From TamsinP: Operation Rescue Oscar Part 1 (35 points)

 Extract from the Journal of TamsinP: Time Traveler, Society Girl and Adventuress

It's the 6th of March, afternoon. I lay in this morning so that I'll be well rested for all the time-traveling I'll be doing. Everything is packed and ready to go. As I sip my coffee it dawns on me that Curt never actually told me where his secret lair is. I'd better leave slightly earlier than planned to give me time to find the place.

5.30pm. OK, it's time to go. I punch the time, date and location into my time-travel device and press the button. The rift opens and I step through it to Regina. A quick check tells me that it has changed my outfit to warmer clothes. Looking around I spot a cab and hail it.

"Where to, Miss?" the cab driver asks me.

"OK, this is a long shot I know - Curt's secret lair?" I reply.

"Sure thing - hop in, it's only five minutes from here."

I get in the back seat. "I guess I lucked out, finding a cab driver who knows where Curt's secret lair is!".

"Not luck at all - everybody knows it!" the driver tells me.

"So, it's not exactly secret is it?" I laugh.

Sure enough, five minutes later the cab pulls up outside a building. I pay the fare, get out and bid the driver "Adieu!".

I go up the stairs and ring the doorbell, shaking my head at the sign.

"Just a minute - I'll be right with you" I hear Curt call out from somewhere inside. "Ahh, Tamsin. You're early - it's not even midday."

"Not even midd...you know what I've gone and done, don't you?" He looks puzzled. "I programmed the device to be here for 6pm GMT, not 6pm CST."

"Oh, the timezone difference thingy. Gotcha! Well, you found the place alright."

"Yes, I just asked the cab driver for "Curt's secret lair" and he brought me straight here."

"He knew where this is?" Curt asks, somewhat worriedly.

"Apparently they all do. Maybe it's because of that sign?"

"I can't think why they'd assume from the sign that this is my secret lair."

I shake my head in despair. "Well, Byron's not going to be here for a while. Why don't you show me round the place?"

"That's a jolly good idea. Do come in. Ahh, yes...this is "mission control", where I run things from."

"It looks jolly, errmm, hi-tech. So that's it, just a big, almost empty warehouse?"

"It's all that I need really. Now, my dear, do you really plan to set out on the rescue mission dressed like that?"

"Well, yes, as it happens. I know that I've told you several times that when we go through the rift our clothes will change to match wherever we are, so..."

"That's all very well, Tamsin, but I really do think that on such an important mission to rescue my poor, missing Oscar that we should make an effort and set off in dramatic costumes."

"Costumes?"

"Of course! I've spent the past few days sorting some out for us. And as you're very early, we'll have plenty of time to try them on and find a combination that works for both of us."

"All right then" I say resignedly, fully expecting that they will all involve czapkas. "Where are they?"

"Upstairs in the offices."

I follow Curt up the stairs and he shows me into one of the offices where there is a rack full to bursting with costumes. I wonder where on Earth he got them all from. And whether he knows my size. Curt traipses down to the far office, so I start looking through the costumes. "nah, no way! OMG, that colour is yuck! Frilly lace collar and cuffs?". Eventually I find an outfit that I can live with and put it on. As I leave the office, I see that Curt has also found a costume to wear, which doesn't look out of place with mine. Amazingly, it doesn't involve a czapka.

"Are you all set. Tamsin" Curt asks.

I make a quick assessment - clothed - check; time-travel device - check. "Yup, shall we go down and wait for Byron?"

"That's probably a good idea. He'll be bringing the vehicle around to the loading bay out back."

We go down the stairs and through the warehouse, onto the loading bay. 

"Can you hear something a bit odd?"

"Yes. It sounds a bit like "Yankee Doodle" but..."

"...tinny and loud. And getting louder, so probably getting nearer."

"I think it must be an ice-cream van. Rather odd for one of those to be around in this weather."

"Fancy a cone while we wait for Byron to show up? It seems to be coming this way."

"Oh, go on then!"

We move down to the end of the loading bay, ready to call it to a stop.

"Here it comes..."

"Err, hang on, isn't that Byron driving it?"

"It is! But why is he driving an ice cream van, not Ford Timelord?"

"I have a horrible feeling..."

"Ahoy there, hippies!" Byron greets us.

"Hi, Byron! Two questions. Why did you get out of the passenger side and where on Earth is the KLF vehicle you said you'd got for us?"

