Marcella sits down crossing her legs spreading his skirt evenly. She looks forward at the sky light fading at every moment.

  “What are you sorry for?” Zenden asked just hoping for this to come out on the open.

  “A lot of things.” she said brushing her hair again. A sure sign of nervousness. “I guess for being so stupid from before. Hurting you the way I have all these years”

  “You didn’t hurt me. I mean not intentionally.”

  Marcella looks at the high peaks of the Ven Marshan Mountains. She gives herself a couple of seconds taking it all in. “I wish I knew how you felt earlier. I mean that in the most honest way.”

  “I should have told you from before, but I was scared.”

  “Of what? Me?”

  “No, of other circumstances.”

  Marcella looks at Zenden and her eyebrows rise in remembrance. She accesses a part of her memory; in an instant just like Zenden at that moment as well she was in the past. “Oh Zenden, what happened then was terrible.”

  “You saw?”

  “A lot of people saw. I felt terrible for you. I could see the pain in your heart. I wanted to do something. To tell you something to make you feel better,”

  “You were going out with Martin Mauresmo.”

  “I know of Martin, he was possessive.”

  “He threatened me you know?”

  “What?” Marcella said in absolute shock.

  “Yeah he told me to stop watching you. That he would break me in half if he saw me near you again.”

  “Oh, I’m so sorry Zenden. I didn’t know. If I knew that I would have dropped him like a bad Andulan habit.”

  “You never knew me then Marcella. How would you have known either way? I mean you never noticed me.”

  “I did. You just never got that I saw you all those times.”

  “What times?”

  “When you followed me to the library or to the girls gym, or to the bus stop.”

  “I know that seems weird that I followed you then, but I just wanted to make sure that you were safe. That you were okay.”

  “I know Zenden,” she smiles, “I know. I always knew.”

  She holds his hand.

  “Then you stopped protecting me. You stopped being around Zenden. Why?”

  Zenden lets go of her hand and stands up putting both his hands on his side. He walks a few steps forward with his back turned to Marcella. Just tell her. No going back now. “You really want to know Marcella?”

  “Yes,” Marcella stands up, “of course I want to know.”

  “I was angry at you.”

  “Why?” Marcella said with concern.

  Zenden takes a deep breath and slowly turns round and looks at Marcella right in the eye. “Do you know what it’s like seeing the person you care about, the person who you might love being with some other guy? Touch them and kiss them in front of you? To go to bed hating yourself because she’s with some guy who’s no good for her? your heart breaking and even though you try and go out and force yourself to like someone else, but that person cannot measure up, because that person Marcella wasn’t you?”

  Zenden moves closer to the clearly shocked Marcella. “That I had to sit idly by and watch you get hurt by all these guys and then we talk finally, but you don’t treat me well. You walk past me at some points like you’re ashamed to know me or that I’m not worth being in your stratosphere.”

  “I never meant that!” Marcella yells.

  “I think you did, because I wasn’t the best looking or the coolest guy. Yeah I’m big and most people think I’m this bullying type.”

  “I never thought that!”

  “Maybe you didn’t, but I tried to tell you. I tried to tell you all the time. I just couldn’t, because you never told me, you never showed me that you were interested and I need to know, because I don’t take that type of risk Marcella. I tried it once and I failed. I don’t want to fail again.”

  “And you won’t!”

  Zenden stays silent almost shocked at her reply.

  “I only ignored you at those times because you were going out Annia Pernastar. A girl who never liked and always gave me evil looks when you guys were together. She tried to take my head off at Quasarball during P.E once. I looked at you two and I thought you were happy, but I wasn’t happy.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I guess I liked that you always there for me. That you followed me.”

  “Like some back up for the other guys in your life.” Zenden harrumphs.

  “No, no of course not! How can you say that? I was and am never like that Zenden! How can you say that?”

  “I’m sorry. I did not mean that accusation. Honestly.”

  Marcella smiles she looks to her left and then her right. Zenden wondering if he should talk or let her finish what she was saying was in concern and at eighteen had yet to learn the practicalities of the fairer sex.

  “I often thought about you,” She said starting back, but avoiding the gaze of Zenden as she did in the beginning of the conversation, “You know when we talked in the library and you said to me that I could do anything, if I put my mind to it. You meant it?”

  Zenden looks hurt for a second like she cut a deep wound in his heart. “Of course I did Marcella.” He said with a pleading yet sorrowful tone. “I would never had said anything if you weren’t worthy of that sort of complement.” Jaden type dialogue.

  Marcella looks Zenden and sees the hurt she caused. She walks up to him with her eyes firmly locked on his as Zenden looks down at his feet now.

  “I jumped again and now the accusations are flying. Now I am truly sorry.” Marcella said looking at Zenden standing right in front of him. She takes his hands and places both on each side of her cheeks. “I…am truly sorry for everything that I have done to you. If I could go back and change the experience I would.”

