First Day of Summer - Quinn's Day - Part 1

 After awaking and getting ready, Quinn went down to breakfast.

 

She met Daria as she went down the stairs. “Hi, Daria,” she said.

 

“Hi, Quinn.”

 

 

She saw her mother in the kitchen. It being the weekend she didn’t go to work at the usual early hours. “Morning, Mom.”

 

“Morning, Quinn. Do you have any plans for the summer?”

 

‘Of course.’ “Some plans,” Quinn said.

 

“Meaning lots of shopping.”

 

‘Of course, what else would I be planning?’ Quinn thought. She hoped that this wasn’t leading where she thought it was going to lead.

 

Her Mom continued staring.

 

Quinn gave in. “Yes, I’ll be doing a lot of shopping,” she said.

 

“But you need money for shopping. You should not have quit that job at Governor’s Park,” her Mom said.

 

‘But I did pay back the credit card bill for those shoes,’ Quinn thought. She was sure that her Mom was going to ask her to find another job to pay for her summer shopping.

 

“You need to get another job. I’m giving you today to find something that you like, or I’ll find something for you,” Helen said.

 

‘Please, not something like Daria had last summer!’ Quinn thought. Something else was up though. “Mo-om! I can’t get a job in a day!”

 

“All I’m asking is, that you get the application forms today; what do you say?”

 

‘That makes sense,’ Quinn thought. “Oh, I can do that.”

 

“Good.”

 

“Straight after breakfast.”

 

“Of course.”

 

 

Half an hour later, Quinn arrived at Sandi Griffin’s house, where her friends were meeting to plan their summer.

She walked up to the front door and knocked. “It was quickly opened by one of Sandi’s brothers. “Hi, Sam,” Quinn said.

 

“Hi, Quinn,” Sam Griffin said. “Tiffany and Stacy are already up in Sandi’s room. It doesn’t seem like the events of the last couple of months have really happened.”

 

Quinn was confused by the last statement. “What do you mean?” she asked. ‘Something’s up.’

 

“None of her friends came around here whilst she was having that rather long bout of Laryngitis,” Sam said looking at Quinn in the eyes.

 

Quinn knew what he was getting at. “I was here a lot after she broke her leg and gained weight.” She looked him in the eyes. “That is something which wouldn’t have happened if two younger brothers hadn’t been fighting over a toy.”

 

Sam looked down. “You don’t need to rub that in! I was irresponsible. I have been trying to be more responsible,” he said. “Which is more than I could say for Chris,” he continued under his breath.

 

Quinn was taken aback. It seemed that Sam was maturing. “That’s good,” she finally said.

 

“Anyway, I was saying that you weren’t here whilst she had laryngitis,” Sam said, getting back to his original point.

 

“I had a job. I didn’t have time to come around.”

 

“That’s not a good excuse!”

 

Quinn gave in and explained to Sam about the credit card bill and her resultant job at Governor’s Park. She also mentioned that she had made a friend there, but she didn’t identify Lindy by name.

 

“I guess so,” Sam said unconvinced.

 

“Are you going to let me in or not?” Quinn asked.

 

“Sure,” Sam said, stepping aside.

 

 

Something else nagged at Quinn. She turned back to Sam. “You mean that neither Stacy nor Tiffany were here either?”

 

“Not very often. Mom said that the Fashion Club meetings were held at Stacy’s house,” Sam said.

 

‘Interesting,’ Quinn thought. “I see,” she said. She went towards the stairs. She passed Chris as he went down.

 

“Hi, Quinn,” he said.

 

“Hi, Chris,” Quinn said. She reached the top of the stairs and went into Sandi’s room.

 

 

“Hi, Quinn,” Sandi said.

 

Quinn noticed that Sandi sounded slightly hostile. “Hi, Sandi.”

 

“Hi, Quinn,” Stacy Rowe said.

 

“Hiiii,” Tiffany Blum-Deckler drawled.

 

“Right, now that the pleasantries are like, out of the way, let’s plan our Summer activities,” Sandi said.

