Chapter 22: Responding to Revelations

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 night Ashley and I cuddled and shivered on her bed. Ashley clung to me with a desperate strength that night as we tried to fall asleep.

The next morning we met the rest of the family, and I could see that none of them had slept well. Letty in particular seemed desperate to know that someone cared for her. She was always touching someone, usually Jason as we ate breakfast in silence. No one wanted to be the first to speak. After the depressing breakfast, we scattered to think more.

I spent the rest of the weekend with Ashley. This was not a time of endless sex, but a series of sessions where we touched and talked. Ashley poured out her dreams and fears as I tried to comfort her and convince her that we could work things out. She was completely unwilling to allow me out of her sight except to go to the bathroom. When Sunday night rolled around, I feared she would not allow me to go home. In the end, I stood on the front porch as she held me tight and cried on my shoulder before I walked the half mile home.

At home the atmosphere was dark. It was as if we found the whole house in the middle of some giant hydraulic press. My father stalked around the house that Sunday night growling at the walls and ceiling. He raised a closed fist at my sister when she asked if he wanted a beer, scaring her so badly that she ran up the stairs crying.

Mike was no better, he moaned about his injured arm, which was going to need surgery to repair his damaged elbow. He seemed to want to visit one of his friends. When I offered to ride over with Mom to pickup any packages he shook his head and retreated to his room. In the end, I crept into my own bedroom and worked on homework while worrying about the future.

The next day at school was a complete disaster. If the first announcement and weekend had weakened the authority of the teachers, the two Defense Forces Specials seemed to have stripped it completely. One student in five failed to show up, and many who did, openly carried their cell phones and regularly checked for texts or calls from family members. Three teachers also failed to show up. Two were married women, and rumor had it that they were staying in sight of their husbands. The third teacher was one of the few bachelors. Most of the students suspected that he had a CAP score above seven, and Millie mentioned that she had seen the man visiting the eldest daughter of one of the town's richest citizens. Lunch time was strangely peaceful when I claimed my group's table near the basketball courts.

I sat there, waiting for the others, when Walter ran up. "Dude!" he screamed at me. "Why are you wasting your time here? There are girls desperate for some high CAP dick. Get up and test the waters."

"I'm not really interested at the moment," I replied. "Right now I'm hungry for the roast beast sub that I brought from home for lunch."

"Do you have the au jus sauce with that?" Jessica asked as she slid onto the bench across from me. "Oh and hello Walter. I thought you were going to be back in the courtyard."

"Boring!" Walter cut in. "The girls there have no fire. They don't seem to want me."

"Of course I have au jus. It's not a good roast beast sandwich without it," I replied to Jessica. "Walter, perhaps the girls wouldn't be boring if you didn't mistreat them."

"Dude, they come to me and beg for my attention," Walter bragged pointing at his flashing CAP pin. The items were supposedly banned on school grounds, but the teachers had been turning a blind eye on the five boys wearing them. In a class of almost two hundred students we only had fourteen members who had known CAP scores in the volunteer range. The four females refused to brag about it, but five of the boys were trying to take advantage of their score. Walter had become their ringleader.

Jason and Kelsey sat down on either side of me. Walter leered at Kelsey who ignored him. The young lady wrapped her arms around me and pressed her face into my shoulder. "Mark, I'm scared."

Kathy was moving to sit down next to Jessica. "I know how you feel. Fortunately my parents were willing to allow me to move in with Jessica."

"Really?" Jason asked. "I can't imagine that they want you out of their sight."

Kathy sighed. "It was a long discussion."

"Argument," Jessica coughed into her hand.

"And my parents were just worried about me," Kathy said sadly.

"Money," Jessica coughed.

Kathy looked at Jessica. "You know, I respect you a lot, but it would be nice if you didn't insult my parents."

"So they weren't trying to extort money out of my father?" Jessica asked.

