"I can't believe I'm stuck in this car again," grumbled Annette from the back seat of Ivan's BMW M5.
"Well, it was either this, Edward's Stormkreuzer or Stefan's Lambo," chuckled Ivan from the driver's seat.
"We could have used my car, and is it my imagination, or has this thing gotten louder?" asked Annette.
"Well, it did get a tune-up. A lovely young man nad Axel was kind enough to do it for ," said Ivan, relishing in the much more aggressive throaty rumble of the V8 engine, that had been tuned and serviced by Albrecht Automotive.
"And we couldn't take my car because?" pressed Annette.
"Because I said so, Mom," said Mikaela from the front passenger seat.
"Well, your ordeal will be over soon, so don't worry," said Ivan, as they approached the highway.
"What do you an? We just left," said Annette.
The BMW M5 let out a powerful growl by way of answer, as Ivan accelerated into the highway's fast lane.
Mikaela squealed as the car forced her back in her seat.
With a dark chuckle, Ivan clicked the paddle shifters, and the car surged to 150 mph, relishing the sight of Annette shutting her eyes and whimpering in the back seat.
The acceleration stopped, and Mikaela looked wide-eyed out the window, admiring the blur of scenery.
Stefan's Lamborghini Aventador slid into view in the BMW M5's rearview mirror like an enormous silver shark, effortlessly keeping pace.
Bringing up the rear was Edward's Albrecht Automotive Stormkreuzer, its more boxy shape making it look like the muscle car of the trio, despite being German manufactured.
Within ten minutes, Ivan had started to slow down, and changed lanes to get onto the exit ramp for WonderWorld.
Annette, got out of the car as soon as Ivan parked it, and shook her head to get her bearings.
"Co on mom!" urged Mikaela, grabbing her hand.
They were joined by Stefan, pulling a sulking Anna behind him.
"Co on, we're out of the car now, you can drop the silent treatnt," said Stefan wearily.
"Fine. But I'm coming with Ms. Petra on the way back," groused Anna.
"Fine," sighed Stefan, as he, Annette, Mikaela, Ivan, Edward and Ruth made their way to the entrance.
"Welco, Mr. Zakhrov," said the entrance guard, bowing slightly as he let them through.
"Did you make a reservation or sothing?" asked Annette.
"Sothing like that," said Ivan evasively.
"Hey Anna. Let's ride the roller coaster. It's super cool," suggested Mikaela.
"Can we ride the Ferris wheel or sothing slow first? I need a break after my daddy's car," said Anna wearily.
"I could do with a relaxing ride as well," pointed out Annette.
"How about the underwater tunnel then? It's nice and scenic, " said Ivan.
"OK. I didn't get to go on that the last ti," said Mikaela.
---
"You know, this ride would be really romantic if it was just the two of us," whispered Ruth to Edward as they say in a slow moving train-like car that was travelling through a glass tunnel, that offered a breathtaking underwater view, with schools of colorful fish, coral reefs, and Jellyfish.
Edward nodded in agreent, and squeezed her hand, making Ruth blush furiously.
In front, Annette seed to have relaxed a bit with Anna, and they were both admiring the various fish swimming in the tunnel.
"OK, these fish are colorful, but I'd rather see a shark," said Mikaela.
"A shark would have eaten the other fish and scared away everyone else," chuckled Stefan.
"Still, would have been cool," said Mikaela.
"True, but sharks are best left in the open ocean, and not stuck in an aquarium," said Ivan.
The ride soon ca to an end, and they erged out into the cool air, and the afternoon sun.
"OK, now we ride the rollercoaster," said Mikaela.
"Fine," sighed Annette, as they made their way towards the rollercoaster entrance.
"Party of seven," said Ivan to the ticket clerk.
"Of course, this way please, Mr. Zakhrov," replied the clerk.
Annette watched suspiciously as the park employees carefully staggered the queue to ensure that their party got the front cars of the rollercoaster.
"Co on Anna, we've got the best spots!" said Mikaela, enthusiastically pulling Anna to the first four seats in the car.
They occupied the middle two, while Ivan and Stefan took the outer seats, Stefan next to Anna and Ivan next to Mikaela.
Edward and Ruth went to the next row with Annette.
"Ms Petra?" asked the fourth passenger, recognizing Annette.
"Ms Washington? Why are you here?" asked Annette, unable to think of anything else.
"Well, I heard that this is a fairly high-tech amusent park, so I thought I'd check it out. Might even recomnd it for a school field trip," chuckled Maria.
"I wouldn't. At least not this thing," warned Annette.
Maria was about to ask why, when the robot voice began its countdown.
"Eeek!" squealed Maria as the rollercoaster blasted forward on its maglev track.
"This doesn't get any less scary," thought Annette, as she clung to her safety harness, and shut her eyes while the rollercoaster twisted and turned through the track.
"Oh my God, what a view!" exclaid Maria, as the rollercoaster slowed down and glided through the scenic section of the track, which was easily the highest point in the park, topping even the Ferris Wheel.
"Wait till you get to the drop," grumbled Annette, trying her best to brace for the drop.
The track curved downwards to the vertical drop point.
"I see what you an," chuckled Maria as they sat suspended vertically by the maglev system.
