by GX Knight
I stood at the door and watched her go. My eyes never left her. I wanted to remember that little blue dress and yellow sandal outfit for as long as I was away. She looked perfect, and I wanted that to be the picture of who would be waiting for me.
Once she was gone I returned my attention back to the general, “Recruit Rycard, reporting as ordered.” The door closed behind me, and finally I was alone with the personification of intimidation.
The general smiled, finally breaking the ominous countenance that towered over me. There were few people I had ever met who made me look short, but General Wyld was one of them. I was intimidated by him, but only because I had to have his permission to marry Star. He was unwilling to give it to a “civilian.” He was a Bathesdan soldier to the core, and only a soldier would he allow on his daughter’s arm. I, on the other hand, had been a Laser Ball loudmouth. The public loved me; the general did not. I wasn’t overly fond of him either. He was a little stiff for my taste. I didn’t entirely trust him either, but he had something I wanted. If there was anything I had learned over the past half-decade while in the arena, it was how to work out a plan, and then work the plan, no matter how long it seemed to take. I just hoped I could wear a military uniform without getting court-martialed for my mouth. I’ve never really been good at taking orders.
“Enjoying your first day as a soldier?” He asked.
“I’ve felt more like a tourist,” I replied. “I thought ‘sneaking me in the back’ meant I would have joined the other recruits by now?”
“Are you that eager to get in the mud with the grunts, son?”
“No sir, just eager to earn my place in your military, and in your family.”
General Wyld cracked another smile. If amusement happened to land on his face, it didn’t stay there long. He ushered me over to one of the two-seat tables at the far end of the desolate room. We sat down, and within a few seconds the sergeant returned with a fresh coffee tray and small stack of file folders marked Classified. The sergeant poured our coffee and offered the usual condiments. General Wyld asked, “Are you familiar with the term Classified?”
“It means you can kill me, if you tell me.” I answered dutifully.
“True. And while the killing you may come eventually. In this case, it’s unnecessary if I give you permission to know,” He corrected. “It’s a great way to keep people’s stones in a sling, if you catch my aim?”
I couldn’t tell if he was kidding about the killing, but I knew he was setting this up to control me forever, “I do, sir.”
The general continued, “As you have been a person of some interest to me for quite some time, for obvious reasons, I know all about you. I know things about you that you don’t even know. That being said, I can guarantee the personal time you have spent training for Laser Ball puts to shame anything that we can put you through out there in basic training. Further, your proven skill sets, combined with the need for situational expediency has arisen. A new weapons programs has afforded us both a unique opportunity. That is if you’re interested in leap frogging over five years of service? Otherwise I can show you the door, and you can be in a bunk spit-shining belt buckles and peeling spuds with your fingernails before the moon rises.”
I straightened up in my chair, and took a sip of coffee. “I’m listening,” I said, ready to hear more.
“I thought you might be. Based on your history, your inevitable relation to me, and other factors not necessary to mention here today, I’m prepared to read you into what could be our most highly kept secret initiative. You can skip most of Bootcamp, and I will grant you a field commissioned rank of captain.”
There was no way I heard that right. “I’m definitely interested,” I replied.
The general held up a hand of warning, “Make no mistake, Rycard. You will be put in harm’s way. You will be on the frontlines of an increasingly bloody conflict with unproven prototypes. Chances are good that you will not survive.”
So is that his game to keep me from marrying his daughter? There was only one way to beat him and that was to play the game. I took the classified files and opened them. “I understand, and I accept.”
General Wyld handed me a captain’s pin, and I began the first day of the rest of my new life as Captain Rycard.
SAD SURPRISE
It was my first leave since having joined the military. The weather had chilled some, the skies were a little greyer, and I made my first civilian java stop. It was also the first java stop where I had to pay for my own drinks. Nobody recognized me anymore. When I was a professional Laser Baller I never bought my own drinks. I guess “they” were right when they talk about the flighty-nature of fame. It wasn’t going to get me down though. Considering the dark-holed laboratories and classrooms I had been stuck in, the silent and gloomy greeting I received seemed almost bright and cheerful.
I was surprised when my Uncle Raven actually tore himself away from whatever laboratory he usually hid in to come see me. We sat down to a nice ice-chipped sweet java, and talked about all the small talk issues that could keep our conversation away from whatever secrets we both were trying to keep. I never knew what Uncle Raven did, except that he was a privately hired scientist who never talked about his work. As angry as his secrets used to make me, I was starting to relate all too well.
Because of his job, Uncle Raven had come to very few of my games. I understood. Star was always there to cheer for me anyway. In some ways it was easier not having family to hold me down. I was able to take long high-altitude training trips up in the mountains. I made treks across the smaller continents, sometimes with nothing but a backpack of barely-enough-basics, so I could learn how those in the less civilized world played, worked, traveled, and hunted. I had acquired many skills that made me the successful team captain I was, and I owed all of those opportunities to Uncle Raven’s more than generous funding. So, we may never have shared a dinner over the holidays, but each of us in our own way helped start a family legacy that would forever be attached to the Rycard name. Not bad for the only two Rycards on the planet.
