TRUCKS IN SPACE
Chapter 7 'Angie's Decision' or 'The Boss Comes Home'
DISCLAIMER: We wanna thank Mr Takachiho for the use of his Angelic creations and all the other nice folks who are kind enough to allow us to use their creations. Any of our own stuff well anyone is welcome to use them so long as we get credit for them.
Oro a cliffhanger we left ya with huh? Unless Angie changes her mind about helping out The Master and The Ranee, Johnny Berringer will kill poor Mr Hogg! The Grand Marshall merely blew a smoke ring and speared it with her cheroot.
"So oro? Go ahead and kill him if ya wanna. He ain't my problem. (Quick as lightning in the day she yanked out both Mark XIII's and trained one on The Master and the other on The Ranee) But committin' homicide, cold-blooded murder on my beat is my concern. So go ahead and as soon as Johnny boy ices Fatso I'll ice you and Mis Prima Donna over there. Your call, Master." she growled through clenched teeth and the time lord and lady knew she was not bluffing!
John slowly lowered his disruptor and reholstered it while slowly shaking his head.
"It ain't worth it, man. I saw Reds drop hoodlums as fast as The Shadow, baby. I couldn't protect either of you in time after I shot the praying mantis here so Reds, you win, Honey." said a very scared Berringer. The Master turned his cold eyes on Angie again.
"Very well. Try and leave my TARDIS if you dare. Until the bitch agrees to my terms, nobody is going anywhere! Reds, you could order her to comply, could you not?" demanded The Master. Miss O smiled and swallowed her java royale.
"I would never give such an order and you damned well know that, you maniac. Angie, believe it or not, I think he's on the level this time. Merely translating a map seems harmless enough. I am sure we can negotiate some terms so that at least part of this find is donated to a museum of your choosing. Would that be acceptable, time lord?" said the Boss coolly. The Master and The Ranee nodded.
"No problem with me, Reds. How's about it, Vicontessa? Truce?" chortled Johnny and at last Angie nodded.
"Twenty per cent of the haul. To be donated to the Garda Vula de Kontarres Museum on Kagura or no deal, Master. Agreed?" she said in a tone that meant there would be no further bargaining on her part.
"Ten." said The Ranee.
"No deal then." replied Angie and she stood up. The Master thought quickly and then crashed his fist onto the table.
"Agreed, Lt. Twenty per cent of orosoever (whatsoever) we may find will be donated to the Garda Vula de Kontarres Museum on Kagura in your name, my dear. Anything else?" said the exasperated Time Lord while the time lady looked daggers at him and Johnny grinned. He loved animosity in any form especially between these two idiots.
"Not in my name. In memoriam of my late uncle Giles Sylvestre de Montmartre de Roncesvalles whom your associate Khan cruelly murdered. Agreed?" cried Angela the tears streaming down her cheeks. Even though Khan had assured her that he had not ordered the old man's death still he had ordered his henchmen to torture him. In the end they had found out nothing and in anger Khan's lieutenant had blasted her uncle with a point blank disruptor bolt. Khan had killed the man himself when he had found out but not because his underling had killed Uncle Giles. He had killed him because with Uncle Giles gone so was the map!
"Agreed, my dear Vicontessa. You realize, I trust, that I had nothing to do with Khan? Had I been there, your poor uncle would not have been tortured and killed. You have my word on that and you can take that to the bank." said the Master defiantly.
"The old fool had one foot in the grave and the other one on a banana peel anyway. Who cares how he died?" laughed John Berringer and Angie sprang. However, the Ranee was quicker and slapped John across the cheek- hard.
"How dare you malign a Knight of the Templar Order, Berringer! Giles de Roncesvalles was a gentleman, something you could never be! Nor you, Master! Onegai accept my apologies, my dear child, for my associates' rude behaviour! Arigatou (Thank you) for agreeing to assist us in our quest for knowledge. But be warned. If you try anything underhanded I don't care whether you are the last of the line or not- I will kill you. Like Reds there I do not jest either." said the Ranee angrily.
"Let me see the maps. Where the Hell'd you ever find these? The last time I saw them was in a museum on Lydus V! Stole them probably huh? You know these runes are usually riddles, right? Hmmn. Stand where the three suns can be seen at sunset and all will be revealed. That means back home for us. Can this tin can make it, Mr Master?" said a suddenly excited Angie.
"Of course! This IS a Type 40 after all! Where is home, my child?" asked the Ranee eagerly.
"Shimougou. Either Elenore or Furool (Foo-Lon) City but I'd say they meant Furool because it's in the East." replied the girl.