  “In an instant Marcella?”

  “In a heartbeat Zenden.”

  They both laugh. Zenden looks deep into her eyes. He gets lost looking at her brown eyes. His whole being feels light, like being lifted onto the clouds in the skies. His heart skips at an alarming rate, yet at the same time a sense of exhilaration comes across him. Marcella moves close to him he feels hot breathes across his right earlobe.

  “I’m going to kiss you now.” She whispers.

  Zenden’s heart skips even fast as both her arms wrap around his neck and her soft lips move towards his. As soon as they touch his eyes close and Zenden Tenstraighter is transported to another realm, his own personal fantasy taken in with filtered memories of the past. Zenden thinks of the first time he saw her, the first time he dreamt about her and the first time he was truly attracted to her. All this meshed into the automatic replay of her body, her lips moving towards his.

  This is the greatest moment of my life he thinks with one of the few clear thoughts processing through his brain. His arms become much looser and not as tight at the beginning of the kiss. He rests his hands at the lower section of her back just above her bum and stroked and caressed it. her tongue was dominant at first taking his seizing him like his was its captive and hers was the captor, but as the kiss carried she became more playful with her tongue dancing around his mouth touching the top and the bottom and tapping his tongue like it was playing chase. By the time she pulled away a full minute had passed, but for Zenden it was like a romanticised eternity.

  She whispers to him again. “I have something I have to tell you.”

  Zenden’s heart warms and his eyes still closed he has no abandon and no fear left in him. “I love you Marcella.”

  Marcella stays silent.

  Zenden’s eyes open. Marcella looks at him with shock in her eyes, but Zenden doesn’t fear. Keep going, come on there is no going back now. Just tell her everything he thinks and then says “I loved you since I saw you Marcella. I think I’ve always loved you. I loved being your friend and love when I can to be a part of your life. I think I will always love you.”

  Marcella looks sad and this hits Zenden. “Is it something I have said? I mean you might not feel the same way, but it had to be said. I could not hold it in any longer.” He pleads to her as she takes his hands once again and wraps them around her waist. She starts to cry.

  “That was the most beautiful thing I have ever heard. The most beautiful thing.” She said amongst the blubbers.

  “Then why do you cry?”

  “Because I wish you never said that. Not now.”

  Zenden take his arms away from her waist and moves back. Slight anger now fills his heart. “Is it another guy?”

  “No,” She said moving towards him and taking his hands once again, “there is no one else, because I knew you were going to tell me that you loved me and that I feel the same way. I do love you Zenden, it is just,”

  “What? Marcella please tell me.”

  She sighs and wraps his arms around her waist once again and places both her hands on his shoulders and then around his neck. She rests her head on his chest and Zenden kisses the top of her head.

  “Tell me.” Zenden said with fear creeping back into his heart.

  “You told me that I could do anything. I believe you. I did and do, so I took a test, a test for medicine. I passed with flying colours.”

  “So we might be going to different colleges. Long distant relationships work. Plus with inter –territory travel I can get to another country or state within two hours or so.” Zenden said with fainted optimism.

  “No, it’s not that, well I meant it is, but there is a farther distance to travel.” She pauses for a moment. “I passed the fleet test.”

  “What?”

  “I’ve joined the Galactic Fleet. Their medical department offered me an internship and I have taken it.”

  “What?”

  “Please don’t be mad at me.” as she said that Zenden lets go and pulls away from her. “Please Zenden.”

  “The Galactic Fleet Marcella?”

  She nods as he turns his back on her. He says to himself quietly “The Galactic Fleet? How can this happen?” “How? Why?”

  “Zenden,” she said moving closer to him wrapping her arms around his waist. “I want to be able to do something with my life. Do something right. You must feel that way sometimes?”

  “The Galactic Fleet are based on Speciour you know that right?” Zenden said grumpily.

  “Yes I know.”

  “Then you must now you have to be twenty one or a galactic fleet member to fly into space?”

  “Yes I know that too.”

  “Plus ships that fly into space cost a lot of money, money that I don’t have?”

  “Well I didn’t know that.”

  “You have to be on duty for at least eight months before,”

  “You get some time off to come back to New Earth.” She interrupts. “I know.”

  Zenden stays silent and bows his head. Marcella kisses her neck and rests her head on his neck. “Please don’t be mad at me. I need your support on this.”

  “Eight months Marcella? I mean when do you leave?”

  “After graduation on the next day. Saturday.”

  “Jesus.” Zenden said looking up in the night sky.

  There is silence between the two of them both unable to follow up with something to say. Marcella slightly higher up on the slope keeps her head rested on Zenden who looks up at the billions of stars seen on this clear night sky.

  “Such a beautiful night,” he said, “for such news.” He turns round looking directly at Marcella who moves her head away. “This is what you want. I will not stand in your way. I mean what claim do I have to you?”

