Building a CAP Based FutureChapter 36 More School Hijinks
- 3 years ago
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The next morning, I found myself wrapped up on my now unzipped sleeping bag with a young girl hanging on each side of me. I was dressed in boxers for sleep while my sister and her best friend had found long t-shirts they used to cover their bodies. They each had a hand on my chest and my hands were resting on their hips as we cuddled under a blanket. Absently I gave each of them a few tender rubs before I sat up and turned the alarm off.
Kelsey shifted and growled in annoyance, but neither girl woke as I climbed over Matti and put my feet on the floor. I patted Matti on the head before I stood up. "Time to wake up," I called out softly.
Matti's eyes opened. She started to sit up as I grabbed some clothing from my dresser and headed to the door. "I'll shower first," I said. "You can wake Kelsey. You'll need to hurry if you want to catch a ride with Dad."
Matti picked up her pillow and threw it at me as I stepped through the doorway. The shower was free, and I figured I would get it out of the way before the girls used up the hot water. I worked quickly and was downstairs before Kelsey had emerged from my room.
Breakfast that morning was cereal, toast, juice and coffee for those that could tolerate the bitterness. I had never acquired a taste for coffee, but I did prepare a cup for Matti. Her idea of coffee was to pour vanilla creamer into a cup until it was nearly half full and then top off the mix with coffee. It was like drinking cream soda without the bubbles, but my sister loved it. I had a cup waiting at her spot at the table when she came out.
"Kelsey is a bit upset this morning," my sister told me as she sat down and picked up the coffee cup I had prepared for her. "She feels like you ignored her last night."
"I did not ignore her," I reminded her. "I just said any decision would have to wait for certain events to occur. One of those won't happen until December. She should understand that."
"She's worried about the future," Matti said.
"So are we all," I said. "But all I can do about it today is take the CAP test once Mom is ready to take me. She said she needs to meet someone selling a house before eight, so we'll be leaving in a minute or two. Please apologize to Kelsey for me."
I picked up my dishes and took them over to the sink to rinse before putting them in the dishwasher. Once I finished this task I picked up my backpack and looked around for Mother.
"She's already outside," Dad told me. "She's using her mobile office while she waits for you."
I shook my head and headed outside. Mother was behind the wheel of her luxury SUV. I could see a pad of paper resting on the steering wheel as she spoke. From the level of excitement it was clear she thought she was close to closing a major sale. She noticed me at the door to the house and pointed to the passenger seat.
I ran around the SUV and got the door open. Mother was putting her pad away as I climbed in and got my seatbelt on. "No," mother told whoever she was talking to on her phone. "I don't see that as a problem. However, I need to drive my son to school. Can I do that and get back to you in an hour?"
The person at the other end must have agreed to this because my mother pulled her phone's earpiece from her ear and dropped it into the otherwise empty ashtray. "Get buckled in," she told me. "I checked and the testing site opened at seven thirty. We can get you there now, and you might only miss first period."
"Like you really care," I thought, but I said nothing as I placed my backpack in the foot well and got buckled in. Mother immediately started the SUV and put it into reverse, jerking me against the belt with her abrupt acceleration.
Mother said nothing as she drove the SUV to the testing clinic. She kept the speed at least ten miles per hour above the speed limit and ran at least one stop sign before we arrived at the clinic. I was clinging to the dashboard so tightly my knuckles were white when the SUV stopped moving. "Get out." Mother commanded.
"Give me a second," I muttered as I unclenched my hands. "What's the hurry?"
"I've got a house to show this morning, then there are several important meetings and messages to deal with," mother snapped. "This new Confederacy thing endangers your father's career, and we have to deal with it quickly. You'll have to walk home on your own. Your father will be telling Matilda the same thing."
"Great," I muttered as I grabbed my backpack and climbed out of the SUV. "I'll see you tonight then."
I stepped away from the SUV and closed the door. The instant it slammed my mother was on the gas and accelerating the SUV away from me. I had to jump out of the way to avoid being hit. It was not a surprise, but my mother's haste still scared me. Once I was safe, I turned to look at the testing center.
The building had once been some kind of warehouse. It was a large rectangular structure. The only change was that the huge rollup doors had been blocked by some kind of siding, and the only entrance was a small fire door. An already weathered sign with the words "Testing Center Entrance" hung on the wall next to the door.
