Brilliant: Book One of the StarCruiser Brilliant Series

by Rick Lakin

  “Mom says that wouldn’t work and I agree. I'm going to be sitting across the table from her. Tovar wants her for Ayiiia, and I'm going to be EP.”

  “So, the tabs have it right. I agree. May I recommend someone from my agency? We set up firewalls for these situations all the time.”

  “She's going to call Mom for a recommendation, but I can have her call you as well. Sami, can you handle that message to Tayla?”

  “Done, Boss,” Sami said.

  “Tell me about your meeting with Navvy,” Sara said.

  “He offered me five hundred thousand for the rewrite. Will you do the paper on that?”

  “Yes, I will. That’s more generous than either of us hoped.”

  “Tovar wants the rights to Logan Jones. I'll do the screenplay and act as Executive Producer for production in 2069.”

  “What did he offer?”

  “Five. I asked for six, options, and the EP credit. He told me you should ask for six-point-five.”

  “Wow. That would make you my second most-lucrative client. So, what’s the plan?”

  “Navvy wants to talk with us over breakfast on Tuesday morning. I told Kathy that after I confirm with you today to contact you and form an agenda. I believe that we need to have lunch Friday or Monday.”

  “Tuesday's confirmed, but I'm booked for lunch on Friday and Monday. Do you have time on Saturday? It would be more relaxed, and we can go to a nicer place.”

  “Perfect. Can you coordinate with Sami?”

  “Sure. One more thing. You need someone to handle your press and public appearances.”

  “I agree. Twenty-three of my eighty-six messages this morning are press queries."

  “We hired a girl who just graduated from The Ohio State University, and I think she would be perfect to handle your press and public appearances.”

  “When can she start?”

  “Her name is Scarlett, and I can bring her into the call right now. I chatted with her when I came in, and she understands your situation.”

  “Can you send me her résumé?”

  “I'll do that"

  “Sara, thanks for everything. Kathy will contact you after I confirm. Put Scarlett on.”

  “This is Scarlett Cavanagh. Hello, Miss Gallagher.”

  “Hi, Scarlett. Please, call me Jen. You are five years older than I am. Welcome to the team. Tell me your degree.”

  “I have a double with honors from Ohio State in Journalism with a focus on Public Communications and AI Systems.”

  “Perfect. Sami is my virtual assistant. She'll send you the press queries.”

  “Virtual assistant?”

  “Sami, have HumanAI courier a HoloPad to Scarlett. Charge it to JennaTech. She needs a HoloBuddy. Can you assist her?” Jennifer said.

  “Yes, Boss,” Sami said.

  “Scarlett, the press queries?” Jennifer said.

  “How would you like to respond?” Scarlett said.

  “Form an individual response to each. I have a pen name, like a secret identity, Jenna Seldon, for my writing and my academics. The cat's out of the bag on my pen name for Galaxy Warriors, but I'd like to keep my academics at UVN under wraps. I just formed a company called JennaTech, and you may be handling some press on that as well. Say 'no comment' about all that until we have more information. Specifically, 'last night was the most wonderful night of my life, it's wonderful hanging out with such wonderful friends, and I think my best friend, Tayla Mendoza, is one of the most talented people on the planet'. Hype it up from there. Get with Sami for biographical details. She knows what to release,” Jennifer said.

  “Aren’t you still in high school?”

  “Yes, but there is more to the story. We need to sit down and chat. Are you free for dinner? What kind of food do you like?”

  “I'm free, but I'm new to the area.”

  “Mexican, it is. Coordinate with Sami for time and place. She knows the good places. I need to get to the studio.”

  “I have what I need. I look forward to working with you.”

  “Same here.”

  Jennifer scanned the remaining messages of congratulations. She recorded a personal video to her grandparents and then sent a generic thank you to all her other friends and colleagues.

  Jennifer got to the Tovar lot at ten-forty-five. Passing through the annex to Sound Stage One, she grabbed her second caffeine fix and deemed herself ready for the day. The Director shot around David and Riley all morning, but the two arrived just out of makeup a few minutes earlier.