 

Quinn decided that that time was as good as any. “Um, Sandi, about that, I have to say that I will have to get a job afterall,” she said.

 

“Gee, Quinn. Didn’t you quit that other job so that you wouldn’t have a job over the summer?” Sandi asked.

 

“Yes, Sandi, I did, but...” Quinn began.

 

But Sandi interrupted. “...And didn’t pay you pay back that huge credit card bill which lead to you getting the job?”

 

“Yes, Sandi, but my Mom says that I have to find a job, or she will find me a horrible activity.”

 

“I see,” Sandi said. “However, it is not suitable for those of our standing to like, have to work in the summer before our final year of High School.”

 

“That’s your opinion, Sandi,” Quinn said.

 

“It’s more than, like, my opinion! It is a Lawndale tradition that popular girls in the summer between their Junior and Senior years don’t have jobs,” Sandi said.

 

“Those girls didn’t have Helen Morgendorffer as a mother!”

 

“I suppose, but that is like, a weak excuse,” Sandi said.

 

“Guys! Stop arguing!” Stacy said.

 

“Yee-aah, it’sooo wrong!” Tiffany said.

 

“Right!” Sandi said after a moment.

 

“It’s not what friends do,” Stacy said, barely audible.

 

“So, what are we doing today?” Quinn asked, by way of changing the topic.

 

However, it appeared that Sandi wouldn’t have a bar of it. “Kuh-winn! I believe it’s my place to choose the topic.”

 

‘Oh, no you don’t!’ Quinn thought.

 

“Uh, Sandi, remember that the Fashion Club is no more!” Stacy said.

 

‘Good on you, Stacy!’ Quinn thought.

 

“Of course I remember that, Stacy!” Sandi said.

 

“However, your actions say otherwise, Sandi. You’re no longer the boss of us,” Quinn said. Sandi was speechless for about a minute. It appeared that she was thinking. ‘I hope she is,’ Quinn thought.

 

 

“Sorry, I forgot that the Club was, like, gone for a moment there,” Sandi finally said.

 

“Apology accepted,” Stacy said.

 

“So, what are weee doing to-daaay?”

 

“Isn’t that obvious?” Stacy asked. “We’re going shopping, and helping Quinn look for a job.”

 

Sandi snorted.

 

“I’m looking for a job, regardless of what you think, Sandi. Stacy and Tiffany may as well help!”

 

“I know, you have made up your minds. But I’m just going shopping for the latest summer fashions,” Sandi said.

 

“If that is what you wish,” Quinn said with a sigh. She had hoped that Sandi would change her mind.

 

“It is,” Sandi said.

 

Quinn sighed inwardly, she was sure that it was going to be a long day.

 

 

Fifteen minutes later, the four teens left the Griffin Residence to head towards the mall known as Cranberry Commons.

 

 

The four friends arrived at Cranberry Commons fifteen minutes later.

 

“Where are we going first, Quinn?” Stacy asked as they entered the Mall.

 

Quinn thought for a moment. “Let’s see... there are many clothing stores here. I’ll apply at all of them.” She knew that there was a good chance that she would get at least one job that she would like that way.

 

“Gee, Quinn. You mean you would like, work at a place like JJ Jeeters?” Sandi asked.

 

Quinn turned around and faced Sandi. “Beggers cannot be choosers, Sandi. Most of these stores aren’t that bad, otherwise people wouldn’t buy from them.”

 

Sandi then appeared to think about what Quinn had said.

 

‘At least she’s thinking about it,’ Quinn thought.

 

“It will take a while,” Stacy said.

 

“Then we best start now,” Quinn said.

 

“Sure,” Stacy said.

 

 

Three stores later, in a store named Kelly’s Boutique, Quinn recognised one of their fellow shoppers. “Lindy?” she asked.

 

“Quinn, this is a surprise,” Lindy Weaver, her friend whom she met whilst she was working at Governor’s Park, said.

 

“I’m looking for a summer job,” Quinn said.

