Chapter 71

Dr. Samantha Hawke walked into class feeling exhausted and a bit peeved as Caitlin lied about the clothing she let her borrow. She scowled under her breath, "You just wait, Aunt Cait. You will get yours." As she marched into class she found she was the last one to the class that morning and barley made it in before the bell rang. She was too tired to even greet anyone and plopped down in her seat still annoyed at Caitlin.

Ralph smiled at her, "Good morning, Sam. I like that outfit." he complimented.

Tony agreed, "You do look good in that."

Even Rhonda gave a compliment, "I do like that outfit, Sam. So much nicer than the flannels you always wear." She then added, "And I love those shoes. They are so cute."

She crossed her arms, "I ran out of clean laundry and Aunt Cait gave me this to wear knowing that I hate pink." she complained. "She trolled me…again."

Rhonda suggested, "Maybe you should let Aunt Cait pick out your outfits. She does a much better job at it then you do."

Ralph noticed, "You look exhausted, Sam. Did you sleep at all last night?"

She shook her head, "Nope! I was up all night putting another version of Airwolf together."

He asked confused, "Another version of Airwolf? I thought your dad said there was only ever made."

She agreed, "There is! The nanites! The ones that power your suit! They pushed my ass into another version of Earth over the weekend and they were invaded by lizard people and we needed to get their version of Airwolf flying to help fight off the invasion."

The class paused for a moment in disbelief.

Karl asked, "Another reality, Sam?"

"Yes, multi-universe theory is correct." she nodded.

Jose asked, "What's that?"

She explained, "It's a mathematical theory that says you can have many different universes all layered upon one another. Imagine many different versions of Earth all existing at once. Like layers in a cake. Some can be exactly the same or very different. The nanites took me to this alternate version of Earth where they were invaded by aliens from another planet. It was just like our Earth until they were invaded. These aliens took over the whole planet, all the governments and all the militaries. There is a resistance of civilians, they are led by…" she looked to Rhonda. "I think she's your cousin, Julie Perrish. Does your cousin look like you because boy, this woman looks like she could be your big sister, Rhonda."

"Julie and I do look like sisters." she nodded. "You went to another version of Earth and my cousin is leading some kind of rebel resistance and they were invaded by aliens?" she asked confused. It sounded rather insane.

"I know how it sounds." she nodded. "I met one of the aliens. The resistance took one prisoner. His name is Willie and he told me about the symbol on Mr. H's suit. Apparently, there is a galactic peacekeeping force. That symbol belongs to these peacekeepers. Willie said they are dying out but any planet who has peacekeeper on it will be considered under peacekeeper protection. I'm not sure what happened to Mr. H. in the other version of Earth. He may not exist or the aliens didn't give him a suit." she shrugged. She told Ralph, "They gave you the suit to put Earth under their protection so these lizard people won't invade us. It's political!"

Karl asked curious, "Can we go to this other version of Earth and see these lizard people?" Going to another reality and seeing lizard people sounded like fun to the teen.

Ralph looked at Sam and then spoke to the boy. "I'm not so sure that is such a good idea, Karl. What if we can't get back? We don't know how to control these nanites." He asked Sam, "You don't have a suit. How did you get them?"

"The orb that when through my head did something to me." she reported.

"When did that happen?" Ralph asked alarmed.

"A few weeks ago at an air show in my time. One orb buzzed Airwolf and one buzzed me and then went right through me head. I guess I was out of it for a while." she reported. "Rhonda…excuse me…Dr. Blake…cleared me medically." She looked to Rhonda, "Future you examined me and made sure I was okay. You drive a beamer. Nice car!"

Tony stated, "This all happened after we got Dr. Beckett back home?"

"Older you was there too, Tony." she nodded. "You were at the show with Mr. Hinkley and Michael Knight in 2022. Dr. Beckett checked me over that night and the next day Dr. Blake took me to her office and ran more advanced neurological test and cleared me of any brain damage. So, I know I'm not hallucinating. Plus, Dom and Caitlin went with me to help work on the other Airwolf. They saw it too." She then recalled, "Of course…we agreed to not tell anyone…" she winced.

Tony mentioned, "So you told the whole class."

"Kind of…" she confessed kicking herself.

Karl observed, "You're not very good at keeping secrets, huh Sam."

She had to agree, "I suck" she shook her head. "Anyways, we think of Mr. H and the suit goes to the other version of Earth maybe he can help repel the invaders." She then looked at the teacher along with the class.

He blinked, "Are you serious in that suggestion, Sam?"

She mentioned, "We both have nanites. Between the two of us…heck, we could probably have enough power to take the whole class over." she stated without any actual intent to bring the class with her.

Ralph agreed, "I sure we do have the power but…" he then paused as he felt a slight shake. "Is that an earthquake?"

The class all traded glances as they felt a tremor.

Tony stated, "Maybe a small tremor." He then noticed his desk was coated with a layer of thick dust. "How come my desk is so dusty?" he asked.

Rhonda found her desk was dirty as well. "Wait! What is this?"

Jose drew a face on his desk top. "Hey…where did all this dust come from?"

Karl found his desk was full of dust too, "Hey man! What is this! That quake wasn't that strong."

Ralph looked about and found his desk seemed nearly empty and also full of dust. He looked to Sam, "What just happened?"

"Felt like we were pushed." she noted how similar it felt to the last slide over to the other version of Earth. She stood up and then went to the door. She opened the classroom door and peaked outside, "There is nobody around."

Tony looked out the dirty window, "The parking lot is empty."

The class and Ralph walked outside to look about. They found the school grounds were abandoned and empty. They found a large red letter V sprayed painted on a wall.

Rhonda soured, "Who would paint a big V on the side of the school?"

