by Bob Blanton
“I don’t know about any jobs, but I want to be an engineer, so I’m looking for something on one of the design teams,” Artie said.
“What kind of engineering?” Catie asked. “Civil, mechanical, aerospace, electrical, or computer?”
“Aerospace,” Artie said.
“You can get him a job?” Chris asked.
“No,” Catie said, “but I’ve been around for a long time, so I know who to ask.”
“Could you ask for me too?” Chris asked.
“I heard your parents work in one of the labs, can’t they get you a job?” Catie asked.
“Only with one of the scientists they know,” Chris said. “But I want to be a computer engineer, not a scientist.”
“Oh, there are lots of computer science projects going on,” Catie said. “The problem is that most of them are distributed projects, and everyone works remotely.”
“That would be okay with me,” Chris said. “That way, I could fit the work around my school schedule.”
“I’m sure there are jobs for both of you,” Catie said. “I’ll ask around. What programming languages do you know?”
“C++ and JavaScript,” Chris said. “I think I could learn any of the others, they’re kind of the same.”
“I agree with you,” Catie said. “Are you interested in Web design, or core system programming?”
“At this point, anything,” Chris said. “But I’d rather do apps and core development, not web pages.”
“Okay, I’ll tell some people about you, and they’ll contact you,” Catie said. “You’ll probably hear back next week; there are a lot of jobs that need filling.”
“But with interns?” Artie asked.
“Sure, there’s always plenty of work. They’ll find a way to use you.”
“Thanks,” Chris said. “And Frankie looked over here, again, so he must be interested in you.”
“Sure,” Catie scoffed.
◆ ◆ ◆
After the movie, Sophia, David, Artie, Chris, and Catie decided to go out for pizza. When they told everyone, Jason, Annie, and Frankie decided to join them.
They went to the new Italian restaurant and pizza parlor that had just opened in their neighborhood. “Hello, Catie,” the owner said when the group walked in. “How come it takes you so long to come back here?”
“I have to try all the new places,” Catie said, “and I’m not allowed to eat out that often.”
“Well, you come’a anytime, especially if you bring so many friends,” the owner said. He motioned to the hostess to take care of them.
“He remembers you,” Chris said.
“Well, I was one of his first customers,” Catie said. She wanted to avoid the fact that she had been the one to approve the restaurant and recommend it for a loan.
“I didn’t even know it was here,” Chris said. “How did you know to come here right when it opened?”
“My friend, ADI, is really tied in,” Catie said. “She always lets me know when things are happening.”
“Why don’t we ever get to meet this ADI?” Sophia asked.
“Oh, she’s an agoraphobe,” Catie said. “We only ever talk online.”
“If she’s an agoraphobe, how does she know so much?” Chris asked.
“She’s always online,” Catie said. “She reviews all kinds of stuff for the city, so generally, if something new is happening, it crosses ADI’s desk somehow.”
“A good friend to have,” Sophia said. “She should put out a newsletter.”
“I’m sure she’d be happy to help you put one out,” Catie said, “but she doesn’t like to get too much attention.”
“Oh, really, do you think she would?” Sophia said. “I’d love to do a newsletter or even a mini-newspaper.”
“I’ll tell her,” Catie said. “I’m sure she’d love to help.”
“Cer Catie, that does sound like fun,” ADI said over Catie’s comm.
Everyone ordered pizza; once it came, Catie grabbed a big slice and poured parmesan cheese all over it.
“How do you eat like that and stay so thin?” Annie asked.
“I work out a lot,” Catie said.
“What kind of workout do you do?” Frankie asked.
“I do a five-mile run four days a week,” Catie said, “and I do at least an hour of martial arts training each morning.”
“What kind of martial arts?” Jason asked.
“Krav Maga and Aikido,” Catie said. “I’ve got two friends who teach me, so two styles.”
“That sounds intense,” Annie said.
“It is,” Catie said. “But it means I can eat whatever I want. Did Jason take you up in an Oryx?”
