Out of this World

by Katrina Kahler

  I smiled. “Yeah, that is a pretty awesome power…” I hesitated then added, “In other words, you think Super Teen is a good story?”

  Oscar nodded. “Yes, Super Teen makes an excellent story.”

  I leaned towards him. “Then why are you so interested in uncovering her identity.”

  “It’s news,” he said, almost without thinking.

  “Her saving people is news?” I countered.

  “Yes,” Oscar agreed.

  “Then why is her identity news?” I asked.

  “People want to know!” Oscar insisted.

  “Maybe. But I’m sure people also want to know your ATM password and your computer passwords. Do you tell them those things?”

  Oscar grinned and shook his head. “No, of course not. Those are private.”

  “But you don’t think a super hero's identity is private?”

  He sat there in silence.

  “You don’t think you endanger her privacy, and maybe even her safety and the safety of her friends if you tell the world who she is?”

  Oscar sat back on the couch. “I guess I didn’t think that through…”

  “I know you didn’t,” I said. “At least, I hope you didn’t think it through. After all, I would hate to think you’re putting a heroic young girl in danger just for your own fame.”

  Oscar lowered his head and shook it. “You know young lady, you’re a lot like your mom. You’re smart and you have spirit.”

  “Thanks,” I said.

  He gave me a crooked smile. “I guess I should give Super Teen her privacy. I should report the news and not try to make news myself.”

  Now I smiled. I couldn’t be sure if Oscar meant this, or was just telling me what I wanted to hear. Actually, I could have used my command voice on him. But that would be unfair. I chose to believe my gut that he was telling the truth. “Well Oscar, now I see what my mom sees in you.”

  Oscar’s eyes twinkled. “She is a wonderful lady. Sometimes I think she’s a superhero!”

  I laughed a bit nervously.

  Mom came down the stairs. She was now wearing a pretty yellow sundress. I approved. “Are you two talking about me?” Mom asked.

  “Only good things,” I said.

  “Isabelle, your daughter is almost as amazing and straightforward as you are!” Oscar said, standing to greet my mom.

  Mom nodded. “Oh, I am aware.” She pointed to the dining room table. “Come, let’s sit down and start dinner! All this cooking has made me hungry!”

  The rest of the evening passed without a hitch. I had a surprisingly pleasant time.

  Dear Diary: It’s NOW official. My mom has a better love life than I do. Well, I guess any love life would be better than mine. But then again, Zeekee and I do seem to get along quite nicely. Still too early to tell if anything will happen there, though. Plus, he is from another planet. Plus, his mom may be a terror. Okay, certainly not the perfect building blocks for a relationship. But hey, you never know! This could be very romantic. I’m looking forward to seeing him this weekend. It will be a good chance for us to get to know each other. Hey, maybe my love life will become almost as good as my mom’s!

  Spaced Out…

  I got up early the next day, anxious to get to BMS labs. My phone beeped with a text.

  JASON>Hey!

  LIA>Hey

  JASON>U going 2 the lab right?

  LIA>Yep

  JASON>Want to bike there together? I’m so excited. Hana says she has something 4 me.

  LIA>Nah I’m just going 2 jump there.

  JASON>K

  LIA>I wanna c if I can do it w 1 leap.

  JASON>I know you can! ☺

  JASON>C U there.

  LIA>K

  I knew I could have been friendlier to Jason in my texts. But I couldn’t help think he was butting in where he didn’t need to. Yeah, I understood he thought he was helping; doing this for my own good. But come on! I’m Super Teen. If I wanted to, I could turn a forest into a desert by just farting. (Not that I would want to do that. That is pretty disgusting. But it’s cool knowing I have that kind of power.) I just didn’t need Jason protecting me.

  Since Mom had an early shift at the hospital, I ate a quick breakfast then took a nice shower before leaping to BMS labs. I did it in one jump, landing right in the middle of the quad area. Man…that felt good! The second I landed, Hana strolled over to me.

  “Nice leap,” she said.

  “How did you know I was coming?” I asked.

