Chapter 3

"I'm dying!" Babs gasped, snapping Leon wide-awake. "My, my head is about to explode! The room won't stop spinning!" she whimpered softly. "What's happening to me?"

Leon nearly fell as he jumped from the bed. "Babs, it's okay, you're going to be fine!" he whispered while openly staring at her beautiful body.

The troubled girl tried to focus bleary eyes on him. "Please stop yelling at me! My head is gonna burst like a toy balloon!" His nakedness caught her attention. "It's still big?" she gasped while pointing a shaky finger at his proudly hard shaft. "Please don't show me that now. I feel, uh, I don't, I'm um, I think I may, urp!" Her eyes opened wide. "Scuse me!" she gasped as she jumped up and staggered to the bathroom.

Racing after her, Leon was just in time to see the miserable girl drop to her knees before the toilet. "Oh hell, the iced tea!" Memories of dorm life filled his brain as Leon gently patted her back while holding her glorious hair out of the way. He tried to look anywhere but at Babs as the nude young woman evacuated her jittery stomach.

"I'm never sick. I don't understand this." Babs said sadly while clutching a large celluloid bowl to her ample chest. "Leon, I'm so sorry you had to clean up after me!"

"You're not sick Babs." He tried hard not to smile. "A Long Island iced tea is a somewhat potent cocktail. You got drunk last night, and now you're hung over. I'm sorry I didn't notice when you ordered your first drink."

She hung her head. "Mommy always said strong drink was the devil's brew." Looking up again, a slight smile brightened her face. "At least I wasn't so stupid from the alcohol that I let you be on top. I'd be in big trouble then!"

"Yeah, right. Big trouble." Guilt struck him as almost a physical pain. He opened his mouth to admit his lust driven lie from the night before. A light tapping at the door cut off his ill-advised confession. "You stay here Babs." He tightened the sash on his robe and practically ran from the bedroom.

Mike grinned knowingly up at him when Leon opened the door. "A little birdie told me you would be needing a few things this fine morning." The smaller man said cheerfully as he pushed past and laid a garment bag on the coffee table. He then marched right to the bedroom and continued on inside.

"Hello Michael." Babs said softly from beneath the blankets. "I don't feel so very good."

"I know, girlfriend. I'm here to help." He pulled a bottle out of the paper sack he carried and shook out two large white tablets. "Chew these up very carefully and wash them down with this." He showed her a small bottle of fluid.

The weary girl peered closely at the tablets. "Tums?" she looked up at the bottle and sighed. "Pedialyte? What are these for?"

The caring man smiled kindly. "Most of what you're feeling is simply dehydration. You need electrolytes to make you feel better. Pedialyte helps replenish the sodium, potassium, and chloride levels in your body. The Tums will supply the bicarbonates. In a little while I'll give you something for headaches, but for now, take these. Your fairy godmother so orders!"

Babs smiled weakly and put the tablets in her mouth and crunched them up. "Yuck! Chalky! Can I drink that now?"

Mike grinned as he twisted open the bottle. "Sip slowly! Don't try and gulp it down like those three Long Island Iced teas now!"

"Yes Michael." She sipped, and let out a sigh. "That tastes a little better, even though it's warm. Thank you. I thought for sure I was going to die!"

Leon grabbed Mike and dragged him out of the room. "Three Iced teas? How the hell did you know that?"

Mike froze for a moment. "Monica. Monaca must have told me." He laughed. "It's not important now. Can't you keep your big heterosexual self off of our girl? The poor thing will be worn out when you send her home today."

The huge man felt his heart breaking. "Everything's ready?"

"The generator is online as of an hour ago." Pride showed in Mike's smile as he continued. "My Bryan came through just as I knew he would. The operating system is fully restored. I even have the data we need to reverse the transfer. We can proceed at any time. Why? Aren't you glad to hear young Babs will be going home soon?"

"Glad. Yeah, I'm glad." Leon sat heavily on the sofa. "I'm so glad I feel sick! What else can I do? She has to go back! How can I not send her back to where she'll be happy?"

Michael patted his friend's shoulder. "It'll all be over soon, big guy. Don't beat yourself up over it. Put a smile on your face at least so our girl will be at ease. She's gone through too much as it is."

"You're right." He took a deep breath and grinned weakly. "I'm okay. I know it's for the best."