“He did,” Annie said, beaming. “It was so cool, I got to sit in the cockpit with him and everything.”
“You fly the Oryxes?” Frankie asked.
“Yes,” Jason said. “That’s my job.”
“How old are you?”
“Seventeen,” Jason said. “I graduated this year.”
“How did you manage an invitation to the teen party?” Frankie asked.
“Hey, he’s seventeen, so he’s still a teen,” Catie said. She was a bit miffed at Frankie’s attitude.
“I think it’s because I’m friends with Catie,” Jason said. “Mrs. Michaels wants to be sure she’s got someone besides Sophia to talk to.”
“How do you know her?” Frankie asked.
“Oh, she gave me my first ride in an Oryx,” Jason said. “We’re both pilots, so we see each other once in a while.”
“You’re a pilot?” Frankie asked Catie.
“Yes,” Catie said. “Earlier in the year, they didn’t have enough pilots, so I got to fly the Oryxes a lot. Now I just fill in once in a while when they’re short a pilot or to keep myself current.”
“I’m a pilot too,” Frankie said. “Of course, I’ve only flown single-engine planes so far.”
“You should get your certification to fly the Lynx,” Catie said. “They’re starting to fly them on regular routes, so you might be able to get a job as a copilot in a year or so.”
“A year! How come you can fly, then?” Frankie asked.
“Being first has advantages,” Catie said. “I got certified when they really needed pilots, now they’re pickier.”
“I guess I showed up a few months late,” Frankie said. “Here’s to pilots the world over,” he held his Coke up in a toast.
Catie turned back to Sophia, “Did you get a chance to go to the community market yet?”
“I went today,” Sophia said. “It was great. I bought a new skirt and a pair of those shipboots. I almost bought a shipsuit, but I’m not sure my parents would approve.”
“They are pretty daring,” Catie said, “but they are so comfortable.”
“Oh, you have one?” Sophia asked.
“Well, they’re knock-offs of the ones we wear when we fly the Oryx,” Catie said.
“Hey, what’s my mom doing for you guys?” Sophia asked.
“She’s taking over management of the hydroponic farming,” Catie said.
“Oh, it’s more than that,” Sophia said. “She and Dad had this big hush-hush conversation, and then after she met you on Wednesday, she’s been over the moon.”
“I think she’s just happy to be able to use her degree,” Catie said. “She mentioned she might work on her PhD., so she might be excited about that.”
“I don’t know,” Sophia said skeptically, “but I know you guys have secrets. How are you getting along with your mom?”
“We’re getting along okay,” Catie said. “It’s a bit of a pain having two parents trying to help you out, especially when they don’t coordinate with each other.”
“You getting more help than you want?” Sophia asked with a giggle.
“Yes, way too much help,” Catie said.
“Your parents aren’t together?” Chris asked.
“No,” Catie said. “They got divorced three years ago, but they get along with each other.”
“That’s good. Are they friends?”
“Not really, but I think they like each other; they just don’t do things together unless it’s about work or about me,” Catie explained. “I kind of like it that way.”
“Are they seeing other people?” Chris asked.
“Yes,” Catie said. “They both have new significant others. I really like Sam, my dad’s girlfriend. My mom’s boyfriend seems nice, but I don’t really know him.”
“At least that’s not too awkward,” Chris said. “How did they both wind up here?”
“Dad came here at the beginning,” Catie said. “Mom’s a doctor, so she decided to come and work in the clinic, and she wanted to be close to me.” Catie avoided the fact that her father had gotten almost all of her relatives out of the US because they were afraid that someone would kidnap one of them to gain leverage over MacKenzie Discoveries.
“Hey, Catie,” Frankie said. “Any chance I can get you to give me a ride in one of the new jets?”
“Maybe,” Catie said. “Send me your contact info, and if I have a flight, I’ll let you know so you can come along.”
“In an Oryx?” Frankie asked.
