FB4-33 "Awry And Away"

"Let's see your driver's license, boy." "I - I don't have one, sir." I quavered. He smiled, he knew this already. "Then step out of the vehicle, son." I pushed on the door and it opened neatly.

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F U T U R E   B A R R I E R ( The 4th Novel ) Secret Technology, Unrequited Love, Absolute Vengeance © January 2019 - Written by David Wicker Please do not reprint without permission  CHAPTER 33 - "Awry And Away" [ CHOOSE A DIFFERENT CHAPTER TO READ ] * * * This chapter is Rated: TEEN I saw the car start forward slightly then turn, then my brain panicked ! Was the car sliding perfectly sideways ? Did it lose a wheel ? I hesitated only a moment to find the switch to roll down the driver's side window to try and peer under the carriage when I saw those two orderly idiots Mr. Kint and Mr. Widd ! Kint spoke first, "There's the brat ! The little gnat !" To which Widd responded, "Without a license no doubt, help me pull him out !" And suddenly they ran forward to me as the car lazily rolled sideways as no vehicle could, all 4-wheels at a ninety-degree angle. I fumbled with the switches below but couldn't find how to close the window. They were on me in seconds and the bigger one tried to drag me out of the vehicle ! "EVE !" I finally cried in panic. "Yes, Dev ?" the sweet voice replied. "Get this guy offa me !" I grimaced, not really sure that Eve could do anything about this at all. "Come back inside, Dev." she offered. I did with some effort, Mr. Widd the much bigger and muscular one's arms followed me back in the vehicle. His eyes grew wide when he saw all the gadgetry. "Don't touch anything !" I told him as his eyes glazed over with greed. He laughed, "Afraid not, I fear. I'll soon drag you out of here !" And with his arms still wrapped around my waist the windows suddenly started to close. I was terrified of what would happen next so I shut my eyes. There was a howl of pain from Widd and then silence. I opened my eyes half-expecting to see his severed limbs laying in my lap, fortunately he must've pulled back before they did. My heart was racing I was so scared right now. "Eve ! Let's get outta here !" "Confirmed, Dev." she said in that sweet emotionless voice. Suddenly I heard a new engine fire up. I looked out the back window and an unearthly purple light appeared, clearly from the exhaust. The very air around it wavered in a frightening display of energy. "Get clear !" I said. Then a light flashed in front of me labeled "MIC." I hit the button, and spoke hearing my voice boom outside the vehicle. "Get clear !" Fortunately my pursuers obeyed and then the car shot straight ahead. Right at a brick wall ! "Turn d****t ! Turn ! Doncha know how to drive ?" The sweet voice spoke back, "No, do you ?" I grabbed my forehead, sweating as it was despite the cool comfortable air in here. The car continued straight towards the concrete. I whirled my head left and right for anything to grab on to. There was nothing to support myself ! Then the car smashed fully into the concrete barrier and into open sky ! The car lurched forward as gravity threatened to smash it against the ground. "Pull up pull up !" I said and then realized how stupid it was what I said. This car isn't an airplane. But sure enough the car DID pull up. How I have no idea. Being free of Kint and Widd I once again opened up my driver's side window to look. My car had purple rockets shooting a gentle waft of hot air and neatly descended to the ground where a bunch of people gathered to watch. I could make out several voices. "Is it an advertisement for a product ?" "Maybe he's from another world !" "I bet it's a stupid car ad." "That kid looks too young to drive !" Suddenly someone leapt forward, a big teenager, clearly to drag me out of this futuristic car and take it for their own. "Get outta there ! You don't deserve anything this nice !" So then someone ELSE was trying to grab me out. Bad enough Widd was but now people watching I guess were jealous. And who could blame them ? This car had more tricks than a magician's sleeve and clearly cost millions were it to be made and sold today. I learned my lesson though and jerked back in the car. "Windows, Eve !" Sure enough she complied and my window snicked shut. My assailant banged on the glass for a second and finally stepped back to angrily watch what would happen next. Well while I may have