Kathy looked down at the tabletop. "No, they were definitely trying for money once I made it clear that I'd do anything to live with you full time. And you're right it was an argument I told my father that I was going no matter what he said, and that I'd tell the cops he molested me if he called them to drag me back. I'd never seen someone punch a hole through a wall, but my father did."

"Ouch," Jason said. "That seems excessive."

"He cares," I pointed out. "This has to terrify and confuse most parents. They have been conditioned to see eighteen as the age of maturity and to expect their children to strive to go to college. Now they are told that their children are adults at fourteen and cannot just enlist, but must leave Earth forever in defense of aliens we have never really met."

"Sure we did," Walter said. "Otherwise how would we be fighting for them?"

"Ever heard of a radio?" Jessica said with a laugh. "The aliens don't have to have actually met us, just talked to us. Most likely via computers of some kind. It's not like they would just happen to have developed English as a spoken language."

"Does it really work that way?" Kathy asked. "I never really understood how we communicated with the aliens."

"I have no idea," Jessica said. "I get a feeling that they aren't all that comfortable with humanity."

I shrugged. "I'm just hoping we can always be friends. Tomorrow will take care of itself tomorrow."

Kelsey hugged me as Jason looked over at Jessica and Kathy. "So Kathy will be living with you now?"

"Yes," Jessica said. "After the special, I realized that if she was not near me I might find myself in a situation where I could not select her. That one speech made it clear that you don't get leave to find your planned partners."

Jason nodded. "Man this morning was a bitch. Becky was in tears and clinging to Mom."

"Who the fuck is Becky?" Walter snapped. "Your mom doesn't have a six five! How the fuck did she end up with a girl in her arms?"

Everyone at the table glared at Walter. "You are so rude," Kathy muttered.

Jason just looked at his friend. "My mother doesn't have a score that allows her to enlist, but she's still a loving and compassionate woman. She found a man who does have a good score, and he's been living with us. Becky is the other woman he believes will work out in their group."

"How is that working since Friday night?" I asked as I could see Walter about to explode.

Jason turned to look at me. "Surprisingly, it's a lot better. Becky is very clingy though. She doesn't like being more than ten feet from either my mom or Morgan, so she ends up either in the way, or disrupting things occasionally. That was the problem this morning. Morgan was heading out to get the crews to work on his current project. He and Mom have insisted that Becky be professional and give her employer two weeks' notice before quitting, so Becky had to go to work."

I nodded. "It wouldn't be fair to the company for Becky to leave too quickly. They need time to find a replacement."

Jason nodded. "I know, but leaving both Morgan and Mom really traumatized the poor girl. Mom promised to go and hang out at her job all day to help her stay calm."

"What does Becky do?" Jessica asked.

Jason blushed and mumbled something. It sounded a bit like "rants at rails."

Jessica glared at Jason. "Mumbling is just not in. Come on, it can't be that bad.

Jason looked up, his face was bright red. "She works at that Theresa's Treasures in the mall."

"Theresa's Treasures," Walter snapped. "The girl is a bloody bra and panties sales girl? Dude! That must be so awesome!"

Jason was shaking his head. "She's a bit embarrassed by the job, but I guess it was all she could find after her last boyfriend ruined her reputation. And before you ask, no, she doesn't do private parties or model."

I nodded. "It doesn't sound too bad."

I was going to say more, but Walter's cell phone started beeping. He pulled it from the holster at his waist and read a text message he must have just received. "Dude!" he screamed. "Tony says that there will be a pickup at the Scottish restaurant at four! We can go there after school and be off this planet before dinner!"

"Did you watch the special?" I asked. "Did you hear the briefing where the Defense Forces man made it clear that they would not be announcing the locations of any pickups? Do you really think that your friend Tony will know the truth?"

Walter glared at me. "Dude, what's your problem! I've known Tony for years, and he always has good information. He knew when that Remmy Valentine was coming to sing last summer and helped me score front row tickets. Holly gave me a huge kiss when I took her to that concert. And he knew about the modification to the show order last Labor Day. I was able to snag the perfect picnic spot to hear the Raging Lions play. If I had believed the posted schedule, I would have been at the other side of the park when they performed."

