Part 3B: Wednesday

Chapter 46: Jacob

Personal log (voice), J. J. Stone, captain of the Flying Dutchman, 7:50pm, October 27^th 2006.

I was singing to myself as the Flying Dutchman flew along. "It's Pinky and the brain. It's Pinky and the Brain. One is a genius, the other is insane..." I changed my voice slightly. "So what are we going to do tonight?" Then I spoke in my normal voice. "The same thing we do every night. Try to take over the world!"

Now why would anybody want to take over the world? Have they no idea the amount of paperwork that goes along with ruling the world???

I laughed to myself. I had not been this happy in months. Everything was going smoothly. The high school crowd wanted me at the hangout. I even have a girlfriend that is going to meet me there.

I looked at the situational scans. The only space big enough for the Dutchman was in a field next to the parking lot. "System. Come round to 217 degrees for another 87 feet. Then center, stabilize and land."

Diane and the crowd from the regular lunch table watched from a sheltered spot as the Flying Dutchman flew down the alleyway between the restaurant and some building nobody's used for months. They watched as it seemed to adjust it's position slightly and settle down like something out of a classic alien invasion movie.

Lucy says "I'm warning you all right now, if he comes out of that thing and says take me to your leader, I'm gonna laugh for a week."

They all laughed at that.

Mike said "I'll go get us our usual tables. You guys show him where it is."

The hatch opened.

They saw me get out of the ship. I was wearing my usual coat and hat. I saw them all there and I could not resist. "Take me to your table."

One girl, Lucy I think her name is, said "Close enough." before bursting into laughter.

I was curious. What was so funny?

"Welcome."

"Glad you could make it."

"This way to the table."

I asked is "Tiffany here yet?"

"Not yet."

"Come on in. She'll be here soon enough."

"Yeah. No need to stand out here in the rain."

"Ok. Lead on."

The kids hang out reminded me of the diners my parents used to take me too. The decor was right out of the fifties. The entire place looked like the sort of place Archie would have taken his friends to. Well, if I'm Archie, who then will Tiffany play? Betty or Veronica?

"Try the salad bar, Jacob. It's great, and it's free with dinner." Bob recommended. "I've already started a group ticket."

"Ok."

"Give me your coat. You will not need it in here. No trouble, and the roof isn't leaking." Bill suggested. "I'll put it on the back of your chair."

Good points. I took off my coat and gave it to Bill. Then I went off in search of the salad bar.

"I see Tiffany. She's about a block off."

Great. Everybody will soon be here. This should be fun. I went about making myself a nice salad, and started for the area the high school kids usually sat in.

Two seconds later Bob ran into me. Hard.

I spun with the impact. I was barely able to keep my salad for becoming floor droppings.

"Jacob, somebody just kidnapped Tiffany."

To hell with my salad.

By the time the plate smashed into the floor I was clearing the front door.

Lucy, Bob, and Diane rushed after me.

"Wait up!" Bob called. "We want to help."

Help?? I was thinking in a fury. No power in this universe is going to be able to save the ass of that kidnapper.

Before I could stop them, Bob, Diane and Lucy had climbed aboard. Those three I had no objection to.

But the next two I did.

Mindy and Fred manage to catch up just as everybody was piling into the Dutchman.

"Where the hell do you two think you are going?"

The vehemence of my statement surprised even me.

To his credit, Fred barely flinched. " Come on Jacob, we owe Tiffany."

"Yeah, she intervened as Koke was trying to rape me." Mindy added.

Suddenly I remembered what Tiffany had told me during the ride home. Briefly torn by the memories of the last few days, I thought about it. "To Hades with it. Get in and touch absolutely nothing."

The two of them jumped aboard before I could change my mind.

Lucky for them I've far more important things on my mind than regretting that decision.

"First," I told them. "No comments about the impossibility of this. I don't have the needed weeks to explain it."

I threw myself into the command chair and looked around.

Several high school kids whose exposure to this sort of stuff was the endless Star Wars series and the never ending Star Trek movies. I always meant this to be a crewed ship, but in my hour of need, this is what I have to work with?