The parking lot was empty as I walked across the blacktop to reach the door. It even seemed like traffic nearby had stopped. Other than the faint whisper of the breeze, only the sound of my footsteps accompanied me as I approached the door. I shivered once as I reached for the doorknob. It turned easily. With a heavy stomach I pulled the door open and stepped through.
The inside proved to be brightly lit. As I stopped in the entryway a cheerful female voice called out, "Welcome to the testing center, can I help you?"
I paused for a moment and then walked up to the counter, in a rather plush waiting area, with loungers set along the outside wall. The room was a rectangle, with two doors on the left and right wall and two doors on each side of the large counter that filled the center of the back wall. I could see a woman with thick black hair standing behind the counter. She smiled at me as I approached.
The woman was in uniform, and I noticed that the nametag over her left breast said "S. Marakova." I nodded to the lady. "I'm here for my required test."
"So you heard about the mandatory testing and came in early," the woman replied. "Interesting that you would be the second one to come in today. You do realize you are skipping classes at Central High."
"I don't go to Central," I replied.
The woman paused and looked at me. "Freedom Junior High then?" she asked.
I nodded. The woman smiled. "Don't worry about your age. Everyone will test, and most people who test at fourteen will see their score rise over the next few years if they stay in school and study. I think the experts say that you will see your score peak when you are nineteen. And that will still be before the Sa'arm show up, so if you want to volunteer after your test you will have plenty of time."
"Won't some consider it cowardly to leave Earth without a defense?" I asked.
The woman laughed. "Oh there will be a defense. Even the people who don't score high enough to emigrate will be able to fight to defend the planet. Anyone who considers it cowardly to leave isn't thinking too clearly though. The aliens provided a galactic map showing the full scope of the Sa'arm advance. The front is several hundred light years across. If we were to remain on Earth to defend it, I think few people believe we wouldn't be able to save it. But that would only work the first time. Some of the Sa'arm troopers would likely escape to tell others. They could then send in reinforcements, and we'd lose the second round. If we put humans in space, we will tie up those potential reinforcements and keep them from coming to save their fellows on Earth."
"That makes sense," I said to the woman. "So how do I do this..." I paused.
"Ensign Marakova," the woman said. "Or you can call me Susan since you are not currently a member of the Confederacy Military. I have the other early testee in room one, so we can place you in room two."
She flipped open a section of the counter and stepped through. "If you would follow me." She said as she led me to one of the doors on the right wall.
I followed. She pressed her fingers on a pad to the side of the door, and it popped open. She held the doorknob and stepped back waving for me to enter. "Go in and lie down on the chair."
"Lie down?' I asked.
She smiled. "It's like one of those chairs you see in all the old psychiatrist scenes. It's more of a lounger than a chair. We discovered that the testing works better if the subject is relaxed."
I nodded and entered the room. It was dimly lit, but I could see the heavily padded leather chair that I was obviously supposed to use. I walked over and leaned back on the cushion. I was relaxing when I felt something touch my forehead. I looked up to see the ensign running her hand down a wire that seemed to be attached to my forehead. "It's the sensor we use to read your responses," she told me. "It won't hurt you. The doctor handling the first part of the test will arrive in a moment, just relax."
I turned my head to watch her go, but the uniform skirt she wore concealed the movement of her hips and ass. Disappointed, I leaned back and closed my eyes, listening to the soft music that was playing.
It was as if I dozed off because the next thing I remembered, a crusty aged voice asked. "Have you ever been a Nazi?"
"What?" I asked as I opened my eyes and raised my head. Just ahead of me, I found a man with graying hair and a beard that came down to his chest sitting in a plush recliner I had not seen before.
The man was wearing a white lab coat and holding a notebook. He flipped back a page and nodded. "It was not a complex question. Have you ever been a Nazi?"
"I have never been a member of any party that preaches hate," I growled. "What kind of question is that?"
"One that generates a response," the man said. "Now, if you left this room and were handed a million dollars what would you do with it?"
"Huh? How is that important? And how can I know how I'd spend every penny. Heck, if I go home my parents would probably insist that I owe them rent or something and try to claim the whole amount. I'd probably try to get it deposited in a bank before my family found out and then save it for college and then to start a business once I graduate."
"No sports cars, or trying to get dates with supermodels?" the man asked.
"If I save the money for a couple of years I might be able to afford a nicer car, and I couldn't drive it today if I did have one. As for supermodels, I want someone I can look in the eye and have a conversation with. Someone who will sit down at a table with me and play cards for hours. There is more to dating than looks," I snapped.
