On his way to Titanic Park, Dan played with Betsey. He pressed buttons to see what they did. One turned her upside-down, and he gasped. “Wicked!” Dan switched to right-side up and pulled into Lot A of Titanic Park. He parked under a large pine and punched another button.

At his command, three wheels popped out of Betsey—two in the back, one in the front—and hit the cement.

“Even cooler!” Dan declared, hearing them.

A coughing fit found its way into his good mood and lasted for a minute. His chest burned, and he rested his forehead on the steering wheel. “Whoa, what the heck?” Dan asked, pushing off the wheel. He rubbed his eye and opened Betsey’s door. “That was weird.” He never had a fit like that with his colds. Regardless, it was nothing a little cough syrup couldn’t fix. Dan could take some when he went home. Right now, he had to find Molly.

Once outside, he said, “Betsey, lock!” and she obeyed. His cheerful mood returned, and his legs jiggled under him.

Dan found the sidewalk. The one off Lot A circled the stage, children’s park, and soccer field. Young couples sat on blankets and enjoyed a picnic, and Dan searched for Molly.

He tired himself out and took a minute to catch his breath. Okay, he was starting to think he was a little sicker than initially perceived, but as long as Dan didn’t drop dead, he’d be fine. It wasn’t like his father noticed or cared if he did.

He reached a sharp turn on the trail, and his eyes widened because Molly appeared from out of nowhere.

Dan swerved to avoid her but tripped over his foot and smashed into a bush.

“Dan!” Molly yelped.

Branches and twigs scratched Dan’s face, and he kicked his legs. “Help! Get me out of here!”

“I’ve got you, dude!” Molly grabbed him and tugged.

Dan thought she would rip his pants off, and ho, ho! The dirty thoughts were enough to make his head spin. It didn’t help when Molly released him, and Dan landed on her. He chuckled, but Molly shoved him off.

“What are you doing here, Dan?” she inquired, standing and brushing herself down. “Shouldn’t you be on your way to the space center?”

Wait, what? She did not just say what Dan thought she did, but he asked anyway. “Space center? What are you—?”

“Wait, did I say ‘space center’?” Molly interrupted. “I mean, don’t you have a lawn to mow?”

“Ha!” Dan’s mind returned to Betsey. “Well, I don’t mean to toot my own horn, but I got a car for my birthday. I drove her here.”

“Huh?” Molly almost shouted that. “You got a car for your seventeenth birthday?” Jealousy and denial slipped off her tongue. “Oh, Danny Boy—that’s incredible! Mom won’t let me have a car until I graduate! I envy you!”

Mom. Molly said, “Mom”. At once, Dan’s smile vanished. He groaned and lowered his head. A shadow covered his face.

“Oh my gosh, Dan! I’m so sorry!” Molly tried apologizing. He said nothing, so she changed the subject. “You know, we haven’t had our Portals and Aliens session today. Maybe you could... um... give me a ride?”

Dan looked up and smiled feebly. “You don’t have to try so hard, Molly. It’s okay. I could use some company.”

“Awesome!” Molly snatched his arm and lugged him down the sidewalk. “Let’s go! Show me the car! Please show me the car!”

“Molly, slow down!” Dan begged, tumbling out of her grasp and landing on the sidewalk.

“Danny Boy!” Molly snatched his collar and pulled him up. She brought his face close to hers. “I need to see that car before you blast off into space and travel through a wormhole!”

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“Huh?” What on Earth was she talking about? Molly didn’t let Dan ask. All he knew was that he had a weird feeling that wasn’t his cold.

***

“Hoverscooting isn’t too difficult, Daniel. It’s a lot like snowboarding.” Becca stepped onto Hoverscooter 23 and positioned her feet. Blue, holographic-like straps came out of it and strapped her in. Becca tightened them and looked at Dan, who sat cross-legged in Green’s sweet-scented meadow. The fossil rested on his lap.

“I’ve always dreamed about going back in time and meeting a Quetzalcoatlus,” Becca tittered. “But until I do, hoverscooting will have to do.”

“What’s that again, Mommy?”

“A Quetzalcoatlus is a pterosaur. Or, in other words, a flying reptile.”

“A flying turtle?” Dan questioned, standing.

“A flying—?” Becca laughed. “No, sweetie. They’re like birds. They have wings.”

“Oh.” Dan still looked bewildered.

