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headborg

~~~The Days After~~~~

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As the three fussed around making lunch Lida decided to attempt to make the 'Special Sauce'. Bill tasted it and said.

"My Dear, I believe you got it!" They made up the Mega Macs and fries, got some drinks and sat down at one of the tables.

"So tell me, why are you here?" Lida asked them.

"We were at the convention in Chicago and all of a sudden we were standing in the room alone." Lenny told her.

"We stuck around for a while then decided to drive to Upstate New York. I have a place up there and we were going to see if anyone was still there. I have horses and I wanted to make sure they are alright." Bill told her.

''Do you know what's going on Lida?" Bill asked.

"Wait." she said. "Be right back"

 

Lida went out to the truck to get the lap-top. She came back in and put it on the table.

"See, it seems all of the members of our Web-site are still here" She told them. Just then, they looked at each other. "You're a member of STF.NET Bill?' Lenny asked him.

"UM, yea." Bill answered. "And you Lenny, are you?" Bill asked.

"Yep, I am." They looked at each other now suspiciously.

"O.K. Lenny, what's your user name then?" Bill asked him.

"I'm not tellin you, I don't have to you know!!" Lenny answered.

"Hey, Lida? Is VBG still here too?" Lenny asked her.

"Yea, as far as I know. We are all still here." Lida answered.

 

There was a few moments of silence as Lida logged onto the site. Suddenly Shatner blurted out.

"You're Cool_Hand_Lenny!" He yelled, pointing at Nimoy. "I don't know what you're talking about." Nimoy said. "Oh yes you do. You're always quoting my posts and giving me a hard time." Shatner says.

"And I know who you are too. You're "Bungalo Bill" aren't you?? Always spouting off how popular you are with the ladies." Lenny said. "And always chasing Jeanway around and fighting with Fenriz." Lenny added.

Suddenly it dawned on them.

Lida said. "That's YOU?"

"Uh Oh." They all said at the same time.

Edited by fenriz275

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While Lida was having lunch with Shatner and Nimoy I was pulling into the parking lot of another McDonald's at the other end of Indiana. I had some trouble getting through the doors in the pickle suit but finally managed to squeeze myself inside. Going back behind the counter I located the fridge. After figuring out how to turn on the grill I fried a couple of burgers and some fries. Taking my food to a table I wedge my pickle suit into a booth.

"Crap." I said as I realized I had forgotten the ketchup. It took me a few minutes to work my way out of the booth.

"EEWWW, WOW!" I said. As I walked up to the counter. "All these apple pies and pumpkin pies just sitting here going to waste." I grabbed a bag and emptied the bin for later.

 

When suddenly at the door a dog was barking and scratching trying to get in. It was hungry. I wedged myself out from behind the table again and walked over and opened the door. I secured the door in the open position since it was hot in there and the electricity was off.

"Come on Boy" I said to him, and he attacked me!!! Tearing at my pickle suit, the barking and growling attracted a whole pack of dogs who flooded the restaurant. I grabbed my food and ran out the door, in a big hurry, jumped in the WienerMobile and took off out of the parking lot. Scraping the rear end of the wiener on the curb, I looked in my rear view mirror to see the pack running after me.

"I'm a gnawed pickleman with a scraped wiener." I muttered to myself.

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Back in the McDonalds in Danville, Lida, Bill, and Lenny were finishing their lunch. Laughing about this whole thing.

"Well, Gentlemen, shall we get going?" Lida asked.

"By all means." Lenny answered. He got up and walked to the door and opened it.

"Ladies first." He said as he bowed from the waist.

"Oh, Bill ?" She called to him, still sitting there eating.

"Could you fill up some bags with whatever is cooked and bring it out with you? The animals will love it." She said.

"FFFSSSUURE" He answered, spraying the table with a mouthful of fries.

 

"Oh, wait a minute here." Lida said.

"Wait right here." She asked Lenny. Lida remembering there is no seats for passengers in the truck walks around the back of the building to find something for them to sit on.

"AHA!" There in the back was a stack of plastic milk crates. She grabs two and heads back to the truck. She opens the passenger side door and pushes back the goats and places one crate on the floor. Then she goes around to the back, opens a door and puts the other crate in the back.

"Here, Lenny you'll have to sit up back with the animals, is that O.K.?" Lenny smiles and says,

"Sure, I ridden in worse conditions." He climbs in and pulls the door shut. Then says,

"Feels like I'm going on an away mission in a shuttlepod." Then he laughs.

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Bill comes out of the restaurant loaded down with bags of food. Still chewing on a handful of fries. Lida slides the door open for him and grabs the bags so he can climb in.

"Deluxe accommodations I see Lida." He says as he positions himself on the plastic milk crate. He takes a deep breath and smiles at Lida.

"Yes, deluxe" He repeats. Off now down the highway, just over the Indiana line Lida turns North onto Route 63.

 

"Ever been to Lafayette Bill?" She asks him.

"OH, many times, many times." He answers. Meanwhile Lenny is in the back feeding the animals fries and pies. They are all over him. He seems to be enjoying himself.

"You O.K. back there?" Lida asks.

"Fine, I'm just fine, I love animals." He answers

The female goat is laying on the floor on Bill's feet and the male has decided he doesn't trust Bill around her so he's just staring at him. Bill tries to feed him some leftover burger but the male just nips Bill's hand then 'bleats' right in his face.

