By the time Karen guessed they were half a state away from the manor, she realized that maybe she should have told Brianna where they were going. Chea disagreed.
"We can't let anyone else know about the machine." Chea said. "We'll have to call her later and say we're sorry." She said monitoring the time gadget in the car. The gadget seemed tuned into whatever signs the clones were giving off. With luck they would find the trio in no time.
"But what if they arent so close together?" Livvie said. "We're not gonna stumble onto one smack in the middle of nowhere are we? And what do we do when we get one? We cant fit three other people in the car."
"All legit questions." Karen said. "We'll have to take them as they come. If we're close to home when we find one, we can take him back to the manor."
"Id rather not be dumping my mistakes on Brianna. She has enough to worry about." Chea sighed.
"How do we know when we find one?" Karen asked. "Those Cosmos we used were from all different years." A small siren noise went off. "What is that? A cop car?"
Chea looked behind her. "We're alone out here."
Livvie pointed at the gadget. "Look. There is a small dot moving toward another dot."
"That means we're close." Karen said. "Keep your eyes peeled." She said now driving a little bit slower.
"Okay, but I do think that would hurt." Livvie said she leaned out the side window. "I don't see much."
"Must be a coyote." Chea said.
"Or a moose." Livvie said. The girls looked at her. "It could happen." She made a funny face. "Okay you believe in time travel but not a moose in the middle of the desert?"
The girls rode another mile or so. The alarm got loud enough on the time gadget that it drowned out the radio, which was a good thing cause it seemed only good for picking up polka stations. They finally found a way to put it on silent flashing mode.
"Where is the clone?" Chea muttered. Karen moved to change the radio station to something that wasnt so accordian dominated.
"Hey, I like that!" Livvie objected.
"Oh come on, we're nothing but that for the last hour." Chea whined.
Livvie considered. "I'm sorry but where I'm from we didnt have much selection. Its what your pops had on the radio and that was that." She thought for another instant. "After this song ends."
"Does it end? They all seem linked together." Karen observed. "What in the blue blazes is that??" Karen said turning her focus back to the road. A young man with a a large frock of curly back hair was standing on the side of road dressed in a brown suit with a striped shirt peeking out from under it. He had a large goofy smile on his face.
"He looks familiar." Chea muttered as they slowed down.
"Don't pick him up!" Livvie warned. "We don't know where hes from."
"A corporate circus maybe?" Chea smiled. "Maybe the gadget will help." She perused the gadget while the mystery man waited outside. Good thing there was no traffic on the road, or there would be lots of honking horns and angry motorists with rude gestures.
"You have found clone one." The gadget read. Chea read the information off. "Clone unnamed one is a clone that is a mixture of Will Ferrell of Saturday Night Live Fame and of Micky Dolenz, Monkees fame. No further information known at this time."
"Wow." Karen said. "That is the weirdest guy I have ever seen. And this coming from me, who just saw several Lord of the ring clones." Karen pulled over to where he was standing. All three got out.
"Hi!" The clone said. "You must be my mommy!" He said excitedly as he went to Chea. He picked her up off the ground and danced with her. "I finally found you!"
"And we found you." Chea said nervously as he bounced her around. "Do you have a name?"
"You have to name me." The clone said as he set her down.
"Do you have a preferance?" Karen asked.
"Anything my mommy says is all right with me!" He asid gazing adoringly at Chea who blushed slightly.
"I had a boy." Chea said haltingly.
Livvie thought for a minute.
"Hello Olivia Rose Carter." The clone repeated with a smile.
"You can call me just Livvie."
"All right Just Livvie." He said.
"Livvie....nevermind. This guy I knew of was of great humor. His name was Jimmy Catfish McCracken."
"I like that." Karen said. "Catfish?"
"Oh he didnt like them, he was allergic." Livvie said. "Long story...dumb ending."
"She is learning from us." Chea nodded. "That is your name, Jimmy Catfish McCracken. But we will just call you Catfish."
"Whatever you say mommy." Catfish said.
"Don't call me mommy. Call me Chea." Chea said. "Would you like to go for a ride?"
"As long as I can sit with you." Catfish said.
"I'll trade places with you." Livvie said with a sly smile. "We can get to know all about Chea and her boy on the way home." Chea looked at Livvie with a playful glare.
"Yeah, thats exactly what I want to do." She laughed. "Come on." She said as Catfish jumped into the backseat.
"Just be glad you have no diapers to change." Karen cracked as they followed her to the car. "I think it wold be best to take each clone back to our house. Then Brianna can make them do a survey."
"But how will they fill it out?" Livvie said. "They will have no favorites yet."
"Don't worry, they will probably find something sooner or later. Now lets change that polka station." Karen said moving to the radio.
"Awww don't!" Catfish whined. "I like this song!"