"Interesting, ' the man said. I noticed he flipped back and forth between several pages on his notepad.
The questions kept coming after this. Many confused me at the time. A question about how I related to my parents might be followed by an obscure history question. There even was a series of math puzzles that left me wrung out at the end of the series. Finally the man in the lab coat leaned back.
"Are we done?' I asked.
"Not yet," the man said. "But I do have to consult with a colleague. Wait here for a few minutes."
The man stood up and stepped away from his chair. He started to walk towards the wall, but in the dim light I could not seem him clearly. I lost track of him when his footsteps faded away.
I used my elbows to push my body upright. I was turning my lower legs to lower my feet to the floor when a feminine and sexy voice purred. "Oh, please don't get up. I was about to bring you some refreshment. Would you prefer coffee, tea, or..."
The voice paused and I turned my head to see who was speaking. When I looked up my brain completely misfired and my jaw dropped to the floor. I was reminded of a strange comedy scene I had witnessed one time. This beautiful woman walked past a comedian. The man watched her pass and then said, "Kind of dame you don't whistle at."
The crowd gave a strained laugh back. The comedian just smirked. "You can't; your tongue's hanging out of your mouth."
The men all laughed, although a few were slapped by their girlfriends for their reaction.
I was reminded of this by the picture of female beauty standing in front of me holding a tray. She had long wavy bright red hair that framed her oval face perfectly. Her green eyes were large, but seemed just perfect for her button nose and full lips. I do not claim to be an expert, but this woman had an hourglass figure that Barbie might have envied. She had covered it with red lingerie made from lace and silk. It hid everything, while drawing my eyes to her breasts and then to the place between her legs. My gaze must have gone up and down her body twice before I remembered that she had asked me a question.
"Water would be nice," I replied.
"One moment," the woman replied. She spun around and walked away. I immediately discovered that her panty was a thong that left both globes of her ass completely exposed, and she was wearing tall high heels that caused the two sides of her ass to pivot in a figure eight as she strode away. My pants seemed to become far too tight.
The woman was back a moment later and only made me more uncomfortable as she had lost the tray. I now was able to see the taut stomach ripple as she approached. Her breasts bounced with each step, and part of me wondered if the lace of her bra could hold them. There were no wardrobe malfunctions though, as she came over and held out a glass of water. I took it happily and looked her in the eyes.
"How much more testing do I have?" I asked.
"Tired already?" the woman asked with a very sexy giggle. I drank deeply trying to take my mind off the vision of loveliness kneeling in front of me.
"No," I answered after a moment. "I just was surprised by how many questions I had to answer. I thought this was a simple test."
The woman looked surprisingly serious. "Your personality is being analyzed and compared with a standard that covers over fifty different traits. Can you really believe that this would be answered in just a few questions?"
"Not really," I replied. "But I remember the Average Joes show where they first introduced the CAP system. It seemed like they could demonstrate most of the traits with short five or ten minute scenarios."
The woman smiled. "Oh, we do those too." She snatched the glass of water from my hand and used her free hand to snap her fingers. Before the sound finished echoing in the room I was lying on the ground in the middle of a field of tall dry grass. I sat up in shock as screams of panic rang out.
I jumped to my feet and ran toward the screams. The top of the grass was above my head, so I could only see a few feet directly in front of me, but in the distance an angry red glow swallowed the horizon.
When Ashley led me from the television room that night, I think I finally realized that my thoughts about just how crazy things might become had been wrong. Just the rumor of and few released reports about the Sa'arm invasion had been enough to get four hundred women into that room based on a very faint promise of protection. They had submitted to a televised humiliation on little more than a rumor and trust in the government. I was determined not to let the show upset me too much, but that...
Jason was holding up his CAP card. Leticia exploded out of her chair with a loud cry of pure joy. She tackled Jason. They fell to the floor as the young woman covered his face with kisses. Ashley looked down at the couple. She kicked playfully at her brother's leg. "You scared us!" "I scared myself," Jason admitted. "Even knowing that I should score well, I was stunned by how often I couldn't answer one of the questions quickly. And the scenes I had to move through. You ever try to...
I allowed Jason to lead me into the training center. We found Ashley standing near the service counter, chatting merrily with the young woman standing there. I was surprised to see that the woman was wearing what looked like a combination of military uniform and space suit. Ashley noticed us and waved. "Mark! Lieutenant Marakova here tells me that she's received transfer orders," Ashley called out. Jason and I walked up to meet the woman. "You're not going to be here longer?" I asked...