 

“Oh, but I thought that you quit Governor’s Park so you didn’t have to work over the summer?”

 

“That was before Mom gave me an ultimatum.”

 

“Oh, but who are these with you.”

 

“They’re my friends Sandi, Stacy and Tiffany,” Quinn said, pointing out each of them in turn...

 

“Hi, Quinn has told me a lot about you,” Lindy said.

 

“Hi!” Stacy said.

 

“Hiii.”

 

“Hi, what has she told you?” Sandi asked with an edge to her voice.

 

“Only the good stuff,” Lindy said. “She has said that you stick with each other through troubled times,” she said to Sandi.

 

“Um, yeah,” Sandi said thoughtfully.

 

“Yeah, she told us about you too, similarly,” Stacy said.

 

Lindy looked at Quinn. “Cool, so what sort of job are you looking for? I may be able to help,” she said.

 

“A position in a place like this, or like Governor’s Park,” Quinn said.

 

“Have you thought about just going back to Governor’s Park?” Lindy asked.

 

‘I’m not sure if that’s possible,’ Quinn thought. “I would if you could,” she said quietly.

 

“Oh, but no need to sacrifice yourself on my account, you know that I have another job,” Lindy said.

 

“Oh,” Quinn said. “Maybe I’ll come by there later,” she offered.

 

“Well, I’ll be there after lunch,” Lindy said.

 

“Cool,” Quinn said. She talked to Lindy for short while longer before they agreed to meet later at Lindy’s workplace.

The Engineer and the Time Lady - Interlude 0.2

 12. Interlude

“Commanders log, Day 1036. It is over a week since we left Alae-Lakria, as Crewman Alera-Kalrea calls it. She and Crewman Nina have fallen into a routine.”

Alpha sighed. She was certain there was more going on with Nina and Aiala than they had let on. She looked to Nina where she was looking over the data on the first alternate Earth the Baffin had encountered. 'Maybe she has found that British agent interesting,' she thought.

She shook he rhead and looked to the ENH as he sat at the Conn making slight adjustments to the ship's course as it came across variations in subspace. She then sensed the Baffin slow some.

“A slow zone, sir,” the ENH reported. “Do you want to slipstream past it?”

“A moment, Pilot,” she said.

“Aye.”

“Alpha to Engineering. Beta, what's the status of the Quantum Slipstream Drive?”

“One of the remaining Benamite crystals is in the chamber, but I don't know how long it will last.”

“It'll be a hop to get past a slow zone.”

“It is ready now, Alpha. Beta out.”

“Thanks. Alpha out. You heard him, Pilot. Initiate the Slipstream hop.”

“Aye,” the ENH responded.

The Baffin jumped to Slipstream.

“The problem is, the sensors only picked up on the presence of the slow zone. Not how big it is,” the ENH said.

“We'll Slipstream for ten minutes, then drop out again,” Alpha decided.

The ENH nodded and focused on the panel in front of him.

Ten minutes later, Baffin dropped out of slipstream back to warp speed. “ETA to Earth, one month, twenty days,” the ENH reported.

“And are we past the slow zone?” Alpha asked.

The ENH checked his console. “Yes.”

“That's good.”

Aialah entered the Bridge after having felt the strange shift in the ship's vibrations. “What just happened?” she asked.

“We just did a slipstream jump,” Nina answered.

“Can you explain that?” Aialah asked.

“Alpha got out of the command chair and came over. “The ship has two faster than light drives. The Warp Drive and the Slipstream Drive,” she said. “The Slipstream is faster than Warp, but it is more unreliable and depends upon a resource that is rarer than the resources the Warp Drive depends upon.”

Aialah nodded.

“You can have a tour of the ship if you like,” Alpha said.

“Sure.”

“Alpha to Beta, please report to the Bridge.”

“Transferring now, Ma'am.”

“Wait!” Aialah called out.

“What?” Alpha asked.

“Not him!” Aialah said. Too late, as Beta had already said the command to transfer, so he had transferred. His appearance scared Aialah.

