for two days now. Just breathe deeply and think about your life as you live it."

"This isn't playtime in the snowdrifts, privates," Austin said sharply. "Dig for your lives."

They continued digging, but Kowalski knew that there was no point. They couldn't get through this avalanche. He lied about the calculations saying maybe, there was no possible way they could get out. They had to find some other way. He studied the boulder mountain and then saw a little shaft of light near the top. It was so small, but a little light shown in. He jumped up the rocks and to the top where he looked at the light. It was only about as big as his head. He tried to stick his head out, but it was too small. He felt the outer edges, but the rocks were so heavy there was no way he could move them. He thought he could just move the rubble aside, but it HAD to be made of solid rock. He kept staring at it and then listened to the bomb ticking with every passing second. He was the thinnest of the penguins and stuck his head inside. It was quite a squeeze, but he kept pushing until his shoulders got stuck and he was so compressed against the wall he couldn't move.

"Kowalski, what are you doing up there?" Skipper called.

"I'm stuck," Kowalski replied.

"What?"

"I said I'm stuck!"

"…What?"

"I'M STUCK!!!"

"I'll help!"

Skipper jumped up the rocks and then studied the situation. Kowalski was wedged in a boulder and was squished flat.

"Push me," Kowalski's muffled voice said. "Try it!"

Skipper shrugged. If he was going to die, he wanted to die doing something memorable. He pushed and pushed and Kowalski move forward a little bit. He edged forward until he popped out the other side.

"Kowalski!" he exclaimed. "You got out! I'm coming out too!"

"You're too big around," he protested. "Um, I'll try to do something."

Kowalski couldn't hear the beeping, but time was running out. What could he do out here that he couldn't do in here?

Think, Kowalski, think. What would you normally do in a situation like this?... I know! I will make an invention!

Kowalski started to scribble down blueprints for the invention while Skipper watched helplessly from inside. Kowalski needed an invention that would move the rocks with more force than a penguin. He needed a lever. HE could apply force to it and it would dislodge the rock keeping them inside. First, he needed a long stick of some sort. There were no trees out here so he needed something else like… a stalagmite!

He ordered Skipper to fetch him a stalagmite. Skipper just blinked with confusion and then went to find one. He returned with a sharp rock stalagmite. Kowalski tossed it up and down to test its density. It was perfect. Now he needed an applied force like… Oh, duh, a rock! All he needed was a rock to drop on it. He stabbed the stalagmite's sharp end under the rock clogging up the entrance and then climbed up the wall. There were plenty of rocks. He pushed at one of them. It rolled slightly. He kept pushing until it tumbled off the edge of the cliff and landed right on the stalagmite. The force of the rock popped up the rock and broke the stalagmite. The entrance grew as the rock lifted and Skipper squeezed out. TJ and Austin followed and the four of them were safe. Steak Knife was right. Even though the odds were against them, fate controlled itself and this happened.

"Yes!" Skipper raised a flipper for TJ to high five it. He just let Skipper hang there frozen in the air and didn't react.

"Uh…"
Skipper rolled his eyes. "None of you seem to get it. It's a high five. You're supposed to slap me back."

"We're not in the clear yet," he said seriously. "We have to get out of here or the bomb will still explode us. Move out, team. Back to the Well Deserved."

Sliding on their tummies, they slid down the mountain like sleds. The trip down was so much easier because they could just slide. They built so much speed until they were rolling right down the mountain. They made it down in no time flat. From the bottom of the mountain they could see the outline of the Well Deserved through the mountain fog. There was no sign of the Red October or Steak Knife. He must of already left to their misfortune. They had been tracking him down all over the world and right when they had him, he was gone again. They would have to continue their search until they got him.

The Well Deserved was just like it was a whole lifetime ago. Kowalski gave him the "Well, what do you think?" look and he just looked at it with a satisfied expression. There was the mast that he and Kowalski carried cinder blocks up when they were small. The deck was still as long as he remembered it, and it was still just as amazing as it once was. There was not a single animal's pelt in sight and it felt good to be home.

"Well, that Pole Cat did a good job at fixing it, didn't he?" Kowalski said brightly. "This was worth a golden compass I suppose, eh TJ?"

"That compass didn't mean that much to me anyway," replied TJ, even though he obviously missed it. "That's all it took to get a great ship back."

Skipper froze. "Wait. What did you say?"

"Maybe you should listen better. I said that I gave a golden Pole Cat my compass to fix my ship."

"He took the kits back home too," added Kowalski. "I hope they are safe with Elise."

"Oh."

"Something wrong, Skipper?" Kowalski pursued.

The others watched him curiously. He knew exactly who they were talking about. He remembered that one day snooping through Steak Knife's stuff when he came back limping and coated in blood, dragging the limp body of the Pole Cat. Steak Knife took off its beautiful, yet familiar, compass and hung it as a trophy like everything else on the ship. He decided to press information before spoiling the moment.

"So the kits are safe, Kowalski?" he confirmed. "That's good. Did that Pole Cat by chance… fill Steak Knife's ship with tar?"

"Yes, he did," Kowalski answered proudly. "At least he probably slowed down Steak Knife so we can catch him easily."

"I had to pick the tar out of that ship," he said lightly and then darkened again. "And then Steak Knife made me drive the ship to Atlantis. He hypnotized me to stay on the ship and I did. I will explain the whole story later. He came back with a dead golden Pole Cat with your compass, TJ. Steak Knife is obsessed with revenge."

"That's too bad," TJ commented and stared at the ground. "He was a great service to the military. I want all of you to know now, Steak Knife won't stop at anything to get revenge."

The Captain and the Lieutenant pressed Skipper for all the details on his imprisonment, but Kowalski pulled him away like he was the one who got access to the famous celebrity.

"Back off the questions, guys," he said importantly. "According to my other calculations, land is straight east if we travel north. Steak Knife is leaving by ship so we need to follow. Our ship is by far much faster than that old scrap heap so we should be able to catch it. We need to leave as soon as possible. Then we can get to the details. I guess I'll go-"

"No, you have been working too hard," TJ insisted. "You don't need to drive the ship there. I can just put it on autopilot."

Kowalski just stared. "Autopilot? You mean…all this time… there was an autopilot."

"We can only use autopilot if we have a set destination," TJ replied. "And I think we are going to Ecuador. Besides, I am going to promote you."

"Promotion," they repeated with excitement.

"They are too young to be soldiers," argued Austin.

"Well, they have done much more than the average private could possibly do," TJ complimented them so they stood up straighter. "Kowalski, you have really impressed me. From the beginning, I thought you and that notebook wouldn't even make it past level one. Well, you have proved in no time flat that when greatness is trust upon you, you can handle it."

"Um…thank you?" Kowalski remarked.

"So from this moment on, you two are no longer privates," TJ announced and saluted them. "You two are honorary soldiers of the military."

Skipper and Kowalski saluted TJ and felt very proud. All this training to become soldiers and now this was finally happening. They were just as highly ranked as the others before they disappeared. That meant no more drills, training, and being the lowest rank of the military. Now that the four of them were an unstoppable force, Steak Knife couldn't get away.