Why does the universe hate me so?

I can only pray there is more to their intelligence than what they show.

"Bob, you sit in the right chair. Look at the controls but touch nothing yet. You are the one most likely to figure things out. Diane, you sit in the left chair. Touch only what I say. Lucy, you stand by that wall behind Diane. Touch only what I say, and just when I say. I looked around for a few seconds... Damn., no fourth."

Fred asked "Can I help?"

"Can you?" I asked back.

"I am studying engineering."

Now that is a surprise.

"Ok." Get behind Bob's chair. "Same instructions as Lucy."

Fred rushed to get in position.

Mindy remained in the rear of the bridge area, out of the way/

I sat up taller and did a credible He - Man impersonation. "I have the power!! System. Activate all systems, maximum capability."

Chapter 47: Tiffany

To say I was in shock is like saying basketball players are tall. Some things are obvious.

I looked around. I couldn't see who they were, but I knew there were at least two people. One person was in the back seat holding me. And somebody had to be driving.

That driver knew what he was doing. In other circumstances, I'd have been impressed by his skill. From Applegate, he took us smoothly to the highway and then to the turnpike. We had to be going at least 110 mph.

Then I was given a reason to stop caring about where the car was going, how well it was being driven, or how fast.

I felt hands tearing at my skirt and ripping my panties.

That was when the shock wore off and I tried to fight whoever this was off.

I felt myself being impaled onto a cock push and the man's hands grabbing my breasts to pull me further on to it.

He ignored my screams and struggles as he raped me. A few minutes later he says "I love it when a girl screams as I'm using her as all women deserve."

I recognized that voice. It was Koke.

Koke pushed me off of him. "Ok. I'm done with you. For now."

I was crying. Though my tears, I tried to be defiant. "You can't possibly think you are going to get away with this."

"Shut up bitch. I already have. I borrowed Cane's car because it is so much faster than anything else I've seen around here. "Besides that motherfucking boyfriend of yours is probably at home right now rejoicing over his victory. I'll be damned in I'm defeated by that arch geek."

I was upset. Make that I was so pissed that I couldn't keep my mouth shut. "Try again. He was planning to meet me at that hangout spot. By now he has called the police and is chasing us as we speak."

"Shut up slut." Koke's slap knocked me into the door.

I shut up.

I sat there hoping that Jacob's craft is as fast as she acted like it was.

Chapter 48: Jacob

Personal log (voice), J. J. Stone, captain of the Flying Dutchman, 8:03pm, October 27^th 2006.

I must have had a look of maximum murder on my face.

I'm surprised the skin on my face was not blistering from the heat of hatred.

"Did anybody see the car that grabbed her?" I asked with as much calm as I could muster. It was not much.

"Yes," Diane answers, "it was Coach Cane's car."

"Coach Cane's car?????"

"That bitch!" I practically thundered. "Playing peace and setting Tiffany up. I swear I am so going to... first things first Jacob."

"You don't think that..."

"Thinking is not required, Diane. The evidence just drove past us. System, open a channel to the police. Lucy, report the crime. Describe that car perfectly."

"Yes Jacob." Lucy spoke in the tone of somebody who disagreed but thought it dangerous to pursue the argument.

Very smart girl.

I looked around at my ad hoc crew and a craft that was not fully finished yet.

With this I was to rescue Tiffany.

Science has a habit of saving my ass, and I prayed that I had not tempted the scientific fates too much recently.

"System, come round to 285 degrees, rise to eight feet. One quarter maximum thrust." Jacob watched the screens as he went though the driveway. The moment they cleared the alley, I started doing mental calculations. "Ok System, come round to 263 degrees for 3 minutes, than to 167 degrees. Go to three quarters maximum. Override the auto avoidance device. Jacob Stone Alpha Omega 14."

"Device disengaged. Orders being carried out." the system's computerized voice said.

The Flying Dutchman flew through the night. The minimal traffic was easily avoided. They raced past the highway exit the crew was looking for.

