Sydney’s Outer Banks Blast

by Jean Fischer

  The captain chuckled. “And you, Miss Lincoln, do you believe in aliens from outer space?”

  “I guess I always thought there was a logical explanation,” Sydney said. “But I agree with Bailey that a lot of things are happening that just don’t add up. Why did you and the Wrights put a telescope on the lighthouse lookout this morning?”

  The captain chuckled again. “That telescope is part of the lighthouse renovation. It’s there so visitors can view the ocean from the tower. And, Bailey Chang, the lighthouse lady—I assume you mean the young woman who works at the lighthouse and is named Meghan Kent, by the way. She’s—”

  “Wait, don’t tell me,” Sydney said. “She’s just taking a day off and when the Wrights were referring to ‘she’ they meant their invention.”

  “Again, cheers to you, Sydney Lincoln,” said Captain Swain. “Miss Meghan Kent is on vacation for a few days while some remodeling takes place. People who are vacationing here don’t stop to think that sometimes we natives need vacations ourselves!”

  The captain paused and smiled at the girls.

  “Come on inside,” said the captain. “There are a couple of fellows I’d like you to meet.”

  The girls walked with Captain Swain around the side of the equipment shed and through the open front doors. Drake turned and greeted the captain with a smile, but when he saw the girls, his smile faded. “Oh,” he said, softly.

  Mr. Wright walked toward them wiping his hands on a rose-colored rag.

  “Hi, Cap.” He greeted his friend with a handshake. “I see you’ve brought some visitors.” His voice held a hint of disapproval, and his blue eyes flashed at Sydney and then at Bailey.

  “It’s all right, Nate,” said the captain. “These are my friends and they can be trusted. This is Sydney Lincoln and Bailey Chang.” His right hand swept toward the girls.

  “You’re the kid who looked at me through the lighthouse window this morning,” Mr. Wright said gruffly.

  “I’m sorry, Mr. Wright,” Bailey apologized.

  “The girls have been watching us test Drake’s invention, and they’re curious to know more about it,” the captain said.

  Sydney noticed that Drake’s face had turned a bright shade of red. He looked shyly down at his feet as he stood next to the mysterious craft. Sydney walked up to him with a smile, “Hi, Drake,” she said, extending her hand. “It’s very nice to meet you.”

  Drake Wright looked up, but not directly into Sydney’s eyes. He grasped the tips of her fingers, gave them a little shake, and then dropped his hand to his side. “I’ve seen you around,” he mumbled.

  “Drake, why don’t you tell the girls about the Wright D-94 Wave Smasher?” said the captain. “It’s okay to talk about it now. You own the patent. I have the paperwork to prove it.”

  Drake swallowed hard. He looked more embarrassed than ever.

  “Go on, son,” Mr. Wright encouraged him. “Tell them what this is.”

  “Yeah,” Bailey said, stroking the shiny blue paint. “We can’t wait to know.”

  When Drake saw Bailey’s hand touch the paint on the D-94, he stopped looking embarrassed. “Please don’t touch it,” he said firmly.

  Bailey quickly pulled her hand away and stepped backward. “Why? What’s it going to do?”

  “It’s not going to do anything,” Drake answered. He pulled a rag out of the back pocket of his blue jeans and polished the spot Bailey had touched. “I just finished waxing it.”

  “Oh,” said Bailey.

  “So tell us about this,” Sydney said. She walked around the craft so she could see it from all sides. “You were talking about a rudder. Let me guess. This is a new form of transportation.”

  Drake said nothing.

  “‘I can do all things through Him who strengthens me,’” Captain Swain said. “Just me and God talking, Drake.” He walked over to the young man and put his arm around his shoulder. “Think of this as a rehearsal. Tell them about the next great Wright invention, the one that’s destined to change life on the Outer Banks forever.”

  Drake looked at his feet for a few seconds. Then he took a deep breath and began what sounded like a well-rehearsed speech. “This is a vehicle called the Wright D-94 Wave Smasher. It’s a new recreational water vehicle that I’ve been working on for the past several years. The D-94 is unlike any other recreational water vehicle because it can ride on the water or sail up to thirty feet above it with the flick of a switch. It’s built tough enough to withstand a ten-foot wave, and the driver is completely protected in the cockpit, so he won’t get hurt or wet.”

