Chapter VIII: Tammy Saves the Day

Far to the north of Redwall, a lone pilot was fighting a rushed battle of her own. Tammy clung fiercely to the Rangerwing's wheel, fighting the air currents that the plane's high speeds flung at her. So far, Gadget's overdrive turbo system was working without any flaws.

That's what had Tammy worried.

"Usually, whenever something's going to fly apart, it does it at the most inopportune time," she muttered. She looked down at the plane's gauges, and was shocked to see that the engines, in their boosted state, were driving the 'Wing at nearly seventy miles per hour.

"That's gotta be a record, even for one of Gadget's inventions."

She heard a low rumble, and looked out through the canopy. Dark storm clouds were once again settling on the horizon.

"Oh for heaven's sake, we've already gone through this once!"

Not only was the weather beginning to bother her, but so was the plane. Gadget's invention was working correctly, there was no question about that. The problem was, it was working too well. Tammy remembered back to the day that she was helping to install it.

"Now Tammy," Gadget had said, "if you ever have occasion to use this, just remember. Run it too long, and the engines'll be overheating."
And they were doing just that. As she looked out of the starboard window, Tammy could see the wiring of the engine glowing bright red.

"Come on," she said, "we're almost there. That plum grove that Chip told me about should be around here somewhere!"

At the 'Wing's high rate of speed, she almost missed it. But any squirrel worth anything knows fruit and nut trees on sight.

'That has to be them,' she thought as she flew over a stand of trees, heavily laden with fruit. She tugged back on the throttle, and hit the red button. With an almost audible groan, the Rangerwing pulled out of overdrive and began to hover. She brought it down carefully, being sure to keep the boiling engines clear of any forest debris.

"Jackpot," Tammy said, looking up at the trees. She crouched low, and gave a leap from the cockpit that would make any squirrel proud, catching the trunk of the first tree with ease, and scurrying up.

"Why would that crazy professor build a machine that you have to power with fruit, anyway?" she asked, to no one in particular. She thought for a minute.

"I guess that's why they call them mad scientists."

She began dropping her cargo from the tree into the Rangerwing's back seat, and after a few minutes, came running back down the trunk.

'That should be enough, with a few extra thrown in just in case,' she thought. She climbed into the plane and toggled on the radio.

"Chip, are you there? Come in, Chipper, this is Tammy, over."

Chip had been pacing around the landing pad, waiting for any news. When the Rangerplane's radio crackled to life, he leaped into the front seat, hitting the switch to answer.

"This is Chip, Tammy. Go ahead."
"The eagle has landed and the cargo is loaded," she replied. "Running hot but headed home."

"I copy. Be careful."

He leaned back into the seat. Tammy had been trying to get a message across with as few words as possible, in case someone was listening. Smart girl, that one. 'Running hot', she'd said. He started the Rangerplane, and lifted off, moving it to another area of the lawn.

"Clear this place out!" he yelled as he touched down again. "We may have a crippled plane coming in any time now!"

Otters, moles and squirrels rushed to comply with his instructions. He looked skyward, and shoved his hands into the pockets of his bomber jacket. "Hurry, Tammy," he whispered. "We're running behind in this race."

Upstairs, Monterey Jack, Dale and Zipper were receiving the same news. The abbey's chief physician looked at Gadget and shook his head.

"Gentlemen, there's nothing I can do here. Your young nurse's assertion was very accurate. Without that device, all we can do is wait."
"We 'ave the bloomin' device, doc!" Monty exclaimed. "We're just waitin' on the stuff to power it with! You've gotta do somethin' to keep 'er hangin' on!"

The doctor sighed.
"It's a miracle that she's still here, sir. To all medical tests, this girl is over eighty years old! Up to this point, I think it's been sheer force of will that's kept her going. But I don't know how long even that will turn the tide. It's all in the hands of our Maker now."

Back in the air, Tammy was making a beeline for the Abbey. She opened the Rangerwing's throttles to full, kicking in the overdrive as soon as she cleared the ground.

"Gadget's going to be royally ticked when she has to fix all the damage," she mused. "But I'll be glad to have her back in any mood. Even if she does have Chip."

Tammy was startled that she was able to make such an assertion. Her attraction to Chip had been something stronger than just a schoolgirl crush. She'd loved him, in a way. But it was a childish way, wanting something that she could never have.

"Guess it took something like this to make me realize it," she pondered. A beeping sound interrupted her thoughts. It was an alarm on the control panel.

"Oh, great."

The temperature of the 'Wing's engines was redlining. Steam poured off of the housings as a few tentative drops of rain fell. The entire plane was beginning to tremble like a leaf in the wind.
"Come on, come on!" Tammy growled, gritting her teeth. "Hold together, blast you! Hold together!"

She was still minutes away from her destination, she knew. She breathed the inventor's prayer that Gadget had taught her.
"Please don't let me foul this up."

