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Sunday, August 18, 2013

Chasing a Ghost - A Chipmunk Tale pt1

Captain Blighter shoved nuts into his mouth
His eyes scanned the horizon
As they sailed a sea of fluffy white clouds
He wasn't even chewing
He was just staring and shoving with his good paw
Until his furry cheek pockets were full to bursting
With whiskers standing straight out at attention

Finally his searching eyes were rewarded
As a dark shape arced up out of the clouds
But only for a few seconds
Before sinking gently back into the mists

"There!  There!  Full throttle and straight ahead ye swabs!"
Nuts sprayed out of the Captain's mouth as he yelled in little shrieks
His chipmunk body positively vibrating with intensity

The throttle man wrapped his little paw around the lever that choked the steam from the boiler
Opening it up all the way
Venting pressure to the driving cylinders
And calling into the brass communication tube to the boiler room
"More coal men!  Full pressure
Target in sight"

The Captain paced the bridge as the steam pressure turned the propeller turbines
Spooling up to maximum RPM
They whined in a mechanical quartet
Thrumming the whole structure of the metal zeppelin in rhythm with the thrust

A rough air pocket shook the craft
Causing it's shiny metal skin to flex crazily in places
The sunlight flickering and bending along with it
Reflecting disco ball points of light onto the cloud bank below periodically

The Captain hooked his left hand prosthetic onto a lightening hole in the bridge support
Allowing it to take his weight as everyone else scrabbled for balance in the turbulence
His eyes were focused ahead still
Looking for his prey
Once again rewarded with a glimpse of it
Closer this time
Only three hundred yards off the port bow

"One degree left rudder!
More speed!  More power!
I'll have the woody bastard this time!"
The throttle man prepared to add more steam
But the X.O. put a paw on his shoulder
Getting his attention and gently shaking his head

The X.O. approached the Captain
Holding tightly to the brass railing around the perimeter of the bridge
"Captain, we cannot put any more into her
The lines and turbines will not put up with it
Do I have to remind you of what happened aboard the Drummond?"

Captain Blighter whirled upon his Executive Officer in a nut spewing rage
Bits of which pelted the X.O.'s face as he jabbered back at him
"No!  You do not remind me of that!
Nobody reminds me of that!
I am reminded of that every single day!"

The Captain unhooked his silver articulated hook from it's hold on the frame
Swinging it dangerously near the X.O.'s face
And nearly losing his balance
Only a most undignified waving of his arms and tail saving him from falling
"More!  Damn you
The systems are tested at 150%
All I'm asking for is a little bit more!"

The X.O. nodded back to the throttle man
Who squeezed his lock handle
Ratcheting the lever forward three more clicks
As his eyes watched the gauges in front of him nervously
Needles on the four engine tachometers vibrated their way past 100%
Reading 105......110......115...... before finally stabilizing at 120%

The crew of 23 chipmunks could almost feel every beat of the propellers now
Right deep in their little chests
Their hearts seemed to beat in time with them
Everything vibrated furiously at the same tempo


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