Astrid Maxxim and Her Amazing Hoverbike (12 page)

Astrid glanced at her father, but he avoided her eyes.  She decided right then and there that her mother and Mr. Toulson needed a lesson in just how hard watching a teenage girl could be.

The next morning, Astrid was ready.  She was sure she had all the escape experience she would need, having already escaped from a car trunk and having watched both
The Great Escape
and
Chicken Run
several times each.  She packed everything she would need into her backpack and left her room, heading not downstairs to breakfast, but to the music room.  The northern portion of this large room, where she sometimes played her oboe, was directly above the kitchen.

In the far wall was the small door that opened to the dumbwaiter.  The dumbwaiter car was down on the first floor, so she had to pull the rope to raise it up.  As she did so, it squeaked slightly.  She carefully removed a tube of Teflon lubricant from her backpack and applied it to the squeaky pulley.  When the car reached her level, she climbed up into the box.

Closing the door made it pitch black inside the shaft.  She pulled a cap equipped with tiny lights in the bill from her backpack, put it on, turning on the lights.  Working as quickly as possible, she used the rope to lower herself, past the opening to the kitchen on the first floor, all the way down to the basement.

The basement was huge and it was dark, illuminated only by the lights in Astri
d’
s cap and a small window near the ceiling on the west wall.  The entire room was a maze of stacked ancient wooden crates containing nobody knew what.  The whole place was just as creepy and scary as Astrid remembered from her childhood.

Along the north wall, not far from the stairs to the first floor was an ancient boiler that had
n’
t worked since probably before Astri
d’
s father was born, and right next to it was a coal chut
e—
a sort of metal slide that led to a small door outside.  In the past, coal was dumped down the chute to be used in the boiler.  Astrid carefully climbed up onto the empty coal bin.  She paused when she thought she heard a noise and turned to look, but the light from the bill of her cap showed nothing more than an old crate under the stairs labele
d“
Antarctica Expedition 1928
.
”
 
She had worn her grippiest shoes, knowing how slippery the chute was.  Carefully climbing up the smooth, slanted metal, she stopped at the top and jimmied open the latch.  As she crawled out onto the grass, she congratulated herself not only on making it this far, but surviving the frightening basement.   

It was a long way from the Maxxim home to the monorail station, and if Astrid was going to make it all that way without Mr. Charles Edward Toulson catching her, or even worse being spotted by her parents, she was going to have to go some other way than her usual path with her friends.  Fortunately Astrid had planned her route.  Between the Maxxim and Bundersmith backyards was an alley and in that alley was a cement slab with a metal door in it.  It was all flush against the ground so that vehicles, like the recycle truck, could drive over it.  Inside that door was a stairway that led down to an underground passage.  Passages such as this one crisscrossed the town, providing access to electrical and information systems.

When Astrid arrived at the metal door, she found, as she had expected, no doorknob or lock.  There was a recessed handle and a magnetic card swipe.  She was
n’
t sure, but she suspected that somewhere there was a computer logging who swiped their Maxxim Industries ID cards in what devices, and had someone been looking for her, they might discover her location by following this digital trail.  The girl inventor had planned for this too.  Before going to bed the night before, she had programmed a new key card for herself using the pseudonym of Jose Dumas.  Swiping this new card, she stepped down into the darkness, closing the door behind her.

The underground passage was a cement hallway, not too much bigger than the hallways in an average home.  Along the ceiling ran water pipes and electrical conduit.  Astrid pulled out her phone and checked the time.  She had
n’
t allowed herself as much time as she should have.  She would have to hurry if she was going to reach the monorail the same time as her friends.  Thankfully, this corridor was a straight shot downhill to Main Street.

Astrid jogged down the tunnel.  It was easy going.  The floor sloped gently downward.  After about two hundred yards, a cement staircase descended two dozen steps.  Beyond the steps, several of the water pipes that ran along the ceiling had small leaks in them.  Astrid avoided the dripping water, but now there was a small rivulet running down the center of the tunnel.  Suddenly she tripped and went sliding face first across the rough cement. 

