Turbo Teen The Beginning Ch 1

TURBO TEEN:
THE NEW ADVENTURES
“The Beginning”


Diego City, California, is a beautiful city located about fifty miles southeast of Los Angeles.  This city is the home of about thirty thousand people. On the outskirts of town is Chase Labs, a government laboratory where many strange experiments and instruments are created.

On the east side of town is located Diego City High School.  On this particular day, four teenagers stroll out of its double doors on their way home.

Their names are Kris and Bret Matthews, Pattie Jones, and Alex Carter.  

Kris and Bret are siblings, Kris the elder by about one year.  She is a senior, and is very well known in school as being one of the tougher students as well as one of the brightest.  Nobody in his or her right mind messes with Kris unless they have a death wish.  Kris has dark blonde hair with brown highlights, golden-green eyes, and stands about 5' 4" weighing in around 140 pounds. She also has a well built body from years of martial art training, her skin is tanned, and she walks arrogantly.

Bret, on the other hand, has brown hair and brown eyes.  He is seventeen and stands around 5'10" but weighs about ten pounds more than Kris does.  He knows how to fight, but only because Kris has taught him a few moves.  He is not nearly as outgoing as his sister, however.

Pattie is known for her dazzling blonde hair and blue eyes.  She stands about 5' 3" and weighs less than Kris by about five pounds.  She is not a fighter by any means, and would rather avoid a fight rather than participate in one. Pattie does, however, prefer to cheer on sports events as one of the Diego High Cheerleaders.

Alex is an African American, while the other three are Caucasian.  He has dark brown hair, honey colored eyes, and stands a couple of inches shorter than Bret at 5' 6" and weighs 150 pounds.  Alex, as well, doesn't know to fight and abhors violence.  His interests lay in technology and mechanics.  Oddly, he enjoys video games and air hockey.

As the four friends walk to the parking lot to get into Bret's car, Rick, one of the top jocks at Diego City High, calls him over.

"Hey Matthews, come here!" he calls.

Bret looks in Rick direction with a sigh.  "What does this punk want now," he thinks to himself.  "I'll be right back, guys." he mutters to the others and walks over to Rick.

"What do you want, Rick?" he asks, annoyed.

"I have a proposition for you, Matthews.  How would you like to entertain us this evening?" Rick asked.

Bret shakes his head.  "Not interested.  I have to study.  That, and I promised Pattie and Alex that I would study with them."

Rick smiles tauntingly.  I wasn't asking, Matthews.  You see, the guys and I have a bet to settle.  We can't decide who's car is faster, your piece of junk or Michael's."

"My car is not a piece of junk!" Bret exclaims and gets in Rick's face.  He speaks under his breath.  "And I'll prove it too.  Anytime, anywhere."

Rick nodded, following suit.  "Marlowe Road, dusk.  Don't be late."

"I'll be there," Bret said confidently.

"Great, see ya tonight!" Rick replies in normal voice.  He slaps Bret on the back.

Rick struts away as Bret slowly creeps back over to the others, rubbing his back where Rick slapped him.

"What was that all about?" Pattie asks.

"Nothing.  He just wanted to know if I wanted to hang out with them tonight, but I told him we're studying tonight." Bret lies.

"That's weird." Alex comments.

"Tell me about it." Bret replies.

"They're always bugging you for stunts like that.  Why do you even listen, Bret?" Pattie asked.

Bret shook his shoulders non-committingly.  

Kris looks at the jocks.  "Just tell me if he tries anything, little brother.  I don't trust Rick Meyerson one bit."   She punches her hand into her palm.

"Kris, you don't need to be beating anyone up on my account.  At least not until they deserve it," Bret replied.

"Well, the offer stands," she replied with a shrug.

Bret rolls his eyes at Kris.  He gestures for Pattie and Alex to follow.  "Come on, let's go gang."

The four friends head over to Bret's car, a souped up Chevrolet Camero that he and Alex had worked on for a summer project.  After dropping their friends off at their homes, the siblings head home themselves.

Upon arriving home, they go inside, and are greeted by their mother.  "Hey you two, how did school go?"

"Just fine, Mom," Bret replied.

"Pretty good," Kris said.

"That's good.  Listen, hons, I got a meeting tonight I have to attend. Will you be all right while I'm gone?" Mrs. Matthews asked.

"Yeah, I'll be fine.  I'm going over to Pattie's house, we're having a study session," Bret says.

"And I have a date with Ty," Kris said.

Mrs. Matthews looks at Bret. "You mean, you, Pattie, and Alex?"

Bret nodded. "Yep."

"Okay, as long as you keep on your schoolwork.  I'd better get supper ready, then I have to leave.  And you, missy, had better be home before I do," she adds, pointing her finger at Kris.

"Yeah, ok, Mom," Kris reluctantly replied.

Bret smiles and goes upstairs to his room.  

The family soon eats, and their mom leaves for her meeting.  Bret waits an hour and then goes to his own destination.

Later that evening, Alex and Pattie are in her living room studying.  Pattie seems to be elsewhere in her thoughts.

"Okay, the square root of the hypotenuse of X is...hey!  Will you pay attention here? You're the one who called this cram session, remember?" Alex asked.

"Yeah, I know.  It's just that he's never been this late before," Pattie replied.

"C'mon, Pats, that's all you're worried about?  You know that Matthews hasn't been exactly a member of the immediate human race since he got that car of his."

"You’re right.  I just thought something as important as his final exam for the semester would be more important to him than some out of date Camero," she said.

Alex gasped.  "Whoa, you wound me!  You know Bret and I worked hours upon days and shed blood, sweat, and tears over that automobile!"