"But don't the sun rise in the East and set in the West, Miss de Roncesvalles? I'm just an ol' Southern boy but I did learn that in school." said Boss Hogg.
"I didn't know you actually went to school, Boss. Uncle Jessie says you were always playin' hooky." giggled Daisy Duke.
A red-daced Boss Hogg admitted that but said he sometimes went to class and he did graduate. After that though he and Jessie Duke did become moonshining ridge runners which are the delivery men of illegal rot gut booze made in the hills of Southern USA on ancient Terra.
"You are quite correct, Mr Hogg. On Terra, your Earth, the sun does indeed set in the West and rise in the East but then again you only have a single sun and moon. Shimougou has three suns and a few dozen moons. There the suns all rise in the West and set in the East. The best vantage point there would be-" began Angie.
"The roof of the old Waldess Building or oro's left of it now!" I blurted out without thinking. Angie nodded.
"Exactly. So shall we head for home or not, Mr M?" finished the last survivour of the Knights Templar.
"Ranee. Have Glork change course and head for Shimougou with all possible speed. We should arrive in an hour or two. Change our outward appearance to now oro would not be too conspicuous? I have it. Have us resemble a 3WA starship. (Miss O and Miss D looked daggers at him but said nothing) Now my dear if you don't mind." commanded the time lord.
"By your command." said the time lady and she left the room. I rose to follow as did the rest. The Master waved us back to our chairs.
"Relax. I can't have you knowing where my bridge is located, can I? Glork will get us there. He is (He looked at the Boss lady and the Duchess) like your Mugghi. An inumata created biogentically rather than a nekomata created the same way. In other words he resembles a giant 3 metres (9 feet) tall dog rather than a cat! I liberated him from the Beast on Krull. He is fiercely loyal and will do oroever (whatever) I tell him to do and that includes kill so be warned. Now more java anyone or do you prefer tea?" said the Master.
"You Terran people may be interested in our games lounge. Anyone else is welcome to accompany us. Follow me. With your permission, my Master? (The time lord nodded) Then come along." invited Johnny Berringer. The Boss signed to us and Boss Hogg whom JB had been about to finish off that it was safe to accompany him. They left with the Dukes, the Sheriff and his deputy, Boss Hogg, Mr Destiny and Miss D. The Boss lady, the Brigadier and me remained seated. I for one did not trut anyone on this time traveling thing!
An hour later the Ranee announced that we had arrived. The Master rose, signed for us to follow him and off we went in his skysled to a strange looking room. At one end of it was a small stage with black squares painted on its floor. At the other end was a control panel built into a podium. The Master directed all of us (Johnny's group and the Ranee were already there along with a huge dog thing that was like Marmaduke only a lot bigger!) to stand on one of the squares. Then he activated some controls and dashed across the room to leap onto the square beside me.
Next thing I knew I felt like I was being taken apart! It lasted no more than a few nanoseconds, however, and then I was standing on the roof spaceport at the Academy beside the 'Lovely Angel 6'! I was sure there were only three with a fourth in Professor Cueball's lab but I said zilch. Miss O grinned and pointed out the glaring error to Miss D and the Brig who also got the joke and grinned. I didn't dare tell Angie because she was so honest she'd have said something about it.
"How far is this Waldess edifice from here?" asked our host.
"Twenty-five kilometres from here, time lord. Do you propose to walk?" chuckled Johnny.
"Nai, of course not. You (He pointed at me) will appropriate a conveyance large enough for all of us. Be back here in ten minutes or I will kill someone. I am not kidding, my child. Go." said the Master and I scooted off for the motor pool deck three levels down. Then the fun began. You see I'm only an Ensign and not an acting anything because I am still a cadet and as such I am not entitled to give orders to anyone save a subby or Sub-Ensign!
I got out on the motor pool deck and sauntered over to a shuttlecraft (It was the 'Andrea Doria' and I knew it belonged to my dad, Jim Jordan) and casually picked the latches. A meathook landed on my shoulder!
"Just oro in the Sam Hell are you doing there, Ensign? This area is off limits to cadets! Let's see some ID, girl and I mean now!" said Lt Commander Dynamo. He was a troglodyte, part dinosaur and part some other kind of alien and as a rule a nice guy. He was Chief Engineer on the Boss's 'LA2' or at least he was last time I ran into him. I tried bluffing him. Big mistake!
"I'm Jordan, Edna Jordan, Mr Dynamo, remember? Chief Jordan's my dad. I'm supposed to clean the 'AD' for him. Well it's sort of a punishment thing ya know? Anyway (I fished out my holo vidcard ID and handed it to him) if he finds out-" I blustered.