  “Or she,” Bailey corrected him. “Girls can use it, too, right?”

  When Bailey saw Drake’s shy smile she was positive that he fell into the “cute” category.

  “Yes, girls can use it, too,” Drake answered. “But it’s not a toy. It’s for professional sportsmen—I mean sports people,” he corrected himself.

  “So why did you invent it?” Sydney asked.

  “Well,” Drake went on, “you can travel up and down the Outer Banks and see all sorts of fun things to do on the water. You can kite sail, hang glide, water ski, kayak, sail a boat … there are all kinds of activities. But there’s nothing like the D-94. In the daytime, it’s a superfast racing boat. You can zoom across the water, leap over waves, and even hover or sail up to thirty feet above the water. In fact, it even works on the beach. You just press a button, and it becomes a hover craft that rides on a cushion of air, or it can walk on its feet.” He pushed a button, and four tennis-racket shaped platforms came out of the bottom of the craft.

  “So you made those strange footprints and passed us on the beach,” said Sydney. “You scared us half to death.”

  “Sorry about that.” Drake smiled. “But I didn’t think anyone would be out that early in the morning. I’ve had to be real careful so no one stole my idea until Cap here got me the patent.”

  “So you only tested it at night?” Bailey asked.

  “Yeah,” Drake answered. “But there’s a reason for that. That D-94 is not only a daytime recreational water vehicle, it’s actually a very expensive game piece.”

  “Huh?” asked Sydney.

  “Well, you see,” Drake said. “I’ve also invented a new water sport.” He walked over to one wall of the equipment shed and pointed to a big drawing on a sheet of paper stuck to the wall. “Come over here,” he said.

  When the girls got closer, they saw the drawing looked like a football field off the shore of the ocean. There were pictures of D-94s positioned on the field and a goal post on either end.

  “I don’t have a catchy name for it yet,” said Drake, “but it’s all done with lights. Players compete on teams, and the goal is to get all your D-94s safely into your end zone. You play in the dark on an imaginary field on the ocean. A floating string of lights outlines both end zones. The only other lights are on the D-94s. The lights can be stationary or flashing, and they’re used as a way to signal plays to other members of your team.”

  “Baseball players use hand signals, and in this game, the players use light signals instead,” said Sydney.

  “Yeah, that’s right,” Drake said, looking like his confidence was growing.

  “Wow, this is so cool!” said Sydney. Just then, her cell phone started to vibrate. She excused herself, flipped open the phone, and found a message from Kate. I THINK IT LOOKS TOO HEAVY TO BE A REMOTE-CONTROL DEVICE. I GOOGLED NATE WRIGHT. HE HAS A REPUTATION FOR CREATIVE FORMS OF TRANSPORTATION, SO I WOULD GUESS THAT IT’S AN EXPERIMENT THAT HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH THAT. INVENTORS ARE OFTEN HUSH-HUSH UNTIL THEY HAVE THE KINKS OF THEIR EXPERIMENTS WORKED OUT AND UNTIL THEY GET A PATENT. B CAREFUL! K8

  Sydney texted back: You’re right. IT’S A WRIGHT D-94 WAVE SMASHER. MORE LATER.

  “Can you imagine how awesome a game would look from the beach?” Bailey asked. “With all those lights scooting around and flying over the water?”

  “I can,” Sydney answered. “It was pretty exciting when
we thought your D-94 was a UFO. People are going to love watching these things at night.”

  Mr. Wright was standing near his son, grinning. “And Drake here has taken extra-special care to make sure that it runs quietly so it doesn’t disturb the residents. They already think we’re crazy, you know. They don’t get it that some of the craziest-looking ideas might change the world someday.”

  “Like the Wright Brothers’ flying machine,” said Bailey.

  “That’s right!” said Captain Swain. Everyone laughed. “Girls,” he said with a serious tone. “Always remember: ‘Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgement.’ That’s just me and God talking to you,” he said.

  “You like to quote God, don’t you?” said Sydney.

  “I do,” the captain replied. “His Bible gives me the words, and I just speak them aloud.”

