PZA: Adventure Quest (The Boyplanet) 4-6

Gavin looked our from the hover vehicle window as it sped past the fence of the Zong ISTaZ landing field. Night was quickly falling, but there was enough moonlight from two of Zong's three moons to allow him to see some of the surroundings. For the first time since they had formed their little group everyone seemed to be quiet, lost in their own thoughts.

It didn't take Gavin's mind much time to wander. He couldn't believe how wide open everything seemed. Part of him refused to believe this was real. The Holo-projectors in DalHouston training center proved to him this could all be some sort of trick. However, the smells were different, as was the tastes. Up till now, Gavin hadn't really thought about the taste of air before, but being on Zong changed this. Earth oxygen had a refined taste to it, almost metallic in nature.

Of course with over 60 billion people on the planet technology had been developed to keep the air free of most pollutants and thus the air constantly when through filters and processing stations. Not so on Zong; the air held thousands of smells, some very pleasant, others truly terrible. The problem for the youngster was his sensitivity to the smells was extremely high. Having never smelled unprocessed air before; his nose was inundated with nature.

Sure the e-domes had some flowers and plants, but the air still went through filters to keep it at a proper oxygen content and free of germs. The resulting purification meant smells didn't get a chance to travel very far or mingle. The more Gavin tried to figure out what he was smelling the more confused his mind got.

Ajax's also found himself getting confused, not from a sell perspective, but instead for a distance and reference standpoint. The hover vehicle Jasper piloted was not traveling very fast, Only 150 KPH [100 mph] at most, but the problem was figuring out how the man knew where he was going. They were not on a road. Nor were there markings to show the big man where he was supposed to go. He could see the driver's console, so he knew Jasper was not on an auto navigate mode, nor was he tracking a homing transponder.

His mind also started to play tricks on him. He had thoughts of getting lost. The more he looked for familiar features the less he found. Within minutes the landing facility was no longer visible through the back window, so he could not for the life of him figure out how the man knew where to go. He started to worry about getting lost on some mountain.

Fairfax's mind found a whole different train of thought to go down. The last four years had been one long nightmare. It had all stated when ChiTroit CHZ police found his family walking around at street level. His whole family had been taken to a laborer tower where they had been forced to live in a tiny room. All six of his brothers and sisters, mom and dad could barely move around without steeping on one another. After less than a week, his parents decided to hit the streets again.

It had taken another few days to find an exit to street level, Everything was going great until he twisted his ankle as they slid one by one down a recycling chute to the basement. His cries of pain alerted one of the workers who hit a zap camera.

The camera trained on his cries and sent out an electrical stun pulse. Fairfax woke up in the orphanage hospital room with none of his family around. Question after question had gotten him nowhere. The workers at ChiTroit Orphanage ZR refused to give him any information about his mom or dad. All they really wanted to know is where his sisters and brothers were. He refused to tell them anything.

Once his ankle healed he was assigned to a classroom and given a number CT-OPHZR-19878967-SLO. The number itself told everyone what they thought to be important. The CT stood for ChiTroit. OPHZR told people he was currently assigned to the ZR orphanage. And the last three letters informed the world he was nothing more than a street level orphan. Someone had once told him the number in between was the total orphans in ChiTroit. Fairfax had a hard time believing this, however. He seriously doubted 19,878,967 orphans were housed in ChiTroit CHZ, but who could ever tell. Of course Ajax's number was 19876773, which was only 2206 greater than his so it might be true.

Looking around, he wondered if there was a way to not have to go back to Earth. Here on Zong he was Ajax. The name given to him by the one of the nurses who didn't care for the name his parents had called him. She said Bubba just didn't sound like a good name for a boy.

The same woman gave Fairfax his name. Although his friend had never told him what his given name had been. For some reason, whenever a new SLO came in to the ZR orphanage, she would give them a name with an 'X' somewhere in it unless they had 'good' names like Joey or Tommy. Girls always seemed to be spared this treatment though. Of course the older kids in the orphanage knew a name with an 'X' in it meant SLO. This was like having a target painted on him. The kids would tease them, call them gutter trash and other cruel pranks.

Staying on Zong, never having to get the worst clothing in the orphanage because he should be 'used' to it, and having friends like Robin and Gavin who didn't seem to care what his past was sounded like a great idea to him. The more he thought it over, the more he wondered if he could convince Robin to go along.

Robin was more adventurous. He watched the countryside slide by for several minutes before sighing. The rest of his group looked like they wanted some time to think so he slid up passenger seat, "Mind if I join you for a while Mr. Montgomery?"

Jasper grinned, "Not a problem Robin." Quickly he punched in a code into the computer console. Instantly a second set of driving controls slid out of a panel in front of Robin, "How would you like to learn to drive?"

"Look down." Jasper pointed to the floorboard. The right pedal is the forward speed; next to it is the controls for the stopping thrusters. The harder you press the more reverse thrust you will get. The control wheel in front of you is how you steer. It has the settings on the left for upward thrust. The higher up you are, the smother the ride, but the harder it is to control and make turns. The three buttons on the right are your visual modes. We are on low light now. That is why we can see even though it is dark out. The second one down is infra-red, and the last is daylight."

Jasper clicked a red button lighting up all the instruments on Robin's side of the vehicle. As he did so they came to a slow stop. He quickly showed speed indicators, radar, and even collision threat detectors. After a few minutes of letting Robin get used to the controls, Jasper hit a computer switch. "I have it set on instructor mode. I can override all your commands by grabbing my control wheel so do not worry. I will not let anything bad happen, but she is now yours. Take it easy and get used to it. I'll point the way."

Robin started off very slowly, then built up speed. He quickly discovered driving was not nearly as had as he thought it would be.

Jasper smiled as the transport's digital readout slowly but surely pushed the 300 KPH [200 mph] speed mark. "Robin, how would you like a real challenge?"

Robin slowed down sensing danger, but he was not the type to back down, "As long as I don't hurt anyone."

"Nope," Jasper reached out and gave Robin's slender shoulder a light squeeze, "you might scratch the paint some, but nothing more."

"Don't worry. I'll just have you paint her during some of your free time." Robin giggled, "Deal! What do I do?"

Robin looked to his right and saw trees and several large rocks, "How am I supposed to get though a forest with this?"

"It is just a grove of trees and some old volcanic rocks. It will give you a chance to test how well you can really drive."

Robin took a deep breath and moved the transport into the grove. At first he took it really slow low to the ground.

Robin swallowed hard but did as he was told. Quickly he realized he had to give the craft more upward thrust as his teammates in the back started complaining about being bounced around. Gritting his teeth, Robin glanced over at Jasper as he eased the upward thrust up. Getting a smile he calmed some and continued forward. 20 minutes latter he cleared the trees and rocks.

Robin forced his hands to relax his grip on the wheel, "I always thought playing the holo-vid games were hard!"

The laughter from the back further calmed Robin. Soon he was pushing the 300 KPH [200 mph] mark again.

"OK, speed demon," Jasper joked. "Lets take this impromptu training one more step. Bring her to a stop."

Robin had no idea what to expect. He had never dreamed of being allowed to pilot such a machine for real. His heart raced knowing Jasper had something really special in mind.

Jasper picked up a radio mike, "ISTaZ central, this is EC597TL, I need Sub O training clearance for zones 12 to 15, over."

A female voice came across, "Wilco, Commander Montgomery stand by. I will have all traffic clear in five mikes, over."

A giggle came from the back of the craft, "Uh-oh, you did it now Robin!" Gavin's voice teased.

Robin turned looking a little pale, "Yea, I get the same felling. I just wish I know what I did!"

Jasper turned with a grin, "I'll give you all a chance to drive, maybe even do everything Robin is doing as long as you do as well as he has up to this point."

This brought about a round of smiles and morbid jokes about wrecking and never being allowed back to Zong again. Things came to an abrupt halt as the speaker crackled to life with a deep male voice. "Explorer Corps Commander Montgomery. This is space command. Sub orbital and orbital paths all the way to Ipax moon are now clear. You may commence your training flight. Have fun boys!"

Jasper could see all the boys had heard the words. His status as and Explorer Corps high ranking officer was now known by all the kids in this small group. He quickly typed in a security code into the transport's central computer. Seconds later Hydraulics moved wings out from the craft's body and the low hum of the engine died out as a magnetic drive unit clicked on line. "You three in back hit you restraining fields please."

"You have to fly. You have to be free to use the controls." Jasper quickly pointed out the controls used in flight then looked at Robin; "The best way to learn is to do it! Take us up!"

Robin glanced back happy to get nods from all three of his teammates. His right hand pushed the throttle as he used his left to pull back on the stick. Seconds later he had the craft well above the planet's surface.

Jasper agreed, "Very smooth for your first time. Now the next challenge is to take us sub orbital. When you do so you will feel gravity let go some. The second this happens cut back on your thrust or you will take us into an orbital position. The 3D grid off to your left will show you when to expect it so look at your controls for help."

Jasper chuckled, "Then you get to learn how to do a re-entry and to try it again."

It took Robin three times to get it right. The first time he backed off too soon and had to regain lost altitude as he found himself spiraling downward. Everyone except Gavin found it kind of like an amusement park ride. All Gavin could think about, however, was hitting the ground at six times the speed of sound.

The second time Robin overshot the mark and found himself in zero gravity. Looking over with wide eyes he was relieved to see Jasper smiling. This meant another 20-minute class to learn how to enter the atmosphere without burning up. The task was made all the harder because Jasper made the scared boy do it without computer auto guidance systems.

None of the boys could figure out how Mr. Montgomery could remain so calm as they watched the outer skin of the craft start to glow a light red as heat from the atmosphere penetrated the force field surrounding the craft. Little did they know, the larger ships could produce a much stronger field than the small craft could: Jasper was used to this.

Two hours later Robin finally managed to get them all to the smallest of Zong's moons, land, and fly back with no major problems. Relieved, the group took a break. Then they switched drivers. One by one the kids took turns driving and flying, but Jasper didn't feel comfortable enough with Gavin's or Ajax's flying to allow them to land on the moon. As dawn broke over Zong's second continent, Fairfax guided the vehicle to a smooth stop outside of a small building nestled back against a small rock formation on the edge of a vast mountain range. Off to the side a beautiful waterfall tumbled off the rocks above and roared into a large deep crystal clear pool. Several fish could be seen swimming around as the amazed boys looked down.

Jasper let them stretch and get a feel for their new surroundings before taking charge. It still amazed him none of the four looked even slightly homesick. "OK boys, I want you all to shower and get your gear spread out on tables in the cottage. There is some other gear you may wish to take along in there, but remember you have to carry everything you pack.

"I will go over your gear while you all get used to just being here. Today is yours, but do not stray to where you cannot see this cabin. Tonight I expect you to all get a good night's sleep. I want you all alert for your classes tomorrow."

Jasper shook his head in astonishment as the rest of the group all turned to him with gleaming eyes. He couldn't believe how totally un-intimidated this group was of being in the wilderness. He almost said no, but thought better of it, "As long as you set up your tents and are close to the building in case you get cold. Remember this isn't DalHouston. There are no weather-sats above this continent and we are approaching late fall. It will get darned chilly. Rain and snow are both very real possibilities, especially judging from those dark clouds." Jasper pointed to a cluster of darkness off on the horizon away from the mountains.

"You will be here for two weeks Robin," Jasper stated, "You will get your chance I am sure!"

He paused and glanced over the four, very eager, kids. "Chances are good you will have to camp in a snow storm or two while out on ISTaZ too. From reports I have read, only three mountain forest teams have not had to deal with one snow storm in the last fifteen years."

Jasper watched the reactions of the four boys. Once again he saw only glee and hope. These four were not at all what the Corps had told him to expect. In fact, they were totally opposite. As he walked away he smiled to himself. He was told he would get the chance to offer five kids academy scholarships and he figured he had four of them already spoken for. If he could get them all though ground school and some solo time, he might even be able to get them in without them. The Explorer Corps kept a close eye on all kids in ISTaZ, and getting wings would make them stand out.

15 – Nate and Tommy

Though it was a short nap, Nate felt as if he had slept for a week. His neck ached from the awkward position of his slumber. He yawned and stretched. His back gratefully produced a loud report of popping joints. Out of the corner of his eye he could see the small figure of a boy in the seat next to him. He quickly surveyed the rest of the transport and saw no one. He turned to his only zone partner and was shocked to see Tommy there, watching him with a look of concern.

"Are you OK now?" Tommy asked. Nate could only stare at him stupidly. Tommy didn't seem surprised by Nate's reaction; in fact he was a little pleased. "You were pretty upset when you crashed out." Tommy said. "I can't blame you. You've had it pretty tough."

"What…" Nate croaked through a dry throat. "What are you doing here? I mean… with me?"

Tommy smiled sweetly and replied simply, "Because I want to hang out with you. Most of the other guys are jerks. I want to hang out with you."

Nate felt flattered and a bit confused. He would have expected Tommy to avoid him after the famous shower incident. Either way he was grateful to have Tommy with him. He looked out the transport window and gasped at the incredible view. Tommy followed Nate's gaze and his reaction was the same. The landing platform sat on a high ridge, affording a remarkable view of the entire forest valley. It seemed impossibly vast, an unimaginable carpet of deep green and brown stretching beyond comprehension. In the far distant horizon stood a jagged mountain range, scraping a sky that was bluer than any blue the travelers had ever seen. Without a single word between them, Nate and Tommy picked up their packs and disembarked.

Their first breath of Zong air filled their lungs with sweetness so complete and so real that it was almost orgasmic. Smells totally unfamiliar to them yet they made them feel as though they had come home. Rich, fertile soil, pine, nearby fresh water and jasmine sent their olfactory senses into sensual overload.

The boys stood on the ridge, not noticing the transport as it lifted off and sped away, and took in their new home for what seemed a very long time. Finally, Nate took the lead and spoke first. "I guess we better go down there and find where we're going to set up camp." Tommy nodded in agreement and they headed down the ridge.

After an hour of fairly brisk hiking the boys discovered a stream and followed it. They stopped and drank water so fresh and pure that they needed only a few small sips to completely satisfy their thirst. But that didn't keep them from drinking enough to make their sides cramp when the hike continued. About three miles [5 km] later they came across a large patch of wild raspberries and once again were given a lesson in the art of moderation. They stuffed themselves so full of the delectable fruit that they both ended up unable to hike any further.

They found a clearing next to the stream and decided that this would be the night's campsite. Nate cleared the area of stones while Tommy removed the inflatable tent from his pack. They both packed tents but Tommy's was larger and they decided to share it. Once the tent was inflated they unrolled their sleeping bags and lay down on them.

Nate looked at Tommy, whose face was covered with raspberry juice and started giggling. "What?" Tommy asked, feeling a little self-conscious. "You… look… like you… were shot in the face!" Nate blurted out, laughing uncontrollably now.

Tommy thought for a moment then said, "Oh yeah? Well it looks like you ate your mother out when she was on the rag!" Now both boys were cracking up wildly. After a while the laughter subsided to occasional hick-ups and giggles. Tommy suggested that they take a dip in the stream to clean off and Nate thought that sounded just fine. Tommy stood up and quickly stripped off all of his clothes. He was totally naked before Nate even had his shirt off.

Once again Nate was observing Tommy's perfect body, but this time there was no Ox to spoil the moment. Nate stood up and removed his pants but left his underwear on. It had been weeks since Nate had enjoyed his ritual morning wank and he was quite aroused by the site of Tommy. "Well?" Tommy asked. "Aren't you going to take them off?"

Nate shook his head stubbornly, quickly from side to side. Tommy looked down and noticed Nate's obvious arousal. He smiled naughtily and said, "I see. Looks like you got a serious boner happening." Nate turned his back to Tommy, completely embarrassed. Tommy giggled a little and said, "No big deal. Here, check this out." Nate looked over his shoulder and his heart stopped. Tommy was masturbating, working himself up to his own erection. Tommy was a small boy and his penis in its flaccid state was not very impressive. However, erect it was a quite a site, standing out a good four inches [10 cm] from his skinny little body like an absurd explanation point. Nate couldn't help but stare. "There" Tommy said. "Now we're even. Go for it." Nate, now without any excuse, removed his underwear. His less impressive erection sprang up, pointing at Tommy as if accusing him of causing this humiliating moment. Tommy smiled broadly and ran out of the tent and jumped into the stream. Nate quickly followed.

