BLAST OFF!

Part 1

By Mark J. DeGregorio, a.k.a.- Lucky

James and Luke walked through the wreckage of his house. Luke stared at the destruction in astonishment as he asked, “What happened here?”

“We had a little trouble with someone breaking in and starting fires.” He answered, not wanting to go into the details of what really happened.

James knew if he said that his ex-wife, an evilly twisted sorceress, and a guy who could create and control fire, broke in to fight them in an all-out super battle, Luke would never believe it and would have him committed.

The two walked past the hole where Beaker was knocked through when James said, “We are going to leave town for awhile, would you make sure that the workmen get paid for the repairs?”

“Yes,” he replied, “but where are you going?”

“Err, I have a place outside of town, in the mountains.”

* * * * * * *

It was late in the afternoon when they arrived at the Terisen. Mike was waiting there to open the door for them. He has been living there since he was rescued from Doctor Zan’s lair. The only real time he was able to leave the ship was on Halloween, because of all the costumes that night. As James entered, Terisen’s holographic image appeared to welcome him aboard. “It’s good to see you again Captain.”

James looked around and said, “Alan did a good job with the repairs.”

Terisen smiled and replied, “Yes, he has me fully repaired.”

Alan entered the hanger from a corridor and gloated, “Yes, I totally rule! Who’s the man!” and held up his hand up for a high-five, when no one responded, he sighed, “No one respects a super genius anymore.”

Terisen turned to her captain and said, “Beaker is already here, and he’s in the lab.”

Stephanie, after finishing parking her car into the hanger, she and Penny got out of the her flying car. They approached and Stephanie said, “For once, I’m glad that my lunk-headed brother modified my car to fly.”

Alan said, “I’m glad someone appreciates my work,” then turned to his sister, “and I’m not a lunk-head.”

Terisen placed her hands behind her back and said, “Alan and the four girls arrived a hour ago.”

“Four girls?” James thought aloud. He asked Terisen about the rubber-twins whereabouts, and after learning their location, made his way to them.

James entered the recreation room and saw the twins with Candi Kane and Tyler Knight. James pointed at Candi and Tyler and asked, “What are they doing here?”

Nonie look up and smiled, “We picked Candi up so we can at least have band practice here.”

“And Tyler’s here because…” James inquired.

Because she made Patricia and me honorary agents, so we had to bring her here to celebrate.” Nonie answered.

Oh great, he thought, more people who knows about my ship.

“Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone about your ship.” Candi responded.

James looked at her with a stunned expression on his face when Candi pointed at her head and said, “Remember, I’m a telepath, I can read your mind.”

“Then you can read what I think of you guys rehearsing here.” He snapped.

Candi playfully grinded and said, “My what colorful thoughts, I’m to much a lady to repeat such things.”

James shook his head and walked out the door.

Tyler turned towards Candi and asked, “So, what did he think about?”

Again, Candi playfully grinded and said, “I’m to much a lady to repeat such things, but I’ll think it to you.”

Candi sent the thoughts James had into Tyler’s mind. Afterwards, Tyler said, “Know wonder you didn’t want to repeat that!”

* * * * * * *

Alan slept until nine in the morning. He had just woken from a good dream, when he opened his eyes to see the holographic face of Terisen staring at him. It startled him for a moment. He was not use to seeing someone watching him so closely while he slept. “Wake up Alan, you still need to run that diagnostics program.” She informed him without so much as blinking, or moving.

“Okay, okay, I’m up.” He grumbled, and then rolled over.

Before he could go back to sleep, Terisen initiated a wake-up procedure by blowing a loud horn into his face causing him to jump up quickly.

“Okay, okay, I’m up.” He snapped, and then got out of bed.

After he was showered, and dressed, he went to the galley for his morning coffee. As he entered the room, he passed James and Beaker on their way out. Nonie was eating her usual bowl of Cocoa Puffs, when Patricia stretched her arm around and tapped her on the shoulder. As soon as Nonie turned her head, Patricia snatched her bowl away. Nonie turned her head back and found her cereal gone. It did not take her long to figure out who swiped her bowl. “Give me back my Cocoa Puffs!”

“Why,” teased the rubbery brunette girl, “they’re so chocolaty, and delicious.”

Tyler turned to Candi, who was sitting beside her, and asked, “Do these two do this all of the time?”

“Yeah,” she whispered, “but wait, it gets better, watch Stephanie.”

Stephanie was beginning to get aggravated and did not feel like listening to this idiotic non-sense this early in the morning, snapped, “That’s enough Patricia.” And created a large energy hand, pulled the bowl out of Patricia’s hands, and placed it back on the table, “I’m not going to listen to her moping on about you taking her cereal!” and went back to reading her paper.

Tyler thought to the telepath, yeah, that was good.

Told you so, Candi thought back, then looked at the paper Stephanie was reading and inquired, “You do know that paper is dated two days ago?”