Bob figured he was doing pretty well for somebody who never expected to be sitting in this chair. The controls seemed only a little more complex than the video games he was used to. Luckily for Jacob, Bob was an expert on the racing games.

"What do mean you I'm committing a crime?" Lucy growled into the communications headset.

There was a pause while Lucy heard something she obviously did not like.

"A false report? You think I've nothing better to do with my time than call in a false report?"

I flipped a switch, putting the conversation on the speakers.

"... exactly what we think. You probably drank too much beer and think this is funny. Well young lady, repeating a kidnapping and rape is not a joke."

Lucy was shouting. "A joke??? A bad joke??? You seriously think I would waste my precious time doing this when I could be spending it with my boyfriend, who would at least check something out before threatening me! Of all the asinine..."

Lucy's losing it helped me to focus again.

I spoke over her shouting. "This is Jacob Jehoooooooooooooosophat Stone aboard the Flying Dutchman. This is not, I repeat, most certainly not a bad joke. Tiffany French has been kidnapped. Lucy will now tell you everything we know, including the description of the offending car. Then you will fucking hop to it!"

I said I was focused. I did not say my calm had returned.

Lucy gave the description again.

"System, switch channel one to the police frequency."

"Acknowledged."

Next I asked, "General question... does anybody see that sports car?"

They were all looking at the holographic projections of the outside.

"Nope."

"I wish."

"I'm looking."

"Then why the hell does nobody see it?"

"We only wish we knew."

"Ideas?"

Chapter 49: Tiffany

I watched the lights of the other cars flash past me.

Whoever the driver was, he drove with the same disregard for the speed laws that Jacob has for the laws of physics.

"What are you going to do with me?"

"Take you to some place where we will not be disturbed." Koke growled. "If you service us well enough, we might let you go. If you can get down the mountain without getting killed, lucky you."

I could not help it. I collapsed into tears.

The coach saw this and sneered. "Oh, look at the mighty girlfriend of Jacob Stone. See how strong she is. He must want her only for the sex."

The driver said, "That's the only reason any man would want her."

That voice sounded familiar.

But who hates me enough to help Koke like this?

"Dan?" I guessed. "Why are you helping him?" I asked, confused.

"Because." he said harshly.

"But I thought you were my friend." "You should have accepted my invitations for a date." Dan says angrily. "Do you have any idea how much it hurt to be turned down, just have to the school super geek win you?"

Chapter 50: Jacob

Personal log (voice), J. J. Stone, captain of the Flying Dutchman, 8:08pm, October 27^th 2006.

"System, access the police frequency." I commanded.

"Acknowledged."

We heard some scanning static. Then the tail end of a report came in. "This is Officer Fuego in car 15, Pennsylvania State Police. I have just been past by the suspect car. Car confirmed as a green sports car, Maryland license plate DRT670P. I repeat it is a green sports car, Maryland license plate Delta Romeo Tango six seven zero Papa. Radar gun clocked it at speeds in excess of 235 mph. Repeating, two hundred thirty five miles per hour. I'm requesting back up and roadblock support. Attempting pursuit."

"Ok." I said partly to myself. "The top speed of this thing is 85 on hoverjets."

"So what areyou going to do?" Diane asked.

"Take a gamble, that's what. System, prepare for test number 14."

"Test number 14?" Mindy asked.

Everybody watched as their station's readouts started to change.

I looked around at the unsuspecting people in my ad hoc crew.

They had a mixture of looks on their faces, ranging from concern about Tiffany to wondering what I was talking about.

Perhaps it is a good thing that they do not know there is a good chance we could all go up in an epic explosion within the next five minutes.

"May we please survive my next sentence." Jacob whispers. "System, activate the density drive."

The ship's noises go to a low hum, then go silent.

Ok, we have not exploded.

This is a good thing.

Now to get this show truly on the road.

Well, maybe road is not the precise term I should use.

"System. Switch over all systems to primary drive. Activate secondary, tertiary and quaternary engines. Adjust systems to sub orbital. Raise the craft to 650 feet. Increase the outer density shell to one quarter strength and put the engines to maximum output."

The Flying Dutchman lifted off it's ground cushion smoothly.