"Errr, the driver side door is jammed and doesn't open. And this is the KLF vehicle."

"No, no, no. Their vehicle is a 1968 Ford Galaxie police car."

"But in the song with Tammy Wynette she says they drive an ice cream van..."

"That's the Justified Ancients of Mummu she's singing about!" I despair.

"Well, it's too late to do anything about it now, I suppose. Is Tamsin's modified device installed?" Curt says, disappointment etched on his face. I know how excited he was about the through of setting off with sirens blaring and lights flashing.

"Yes indeed and everything powers up. Obviously I haven't tested it - no way am I dumb enough to mess around with time travel."

"OK, another question. Why are you dressed up as a WW2 soldier with a Tommy gun?"

"Why not?", Byron replied. "And what about you two? Has he had you playing dress-up?"

"Err, yes. Well, I got here a few hours early and we had time to kill..."

"You forgot the timezone difference, didn't you?" Byron chuckles.

"Maybe?" I say. "Well, Curt, shall we?"

"We shall! Byron - thanks for sorting the vehicle out, even if it isn't Ford Timelord. Look after the shop while we're gone, won't you?

Curt and I climb into the ice cream van. I take a look at the equipment; everything seems in order as I power it up.

"Right, I think the first thing to do is to check that the time travel device works." 

"That sounds like a good idea. How about sometime in the future? I quite fancy seeing how things turn out."

"Right you are, Cap'n! I'll set it for 2522." I enter the settings "Ready to go when you are."

"Hold on, I think this counts as a high-speed chase, kind of. I'll just put on my high-speed chase music."

"You have got be be kidding me!". I look out of the window and see Byron doubling over, face turning red, tears streaming from his eyes as he tries not to burst out laughing. He fails.

"Good luck, Tamsin!" he calls out. "You're going to need it, traveling with that loon!"

I press the button to initiate the time travel. The rift opens ahead of us. "OK, hit it!" I call out to Curt. He floors the accelerator and the van trundles forward into the rift...

This post is brought to you by Scope Creep. Originally, I was just going to paint up Curt and Oscar figures in and out of a vehicle as a gift to go with  his Sarah Bella & Felix set (Post 1 & Post 2). Then came the madcap idea of Oscar the time-traveler. Which of course led onto the rescue mission and it would have been a shame for Curt to only make one return trip through time, so I decided to purchase some more vehicles and figures for the additional trips. I wasn't sure what vehicle for the trip to start in, and then I saw one from Antenociti's Workshop which could generate a fun misunderstanding in the accompanying stories...

Anyhoos, on with the serious part of this submission!

The Ice Cream Van

This is a heft chunk of resin from the Antenociti's Workshop "Survival" range. KLF aficionados will of course note that this is not the right model of van for the one which appeared in the "Justified & Ancient" video - that's a Bedford. 

I've been kicking myself for a couple of days, having found out that Oxford Diecast do a 1:43 scale model of the right type, which would actually have been slightly cheaper (if I shopped around) than this resin one...

I did, however, paint it up in the right colour scheme - white roof, cream top half, pink bottom.

I made a bit of a hash with painting the window glass, to be honest.

I also made up some decals for the menus. I should really have done them on white decal paper, but I discovered that I didn't have any.

The Figures

I had rather a job looking for suitable figures to represent Curt and myself at the start of the rescue mission. I eventually found a suitable pair. It was even harder trying to find one to represent Byron.

Tamsin

Curt

Byron

"Byron" is from Artizan; "Curt" and "Tamsin" are from Crooked Dice. I added the beards for Curt and Byron using greenstuff.

For Scoring

1 x 28mm vehicle @ 20 = 20 points

3 x 28mm foot @ 5 = 15 points

Total = 35 points

   

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Wow, this is so wonderfully, fun, imaginative and awesome all rolled into one. I'm gobsmacked by the whole story and all the effort you put into the telling of it. My only small criticism is the lack of snow. As we have a lot right now. No, really, A LOT as you can see from the real 'Secret Lair'.

The KLF van is absolute genius, especially with the lurid paintjob, menus and ice cream cones on the corners. Brilliant.

I also love the figures you did for the three of us. I especially admire Byron and my bespoke beards and his svelte noggin. Very much 'on point' there! :)

I look forward to your next entry Tamsin!

- Curt