Trouble in Warp Space (3 page)

“You coming, Joe?” Iola asked.

Joe shook his head. “Frank and I are going to take a look around,” he said. “Get some fresh air in our lungs. We’ll see you soon.”

After their friends and the other actors left, Frank took a deep breath. “Boy, Hollywood sure does move fast, even when it’s located in Kendall State Park.”

Joe nodded. He and Frank walked through tent alleys toward the parking area.

“They seem to operate on a shoestring,” Joe said. “So, they’re probably used to minor crises.”

As the brothers walked between two of the production vans, a voice behind them said, “I don’t know what you two think you’re doing, but it’s not safe for you around here.”

Joe and Frank spun, expecting to find a park ranger closing the location down. Instead, they saw Ramon Torres standing between them and the production tents.

“What are you talking about, Torres?” Frank said. “The park rangers haven’t declared the area unsafe.”

Torres scowled at the brothers. “You may think that your status as friends of the contest winner makes you special, but you’re not. The
Warp Space
crew is like family. You can’t just walk on to the set and pick up parts on the show. People have worked hard for those opportunities.”

“Is that what this is about?” Joe asked. “Chet getting to wear the Slayer costume instead of you?”

“I’ve slaved behind the scenes for my shot at the big time,” Torres said. “I’m not going to let anybody take that chance away from me.”

“Look,” Frank said patiently, “the costume clearly won’t fit you. What do you want them to do, shut down production?”

Torres looked surprised; apparently he hadn’t considered that possibility. He frowned. “I’m just saying that you and your buddies shouldn’t try to get more than you’re due. Leave the rest to the pros.”

“And if we don’t?” Joe asked.

“Let’s just say that things can be pretty tough in show business,” Torres replied.

Joe stepped forward, but Frank put a hand out to keep his brother from taking the disagreement any further. “Thanks for the advice,” Frank said. “We’ll keep it in mind.”

“See that you do,” Torres said. He turned and walked back toward the tents.

“Jerk,” Joe whispered.

“He seems pretty ambitious,” Frank said. “I wonder how much he’d do to get a part.”

“Are you thinking that he might have set that fire to hurt Wilson deliberately?”

“Maybe. Wilson did have that bruise on his head. Suppose he didn’t get it by falling. Suppose that those accidents and setbacks I heard about on the news were more than just coincidence.”

“But why would anyone do that kind of stuff?” Joe said. “If this show flies, everyone benefits.”

Frank nodded. “Sure. I could be seeing conspiracies where there are none. Maybe I’ve just been at the detective game too long.”

“We’re a little young to consider retiring,” Joe said with a grin.

“I know,” Frank said, “but sometimes I feel like we’ve been chasing criminals for seventy-five years or so.” Then he smiled. “Come on. Let’s see how Chet and Iola are doing.”

They met Chet coming out of the makeup tent. Marge Nelson, Pekar’s assistant, was putting a few final touches on his costume. Suddenly she stopped and frowned.

“What’s wrong?” Chet asked. “It fits okay.”

“One of the insignias is missing,” Ms. Nelson said. “It must have come off in the ruckus. I’ll see if we’ve got another one. If not, we’ll just have to go without it.”

As Ms. Nelson was about to reenter the tent, Jerri Bell sauntered up. The young actress had changed out of her soiled costume into a clean one, removed her makeup, and fixed her hair. “Are you ready for me yet?” she asked.

“Claudia’s in right now,” Ms. Nelson said. “She’ll be quick though, since she’s a human character. I’m not sure if Stan wants you or the contest winner next.”

“I should be next,” Bell said. “I have more lines. We can always shoot the winner’s stuff some other day.”

“That’s for Mr. Webb and Stan to decide,” Ms. Nelson said pleasantly. She ducked inside the tent.

“I’d just like to say what an honor it is to work with you,” Chet said to Jerri Bell. “I really love
Warp Space.
”

She smiled weakly at him. “I’m glad you like the show,” she said. “I wish the circumstances were . . . better.”

“That fire was a real setback,” Frank said.

“One in a continuing string of minor annoyances,” Bell replied, sighing theatrically.

“Like what?” Joe asked.

“Props breaking, little things going missing, last-minute script changes,” Bell said. “All the usual problems that come with a low-budget production.”

“Well, it looks great on the screen,” Chet said.