"OOWW!!" Bill yells. "Lida, can't you go any faster?" He asks.

"I'm driving the speed limit Bill." She answers.

 

"WHAT?" He yells. "There's no one else on the road!!! And watch out for that cow!! Lida swerves and misses it.

"Please don't tell me how to drive Bill, I am a licensed driver and I have never had an accident. so please get off my back, will you?? This ain't no starship you know and your NOT the Captain now, so SHUT IT Bill!!" She says. Lida turns around to see Lenny feeding the parrot fries directly from his mouth to the parrot's beak.

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After a few miles the pack gives up. I breath easier and continue down the highway in the Weiner Mobile. I reach into the sack of food for an apple pie. While I'm eating it I decide I'd rather listen to something other that Box Car Willy. I reach underneath the seat and feel around.

"Aha." I exclaim as my fingers touch another cassette. I pull it out and take a look at it. 'Alvin and the Chipmunks', the Christmas album.

"Sweet." I pop it into the tape player. I'm making good time cruising down the interstate, munching on apple pies, and blasting Alvin, Simon, and Theodore at maximum volume. The tape starts to play side B when the gallons of cola I'd been drinking hit me.

 

I pull the Weiner off and into a gas station. I nearly have an accident while I search for the restroom key. I find it attached to a cinder block and run for it. Inside I fight with the zipper, trying to get out of the pickle suit. I free myself. After I relieve my bladder I wash my hands. That's when I notice my skin is green.

"What the H*ll?" I mutter. I look at myself. The dye from the pickle suit must have ran when I sweated and now my entire body where the pickle suit covered it is a nice shade of green.

"Aw crap. I look like a freakin' stalk of broccoli." I grumble. I try scrubbing myself with the hand soap in the dispenser. No luck. I try everything I can find in the gas station. Even gasoline but the dye appears permanent.

"Well this is just typical." I wash the gasoline off so a stray spark doesn't send me up like a roman candle and haul my green butt back to the Weiner Mobile. As I climb in I think now it wasn't such a good idea donning the pickle suit commando style since now it's dyed everything green. And I mean everything.

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Now Lida, Shatner and Nimoy and the 'Zoo on Wheels' are heading East on Route 26. Last leg right into Lafayette. Lida has relinquished the wheel to Bill, since his incessant yapping about her driving, this seemed to appease him and shut him up. Lida dials her cell phone.

"Hi". She says to me.

"Hi" I say.

"Hi" She says again until we both laugh.

"I'll be in Lafayette soon, where are you?" she asks me.

"I'm still heading north." I say. "I've had another delay."

"Is everything ok?" She asks. I tell her about the pickle suit. She's laughing and I can hear her explaining what's happened to Shatner and Nimoy. They start laughing too. I can't help it and I laugh at myself.

 

Lida tells me she is going to 'Comfort Suites Hotel' located directly off I-65 at Exit 172.

"I'll wait for you there. Bill and Lenny will be there too. I've talked them into waiting for you so you could meet them. They are going to borrow a plane from the airport and fly to New York. Neither one of them knows how to fly a plane but thy figured if they can fly a Starship, how hard can a simple little Lear be." She tells me.

"Are they sure that's a good idea?" I ask.

"I've tried telling them that but they're pretty stubborn." She responds. I can hear Lenny and Bill in the background arguing over something.

 

Lenny is trying to put the parrot on top of the guinea pig and make him walk around with it on his back. Bill thinks thats cruel and tells him to stop being so childish and leave the pig alone.

"Mind your own damn business." I can hear Lenny yell at Bill.

"Just drive the damn truck will you?"

"Watch the road!!!"

Lida tells me in a whisper. "These two are nuts, Sweetie. I can't hardly wait to get out of the truck, they're constant bickering is enough to make me sic." She says. "They never Stop!!!"

"Stop? Stop where?" I hear Bill ask.

"She wasn't talking to you Bill. Mind your own business." I hear Lenny say.

"Why don't you make me, you sorry excuse for a director." I hear Bill reply.

"That's it, it's go time you wind bag. I'm going to drop you like sack of wet mice." Lenny says.

"Take the wheel Lida. I'm going to kick me some Vulcan a**." Bill says

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Bill pulls over to the side of the highway and puts the truck in park. He crawls out of the seat and into the back of the truck. He grabs Lenny by the front of his shirt and starts slapping his face repeatedly. Lenny gives Bill the Vulcan neck pinch and Bill goes down. Lida just watches.

"Stop it you two!!" She yells at them. Then crawls in the back to pull Lenny off Bill, who is now face down with the animals.

"Eww, not smelling too good back here is it Lenny?" She asks him.

"I guess we need to find another hose somewhere." She tells him.

"AWWW, Geeze Lenny, look at him, he's all covered with, well, you know." She says.

"Yea, I got it all over me too." Lenny says.

"Hey Lenny. I didn't know that the Vulcan neck pinch actually worked." Lida says as they pull Bill out of the van.

"It only works on Bill, for some reason. Sometimes he just won't shut up and I want some peace and quiet." Lenny explains.

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September 22nd 11: 45 pm

 

We drive around the downtown Dallas area for awhile looking for a 'up-town' Hotel, Weareborg sleeps peacefully in the back seat,post-820-1096482372.jpg soon we pass the 'Book depository building ' and head toward Love Field, there close-by, we find the Embassy Hotel, where we check-in. I try to wrestle WAB out of the back, but he puts up a fight in his sleep.