  Hana pointed to MAC on my wrist. “Remember, he has a GPS built-in. We tracked your course.”

  “Ah, that’s right,” I said. “How’s Zeekee?” I asked.

  Hana put a hand on my shoulder. “He is fine.”

  “Can I see him now?”

  Hana smiled. “He’s with our medical staff right now. They are making sure he is safe to be around.”

  “Of course he’s safe to be around!” I said, stomping my foot on the ground. The ground shook. A couple of nearby workers stopped. They turned toward me.

  “Sorry,” I said.

  Hana held her ground. “You base your…‘of course’ on what data?”

  “My senses!” I said, sharply. “Remember, I have super smelling, hearing and other cool senses. I can tell if something is off.”

  Hana bobbed her head slowly. “Yes, under most circumstances you can. But this boy is an alien being. This is our first contact with an alien race. There may be factors in play that you don’t know about.” She put her hand on my shoulder. “Lia, you may be super, but you are still a teen.”

  “Hence the name, Super Teen!” I told her.

  “Yes, true. But as a teen and a non-scientist, you lead with your heart instead of your head. Often that is a good thing. But in this case, a little extra caution is in order. This is a first contact. It makes sense that an alien race would want to contact you since you are so different to most humans. But we want to make sure Zeekee is safe for you and for others.”

  “So when I can see him?” I asked.

  Hana shrugged. “In time.”

  I grabbed Hana and lifted her off the ground. “Can you be more specific?”

  Hana didn’t blink. “Of course I can, I am a machine. I am specific when called for. But I am sorry, Lia, I do not feel the need to be specific with you right now.”

  I curled my hand into a fist.

  Hana sighed. “Resorting to violence will not help your cause. I have informed your father that you are acting a bit immature here. Punching me will only help to prove my point.”

  “She is right,” MAC told me.

  “Of course you’d side with her. Machines always stick together!” I said.

  “Only when they are right,” I heard my father say.

  I looked over my shoulder to see Dad standing behind me, arms crossed, leg tapping away. “Young lady, please put Hana down. She is only doing what’s best for all.”

  I sighed. Man, I didn’t like my dad scolding me. I mean, come on! He’s out of my life for over a decade, then he pops up again when my powers appear. And it turns out he runs this super high tech company. Now, not only is he way interested in me, he wants to be my dad again. Who does he think he is, giving me orders? I sighed. He’s my dad. My flesh and blood. Sure, he went missing for most of my life, but he is here now. He is trying. Kind of. I released Hana, letting her drop to the ground.

  “I’m glad you finally saw the logic,” Hana said.

  “Yeah, you are my dad’s girlfriend, so I’d hate to break you,” I told her.

  Hana smirked. “Thank you.”

  “I’ll take over from here, Hana,” Dad said.

  Hana turned and walked away. I swear my super hearing heard the words, “But I don’t break all that easily.”

  Dad put his arm around me. “Honey, I know you want to see Zeekee. He should be available for an hour or so.”

  We started walking towards the workout and testing building.

  “Why couldn’t Han
a have just told me that? She meets me here just to tell me nothing!” I said.

  Dad grinned. “I think she wanted to test your reaction. You almost failed, by the way.”

  I gave him a weak grin. “Yeah, sorry about that. I know Hana is your girlfriend now, but she gets under my skin.” (Plus, I also couldn’t help being freaked out that my dad had made his own super-powered girlfriend. But that was another issue.)

  “Yeah, my Hana, she is something special, but she also takes some getting used to. I thought you two had bonded on our trip to Africa?”

  “I learned to accept her a little more,” I said. “But she’s not quite human. The fact that she has no scent still bugs me.”

  Dad laughed. “That’s only because you have a super sense of smell. Most normal humans don’t even notice her lack of scent.”

  “Are the rest of the team here?” I asked, changing the subject.

  “Yes!” Dad said enthusiastically. “Jess is in a meditation room, learning to control her temper. Marie is also in a meditation room, learning to control her power. Tanya is doing self-defense work with a couple of trainers. She wants to be able to protect herself without using her time powers. They are awesome but they scare her, and rightly so.”

