Annihilation Series-Searching for a Hero (3 page)

Jodie sat down and said, “I wish Ping had come.”

Mios looked sharply at her and held his finger over his lips. He watched the giant Cat move to another row and Jodie looked at Mios like he was crazy, “What was that about?”

Mios looked off at the cat and said, “You know they’re telepathic?”

“Yes.”

“Well, I don’t want to discuss my best friend’s absence around them. I want that conversation to remain with us.”

Jodie stared at Mios and he ignored her questioning expression. “Mios.”

“Yeah.”

“Why has Ping refused to accept me as his girlfriend?”

Mios turned to Jodie and his eyes narrowed, “I thought the two of you were an item?”

“No, I do all I can to be around him but he treats me like a friend and nothing more.”

“Jodie, you need to ask him that question.”

“He’s never discussed his feelings for me with you?”

Mios shook his head, “Ping is a complex person. He’s one of the funniest people I know but he can be the most intense person I’ve ever seen as well. No, he’s not discussed his feelings about you with me and I wouldn’t tell you if he did. That’s something the two of you should resolve.”

“Why don’t you have a girlfriend, Mios?” Jodie immediately noticed Mios grow tense,

Mios looked at the King and said, “I just haven’t found the right one, yet.”

She stared at him for a long moment and then another cheer went up for the King and they joined in. As they exited the teleporter on Earth, Jodie grabbed Mios’ arm and looked him in the eyes, “You weren’t being honest with me.”

“Oh?”

“You found the right one; you just refuse to tell her.” Jodie stood on her toes and kissed him on the cheek. She spun and ran away to meet her parents. Mios held his cheek and shook his head. How could she possibly know?

• • • • •

Mios and Ping sat on the edge of the pond watching their corks float on the water. Ping knew something was bothering Mios but didn’t want to force him to talk about it. He waited patiently and after Ping’s cork went under and he missed setting the hook, Mios handed him another piece of bait and said, “Ping, how do you feel about Jodie?”

“She’s a nice girl, Mios.”

“You didn’t answer my question.”

“Did she put you up to this?”

“She asked if you have ever told me your feelings about her.”

“And?”

“I told her you haven’t and that even if you had I wouldn’t tell her.”

Ping smiled, “Mios, I like her but nothing more than that. She’s beautiful, witty, charming, sweet, and all the other great adjectives one could use to describe a female.”

“But…”

Ping pointed to his chest, “She’s doesn’t touch me where it counts.” Ping stared at Mios and then he got it, “You care about her.”

Mios looked up in misery, “I do; but she only cares about you, Ping.”

“Tell her.”

“What!?!”

“Tell her. You won’t hurt my feelings and you might be surprised by what she says.”

“Ping, I’m not near the prize you are.”

“Don’t sell yourself short, Mios. You’re my best friend for a reason and you’re much more than you think.”

Mios sighed and pulled his line as the cork disappeared below the water. He pulled in a nice perch and Ping smiled, “Besides, you’re a better fisherman than I am.”

Mios laughed, put the fish on the string and baited his line. He leaned back on the bank next to the pond and looked off at the giant towers rising into the sky in Tampa. The huge city extended off into the distance covering the ancient cities of Orlando and Jacksonville. Future growth was prohibited to protect the farm lands in Florida, which provided the bulk of the fruit consumed by the planet. Nightfall was not far away and the almost full moon began adding its light to the ground around them. The two fifteen year olds looked up at the millions of floaters flying overhead and saw an occasional star break through the light of the city. Mios sighed and Ping said, “We’ll go out and see more stars than we believe, Mios.”

“Do you really think so?”

“I do.”

Ping reached over and gave Mios a small punch on the arm. Mios smiled; that was how they told each other how much they loved the other.

• • • • •

The next day Mios sat on the spinner in the playground before school opened. He missed the old one; it moved much faster than the current one did. He arrived early and didn’t want to go inside. He didn’t want to face Jodie.

“Why are you out here?”

Mios turned and saw Jodie standing behind him. He shrugged, “I just wanted some time to reflect.”

“On what?” Mios shook his head. Jody smiled, “You know you love me; you might as well admit it.”