Ashley jumped behind me, putting her hands on my shoulders. I reached up with my right hand to stroke her right arm. "Ashley, I don't think that's helping," I said. Ashley's mother glared at me, but quickly turned to concentrate on her daughter. "Ash, why are you hiding behind Mark? You came here to get tested. I'm not going to punish you for your score." "I agreed to have Mark take me," Ashley said. "My score isn't good enough, but his is." "What?" Beatrice squawked....
“I’m going to spend the night with my concubines then,” Ensign Daniels said firmly. “I’ll have some scenarios to add to the simulation for tomorrow.” “I won’t,” Chaz said. “I really haven’t had a lot of responsibility in that area. I can promise to listen to the crew and help compile any reports you want to distribute after the testing.” “I’ll probably keep the report private,” I said. “But that will help. Meanwhile, let’s head out.” I got out of the chair. All three of my officers saluted...
Becky picked up most of us. Matilda and Kelsey were riding home with us for the first time all week. Becky noticed as they jumped into the minivan. "I have extra passengers," she said. "I'm glad I didn't bring Angelique. She wanted to come" "Awww," Kelsey and Matilda said in unison. "We wanted to see her." "I haven't gotten to play with her all week," Kelsey added. "You choose to go home with Jessica," Jason pointed out. "Well," Kelsey said. "I don't go home with...
I stood up and walked toward the door, leaving my unfinished drawing on the easel. Jessica gave a cry of annoyance, as I walked away. I heard her easel crash to the floor behind me as I left the building. Outside, I walked a few feet from the door and then turned around. A couple minutes later Jessica stormed out of the classroom. She walked right up to me and slapped me across the face. "How can you embarrass me like that!" she hissed. I said nothing. Instead I pointed to a bench set far...
Sergeant O'Malley stepped to the center of the room and looked at me. "Son," he said. "You have to be one of the bravest fools I've ever met. Did you just tell this man that you wanted to make a sex slave out of his daughter?" "No," I replied firmly. "I told him that I would protect his daughter and love her. In my home she will be a partner, someone who can assist me in raising our children and providing a happy and enriching environment for all who live there." The Sergeant...
The incident with Hillary left everyone a bit skittish for the rest of the trip. Sunday we packed the vans early and headed for home. Lenore was a bit worried that I would blame Angelique for some reason. I kept telling her that it seemed more a case of bad timing and a desperate woman. The others seemed to feed off of my indifference. The initial drive back to the hotel had been tense as everyone in the van looked over their shoulders. I had taken the front passenger seat, but made sure to...
Jason and I walked over and sat on the ground with our teammates. One of the sophomores looked over at me. I realized that it was Derek Goodman, one of the starting defensive tackles. He looked over at Maurice. "You brought a couple of freshmen over." "Why not?" Maurice replied. "They put more effort into practice than most of the sophomores. I expect them to make a difference on the field." "Not if Lucas and Terrence have their way," the other sophomore said. I realized it was...
The varsity game ended in a huge loss for the upperclassmen. The crowd actually started to get uneasy with half of the fourth quarter still to play. Several recent graduates and parents started shouting at the players, cursing them for their poor play. It got bad enough that the faculty advisor for the cheerleaders sent them away from the field with two minutes left in the game. The exodus of the cheerleaders signaled to Morgan that it was time for our group to make its way out of the...
Fortunately, the rest of the protest was rather peaceful. My brother stopped the few anarchists who had shown up hoping to use the protest as cover for some robbery attempts. Jason, Ashley, and I found that someone had already warned people on the route of the march. Buildings were closed, and many had placed boards over their windows to protect them. The three-mile march proved to be no more strenuous than a weekend jog. Jason was the first to notice that the marchers were having trouble...
The next two hours were a blur of exercise and pain. Sergeant O'Malley never broke a sweat as he first had everyone run around the clearing while he promised to train us to fight and then he proceeded to show us a series of dirty tricks and holds we could use to disable an opponent. When Jessica, Jason, Morgan and I were too tired to continue, he had us lay down while he took the ladies around and showed them how to break free from any hold a person might try. It was exhausting, but at the...
The game ended up being a bit of a snooze. Carolina's defense created three touchdowns before the second quarter was half over and then cruised to the ending. The halftime show was loud, but otherwise forgettable. Angelique and Erica both ended up falling asleep during the third quarter. Angelique climbed into her mother's lap to sleep. I ended up with Erica in my lap. I had spent almost no time with the young lady, but she was smiling in her sleep. Thomas tried to stay awake. He...
