Good morning. It is I Gigi the parti poodle here once again to introduce this week’s installment of my story Power Grid Failure. I hope everyone had a Happy Valentine’s Day this past Tuesday. I believe whether one does or does not have someone to spend Valentine’s Day with, one should enjoy the holiday just the same. As for myself, I only have the Maltese and that’s a far cry from a companion. However, I adore Saint Valentine’s Day just the same and am happy to have my novelist around to celebrate it with me as well. It would be lovely if she bought me a box of white chocolates, however. I see no reason why I could not partake of such a scrumptious delicacy. As a Canis Lupus Familiaris I can eat white chocolate in small amounts and yet I still did not receive one of those marvelous heart shaped boxes. I deserve such a gift for writing all these stories for her. Might I add she gifted herself with pink, white chocolate strawberries this year. I was not allowed to partake. I found this most cruel. A novelist should not go about flaunting her Valentine’s strawberries in front of their poodle. It is rude and vulgar. The Maltese couldn’t tell a Valentine strawberry from a spear of asparagus, but I certainly can, and I want my white chocolate. I suppose I can find solace in the fact that Easter is around the corner and white chocolate bunnies will soon be within my grasp. And with that thought here is Chapter Fifteen of Power Grid Failure. Buon San Valentino in ritardo!

Power Grid Failure

by

Gigi the parti poodle

Chapter Fifteen

“Where do you think you’re going, Peak?” Remmel asks.

“I need to call my wife,” Martin snaps as he walks towards the glass door.

“What for?”

“What do you mean, what for? We’ve been trapped in here for hours and she’s wondering where I am.”

“Send her a text.”

“She needs to hear my voice.”

“Why?”

“She’s neurotic.”

“We’re all neurotic.”

“He’s not kidding,” Reynolds says. “I’ve been to one of their barbecues. She had an episode right there on the patio.”

“An episode?”

“I’m calling my wife,” Martin says. “I won’t have her worrying.”

“Give the man some privacy will you,” Reynolds says to Craggy and Remmel.

Remmel looks at Craggy. Craggy shrugs. “Go call your wife,” Remmel says gruffly. “You’ve got two minutes.”

Martin steps outside the glass doors, moves out of earshot, and dials Unicorn’s number.

“How’d you get this number?” Unicorn snaps when he answers.

“Martin Peak, here,” Martin says. “I’m an executive on the fifteenth floor of the Redoubt Tower. We’ve had a bit of a mishap and the building was inadvertently locked down on my employees and me. We need you to open it up.”

Unicorn leans back in his chair and takes a bite of his green apple. “No can do, chief.”

“I’m an executive at this company and you work for me. I demand you open this building.”

“I’m the head of security and it’s my job, neigh my sacred mission to keep the Redoubt tower safe. And right now, that means keeping you locked inside.”

“There are criminals here holding us hostage.”

“Not my problem,” Unicorn says and hangs up.

A fuming Mr. Peak marches back into the glass encased office. Reynolds takes one look at him and knows things aren’t going well. He glances around at the other employees and turns his attention to Crystal. The wheels in his head start turning.

“So,” Reynolds says to Craggy and Remmel. “Why are you keeping Tiffany in that office all by herself?”

“You’d have to ask Dragontail,” Remmel says.

“Fair enough.” Reynolds strolls towards Mr. Peak’s office door. Craggy blocks him and crosses his large thick arms. “You said I had to ask Dragontail.”

“Doesn’t mean we’re going to let you ask Dragontail,” Remmel says.

Reynolds reaches around Craggy and knocks on the door. “Hey, Dragontail.”

“What do you want?” Dragontail growls from inside.

“We all want to know why you have Tiffany in there and the rest of us out here?”

“I have a special job for Tiffany.”

“What kind of a job?”

“None of your business.”

“When are you going to wrap this up, Dragontail?”

“When I say it’s time to wrap it up.”

“Okey-doke.” Reynolds turns and strolls back to Mr. Peak, Sloan, and Adams. “Gentlemen, it appears we are at an impasse.”

“Aren’t you perceptive,” Sloan says cynically.

“Aright, you guys listen to me and listen carefully. We need to get Crystal in that room with Tiffany.”

“Why?”

“Because those two ladies are going to get us out of here.”

