"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?
Disclaimer: All is Chuck's…
Part XLVI…
"Ok…" Bud eyeing the spare repelatron projector. "The unit's working and set to repel enough seawater to create a five-foot bubble around the area you'll need to work in, Tom."
"Right…" Swift nodded, standing near the air lock door. "I've got the magnetic safety field set to keep the effects away from me. And the air pump and tubing is ready…Amy?" he spoke over hydrolung suit mike.
"Loud and clear." Her reply… "I'm descending into the tunnel, no problems so far. Ok, I'm in the rotor section. And there's the inner hatch cover…"
"Ok…" Swift spoke over suit mike. "Close and seal it as best you can and come into the airlock."
"Gottcha…"
("Really, Leonard?" Sheldon eyed him. "'Gottcha'? Surely you can manage a little better dialogue for our heroine?"
"His inner Texan, defending me." Amy beamed to a puzzled Penny.
Right…Nod.
"It's just meant to be natural dialogue, Sheldon." Leonard noted.
"Well, Amy deserves better." Sheldon, firmly. Eye to a beaming Amy…
"Don't mind me…" Sheldon whispered hastily to a frowning Leonard. "It's Amy's birthday. I had to get her something." Anxious look.
Fine…Leonard rolled eyes. "Ok, Sheldon, you win. I'll elevate 'our heroine's' dialogue."
"Darn right you will." Firm nod.
"I'll owe you an easy one for Penny for our next driving game." Hasty whisper.
"Damn right you will…On her birthday." Leonard nodded.)
"Will do!" Amy called over radio.
…
"How much time till Proton can make his try and have them reach you, Mary?" Bernadette addressed the hologram before her and Proton.
"Currently about fifteen minutes, Bernadette. Ionization levels outside my hull are increasing rapidly now." Mary's image replied. "But you are sure you can safely travel again in this manner? I know my counterpart, the Chancellor, and our people would be deeply grieved if either of you came to harm."
"We made it here, I think Proton will be ok." Bernadette noted. "Though I'm willing to make the attempt…"
"You don't know the system the way I do, it'll have to be me." Proton, firmly.
("Oh…" Amy gasped, watching from her open Fat Suit mock-up on the set. Penny grinning at Leonard who shrugged.
Well, Sheldon has been a good sport in this, mostly. He deserves a heroic moment or two, his smile noted.
"Cut! I really need you a moment, Sheldon." Amy called. He eyeing her. She eyeing him.
Oh…
Penny eyeing Leonard.
That one was…Mutual.
"Hey…I call the…And watch the perspiration on that suit, Amy, it's rented." Howard called. "Wait, Amy…Sheldon…You both can't…Oh, my…" As Amy pulled Sheldon into her suit and closed the door.
"Lunch…" Amy called, swiftly opening, calling, and closing door.
"It's beautiful how they've grown." Lesley, staring, seated by Kripke.
"It is. Twruly." Kripke, nodding… "So, shall we see if we can fit into one?" "Oh, yeah." Lesley nodded.
"Hey, now wait!" Howard fumed as the two climbed into an empty suit. Bernadette, hand to head…
There goes our college fund plus our trip to Maui…
"It's fine. I got this, Howard." Mr. Jones noted, with smile. "Though I really think I'll have to have them cleaned later." Grin to Penny.)
"So, all of these specimens are in statis, contained within the ship, you I mean?" Proton asked.
(Slight cough… "Sorry…That suit had some loose fibers or something…" Sheldon noted.
"Can you believe Amy and Sheldon outkinkied or at least prekinkied Lesley and Barry?" Leonard hissed to Penny. "I just wanna know when we get a ride in one." She grinned.)
"All the larger specimens, yes. Microorganisms are contained here, in chambers in my center." Mary explained, several bubbles of hologram appearing. "These are holograms of the various microorganisms. Again, I apologize for the lighting, but some are quite sensitive to the light wavelengths your eyes employ. Oh, these square sheet bacteria are hydrogen consuming from the methane seas of Titan in our own solar system."
"Amazing…" Bernadette peered at the bubbles. "I can't wait to work with them in the flesh."
"How dangerous are they? To us, I mean? When we do work with them?" Proton asked.
"Well, so far as we could determine these are non-pathogenic to humans as well as to us." Mary noted. "But, of course, they are totally alien to our two worlds…"
"Meaning there's no way to be sure how dangerous they could be…" Bernadette, nodding.
"It's wise to take all precautions." Mary agreed.
"What about your world, old Mars?" Proton asked. "Are we going to see anything from there?"
