As the train sped along, I thought about seeing Alicyn again. It had been
several years since we had met in college, she being an English literature major
and me in computers. That was what brought me here now, she was now a writer and
had phoned telling me of problems with her computer and asking me to help. I
jumped at the chance, I so wanted to see her again. My thoughts were interrupted
as the conductor announced the station.
   She was easy enough to spot in the crowd of people on the platform; at 6'11"
tall, she was head and shoulders above everyone else. I involuntarily sucked in
my breath at her ravishing beauty, but immediately regretted doing so as the
frigid air entered my lungs, sending me into a coughing fit. The platform being
covered with snow and ice, I carefully began making my way over to her. As I
approached, I noted her wardrobe; she was wearing shorts and sweatshirt and
amazingly was barefoot! The cold didn't seem to bother her, there was no sign of
discolored skin or chill bumps, and she was not shivering.
   "Hey there, great to see you again," she said as she spotted me. "Thanks so
much for coming."
   "God you're even more beautiful than I remember," I responded.
   She smiled down at me and took my suitcase as she led the way to her car. I
walked alongside. It was exciting to me to have to look up so far to see even
her shoulder!
   We soon arrived at her car, a 1983 Buick station wagon. It had seen better
days, the paint was faded and the fake woodgrain trim on the sides was peeling
off. As she opened the tailgate to put my suitcase in the back, I was surpised
to see the "Diesel" emblem on the car.
   "Wow, I didn't know there were any of these left!" I exclaimed. I was well
aware of the poor design of these GM diesels, they wore out after 30,000 miles
and had been discontinued after only a few years production.
   "Yeah, I got it cheap because of the diesel," she responded.
   I walked around to the passenger door as she walked to the driver's door. I
opened the door, noting the absence of any lock, but thought it was just because
this was a small town with a low crime rate. Entering the car, the interior was
in much better shape but still reminded of better days. The materials were faded
and several trim pieces were missing. But then I noticed that the steering wheel
was missing; only the hub remained! Then I saw something even more shocking:
there was no floor on the driver's side! As I sat down, it became apparent that
the front seat had been lowered, I had to stretch my legs out far in front of me
to be comfortable. At least the seat had also been pushed back quite a ways so
there was room to do this.
   Alicyn got in the car and sat in the seat. Now it was obvious why the seat
was lowered, as her head barely cleared the ceiling. But there was another
reason also, as she put her legs through the hole in the floor and rested her
bare feet on the pavement! She then put on her seatbelt, but it was far heavier
than a standard equipment one.
   "What's going on here, Alicyn?"
   "Hang on and you'll see," she smiled.
   Alicyn released the brake and began moving her feet, pumping her legs. She
easily turned the steering column with just the hub. She pulled out into traffic
and easily kept up with the other cars.
   I looked on in fascination. This couldn't be happening, she was moving the
car with just her feet! But yet, she hadn't started any engine; in fact, there
was no ignition or key at all!
   "All right, what's up?" I asked.  "This is like something out of the
Flintstones!"
   "Actually, that's where I got the idea," she confirmed. "This diesel was
perfect for it, I got it at scrap value when the engine gave out on the previous
owner. I had no use for a motor, so I removed it and the transmission and
converted the engine compartment into a trunk."
   "But the engine does more than move the car," I protested. "It also provides
power for the steering assist and heat."
   "Well as you can see, I don't need power steering! And you should know by now
that temperature doesn't bother me."
   "I can certainly see that. Now I know why I never saw you wearing a coat in
college. But how do you get the car inspected?"
   "I have a friend at the garage. We figure that since it has no motor, it
can't be a motor vehicle and therefore must be a trailer, which gets a much less
rigorous inspection."
   "How about the headlights? Are they powered from a battery?"
   "Yes, when the car is at rest, all lights and other electrical such as the
radio comes from a battery. When the car is moving, an alternator connected to
the driveshaft recharges the battery."
   "I noticed there are no locks or keys," I said.
   "What's the need? Who would steal a car with no engine and no steering wheel?
The hood was reworked when we converted to a trunk, we added weight to it to
compensate for the engine removal, and reworked the counterbalance to go
opposite."
   "What do you mean, opposite?"
   "The reworked hood weighs 300 lb. But when you open it, the counterbalance
increases the force to a perceived weight of 1200 lb. I can easily open it with
one hand, but the weight is too much for anyone else and therefore there is no
need to lock it. And this way, I never have to worry about losing or forgetting
a key."
   I had to nod. This is just like her, always practical and never one to be
flashy.