Babs wondered out, wrapped up to her chin in a blanket. "What's for the best?" she asked before taking another careful sip of the strange tonic Michael gave her. Her smile returned to nearly it's normal beautiful self. "Michael, I think I feel better now. At least I don't feel like I'm going to go whoopsy again like before. Thank you ever so much!"

"You're very welcome, girlfriend!" He picked up the garment bag with a flourish and presented it to Babs. "The dress you arrived in, dry cleaned and good as new. I think it will meet with the lady's approval."

"The dress I arrived in?" Just for a second, her smile faltered. "I suppose this means it's time to go home."

"Yes Babs." Leon sighed. "It's time to go home."

Mike threw his arm around the troubled girl and headed her back to the bedroom. "Do you trust me?" he asked in a hushed voice.

"Yes Michael! Of course I trust you!" She sniffed back her tears. "You're my fairy godmother, remember?"

The Asian glanced back over his shoulder and seemed pleased that Leon had not followed. "Then listen girl!" he hissed. "You do exactly what I say, do you hear? If you do, all your dreams will come true!"

The young woman's eyes opened wide at this offer of hope. "I will! I promise!"

Leon looked up from his lonely perch on the sofa. "What are you two whispering about? You'd think this wasn't my home or something!"

"Girl talk, Leon!" Mike tried to suppress a grin. "I was just telling Babs that if she ran into any, uh, TROUBLE, she should move to France."

The big man looked as if a physical blow struck him. "Yes, uh, you're right. Babs, you do exactly what Mike says, do you hear? He knows exactly what's right for you!"

"Yes Leon. I'll listen to Michael." She sighed. "I know he has my best interests in mind."

"That I surely do, girlfriend!" He hustled the blanket wrapped beauty back into the bedroom and closed the door behind them.

Leon slammed his hand down on his leg, ignoring the pain that would have crippled a lesser man. "It's all for the best. It has to be all for the best!"

There was another tap at the door. Leon woodenly rose and opened it. "Hey dude!" Bryan sauntered in and eyed the big man from head to foot. "Tempting." He whistled in appreciation at Leon's impressive build. "Ever think of taking up dancing? You'd rake in the dollars my friend."

Swiping a hand over his face, Leon couldn't help a slight smile. Bryan projected the physique and attitude one would expect from your prototypical 'surfer dude'. He never could figure out why the genial guy lived in the middle of a desert.

"Cool it, Moon Doggie." He pulled his robe tighter. "Who'd pay more, men or women?"

"I'd say it would be a toss-up." The ruggedly handsome blond grinned. "You offer something for everyone."

"I live in an insane asylum!" He laughed, but his heart still ached. "I hear you worked your magic on our wrecked drive. I can't thank you enough."

"Anything for our Babs." He paused. "Um, Mike sure speaks well of her, I mean."

Something wasn't right but before Leon could question Bryan, Babs returned to the living room. She was a vision in canary yellow in the dress she wore when she first traveled through time. Her impressive bosoms pointed at him like twin torpedoes in her original old-fashioned conical cupped bra.

"I'm ready to go." She said with a slight smile, eyes glowing. Her eyes drifted slightly down his body. "Leon! We have company!"

The big man gasped and ran for the privacy of his bedroom. "Damn it all to hell!" he scolded under his breath as he hastily dressed. "What am I, a fucking teenager? Can't I go five freaking minutes without popping a damn boner? Now Bryan saw my damn erection! I may as well start pole dancing!"

Babs giggled as Leon rushed past her. "Poor Leon. He loves me so much!" She spotted the newcomer and rushed to throw her arms around him. "You must be Bryan! Thank you for helping me!"

Bryan grinned. "You already thanked, uh, this is confusing but you're very welcome Babs!" He looked at his watch. "Everything is all set Mike. Hurry up the big Boss and lets get this show on the road!"

Leon trudged into the living room as if walking to his own execution. It seems he had underestimated Babs. Instead of crying, she was chatting away quite merrily. It was as if she were getting ready to go on vacation, not leave his life forever! "Let's go." He snapped. "The big Boss needs to get his project back on track!"

The gorgeous young woman gently patted his arm. "Don't be so mean, Leon. I'm sure your project will be a huge success!" she smiled prettily. "Whatever your project was supposed to be before I got mixed up in it. I still don't understand what you science folks are up to!"

"Never mind that!" Leon flung open the door and stormed out of the apartment. "Is everyone coming? I can't wait to get some peace and quite tonight in my EMPTY apartment!" Anger and grief tore through him, but perhaps bluntness was the best way. Still, he held out his arm to Babs. "Miss Barrister, shall we go?"

