Hollywood 1978 –

The trio finally arrived at the destination Todd had in mind for them. They approached the Paramount lot entrance. Todd pulled up, the little wood barrier was down and a guard stepped out. “May I help you?” he asked.

Todd reached into his shirt pocket and handed the guard what looked like an ID. The guard looked at a clipboard a moment then handed it back. “Welcome back Mr. Matherson.” He stepped back into his booth and opened the gate. The care drove through.

“What, you have movie studio access as well?” James asked.

“Kind of, I have a relationship with a couple of the studios in town. I have been known to help fund projects.”

“Like?” Amanda asked.

“You shall see.” The car progressed into the lot and stopped in front of what looked like an administrative building. Todd parked and then got out. The others followed. He went around back and up a set of stairs on the outside of the building. At the top he opened the door and entered. When James entered he saw an attractive secretary sitting at a desk.

“Welcome, back Mr. Matherson. Are you planning on visiting the set today?”

“Yes Dolores, did the packages arrive?”

“Yes sir, they are in your office. Can I get you anything or your friends?”

Todd looked at the pair a moment. Just three waters for now.” Dolores nodded and disappeared out the door they just came in. Todd opened the door on the far wall and entered.

The room had a wall of boxes of various sizes. One was sitting on his desk. “What the hell is going on here?” James asked.

“Let’s just say that part of my deal with the various companies is that I have an office on the lots. I have one at Fox and universal as well.” He moved to the desk and opened the box. He smiled then pulled out a small package and tossed it at James, who caught it.

James looked down and saw it was a sealed Bobo Fett with a launchable rocket. “Is this the sealed one they showed at PAX?”

“Oh no, there is only one of those in existence, as far as sealed.”

Amanda looked confused. James looked at her, “Remember that toy he gave me at the warehouse?” She nodded. “They only made a few of those as prototypes. Only one sealed one is known to exist. It sold for over $150,000. Yet he has one here.”

“I actually have twelve.” He held up the box and showed it too them. Similar packages were inside. “I have a deal with Lucas and Mattel.”

“You are just scamming at all angles, aren’t you?”

“Yup. You know how Star Wars was having bad luck while filming and was running over on time and budget?”

“Yeah, but he finished.”

“And also how he got the merchandising rights to all the toys?”

“Sure.”

“What you don’t know is that the studio wanted to pull the plug on the movie. Well I made a deal with Lucas for 2% of toy revenue. In return I told the studio to cover the budget he needed, if the movie failed I would pay them any losses. I also get free toys before they go to market, I have to pay the production cost, but I get dibs on all the stuff. Thus all these boxes. The Star Wars toy explosion is in full swing right now.”

“These are all sealed first generation Star Wars toys?” James asked.

“You, I just need my guys to move them to storage. We can get them when we get back.”

“But that was a Fox movie, what are we doing here?” James asked.

It was at this time that James turned to Amanda and saw she was as giddy as a school girl. “I think she has figured out what is going on,” Todd commented.

“They are filming Star Trek here aren’t they?” she asked. Todd nodded, then she squealed.

“That is where we are headed soon. The principal filming is on the lot.” As he finished Dolores came in with three waters. She set them down and then left. Todd picked up the phone on his desk and made a call. He motioned for them to follow. On the way out, he whispered something in Dolores’s ear, she smiled and then they went down the stairs. At the bottom a well-dressed young man was there with a large golf cart. They all piled in and he started driving.

After a few minutes they stopped in front of a large sound stage. They got out and went in a small door on the left. Once inside the light was almost gone. There was some in the distance and they made their way towards it. Once they came out from behind the large curtain that was hanging along the main wall they saw the bridge of the Enterprise, the movie version anyway. Standing around were a bunch of film crew.

Amanda spotted him first, a young William Shatner, he was talking with someone, she assumed the director. She started to shake a bit. “Oh my God, it’s Captain Kirk.”

“It’s Admiral here,” Todd corrected her. She looked like she was about to wet herself. “You aren’t going to embarrass me, are you?” he asked her.

“No,” she said as she was still jittering.

“Mr. Shatner,” Todd called out. He turned his head to see who was calling his name. Then he waved. It took a few moments for him to finish the conversation he was in, but then he made his way to Todd.

“Mr. Matherson, nice to see you again.” The two men shook hands like they were friends.

“Always a pleasure to see you again Bill. I want you to meet someone, she is a huge fan.”

Shatner looked at Amanda, who was start struck. “Nice to meet you,” he reached out to shake her hand.

She just stood there for a moment. Then just started talking, “I love you. I have been a Trek fan my whole life. I think you are amazing in all of the movies….” Then she caught herself and put her head in her hands.

“Well I am sure you are a fan, but your whole life?” he asked.

She took a moment to compose herself before looking up. “I mean I am a fan of all your work, from the Westerns you started in to even that Esperanto movie you did. And well, it seems like my whole life, I mean trek means that much to me.”

“You saw Incubus?”

“Of course. Sure, not your best work, but I blame that more on the writing and other actors.”

“You are too kind. But I thought most of the copies were lost, I am guilt y of that a bit myself.”

“I was able to procure one,” Todd said. “I was wondering, if shooting doesn’t go too long today if you and the cast would like to join me for dinner.”

“I am sure we can all meet in the commissary.”

“No, I mean a real dinner, not that stuff they serve us here, my treat.” Shatner seemed to think about it a bit. “I will make copies of Incubus and release them if you don’t’ agree.”

“You got me then. Sure, I will,” he smiled, “I will ask the others as well.”

There was a shout that shooting would begin soon. Shatner waved and wandered back to the set. The trio stood around the rest of the day and watched a classic film being made. The day ended earlier than usual due to some suggestions by Todd. This allowed all of the primary cast to be treated to a magnificent dinner and for Amanda to have one of the best days of her life reveling in the tales of some of her idols.