  “Just like our friend Bettyboo,” Bailey answered. “She likes to quote scripture verses, too.” She walked over and stood next to Drake. He was about a foot taller than she was, and he had deep brown eyes. She was happy that he finally looked at her instead of down at his feet. “What are your plans for the D-94?” she asked.

  Drake clammed up again, and his face turned red. Sydney noticed that he looked very uncomfortable. “Drake, I’m sorry for not getting to know you sooner, and even sorrier that I was suspicious of you and your dad.”

  “Me, too,” Bailey agreed. “I guess I let my imagination get the best of me.”

  Nate Wright took off his cap and scratched his head. “Imagination isn’t a bad thing,” he said. “Don’t be sorry for letting it go when it wants to run, but remember that you have to reign it in once in a while. Otherwise, it will get the best of you.”

  “I’ll remember, Mr. Wright,” Bailey said. “So, how about it, Drake, what are you going to do with the D-94?”

  Drake sat on some tires stacked in a corner of the shed. “Well,” he said. “Dad and the captain think I need to promote it. You know, get it out there in the ocean in the daytime and show it off. They both think people are living in Corolla Light who have the money to back my invention and get it into the hands of the right people.”

  “Like companies that build recreational water vehicles and race boats and stuff?” Sydney asked. An idea was beginning to form in her head.

  “Yeah, exactly,” Drake replied. “Know anybody?”

  It was a rhetorical question. He didn’t really expect an answer, but Sydney had one for him.

  “Mr. Kessler,” she said.

  “Who?” Mr. Wright asked.

  “The Kessler twins’ dad,” said Sydney. “They have a house near my grandparents’ place. Mr. Kessler runs a company that builds race boats and other water vehicles. I’m sure he’d be interested in seeing the Wright D-94 Wave Smasher.”

  “‘God works for the good of those who love Him,’” said Captain Swain, smiling. “Where can we find Mr. Kessler?”

  “They’re in the Village at the crab fest,” said Bailey. “The whole family is there. I think we should all go over there and find them, before the crab boil and all the stuff that goes with it is eaten up.”

  “And if you want an audience at the beach when you show off your invention, you only have to tell the Kessler twins about it. They’re terrible at keeping secrets,” said Sydney.

  The Wrights washed up in an old sink in the equipment shed while the girls and the captain waited.

  “I have a couple more questions, if you don’t mind,” said Bailey.

  “Go ahead,” Mr. Wright told her.

  “Well, are the words on your bus a secret code?”

  “Bailey!” Sydney scolded.

  “Why would you even think that?” asked Drake.

  Bailey felt a little embarrassed, but she wanted answers. “If you read the first letters of the words backward they spell Roswell, like that place in New Mexico where the spaceship crashed back in 1947. I thought maybe your invention was a UFO.”

  Drake laughed out loud.

  “Okay, call me silly,” said Bailey. “But what is that weird coffee mug that lights up inside. We heard you say that it belongs to you. I thought it was an alien weapon.”

  Drake looked at her wide-eyed. “A what! It’s no weapon. It’s my idea for a pinhole flashlight that’s magnetically powered,” he said. “It’s another invention I’m working on. I’m hoping someday it’ll be a fun thing for kids to use when they go ghost-crab hunting.”

  “Okay,” Bailey said, slapping him on the shoulder. “You’ve passed the Camp Club Girls’ interrogation. You and your dad are definitely not from outer space. Now, let’s go find the Kesslers.”

  The Wright D-94 Wave Smasher

  Hi, Camp Club Girls.

  Well, last night, at the Wrights’ equipment shed, we solved the mysteries of the UFO and Captain Swain. The Wrights aren’t space aliens, and Captain Swain isn’t a ghost.

  Drake has invented an awesome water vehicle called the wright D-94 Wave Smasher (pictures attached). That’s what we’ve seen over the water at night. He’s been testing it. It’s also what made the footprints on the beach and whooshed by us that day. Captain Swain helped Drake get a patent on it. The D-94 can race like a speedboat, jump waves, and hover or fly about 30 feet over the water. And Drake invented a new water sport to go with it. He doesn’t have a name for it yet, but it’s played in the dark, and the lights on the vehicle have a lot to do with the strategy of how its played.