Mios looked up at Jodie and she saw the pain in his eyes, “You love someone else, Jodie.”

Jodie sat down on the spinner and gave it a small push with her foot, “My parents tell me I’m too young to know what love is, much less feel it.”

“Parents aren’t always right.”

“They are most of the time.” Mios looked at her with a furrowed brow. Jodie looked into his eyes, “Like where we are right now. I thought I loved Ping and I’ve been chasing him for six years.” Mios looked away. Jodie gave the spinner another push, “However, it’s been you and I that have spent the majority of the time together while I was waiting for Ping to notice me. You’ve picked me up when I was down, made me laugh when I felt like crying, and listened to my frustrations in getting Ping to feel for me like I felt for him.” Mios slowly shook his head. Jodie gave the spinner another push, “I looked up the meaning of two words this morning before I came to school; love and respect.”

Mios’ brow furrowed and he tilted his head and looked at her, “Why did you do that?”

“One component of love is not wanting to lose the company of the one you love. I realize I could live quite normally if Ping disappeared and went somewhere else. However, I would be miserable if you ever left and went away. I discovered this morning that I highly respect Ping, but I don’t love him.”

“You don’t?” Jodie shook her head. Mios stared at her, looked down and managed to say, “I’ve loved you from the first moment you asked me why they called him Ping.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

Mios shook his head, “I’m not a Ping. He’s so much more than I am.”

Jodie smiled that beautiful smile, “I know your heart, Mios. You’ve endured the pain of seeing me with someone else and you stood by me, never letting me see how much you hurt. You are more than you think.”

Mios looked up, “Just being near you made my day brighter.”

Jodie put out her foot and stopped the spinner. She leaned forward and kissed Mios on the lips. She broke the kiss and said, “Maybe we can brighten both our days from now on.”

Mios stood up with her and they walked back to the classroom. Ping watched them from the window at the east end of the building and smiled. Two years later they graduated from secondary school and the vibration of the forces stopped.

• • • • •

The young Cat looked at Rider, “Why have the patterns stopped vibrating?”

“What do you think happened to cause the change?”

“Perhaps the one we’re searching for has died.”

Rider smiled, “Or he has learned how to hide from us.”

“Is that possible?”

“The forces no longer vibrate; if they don’t feel him, it’s a good bet that we won’t sense him either.”

“Are you telling me his talents are growing?”

Rider smiled.

• • • • •

Mios received the notification in his terminal and ran out of his house. He saw Ping heading his way at top speed and Mios yelled, “I’ve been accepted.”

“And I have, too.”

Mios’ wrist com buzzed and he saw Jodie, “Please tell me you’re in!”

Jodie’s entire face turned into a smile, “I am!”

“We’re all going to the Academy.”

Jodie yelled, “Tonight, George’s, at seven.”

Ping yelled, “We’ll be there!”

Coryn stood at her front door and saw Ping and Mios celebrating. She had learned over the last two years that her son was something special. She no longer doubted his talents. But she knew that people like Ping happened for a reason; she hoped he would not be harmed. She felt Paul come up behind her and she reached up to her shoulder and took his hand, “I worry so much about him.”

“He’ll be fine, love.”

“I’m going to miss him so much.”

Paul hugged her and whispered in her ear, “I’ll do my best to keep you occupied.”

Coryn smiled and turned into his arms.

“
I
’ve been told the Cats are searching for another.”

“WHAT!?!”

“You know why they need him and you know who sent the message.”

“Is it possible?”

“You need look no further than your mirror.”

“What are you going to do?”

“Nothing…for the moment.”

“But…”

We’ll cross that dimension when we have to.”

“You know what this means?”

“I hope we’re wrong about that.”

“How often have we been wrong?”

“Let me think about it; I’m sure there’s been an occasion.”

“Let me know when you think of it.”

• • • • •

The classes at the Academy were designed to accomplish two goals: educate the cadets and weed those out that wouldn’t put forth the effort to graduate. They were successful on both counts. The three close friends went into their studies with a purpose and working together they managed to survive the worst the Academy threw at them.

Ping looked at Jodie, “Where’s Mios?”

“Pederson has him cleaning another latrine.”

