Episode 20

Chapter 55

Libra

2:15 pm

The conference room was as bland as possible. There was nothing that would give any immediate clue either as to the owner, or the owner's tastes. It was in a building designed to be so ordinary that nobody would notice it, even if they were staring right at it.

I arrived and looked at the other eleven seated at the table. As was traditional, none of us spoke. We all exchanged computerized greetings.

Sagittarius looked around and then bent over the keyboard in front him. As you all know, we will communicate via these computerized devices. Nobody's name is to be mentioned. That is why we have these code names. I now turn you over to Leo.

Leo started typing. His machine started speaking. "Welcome. Today, the association meets for its fourth year anniversary. The association was formed when it looked like a very liberal person would win the presidency. We were formed as a political action group to protect our country from those who would insist on civil rights and ethics over what was needed to insure our country's rightful superior place in the world. It was a bitter campaign, but our beloved president won. He won, as he so truly put it, a mandate to rule the country. The more forward thinking of our citizens also thought that mandate included the world. We were all ready to keep ourselves in the background until the next elections. Until the mass resignations occurred. Then the liberals through their democratic minions started to weaken our blessed president's work."

He paused while everybody expressed their disgust.

"The history of the association as it exists today started on February 10^th, 2004. On that date, the congress overruled the president. Their treasonous decision to have our foreign policy work with the United Nations was the catalyst. Their continued actions to reverse the deeds of the president's first term has forced us to become a stronger, more secret society to defend American values. Let's face it. American values are the only values worth defending. Each person who sits at this table is here because of two things. First, they believe strongly that the liberal weaknesses of this country, their unquestioned adherence to civil rights and equality, that those who believe these things are sacred are most certainly wrong. The second requirement for a chair at this table was influence throughout at least one sector of the American people."

I looked around at my fellow board members. We didn't know each other's names, but we had an idea as to what each person could influence.

"Today," Leo continued, "we will vote on a new Orion. Our candidate has proven himself in the military. Officially, he commands the Marine training base at Parris Island. Unofficially he has helped us with every request we've ever given him. When we sounded him out, we found we were, as the old phrase put it, preaching to the choir. Recently he took on the riskiest mission the Association has asked of somebody. He tried to steal the Hades. Pisces, can you please tell us more about that mission?"

Pisces leaned forward and started typing. A cultured female voice was heard. "Last week, the Hades under the command of Jacob Stone, became the first alternative powered craft to reach space by a civilian. He had the audacity to do this on live TV. During this flight, the little traitor had the nerve to declare that his ship would not be used as pawns to anybody. This we can not permit. Such craft could easily allow us to do what we need to in order to protect true American values."

I hated people repeating things I already knew. "So what did the association do?"

"Two things. First, we had ordered our new Orion to seize control of the ship and capture it's inventor. He failed on his first attempt, but will try again. As this will break his cover, one of us has already arranged for him to have a Presidential Pardon issued."

"Failed, hell. Word has it he was hogtied by a high school girl. Stone has pressed charges for piracy. The Marine Corps is really lucky that this news hasn't broken out."

"You're right about that. This is horrible on two fronts. First, the piracy charges. The Commandant of the Cadet Corps arrested for piracy?? The press would have a field day with this. He would replace Ollie North as the press' most reported Marine.

"Piracy?" A fourth interrupted. "Forget the piracy. The fact a couple of high school students subdued him and his aide, and hogtied them for Almighty God's sake. If that ever gets out, the Marines won't be able to hold up their heads in a hundred years."

"Gentleman," Leo interrupted, "let the lady finish."

The room quieted down.

"Thank you." Pisces hit a few other buttons. A map of an area in Afghanistan appeared on a wall screen. "Here Orion will redeem himself. He has already gotten aboard the Hades once. He will do it again. We have by various means transferred a full group of Association loyalists to the base. The president will shortly pardon him..."

Chapter 56

Karl

3:30pm

I'd seen better weather in horror movies.

It was cold.

It was blustery.

And I did not give a damn.

Because I was walking with Krissy.

"No practice tonight?" I asked her.

"Nope. She said that with it being technically Halloween and all, we'd probably all be thinking about treats and partying."

"Smart coach. So are you?"

"Am I what?"

"Going out trick or treating, or out to some party?"

Krissy laughed.

It was a musical sounding laugh that made me smile.

"No," she said. "I did that last weekend. I'm going to do school work until about six pm, then I'll sit at the door handing out treats to the little kids in costumes."

"They are going out tonight? Isn't it Monday?"

"Yep. But the people running the town are traditionalists. Halloween is tonight, so tonight the kids will go trick or treating. What about you?"

"Nothing. We celebrated last Friday where I live."

"Nothing?"

"Well, nothing related to fun or my life. I've got to babysit Don."

"Don?"

"My younger brother. He's head of the chess club in the middle school, and built a working GPS system from junk yard cast offs. But I've still got to watch him until mom and dad get home from their jobs."

"From junkyard parts? Why did he do that?"

"Well, he told me he was bored. Personally though I think he was just showing off."

Krissy shook her head. "What is this, the nerd capital on the nation? If your younger brother can do that, Stone's younger brother could probably build a fusion bomb with the stuff the high school science department threw out last month."

I laughed long and hard. "Relax Krissy, the region's safe. Stone doesn't have a younger brother. Trust me, there are times I wished I fit in more. You think I want to end up like Jacob Stone? He's got as much of a chance of a normal life as a full scale orgy occurring at that universal church place out on the highway. I might not have the best love life, but at least whoever does fall in love with me will not have to compete against some legend's duties."

Krissy grinned. "Relax. All you smart kids can handle that."

"Not all of us. Some of us are not walking challenges to what people think should be possible. Want to hear something?"

"Sure."

"There are times I wish I was one of the jocks."

"Why?"

"Because the jocks get girls practically throwing themselves at them. You know how annoying it is to have to start from scratch, working up the nerve to ask a girl out, working slowly up to putting any moves on her during a date, just to see other guys starting several steps ahead of me?"

I didn't notice that Krissy was getting upset at that.

"That's bad enough. But to know that if I was good enough at a sport, girls would put out for me easily. Not for love, but just as a status symbol. 'Hey, I fucked the quarterback'. Without this program, I've never have gotten laid. Other guys, sex is theirs for the asking."

Krissy was steaming now. She tried to speak, but her voice strangled her words. "Just leave me alone." she finally managed to grind out.

"But..."

"I said leave me alone!!!"

Chapter 57

Tiffany

Personal log (voice), Tiffany French, Captain of the Flying Dutchman, 7 pm, October 31^st, 2006

"Joe, go to conventional operations."

"Done." my ship's computer responded. "Incoming call."

"On speakers."

"Tiffany?"

I recognized Mr. Mason's voice.

"You were expecting maybe the Pillsbury Dough Boy? How many other people do you have in this group that has one of these things?"

"You don't have to be smart about it." he admonished me.

"Maybe not. But today hasn't been all the fun it could have been either."

"That may be true. But you can't take all your frustrations out on others, either."

"Possibly not. But I'm not coming for a fight either."

"Where are you?"

"Highway eighty six."

"Why there?"

"It's someplace to be while I try to remember where the Four-H Halloween party is."

"Karen's family's farm."

"Ok. Joe."

"Yes?"

"Set course for Karen's place."

"Done."

"While you're at it, did you remember to bring anything?"

"Yes. I got six three liter bottles of soda."

"Any orange favored?"

"Nope."

"Good. We have eight of those already."