"Oh, yes…" Mary smiled. "We've maintained a full collection of all the organisms alive at the time of the evacuation. Here we are…These are old friends, the ssshxchshsh…" clicking tones. "I think they are similar to…"
"Oh!" Proton ducked as a huge form came close to the edge of the bubble…
"Oh, my…Giant butterflies…From Mars?" Bernadette stared at the holobubble before them. "So much for a lot of sci-fi horror films…" she grinned.
"They're still pretty terrifying to me." Proton noted, staring.
"Not as tewrrifying as us, I twrust." A familiar voice from behind them…
"Proton! Bernadette! I have been boarded by a new group, mostly human!" Mary called, appearing suddenly. "Can you identify them?!"
…
The Suburo compartment…Bud manning controls, Amy beside him, out of her Fat Man suit…
(Howard frowning briefly as he eyed the empty suit…
Well, Mr. Jones is buying them. Still, gonna take a lot to clean that one out to where I'd ever wear it.
"Mr. Jones…" Bernadette sighed, taking seat beside him.
"My daughter…" he grinned, speaking in trademark low tones. "Great work, you're doing, kid."
"Thanks so much for buying all these things…Not to mention two of Howie's robots."
"The pleasure…Is all mine." He intoned, grinning. "Though I hope my wife doesn't make me keep it all in the storage shed. Believe me, the only thing I ask is your husband lets my son and me help build the darned things. We've wanted a B-9 and a Robbie for years, but I could never hook up with one of the guys on You Tube who made 'em. I don't think they believed me when I told them who I was. And as for the suits…" he dropped voice, waving her in confidentially. "The new Tom Swift series on TV?…They've been asked me for a guest spot as Tom's grandfather inventor, Tom. I've been hoping to bring some of the old TS inventions to the show and this just works perfectly. In fact, frankly, I'd like to promote Howard as a special effect engineer/maker guy for the show, at least the ones I do."
"Oh, my…" she beamed. "He'd adore that."
"Well, let me see what pull I still got as Vader the Lion King…" chuckle. "But I think we can make it happen."
"Oh, that would be so great! Though, I wouldn't want Howie to give up his real work...Even if it would be nice if he made as much as me. You know, he's on a project to build a rover for Titan." Proud tone.
"So he told me…At some length." Smile. "That's fantastic, really. You know I always wanted to actually go into space and to be the kind of inventor Tom Swift was, when I was a kid. Though later, playing one seemed safer." Grin. "I'm still smarting from losing out to Larry Fishburne on "Passengers" as the crew chief."
"Well, thanks so much. I won't say a word till you can let him know."
"Especially not to Wheaton over there." Mr. Jones grinned, indicating Wil. "I don't think I could get him in and after all, he's the Other Team.")
"Tom? How's it going?" he spoke into his mike.
"I've got the bubble going, I'm getting air in. It seems to be working, I'll be able to try it in just…Ok, it's working."
"Great!" Bud nodded, Amy beaming. "Can you connect the batteries up?"
"Opening the floor compartments now. The batteries are intact but I can't say yet if the seawater…Ok, ok…" Tom's voice. "I've got the cables connected and my reader says we got power. Try it, Bud."
Barclay flipping switches. "It's working, Tom! We're getting power! Hurry up and get back in here!"
"On my way! I'm in the airlock now, about to collapse the bubble!"
"Not too fast, Tom!" Amy called. "The pressure change will give you the bends!"
"I'm taking it as slow as I can…" Hiss of air, bubbling… "Ok, the bubble's fully collapsed, I'm sealing the air lock. You can repressurize."
"Amy?" Bud pointed, Amy moving to press several buttons, a hiss of rushing air.
"Nice going, Tom!" he called as the airlock opened, Swift hurrying in, pulling off mask.
"Lets hope so." Swift noted. "Ok, lets try and shove this thing over a cliff." He moved to the controls. "Transferring power to the repelatron lifters."
A sudden heave of the ship, boulders and debris falling off and down the viewport windows…
"It's working! At least the repelatrons, I mean! Better strap yourselves in, guys! But make sure those belts unlock quick!" Bud called. Swift and Amy rushing to take seats and fasten seat belts.
"Here we go! I hope!" Barclay pressing several buttons and the Ocean Arrow giving a sudden lurch as its Suburo caterpillar treads extended and began grinding on the slick ocean floor.
"We're moving!" Amy cried.
…
The space friends' vessel…
"So you are the one who instructed my makers to alter my course…?" Mary's image eyed Bwarry Wyckcliffe as he stood by his robot, Munson just behind him, both in space suits. Wyckcliffe's detector copy on the floor next to the robot. Bwarry, suit helmet mask open, grinning.