Stephanie dug her head deeper into the paper and snapped, “I know! We don’t get the paper delivered to the ship!”

Alan sat down and saw a plate with a waffle on it. He reached for the plate just as Mike was reaching for it, “Leggo my Eggo!” the two growled.

Both of their eyes were glaring at each other, as they grinded their teeth, “That’s my waffle!”

“I’m eating this waffle, tin head!” Alan barked.

“No,” responded Mike, “I’m eating this waffle, fish boy!”

The two snarled at the other until Penny showed up smiling and announced, “I have more waffles made!”

Mike and Alan got a plate with five waffles apiece; and both scarf down their waffles. When everyone was finished, Penny started to clean up the galley using her speed ability.

Stephanie looked at her brother and threatened, “I’m going to get ready for work, and I really hope somebody isn’t planning to do something very foolish, like say, shooting water in my face. If somebody were considering doing something like that, he would find himself pounded. With that said, I’m going to get ready now.”

As she left the room, Alan smiled as he remembered how funny that was until he was pounded by her. He would love to try something, but he did have to run that program and Terisen would be upset if he didn’t get it done. He got up to go to the computer core.

* * * * * * *

James and Beaker was busy setting up the holographic simulator to train the others in the use of their powers. James knew that, after seeing them in action, they were not ready to stop any real threats. The two programmed a simulation in which they would have to stop a huge thirty-foot robot. James made the surroundings resembling a post-apocalypse war-zone, placing building ruins, fires, blown-up cars, and wreckages around the area. Beaker turned to James and asked, “Don’t you think you’re overdoing this setting just a little?”

“They’ll have to learn to work as a team to stop the robot.”

“Yeah,” Beaker sighed, “but as soon as you start this simulation, you’re going to scare the living crap out of them, remember, they have never been a real holographic simulator before.”

James glanced up at Beaker and asked, “So, what are you saying?”

“What I’m saying is, maybe we should start them off with something very simple, in a not so horrific setting, maybe a simple bank robbery.”

* * * * * * *

Two hover racecars sped down a racetrack. They were pixilated for a video game as Nonie and Mike were on the fifth lap. Nonie’s car moved ahead of Mike’s as she gloated, “Yeah, I’m beating you! Who’s the game master now!”

As she started her victory dance, Mike’s car slipped past hers and was now in the lead, “Who’s the video champ now.”

“What!” she gasped as her jaw dropped to the floor or at least three feet down. Nonie’s eyes grew three times larger then normal as she franticly began mashing buttons on the controller.

To make matters worse, Patricia stretched her neck over Nonie’s shoulder and laughed, “Aw, poor little Nonie. Is getting her skinny little butt kicked by the big bad robot man?”

“Not now Patricia.” She grumbled.

Patricia smiled, and then stretched her hand over, placing her finger into her mouth. When her finger was nice and wet, Patricia stuck her finger into Nonie’s ear. “EEYEEEWW! Stop it Patricia!” and then Nonie’s car smashed into a wall, with Mike’s car crossing the finish line.

“Ooohh Yeah! I’m still the champ of this game!” Mike cheered.

* * * * * * *

Alan entered the computer’s core room. He pulled out his palm pilot and plugged it into a data input. Alan made a few adjustments and checked the progress of the program. After Alan was satisfied, he unplugged the palm pilot and started to run the diagnostics program. The program ran for a few moments and then stopped. “Now what?” he grumbled.

Alan re-ran the program again and it stopped again. Frustrated, Alan said, “There’s something stopping me from running this program.” Then he plugged the cable into the data port on his neck, and entered the main frame of Terisen.

Alan approached a control panel and began to search for a blockage. He followed the track of the program to the location of the area where the program was shut off. “Hey, what’s this?”

Terisen appeared and asked, “What’s what?”

Alan pointed at an old file which had been sealed, “This file, do you know what it is?”

Terisen scanned her systems. When she finished, she puzzlingly replied, “I have no idea what that is.”

Alan checked the date of the file, calculated from the Amalgamation calendar, and said, “This file has been sealed for over thirty years.”

Alan reached out and touched the file, opening it. Terisen suddenly looked angry as she said, “Who are you, and how did you get in me!”

Alan smiled and replied, “Come on Terisen, It’s me, Alan.”

“GET OUT!” she commanded and blew at Alan.

He was tossed out of the main frame and back into his body. Before he could ask what happen, Terisen activated her internal defenses, thrusters, and heat shields. The ship began to rock as it forced its way out of the mountain.

Alan got up and ran towards door as he just figured out that he should not have opened that file.

* * * * * * *

Terisen began to blast her way out from the mountain, which held her for all those years. There was a loud explosion, which could be heard for thirty miles. People in town thought it was an erupting volcano, until a gigantic spaceship emerged from the smoke, then shot into space at an incredible speed.

On the streets, reporter Jane Griffin was in the middle of one of News 6’s fluff pieces of how a dog was able to bark the alphabets, when the Terisen moved across the background. Jane turned along with the crew and saw the ship getting it all on film. “My God, that’s a spaceship. Keep that camera rolling Albert!”