The boys splashed and swam for a good hour and a half before tiring out. At that point the sun started setting and they knew it was time to quit. They went back into the tent and got into their underwear. Nate was feeling much more at ease now and the cold water had cooled off his neglected needs. Tommy removed two NeoLights from his pack and placed them on either end of the tent. As the sun dimmed the NeoLights brightened, illuminating the tent with soft light. Nate and Tommy stayed up late that first night, listening to the soothing sounds of crickets and hoot owls. Nate didn't talk much but Tommy made up for it. He told Nate about his past and how he ended up at AdventureQuest. Nate felt guilty about his own self pity as he listened to Tommy's story…

>>next chapter–purple>>

16 – Skinny Dipping

The boys were splashing around in a blur of freedom, emotion and happiness. It is unbelievable, Ben thought. I never thought I could have so much fun. They were playing catch, had a splash contest, and a diving competition. Joel won all three of the games, of course. Ben and Sammy only wished they could keep up with the hyper devil boy. After a little more that fifteen minutes in the fairly cold water, the lips of the three boys turned blue. Ben decided that it was time to take a break. All three walked out to the grassy meadow that served as a beach, and lay on the ground exhausted. After all three boys caught their breath, they all started laughing for no reason. All that happiness needed an outlet, so they just laughed and laughed as the gentle sun of Zong caressed their naked bodies.

Ben lay in the middle, with Joel on his left and Sammy on his right. After the burst of laughter stopped, both Joel and Sammy turned to their sides, to face Ben and each other. Joel exclaimed between excited breaths:

"Never in my life… I had so much… fun!"

"No shit!" replied Ben. – We are soooo damn lucky. I just feel sorry for the kids that can't come to Zong. It's like… what I live for."

"Yeah, well… From now on its also what I live for! Too bad we can't just live here!"

"That would be AWESOME!" agreed Ben, and turned to the right: "Whadda ya think, Sammy?"

"Yeah…" quietly replied Sammy. He was looking at the grass near his face, taking in the sweet smell of nature.

And for the first time since they took off their clothes, Ben took a long look of his best friend. Indeed, Sammy had grown. A lot! He was almost six months older than Ben was, so now he was a little over twelve, but Ben was so used to Sammy being the little kid because he was always looking smaller. Now, the plate had turned. Ben couldn't take Sammy all in at once, so he was sliding with his eyes from the face down. His neck was long, his chest formed a nice lightly-muscular frame, with brownish large nipples. His stomach was smooth and firm, without the layer of 'baby-fat' that he had last year. Then Ben's eyes slid down to his best friend's private area. Sammy's penis was probably the part of his body that grew the most during this past year. Last year, it was no bigger than Ben's pinky. Now, it was hanging a few good inches (more than Ben's own tool, for sure) and had a thin patch of hair around it. He had pubic hair! Wow! Ben was hoping to get some soon, but for now his pubic area was completely smooth. He wanted to say something to Sammy about that, but didn't know if it would be a good idea when Joel is right here. He followed his line of scope to finish Sammy's body with his long, firm legs. He was completely white though, no sigh of a tan. Then Ben returned his eyes to Sammy's face. Sammy was looking passed Ben, at Joel, with a slightly strange expression in his face.

Ben turned his head to the left and looked on Joel's cute face. Joel had an evil grin spreading across his lips. At first Ben didn't understand what was the meaning of this grin, but as he moved his sight down Joel's body he quickly caught on. Joel was slowly stroking his miniature hard boytool. At first Ben was a little thrown off, but very quickly his own penis sprang into life, and was as hard as a rock. He jokingly commanded:

"Hey! No jacking off before lunch!"

"Why?" replied the boy with that same evil grin on his face, and pointing with his chin in the direction of Ben's swelling penis. "You seem to be enjoying it."

Ben was not used to this, but he already felt that he could be open all the way with this boy. So he just thought to himself, what the hell, just say it, and replied what he was thinking:

"That's exactly why, cause you'll turn me on and I'll feel like doing it."

"Well then do it!" exclaimed Joel.

Ben considered the offer for a moment and smiled at Sammy. Sammy smiled back, remembering their little secret. Ben said:

"Not now. We'll talk about this later, don't worry." And he exchanged another meaningful smile with Sammy. And looked down to see Sammy's prick also standing in full attention. Wow, thought Ben again, as for the first time he looked at Sammy's newly-big penis hard.

Joel shrugged, and said in the tone of a spoiled little boy:

"But I feel like doing it now!"

"Fine then," said Ben and jumped up onto his feet. "You do it, and we go back to swim."

Sammy demonstratively raised after Ben. Joel, with a look of clear disappointment on his face, let go of his little tool, breathed a sigh of disappointment, and said an angry "fine!" He waited a moment and jumped up too. The expression on his face quickly changed, and he laughed and ran to the water, screaming "last one in the water is a rotten egg!"

Wendy was walking back from the shuttle base, where she successfully recovered her Walkman. And why not? There is no one around for miles, who could take it! She was listening to music and quickly walking down the path to their cave. Oh, here it is, the bush. Moving the bush aside, Wendy found out that the cave was empty. I wonder where the boys are, she thought and dropped her walkman in her corner. As soon as the earphones fell off Wendy heard the muffled screams and laughter coming from outside. She walked out of the cave and following the sounds quickly got to the lake. The boys were splashing at each other, laughing and generally horsing around. They didn't notice the girl. Wendy, on the other hand, immediately noticed the piles of clothing in the grass and the naked butts of the three boys shining in the gentle sun. She quietly walked closer and loudly announced:

"Hey, guys!"

The effect was just as she expected. Both Ben and Sammy jumped like they were stung, and slipped underwater to their shoulders. Only Joel was left completely careless, saying:

"Hey, sis!"

Wendy laughed a little at the boys' shyness and said in a motherly tone:

"Skinny dipping, I see. Ghm, ghm."

Ben at that point was busy being mad at himself for loosing track of time. Sammy turned red from his ears down. Wendy giggled again. Joel also giggled. Both of them looked at the two awkward boys. Finally, Joel decided that they tortured them enough and said:

"Okay Wendy, cut the bullshit. We were in the middle of a game. You wanna join us or not?"

"Sure," replied the girl, to the disbelief of the two older boys.

Ben and Sammy couldn't believe their eyes as Wendy started to quickly undress. They completely forgot about their own uncovered bodies and sprang out of the water to get a better look, as Wendy removed her bra (her small round breasts fell out) and then her underwear, revealing to their eyes her triangle of thin light pubic hair. In a second, both boys' tools were saluting, and once again the only one left unaffected was Joel. Wendy quickly ran into the water.

The boys were still a little frozen, just standing there. Wendy came closer, and sarcastically commented:

"You two ARE happy to see me, aren't ya?" and smiled. Ben and Sammy finally unfroze and laughing loudly, they splashed Wendy all over as revenge for that remark.

Welp, thought Ben while splashing energetically at the naked squirming Wendy, The skinny dipping problem is pretty much solved!

And soon, sounds of happy laughter filled the nature all around them, the voices of four very happy kids blending with the tweeting of the birds and the hushing of the gentle wind among the trees…

>>next chapter–green>>

17 – The official SFC

Morning came to the camp. Andi was the first to wake up. He opened his eyes to find Manuel facing him. The Hispanic boy was still sleeping, his breathing slow and even. Andi thought about touching him. Ever since he met Manuel, he had experienced feelings for him. He was glad for the friendship that he had started with him. It made him feel good to have finally made a friend his age. He wondered if the feelings he was experiencing were normal. He decided to keep the feelings to himself for the time being, and when he had gotten to know Manuel enough, he'd ask him about these feelings. He sighed, feeling nice and warm in his sleeping bag. He didn't want to get up just yet. Looking at his wrist chronometer, he discovered it was about seven thirty in the morning. He rolled on his back and looked up towards the tops of the trees. He had seen many holovids of forests like this one, but he'd never thought he'd actually be in one. His one dream of being in one was coming true. Andi silently thanked God for giving him the opportunity to come here. Nothing was going to screw this up for him, not even that idiot bully Robert. He'd simply try to avoid the kid as much as he could. He knew the others would protect him, hadn't they done it once already? That had made him feel good to know someone cared enough to stand up for him.

He sat up in his sleeping bag, the morning air getting to him finally. It wasn't cold like he thought it would be. He had momentarily forgotten about the weather control programs, keeping certain environments stable. However, they were programmed to be unpredictable at times. One never knew what the weather was to be. Andi stood up once he crawled out of the sleeping bag and looked around. Kids were still sleeping in their bags, so he moved quietly so not to wake everyone. After taking care of business in the nearby bathroom, he sat on a rock and observed the birds he could see flying thought the air. His mind drifted back to last night.

Manuel's hands had felt so good on his body. The feelings he had experienced were too powerful, too overwhelming to describe. He couldn't find the right words to describe what they were, how they felt. He hoped that this was the start of something good with Manuel. He was beginning to like the Hispanic boy. Lying next to him last night had given him a very strong sense of security, something he hadn't felt in a long time. He wished that his Father would spend more time with him. He loved his Dad, but it seemed like he was a stranger to him. He looked up to the sky and said a silent prayer that someday he and his Father would get the chance to really get to know each other before it was too late. He knew life was just too short, and things could happen to change things. Already he had been changed by Manuel's kind act last night. He did feel different inside. He hoped that they would continue to be friends. He really liked Manuel.

He stood and stretched, wondering what to do next. He could get his comp book and do some reading about the area they were in. He had the chance to hook up with an AdventureQuest computer, downloading all the necessary information about the area they were going into. Even though it was outdated technology, he still downloaded the Global Positioning Satellite (GPS for short) information. Never knew if that might come in handy. Andi stood and walked past a stand of trees and didn't see the person crouched there. The person jerked back, watching Andi walk past. The camp slowly was coming to life, so the person decided to clear out to a better position.

The person turned out to be another boy. He stood five foot six [1.68 m], husky build, had long red hair tied back into a ponytail, and soft hazel eyes. He turned and quietly walked back to the river where he had seen Andi and Manuel jump into yesterday. He admired both boys' bodies, not quite understanding why he was so attracted to them. He had wanked himself while watching them splash and play in the water, having his orgasm as they climbed out of the river, their buns facing him. He felt good immediately, having gotten his pleasure. Stopping at the water, he looked down at his reflection and thought back to how he had gotten here.

"James, how would you like to go to AdventureQuest this year?" the man had asked him the summer he was 12.

James had smiled. "I'd love to!"

The man was his neighbor there in another part of PhilaYork. He didn't know the man too well, only knowing that he had moved into the area a few months ago. He lived with foster family, his own parents having died when he was very young. The family treated him all right, but acted like he wasn't there. This neighbor man had seen how they treated James, so he invited James into his house one day. James was fascinated by all the space gear the man had. Hal loved the little red haired boy from the day he saw him, and after seeing how the foster family treated him, took the boy under his wing and taught him much about space and exploration. James enjoyed the times he spent with Hal.

True to his word, Hal made the boy's fondest wish come true. Hal even accompanied him on the flight. They stayed in a hotel room together at the training center the night before they were going down to Zong. It was there that James had his first experience with pleasure. Hal had informed James that it was time for bath and bed. Naturally James protested, but Hal won out. Hal walked James into the bathroom and proceeded to undress James. It made him feel a little strange at first. Hal put James in the tub and gently washed the boy's body clean. James liked that, it made him feel so good inside to know that someone really cared about him. Hal took his time and was gentle with James. He didn't want to scare the boy. James didn't want him to stop. He'd never ever felt this way when he took his showers back home. Hal had lifted him out of the bath and laid him on his back on a thick fluffy towel there in the bathroom and dried the boy off with a smaller towel. Then he carried James into the bedroom and on the bed. Hal went and took his shower quickly and then came back to James. James got his first look at a man's penis. He was surprised at the size of it, the hair that was on it and around it. He wondered if he'd ever would get that big. Hal had told him in time he would, but to enjoy the one he had now. Hal slipped into bed with James and slowly drew the boy close to him. He touched the boy, caressing and feather touched James. James's feelings were out of control. He never imagined being touched this way. He wondered if this was normal. He heard Hal whisper in his ear that he loved James. Tears came to James's eyes. Nobody had ever told him that before. Then he felt Hal take hold on his penis and start to rub it slow and gentle. James actually moaned, the feelings were so overwhelming. The feelings built up until he couldn't stand it. His body shivered and shook with the release of his orgasm. Hal had kissed him on the cheek and told him congratulations, showing a spaced out James the boy's cum on his fingers. James wanted to ask, but was too tired to. He drifted right off to sleep.

James remembered waking up the next morning next to the man, remembered how good and safe he felt in the big man's arms. He never wanted to give up this feeling.

A noise broke him out of his thoughts, so he crept back into the trees and looked to see who it was. It was one of the camp instructors.

Manuel woke up and looked towards Andi's sleeping bag. He noted the younger boy wasn't there. He sat up and looked around, finally spotting him sitting on a large rock with his compbook. His thought drifted back to last night and what he did to Andi. He had enjoyed touching Andi, giving him a massage. He somehow knew that Andi was on the edge, and had been close to exhaustion. He remembered those particular flowers having a kind of therapeutic oil inside them, and had decided to use them to give Andi a massage, to relax him and help him sleep. He recalled the feelings he was experiencing while doing the massage. He remembered how hard he got, the whole thing being an erotic experience for him. He wondered if he was falling in love with Andi. He decided he wanted to pursue a relationship with Andi and see where that would lead them. He got up and went to the bathroom, and then on his way back grabbed two cups of coffee. He approached Andi and cleared his throat.

"Morning," Andi smiled when he looked up.

"Good morning to you, Andi. Sleep well?" Manuel asked offering the coffee to Andi.

Andi set aside his compbook and took the offered coffee. "Sure did. Did you?"

"Yeah, I sure did," Manuel smiled back at Andi.

Andi stood up and set his coffee on the rock, then turned to Manuel and then hugged the surprised boy. "Thanks for what you did last night. You made me feel real good."

With out breaking Andi's hold on him, Manuel set down his coffee and returned the hug. They held each other for a moment or two, then broke the hug and sat down on the rug after retrieving their cups.

"I just thought you could have used a little help," Manuel said.

"You have been so nice to me, stopping that bully on the ship, asking me to be my friend, and then last night. I don't have any friends, so I'm glad to be yours," Andi said with sincerity.

"Hey, everyone needs to have friends to get through life in one piece. You are a really nice guy," Manuel smiled.

"I try," Andi replied.

"You don't have to try. You are a nice guy and I really like you a whole lot," Manuel said to Andi, looking at him straight in the eyes.

He was rewarded by a big sunny smile from the smaller boy. He felt so good inside, knowing that he had made somebody happy. If this was what friendship was all about, there was no doubt in his mind what so ever that they would be great friends and hopefully, leads to something better.

"So, whatcha reading?" Manuel asked, looking at the compbook in Andi's hands.

"Stuff I was able to download from an AdventureQuest computer before I hooked up with you guys," Andi replied. "I have in here information on animals, what's considered safe to eat, area maps, and the old GPS program as well. Never know when that could come in handy."

By now the other boys had gotten up and had done the morning thing and had seen Manuel and Andi talking. They had walked up in time to catch Andi's last comment. "Gents, I hereby motion that we award Andi with the official title of SFC," Aaron stated.

"SFC? What's that" Andi wondered.

"Scrounger First Class. The official post for people who do what you had done, get every possible information on where we are, and what we need to know. Any votes on that?" Aaron asked.

The vote was unanimous. Andi became the troop's official scrounger. Sargent Powell overheard the vote as he passed by. He nodded as he heard what Andi had done.

"I never heard that, never saw this, and don't know nothing," he stated before continuing to the bathroom.

There were sighs of relief all around. They had been given a huge break, and nobody wanted to spoil that. Andi spent most of the morning reading up on the area while the others got to work and made the training area presentable for the week's training period. They broke for lunch, Manuel and Andi sitting on a rock overlooking the river. Andi felt good about being here now. He hoped nothing would ruin this trip at all. Not too far off, Chang was going through his Tai Chi stretches, taking the time to do the movements right. He had been watching the two of them sitting there close together. He wondered if they were fooling around together. He was starting to have his suspicions about them. Chang had nothing against gay people, having a gay uncle and cousin in his family. He knew how ugly they could be treated by other people and he hoped that they would never find that out. They seemed happy together. As if they had been reading his thoughts, both Andi and Manuel looked up in that moment and saw Chang there. Chang smiled and gave them thumbs up. That was all Andi and Manuel needed to see. Someone approved of their budding friendship. Andi looked around to see what was going on. Brian was hunched over the table, doing something with a microscope. Probably checking out something scientific. As for Aaron, he was fiddling with what he called a sextant, some kind of device that old seafaring men used to determine where they were at any given moment. Aaron had acquired it through some kind of trade and he was eagerly trying it out. Captain Morris was watching him, clearly intrigued as well.