DL6: "Just let him...rest...HB.. he'll wake up and 'won't leave home without us.'

Upon entering the lobby, DL6 jumped behind the concierge's desk. She ducks down and pops back up giggling wearing a bell boy's hat. I quickly tap the bell on the counter playing along in sync with our little Role play.

DL6:" May I help you, Sir?"

HB: "Yes, I believe we should have a suite.....no, wait a minute..make that two suites."

DL6:"Sweet" turning to a diagram on the wall behind her, she points to a couple adjacent suites on the top floor, then continues,"...how about these bad buggers-$400 a night...." Smiling at me..."will that be cash or charge?"

HB:"Well business seems to be pretty poor tonight, and I did get a quote from Price Line.com....free room...do I get the discount?"

DL6 gives me a fake angry look, "well then! we will just have to 'honor' that quote...but Shatner and Nimoy better start working harder...with business like this 'we are gonna be out of business soon!" she encodes the card keys and we proceed upstairs.

Edited by headborg

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"OH, Look!" Lida says to Lenny. "A fire station!!!"

Lenny looks behind him and drops Bill on the pavement.

"So?" He says.

"They MUST have a hose in there." Lenny and Lida search the firehouse for a few minutes. Lida is looking at the fire engine and wondering if she should swap her van when Lenny comes walking out of the back carrying a hose and wearing a fireman's hat. Bill is unconscious propped up against the side of the van, snoring.

"Careful Lenny those things put out a lot of water pressure." Lida says.

"I know." Lenny says, a wicked look in his eyes.

"Wake up Bill. It's bathtime!" He shouts. Bill has enough time to come to and stumble to his feet when Lenny lets the water rips. The force flattens Bill up against the side of the van. Lenny laughs like a maniac. "Act your way out of this you hack!" He shouts.

 

Lenny directs the hard spray at Bill as he hits the ground. Bill is rolling down the street like a wet towel. Lida wrestles the hose away from Lenny and shuts it off.

"You two are acting like children. I'll bet Patrick Stewart and Jonathan Frakes never act like this." She scolds them.

Lenny turns the hose on Lida, she runs. Bill is in a waterlogged stupor. All he heard from the exchange was Patrick Stewart.

"Stewart! Here! I'll kick his a**!" Bill mistakes Lenny for Captain Picard and tackles him. The hose flops around out of control. Lida sees her chance. Soaking wet, she runs back and jumps on top of the nozzle. She turns it on the both of them. Yelling, "

STOP IT!!!"

 

The animals are very thirsty from all those salty fries and want to get a drink. They all start barking or quacking or bleating or banging on the doors to be let out. Lida opens the back door and they all come piling out, lapping at the puddles on the ground. She lets the goats out the front and take Baby Tongue and Kes in her arms. The male goat immediately sees his chance and starts butting Bill who is trying to get up after Lenny punched him. Lida sets the lizards down on the grass and gets the hose and begins hosing out the back of the truck, AGAIN!! Bill and Lenny are laying flat on the ground, soaked and gasping for breath.

"Hey Lenny." Bill pants.

"Yea Bill." He answers.

"What does this remind you off?" Bill asks.

"The wrap party for Star Trek IV." Lenny answers.

"Yep." Agrees Bill.

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Luckily the power was still on here in Dallas, the top floor would have been a long climb otherwise. We slipped our key cards in our doors and entered the adjoining suites....I no sooner opened my lap-top case, and removed the contents, and got it connected to the high-speed internet port, but came the Knock..Knock on the adjoining door. I walked over and unlocked it...as the connection was made to STF.Net.....DL6 seated her self on the bed as we stared at the newly designed Home page...it was mostly the names of all the members that had been 'accounted' for. And pages of vital contact information for each of them...I reported in that I was with DL6 and WAB and that our next destination was Ft.Hood, Tx..then on to Houston. Then I asked if any member was a commercial pilot because we had seen a Jet liner the other day. There hadn't been any member that stepped forward..so maybe...some other survivors could still be out there. Then I left DL6 with the lap-top to (pm and e) her friends...DL6 asked where I was going as I headed out the door...I told her I was gonna go check out the amenities this joint had to offer.....( I had seen a Bar/Lounge and could use a drink )

Edited by headborg

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I descended to the first floor and entered the lounge. Wow! This place is great, even a piano; another love of my life. But my first order of business was behind the bar. There I found the Rum and the glass…and remember a sense of sadness coming over me as I placed what might be the last ice cubes I ever see in the glass, and pouring a can of coke over them. I added the rum to it, and wandered over to the piano as a melancholy mood descended upon me. I spent the first hour or so sipping my roman coke and getting a feeling for the ivory, working on my standards…Richie, Elton, Joel, and a little Richard Marx and a run thru Fur Elise and Jessica’s Theme from the movie Man from Snowy River. When I found the bottom of the bottle of Capt. Morgan , I had also ran out of music. So…I was out of readily available booze and knew better than to attempt standing to retrieve more. As I sat there, my world disappearing around me…and now my ice cubes as well…one melody kept coming to mind. I had been refusing to give into the urge. But, then I decided ‘what the hell’ . Slowly, I searched for the right notes. After about 20 minutes I had them, then came the chords, and last the rests were in the right places…slowly the rhythm came together , and after another 10 minutes or so, I had successfully made it completely thru the piece, and each time thereafter it became easier…soon I was playing it and as the lyrics took on their importance, the memories of those I had lost came rushing back, and as the last ice cube disappeared and the night began to change into morning, I closed my tearful eyes and slumped over my only remaining love…the piano.