"That's hardly an endorsement for him knowing when and where a reportedly random pick up will occur," Jessica pointed out.

"Well, fuck you!" Walter snapped. "I'm going, and I'm going to get the two prettiest girls there to suck my dick before I take them to the stars. You can sit at this table and verbally masturbate for all I care."

Walter turned around and stalked off. He growled something at a poor seventh grader who got too close as he headed back to the courtyard. We watching him go.

Jason sighed when Walter was out of sight. "That was just stupid," he observed.

"What was?" Millicent asked as she walked up to the table. "And what had Walter all upset."

"Walter received a text message claiming that if you have the score to volunteer for the Defense Forces, you want to be at a certain Scottish restaurant at four after school today," Kathy chirped.

"How would that get him upset?" Millie asked. "I mean I could understand Kelsey being upset if Mark said he'd be going."

"I might watch from across the street," I said slowly. "Jason, what about that steakhouse with the outdoor tables? We could have an early dinner there on the patio and be safe from any pickup."

Jessica giggled. "Oh, sounds like fun. Can I come and bring Kathy and Tommy? I want to laugh at Walter when nothing happens."

Jason had his phone sitting on the table. He had put the phone on speaker, and we could hear the ring of an outgoing call. A moment later someone picked up.

"Well, young and handsome," Becky's voice sang out. She sounded relaxed and cheerful. "What great honor has you calling your mother?"

"Um ... why are you answering?" Jason asked.

"I'm afraid your mother has her ... mouth full at the moment," Becky replied carefully.

Jason turned red and put his head down on the table as Kathy, Millie, and Jessica burst out laughing. Becky must have heard the sound, because she gasped. "Oops am I on speaker?"

"You are," I replied. "Sorry about this Becky. I believe Jason was calling to see if his mother would mind if he and Ashley have dinner at the steakhouse in the mall."

"Why?" Becky asked. "I mean, I don't see a problem, but why dinner at a steakhouse on a Monday night?"

"There is a rumor that the Scottish restaurant across the street will be the scene of a pick up in the mid afternoon. We want to go and see how crowded it gets," I admitted.

Becky laughed. "Sounds like fun. Tell Jason that his mother just gave me a thumbs up. They can go. Heck we might decide to join you."

"Yes, we have invented a new spectator sport, watching the herd stampede in search of a pickup," Jessica said with a laugh.

"Dude!" Jason said as he picked up the phone and ended the call. "I so did not need to hear that."

"Why not?" Kathy said. "It sounds like Morgan decided to visit them for lunch, and that they are bonding."

Jason shivered, but did not continue the argument. Millie sat down with us and looked around. "Where is Tommy?"

"His mother wouldn't let him come to school today," Jessica said mournfully. "I'm not sure I'll be able to keep him on my list."

"Then could I?' Millie asked hopefully. She leaned against Jessica. My blonde friend frowned slightly.

"Women are expected to ensure that their concubines get pregnant. That was part of the Sunday special for women. I either have to select a man, or accept loaning my concubines out on a regular basis until they are confirmed pregnant," Jessica replied.

"Yuck," Jason said. "I can understand why you'd want to know the man."

Jessica nodded sadly. "The problem is that I'm growing to like Millie."

Jason nodded as well. "Me too. She's been a wonderful person to talk to recently."

Millie blushed and looked down at the tabletop. "I'm sorry. I was nasty to all of you."

"We've all noticed that you have changed," I replied. "You are becoming a good friend to all of us here. That is something you never need to apologize for."

Jessica nodded. "We all love you. Now I know that having you around will be pleasant, I'm definitely going to see if I can push my CAP to seven. I can't let Mark over there be the only one in our freshman class to have a high CAP next year."

Everyone at the table laughed, and the rest of lunch passed as we joked about the antics we had watched in class earlier in the day. In the end, we all agreed to have dinner at the steakhouse, and I sent a brief text to Ashley informing her. She texted back that she and Letty would meet me in the parking lot after school.