Fatal Error

“You know the game disk Rome gave to my computer club?” When the guys nodded, Jupe went on. “Rome lives and breathes computers. Where else would he hide the antidote but somewhere connected to computers… like on a game disk!”

“That’s nuts!” Rome said in an almost normal voice. But his eyes darted crazily around the room.

“Rome, you’ve really blown it this time,” Jupe told him. “You thought you could store the antidote with my club, didn’t you? You knew your apartment would be searched. But when you put the antidote on the game disk, you transferred your virus, too. The master game disk and our copies are all wiped clean, so the antidote is gone!”

Rome blinked. “So what?” he said in his old arrogant voice. “You think I haven’t memorized it? I know exactly what to do to get rid of the virus.”

Jupe took a pencil and a little notebook from his pocket and handed them to Rome. “I don’t believe you!” he challenged the programmer. “Nobody’s that smart. Prove it!”

Norton Rome lifted his eyebrows as if Jupe had the IQ of a Neanderthal. Quickly he scribbled numbers and symbols and handed the codes back to Jupe.

“There!” he said, cocky as ever. “I told you I memorized them. Every detail perfect.”

Jupiter, Bob, and Pete looked at one another and grinned.

“You just made a fatal error!” said Jupe.

“Case closed,” Bob agreed.

“Let’s tie this creep up!” finished Pete.

* * *

The next afternoon was warm and sunny in Rocky Beach. Jupiter, Bob, and Pete were meeting Silas Ek in front of the movie theater where Cosmic Trek was playing.

“Why do you suppose Ek set this up?” Pete wondered as he parked his Aries in the theater lot.

“To give us more free movie tickets, probably,” Bob speculated. “You know, a kind of thank-you for nailing Rome and the antidote.”

“Too bad Kelly and Elizabeth aren’t answering their phones,” Pete said. “We could’ve leveled with them now.”

As they strode down the sidewalk Jupe stared ahead. “Hey, guys! Do you see what I see?”

“It’s Qute den Zorn,” Bob cried. “And Hack!”

Qute and Hack den Zorn, Silas Ek, and some pretty young woman none of the guys recognized were waiting on the sidewalk in front of the theater.

“Glad you could make it,” Silas Ek said as he shook hands with the Investigators. His face was no longer serious. Instead it was wreathed in an enormous smile. “I thought you’d like to know that Oracle has decided to go public with the entire crime, to help encourage other companies to refuse to pay off computer blackmailers. We’ve all got to support each other on this.”

“What about Rome?” Jupe asked.

“He’s undergoing psychiatric evaluation,” Ek said. “If he’s sane, he’ll go to trial on criminal charges.”

“And if he’s as crazy as we think he is?” asked Bob. “Then he’ll be locked up for treatment until he’s well enough to stand trial.” Silas Ek smiled at the young blonde standing next to him. “Now I’d like you to meet Thursday Thrane, Hack’s date. Keep your eyes on this talented young actress — she’s going to be very big some day!”

“She’s a natural for sword-and-laser films, guys,” Hack said proudly as he put an arm across Thursday Thrane’s shoulder. “She can sub for Qute when Qute’s in college.”

Qute grinned at Jupiter. “Hi, Jupe. I found a really neat fact. Want to hear?”

“Sure.” He grinned right back and unconsciously patted the likeness of her he still carried in his pocket.

“If you live in the United States, you spend more than seventy percent of your time indoors. That’s from Science Digest.”

“I believe it!” Jupe ‘laughed. “And with any luck, Norton Rome’s now going to spend almost a hundred percent of his time indoors!”

“Right on!” Qute laughed too. “Silas told us what you dudes did. So we decided we should have a party to celebrate!” She leaned down and gave Jupe a kiss on the cheek.

“A party?” Pete and Bob asked Ek, while Jupe turned tomato-red.

Ek nodded. “Here they come.” Everyone looked down the street.

“Kelly?” Pete said, astounded.

“Elizabeth!” Bob called.

The girls trotted up to them, but their eyes were locked on Hack.

“You weren’t kidding, Mr. Ek,” Kelly said. “Hack den Zorn! Wow! I’m so thrilled to meet you, Hack!” She smiled happily up at him as they shook hands.

“I’ve seen all your pictures!” Elizabeth told the big star, shaking his hand in turn. And then she smiled at Bob. “Mr. Ek said everything you told us about having to break our dates was true.”

“We’re sorry we gave you such a hard time!” Kelly said. She squeezed his arm. “Forgive me?”

“You bet!” Pete said, grinning from ear to ear.

Silas Ek was having a great time. “After the movie, I’ll meet you at the bowling alley for hamburgers and all the lines you want to roll.” He turned to Jupiter. “Oh, by the way, Jupiter. I hope you won’t mind being Qute’s date!”

Just then there was a mighty woof. Everyone looked up the sidewalk as a giant black mutt galloped full speed toward them.

“Monster!” called a gray-haired woman in a turquoise sweat suit. “Come here, Monster! Come here! Please, Monster!”

As Monster barked again, Jupe grabbed Qute’s hand and dashed toward the theater entrance. But it was too late. Monster leaped up, knocking Jupe down, and pinned his shoulders to the sidewalk. Then he tenderly licked Jupe’s peanut-butter-scented face.

As everyone laughed, Qute leaned over Jupe and said very seriously, “I’m so glad you like dogs. I do too. I can only relate to animal lovers.”

As Bob and Pete pulled the friendly dog away from Jupe, he sat up and said, “I think maybe I’ll get a puppy!”

Qute clapped and everyone laughed.

“And I’m going off peanut butter,” Jupe added. “The stuff is too dangerous. It’s burgers and shakes from now on!”