Getting to her feet, she looked back to see that a small cement curb running along the wall had jutted out just enough to catch her toe.  Examining herself, she found that her hands were scraped and the front of her school uniform was splattered with less than completely clean water.  Her new cell phone had fallen out of her pocket too and had gotten wet.  When she picked it up and wiped the water off, she saw that the screen was scratched.

“
Bother
,”
she said, but she also noticed that if she did
n’
t hurry she was going to be late for school.

She continued on, picking up her pace a bit, but careful not to trip again.  The little curb jutted out every fifty feet or so.  She passed several sets of steps leading upward, but since the corridor continued to slope downward, she knew that she had not yet reached the business district.  Finally the floor leveled out and she came to another set of stairs.  She climbed up and swiping her home-made security card again, found herself in the alley just behind the Malt Shop.

Running toward the monorail station, she was disappointed to see the train leaving.  Without checking the time again, she knew that this was the train her friends were taking on their way to school.  There would be another arriving in the station in ten minutes, but not riding with her friends sort of defeated the whole purpose of her daring escape.

She took her place among the people going up the escalator to the train platform, most of them Maxxim employees on their way to work.  No one paid particular attention to her.  Once on the platform, she sat down on a bench to wait for the train.  She took several deep breaths and tried to relax.

“
That was a lot of effort to go to
,”
said a voice behind her.  Astrid turned to see Toulson standing like a tall, black shadow. 

“
What exactly were you trying to prove
?
”

“
I’
m not a criminal
,”
said Astrid.
 “
I do
n’
t deserve to be treated like a prisoner.  And just because
I’
m only fourteen does
n’
t mean I should
n’
t have a say in how I live my life
.
”

“
That was well thought out
,”
said the bodyguard.
 “
I was
n’
t aware of those tunnels.  You wo
n’
t be able to use them again though. 
I’
ll have them wired for security or perhaps sealed up completely
.
”

“
There are plenty of other ways for me to escape
,”
said Astrid.

“
I doubt that
.
”

“
Are you certain, Charles
?
”

Toulson thought for a moment.

“
No,
I’
m not certain
,”
he said.
 “
Perhaps we will have to come to some kind of agreement
.
”

“
We can talk about it after school
,”
said Astrid.
 “
Here comes my train
.
”

Toulson boarded the train and sat next to Astrid.  They made the journey to Rachel Carson High School in silence.  Once at school, she had just enough time to stop by the program one team room, where she had a clean shirt in her locker, since the one she had on was spotted with water mixed with cement dust.  Her jacket was scuffed too, but there was nothing she could do about that.  She slid into her desk in English Composition class with just seconds to spare.

Over lunch, which was roast beef merlot, stewed potatoes and carrots, dirty rice, and banana cream pie, she told her friends of her adventures.  They stared open mouthed as she described going down the dumbwaiter and through the underground tunnels, amazed less that such a thing might be done than by the fact that it was Astrid, who had never pulled anything remotely sneaky in her life, who had done it.

“
Tha
t’
s the scariest thing anybody I know has ever done
,”
said Denise.
 “
Imagine running through a dark underground tunnel
.
”

“
All tunnels are underground
,”
Christopher pointed out.

“
I think the dumbwaiter is even scarier
,”
said Regular Valerie.

“
I think the basement is even scarier still
,”
said Robot Valerie.
 “
Remember when we were seven and we dared each other to go down there
?
”

“
That was
n’
t you
,”
said Astrid.

“
Oh yeah.  I forgot again
.
”

“
What do you suppose you have in your basement that came from Antarctica
?”
wondered Toby.

“
I’
ll probably never find out
,”
said Astrid.
 “
I do
n’
t plan on ever going back down there
.
”

“
Has anyone seen Austin
?”
wondered Christopher.

“
I think h
e’
s absent today
,”
said Robot Valerie.
 “
He was
n’
t in Art History
.
”

“
Yeah, no, he was
n’
t in Swimming either
,”
said Toby.