"Never seen one of these before," he had said. "I've seen pictures of these on historical websites, but didn't know they still existed."

"Neither did I, sir. Then I met a guy online who wanted to trade it for some electronic gear I was trying to get rid of, and we made the trade. I've read up on these, and from what I've heard, they supposedly work. I'm hoping it does," Aaron stated.

"I thought they worked only on the ocean, not on land," Morris replied. "Well, this is an experiment I decided to conduct to see if it will work here on land. I got my fingers crossed on this," Aaron said.

Captain Morris nodded, then left Aaron to his work. Sargent Powell walked into the clearing at that moment and both men had a quick conference. Andi wondered what was up. Captain Morris didn't look too happy at that moment. Both men hurried to the command tent.

"Wonder what's up?" Manuel whispered.

Andi immediately turned to the compbook, and started typing away on the keyboard. He had established a link for himself into the AdventureQuest mainframe, using an alias. Accessing the phony name, he went into the mailbox he had established. Manuel's eyebrows rose in surprise.

"Man, you surprise me," he said.

Andi just grinned. The mailbox opened, and they read the memo together. It concerned James. Apparently he had been spotted in their area two nights ago. Andi went back to work and followed the links to the James file. What they read shocked them.

>>next chapter–blue>>

18 – Kids and Nature

The kids were skinny-dipping until they all turned completely blue, and damn hungry. Then, finally, Ben commanded everyone out of the water. The clothes were left on the grass, as the kids ran inside the cave – squirming and quivering – and grabbed their towels. Ben grabbed the food stack from his backpack on the way as they ran out back into the warm sun, wrapped in fuzzy towels. Soon, a picnic was held on the grassy meadow near the lake. The kids grabbed their sandwiches and ripped them apart like hungry little raccoons. For ten minutes, you couldn't hear a sound other than slurping and chewing, as the sandwiches, fruit and orange drinks disappeared.

Well, that's it for my food stash, thought Ben. We need to get some more soon. After everything was finished, each of the four kids fell back on to the grass, petting his stomach. Joel opened his towel, and – once again – started laughing. The rest quickly caught on, and soon the four kids were laughing, holding on to their full stomachs and grunting from pain once in a while. It was painful to laugh after such a meal, but they couldn't stop. Finally, the laughter stopped, and they all just lay there looking at the sky. No one wanted to move, go somewhere, or do anything. They were all experiencing a very powerful encounter with the elementary – they were all taking in the nature around them, some after a long break and some for the first time, and that was enough to satisfy them. Just laying in the grass like this, taking in the gentle caress of the sun, was the most awesome thing they could imagine doing at that moment. Soon, after all were completely dry, one-by-one the towels came off.

Ben was lying there with his eyes closed. Green shapes of different forms were flying slowly in the void under his eyelids. Bits of thought were jumping through his mind as if they were little rips of paper, running through a corridor. They were all happy rips. He had not the power nor the will to think whole sentences right then.

Then, he felt a touch on his arm. Ben opened his eyes and was blinded by the sun. He closed them again, covered his eyes with his hand and only then dared to try and open them again. Looking to the side, he could see Sammy, that was looking at Ben waiting for him to get used to the sunlight.

"What?" whispered Ben with only his lips. Sammy silently pointed to the other side of the empty cans and sandwich freshness bags. Ben looked. Wendy was calmly laying there with her eyes closed, breathing slowly. And next to her, Joel, also with his eyes closed was breathing much faster, because his hand was slowly moving up and down his little hardon. Ben turned back to Sammy, who also had a raging boner sticking up and pointing at the sun. Ben smiled, and waved his hand: whatever, let him do whatever he wants to. Sammy smiled back, and lay back on the grass, looking at Joel. Ben leaned back to the position he was in, and closed his eyes again. He smiled again thinking of how Joel looked.

Ah, whatever, thought Ben, Let him relieve his needs. He is probably still horny from back then… Ben quietly lay there for a few more minutes, and then opened his eyes again, glancing over at Joel. That one was still with his eyes closed, with an expression of clear pleasure on his face, moving his hand up and down at a much faster pace. Ben started to get hard, and quickly looked away closing his eyes again. The last thing he needed right now is to get horny himself. And as he was calmly starting to see the green figures again, he heard a little moan and the unmistakable increase of motion from Joel's side. Ben smiled and kept on dozing off…

They all woke up about an hour later. The sun was still up, the birds were tweeting and the green trees made relaxing hushing whispers. But the kids were all but relaxed: after a good meal and an hour of sleep, they were full of energy. Everyone jumped up and stretched.

"So… Whadda we do now?" asked Joel after everyone were done stretching and looking at each other.

"We could go explore around the woods a little bit," Ben suggested.

The idea was widely accepted, and each kid ran to his own pile of clothes on the grass.

After all kids were dressed, Ben walked into the cave and got necessities: a small backpack in which he put a large flash-light (in case it gets dark while they're still out), a lighter and some paper – in case they need to make a fire, his compbook and some left-over fruit. After that, it turned out that Wendy also had a small supply of sandwiches. Ben included them too. Then, to complete the gear, he took a pocketknife.

Soon, the four kids were walking down the small path into the woods right behind the lake. Ben and Sammy were in the lead, as they were the ones familiar with the territory. Well, actually… Okay, they were SUPPOSED to be in the lead, but the only one they were leading was Wendy. Joel was all around the place, he couldn't be satisfied with the slow pace of the others. Sometimes he ran forward until he disappeared out of sight, sometimes he stayed in the back watching some insect on a flower, sometimes he climbed up a tree. Then, he started playing 'aircraft'. He was running back and fourth around the other kids with his hands spread out and bent backwards, making engine noises. Ben and Sammy were laughing all the time looking at him.

Finally, after about forty minutes of walking, the path ended. There was a thick jungle of green plants in front of them. Ben took out the small pocketknife, that quickly expanded into a relatively big grass-cutter. Plants started flying back and fourth, ripped out of their place, and a small path was soon ready. The kids advanced, until they ran into another one of those jungles. Joel jumped up to Ben and said jumping up and down:

"Can I cut them, please?"

"Be my guest," laughed Ben and handed the grass-cutter to Joel.

It took Joel a while to get the hang of it, but soon plants started flying to all directions, much more than there should have been. After ten minutes, Joel stopped and fell to the grass, exhausted. Ben and Sammy laughed and continued clearing the path. Finally, they came out to a small meadow.

Joel and Wendy opened their mouths in amazement. In the other side of the meadow there was something unbelievable. Reaching as high as a five floor building, and stretching as wide as the eye could see, there was a huge jungle that all seemed to be made from one plant. Complicated beyond belief, this amazing structure looked like a gigantic pile of huge brown noodles, endlessly wrapped in each other. The sight was colossal and a bit scary.

After few minutes of amazed staring, Joel and Wendy breathed out in unison:

"Wow…"

Ben and Sammy smiled at the amazement of the kids, as they remembered their own reaction when they first found this giant Lian, which is one of Zong's most valued and famous native plants.

Finally, Joel closed his mouth and whispered:

"What is this thing?"

"This is a Trinlian. The most famous plant of Zong's native florae… Awesome, isn't it?"

"Yeah…" whispered Joel.

"You haven't seen the half of it yet! Come on!" called Ben as he ran towards the brown monster.

Sammy ran after him and the other two carefully followed. Ben ran along the plant until he found what he was looking for. He moved a few long and apparently flexible branches and there was a low arch hole, like an entrance under the monstrous plant. It was dark inside. Joel and Wendy looked in, wide eyed. Ben lifted the branches he was holding higher and Sammy quickly slid in. Ben followed, holding the branches from inside. Then, his head popped out of the hole and he called to the two reluctant kids:

"So, are ya commin' or not?"

Joel didn't ponder for long. He slid under Ben's arm into the darkness, and Wendy slowly followed.

As soon as all the kids were inside, Ben let go of the branches and they all turned around. And as they did, another excited "wow" escaped Joel's and Wendy's lips.

It wasn't dark inside like it seemed from the outside, thin light was oozing in through the branches everywhere. The air was filled with smell of wood and grass. But that was not what the kids noticed at first.

In the thin light they saw a tunnel, going deep into the plant as far as the eye could see. Crossing it in various places were other tunnels, some small, some big, some huge – wide like cathedral corridors, and almost as high. It was a colossal labyrinth of tunnels made by nature, in all forms and sizes.

"How far does it go?" asked Joel as soon as he was able to speak again.

"I don't know," honestly replied Ben. "We never explored to the end to all four sides. Forward, it goes about half a mile [800 m]."

"Half a mile?! Are you kidding me?" exclaimed the amazed boy. "And these tunnels… they like go all the way, right?"

"Right."

Joel stopped to think for a moment or two. And then all of the sudden, he jumped behind the closest curve screaming: "Hide-and-Seeeeeeek!!!"

The others looked at each other promptly and ran after him arguing on the way:

"You're it!"

"No way, you're it!"

"I'm not it! You be it!"

"Hey!!!…"

For the next hour the kids did everything they could think of. They played hide-and-seek, explored the tunnels, played 'action movie' (when Wendy was a 'babe in trouble', Joel was the evil guy who kidnapped her and Ben and Sammy almost fought over who would save her first, and finally – 'tunnel catch', which they invented on the spot. There seemed to be no end of games and fun under the warm care of the giant plant. In the middle of 'tunnel catch' it started to get dark and the thin light stopped getting through the mighty branches. Ben switched on the flashlight and decided that they should head back to the cave.

Ben and Sammy knew the tunnels of the Trinlian pretty well, and in five minutes everyone was safely outside. The way back home was not long, but the sun was going down fast and by the time they approached the lake they had to hold each other's hands to keep from bumping into one another. Joel and Sammy, who were holding hands in the middle, almost fell into the lake because the path was right on the edge and it was completely dark. Joel laughed, and called himself 'a clumsy shmaltz'. Everyone laughed, not even bothering to ask Joel what exactly 'shmaltz' meant. Finally, under the guidance of Ben's bright flashlight all were in the cave. Here, Ben pressed on the NeoLight hanging near the entrance, and the cave was lit with soft cozy illumination.

A couple of more lights were lit and the four kids sat in a circle in the center of the cave. Ben took out the non-eaten food out of the backpack and divided it among the kids.

After this light supper, everyone got up. All four kids were very tired from the eventful day, so they all headed straight for their corners, quickly undressing and climbing into their sleeping bags. Everyone said good night, and Ben clicked the NeoLight remote clicker. It became coal dark inside the warm cave, and very soon sounds of peaceful and steady breathing filled the air.

>>next chapter–green>>

19 – Tommy and the Fish

Tommy was born prematurely to a sixteen-year-old synth-crystal addict. She took off shortly after giving birth and disappeared into the crowded city of Chicago, leaving Tommy to survive the system on his own. Since there is no shortage of the human species in the modern world, adoption is usually reserved for the fortunate few. Tommy waited until he was seven before being accepted into a home. Before that he lived in a crowded orphanage where the caretakers didn't have enough time to even pretend to be parents. Too many mouths to feed, too many messes to clean up and too many diapers to be changed.

Tommy was quite small for his age, probably due to his premature birth, and was picked on a lot. By nature Tommy was not a fighter and simply took the abuse of his peers as a part of life. To make matters worse he was a bed wetter. There were others afflicted with bedwetting but again, his small stature made him the target of ridicule. He had made a few friends during his long stay but was only close to one other boy, Josh Timberman. He and Josh were almost inseparable from the time they were four until Josh was sent away for adoption at the age of six. Josh was a good deal bigger than Tommy and stood up to the bullies on Tommy's behalf. Those were the best two years of Tommy's young life.

Tommy was adopted at the age of seven by Mr. and Mrs. Blackwell, a lower middle class couple with five other kids, doing their civic duty. Unfortunately, The Blackwells were not told about Tommy's nocturnal wetting, and before long he was back at the orphanage.

The second adoption took place two months after he returned. This time his adopted father, Mr. John LeVeame, was made aware of the bedwetting and accepted it without protest. When Tommy arrived at his new home on the seventeen-hundredth floor of a South Chicago apartment, he was greeted by eight other boys, all adopted by Mr. LeVeame, or as the boys called him, Johnny. They're ages ranged from six to fourteen.

Johnny earned a living selling photos and videos that were of an illegal nature. His boys were his models and performers. Tommy was quickly indoctrinated into the world of hard core sex. He was reluctant at first but eventually grew to appreciate… and need the closeness with his adopted siblings. It was the closest thing to love he had ever experienced. There was no sexual contact with Johnny, and Tommy sometimes wished there could be. Johnny was strictly business but he provided well for his boys and they were well fed and clothed.

Johnny was Tommy's last foster parent. It all ended with a police raid on their apartment and Johnny's arrest. Tommy fought the police like a wild man, as did several of the other boys. He didn't see anything wrong with the way they were earning a living. The police should be out there arresting people that hurt kids. Johnny never hurt anyone. He gave the boys a home and took care of them. This was a happy family and they had no right to tear it apart.

Tommy didn't end up at the orphanage this time. He ended up at a city ran rehabilitation facility for abused and neglected boys. It was a part of the program to send the younger boys to AdventureQuest as part of their rehabilitation. That is how Tommy ended up on Zong.

"But why did you decide to hang out with me?" Nate asked Tommy, genuinely puzzled.

Tommy yawned and stretched. It had been a very long day and it was well into the morning hours. "Because you like me… I know, and I need that," Tommy answered.

Nate had no response. Tommy knew his secret but was more than OK with it. An unfamiliar wave of emotion swept through Nate at that moment. He was suddenly fighting back tears. He rolled over, away from Tommy and croaked, "It's late. Goodnight"

Tommy saw Nate's reaction and understood. He turned out the lights and settled into his sleeping bag. Sleep overtook the tired boys quickly and completely. A new adventure… a new life was about to unfold for them. But first… sleep.

Nate and Tommy spent their first full day on Zong trying out the survival equipment, swimming, reading maps and planning the path of their adventure, eating wild berries and exploring the area around their camp. They were well supplied with subsidy pastes and wild berries but they were bound to get bored with their limited diet soon. Nate suggested that they try their hands at fishing and broke out the telescopic fishing poles and lures. Neither boy had any experience fishing. "You mean fish are stupid enough to try to eat these things?" Tommy asked, holding up a shiny metal lure. Nate, trying to tie a simular lure to the clear fishing string while reading from the instruction booklet, only nodded. Tommy looked at the lure skeptically then proceeded to tie the lure to the line of his pole as easily and quickly as if he were tying his shoes. Nate, frustrated by his inability to tie his own knot swallowed his pride and asked Tommy to do it for him. Tommy teased his flustered friend but did as he was asked.

They walked about a hundred yards upstream where they could see fish swimming against the flow of the water. They dropped their lines into the water and waited. The lures dangled and shined in the water and were completely ignored by the fish. Nate couldn't understand why it wasn't working. The manual said that bass fish couldn't resist the brilliant shine of the lure and that success was guaranteed. Tommy had a better idea. The fish weren't about to eat the stupid lures that were a waste of time. He would just go into the water and grab them.

"Here, hold this," Tommy said and handed his pole over to Nate and began to undress.

"What are you doing?" Nate asked, taking the pole.

"I'm going to catch dinner," Tommy answered confidently. He piled his clothes on a large rock then entered the water gingerly, trying not to scare the fish away. Nate was again struck by the dreamlike perfection of Tommy's body, but was soon laughing historically, all thoughts of Tommy's body as well as fishing forgotten.

About three steps into the creek Tommy slipped and splashed ass end in the water. Fish scattered in a panic as he tried to regain his footing. Not to be defeated so soon, Tommy started grabbing at the fish around him. He even got his hands on a couple but they were too slippery and too quick. Nate sat heavily on the ground and laughed hysterically. Tommy was getting frustrated, even a little pissed at the whole situation. But that made him even more determined. He dove down under the water and stayed under for a long time. Nate stopped laughing and stood up. Tommy must have been under for better than a minute. He could see Tommy's outline in the water but it was distorted. A minute is a long time without air. Nate felt a moment of panic when he realized that his friend… his only friend could be drowning. He took a step toward the creek and leaned over. He didn't want to make Tommy think he was paranoid but he was becoming very scared.