"Yeah, babe…That was me. I so wanted to get to know you bettewr."
"You couldn't deny him access?" Proton sighed to Mary.
"Oh, that's wreally gwracious, Neutwron." Bwarry, mock-frowning.
"I'm afraid not, Professor." The Mary image shook head. "He employed the correct access code."
"Wyckcliffe, you're mad." Proton shook head. "Coming aboard this ship now. You were lucky to get through the ionization layer around her. You put your own sister's life in danger."
"As did you and Ms. Dr. Swift, hewre, Pwroton. But Sis and I awre equally willing to wrisk ouwr lives." Bwarry shrugged. "Now, lets get down to tacks. As in you suwrrendewr owr this time, we kill you."
"Munson, this has to stop." Bernadette eyed her. "You've no idea how dangerous what you're doing is."
"Oh, we have a vewry good idea, Doctowr Swift-Wrostenkowski." Bwarry noted. "The fate of Humanity is now in ouwr hands. "
"Not just yet, Wyckcliffe." Proton noted.
"Oh, look…Neutwron plays hewro. What a miscasting…" Bwarry smirked. "You'll pawrdon us, ma'am." He turned to Mary. "Just the ape types having theiwr pwrimitive display of aggwression. I'm gonna assume you can't intewrfewre, but if you do, I'm pwrepawred to destwroy this ship and its contents."
"As am I, Mr. Wyckcliffe. Though you are correct I cannot other than by destroying myself physically stop your actions. May I ask a question?" Mary eyed him.
"By all means." Bwarry offered a sweeping and gracious hand. "You being a guest to Eawrth, aftewr all."
"Why do you oppose Mr. Swift and his friends receiving my people's gift? It's intended for all of Earth."
"Oh, dear giwrl, of sowrts? I guess?" he politely hesitated.
"My counterpart is female…Yes." Mary nodded.
"They must be incredibly advanced…To understand him." Proton noted.
"Proton, don't. Don't push him." Munson shook head. "I'll try to get him to release you both."
"I don't believe…Nowr does my sistewr hewre…" Bwarry indicated Munson. "That you and youwr cawrgo will be faiwrly divided. And mowre impowrtant, none of that wreally mattewrs. You often an end to the numbewr one pwroblem besetting ouwr poowr Eawrth, namely…Us. And I don't mean to let the chance to save Eawrth fwrom us, slip by. Wrobbie! Seize them!"
He frowned as the robot stood motionless.
"Sermek!" Bernadette called.
"Right with you, Bernie." Sermek pulled up. "Hold there, second-rate robie." Facing Robbie.
"Wrobbie…I tole you to seize these idiots!" Bwarry called. "Hello?!" Banging on the robot.
"Bwarry? Awre you addwressing me?" Robbie spoke up.
"Uh, yeah, you idiot. Seize them. And blast that pile of scwrap to a puddle."
"You really can't do something?" Proton hissed to Mary's image.
"If I judge the situation hopeless, I can destroy myself, that's all." She noted. "Proton, it's time, if you're going."
"GO, Arthur! I'll be ok!" Bernadette called. Proton pausing a second. Munson staring a moment as she heard…
"Yes, go, Arthur!" Munson cried, to Bwarry's sudden rage.
"You! Wrobbie! Destwroy that thing!" Bwarry pointed at Proton's detector. "And that machine with him!"
"Bwarry? Could you wrepeat that?" Robbie asked, politely.
"He said, destroy! Like this!" Sermek swinging arms for a discharge. Electrical discharge, countered by Robbie with his own as the other robot rolled back.
"Oooh…Nice, little wrobot." Robbie, sneering tone, firing a tightly focused laser into Sermek's main control panel. "But not quite good enough…" Sermek reeling back. "Whoooa…"
"Damn you, Pwroton!" Bwarry hollered as Proton disappeared. Firing a pulled gun which Munson tried to grab.
"No!" Bernadette cried. Wyckcliffe twisting free of his sister as Sermek tried to right himself and dodge another laser shot from Robbie, which struck his side…
"Oooh, that smarts."
"All right!" Bwarry, no trace of lisp. "Stand down, all of you or I'll shoot!" he pointed at Bernadette.
"Awaiting." Robbie halted, watching Sermek who groaned, reeling to side.
"You there…Miss." Bwarry turned to Mary. "Can you tell if Pwroton made it off the ship alive?"
"No. That was unnecessary violence, Mr. Wyckcliffe. You will not seize me." Mary shook head.
"Oh, wreally." Bwarry sneered. "Well, you may be bulletproof…But Ms. Swift hewre is not. Now I want anothewr couwrse change and I want it now."
