World Watch OnLine: The Unofficial Buckaroo Banzai Mailing List
# 92 (11 July 1999)
Submissions: WWatchOne@aol.com
Editor: WWatchOne@aol.com
Homepage: http://www.worldwatchonline.com
FAQ: http://www.figmentfly.com/bb/bbindex.shtml

Number of subscribers: 548
(NOTE: anyone who doesn't have an "@something" behind their name is
from 'aol.com.')

Contents:
Greetings
Re: World Watch OnLine 91 - 5 July 1999
DVD NEWS!  
joining the list
Hello! (BBI Electric Blue)
Sheet music
Supersized Fries
Dragon Tales
Lock and Key, Chapter 11, pt.1

HB88HB88HB88HB88HB88HB88HB88HB88HB88HB88HB88HB88HB88

Greetings,

First off, congrats to US team on winning the Womens World Cup! Way to go!
Im so *not* a sports nut, but soccer is one thats always appealed to me. (Tho
why do I always get stuck trying to guard Tommy??)

Anyway, a friend spotted a silver/grey convertible in the LA area with the license
plate "HB 88."  Anyone know who is the lucky/devoted fan to have gotten such
a cool plate? You out there? Speak up!

BBs spiritual grandfather is in the news again. Word has it Arnold Schwarzenegger
is toying with the idea of a Doc Savage movie. Clancy Browns name has been
brought up a few times as a possible Renny in the casting game fans have been 
playing. 

Play hard. Play fair. Nobody hurt.
ArcLight

HB88HB88HB88HB88HB88HB88HB88HB88HB88HB88HB88HB88HB88

Subj:	Re: World Watch OnLine 91 - 5 July 1999
Date:	7/6/99 7:15:57 PM Eastern Daylight Time
From:	JudgeRaye

Excellent idea about the chat room, Crazy Horse! This is Judgeraye and i've
been wanting to chat in a room with you blokes for a long time.  I am on a
Mac and can't do Java. So are there any other alternatives to Rafterman's
site? And how about his web address anyway? Anyone else on AOL who wants to
do a chat room mail me or Crazy Horse !

**** Raftermans site is at: 
http://lavender.fortunecity.com/halloween/161
- ArcLight ****

HB88HB88HB88HB88HB88HB88HB88HB88HB88HB88HB88HB88HB88

Subj:	 DVD NEWS!  
Date:	7/6/99 8:27:48 PM Eastern Daylight Time
From:	reddi68@hotmail.com (Diane Cantwell)

Of course, you all probably know this already, but having been out of the 
loop due to school, I just found out from a friend who manages a Tower Video 
that there is a DVD edition coming out soon of TABB.  I know we keep hearing 
it, and he said that his trade mag stated that it may be a while to smooth 
out some of those famous (infamous?) legal troubles, but it WILL be done and 
is scheduled to be released as soon as all the "t"s are crossed and "i"s 
dotted.

Hope this isn't more smoke being blown .... well, you know.

BBI Red Di
Absentee Writer
"I'll Be Back At the Computer in August, I Promise!"

**** You better. I believe theres some unfinished business re: The Whisper.
Anyway, about the DVD; I dont think its soon exactly, but I have seen it 
mentioned as a possibility several times. Think Richter and Mac Rauch are thinking
about it after the FOX script gets off the ground. Something like that.
I can wait until they can be involved with it. - ArcLight ****

HB88HB88HB88HB88HB88HB88HB88HB88HB88HB88HB88HB88HB88

Subj:	joining the list
Date:	7/7/99 10:34:29 AM Eastern Daylight Time
From:	Dot Warnr

Hi! BBI Miss Rachel, here.

I used to get the paper newsletter, all those years ago and only recently
discovered the presence of WWI on the web.  I was a teenager when the movie
came out, and in retrospect the best part about the story -which was a little
more serious than a comedy adventure story- was the concept a person could do
many things with their life. I wouldn't say the movie directly inspired me to
do anything specific, but Dr. Banzai and the film represented an heroic ideal
to inspire me. 