“You’ll learn with time.” Becca patted 23’s side. “Let’s call Hoverscooter 23 our flying reptile. She’s AI-powered, so you have to earn her trust before you can fly right. That’s always the hardest part. But once you do—whoo-hoo!”

Becca shot into the sky and visited every inch of the meadow. The wildflowers and Crater Lake’s water wafted with her movements.

Dan clapped and ran toward her. “Go, Mommy! Go!” She looked so regal on Hoverscooter 23. It was like she was one with the flying reptile she mentioned.

Becca returned and hovered a few feet over the tall, green grass. “And that, Dan, is how you steer 23’s hoverboard form.”

Dan let the memory slide because Molly said, “Are you okay, Dan?” She and he just reached his house.

He parked in the street at the sight of Ben and Geico in the front driveway. “What’s going on?” He didn’t like that Ben had opened the trunk of his own floating car and tossed suitcases in it. It had only been two days since his last space mission. But there he was, bailing on Dan again, and it angered him.

“Dan?” Molly clutched his shaking fist.

“Grr, let go of me!” he snapped, ripping it free. He climbed out of Betsey and approached Ben.

While Ben hadn’t noticed him yet, Geico had, and he kicked his butt to grab his attention.

“Oh, it’s Daniel Matton!” Ben grinned sheepishly and dropped a suitcase onto Geico’s foot.

Could that android feel pain? He gripped his foot and hopped up and down.

The amusing sight cleared some of the anger from Dan’s head and replaced it with bewilderment and a mild headache (most likely from his cold). “Dad, why are you packing? Where are you going this time?” Well, that was a dumb question. Where did his father always go?

Ben’s abnormal excitement from before returned, and he pointed both index fingers at Dan. “Dan the Man, pack your bag! We’re going on a trip to Downtown Greenville!”

“Huh? Wait, what?” Did Ben seriously say that? He never took Dan to the city with him. Something was fishy, and Dan wanted to uncover the mystery. “Why are we suddenly going to the city, Father? You only go for your space explorations.”

“Well, um,” he stuttered, sweating, “it-it’s just been a while since we went on a little father-son va-vacation, you know?”

“What?”

“It’s a birthday present, Dan! You didn’t think the car was the only one, right?”

“Honestly, Dad, I didn’t expect you to give me a birthday present.” Dan felt good standing up for himself. “You never spend time with me. Not since…” His voice trailed because another lump formed in his throat. Dan coughed it out.

“This is a new start for us, kid. Trust me. We’re going to leave at seven tomorrow morning. Now, go inside and pack your bag.” Ben shooed him away. “You’re cluttering up my workspace.”

“Clutter?” Dan furrowed his eyebrows. His freaking dad just called him trash, and he still wanted to take him to the city? There was no way he would mow the lawn with that attitude.

Molly came between them before they drew their pitchforks. “Hey, boys, let’s get along, okay?” She turned to Ben. “Mr. Matton, do you want me to help you pack?”

“What?” Dan’s voice cracked. “You’re siding with him, Molly? What happened to Portals and Aliens?”

“We’re still going to play, Dan. Why don’t you get everything set up? I’ll be there soon.”

A part of Dan wanted him to stay and figure out what was going on, but he was too upset to follow through with the request. Also, the ache in his head had spread across the rest of his body and stiffened his limbs. He needed another nap to loosen them, but only once he reached Level 3 of the game. With that in mind, he turned and started for the front door.

“Get a nice big bag ready, Dan!” Ben called. “I promise we’ll have a lot of fun together with the PPMC Project!”

PPMC? Molly mentioned that at Titanic Park. Whatever it was, Dan wasn’t interested. That was unless it had something to do with geologic time, but he doubted it.

Speaking of geologic time, did Ben return his computer? Dan’s next chapter was almost complete. He hoped to finish the book before he went back to school. Just thinking about paleontology, his suspicions changed to excitement.

Dan hurried into his house and rode the elevator to the fourth story. “Yes!” he said, seeing his computer, hoverscooter, and suitcase on his bed. Oh, right. For some reason, Ben wanted to take him to Downtown Greenville. Suspicious? Yes, but at the same time, a father-son trip was rare for them. The last time Dan went to the city with Ben was for his mother’s final days.

“Mother,” he said aloud. Argh, not again! Not another mood swing! Maybe he needed this trip more than he thought.