“That’s because everyone works so hard,” said Marge Nelson, coming out of the tent once more. She affixed a small, starlike insignia to the front of Chet’s costume. “You’re all set,” she said. “Report to Webb and get to work.”

Chet put on the Slayer’s bulky helmet. “Sure thing,” he said, his words echoing from inside the silver fiberglass.

“I think that concealing faceplate is a distinct improvement, Chet,” Joe said.

“Slay you later, Hardy,” Chet replied, then turned and jogged toward the camera setup.

“Step into my parlor, Ms. Bell,” Marge Nelson said. “The great Stan Pekar will see you now.”

Jerri Bell rolled her eyes, and the two of them stepped inside. A moment later Claudia Rajiv stepped out. “Making yourselves useful?” she asked the Hardys.

“Only if you count putting out fires and saving lives,” Frank replied.

“Thanks for that,” Claudia said, “for the entire crew, I mean. Sometimes people get so busy around here that they forget the niceties.”

“Rajiv,” Webb called from across the camp. “Get over here! I need Commander Indira in this scene!”

Claudia shrugged. “See what I mean?” she said. “Come on. You can watch so long as you keep perfectly quiet. Iola will join us when Pekar’s done with her.”

The brothers walked across camp with Claudia. “What are
they
doing here?” Webb asked when he saw the Hardys.

“They’re
watching,
Rod,” Claudia said. “Their friend won the contest. They get to tag along.”

“Well, just so long as they don’t get in the way,” Webb replied. “We’re seriously behind, here.”

“I already read them the riot act,” Claudia said good-naturedly. “I think they’ll behave.” She winked at Frank and Joe.

“Well, okay, then,” Webb said. “Let’s get rolling. Places, everyone.”

Webb and O’Sullivan spent a few moments rehearsing the scene with the actors, then a few more minutes checking the shots with the cameramen. Finally Webb took his position near the main camera and called, “Action!”

Chet Morton, the Slayer from Sirius, lumbered down the hill toward the unsuspecting Commander Indira. At the last moment, Indira sensed the presence of the evil alien. She spun and drew her blaster, but the Slayer slapped it from her hand. The gun flew across the clearing, landing off-camera in the first take, but just where it was supposed to land on the second take.

Indira struggled with the Slayer for several takes, until Webb was satisfied that they’d have a convincing-looking fight. As the fight stretched on, Jerri Bell joined the Hardys near the cameras. She looked stunning in costume and full alien makeup.

“Good thing Iola can’t see the way you’re looking at Ensign Allura,” Frank whispered to Joe.

“Good thing Callie’s on vacation, or she’d give you twice what Iola’d give me,” Joe shot back.

“All right, cut!” Webb yelled. “I think we’ve got enough coverage on the struggle. Where’s that contest winner? We’re ready for her now.”

“She’s still in makeup,” Jerri Bell said. “Stan decided he should do me first.”

“At your suggestion, I suppose,” Webb said, obviously peeved.

Bell shrugged. “I thought maybe Ensign Allura, instead of a walk-on actress, could save the commander,” she said.

Sandy O’Sullivan frowned and crossed her arms over her chest. “I think it’s up to Rod and me to make that kind of decision,” she said.

Claudia Rajiv sighed. “Jerri,” she said, “if you’ll recall, the walk-on is supposed to distract the slayer only long enough for Indira to escape. The extra is gravely wounded in the exchange and clings to life for the rest of the story. Is that the part you want Allura to play in this episode?”

“Of course not,” Bell said. “The autodoc on the ship could fix her up, and she could resume her normal duties after she rescues your character.”

“I’ll be the judge of that,” O’Sullivan said. “And I say it stays the way I wrote it.”

“Hold on a minute here,” Webb said, scratching his beard. “Maybe Bell has a point. It could build suspense to have her character injured for most of the show.”

“Then who takes the scenes she’s supposed to play in the rest of the episode?” Sandy asked, annoyed.

“I told you, I recover,” Bell said.

“You can’t both recover
and
be critically injured to build suspense,” Rajiv noted.

“Claudia’s right,” Sandy said. “We can’t have it both ways. We could injure Allura in a future storyline if it’ll make you happy, Jerri.”

“I could suit up and save her,” Ramon Torres said, stepping away from where he’d been working with one of the cameramen. “
I
could be critically injured.”

“But you’re not even made up,” Bell said.