I studied Japanese in college mainly out of an interest in Japanese
animation, and later Japanese literature and history-- but as a major in
"Higashi Ajia Kenkyu" (Far Eastern Studied with an Empahsis on the Japanese
Language) I also got to learn a lot about the foundations in Chinese culture,
history, philosophy and archeology. Never-the-less, I found learning Japanese
almost as difficult as any language I have tried to learn in the past.  As my
interest level was higher, I continue to stick with it but am less than
fluent. Other strange things I did while at that college (University of
Chicago- My Chinese History/Archeology teacher did resemble Indiana Jones!)
were study archery (composite bow) and social dancing (including the polka in
case I ever met Weird Al!). 

About 4 years ago I started to study southern Chinese martial arts (ask if
you want to know the style or the link to the kwoon I attend) which has been
good for my health and spirits, despite some physical difficulties which have
required I go at a slower pace than many of the others.

Currently I am studying to be an elementary school teacher, but since my
teens I've been writing and have three screenplays under my belt (and am
looking for an agent). I see the calling of the wolf (to use a metaphor for
education from American Indian mysticism) very strong and will probably
continue to teach and tutor on some kind of part-time basis after I "make it"
in screenplay sales.

My undergraduate degree was in "liberal arts" with 18 graduate credits in
media studies as a kind of a major (at the New School).... but I found out
from my current university (NYU) that I was actually an English major due to
the number of credits in English, writing and literature that I took as an
undergraduate. A little late to use it effectively - since my first
permanent job out of college was as an office manager at a public relations
firm. I was told by them the reason I wasn't getting to write press releases
was because I wasn't an English major. Go figure! 

Since then I worked my way up to executive secretary while learning
typesetting and design on the computer and then worked in that field for 7
years.

Now if that isn't a background influenced by BB, I don't know what is!

I've been scanning through some of the comment on BB boards and fanfiction,
and I would have to say my major comment is about the so-called paramilitary
nature of the BBIs. While I concur that it is useful for Institute residents
to learn "cowboy skills" such as roping, riding and shooting-- as they are
good set of useful survival skills, and that many of the BBIs might also come
in to learn how to use weapons *and* that it was very cute in the movie that
the kid had a flack jacket and knew how to use automatic weapons---- I don't
think BB would approve of people stock-piling unlicensed weapons in their
homes-- especially where kids could reach them. People can get killed by
intruders using their weapons too. For the sake of story, I can see people
being trained and having their own flack jackets (kevlar?) at home, but not
actually having the weapons (unless they are legal for their jobs) until
being handed them in flash-point situations. I think BB would encourage
creative problem solving in the face of danger. The way I see it is: a
criminal (or "bad guy" ) is much more likely to shoot a kid or adult who is
packing heat before thinking, than someone who is unarmed. While martial arts
(unarmed and improvised weapons) study is not for everyone, it could be
encouraged- as well as other strategies to escape or disable "harmful
characters." Talking your way out of a situation, running away, and/or
creative traps and roping would be useful here.

Interested in getting your feedback.
BBI Miss Rachel

HB88HB88HB88HB88HB88HB88HB88HB88HB88HB88HB88HB88HB88

Subj:	Hello! (BBI Electric Blue)
Date:	7/7/99 10:20:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time
From:	Lady Rhian

I heard about this list via BBI Miss Rachel. I'm a thirty-something writer. I
remember when Buckaroo Banzai first came out, but to be honest, I didn't see
it in the movie theatres. However, I remember people at one of the early NYC
Creation Cons signing up people for the Blue Blaze Irregulars.

It took me a few years to get into BB, but when I did, I dived in head first!
I got all of the BB patches (which are currently sewn to the back of a vest I
use to hold my convention button collection), and I have three badges which
were designed from those seen in the movie. One is a Jet Car Pit Pass, one is
a pass showing I hold the rank of Captain in the Blue Blaze Irregulars and
the other shows I am also a captain of a BBI Strike team.

