Episode 6

Chapter 15

Megan

10:30am

I drove to the Stone farm as fast as I could.

This morning I didn't care if I got ticketed.

Hell, this morning I wouldn't cared if I had to run barefoot over shattered glass with a broken leg.

There was just no way I was going to miss this appointment. It just wasn't going to happen. It wasn't every day that people got an invitation to become part of Stone's project.

But that was not what had my mother thrilled. I was being given an exclusive. I was to be the first reporter aboard a ship going after the X Prize II. Mother told me that there were correspondents that would sell themselves into sexual slavery for the opportunity I was being given.

"Megan, you made it!" Jacob called out.

"I wouldn't have missed it for the world." I replied emphatically and with total honesty.

Jacob laughed slightly. "This I believe."

"I've a question. Have you decided which station I'm going to broadcast to?"

"Not yet. I know a couple, but I was not sure which I prefer more. I'm currently torn between C.N.N. and B.B.C."

Now's the time. "How about B.C.S?"

"B.C.S.?"

"B.C.S. The Baltimore Chesapeake Station."

"Why them?" Better yet, who are they?

"I've connections with them."

"Really? Like who?"

"My mother is a reporter there."

"Really? What does she usually cover?"

"Human interest stories."

"She ever do the science beat?"

"No. But she doesn't need to understand how it works to report on what it's doing."

Jacob scratched his chin for a minute. "True. But it might have helped."

"Jacob, you do know that nobody in the school understands what you've built. It hasn't stopped them from helping when they understood the end results, did it?"

"No, but that's why I made the systems so smart."

"So, will you let my mother be the connection to the mainstream media?"

"Maybe. No offense, but she does not seem important enough to command air time with a phone call."

"She can today, because she is playing against the anchorman who wants her gone so he can get his nephew in my mom's job slot."

"I see. This is your big break into the news industry, possibly the highlight of your day even though you're also part of the crew. And because of rivalys at the station, it's being turned into a move in a game of office politics."

"You make it sound so manipulative." My attempted joke fell flat.

He just looked at me. "Remember who you are talking too."

"Alright, alright. But we can't all resist temptations. This one was just too good."

"It's ok. I understand. Just make sure that I don't regret this."

"You won't. My mother told me to tell you she'll follow my lead. You've already told me what to expect and what you're looking for."

"Just to make sure, what do you think I am expecting?"

"You are expecting to break orbit in that ship over there. This will be part of your attempt to win the X Prize II contest. Several questions will probably be asked about and to the crew."

"About right."

"Any other notes?"

"Yes. Start the interview by dealing with me. That way I can set for the audience what the others can or cannot be expected to know."

"Sure. Anything you say." I'd strip down and fuck him right here and now if he told me it was part of the deal to do this flight.

"This way." He led me to where his ship was parked.

Bob and Ashley were waiting there.

"Hi Megan." Ashley said.

Bob just hugged me. "How's my girl?"

"Great now that I've seen you." I gave him a long kiss. "I didn't know that you'd be here too."

Jacob just smiled at us. "Ashley, I will admit is here on something of a mysterious request. It was hinted strongly by Diane that I put you on this crew. Bob has been pretty much my best friend since I got here."

Bob smiled. "When it was obvious Jacob was going to be putting a crew together, I knew I'd probably be on it. So I asked him if my girlfriend could join."

I was pretty certain I knew who Bob's girl was.

"That's why I got the call and the exclusive. I'm not the only press person you could have called, was I?"

"Nope. You were always going to be part of the crew. You were in enough press related clubs for me to decide you'd be a good choice for the communications post."

"Not that I'm complaining here, but then why give me the exclusive?"

"Simple. One of the trademarks of the Density Force is that we youths are not the helpless fools that need all our thinking done for us that many in authority are thinking these days. The more the Density Force can do what it needs to with teenagers, the more we can force those in charge to realize we are not idiots who will swallow everything we are told just because they are older. In other words, being an adult does not mean they are better than us."

I laughed. "That may be beyond even you."

"Could be. But since when has that stopped me from trying?"

"Good point." Bob replied. "What jobs do Ashley and I get?"

"Ashley will be the pilot. Bob, you get weapons and shields."