Click For Spoiler
Edited by headborg

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All the animals now watered and relived Lida, Bill and Lenny get them all back in the truck.

"I'll drive Lida. I know right where Comfort Suites is." Bill says.

"Alright." Lida says.

"Truck doesn't smell much better back here you know?" Lenny blurts out. "And now along with that I smell wet dog." He adds.

"Thanks Lenny, like I don't have a nose?" Bill answers sarcastically.

"Please guys, let's not start up again, O.K.?" Lida asks them.

"Sure Sweetie, anything for you." Bill answers with a lecherous smile on his face.

 

Back in the Weiner Mobile I'm just outside of Indianapolis. I think to myself,

"I've never been to Indy. Why not?" I stop and look at my map. Once I've figured out the way I drive to Indy. About an hour later I pull the Weiner onto the starting line. I rev the engine.

"It's the One Time, One Man, One Weiner Mobile Grand Prix." I say to myself.

"Sweet." In my mind I see the green flag drop and I stomp on the gas. For a few minutes, I'm the fastest pickleman in history.

Edited by fenriz275

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Approaching the hotel Bill says,

"There it is." and points. Then drives under the car-port and parks the truck at the front entrance.

"Let go." He says as he opens the door. They all get out and go in. Bill goes behind the front desk and picks three keys and hands one to Lenny and one to Lida, all adjoining suites. They go up to their rooms and take a nap. WHEW!

 

After a few hours Lida wakes up and remembers the animals in the truck. She forgot to bring Baby Tongue and Kes with her.

"Aww, Crap." She says as she leaps off the bed and runs down the hall to the lobby. Then out the front door to the truck. She opens the door and finds all the animals asleep. BT and Kes still on the dashboard. She takes them out along with the lap-top and the cell phone and goes back to her room. Now she dials my number.

 

"Hi" I say as I answer.

"Where are you?" She asks me.

"I'm just north of Indianapolis. I'm gasing up the Weiner now." I tell her. I fill her in on my Weiner race. She laughs.

"I should be in Lafayette soon. The next town on the map is Lebanon I think." She tells me about the hose incident earlier.

"Wow. I would have thought those two would be better behaved." I remark.

"You're telling me. I feel like I'm babysitting two overgrown children." In the background I can hear Lenny and Bill shouting at each other.

"Give it to me. You know I always get the Butterfingers from the honor bar." Bill demands.

"Not this time larda**." I hear Lenny respond. "I've been waiting 30 years for this candy bar and you can have it when you pry it out of my cold dead hands."

"That can be arranged you skinny a**ed putz." I hear furniture crashing.

"Oh God. I'm going to kill both of them." Lida says. "I've got to go Sweetie. I Love you."

 

"Get out of my room you two!" Lida yells."And stop arguing over stupid things! There must be a thousand candy bars in this hotel, why are you fighting over one crummy candy bar?? I'm going for a swim! And you two better not follow me either." She growled. Lida went down to the indoor/outdoor pool. Put Baby Tongue and Kes in the childrens' wading pool and she went into the whirlpool.

"AHHH, Peace and Quiet." She said as she layed her head back on the side.

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HB had left the room for a drink. Yeay! I love hotal hotal rooms, especially these big ones. :P The bed are really cool. Boing Boing Boing...bouncy too. Better get comfy, it might be awhile 'til I go to bed. I decided to take a stroll, maybe find a kitchen or a vending machine. As I hit the second floor staircase, I hear music. Wow, HB found a music system. I could go for a little music. I turned the final corner and found myself in the Lounge, and there was HB playing at the piano. "Dude, this is better than a music system...it's a live show." I thought. I didn't want to scare him, because he looked very "into the music" and I didn't know if he wanted an audience, so I hid behind the bar and just listened to the music. About forty-five minutes later I decided to make myself know. (Mainly because I was numb in all the wrong places and HB had fallen asleep.)

"Hey HB, wake up. I"ll help get you to your room." He puts up no fight and comes along. After I get him to bed, I head to my room. A few hours of sleep and I am ready to go, but I was worried about HB.

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I stood on the platform in my blue jumpsuit at the back of the orbiter cabin. Looking out the top window of the cabin, I could make out the docking ring of the ISS. I could also make out the badly damaged Soyuz spacecraft.

 

Maneauvering thruster control had been diverted to the service console. Grasping the t-shaped handle, I twisted and pushed slightly. After several minutes of hard concentration and minute adjustments to the control, the orbiter's rotation matched that of the ISS. I heard Commander Foale's voice crackle over my headset.

 

"Endeavor, I copy your omega-dot ten dps. R vector is nominal, you may commence your aproach."

 

With the shuttle now rotating at the same rate as the space station, I began to push the control stick slightly forward. I heard small hisses and felt barely preceptible vibrations, as the compressed fuel pushed the shuttle towards the station.

 

"... We copy negative z-dot, Endeavor, aproach vector on the center peg...." Looking through the top cabin window I could see Gennady taking pictures from the port of the ISS. His five-day growth casting a dark shadow on his face.