I even have a cardboard stand-up of Buckaroo (complete with BB headband) up
in my attic, along with two copies of the original novel and a copy of the
Buckaroo Banzai comic book. (The characters aren't drawn that well, but you
can't have everything). I also have copies of several BB fanzines, including
The Penny Paradox, Banzine and some from Australia (where they are crazy
about Rawhide. Oh yes, and I have photocopies of Blue Blaze Irregular
Stationary from someone who had joined the original incarnation of the fan
club. By photocopying the original page, I ensure having BBI stationary for
just about forever.

I don't mean to sound like I'm boasting here, just showing how, um, obsessive
I was about the movie.

And I must agree with Miss Rachel. Though I haven't read the stories she is
talking about, I doubt the Blue Blaze irregulars were meant to be a
paramilitary organization. I think, given the way Buckaroo was portrayed in
the film, he would be the last person to advocate stockpiling guns or using
them unless absolutely necessary. Guns are a powerful tool, but a tool
nonetheless. The best tool you can use is your own brain. If you become too
dependant on using a gun, you are diminished if it is taken away from you.

As we saw in the movie, the only time Buckaroo took out a gun was when he was
going to assault Yoyodyne Enterprises. All the rest of the time, he was
unarmed. I think that is the type of attitude he would encourage and endorse
among the rank and file BBI's. While the BBI's had strike teams, I truly
doubt all BBI's were in one.

BBI Electric Blue, signing off!

HB88HB88HB88HB88HB88HB88HB88HB88HB88HB88HB88HB88HB88

Subj:	 Sheet music
Date:	7/8/99 12:45:18 AM Eastern Daylight Time
From:	kennmcd@earthlink.net (Kenn McDonald)

Greetings to all Blue Blaze Irregulars,

I'm a long time fan of the film and have been following the mailing list
for a while now.  I enjoy all the info and gossip as well as the
stories.  I'm hoping someone out there can help me.  For the first time
in 15 years I have my own piano.  Gee, who can see what's coming next?
Yes!  I am now trying to find out if the sheet music for the theme song
was ever published.  Does anybody know?  Does anybody have it?  I would
be willing to buy it or would love to get copies.  The thought of
sitting down and trying to create it from scratch makes my head hurt.
Obviously at least part of it was arranged for piano because Jersey
(Jeff Goldblum) played a bit of it in the film.  Any help would be
greatly appreciated.

Kenn

HB88HB88HB88HB88HB88HB88HB88HB88HB88HB88HB88HB88HB88

Subj:	 Supersized Fries
Date:	7/9/99 2:05:04 AM Eastern Daylight Time
From:	camelot@amigo.net (Scott Tate)

I wanted to share a few thoughts regarding the alleged title of the BB
TV pilot.  Some of what follows may seem obvious to astute readers, but
I wanted to point it out for the benefit of those who may not have
noticed.  Additionally, let me remind everyone that I'm not privy to any
special inside information and that my observations are therefore purely
speculative.

Recently, Ain't-It-Cool News (http://www.aint-it-cool-news.com/) broke
the rumor that the pilot episode of BB will supposedly be "Supersize
Those Fries."  On a presumably related note, for many months now the
official Banzai Institute site (http://www.banzai-institute.com/) has
displayed an eclectic list of "Topics on the Table."  One such topic is
clearly relevant:  "How To Cultivate Hundreds of Pounds of Delicious
Giant Tubers That Grow 4-Feet-Long and Weigh Up to 75 Pounds Each."
Supersize those fries, indeed.