  “Zenden. If….no it took doing something like this going to the Galactic Fleet to stop me from going away to university with you. Something that big, something so pivotal and so important.” She said with her hand tapping her chest. “Plus in this day and age, eight months just flies.”

  “It doesn’t just fly Marcella. Things happen. You can meet someone else,”

  “And so can you.”

  “Look at me Marcella. I’m not exactly the world’s hottest.”

  “Yeah and who is?”

  “Jaden.”

  “Sparrious? Yeah, but even he has trouble keeping a girl, he goes for the wrong type. I will only be with you Zenden. Only you.” She said taking his hand clutching it close to her chest and Zenden can feel her heart beat fast. “That’s a promise.”

  “A promise?”

  “To stay true to you.”

  Zenden smiles and strokes her face, touching her soft skin gives his hand an unreal chill “Then I shall promise the same thing too.”

  They kiss once again even more passionately then before.

  “Plus,” she said pulling out of the embrace, “We still have this night and a day. Let’s make the best of it.”

  “Okay.” Zenden replies and they kiss again under the moonlight.

  Lathan walks on at the party with music still booming loudly, dances being messed up by bad choreography, the teachers who were the only ones to drink swanning about like abrasive drunkards, the students who themselves snuck in advanced liquor of the luxurious kind, looking shifty as they pour into the large bowl of the punch. Couples kissing like they were going to war the next day and this would be the last they would encounter one another physically, the interlopers and singletons who looked on with malicious envy at their own chore of being single.

  The large moon of Vennair looms large shining every so brightly because of the lack of cloud cover. The sky was so clear you can see the thousands of crater holes on the largest moon in the Vennesulan Galaxy. Some of the students make it far enough down the hill to strip off and dive off into the warm river Mare Talin and go in screaming and cheering their own victory. The night sky was clear as anyone could possibly imagine. Jaden sitting next Marylyn Arises a pretty young girl with long dark hair, shapely features which belie her age and smooth tanned which may come from the fact that Marylyn whose mother from recovered knowledge heralded from the New Peninsula. Both are sitting on the grass of another hill further down from Marcella and Zenden.

  “You know they say that from here in Ven Marshan that on this type of summer’s moonlight. You can see virtually every star.” Jaden said trying to act smart.

  “Really?” Marylyn says playing along as most girls do when they know they are being wooed.

  “Yeah if you look up there you can see where they had the war of the Falconen.”

  “War of the what?”

  “War of the….” He checks himself. New plan of action. Not brightest bird in the flock. “Don’t worry just chatting nonsense. I have to say that you are a very beautiful girl. You must know that I wanted to ask you out for many years now.”

  “You?”

  “Yes me.”

  “Jaden ‘Oh he’s such a player he can be committed” Sparrious.”

  “Is that what most the girls call me now?”

  “Yeah of course. I mean I’ve seen you tonight talking to all these girls.”

  Fricking hell eyes of a Karellan eagle this girl has. I thought I was being stealth tonight. Kept on each side of the party I thought I was safe. Must improvise he thinks. “Only because I was looking for you lady of the night and of the freshest air.” Nice save.

  “You really think that lines carefully scripted as they are will have a chance with me?”

  Okay time to bring out the big guns. Jaden leans on his left arm and he plays with the grass and also he’s staying silent.

  “You’re silence is confusing Jaden maybe I got you there.”

  Jaden sits up and tucks her legs in and wraps his arms around them. He rests his head on his knees and gives off a sad gaze at the distance. Marylyn seems shocked by this change.

  “I know most girls think I’m some sort of player and I’m not going to lie, I’ve been out with many girls. I’ve kissed many girls, but you know I don’t love them, but that doesn’t mean that I don’t look for love.” Jaden said mustering up some tears in his eyes. “I just want to find a girl who can love me and we can grow together. Is it fair or isn’t it just for me to at least look and try to find, to make an absolute effort to find that special girl?”

  Marylyn falling in deep and hard for this speech nods silently. Tears now forming in her eyes.

  “I know to must girls,” this is the risky bit, “that I may seem like a player, but I only play one game Marylyn….The game of love!” he says and he bursts into tears.

  Marylyn follows suit and bursts into tears also. “Oh Jaden I’m so sorry!!!!” she said flinging her arms around him kissing him on the cheek. “Could you ever forgive me for such a callous accusation?”

  “Of course Marylyn! Of course.” He said and they kiss. Jaden strokes his back and kisses her neck. She holds him tight as Jaden within the tears smiles mischievously and then grinning like a little kid just getting the best ice-pop at the local convenience store. Jaden knows what comes next and as she shoves him back first onto the thick grass and jumps on top of him Jaden grin would not be removed from his face this night.