had a really great car it apparently didn't know what a road was as it lurched forward causing a surge of people to scream and move out of the way as it started driving in a straight line which was anything except straight. It barreled through two red lights causing me to hear crashes of other cars behind me and then paralleled itself on a bridge going through the tunnel and weaving dangerously in and out of traffic. "Ah, Eve ..." I said holding on as best I could in case we really did crash. "Yes, Dev." the digitally sweet voice answered. "Can you, ah, slow down a bit there ? Kinna cool your jets, okay ?" "Yes, Dev." and then the speed slowed to a comfortable 40mph. Then she neatly weaved around traffic only if it was slower than her. I breathed a sigh of relief. I really didn't want to die this young. This was not so bad. We cleared the tunnel. I saw the Speed Limit was 45. I checked the gauge, we were going 42 now. That wasn't too bad. "Stay on the road. No driving off of it. Obey traffic signs." I told her. "Confirmed." she said. * * * I relaxed, but I didn't have very long to. Suddenly I heard a siren behind us. I looked in the mirror and saw it was two policemen each on motorcycles. At first I thought they were after someone else but no, it was me. This especially by the fact one sped up to get alongside me and tapping on my glass yelling, "Pull this thing over !" "Pull over, Eve." I told her. "Yes, Dev." and she neatly drove into the side line. "Engine off." "Confirmed." I hit the button for the window and this time the officer was right there. He like that teenager goggled his eyes seeing what was inside. He hit a switch on his helmet and the bug-screen jumped out of the way so he could get a better sight. He nodded his head appreciatively. Then looked down at me. A wry smile appeared on his face. "Let's see your driver's license, boy." "I - I don't have one, sir." I quavered. He smiled, he knew this already. "Then step out of the vehicle, son." I pushed on the door and it opened majestically like a clamshell. He watched all this and started writing down what he was seeing in a notepad he carried. He looked rather smug right now. "I think it's pretty safe to say this is not your car, right ?" I nodded. I really didn't want to be in trouble with the law. But then EVE spoke using the external loudspeakers, "Yes. I am his vehicle." The officer gently pushed me aside, his eyes narrowing on the window. Then he deftly pulled out his pistol and held it there. I put my hands to my mouth in fear. Surely he wasn't going to shoot ! "Okay you !" he said in a louder tone. "Get out of there. Get out of the vehicle now !" He was greeted only by silence. I heard a soft click as he pulled back the hammer on his gun. My fingers went into my mouth now in panic. He barked in a louder tone, "I don't want to shoot a woman, but I will ! Now you get out of this car right now or I'll fire !" Further silence. His partner came up to him and whispered but I could hear him. "Sergeant, think about what she just said." He jerked his head back in disgust and spoke louder, "What she said ? What are you going on about !? All I know is - there is someone else in that car and they're not getting out !" His partner shook his head, "No, Morgan. She said, "=I= am his vehicle." And think about the way she said it. Did that really sound like a normal person to you ?" Morgan lowered his gun. "No, not really, Dan. Sounded ... sounded sort of like a ... robot from that - that science fiction movie you and I saw a week back in the theater." Dan nodded, "I think it's a computer onboard. Maybe it even drives the vehicle." Morgan returned the gun to his holster and holding a hand out spoke, "So - ah - you are the voice of the - ah - car, is that right ?" She responded, "I am called EVE. Enhanced Vehicle Escort. Dev is my owner." Dan held his hands out as if to say, "See ?" Morgan nodded, then came back to me. "Is that right, Dev. This - thing - is driving you then ?" I nodded myself. "Yeah, see, I'm not driving at all." And for a moment it seemed like that would do it and he would let me go, but then to Dan, "Dan, run me a make on the license number of this vehicle. Let's see if it's even registered at the state." Dan went to the back of the vehicle and came back suddenly, "Nossir, it's not registered." Morgan was angry, "Idiot ! You didn't even check the database, how can you be so sure !?" Dan