The rout of Constance seemed to signal an end to any disturbances for lunch. Maurice hung around for a while at the other table in the courtyard, staring at us, but saying nothing as Jason and I cuddled with our girls and listened to Jessica bragging about how good the freshman cheerleaders would be this year. I had to laugh at that since Kelsey, Matilda, Kathy and Millicent had all made the cheerleading squad. Jason seemed a bit preoccupied, but volunteered nothing about his brief...
The rest of the day at school passed quickly. Jason and I sat with Julio and Walter at lunch. Jason spent most of the time trying to cheer up Walter. I said little, but did discover that Julio and Walter were going to attend a one-day seminar that was reported to help young men improve their scores. Both had scheduled tests for the upcoming Tuesday afternoon. Jason and I both offered to walk with them to the training center. Jessica did stop by during lunch. She teased Julio a bit. Her...
The rest of that first week of school quickly established a number of patterns. It started that night when Jason and Letty arrived home just after eight. Both were smiling. Neither one was willing to fully explain what had occurred over the dinner they had with Jana, however, the conversation that evening was interesting. It started when Jason knocked on the door at the top of the basement stairs. Ashley, Lenore, Angelique and I were downstairs playing a game of Chutes and Ladders. I had...
After the morning break we had to head to German. Jason was clearly unhappy with the prospect of seeing Miss Kirke, if that was her real name now that we had discovered her previous occupation. However, Letty convinced him that missing class would only alert her to the fact that her activities had been discovered. My sister grabbed his arm as we walked from the courtyard. "I'll protect you," she whispered just loud enough for Jason and me to hear. "I'm sure Kelsey and Kathy will help as...
The television switched back to the same newsroom we had been viewing earlier. The same anchor now had a visible stack of notes in front of him, but was looking at a teleprompter. "Hello again, this is Martin Sherman, and I'm anchoring the lead-in to tonight's Defense Forces Special as some people are now calling it. This show is here to demonstrate how someone with a six point five CAP or higher will select his companions. We have been told that this is actually more organized than most...
My fears for my father's reaction proved to have understated just how mad he would be. The man destroyed every wedding picture he got his hands on and ripped all of my mother's clothing to shreds that night after Mrs. Roberts brought Matti and me home. Ashley did whisper to me that she had left her phone number with Lenore. The sad woman had tried her best to do a great job as a waitress while the group of us ate in stunned silence. We heard nothing from her for the rest of the week, and...
I muted my cell phone. "Everyone is fine with this correct?" I asked. Letty giggled. "It sounds like you'll have fun. I'll stay out for the most part. I'm Jason's sex slave and should be seen naked and at his feet." Ashley laughed. "Oh, that's so wrong its right. I agree though. Mark, it should be mostly you with Jason, Jessica, and Morgan offering the most support. We already know it will probably be about you." "This song is not about me," I said firmly. "I never thought...
My weekend passed quickly. Not from a time perspective, but from a feeling that I never was able to give Ashley, Lenore, Angelique, Kelsey and my friends all the attention and time they deserved. A huge part of me was feeling a bit frustrated when we returned to school on Monday for Homecoming week. We had heard that the freshman were going to have a float for the homecoming parade and game on Friday, but Jessica and I had been unable to find out who was organizing the efforts. Jason...
By some miracle there were no bodies on the ground when the field vanished, and the crowd dispersed. Even the boy who had attacked me managed to crawl away to receive medical attention. There still was plenty of emotional trauma. Several young men ran out of the restaurant with tears pouring down their faces. Mall security stopped several of the men. Most were shirtless and two were carrying a collection of women's clothing. It soon became clear that the boys had lost girlfriends to the...
I let everyone know about the reappearance of my brother. No one was very worried about him. Mike had proved to be a coward. The only worry was that he might try to catch one of the girls alone. Morgan used some contacts he had through his construction work and a week later gave everyone in our group pepper spray canisters. School continued. The teachers were increasingly distracted though, and the lessons suffered. Some of the teachers spent most of their time trying to chat up the students...
My three morning classes were quiet. The teachers seemed a bit distracted, and the students just wanted to whisper about the President's announcement. Most students were speculating on the special show to be on television in two weeks. No one seemed to have a clear idea of what to expect. I stayed silent as the others continued to gossip. It was not due to a lack of interest in the possibilities. My issue was that I wanted to have facts rather than rumor, and other than Jessica, there was...