OK, Nate thought. I don't care what he thinks. I'm going in there!

Just as Nate was about to dive in and save Tommy a large bass, a good two-pounder came flying out of the water… right at him. He held his hands out in front of his face in a natural defensive gesture and the fish hit him squarely in the chest. "Grab it!" he heard Tommy yell. He looked to the creek and Tommy was standing up in the water pointing to Nate's feet.

"Grab it, goddammit!" Nate looked down. The fish was flopping around on the ground, dangerously close to the water's edge. He got between it and the water and started kicking at it. Tommy soon joined him and they managed to nudge the fish a few feet up the embankment. Eventually the fish tired and gave in.

Apparently Tommy had gotten his fingers hooked into the gills of one of the fish and heaved it out of the water quickly. They both agreed that a little further reading up on fishing would be in order. Nobody gets that lucky twice. It turns out that Tommy was a pretty good cook. He gathered herbs, rosemary and bay, and dry wood for cooking the fish. He also brought salt and pepper from home. The boys watched the sun going down while enjoying a meal of fish, raspberries, wild radishes and creek water. It was a feast well earned and very satisfying. Nothing on earth had ever tasted so good. In fact, for both boys life had never seemed so good. As far as Nate was concerned, this adventure was turning out to be much better than he had expected… thanks to Tommy.

For the first time since reluctantly leaving his safe, comfortable home, Nate believed that this adventure that was forced on him might actually be a blessing. This was rapidly becoming the best thing to ever happen to him.

That night Nate slept uneasily as his mind ushered him through a cascade of dreams. In one dream Nate and Tommy lay side by side, nude, looking up at the stars. No words were spoken. There was a feeling of complete serenity. Life was as it was meant to be.

In another dream Nate was standing at the creek's edge laughing as Tommy dove down to get his hands on a fish. When Tommy came back up his face was white and slack. He spoke in a toneless, droning voice, as if he were under a spell. "I have to go now," Tommy said, then he began to sink slowly into the creek.

Nate looked down into the water and saw that Tommy's left foot was being swallowed into a small opening between two rocks. His face stayed blank as his leg slowly disappeared into the chasm. Soon, it appeared that he was sitting on the creek bed. A horrible tearing sound gurgled up from the water and Tommy's right foot swung up grotesquely, now standing stiffly next to his head like a macabre salute. The force that was pulling Nate's only friend down between the rocks was slow and relentless. It meant to have him.

In a blind panic, Nate ran into the water and began frantically pulling at Tommy's leg. "No!" he shouted over and over. You can't go!"

But Tommy did go, and Nate was helpless to stop it from happening. Nate could hear popping sounds, like twigs being snapped under water. Nate realized that the sound was Tommy's ribs breaking one at a time, as he was forced through the small opening. Nate screamed and let go. He crawled back to the bank and looked away from the hideous spectacle. When he found the strength to look back, Tommy was gone.

In yet another dream Nate and Tommy made love. They freely did things with each other that Nate had never before imagined, yet it felt completely natural. They kissed deeply and passionately, exploring each other hungrily.

Nate awoke from this last dream as the morning's first light began to creep into the tent. He looked over to Tommy, who was still asleep. Nate sat up in his bag and tried to clear his head. The night's dreams left him feeling confused, and with that last one, more than a little horney.

He watched Tommy closely for at least three minutes. Once he was sure that Tommy was sound asleep he lay back and pulled down his pants and underwear. His penis stood up stiff and hot. He closed his eyes and pictured Tommy's naked body and beautiful face. It had been weeks since Nate had been able to service himself this way in just a few seconds a powerful orgasm had him in it's clutches. Although he hadn't noticed, he had cried a little. He pulled up his pants, rolled over on his side, and went back to sleep. This time his sleep was dreamless.

>>next chapter–purple>>

20 – James

James had changed positions and now headed west of the training camp. It was close to where everything had happened. He was going back again to search for more clues as to what had happened. He recalled more memories of the time they spent down here before the incident happened.

They had left the training center the next morning and caught a shuttle down here. It dropped them close enough to the area that Hal had planned for them to be in. He told James that they would hike to the campsite they had picked out for them, and that he'd teach him how to read a map and compass on the way. During the hike, James was constantly looking around in amazement. He'd seen holovids of the forest and the animals, but never dreamed he'd get this close to it. Hal smiled at James's reaction to everything.

Once they got to the campsite, Hal then taught James how to set up a tent, a fire pit, and whatever else was needed. Over the next two weeks, Hal taught James many things about camping and survival in the Zong territory. At night, Hal taught James about his body and the pleasures to be enjoyed from one's body. James enjoyed the nightly lessons best, enjoying lying safe and secure in Hal's strong arms. That was the times that he felt real good about himself.

It was the third week that it happened. James had come back from the river with some fish and saw the camp in shambles. He ran into the tent, thinking that Hal was in there. He searched the area for Hal, trying to find him. The security forces had shown up and helped James search for Hal. The captain in charge eventually decided that James must be responsible for Hal's disappearance and arrested James on a murder charge.

As they were transporting James back to the shuttle base, an accident occurred, allowing James to escape. Since then, James had been on the run. He had been on the run for the last two years, managing to stay ahead of the security forces, learning al there was to know about Zong, and investigating Hal's disappearance. There had to be an explanation. James sighed and shifted the laser rifle on his back. He scanned the area one more time and then stepped into the open area. He began to pace off the area in a search pattern, looking for anything. He knew two years was a long time, but if one looked hard enough, you could find something that might have been overlooked. He hoped he could find a clue, any kind of a clue. He wanted to find Hal and clear himself. It wasn't the only thing he'd been doing in the two years.

He'd met other campers, offering them advice and on occasion, saving lives. The Captain who had arrested him continued to chase him, never really catching him. Captain Nevenger was a very persistent man, and James knew he'd never give up. He was taking this thing way too personal. James wished he had a hand held scanner. It would make the search so much easier. Next time he raided a security office, he'd try for one. He looked up into the sky. It was late afternoon now, and he decided to mark the spot where he stopped his search. He left the clearing and went back into the trees. He felt the need to relax for a bit. Finding a smaller clearing a mile away, he took his pack off and decided to strip down. Once he got his little camp set up, he stretched out on the blanket in the sun. The sun slowly warmed his naked body as he lay there. James enjoyed the feeling of the sun on him. His hands slowly moved up and down his body, slowly exploring it. He felt the intimate feeling rise up. His cock slowly rose to the occasion and he took hold of it, slowly stroking it until the feelings got too much. He closed his eyes and imagined it was Hal touching him, and brought himself to orgasm. He sighed, the feelings having been enjoyable. He closed his eyes and went to sleep, pulling the sheet over him.

>>next chapter–blue>>

Robin rolled his head as he reassembled the equipment. The training for the ISTaZ insertion was pretty intense and Jasper Montgomery was one very tough instructor. Eight hours out of every day he attended classes. Some times it was with the others from his small team. Other times with a couple of other kids from other ISTaZ teams. And a few times, like now, it was just him and an instructor. One very old and mean instructor Robin reminded himself again for about the tenth time.

The elderly man, well over 90 years old, came over looking a little disappointed, "Son, this is harsh weather survival you are getting ready for. Look at your dome and tell me what is wrong."

Robin looked at the tent and shrugged, "It is set up like the Comp pad says to."

The man shook his head in frustration. "That's the problem with you kids. You follow instructions, but don't think for yourselves!"

Jasper cleared his throat to make his presence known. Once he was sure the lesson had halted he walked up. "Instructor Allen, the kids at the rifle range could really use a hand."

"Just what I need, a laser in the butt from careless little punk." The old man snorted, "You want to finish this?"

"Yea." Jasper smiled and managed to slide in a wink at Robin while the old man turned to grab his gear showing an impressive amount of stamina and spunk for a man his age. "I think I'll try a new approach."

"Good luck." Instructor Allen muttered. "I won't give this kid's team a month and a half in the zone before they will be begging for mommy and daddy."

"Yea, well this one at least listens and his team treats him like a leader. Those other ruffians don't stand a flipin' chance if they will not follow one leader. Age don't matter nearly as much as brains and teamwork do out here."

"My job's to teach, not baby-sit" Instructor Allen complained. "They selected their leaders, they ought to be willing to let 'em lead!"

Jasper waited until the man disappeared from view before smiling at Robin. "You know he was actually giving you a compliment."

Jasper laughed, "Your team is doing far better than the others, really. Don't let his bark bother you cause he doesn't bite."

Robin brightened. Jasper just had that effect on him. "OK, so what did I do wrong with the tent?"

Jasper looked over the low environmental domed insulated hut also known as an E-Tent. "Truth be told you did it just the way the comp pad shows you to."

"He does that a great deal and I know you all dislike him." Jasper paused, "However, there is no person better qualified to teach you about ISTaZ survival. You know he was on the team that first discovered Zong."

Robin almost felt his eyes bulge out, "There was only one Allen on the team." Robin shuddered with excitement, "Campbell Allen! Ground team leader of Explorer 17! Is that really him?"

"My my, you know your Explorer Corps history!" Jasper chuckled, "Indeed it is. He may not have the best instructional manor, but if you take what he teaches to heart, you will be far better off then those who ignore him."

Robin seriously thought about running after Instructor Allen to get an autograph, but held his excitement in check. If the biggest hero in Robin's life felt he had done something wrong, he wanted to know what it was. "So what am I missing?"

Jasper ruffled Robin's hair as he moved over to a rock and sat down. "What have you been taught so far?"

Jasper shook his head and took in a deep breath of air, "What are you supposed to be learning in this class?"

"How to handle bad weather." Robin answered automatically then frowned not really liking his answer. He came over and sat on the rock next to jasper as he reworded his answer. "How to survive in it might be closer."

Jasper put an arm around Robin and gave the boy a light squeeze; "Neither answer is quite correct Robin. All your classes are to teach you how to survive and handle the dangers of an ISTaZ, so you are right about that part. What I really want you to think about is what this class in particular is trying to teach you."

Robin's nose scrunched up as he thought over the question. "I thought it was just to show us what to do in case of bad weather."

"If that is all there was to this, you would pass with flying colors. You know how to use the equipment without your comp pad. You set up the E-tent perfectly. You know what types of bad weather there are. You have learned how to use all your team's body heat to help you stay warmer. You understand when to stop and make a shelter in very bad weather. You have even aced the tests on what to look for as far as signs bad weather may be coming. The thing Mr. Allen wants you to do is blend in all these skills with what you have learned about rain, snow, sleet, fog, and even hail. The skills we teach you are only half the battle out here. The rest has to come from in here." Jasper tapped lightly on Robin's head, "And the desire to make it when things are not going well will come from here." Jasper used an open hand to pat Robin's chest. "I know you and your teammates have the needed heart and you will have all the training, what I do not see you having, though, is what makes it come together and makes it all work well."

"Then show me!" Robin yelled out is some frustration. As he wiped a tear out of his eye, he lowered his head, "Please?"

Jasper rubbed Robin's shoulders for a few minutes to let the boy calm some, then stood. "Robin, we have tried in the past to show kids what to do, but it doesn't work. Things get missed and teams fail quite badly. ISTaZ survival cannot simply be shown nor can we simply tell you what you will need to know because we cannot possibly prepare you for everything that could come up. Every year we hear about things that happen to teams which we never even dreamed of. Like last year we had a team of five who were walking along a ridgeline when a gust of wind caught a half assembled E-tent the team leader had been too lazy to disassemble all the way. The wind dragged the girl over to edge of the cliff. She grabbed onto one of her teammates, but he was not strong enough to hold her up so they both went over. Two kids who went through all the classes died and the other three were left without a medi-kit, E-dome, and other drastically needed supplies. Bad weather prevented us from getting to them and the other three almost starved to death. It took controllers in the space station to realign a weather sat to even make the rescue possible."

Jasper let his words sink in, "ISTaZ's are dangerous and every year claims lives. That is why we had to get your parents to sign special forms and why we have this training course. But a great deal of what will happen we cannot predict. That is where you and your team must blend in what we teach you into a the large picture of what is going on."

Robin looked back at the E-tent and chewed on his lip, "Are you saying that I did everything right by the comp pad, but something is still wrong?"

"As screwed up as it sounds, yes. Mr. Allen would dearly love to here those words come out of your mouth as well as all the others here."

Determination returned to Robin's features as he stood and walked around the E-tent. "Can I at least get a hint?"

Jasper shook his head. "If I even mentioned the problem you would see it right off. What Mr. Allen was trying to do was make you combine the training up to now into one picture. Much like a puzzle, the pieces will fit if you stop looking at one thing. Much like the girl who only saw the hassle of breaking apart the E-tent for a short walk, she didn't see what the consequences of not taking apart the tent were until it was too late."

Robin growled after a few moments. Whatever he was missing must be obvious if Mr. Montgomery and Mr. Allen both saw it right off. The tent was set up right. They both had said so; yet there was still a problem. If it was not with the tent it must be with where the tent was set up. He looked around and felt very stupid all the sudden. The tent was set in the lowest ground in the area. And if he set it up at all it would be for bad weather, which would probably mean water or snow was on the way or already falling. The E-tent was low to the ground and would end up filling up with water if set up in such a low area. Robin sighed, "We'd all get wet if I set it up here."

"Outstanding!" Jasper almost shouted as he jumped to his feet and patted Robin on the back. "If you look beyond what you are being taught at the moment, you will be able to handle things far better!"

Robin smiled as he disassembled the tent and put it up again in a better spot but had to clear some branches and a few rocks away first. As he looked around he suddenly realized the training area had been selected to teach just such a lesson. The easiest place to set up the E-tent was in the low spot because it didn't have to be cleared.

Jasper typed in an outstanding mark for the class and handed Robin back his comp pad. "You are the first student to get an outstanding grade in this session. Congratulations cadet!"

Jasper again ruffled Robin's hair. "As soon as you get the E-tent broken down and properly stored, you can get some lunch." Jasper stopped and put a hand on Robin's shoulder, "You put the pieces of what we have taught you together today, keep it up and you and your team will be successful out there."

Robin nodded, "I kind of see how the classes build on each other now. All I have to do is remember to use what you already taught me when I am testing."

"It isn't just me, Robin, There are six other instructors out here who need some credit too."

Jasper couldn't help but feel a little pride as he walked down the hill toward the base camp. Some thoughts started to form in his head: could it be that he found another one? Only time would tell.

Robin packed up the E-tent and walked back to the camp looking at his comp pad with a huge smile. His joy came to an abrupt halt, however, as he saw Fairfax almost crying.

Fairfax glanced up showing eyes brimming with tears. He shook his head and looked away.

Fairfax bit back a sob; "I failed the ground nav test." With a look of utter defeat he handed over his comp pad so Robin could look at it.

Robin looked over the notes made by Instructor Hale. "This isn't too bad, you scored satisfactory on almost all your skills. Besides you get two more chances to pass."

Fairfax shook his head, "But I did everything I knew how to! I don't even know why I failed!"

"I almost had the same thing happen to me." Robin stated as he put an arm around his friend. "Mr. Montgomery gave me enough time to get it right, or I would have failed too."

Fairfax wiped away a few tears and looked over in surprise, "But you got almost all above average or excellent marks in all your classes. How did you almost fail?"

"Let's round up Ajax and Gavin, grab some lunch and we'll talk over what we learned and didn't."

Fairfax glared for a moment then started laughing as he saw the look in Robin's eyes. "All right, I guess I could eat!"

"That's more like it!" Robin giggled as he punched Fairfax in the arm playfully.

Ajax saw Robin and Fairfax roughhousing as they approached the mess tent. "Looks like they are all smiles."

Gavin looked up from his burger and fries, "Looks like I'm the only one who failed."

"Yea, as long as I can figure out how I could pass all the sub-tests and end up with a failing grade."

Robin bounded over the bench and took a seat, "Looks like you started with out us!"

Gavin tossed his comp pad on the table so the others could see his scores, "You mean I'm not the only one?"

"Nope." Fairfax replied as he passed his comp pad over for Gavin to see, "I blew it too, but Robin passed!"

"So did Ajax." Gavin smiled for the first time since he got his results. "You guys better grab some food before it gets cold then we can talk."

Robin and Fairfax each grabbed a plate and got a pair of burgers and a good-sized helping of fries. By the time they got back to the table the mess tent was almost full but the conversation was not near as loud or boisterous as it normally was.

Robin looked around after talking about his test and what Mr. Montgomery had taught him. "Hey, where is Team 6? Their table is empty."

