Further Into The Future!

Chapter 23

Alfred was the first to arrive on the day of the break-in. He came around 7:30 so he could practice imitating Cold Steel's mannerisms a final time. He brought another Viking, Erik, who took being a Viking even more seriously. When Molly, the fog, ran up to greet him, he swatted her away with his plastic axe. For the rest of his time in the apartment he stood in the corner, his arms folded in front of him, his axe resting on the wall.

Alfred was clean-shaven, as he promised. Without his messy beard he looked exactly like Cold Steel. He had the same smile, big eyes, and even the graying hair around the ears.

We applauded after he performed his Cold Steel impression for us. He bowed and smiled. Susan hugged him around his waist because he was so tall, and her arms didn't even meet at his back. He stood rigidly, his hands pressed to his side, an uneasy smile on his face.

"Why didn't any other Vikings come?" Jack asked. "I thought you guys would be our best warriors."

"We are your best warriors," Alfred said, pounding his fist to his chest. "Unfortunately, the other two Vikings didn't think the attack would be lucrative."

"Not enough plunder, huh?" Jack said.

"No. Not enough plunder," Alfred said. He glared at Jack. They stared each other down for a moment and I was afraid a fight would break out, but then Jack laughed and walked away. Alfred grunted.

A loud beep pervaded the room. I couldn't tell where it was coming from.

"Who is it?" Susan yelled.

There was another beep, and someone said "Yo" in a tough but calm voice.

"What? Who is it?" Susan repeated.

"It's the Quitters and the No-Good Greasers," said a not so calm and not so tough voice. The No-Good Greasers were laughing in the background, and one of them muttered something about a "geek."

"Come on up," Susan said. She was sitting on a stool, sewing part of Alfred's Cold Steel uniform.

About a minute later the two bands came through the door. The No-Good Greasers came in first and immediately crowded around the refrigerator. Then they walked to the couch holding beers, where they sat down and watched a video on the wall. They turned up the volume; rock music and explosions shook the room.

The Quitters lingered around the door, looking around nervously. Only two of them came.

"Would you like a drink?" Susan asked them, pulling a needle out of the uniform, then dipping it back down again.

"Oh, no thanks, Susan," William said.

I was eating my now daily bowl of Blue Bison cereal with a glass of lemonade. I had just scraped the last soggy piece off the bottom when Susan called everyone to the kitchen table. The No-Good Greasers groaned but obliged. They got up from the couch but rudely left the video on the wall at full volume.

"If you all don't already know," Jack said, "our plan is to disguise ourselves as Cold Steel's entourage. Cold Steel has been visiting the station a lot recently, since the American Rock Star contest is drawing near."

I noticed that many of them exchanged glances when she mentioned the American Rock Star competition.

"We're all going to do this? You really think some of us can pass as part of Cold Steel's staff?" a No-Good Greaser asked.

"Yeah, what about that guy?" another one said, pointing at Erik, who stood in the corner like a bodyguard. Erik furrowed his Neanderthal brow and grumbled.