 

As I made minute changes to the thrusters, my nose itched. My feet - clamped into a small platform to keep me from floating away - were aching slightly. The itching in my nose grew more intense, and I tried to ignore it as both of my hands were occupied.

 

".... three meters and closing Endeavor... you speed is good...." Foale informed me over the comm channel.

 

I couldn't help the sneeze that erupted from my body. Jerking forward, I pushed hard on the nose thruster control. The shuttle lurched upward, and I could hear Gennady swear in Russian over my headset. Foal screamed as the cabin of the shuttle slammed into the docking ring of the ISS.....

 

The lights in the cabin dimmed to a flashing red and a buzzing siren sounded. A soothing feminine voice sounded in the cabin.

 

"Simulation terminated....." The voice repeated. I exhaled sharply and stepped off the platform, kicking my foot into the air. I opened the door of the simulator and stepped into the large hangar. Sitting down at a control console, I pushed the flashing red comm button. Foale's voice crackled from outer space.

 

"So what the heck happened?" He asked. "Everything was going well, and you slammed into us. Pull that for real, and it'll be a short ride home!"

 

"I sneezed." I muttered into my headset. "How close was I?" I asked.

 

"Two or three meters." Gennady said.

 

"Dammit!" I punched the console.

 

"Don't worry about it." Foale said. "Everything else is automated. You still got two months to do this. How's the Endeavor?"

 

"Halfway to 39-A." I said. We had been extremely fortunate that the Endeavor had been prepped for launch before the Columbia disaster and had been sitting attached to the SRBs and EFT in the VAB since then. Getting it prepped meant moving it on it's large trawler to the pad and attaching the umbilicals. I had spending nights reading up on launch prep and days in the simulator. We were at T minus 60 days.....

Edited by nik

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She layed in the whirlpool, resting her head on the coping. She closed her eyes. Kes and Baby Tongue had climbed out of the wading pool and flanked her head on either side on the concrete floor. All was silent except fpr the sound of the whirling water around her. It was night and the indoor/outdoor pool was illuminated from below with a soft blue-green light. The lights were dim in the huge room and she could see the outlines of the palm trees that lined the walls and the glass sliders all around the room. When out of her near sleep she was awoken by the sound of the retractable roof opening. It must have been on a timer. The sky opened up above her and music began to play softly over the sound system. "AWWKK! She said outloud. Not Barry Manilow." She got up out of the whirlpool and walked to the adjoining office. The sound system was obviously on a timer as well. She looked around and found the CD player with the display shelf of CDs on the wall behind it. "Let's see now." She said to herself as she scanned the titles. "Aha, this is good." She said as she put the first of 5 CDs on the player. She continued until she had all 5 slots filled. She pressed the play button and walked back out to the whirlpool. She saw the lizards had decided to sleep in one of the palms that overhung the pool. Getting them down was not something she wanted to think about right now so she let them sleep. She slid back down into the whirlpool. which was also illuminated now with that soft blue/green light.

Edited by fenriz275

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As "Why Worry Now" played on, she once again began to drift into a sort of semi-slumber. She opened her eyes to look up at the stars. The familiar sight was visible to her. The International Space Station was directly above her in the night sky and she watched it glow with the suns reflection in the black velvet.

Edited by fenriz275

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An echoing argument, two male voices, woke her. Just in time too, she was so relaxed she might have gone under the water and drowned. Lenny and Bill had come down to the bar which was right across the atrium from the pool. She could hear Bill getting more and more angry with Lenny. Bill's voice was becoming increasingly high pitched and shrill. "Where'd she go?" She could hear him ask Lenny. "I've been with you the whole time, asking ME that question is illogical Bill." Lenny retorted. "Get away from me!" Bill yelled as he burst through the double doors of the pool area. He walked over to Lida in the whirlpool, crouched down and said. "I'm going to leave now, I just wanted to say good-bye." Lida stood up in the water and said. "So soon? I thought you might stick around for a while so Fen could meet you both." Bill responded. "No, honey, I'm worried about the horses I really need to get to the airport and borrow a plane." Lida felt bad for Fen now so she asked Bill. " Are you coming back?" Bill thought for a minute then said. "Yea, I, I mean we could come back in a few days. You'll still be here with Fen won't you? "Bill, if I know your coming back, we will wait for you here, alright?" She asked. "Yea, we'll be back, we've got no where else we need to be, why not?" Bill answered.

 

Lida started to come out of the water when Bill said. "No you don't need to get out now, stay there. We can get ourselves a vehicle from the lot outside, there are plenty out there, don't worry." Lida sat back down and Bill left with Lenny still yapping in his ear.

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{ I want to thank nik for alot of help with this post, thanks nik :laugh: }

 

 

Bill and Lenny stood outside the fence to the West-Lafayette airport. Bill ran back to the car. Opening the trunk, he began sorting through the items. After several minutes, he removed a pair of wire cutters. Running up to the fence, he began cutting fence links, attempting to make an opening to crawl through. He struggled to cut through several of the links as Lenny stood bemusedly by and watched. With sweat trickling down his face and his armpits stained with sweat, Bill looked up at Lenny and spoke exasperatedly.

 

“A little help, maybe!” He said.