That same topics list features a suspiciously high concentration of
other potato references, including:  "The Potato & The Sofa - A Cultural
Collision"; "Potato Bread - Why Not Bake Some Tomorrow?"; "The Colorado
Potato Beetle Revisited"; "Mr. Potato Head - Myth or Legend?  Was He
Real?  Did He Father an Illegitimate Solanum Tuberosum?"; and "Dark Red
Norlands, Frontier Russets, Swedish Peanuts & Bioelectricity."
Additional less direct references may include "The Best Damn Magnets in
the World - Has Idaho Got Them?" and "Vodka - Starch & Desperation."

Elsewhere at the Institute, a statement from W. D. Richter clearly
indicates that plot points are being hinted at:  "... I encourage one
and all to visit the Institute's 'Topics on the Table' page for an
intriguing run-down of present concerns.  ... Trust me that several
items bear directly upon the narrative which Mac Rauch is, even as you
read this, so intensely grappling."

The obvious conclusion is that, between Richter's words and the
abundance of potato topics, the "Supersize Those Fries" title may indeed
prove accurate, at least for a working draft.  Still, in these days of
Internet-driven rumors, it would be negligent of me not to include a
cautionary note.  It's always possible that someone else noticed the
prolific potato references and subsequently spread the "Supersize" rumor
accordingly, regardless of the true nature of the pilot.  Only time will
tell, but in the meantime it provides us with... dare I say it? ... food
for thought.

-- BBI Camelot (incidentally stationed near the potato fields of
southern Colorado)

**** Good catch. I noticed all those potato refs awhile back, so
the title seemed perfectly likely to me. And you shouldve seen
the reaction when Weird Al hopped on stage with the HKC to
jam on Addicted to Spuds. - ArcLight ****

HB88HB88HB88HB88HB88HB88HB88HB88HB88HB88HB88HB88HB88

Subj:	 Dragon Tales
Date:	7/11/99 2:52:02 PM Eastern Daylight Time
From:	alandsmith@uswest.net (Alan (BBI Dragon) Smith)

Hello everyone!
BBI Crazy Horse, how's things in the SW part of the country?
I too like the idea of a regularly scheduled BB chat room meet for us
BBIs. We have just got to set some regular times to do it. I know
everyone doesn't work "bankers hours", so to start, those of us who want
to give this a try need to come up with a starting point. With the time
difference between east and west coast my suggestion would be early
Saturday or Sunday morning and maybe an early evening weekday as well.
Maybe even an early weekday morning, like 5 am west coast/ 8 am east
coast, I could make that. We could set up the Onelist calendar to sent
reminders to the BB list members too. Crazy Horse, pick several times
that would work for you since you are the one who's suggested this and
get back to me at my personal addy, I know you have it. By the next
issue of WWOnline we'll set up several chat room meets and see who shows
up. I know that ArcLight might be able to jump in on the weekends. How
about everyone else? Saddle up anyone? I'll solicit timing ideas from
the BB Onelist members as well.
We will all have to visit Rafterman's site and get into the chat room
for the download before hand. I sure hope this'll work on a Mac with a
28.8 modem.
Rafterman's site:
http://lavender.fortunecity.com/halloween/161/

Always True Blue,
BBI Dragon

A random novel quote: After the news conference, Reno and Perfect Tommy
are talking over whether to take Penny along with them back to the
Institute.
Reno, "...we are not members of a secret society, charged as judge and
executioner, We are, hopefully, good citizens bearing the unmistakable
hallmark of decent people everywhere - a willingness to help our
fellows. If she portends bad things, do we have the right to commit
minor crimes against her because she might do worse to us?"

--
"He's gone through it! He's gone through the mountain!"
Chase two - The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai

HB88HB88HB88HB88HB88HB88HB88HB88HB88HB88HB88HB88HB88

Subj:	 Lock and Key, Chapter 12, pt.1
Date:	7/10/99 4:18:07 PM Eastern Daylight Time
From:	jetlightfoot@juno.com

Disclaimer/Author Notes:

This story takes place in Spring 1987 (between the events of the movie
and Rafterman's proposed script for the sequel, from which it takes a few
plot cues). It's written from Reno Nevada's point of view much after the
fact, which seemed the best way to avoid getting flamed by folks who own
the book, and lets me pick up a few details from there more easily as
well. 