"Doctor Edwards, we shall." Her heart fluttered, but Michael and Bryan both grinned and nodded their approval as she took the offered arm.

The silence in the car could be cut with a knife. Leon glanced at his passenger and Babs only smiled sweetly back at him. Had he been wrong? No tears? No begging to stay? He had been prepared for that, but this? Babs seemed quite content to just forget about him and return to the 'bad old days' of her own era. Once again guilt burned deep in his soul. The naïve girl would sure remember him when her belly started to swell! Would she grow to hate him? The girl wasn't stupid. As soon as she knew she was pregnant, she'd know he lied about her being on top just to get another chance at her heavenly body! Would she begin to think of him as the uppity nigger that ruined her life with a half-breed bastard of a child?

He pulled off the main road and raced down the private drive to the lab. There was her car. It gleamed in the brilliant desert sun. Had Mike actually taken the time to wash it? What was the point? Leon sighed and faced Babs again. "What Mike told you, remember it!" he snapped, thinking about her life being much easier in the freer society of Paris France in the nineteen forties and fifties.

Babs only continued to smile. "I remember all Michael's instructions perfectly, Doctor Edwards. You have no cause to worry about me."

He didn't know what to say, so he exited the car. Stomping around the car, he yanked open her door. "Do you have all of your belongings?" he asked in a strained voice as she took his hand and gracefully left the vehicle.

"Yes Doctor Edwards." She held up her purse. "This is everything I need."

Leon closed his eyes for a second. Her hair looked like spun gold in the light of the desert day. He turned his back, but she only moved with him. "Get in your car. We may as well get this over with!"

Babs stood on tiptoe and kissed Leon's cheek. "Au revoir, Doctor Edwards!" she said brightly before turning sharply and walking gracefully away. "Until we meet again!"

The big man watched as the golden beauty got in the 1940 Studebaker Commander and closed the door. She smiled at him again and he hated himself for how much he loved her. "Au revoir, Babs." He answered softly before entering the air-conditioned coolness of the lab.

Mike looked up from his workstation. "Everything is up and running. The new generator is in synch with the others, and all systems are go."

Bryan looked over from an improvised card table computer desk. "Your navigation computer now has a back-up." He affectionately patted the battered computer tower on his table. "If you lose a drive again, Frankenstein here will seamlessly take over."

"Good!" Leon sat at the master control and initiated the preliminary analysis of the car Babs was in. No! Of the test mass! "Scan focus point set. Bring all generators up to max output. Slowly!"

The whine steadily grew louder as the power levels grew. "Leon, I'm reading a gravity shift again!" Mike picked up a microphone. "Babs, you should be feeling lighter. It's normal. Just take a deep breath and relax."

Leon also took a deep breath, but did not relax. "She waved. The fool is grinning like she's on a roller coaster!"

"Gravity dropping, slowly. 98 percent. 82 percent. 74 percent. Holding at half Earth normal!" Now Mike took a deep breath. "Hand on door release!" he announced abruptly into the microphone.

"The mass is beginning to shift." Leon felt helpless as he watched the car grow transparent. "Door release? What?"

Mike ignored his friend and boss. "Counting, five, four, open door, two, NOW! ONE!"

"Babs, no!" It was too late! Screaming something unheard over the generator power hum, Babs flung open the car door and threw herself to the dusty ground. She never reached it. Babs vanished as the car suddenly became the rusted out hulk of their original test mass.

"Transfer complete!" Mike happily shut down the generators and faced his friend. "Success! We have our car back!"

Leon stared at Mike Fuji as if seeing the man for the first time. He rose shakily to his feet. "You bastard! What did you do? You God damned bastard!" He clenched his powerful hands into rock hard fists. "I'll kill you!" he screamed in rage as he raced across the floor.

Bryan leapt to defend his lover. "Get in here, quick!" he bellowed as he threw himself at the enraged man.

Leon brushed Bryan away and lunged at Mike. "You fucking piece of shit! You killed her!"

"Leon Edwards, you watch your language and apologize to Michael for those nasty things you said."

No man alive could have stopped Leon in his rage, but that gentle voice made him freeze in his tracks. "Babs?" He spun around and stared. There was the lovely Barbara-Anne Barrister! Seconds ago he had seen her wink out of existence in a canary yellow dress. Now she stood before him dressed in a navy blue skirt, white blouse, with a bright red collar. She looked like a movie starlet on her way to a day of sailing and fun. His jaw dropped open.