 

“Of course.” Lenny said calmly. He walked over to the unlocked gate ten feet away, and opened it, gesturing for Bill to walk through. With a huff, Bill dropped the cutters and walked in, followed by Lenny. As they approached the tarmac and hangars, they spotted several small planes lined up. Lenny began walking towards a Piper Seminole twin-engine sitting near the terminal.

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“Given our range to upstate New York, estimated cargo,” He emphasized the word "CARGO" as he glanced at Bill’s gut, “weather conditions, and flying skills, this craft should be sufficient for our trip.” He gestured at the small twin-prop aircraft sitting in front of them. Turning, he noticed that Bill was gone. Looking around, he saw Bill walking towards an open hangar. Inside was a brand new Learjet Challenger 300. The nine-passenger jet with its set of Honeywell HTF7000 turbines sparkled in the setting sun before them. Bill stood and smiled. After several seconds, Lenny joined him and the two surveyed the pristeen, white plane before them.

 

“You are, of course, aware,” Lenny began, “of the complexity involved in flying such a craft. I needn’t point out that neither of us have training in the avionics equipping this vessel. Besides the fact that we do not require a plane that can get us to Europe, the handling of a craft traveling at 540 miles per hour is much different than that of a craft that can travel at just over 150 miles per hour.”

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“Yeah, I know.” Bill said distractedly and ran towards the plane. Lenny sighed and followed.

 

Climbing into the plane, Bill rushed towards the cockpit and wriggled into the compact Captain’s chair. He surveyed the equipment and smiled. Lenny worked his way into the co-pilot’s chair, hitting his head on the ceiling as he did so. Rubbing his head, he sat down.

 

After looking at the controls for several minutes, Lenny began working with the navigational avionics.

 

“I believe that this aircraft is equipped with the navigation tools necessary to plot a course from here to Albany, as well as plot our progress and monitor course deviations.” Lenny began to initiate the onboard flight-plan computer and map. He set the ADF frequency for Albany and turned on the redundant GPS system. As he worked, he quietly described his actions to Bill, who scanned the dashboard with his eyes.

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post-897-1096770725.jpg

 

 

“Perhaps you can begin to learn to operate the fuel balance switch, de-icing system, landing gear, general hydralics, wing tip –“

 

“This ought to do it!” Bill interrupted and punched the turbine ignition switches. The low hum of the turbines spinning up increased to a high-pitched buzz. Lenny looked over at Bill with a startled look on his face.

 

“We should really learn to operate the safety and guidance features of this craft before we even attempt to operate the thruster.” He said worriedly.

 

Bill looked at Lenny with a huge smile on his face. “Well just…… wing it.” He shrugged his school-boy shrug and pushed the engine throttles forward. The plane lurched out of the hangar as Bill grabbed the yoke.

 

“Perhaps I should operate the controls.” Lenny said and grabbed his yoke.

 

“I’ve got it Len!” Bill said agitatedly.

 

“You are hardly qualified.” Lenny said. The two struggled against each other to control the craft. The plane zig-zagged across the tarmac in the general direction of the runway as each fought for control of the plane. As they each tried to wrest control of the plane from the other, Lenny’s elbow hit the switch for the emergency locator transmitter. Finally, Lenny spoke.

 

“Let’s take turns.” He offered, releasing his grip on his yoke.

 

“Fine.” Bill said as he lowered the flaps on the plane. Lenny busied himself with the navigation controls. Turning onto the runway, Bill pushed the throttles quickly to maximum, sending Lenny sprawling as he was leaning over in his seat. He glared at Bill as he put his seat harness on.

 

Halfway down the runway, Lenny spoke. “We have more than passed the stall speed… you may pull back on the yoke and commence our takeoff.” Bill pulled back and the plane shot into the air like a dart. Several seconds later, the landing gear warning began beeping, followed by a stall warning. Lenny quickly raised the gear and flaps for Bill, who smiled as he looked out the windows. With the throttle too far forward, the plane lurched up and down as Bill fought to keep the flight level. The onboard Flight Management System (FMS) flashed in large red letters across the screen that the throttle position was too high and perhaps should be lowered, which Bill paid no attention to, and Lenny complied with. After several minutes, the plane reached an altitude of twenty-five thousand feet, and was heading level towards the Lake Erie shoreline.

 

“Is it my turn yet?” Lenny asked.

Edited by Jeanway

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Nik was onboard a different 747 on his way from Houston space center to LC in Florida. The commute was necessary as Houston had several mock-ups, trainers, and simulators. If this plan was to work, he really had to know what he was doing. On the other hand he had to return to LC to get the Endeavor the rest of the way to Launch pad 39A and figure out how to prep it for lift off. The NASTAD weather broadcasting system was intermitten lately with the continuous stream of power outages sweeping across the planet, so Nik had only intermittent information on the hurricane headed for Louisiana. He decided to stay well out of the Gulf of Mexico and divert his course northward ito Arkansas and Kentucky. Reaching into the duffle bag beside him, he grabbed a few sandwiches and some of the dexatrine pills he

had picked up at a deserted pharmacy. The pills did a fine job of keeping him awake and alert, but he had to be sure to stay hydrated and eat a lot to keep from losing weight.

 

As he crossed the Arkansas border, Nik heard a beep coming from the comm panel. Setting the plane for autopilot, he went back to the panel to see the problem. His jaw dropped as he saw the characteristic signal of an ELT beacon. He pulled the satellite phone from his bag and dialed.