Characters and concepts related to Buckaroo Banzai belong to other
people. See disclaimer on Chapter One for full info. In any event, the
author has no intent to make any money hereby and is just having fun.
Don't complain if details here don't coincide with the TV pilot/series;
this was started before the pilot script.

Plot elements and other characters are copyright 1998-??? and
1990-infinity, respectively, and are the property of Replay, except
T-Bear (who belongs to Lynx, Trouble, himself, and several cats at last
check). People with permission to archive the text know who they are; all
others should e-mail me at BBI_Replay@yahoo.com first. Send comments and
questions to the same address.

Previous chapters may be found in an HTML format in Strike Team
Renegade's archives
(http://tatooine.fortunecity.com/gernsback/207/fiction.html) with new
chapters appearing approximately 2 weeks after they run here. If you need
a piece that isn't there, check out ArcLight's recent zip files of the
newsletter or e-mail me.

--------------------------------------------------

Previously--

After an explosion wreaks havoc on their hotel rooms, Team Banzai has
relocated rather hastily to a former school at the edge of the metro
area. Their only wounded from the incident is Replay, who regains
consciousness 3 days after her second exposure to talava. Only she and
Buckaroo are aware at first that she remembers none of them except
Rawhide, whom she'd once drawn and only vaguely recalls. 

Enter the plot complications: Wayback, a telepath who'd been testing
Replay's own psionic abilities to determine what effect, if any, her
prior exposure has had; a storm which borders on being epic in proportion
but which doesn't want to spawn the expected tornadoes; Hanoi Xan's spies
inside Team Banzai; Lindbergh, an intern and the Institute's senior
pilot, who Wayback can't easily read; a suspicious power failure and the
definitely hostile jamming of Team Banzai communications; a police
Captain who considers Team Banzai vigilantes and the Blue Blaze
Irregulars wannabe vigilantes, and who has unwittingly assigned 2 BBIs to
the case; Deng Fat, one of Xan's lieutenants with a particular interest
in Replay, and the World Crime League team working for him who try to
kidnap Reno and Wayback; a lightning bolt; a federal witness turned FBI
agent; and two bridges, one closed, the other with perhaps less clearance
than advertised. Further, Replay's cover is at least partially blown,
revealing her true identity -- gypsy resident Jet Lightfoot -- to
Lindbergh. 

As Chapter 12 begins, the implications of the incident on the smaller
bridge have yet to be fully realized...

--------------------------------------------

Lock and Key
Chapter Twelve

A bit of backtracking is perhaps in order to put things in proper
context. Silk had been just a little surprised when Buckaroo put her in
charge of a crew of three security interns and left her at Lambert
International to keep an eye on the 727. She hadn't been an intern even
as long as Lindbergh and wasn't really all that accustomed to directing
anyone but flight crew yet, just very aware (mistakenly, I might add)
that one error might be all it took to get her demoted back to
apprentice. Rather than just sitting around aboard the plane for what
should have been a few hours before they were relieved, she'd put her
small team to work looking for potential problems and categorizing them.
When they'd learned about the explosion at the hotel, they'd all realized
that their brief shift had become considerably more permanent. Since
then, she'd gotten rather more serious about things, and the result was
that the VIP aircraft parking hadn't been so secure since the last time
President Widmark and Vice President Simmons had arrived a mere hour
apart for a joint appearance at the McDonnell-Douglas facilities on the
far side of the tarmac. The airport police might even have learned a
thing or two watching that happen; to her mind, it was best to be on the
good side of the authorities whenever possible, especially when there was
the remotest chance they'd be looking at you sidelong and wondering
whether you were legal otherwise. Chasing them off like the Secret
Service habitually did hadn't seemed to be a good way to win friends and
influence people, so she'd let them hang around; they weren't any more
likely to get past the current precautions without alerting people than
she was, unless Kilroy had been exaggerating considerably.