  Lathan looked at the students dancing about at the river with a certain sense of jealously. A part of him wishes he could join them, just to let loose and enjoy being sixteen, but his mind was fraught with emotions and questions which took over his own personal desires. What is going on with me? He thinks as he looks at his hands. What things could I possibly do? Could this be dangerous? Could I be dangerous? I might be expelled for New Earth if anyone sees me doing magic. The mystical arts.

  “The mystical arts.” He said to himself. Lathan then thinks about his father again not being there for maybe his greatest moment in his life so far. He should have been there. Does he hate me so much? Lathan decides after those pondering thoughts that when he gets home he was going to have it out with his father. That they had a lot to talk about and he was sick of keeping it all bottled in.

  Just as he thought about that Lathan looked up and spotted the five comets of Pentana flashing past on the night sky. Most the students cheer as they look and see the shooting comets illuminate the sky. Lathan smiles thinking that the old lords of Vennesula were smiling down on him agreeing with his thoughts and his eventual decision.

  The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

  By the time it was time to go back to the cruiser ship it was round about four in the morning, the sun was peaking from its corner majestically and the moon of Vennair now looked like a faded image, a large but faded image in the sky. A soft wind blew as most of the people rose lethargically and picked up any close belongings that one had brought with them on the trip. The place was left as how it was met. Galactic law states that Vennesula must be left untouched or an instant court marshall will be met.

  Lathan spending the night alone, walks up to the cruiser he notices Jaden walking arm in arm with Marylyn and another girl this time darker haired, but like Marylyn of an attractive distinction. On his right he sees Zenden walking with Marcella, with his muscular arm draped around her neck stroking her right arm. Zenden smiles at Lathan who nods and gives Zenden thumbs up. They are amongst the last to get to the cruiser as the large doors shut behind them. Everyone gets to their seats and hooks themselves in for take off. The slight rumble of the boosters shakes everyone and everything. Everyone can feel the ship rise. Lathan sitting next to one of the many windows looks on as the ship rises over the docking bay and climbs up to the mountain levels. Lathan longed to have some paper and a pencil and draw the mountains and the long valley.

  Maybe when I come again. I shall get a chance to draw real beauty he thinks.

  Lathan sits alone deep in thought. For a long time he knew about his own tendency to think about something and not let it go until it came to a natural conclusion. Lathan looks across at Zenden looking the happiest he’d ever seen his friend. The allure of having a girlfriend was not something that Lathan had expected to affect him so, but with Jaden being the principal player and resident lothario and now the only other guy that he could to relate to in singledom had now finally taken a chance and reaped in the success, basking in the delectable and very shapely Marcella Miller. Lathan watched Jaden whispering sweet nothings into both girls’ ears. Jaden then looks at Lathan and grins pouting his lips up a bit and nodding to Lathan, he too basking in the labours of his success. Lathan not for the first time felt alone.

  It really was his own fault and Lathan Thorne knows it, there had been many girls that had asked for a chance and Lathan gave the type of silly and misguided choices that it seemed so few sixteen year olds make when it came to girls. There was always an excuse, always something that did not ring true in the mind of young Thorne, Lathan had joked that this was because that no girl in or around New North-West had come close what his desired effect was, but now leaving high school being one of the few scholastic athletes to not have a girlfriend, his time at Bridgeport can be thought of even more now with regret. It had ceased to become anything humorous now.

  There are so many girls here and not one does anything for me. Not one.

  Zenden gets up and sits next to Lathan. “What’s going on?”

  “What?” Lathan asked with surprise. “What do you mean?”

  “I’m sitting over there and I can’t help noticing that you’re sitting here looking so sorrowful.”

  “It’s nothing Zenden. Trust me I’m okay.”

  “Lathan. I know you.” Zenden said with all seriousness. “What is wrong with you?”

  Lathan looks at his friend and longs to spill about his personal pain, but he thinks why ruin it for him? Why bring down his good fortune? Why depress him and load him with my problems? No I’m not going to do that to him. “Zenden trust me. I’m okay. I’m deep in thought about things.”

  “What things?”

  “Things you don’t need to know or to hear. Go back to your girl.”

  Zenden looks at Marcella who smiles at him. Zenden then looks at Lathan and nods understanding what Lathan was depressed about. “Look we’ve spoken about this. You’ve still got so much ahead of you, girls are going to come.”

  “What if they don’t? I mean the right ones?”

  Jaden leaps onto the chair next to Zenden and slaps the knees of Zenden and Lathan enthusiastically “What’s the haps fellas!”

  “SHUUSH!!!!” other students say in mid-sleep.

  “Sorry.” he laughs mischievously. “What’s the haps fellas?” Jaden said with a quieter tone.

  “Nothing.” Zenden and Lathan both say in unison.

  “What are you? Twins?” Jaden said.

  Zenden and Lathan look at each and then look at Jaden nonplussed.

  “Look I saw you guys conferring like you were on some sort of talk show and I just thought I could add in my ten credits worth.”