Bob and Bill were looking in disbelief. They always thought Jacob was good. But they never thought he was this good.

Lucy muttered. "Damn. I would pay ten years allowance for an exclusive about this ship and pictures of it operating like this."

Diane just accepted it. It was beyond her understanding, so she was not going to burn brain cells trying to figure it out.

Mindy and Fred looked at each other.

Mindy had never before seen a science fiction movie or show. She seriously believed what the Dutchman was doing now should be reserved for people with billion dollar budgets. She was in shock that an often ostracized student built this thing on his own.

Fred told Mindy "I know my engineering teacher would sell his immortal soul for 10 minutes alone with this thing. The schools I've applied at for next fall would rename themselves after him if he would promise to base his operations out of those schools."

Ok, they are all surprised and impressed.

No surprise there.

And me?

I was astounded.

After all, being certain of the theories does not insure success in practice.

Then I snapped myself out of it. I had more important things to worry about than feeling proud of myself.

"Ok, System. Activate ground scanners. On screen get me a local map, 300 mile range, mark up anything going over a hundred miles an hour."

"Acknowledged."

Lucy had a concentrated look as she was listening at the communications station. "PA turnpike going northbound, passing Highway 657, approaching Valley Pike."

Everybody looked at the main screen.

Fred pointed. "There! That group of eight dots. See, the lead one is still pulling away."

"System, designate the lead dot Target 1. Lock onto it's course and speed. Accelerate to 650 mph."

"We are closing in on it." Bob said as he kept an eye on the screens in front of him. He followed the indicated suggestions quickly. He had gone from person to pilot person just hitting the approved indicator on the touch screens.

"Not fast enough." I muttered. Not bloody fast enough. "System, triple our current speed."

"Acknowledged."

Fred watched the holographic projector with undisguised awe. "And I thought Heather was bitching that you drove fast before."

I did not respond. I just sat there staring at the screen for the next fifteen minutes.

"Coming up on target one." The System told me.

"Match course and speed. Increase the outer density shell to 50 percent."

"Safety warning!! The System screamed. Repeat safety hazard. Protocols going to..."

"Override safety protocols. Stone 971. Diane, you have Tiffany's cell number?"

"Yes, of course I do."

"Then call her." My voice got colder. "Red alert. Arm percussion weaponry. Lock target. I think it is time we end this."

Red lights flashed along the consoles.

The targeting projection came up in front of Bob.

Diane told Lucy Tiffany's cell phone number.

Lucy entered Tiffany's cell phone number into the communications station.

"System, put that call on the bridge speakers."

"Acknowledged."

The phone rang.

Chapter 51: Tiffany

My cell phone rang.

Who would call me now?

And why did they wait so long??

Koke shoved past me and ripped the phone from my coat. He checked the name on the caller ID. "Diane wants to talk? Get rid of her." he ordered.

"Sorry Diane. I can't talk."

What I heard next came as welcome relief.

"You are where? Ok, you bet I will." I looked out the window and saw a dark shape behind us.

My god! How the hell? I know Jacob has this annoying habit of doing the unexpected, but so soon? And he's following us as if this was a routine flight?

Oh my. I have a bigger question. how is he going to get me out of here?

I watched the noiseless flight of the Flying Dutchman as it followed the sports car like a loyal puppy.

Saved I thought.

I heard Diane still talking on the other end of the cell phone call. "You want to speak to who? You're wrong. It is not Cane. Who? Well I wish I had a drink right now."

Koke slapped me in the mouth hard enough to draw blood. Then he grabbed the phone and threw it out of the car. "I'm not that stupid my new sex toy."

I watched as my phone flew out the window, became a blue flash and disappeared.

Blue flash??

Chapter 52: Jacob

Personal log (voice), J. J. Stone, captain of the Flying Dutchman, 8:14pm, October 27^th 2006.

"... I wish I had a drink right now." Tiffany said before she was cut off.

Moments later we saw something odd hurtling towards the ship.

"Projectile impact." The System reported. "No damage to the hull or navigational protection field."