“Is something wrong?” Beta asked.

“Sorry, I'll explain later. Ask Gamma to come,” Alpha said.

“Sure,” Beta said. “Computer, Transfer Emergency Engineering Hologram Beta to Engineering.”

As Beta transferred out, Alpha turned to Aialah. “What's wrong?”

Aialah remained silent, and looked away.

'Obviously something wrong,' Alpha thought as Gamma transferred in.

“Reporting Alpha,” Gamma said. “You must be Aialah.”

“Yes,” Aialah said, more lively than a moment earlier.

“Where do you want to start?” Gamma asked.

Aialah was in thought for a moment. “Engineering.”

“Sure,” Gamma said. She lead Aialah back to the turbolift.

Alpha was more concerned about Aialah after her reaction to Beta. “Computer, activate Emergency Medical Hologram, and transfer me to sickbay.”

“Affirmative.”

“Please state the nature of the medical emergency?”

“It's Crewman Aialah.”

“What's happened?” the EMH asked.

“Computer, replay what just happened on the Bridge, from when Beta transferred in until I transferred here.”

“Affirmative.”

 "Damn Pachirisus! Nothing but Rattatas with fluffy tails!"

An Unexpected Friend; of the Acquatic Variety

 Daria: An unexpected friend; of the Aquatic Variety

Jane followed Daria into her room. It was exactly as she had described it, with padding on the walls and bars in the windows. "Wow," she said. She took it in. A poster of a half-unearthed skeleton, a plain bed, a television on a trolly, models of a heart and a slice of cheese, another televison on a ceiling mount and a bookshelf with a computer set-up. Not to mention a Kafka poster. However, between the computer and the books was a small aquarium.

Jane went over to the aquarium and looked in it. It was unlike any other pet fish that she had seen before. "What sort of fish is this?" she asked.

"Talon, he's a Siamese fighting fish," Daria replied.

"Fighting Fish, huh? That's different."

"Definitely different to Quinn's goldfish, that's for sure," Daria said as she opened a box of food. Jane chuckled.

Daria in Danville - Adventure and Trouble in Danville

 Part 5: Adventure and Trouble in Danville

Sam and Chris Griffin reached a small park within Danville’s eastern reaches and collapsed on a bench.

 

“Are we anywhere near Phineas and Ferb’s house?” Chris asked.

 

“Just a few more blocks, I need to catch my breath,” Sam replied.

 

“Not too long, dweeb.”

 

“Who are you calling dweeb? You suck!” Sam said as he rubbed the top of Chris’s head, ruffling his hair.

 

“No, you suck!” Chris complained, hitting back.

 

“I hope that they will be able to help us,” Sam said, with some hope in his voice, half a minute after their tussle.

 

“Of course they will.”

 

“This is nothing compared to their usual stuff.”

 

“I guess.”

 

“I mean they don’t usually rescue teenagers.”

 

 

After a few minutes rest, they set off again.

 

 

Ten minutes later, Sam and Chris approached the Flynn-Fletcher house.

 

 

The Griffin kids entered the yard and walked up to Phineas where he was directing the building project. “Hi,” he said in welcome.

 

“We need your help! Our sister was kidnapped by a robot!” Sam pleaded.

 

‘We can help,’ Phineas thought, and turned to his stepbrother. “Ferb, I know what else we’re doing today.”

 

“Excellent!”

 

 

Stacy Rowe looked out the window and saw Sam and Chris in the yard. “Wait a minute, Sandi’s brothers are here!” she stated. She then dashed out.

 

“Sandi’s brothers?” Jane asked as she finished a sketch of the stone skypad apartment.

 

“Yes, maybe they know more about where Sandi could be,” Daria reasoned.

 

 

 

Stacy, Daria, Jane and Candace came out into the yard as Sam finished telling Phineas about Norm’s abduction of Sandi. “What is happening?” Daria asked.

 

“Apparently a robot kidnapped Sandi,” Phineas said.