She then turned to the camera and reported, “Ladies and gentleman, what you are witnessing is what appears to be a genuine spaceship streaking across the sky. This is an exclusive News 6 report.”

At the prison where Jonathan Solow was incarcerated, he was watching the news as Joey was sprawled on his stomach, reading a comic book. Johnny sat up from the couch of the recreation room when he saw the Terisen leaving Earth.

“This is too perfect. Captain muscle-head is gone…” he whispered.

Joey, who was not listening, said, “Look Johnny, Elasticity shaped herself into a spring and is bouncing around.” And then held up the comic book for his employer to see.

Johnny looked at the book, snatched it, and tore it up. Joey shouted, “Hey, why’d you do that for?”

Johnny grabbed the top of his fat little partner’s head, turned it towards the television, and asked, “Tell me what you see.”

“Ooh, there’s a neat science fiction movie on.”

Johnny let go of Joey’s head and began to rub at his temples, “That’s the Terisen you nit-wit.” he educated, “James is gone and its time for us to depart from here.”

* * * * * * *

The Terisen sped towards the stratosphere as everyone felt the sudden acceleration of the ship. Alan fell to the floor and slid across to the back bulkhead of the computer’s core room. Stephanie was getting ready to leave for work. As she was putting on her left shoe, she found herself jolting forward and stumbling on her right foot until she slammed her face into the back wall of her stateroom. James and Beaker were sitting at the controls programming another holographic simulation when their chairs rolled back and they smacked into the bulkhead of the control room.

After Penny finished cleaning the galley, she turned to leave when she was forced backwards and into the galley’s wall, and then watched as all the dishes in the cupboard flew out, and started hitting her. In the recreation room, Patricia was thrown against a secured table; however, Nonie was not as fortunate as her sister was. She slammed her back against the wall, and then Mike’s massive body smashed into Nonie, squashing her flat against the wall. In one of the many corridors on the Terisen, Candi and Tyler fell to the deck and tumbled down the passageway until they collide with a wall with a ladder attached.

Stephanie got up rubbing her forehead and looked out the view screen. She did not see the cavern, which was the view from her window; it was space. The blood rushed from her head as she whimpered, “I’m going to be really late for work.”

James and Beaker rushed out of the holograph’s control room. When they were out in the hall, James shouted, “Terisen! What happened?”

Terisen’s image appeared on a view screen and said, “Who are you intruders?”

Intruders, James thought and then said, “Terisen, it’s me, your captain, Captain James Wayland.”

“My captain is Captain De La Chorister. I don’t know who you are.”

Captain De La Chorister, he was the captain before me, James thought, somehow she was reverted to a time before I was her captain. “You must be contained into an area.” Terisen announced, and activated her internal defensive systems.

James and Beaker dove back into the control room of the holographic room as Terisen set off a few warning shots at them. When they were safely inside, Beaker asked, “Now what?”

“If I can get to my stateroom, I could get the over-ride codes.”

Beaker lowered his head and said, “You would have to go down two decks and a twelve meter corridor to get there.”

“I wonder how the others are doing.” James thought aloud.

Candi and Tyler ran down a corridor while Terisen shot at them. Terisen opened a door at one end leading to a bathroom. The two girls ran inside and the ship’s avatar closed the door behind them and said, “Now stay there until I sort this out.”

Tyler stared at the door and gripped, “This is great; we’re stuck in the bathroom!”

As she turned to face Candi, she was sitting on the toilet. Candi looked up and said, “What, I had to go.”

In the galley, Penny crawled out of the mess she had been buried under, and began to clean up the mess.

In the recreation room, Patricia watched as Mike moved away from the wall he was thrown into, and began to laugh at the sight of her sister squashed against the wall. She walked over to Nonie and giggled, “Oh Look, we have a Nonie wallpaper, bet Alan would like you on his computer.”

Nonie pulled herself from the wall, moved towards Patricia, and said, “Shut up!”

Patricia stretched herself around her flattened sister and joked, “Hey, where did you go?” and then around to face her, “Oh, there you are, I couldn’t see you from the side, you’re soooo, two-dimensional.”

Nonie took a deep breath and forcefully held it in until she popped back into her three-dimensional form, then stretch her fist, punching Patricia in the face. When Nonie pulled back her fist, Patricia had an indentation of Nonie’s fist in her face, “What, no snappy comebacks, crater-face.”

Patricia shook her head popping her face out to normal and snapped, “That’s it!”

The cyborg noticed the view screen as he saw Earth slowly getting smaller, announced, “Girls, we have bigger problems then your petty squabble…”

Nonie ran out of the room followed by Patricia. “…Like the fact that we’re…oh like they’re listening anyway.” Then Mike chased after them.