Ajax shook his head; "They threw in the towel. I saw them packing out for standard AdventureQuest Intake right after the morning testing. I think they settled on a ranch area."

Fairfax shook his head, "That leaves only seven teams left including us. Why did they call it quits?"

"Not sure." Gavin shrugged, "Although I heard their team leader say they failed every test they took."

"So what?" Robin asked to no one in particular, "This is only the first day of testing. They would have had two more chances each."

"Maybe…" Ajax started, but was interrupted by the sounds of the PA crackling to life in the tent and instructor Moore asking for quiet.

Jasper stood and walked up to the podium. "As I am sure many of you have noticed, we are down to seven teams. I also know many of you are highly disappointed with your morning of testing. At this point some of you are wondering what the point of continuing even is. Let me first say the number of people who didn't pass is not abnormally high. Actually, I am extremely pleased to announce Team Five actually had two members who passed their tests so hats off to Team Five. Robin you're the team leader, stand up and take a bow!"

There was a round of applause as Jasper gestured toward Robin who looked totally embarrassed. His sudden blush in his cheeks almost matched his hair.

Gavin exchanged looks with his teammates; "We can't be the only ones with two passed tests, can we?"

Robin tried to sit, but Jasper again spoke up, "Robin stay standing for a minute."

At this point Robin would have loved to have had something to hide behind but he stood back up and faced Jasper again. He noticed almost immediately all the instructors were standing behind the podium and wondered what was going on. He didn't have long to wait.

"Robin, here, is also the first one to get an Outstanding mark here at DalHouston's Zong ISTaZ training center this year. As you know, all of us who are teaching here are members of the Explorer Corps. You may have even heard us refer to you all as cadets on occasion, even though you are not members of the Corps. This is done out of respect for those of you who are willing to try ISTaZ because we do hold a great deal of respect for anyone willing to give this a shot. Over the past 15 years, the Corps has started a very special award to those who achieve any Outstanding Grade and an even higher award for the first to do so. Robin, please come up here for a minute."

Robin approached Jasper but looked back at his friends. Seeing all three of them nodding and smiling helped him a great deal.

Jasper motioned for instructor Allen to step forward. "You all have gotten to know us, but there are a few things some of you have not managed to piece together yet. "Mr. Allen's full name is Campbell Allen."

There were more than a few gasps from the assembled kids in the mess tent as the name was spoken.

"For the few of you who don't recognize the name, Mr. Allen led the ground team that first landed here on Zong."

Campbell Allen walked up to robin with a smile. The first smile Robin could remember form the man since his arrive at the training center. "You had me a bit concerned there at the end there cadet."

Campbell let out a cackling laugh, "Well, you pulled through and used your head. You earned this." Carefully Mr. Allen opened a black case and pulled out a pair of pins.

Robin almost passed out as he saw the quartz starburst insignias held in the case. They were only worn by members of the Explorer Corps!

Mr. Allen pulled the pins out and stuck them on Robin's shirt collar. Before Robin really knew what was going on he felt the old man grab his shoulders and spin him around so everyone could see what had been clasped onto his shirt.

Jasper shook Robin's hand and stepped up to the mike. "Only five kids a year get to be the first to get an outstanding grade from the U.S. Because of this, the Explorer Corps takes great pride in making Robin a full member of the Corps at the Rank of Recruit. Upon completion of High School, which may be at the Explorer Cadet Academy if he so wishes and his parents agree, he will be given a full scholarship to the Explorer Officer Academy. Upon completion of his two years of schooling at the academy, Robin will be inducted as an officer in the Explorer Corps."

Robin looked at Jasper is shock. The words sunk in, but his brain refused to believe what he had heard. Even the Starburst pins didn't make it quite believable.

Jasper moved up behind Robin put his hands on the boy's shoulders. "I can see at this point many of you are wondering what happens if you manage to also get an Outstanding Mark on your future tests, so let me answer that question.

"Any Outstanding marks, from here on will give you true Cadet rank in the Corps and you will be offered a scholarship to the Cadet Academy at DalHouston Training Center. Even if you or your parents do not choose to take us up on the offer your Cadet ranks can still be worn with pride. Furthermore, Robin and anyone else with an Outstanding Mark will be allowed to return to Zong every year until you are 16 years of age.

"Robin, here, will always be a full member of the Corps even if he does not choose to stick with us. My congratulations Recruit Robin McDaniels."

Robin couldn't hold his emotions in check. He turned to Jasper and hugged the man as he cried.

22 – The quiet power

It was early morning when Ben woke up. He looked around, to find Sammy's sleeping bag in the closest corner to him. Sammy was peacefully sleeping. Ben got out of his sleeping bag as quietly as he could and looked around. Wendy and Joel were also sound asleep. Ben got dressed silently and stepped out of the cave.

It was that magical time of the morning on Zong, when the sun already started to come up but some of the moons were still visible, so everything had a double shadow: one dark, one reddish. Ben looked over the nature that was tentatively soaking in the sunlight, and suddenly the first words of the story he knew all too well came to his mind: "It was early morning, as the yellow sun was yet to come up and the red moon was coloring everything in bordow color…" Ben looked around and thought that the resemblance is interesting. He never thought of that before. Zong has a red moon, and it does color everything in bordow every morning before the yellow sun comes up. Could it be that the story is about Zong?.. Naah, he knew it was written sometime long ago, way before Zong was even discovered. It's probably just a coincidence.

But the naughty thought didn't go away. Ben couldn't help but imagine the troops, with their horses and Arbalets – those large wooden automatic bow devices that shoot heavy penetrating arrows – ride through the valley with their swords exposed and their faces determined…

…Suddenly, Ben was traitorely tickled from behind while his head was far away in his fantasy. He jumped up and screamed, not expecting the sudden contact, swiftly turning around to see his attacker.

His "attacker" was loudly laughing, holding on to his stomach. Ben said:

"Very funny."

It took Joel a while to stop his laughter. While breathing out he managed to say:

"Hey, you gotta admit, that was a good tickle. You jumped a mile!." And he cracked up again.

"Yeah, well, I thought you were all asleep. Why did you wake up?"

"I woke up before you did, but everyone else was snoring, so I decided to try and sleep some more… but no luck. Then I heard you get out, so I got up too… What were you dreaming of?.."

"Nothing…"

"Bullshit, you were deep into something."

"I was just remembering this story I've read… Never mind."

"Okay, if you say so… Wanna go for a swim?.."

Ben thought of the offer, but declined it:

"Naah, let's wait for the others."

Joel snickered:

"Hey, I've waited enough already. Those sleepy little…" And with that he jumped up, running in the direction of the cave.

"Hey, wait a minute! Don't…"- tried Ben while jumping up and running after Joel himself. But it was too late. Joel disappeared inside the cave, and a few seconds afterwards Ben heard a loud scream coming from inside, followed by another one, and then laughter. When Ben ran into the cave, he saw Joel and Sammy wrestling in Sammy's sleeping bag, both happily screaming, and Wendy in the other corner, looking sleepy and mad.

Ben walked up to the girl, trying not to laugh. Wendy looked at him angrily and said:

"I swear, if he weren't my brother, he would be in pain right now."

Ben couldn't help it and giggled. Wendy couldn't hold the angry façade and laughed too. They both looked at the two boys wresting in the corner.

By now Joel already managed to completely squeeze himself into Sammy's sleeping bag. Sammy was trying to get out, pushing Joel away, but suddenly he squealed and twitched, screaming:

"Joel!! What the hell?!"

The smaller boy laughed evilly and then Sammy squealed again, but this time he made it out of the sleeping bag and jumped up, revealing the obvious erection he was sporting. Joel was laughing on the floor. After Sammy caught his breath he inquired:

"What's the idea of grabbing my balls, dude?!"

Everyone in the cave besides Sammy burst into wild laughter.

"What, didn't you like it?" – teased Joel after he managed to stop laughing for a few seconds.

"Go fuck yourself, dude!" – said Sammy jokingly.

"Later," seriously responded Joel. "First, I wanna eat."

That made Ben stop snickering. He went to his corner and looked into the food bag. There was nothing left. Joel joined him to look, clearly disappointed at the sight of the empty bag.

"Dammit, there's no food," said Joel stating the obvious.

Wendy and Sammy, now dressed, came closer, each of them taking a look into the empty bag. Wendy asked:

"Okay, which of us will go to the base for food?..

Ben thought for a moment, and looked over at Sammy: should we show 'em?.. Sammy shrugged, responding to Ben's silent question with a silent "I don't know." Ben thought a little more and nodded: I'm going to show 'em. He felt he could fully trust Wendy and Joel.

"No one," – Ben said in reply to Wendy's question.

"Then how are we going to get food?.." – asked Joel.

Ben opened his backpack's secret compartment and extracted… a small, but real plumatic compression gun, with a round inserted. He demonstratively pulled the gun's loading lever, producing an air hissing sound.

Joel's and Wendy's eyes were immediately glued to the weapon, an excited "Wow!" escaping Joel's lips. Ben said:

"Come on, let's go get breakfast."

Everyone followed Ben outside of the cave and into the woods. After about ten minutes of walking, Ben stopped and looked around. Joel still couldn't take his eyes off the gun Ben was holding. He whispered:

"Can I hold it, please?.."

Ben smiled and handed Joel the gun. Joel took it carefully, as if afraid it might go off from the touch. Ben giggled at the boy's amusing movements. Joel looked at him critically and said:

"Hardy-har-har. Laughing at me like he is a famous sniper."

Ben smiled at that remark, and took the gun back from Joel. Then he pointed it upwards, carefully aimed, and suddenly released the shot. Wendy and Joel clearly expected a loud bang, but the plumatic gun only made a light hiss as the airlock released. But almost immediately after that a loud thumping noise was heard under one of the near-by trees. Everyone besides Ben looked in that direction to find a rather small bird lying there. Wendy's eyes widened, and Joel exclaimed "No way!" and started running in the direction of the dead bird. Everyone else followed his lead.

The gray bird was hit on the side. Ben hit it perfectly, killing it on the spot. Wendy was clearly somewhat disgusted by the sight of a creature they just killed. Joel was fascinated. He turned around to look at Ben:

"How the hell?.. That was a perfect hit! How in the world?!.."

Ben looked over at Sammy, both of them smiling, then back at Joel and said:

"I think that someone here is forgetting that some of us went through the ISTaZ training camps."

Sammy handed Ben a small carrying pack he took from the tent, and Ben put the dead bird inside, making Wendy frown her face in disgust. Then he handed the gun to Sammy. Sammy masterfully loaded the weapon and before long Wendy and Joel got another display of marksmanship; as another bird came flying down to the ground. Another specimen enriched the pack. Ben took the gun back from Sammy and took out two more. All the birds were gray common looking birds, but the last one was about twice bigger that the other two. Ben and Sammy decided they had enough, and decided on heading back, when Wendy said:

"Guys… I'm not sure I can eat that."

"Why not? Are you a vegetarian?" asked Ben.

"No… but I just watched you guys kill it…"

Ben walked over to one of the trees he shot a bird from and looked up. Sammy walked over to help, and gave Ben a startup push. Ben swiftly grabbed the tree and started to quickly climb up. When he reached the third or fourth branch he stuck his hand inside the pack of green that was there, and extracted an egg. Asked:

"Ready?.."

"Yep," – replied Sammy.

Ben threw the egg down, Sammy catching it and putting it into the pack. Four more eggs followed. Then finally Ben jumped down and they headed back to the cave.

On the way Joel was playing with the gun and begging Ben to let him shoot. Ben didn't, and they safely arrived at the cave. Just outside the cave entrance Ben assembled a circle of rocks and told everyone to collect twigs while he prepares the meat. Everyone did a good job and just ten minutes after they returned there was a nice pile of firewood lying in between the rocks. The only glitch happened when Wendy returned with the first pile of twigs and was quite thrown off when she saw Ben's hands all bloody from the bird meat he was processing. Ben reassured her that it was all from the birds, not his own, and Wendy calmed down. It looked like she was somewhat getting used to the outdoor eating style.

Ben told Sammy to find the cooking sheet from last year and started the fire with his electric lighter. The cooking sheet was soon recovered – Sammy found it in the far corner of the cave, exactly where they left it last year – and the first few pieces of meat were thrown onto the sheet. They smelled awesome as they cooked, and to the hungry kids that spent all morning hunting the smell seemed even more appetizing. A few eggs were also emptied on the sheet and started to quickly turn into a pretty nice looking omlet. Everyone was anxious to start eating, and when Ben finally decided that the meat was cooked enough, they scraped everything off into small plates. Wendy was looking at her eggs with greater and greater disappointment, and finally broke down:

"Okay, whatever, give me that meat…"

Everyone laughed and added meat to her plate. This way it came out that everyone had a healthy portion of bird meat and some eggs on their plate. The plates were distributed among the four very hungry kids and for the next ten minutes not a word was spoken and the only sounds that broke the silence were the popping of the fire and the rhythmical chewing performed by four sets of jaws.

It's true what they say – food always tastes better if you make it yourself. The kids all experienced it through and through. Roughly cooked meat and some eggs seemed way tastier to them than the world's best delicateness in the word's finest restaurants. Maybe it was also helped by the fact that their food was spiced with sunlight, fresh air and happiness…

After ten minutes Joel sighed, moaned loudly and threw himself back onto the grass. After that maneuver he burped a long one and stated:

"That was the tastiest food I've ever eaten in my life!"

He was followed by Sammy, who also threw himself back and then Wendy did the same. Ben thought a while and joined them. Then all four started giggling uncontrollably, even though their full little stomachs hurt every time they laughed. They just couldn't stop. Then Joel burped again in the middle of his laughter and that combined giggle-burp sent them into a fit of happy laughter again. Finally, they felt that if they laugh any more they would explode, so everyone just lay there quietly looking at the sky. The thoughts of going swimming or moving anywhere didn't even appear in their minds. They just wanted to lay there, staring at the skies, forever…

Ben was the first to get up. He looked at the mess they left and started to clean up. The others heard him and raised their heads. Seeing Ben clean up all felt somewhat guilty for just laying there. Wendy grunted and also got up, followed by Sammy and Joel. Everyone helped and the clean up was done pretty quickly. The remaining meat and eggs were put away for lunch. Ben put out the fire and started to remove the large metal cooking sheet. As he was lifting it a chunk of the ashes that got stuck to the sheet from the bottom dropped on Ben's foot, making him jump and drop the metal sheet, that cut Ben's leg with it's corner on it's way down. Ben hissed through his teeth from the pain, but grabbed the falling sheet before it had the chance to fall down completely. Joel started laughing looking at that awkward attempt. With the help of Sammy that came to his aid Ben carried the sheet back into the cave. Joel was still laughing, but immediately stopped when he saw Ben emerge from the cave with blood running down his leg. When Wendy saw that she looked at Ben seriously and said:

"Oh, shit…"

Ben shrugged his shoulders. Wendy grabbed him by the arm and said:

"Come on."

"Where?" asked Ben trying to release himself from the girl's grip.

"To wash it and put a band aid, where do you think?.."

Ben finally released himself:

"Jeez, Wendy, don't turn into my mom all of the sudden! It's just a stupid scratch."

"Just a stupid scratch? Look at all the blood! What if some dirt got in there?.."

"Okay, Mom, whatever, I can take care of it myself, I don't need any stupid Band-Aids…"

Wendy grabbed Ben by the arm again and without saying anything started dragging him in the direction of the cave. Ben started to protest while dragging in the other direction:

"Wendy! Let me go, I mean it! I don't need Band-Aids! I never use 'em! Sammy, tell her, will ya!!"

Sammy stepped in and confirmed:

"Wendy, he's not lying. He never uses any Band-Aids."

Wendy decided:

"It's never too late to start. Now come on!"

"No, wait, you don't understand what I mean!" said Ben and with one powerful move released himself. Then he sat down on the grass and added: "Here, look."

Wendy and Joel both came closer to look, Wendy in a position to grab Ben again.

Ben raised his hands and rubbed his palms together to warm them up. After they were warm enough he just remained with his palms joined for a few seconds, like a little Buddha praying. Then he took his hands and placed his palms about an inch over the bleeding cut on his leg, slowly moving his hands back and forth.

"Well?" said Wendy, looking at this strange display.

"Wait a minute," said Sammy." Don't disturb him.

After about a minute of hand movement the blood around the wound suddenly started to harden. Wendy looked closer, not believing her own eyes. She could clearly see the wound hardening under Ben's hovering hands. The bleeding stopped. Then Ben started touching the wound all around, and Wendy watched in amazement how the wound quickly closed up, leaving a pink mark in it's place.