 

 “It came from Doofenshmirtz Evil Incorporated,” Sam asserted.

 

“Means nothing to me,” Jane said.

 

“Same here,” Daria stated.

 

“Actually, that’s Vanessa’s last name,” Stacy mentioned.

 

“Vanessa?” Daria asked.

 

“She’s a Goth,” Stacy answered.

 

“One of Andrea’s friends?” Jane asked.

 

“Yeah.”

 

“I know it’s a company here in Danville, which is why we came here,” Sam added.

 

“Here in Danville?” Daria said in thought.

 

“You know what to do, don’t you?” Jane asked.

 

“All we have to do is find out where it is,” Daria stated. She turned to Candace. “Could you Google it?”

 

“Sure,” Candace affirmed. “I guess I’ll call my friend too.”

 

 

Candace opened her Mozilla (she didn’t know how others could stand using Internet Explorer) and Googled‘Doofenshmirtz Evil Incorporated’.

 

“OK, it has a website!” She pointed to the screen, where the URL read, “www.DoofEvilInc.com”

 

 

Stacy Hirano was reading from one of her favorite books when her cell phone rang. “Hi, Candace,” she said, already knowing who it was. She had been wondering why she hadn’t called yet that morning.

 

“Stacy, could you come over?” Candace asked.

 

“This doesn’t have anything to do with your brothers, does it?”

 

“Only partly.”

 

“What do you mean, ‘only partly,’?”

 

“I’ll explain when you get here.”

 

 

“OK, Stacy is on her way over here,” Candace stated as she came back to the group.

 

“Good,” Daria said.

 

“Now what does Candace’s Stacy have to do with DE Inc.?” Jane asked.

 

“We’ll need all the help we can get,” Daria explained.

 

Jane turned to Candace. “Just what did you find out about DE Inc?”

 

“That the CEO is some sort of crackpot inventor.”

 

“Oh.”

 

 

As Stacy Hirano approached the Flynn-Fletchers she could see the Jet-Stone buildings behind the house. ‘That’s interesting,’ she thought. She still wondered what Candace meant by ‘only partly’ when she was questioned about her brothers.

 

 

Daria saw Candace’s friend enter the yard. “Hi, you must be Stacy Hirano,” she said.

 

“That’s me. And you are?”

 

“Daria.”

 

“Quinn’s sister, right?”

 

“Don’t let her hear that.”

 

“So what are we doing?” Stacy asked.

 

“Once we’ve completed construction, we’ll take a vehicle and go to Doofensmirtz Evil Incorporated and look for Sandi,” Phineas replied.

 

“Sandi Griffin?” Stacy H. asked.

 

“Yes, she was kidnapped by a robot this morning,” Stacy R. said.

 

“A robot that Phineas and Ferb had nothing to do with,” Chris clarified.

 

“It came from that company Phineas mentioned,” Sam said.

 

“Ok, but will the vehicle be big enough?” Stacy H. wondered.

 

“Of course,” Phineas said.

 

“But we need someone to drive or fly it,” Stacy H. pointed out.

 

“Either our father or Jane’s brother could do that.”

 

“If Trent could be woken.”

 

“Oh, he will be.”

 

“You don’t know Trent.”

 

“How hard could it be?” Phineas asked.

 

 

At Doofenshmirtz Evil Inc. the Evil Scientist had finished telling his daughter, nemesis and captive his back-story. “And now! I will activate the Popularity-Amplica-Transfer-Inator! Watch, as I become the most popular person in the TRI-STATE-AREA!”

 

“You cannot make yourself like, any more popular simply by firing some sort of beam at me!” Sandi objected, with her arms crossed.

 

“Oh, I am afraid he could,” Vanessa answered in a bored tone.

 

“The Inator will work, Ms. Griffin. Watch!” Heinz said. He picked up a remote and pointed it at the ‘Inator’, only for it to be kicked out of his hand by Agent P.

 

“Escape, will you!?”

 

“He’s not the only one!” Sandi challenged, swinging the door of her cage open with a kick.