Jason lived up to his promise in the second half. He not only recorded two more sacks, but on the last one, stripped the football and then managed to recover the bouncing ball and run it in for a touchdown. Everyone on the defense was patting his helmet when he walked over to the sideline still carrying the football. "Take it easy," Coach Grisham told him. "There are only two minutes left in the game. We'll let the backups play." I walked over to the benches. Jason followed me. He...
My thoughts after the pickup proved true. Ashley and Lenore rarely let me leave their sight during the days leading up to the New Year. Jason and Jessica had the same issue. A simple plan to go for a run in the park quickly became an organized march as their companions demanded to go with them. Becky was the worst. She clung to Morgan. Beatrice had called their employer and tried to explain the issues, but was not sure she was successful. She succeeded in getting Becky a week off without...
I held Ashley close. There was a musical chime coming from the backpack at her feet. She giggled and looked down at it. "Mark, that's my cell phone. Can you grab my bag?" I shifted to the left so I could use my left hand to reach the bag. My right hand Ashley held pinned against her pussy. She was rocking gently against my hand as I picked up her bag and lifted it to the table. Once it was on the table Ashley dug through a side pocket to find her phone. "It's Mom!" she exclaimed as...
It must have been only a moment, but I came awake with my arms wrapped around Ashley. She was lying there senseless. I pushed my body off hers and rolled to the side. Once we were lying next to each other, I began offering loving kisses. "Will it always be like that?" Ashley asked with a sigh. "I wish it will be," I replied as I held her. "That was just about perfect." "I know," Ashley said as she put her arms around me and squeezed me. "I never expected that." "I love you," I...
Ashley and I were quiet on the drive home. We were pulling into the driveway at my place when Ashley quietly asked. "Mark? Should we have offered her a chance to leave Earth with you?" "No," I said firmly. "There was no connection. Both of us think Kelsey is sweet and adorable. With Lenore it seemed like we came to the same conclusion about her sadness. And we know they get along with each other. I liked that Connie was willing to help when I had to intervene in the fight at the store,...
Chastity followed me as I walked over to the table. When I stopped to look around the room I could see a very nervous look on her face. “Problem?” I asked. “That orientation makes the ship seem very complex,” Chastity said. “It is. It has to be in order to allow us to travel into space,” I replied. “But I can’t even understand why I have the CAP to be a citizen. I always hated fighting. My parents were always fighting. I got into acting because there was a small theater group in my...
The rest of the weekend was in some ways idyllic. After we finished eating the pizza, Mrs. Roberts drove us home, stopping to drop off Walter. Jessica called her father, and had one of his employees come to pick up Kathy, Millie, and her. They promised to try to spend more time with us. Mr. Cunningham told us he would be showing up later before driving away from Harrard's. I rode home with Mrs. Roberts. Ashley let me know that she was not excited by the idea of spending a night in a cold...
"Your father is trapped in the Ukraine?" Becky asked. "That's what he told me last night," I said. "He said some kind of intelligence agency arrested Valery and he lost some of the paperwork required to leave." "Why the tour then?" Jason asked. "I guess the band owes the unions some favors," I said. "My father said they would make sure he can travel back here with the band. Supposedly they use a choir and he'd be part of it when they fly here." "Your father sings?" Jason...
Morgan's question stuck with me for the next two hours as we wandered the mall. Beatrice had handed out cash to everyone when we first arrived and told us to spend it as we pleased. Angelique had been given a twenty and begged to be shown where she might purchase a teddy bear. I found a children's store and took Angelique inside as my friends scattered throughout the mall. Angelique wandered the entire store, gazing longingly at a couple of the dolls before heading over to an area filled...
We loaded the suitcases onto the bus quickly. Once the bus was full, I informed the driver that we were going to head to breakfast. He said that he would park around the corner. Maurice, Jason, and I headed over to the restaurant. We arrived at the entrance and found that the rest of our group had already been seated. The hostess agreed to lead us to the private room where everyone was. I lagged behind the others as the hostess led us through the restaurant. Several of the patrons looked at...
We found the ramp and began making our way up the spiral. Ashley had her phone to her ear. "Yes, I know about it. I was filming ... No, I didn't put my video on YouTube." "Sooner," Lenore and I said in unison. "Look, we're trying to get to our seats," Ashley said. "No one here is hurt or anything." "No one?" I asked as I looked over my shoulder. Lenore giggled. "Morgan told us about how this security company has been known to try to shake down some of the luxury box ticket...