"Nobody told me and I'm OD (Officer of the Day) on this deck today. Gonna go for a joyride with those dipstick pals o' yours eh?" he said and I stuck out my hand for my card. He wasn't buying my story and he didn't return my ID either! I stamped my foot.
"Let's go see 'Daddy' and have a talk, shall we?" He turned to go and I snatched back my card and drew my Mark XII disruptor cannon.
"Let's not, Lizard! Lose the hardware- now! (He glowered and dropped his piece) Now march! (He preceded me to the shuttlecraft. Now open the damned hatch! (He complied. I knew oro I did next was probably going to cost me my commission but I did it anyway! I smashed the gull wing hatch portal down onto the giant and bashed him over the skull with my Mark. He went down like a pole-axed steer and I dragged him into the shadows of an X-Wing fighter and left him there with a note explaining our dilemma. I checked my wrist chromo. 3 minutes left!) Dammit! That lizard used up a lot of time!" I said aloud.
I leaped aboard, slammed down the hatch portal and fired up the nacelles. I had no idea how to use the thrusters yet. That class was still to come! I managed to lift off the floor and jetted to the end of the runway. I jumped out and pressed the airlock controls. I got back inside and floated the monster ship (The 'AD' was larger than the 4 Renaissance shuttles named after the TMNTs) out the airlock. I couldn't seal it behind me but oro the jigoku else could I do? I lifted straight up to the roof and hovered. I cracked the hatch portal and yelled I was back but I didn't know how to land this damned thing!
The Brigadier (Kami bless her) raced across and dove through the open hatchway. She quickly brought us onto the roofport and shut down the twin nacelle engines. Everyone piled aboard and Miss Angel said I'd done a good job which was tantamount to Sir Topham Hat telling Thomas he'd been a useful engine on that ancient Terran kids TV show.
We lifted off and sped at SubWarp 6 (I think the limit in the city is like SW 8) to the Waldess Building where she landed the craft. It was 1500 (3 PM) and still several hours before sunset. Luckily this place was deserted and in a run down sector of FC so we were safe from being challenged because I hadn't yet told anyone about poor Mr Dynamo!
"Now we wait. Sunset is at (Angie checked her 'Old Farmer's Almanac' which BION was still being published in AD 2255!) 1837 that means a little after half past six in the evening. I'm bored and tired. With your permission, Mr Master, I'd like to sack out for awhile." said our treasure seeker map translator.
"We will all remain on this vessel. I do not need anyone signaling for help. Did you have any problems liberating this ship, Miss Jordan?" he asked and I lied and told him nai. He nodded sagely and gave us the run of the ship. However, he kept the Boss lady and the Duchess in the lounge. JB and the Ranee were discussing tactics and the Brigadier nudged me.
"No trouble at all? C'mon Edna, oro happened back there?" whispered the blonde everything.
"Mr Dynamo was OD and he wouldn't believe my story that I was supposed to clean the shuttle for Daddy. So I, I, I knocked him out with the portal and bashed him with my cannon. I stuck him in the shadows and left a note where we were going. I'm sorry, mum but it was all I could think of doing." I explained and then began to cry. The Brig shushed me and told me not to worry about it.
"He's a trog and tough as they come. He'll be OK, kiddo. By the time they find him, we'll be long gone I'm afraid. Unless somebody spots that phony Angel 6 we're off on another treasure hunt to Kami knows where. Get some sleep, Suba. (I looked surprised because a Suba is a Subaltern which is one rank below a second looey! She fished out a paper and handed it to me) Your new commission came through just before we got the hijacking mission and the Bos said she wanted to pin your new bar stripes on you herself but you are a Subaltern (jg) nonetheless. Let's make this our lil secret huh? (I nodded) OK better sleep now. No way of knowing when you'll get another chance. (She checked her wristchromo) Three hours left. I'll wake you at sunset. Pleasant dreams, kid." said Miss Angel and I drifted into a doze from which I awoke when she gently prodded my arm.
"Time. Get up, Edna." said the Brig and we all trooped out onto the roof as the three suns were setting. Angie was using a thing called a sextant to study the darkening skies and finally tapped in a few things on her PDO (Personal Digital Organizer) vidpad. Then she smiled.
"Boss? (Miss O turned and said "Huh?") Looks like a homecoming for you. We go to the Omega Quadrant in the Sagitarrian Galaxy- to 'Workoh'." replied Angie and Miss O's face went as dark as a thundercloud!
Another cliffhanger for ya folks. Stay tuned for 'Casting the Runes' or 'Off to Neverland Again' in Chapter 8 coming soon. As always onegai R/R/S away. STG and the Boss Man KZ need all the help they can get these days. Sayonara hazu.
END of Chapter 7.