Webb waved his hands in the air to get everyone to quiet down. “Okay. Forget all this. It’s too complicated, and we’re wasting time. We’ll go with it the way it’s written. Where’s that girl?”

“She’s still in makeup, I think,” Joe said. “I’ll go get her if you want.”

“Do that,” Sandy said. “Why doesn’t everyone take five while we find her? We’ve been going at it pretty hard.”

“Fine, good,” Webb said. “Make it ten. Everyone get something to drink. Especially you, Slayer. I don’t want you collapsing from the heat. Why are you still wearing that helmet?”

Chet pulled off the fiberglass headpiece. Underneath, he was sweating profusely. “You didn’t tell me to take it off,” he said.

The crew laughed. “I admire your dedication,” said Sandy, “but you’re no good to us if you keel over.”

“We’ve already lost one Slayer today,” Webb said. “I can’t afford to lose another one. Take ten, everyone!
Make sure it’s a short ten, though. We’re losing our best light.”

“Where are the drinks?” Chet asked.

“Over by the production tent,” Claudia replied. “I’ll show you.”

“I didn’t hit you too hard when I slapped that blaster out of your hand, did I?” Chet asked.

Claudia Rajiv laughed. “You did fine. Great for a first-timer. You’ve got some talent.” She led Chet toward a tent on the other side of the pond. Jerri Bell went with them.

“Maybe you can keep playing the Slayer if Wilson needs some time to recover,” Jerri said to Chet.

“Gosh. I hope he doesn’t,” Chet said, “but it sure would be cool to shoot some more scenes.”

Joe and Frank watched their friend go. “Chet seems to fit right in with the movie star crowd,” Joe said.

“Who’d have thunk it?” Frank replied. He and Joe adjourned to the makeup tent to get Iola.

Inside the tent, Stan Pekar was moving around furiously, touching up makeup and applying hair spray. Marge Nelson handed him what he needed, without Pekar even asking.

“Director Webb wants Iola on the set,” Joe said.

“What am I, a miracle worker?” Pekar asked. “I have to rework the whole cast, and he wants it all done in minutes.”

“She looks fine now,” Ms. Nelson said. “I think
we can send her out without ruining your reputation.”

“All right,” Pekar said, stepping back. “You can go. Do me proud.”

“I will,” Iola said seriously.

Pekar and Nelson laughed. After a moment Iola and the Hardys joined in.

“Get to the set, cadet,” Pekar added, saluting and clicking his heels.

“Yes, commander,” Iola said, saluting back.

She turned and left the tent at a jog, with Joe and Frank trailing behind. She cut up the alley between the tents and headed for the cameras.

“She looks great in the uniform,” Joe said to Frank, but Frank wasn’t listening. Instead, the elder Hardy’s eyes were fixed on the long electrical cable snaking across Iola’s path.

“Iola, look out!” Frank called.

Too late.

Her boot caught on the cable and she tripped. She staggered, tried to right herself, and fell against the pole of a tall light stand. The light sparked, and some bulbs burst with the impact. Both Iola and the light stand slowly toppled toward the pond.

“Iola!” Joe yelled, racing toward his girlfriend.

Iola struggled as the metal of the light stand groaned, but her foot was caught in a loop of the electrical cable. She pushed away from the light tower and collapsed to the ground. “Joe!” she called.

Frank ran up behind his brother and caught the light stand just as Joe reached Iola. The older Hardy seized the metal stanchion with both hands and pulled. “I can’t hold it for long!” he said.

Joe grabbed Iola under the arms and pulled her away from the light stand. The loop of cable slipped away from her ankle, and she popped free. Iola and Joe toppled backward, landing in a tangle of arms and legs.

Realizing that he couldn’t keep it from collapsing, Frank let go of the lighting tower. With a loud creak and a shudder, the metal stanchion fell. Frank leaped back, and Joe and Iola stumbled away as the light standard toppled into the pond.

A resounding bang echoed through the park as the lights shorted out. A surge of power raced from the lights back to the electrical truck. Sparks flew from the control circuits, and smoke poured from the main generator.

The cast and crew of
Warp Space
poured from the tents to see what was happening. Chet, Claudia Rajiv, Jerri Bell, Sandy O’Sullivan, and director Rod Webb came running.

“What’s going on?” Webb barked. “What happened to the power?”

“Iola tripped over an electrical cable, and a light stand fell into the pond,” Frank said. His eyes caught someone moving away from the camp, even as the others arrived.