After all the casual conversation topics had been covered, and our visit was about to end, he asked where I was going next. I told him I was about to sneak breakfast over to Starshine’s place and surprise her before our “scheduled” time to meet at dinnertime tonight. He nodded with approval, paid for the to-go javas and muffins I was going to buy, and wished me well. Everything was going as it normally had with us, but right before he got up to leave, Uncle Raven handed me a bright blue pocket-sized envelope. He said nothing about it, acted like he hadn’t given me anything, and before I could ask he stood and hurried out of the java shop.
There was a message on the front of it: Open in case of extreme emergency only.
I stuck the envelope in my pocket, grabbed the java, and headed out to surprise Starshine without thinking too much about it. Knowing Uncle Raven it was probably emergency cash. He always made sure I was well provided for. I wasn’t going to need it anyway. I never encountered a situation I couldn’t control. Whatever was on the inside of that envelope was never going to see the light of day.
Star told me not to show up before dinner, and she was a stickler for her schedule, but I couldn’t help myself. I had to see my girl and tell all the fake stories about my training as a “Weather Predictions Officer.” I’m sure her father had done similarly many times over. I probably should have felt bad for practicing my lying, but I knew it was for her protection that she not be involved with my shady new world.
It took me almost no time to walk the seven blocks to get to her family’s loft down by the park. Of course, that was not their “official” home. The Wyld’s had a sprawling estate just north of the city. The ever-prepared general had several other places they called home. He, out of fear of having his family used against him by the enemy to gain military secrets, kept them all in random home rotations.
I learned, this wasn’t such a bad plan for someone who trafficked in sensitive informat
ion. Already in my short time at the little outpost one of the scientists had gone missing. Interestingly enough, he was known as the one with the biggest mouth, so his disappearance came as no shock. When I offered to look into the matter, I was told to just let it be. It thought he might have been captured. I didn’t like the idea of people out there getting hurt. Considering the lack of concern shown by General Wyld, chances were good this guy was silenced by our own powers-that-be. I made it a valuable lesson learned.
With one hand I held the tray of java, and with the other I straightened my civilian clothes before ringing the doorbell. I had gotten used to my black and grey uniform, and I felt almost naked outside of it. I waited impatiently, every second ticking like the final minute of a game clock. There was no answer, so I rang the bell again.
Finally, I heard the familiar shrill Star would get when she was stressed and out of breath, “Coming!” Then I heard her yell to someone else, “Hey, come help me get this over with.” I thought it was odd for her to have company. She was usually a loner. I couldn’t name more than two of her friends by name. One of the drawbacks of being a Wyld is that you weren’t allowed to randomly acquaint with most members of society.
The door locks clicked and silently the door pulled open. Starshine stood there dripping wet and wrapped a towel around the yellow bathing suit we bought together last summer. She looked up at me and gasped, which was quickly followed by another much manlier gasp from Snaps, my old teammate, who was shirtless and also drying off. I tried to lock my narrowing eyes with his, but he avoided my gaze. He looked like he didn’t know whether he should brace for impact or run away.
My brain processed the sight of my friend and my girlfriend standing half-naked and sopping wet the only way it could, so I threw the java and muffins down and charged through the door with a smash. I was going to save him the dilemma of having to choose between fight or flight. It was time to fight.
CUT ME MY PEACE
I shot passed Star, slid through the door, and gut-tackled Snaps. I was breaking about ten officer conduct rules, but I didn’t care. Snaps was tougher than most of the elite soldiers I had been fed for combat training. There will never be a better fight instructor than growing up on the streets. Before he became a pro Laser Baller, Snaps had been the leader of the second largest gang along the coast. If anybody knew how to fight, it was him. That’s why he made such a good Shield Man out in the arena. I tried to roll off him. I needed to get in behind and put him in choke lock, but he had already sprung up, turned, and was charging to tackle me before I was set to counter.
We both crashed into a pile of “Ughs” and “Ouches.” Star was screaming for us to stop, and before I knew it, there were about a dozen hands ripping us apart.
“Come on, Prodigy, he’ll kill you,” a familiar voice said.
“No way, Prod takes down Snaps, no doubt.” I heard another recognizable voice chime in.
Once I had calmed, and my vision unfocused off Snaps’ paling face, I felt like a complete ass. I was surrounded by scattered “Welcome Home” decorations, and all my Boom teammates. Blue streamers were being hung from the corners of the room to the chandelier, swarms of silver balloons had already been blown up and tethered to the tables, and worst of all outside on the balcony’s pool a dance stage was half-assembled just above the water line.
“Hi guys,” I said waving, feeling my face reddening with the sad realization of what I’d done. “I’ve dropped the ball, haven’t I?”