 

Heinz knocked Perry back. “I know that Perry the Platypus is a regular escape artist, but how did you escape?!?”

 

“Simple. I used like, a hairpin!” Sandi countered as she jumped out of the cage. She landed next to the ‘Inator’. “You didn’t notice because you were too distracted telling us about your teen years in Drusselstein, or wherever!” Sandi then nodded, signaling Perry. The platypus then approached the Inator.

 

“Fortunately for me, Perry the Platypus, the self-destruct button is hidden so you can’t push it.”

 

“I will help him,” Sandi declared. She ran towards the machine...

 

“Vanessa! Stop her!”

 

“You’re on your own, Dad,” Vanessa countered.

 

“No, Vanessa!”

 

“You should not have kidnapped Sandi! That’s a new level of evil!”

 

“A new level?”

 

“Yes!” She left the lab.

 

“Wait!” Heinz demanded as he followed the other teen and his nemesis to his soon-to-be-doomed invention.

 

“Now, there like, has to be a loose panel, or something, somewhere,” Sandi said as she looked the Inator over.

 

“Oh, boy!” Heinz groused. He started trying to stop Perry and his sudden assistant from interfering with his Inator, without much success.

 

 

Back at the Flynn-Fletchers, fifteen minutes after Stacy Hirano had arrived; Ferb had put the finishing touches on the vehicle that they would be using to rescue Sandi. “So, before we rush to the rescue, would you like a tour?” Phineas asked.

 

“If it’s quick!” Stacy R. fretted.

 

“Of course,” Phineas opened the ground level door of the skypad apartment building.

 

“Cool elevator,” Jane attested, appreciating its design.

 

“You like it?” Phineas asked.

 

“Has that Pollock look,” Jane imparted, as she examined the decor more closely,

 

“Ah, an art aficionado.”

 

“Not just an aficionado.”

 

 

Back at DE Inc. Doofenshmirtz found the remote for the Inator. “Ah-ha!” He activated it. ‘Now, to point it at me and Sandi.’

 

Sandi noticed the Inator aiming at her. “Oh no you don’t!” she leapt out of the way, allowing the beam to go out of the building to somewhere else in Danville.

 

“Ugh! Will you stop moving, Ms. Griffin?!”

 

“No!” Sandi launched herself at Heinz, and started grappling with him for the remote.

 

“Uh! There isn’t a self-destruct button on the remote, you know!” Heinz pointed out after a few moments of grappling.

 

“No, but this will give Perry, like a chance to find it,” Sandi stated as she tried to pry Heinz’s fingers off the remote with her right hand.

 

“Oh, great, Ms. know it all!” Heinz moaned as he started slapping Sandi’s fingers away.

 

“You shouldn’t be trying to take other people’s popularity with like, weird inventions,” Sandi said as she rebuffed Heinz’s attempt to stop her gaining the remote.

 

“Is that all?” Heinz asked as he tried to tickle Sandi’s palm in an attempt to get her to let go.

 

“No! Of course not!” Sandi quipped as she tried to resist the tickling. She then slapped him on his left cheek.

 

They continued fighting, Sandi and Perry gaining the upper hand.

 

 

On the top level of the Stone Skypad apartment, Ferb revealed the vehicle that they would be using to the group.

 

“It looks like a stone and wood bus. But if I remember TheFlintstones correctly, their vehicles are powered either by humans or by animals. How are you powering this one?” Daria asked.

 

“Good that you asked that, Daria,” Phineas responded. He opened a panel on the side of the vehicle. “As you can see, we have some well-fed squirrels ready to help power the propellers and the flapping of the wings. There are also a large number of various types of birds tethered to the roof to help with the lift.”

 

“I don’t suppose you have a horse on a treadmill?” Jane wondered.

 

“Well, no, but some of us will be pedaling. Much like the chickens in their escape craft in Chicken Run.” Phineas remarked.

 

“Looks like we’ll be exerting ourselves after all,” Jane said to Daria.