"That is not possible." Mary shook head. "No changes can be done without my creators' approval at this point. And I am prepared to destroy myself, even if I must destroy Bernadette and you with me. The good of the many…As Spock would say."
"F-Spock!" Bwarry fumed. Mary offering an expression that was clearly shock.
"Bwarry, she won't surrender." Munson tried. "It's time to give it up."
"Oh, yes, she will. Though fine, we stay on couwrse. Swift's dead owr wowrse anyway and my allies will take the ship when she splashes down. Lady alien? You gotta name?"
"What?!" Bernadette eyed Munson who gave a nervous look.
"We hit him with our particle beam. He's on the sea floor. I don't think he's dead, Bernadette."
"I use the name, Mary, Bwarry." Mary noted.
"Oh, nice. My mothewr's name was Mawry…Plain as any other name could be." Bwarry hummed. "You'd pwrefewr not to blow youwrself up, I assume?"
"If possible. Do you wish to surrender?"
"No, thanks." Sneer. "Suppose I agwree not to shoot Ms. Swift-Wr hewre and we come to tewrms."
"I will not surrender myself, Bwarry." Mary's image noted.
"Ok, but you wewre set to land. Pwrogwrammed in a mannewr of fashion, I'd guess?" he eyed the floating head image.
"Yes."
"So, land as owrdewred. No new owrdewrs, no violation of youwr pewrsonhood…Insecthood, whatevewr. Can we agwree on that?"
"If any attempt is made to seize me or my cargo, by unauthorized personnel, I will destroy myself." Mary noted.
"Fine, I'm just asking you to land as pwreviously instwructed. In exchange, I spawre the lady's life. Will that wowrk?"
"It's ok, Mary." Bernadette called. "You can go ahead and land. Proton and Tom will take care of this clown."
"Oh, wreally?" Bwarry stared. "How sexist? Waiting for youwr bwrothewr, cuwrrently buwried alive and youwr othewr male…Whatevewr Pwroton is to you…To save you? Sis? You believe this one?"
"Bwarry. It's over. Even if the ship lands on target, Proton will have the UN all over us." Munson sighed.
"Youwr lack of faith as much as youwr betwrayal distuwrbs me, sis." Bwarry, shooting her.
"Oh, God! Bwarry!" Bernadette, rushing over to the fallen Munson.
"That was not right, Bwarry." Mary, calmly. "Why would you do such a thing?"
"To show you I mean business, Mawry, what else. And to show Munson that no one backs out on me."
"You maniac!" Bernadette, tending to the wounded Munson. "She's your own sister!"
"Who intended to betwray me at the fiwrst oppowrtunity. I knew it even befowre she did. Anyway, sacwrifices have to be made. Now, Mawry." He turned. The image of Mary disappearing.
"Hello?! Hey, it's wrather wrude to disappeawr on special guest stawrs, lady." He called.
"She's not talking with you again, Bwarry." Bernadette eyed him. "She'll simply destroy herself now when you try to take her or the cargo."
"Will she? How noble." Sneer. "Well, I don't need the whole ship. Wrobbie? Think you can cut this ship into easy to cawrry pieces and specimens? I think just a few will do once we land."
"Bwarry?" Robbie paused.
"I said can you cut the damn ship up, you stupid pile of junk!" Bwarry fumed
"Analyzing. Yes, Bwarry, my lasewrs will cut the ship's intewriowr materials but not the outer hull." Robbie noted.
"That'll do. Stand by. If I die between now and landing, go ahead, cut hewr up, and take all you can to the Lewrmontov. Did I mention he's watewrpwroof?" Bwarry grinned at Bernadette.
"Bwarry, Munson's bleeding, she'll die." Bernadette pleaded as she knelt by Munson who groaned.
"So will we all, in about thiwrty minutes one way or the othewr." Bwarry noted.
"Sermek!" Bernadette called.
"Oooh…If I had the time, I'd love a good wrobot-e-wrobot but… Wrobbie?!"
"Awre you addwressing me, sir?" Robbie turned to him.
"You awre gettin' on my newrves hewre, son." Bwarry sighed. "But, yeah."
"You little nothing…" Bernadette glared. "That's Tom's design for Ator, his other giant robot, stuck in Dad's atomic plant by radiation explosure. Can't you and your doormat sister come up with your own inventions?! Sermek?! Disable him and grab Wyckcliffe!"
"You little b—" ("Yeah, yeah, we're good here, Howie." Bernadette waved a frowning Howard off. "Leonard cleared it with me. Heck, it's proves Wyckcliffe considers me a true foe. Come on, roll 'em." "You'wre a spowrt, Wrostenkowski." Barry smiled.)