“Why?”

“His collar pin was a hundredth of an inch off.”

“This is absurd.”

Jodie shook her head, “That upper classman has it in for Mios and I don’t know if he’ll get enough study time to pass.”

An hour later Mios arrived. “I’m sorry I’m late.”

Ping’s eyes narrowed, “Pederson again?” Mios nodded. “Well, we can’t allow him to continue to get away with this.”

“What can I do? He comes looking for me.”

Ping’s anger was clear. “Tonight we pay him back.”

Mios started shaking his head, “I don’t like the sound of this.”

Jodie looked at Ping, “What are you going to do?”

“We’re sailors; it’s time he learned about the properties of water.” Mios did a double take and Ping smiled, “Meet me outside his dorm at two AM.”

• • • • •

Mios looked at Ping who was holding a fifty foot hose and two large cups. “What’s in the cups?”

“It’s a special brew for tonight’s festivities. Help me carry this trash can.”

The two cadets each grabbed the large metal trash can with one hand and one of the cups in the other. They arrived at the stairwell at the end of the hall on the fourth floor. Mios looked at Ping, “You know the camera will see everything that happens.” Ping reached into his back pocket and pulled out a can of shaving cream. Mios said, “There’s no way you can get to that camera fast enough to spray it before you’re seen.”

“Ah grasshopper…one must make large jumps to accomplish one’s life goals.”

Mios smiled and looked around the edge of the stairwell at the camera. It was located in the middle of the long hall and would snap around one way and less than two seconds later it would snap back in the opposite direction. Ping watched the camera and counted. “One…two…one…two. “ Suddenly, Ping disappeared and reappeared under the camera. He reached up and sprayed the lens with a huge glob of shaving cream. He reappeared at Mios’ side and said, “Follow me quietly.” The two carried the large trash can down to Eric Pederson’s room and propped it against the door. Ping then took each cup, folded the lid of the paper cup, and shoved it under the door. He took the fifty foot hose out of the trash can and ran down to the central bathroom and connected it to a faucet. He turned on the water and began filling up the trash can. Mios watched it fill and estimated there had to be about four hundred pounds of water in the barrel leaning against the door. Finally, it was as full as it could get without overflowing. Ping bent the hose to stop the water and went back to the bathroom and disconnected it from the faucet. He rolled it up and put it over his shoulder. He came back and whispered, “I’ve used the communicator in the library to order a wakeup call for our friend at two forty five. When you hear it, wait for him to turn it off and knock softly on the door. I’ll listen and when he comes to the door we stomp the cups and run out of the building. Got it?”

Mios shrugged and nodded. They waited and at two forty five they heard Eric’s wrist unit go off. The waited and heard, “What the hell…” The alarm was turned off and Ping scratched on the door. He had his ear against it as he continued to scratch. He felt Eric arrive at the door and he nodded. Ping and Mios stomped the cups and ran down to the end of the hall and down the stairs. The two cups blasted their contents into Eric’s room and covered him for head to foot with a white liquid that smelled to high heaven. He heard the footsteps disappearing down the hall and turned the knob on his door to try and see who it was. No human could stop a four hundred pound barrel of water from pushing a door open. The door flew back into Eric, sending him sprawling on the floor as eighty gallons of water rushed into his room all the way to the far wall before it washed back out into the hall, taking most of Eric’s shoes and boots with it. The loud crash of the door and trash can woke everyone on the hall and Eric was heard cursing at the top of his voice. The officer in charge of the building notified security and they arrived just before the Academy Commandant. Eric was still yelling at the top of his voice as he tried to wash the smell off in the shower.

The Commandant looked at the Lieutenant, “What happened here?”

“It appears someone has it in for Mr. Pederson, Sir.”

“Who did it?”

“That’s the funny thing, Sir. The camera lens was covered before it could photograph the culprits.”

“How could that happen?”

“I have no idea.”

“Does our Mr. Pederson know who did it?”

“He claims he does, Sir.”

“Well get him out here and let’s see what he has to say.”

Eric came out of the shower still cursing and saw the Commandant. He went to attention and the Commandant said, “Mr. Pederson, do you happen to know who dirtied up my dormitory?”