CHAPTER SEVEN

As the Hummingbird was speeding across the reservoir, the stolen truck carrying the equally stolen Rhino was already at Mount Dimmsdale. It was climbing the slope road towards the summit, though the portion that it was on was on the lake-ward side. Remy was driving the truck, while the replicant soldier was riding shotgun in the passenger seat. In the back, Black was priming the explosives for detonation.

Black knew all about the Rhino's systems, so he placed the explosives where it would (a) breach the hull and (b) set off the huge amount of ordinance that the Rhino carried within it. Black carried a remote control, but he also placed on the Rhino a timer, so that in the event that the remote did not work or was lost, the timer would do the job. Black started the timer.

"SPECTRUM is sending us a geological survey map of the mountain, Timmy", Tootie said, pointing to a small screen. Timmy looked at the information that the map contained, and then looked at Tootie.

"According to this map, the explosives contained within the Rhino won't be enough to make the mountain erupt, but the lake-ward side of the mountain is friable rock. If a sufficient chunk of it was blasted off and fell into the lake with the water level the way that it is now, the resulting displacement of water and the waves it would generate would overwhelm the dam", Timmy said. He didn't have to add that such a breach would overwhelm the reactor.

"It looks like that's their idea", Tootie said, "I see a large truck on the slope road".

Timmy used his binoculars to scan the truck. Just then, a puff of smoke came out from the rear of it. Tootie immediately knew what it was.

"It's a SAM!" she shouted, "going evasive," she added, throwing the Hummingbird into an evasive flight maneuver. Tootie also thumbed a switch that ejected flares.

The maneuver worked. The missile homed in on the flares and detonated. While Timmy and Tootie were breathing a sigh of relief, down in the truck, Remy mouthed a curse.

"How far to the optimum detonation point, Remy?" Black called from the rear after dropping his now-empty SAM launcher.

"According to the map, about two miles. We're sitting ducks for that Hummingbird, though", Remy added.

"Keep driving", Back said, "they won't fire on this truck as they know that it would set off the explosives and cause this side of the mountain to break off".

Timmy and Tootie knew that precisely. He quickly radioed Scarlet and Harmony Angel to inform them of the situation.

"You'll have to stop that truck from reaching what the geological survey map indicates the probable prime location. We won't be there for another five minutes", Scarlet called.

"S.I.G.", Timmy acknowledged. He looked at Tootie.

"Fire a missile at the road ahead of it and force that truck to stop", Timmy ordered, "then fire another one behind it. I want that truck blocked". Nodding, Tootie punched in a target code on her screen, and then deftly fired two missiles.

The missiles streaked in. The first one – a high explosive warhead missile – hit one hundred yards ahead of the truck. The piece of road it hit was blasted into the lake. Remy slammed on the brakes, bringing the truck to halt just yards from the edge of the impact area.

The second missile hit two hundred yards behind the truck, blocking its exit. There was also enough room for the Hummingbird to land. While Timmy pulled out his side-arm, Tootie quickly informed Scarlet and Harmony what she did, then brought the Hummingbird down to land behind the truck.

The second missile Tootie fired was a fragmentation missile. When it exploded, it had also dispersed shrapnel fragments. The truck was peppered with the debris. One fragment went into the back of the replicant soldier, killing him, while another hit the remote detonation control that Black carried, rendering it useless.

"Damn", Black exclaimed as he pulled out his sidearm, "Still, the timer is running, and this location should be good enough to cause the damage needed". At that point, Remy came up to him with his gun drawn as well. Both watched the Hummingbird land.

"So, it's Turner and Flannigan", Remy snarled. His hopes of torpedoing their fun in this universe were unraveling.

"Not to worry, Remy", Black said, walking out into full view of Timmy and Tootie, who had left the Hummingbird (locking out its weapons systems) and were approaching the truck".

"Drop the gun, Black", Timmy shouted, "its over".

"I don't think so", Black replied, "There's enough explosives packed on the Rhino back there to set it off, and the resulting bang will be enough to 'make waves', if you catch my drift. It's timed to detonate". At this point, Remy also came into view, holding his gun.

"There's no guarantee that a detonation at this location will be enough to do what you want, Black", Timmy pointed out.

"True, but then there's no guarantee that it won't, so here's the deal. Grey and myself take the Hummingbird and fly out of here. You can try to stop the detonation. Who knows – you may even succeed, but since its timed to go off in two minutes, you'd best make up your mind now".

Timmy looked at Tootie, and then his chronometer. Scarlet and Harmony wouldn't get here in time and a blast here could still do enough harm to breach the dam.

"All right, Black, you win", Timmy said.

"Move out of the way. One false move, and Grey and I will start shooting", Black ordered.

Reluctantly, though with their guns still out, Tootie and Timmy moved aside. Black and Grey ran to the Hummingbird. Black got in, but Remy started shooting, saying, "I want to take out Turner!"