  “Did you dream about John Wayne?” David said.

  She looked into those eyes, “Who? Thanks for a wonderful evening.”

  “You already thanked me.”

  “That was in case I forgot. Who did you dream of?”

  “You,” David kissed her on the lips.

  “Go make love to the camera, Movie Star.”

  Navvy approached. “Good morning, Jennifer. You and your best friend represented us very well.”

  “Thanks for everything. May I ask a question?”

  “Of course.”

  “Was last night a setup?”

  “As I said, Jennifer, I own a movie studio. One of the perks is that I get to hand out opportunities to young people with talent. Often, they waste those opportunities. You and your best friend, Tayla, did very much the opposite last evening.”

  “Then, Sir, I thank you for the opportunity.”

  “You're very welcome. Let’s go make a motion picture, Miss Gallagher.”

  Just then, the AD said, “Places everyone.”

  Jennifer moved to her spot and greeted Harper over her earpiece.

  “I hear I might be working for you soon.”

  “Hey, I am just a lowly studio intern.”

  “And John Wayne was just a tall cowboy. My HoloBuddy seems to be a bit snappier today. Is that you, too?”

  “Maybe.”

  “Do you have a clone that I could adopt and raise as my daughter?”

  “Haven’t gotten that far…yet.”

  They smiled at each other across the set as they heard the traditional call of “Roll ‘em” and the snap of the clapper.

  The AD called a short lunch break at one o’clock. Jack Masing came over to her. “I hear that you and my son had quite an evening.”

  “It was magical. We had a great time.”

  “You're good for David. You're smoothing some of his rough edges.”

  “Sir?”

  “David was born thirteen years after his sister. He was like an only child. Unlike his sister, he grew up as the child of two very successful movie stars, and I fear he thinks that stardom is hereditary and not the result of hard work. You're good for him. You can put him in his place when he needs it.”

  “I'll keep that in mind.”

  “That isn't why I came over here, though. Navvy tells me that you are in on our little secret.”

  “Yes, we talked about Brilliant yesterday.”

  “Would you like to ride along on a hop next Wednesday? We'll end the day at eleven and launch at noon to help out our friends at NASA.”

  “They know?”

  “Brilliant is a difficult secret to keep. We needed friends in high places. The FAA and NASA help us, and so we help them now and then.”

  “Sir, I have plans for dinner with my parents that night. You see, it’s my seventeenth birthday.”

  “I promise to have you back in time.” He winked.

  “You knew about my birthday?”

  “David suggested it.”

  “I'd love to ride on the Brilliant. It’s always been my dream.”

  “Unfortunately, the only empty seat on this trip will be the right-hand seat.”

  “Operations and weapons?” Jennifer said.

  “You can handle it, right?” Jack said.

  “Yes, Sir. I mean yes, Captain.”

  “Keep this under your hat. And, one more thing. You need to read the Tech Manual.”

  “Captain, I’ve
read all twelve chapters. I can read back any part from memory.”

  “I'm talking about Chapter Thirteen.”

  “Chapter Thirteen?”

  “It covers launch and near-Earth operations. It has a lot of information that would give away too many secrets to the smart reader. Navvy and I have given you to access to that and the Operation Profile for this mission. Contact me if you have any questions,” Jack said.

  “Thank you, Captain. I won’t let you down.”

  “Don’t sweat it, Jen. It’s just a milk run.”

  “Yes, Captain. Thank you, Captain.

  “Ix-nay on the aptain-cay. Wait ’til we get on Brilliant.”

  “Yes, Sir.” She smiled and thought to herself, Did a starship Captain just use Pig Latin?

  Jennifer ran over to David, grabbed his head, and landed a wet kiss on the surprised boy. “In case I forget, thanks for the great birthday present.”

  “Sure. It’s just a milk run. No worries.”

  On her way to Craft Services, Jennifer asked, “Sami, what's a milk run?”

  “It's an aviation term from World War Two. It was an easy mission with no expected contact with the enemy.”

