Act Three

Six adults and an old, tiny dog cared, worried, and fretted about Barry Lockridge--surrogate son to just about all of them. In their five and a half years here, they had managed to maintain the spaceship, despite long stretches of disregard. They had even flown her a number of times but could not manage to find the space-time warp or exit it in the correct space and time. Before they had accomplished several tries into the warp, they had the problem of overcoming the immense gravitational pull of this world. Presently, Spindrift was in need of further repair and could not be lifted from the spot in this wilderness which reminded Dan Erickson of upstate New York on Earth, larger here of course. Usually much quieter than other landing spots they've had in the past.

Fitzhugh had told them what happened after which Steve ordered him back to camp. There was nothing they could do from the highway area. After Fitzhugh returned and was soothed by her, Betty walked past Chipper, who lay beneath one of the passenger compartment seats, whimpering over the loss of his master. She took off her blue stewardess top coat and threw it over the red chair. It was years ago she had taken it from a toy department in a drugstore, within which five of them stole away with many valuables. Valuables to them: gears, tools, metal, and clothes from dolls. She went through the left door, past the wide open galley to a hall which lead to a series of smaller rooms toward the rear of the ship. These were just before the jet housing and motor area but just after Spindrift's elongated reactor rooms. She stopped at the radio room and went in. Dan and Valerie Scott had a map spread out on the table which held one of Spindrift's many master radio set-ups, "I've calmed him down some. He'll be all right as soon as we find...any luck?"

Dan looked up from the map, "We've plotted a course---if the car continues." Dan was not one to pull punches, he preferred telling everyone exactly the situations they were up against, no matter how difficult and hopeless it all seemed.

Val, in a red sport suit, frowned, dropping a pencil, "And if the driver stays on the highway."

Dan also frowned, "We were near there once before, Betty. When we had to take the train..."

"Oh no, Dan. There are so many exits and towns in that area," Betty joined them in frowning. At twenty seven, none of her beauty was spoiled by the frown.

Dan smiled, "Betty, we'll find him. We know what the car looks like."

"Then it all depends on Mark and his skill," Betty exited before either Dan or Valerie could try their own calming techniques on her. She turned a short hall and entered the Utility Room, a room almost a duplicate of the one she just left. "How's it coming?"

Mark put a hold on his repair work on the ship to finish a device he had begun two years ago. Betty marveled at the man's skill. In their third year here, he managed to keep the ship ready to fly from one danger spot to the next and still found time to create devices to aid in their present survival. The electric gun drill--the thermal tool they called it--had been first; then the telescope, which Mark later made attachments for. These attachments could be used to deflate a tire on a giant car even when the tube was far overhead. Next he made a rope launcher--a stand which could shoot a rope, the end of which had a sucker tip or a pointed dart on the end, depending on which was chosen. It could be set at four heights. Radio recharge, transmission location, and more powerful communication ranges would have come in handy in their first two years if it had been more portable. Mark put a master radio, a radio recharge battery, and its holder into an empty suitcase, creating a portable master radio complete with antenna. All these things were stored here. Betty saw all these things before thinking of Mark and Steve, who were sweating. Steve was crouched down looking for some canisters. "Good," was all Steve could say and the way he said it was in a low, tired voice.

Mark soldered a pipe into place and stopped, "Almost done." He eyed Betty, who was eyeing his new miracle device. He was tired also and knew what lay ahead. Mark was not as obstinate as he had once been, so perhaps his tiredness could be why he spoke his mind in such a harsh way now. "Look, it was your job to get Fitzhugh out of our way. So please don't take his place."

Betty's worry was enough to anger her but she kept to her role as peacemaker, "I'm very worried this time, Mark. Our luck is running out--isn't that what you're always telling us what would happen."

Mark huffed, taking off the solder glasses, "Yes," he spat out, more disgusted with himself, "I'm sorry. I just didn't think it would happen to Barry."

"Look," Steve rose with a canister and moved between them, putting a hand on Betty's shoulder, "I'll get some rest while you finish that. I'm going to need it for the trip."

