The Prisoner of Zenda, Inc.
14-year-old computer genius Rudy Gatewick falls heir to leadership of the high-tech conglomerate, Zenda, Inc. when his father suddenly dies. This is particularly bad news for Rudy's scheming uncle, Michael Gatewick, who immediately starts plotting to take over the company. Ready to stop at nothing, the unscrupulous Michael promptly hires three thugs to kidnap Rudy in order to manipulate events at the crucial upcoming stockholders' meeting Meanwhile, Professor Wooley and Colonel Zapf, Zenda executives and Rudy's protectors, are forced to keep the abduction under wraps in order to safeguard the boy's life. While hosting a Zenda-sponsored baseball league playoff, they make an astonishing discovery. a young batter, Oliver Gillis, is a dead ringer for the missing Rudy. In an attempt to buy time before the stockholders' meeting, they plead with Oliver to take Rudy's place. Reluctant to desert his team just before an important game, Oliver is ultimately persuaded by the promise of a job for his unemployed father. While the real Rudy is wandering through the forest with with his comically inept and hopelessly lost captors, Oliver takes on the challenge of assuming his double's role at school and at the corporation. His classmates, unaware of the deception, are pleasantly surprised to see the formerly shy, quiet "Rudy" suddenly stand up to his bullying cousin Douglas. Particularly impressed is Douglas' pretty girlfriend, Fiona, who begins to see "Rudy" in a whole new light. Unfortunately, things are a little more tricky at the Zenda Corporation. Oliver is anything but a computer whiz, and finds himself in way over his head. With time running out before the shareholders' meeting and the championship baseball game, there's still no sign of Rudy. Oliver desperately tries to figure out how he can be in two places at once. . . Written by wiseguy-18