“Probably not,” Catie said. “They’re really picky about who goes up in one of those. Annie only got a ride because it was a test flight for a new one. But the Lynxes just fly back and forth between Delphi City and other airports.”
“Where do the Oryxes fly?” Frankie asked.
“I think it’s supposed to be a secret,” Catie said.
“You must know since you fly them,” Frankie said.
“Can you keep a secret?” Catie asked in a conspiratorial tone.
“Sure,” Frankie said.
“Well, so can I,” Catie said.
“That’s so old,” Frankie said with a laugh.
“Old but true,” Catie said. “Where did you live before you came here?”
“We lived in Minnesota,” Frankie said.
“Does Minnesota have more than one city?” Catie asked.
“Minneapolis,” Frankie said. “They have really crappy weather there.”
“I hear it’s either too cold or too hot,” Artie said.
“That’s a good way to say it,” Frankie said in an unfriendly voice.
“I’ve got to go, I have an early flight tomorrow,” Jason said.
“I’ve got to get up early and run,” Catie said. “So, I should go too.”
“Come on, Nattie, walk with me,” Catie said when she turned the corner heading away from Jason and most of the group. “Did you get something to eat?”
“I had some bread,” Natalia said. “I’ve got a lasagna here for my dinner when we get home. It looked like you were having fun.”
“I was,” Catie said. “I really like Chris.”
“What about that Frankie guy?”
“I don’t know; he seems like a jerk sometimes, then he’s nice other times.”
“I think you can say that about most men, but the good ones are worth it.”
Chapter 14
Market Outing
“Hey, Catie, I heard you had a good time last night,” Liz said as she and Catie started stretching before their run.
“I’m thinking Nattie has a big mouth,” Catie said.
“We have to exchange information, how else can we make sure we’re protecting you without getting in your way,” Liz said with a laugh. She slapped Catie on the butt and started running. “Come on, I hear you have some extra calories to burn off.”
“A really big mouth,” Catie said. She laughed as she caught up with Liz. They were going to do one full lap around the city on the perimeter road for their five miles, then they would do a cool down jog for the two hundred meters back to their condo building.
“Are you still going to the community market with Dr. Metra and Sam?” Liz asked.
“I am if it’s okay with you.”
“Nattie and I are both looking forward to it,” Liz said. “We’d like to see what it looks like after three weeks.”
◆ ◆ ◆
“Right on time,” Samantha said as Catie, Liz, and Natalia met Dr. Metra and her on the sidewalk outside the market.
“As always,” Natalia said. “You girls ready to do some shopping?”
“Yes, but let’s grab a shawarma first,” Catie said. “I haven’t had any breakfast.”
They lined up at the booth selling shawarmas, chunks of meat in a laffa, which looks like a thick tortilla, with some veggies. Catie, Natalia, and Dr. Metra got lamb, while the rest got chicken.
“Where do you want to go first?” Liz asked.
“I want to check out their scarves,” Dr. Metra said. “Dr. Sharmila told me they have some really nice scarves here.”
The women walked to the booth that had an extensive collection of scarves. “Oh, these are really nice,” Liz said. “Catie, you should get a few of these.”
“Why?” Catie asked.
“They look nice, and you can accessorize with them,” Liz said. “Look at Sam.”
Samantha was trying out scarves, just wrapping them over her shoulders like a shawl, wrapping them in a loose knot around her neck, or just folding them into a long rectangle and draping them down her front.
“Oh, that does look nice,” Catie said. She was eating her second shawarma so she couldn’t do anything with her hands yet. Samantha decided to help her out and started draping scarves on her. Before she could finish her shawarma, they’d picked out four scarves that she just had to buy.
“Isn’t that one of the girls from the party last night?” Natalia asked as she pointed at a girl walking their way. They could just make out her face through the crowd.
“Yes, that’s Barbara,” Catie said. Catie almost choked on the water she was drinking as Barbara turned their way and stepped away from the crowd. She was wearing one of the shipsuit knockoffs, but not in the way Catie was used to seeing them worn. The suit was tight, and form-fitting of course, but Barbara had the zipper down to her sternum so that she was showing maximum cleavage.
“You will not wear your shipsuit like that,” Samantha said. “Not now, not ever.”
“Are you talking to Natalia or me?” Catie asked with a laugh.
“Both of you,” Samantha said. “I assume Liz has more sense.”
“I think she just insulted us,” Natalia said to Catie.
“It feels that way, doesn’t it?” Catie asked.
“What do you think we should do about it?” Natalia asked.
“I’m thinking some kind of object lesson,” Catie said.
“Oh, please, put it down to shock,” Samantha begged. She definitely didn’t want Catie and Natalia ganging up on her.
“I think you’re going to need to make it up to us,” Natalia said.
“Okay, okay,” Samantha said. “How about I buy you two dinner tonight?”
“What do you think, Catie?” Natalia asked.
“Too easy,” Catie said.
“I agree, I think she should have to make us dinner,” Natalia said.
“Fine,” Samantha said. “Let’s just get back to shopping and pray we don’t see some guy walking around with one unzipped down to his pelvis.”
“Wait, I was hoping I’d see one like that,” Liz said. They all laughed at the thought.
“See, she doesn’t have all that much sense,” Natalia said.
“Dr. Metra, see what I have to put up with,” Samantha whined.
“I find it quite entertaining,” Dr. Metra said, refusing to commiserate with Samantha.
“Oh, you would,” Samantha said.
“Catie, have you seen the twins lately?” Dr. Metra asked.
“They came over to my place on Thursday to study,” Catie said. “Dr. Sharmila had a late surgery, and I told her I’d watch them.”
“They’re almost eleven years old,” Samantha said. “You wouldn’t think they needed watching.”
“They’ve had a very sheltered life with Aalia’s muscul
ar dystrophy,” Dr. Metra said. “They’ve emotionally matured as much as one would expect. But now that the MD has been taken care of, they should start catching up to their age group in emotional maturity.”
“I think they are,” Catie said. “They’ve been much more serious the last couple of months. Although they were begging me to take them up.”
“Oh, I’m sure they would be,” Dr. Metra said. “You should find a time to take them up. They were part of the asteroid mission after all.”
“Next time we do a tourist run, I’ll be sure to include them,” Catie said. “Here are the Shammases. They’re the organizers of the market.”
“Hello, Catie,” Mrs. Shammas said. “How do you like the market?”
“It’s wonderful,” Catie said, “and so full.”
“Yes, we are all excited at how successful it has been,” Mrs. Shammas said. “Many of the women think that they will be able to stay home and just work on their crafts to sell while they watch their children.”
“I’m glad to hear that,” Catie said. “Even if it means we have to hire more people to replace them. Having them be happier, and having this amazing market, makes it all worthwhile.”
“Yes, we are very pleased,” Mr. Shammas said. “Of course, some of the men are doing crafts as well. You should see Mr. Tahan’s carpets. He cannot make them fast enough.”
“Oh, I have to see them,” Samantha said. “I really want a carpet for my living room.”
“You should buy one while you are with Catie,” Mr. Shammas said. “He will be sure to give you a good price.”
“I see your shipsuits are selling well,” Catie said.
“Yes, they are,” Mrs. Shammas said with pride. “Did you see that girl who was wearing one with the zipper down?”
“Oh, we saw her,” Catie said.
“I don’t think that’s proper at all,” Mrs. Shammas said. “She doesn’t look like a good girl, wearing it like that.”
“She is a nice girl,” Catie said. “But we all agree that that was a bit too provocative.”
“Provocative, I like that word for it,” Mrs. Shammas said. “Much better than the word Mr. Shammas used.”
“Well, we’d better go check out the carpets before Mr. Tahan runs out,” Catie said as they all waved goodbye.
“Such nice women,” Mrs. Shammas said to her husband.