"Koke?" Fred asked. His face had a look of anguished disbelief on it.

"That's what the clue sounded like to me." Diane said.

Fred's next words were spoken in a panicked whisper. "He'll destroy us all. Kidnap the girl Jacob loves? We'll be lucky if every friend Koke ever had is not killed for this."

I on the other hand relaxed a bit. Koke, unlike Coach Cane, was a known opponent. I just had to run him to ground and wait for his inevitable mistake.

"Relax, Fred. I'll not destroy your precious team for this. But you'd better get a new head coach. This one is going to become subatomic particles."

Bob asks "What shall we do next?"

I gave them all the sort of mad scientist grin that would inspire most people to run for the hills and prepare post end of the world survival kits.

"How confidant are you of the controls." I asked Bob.

"About as much as I can be." He responded honestly.

"Good, put your right hand on the squeeze ball and maintain a constant pressure. Take the joystick with your left hand. Ready?"

Bob did as I asked. "I hope so."

"I do too. Because I'm going to be far more concerned with Koke and that car than the steering. System, flight controls to manual."

"Acknowledged."

I paused to see that Bob could handle it.

Bob flew the craft, steering it so that it was following behind Cane's car.

"Good, very good."

I think I had the classic mad scientist look on my face now.

All that was missing was a master plan to conquer the world.

To hell with the world.

"Now, Bob, pull up next to Cane's car."

Bob did so.

"System, activate exterior lighting."

Chapter 53: Tiffany

I was slammed into right door as Dan swerved the car hard to the left in reaction to the lights that suddenly came on to our right.

"What the hell?" Dan shouted as he tried to maintain control of the car.

"Jacob cannot find us eh?" Tiffany smirked.

"Lose them!" Koke yells.

Dan slammed on the gas pedal.

The sports car pulled out ahead.

Dan drove through and around the traffic like he was playing a video game.

I watched the Dutchman shrink in the distance.

Many things Jacob may have built into his ship, but the ability to swim through ground level traffic was not one of those things.

Then I saw something that pleased me mightily.

The Flying Dutchman lifted itself 20 feet above the street and chased after the car I was in.

Soon it was just the two of us racing down the road.

Chapter 54: Jacob

Personal log (voice), J. J. Stone, captain of the Flying Dutchman, 8:25pm, October 27^th 2006.

Bob felt a bit bad. He was really enjoying himself. It's a shame it took Tiffany's being kidnapped to give him this experience.

I watched as the sports car and my ship pulled free of the traffic.

As soon as the roadway was clear, Bob pulled the Dutchman along side the sports car.

"Lucy, could you please hit the switch marked exterior speakers?" Hopefully the computer will be able to sort the sounds to give me what I want to hear.

"Sure Jacob." Lucy looks for it, finds it, and flips it.

"Attention, this is Captain Jacob Stone of the Flying Dutchman. Pull over to the side of the road right now and release Tiffany."

"Never!" Koke's voice was heard shouting.

"Koke??" I should have known.

"No geek's ever going to beat me."

He sounded as if he actually believed he stood a chance in any of the known hells of winning this encounter.

I on the other hand spoke with the certainty of the man who knows just how much he has his opponent outclassed. "You know you cannot escape me."

"You are going to let me go."

Incredible. He sounded as if he really believed it.

Chapter 55: Tiffany

"No." I heard Jacob tell the coach over his loudspeaker. "Not while you have Tiffany. There is no place on this planet you can possibly go that I will not follow so long as you have her."

I have no idea why, and probably never will, but I thought I could appeal to his reason. I told him "You know you can't win. Let me go now and save us all the trouble."

"Trouble? What possible trouble can any girlfriend of that geek cause?"

Now there is a cue if ever I heard one.

"You asked." I slammed my hand hard into Koke's crotch.

"You bitch!" Koke screamed. He grabbed me and pushed open the car door. Then he started trying to throw me out of the car.

"No!!!" I screamed. I started grabbing anything I could reach. Car seats, rear speakers, hell I even grabbed at the coach. Anything to prevent becoming roadkill.