“
I hope he is
n’
t sick
,”
said Astrid.

As soon as the school day was over, Astrid was back in her lab in the R&D building, this time having made the trip there with Toulson via the monorail.  After checking on her ceramic mixtures, she entered the most promising compound into her digital tablet, and then used the device to call the floor manager at manufacturing facility three.

“
Hello Astrid
,”
said the manager, her face appearing on the tablet screen.

“
Hello Mrs. Trent
,”
said Astrid.
 “
I need some component parts.  Do you have any available man-hours and do you still have the virtual dies for the hoverdisk
?
”

“
Yes, the dies are still right here in the computer.  As for the hours, it depends on how many copies you need.  You did
n’
t ask, but w
e’
ve got plenty of aluminum on hand
.
”

“
I do
n’
t want aluminum or titanium
,”
said Astrid.
 “
Tha
t’
s why I called you instead of building one or two
.
”

“
Ceramic
?”
asked Mrs. Trent.

“
Right. 
I’
m sending you a formula right now. 
I’
d like you to use it for all the component parts except the housing.  W
e’
ll stay with aluminum for that.  And I want all the parts reduced in size by twenty percent
.
”

“
We can do that of course, but will you get enough lift
?
”

“
I think we will
,”
said Astrid.
 “
Between reducing the weight and the friction with this new ceramic and increasing the power with my new batteries, we should be fine
.
”

“
How many sets would you like
?
”

“
I imagine that it will be just as easy to make ten as it will to make one
,”
said Astrid.

“
With this equipment, a single run will be twenty-five
,”
replied Mrs. Trent.

“
Then give me a full ru
n—
twenty-five sets
,”
said Astrid.
 “
How soon can you have them done
?
”

“
I can run them tonight.  They can be assembled and delivered to you tomorrow afternoon
.
”

“
Excellent
,”
said Astrid.
 “
Thanks
.
”

Once she had ended the call, Astrid went to work installing the gyros and control mechanisms in the hoverbike prototype.  She was still hard at work when Toulson appeared at her side. 

“
I
t’
s time to start home
,”
he said.

“
Alright
,”
said Astrid.
 “
I ca
n’
t really do anything else anyway until I get the hoverdisks
.
”

As they took the monorail home, Toulson offered her a compromise on the issue of security.

“I’
ll take you and your friends to the train station in the van
,”
he suggested.
 “
You can ride the train the rest of the way.  But I will also pick you up from the station to bring you home
.
”

“
I suppose that will be acceptable
,”
said Astrid.

Mrs. Maxxim was not nearly so agreeable.

“
You should be punished for what you did this morning, Astrid, not rewarded
.
”

“
Ther
e’
s no point in getting too upset
,”
said Dr. Maxxim.
 “
Al
l’
s well that ends well
.
”

His wife shot him an evil look.

“
Why are we so upset
?”
he continued.
 “
She snuck out of the house to go to school.  How many fourteen-year-olds do that
?
”

At that moment both the doorbell and the telephone sounded.  Mrs. Maxxim went to answer the phone and Dr. Maxxim went to open the door.  He returned a minute later with Toby Bundersmith.

“
Hey Astrid
,”
said Toby.
 “
Do you have time to talk for a minute
?
”

“
Sure.  Le
t’
s find someplace private
.
”

“
Down in the basement
?”
he suggested with a grin.

“
Not on your life
,”
she replied.
 “
Le
t’
s go out to the garden
.
”

They exited through the breakfast room to the garden.  Here a cobblestone walkway wound in and out of dozens of rose bushes and other flowers, all situated around a fountain in the shape of a Greek woman pouring water from a pitcher.

“
Wha
t’
s up
?”
asked Astrid.

“
U
m…
well
,”
Toby began strong enough, but just sort of deflated before he got anything out.

“
What is it
?
”

“
Um, you know that the Spring Fling is tomorrow night
?
”

“
The Spring Fling
?”
said Astrid.
 “
No.  To tell you the truth, I had completely forgotten about it
.
”

“
Oh, so you did
n’
t want to go
?
”

“
Well, I did
n’
t say that, exactly
.
”

“
So you do want to go
?”
asked Toby.

