Story #217 - Stubby Two

Stubby Two

Stubby Reiner goosed the throttle hard, and was glad to hear the engine of the X-1 roar in response. Doc and his team had made him sit through meeting after meeting about the damn car before they'd let him anywhere near the inside, and had handed out sixteen or so manuals that he was supposed to read so he didn't foul things up inside their precious project.

Fifteen of those manuals were scattered around his house, propping up various chairs and tables, and the last one he'd been tearing pages out of and setting them on fire on his balcony. The high-gloss paper Landsbury and his science-pals had used burned brightly.

He wasn't trying to be contrary – it was just that he knew more about cars than Doc and his team ever could. Sure, they had all the technical specs about the X-1, but not one of them had the guts to drive the thing. Why? Because they didn't really understand the car. Stubby did.

Stubby let up on the throttle and let the engine settle back down, then made a quick survey of the other instruments in the car. Most of it was familiar stuff, but there was a control panel behind him where the gap to the back seat should have been that featured a number of dials and buttons he had no idea about. As soon as Doc saw him looking at the panel, the older man came swooping in to the driver's side window and motioned for stubby to roll it down.

“Don't touch those, Mr. Reiner.,” Doc said quietly.

He gave the other man a hard look. They had talked about this, and Doc was in his territory, now.

“Stubby.” He could hear the irritation in the other man's voice, but at least Doc could remember the simple things.

“No worries, Doc – all those fancy buttons ain't my thing anyways. I just like to drive cars.”

“I'm sure you do. Now, do you mind telling me what you're doing in here? I wanted you to have a chance to 'get to know your new girl', as you put it, but is this really of any benefit?” Landsbury's face was earnest, and his tone was curious – the man really didn't get it.

“Look, Doc,” he said, shutting off the X-1, “you came down here because you need a driver, and not just any driver, one that can handle big cars and high speed without batting an eye.” Stubby pulled out the single key from the ignition and handed it back to Landsbury. “Well, part of that is because I get along with my cars, I know them inside and out. Tech manuals and specs are great, but they don't tell you what a car needs, how she's going to react under pressure and what it feels like when you stomp down hard and push her as far as she can go. You want me to go some speed nobody's ever gone? Sure, I can do that – but you've got to let me do it my way.”

Doc nodded as he stepped away from the door, and Stubby hopped out.

“When do you think you'll know our girl well enough to get started?” Doc asked, and Stubby could see the two suits in the corner smirking at him. He hadn't liked Ray or Jay from the moment they walked into his garage, and time hadn't improved his feelings about them. Landsbury was smarter than he was, no question, but didn't rub it in his face. The rhyming twins the older man had brought with him, however, had no problem telling Stubby just how dumb they thought he was whenever Doc wasn't around to hear it.

“Tomorrow, Doc, and I'll be as ready as ever.”

Landsbury smiled, and then motioned to Lana, who was working quietly on a laptop. She didn't seem to like Ray or Jay either, and had kept her distance from everyone except the good Doctor for the two weeks she had been in the South.

“I take that to mean that you've had a chance to review all of the technical documentation that we gave you? That you know the X-1 in and out?”

Stubby hesitated. “I...maybe not all of them.” Or maybe one page of the first one before he'd fallen asleep.

Doc smiled. “I thought as much. Lana wrote most of those manuals, Stubby, and we didn't really think you'd read them, but for insurance purposes we had to give you a chance. Now that we've done that, it's only fair to tell you that Lana will be coming along on the testing run.”

Stubby could feel his jaw drop open, though the beautiful dark-haired woman next to Landsbury didn't react – impressive, considering the speed they'd be going once Stubby got the X-1 on the road.

“That's a bad idea, Doc,” Stubby said once he got some of his voice back. “No offense, ma'am,” he said politely to Lana, “but I drive a car with one man in it – me. Another body will throw off the weight balance, and the last thing you want me to do is make a mistake with this X-1 of yours. Sorry, but the answer is no.”

Landsbury didn't speak, but Lana held his gaze, her blue eyes deep and crystalline. “I know it won't be easy, Mr. Reiner, but I'd love to see your work. You're the best of the best, and one rarely gets the chance to see such skill close up.”

Stubby felt his face flush. Flattery from Lana was the last thing he needed – and about the only thing that might convince him to change his mind. He glared at Doc, and then at the two idiots in the corner. He could fight the man on this, but it would delay the whole experiment, and Doc might just pack up and leave. After getting a taste of X-1, he didn't want that to happen.

“Fine. She comes along,” Stubby said shortly, “but to be clear, when we're in that car, I'm the one in charge. You get me?”

“Of course, Mr. Reiner,” Lana said sweetly, “whatever you say.”

Cursing under his breath, Stubby stalked off. Damn Yankees.

- D