"In that case, stay here and do so", Black snarled as he started up the Hummingbird's engine and lifted it off the road. Black wanted to use the Hummingbird's weapons on Timmy and Tootie, but he saw that they were locked out, so he flew it away.

While Tootie covered Timmy, Timmy ran to the truck and jumped into the back. Remy was still firing, but Tootie – by an accurate shot – hit Remy's gun. Remy ran up to Tootie. Tootie pulled the trigger on her gun, but it clicked.

"Damn, jammed", she breathed as Remy ran up. Tootie immediately went into a defensive posture. As Remy leapt at Tootie, Tootie expertly – using martial arts skills that she inherited from her entry into this universe – fended off Remy and threw him over the parapet at the edge of the road.

Tootie ran over to the edge to see Remy splash into the water. She then ran back to the truck. Climbing back into the truck, she saw Timmy remove the detonator, then he passed it to her.

"Throw it into the lake", Timmy said. Tootie obligingly did so – jumping out of the back of the truck and tossing the detonator over the parapet.

"Scarlet to Pink, are you there, Timmy?" a voice sounded over the radio.

"Yeah, Paul", Timmy replied, we got the Rhino back and explosives that had been packed around it have been rendered safe, but Black got away in the Hummingbird".

"He won't get far though", Tootie said, "without my palm-print ID on the control column, the Hummingbird only has a fifty-mile range from departure point, plus it's weapons systems are locked out".

"What about Grey?" Scarlet asked next.

"Well, he is surrently in Lake dimmsdale. He took an unexpected dip", Timmy reported.

"We'll alert the local authorities to track the Hummingbird. Tough luck about Black, but you stopped a catastrophe, you two", Scarlet replied.

"Well, so long as you two can give us a lift back, we'd appreciate it, Paul", Timmy acknowledged. Just then, both Timmy and Tootie felt a little weird. They looked at each other. They were starting to turn transparent.

"It looks like this show is over for us, Tootie", Timmy said, "time to get back to the tree-house".

"In that case, I'd like to do something before we fade out completely". Tootie hugged Timmy and kissed him on the lips. Timmy returned the gesture. Locked in their passionate embrace, Timmy and Tootie faded out.

Timmy parted his lips from Tootie's and they looked around. They were back into their pre-teen forms in front of the television. According to the VCR timer, only half-an-hour had passed. Lying beside them, unconscious and wet, was Remy Buxaplenty.

"Looks like Remy brought back some water with him", Tootie commented.

"That's not all", Timmy said, pointing at Tootie. Tootie wondered what Timmy was looking at, and then she realized that her glasses were gone, her braces were gone, and her hair was in the single ponytail.

"You know, that look really suits you, Tootie", Timmy said, smiling.

"You know I'm going to have to smooch you for the compliment", Tootie replied.

"I was hoping that you'd say that, Tootie", Timmy said as he walked up to her and kissed her. Needless to say, Tootie didn't object.

"Bah!" Remy said as he gained consciousness and saw Timmy and Tootie embracing.

"Enjoy your swim, Remy?" Timmy asked rhetorically as he broke the enbrace. Remy glared at him.

"Just you wait, Turner", he snarled as he left the tree-house, "I'll get you yet!"

"I don't know how it all happened, Timmy", Tootie said, gesturing to the television, "but can we have more adventures sometime soon with SPECTRUM?"

"Of course", Timmy replied, "after all, Destiny and the others can't do without the great Tootie Angel now, can they?"

"Or the brave Captain Pink", Tootie added.

"Yeah, though I'm going to have to come up with another color to wear in the future, I think", Timmy said ruefully.

Giggling, Tootie left the tree-house. Timmy decided to relax in the tree-house for a while. After all, only a half-hour had passed and his Fairy Godparents were going to be put through their paces by Jorgen Von Strangle for the rest of the day….

"What do you think you're doing, Twerpette?" a familiar voice snarled as Tootie walked home. Tootie saw that her evil big sister Vicky was glaring at her. She knew why.

"What's the problem, Big Sis?" Tootie replied acidly, "don't like the new look?"

"I tell you what to wear, and you're going to pay for disobeying me!", she snarled. Vicky reached out in order to grab her, but instinctively, Tootie grabbed Vicky's arm and flipped her over her shoulder.

"What the?" Vicky said bewildered as she sat up from the impact of her hitting the sidewalk. Tootie smirked. So, not only the redo was inherited from SPECTRUM…

Vicky made the mistake of trying again to grab her. Tootie sent her flying over her shoulder again – this time with a sprained wrist and a concussion resulting – Vicky's head had hit the pavement first that time. With that, Tootie headed home smiling. She had a feeling that Vicky was not going to be quite so overbearing as before – especially that the technical knowledge she obtained from her SPECTRUM escapade would easilly take care of the weapons that Vicky had installed in the house.

Timmy watched the fun from up in the tree-house. He was smiling as he lay back down on the mattress beside the television. Vicky beaten up and Tootie looking beautiful. A lot can happen in the space of a half-an-hour, he thought smugly.

THE END…. S.I.G.