Ben said "All done!" and cheerfully looked up to find Wendy and Joel looking quite ill. Wendy was rubbing her forehead; Joel's mouth was wide open.

Seeing Ben shoot a bird from far away was impressive, but understandable. This was not understandable. This was something they had never seen before and only read about in fantasy books. Joel was able to talk first. He breathed out:

"Wait a minute… What thaaa… How did you do that?!"

Ben shrugged, the smile slowly disappearing from his face. Then he got up and said:

"I don't know. I just… do it. That's it."

Joel refused to give up:

"What, do you have come kind of device in your sleeve or something?.. I know you have something there!"

As a response Ben pulled off his shirt, to demonstrate his "clean" body and the inside of his sleeve. As could be expected there was nothing there. Ben smiled again at Joel's confusion, and looked backwards in the direction of the lake. He decided not to put his shirt back on, and instead he dropped his pants as well, and ran to the lake waving his hands in the air, once again feeling the soft wind gently caress his nude body…

It didn't take long for Joel and Sammy to join Ben in the lake, the three of them feeling the air with happy screams…

…As for Wendy, to find her we need to go into the cave. She is sitting in her corner, quietly thinking about what she just saw.

>>next chapter–green>>

23 – Discoveries

Manuel and Andi looked at each other once they finished reading the James file. Andi turned back to the compbook and began accessing the personnel department. He wanted to find out about this Captain Nevenger. He was truly curious about the man and wanted to know why this man was hunting James. From the reports he'd been able to access, James and Captain Nevenger had quite a few run ins, ending up with James embarrassing the man. He was taking it very personal now.

"This dude scares me," Andi said while calling up the man's service record.

Manuel nodded. "Please be careful, man. No need for this dude to bust you." Andi nodded as he finally gained access to the man's service record. What he saw amazed him. Captain Nevenger was a real big shot in the Zong security forces. He had direct control over a dozen units and had one area of Zong closed off for his personal use. That peaked Andi's interest. He scratched his chin for a few minutes, pondering that question. He backed out of the personnel area after making a copy of the man's personal records to a secret folder on his computer. His next target was Nevenger's base. He began the search, but had to stop for a roll call. It was announced that training would start this morning and everyone would be given training in their particular areas of interest, and would also be cross trained in other things.

"This way everyone knows a little about the other person's job. Makes it easier if the person gets sick or injured during the summer long camp," Instructor Powell said.

Aaron nodded. "Sounds good to me. That's always a smart move."

"I need to know who your group leader is going to be," Captain Morris said.

Everyone looked at each other. Morris could see the boys hesitate.

"Ah. It's clear to me that everyone here has become close friends," Captain Morris said, scratching his face.

"Yes sir. We just really never thought of having a group leader, that's all," Brian stammered, blushing.

"That's all right. Discuss it among yourselves, and let me know what you decide. In the meantime, I need to know who is into what," Morris said. There were sighs of relief all around, and each boy informed the officers of their various interests. Powell and Morris wrote down the information as they interviewed each boy. Once that was done, Powell and Morris met and looked over the lists and came to a quick decision. Facing the five boys, they announced their decision.

"Here's what we will do. We'll start general training classes; get all of you through them and tested. Then we'll take on the specifics and deal with that," Morris said to them.

Manuel grinned. "That works for me."

The others nodded and got busy getting the camp ready for the day. The first class was firearms training. Andi was nervous because he'd never handled a plumatic gun before. He knew it was necessary in order to survive on the chosen camp area. He mentally crossed his fingers and hoped he'd never had to use one. Andi took the class and surprised himself by actually scoring enough points to pass. Brian came out on top, with Aaron second. They would be the ones to carry the air rifles or the plumatic handguns, their choice. From there the day progressed. Every chance Andi got, he checked his computer for search results. Each search result ended in a dead end with the message that he had to be qualified by Nevenger to be allowed in. He quickly backed out of there, and managed to hack into the government's Secret Service computers, created a new office with an agent to go with it and used the Department of Justice to give this agent super high clearance. He then eliminated his old ID and rerouted any and all reports of James to the agent's mailbox. There was nothing Nevenger could do about that. Andi stood and stretched, realizing the need to go to the bathroom. He walked off in the direction of the bathroom building. What he didn't see was a creature resembling a squirrel perching on the limb of a tree watching Andi.

***

James woke up. He turned his head away from the bright morning sun. He stretched his naked body, feeling the muscles pop and crack into place. He wished he had a proper sleeping bag. He'd lost his last one in the fight a month ago. He'd nearly got caught. He sighed. He was starting to feel old. He hadn't been sleeping well lately. His dreams had been of a strange creature teaching him strange things. He turned his head from side to side, trying to work the kinks out. He wondered if he should just give up and surrender. He hadn't found anything in the two years he'd been on the run. The fourteen year old stood up and scratched his torso. The morning sun felt god on his bare skin. This was one of the things James liked about being alone. It gave him the chance to go natural except for the times when he was traveling from place to place. He went down to the river and waded in. The cold water felt good on his body and woke him up. He splashed around in the water for an hour and then got out. Finding what he knew was safe food to eat on a bush, he pulled it off and had breakfast. He got dressed and checked his gear before moving out. He felt pulled in a direction, so he trusted his instincts and followed it. He didn't want to leave the place he'd last seen Hal. James walked most of the morning, following his sense of direction. The forest got thick in places and then thinned out again. He wondered if something was leading him on a wild goose chase and hoped he was wrong.

James found a clearing in the early afternoon. The trees were strange looking. Instead of the trunks being a brown color, they were green. The foliage was red. James blinked, feeling strange.

"Never saw this before," he said out loud.

He looked around the clearing. He saw a tree stump that had been turned into a chair. He walked over to it and sat down on it. When he did, the strange feelings suddenly got stronger, threatening to overcome him. James felt scared. Before he could jump off the tree stump, the ground under it gave way. James screamed as he fell, clinging to the tree stump. He was scared out of his mind. What the hell now? What was going to happen? Before he had a chance to scream again, the journey suddenly ended. The tree stump slowly came to a halt in mid air and gently set James down. He looked around at all the floating lights in front of him.

"Fireflies?" he asked out loud.

He stood up to look at them closely, and the chair like tree stump quickly took off, rising back to the surface.

"Wait! Come back!" James yelled.

He suddenly realized he had been yelling at a tree stump. He stood there for a moment, feeling like an idiot. The he began to laugh. His laughter rang throughout the huge cave.

"I've lost my mind, I was talking to a tree stump!" he yelled out.

"There are worse fates than that," a voice behind him said.

James whirled around and brought up his plumatic rifle and pointed it at the creature standing there. It looked somewhat like a huge rabbit. It also looked very old, leaning on a cane that had strange symbols carved on it.

"I am no threat to you, James. Please put your weapon away," it smiled.

James lowered the rifle. "How do you know my name?"

"Your mind is open to me. I know all that is you. Come. Let us talk," the rabbit motioned to him.

James hesitated, and then followed the tall rabbit. It was a bit shorter than him, with faded brown fur almost gone white. The long beard reached to the center of it's chest. They walked for about ten minutes to what appeared to be a small house. James followed it in and left his gear by the door. He sat down by the fireplace and watched the rabbit stir the pot.

"My name is Tayrn. Before I came here I helped train those who were strong with the Energy. You, my friend, are one that has it within you. The prophecies have spoken of you coming here to learn and then to lead others who will overcome great odds and conquer the evil that threatens the peace of your people. I waited a long time to greet you, Chosen One," he said.

James just blinked.

>>next chapter–blue>>

24 – Bullies

Ox, Taylor, Brandon and Hank decided that the zone in which they found themselves assigned to officially sucked. The trees were cool, and there were lots of berry tangles for munchies, but trees and berries could only go so far. They were bored after only two days. Ox broke out the map of their zone and the surrounding zones. There were three tiny creeks running through their zone, not even enough water to swim or bathe in. The zone to the East had a much more substantial stream running through it and it terminated at a huge lake. Ox pointed to where the stream ended at the lake.

"That's where we're going." Ox said. The other boys leaned over the map to see where they were headed. Brandon stood up and said, "That's gotta be at least twenty goddamn miles [30 km], Ox. I ain't gonna walk that far. You're fuckin' crazy!"

Without looking up from the map Ox said, "Yeah, I'm crazy. That's why you're going. Even if these little fuckheads gotta carry you because I broke your stupid leg you're going. Got it?" Ox looked up at Brandon. His face was calm. Ox was crazy, and Brandon knew it. Brandon looked away and said, "Fine." He knew he was in for the long haul.

Ox folded the map and stuffed it into his backpack. "Get your shit together. I wanna get out of this stupid zone now." The other boys did as they were told. Ox was the boss and nobody here dared tempt his heavy hand. Brandon would push it from time to time, but he knew when to back off.

Ox and Brandon camped on Zong for the last two years. Last year they went to ISTaZ but were disallowed from returning. They enjoyed playing war. They would invade other camps, destroy them and beat the living shit out of anybody who dared try to stop them. Sometimes they would simply run the other kids off and take over their camp for a few days. The spoils of victory you might call it. Zong monitors had an idea of what was going on but did nothing to stop it. It was a good lesson of survival as far as they were concerned. But that all changed when Ox got carried away and severely beat a smaller boy for trying to retrieve his backpack. Ox broke the boy's jaw, two ribs and caused internal bleeding by kicking him in the stomach. The small boy didn't really want the whole backpack, just the yellow teddy bear he slept with because it kept the bad dreams away.

Ox and Brandon were shipped home without completing their time on Zong. Ox, who had been in similar trouble before, was given forty lashes and was placed on probation for one year. Brandon received twenty-five lashes and a stern warning. Both boys were allowed to return to Zong the following year but were told to keep their distance from other campers. They were still on probation and any trouble like what happened last year could result in them doing time at the Polar Detention Facility and a permanent ban from Zong. And ISTaZ was definitely out of the question.

Taylor and Hank, ten and eleven respectively, were randomly assigned to go with Ox and Brandon. This was their first time on Zong and they were grateful to be with older boys who had experience. Of course their gratitude wore off quickly. The older boys were constantly bullying them and they were made to carry the largest burden of work. But because they were so young they accepted their positions within the group without question. Besides, if anything were to go down, at least they had big kids to protect them. And nobody messed with Ox!

The two younger boys broke down the tents and packed the backpacks as the older boys decided which path to take to get to the stream in the neighboring zone. The path they settled on headed directly to where Nate and Tommy would be two days later.

***

Tommy woke up as dawn flooded the tent with warm, soft light. He sat up and looked over at Nate, well at Nate's sleeping bag and a tuft of sleep wrecked brown hair. Nate was still sound asleep. Tommy, feeling the need to empty his bladder crawled out of his sleeping bag and left the tent, being careful not to wake Nate. He walked up to an ancient pine tree which partially covered the tent with it's gnarled and blistered limbs, pulled down the waistband of his drawers and let loose. It occurred to him that he hadn't wet the bed since he left the orphanage for the training zone. But damn! Did he have to go in the morning or what?

He finished his business and went back into the tent. Nate hadn't budged. Tommy sat down on his own sleeping bag and watched Nate sleep. He had opened up a little bit to Nate the other day. He told him that he had performed in porn videos but he didn't tell him everything. He didn't tell Nate that Troy, a friend of Johnny LeVeame, had raped him.

Troy sometimes set up the lighting for shoots, but mostly he hung around and watched. He was an obese, hairy pig of a man who smelled like rotting tomatoes. Tommy figured that the fat man must have been into water conservation because he sure didn't bathe very often. He even wore the same clothes sometimes as much as four or five days in a row. His thick beard often held bits of food within its gnarly curls. Tommy and his adopted brothers maintained a wide path around Troy, not just because he stunk, but also because he was quick to grab your crotch or your ass, and more times than not the grab was hard and painful. But worse than the crotch grabbing was the way Troy looked at the boys. He would look at you in a way that said, "I want to eat you, and when I do, parts of you will stick in my beard."

Tommy did all he could to avoid fat Troy, but found himself alone with him one night when Johnny took the brothers out for pizza and left him alone to watch the apartment. Johnny had declared that day's shoot to be the best he's ever done and tonight they would celebrate in style at Tino's Pizza Palace. One boy had to stay behind because Troy was coming by to pick up some lighting equipment. A tournament of Paper – Scissors – and Knives ensued and Tommy was the loser, thus naming him the unlucky boy to stay behind. With promises to bring Tommy back some pizza, Johnny and the brothers took off.

Tommy didn't like the idea of being in the apartment alone with Troy. The man was not just gross, he was scary. Tommy went to the refrigerator and took out a Cool-Mist then went into the living room and turned on the virtual reality console. He sank down into the couch and began playing Laser-Tag. The game took his mind off his duty completely. Over an hour passed and he figured that he would escape being alone with Troy. After an hour and a half, he got bored with the game and turned it off. He heard a noise in the hall just outside the apartment door and a flood of relief washed over him. They're back, he thought and raced to the door. And they couldn't have come too soon for him, he was starving!

Tommy pressed the large red button on the wall next to the door labeled "Unlock" and stepped back. The thick door slid open and Tommy stood there with a big smile on his face. But that smile turned quickly to a grimace as he found himself face to face with Troy the fat man. Troy was smiling his best "I'm gonna eat you up" grin as he pushed his way into the apartment.

"Where's my shit?" Troy asked. Tommy, flustered by the moment couldn't comprehend the question and only stared at the fat man. "What's the matter with you boy? Answer me, goddamnit! Where's my lights? I need 'em tonight." Tommy's mind opened up and he remembered what the man was here for. "Oh yeah" Tommy said. "There in the hall closet. Johnny keeps them there so we don't mess around with them."

Tommy quickly walked to the closet and opened it for Troy. The fat man followed the boy and looked in the closet. Satisfied that his equipment was intact, he turned his gaze on Tommy.

"You're different than the other boys, Tommy." Troy said, the hungry look back on his face. Tommy had no reply.

"You're my favorite, you know. I really enjoy watching you… perform."

Tommy was beginning to feel very uncomfortable. He turned to the closet and started pulling out equipment. "I'll help you with these", he said.

Troy took hold of Tommy's arm and pulled Tommy around to face him.

"I just paid you a complement, boy. Ain't you got anything to say?"

"Thank you, Troy." Tommy said looking away from the huge man.

Troy's tone deepened, his words became slightly slurry. "I want you, boy… I want you now!"

Tommy felt cornered. He couldn't imagine doing anything with this fat, smelly man… let alone what he thought Troy had in mind.

"There's no time, Troy." Tommy said, trying desperately to get out of it. "They'll be back any minute."

With no reply, Troy lifted the boy into his beefy arms and carried him to the couch. From that moment on, Tommy did not resist… he knew better. He endured the sweaty, smelly hot flesh, the pain, the moans and drool in his hair. He lay silent as the fat man exploded. He took it all in silence.

Later, when Johnny and the brothers returned, Tommy wasn't hungry. He refused the pizza in the greasy cardboard box. He simply went to bed, exhausted and hurting. Everybody assumed that he was pissed off at being left out and no questions were asked of him. In bed, Tommy rubbed his rectum with one finger. Damn it hurt! When he pulled his finger away it was covered with blood. Tommy didn't fall asleep that night, he passed out.

No, Tommy didn't tell Nate everything. He didn't tell him that sex with the brothers was the closest thing to love he'd ever experienced. He didn't tell Nate that men disgusted him or that women were a complete blank for him, since he'd never experienced the caring, loving touch of a woman. He didn't tell Nate that the love of another boy was his only refuge from a crazy world where adults had better things to do. He didn't tell Nate that he wanted him in that way. He didn't want to frighten Nate and possibly scare him away. He needed him too much.

>>next chapter–purple>>

Robin finished his lunch in silence as the other kids talked about how cool it was to see their friend become a member of the Explorer Corp. It didn't seem fair to Robin. He loved the idea of being allowed to attend the elite Explorer Corps School, but what about Gavin? He couldn't leave his best friend in the whole world behind. Then there was Ajax and Fairfax. His new friends would go back to their orphanage in Chi-Troit at the end of the summer. It wasn't fair to them either.

Robin thumbed his Explorer Corps pins as he downed the last swallow of his milk. As he did so an idea started to form in his mind, a way all of them could become cadets in the Explorer Corps. The more he thought about it, the more he was sure it would work, but he would need some time with all of his team. His eyes lit up as he realized there was a way, but only if everyone passed a test today. He was about to speak up when the mike in the front of the dining area squealed to life again.