 

“Oh, joy,” Daria stated, intending to leave the pedaling to others.

 

“I’m ready to do my best. I hope,” Stacy R. said.

 

“Who’s going to drive? Dad’s not here!” Candace commented.

 

“It will have to be Trent,” Phineas said.

 

“Or my Mom,” Isabella suggested.

 

“Sure, if Trent doesn’t want to do it,” Phineas said as he closed the hatch.

 

 

 

Jane, Daria, Phineas, Ferb, Candace and Buford entered the lounge room. Trent was still sleeping.

 

Jane shook Trent vigorously. He didn’t stir. “Told ya; hardly anything wakes him,”

 

“Let’s see about that,” Buford said. He leaned down next to Trent’s ear. “LA-ANE!!” he shouted in imitation of Mr.Spacely’s ‘JET-SON!!’

 

“AaaHhh!” Trent jumped, and fell to the floor. Once on the floor he fell asleep again.

 

“I guess that worked,” Jane conceded.

 

“But he’s asleep again,” Daria said.

 

“True.”

 

“Candace, you know where Mom keeps the coffee?” Phineas asked.

 

“Yeah.”

 

“You’re going to need something a lot stronger than coffee,” Jane hinted.

 

“Ferb, we’re going to need Tabasco sauce, chili peppers, vinegar and garlic.”

 

Ferb gave a thumbs up and headed to the kitchen. “Sounds like one of my Dad’s concoctions,” Daria commented to Jane.

 

“Great!”

 

 

A couple of minutes later Ferb returned with a pureed mixture in a cup. “OK, Ferb, pour it down his gullet,” Phineas directed.

 

Ferb proceeded to open Trent’s mouth and poured the mixture down his throat, whilst holding his nostrils shut.

 

A moment later Trent leapt up “Whoa!”

 

“He’s up!” Phineas said.

 

“Ow, my throat! Janie! What’s going on?”

 

“We need you to drive us somewhere.”

 

“Oh, going somewhere else in Danville?”

 

“Yes, rescuing Quinn’s ‘friend’ Sandi,” Daria said.

 

“However there’s a catch,” Jane warned.

 

“What sort of catch?” Trent asked warily.

 

“We would like you to drive a flying wood and stone bus, like a combination of a Jetsons vehicle with Flintstones technology.”

 

“Oh,” Trent thought a moment. “Wouldn’t it just be easier to use my car?”

 

“The place where we’re going would be easier to see from the air,” Phineas maintained.

 

“OK. I’ll pilot that flying stone bus. Maybe it’ll inspire lyrics for the Spiral.”

 

“Very good, Trent,” Jane said.

 

 

Everyone had boarded the ‘Jetstone’ bus. “OK, everybody, buckle-in and put on the provided helmets. We’re about to leave,” Phineasinstructed.

 

“Wait, how am I supposed to direct this thing through the air?” Trent asked.

 

“Turning the steering wheel turns the vehicle to the left or right, like a normal ground vehicle, via turning the front wheels and the rudders,” Phineas replied.

 

“I get that.”

 

“Push it forwards to go down and pull it back to go up. And from side to side for the yaw, leaning to the side movements.”

 

“Got it.”

 

“And, the brake pedal to apply the brakes or deploy the parachutes.”

 

“Parachutes. Cool.”

 

“And the gear stick and accelerator pedal work as normal.”

 

“It’s an automatic?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Cool.”

 

‘I fail to see how these wood and grass helmets would be of any use if we fall out of the sky,’ Daria thought, as she put the helmet on.

 

“Ferb, is the catapult ready?”

 

Ferb gave a thumbs up.

 

“You ready, Trent?”

 

“As I’ll ever be.”

 

“Turn the key,” Phineas instructed.

 

Trent turned the key.

 

 

The food rewards became visible to the squirrels in the ‘engine compartment.’ They began to run, turning some of the drive shafts to the propellers.

 

 

“Pedal-ers, start pedaling,” Phineas said, as the sounds of the ‘engine’ became audible in the passenger compartment.