  “Heck, she can knock most people out with a whiff of her shoes!” I said.

  Dad laughed. “Looks who’s talking.”

  We walked into the training building. I loved the dome shape. It made the place feel like it went on forever. “Where’s Lori?” I asked.

  “She’s in the sparring area with Jason.”

  “Say what? Jason? With her enhanced legs and arms, she’ll kill him if she’s not careful.”

  “We will see,” Dad grinned.

  We walked through a few brightly lit corridors until we came to a large open room with a padded floor and walls; a room built to handle super collisions. Lori stood on one side of the room in a ready stance. Jason stood on the opposite side. A robotic instructor that looked like a crash-test dummy stood between them.

  I saw Hana sitting in the observing area above the room.

  “Begin!” the robot said.

  My mouth popped open as Jason leaped across the entire room and landed right in front of Lori.

  “Holy Cow!” I said. “What the heck did you do to Jason, Dad?”

  “Nothing. He is wearing our new bionic under-armor. It’s an exoskeleton that communicates with his brain.”

  “This will be so fun!” Lori said.

  She flicked a lightning-fast jab at Jason. Jason stepped to the side, letting the jab pass by him harmlessly. Jason took Lori’s arms and flipped her over his shoulder to the floor. Lori kicked up back to her feet. She took another fighting pose.

  “Let’s see what you’ve got, Jason!”

  “Gladly!” Jason said. He fired off seven snap kicks almost too fast for the human eye to see. Lori blocked each one, but just barely. “This is GREAT!” Jason shouted. He threw a powerful punch at Lori. Lori saw it coming and ducked under it. She sprang up and hit Jason with an uppercut to the jaw. Jason’s head rocked back. Jason staggered back a step or two. He smiled.

  “How did Jason stay standing?” I asked Dad.

  “The suit has a magnetic current that can be used to block or soften blows. And since it’s connected to his brain, it can reduce pain.”

  Okay, I had to admit this suit was impressive. I also had to admit it was a little scary. If a suit like this got into the wrong hands, it could do a lot of damage. This suit could make anybody super, at least while they had the suit on.

  “Dad, how many of these suits do you have?” I asked.

  “Just one for now. They are incredibly expensive and they have to be collaborated for each person.”

  “How are they powered?”

  “They have solar cells. They can go at full strength for about an hour then they need to recharge. We’re working on that.”

  I almost said, don’t work too hard on that, but I stopped myself.

  Jason and Lori exchanged a couple of jabs. While the body under- armor did make Jason stronger, he still didn’t quite have Lori’s fighting spirit. After all, Jason has never been a fighter, even in LAX. Lori, on the other hand, led our team in penalties.

  Lori leaped over Jason, landing behind him. Jason turned to face her. Lori kicked him right in the gut. Jason went flying across the room. He hit the floor with a thud. Lori leaped after him, landing right next to him.

  Jason held up a hand. “You got me. You win!”

  Lori grabbed his hand and helped him up. She patted him on the back. “Not bad for your first time, J-man!”

  I watched Lori and Jason congratulating each other. They seemed to be getting along so well. I caught Dad staring at me. “What are you looking at?” I asked.

  “Nothing,” Dad said. He touched his earpiece. “Zeekee is out of medical. He has been cleared to see you. If you’d like to see him now, you can.”

  I looked at Lori and Jason standing there laughing and talking. “Yep, I’m so ready.”

  Dad led me to Zeekee’s quarters. The room had a bed, a desk, and a computer, but no windows. “Dad, is the best you can do?” I asked.

  Dad grinned. “For now, yes. Once Zeekee is totally cleared, we will move him to nicer quarters. But I assure you, this room is very comfy.”

  Zeekee saw me and jumped up from the bed. “Lia, you are here!”

  I loved the way he said my name. It sounded like music to my brain. He took my hand. “Have you come to take me away?”

  I glanced at Dad, he shook his head. “Not yet,” Dad said. “We still have to run a few tests.”