"Wait a minute, I told you I'm the one who is going."

"What's the matter, Mark, don't you trust your workmanship?"

"No, it's not that," he looked down, "Just if it fails, I don't want my conscience to bother me."

"I go."

"It's either me or I stop working on the device right now," Mark spouted. Betty stared at Steve, worried that Steve would make Mark stop. "I want Barry back badly, Steve. But he's alive--I'm not willing to risk your life to get him back--on some rinky dink thing I've whipped up."

"If you go, you will be."

"Nevertheless, I want your word," Mark put the solder gun down and prepared to look Steve eye to eye to emphasize the point, "Only your word."

Steve hesitated, "Blackmail. I thought that was Fitzhugh's bag."

"Steve, please," Betty drew close to his chest, touching him.

"All right, Mark, all right," Steve turned on his heels, "But you go rest first." He motioned to the door.

"As soon as I'm done. I need you to get the fuel," Mark put the glasses back on and continued working.

Betty followed Steve into the hall past a listening Valerie and Dan. Betty said, "He enjoys giving orders, doesn't he?"

Val looked at her, both recalling the first time one of them said that and the trouble it caused. It made Steve stop and wonder if he should just order Mark to...the girls laughed. They laughed hard and loud. Mark heard but wasn't going to be distracted. Dan and Steve, puzzled, merely watched. Their nervousness took over and the girls continued to laugh it off. The men, nervous also, did what they could to stop their nervousness: Steve pulled Dan toward the rear halls which gave access to the Fuel Room intake and out take. The women laughed themselves into exhaustion, then slid down the wall to sit on the floor of the hall. Mark, oblivious to all, continued.

Steve held the fuel canister for Dan, who turned the valve to stop the flow, "I don't know," was all Steve could say.

"It's only a little fuel, we'll hardly miss it."

"Not that. It's Mark." Steve, crouched down, shut the computer top door.

Dan closed the special square door to the fuel controls, setting them to normal first, standing up to his full height again. "Just let him do it if he wants to. I say it's a good sign."

"I guess," Steve stood up, "But do you think he told us the truth about his having tested one for his company?"

"I don't know," Dan admitted, "Did we have as much flight time with the Intra-Space prototype as we told Mark?"

"Touche." Steve handed the canister to Dan, "Get this to him. Then he can finish and get some rest."

The world was bright reddish orange. To the sides and above all was red and orange. Barry awoke to this startling sensation and his head swam, adrift in the oneness of his world. He felt better and stood. He realized what had happened. He had become so tired the night before, he had squeezed beneath one of the red-safety cones where there was enough room between the ground and the cone platform. Rocks and small dirt piles made the ground uneven, and that gave him the space to do so. He couldn't recall actually doing this. Above him the cone came to a point.

The teen crawled out again. It was still dark, somehow even darker. How long had he been asleep under the cone? A few hours? An entire day? Surely if it had been a whole day, construction workers would have found him. A day here is somewhat less than 24 hours. Maybe it was some kind of holiday or weekend for the giants. Barry didn't spend much time on pondering how long he was out.

He was free and his strength renewed. His frame of mind was better. Off on the horizon he saw a bridge and knew he had to set it as his next goal, en-route to Spindrift. Barry moved toward it, not walking too fast since he wanted to conserve his energy. The two moons were up and the sky much clearer than before. He had walked about one Earth mile when he realized that what he first figured was a mound of dried mud--wasn't.

Upon closer inspection, Barry saw hair, large red spots with muddy wounds, gaping with blood. He circled it to find some clue as to what type of animal this once was. He found one eye and a mouth full of sharp gnawing teeth. The other side of the face was gone. It was a rat, twisted and mangled. Alive, it would have been a deadly foe. Dead, it evoked sympathy from him. A car had evidently hit it as it crossed. It could have been Barry himself, he felt a kinship to the giant rat, whose claws were drooped down in a mock prayer. He stood, staring at it for what seemed a long time. Avoiding that same oppressive feeling, he pushed himself onward, past the crushed creature. Who would notice it sitting limply on the side of the road? He himself had thought it only a dirty mud mound.