It was about nine when I finished my studying for the night. I was preparing a list of food items that could be hidden in the tree house when my father came home. He was shouting about untrustworthy politicians and corrupt bureaucrats. It was clear that the conference call had not provided the results he and his friends had hoped for. I went to sleep listening to him rant at Mother. The next morning Father was sitting at the breakfast table when I came down after my shower. He glared at me...
The ground under the treehouse was hard and my right ankle protested the abrupt landing. I fell forward, putting my hands on the dirt, and dropping the bag containing the washcloths. A small cloud of dust billowed up. I inhaled some of the dirt and started coughing. Above me I could hear Ashley laughing. She waited for me to stop coughing and then shouted. "I'll take stupid human tricks for fifty." "It was fun!" I protested as I stood up and began brushing dirt from my shirt and...
Ashley was the first to exit the mall, but I caught up to her as we came around the building and could finally see the small seating area for the outdoor café. Her mother was sitting quietly at a table sipping from a cup as she scanned something on a tablet. We could see Jason approaching from the other side. All three of us managed to reach the table at the same time. Mrs. Roberts did not look up. "I set up a pizza delivery back at the house in forty-five minutes," she told us as she...
The system was in standby as I turned the chair back to the front. I reached down to call up a replay of the engine repair when I felt a hand grasp the back of my chair. “Yes?” I asked. “Is it always like that?” Captain Prescott asked. “The simulations are supposed to be the absolute worst possible sequence,” I replied. “And the time is compressed a bit. I really doubt we could enter a system get into a fight, scan a planetoid as well as a Sa’arm controlled planet and escape in just under...
I waited for the door to close and then released a massive sigh. Tatyana immediately put her arms around me. “That was hard on you,” she observed. I feel like I’m the only sheep in a room filled with hungry wolves. There are quite a few members of the crew that would do their best to replace me if they thought I’d fail,” I replied as I stood up. “Never let them see you sweat?” Tatyana said. “Basically,” I agreed as I stood up. “AI, you can power down this room until the next training...
The next two hours were spent quietly monitoring the ship’s systems as we continued to crawl towards Yulara and the orbital station. Blaine and I said little as we watched the one prototype ship circle its target. Only two more attack runs were attempted and one confirmed Kelsey’s comments about the weapon’s short range. The ship fired from what appeared to be about twice the distance as the first run only for every shot to fade away before they reached the moon. Blaine repeated his thanks...
The instant the door closed, Ashley jumped up and waved to me. "Come take a seat Mark." "Ladies should be the ones sitting," I said carefully as I walked over and gave her a hug. "Humor me?" Ashley said coyly. I was surprised by how childish and adorable she sounded. She was rocking back and forth on the balls of her feet, so I sat down in the chair she had just left. The moment my butt was on the cushion Ashley jumped into my lap and put her arms around my neck. "This is a much...
After such a rough start the rest of the vacation went surprisingly smoothly. Miki proved to be a huge asset. She knew places to visit that we might never have thought of. There was a small feeling of loss after Liz and Cassidy were picked up. None of us knew them well, but they had been friends. Her short tale of the conditions at the pickup had definitely impressed everyone. Maurice was at times fawning on Jessica. Fortunately the young lady just laughed and then had her minions pounce on...
My friends were relaxed at school. Ashley, Lenore, and Miki sat together at brunch and lunch, giggling. Matti was sitting on Jessica's lap during our breaks. My sister was still timid, but she clearly felt safe in Jessica's arms. The others tried to keep me from worrying too much about the meeting after school, but I still obsessed a bit over my father's tone. I knew he was intensely interested in finding a way to thwart the CAP system and worried that he would demand that I take him. I...
I watched my father until he finally vanished behind the fence enclosing the backstage area. Once he was out of sight I heaved a huge sigh of relief. "That was intense," Jason said. "I thought you were going to have to kill him." "I thought I might have to as well. He is going to try again if he can think up a way," I said. "So what do we do now?" Lenore asked. I reached into a pocket and pulled out a huge bundle of tickets. "We do have tickets to see the concert," I said. "But...
The next two weeks blurred together. Every morning was spent out at the park. Jason, Jessica and I always tried to get some exercises in first before we joined the others in a series of sports related activities. Soccer and kickball were the most common but we tried ultimate Frisbee and touch football as well. Sergeant O'Malley showed up occasionally and would drill us in unarmed combat techniques before having everyone run laps. At first the laps were small, but each time the Sergeant...