  “Isn’t it two credits Jaden?” Lathan asked.

  “Yeah, but I always put in more then my fair share dear Thorne.”

  “With the ladies or with your friends Sparrious?” Zenden said.

  “Both.” Jaden said tersely. “Come on I want in. just tell me.”

  “It’s not a theme park ride Jaden.” Lathan said with some frustration at his friend’s somewhat immature behaviour.

  “I know this, but come on please just tell me, I promise solemnly that I will not say something stupid.”

  “Really now?” Zenden asked with some fainted incredulity.

  “Yes.”

  “Cross your heart and hope to die?” Lathan adds.

  “Well I can’t do that now can I? Just tell me Thorne.”

  “Should I tell him?” Lathan directly asking Zenden who looks at Jaden doing his best guilt trip face which usually works on the ladies, but on his friends usually has some or little to none potency.

  “Yeah.”

  “Yesss! Come on!”

  “Well Jaden, I was talking about Zenden taking me to Midtown to pick up my rydercycle when we get back home.”

  Jaden looks deflated, almost insulted by what Lathan has just said. His mouth kept open after all that begging which he’d normally never do came to pretty much nothing. “Well I hope you guys had your fun.”

  “Yeah,” laughs Zenden, “we did.”

  “Pieces of frick-misters.” Jaden said before getting up and slotting himself between the two girls now sleeping and almost dropping asleep instantly.

  “Why are we friends again?” Zenden said in jest.

  “Because one day he might set us up with some girl that would be really hot.”

  “That hasn’t happened.”

  “Then I guess it’s because screwing with him is the one consistent source of joy we get.”

  “That is true.”

  They both laugh and both then look at Marcella who is asleep. She looks at peace clutching the cover she wrapped around herself.

  “I’m really happy for you two.”

  “Yeah well we’ve gotten together only for us to separate.”

  Lathan looks at Zenden perplexed.

  “She’s joined the Galactic Fleet.”

  Then the truth dawns on Lathan. Zenden looks away for a second and then looks at Marcella again and an invisible sheet of sadness covers and his face looks to a disconsolate gloom. “She joins after tomorrow.”

  “What she leaves after graduation?”

  Zenden nods.

  “I can’t believe that. I mean what are you guys going to do?”

  “I don’t know.” Zenden shakes his head. “We’ll work it out somehow. I mean I hope we do.”

  Lathan places a hand on his friend’s shoulder and nods supporting his friend. “I know you will.”

  “Thanks.”

  They both stay silent for a second.

  “What about?” Lathan asked.

  “I can’t apply now as it takes at least three months for an application to be processed and I don’t know anyone personally to get a recommendation.” Zenden replies.

  “So that means you’ve thought about joining the fleet?”

  Zenden stays silent for a couple of seconds. “I have thought about it. Never thought anything truly about it, but I have thought about it.”

  “Wow.” Lathan said in a real state of shock. “I wouldn’t think that of you.”

  “Why not?”

  “I don’t know I mean you don’t seem like the fleet type.”

  “Yeah,” Zenden replies angrily “then who is the type then Lathan?”

  “Firstly I’m sorry if that came off a bit,”

  “Stupid?”

  “Well I was going to say harsh, but….stupid is a good suggestion.”

  “I accept your apology. Go on.”

  “Some one like Hawken. He’s joining and Clint Ozona from Winterbrook. They’re both joining the fleet.”

  “So you really think I couldn’t be a fleet member?”

  “You know I think you can do anything. I just don’t want to see you get hurt.”

  Lathan looks past Zenden and at the sleeping Marcella. Zenden turns and looks at her then looks at his friend. “You mean,” Zenden asked, “physically hurt or emotionally hurt?”

  “Both.”

  Again there is silence between the pair. Zenden smiles at his friend.

  “I hope so too Lathan. I hope so too.” Zenden said looking out from the window at the stars of space. “They’ll come.”

  “Who?”

  “Those girls. The girl. They’ll come. Just be patient.” Zenden said.

  “How can you be so sure?”

  “Because you’re Lathan Thorne. You’re not meant to be alone.”

  “My dad is alone.”

  “That is him Lathan. Not you. You’ve got to stop thinking his life is going to be your life. That you’re going to be exactly like him. You’re more then that, you know you are.”

  Lathan stays silent. He had never heard his friend speak with so much passion before about Lathan’s dad. He knew his friend, knew him well enough to real that something like that is said with such passion should be the last thing said about the situation. Lathan turned to look at the stars and he felt his eyes going weaker and his body going that more lighter. The skies became more euphoric and scintillating and his self compelled to sleep and he did.