Nonie was about twenty meters ahead of her sister and saw the bridge of the Terisen. I’ll hide in there, she thought and ran through the door. As soon as she entered the bridge, Terisen quickly closed the door, sealing her inside. “Thanks Terisen, she was going to kill me.”

Outside in the corridor, Patricia and Mike got to the door of the bridge when Terisen began to fire on them. Mike’s sensors found that the de-briefing room was open and the two ran there for cover.

Nonie heard the shots cried, “Terisen, you didn’t have to shoot at them.”

Terisen’s image appeared on the view screen and said, “I didn’t bring you here to protect you, I brought you here to fly me through the spatial-torrent.”

“Why me?” she whined.

“Because,” the A.I. said, “you were the first one to get to the bridge.”

“But I can’t fly the ship,” she complained, “I don’t know how.”

Two laser guns pointed at Nonie as Terisen said, “You’ll learn.”

In the heart of Terisen, Alan poked his head out of the computer’s core room and quickly pulled it back as Terisen fired two shots. “Oh why did Terisen just let me sleep in today?”

* * * * * * *

On Earth, after they were in their cells, Johnny moved over to the lock, created an electrical bolt, and shorted out the locking mechanism to his cell door. He exited while Joey started to gather all his comic books and stuffing them into his pockets. Two guards ran over to the escapee and ordered him to halt.

Johnny smiled and said, “I waited two years for this.”

The villainous Solow sent an electrical bolt at the guards, sending off their feet, and crashing into a stonewall falling to the floor. Johnny walked past them then stopped to see the smoke being emitting from their bodies and said, “Don’t you guys know that smoking is prohibited in the cell area.”

Johnny Solow made his way to the roof of the penitentiary, zapping anyone who was foolish enough to try to stop him. Johnny raised his hands and began to rise into the air when he heard, “Hey Johnny! Wait for me!”

Before he could react, Joey leaped into the air and grabbed him by his left leg. Joey’s excessive weight had off balanced Johnny, causing his flight pattern to fall short as the two fugitives landed just outside of the prison’s wall.

Johnny Solow was laying face down on the ground with Joey sitting on top of him. Joey got up and moved around to face his boss and yelled, “We did it Johnny! We escaped from jail!”

Johnny rolled over to his back and threw his fist into Joey’s eye, shouted, “You stupid lame-brain! Are you trying to help them capture us?”

Before Joey could answer him, more guards approached and Johnny electrocuted them, then he threw up an electrical field around them and said, “Stay right there and don’t move.” Solow ordered.

“Okie dokie Johnny!” and Solow lifted them into the air and away from the prison.

* * * * * * *

James turned to Beaker and said, “If I can get to my quarters, I can get the codes to Terisen.”

Beaker stood there rubbing his chin, replied, “You realize that you would have to go up two decks and a twenty meter corridor to get to you stateroom, with Terisen shooting at you all the way.”

“Do you have any better ideas?”

Beaker pulled out his mini-tracker and scanned the locations of everyone else and said, “Stephanie is in her quarters, and Alan is in the computer’s core room. I could use my telepathy to get Stephanie to use her force field to get to your stateroom and get the codes.”

“Then you can relay them to Alan to enter them into the computer.” James added.

Beaker began his plan to save everyone from Terisen as he transmitted his thoughts into Stephanie’s head, Stephanie; I need you to go to James’s quarters and find his codebook for Terisen.

Stephanie shook her head a moment; she never experienced being on the receiving end of a telepathic conversation before. Stephanie looked out of her door and said, “How in the hell am I going to get out there without getting shot?”

Use the force, he thought to her.

“What?”

Your force field, use your force field. He thought back.

She again, looked out the door and asked, “Are you sure my force field is strong enough?”

It held up the last time this happened.

“Okay.” Stephanie responded, activated the energy field, and ran out of her quarters.

As Beaker had said, her force field did held up against Terisen’s energy blasts. Stephanie ran down the corridor about ten meters to James’s cabin and entered the room. She looked around the room and thought, now where would he hide his codebook.

James told me it’s in his deck drawer, bottom left side. Beaker responded.

Stephanie was surprised that he had heard her, and then realized she did not have to speak for him to hear her. She ran over to the desk and pulled at the drawer and said, “It’s locked!”

She raised her finger, blasted the lock apart, and then opened the drawer. James says the key is in the top dresser drawer.

Stephanie smiled and said, “Oh well, he’ll need a new desk now.”

She shoved some debris away and found the book. She moved to the bed, sat down, and asked, “I have the book, how do I find the codes?”

* * * * * * *

On the bridge, Terisen had Nonie at the helm controls about to enter the spatial-torrent. As she pilots the ship towards the coordinates, an enormous blue and white energy field opened and pulled the ship into it. Once inside, Nonie found it to be a struggle to hold the ship on a strait line as it felt like riding a roller coaster, bumper car, and the water slid all at the same time.

James felt the ship moving into the spatial-torrent. He knew the ship could not enter without someone to pilot it. “We’re going into spatial-torrent, who’s piloting my ship!”