Commander Montgomery he squealed the mike over and over until all the kids went silent. He smiled, "I know you all want to talk and settle your nerves before afternoon testing. I want to remind those of you who passed a test, are not required to test the rest of the day, if you so choose. Remember, there are six days of testing of three testing periods each. Since each of you have 6 test you must pass, you are only required to pass one a day. Those who passed this morning's tests can take the rest of the day off or take another test, but no one is allowed to pass more than two tests on any given day."

Several chuckles rippled through the assembled kids as the mere thought of passing two tests in one day seemed absurd. A few others looked over at Robin with a degree of jealousy as they realized he might actually be capable of passing three tests in a day.

Commander Montgomery paused until the chuckles and giggles died down before speaking again, "Team leaders, I need your attention for a minute, please." He waited a few seconds until he was sure all seven team leaders were at least looking his direction. "What I am about to ask is very uncommon, but then, so was the original request.

"One of the team members from team six wants to know if any of the other seven remaining teams would allow him to join your team. He really wants a shot to go ISTaZ, and is willing to join any team willing to let him join."

The team leader from team four, one of the two Robin's whole team had chased into a muddy stream at DalHouston, started laughing, "That fag?"

Robin rolled his eyes, "How archaic can you get? Enter-sexual relations are important back on Earth you idiot. If everyone stuck to the old morals Earth would be outstripped of its resources within a few years from too many births!"

"Whatever. " Fairfax said with a disgusted grunt. "Not that it matters, but why would you insult the kid?"

"I pay attention." Randy smirked somewhat proudly, "He won't even shower when anyone else is in the shower room!"

Robin glared, "You're calling him a fag, Randy? How is it you are the one paying attention to who is in the shower, yet someone else is a fag? How does this work?"

Several of the other kids, including a couple from the older boy's own team started laughing. Many of them pointed fingers at Randy as he turned a bright red.

Robin kept his cool, even managing a snort of laughter. "You know, the person with the most to hide is usually the first to point fingers at others. So what are you hiding Randy?"

As Randy jumped to his feet in a threatening posture, Mr. Montgomery started to move in between the two boys. A hand on his shoulder stopped him. Mr. Allen's voice whispered just loud enough for him to hear. "Something tells me Robin can take care of this himself. If you step between them now, nothing gets settled."

"It'll be easier to patch up a black eye or a bloody nose now than to have to watch both of them the rest of the testing week. Besides, I have seen some tension between these two from the moment they saw each other here. This was bound to happen. If it gets really nasty we'll step in."

Jasper nodded as he watched Robin stand calmly and brace for an attack, "Remind me to put their teams as far away from each other as possible."

Mr. Allen chortled softly, "Already noted! Any bets, Robin's team will end up taking Oliver in just to spite Randy?"

Randy took a step toward Robin; "You going to have your butt buddies gang up on me again?"

The attempted insult only made Robin grin fiendishly, "Butt buddies? Gee, you have this enter-sexual thing going on bad don't you! Besides, I'm not a little kid like the one you and Frank were picking on back at DalHouston. Speaking of which, were you picking on him because you thought he was cute or something? I mean you seem to have this thing of wanting to see other guys and all. Was that going to be like a rape thing?"

Jasper grinned as he listened to the exchange of insults, "I don't bet when I know I'd loose."

Randy completely lost his temper and leapt at Robin. His wildly swinging fist caught Robin in the nose, but Robin took the punch and dished out a much more thought out attack, first hitting Randy in his exposed stomach and then kicking the back of the older boy's leg as he bent over. Randy fell forward knocking over the table Robin's team was sitting at and cutting his eyebrow wide open on one of the chairs.

Robin finished off the short-lived fight by kicking Randy in the ribs, knocking the wind out of him.

Jasper moved in shaking his head, "I think we can call this little argument over, can't we boys?"

Robin held up his hands, ignoring the trickle of blood coming down his nose, "I considered it over at DalHouston."

Jasper ruffled Robin's hair, "So did I sport." He then knelt down and took a look at Randy, "Young man, that will require a few stitches."

Mr. Allen came up, smiling wide, "I'll get him to the Med Hut. Maybe that'll teach him not to mess with an Explorer Corps Recruit!"

"Neither one of you are, Robin." Mr. Allen stated firmly. "By the time this summer is over with one out of every fifteen kids in this tent will be injured or, worse yet, dead. Those are the averages for first year ISTaZ kids. If we can get you all through this and end up with only a bloody nose and a gash to a forehead, we will be some very happy instructors!"

The numbers caused everyone in the tent a few moments of reflection. There were 43 kids, 44 if Oliver joined one of the teams in the room. If the odds Mr. Allen spoke were correct, 3 kids in the room would likely go home in a hospital ship or not go home at all. The thought even seemed to sober Randy.

Jasper sighed, "You would have all heard this speech sooner or later, so I may as well get it over with. What Mr. Allen told you is right on the money. The likelihood is another one out of fifteen will require us to send in an emergency shuttle to cast a broken bone, dislocated joint, seriously sprained ankle, or animal bite. We have not had a single year were at least one child from this training center has not been killed. As a matter of fact, there has not been one ISTaZ training camp that has not lost a child since Zong was opened. Think over those facts as you look over your testing data. If we fail you, it is because we want you to live."

Many of the kids inside the dining hall found themselves looking around wondering if it one of the boys or girls they had gotten to know over the ISTaZ training would be among the dead. It was not at all a comforting thought.

Robin again dabbed at his nose, then turned to his team, "Anyone object to letting Oliver join us?"

"I don't think any of us really know him. He is way quiet." Fairfax commented, "But it would be nice to have another team member."

Gavin agreed quickly, "I don't know what courses he took, but Fairfax is right. We are at the minimum in most areas because we only have four of us. A fifth member could be helpful."

"I kind of like the team we have Robin. We all get along great and I'd hate to see someone mess it up. But you're the leader Robin, whatever you say, I'll agree to."

Robin turned to Jasper, "Can we let him join as a possible member and see how he works out with us?"

"I'll ask him if your conditions will be alright, but I suspect they will. He really wants a shot at ISTaZ. Besides, something tells me you'll all get along fine. He is twelve years old and he is smart. He'll be a good match with your team."

Robin nodded, "Unless one of the other teams is willing to take him in without conditions, my team will take him."

Jasper looked around, making eye contact with each team member. He couldn't help but snicker as Randy glared at Robin's decision, yet remained silent. "OK, I'll have him report to you, Robin. In the meantime, you all need to get ready for testing this afternoon. I'll delay the start for another hour. This should let you all calm down from the boxing match we just witnessed and give you time to get your heads screwed on straight. That means testing will be from 1400 until 1800 we will take a one-hour break for diner then the final testing will go from 1900 to 2300. Curfews will be pushed back until midnight, but we will still have breakfast at 0600 tomorrow, so I suggest you get cleaned up and to bed in quick order tonight. Dismissed!"

Robin pushed a new napkin up to his nose as he motioned for his team to follow him. Once outside and out of earshot of the other teams he took a seat on a log. "I know Mr. Montgomery said it was best to take the tests you thought were hardest first, but I need you all to pass at least one test today, so take one you are confident of this afternoon."

"I have a plan, but to make it work, we all need to be able to take off the evening testing so I can explain everything."

Robin nodded at Fairfax, "OK, but no matter what happens don't point your rifle in anyone else's direction and make sure you do a careful inspection of the rifle before you go out and you only kill if you absolutely have to. If you can back away from a threat without endangering yourself do so. My bet is there will be something wrong with the first rifle they give you, maybe even the second."

"OK boss." Fairfax stated seriously, "Glad you warned me, cause I wouldn't have thought about them handing me a damaged rifle!"

"I'll explain more later, but they set you up so things look easier than it really is. Sometimes the fastest route or the easiest way is not the best."

"Yea." Fairfax sounded disgusted with himself; "I plotted the fastest way to get to where they wanted me to get to. It took me through a bunch of red lizard mounds!"

Gavin suddenly understood, "Just because they are in the dormant season, it doesn't mean there is no chance of seeing one. If you had stopped before you got to them and plotted a course around them, then you would have probably passed!"

Robin patted his friend on the back, "My test was much the same way. I bet they all are. Don't set your mind on just accomplishing the task; think about what your actions might lead to. If something looks too easy, then it probably is!" Robin noticed Oliver standing back waiting for him to finish, "Come on over! We don't bite!"

"Have a seat. We were just talking about our testing and making sure everyone in our group passes their next test." Robin grinned. "What is your best subject?"

Oliver shook his head so hard his long sandy colored hair flew around wildly, "I thought I took it this morning and failed so badly the instructors wouldn't even talk to me."

Robin grimaced as he watched a tear slide out of the gray-eyed boy, "I think you have it all wrong. You probably came so close to passing they couldn't say anything without giving it away. Tell us what happened."

Oliver stared at the ground as he sat; "There isn't anything to tell. I identified all the plants on the tables. I know I was correct on which ones were poisonous and what ones were good to eat. I even managed to hunt and shoot a bird. I cleaned it and set up a cooking fire when time was called."

Robin shrugged, "I'm not taking hunting and gathering. Ajax or Gavin, did either of you hear anything wrong?"

Gavin looked more nervous than ever, "Man, if I could do half of what he did I'd be happy!"

Ajax chewed on his lip for a moment, "Only one possibility, and I am betting after what Robin just told us they set it all up."

Ajax held up a finger, wanting some quite as he thought it out, "Oliver, what area were you in when they took you hunting?"

"So you made the fire out of wood from the grove, right?" Ajax shook his head as he saw the pattern of what the instructors were doing to all of them.

"Yep, just like I would have." Ajax was now snickering, "What type of trees Oliver?"

Gavin slapped his forehead a couple of times, "They warned us once and only once, but it is talked about over and over in the books. Raven wood puts out a sweet smelling smoke, but tends to be absorbed by meat cooked over it. It is a natural laxative."

Robin jumped up, "Oliver, retake it. Watch for the traps they will set. They may even try the same thing for all we know, but take things more slowly and think over every step."

Oliver nodded, "OK, but Mr. Montgomery said me teaming with you was kind of still up in the air."

Robin nodded, "It is, only so much as we want to make sure we can all get along. We will complete ISTaZ one way or the other, but we also want to have fun. If we don't all like each other, it will be harder to survive and it surly will not be much fun. All we want to do is get to know you. Your whole group was rather standoffish, you know."

Oliver agreed with a sigh. "My group doesn't really fit in with you earth guys."

Oliver took a deep breath, "Yea. I'm kind of used to the open spaces. I'm from Mars settlement 1473."

Robin was the first to be able to speak, "Absolutely awesome! You have to tell us about Mars!"

Oliver was surprised by the looks of eagerness all the way around, "Well look around, make the ground red, take away all the trees and add about 400 two-story buildings all with air filtration systems to keep out some of the red dust. You can go out and play, but the oxygen levels are too low to stay out for more then 6 or 7 hours. There are some scrub brush and ground cover plants, but nothing like this. The sky is more of a reddish brown most of the time, but if the winds remain calm for a few days there is a hint of blue sky.

"The terraforming sometimes screws up and it rains for days or even weeks at a time. The Mud gets so deep, special hover cranes have to pull some of the lower lying buildings foundations back up or the buildings flood. We still have to grow most of our food in Environment domes because the Mars soil makes most of the foods taste weird. They did come up with a genetically engineered potato plant that tastes fine when grown outside and the new tomatoes we got from Earth taste great if you like a bit of sour flavor." Then Oliver shuttered: "But they taste more like a blasted tomato flavored sweet tart if they are grown inside."

Robin agreed but was confused, "Don't get me wrong, Oliver, but I didn't think Mars kids were eligible for AdventureQuest."

"Most of us aren't." Oliver admitted sadly as he wiped away a tear, "But those who loose a parent are."

Oliver punched the dirt under him as hard as he could, "Those of us who were born on Mars don't really understand, so I am not sure why it happens."

Gavin gritted his teeth as he realized he had asked a question he probably shouldn't have, "Hey, man, I'm sorry."

Oliver waved him off, "It's OK, sometimes I need to talk it out. Maybe one day it will make sense."

"A lot of Earthers," Oliver kind of frowned, "Sorry, Earthers is kind of a bad name we use for people who were born and raised on Earth. I shouldn't use it around you guys."

Fairfax managed a friendly smile of encouragement, "Most of the people of Earth deserve an insult or two, form what I have seen. No insult taken. What about us Earthers?"

Oliver again wiped a tear away from his eyes; "Many people who come to Mars get kind of crazy. To most people it happens to very quickly, but others seem to burn out over a long period of time." Oliver again punched the ground, "Oh hell, this is silly! My mom got what the doctors on Earth call Open Space Sickness. For some reason she couldn't handle the wide-open spaces and started withdrawing into the settlement more and more. My dad is a chief Terraforming officer at the water Asteroid facility and was helping guide in and break up a massive water-ice asteroid to bring more moisture to Mars. He couldn't leave because they have to be very exact or a large asteroid could smash into the planet and kill a great number of people or even wipe out the whole population. Since he was mission commander for this asteroid the government refused to give him leave even though everyone knew what was going on. He tired to send mom back to Earth, but she wanted me to go. Dad said I was born on Mars and should stay there for my own good. Mom kind of agreed, but refused to leave. She just kept getting sicker, more afraid of the outside.

One day I came back from a sleepover at a friend's house and found mom hooked to a mindvid machine. She must have over ridden the time safeties and let her brain turn to mush pretending to live in some mega-city back on Earth."

Robin swallowed hard, "I have heard of Open Space Sickness, but I didn't know it got so bad or was so common."

"Usually its worse." Oliver stated firmly, "Sometimes people lock themselves into small spaces out of panic and do things like hit their head against a wall over and over until they do a great deal of damage and sometimes kill themselves. Other times they take their vehicles and head out into the Mars opens deserts blindly trying to find a real city. It is scary. Over 300 people in my settlement of 6000 have killed themselves over Open Space Sickness."

Fairfax hugged himself as he heard Oliver talk. "We never hear how bad it really is on Earth. It seems strange to me. I love it here and I grew up in a CHZ."

"Me too." Ajax confirmed. His own voice betrayed how horrifying it was to hear just how bad Open Space Sickness was.

Oliver wiped his shirtsleeve over his nose to get rid of some of the snot his light crying had caused. "Most kids freak out when they come from Earth to Mars, but most adapt very quickly. I'm actually amazed at all you Earth kids here. You are doing an ISTaZ and seem totally opposite of most of the Earth kids I met on Mars."

"We're strange!" Robin piped up proudly trying to change the mood, "So we hope you're still interested in joining our group."

"Cool!" Fairfax smiled as he stood. "Lets go pass some tests so we can huddle this evening and listen to Robin's plans."

"We are here to help each other." Robin reminded everyone. "We will survive only as a team."

Gavin nodded, "By the way, what are you going to do while we are testing Robin?"

"No one passed it yet." Oliver stated grimly. "Mater of fact two of my old teammates took it this morning and both failed so badly they were told they couldn't take it again until they restudied and took the written end of course test again."

"Think they had it rough. Cindy, our team leader, got sent back to the camp early because her instructor kicked her out of the rifle testing. She was downgraded to a sonic stun rifle because she screwed up so badly." Oliver shrugged, "But so were 3 others."

Fairfax looked at Robin; "Maybe rifles would not be the best test to take after all."

"You'll be fine." Robin assured his friend. "Just keep you finger off the trigger until you need to use it and follow my earlier suggestions. You'll pass I am sure of it."

Robin gave encouragement to all the others on his team then waited until he was alone. Speaking aloud to himself, he stared up at the passing clouds, "Now if I could be as confident in my own abilities everything would look great!" He chuckled to himself as he looked down at his Explorer Corps Recruit pin; "I'd feel like a real fool if I got this in the morning and failed the next test I took!"

26 – An Angel with a Stiffy

Wendy was quietly sitting on her sleeping bag when Ben, dripping with water, ran into the cave, hugging his own shoulders and shivering, with a big smile on his face. He cheerfully waved at Wendy and ran into his corner, frantically searching through his piled-up sleeping bag. His naked wet body was gleaming from the light spots that burst into the cave from the entrance, and it made Ben look like he was made of silver. But Wendy's mind was too set on something else to notice.

Happily jumping up and down Ben got wiped all over with the towel and commented to Wendy that was looking straight at him the whole time:

"It got a bit chilly for some reason! Must be the wind. Usually I just dry outside… And those two are still in the water, I don't know how they didn't freeze yet… My balls shrunk so bad I could hardly find them when I got out!"