  The cruiser ship landed at twenty minutes to seven and all the students clamber out stretching and yawning. After the boys apologised to Jaden who got a ride off Marylyn, Lathan and Zenden with Marcella in tow got in Zenden’s car and drove off to Midtown. The aeroway was pretty much clear at this time and the sunlight beamed its reflection across the mirror. Everyone had their windows down as the warm air circulated the car. Lathan again felt like sleeping, but had to stay awake because he had to be aware of any shady dealings at Midtown.

  Midtown was a place where the rich stayed away and the lower class pretty much reigned supreme, there was something about this area which was the bridge between the city of New London and the outskirts. Looking from the outside in, the buildings of midtown were not imposing, some even looked like they would be at home in any well to do area in New Kensington or New Chelsea. High rise and swanky apartments with long roofs where cars can park. There were larger households for decent back gardens which seemed more reminiscent of the outskirts. Nightlights always creaked on and off at certain areas giving a yellowish glow across the streets of Midtown. Graffiti and urban arts painted across most buildings some were sprayed by some little gangs who wanted to show their turf while others just had nothing else better to do.

  It was just that there was a rise in crime, an unprecedented rise in crime after the fallout of the Falconen wars, many disillusioned soldiers came here after and felt angry with the way they were treated with little severance pay and respect. Most of them joined gangs which had existed for many years and had set up their bases in and around Midtown. The trains passing through and docked at Midtown always seemed dirty or infested with fumes of illegal substances.

  The streets of Midtown were at certain times very dangerous and they were loads small alleyways which lead into larger and smaller areas that had piles and piles of old machinery from the reforming era which was near the beginning of the construction of civilisation. These larger areas can be a good hunting ground for psychopathic muggers. There was a gun shop in around every corner where most of the residents complained about armed robberies and brutal murders, most the cops stayed away from most places in Midtown because the fear was there that if you went on patrol at Midtown then there is a large probability, a high percentage that you could not come back home to your loving family.

  The community of Midtown was varied from the crime lords who pretty much stayed within their own vengeful ways and the other side was the decent residents just trying to live their own lives and in most extreme cases try to survive.

  Most of the apartments made by the council were larger then they looked outside usually facilitating for larger families, in front of the doors were incronium bars from Ninecronia an industrial planet near the southern belt of the galaxy which has one of the strongest metals and steels in the known universe and was used pretty much any building on New Earth had to be fitted with incronium to have any chance of surviving any alien attack and natural disasters.

  Midtown did have however some of the best and most efficient mechanics in the whole of New London especially around New South London who always within two days got any vehicle back prim, proper and in working order faster then most in the city. Some say that they use the old metals from the reforming era and used them a cheaper, but stronger solutions to fix damaged as many of the left over metals on the yards had incronium in them and could pretty much be shaped into any vehicle.

  It was here at New Harlesden that Lathan had dropped his Rydercycle, it was nearly an hour out of his way of course and if his dad not only found out that he got his rydercycle fixed in Midtown, but the worst part North-Western of midtown then he would really be asking for trouble.

  Zenden’s car parks and Zenden switches off the engine. He looks at his dashboard mirror and sees Marcella still asleep peacefully. “You know she will kill me if she found out if we drove here. This area is not known for its hospitality.”

  “Yeah well the best mechanics are here. They get the job done quickly for a decent price.”

  “Yeah how much?”

  “Round about forty credits.”

  “Have they tried to pawn off some female to you again?”

  “How do you know about that?”

  “Oh the little memory you have Lathan. Remember when you got your cycle fixed over a year ago at the eastern side of Midtown and you told me that you got half off because you agreed to take their daughter out on a date.”

  “Oh yeah.”

  They both laugh.

  “How was the date?” Zenden asked between the giggles.

  “Awful. She acted more like a boy then me. I mean she was opening doors and pulling out chairs for me. Ordering for me and you know I….I was like fifteen then! I didn’t know the rules.”

  Zenden laughs at loud for a second and then covers his mouth trying not wake Marcella up. “So is it another daughter?” Zenden said.

  “Yeah, but this time I’m going to pretend that I have short term amnesia as soon as I get on my cycle and I’m going to fly out there like Starzancer.”

  “Starzancer?”

  “You know Siran Starzancer? The most famous member of the galactic fleet! He was captured by the,”

  “I don’t need to know the story. When I asked Lathan it was actually a rhetorical question.”

  Lathan laughs. “Okay fine.” He opens the door and is about to go out.

  “You sure you don’t need me to stay?” Zenden asked.

  “Nah drop your girl home. I’ll meet up with you at school.”

  “If I go?” Zenden said pulling off the type of smile that Jaden does when he’s about to get some new prey on his radar.

  “Oh…so it’s like that?” Lathan smiles.

  “Yeah I think so.”

  Both exchange the type of smiles that men do when it concerns the opposite sex. Kind of playful and full of hope. Both don’t notice that Marcella was awake for that entire exchange and she smiles closing her eyes once again.