 

"Foale..." came the answer.

 

"Foale, this is Nik. I'm en route to Canaveral, but I just picked up an ELT beacon set for 800kHz." Nik glanced a the NAV panel. "It's not stationary, so I'm guessing someone is piloting a plane with their beacon lit up." It never occured to Nik that someone else might be on the planet, so he never thought of activating his own beacon. "It's over Lake Erie right now. Course heading..... zero-three-five degrees. .... at 540 knots......" Nik looked at the NAV computer, which took him two days to learn, but was much easier than the paper charts. "Albany...." The Nav computer also told Nik what was at Albany. He could land there, but never take off again; the runway was too short.

 

"I'm going to have a look." Nik reported. I'll be back at Kennedy tomorrow.

 

Nik dialed in the ODB for Albany and the autopilot automatically made the necessary course correction. He would never catch up to the plane before it landed, but maybe he could communicate with it.

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Backstage Synopsis

 

By Date:

September 15th, 2004

 

06:23 am cdt- everyone except stf members & astronauts aboard ISS are abducted by alien space craft, which then warps away.

Nik: unknown

LSB: camping in Mn

Fen&JW: Both discover everyone missing..except stf members.

HB: Moves from Mauston, Wi-Chicago, IL

WAB: Unknown

DrWho: goes to his favorite bookstore in Rod Sterlingville City, Ca spends night there.

DL6: wakes up to find everyone missing, and no school, but discovers people are still at STF.net

BC: unknown...but Daniel didn't call home.

 

September 16th, 2004

 

Fen&JW: decide to meet in Lafayette, In...late that evening JW "borrows" a Lexus wagon.

HB: Spends day in Chicago, freeing animals at the Zoo then relaxing in Donald's Penthouse.

WAB: Unknown

DrWho: goes home and plays music of the 30's.

BC: still no word from Daniel

DL6: in Arkansas

Nik: unknown

 

September 17th, 2004

Nik:unknown

DL6: in arkansas

Fen&JW: unknown...planning& packing?

HB: Moves from Chicago, IL -Arkansas...stoping in St.Louis to free animals at Zoo.

WAB: sets at home eating fruit, being bored goes for a little drive...which ends at East Town Mall

DrWho: Unknown

BC: still no word from Daniel

 

September 18th, 2004

 

Fen&JW: What A Day- too much to report---but they own this day of "the days after" :laugh:

HB: In Arkansas

WAB: East Town Mall-Dallas, Tx

DrWho: unknown

BC: no word from Daniel

Nik: unknown

DL6: in Arkansas

 

September 19th, 2004

 

BC: is driving east toward West Virginia looking for missing husband at 2:33 am.

HB: In Arkansas

WAB: sets in Mall eating Big Mac's

DrWho: unknown

Nik: unknown

 

September 20th, 2004

 

Nik: studies 747 flight manual.

HB: In Arkansas

WAB: Discovers only STF members are still around( must have been playing on those computers at the mall)

DrWho: unknown

BC: unknown

DL6: in Arkansas

 

September 21st, 2004

 

Nik: crashes 747 off the coast of San Diago, California...vows to try again tomorrow.

BC: unknown

HB: In Arkansas

DrWho: Sets atop the tallest town in town, begins the job of hacking into City's central computer

 

September 22nd, 2004

 

Nik: flyes 747 from San Diago, Ca up into Canada then south over Chicago, Il seeing a car heading out of city on I-94, lands in Orlando late that evening?

HB: Picks up DL6, they see a plane, drive towards Dallas-stopping in McAlester, Ok.

BC: finds husband's truck late that evening.

 

September 23rd, 2004

 

Nik: unknown

BC: wakes up in Truckstop diner at table, begins having hallucinations of Danial.

HB&DL6: must have spent a day in McAlester, Ok...(.sorry guys I goofed)

 

September 24th,2004

 

Nik: enters Kennedy Space Center in a Mustang(kool..Nik) discovers Astronauts are alive onboard ISS.

DrWho: has taken control of Rod Sterlingville City, Ca.

WAB: says HB&DL6 are coming to get me...

DL6: takes HB's dog and the Hummer and goes shopping.

HB&DL6: Leave McAlester and arrive at East Town Mall between 10-11 pm

 

HB&DL6&WAB: Check in at Embassy Hotel-Dallas, Tx

 

September 25th, 2004

HB&DL6&WAB: leave Dallas toward Ft.Hood

 

September 26th, 2004

September 27th, 2004

 

Nik: ISS loses it's life-boat, now there's no way home for the astronauts.

 

September 28th, 2004

 

Nik: flyes to Houston to begin training on shuttle simulator.

 

September 29th, 2004

 

Nik: practices on simulator

 

September 30th, 2004

 

Fen&JW: Bill and Larry take off toward Albany, N.Y. in Lear.

Nik: on flight back to Kennedy Space Center discovers a locator beacon activated of a plane headed for Albany, N.Y. decides to investigate. :clap:

Edited by headborg

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Sept.26

 

Is everyone in the world gone but me? In order to keep my sanity, I have decided to keep a journal.