  Zeekee looked me in the eyes. “I had been hoping for a friendlier reception.”

  Dad went into full scientist mode. “Zeekee, you must understand that it is critical for us to be careful with you. We want to make sure you are both physically and mentally ready for Earth’s people and culture. It is best for all if you do not stand out.”

  “I thought humans loved individualists who do their own thing?” Zeekee countered.

  “True,” Dad said. “But, we don’t want you standing out too much. It could attract attention you don’t want or need. I’ll leave you kids alone now.” He turned and walked out.

  Zeekee looked at me, trying to read my reaction.

  “You have to trust my dad,” I said.

  “Do you trust your dad?” Zeekee asked.

  I thought for a moment or two. Of course, I did. After all, this was my dad we were talking about. Sure, he wasn’t the greatest dad during the first dozen years of my life. Sure, he had left me and Mom alone. But he knew Mom was a strong powerful woman who could handle anything she was faced with. But he was back in my life now, helping both Mom and me when we really needed it. He and his team were aiding me in developing my powers. Plus, he had even helped Jason by letting him trial that super cool, body under-armor. Sure, Dad and his company also benefited from all of this. But that still didn’t mean that I couldn’t trust him. Right? I mean, he was my dad first, scientist second. He had my back, sometimes when I didn’t even want him to. Right? I mean, come on!

  “How well do you know your dad?” Zeekee asked.

  “He’s my dad!” I said.

  “Well, my mom is trying to hunt me down because she doesn’t like the idea that I want to communicate with other planets!” Zeekee said.

  I shook my head. “My dad’s not like that. He’s a man of science. He loves exploring and helping people. It’s what he does.”

  Zeekee looked down at his feet. “If, you say so…”

  “Of course I say so!” I told him. “He’s my DAD!”

  “Your words say one thing, but your feelings say something else,” Zeekee said.

  Yeah, Zeekee read me well. He sensed I still didn’t totally, 100 percent, trust my dad. He hadn’t been there for my first lost tooth, my first skinned knee, or for that matter, even my first steps. He had also let Mom down. She’d had to carry a pretty heavy load, acting a
s both my mom and dad. That’s tough, even for a super mom.

  Zeekee took my hand. “See, you have doubts!”

  “A few really small ones,” I admitted.

  “You see, I will be safer with you!” Zeekee insisted.

  I liked the sound of those words. After all, I did protect people. That’s part of what a superhero does.

  I noticed a round sparkling ball of energy in the corner of the room. It started crackling. It split into many other sparkling, crackling balls of energy. Each of the balls moved like they were alive.

  “What the…” I said, mouth open.

  Zeekee turned to the ball of energy. “Energy Wisps!” he gasped.

  Before I had a chance to even say, “What the heck are those?” the wisps sent bolts of electricity into Zeekee. Zeekee fell to the ground, sizzling and convulsing. The wisps kept shocking him. I jumped in front of the bolts. I felt the energy rip through my body. It kind of tickled but not in a good way.

  “I’ve called for medical team and security,” MAC told me.

  “Good,” I said, energy still pulsating through my body, “but security won’t be needed!” I focused my eyes on the glowing wisps. They danced and darted back and forth. I blasted them with a wide beam of heat vision. The wisps sizzled out and turned to dust.

  I faced Zeekee still shaking on the ground.

  A couple of wide-eyed emergency medical people arrived in the room. “Don’t touch him!” they ordered. “We will look after him,” they tried to reassure me.

  I ignored them. I had taken on the full power of the wisps. There was no way that touching Zeekee would hurt me. I felt his pulse beating. I breathed a sigh of relief.

  Dad, Hana, Tanya and a group of heavily armed men and women came into the room. Dad rushed up to me. “Honey, are you okay?”

  I looked up at him. “Yes, it takes more than a couple of energy wisps from space to hurt me.”

  Dad glared at Hana, “How did those things get in here? Aren’t we scanning and shielding the building?”

  Hana nodded. “We are. And we’re now recording the energy readings from these things so we can adapt our defenses.”