  Lathan and Zenden exchange their goodbyes and Lathan watches the car rise up in the air, do a sharp left turn and drive off towards the sun. Lathan walks on in Midtown; the houses in this part of the district were semi-detached with small width roofs, a few windows in the front and several waste bins full of vermin. The streets around garages were littered with old cars with paint chipping off, scratches and traces of collisions of the past filtered with the dents and bruises like the cars were in a battle.

  Lathan looks at the garage where he left his rydercycle. It was open with olden New Peninsulan music bleating out with swelling chords and tinged guitars popping about the track, if Lathan closed his eyes and took himself out of the torrid smell that the lack of garbage pick up that Midtown council seemingly so thrives on then he would think that he was in New Peninsula, alas he was not and as he enters through the rust covered doors, he would just hope for quick payment and leave with his rydercycle in perfect working order.

  Lathan sees Norby Ryoson, a tall and fairly rotund individual with thinning hair at the front of his scalp and a brisk beard of three days growth. Norby has a sloth like expression, looking gormless and yet physically imposing at the same touch, his grease splattered grey overalls added to his notion of getting in there and getting it done.

  “Lathan Thorne!” Norby said raising his arms in a loud voice which bellowed across Lathan almost drowning out his senses.

  “Norby.”

  “I’m glad you came early, I mean I know you have a busy day planned.”

  “Yeah,” Lathan said awkwardly.

  “Saw you on TV. Great game.”

  “Thanks.” Lathan said with more awkwardness as he knows what’s coming up.

  “So…” Norby said clutching a greased drenched cloth and passes it on his sweaty brow. “You came for your cycle?”

  “Yes…Is it ready?”

  “Like I told you on the comlink. Friday at dawn.” As Norby said that he takes out a remote from his left hand pocket and a trap door to Lathan’s left opens, light comes out and his rydercycle comes out.

  Lathan’s rydercycle almost shaped and looked like a jetski, but was slightly wider down the middle and of course had a much powerful engine allowing for vertical lift off. Straps connected across a rider’s waist as seatbelts and the speeds varied on rydercycles with the amount of gears a cycle had, learners started with three gears for a more moderate speed while Lathan a prominent rider’s cycle had five gears allowing for speeds of up two hundred if truly pushed miles an hour.

  Lathan looked at his rydercycle like it was an old friend caressing the left handle bar which controlled the gears with the flick of the hand grip, while stroking the right hand grip which also was the accelerator. Lathan sat down on his cycle and tapped the pedal on his right foot; this was the break which felt much stiffer then before. On his left foot he presses the pedal which held the rydercycle in the air.

  Lathan felt at ease in his cycle and warmth came across his heart, like seeing an old friend, it was a gracious ease that filled him and a nice reconciliation.

  Norby throws him his starter key which was shaped more like a jagged edge crystal then a standard key and Lathan catches it and switches it on. The soft hum of the cycle filled his heart even more and he laughed to himself.

  “Good job Master Thorne?” Norby said approaching Lathan.

  “This is great Norby. Thank you. It feels like new. Thank you.” Lathan said looking happier then he has in a long while. “You’ve done a great job once again.”

  “Thank you Master Thorne, but now I’ve got to discuss with,” he checks himself and says, “Have you got the correct payment?”

  “Yes I do.” Lathan said and he takes out four paper notes ten pound credits. He passes it to Norby who somewhat disrespectfully counts it in front of Lathan who in actual fact pays him no mind at all, he’s just happy to have his cycle and talk of Norby’s daughter has not come up into the conversation.

  “Good, good. Now what about our agreement?” Norby said.

  “Uh,” Lathan said nervously, “What agreement?” Great now he remembers.

  “I remember Master Thorne, that we had discussed in great detail that if you took out, well agreed to take out my lovely daughter Svetlana then you could get a discount on your cycle’s breaks being fixed.”

  “Really? I…..I don’t really remember that Norby.” Yep the guilt is going to start to creep in right now.

  “Yes you must remember. Maybe if you see the picture of my darling then it will jog that memory of yours.”

  Oh no not the picture again. Almost drove me to actually drink Tamperion wine …

  Norby takes out a picture from his inside pocket, pictures in this world were more freeze frame images which could be paused and then played back again only allowing a couple of seconds worth of footage. Lathan looked at his daughter, a female in his honest and guilt edged opinion was someone who had high ranks in an undesirability league table if there ever was one. Lathan saw that the girl was definitely her father’s child; she had the same features across her face, the same plumpy cheeks and large nose, eyes close together and neck thicker then Lathan’s own.

  “Oh…..I see.” Lathan said trying to sound inoffensive the best he possibly can.

  “Isn’t she something?” Norby says proudly taking back the picture which was her looking desirably at the camera for a second before chomping down on some pizza, “A real natural beauty don’t you think?”

  “Yeah,” Lathan said relived not look at that image once again, “she is definitely something.”

  “So what do you say?”