There comes a point, however, when all possible precautions have been put
in place and nothing remains to do but aircraft maintenance, at which
juncture the law enforcement personnel had lost interest. Uncertain how
long we'd be on the ground, Silk hadn't been willing to start anything
which couldn't be finished up in mid-air if necessary, but there had been
enough 'comfort adjustments' to keep people busy for a few more hours,
things like lubricating a recalcitrant seat in the passenger compartment
and routine maintenance on the toilets, which had not been intended for
use on the ground. Silk was convinced that no one, least of all Buckaroo,
would chew her out if she'd decided to decamp as far as the VIP lounge,
but with the rest of us holed up in a safehouse, she hadn't been
comfortable with allowing even that slight increase in the opportunity
for the plane to be sabotaged. She might have given up a lot of the
habits she'd developed in her old neighborhood, but leaving
transportation unwatched wasn't one she thought she'd ever shake even if
she'd wanted to try. 

The first solid indication she had of any immediate problem had come when
a routine attempt at checking in had drawn more storm static than voice
signal. For any pilot, this would have been worrisome; modern aircraft
were designed to stay in the air after a direct hit, but that much
lightning was frequently accompanied by winds that presented a greater
danger. It was an occupational hazard, and one that would pass, but Silk
would have been much happier if this particular weather had waited until
things on the ground had been more stable. She'd flown out of Lambert
enough times to understand the usual local storm tracks; anything
affecting O'Fallon, Missouri, that much was likely to track in right down
I-70; the only real question was whether this one might veer northward at
I-270 as many storms did.

That answer came before she had a chance to consult with the control
tower. The first wave hit hard enough to make itself audible against the
skin of the airplane, but after listening to it for some minutes, Silk
realized that the lightning she'd been hearing over the go-phone simply
wasn't tracking with the rest of the storm. She wasn't enough of a
meteorologist to be willing to say that was impossible, but she'd never
heard of it in all the years she'd been flying. It bore checking into,
probably at more length than she'd have time for. "I need some other
hands here," she called back from the cockpit.

Kilroy walked in almost before she'd turned back to the radar screen to
bring it online. "What's up?" This once, he wasn't wearing his trademark
Oakleys.

"Some very strange weather," Silk said. "People are going to want to see
anything we can record of it."

"Looks like a thunderstorm to me," said Kilroy; "Maybe I'd better check
closer."

***

Startled, the Highway Patrol officer in the rear cruiser stepped on the
brakes as hard as he dared, fully expecting to miss the bus but not at
all certain he could avoid the air-conditioning unit that had just fallen
to the wet pavement in front of him. "Idiots," he muttered, just a little
annoyed that he'd have to deal with it. At least three people were at
fault on this one; the bus driver ought to know his vehicle's height
better than that, and both of his fellow officers had been in a position
to have prevented the accident. 

He managed to stop less than an inch short of the debris, amazed to have
accomplished it here. The 115 bridge wasn't high on anyone's list of best
river crossings unless you were talking to an artist or a lunatic,
although it had never been as bad as the Tacoma Narrows Bridge; the span
had been designed in the days of horse-drawn carriages and if it had ever
been widened, the officer wasn't certain of it. It was still narrow
enough that two tractor-trailers risked kissing mirrors if they met, with
curves on both ends and a significant downslope on the St. Louis side,
the pavement in need of resurfacing to such a degree that the rebar which
should have been buried in the concrete actually showed in patches. Wet
as it was, he'd expected to need another dozen feet to come to a halt.

Exactly how much damage the bridge had sustained from the collision
remained for the experts to ascertain, but at first blush it appeared the
tour bus was the big loser. There was a distinct scrape visible on the
superstructure which continued as far upward as the middle of the "Low
Clearance" sign, but apart from the missing paint, nothing would have
disturbed the civilians waiting to use it. With I-70 already shut down,
orders were likely to come down not to close it completely without
further sign of damage, but certainly this was going to keep it
restricted to one-way traffic for the rest of the day, perhaps more. The
only good thing about it was that he wasn't going to have to write the
accident report in the rain.