 

The last two weeks have been worse than a nightmare.

 

It all started out as a great vacation. My wife and I had left our home in Northern Missouri on Sept. 12th. For months, we had planned our vacation - a camping/hiking/fishing trip in the backwoods of upper Minnesota. We had stopped in Bemidji to see the giant statues of Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox, then on to Leech Lake. By the 14th, we had established our campsite off a remote little bay and were enjoying the peaceful sounds of nature. We had planned a little fishing for early the next morning, so we snuggled up to go to sleep early, lulled by the mournful cries of the loons.

 

I was up bright and early the next morning, making breakfast and enjoying the crisp, clean scent of the pine trees. Suddenly this brilliant light swept through the forest.

“What the….Hey, Honey, are you awake yet? … Did you see that?”

No answer. “Honey?….” I ducked into the tent and stared at an empty bed. Puzzled, I knelt down and found her clothes were still inside the sleeping bag. “Sweetie, this is cute, but the fish are waiting!” Her shoes were still sitting by the tent flap where she had placed them last night. Surely she didn’t have to make a mad dash for the bushes in the buff? “Amanda, where are you?” Still no answer, so I decide to finish the morning coffee. She’s probably off in the trees somewhere, giggling and relishing her little joke. If she isn’t back by the time coffee‘s done, I’ll go looking for her.

Edited by Lt_Starbuck

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LOONS??? :clap: Did someone say "LOONS?" :hug::clap:

 

{We had planned a little fishing for early the next morning, so we snuggled up to go to sleep early, lulled by the mournful cries of the loons."

 

O.K. HB, I'll stop it. :clap: Velcome Lt_Starbuck :clap:

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I searched the surrounding woods for 4 hours before I decided to call for help. Something was definitely wrong…people don’t just disappear! I got back to the truck and tried the cell phone. GREAT….no signal. I remembered seeing a Park Ranger station back near the park entrance. I left the campsite set up, just in case my wife showed up again. I grabbed a few essentials and headed back towards civilization.

I couldn’t help but worry, this just wasn’t like Mandy.

 

I felt a sense of relief when I spotted the Jeep sitting at the Ranger station, but it didn’t last long. The station was empty. “Terrific…where’s Smoky the Bear when you need him?” A phone was sitting on the desk, so I tried 9 - 1 - 1.…….NO ANSWER??? I tried my son‘s number, then my mother‘s…again, NOTHING!!! “What in the world is going on!!!”

 

An old television was sitting in the corner, so I turned it on, looking for an early morning news show. An empty news desk and nobody’s talking????

Some of the preprogrammed shows were still running, but all the ‘live’ shows were deserted. Now things are just getting too bizarre! I’m heading back to Bemidji to see if I can find any help there.

:clap:

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Finally back on Route 65 heading into Lafayette. It was dark and I had been driving most of the day. I managed to get myself off-track again looking for hardware store to get some solvent to try to remove the green dye from most of my body from the PickleSuit. I didn't think it would make a very good first impression on Lida to see me in that condition, even thought I know she loves anything green and I did tell her green was my favorite color. My skin raw and on fire now I found a pharmacy and went behind the counter and got myself some heavy-duty pain killers, took a couple and got back on the road again.

 

As I approached the exit for Lafayette, I dialed her cell phone.

 

"Hi" She answered. "I'm almost there Lida. Can you meet me out front?" I asked her. "Sure" she answered. Lida hung up. Lida ran to her room to put on her dry clothes and went out to the front door and stood there waiting for me to arrive. as I approached the hotel I could see the figure of a woman standing at the front entrance. I pulled the wienerMobile up to the front door and looked at her. She looked at me. :clap: Was the look on her face at the sight of the WiernerMobile that was parked in front of her. She walked towards me"Nice ride Aaron." She said. I laughed and got out, came around the front and stood next to her. "Finally we meet." I said to her. "Yep" She answered. We hugged each other :clap:

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"You hungry?" She asked me. "Starved." I answered. "Well, there is a whole restaurant full of food in there. Let's go raid the kitchen." She said. "Sounds like plan." I answered and we walked in the front door and down the long hallway to the restaurant. Now in the kitchen we stand in front of the open double-doored refrigerator with anticipation. "Eww, look." Lida said as she picked up a plate of filets covered with clear plastic. I picked up a large bowl of something that looked like spagetti sauce and another bowl of cooked pasta. I removed the wrap and took a sniff. "Smells fine to me." I said so I asked Lida to smell it too. "Yea, I think they're edible." She said. "I'll take care of this and you cook the steaks, alright?" I asked her. As we cooked we found bowls of other things and started snacking away as we cooked. I watched her move and how she did things, carefully not letting her see me watching her. A few times I turned my head and she turned away quickly so I knew she was doing the same thing. Finally, everything was cooked. We piled up our plates and went out into the restaurant to sit down at a table and eat.

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It was late when I reached Bemidji, but I headed for the Police Station. Inside I found a couple of policemen’s uniforms, but nobody else….the Fire Station, the grocery store, abandoned cars…. everywhere I searched …little piles of clothes, but not another single soul.

 

I will check the campsite one more time in the morning, but at this point, I don’t really have much hope. There’s a little motel here…maybe I can find a little food and possibly, a little sleep. If I don’t find Amanda tomorrow, I’ll head for home to check on my mother, and try to reach my son at college.

:helpsmilie:

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