"So," Bobbie asked as we stood before the Tall White Congress, "with all your technology and your ability to move between dimensions, are you not capable of destroying the Grey Aliens once and for all?"
"We could destroy them tomorrow," a Tall White answered.
"Or a thousand years ago," another Tall White added. "Time is no obstacle to us."
"But," the first Tall White continued, "that would make us just like them so we treat them like a simple annoyance until they expend so much time and energy they can no longer afford to attack us."
"But why not get it over with?" Bobbie asked. "They started it, right?"
"Because one cannot prepare for war and peace at the same time," another Tall White informed us. "Someday you will teach the same to your kind."
"You mean when I become a great leader?" Bobbie asked. "I'm not so sure about that."
"We mean when you assume your roll," yet another Tall White spoke, "You are already a great leader, you've just not yet learned your true abilities."
"We have repaired the damages to your machines," another Tall White spoke, "and are ready to return you to your time and place."
We said our goodbyes then they lead us back to our bikes where they had us line up in exactly the same positions we were in when they pulled us from our own dimension. Then we were instructed to ride as fast as Bobbie could make the trike go while staying in formation until after we were back to where we were supposed to be. "Keep it tight," I radioed the others. "There's no room for mistakes. Bobbie, that trike should top end at about 110, let's see if I'm right. Lemar, keep up the best you can in that truck."
"Eddy current generators on," Donny reminded us. "On my mark, roll on the throttle now!"
_________
Back in Greensboro, Auction Greensboro and the Downtown Greensboro Interdimensionals had recreated themselves as the Young Greensboro Profits with the full financial backing of the Grey Aliens and their cronies. Different name, different faces, same puppet-masters. It was as if nothing had ever changed. They had gotten away with murder and everyone knew it. In a city of 280 thousand people the media acted as if a new grocery story was the biggest media event of the year so they wouldn't have to report any real news.
Politicans talked about the need to create jobs so they created schools to teach people how to wait tables and change sheets on hotel beds and awarded 2 year associates degrees while calling it a higher education.
Me, I mostly wanted to take what time I had left, get on my bike and ride away. I was lonely, tired and restless. I was used to a life of traveling alone and as miserable as traveling alone made me I still longed for it. For me life really was a highway and anything else just seemed to add confusion to my life. Besides, I had forbidden feelings for someone. It's hard enough having a bad heart without having a broken heart as well. Maybe going away would help put out the fire.
And the good news: a new kind of justice had come to Greensboro.
_________
We had accelerated to just under 100 miles per hour when we suddenly found ourselves back on Interstate 40 headed towards the beach. "They're right behind me!" Lemar shouted, "They're gaining on me!"
"Everybody stay in the throttle," I said, "We've got to out run them."
"They're still gaining on me," Lemar shouted, "what can I do?"
"Turn off your eddy current generator," Donny radioed, "that will put a little more power in your ignition system, maybe give you some more speed."
"I'm topped out," Bobbie said, "It's floating the valves, the rest of you are going to have to pass me to get out of their way!"
"There's still plenty of room between Bobbie and Lemar," I radioed, "Everybody give him as much room as you can."
"You guys go ahead and save yourselves," Bobbie screamed. "We'll do the best we can."
"No need to play dead hero yet," I said, "The rest of us can get out of this any time we want. It's you and Lemar we're trying to save."
"He's bumping me!" Lemar shouted "What do I do now?"
"The bumper!" John shouted, "let him have your rear bumper like we did before."
"You mean it still does that?" Lemar shouted.
"It sure does," Wooley shouted, "John helped Steve and I put it back together. When he gets up close push the button and let him have some steel!"
Seconds later as the truck closed in again Lemar pushed the button dropping the heavy steel bumper right in front of the tires of the attacking rig causing both front tires to blow out and the driver to lose control. In seconds all the rigs were sliding, spinning and rolling across Interstate 40! "Man, what a mess!" Lemar said looking back at his mirror.
"Let's get out of the throttle," Steve said, "before we end up splattered all over the traffic in front of us."
"I'll drink to that," Wooley said. "I'm too old for these high speed chases."
"And I'm too young," Lemar agreed.
"So," I asked, "who wants to go to the beach?"
Continue to Full Moon
