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Thanks to campy for proofreading this chapter.

KP © Disney; original characters © the author


I.

The Enterprise's command center was on full alert as the crew monitored the giant craft that had emerged from beneath the Pacific.

"Status?" Cochrane asked the young officer intently studying a large display relaying data from the fleet, satellites, and surveillance aircraft.

"Sir, the object is continuing its ascent and it's accelera—whoa! Something's just emerged at high speed!"

"What is it?" the captain asked.

"I'm not sure, but—"

A boom ripped through the center.

"It's traveling at supersonic speed," Cochrane offered. "Any communication?"

"Negative, sir."

"How about from the submersible? Any word from our people?"

"None, sir."

Cochrane's jaw set. He didn't like the way this situation was unfolding. Turning to his Executive Officer, he said. "Tell Mitchell to scramble his squadron."

"Sir?"

"Since Ivan built that thing back during the Cold War we have to proceed as if anything launched is hostile. We also have to assume that it's connected to whatever is going on – including the fact that we can't raise Stark or Possible. I want that aircraft or whatever it is brought back or brought down."

"Aye, sir."

Cochrane then looked to his communications officer. "Rodriguez, get me the Colorado."

II.

"Ron!"

"KP!"

The two teens ran to each other and embraced, though not for long.

"We have to go, now," Kim said with calm urgency. "It's—"

"Going to blow up."

"And you know that how?"

"Ron Stoppable may not have been a Middleton High mathlete, but even he knows flashing lights and a scary mechanical voice repeating itself usually add up to 'this lair will self destruct'."

"Glad you've been paying attention," she said with a fond smirk. "Where are King and Stark?"

"Trying to get this thing to not self-destruct."

"No time. We have less than five minutes."

"That tanks."

"Tell me about it. I so don't like it when the villain gets away."

"Katerina escaped? How?"

"Long story, I'll tell it later. Right now, we have to get King and Stark and get to the escape pods."

"You found some escape pods? Coolio!"

Kim squirmed. "Something like that. Now, let's do this."

III.

King was cursing the presumably long-dead East German writers of the Luna's operator's manual. The reference volume was ponderous, opaque, and maddeningly ill-organized.

"Status report?" Stark demanded after King muttered another expletive.

King shook his head. "No luck, sir. These guys may have been brilliant engineers, but they couldn't write instructions to save their lives. Or," he sighed, "ours."

Stark grimaced. "There must be some way …"

"If I had unlimited time, sure," an exasperated King said. "But we don't."

"We don't know that," Stark countered.

"Yes, we do," Kim said as she and Ron entered the Command Center.

"Where's Comrade Cousin?" Stark asked.

"Flown the coop," Kim said, not bothering to hide her pique. Then she added, "And we need to do the same."

IV.

The captain of the Colorado took off his headset, which he lay down on the console. Then he looked at his weapons officer. "We just got the order to splash that thing."

"Tomahawks, sir? Two should do it."

Collingwood considered the suggestion then gave the order. "Make it happen, Pete."

"Aye, sir." The man acknowledged as he picked up his mike. "Torpedo room, this is Rickover …"

V.

"Okay, we're here," Kim announced. "The pods are unlocked. Once we get in, we should be good to go."

"This is a little too convenient," Stark said accusingly.

"Excuse me?" a surprised Kim responded.

"You and Vozmozhniya seem pretty tight. She tells you where the escape pods are, you let her get away. I'm beginning to think you're in on this whole plot, Possible."

"You so can't be serious," an offended Kim replied.

"Sir, no disrespect," King interjected, "But…"

"But what?" the SLUG snapped.

King took a deep breath. "You're thinking too much."

"Detonatsia logovo proizoidet v'schestyidesyat sekindach. Povtoreniye: detonatsia logovo proizoidet v'schestyidesyat sekindach … pyatydesyat devyatyih sekindach … pyatydesyat vocemyih sekindach … pyatydesyat cemyih sekindach …"

"Uh oh. Mister Comrade Computer Voice just repeated himself and now he won't shut up. That's probably not a good sign, is it, KP?"

"Probably not," Kim answered Ron, thankful for the moment of off-beat normalcy. "We'd better ace this place."

Stark did not look pleased but found himself in agreement. "Possible, you're with me."