Moments later, Tammy knew she was in trouble. The plane was shaking so badly it made her hands ache to hold the wheel. She checked the speed readout. It was still steady at sixty-eight, but the Rangerwing had nearly given it's all. She clung to the throttles with one hand, and the wheel with the other, hanging on for dear life. And then, the limits of technology were reached.

With a sudden whooshing sound, the red-hot wiring and gears in the port engine burst into flame. The motor valiantly tried to keep thrumming out a steady beat, but it quickly failed. With the abbey in sight, and smoke trailing from her damaged craft, Tammy began to make her approach.

"Just a few more seconds…"
With a shower of sparks that looked like fireworks, the starboard engine blew. Jamming the throttles as high as they would go, Tammy drained every last ounce of life from the dying machine. Pulling her goggles down, she set the flaps, and pulled back on the controls.

"Come on, Tammy," she said to herself, "you were taught by the best. You can do this!"

"Tammy!" Chip's voice crackled over the radio. "Are you all right? You're on fire!"

"I'm fine! Clear the way, having to make like a glider here!"

With a last shudder, the starboard engine died completely. Gliding on the wind alone, Tammy brought the plane in lower, and lower…

CRACK!

The landing gear caught against the ground, throwing the Rangerwing sideways. The right wing was torn away, taking the burning engine with it. The plane's body skidded along the ground, bounced several times, and finally stopped, just short of running into the inner walls.

Chip vaulted across the lawn, reaching the downed vehicle just as Tammy popped the canopy open. She stumbled out, unhurt, and grinned.
"Told you I'd make it back, Chipper." She then proceeded to faint.

"Reguba, take care of her!" Chip called to the fighting squirrel, who stood guard a short distance away. He pulled one of the large fruits from the back of the plane, and with Martin's sword, began cutting slices off of it. Professor Nimnul's original invention had looked almost like a set of wildly mutated bagpipes, but Lawainie had modified it somewhat. Chip quickly found the loading slot, and began jamming the life giving fuel into it. Snapping the device shut, he ran across the lawn and into the building, making for the stairway. His heart was pounding as he took the steps two at a time, rounding corners like a sliding racecar.

'Please, don't let it be too late,' he prayed silently.

He burst through the infirmary door, nearing colliding with Monterey Jack as he did.
"Hurry mate, she's stopped breathin'!"

Clicking the control dial to 'reverse', Chip leveled the gun at Gadget's prone form, and closing his eyes…he fired.

Monty, Dale and Zipper watched in amazement at the transformation. Gadget's hair, which had been a snowy white, began to turn bright gold. Her skin and fur lost their parchment like appearance, and became full and rosy with the bloom of youth. Her hands, which had been twisted and aged by the destructive energies, became straight and lithe, nimble as always. In mere seconds, the beam faltered and died, leaving behind the Gadget they all knew. Young, bright and beautiful.

But still not breathing.

Chip swung the perversion of science he held at the wall, breaking it into several pieces. He fell to his knees beside the bed, and took her hand in his.

"Come on, Gadge. Come on! Don't give up!"

Dale began crying softly, and Monterey Jack put his arm around his shoulders, guiding him towards the door. But Chip didn't move. A tear fell from his eye, and he pressed his lips to Gadget's hand, once.

"Please…don't leave me. Come on, Gadget, I know you're in there!"

Suddenly, like a bolt of electricity had passed through her, Gadget sat up, gasping. Monty and Dale whirled around, frozen in place for a moment, and then, the big Australian gave a bellowing whoop of delight.

"YEEEEHOOOOOO!"

Chip couldn't believe his eyes. She'd made it. She'd made it!

Gadget looked at him, her eyes unclear for a moment, and then she smiled.

"I knew you wouldn't give up on me," she whispered.

"How could I?" he answered, shakily. "We're Rescue Rangers, it's not in our nature to give up."
"Oh, silly," she said quietly. "You know it was more than that."

Chip put his arms around her, and held her like it was the first time in a lifetime. In the background, Monty and Dale were whooping it up, declaring their happiness to anyone who would listen, while Zipper buzzed in a nearly delirious circle. But Chip was oblivious to it all. She was the only person he could see, in that moment.

"You can thank Tammy a lot for this," he said. "She destroyed the Rangerwing doing it, but she made it back with the stuff to make Nimnul's gun work."

"I'll have to, when I see her." Gadget eyed him carefully. "Chip, what happened to you? You look worse than you did after the fight at Louie's!"

He shrugged.

"Oh nothing. I just had to fight your sister one on one to get Nimnul's crazy invention."

"Chip…did you…"

"No. I've never killed another creature in my life. Lord knows I wanted to, but I didn't."

"I'm glad. Even though she tried to do it to me, it's no reason to go to her level. You'd have been as bad as she is."

"I know."

He pushed her back onto the bed.

"Enough talk. You need to rest, and recuperate from this thing. Lawainie's still out there, but the rest of us will worry about dealing with her. And if Martin comes calling, tell him to buzz off!"

She grinned.

"I'll do my best…Chipper."

"I'll pretend I didn't hear that."

To Be Continued in Chapter IX: Waterloo