"I don't know." Ralph replied. He looked to Sam, "Nanites?"

She slowly nodded, "They must have mistaken our conversation for a command."

Tony asked, "We can get back, right?"

"I think so." she nodded. "Me and Mr. H can give the command."

Karl grinned, "Hey! We're in another reality! One where lizard people invaded. Let's go check it out!"

Ralph cautioned, "We don't know what is out there."

Rhonda stated, "If we just came to another version of Earth and my cousin is the leader of some resistance…let's go find her."

Sam reminded her, "This version of Earth is under alien occupation."

Tony figured, "We should be careful then." He spied, "I see the bus garage and the busses are still there. Let's go see if something is running."

"Wait!" Ralph held up a hand. "This is a high school class. You kids need to be home. Not in some…alien occupied version of Earth."

Jose suggested, "This of it a field trip, Mr. H."

"Field trip!" he huffed. "This is not what I had in mind for a field trip."

Tony asked, "Sam! Is there a time differential here like with the wormhole?"

She shook her head, "The time we are here we are not in our home reality."

He gave a nod, "Just make sure we are all back by the time school let's out."

Ralph stated, "This is insane!"

Karl cheered, "Come on, Mr. H. Let's go see these lizard people. Consider it biology class."

Ralph winced as he looked about. Deep in his heart he wanted to know why the aliens chose him to bear the power of the suit. He figured this was his only chance and if he could speak to that alien named Willie he might be able to get some answers. "Alright, we stay together as a group though." he agreed.

Tony added, "And we get back…no one tell anyone where we were."

Karl grinned, "This is like…top secret."

He frankly replied, "No one would believe us."

Ralph had to agree, "That's true."

The group made their way to the nearby bus garage. Tony found the door was unlocked and led the class inside. He flipped a switch and discovered the garage still had power but seemed abandoned. "Where is everyone?"

Sam explained, "People are being taken aboard the space ships to be taken back to the aliens' home planet. They need soldiers for some kind of war and food."

"Wait!" Karl held up a hand. "Food! You mean people for food!"

"They are lizards." she nodded. "It's not like they are eating their own. We could probably eat them for that matter."

Karl huffed, "Not sure I feel like having some Kentucky friend horny toad." He shook his head, "Eating people. That's sick!"

Ralph defended, "Not if you are not human, Karl. We eat reptiles here. People eat alligators, snakes, lizards, turtles…"

Rhonda soured, "Who would eat a cute little turtle?"

"Some are not so little, Rhonda." Ralph told her.

Tony found a set of keys, "Hey! These are the keys to the bus that Mr. H would take us on field trips in." He handed the keys to Ralph. "Let's go! Let's see if they got Airwolf going here."

Ralph grasped the keys, "Alright. We stick together though." he told the class.

Short Time Later

Ralph and Tony found the bus and fueled it up. They started down the road with Ralph at the wheel. They found the roads were empty and hardly anyone was about. They drove by a local grocery store where the windows were smashed out and it appeared to have been looted. The class grew alarmed.

Karl stated, "This is insane. It's like Mad Max!"

Tony grew wary, "I would feel better if I had my pistol on me. We could get jumped and I don't think there are any cops left."

Jose huffed, "No one is left. Everyone is just gone. Man! This is freaky."

Rhonda agreed, "It sure is."

Ralph didn't have his suit for it was in his car back in his home reality but he understood he still had the nanites in his blood stream. He wasn't sure what abilities they would give him in the new world but did take some comfort in at least having Tony and Sam with him and the class. He spied movement in the abandoned grocery store. "Someone is inside the store." he mentioned.

Sam suggested, "Let's see if we can get more information. Pull into the parking lot."

Ralph complied and pulled into the parking lot. He parked the bus before the store front and then turned around in his seat, "Tony and Sam are with me. The rest of you, stay in the bus. The keys are in it if you need to run."

Karl asked, "Wait? Run?"

Tony assured, "We will be right back."

Jose requested, "Get some snacks while you are in there. I don't see anyplace to eat."

Ralph assured, "We will." He realized they would be hard pressed for lunch and teenagers seemed to always be hungry. He then lead Sam and Tony off the bus.

The trio made their way into the abandoned store. They found the power was still on but much of the perishable foods were depleted or spoiled.

Ralph called, "I know you are in here. We mean you no harm. We just want to talk."

A familiar voice came from behind. "Who are you?"

Sam cocked her head for it sounded much like Caitlin. She turned and her eyes settled on an alternate version of her soon to be aunt. Her hair was cut short and a bit messy. She wore a flannel shirt and jeans with sneakers. She had a service revolver leveled on the three.

Tony sighed, "Damn! It's Caitlin."

"You know who I am?" she asked suspicious.

Sam nodded, "We do!" She figured the truth would be too unbelievable so she made up another excuse, "We're part of the Resistance. I know Julie Parrish."

"Julie sent you?" she questioned.

She smirked, "In a round about way. We have her cousin, Rhonda with us."

Caitlin lowered the gun. "You have my attention."

Ralph asked, "What happened to the town, Cait?"

"The Visitors! They rounded everyone up one night and took them. They missed me." she informed. "I would have shot every god damn one of them if I had enough rounds. Least, if I was going to go down I would take a few of them assholes with me." She holstered the gun, "I'm on a grocery run. Help me get some food. You got a bus?" she peaked out the front window.

Ralph nodded, "We have a bus."

"Good!" she grinned. "I can't hold all that much on the bike. You three can help. This way." She motioned for them to follow her.

Tony, Ralph and Sam all traded glances.

Tony stated, "Weird how she doesn't know us."

"We're strangers to her." Ralph figured.

Sam nodded, "And it sucks too."