  “Okay. Milk run. In space.”

  “Boss, you have reservations at Poco’s in Canoga Park at six with Scarlett.”

  “Good job. I love that restaurant. Message Mom and let her know I'll be home after dinner.”

  Shooting wrapped at five. Jennifer stopped by IT to check on Jake.

  “How's it going?”

  “Not well. This system update is going to impact the Safety Buddy. It’s going to take me four more hours to recode that app. That's after I get the new operating system greenlighted with HumanAI.”

  “When you get a minute, send me the entry points. When I get home from dinner, I'll get online with you, and I'll recode the Safety Buddy”

  “The coding on Safety Buddy is pretty elegant. You think you can handle it? Whoever created that app has more than my Masters in AI.”

  “Would a Masters in AI Engineering work?

  “You are only seventeen.”

  “I completed all the coursework online. I qualify for the degree. I'll accept it at some point in the future.”

  “Yeah, get online, and I'll have a list of problems to solve.”

  “Keep up the good work.”

  “Yes, Boss.”

  Jennifer arrived at Poco’s Mexican Restaurant a few minutes early, ordered a Coke, ate chips, and went over Scarlett’s résumé until she arrived.

  “Jennifer?” Scarlett said as she came to the table.

  “Welcome, Scarlett.”

  “This music almost sounds like the polka music I hear in German Village in Columbus.”

  “It is called Norteño Music from Northern Mexico and, yes, it has German roots,” Jennifer said. “So, Sara recently hired you?” Jennifer said.

  “Yes, I flew out here in March to interview, graduated from Ohio State in late May, and I just got to the valley last week. I'm still settling in,” Scarlett said.

  “Where are you from?” Jennifer asked.

  “I grew up with my parents, and big sister in a community north of Columbus called Minerva Park and graduated from Westerville East High. It was the new high school south of Westerville.”

  “Explain that. It sounds confusing.”

  “It is. Westerville East is south of town. Westerville South is in the center of town. Westerville Central is north of town, and Westerville North is east of town. The powers that be are directionally challenged.”

  “Did you have steveLearn?”

  “Not until my junior year at Ohio State. The State of Ohio had gone all-in on an earlier system called LearningGates. It was created by some wealthy tech guy who left all his money to fund this project. The system was buggy, susceptible to viruses, and full of extraneous content like advertisements. They always charged for content and upgrades, so it became too expensive for school districts. Too late for me, schools converted to steveLearn, and the students have caught up quickly.” Scarlett dipped a taco chip in the salsa and took a bite. “Ouch, that is really spicy.”

  “Welcome to SoCal,” Jennifer said. “We had a LearningGates in a corner at my school. It was kludgy, and no one liked to use it. I hated it because it was anti-creative. What did you study?”

  “My first major was Journalism with Public Communications. When I got full-time access to the steve system, I raised my grade point average, pivoted, and studied AI Systems. How about you? How long have you had access to steveLearn?

  “My grandfather and our family company, GGG, were original investors, so I have had a system in my room since I learned to read.”

  “First grade. That must have been nice.”

  “I got it when I was two.”

  Scarlett’s mouth fell open. “Really?”

  “My mom took me to the library one day and left me with the picture books. Then she caught me sitting on the librarian’s desk discussing chapter books. That was the first time we realized I was smarter than the average bear,” Jennifer said. “I scored a high IQ when I was eight. They created a study that I call LabRat One, and they gave me access to the online course library at University of Van Nuys, and I have been doing college courses ever since.”

  Scarlett raised her eyebrows. “Let me guess. As Jenna Seldon.”

  “Correct. I created the secret identity so I wouldn’t be teased when I do the high-IQ stuff.”

  “Author. Inventor. Filmmaker. Your book on math was based on a dissertation. Tennis Champ?”

  “No, I play tennis as Jennifer with my friend Tayla Mendoza. Let’s order.”

  The waitress came over.

  “Can you bring us a Cali cut in half, five rolled tacos, and a chicken quesadilla?” Jennifer said.