 

“OK!” Isabella said. She and her troop of Fireside Girls, whom she had invited over to help, began to pedal, therefore turning more drive shafts.

 

Trent shifted the gear stick into ‘Drive’. “Um, we’re not moving,” he pointed out.

 

“That’s because we’re still in the catapult,” Phineas said. “Ferb.”

 

Ferb pulled the lever next to his chair.

 

 

The Bus retracted into the floor of the parking garage and then sprang up...

 

 

As it exited the parking garage, Trent saw that it was on a collision course with the upper story of the Flynn-Fletcher house. “Whoa,” he uttered as he pulled back on the steering wheel, and pushed down on the accelerator. He could hear the clunk, clunk of the gearbox as the gears were changed.

 

“Extending wings,” Phineas said as he pulled another lever next his seat.

 

 

The wings were extended and the bus/plane, passed over the house with a meter to spare. “OK, Trent, DE Inc is downtown, that would be to the right,” Candace directed.

 

“Don’t forget to bank into the turn,” Phineas instructed.

 

“To the right, got it,” Trent turned the vehicle to the right, banking into the turn. He came out of the turn sluggishly, with a lean to the right.

 

“Whoa,” Daria said. Jane leaned against her.

 

“Level it off, Trent,” Jane admonished.

 

“Oops,” Trent said, as he brought it level. He glanced at the speedometer and saw that they were slowing down. He also saw that they were almost clipping a couple of houses, roofs. “Um, we’re slowing down.”

 

“We don’t have enough power. More people need to pedal,” Phineas concluded after a moment of thought.

 

“Also the birds,” Ferbresponded.

 

“Good point.”

 

Ferb pulled another lever, offering the birds on the roof food rewards. The flapping of their wings added to the lift.

 

Both Stacys began to pedal. “This is hard!” Stacy R. said.

 

“Not that hard!” Stacy H. replied.

 

“No, it isn’t,” Candace added as she started to pedal.

 

“We’re going faster again,” Trent noticed.

 

“Good,” Phineas affirmed.

 

“Very good,” Sam said.

 

 

Four minutes later, they saw Doofenshmirtz Evil Incorporated in the distance. “There, it is,” that purple building,” Candace pointed out.

 

“I see it, but where are we going to park?”

 

“Just land on the upper balcony,” Phineas decided.

 

“Is that such a good idea?” Daria asked.

 

“We’ll search the building from top to bottom,” Phineas answered.

 

“OK.”

 

“It’ll be fine, Daria,” Jane assured her.

 

“I guess so. If whoever owns the building is also the person who had Sandi kidnapped, then it won’t matter if we cause damage upon landing,” Daria reasoned.

 

“Come on, Daria, Trent’s a good driver,” Jane attested.

 

“But is he a good pilot? Could he land this thing correctly?” Daria asked.

 

Jane glanced around. “I hope so,” she whispered.

 

 

As the vehicle approached the DE Inc building, Trent pointed the front slightly downward so as to make a comfortable landing on the upper balcony.

 

 

Inside, Perry and Sandi were still trying to break the Inator– “If nothing else, Perry, it’s, like, well hidden.”

 

Perry nodded.

 

Doofenshmirtz had aimed the Inator again. “Ah-ha!”

 

For the umpteenth time, Sandi noticed the Inator aiming, and ducked again. The beam went out the door onto the balcony...

 

 

Trent saw the beam coming. “Whoa!” In trying to avoid the beam he sent the vehicle into a barrel roll...

 

“Trent!” Phineas called out as all the Fireside Girls screamed.

 

“Uh, oh!” Daria said.

 

Trent leveled the vehicle. “Sorry, there was this beam.” He then saw that they were very close to the building and were going much too fast. “Whoa!” He stamped on the brake pedal...

 

Perryopened his eyes wide in panic as he saw the vehicle coming and dashed into an out-of-the-way place.

 

 

The braking chutes deployed as the stone vehicle entered the lab... “What the!” Heinz blurted, before he dashed out of the room...