"Headed for the Future"
by Belle Book

Author's Notes:

Carmen Sandiego, Zack, Ivy, the Chief, and Sara Bellum are
creations of Broderbund Software and Dic Productions.  Ann
Tickwatee, Polly Tix, Ivan Idea, Renee Santz, and Chase
Devineaux are creations of Broderbund Software.  Other
characters come from Globie Leung's fanfics on Carmen
Sandiego except for Art Forger, a character of my own
creation.

The genesis of this fanfic came from a discussion between
Globie and myself.  He suggested a fanfic where some of
the characters from his fanfics follow Carmen into the
future.  Also, his fanfics did give me some ideas as to
characterization of his Globie, and he did give me some
inspiration as to plot elements.  Therefore, I acknowledge
him as a contributor to the following fanfic.  In fact,
it is a mixture of elements from the traditional Carmen
series and his own fanfic series.  The chronology is that
of Globie's fanfic series.

The title, however, comes from the Neil Diamond song of
the same name.  Since the main characters are going into
the future, I thought that would be a good title.

This story takes place before "One More Time".

Now, on with the story!

Belle Book
_________________________________________________________________________

Prologue

October 17, 1999
Near the Prado Museum in Madrid, Spain

        Jaci drove her car through the streets of Madrid on her
way to her home.  It had been a long day at the branch of ACME
headquartered in Madrid.

        Jaci was an ACME agent stationed in Madrid as a diplomat.
This was because she spoke very good Spanish, and because of her
interest in Spanish and Spanish-related culture.  She was 21 years
old, with short red hair and dark brown eyes.  Although she was
a well-trained agent who knew judo and karate, she preferred to
use her brains rather than her muscles and to think before she
leapt into a dangerous situation.  She was also a bookworm, and
among her favorite authors was the playwright William Shakespeare.
In fact, she had all of his works.

        Jaci had to pass by the Prado Museum on her way home, and
sometimes she stopped by to take a look at the art there.  She
liked to see artwork by El Greco, Francisco Goya, and other ex-
tremely good painters, especially the Spanish ones.  They helped
her in her understanding of the Spanish culture.

        However, just as Jaci passed by the Prado Museum this day,
she didn't stop to go in and look at art.  She noticed a car stop
in front of the museum.  It was a red convertible, and therefore,
Jaci was able to take a good look at the driver.

        The driver was a woman, and what made Jaci stop was the
fact that this woman wore a red fedora.  The same kind of fedora
the famous thief Carmen Sandiego wore.

        Then the woman got out, not noticing Jaci on the other
side of the street.  She wore a red coat which covered her, and
high heels.

        Jaci knew who she was in an instant.  She was none other
than Carmen Sandiego herself.

        Jaci parked very quickly, and then reached for her com-
municator.  She suspected Carmen was planning to steal either
a painting or a sculpture.  Jaci also knew that she probably
couldn't handle Carmen herself.  After all, Carmen was the most
elusive criminal on the planet, though also one of the least
dangerous in terms of whether she would become violent or not.
Therefore, Jaci had to get backup, and fast.

        So Jaci placed in a call to ACME Headquarters in San
Francisco as she snuck into the Prado Museum to keep an eye
on Carmen.

________________________________________________________________________

ACME Headquarters

        Zack and Ivy were playing a computer game where they were
chasing Carmen when the Chief interrupted.

        "Hot tip, Gumshoes!" said the Chief.  "Carmen's been spotted near 
the Prado Museum in Madrid, Spain."

        "Isn't Madrid where one of the better Spanish-speaking
ACME agents lives?" asked Ivy.

        "Yes, isn't that where Jaci lives?" asked Zack.

        "Correct," said the Chief.  "I have her on right now.
She's the one who called."

        At that moment, Jaci appeared on the screen.  She was inside 
the Prado.

        "We read you, Jaci," said Ivy.  "Go ahead."

        "Ivy, Zack, Carmen's just entered the Prado and I think
she's headed for the Painting section of the Museum.  I can't do
this alone.  I need some help."

        "Okay, we're coming," said Ivy.

        "I think we have to alert Globie about Carmen's latest
caper," said Zack. "He always wants to catch Carmen."

        "I remember him," said Jaci.  "I was paired with him for
the Dirtbike session where ACME trainees had to compete against
one another.  He was very talented, but also very reckless, and
that caused him to break his leg.  I had to stay until the doctor
came and by threatening to compete against someone else, I got him
to stay off his feet more than he would've liked, until his leg
properly healed.  Of course, he beat me when we finally did
compete, but at least he was less reckless this time."