  Drake is really shy (Bailey says to tell you he’s really cute, too). He was nervous about showing his invention to anyone. We convinced him he has to or else he’ll never sell it and become famous like his distant cousins the Wright Brothers. So tonight he’ll demonstrate the wave smasher at the beach. One of our neighbors runs a company that makes racing boats. I introduced him to Drake last night, and he can’t wait to see the D-94 in action. Bailey and I are going to the beach now to watch.

  That’s all we know. Mystery solved. The only question that’s still hanging out there is: What really happened to the sailors on the Carroll A. Deering? Nobody knows for sure. Maybe you guys can all come here next summer, and we can crack that case together.

  All for now,

  Sydney

  P.S. from Bailey: I’m really sorry that I called Drake “Digger.” The captain said, “Do not judge according to appearances, but judge with righteous judgement.” I think Drake Wright and his dad are awesome! Oh, and we forgot to tell you, Captain Swain is the nephew of the Old Captain Swain, the lighthouse keeper. He dresses like the old captain when he volunteers at the lighthouse. Syd says to tell you the lighthouse lady is on vacation. Aliens did not abduct her.

  Sydney put her binoculars and cell phone into her backpack, zipped it shut, and slung it over her shoulder. “Let’s go,” she said to Bailey.

  Bailey went into the bathroom to check herself out in the mirror. She smoothed her straight, black hair and applied strawberry lip gloss to her thin, pale lips. “Can I use some of your banana-coconut body spray?” she asked Sydney.

  “Sure,” Sydney agreed.

  Bailey spritzed some onto her arms and her neck. “So, do you think he’s going to buy it?” she asked.

  “Who?” Sydney wondered.

  “Do you think that the twins’ dad is going to buy Drake’s idea?”

  “I really think he might,” Sydney answered. “He sure liked the Wave Smasher when he saw it in the Wrights’ equipment shed, and since we gave the twins the job of spreading the word around Corolla, I think people will come out to see it.”

  Bailey took one last look in the mirror. Then she picked up her backpack and slipped her arms through its straps. “Okay, let’s go,” she said.

  At twilight, the girls walked down the beach to Tuna Street. A crowd was starting to gather. Families spread blankets in the sand and sipped bottles of water. Several big floodlights were there to illuminate the beach, and a small set of bleachers was set up for special guests who might want to buy Drake’s invention. The
Wrights’ bus was parked at the end of the access road. Drake, his dad, and the captain were rolling the D-94 out of a trailer that was hitched onto the back bumper. When Captain Swain saw the girls, he tipped the brim of his cap. “Good evening, young ladies,” he said.

  “Hi, Captain. Hi, Drake!” Bailey said, brightly.

  “Hi,” Drake responded without looking up.

  “A lot of people are here,” Sydney said as she noticed more curious onlookers arriving in cars, on bikes, and on foot. Several men in business suits, looking quite out of place, stood at the end of Tuna Street talking with Mr. Kessler. “I guess Carolyn and Marilyn got busy getting the word out.”

  “I guess so,” Drake replied.

  Bailey saw that he seemed nervous. “Hey, just imagine you’re one of the Wright brothers,” she said. “I’m sure they drew a big crowd with their flying machine. It’s your turn now, Drake. Trust me. They’ll love you.”

  The corners of Drake’s lips curled into a tiny smile. “I don’t want them to love me,” he said. “I just want them to love my D-94.”

  “That, too!” said Bailey.

  “My boy,” the captain said. “This is your shining moment. I don’t think we should just launch the craft without a fanfare. Why, when they launch a ship there are speeches, and sometimes they even smash a bottle on the bow—”

  “I don’t want anything smashed on my invention!” Drake exclaimed.

  “No, no, I didn’t mean that.” The captain chuckled. “I just think that we should make this an occasion. Do you still have that megaphone in the bus?”

  Drake’s face turned beet red.

  “It’s under the driver’s seat,” Mr. Wright said. “I agree with you, Cap. We should make this special.”

  Drake gulped. “Do I have to do all the talking? I mean do I have to tell everybody about my invention?”

  “No,” said the captain. “I’ll introduce you as the inventor and give a brief account of what you are about to show them. I think, for now, we should keep the water sport part to ourselves. That’s something that you can discuss privately with Mr. Kessler and his friends. You can meet with them after the demonstration and answer their questions.”