Beaker looked at his tracker and said, “You really don’t want to know who it is.”

James sighed, “Alright, which one, Nonie or Patricia?”

The look on Beaker’s face told it all as James said, “Oh god, it’s Nonie isn’t it?” and Beaker nodded his head in agreement.

James placed his hands on his temples, began to rub them, and said, “This is really turning out to be a really crappy day.”

“We had better get those codes now before anything else happens.” Beaker stated.

Beaker relayed the section in the book to Stephanie and she found the codes. She read the codes aloud that James had indicated for her to find. As Beaker repeated the codes, James copied them down. James turned to Beaker and said, “Alright, we have the codes, get in touch with Alan in the computer core.”

Beaker telepathically linked Alan to himself, Alan; we have the codes to gain back control of Terisen. Since you’re there in the computer core, you’ll have to enter the codes.

As with Stephanie, Alan had never experienced a telepathic conversation before, startled, “What? Wait…Beaker?”

We don’t have time to go through this again. We need you to enter the codes into Terisen, Beaker thought.

Alan looked at the computer core and whined, “But Terisen won’t let me back in to enter any codes.”

Beaker rolled his eyes and let out a sigh before responding, thought, this may come to be a surprise to you, but you can enter the codes using the terminal, you know the keyboard.

Alan looked at the terminal and thought; whoa, I haven’t used that in over two years. I forgot about that.

Yes, now get the lead out. I’m going to link you and James together to get the codes for you to enter.

As Alan moved to the terminal, Beaker linked James to him to relay the codes. James thought, the code to change the command from Captain De La Chorister is: Alpha…1…3…zero…6…gamma…7…8…1…enter.

Alan entered A1306G781, and then said, “Okay.”

James thought, the code to change the command to Captain James Wayland is: Beta…6…zero…2…7…Delta…3…6…1…enter.

Alan entered B6027D361, and then said, “Okay.”

James thought, and the code to reset Terisen to her previous settings is: 180924609 Star Date AY7121…enter.

Alan entered the final code and Terisen appeared and asked Alan when he was going to run that diagnostics program.

James and Beaker stepped out of the holograph’s control room and James commanded, “Terisen, Shut down your internal defense systems.”

Immediately the lasers stopped and Terisen holograph image appeared and said, “Captain, what happen? My sensors tell me that we’re not on Earth anymore.”

Beaker interrupted, “We’re still in spatial torrent.”

James and Beaker cried, “Nonie!” and ran up to the bridge.

As they reached the bridge, Patricia and Mike were already at the locked door of the bridge. James called to Terisen, “Open the damn door Terisen!”

As the door open to the bridge, Candi and Tyler Knight came running towards them. The six of them entered the bridge as the Terisen exited the spatial torrent. Nonie was sitting at the helm station gripping the guiding controls yoke so tightly that James had to pry them off. He pulled at them and her fingers stretched three feet before the snapped off the yoke.

Nonie moaned, “I so, don’t want to do that ever again.”

James glanced at the view screen and asked, “Terisen, where in the hell are we?”

Terisen appeared on the view screen and answered, “We’re in the Rasta system.”

James walked to the intercom and called out, “Alan, Stephanie, and Penny, meet us in the de-briefing room,” then turned to the others, “come on.”

* * * * * * *

Alan quickly moved around the table, moving to the right. He then quickly dashed to the left when Stephanie moved to cut him off shouted, “I’m going to kill you Alan!”

As she moved around the table to clobber her brother, he would move away from her reach explained, “It wasn’t my fault! I didn’t know this would happen!”

“You just had to fart around with the computer and get us sent into space, making me really late for work…will you stand still!” Stephanie snapped.

Alan knew if he did that, she would pound him for sure. He moved out of her reach. James shouted, “Stephanie! Stop this right now! Beating up Alan isn’t going to bring us back to Earth!”

“No, but it would make me feel better to pound him.” she retorted.

Everyone took a seat at the de-briefing table; Alan sat away from his ill-tempered sister, while James sat in his captain’s seat, as Terisen displayed a holographic map of the Rasta system. James explained, “This is the Rasta system, it’s heavily infested with pirates. At the time before the Terisen came to Earth, they had plans for a weapon they raided from the Norseids.”

“The Norseids?” Penny asked, “What is a Norseids?”

James stood up, went to a view screen, and called up the file on Norseids. An image of a gray, bald alien appeared on the screen. He had a large crest on top of his head, running down the center of his face, bulging at his nose. He had a sharp brow and cheekbones, which seem to merge, and had two protrusions extending from his chin.

James then explained, “The Norseids are noted for their technological achievements. They’re the scientists of the Amalgamation, anyway, twenty somewhat years ago, the pirates attacked a Norseids science ship, killing everyone aboard, and then made off with the ship.”

“The Amalgamation thinks that they may have built the weapon to hold the galaxy hostage.” Terisen added.

