Strap on that old Jetpack "A Rocketman Story" By John Pirillo

Strap on that old Jetpack

"A Rocketman Story"

By John Pirillo

"Yeah. Sure. Like hell I will!" Jet swore as he looked at the inky dinky jetpack that Harry held before him. "You really don't expect me to get into that and try to fly without frying my cajones off, do you?"

Harry, also known as Rocketman, looked at his own suit, which hung nearby, deflated on a large steel rack, and then at Jet's, which a woman could wear around her waist, then shook his head. "Guess not. But it beats ten derbies out of ten in the horse race."

"Yeah. Sure. Harry. You get the big clean suit with no peripheral vision, weighs half a ton, and would crush you as soon as fly you, and I get the cool looking panty wear that will probably burn off my butt and my...you know."

Harry laughed. "Come on, Jet, you can't have it both ways. You want me to keep flying you like I have been?"

Jet turned right and examined the harness apparatus they'd used the last flights, and the bullet marks on its framework and the scorch marks as well. "Might be some improvement. At least I won't be a sitting target in your arms."

"Right on. Instead, you'll be one all by your lonesome." Harry reminded him.

Jet growled, and then eyed Einstein as he came up, his pipe held in his right hand and his mustache twitching from a large grin as he stopped, having overhead the snapping dialogue between the two boys. "I see you two are getting along fabulously."

"Yeah. Just like a cat and a dog." Jet grumbled.

Harry barked with laughter. Jet gave him a dirty look, took the inky dinky jet pack and stomped off. "I'll try it, but if I burn my ass, you're paying, Captain Harry!" He swore, resorting to his least likable appellation of Harry's name.

Harry nodded, doing his best not to laugh. He knew his friend probably would relent, but he also worried too, just like Harry. After all, the jet pack WAS small. Unlike his own which he could climb into and wear like a miniature rocket.

"Look, son." Einstein said, after waiting for Harry to assimilate his thoughts and possibilities. "Every man has to deal with their own mortality. At least you're not in your forties like me, facing death every time he gets up to brush his teeth."

Harry exploded into laughter.

"No, really." Einstein insisted.

Harry shook his head and walked rapidly away, seeking to help Jet deal with his newfound freedom in as safe a way as possible.

Einstein watched a moment, and then turned as Tesla came up and joined him. "They are quite the pair, aren't they?"

"Yes, and without the both of them this war would be a lot tougher, and a lot more dangerous."

"Has Harry stabilized yet?"

Einstein turned to face Tesla. "His interdimensional flights have continued to increase."

"Then you believe him when he says he's experiencing our world in the future, or a future, where Hitler has won?"

"Let's put it this way. I don't disbelieve him, and after all, didn't we originate the interdimensional time crossover equation ourselves when we designed the rocket suit Harry wears?"

"Yes, and that's what worries me. The new one Jet is testing is even bearing even more heavily condensed time matter."

Einstein turned to follow the two young men as they joined up together and headed for the testing area. "Somehow, I think it will turn out all right."

"According to Harry, the future didn't...turn out right."

Einstein looks at him. "I don't believe in accidents. I think it's a warning of what could come if we do not apply ourselves diligently in our defense of humanity."

Tesla shook his head. "I hope so. For our sake and the world's?"

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Jet slung the jet pack over his shoulders, while Harry helped him strap it on properly. "This control here. He touched the breastplate, where a spinner and dials glowed brightly. Use the spinner to accelerate and slow down. The dial on the right, press it to turn right..."

"Yeah, yeah I know. Dial on left, press to burn my ass off on a tight left turn."

Harry smiled. "I'm glad you're taking this so well."

"I wouldn't be if you weren't coming along with me. If I go up in flames, I want you to be there to go down with me."

"What a comforting thought." Harry said, his eyes twinkling with mirth.

Jet suddenly gave Harry a hug.

"Wish me luck and last one to the Tower of London's a big baby!"

Jet ran up the ramp to the outside of their bunker, pressing the spinner and twirling it, sending bright blue rays from the rear of the jet pack as he leaped at an angle. In moments he had cleared the ramp and shot off towards the distant Swiss mountains on the other side of the valley their base was hidden above.

Harry ran like crazy to get into his rocket suit.

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Jet adjusted the mike on his throat. "Red Dog, can you read me? Over."

A crackling came from the receiver in his right ear. He pounded it lightly and caused himself to fall into a spin for a moment, until he adjusted his rockets and attitude. 

"Red Dog here. Over. Ready for those hot dogs yet?"

"You shut your mouth, Harry!" Jet yelled, the air blasting into his throat as he did.

He touched a control on his chest and a helmet slid from the back of his suit and over his face. "Now that's cool, man!" He muttered.

Suddenly a rush of wind whipped by him and he almost lost control again.

"Yoo-hoo!" Harry cried out as he shot past in his Rocketman suit.

Jet gave him a three fingered salute, and then poured on the juice.

As he did he felt this kind of wobbly motion in his belly and head, as if he was going to throw up, and then the Swiss valley below vanished and he found himself soaring over a huge metallic city with gigantic bombers guarding it, their wings emblazoned with Nazi Swastikas.

"Holy Crap!" He cried out.

His helmet receiver spiked with sound. "Vo getzen?"

Jet laughed. "Come on, Harry. How did you pull this off?"

"Sprechen sie nun, vo getzen?"

"Oh crap!" Jet cursed, and then shot away to his left.

He felt rather than saw a burst of radiant energy sear the space he had just flown through. He rolled frantically a moment, striving to avoid the brunt of the energies and managed, but not without hurtling himself towards a gigantic tower. As he closed in he saw a gigantic soldier, a Super Soldier, a giant over eight feet tall with muscles that would make the Hulk jealous, and a huge weapon that looked like an amped up bazooka. 

It spotted him the same time as he spotted it. "Oh really crap!" Jet cursed, and then before he could move in time, something swept by overhead and grabbed him, accelerating him from the launched missile coming from the giant soldier.

"You all right?" He heard in his receiver.

"Yeah. Thanks to you."

He twisted his head to take a look and saw a Rocketman suit unlike any he'd seen before. It was much lighter than Harry's and worn more like clothing than armor. Then he freaked. "Harry?"

The man in the suit turned to look into his face and double freaked. "Jet! But you're dead!"

"Oh holy hell if I am, Captain Harry!"

"But, but...if you're here now, then how...and how...?"

"I'll explain another time. I think you need to let me go, I have a really weird feeling coming on and I suspect if I don't separate from you there's going to be some kind of stupid time convulsion."

"You mean explosion."

"No, I mean...just let me go you big oaf!"

"I love you, Jet!"

"Yeah. I know, brother. Get with it, huh?"

Harry let go and Jet juiced his jet pack and flamed off in a blaze of blue energies. As he did he felt that quiver of upset again and then he found himself plunging towards Lake Lucerne below. Before he could strike the waters, Rocketman swooped down and scooped him up in his arms. "This is getting really freaky, man." Jet said.

Rocketman Harry smiled through his visored helmet. "You don't know the half of it. I was following you, and then boom, you vanished."

"You won't believe where I just went."

"Would you believe me if I said I would?"

Jet sighed. At that moment of his life he would believe anything.