  “Two plates,” the waitress said.

  “Yes, we’ll share.”

  “I know what most of that is but what's a Cali?” Scarlett said.

  “A California Burrito has carne asada, sour cream, guacamole, and the secret ingredient: French Fries.”

  “Omigod, I'm not eating this weekend,” Scarlett said. “So, how would you like me to help you?”

  “Apparently, the Internet has figured out the Jenna Seldon thing. I'd like for you to create a unified biography as an author, screenwriter, future producer, and entrepreneur at JennaTech. I'd like to keep my curriculum vitae at UVN under wraps, for now. Just say that I have taken college-level courses in English Literature that prepared me as a writer.”

  “Okay. I notice that the HumanAI website lists Jenna as an ambassador and HoloPad guru.”

  “That's where the bulk of my speaking appearances will come from.”

  “Have you spoken in public?”

  “Not before a large audience outside of school but steveLearn has an excellent Toastmasters module. I did twenty speeches, got evaluations from the Tony Robbins avatar, and completed their communications awards when I was fourteen.”

  “Thank you for the HoloPad, by the way. I love the HoloBuddy.”

  “What is the name of your buddy?”

  “I call him Abraham after a friend I had growing up who died in a car crash with a drunk driver.”

  “That’s really sad. You there, Sami?”

  Sami popped up nearby. “Yes, Boss."

  "Can you coordinate with Abraham and give Scarlett access to what she needs, including photos and media?”

  “I set up a shared office for you two on the pad and in steve,” Sami said.

  “How much CPU does she have?”

  “HumanAI assumes that she and you are going to promote their company, so they comped her pad and gave her full resources,” Sami said.

  “Scarlett, your HoloPad is hooked up to a supercomputer. What have you done with your AI Systems degree?”

  “I did a summer internship and part-time with the publications department at a Columbus research institute called Batelle.”

  “They do a lot to support AI educat
ion technology. Good. Would you like to do some side work with JennaTech?”

  “Sara hasn't yet given me a complete portfolio, but I need the money.”

  The waitress arrived with the two full plates and two empty plates.

  “Done. The food's here. Let’s eat,” Jennifer said.

  From then on, there was lots of eating and little talk.

  “The food here is wonderful. The Cali's my new favorite,” Scarlett said. “One last thing. The press? Interview requests? An initial release?”

  I don’t have time for interviews, so keep those to a minimum. Compile a bio and send it to me for approval. Promise more news to come late next Tuesday. I have a contract meeting,” Jennifer said. “Sami, reroute press inquiries to Scarlett and keep us informed of press mentions. Does that about cover it?”

  “It does. May I get dinner?”

  “No way, Scarlett, you work for me, and I always pick up the check.”

  “Deal, Boss. I look forward to helping you form your image.”

  “Okay, I have to get home and do some coding.”

  “Thanks for the opportunity.”

  “Good luck,” Jennifer said. She hurried out to her Prius and rode home looking forward to a couple of hours of intense coding. That said, her mind was focused on the fact that next Wednesday, she was going to fly into space on the StarCruiser Brilliant.

  Jennifer awakened at five-thirty on the morning of her eighteenth year. I wonder what it’s like to be seventeen? She lay in bed and contemplated this conundrum for about thirty seconds before she remembered that this was the day she would fly into space on the StarCruiser Brilliant. Asked and answered.

  To prepare, Jennifer memorized Chapter Thirteen, ran twelve takeoff and landing simulations in various configurations, and studied the Flight Profile to perform maintenance on the micro thrusters installed on Comet 2943. Dr. Neil Goldfarb would again lead the NASA team to complete the maintenance. For the crew of Brilliant, it would merely be a milk run. For Jennifer, it would be her greatest dream.

  At precisely six a.m., there was a knock at her door, and her mother entered.

  “I figured I'd bring breakfast in bed for my super-rich daughter since the butler doesn’t start until next week and it's your seventeenth birthday. Happy Birthday, Honey.” Sheila said.