Beaker stood up and said, “The pirates base was suppose to be somewhere close to where we are.”

“Well, why don’t you call you Amalgamation buddies and ask them for help?” snapped Stephanie.

James and Beaker glanced at one another then James turned to Terisen and said, “Open a channel to the Amalgamation headquarters.”

“Will do captain.” Then she popped out of sight.

Terisen was not gone for two minutes before she materialized back into the room and announced, “Captain, we have a small problem.”

As all turned to face Terisen, she stated, “A small pirate ship is at forty-two degrees off our port view, about one hundred kilometers away. It appears to have seem us and is on the run.”

“Pursue him,” James ordered, “and jam it’s communications so he can’t report us to his base.”

With a will-do and Terisen vanished from sight. James faced all in the room and ordered, “Mike, Stephanie, Tyler, and I will get to the landing bay, the rest of you get to command. When we get with in range, I want you to hit them with the tractor beam, and pull him into the landing bay.”

Before James and his friends got to the hanger deck, they made a stop at the weapons locker to get Amalgamation issue multi-phase energy pistols.

As Terisen drew closer, the rouge ship began firing at her. Terisen returned her own fire, knocking out the pirate’s hyper engine. Terisen activated the tractor beam and pulled the ship into the landing bay.

After the small cargo ship came to a stop in the landing bay, James and Tyler held their weapons at the ship while Mike converted his right hand into a plasma cannon. Stephanie powered up her energy field when the pirate ship turned its energy cannon on them.

Stephanie and Mike both blasted it before it could fire at them. James knew there was a reason he had them come with him to the hanger. He turned to look behind him and called, “Terisen, get Alan to the hanger deck. We’re going to need him here.”

Terisen momentary appeared, accepted the order from her captain, and then disappeared. Moments later she appeared behind Alan Foster and announced, “Captain Wayland needs you in the landing bay.”

Alan jumped and spun around and yelped, “Don’t do that! You scared the crap out of me!”

“Captain Wayland needs you in the landing bay.” She repeated, not acknowledging his complaints.

Alan ran out of command and made his way to the landing bay. He didn’t step three feet in before James barked, “Plug yourself into that ship and get that hatch open!”

Within moments later, Alan had the door open and the others entered the ship, stunned the five pirates aboard, and had Mike, Stephanie, and Tyler take them to the brig.

James turned to Alan and said, “I want you to plug yourself into their ship’s computer and get all the information about the pirates, their base, their plans, or anything else of importance that would be useful.”

Alan entered the ship and plug himself in and started to go through everything. James went up to command to let the others know what was happening.

* * * * * * *

On Earth, Franklin was pounding on a small nine-inch black and white portable television set, trying to get a better reception. He grabbed the coat hanger he was using as an antenna and moved it left then right. “Hugh, stupid TV! I’m missing the football game!”

“Good!” Elizabeth barked, “It’s your fault we’re stuck in this crap-hole of a trailer! If you hadn’t been playing Captain Wonder-dork and let out that monstrous spirit, we’d still own the apartment complex!”

“Well I didn’t know.” Franklin whined.

“Because of you, we got sued by everyone there and lost everything, including the apartment complex!”

“Well I didn’t know.” Franklin whined.

“And instead of sitting on you fat ass, you should go out and get a real job! You fat lazy cue ball head!” she grumbled.

Franklin held up his fist and blurted, “I’m going to sock you, you big fat ugly hippopotamus!”

Elizabeth got up from the chair, and moved over to Franklin, as she menacingly bellowed, “You’re going to sock…WHO!”

Franklin moved away from Elizabeth, as she was about to pound him. Before she could, an electrical surge ripped a gapping hole into the side of their trailer. A man descended into the trailer. He wore a blue costume with lightning bolts on it, and a dark blue cape. His skin was magenta in color with black hair and a goatee. He held out his hand and said, “I am Surge, and I’m offering you away out of this hell-hole as you put it.”

“Hey Johnny! Did they join you yet!” came from outside the trailer.

The villainous alien held up a finger and said, “One moment please.”

He turned and fired lightening bolts outside. They could heard a deafening shriek and smelled something that resembled bacon. “Now where were we, oh yea, I have come to offer you power beyond your wildest dreams.”

“Can I get real super powers?” Franklin uttered.

Johnny, now known as Surge, smiled and responded, “I can do that.”

Elizabeth skeptically asked, “Why should we listen to you?”

Surge smiled larger and explained, “Revenge… revenge on those so-called heroes who are really responsible for your problems. I offer you a chance to leave all this behind and join me in punishing them for all they have done.”

Elizabeth thought for a few moments, she thought about heroes planting the stupid ideas into her cue-ball headed husband’s fat head about playing Captain Wonderful, and that got them to loose everything in all those lawsuits. She turned to Surge and replied, “Alright, we have a deal, I would like a chance at those stupid heroes.”