We returned to the lobby in time to meet the others as they started to board the vans. Vlad came over and gave Tatyana one last hug. He promised to tell her sister what had happened and to bring her sister into the troupe should she want to come to America. Several other troupe members also came by for a last goodbye. Tatyana was bubbly on the drive back to the house. She asked many questions of Miki and Lenore while playfully ignoring Ashley, but finding ways to answer her when talking to...
The sunny skies and warm air were attracting more and more people to the park as the day wore on. After lunch, Ashley, Lenore and I decided to avoid the growing lines on the slides and spend several hours in the wave pools and on the endless river. We woke Angelique and spent the next three hours splashing each other as we explored the park. We stayed at the park until the setting sun and diminishing light signaled that it was time for the park to close. Morgan gathered everyone up and led...
“Captain Parker,” A voice growled out. “Dare I ask why you are in port today?” “Corsica ended its last patrol yesterday. The orders we received just before leaving Crucibleat were to visit several nearby systems and look for signs of Sa’arm incursions. We found none, although there was one system that my officers and I believe would be quite interesting to them. We left a warning buoy in the system as a way to provide advanced warning should an incursion occur. Our final orders were to visit...
Major Greenfeld was standing outside the door. He looked at me and shook his head. “You are just fifteen?” he asked. “I might be sixteen now,” I replied. “I’ve lost track of how many days have passed and which day we are on anymore. But I also don’t worry about it much.” “You don’t?” he asked as we started walking back to Corsica. “My age does not determine how well I can do my job,” I said. “No, but it does determine how others will view you,” Major Greenfeld said. “At least initially....
Once I sat down in the captain’s chair I found that the sleep training had shown me the location of every button. I tested out the ones activating the holographic data screens just in front of the chair. They came up, but showed no data. “AI? Is there a problem with the simulator?” I asked. “No simulation has been chosen,” the AI said. “Can we set up for a simple cruise in the Crucibleat system? We haven’t heard much about the system or the planet we will be on,” I replied. “Activating...
I knew of the grove and tree houses along Milford, but this was my first time looking past the road. The few times I had come out with friends, we had concentrated on the houses on the far side of the street. I scanned the trees ahead, watching for tree houses as Ashley and I moved away from the road. At first I saw nothing more than a couple of wooden platforms in the branches of a few of the bigger trees. Most of the trees on this side of the road were young and lacked the branches to hold...
Miss Kirke's revelations were the only thing that marred the dance and all of homecoming weekend. The girls met us at the decked out gym dressed in elaborate Victorian gowns. It meant that dancing to the faster songs was pretty much impossible, but the slow dances were great fun. Before the night was done, Kathy even won an award for the best costume. The next morning, Jessica reminded us that she was going to have her birthday on the upcoming Wednesday. Everyone in our group wanted to be...
I was surprised how much fun we all had. Lauren ended up spending the last hour coaxing many of us onto some of the intermediate slopes in the area. Erica was fearless on the slopes. Ashley, Jason, and I were the next group to start challenging the harder slopes. To my surprise Milli often joined us, although she was very tentative if there were moguls. Maurice struggled with stopping and turning. He often crossed his skis and wound up crashing. Still he kept smiling and was willing to race...
It was nearly twenty-four hours later that we finally arrived at Tokyo's Narita airport. Angelique was more than a little anxious. She really wanted to get out and run. Jason and I had done what we could to keep her entertained on the overnight flight, but it was clear she needed a bit of time just to run around. Of course, the first thing we had to do after arriving was go through customs. Liz, Morgan, Jessica, Jason, and I talked about this as we walked through the skyway and headed for...
We ended up spending only one more hour in the park. Many of the partiers were drinking heavily. Once darkness fell the park started to feel a bit unsafe. Miki helped guide us back to the subway station so we could catch a ride back to the hotel. During the ride back to the hotel, I finally managed to introduce Miki to everyone. She was intimidated by Morgan and Maurice but started up a lively conversation with Jessica about the merits of a couple of old anime series. By the time we reached...
I used my cell phone to find an e-mail address for the US consulate in Tokyo. I sent an e-mail before we slept that night. At the time I figured I would have to call in the morning. Miki asked if she could sleep alone. I noticed that she was blushing when she did and finally asked her how much experience she had. I think Ashley and Lenore both gasped when she told us that she had never had a real boyfriend, and her only experience with sex had been when she had been forced to use her body as...