"Wrobbie! Show em what you got!" Bwarry called.
"Siwr?" Robbie, pausing again.
"You mowron! Wrecalibewrate on my voice. And attack that B-9, B-10, all weapons!"
"Watch out, Sermek!" Bernadette cried as the B-10 fired a laser his way.
"Whoa, Nellie!" Sermek, rolling back just in time.
"I will destwroy you!" Robbie pronounced, firing again, Sermek taking a hit to his heavily plated side again.
"Ow! That smarts!"
"Damn…Fall back, Sermek!" Bernadette ordered. "Take cover."
"Excellent notion, ma'am. But where?" Sermek called, rolling back as the B-10 fired again, missing.
"Nah!" Sermek, jeering.
"Get them, Wrobbie! Tawrget the lady!" Bwarry cried.
"I have your mistwress in my sights, you infewriowr piece of Swiftcwrap." Robbie noted…A cut to his tactical display in holoimage showing Bernadette kneeling by Munson, indeed targeted. "Surwrender or I will incinewrate hewr."
"Give it up, mini-Swift!" Bwarry jeered. "Seize her, Robbie!" losing lisp in his excitement.
"Bwarry, siwr?" Robbie, turning to him. "Were you addwressing me?"
Bernadette quickly dashing and leaping back…
"Yes, I'm addwressing you, you mowronic pile of clanking scwrap metal! Get them both! Go! Don't fowrce me to have him kill you, Bewrnadette!" Bwarry cried.
"Stop!" Sermek, arms raised, rolling in to intervene as the B-10 advanced on Bernadette, firing as she lept back. "Back, Dr. Rostenkowski-Swift!"
"Careful, Sermek!" Bernadette cried. As the laser from the Wyckcliffe robot struck him in the chest panel.
"Oh…Oh…#*$3!...That smarts…" Sermek groaned, keeling over, arms flailing. "Losing directional system, losing…Power…"
"Foolish, sad machine…" Robbie sneered, stepping toward him. "Bwrings claws to a lasewr fight."
"Finish him, Robbie!" Bwarry cried, again losing lisp in excitement.
Robbie, pausing to turn to Bwarry… "Siwr? Are you addwressing me? Please be more specific."
"Can't you undewrstand English you fool?! Kill him, you idiwot!" Bwarry fumed as Sermek, hoisting his upper torso upright again, quickly rolled in closer.
"Stop!" Robbie cried, "No closewr!"
"I did bring…100000 volts." Sermek notes, sending out electrical pulse in lightening form too close to dodge or disrupt.
"Uuuhhhhh…You…Have…Destwroyed…Me…" Robbie, keeling over to side.
"Shit!" Bwarry howled.
"Grab him, Sermek!" Bernadette called.
"With pleasure, ma'am." Sermek, rolling forward, to take a sudden hit in the chest from the small laser Bwarry now pulled out quickly from his suit.
"Hah…!" Bwarry cackled as Sermek now keeled to side.
"Oooh, that smarts. Give me just a minute, ma'am." Sermek groaning. Shutting down an instant later…
"Ok, game time ovewr, Dr. Wrostenkowski-Swift…Say, could you please dwrop that fiwrst pawrt, a weal tongue-twistewr duwring the supewrvillain's speech…" Bwarry smiled, holding laser pointed at Bernadette. "I have you covewred and I will shoot. Now, listen 'Mawry' owr whatevewr you awre… I know you can heawr me." He called out… "I'm going to shoot this lady unless you agwree to ouwr tewrms and land on tawrget, wright now."
"Don't do it, Mary!" Bernadette cried.
"Give it up, giwrly." Bwarry glared. "It's ovewr. Listen, 'Mary'…If shooting Bewrnadette hewre doesn't do the twrick, I'll burn the whole ship…Eithewr piece by piece of you with this lasewr or in one gulp by ovewrloading my dawrk mattewr system. You come out now, owr…"
Mary's floating head reappeared…Eyeing the furious Bwarry…
"I'm sorry…I think you want me to surrender myself?" Mary asked politely. "I cannot do that, even to save my friend Bernadette."
"Stop this, Bwarry…!" Munson rising from floor slightly, gun trained.
"You wowrthless…" he fired, she, collapsing. "Like I'd be stupid enough to let you have a loaded gun, you…" he stared.
"Sis…?" he paused, staring at the fallen Munson. "Sis?"
"Goddamn you, Bwarry!" Bernadette shook head. "What have you done?"
"Sacwrifices have to be made." He stepped back. "This is youwr fault, you and youwr damned bwrothewr." Pointing gun.
…
