Air Rescue by Gary Whitmore - HTML preview

Chapter 18

It was a month later and life returned to normal for Melvin.

The Aquaticville church was packed for the big event; the marriage of Hazel and Melvin and the marriage of Stephanie and Carlos.

“I now pronounce you man and wife.  You may kiss your brides,” the Preacher fish told Melvin, Hazel, Stephanie and Carlos.

Melvin and Hazel kissed.

Stephanie and Carlos kissed.

In the front row, Rocky wiped tears from his eyes while June placed a fin around him.

Rodney wiped tears away from his eyes while he looked at his two daughters now married.

On the way to Paradise reef for their honeymoon, Hazel and Melvin swam over Cooter’s Cadiallc that was sunk at the bottom of the Gulf.  There were numerous fish that swam in and around the car checking it out.

Four months passed and Hazel and Melvin were busy with the finishing touches on the construction of Airship 4.  This airship was three times the size of Airship 3 and had three engines at the rear end and was equipped with larger fuel tanks that could zoom faster in outer air.  The nose of the new airship was also enhanced to allow for flying through windows; lessons learned from the flight of Airship 3.  Hazel also had a last minute modification what allowed an Air Cadet to sit in the seats in their airsuits; another lesson learned from the flight of Airship 3.

Two more Airship 4s were under construction and was expected to be completed in a month.

Hazel and Melvin swam fin in fin down Methane Lane and passed by a “Coming Soon – Carlos and Stephanie – Mambo King and Queen of the Gulf” billboard sign.

They swam into the NASA Headquarters building where Melvin was going to perform another mission.

Later that day over at the sling shot launcher reef, the new Airship 4 was posed for launch.

Two technician fish in coveralls swam over to a valve on the “Methane” line. 

They closed the valve then swam over to the rear of the sling shot launcher and waited by the lever.

Inside Airship 4, Melvin sat in his seat with fellow Air Lieutenant Brett in his seat.

“Okay Melvin, methane loading is complete and we’re ready for launch,” Hazel replied from the speaker.

“Airship four is ready for launch,” Melvin replied into the microphone on the console.

Melvin looked around the cockpit of Airship 4, which was three times larger than Airship 3 and had four airsuits and four newly designed rescue pods by the back wall.  He was amazed with his wife’s engineering skills.

Barbie Waters were near the sling shot launcher with her camera fish and provided live coverage of this launch.

Then the sling shot launcher shot Airship 4 up in the water toward the surface.

A little while later, Airship 4 splashed out of the water and when it was four feet in outer air, all three of the rear engines fired with a varoom.

Near that area were two dolphins that had a homing type of device strapped around their heads.  This was a new NASA device and was a homing device to help the airships find their way back home.

Airship 4 banked to the left and zoomed toward the direction of Sugarloaf Key, Florida.

Thirty minutes later, Airship 4 zoomed over Sugarloaf Key 30 feet in the air and headed to Connie’s home.

A little while later, Airship 4 zoomed over Connie’s house and landed in a bald spot in her backyard. 

Inside Airship 4, Melvin turned off the rear engines.

“We’ll just sit and wait for an opening or when I feel it’s appropriate, we’ll bust through one of those square holes in that Air Alien cave,” Melvin told Brett.

It was later that night and Airship 4 still waited in the backyard of Connie’s house.

Then the three rear engines of Airship 4 fired up.

Airship 4 rose up in the air and hovered a foot off the ground.  The landing struts retracted into the belly of the craft and then it raced to the window of the den.

Airship 4 crashed through the glass of the den’s window.

Twenty minutes later, Airship 4 flew back through the broken den window. 

The back door of Connie’s home opened and Billy ran out in his pajamas.

He ran into the dark backyard and looked around the dark sky for the airship.

He looked mad when he saw the small flames of the rear engines 50 feet up in the air and headed to the southwest.  “I want my spaceship back!” Billy stomped his feet and threw a temper tantrum.

Airship 4 zoomed over the Gulf of Mexico and headed southwest toward Aquaticville using the new homing device.

Forty minutes later, a stingray swam to the sling shot launcher reef with Airship 4 resting on its back.

By the launcher reef, the entire town of Aquaticville anxiously waited for the stingray.

The stingray soared down and landed on the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico.

The air chamber door of Airship 4 opened and Brett swam outside.

Then Martin, Ally, Tony, Glen, Janet, Penny, Kim and Eddie swam out of the air chamber door.

Some of the fish from Aquaticville rushed up to the seven fish that looked like they were just freed from prison.

Then Charlie, Jake, and Paul swam out of the air chamber door.

Then Agnes swam out with Melvin who had a huge smile on his face when he saw Rodney, Hazel and Stephanie.

Rodney's eyes well up the second he saw Agnes who looked around the area in disbelief that she was back home.

“Agnes!” Rodney cried out in joy and rushed over to her.

“Mom!” Hazel and Stephanie cried out in joy and rushed over to her.

Agnes saw her family and eyes filled with tears.

They all hugged, as it was a long awaited reunion.

Rocky and June look proud while they swam over and placed a fin around Melvin.

Everybody swim away happy toward the Aquaticville cave.

Six months passed and the three Airship 4s each made a rescue mission and brought back 30 other fish from the water world prisons of the Air Aliens.

Cooter was mystified as to why his fish all disappeared from the aquariums inside his store.

NASA continued to develop new technology.  Hazel also developed a small air probe equipped with a video camera for documentaries about Air Aliens.

Then one night, the first documentary “The Life Of An Air Alien” was shown in the park in Aquaticville.

Melvin and Hazel attended with their four kiddy fish.

Stephanie and Carlos attended and performed a Mambo dance for the audience before the show.

Rocky, Agnes, Rocky, and June attended so happy they were finally grandparents.

Life was so grand down in Aquaticville in the Gulf of Mexico.