        "Yes," said Zack.  "However, he's in Colorado, watching
the Broncos play.  They're his favorite team."

        "Well, if you can get him, I sure can use the help,"
Jaci said.  "After all, he's got great skills now, I hear."

        "I'll page him," said the Chief.

        "Player, C-6 us to Madrid, Spain," said Ivy.

        The C-6 Corridor opened and Zack and Ivy disappeared in
it.  They were heading to Jaci's coordinates inside the Prado.

________________________________________________________________________

Mile High Stadium, Denver Colorado

        Globie was so excited.  The Broncos were in the process
of trouncing the Kansas City Chiefs, a perennial rival.  And
best of all, there were only three minutes left on the clock.

        That's when Globie's communicator went on. 'Now what?'
Globie thought as he got out of his seat to a place where he
could talk safely and still watch the game.

        "Globie here," said Globie.

        "Globie, this is the Chief," said the Chief.  "Jaci just
called ACME Headquarters.  Carmen's broken into the Prado Museum
in Madrid, Spain.  Zack and Ivy have just gone to help her stop
Carmen."

        Globie was torn.  On the one hand, he wanted to catch
Carmen very badly -- more than even Ivy.  Of course, any of the
agents wanted to catch Carmen, but Globie had a great deal
of stick-to-it-iveness when it came to catching her, plus a
great deal of impulsiveness which sometimes tended to recklessness.  
On the other hand, he had a passion for the Broncos that
matched his passion for catching Carmen.

        Globie looked up at the clock.  There was almost two
minutes left in the game.  That made up his mind very quickly.

        "Give me the coordinates of Jaci, Zack, and Ivy," said
Globie.  "As soon as the game is over, I'll transport over to
where they are.  There's almost two minutes left."

        The Chief wasn't too happy that Globie wasn't coming
right away, but as long as he was coming to the Prado soon,
he'd accept it.  "OK, here are the coordinates."

        Globie got the coordinates, then stood to watch the
rest of the game.

_______________________________________________________________________

The Prado Museum, outside the Spanish Painting Section

        Ivy, Zack, and Jaci peeked inside the section of the
Prado where the Spanish painters' works were exhibited.

        "What does it look like she's stealing?" said Ivy to
Zack and Jaci.

        Jaci looked.  Carmen was picking up a painting, and as
she turned, Jaci got a good look at it.

        "It appears to be Francisco Goya's 'Majas on a Balcony',"
said Jaci.

        "Where's Globie?" asked Zack to the Chief.

        "He'll be there.  He'll be a little late," said the
Chief.

        "We have no time to wait for him, then," said Ivy impatiently. 
"Let's get Carmen now."  And before either Jaci or
Zack could stop her, she stepped inside the door.

        "Nice day for an arrest, Carmen," said Ivy.  Jaci and
Zack joined her.

        "Well, well, three ACME detectives on the job," said
Carmen.  "And one of them an agent located in Madrid," she added, 
looking at Jaci.

        "You've obviously seen my file," said Jaci.  "Not to
mention the fact that you probably remember the time Chase
Devineaux and I chased you, about a month before I was posted
to Madrid.  I believe that was two years ago.  We lost you that
time, which is no surprise, of course."

        "I remember.  Come and catch me, detectives," said Carmen, 
and she turned and ran toward the exit on the other side.

        Without hesitating, Ivy went after her, and Jaci was
right behind her, being as tall as Ivy, with Zack right behind.

        Carmen ran through the Spanish section, with Ivy, Jaci,
amd Zack chasing her.  However, once they were all through the
exit, Ivy, Jaci, and Zack were faced by a bunch of Carmen's
henchmen!  It looked like 10 henchmen.

        "Uh-oh," said Zack.

        "I agree, but we have to fight them," said Jaci.

        That's when the henchmen attacked.  Zack was faced with
three, Jaci with three, and Ivy with four henchmen.

        While Ivy was fighting the henchmen with karate, and
Jaci was using judo, Zack used his famous Three Stooges routine
to totally confuse the three henchmen he was faced with.

        Behind the henchmen Zack faced, Globie appeared.  He
immediately used karate to take out one from behind.  The other
two turned, only to get knocked out by Globie.

        At the same time, Ivy had knocked out four of Carmen's
henchmen, and Jaci had taken down three more.  She had already
tied up two, and was just tying up the third.

        "Am I glad to see you!" said Zack to Globie.

        Carmen, watching the whole thing, turned and raced for
her car, which was outside.  Ivy, Zack, Globie, and Jaci resumed
the chase.

        As Carmen maneuvered her way to the exit where her car
was parked, she took out a communicator of her own.

        "Pick me and my car up as soon as I get outside," she
instructed the person on the other line.