The three stepped out of the trailer and approached Joey, who was still dragging his butt along the ground to put out the fire from the lightening. Surge created an energy field around everyone and lifted them into the sky.

* * * * * * *

Somewhere in the universe, the Terisen moved though pirate-infested space. They already encountered a pirate scout ship, which they captured and have its crew locked in the Terisen’s brig. James had called everyone into the debriefing room to figure out their next move.

Alan, of coarse, was the last to arrive. He strolled in and took a seat between Nonie and Tyler Knight. James gave him a glare, and then said, “Now that we are all here, we can get started.”

“Ooo, you’re in trouble now, he’s going to send you to the principle’s office.” Nonie jokingly whispered to Alan.

James turned on a view screen monitor and then said, “We captured these pirates before they were able to inform their base of our position.”

The brig appeared on the screen as it showed the six-pirate crew sitting in their cells. “So, we still have the element of surprise.” James added.

Alan smiled and added, “Anything good in their cargo hold?”

Stephanie created a energy rolled up newspaper and swatted her brother over the head and yelled, “Just shut up! I’m still mad at you for getting us into this mess!”

James continued, “The crew, according to their ship’s records, the they are new recruits and are new to the pirates, however…” James pressed a button on the console and the camera shifted to the captain of the scout ship.

“The captain is well known by most of the pirates, so we could have infiltrated their base, if not for the fact that everyone knows Captain Krangle.”

Krangle sat in his cell; he was medium build with brown hair held down with a knotted scarf and goatee. He wore an eye patch over his right eye, a dark blue tricorn hat, a gray spacesuit, and a blue short pirate’s jacket. Although he looked a little scruffy, he did have a somewhat familiar look about him.

The Terisen’s crew glanced at Krangle when Alan said, “He sure is a funny looking guy; too bad we don’t have anyone who looks like him.”

After he said this, all eyes looked at him. Everyone, except for Alan, noticed something. Alan was medium build with brown hair and goatee, he sometimes looked a little scruffy, and his features looked somewhat familiar.

James asked out to everyone, “Do you all know what I’m thinking,”

“I always know what you’re thinking.” Candi responded, “and yes, I think you’re right. He does look like him.”

“Who does?” Alan muttered.

Stephanie shifted her eyes from Alan to Krangle and then back to her brother and said, “Yeah, It just might work.”

“What will…” Alan said and then noticed everyone was staring at him with smiles, “…why is everyone looking at me for?”

“Because,” Patricia laughed, “you look just like that smelly old pirate.”

“Oh no you don’t!” Alan protested, “I’m not going to impersonate Krangle! Pirates are a bunch of dangerous cut-throats, and I like to keep mine intact!”

“Well, here are your options…” Stephanie announced, “you can impersonate the pirate captain and infiltrated their base,” she created an energy hand out and grabbed Alan’s shirt by the chest, “…or you can stay here with ME!”

Alan hesitantly smiled and said, “Given my chooses, I think I’ll take my chances with the pirates; I’ll have a better survival rate then I’ll get with Steph.”

* * * * * * *

On Earth, it was late at night, three figures approached Beaker’s research lab. Surge flew up to the security system’s power grid and discharged an electrical blast, shorting out the entire alarm system. He descended back to the ground and said, “Alright, we can get in without the police coming in to interfere with our plans.”

He then turned and discharged another lightning bolt at the lock on the door and opened it. Surge entered, followed by Elizabeth with Franklin, carrying a travel bag, bringing up the rear. The three made their way down a hall and into the main laboratory. Surge flicked on the lights and began searching around the lab until he found the machine he was searching for then called, “Here we go, come over here you two.”

Elizabeth came over, and then stopped when she realized that Franklin was nowhere to be seen. Angrily she shouted, “FRANKLIN! Will you get your fat bladed head in here!”

When Franklin entered the room, he was wearing long red underwear with a yellow “CW” on his chest, a black cape, mask, and cowboy boots. What made matters worse was that he was wearing almost white underwear, except for the brown skid mark on the back, on the outside of the long johns. He took a heroic stance and shouted, “It’s CAPTAIN WONDERFUL!”

Elizabeth’s eyes began to burn with rage as she shouted, “HEY! I thought I got rid of that costume… Four times!”

She stampeded over to him and screamed, “Get that stupid, smelly outfit off and get rid of it!”

“But I need it.” Franklin moped.

Elizabeth grabbed a handful of the material from the chest of his costume and gave a super hard pull. The fabric ripped from his body until he was standing before her in a torn rag of what use to be his super costume. The only part to survive was the mask, belt, right sleeve, and everything below his waist.

Quickly she grabbed another handful and tore off the rest of his costume, leaving Franklin standing in his polka-dotted boxer shorts. Franklin angrily snapped, “What did you have to go and do that for? You big fat, ugly hippopotamus!”

Before Elizabeth could pound him, Surge called her over. As Franklin stared at the remains of his costume, Surge said, “Elizabeth, I have everything set up for you first, if you would get into that booth, we can get started.”

