********************************************************************************
Luke gripped the arms of his chair tightly. Beads of sweat were forming on his
forehead. The 'plane' shook slightly. After an all-night ride on the plane, Luke
was starting to realize why Han and Leia were so reluctant to use this particular
mode of transportation. As if flying in it were not enough terror, now they were
going to land. "Are you sure this thing won't crash?" Luke asked Han nervously.
Han tried to smile reassuringly, but he was experiencing some of the same fears
that Luke was. "Uh, not entirely sure, no," he said.
Luke shot him a cold stare. "Why couldn't we have taken the Falcon?" he
whispered.
"Hey, believe me, I wish we could!" Han said. "But according to Sallah, this New
Jersey place is a lot more crowded than Cairo. I don't think it would go
unnoticed."
Leia looked out the window, and saw the ground quickly rushing up at the plane.
The landscape was flying by, in a dizzying blur. She groaned, "Oh, I hope we
land soon... I think I'm going to be sick."
"Again?" Han said.
"Shut up, Han!" Leia shouted. They all braced for the landing. Suddenly, the
rickety plane hit the ground with a loud shudder. It began to slow down, and they
relaxed a bit.
As the plane taxied to its designated spot, Han rubbed his ears. "You'd think they
would know something about air pressure," he complained. Luke rubbed his
ears, too, and nodded in agreement.
After a few minutes, the plane had come to a standstill and some steps had been
wheeled up next to it. A stewardess came to the front of the plane. "May I have
your attention, please," she said. The cabin quieted down. "Thank you. Welcome
to the Lakehurst, New Jersey Airport, and welcome to the United States. If you
will make your way down the stairs, your baggage is awaiting you on the airfield.
Before you leave, you must be cleared by the customs officer. Thank you," she
finished. The passengers all started filing out.
The spacers gathered their bags and made it through customs with no incident.
They walked into the indoors portion of the airport, which was less busy than
Cairo's. Luke dragged his bag down the hall, thinking of how ridiculous it was that
this planet didn't even have repulsor sleds to tote the cumbersome baggage on.
"Sallah said that we could find a 'cab' here to take us to Princeton, where Indy
lives. I'm not sure how far-" Leia stopped midsentence, and dropped her bag in
shock. She was staring at a plaque on the airport wall. Han looked to see what
she was staring at, and he too dropped his bag.
"Oh my...my...." Leia couldn't think of any expression that would express her
sudden disbelief. Han shared the same amazed silence.
Luke looked to see what had Han and Leia so shocked. There was a bronze
plaque on the wall, with some strange writing he couldn't read. Next to it was a
two-dimensional black and white photo of some sort of large aircraft, bursting into
flames over the airfield just outside the window. "Oh, that makes me feel safe,"
Luke commented.
Leia whispered, "Han... is that what I think it is?"
Han shook his head slowly. "Yeah," he said slowly, "it's the Hindenburg." The
couple just stared at the photograph.
"What... I mean, how..." Leia was at a loss for words.
Han shook his head. "I don't know," he said. "I have a feeling we'll find out soon
enough." The two of them picked up their bags, and walked outside, with Luke
following. Leia got the attention of one of the cabs, and they began to load their
things into the trunk.
"How far to Princeton?" Leia asked.
"Eight miles," the cab driver replied. "It won't take long."
"Han," Luke said as they climbed into the back of the clunky black car, "what's a
Hindenburg?"
The cab driver shot Luke a confused look. "He's just kidding," Han said quickly.
Then in a whisper to Luke, "I'll fill you in later, kid." Luke nodded.
After driving for a few minutes, the driver asked, "Where exactly in Princeton do
you need to go?"
Leia spoke up, "To the house of Indiana Jones."
The driver gave her a strange look, "Indiana Jones? How's that for a name! Well,
I'm sure someone here knows who he is. Excuse me!" he yelled out the window
at a young man, probably in his twenties. "Could you tell me where Indiana Jones
lives?"
The young man's brow furrowed in confusion. Then he realized who the cabby
was talking about. "Oh, you mean Professor Jones? Sure! Everyone knows him!
He teaches here at the University," the student beamed. "Just take the first right
on this street, and his house is the third on the left."
"Thank you!" the cabby said with a nod.
"No problem!" the young man yelled back.
The cabby pulled up in front of the house. Han and Luke unloaded the baggage,
while Leia paid him with the money Sallah had given them. "Have a nice stay,"
the cabby said, with a tip of his hat. Then he got in his car and drove away.
Luke looked at Leia apprehensively. "So this is your friend's house?" he asked.
"Uh, we hope so," Han said, knocking on the door. There was a sound of distinct
footsteps, and a man's shadow, 6 feet and one inch tall, appeared in the door.
"Oh, and Luke," Han said, quickly remembering, "There's something we forgot to
mention...." But Han never got to tell him. The door opened up, and standing in
front of them was the man who, but for his short hair, looked just like Han Solo,
down to the scar on his chin. Luke had never been more baffled in his entire life.
His jaw hung open, and his eyes were wide. "Luke..... meet Indiana Jones."