"Go on." The golden dream smiled. "Tell Michael you're sorry or I'll tell Monica on you!"

Leon shuffled towards the vision, unable to believe his eyes. "Oh Babs! My precious Babs!" The huge man threw his arms around her and pulled the beauty to him. "My Babs! My beautiful Babs!" Words failed him as he began to cry like a child.

Babs gently stroked her beloved's broad back while his body was wracked by sobs. "I know." She said, voice muffled against his powerful chest. "I know you love me. I love you too, dearest Leon." The young woman whimpered softly. "I love you Leon, and you're very strong."

"Little brother!" Monica laughed. "Give baby-girl some air! You're squeezing the breath out of her!" "I'm sorry!" The huge man jumped back, much to everyone's amusement. "Did I hurt you?" He hastily wiped the tears from his face and stared at the smiling girl. Slowly a grin spread over his own face. "How? I saw you dematerialize!" He spun around and pointed at Mike. This time there was no anger. "What did you do?"

The relieved Mike grinned crookedly up at Leon. "Babs did it. This Babs." He pointed at the nautically dressed girl and laughed. "Six weeks ago, Bryan and I were sitting out back enjoying the cool desert air when an angel appeared in a flash of blinding light."

Babs giggled. "Enjoying the air! That's rich! Michael, I seem to remember someone was completely out of breath." She blushed prettily. "It seems to me that you and Bryan were spooning quite seriously when I showed up! You two didn't look up until I called your name five times!"

Bryan roared with laughter. "Can you blame me Babs?" He ribbed his partner with his elbow. "This guy is some kisser."

Mike tried to look hurt, but couldn't hide his own grin. "Who's telling this story?" He cleared his throat. "Like I said, an angel appeared in a blinding light. Once I calmed her down, it didn't take me long to figure out she was a result of our experiments."

"Calmed me down?" Babs looked puzzled. "I was perfectly calm. Didn't I do everything perfectly right?"

"Of course you did." Mike scratched his head. "Monica, perhaps you should have a word with Leon in private."

Leon looked at his sister in undisguised confusion. "Please sis, someone has to explain this to me!"

Monica took her brother's hand and led him outside. "Little brother, your big sister managed to change the curse of time itself!"

"What the hell are you talking about?" He took a deep breath and started over. "Are you telling me you tampered with time?"

Monica's eyes flashed as she laughed. "Like you haven't?"

"I haven't! I never intended Babs to travel here!" he lowered his voice. "I did my best to send her back unharmed. I wouldn't dare mess with the due course of time itself!"

Monica threw her arms in the air and whirled around like a mad ballerina. "One point twenty-one gigawatts!" Her brother's startled look made her laugh again. "Do you think Doc Brown is hiding in the wings, worried that our Babs is going to fade away to nothing?" She grabbed his arm and squeezed the hard muscles. "I only saved you from me having to dig a bullet out of your arm."

"This is reality, sis! Doc Brown need not apply!" he sighed. "I thought you were going to explain things to me. I'm more confused then ever!"

"Mike called me up one night six weeks ago and begged me for a house call at your bat-cave." Monica frowned and put a hand to her head. "Damn, the memory is fading! Listen! She drank too much and was drunk. Babs had the misfortune to meet up with a couple of wanna be Gangsta ho's. The bitches didn't take kindly to Baby-doll being happy that they could use the same rest room as a white girl. You rushed in to save the day, and caught a .45 slug for your trouble!" she swayed a bit as she fought to hold on to the memories. "Baby was afraid you hated her. She dove out of the car in an attempt to stay and beg your forgiveness. She's been staying with me this whole time. Let me tell you, Baby-girl can cook!"

"What did you do about it, sis?" He could figure out the rest, but wanted to hear it from his sister.

"Do?" She put both hands to her head and concentrated. "I played dress up! Baby has a distinct flare for style and I know how to appeal to it. I caught her eye and she talked to me instead of those other two." Monica slowly put her hands down and looked blank for a moment. "What did I do? What was I saying? Oh, yes. I let a resident take me out to dinner. That's when I ran into you and Babs. It sure was strange knowing Baby-doll was at my place, and on the strip at the same time. She did tell me all about how I was going to be kind enough to teach her how to use the 'magic' sinks in a few weeks."

