Lost in Space, Chapter Three

By Snazzo

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Up in orbit, Jimmy, Goddard, Sheen and Carl took off their holo-imager helmets.

"Oh man," Sheen groaned. "Now I have helmet hair!"

"It looks good on you, ol' buddy," Carl said. "Jimmy, why did you make a deal with that evil King Goobot?"

"We got the info we need," Jimmy explained. "There was no need to resort to violence."

"But violence is so much fun!" Sheen exclaimed.

"In any event, I already have a Cheese Ray Version 2.0 built. It has 100 cheeses in it, and can slice the cheese, and has a special cracker upgrade! Breaks the ice at parties." Jimmy turned to Goddard. "Access the rocket's mainframe, Goddard, and scan the Yolkian files. Display please."

Goddard's tail plugged into the computer and his chest screen lifted up. The three of them were treated to several different views of Jimmy walking down the street, then being sucked into a nearby garbage can. Another camera was focused on the clubhouse, another showed all of Retroville, another all of Texas, another all of earth. But one camera showed a solar panel of the space station.

A greenish light began to dance around the station and that camera view swiveled, as if taking notice. The whole station and docked shuttle came into view, alive with electricity. Then in a blink, they were gone.

Jimmy had Goddard run that sequence through many different filters such as infrared and ultraviolet but couldn't see anything.

Then he had Goddard run the sequence frame by frame. "Guys, look!" Jimmy said, pointing.

One frame the lightning was racing all across the station, the next frame there was no lightning at all but the station and shuttle remained, the next frame a black shape blotted out the stars near the station, and the next frame everything was gone. "There WAS something there."

"It's a black hole!" Carl cried out. "I don't know what they are exactly, but I've heard they swallow whole planets!"

"No, it looks like the Obsidian WarRammer from Ultralord Episode 731, "Attack of the Dark Lord,"" Sheen said.

"Sheen's nearer the mark, I think," Jimmy said. "I'm pretty sure it's a ship. Carl, a black hole is a collapsed star whose gravity is SO POWERFUL that not even light can escape it."

"Sounds scary," Carl said.

"It is!" Jimmy agreed. "But fascinating. In any event, Goddard, magnify and enhance that black shape." Goddard did so. The silhouette looked very familiar. Jimmy had Goddard run the shape through many other filters but couldn't get a clear picture. "What does that look like to you guys?"

"It looks like a beautiful butterfly!" Carl answered. "Or Jimmy's mom."

"It looks like beautiful Libby!" Sheen answered. "Or Jimmy's Cindy."

"Guys! This is no time for comic relief. We're on a mission."

"Sorry!" Sheen and Carl said together. They all looked at the black image a long minute then Carl said "It kinda looks like a Mack Truck."

"Carl!" Sheen said. "Why would a Mack Truck be up in outer space?"

"That one ship of Jimmy's looked like a minivan!" Carl reasoned.

"Carl!" Jimmy's eyes widened. "You're right! That IS a Mack Truck. The Junkman!"

"I didn't know the Junkman had a Mack Truck!" Sheen said.

"No, Sheen, his spaceship looks like a Mack Truck," Jimmy explained.

"Oh."

"Now we just have to find the Junkman!" Jimmy said.

"But Jim," Carl asked, "How do we do that?"

Jimmy thought. "I'm not sure. Goddard? Options!"

Goddard lifted up his chest plate. "Brobot" was the first option.

"Hm," Jimmy said. "Brobot, Mombot, and Popbot were the first to become aware of the Junkman, but I don't know if THEY would know where he is right now. We'll leave that for a last desperate option."

"King Goobot," Goddard said next.

"Yes, we could bother him again," Jimmy agreed. "But I'm not sure if we should press our luck or hang around Yolkus much longer. If I know Goobot he has his Chicken Warbirds searching the system for us already. My rocket's cloak isn't perfect, a Zybion wave might expose us."

"The Junkman MUST have a Junk yard or a home," Goddard said as a third option.

"Yes, he probably does," Jimmy said. "But that could be anywhere in the galaxy. We've hardly begun to explore the galaxy in our adventures. We usually stay in the solar system. We've been to Yolkus, Planet Shmengie, and Meldar Prime and that's about it."
"Well who knows the galaxy better than you do Jim?" Sheen asked.

"When's the last time you e-mailed April?" Carl asked.

"April! Yes, that's it!" Jimmy said with enthusiasm. "April could help us. Or the Brains. They run the entire Galactic Cable Network. The Junkman might even advertise there. Guys, we're off to Meldar Prime!"

"The guy or the planet?" Sheen asked.

"The planet Sheen!" Jimmy took control of the rocket and they flew away from Yolkus.

"Gee, Sheen," Carl asked. "Wouldn't it be easier to email April and ask her?"

"Shhh!" Sheen said, holding his finger to his lips. "If you ask me, Jimmy wants to see April again, the sly dog!"

"But what would Cindy say?" Carl asked, looking worried.

"Maybe this was Jimmy's diabolical plan all along!" Sheen gasped. "That's why he didn't want to bring Cindy! He's seeing other women behind her back!"

"GUYS!" Jimmy complained without looking back. "I can totally hear you. Cindy AND April are just very good friends."

"If you say so Jim!" Sheen said, but he nodded knowingly at Carl.

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Thank you as always for reading! Comments and reviews very much welcome and appreciated.