“
U
m…
I do
n’
t kno
w…
maybe
.
”

“
Well, um, would you go with me then
?
”

“
Okay
,”
said Astrid.

“
Great
!”
shouted Toby, who then, realizing his voice probably carried clear around the neighborhood, lowered it.
 “
Tha
t’
s reall
y…
great. 
I’
ll pick you up at 6:30
.
”

“
Okay
,”
said Astrid.

“
What color is your dress?  You know, so I can give you a corsage
.
”

“
I’
ll wear my pale green dress
,”
said Astrid.
 “
Can you get a corsage?  You know you did
n’
t have to wait until the night before to ask me
.
”

“
Um, wel
l…
I was
n’
t sure I wanted to go.  And Aunt Gerta is going to make your corsage.  We have lots of flowers and stuff
.
”

“
Great
,”
said Astrid.
 “
Do you want to stay and have dinner with us?  W
e’
re having lasagna
.
”

“
No, Aunt Gerta made wiener schnitzel
.
”

Mrs. Maxxim was waiting for them when they came back inside.

“
Have either of you seen Austin Tretower today
?”
she asked.

“
No, he was absent today
,”
said Toby.
 “
Why
?
”

“
His grandmother does
n’
t know where he is.  He left this morning before she got up and he never came home.  She thought you might know where he was, Astrid, because last night he said something about riding to school with you
.
”

“
Oh
,”
said Astrid.
 “
I vaguely remember something about a ride, but my mind was on my ceramics experiments and my status as a home-bound prisoner
.
”

“
Stop being so self-absorbed
,”
said her mother.
 “
This is upsetting.  You told that boy you would give him a ride and then you were
n’
t there for him
.
”

“
I was there at lunch
,”
said Toby.
 “
Astrid never promised him.  Austin made a comment about getting a ride, but nobody decided on anything.  He hardly knows if h
e’
s coming or going
.
”

“
Have the police been called
?”
asked Astrid.
 “
Maybe h
e’
s been kidnapped, like me or Robot Valerie
.
”

“
Wh
o’
d want to kidnap Austin
?”
wondered Toby.

After Toby went home, the Maxxims ate their dinner.  Afterwards Astrid spent the evening finishing up next wee
k’
s homework and practicing her oboe, but she inquired after Austin before she went to bed.

“
I just talked to Chief Gillespie a few minutes ago
,”
said her father.
 “
Nobod
y’
s heard anything about him yet.

Astrid went to sleep hoping that nothing had happened to her friend.

The next morning was Saturday, and Astrid set off early for her lab.  She still worried about Austin and did
n’
t even raise an objection to Mr. Toulson driving her there.  She finished the controls of the hoverbike, installed the battery, and ran the wiring through the chassis. 

Her father came and took her to lunch in the R&D cafeteria.  He reported that there was no news about Austin or his whereabouts.

When Astrid returned from lunch, she found a large crate just inside the door of her lab.  A barcode was pasted onto the outside of the crate and when she scanned it with her digital tablet she sa
w“
Astridium Hoverdisk
s”
listed on the manifest.  Astridium?  It seemed as good a name as any, she decided.  She opened the crate and pulled out one of the bright white and metallic hoverdisks.  It was beautiful, and it was small enough that she could mount three on the hoverbik
e—
two on the bottom for lift, and one on the back for forward momentum.  She was just installing the battery when Toby entered.

“
Hi
,”
he said.
 “
I just wanted to remind you about tonight.  I know you get caught up in your inventions and lose track of time
.
”

“
You make me sound like the absentminded professor
,”
said Astrid.
 “
Help me put this down on the floor.

They lowered the hoverbike to the lab floor.  Astrid pressed the power button and the hoverdisks hummed to life.  Immediately the hoverbike rose up and floated a foot above the floor tiles.  The gyros and servos worked in conjunction to keep the bike level.