Leon rubbed his arm, remembering the sharp stab of pain as security grabbed two girls last night. One of them did have a gun. "I see! Mike had to recreate events in a way that would have Babs exit the event field at the proper time since I wasn't shot this go around! She only followed the mass of the car back six weeks!"

"You were shot?" his sister looked puzzled. "Leon, what happened? You've never been shot! Who would shoot you? What did Mike recreate? What's wrong?"

The huge man threw his arms up and bellowed. "Nothing is wrong!" He picked up his sister and danced around in joy. "Nothing is wrong! I was wrong, but everything is perfect now! Sis, How can I ever thank you? How can I thank Mike and Bryan? Guess what? I'm getting married!"

The door slammed open and Babs came racing outside. The blond tore past her future husband and sister-in-law and ran around the side of the building. The unmistakable sound of retching soon could be heard. Monica struggled out of her brother's grip. "I think you better go tend to your wife. I have to go tan someone's hide!"

Leon shook his head. "She can't still be hung over. That was six weeks ago her time."

The medical doctor ignored her brother and stormed back to the lab building. "Which one of you boys forgot the rule? You both know Babs throws up if she smells coffee before noon!" The rest was lost as the door swung shut.

"Throws up from smelling coffee?" A stupid grin lit up Leon's face as his future wife made a final strained sound. "OH! Oh my God!" He nearly knocked Babs down as he raced to see if she was all right.

Babs smiled up shyly at Leon. "I'm sorry. I was feeling a bit whoopsy for just a moment. I'm better now. I, I have to tell you something though."

The huge man once more took the lovely woman in his arms. "You're marrying me!" he said in delight. "The sooner the better! Say yes! Please say yes! Will you marry me, Barbara- Anne Barrister?"

She smiled. "Of course I'll say yes! I was just waiting all this time for you to realize you wanted to ask me!" Her smile faded. "I have to tell you something important though. Please don't be angry! I think I must have done something wrong. My, um, monthly never came. I told your sister when I started feeling sick in the mornings. By then it was a whole month late." Blushing prettily, she continued. "Monica made me go tinkle on a little stick. It somehow told her I'm expecting. I'm sorry!"

Leon threw back his head and laughed. "Babs honey, you did everything right! Don't you ever say that a baby in your belly is something wrong! I love you!" He dropped to his knees and kissed her tummy. "Hey in there, I love you too!"

Babs giggled and patted Leon's head. "Everyone was right! The said you would be happy, but I was just a tiny bit worried."

Six weeks later:

Leon grinned happily at his young bride. "Honestly Babs. The module is completely climate controlled. You aren't going to need a coat. Essentially we'll be traveling inside a huge thermos bottle. The insulation is so efficient our own body heat will actually need to be dumped more then we'll run the heating system. That's what those radiator fins are for on top."

"Doctor Edwards! The moon is probably cold! I do not want to get the sniffles!" she pulled the faux fur coat tighter around her body and gave a dramatic shiver. Besides. The coat was a wedding gift from Temple. Some may think a coat as a gift in the Nevada desert was a strange choice, but Babs loved it so. It was the same glossy black as Louie's fur, and he seemed to approve too.

"Mrs. Edwards." He couldn't help grinning again. Even after three months of marriage, he still didn't tire of hearing those words! "I certainly wouldn't want you to catch the sniffles!"

"Then that's settled!" Head held high, she strode past her husband and climbed the short ladder leading up to the stainless steel pressure sphere that now served as their test vehicle. It was so cute the way she prudishly pulled the coat tightly around her body as she entered the airlock set in the multifaceted steel ball.

Mike playfully slapped the side of the vehicle he and Bryan had designed and build. "Already being henpecked, Leon?"

The big man laughed. "I sure am, but I'm loving every second!"

A voice echoed out from inside the vessel. "Leon dear, I do not henpeck and you know it!" her girlish giggles proved she knew he was kidding.

"Belay that, crew!" the proud husband laughed. "The first mate does not talk back to the captain!"

More giggles emerged from the vehicle. "First and only mate, my beloved captain! I have the proof in my tummy!"

Mike almost choked. "Did I hear right? Did our Babs tell an off color joke?"

"Oh hush, Michael!" The men looked up at her tapping. Babs glared down from a viewport and stuck out her tongue. "Hurry up Leon! You said that after one hundred unmanned tests we could go!"