"Passengers, brace yourselves, we drop in 3...2...1," announced the robotic voice.
With a powerful pulse of its maglev system, the rollercoaster blasted down the vertical drop faster than terminal velocity.
It then levelled off, slowed down, and approached the boarding tunnel.
"What did I tell you? Cool, right?" asked Mikaela, as Anna staggered out of the rollercoaster car.
"You're lucky I hadn't eaten anything, Mikaela. Or I would have puked all over you," grumbled Anna, though she didn't look the worse for wear.
"OK, I think that might be a bit intense, but it isn't unmanageable," said Maria, as she exited the rollercoaster car.
"Unmanageable? Maria. We've got kids with motion sickness, ADHD, probably even epileptic conditions! Not everyone is privileged as Mikaela and Anna here," admonished Annette, as she staggered out on jelly legs.
"I get it, I get it. Well, we'll not recomnd this to the school then," said Maria.
"Ms. Washington? You ca on the ride too?" asked Mikaela finally noticing Maria.
"Yes, I ca here by myself. You kids can go ahead, and pretend I'm not here" chuckled Maria.
"No, it's cool that you're here. et my dad," said Mikaela, pulling Ivan by the hand.
"Nice to et you, Ms. Washington. And yes, we'd love for you to join us if you're fine with it," said Ivan shaking her hand.
"Thank you, I'd love to," said Maria.
"Ms. Washington, was it? I'm Ruth Hirschfield, Ms. Petra's lawyer. This is technically a supervised visit for Mikaela, may I speak with you in private for a minute?" asked Ruth, deftly taking Maria aside.
"Listen, Ms. Washington. Ivan Zakhrov is Mikaela's father, and the father of the owner of Sirius Software, Aaron Zakhrov. Mikaela is not aware of the connection, and Ms. Petra wishes to keep it that way," whispered Ruth to Maria.
"I understand. I'll keep that in mind," said Maria, as she and Ruth rejoined the others.
"Hey, Anna. Have you had cotton candy?" asked Mikaela.
"Yeah, and I hate it. It's too sweet, and it's gone before you even know it," grumbled Anna.
"Fine then, more for ," said Mikaela with a bite of impatience, and turned to Ivan.
"Daddy, I want cotton candy," she said.
"Fine, but only one," chuckled Ivan, and got himself and Mikaela, a pair of massive clouds of cotton candy on sticks.
"So, Mr. Zakhrov, what is it that you do?" asked Maria, as they walked through the amusent park.
"I used to teach Computer Science at St. Ignatius Academy," said Ivan.
"I rember saying that you worked at MIT?" asked Mikaela surprised.
"That was earlier, Princess. I had to leave MIT because of so political stuff, but I'm still doing pretty much the sa job at St. Ignatius," said Ivan.
"I see," said Maria.
"OK, let's hit the go-kart track. How about a race, Daddy?" asked Mikaela, buzzing on the sugar rush from her cotton candy.
"Go-karts? I'm still recovering from that rollercoaster! Can't we go on a roundabout or the Ferris Wheel?" complained Anna.
"Fine, I'll take you on the roundabout," said Stefan, leading Anna to a roundabout.
"OK, let's go to the go-karts. Ms. Washington, would you like to join in?" asked Ivan.
"I'll keep Ms. Petra company in the spectator stands, you go ahead," said Maria, as they made their way to the go-kart track.
"Ruth and I are heading to the underwater tunnel again. We'll et up at the food court," said Edward, and he left with Ruth.
---
"OK, Daddy. Let's see who wins," said Mikaela, revving her go-kart.
"You're on," said Ivan, revving his, as the technician gave the count-down.
"Go!" said the technician, and both Mikaela and Ivan launched across the starting line.
"Mikaela's good!" exclaid Maria, as she watched Mikaela zip around the go-kart track, trading places with Ivan.
"I'm stuck with a pair of gear heads," grumbled Annette, as she sat in the spectator stands.
"Annette, Ivan isn't going easy on Mikaela, and she's still able to keep up with him. She's got a real talent for this," said Maria.
"Ti's up! Return to the pit," called the technician, and Mikaela and Ivan slowed down, and returned to the pit stop.
"That was close. Damn, Mikaela's good," thought Ivan as he pulled off his helt.
"Daddy is fast! I could barely keep up!" thought Mikaela as she pulled off her helt.
"You were aweso, Princess!" said Ivan, helping Mikaela out of the go-kart.
"Who won? I think I beat you in at least 2 laps," said Mikaela.
"Mr. Zakhrov took the lead in three out of five laps. He won by three seconds," said the technician.
"Mikaela, you were so fast! That race was so close!" exclaid Maria, as Ivan and Mikaela returned to the spectator.
"Thanks, Ms. Washington," said Mikaela.
"Had fun?" asked Annette, her face a little sour.
"Want a rematch, Mom? I'm pretty sure I can still smoke you," said Mikaela, her eyes narrowing in anger at Annette's attitude.
Annette hastily adjusted her features into a smile.
"No, no. I'm fine sweetie, I'm just a little hungry that's all," she said trying to save face.
"OK then, let's go get sothing to eat," said Ivan.
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