"The Adventures of Professor Proton, Jr: The Proton Express…"

Summary: In my first longer Proton Jr tale, can Prof Proton Jr. aka mild-mannered Sheldon Cooper and Dr. Amy aka Amy F. Fowler save the world at Christmas…And can Proton Jr. keep that blond sob of an engineering genius Tom Swift, Jr. away from his girl?

Equally important…Should Cameragirl Penny allow this thing to appear on her acting credits or just accept that all hope of a professional career is gone and just enjoy while peddling her drugs?

[For those curious about the Tom Swift adventures, of course much of this is taken from "Tom Swift and His Diving Seacopter", one of the best books in the series which got me into science long, long, long ago.]

Disclaimer: All is Chuck's…

[Special note. Sorry for the delays on this and several others in progress but too many ideas at once and too much going on in real life these days. But, will see if we can move her along…]

Part XXI…

Galley of the Arturo section of the Ocean Arrow…

"So…" Bwarry smiled at Swift as the combined group sat at table. "Any wowrd as to the fate of one Wyckcliffe, male? The Wrussian govewrment demand my head?"

"Right now…They want an investigation and you held for questioning. But they've accepted my request that be put off till the ship and cargo are secured. The UN is following their lead but wants you kept under guard."

"Excellent. Well, I'll make no twrouble and you'll find me a model pwrisonewr." Bwarry beamed. Munson giving annoyed, troubled look.

"Is this supposed to be funny, Bwarry?" she eyed him.

"Hey…Pass me those pancakes, Fowly…" to Amy who glared but complied…I was neawrly muwrdewred myself, sis." Frown at Munson. "You might show a little…"

"Enough!" she rose suddenly. "I'm done. I'll be in the control room with Mr. Barclay." She left the galley, Bwarry eyeing her as she left.

"Well, it's nice to know whewre I stand." He glanced round at the quiet faces eyeing him. "Maybe I'd best take this to my cabin."

"Maybe." Swift, calmly. "But I'll be holding a briefing in thirty minutes so please join us. And you'll be locked in until then."

"Of couwrse." Sardonic look as Wyckcliffe rose with plate and a coffee mug in hand. "By the way, the pancakes awre delicious.

See you all at the bwriefing, guys." He sauntered out.

"That little…" Amy frowned.

"We don't know he murdered Dr. Hofstadter…" Proton shrugged. "He might have been telling the truth."

"So now you're his best friend?" she eyed him.

"Proton's got a point. Innocent till proven, Dr. Amy." Bernadette Swift-Rostenkowski noted.

"Only fair." Swift agreed. "But he stays under guard at all times. And he does not tinker with or otherwise study your detector any further, Proton."

"Of course." Proton nodded. "Say don't we have oatmeal? Social convention requires a guest be served according to his or her request. And I request oatmeal, it's oatmeal day." Frowning at the pancakes and bacon set before him by Amy.

"Not on my ship it isn't." Swift, firmly. Grinning to Bernadette as he took a bite of pancake.

I trust that was clever subterfuge…Amy eyeing Proton…

"Why are you looking at me that way?" Proton stared at her. "And I still want oatmeal."

"I'll take some breakfast to Bud at the controls…" Bernadette rose, moving to grab a plate by the galley's stove. Leaving a moment later.

"Did the Russians say that?" Amy, guardedly to Swift who nodded.

"I'd've thought they'd be a bit more upset at the murder of their scientist and one team member." She noted.

"So would I…Still, not much they can do right now, though they say they'll arrange to send a new expert asap."

(Penny at camera, ears perking up, eyeing Leonard eagerly…

Hmmn…Twin sister or cousin, maybe…?

This one could be pure evil…Putinsky's mistress or something?

"So, another 'expert'? Is she getting back in front of the camera?" Bernadette hissed to Howard.

"If so, it's a last-minute casting change…" he shrugged.

Last night casting change, I'd say…She hissed.

"Why was everyone chuckling over Proton expecting the social convention to be followed? It was amusing that an inventor like Swift can't make oatmeal?" Sheldon asked Amy.)

"They can't get here before the ship lands or crashes…" Proton noted.

"No, not likely, but the Russians are pretty resourceful. You can be sure they'll show soon."

"And maybe with a whole Russian fleet…Just to keep their expert safe, of course." Amy eyed him.

"Yeah…" Swift, ruefully. "That thought has occurred to me."

Why am I still looking at a plate of pancakes? Proton frowned at his plate.

"Hey, Bernie…" Bud turned to her as she entered, bearing plate. Munson standing near him, scanning the morning sky and the vast ocean below…

"Beautiful view, huh?" He indicated the panorama from the huge wraparound window panels.