"Seriously Leon." Mike smiled. "There hasn't been so much as a hiccup in the system since we remapped the navigation program. Once we managed to warp the base unit onto the lunar surface safely, it was smooth sailing from then on. Flipping the pressure sphere from base to base solved all our landing and navigational issues." He smiled over to where Bryan was fast asleep, feet up on the communications console. "We were just too close to the problem. It was pure genius on my Bryan's part to have the sphere home in on a preexisting platform." He winked. "No more nasty temporal mishaps, at the very least!"

Bryan opened one eye. "To think I only had to build ten before you science types managed to land one without smashing it!"

"You're all very intelligent!" Babs tapped on the viewport again. "Leon! You promised me the moon!"

A Lexus kicked up a cloud of dust as it drove towards the lab building. The silver car parked right next to the gleaming metal ball. "Hold the countdown, or whatever you guys say!" Monica shouted as she climbed out. "Baby-doll, get out here right now!"

Leon glared at his sister. "I told you! There is no danger of radiation from solar flares! I wouldn't put Babs or the baby in danger like that! That's why we're going during the new moon! The entire mass of the lunar sphere will be between us and the sun at all times!"

Monica laughed as she pulled a slender bottle from a brown paper bag. "Leon, for a genius you sure act foolish! I understood the moment I found out you were landing during lunar night!" She waved the bottle under his nose. "It's not lucky to go without christening your ship, you big dummy!"

Babs joined them and took the bottle. "Champagne? I thought you said drinking anything like that is bad for me right now."

"Right you are, Baby. This isn't for drinking. This is for busting over the bow of a ship."

Bryan sauntered over. "Bow? This thing is round. Which side is the bow?"

"Never you mind, Bryan!" Babs smiled. "Monica is right! We have to give our moonship a name!"

Monica grabbed the blonde's arm and dragged her a few feet away from the men. Their shared giggles made Leon smile. "I have a feeling I'm going to regret this." He whispered as the girls returned.

"We have to hurry!" Babs announced as she wiped her brow. "I'm getting very hot!"

Mike snapped a photograph. "You are wearing a black coat under the desert sun, girlfriend!"

"Never mind that!" Head held high, the lovely young woman strode up to the improvised ship. "I christen you, Spaceball One!" Shielding her eyes with one hand, she swung the bottle in an arch. The thick glass connected with the heavy steel leg of the landing base and shattered!

Leon groaned and wiped a hand over his face. "Monica, stop corrupting Babs with your sense of humor!" he couldn't help laughing. "Okay! I just hope nobody jams the radar!"

Babs brushed some of the foam off of her coat and smiled sweetly. "Can we go now? You promised!"

Leon took his wife's hand and led her to the ladder. "Yes Babs, we can go now!"

The rapidly overheating blond cast a worried glance towards her sister-in-law. "Little brother!" Monica rushed over and gave the huge man a hug as the grateful Babs hurried up the ladder. "Men all through history have promised their women the moon. I'm so proud that my brother will be the first one to deliver on that promise!" she held her brother tightly until Babs once again vanished inside the gleaming metal sphere of Spaceball One. "Now go and make history!"

"Thanks, I think!" Leon effortlessly swarmed up the ladder to join his wife. He dogged the outer hatch tightly and checked the seal. Satisfied, he exited the cramped airlock and carefully shut the inner hatch. He gave the central wheel a good spin. "Good girl!" Babs had started the ventilator fans, compressors and air scrubbers of the life support system. It was a comfortable seventy-three degrees Fahrenheit on what he laughingly called the flight deck. "Are you sorry you wore a coat?"

Pulling the garment tighter, Babs smiled weakly from her seat. "Of course not! The moon at night will be freezing!"

"As you say." Leon sat next to his wife in the seats he had ripped from the hummer and buckled up. "You're not frightened, are you?"

"Leon, don't tease!" She pulled at her own seatbelt to show she was properly restrained. "Do you forget I've done this sort of thing twice already?"

He smiled and patted her hand. "How could I ever forget?"

"Spaceball One, this is Nevada base. Do you read me?"

"Mike, We're only a hundred yards away! Of course I read you!" Leon grinned. "Cutting external power." He dramatically flipped a switch on the rather sparse control panel before him. "Battery at ninety-seven percent charge." The two hundred and fifty-cell nickel metal hydride battery pack from a 2005 Ford Escape Hybrid was working perfectly! The system would run life support, the L.E.D. lighting array and their radio transceiver for nearly a week on one charge. "We're ready when you are!"