He kept walking but found himself still watching it, his head turned. I will notice, he thought. You were once a living thing, so I will not forget even if no one else on this planet will take notice of you.

The car began to increase in number as they churned down the highway. When he first awoke there seemed to be only one or two autos. Hardly noticing them, Barry contemplated on how carelessly one of them snuffed out life and continued on its way unaware of the murder it committed. He looked up, now staring ahead. That concrete overpass was looming before him--a sure sign he was getting closer. Once beneath it, he would rest beneath the bridge which held a small sidewalk--ample room for him to stop for awhile. He neared it, spotting huge, dark masses on top the bridge. From past experience, Barry recognized these as giants--three or four leviathans moving on an impossibly strong structure above the highway. Above, they made indeterminable sounds of a loud nature. Approaching, Barry deciphered these as mirth--possibly it was a holiday or a weekend. For these boys were out late, rough housing on the overpass, perhaps drunk. The giants were too far to see Barry but the boy could tell were drunk or worse. One bent down. He wanted to hide but his senses urged him to what was the best spot--directly beneath them, under the bridge. It was still far off. Something whizzed overhead. Barry kept his pace but afforded an upward glance. A huge blur blotted out the stars and sailed off to his left. Squinting gave him a better picture of what these unidentified blurs were. The clowns were tossing huge chunks of cement and rock from the overpass--onto the highway below.

The projectiles were not aiming for him, backing up Barry's belief that the boys hadn't spotted him. The rocks were flying toward the opposite lanes, colliding with cars which were heading the same way as Barry. He felt some comfort that the cars were three lanes away but horrified that innocent drivers could be hurt or...

A driver caught unaware by a heavy rock smashing into his windshield, swerved his car--into another. Both collided with a third vehicle--a truck. The middle car became a churned mess--caught between the two. The first car had a blow out and kept skidding. The truck driver turned the wrong way--in toward the middle car. The middle car flipped up over the truck and hit a mound of dirt above the safety rail.

Barry stiffened after hearing the terrible screech, then the deafening sound of smashing metal. He turned back slightly--toward the sound of the crashes. Horns honked. They rang through his head so he almost missed the explosion. Movement caught his eye. A crumbled, rollin, spiraling massive ball of metal, glass, and machinery rose up above a hill. As if it were alive, it flung toward Barry and headed...he knew not where. Barry ran as fast as he could. He had never tried to run this fast before. Stars vanished as the huge monstrosity cascaded through the air. Barry ran its length but it kept coming. Pieces broke off and showered all around him: glass, piping, screws, bolts, capstans, plugs. The swooshing sound almost made him look up but there was no time.

His direction: the safety of the bridge. As he ran for his life, Barry shuddered, what he glimpsed of the flying menace looked like a car. He hoped any giant within was already out of the auto. Nothing could be alive in the crushed ball of refuse. Grass slowed the teen, grass which sprouted from the dirt before the concrete. He made the safety of the concrete bridge. The boy stumbled behind a rock--an ironic shelter. The massive, rounded remains swung into the bridge--hitting the three stunned, drunken boys--who were shocked into non-action.

Barry, daring to peek up, looked toward the rounded semi-circle opening under the bridge. The car-ball, hit the top of the bridge, shattered all across it. This caused an effect, similar to a waterfall, to rain over the opening. The air outside shimmered as car parts rained down. As another explosive crash rocked the area, Barry hugged the rock. The lanes on the other side of the hill, where traffic usually headed east, were alight with fire. The truck had careened into the second car which sent it flying, then it smacked into the first car. Both turned over on their sides. The truck skidded with more momentum than a regular car. It smashed into the concrete side of the overpass and blew up! A raging inferno engulfed it and the metal that was being torn apart. The whole area lite up! The driver in the first car, managed to climb up and out--he was the only survivor. Shock waves of pounding noise overtook Barry but eventually subsided. With his ears ringing, it took him a long time to appreciate the final stillness in the air.