A Spaceman

Chapter 15--The man with the power

"Are we speaking again?" I ask, tapping my earpiece to answer Tess' call.

"You've had your cookies?" she asks, oh so innocently dear god she is so completely my child.

"Yes, your revenge was bitter, now, what do you want?" I ask.

"A favor, for Billy," she says.

"Did you go to classes today?" I ask.

"Yes," she says.

"All right, go on," I say, "Who's Billy?"

"The bald little boy you dumped ice water on the this morning getting yourself a tainted cookie," she says.

"Masculine debates should never be the subject of feminine revenge any more than masculine sins against the female should be the subject of masculine revenge," I say.

"He's dying, dad, water upon me is of little consequence compared to him, I was nearly late for class getting him warmed up again," she says.

"You can't actually die from catching cold," I say.

"You can if you're already dying," she says.

"Have you done experiments in it---I think not---"

"I have read several scholarly articles but we digress—"

"Yes we do, what was the favor?"

"Billy's a Project 10 like me, but thing is his parents don't have any contact and he'd like to meet them before he dies," she says, "Is there any way we could get special permission for him to get to contact them? Since he won't live to be sixteen like me and the others."

"I haven't looked into the laws much, but I can ask," I offer, checking my wrist pad, "Your next class starts soon, doesn't it?"

"Yes, can you find out for me?" she asks.

"Yes, I'll try, study hard, love you," I say.

"Love you too, dad," she says.

"Are you done?" Thorn asks, staring at me. I got Tess's call right after stepping into his office.

"Yeah, we're good, she had class," I say, nodding, "How was your night last night?"

"Remarkably and refreshingly free of you---yours?" he asks.

"Good, I tortured the cadet and picked up Tess and her friends," I say, nodding.

"Absolutely lovey and nobody died? Wasn't that pleasant?" he asks.

"Not really now that you mention the lack of bloodshed---"

"I know, and no random explosions you must be out of your mind---"

"I am, and I talked to Ziggy this morning and you're right I so can't kill him it's depressing---"

"So hard to be you Titus, now I assume you didn't come to my office just to inquire about my health and answer phone calls?" he asks.

"No, I wanted to ask if you knew why Major Tom is upset with me?" I ask.

"No idea, have you done anything especially you, lately?" he asks.

"No, that's the thing---it's been for a while, though, just sort of bubbling, I'm hoping you can help me you've known her as long as I have, what would make a woman who is generally ambivalent to likely to make out with you completely disgusted/mistrustful of you?" I ask, desperately. Kip was no help. Modern psychology manuals were no help. Ziegfeld was no help. I'm running out of options.