*************************************************************************************
Luke gripped the arms of his chair tightly. Beads of sweat were forming on his
forehead. The 'plane' shook slightly. After an all-night ride on the plane, Luke
was starting to realize why Han and Leia were so reluctant to use this particular
mode of transportation. As if flying in it were not enough terror, now they were
going to land. "Are you sure this thing won't crash?" Luke asked Han nervously.
Han tried to smile reassuringly, but he was experiencing some of the same fears
that Luke was. "Uh, not entirely sure, no," he said.
Luke shot him a cold stare. "Why couldn't we have taken the Falcon?" he
whispered.
"Hey, believe me, I wish we could!" Han said. "But according to Sallah, this New
Jersey place is a lot more crowded than Cairo. I don't think it would go
unnoticed."
Leia looked out the window, and saw the ground quickly rushing up at the plane.
The landscape was flying by, in a dizzying blur. She groaned, "Oh, I hope we
land soon... I think I'm going to be sick."
"Again?" Han said.
"Shut up, Han!" Leia shouted. They all braced for the landing. Suddenly, the
rickety plane hit the ground with a loud shudder. It began to slow down, and they
relaxed a bit.
As the plane taxied to its designated spot, Han rubbed his ears. "You'd think they
would know something about air pressure," he complained. Luke rubbed his
ears, too, and nodded in agreement.
After a few minutes, the plane had come to a standstill and some steps had been
wheeled up next to it. A stewardess came to the front of the plane. "May I have
your attention, please," she said. The cabin quieted down. "Thank you. Welcome
to the Lakehurst, New Jersey Airport, and welcome to the United States. If you
will make your way down the stairs, your baggage is awaiting you on the airfield.
Before you leave, you must be cleared by the customs officer. Thank you," she
finished. The passengers all started filing out.
The spacers gathered their bags and made it through customs with no incident.
They walked into the indoors portion of the airport, which was less busy than
Cairo's. Luke dragged his bag down the hall, thinking of how ridiculous it was that
this planet didn't even have repulsor sleds to tote the cumbersome baggage on.
"Sallah said that we could find a 'cab' here to take us to Princeton, where Indy
lives. I'm not sure how far-" Leia stopped midsentence, and dropped her bag in
shock. She was staring at a plaque on the airport wall. Han looked to see what
she was staring at, and he too dropped his bag.
"Oh my...my...." Leia couldn't think of any expression that would express her
sudden disbelief. Han shared the same amazed silence.
Luke looked to see what had Han and Leia so shocked. There was a bronze
plaque on the wall, with some strange writing he couldn't read. Next to it was a
two-dimensional black and white photo of some sort of large aircraft, bursting into
flames over the airfield just outside the window. "Oh, that makes me feel safe,"
Luke commented.
Leia whispered, "Han... is that what I think it is?"
Han shook his head slowly. "Yeah," he said slowly, "it's the Hindenburg." The
couple just stared at the photograph.
"What... I mean, how..." Leia was at a loss for words.
Han shook his head. "I don't know," he said. "I have a feeling we'll find out soon
enough." The two of them picked up their bags, and walked outside, with Luke
following. Leia got the attention of one of the cabs, and they began to load their
things into the trunk.
"How far to Princeton?" Leia asked.
"Eight miles," the cab driver replied. "It won't take long."
"Han," Luke said as they climbed into the back of the clunky black car, "what's a
Hindenburg?"
The cab driver shot Luke a confused look. "He's just kidding," Han said quickly.
Then in a whisper to Luke, "I'll fill you in later, kid." Luke nodded.
After driving for a few minutes, the driver asked, "Where exactly in Princeton do
you need to go?"
Leia spoke up, "To the house of Indiana Jones."
The driver gave her a strange look, "Indiana Jones? How's that for a name! Well,
I'm sure someone here knows who he is. Excuse me!" he yelled out the window
at a young man, probably in his twenties. "Could you tell me where Indiana Jones
lives?"
The young man's brow furrowed in confusion. Then he realized who the cabby
was talking about. "Oh, you mean Professor Jones? Sure! Everyone knows him!
He teaches here at the University," the student beamed. "Just take the first right
on this street, and his house is the third on the left."
"Thank you!" the cabby said with a nod.
"No problem!" the young man yelled back.
The cabby pulled up in front of the house. Han and Luke unloaded the baggage,
while Leia paid him with the money Sallah had given them. "Have a nice stay,"
the cabby said, with a tip of his hat. Then he got in his car and drove away.
Luke looked at Leia apprehensively. "So this is your friend's house?" he asked.
"Uh, we hope so," Han said, knocking on the door. There was a sound of distinct
footsteps, and a man's shadow, 6 feet and one inch tall, appeared in the door.
"Oh, and Luke," Han said, quickly remembering, "There's something we forgot to
mention...." But Han never got to tell him. The door opened up, and standing in
front of them was the man who, but for his short hair, looked just like Han Solo,
down to the scar on his chin. Luke had never been more baffled in his entire life.
His jaw hung open, and his eyes were wide. "Luke..... meet Indiana Jones."
*************************************************************************************