used his index finger to point at the back of the car. Morgan went to look. The license plate actually looked pretty normal but then it had a strange letter 2-characters in that appeared to be a combination of an A and an R. Dan spoke now, "I don't know what letter that is, but I'm certain it's not in our database. And I took 1st grade, I know that's not part of our standard 26. Whatever this - thing - is - it doesn't belong here. On the road." Morgan was silent and Dan continued, "Here, we need to have the license and registration of this vehicle. If that boy doesn't have it, I think then we can run them all in." As they mused over this I went back in the car and whispered to Eve that I needed those papers they were asking for. In a flash the glove-box opened, also very sleek and stylistic. Inside was - well - not a piece of paper, but etched smoked glass. With words all over them. Morgan scratched his chin for a second more, then went to check on me. But I was back in the car. "What are you doing !?" he demanded reaching for his gun again. "I heard you needed my registration. You're going to want that before you run me in, right ?" He pulled his hand away and breathed a sigh of relief, chuckling. "Yeah, that's right. Smart boy." He definitely appreciated the fact that I respected authority. He then added in a commanding tone, So let's have it !" I handed it to him. He fingered it gingerly not expecting it to be printed glass. "This !?" he asked, confused. I nodded. He looked at me a moment more then, "Come on out boy. I promise we'll sort this out back at the station. I won't even put cuffs on you if you behave. We'll call your folks to pick you up." I looked at him, "Yessir. I'm ready to go." "Go." EVE said suddenly and my driver's side window snicked shut again. The engine started up and The Excalabria jerked back on to the road, quickly accelerating to a high speed. This all happened so quickly I didn't even have a chance to see the utter look of shock and surprise on Morgan's face. "EVE !" I flustered, "What are you doing ? Aren't we in enough trouble already ?" "Taking you home." She said simply. She dived back on to the road and fortunately apparently remembering what I said earlier stayed on the road and obeyed traffic. It was only a few seconds I could see those two officers were in hot pursuit. I looked to the speedometer and saw we were crawling along at 40mph again. If we stayed this speed they would easily catch up. "Eve, speed up ! Get me home, fast !" "Fast." she repeated. And still obeying the traffic accelerated well past 80mph in a matter of seconds professionally weaving in and out of the slower cars. The officers fell way behind but they weren't done yet. Morgan pulled to the side and picked up the receiver on his motorcycle and spoke. "Yeah, we got a runner on the road. Purple vehicle, hard to miss. Traveling at a very high speed. Need air support, over ?" A very static-filled voice then spoke, "This is Johnson in Chopper 4. That you Morgan ? You need us to track a vehicle for you ?" Morgan nodded and smiled, he'd have me now. "yessiree ! Do you see that fast-moving purple car on the road. You can't miss it." "Yessir. I've got him in my sights." Johnson said amid the static. Morgan held his hand out for emphasis. "I want you to track that car, discreetly. Don't let him know he's being followed. Find out where it parks and then send a team to arrest that boy." "Excuse me sir did you mention a boy ?" Johnson asked, a little puzzled. Morgan spat in the receiver, "Arrest the driver ! Alright !? Whoever it is it doesn't matter ! You nail that creep. Don't let him get away." "Yessir. I'm on it. Over and out." and over the comm you could hear the helicopter change its engines as it accelerated to keep up with me. Morgan sat down the receiver and addressed the empty air. "I don't know who or what - or why - but we're gonna get some answers outta that snot-nosed kid one way or another." Dan approached carrying the "registration" still printed on the oddly smoked glass. "What do we do with this ?" Morgan was all business. "We take it back to the station and scan it, dummy ! It may very well tell us just what the HELL is going on here !" With that the two motorcops looped a hard U-turn away from where I was traveling and started to ride back to the police station. END OF CHAPTER 33 Return back HOME

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