        She looked back at her pursuers.  Globie was the closest
one to her, but he was some distance back.  Ivy was right behind
him, and the Madrid agent -- Jaci -- was close behind Ivy.  Zack
trailed them all.

        Time to begin Phase Two of her plan.

______________________________________________________________________

Outside the Prado Museum

        Globie, Ivy, Jaci, and Zack rushed out the doors, just
in time to see Carmen seated in her car.

        "We have her!" yelled Globie.

        That's when they heard the roar of a helicopter.  The
detectives looked up to see a helicopter approaching the car.

        As they looked on, a rope lowered from the helicopter.
Attached to it was a hook, which picked up Carmen's car!

        "She's getting away!" yelled Globie, furiously.  Then
he leapt toward the car.  The others realized he was going to
grab hold of the bumper of the car and hold on as it was lifted 
into the air!

        Without thinking twice, Jaci leapt toward Globie.  She
feared Globie would be lifted into the air, and that he might
fall.

        Ivy raced after Jaci, with Zack right behind her.  Ivy
asked, "Do you want to keep Carmen from getting away as badly
as Globie does?"

        "No!" Jaci cried.  "I want to stop Globie!  He might
get himself killed!"

        Ivy understood Globie's desire to capture Carmen --
she wanted to do so, too -- but she realized that Jaci had a
point.  If Globie was lifted in the air, eventually he might
have to let go, and the fall might kill or injure him.  And
she had had enough experience with hair-raising situations
to not want Globie to be in one himself.

        By this time, Carmen's car was being lifted into the
air.  Globie reached it first, and leapt.  He grabbed hold
of the bumper, but before he was lifted very far off the
ground, Jaci, Ivy, and Zack reached him.  Ivy grabbed one of
Globie's legs, while Jaci and Zack held onto the other.  The
three pulled, and Globie lost his grip and fell to the ground.

        Carmen looked down.  She had seen Globie try to stay
with Carmen's car, and that the other three detectives had
kept him on the ground.  She was relieved, as she knew of
Globie's impulsiveness, which on occasion bordered on recklessness, 
and she had no wish to see Globie hurt or killed.
Besides, she had a clue ready just for the detectives.

        She picked up her clue, attached a parachute to it,
and sent it down to the detectives.

____________________________________________________________________

        "How could you prevent me from being in a position to
capture Carmen?" Globie shouted to his fellow detectives in
fury.

        Jaci took a deep breath, then said, "I didn't want you
to get yourself in a position where you probably would be injured 
very badly or else killed!  I would rather let Carmen get
away than be injured while trying to capture her -- or let a
fellow detective be injured!  You're very skilled and deter-
mined, but also very impulsive."  She would've said "reckless,"
but decided that was the wrong thing to say.

        "She's right about your being impulsive," said Zack.
"I should know."

        "Thanks a lot," said Ivy, who knew Zack was referring to
her.  Then she noticed something floating down on a parachute.

        "Hey!" she yelled.  "Something's floating down on a
parachute."

        "If it floated down, it's most likely a clue from Carmen,"
said Zack excitedly.

        "Looks like you'll get a second chance to catch Carmen,"
said Jaci.  "I will, too, if the Chief can relieve me of my current 
duties at the Madrid Headquarters."

        The Chief, hearing that, said, "I'm contacting your
superiors at the Madrid Headquarters.  I think they'll give you
permission."

        "Gracias," said Jaci.  Then she turned to Zack, Ivy, and
Globie.  "Well, what do we have from Carmen -- assuming it is
from Carmen, of course -- this time?"

        Unfortunately, nobody could tell her.  The box had been
wrapped up, and a card was printed on it.  The card said, "To
be opened at Acme Headquarters."

        "I wonder why Carmen wants us to open it at Acme and
not here?" asked Ivy.

        "I wish I knew," said Jaci.  "But there's only one way
to find out."

        "That's right!" said Zack.  "Player, C-6 us to Acme
Headquarters!"

        "Well, I have to wait until I get permission to go
with you to Acme Headquarters," Jaci said.

        The Chief interrupted, saying, "I've just spoken to
your superiors.  Since you were on the scene when Carmen came
to the Prado, they agree that you should be put on this case.
They're relieving you of your current duties to help capture
Carmen Sandiego."

        "Tell them I said gracias," said Jaci.  Turning to
the others, she said, "Now I'm ready!"

        "OK, Player," said Zack.  "Do your stuff!"

        The C-6 Corridor opened and Ivy, Zack, and Jaci dis-
appeared in it, while Globie's BCCC opened at the same time
and he disappeared in it.

To be continued...