Starshine pushed through the team, and removed all personal space between us. Her stare was piercing, and her trimmed face was unamused, “You have no idea, Rycard.” Things never went well for me when she used my last name.
Just then the doorbell rang, but the door was standing all the way open. Everyone craned their necks in unison like a family of sand gophers to stare at a cake deliveryman who looked a little frightened to be interrupting the obvious fiasco.
“We thought you were him. Otherwise we would have left you out there.” Snaps said as if I was just the biggest moron on the planet.
Star looked like she might very well ignite into the ever-burning space body for which she was named.
Snaps, and my eager-to-help teammates, used the excuse to get away from me and Star. They tripped over each other to assist the deliveryman bring the rolling cake cart inside. Starshine had a look that caused everybody to know fear, intimately. Even with my new kill-you-with-my-pinky training, I did not want to go up against the person standing in front of me. I smiled, looked toward the door, and asked “Outside?”
She pointed, and I went. I wasn’t entirely sure she’d follow. I heard the team behind me whistle the team’s death march. We had been known to hum it when facing an opponent we knew to be unbeatable. Never had I felt such futility. I knew this was one match I was going to lose. But then again, I always had a backup plan. I could still win this.
Things were relatively calm out on the sidewalk. Thankfully, Starshine had followed me, wet towel and all, and I had not been relegated to the outdoors to wait like some house pet. I tried to speak, but she just held up a hand of silence. After a few seconds of pinching the upper bridge of her nose and rubbing the pressure points behind her ears, she was ready.
“What are you doing here, Rayce?”
“Thought I would surprise you?” I answered. I tried to sidle in for a hug, but that advance got countered, quick.
“Well, you did.” She was fuming, “And now the surprise I’ve been planning for weeks has gone right out of the window. I hope your java, which is a puddled on my clean floor right now, was worth it?”
“Star, I’m sorry, baby.”
“Don’t baby me, Rayce.”
It was time to remaneuver and regroup. I knew I could save this, “The truth is, I wasn’t thinking clearly after everything that’s happened while I’ve been away.” Her eyes darted from drilling holes into the pavement and back up to me. “I wasn’t ready for all that they were going to have me do, and you know your dad. He wasn’t going to let them go easy on me.”
She was trying to hold back an understanding smirk.
I continued, “You were all I thought about… all day, every day. Then my first day out on leave rolls around, and you expect me to wait through almost all of it before I get to see your pretty face. How is that fair?”
“Well you have a point there,” she admitted. “I guess I’m sorry I got so mad at you.”
When Rayce Rycard goes in for the game winning goal, he leaves no doubt. She was down, but she definitely wasn’t out. It was time for me to go with the big gun. “The truth is,” I lowered my voice, and I gave her the brow raise she always claimed to find sexy, “I couldn’t wait to see you because of another reason. –One that’s been long overdue.”
I reached down into my pocket, found the small felt box, and dropped to a knee. Immediately, her hands cupped over her mouth in a gasp. She was so preoccupied with staring at the ring-sized box she didn’t realize she had let her towel fall to the ground, nor that she was shivering from the small biting wind that thumped against us. What can I say? I didn’t mind the no-towel part at all.
“Baby,” I tried the word again, this time to better success. “Will you marry me?”
Okay, so that was supposed to come later in the evening when I thought it was just going to be us at dinner, but all situations were fluid. I knew there was not going to be a better chance, and it was my only card left to play to get me totally out of hot water.
She nodded through happy squeals, and I placed the tri-diamond ring on her finger. She pulled me to my feet, threw her arms around me, and then she kissed me, and I mean kissed-me-good. I was going to have to try that diamond thing again next time I came home if it meant that kind of response. Somebody yelled “Get a room” from across the street, but he was just jealous he wasn’t the guy making-out with a hot girl in a bathing suit.
We broke apart just in time to almost get knocked over by the cake guy running out of the do
orway to Star’s building.
He seemed nervous. He looked at us, then up to the windows of her home, and then back to his old black van. I would never have known it was his since there were no bakery markings on it. He apologized, and then said, “One of your guys was eyeing the cake,” sweat started to bead across his forehead, “you should really tell them to leave it alone until it’s time to cut it. Our cakes are… fragile.”
He said nothing else. He jumped in the van, and then drove away as fast as he could.
“Probably Checker,” I said as we lingered there on the sidewalk. “He’ll sneak a piece if you don’t get up there to stop him. That guys fiends for cake like a fish for water.”
Star cooed and toyed her finger around the edge of my ear as she moved in for another kiss, “Well, the guest of honor knows about the surprise, so who cares if a piece is missing.”
Like I said, the diamond tactic was going to be repeated, and often. We held each other and watched the cars drive by. I pointed at the ugliest pink truck I had ever seen. It turned onto our block, and I just laughed, but Star balked.