***

Only a moment or two after she'd spoken, Jet realized she'd given herself
away to the Highway Patrol officer riding shotgun. "Shoot me if I start
doing that on a regular basis," she told New Jersey, clearly annoyed at
herself again. He didn't take her too seriously, although he had to think
for a second to realize why she'd said it.

"You'd better go on down," he said. "I've got this. Pecos found him
unconscious, if it comes to that." Once upon a time, he would've been
appalled if any other physician had suggested something of that nature,
but that had been before he'd joined the Institute and discovered for
himself that there were times when it was best to say little and let the
others guy assume as much as possible. As far as it went, it was the
truth; it simply wasn't the fullest possible version of events.

Jet clearly appreciated it, relaxing enough to telegraph that much
through body language alone. "Don't turn your back on him," she said; "I
can't swear he'll stay under. Do what you need to."

"Worry about yourself, okay?" He wasn't taking her warning lightly,
although he answered it with that pretense; it was unlikely that anyone
had found the time to warn her that the residents at hand all knew as
much about the state of her memory as Buckaroo did, and now didn't seem
the time to startle her with anything that might lead her to guess it for
herself. Best to leave it to Buckaroo himself to tell her once she felt
secure; she wouldn't like finding out they'd kept her in the dark, but
that was going to be a lot easier for her to take than if the locals were
to find out by chance. "Careful on the stairs."

She nodded acquiescence to that, a little surprised that it didn't set
her head pounding again, and turned for the doorway only to see the
sodden leather jacket lying where it had fallen on the floor. It stopped
her in her tracks as effectively as though it had been stretched across
the width of the room at chest height. For a long moment, she simply
stood there like the proverbial deer in the headlights, eyes locked on
the destroyed body armor. Then she shuddered involuntarily but managed to
stay on her feet, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath to settle her
nerves somewhat. New Jersey wasn't certain he wanted to know what she was
thinking, but he'd seen too many of  Indigo's flashbacks in progress not
to recognize the condition when he saw it elsewhere. Something about the
waterlogged cowhide troubled her; he could only hope it was nothing more
than a reminder of the day's events. If it signified her unknown past
coming back to haunt us, it just might be more than we were prepared for.

Still, she shook it off a lot faster than the ex-cop would have and went
down to join Buckaroo. Someone below let loose with what sounded like a
victory cry while she was still descending, telling her she'd been
correct about the object on the roof not belonging there. This set off a
flurry of activity she wanted to see before speculating upon, then
Perfect Tommy's voice drifted back, audible amidst the morass of renewed
activity largely because she recognized it. "This stuff wouldn't happen
if your baby sister was driving." 

"You remember that detail job you wanted me to do on your ride?" another
voice responded immediately; "I got just the tool right here." The
familiar rumble of the engine ceased, and it was not hard for Jet to
imagine the bearded man behind the wheel holding up the key for Tommy's
edification. She decided she liked the guy at once.

Closer at hand, a tall, well-built blonde confirmed the message already
carried by the earlier whoop. "T-Bear definitely found it," Big Norse
said. "I'm trying Reno's go-phone now."

T-Bear took the statement completely in stride. "Of course. What'd you
think I get the big bucks for? Unlike some Mr.Know-It-Alls around here."
There was no real hostility in it, merely an utter lack of
celebrity-worship suggestive of long acquaintance. 

It would have been completely out of character for Jet, or Replay, to
leave an opening like that untouched. "Then I must have an even bigger
salary," she said. "Or has anyone else noticed you pulled the plug on the
storm too?"

HB88HB88HB88HB88HB88HB88HB88HB88HB88HB88HB88HB88HB88
HB88HB88HB88HB88HB88HB88HB88HB88HB88HB88HB88HB88HB88