“How do you know that?”

“Because Tiffany is Unicorn’s payoff.”

“She’s what?!”

“What’s going on?” Remmel growls.

“Keep your voice down, pinhead,” Martin hisses at Sloan.

“Sloan just found out his favorite actress is going to do nude scenes,” Reynolds tells Remmel.

“Congratulations,” Remmel says. “Now shut up.”

“Unicorn is seriously scarry,” Adams says. “We need to keep Tiffany and Crystal away from him.”

“We aren’t going to be able to do that. But if we send both ladies to him, they could…”

“I don’t want either of them visiting that creep,” Martin says. “Think of a better plan.”

“This is the best plan. And it will work if Adams gets involved.”

“Why Adams?”

“Adams, if you were in Unicorn’s lair, could you figure out how to get the building out of lockdown?”

“Boy, I don’t know…”

“You’ve got to know,” Sloan says.

“I might be able to figure it out.”

“Good,” Reynolds says. “Now, here’s the plan.”

MY BOOKS

You can check out my books Chicane and all five installments of the Musicology book series Musicology: Volume One, Baby!, Musicology: Volume Two, Kid!, Musicology: Volume Three, Twist!, Musicology: Volume Four, Sweetie! and Musicology: The Epiquad on Amazon in Kindle and Paperback editions. You can also check out Musicology’s web site at www.musicologyrocks.com and vote for who you think will win Musicology!

STREAM OF THE WEEK: MAVERICK: TOP GUN (2022) & TOP GUN (1986)- PARAMOUNT +

This week’s pick is the highest grossing film of 2022 clocking in at $718,732,821 domestic. It was released by Paramount Studios who is presently streaming the movie on Paramount+ with all commercials running before the film and the film running commercial break free. To be honest, I was not a big fan of the original Top Gun save for its fantastic aerial maneuvers and shots. It was kind of a precursor to the Fast and the Furious franchise where the real stars of the film are the stunt crew (pilots in this case) and cinematographers. Top Gun: Maverick on the other hand has an actual story as well as fantastic stunts and visual effects. And the cast is superb especially Tom Cruise who, by the way, I am patiently waiting to see star in the Les Grossman film I keep hoping Ben Stiller will make, provided Mr. Stiller continues directing episodes of Severance.

The story takes place thirty or so years after the original Top Gun where Captain Pete “Maverick” Mitchell (Tom Cruise) has not advanced past captain…by choice. He has a superior record, legendary in fact, which could have easily promoted him to Admiral long ago. But he has remained instead a brilliant highly honored pilot. After proving he could fly at a speed of Mach 10 to keep the Darkstar scamjet program from being shut down and flown by drones, he inadvertently destroys the prototype plane and infuriates Rear Admiral Chester ‘Hammer’ Cain (Ed Harris). Cain calls Maverick into his office. He points out Maverick has had numerous medals and citations and is the only pilot in the past forty years to have shot down three enemy planes and asks Maverick why he’s never been promoted. Maverick replies, “I’m where I belong, sir.” A lot of what happens in this scene between these two is extraordinarily timely and essential not only to the film but to modern society. It points out how talent is being relegated to the position of management, partially due to technology but mostly due to the increasing power of business over knowledge. And it’s bad. Very, very bad. As in The Terminator bad. But that premise is what makes this film so very good.

Cain tells Maverick his career has once again been saved by former fellow Top Gun classmate Admiral Tom “Iceman” Kazansky (Val Kilmer). Iceman has Cain give Maverick an opportunity to train graduates of the Top Gun for a special mission. But Cain warns Maverick the era of crewed fighter aircraft is ending. Maverick heads to his new post and meets up again with former love Penelope “Penny” Benjamin (Jennifer Connelly), a bar owner, single mother and Admiral’s daughter and hopes to rekindle their romance.

However, one thing stands in the way of Maverick carrying out his mission. One of the pilots he is training is Lt. Bradley ‘Rooster’ Bradshaw (Miles Teller), son of his former best friend Goose (Anthony Edwards) who he promised Goose’s wife Carole (Meg Ryan) to protect.

Despite its flaws, I am also recommending if you haven’t seen it or if you haven’t seen it for a while to watch or rewatch the original Top Gun prior to viewing Top Gun: Maverick to get the full backstory.