"Excuse me?" Kim said.

"I'm keeping an eye on you, just in case you have any more tricks up your sleeve."

"Sir," King said.

"What?"

"Just get in," he said as he pushed his fellow SLUG into the escape pod. As he climbed in after Stark, he grinned at Kim and Ron. "Good luck."

"You, too," Kim replied gratefully.

"Thanks, dude," Ron added.

"You're welcome," he said as he closed the hatch.

"That was nice of him," Ron said.

"So nice," Kim agreed, not unaware of how much more pleasant being cooped up with her BF was going to be than being stuck in cramped quarters with a slightly unhinged Navy commando. "Now let's jet."

VI.

The arrival of her cousin and the others aboard the Luna had told Katerina there had to be some American presence in the vicinity. So, as soon as practicable after leaving Luna's hangar bay, she had executed a one-revolution barrel roll, affording herself the opportunity to perform a quick visual reconnaissance of whatever assets they might have in place in the vicinity.

The discovery of the aircraft carrier was not welcome. Katerina had seen how quickly aviation technology had developed from the 1920s, when she was a girl, until 1959, when she had embarked on her current plan. She couldn't imagine what advances had taken place in the intervening half century. She was confident, though, that superior flying skills and the ability to take and hold the initiative would still be immensely valuable.

The modifications to her MiG-21 would be helpful, too. As soon as she had flown out of the Luna's hangar bay, she activated her plane's combat countermeasures – which she knew would be primitive by modern standards but hoped would be robust enough to at least distract, if not disable, the American's weapons. As she streaked across the Pacific sky, her plane deployed thousands of small pieces of reflective metal, which, in the afternoon sun, provided a dazzling sun-lit floating screen designed to confuse anti-aircraft weapons by offering a myriad of potential targets. As the U.S. Navy fired upon, but missed, her plane, she grinned with satisfaction. She didn't become complacent, though, having little doubt the Americans would send aircraft in pursuit. She quickly went to supersonic speed, feeling it would be prudent to put as much distance between herself and the enemy as possible.

Her evaluation of the situation was quickly affirmed, as her radar picked up four targets, all moving at high speed on an intercept course with her MiG. It soon became evident, however, that she could outpace the Americans. She smiled in triumph: she could not only fly faster than her pursuers, but unless their aircraft were powered by miniature nuclear reactors as hers was, she could outdistance them, too. Katerina's escape was guaranteed, though that didn't surprise her.

After all, anything was possible for a Vozmozhniya …

VII.

Kim scanned the interior and quickly spied a large red button. Confident that was what she was seeking, she turned to her boyfriend. "Make yourself comfortable, Ron, we're taking off."

He looked around. "Comfortable? There aren't any seats! You'd think they could have included some seats. And maybe some amenities," Ron said. "Like a cup holder. Or maybe—"

"Quiet, please and thank you," Kim said as she pressed the button. The pod disengaged from the lair with a lurch, sending the two teens sprawling.

Ron hit the deck and Kim landed atop him. "I can work with this," he said with a goofy grin.

"Me too," she agreed as she brushed her lips against his. "But we need to get our heads in the game."

"What do you mean?" Ron asked. "We've blown Katerina's hood—" His observation was interrupted by the boom of an explosion which was followed by the momentary flooding of the pod with a fiery bright light.

"I think you mean 'blown up' her hood," she said archly.

"Bottom-line, KP: we're Chauncey," he said as he cupped her cheeks in his hands and pulled her in for a kiss.

"Nuh uh," she said as she reluctantly freed herself from his grip. "Lip smacking later, learn where the escape pod is going and if it has a radio now."

"Aw man," he whined. "What's the use of being trapped in an escape pod with my bon-diggity GF if we can't enjoy any quality time together?"

"And we can't do that why?" she said.

"But you just said …"

"That we have to figure out how this thing works. As soon as we do that, we can most def enjoy some quality time."

"Okay, I'm down with that."

"Good," she said as she began to rise to her feet. Before she had stood up, though, an ominous clang reverberated throughout the pod, which then shuddered violently. They were both thrown, hard – Kim into the instrument panel and Ron into a steel bulkhead – and knocked unconscious as the small capsule plummeted to the ocean below.

To Be Continued …