"My point exactly, Alex.  When was the last time you got to drive it?  I mean, after he struts around trying to impress the jocks and cheerleaders, it’s like he hardly notices us anymore."

"Look, Bret Matthews has been my best buddy since as long as I can remember.  The two of us have been through a lot.  Right now he’s just a kid with a brand new toy.  Let him play with his toy for a while, and he’ll be back to normal as soon as he remembers who his friends are," Alex explains.

"I hope you're right," Pattie sighed.
.
Alex pats her hand reassuringly.  "I know I'm right.  I bet somewhere in that big melon atop his shoulders, he’s thinking about us…if not indirectly."

Pattie nods with a smile.  "Or at least about chili dogs.  I still can't believe the time he ate three of them."

Both laugh as they continue their studying.

On Marlowe Road, a windy stretch of road that once serviced an aging aircraft facility, a bunch of teenagers stand conversing in front of a withered oak tree.  These kids are no slouches- they are obviously are the sons and daughters of the town’s wealthiest merchants.  Fancy sports cars, designer digs... the girls are made up wearing the latest designer clothes and makeup.  The guys, mostly jocks, are standing around in their letterman jackets admiring their cars and women.  

Soon, Bret Matthews arrives in his red Camero, confident as ever.  Bret is a regular guy and surveys his surroundings casually.

"Hey, Matthews, what the hell are you doing driving that old fossil down here?  This is a race, not a damn antique auto show!" Rick taunts.  The crowd of cronies laugh.

Bret rolls down the window.  "Look, I’m not here to trade pedestrian quips with the rich and infamous.  Let’s just get this over with.  Unlike you, I don’t have parents that can buy me into college.  I got an exam to study for. You opened your big mouth against my wheels, now I’m gonna show you what for.  ‘Sides, it’s a good chance to show all the lovely ladies here who really has the brass balls in the high school," Bret replies.

There is a mixed reaction from the crowd.  Mostly, the response is a loud 'oooh' chant.

"C’mon, Michael.  Lets get this over with. I wanna see you smash this talking clown!"

Michael is a big linebacker from the football team.  He's definitely the slowest thinker on the block.  He'd be lost without Rick.

"It'll be my pleasure, Rick.  Listen, Matthews!  I've been waiting a long time for this.  Remember our conditions!  I win; I don’t wanna see this piece of crap rolling anywhere around my school, my streets, or my town. You win; you get my car, my parking space and what little tolerance and respect I have for bugs like you."  

Bret smirks.  "Gosh, this is so 'Rebel Without A Cause' I almost expect to see Jimmy Dean somewhere around here. You sure you’re not hiding him in you trunk?"

Mike scowls at Bret and climbs into his sparkling heavy-duty F-350 truck.  "Let’s go."

Thunder claps in the distance.

In a facility down the hill from Marlowe Road, a final experiment is scheduled to begin.  The Chase Labs facility, run by Dr. Chase and his associates, have labored for decades and  are putting the finishing touches on his life work, the Matter Transmutation Ray.   

"We are almost ready to test it, doctor,." a scientist reports.

"That’s great!  Is everyone prepared?" Dr. Chase asked.

The scientists all covered their eyes with dark goggles, goggles that would block out 90% of the light from their eyes.  One scientist held his hand over the trigger button nervously.

"Yes, sir." the scientist states.

Dr. Chase wiped his brow with a handkerchief and put on his goggles.  "You may start the countdown," Dr. Chase replied.

The scientist aims the laser at the intended target and begin to count down from ten.  Meanwhile, Bret and Mike have started the engines of their cars as a heavy rain has begun.

A bedazzled coed covers her head as her makeup begins to run.  "Ricky baby, it's raining!  Can we hurry this along?"

Rick nods.  "You got it babe."  He walked out between the two drivers carrying a green t-shirt, now soaked with wet rain.

"First to the bend just past the Testing Facility wins, got it!" Rick yelled.
"Got it!" Bret called.
"You haven't a chance Matthews!" Michael called back.

With a wave of the shirt, both drivers gun their engines and take off down the trail.  Bret takes an early lead and soon reaches the bend.  With the rain, the old road has become very slippery.  Both drivers find it tough, but are initially able to handle the conditions.

Michael takes the quick corner and ekes close to Bret, forcing him to slam on the brakes.  Suddenly, a strange ray fires from the lab and strikes Bret and his car,  the blinding light forces him to pull over towards the ditch.  

Michael, slamming the car into four wheel drive, takes over and continues down the road.  Meanwhile, Bret's car flies into the dirt and spins closer towards the research facility... and blacks out, slumping unconscious in the seat.

"Doctor!  We have a security breach in the back perimeter!"

"It's just some teenager.  Send him to town and let us find out what went wrong with the ray."

After perhaps an hour, Bret is prodded with a billy club by one of Diego City's finest.

"You there?  Young man?  You okay?"

Bret slowly comes about.  He is bewildered, and feels as if he was ran over by a train.

"Officer?  What happened?"

"I'd like you to tell me.  Had a report of some jockeying around these parts?  You wouldn't know anything about that, would you?"

Bret looked around.  Aside from the tire tracks in the mud, any traces of his, Michael's, or anyone else's car was long gone.  Rather than risk getting the police involved, he told yet another lie.  A lie that he would regret for the rest of his life.

"No sir, I can't remember anything that happened the past few moments.  But I can tell you my address," he replied.

The officer nodded.  "Very well.  But I expect you to be more responsible in the future, young man.  Hop in."  He reached across the seat and opened the passenger door.

Bret nodded, climbing inside from the pouring rain.  "Thank you."