  “Sorry?” Lathan said revving up the engine and putting on his helmet which was black and had clear visors in front fitting like glasses.

  “What do you say?”

  “Yeah sure, I’ll give you a call.” I’ll let him think his daughter will have a date, I mean I’m going to college away from here so make a fake promise. “I got your number.”

  “Good, good. She will like that.”

  Lathan nods as he flicks on the right grip and presses the left pedal which raises the rydercycle up.

  “Wait!!!!” Norby said.

  Please don’t let him ask for my number. “Norby?” Lathan said as he levitates in the air.

  “I forgot to tell you. Someone, well someones, I don’t know if that made any sense.”

  “Norby!!” Lathan almost screams in frustration.

  “Well two people yesterday were looking for you.”

  “Here? Are you sure?”

  “As sure as I know how you and my daughter will have a delightful time on your date.”

  Lathan shudders. “Why were they looking for me? Actually what did they look like?”

  “I didn’t see them because I was fixing the suspension of one these cars, but I saw two sets of feet. One guy was talking large I think, well he sounded large, real large in fact. Had one of those deep booming voices. He just asked if you were here or when you were coming back here. If I knew the time.”

  “What did you say?”

  “I said because I did think about it, because it could have been your school looking for you maybe for truancy so I said you would be back here in the afternoon like late in the afternoon or early evening before we closed.”

  Lathan thinks about it for a couple seconds. “You sure you didn’t see them?”

  “As soon as I came out from under the car, they were gone.”

  “Thank you Norby. Thanks for telling me.”

  “No Problem. I’ll see you later and I hope to expect a call.”

  “Yeah sure.” Lathan said before rocketing up in the air and flying away. I’m sorry Norby, sorry for the lies.

  Lathan flies through the air going within the speed limit, this was unusual because normally he would be doing illegal speeds with alarming regularity, but his mind was focused on the surprising visit at Norby’s.

  Who could it be? It couldn’t be dad? No surely not, no way. He wouldn’t know about this place. I mean we barely talk, so how could he know about Norby’s? Lathan pauses in his thoughts. Unless Jaden rang and let slip that I was taking my rydercycle there. Sparrious has got the abilities with the ladies, but also has the ability to do something that stupid.

  Lathan’s mind was at a quandary about this and it made the trip back home all the more frustrating and longer.

  Lathan lands in front of his house on a nice summer’s morning. As he lands most other cars filled with parents with their children taking them to school and city workers heading to their income’s cars rise up and drive off into the sky. Lathan glides into the garage and switches off the rydercycle. As he shuts the door of the garage he looks lovingly at his rydercycle and the doors shut.

  He enters the house and slumps his bag on the floor in the hallway.

  “Lathan!” calls his father.

  Lathan immediately feels the weight of the world on his shoulders. “Yes dad.”

  “Come in here.”

  Lathan sighs as he takes off his jacket and is about to walk to the front room. He prepares himself for the usual lecture about how he broke curfew and how irresponsible he was, but this time Lathan was ready to give a rebuttal and to show his father. As he enters the front room he closes his eyes and rubs his forehead showing signs of frustration. “Look Dad I know you might have followed me to….”

  Lathan looks ahead and sees his father sitting on his usual seat right in front of the television, which was the normal part, the part which made him freeze in his impromptu speech was the two people sitting near him on the settee. A tall muscular man wearing normal clothes, but to Lathan just had a regal sense about him. The man was sitting next to a mixed race girl, attractive with mid length curly hair whose eyes were now totally focused on Lathan. She looked at him like she was almost surprised about something.

  Lathan’s gaze at her was more of curiosity then of shock. Lathan then looked at his father whose normal look of frustration mixed in with a slither of anger was his usual shtick. The man stood up and now had the same look that the girl has. A look of pure amazement. He walked over to Lathan who stood firm, but no sense of danger crept into him. The man smiles and just looks at Lathan.

  “You’re a lot taller then I expected.” The man said laughing holding his hand to his chin brushing it with tips of his fingers. “A lot taller.”

  “I don’t mean to be rude or anything, but who are you?” Lathan said really not trying to show any discontent.

  “Oh I’m sorry I…I just haven’t seen you in such a long time, but that’s no excuse to not introduce myself and my colleague.” He coughs. “I am Captain Thernright of the Galactic Fleet one of the captains of The Speciour Knights and this young lady here is one of my knights Corporal Kayla Starbright.”

  Kayla stands up and walks up to the pair. She sticks out a hand. “Hi.”

  Lathan shakes her hand nervously. “Hi.” He then shakes the captain’s hand. “The Galactic Fleet? Wow I mean and don’t mind my dumbstruck reaction here,” he looks at Kayla when he says that, “but I never applied to join the fleet so I really don’t understand what your purpose here is.”

  “Our purpose Master Thorne is simple.” Captain Thernright said. “We are here to save your life.”