She complied and got into the machine’s booth, Surge adjusted the dials, and the machine came to life. Inside, She felt herself becoming stronger and bigger. Then she felt her body changing, her body became grayish in color, and she could see a snout forming on her face. When the transformation was complete, the door opened and she stepped out. “Hey, you really are a big fat, ugly hippopotamus!” Franklin shouted with glee.

Elizabeth ran over to look into a reflective surface of another machine and saw that she was turned into a hippo-hybrid. “Weeelllll, Elizabeth is a big fat hippo, the biggest fat hippo in the whole wide world…” Franklin sang.

“Why You!” Elizabeth snarled and moved to stop him from singing.

“Oh boy, my turn!” Franklin shouted and ran into the booth, “I want super strength, flying, and invulnerability, maybe heat vision, x-ray vision…”

Surge again, adjusted the dials, and the machine came to life, but Elizabeth used her newly found strength to knock Surge from the control panel and made her own adjustments.

After his transformation was complete, Franklin stepped out, and took a heroic stance and shouted, “It’s CAPTAIN WONDERFUL!”

Elizabeth stretched a hippo’s smile as she grinned, “You look like Captain Blockhead to me.”

Captain Blockhead? Franklin thought, and reached his hands up to feel his head. Sure enough, he felt the sides, edges, and corners of his head. “I’m going to sock you, you big fat, ugly hippopotamus!” Franklin snapped.

“You’re going to sock…WHO!” Elizabeth roared, and grabbed Franklin. She threw him into the controls of the machine Surge used on them, destroying it with his titanium like head. The three quickly ran from the lab when the fire sprinklers activated.

* * * * * * *

Beaker injected interpreting nanoprobes into everyone so they would be able to understand any language spoken by the pirates. James and Beaker did not require this because they already knew over five hundred languages already.

Mike could not be injected, so he had to spend two hours downloading varies languages. Alan did not want to spend two hours hooked to the computer, but now had wish he did. The shots hurt more then one of Stephanie’s beatings.

Then Alan, Mike, Tyler, and the rubber-twins boarded the pirate’s cargo scout ship. They were already dressed in their pirate disguises and were readying for their departure. Alan was in the flight deck when Stephanie entered, dressed as a pirate. Alan quickly turned and questioned, “Hey, what are you doing here?”

“I’m coming along to make sure you don’t screw things up.” She answered.

Alan plopped himself into a chair and complained, “I only took this mission to get away from you.”

“Well, you’re stuck with me, so get use to it.” She responded, “Besides, James can’t go because his face is too well known by the pirates and I’m the only other one who can fly this thing.”

Alan adjusted his hat and said, “Well, I have the captain’s hat, so I’m in charge.”

Stephanie moved over to the communication’s panel and flicked a switch. James appeared on the view screen and said, “Alan, Stephanie is in charge of the mission, I appointed her my first officer.”

Alan slumped down in his chair and gripped, “Man, I can’t get a break.”

Stephanie walked over to Alan, held up her thumb, and said, “Okay, up. You’re in my seat!”

He sighed and got out of the pilot’s seat and Stephanie took her place at the flight controls. As she initiated the per-flight sequence, Alan made his way to the back compartment where the others were. “So, she kicked you out of the flight deck.” Patricia laughed.

“I decided to let her fly the ship.” He answered with a smile.

Patricia grinned and teased, “Oh, yeah, that’s precisely what happen. You just keep telling yourself that and you might just start to believe it yourself.”

Nonie stretched her hand over to the pointy-eared brunette, slapped her behind her head, and snapped, “Hey, leave him alone Must you always have to start trouble!”

Patricia returned the favor by stretching her hand to Nonie’s face, grabbing her nose, and stretching it four feet. “You mean like this?” she growled and let go.

Nonie’s nose snapped back into her face, knocking her over. As Patricia laughed, Nonie got up and was about to start pounding her sister until Mike grabbed her and Patricia and held them apart.

“Let go of me! I want to flatten her out!” Nonie shouted.

Patricia retorted, “Yeah, you and what army!”

As Mike tightens, his grip on the rubber-twins he shouted, “If you both don’t stop now, I’m going to flatten both of you!”

Stephanie’s voice came over the intercom and informed, “Alright, we’re ready to go. Alan, get you butt up here to the engineering station.”

As Alan entered the flight deck, James was on the view screen spoke, “…and you’re cleared for departure. We have the tracker attached and is working. Just follow the coordinates to their base, and we’ll be able to invade it.”

As the pirate scout ship exited the landing bay, James finished, “Good luck with your mission.”

When the ship was out of sight, James called Beaker to the bridge. When he arrived, James said, “Beaker, you know as well as I do that we’re not going to be able to stop those pirates ourselves. I need you to get into one of the shadow fighters and get to the Amalgamation fleet and get them here.”

Without debate, he departed to do as Captain Wayland asked.

To be continued: