“Kissing virgin then,” Danni said.
“There's nothing wrong with that,” Sara said defensively.
“Kissing virgin too, eh?” Danni laughed.
Eve ignored them all the way back to the Residence. Luckily they stopped bickering at lunch. Eve grabbed her usual bowl of noodles and went with Joe to their spot in the arboretum.
The air outside might have been bitter cold, but inside it was warm. The trees were green and lush, fed by gardeners and UV lights.
Joe was standing on a rock, balancing precariously. He had a sandwich in one hand and a soda in the other. Since the day they visited Koji, Joe had worked hard to keep Eve distracted. He'd even been doing an excellent job of it, despite the fact that it made him late to his classes. For the most part, his boundless energy didn't bother her. Neither did his abrasive nature. The only real problem came when Michael was around. The two would squabble and fight for hours.
“Are you going to the winter dance?” Joe asked Eve. “Because if you're not, then I can't go.”
“You don’t need to be with me all the time,” Eve said, then saw Joe frown. “But I will go.”
“Well, then if we're going together, I think we should make plans,” Joe told her.
“Plans?” Eve asked.
“Like what we’re going to do and wear,” Joe tried to explain. “You know like a…” He lost his balance and stumbled across the grass until Eve caught him.
At the same time, Scott arrived and asked overly aggravated, “What are you doing?”
“Practicing for the dance,” Joe answered. “Eve and I are going together.”
“You know it's not a date when you trick them,” Scott said to Joe.
Shruti showed up with her lunch in hand and said, “Silly boys. There are plenty of girls to go around.”
Scott backed down and said, “Right. Shruti, would you mind if I escorted you to the dance?”
“Oh, an upperclassman,” she said. “I think the other girls might claw my eyes out.”
“Yes, I find them frightening too,” Scott joked. “Possibly why I'm not asking any of them.”
“In that case, I'd be delighted,” Shruti curtsied.
“Whatever,” Joe said dismissively. “I need to get my books. Eve? We have some plans to make.”
The two went to the elevator. As they were leaving they came across Michael, who was heading in the opposite direction.
“Where have you been?” Michael said angrily. “You know mom and dad are at the Administration building, right?”
“Sure, but I have other duties,” Joe nodded to Eve. “Besides, we'll see them for Thanksgiving.”
“You don't know that,” Michael said. “They could get an assignment or something.”
“They’re on an integration team now,” Joe pushed past his brother. “They don't go anywhere.” Joe got in the elevator with Eve and left Michael where he stood.
The elevator climbed to the third floor. Eve turned to Joe and said, “I didn't know your parents were OIT now.”
Joe shrugged and said, “You never asked.”
“Yes,” Eve said, “I'm sorry.”
The two of them went down the boys’ hallway to Joe’s room.
“Don't worry about it,” Joe told her. “You have a lot on your plate. I bet there’s a million things you’re curious about but haven’t had the time to ask.”
“Yes,” Eve agreed.
Joe's room was trashed. Clothes and food were scattered everywhere. For some reason, the mattress was halfway off the bed. Joe rummaged through a pile of papers.
“Are you interested in me?” Eve asked suddenly.
Joe looked up at her. “Sure,” he said, “You're an interesting person.” Eve was watching him intently. He stood and said, “You’re nice too. And smart. And cute.”
“Would you like to go to first base?” Eve asked him. Joe's eyes narrowed as he tried to figure out what she meant. “Would you like to kiss me again?” Eve reiterated.
“Is that first base?” Joe questioned.
Eve ignored the question and stepped forward, kissing him on the lips. This time it was soft and long. She tasted his mouth for a second thinking that it was surprisingly pleasant. He felt like excitement, and that made it all the better.
When they pulled away for a breath, Eve said, “I don't understand this base thing people talk about.”
“I think I can help you with that,” Joe said and kissed her again.
December 24th, 7:00 PM, Los Angeles
Thanksgiving had come and gone in a flash. Eve, Shruti and Jess all went to LA. The dinner was extravagant and fun. Eve still couldn’t see why it was much different than any other dinner with friends. They told her to wait for Christmas.
But before that, came the Winter Dance. It was one of the strangest things Eve had experienced yet. All of the kids in the Residence and some of the adults dressed in a variety of formal wear. The entire first floor was decorated with fake snowflakes and colored lights. Eve and Joe spent most of the night in the banquet room dancing; the other kids were shocked to see them together. It was the talk of the night. There was a lot of laughing and giddy happiness. Eve found herself swept away in celebration. She couldn’t wait until Christmas.
And now it was here.
They had put a large fir tree in the arboretum at the Complex. It was decorated with shiny ornaments and lights. From time to time, Eve heard people singing some of the same songs over and over. The store at the Complex had been packed with gift items and wrapping paper. Using her modest allowance, Eve took on the challenging task of buying gifts for her friends. Sara taught her how to wrap them, and when she was done, she began to understand the holiday a little better. She was filled with a nervous anticipation about how her presents would be received. Her choice of a gift for Joe was enough to give her a panic attack.
Eve was thinking about Joe being with his parents as she portaled into LA. Jess and Henry had joined her, and when they arrived, the LA weather hit them at once.
“Es ist verdammt heiß,“ Henry grumbled as the three started pulling off their coats.
Jess gave Henry an odd look. “You know Fugen translates everything for me, right?”
Henry shrugged in response.
Alison heard the noise from the kitchen and popped her head out. “Where's Shruti?” She asked.
“We had her killed for her presents,” Henry said flatly.
Jess ignored him and answered, “She's spending Christmas with Saga.”
Robert came from the bedroom smiling and hugged his friends. “I’m glad you guys could make it,” he told them. “Alison has been in the kitchen all morning and she won’t let me in.”
“Is that a subtle clue not to complain about the food later?” Henry asked.
Alison slapped him with a spatula. For his own safety, he hopped over the back of the couch and plopped down on the cushions.
“Okay ladies,” Alison announced. “Time to get to work.” She pushed Robert toward the couch and went back into the kitchen.
“I can't cook,” Jess argued.
“Neither can I,” Eve added.
“Better go in before you get in trouble,” Robert said to them. “Can one of you get us some beer while you’re in there?” He took a seat on the couch next to Henry. The TV was on, but neither of them were paying attention. A moment later, Alison came out and handed each of them a bottle. She kissed Robert on the cheek and disappeared. Robert sipped his beer. “You said something about a problem?”
Henry checked to see that the women were preoccupied. “If I tell you what I know you could get in trouble,” he said.
“I understand,” Robert replied. “Is this about the accident?”
“Partly,” Henry answered. “Because I was there, and already know too much, Kelley has me working on it. I’m sorry I’m being so… undeutlich.” Robert furrowed his brow. “Vague,” Henry translated. “Been reworking my processors, and there’ve been some glitches. Anyway, whil
e I was digging around some files, I began to notice a disturbing trend. Since the accident Kelley has been ordering a series of secret projects geared toward military applications.”
“The One does a lot of work with military organizations,” Robert commented.
“These aren’t for Norm use,” Henry said.
“Are you saying he’s preparing for war?” Robert asked incredulously. “With who? Why? He’s been anti-war since he accepted the directorship.”
“Peace doesn’t pay the bills,” Henry said. “The Super-Human population is growing, and keeping them reined in costs money. So to answer your question, I don’t think the ‘who’ matters. All he needs is a reason for The One to step in. Imagine a Super-Human police force keeping the peace for cash.”
“Next you’re going to tell me he’s organizing a conflict,” Robert dismissed him.
“I’m telling you what I saw,” Henry said.
“And making a lot of assumptions,” Robert retorted.
“You know me, when was the last time I was this serious?” Henry asked. “Just keep your eyes open. We have to stick together, watch our backs; you, me, Alison… just in case.”
Robert leaned back on the couch. “We’re always watching each other’s backs,” he said. “But I’ll keep my eyes open.”
The women were in the kitchen where Alison was surveying the food. She opened the oven. Inside was a golden brown ham. “Robert, come take this out of the oven,” she yelled.
“Wait for a commercial,” he yelled back.
“Really, what is the point of men?” Alison sighed.
“I think you know that answer better than the two of us,” Jess remarked.
Alison gave her an uncomfortable smile and eyed Eve.
“Is this about sex?” Eve asked. “I never know what people are using as an innuendo anymore.”
“Uh,” Alison tried.
“Have you been talking about sex much lately?” Jess inquired.
“Danni and Sara were asking me a lot of questions about Joe,” Eve answered. “I didn't understand anything they were saying.”
“Oh,” Alison gasped. “I think I need some wine.” There was an open bottle on the counter. She poured herself a glass and listened.
“What kind of things were they saying?” Jess asked.
“First they talked about bases,” Eve told her, “and they didn’t know which ones were which. So I tried to figure it out for myself.”
Alison nearly choked on her wine.
“Did you find out what a home run was?” Jess asked nervously.
“It's sex, right?” Eve said. “Sara thought it was supposed to be a grand slam.”
“It could be a grand slam,” Jess joked and Alison snickered. “I mean, did you and Joe.... You know what sex is, right?”
“Yes,” Eve replied. “Where I come from we are paired with our best match and then mate. Here it seems like you can mate with anyone regardless of consequences.”
Alison finished her glass and poured another.
“Uh, well consequences… a lot…,” for the first time in a while Jess was at a loss for words. “When you say mate with anyone, are you talking about free will to mate or... uh... a lot of... uh… mating”
Robert walked into the kitchen and stopped dead. He looked at all three ladies and could tell something was up.
“What are you guys talking about?” He asked.
“Girl stuff,” Jess replied.
“Can you stop so I can take out the ham? Please?” He asked.
December 24th, 2445 Hours, Colorado
Inside the brightly lit security room, the personnel wished each other a preemptive Merry Christmas. Lieutenant James Carr sipped his coffee, letting the steam warm his face. They were approaching the third day of Christmas PR, and Carr didn't have the patience for anything anymore.
“Rrrrr,” Carr grumbled as someone passed a present to their friend.
The man looked up at the noise and then turned quickly away. No one wanted to get on his nerves, especially since the officer assigned to relieve him was running late. Most likely because he was celebrating Christmas early.
Carr grumbled again.
He was tired, cold and bored. His standard duties required that he monitor five miles of wall, including the main gate. For the last couple of days, Carr had been stuck answering stupid questions from stupid civilians. Thousands of them were piling through his gate, and they all wanted to get in quickly. They all had their reasons why they should bypass security. They all asked, ‘just this once, for Christmas.' They all thought they were an exception. But he expected the civilians to be annoying and inconsiderate. The fact that his replacement was late when he knew how exhausting this job was, that was pissing him off.
Carr yearned for the days of Field Duty. He may have just been a body guard, but it was enjoyable. Something was always happening. Then they go and promote him, and OIS thinks he'd be better suited guarding a gate because of his abilities. He even considered turning down the promotion, but word was that Director Kelley wanted security beefed up. In Carr’s opinion, the man was paranoid. What use could someone who was immune to Super-Human powers be just watching a gate? It made him a good body guard, but a good watch dog?
So all night he stood in this cramped little room growling at his new platoon. The night had been slow. Only a handful of people had come and gone. Everyone else was already enjoying Christmas somewhere else.
“Incoming,” a voice squawked over the loud speaker.
Carr looked over at a video monitor that showed a minivan pulling up to the gate. It stopped, and a man in a bulbous coat stepped out of his car to submit to inspection. Standard operating procedure dictated that one man search the car, a second questioned the occupants and a third stood in the control booth. Their radios were open at all time so their conversations could be overheard in the tower.
Carr listened to them now, “State your business.” It was a senseless question because there was only a handful of reasons to be here.
“We're visiting our daughter,” the man replied.
Carr's eyes automatically flicked over to the screen that showed the passenger seats. He could barely make out that there was a person sitting in the back. The button to talk to the man in the control booth was at his elbow, and he hit it. “I need a visual confirmation on the passengers,” he said. On the monitor, the guard in the booth walked out and around the car then went back to his post.
“Caucasian female, late thirties,” the guard said over the radio.
Lieutenant Carr strained his eyes looking at the monitor. All he could see was someone wearing a hat. He hit the button and said, “That's a female in the back?”
The guard replied, “Negative. Female is in front passenger seat.” The voice was anxious as they began to realize something was wrong.
Carr was about to give the order to apprehend when one of the men at the computers said, “Sir.” He pointed to the screens. One by one they went blank then a single word popped up.
“Hubris.”
Without thinking, Carr hit the big red alarm button. His eyes stopped on the screen in front of him. The man in the big coat looked up at the camera and smiled.
The explosion rippled outward tearing apart everything in its wake and filling the night sky with fire.
Characters
Batista – Matter changing skin
Beach - ?
The Boneman – Break bones by touch
Branch - ?
Scott Brown – Invisibility
James Carr – Immunity to super powers
Alison Cortez – 3 second precognition
Chuck Darren – Precognition of danger
Caroline Day - ?
Robert Day – Plasma bursts
George Deacon-Slater (the Dragon Slayer) - ?
Rachael Debord – Super eyes sight
Joe Epper – Dark projection
Michael Epper – Light projection
Elena Florian - ?
Petr Florian – Calming
Anne Marie Godfrey (Angie) – Animal instinct and claws
Phillip Green (Flip) – Controls perception of himself
William James Kelley Jr – 100% data retention
Sara Klass – Shapeshifter
Koji Kojima – Super power duplication
Jessica Lang – Demon summoner
Eve Levitas – Dimensional portals
Lewis - ?
Jason Mallory – Disintegration beam
Daniel Muir – Werewolf
Victor Orlando – Fire projection
Jigoro Oyama - ?
Shruti Pandey – Telepath
Poole - ?
John Porter - Invulnerability
Dr. Richter - ?
AJ Rodgers – Hyper reflexes
Dani Rodriguez – Creation of shadow creatures
Saga - ?
Elizabeth Santiago – Physics manipulation
Henry Schreier – Cyborg
Victor Franklin Stein – Scientist
Torres - ?
Gabriel Wilson - ?
Author’s Notes:
A Brief Word About The Series
Originally written in 2008, Absolute Power has been a process of evolution. The first incarnation was a 800 page epic with much of the same storyline it has today. But as it sat on the virtual computer shelf it began to grow a life of its own. Many of the main characters now, side characters then. As the people developed, their lives developed with back stories, through stories and plots. Eventually the characters themselves began to change the shape of the story. The result was that Absolute Power had to be broken up into 4 separate books.
The greatest thing about this process was that because I knew the beginning and end of everything, I was able to interweave hints, clues and foreshadows from the first book to the last. If I’m lucky enough to keep you as a reader, I think and hope that by the end you’ll flip back through from the beginning, and maybe kick yourself a little for not noticing.
And the other good thing, since all 4 books have at least a first draft, the delay between releases won’t be too long.
Absolute Power (Book 1): Origins Page 24