"At least the aliens picked a nice day for First Contact." Bernadette smiled, Bud thanking her as she handed him the plate and took the seat next to him.

"It should never have been done this way…" Munson, peering out.

"Tom and my father handled it the best they could." Bernadette replied. "They went to the UN immediately. I don't think you can fault them."

"What?" Wyckcliffe stared… "Oh, no…Though they should have gone public. That's not…"

"Oh?"

"I just mean…Today…This shouldn't have been done like this." Munson a bit lamely.

"Blame the one who diverted the cargo then…" Bernadette, sharply.

Munson flushing a bit… "Who was not me." She insisted coldly. "Whatever you and Swift may think."

"I've not said anything there." Bernadette, shrugging. "But that's the one to blame, not Tom."

"It could still be done publicly." Wyckcliffe frowned. "We're keeping this secret when the world should know."

"Would it help to have thousands of people here, some of them nutcases and conspiracy types?" Bernadette shook head.

"Like me?" Munson eyed her.

"Again, I've not said that." Cool reply.

"Fine. Sorry."

"I'm sorry you're upset about Bwarry." Bernadette offered. "I'll try to believe he's innocent, till we know more. You know Tom is bending over backwards to help him."

"Sure." Cold tone. "How long?"

"About six more hours, if the coordinates we got are accurate." Bud noted. "Proton's detector seems to be bearing that out."

"So the world may end in six hours." Munson sighed. "Nice day for it."

"Oh, I'd give us a few days…Even if the stuff gets out." Bernadette, calmly.

"Ladies…" Bud sighed. "I choose to believe this will end well. The cargo's meant as a gift, we might try putting some trust in our alien friends."

"Our 'friends' were a bit clueless if they were fooled by the diverter…And the Road to Hell…" Munson noted.

"Bud's right…This could be the dawn of a new era…First Contact with not one but many alien species. The cargo could be from many different worlds including old Mars." Bernadette noted, rather eager now.

"That would be amazing…" Munson admitted. "You must be itching, with Tom, to get your hands on that ship…" she noted to Bud.

"It's likely to be amazing…An actual starship…" Bud agreed. "Even if it's sublight, it's had to have traveled in interstellar space. And it's alien technology. I won't deny I'd give years of my life to have a close look at it."

"You don't suppose…?" Munson eyed him. "Piloted?"

He shrugged. "Could be…But from what Tom and Dr. Swift could decipher, the exo-Martians couldn't handle Earth's atmosphere easily. At least colonization was out of the question…And their best read of the aliens' messages was that they sent it automated."

"What do we do then, if this cargo can't be handled here on Earth? Assuming you and Swift have a way to retrieve it on landing?" Munson asked.

"Tom's got the Flying Lab on standby. Not even NASA could better what it's got available." Shrug. "If it looks like we must set up special conditions beyond what we can do now for safety containment before we access, it can be here in a few hours. They should be able to reproduce almost any planetary conditions. And it's not likely the aliens would have agreed to diversion if the cargo couldn't survive entering our atmosphere, at least within the ship confines." Bud noted.

"You have enough equipment aboard to at least take a quick look?" Wyckcliffe eyed Bernadette.

"The whole shebang…Biocontainment chamber and large tent, suits, a portable lab that's better than most labs in the world. Tom's come prepared, as usual." Bernadette smiled.

"Great." Munson briefly nodded, taking a seat now.

"Dr. Wyckcliffe…" Bernadette sighed. "You're going to get your fair chance to examine everything and it will be kept as safe as possible. I promise you that. So does Tom."

Wyckcliffe nodded. "Thanks. I don't mean to imply I think Tom…I know he's a good man, it's just…This is the biggest thing in history, really. And the temptations are great. Even a good man may make mistakes."

"We're keeping that in mind, Munson." Bernadette nodded kindly.

Briefing room aboard the Arturo compartment of the Ocean Arrow…

Bwarry smiling as he took his seat among the others, next to Munson…

"Ok, folks…We have about six hours." Swift at the front of the room, turned on projector.

"And here's the first look at our target…" he noted. "Taken by my megascope space prober from our Outpost in space in geostationary orbit, thanks to Proton's dark matter detector coordinates." All staring at the huge shape on screen.

"Well, not doubt it's artificial and some sort of ship." Bud noted. "Nice job finding her, Proton."

Amy peering… "It looks…Big. How large is it?"

"About three times our size." Swift eyed the image.

"It looks like the derelict spaceship from Episode two of 'Lost In Space'." Proton stared.

("Which, of course…" Leonard grinned at Raj and Howard who beamed.

"'Crystalline power? Indeed…'" Penny, archly in rather good Zachary Smith imitation.

"Hey, I watched TV with my Dad when I was a kid…" she shrugged at the looks.)