"Now you want to hold me? Too damn late. Besides, having Jacob watch you die is better revenge then anything I could do you in the mountains. So get out there and die already."

Chapter 56: Jacob

Personal log (voice), J. J. Stone, captain of the Flying Dutchman, 8:30pm, October 27^th 2006.

I was looking fixatedly at my personal screen. It was built into my command chair and had access to all sorts of information. More information than I could ever use.

But not the information I needed.

I could end this chase in just under 16 seconds. All the weapons are armed. I just push a few buttons and that car will look like a comet smashed into it.

Except for the problem that Tiffany was in that car.

Problems. In this case an insurmountable problem.

Now, how to safely end this chase?

Here inspiration... nice inspiration... come to the nice Jacob.

"Look!" Fred shouted. "Koke looks like he's trying to toss Tiffany out of the car."

I was as calm as a riot and my heart was moving faster than the ship.

"Oh shit!!" I looked around the ship then back at the main screen in panic. "Oh my god, no!!!!"

"Relax." Fred told me.

"Relax???"

I am pretty certain it is scientifically impossible to get any more shocked disbelief into a single word than I just did.

"Remember how you saved Tiffany the last time?"

Last time??? Last...

"Of course... four hoverjets at full... but I need an expert catcher... Fred, I never expected to say this, but I need you. Bob, take this thing to ground level."

"But what will the density shell do about the road?"

"To hell with the road."

Bob lowered the Dutchman till his screen indicated the hull itself was about 8 inches off of the ground.

The friction of the density shell against the road resulted in what looked like a miniature fireball.

Safety alarms started to sound off.

I slapped a switch to silence them.

The screens and projection fields flared up before the computer systems compensated.

The ship started leaving a furrowed trail of melting asphalt behind us.

Fred turned to face me. "I can steer the ship for catching her if you are going to do what I think you are going to do."

"I am. Bob, switch with Fred. In fact, you've better hand eye coordination. You trigger the hoverjets. I'll be standing by to catch her. I leaned over and hit a few buttons. All remaining safeties are off. Please, I beg of you, be as good as your friends keep telling me you are."

Chapter 57: Tiffany

I continued to behave like a clinging octopus. Absolutely no way I was going to go quietly into the long dark night.

Or be thrown into it.

We hit a slight bump. With the car speeding in excess of 200 miles per hour, that was enough to swing the door nearly closed.

I closed and locked it before trying to get myself to the center of the car.

Through the windows, I saw the Dutchman hit ground level. Then I saw to my horror fires breaking out around Jacob's ship.

Koke reopened the door. "You are so going to die, slut."

The Flying Dutchman fell back to about 35 feet behind Koke's car.

Koke saw this and let loose a scream of triumph.

"Ha!! Your boyfriend has given up. Now he can watch you die." Koke heaved Tiffany out of the car.

I screamed.

I was going to die.

There was no doubt about that in my mind.

None.

The only question I had was how much pain would I feel between when I hit the road and when I died?

I flew helplessly to my painful and certain death.

A really hard blast of wind blew through the area, hitting me so hard that I never hit the ground.

The panic I'm in should have induced a heart attack.

I watched the Dutchman give me a wide berth as it pulled ahead.

Aboard the Flying Dutchman, everybody had moved into position.

"Everybody hold on, this ride's about to get rough!" Jacob shouted. "Shields down!"

Suddenly I felt a hand yank on me.

"Oh shit," Mindy shouted, "Fred, watch out!"

"Jacob!"

"Oh fuck. Shields up now!!"

Suddenly I felt wherever I was shudder violently. I heard metal creaking and connections snapping all around me.

"Shields still down Jacob..." Bob said.

"All power failing." Diane added watching the various readouts.

"Oh fuck." Jacob said.

At the time, it only looked like he was dropping to the deck.

Near me I heard Mindy speak. "I have Tiffany. Lets get out of here."

"We're trying to do that!" Diane, Fred and Bob all shouted at once.

I opened my eyes.

One look at the little I could see and I was wishing I had been knocked unconscious too.

Somehow I found the energy to whisper "Extreme emergency power."