Ben added the last phrase hoping that it would bring a smile to Wendy's face. But the girl remained serious, looking at him. Ben felt a little awkward and asked:

"What is it? Do I have a third leg I'm not aware of?.."

Wendy didn't reply, still looking the same. Ben said:

"Wait a sec, okay?"

With that he quickly grabbed a pair of shorts and pulled them on, followed by a white t-shirt. After he was dressed Ben came over to Wendy's corner, sat next to her onto the sleeping bag. Wendy was looking at the floor in front of herself. Ben softly said:

"It's about that healing thing, right?.. Look… I don't want you to think that it's a trick or something, or that I'm trying to fool you guys into liking me more. I… Meant what I said. I don't know how I do it. Really… I've been able to do it forever, as long as I can remember myself I always removed scratches like that… I didn't tell anyone, except Sammy. Cause one time my other friend saw me do it, and he said I'm a freak and didn't wanna talk to me again. I'm sorry if it upsets you, I didn't mean to… It's just that… I feel like I can tell you and Joel anything. So I showed you guys… If you think I'm a freak, I'll understand… I mean, I sometimes think I'm a freak. After all, its…"

Wendy interrupted him, quietly whispering:

"I don't think you're a freak… I…"

For a moment she looked into Ben's eyes, and then back onto the ground. Then she said louder:

"You know, I also feel I can tell you anything… So…" She suddenly raised her eyes from the floor and looked directly into Ben's eyes: "I don't think you're a freak… I think… that you're an angel."

Ben's eyes widened. At first he thought that Wendy meant she liked him, and began to blush. But then he realized that Wendy was not looking at him with the look of a teen girl drunk on hormones, but instead with a gaze full of intense hope, as if she was sure he was the answer to all her problems. Ben's heart skipped a beat, and he asked:

"You mean like… Angel angel?! Wings and stuff?.."

Wendy quietly nodded. Ben was suddenly attacked by serious fear: he did not expect this turn of events. Like he needs one of his newfound best friends to think he's a god of some sort! He helplessly said:

"Come on, Wend, you can't be serious! Do I look like I'm an angel?.. I'm just a regular loser kid. Whatever gave you that idea?"

Wendy was still looking straight into his eyes. She whispered:

"I've had this fantasy… No, it's more like knowledge… That there are angels in the world somewhere… I mean, look how messed up the world is. My best girl friend is living in a CHZ, since her parents died in an air crash… And once she and I were there, and we almost got raped by this disgusting guy that started to pick on us… And no one cared. You know… There has to be something to make it better. And when I was about five I fell down from a chair and hurt my hand, and then I had this dream, that there is an angel in the form of a boy that came, rubbed his hands together, just like you, and took away all my pain. And when I woke up, there was no more pain…"

Ben awkwardly looked down between his feet. He could still feel the penetrating eyesight of the girl on his cheek. He said:

"Wendy, come on, that's a coincidence. So what if you had this dream? Your hand probably just healed yourself while you were sleeping. Wend… Trust me, I'm not an angel. I'm just a kid. Really. I mean, I'm not the only one who can do weird stuff! I have this friend, his name is Kyle… He is actually supposed to come here soon… He can control paper planes with his eyes. They do all kinds of loops and stuff… And we all hung on him: tell us how you do it, tell us how you do it, but he just said he doesn't know how. Like me."

"It's not the same. Big deal: paper planes."

"So?.. Big deal: removing scratches. I can't even imagine how he can control stuff with his eyes. I can't do anything with my eyes. And if you wanna know how do I do the healing stuff… That is, I don't know how I really do it… I mean like, what is it… Just give me your hand, okay?"

Wendy, a little hesitantly, extended her hand. Ben took it into his. Then he concentrated and sat into a pose of a Buddha again. Wendy could clearly feel a weak current running through the palm that was in Ben's hold. She instinctively pulled her hand away. Ben said:

"Don't be scared. It doesn't hurt. Come on, just give me your hand."

The girl slowly extended her hand again. And then… Ben slowly touched her palm with the tips of his fingers. And Wendy felt slow electricity running through her. It was both pleasant and weird. But at the same time… It was familiar. Like she was waiting for that touch forever. It was both gentle and prickly, both chilly and hot, both electrifying and soothing… But at the same time it wasn't divine. It was… clearly his, Ben's. It wasn't a miracle. It was something very physical, and she could feel Ben's emotional fluctuations with this mild electricity. She sighed loudly, with a quiet whimper.

"Feels good, doesn't it?" asked Ben in a naughty tone. Wendy quietly nodded. Ben took Wendy's palm into his other hand and started to slowly move upwards with his fingers, climbing towards the girl's elbow, adding: "Just wait till you feel how it heals."

Ben's fingers got closer and closer to an old but annoying scratch that Wendy had for a few weeks now. She cut herself while climbing a tree in the park dome that she visited with Joel and their parents. The large puffy red line still hurt a little when she was moving her hand, but mainly it itched all the time. As Ben's fingers touched the itching mark Wendy felt a slight warmth around it, as if the electricity was concentrating there, slowly making it's way into the wound. And then, suddenly, without warning, came a strong sense of relief: the itching was taken away and the annoying presence of the swollen scratch disappeared, as if it wasn't there. Wendy smiled and looked down. In the place of the scratch was a long pink strip of fresh skin. The scratch was gone. Ben let go of her arm, and looked up, cheerfully smiling.

Wendy was also smiling. Then she turned serious again and asked:

"What do you think it is?"

Ben also became serious.

"I don't know. I think it's some sort of energy. Like electricity or something. When I concentrate I can cause it to… like flow out of my hands. It's not hard. Only it drains me really bad, right now I want to eat just as I did before our lunch…"

"Wow! But we just ate!"

"I know, but I healed twice since then. I used up all the food for that…" – and Ben once again cheerfully smiled.

Wendy smiled as well, and said:

"Okay, let me find the leftovers…"

Ben nodded and asked:

"So, are you convinced that I am a mere mortal and have nothing to do with angels?"

Wendy became serious again, and said:

"Almost."

Ben jumped up:

"Almost?! Come on! Okay, look." – and he suddenly swiftly pulled down his shorts. Wendy looked. Ben pointed downwards and said with a vicious smile: "Do you think that an Angel can have one of these?.."

Wendy looked down on the cheerful hard-on Ben was sporting and was forced to admit to herself that a sexually aroused Angel is, after all, pretty weird. Ben giggled at the sight of her face and added, slightly embarrassed:

"I got it from touching you."

Wendy smiled:

"That is very flattering, Sir. Now do you wanna eat or don't you?"

"Oh yeah, I SO wanna eat!" exclaimed Ben, pulling up his shorts.

Wendy grabbed the leftover meat and eggs from lunch and headed outside, calling:

"Let's go eat on the grass."

"Okay," replied the boy, also heading towards the exit.

Wendy went out first, carrying the pack with the food, and headed for the lake. Ben followed her, thinking how well everything turned out in the end. When they passed the bushes Wendy suddenly stopped dead in her tracks. Ben bumped into her, and before he could say anything Wendy turned around and quickly whispered:

"This was a BAD idea…"

"Why, what's the matter…" – started Ben rather loudly, and was interrupted by a furious "Sshhhhhh!" by Wendy. Then she whispered:

"Look for yourself."

Ben looked. And right away, once again all too loudly, he exclaimed:

"Wow!"

Wendy energetically punched him on the shoulder. Ben whispered "Ow!" and added:

"Okay, okay, I'll be quiet. Even though I don't think they can hear anything…"

On the grassy shore of the lake lay two naked boys. One somewhat bigger that the other. Both were quietly but furiously tugging on each other's very hard members.

Those boys were Sammy and Joel.

Wendy and Ben quietly stepping returned to the cave. They were looking at each other with wide-open eyes. Wendy said, trying to sound as sad as she could:

"Figures. The boy I liked gets stolen by my little brother…"

"Yeah…" quietly agreed Ben.

Then both kids burst into happy laughter, holding on to their tummies…

>>next chapter–green>>

27 – Cyril

Andi blinked at the big gray squirrel that sat on his chest as he lay on his back in the bathroom. It wore a little blue vest and had tiny round glasses that sat on its nose. Andi wondered if he had lost his mind.

"No Andi, you have not lost your mind," the squirrel said. "I am talking to you. You can hear my words. You are one of them."

Andi's mind spun faster than a washer on spin cycle. He moved back a little and the squirrel hopped backwards a little.

"Perhaps I should introduce myself. I am Cyril. I have lived here in these woods since I came into being. I learned of the ones from the ones that made me. They knew I would be the one to help you discover. However, this is not the place to talk. We must meet again," Cyril said.

Andi just nodded his head. The squirrel hopped off Andi's chest and zipped up the rough stonewall and out the window. Andi slowly got up and did what he had to and then walked out. He decided to walk down to the river. It looked like there was a break in the training classes so nobody would miss him. He turned and walked down to the edge of the river. Finding a calm spot to sit, he pulled his boots and socks off and put his feet in the water. He sighed, the cool water feeling good on the bottoms of his feet. He hoped he wasn't developing blisters. Suddenly, he heard a rustle.

"This is much better," Cyril said, coming down a tree branch towards Andi.

"How is this possible?" inquired Andi, still not believing what he was seeing.

"It's possible because you are one of them. Your people are the only ones that can see us, for we were made by your people. Do you understand?"

"No…"

"There will come a time when you will. Trust me."

The boy was still unsure weather he was awake or dreaming. It was a squirrel, but it could talk. And it said things that did not make sense.

"Why are you here?!", cried Andi in an attempt to clear things up. "What do you want from me? Why do you need to talk to me?!"

Cyril looked down. In the same hollow tone he said:

"Perhaps I am early. I will not bother you anymore, young friend. I will come back when you're ready."

"Wait!", exclaimed Andi. "Tell me one thing first… Please… Are you real or are you in my head?"

Cyril smiled and suddenly faded into nothing, just like that. Andi remained sitting there, amazed. "I must be going crazy. It was all in my head, it must have been…"

***

When Manuel came back to the camp, he found Andi sitting on a rock looking like he was out of it.

"Andi?" Manuel said, gently shaking him. "Are you alright?" "You would not believe what just happened to me," Andi said.

Manuel was quietly waiting for an explanation. Finally Andi worked up the courage.

He told the story about Cyril. In full detail.

Both boys sat together in silence for a few moments.

"Do you think I'm loosing it?" Andi asked.

Manuel replied carefully:

"Look… No, I don't think that you're "loosing it." But it does seem rather unusual. Are you sure you haven't dreamed it?"

"I don't know myself… I really don't. But… He was so real."

Manuel looked at the younger boy and decisively declared:

"Okay, then let's assume he is real then. We say nothing to nobody about this, until we find out everything about this creature and what does it want from us. Okay?"

Andi looked at him with a new resolve. Manuel stood and held out his hand. Andi took it and Manuel pulled him up and into his arms. They kissed, feeling closer to each other than they had last night.

>>next chapter–blue>>

28 – Catch that Turkey

Nate and Tommy debated heartily over their plans. Nate thought they should strike out for bigger adventure by heading up the stream to the lake this stream must start at. Tommy wanted to set up a permanent camp where they were. A compromise was settled upon and they decided to stay where they were for some more time, and then they would pull up stakes and head for the lake.

In the meantime, the dinner menu was becoming quite stagnant. Fish was OK and the berries were nice, but both boys were craving real meat. There were wild animals on Zong and some of them looked pretty tasty. Tommy had spotted a wild turkey on the first day and both boys had seen deer. There were no guns allowed for kids who did not go though ISTaZ training, but with a little ingenuity they could find a way to capture some good grub.

Nate had a virtual game called "Survival." In it, you are dumped on an island and left to fend for yourself. It was considered to be a good example of what Zong is like, only harsher. You were given basic supplies and tools and you had to use them carefully. You had a lifeline bar which grew shorter as you became hungry or got attacked by wild animals or strange natives. Your life bar increased when you found nourishment or avoided being attacked long enough to gain strength. In the game, the contestant dug a pit using a stone he broke in half for a shovel. It was deep, about seven feet, and it took him most of two days to dig it up. He wove a flimsy net from vines and placed it over the hole, using small rocks to hold it in place. Then he covered it with leaves. It wouldn't fool a human, or even a halfway intelligent animal, but there were plenty stupid animals in wilderness of the island. He carefully placed a small, rotting fish in the center of the camouflaged net and waited for some hungry creature to come and take the tasty treat. It took several days and he was losing chunks of his life bar, as he was getting quite hungry. Eventually a wild boar stumbled onto the fish, and into the trap. The contestant jumped into the pit, pocketknife in hand, and proceeded to stab away at the confused and crazed animal. Unfortunately, the upset boar sunk its sharp teeth into the contestant's leg, biting and ripping at the hot flesh. The contestant was able to haul the boar out of the hole and bandage himself up. That night he enjoyed hunks of wild boar meat roasted over his campfire using a tree branch as a spit. Unfortunately his wounds became infected and he died two days later when his life bar dissipated.

Nate and Tommy figured they were a little smarter than a stupid virtual game contestant and proceeded to dig up their own pit. Instead of using a rotting fish to lure unsuspecting prey, they used wild raspberries. They didn't want big game just yet. A raccoon or a squirrel would do just fine for starters. As luck would have it, a turkey found it's way into the trap the very day the boys made it.

It wasn't a very big turkey, seven or eight pounds at best, but it sure did look good! The boys were looking at the map, calculating how long it would take to reach the lake when they heard the panicked bird gobbling loudly in the trap. Nate and Tommy ran as fast as they could to the trap and in their haste to see their prize, they both almost fell in with the trapped bird. Once they regained their balance and composure, Nate and Tommy stood at the edge looking down at their wild prisoner.

The bird knew it was in big trouble and it frantically circled the bottom of the pit, it's wings fluttering madly against the dirt walls. Both boys were in awe of the fact that they were actually able to capture a wild animal, oblivious to the fact that a turkey is one of nature's least intelligent creatures. Finally Nate turned to Tommy and said, "How are we going to kill it?"

Tommy looked around and his eyes landed on a good-sized stone. He picked it up and looked at Nate. "This is going to hurt him more than it's going to hurt me", he said then heaved the stone down into the pit. It hit the bird in the hindquarter, sending the bird into a flurry of panic.

"Hey, there's got to be a better way than that." Nate said, feeling bad for the frightened animal. "Can't we like do it another way?"

"Sure," Tommy said. "You jump in there and hold its nostrils closed."

Nate looked down at the bird. It was going crazy down there and he didn't like the idea of being down in the hole with it. That thing's beak looked mighty sharp. He looked around and found a nice, safe rock. "OK. Try to aim for its head though."

Nate and Tommy hurled at least seven or eight rocks each at the stupid animal before it finally could take no more and lay down to die. Tommy climbed down into the pit and hauled out the dead bird. They took it back to the camp and shared the task of plucking its feathers. Tommy stacked the feathers and wrapped it up in a length of twine, figuring that they could come in handy, maybe as a pillow. Nate cut off its head, feet and tail. He reached into the carcass and pulled out the guts, which Tommy placed into a plastic bag for future bait. Tommy seasoned the bird and they placed it on a makeshift spit over their campfire.

It took a couple hours for the bird to cook. Once the aroma of roasting turkey began to fill the air, the boy's stomachs grumbled loudly. Berries and fish were OK, but this was a whole different story. Their growing bodies craved meat, which they had been deprived of for far too long. There would be no pastes tonight, no fish or berries either. Tonight the boys would feast on roasted turkey, a good two and a half pounds of juicy, savory meat apiece.

When the meal was done, both boy's faces and hands were covered with grease. Discarded bones lay all around them. They felt a little guilty about not saving any of the meat for tomorrow but what the hell, they deserved a good meal. Besides, they couldn't stop eating even if they wanted to.

As you know, turkey has a funny way of making you sleepy. It also makes you burp and fart a lot. Nate and Tommy had a few good laughs, running out of the tent occasionally to escape the nastier smelling gastric emanations and cracking up as they did so. But the sleep of the turkey bloated soon overtook them and they slept better than either of them had slept in a long time.

***

It was time to move on. The boys spent most of the morning packing up. It's amazing how the quantity of materials seems to double once their out of the pack. Getting the tents stowed away was the biggest challenge but with time and effort, they managed.

Nate and Tommy hiked North along the Western edge of the creek. The further North they went, the wider the creek became. By the time they settled in for the night the creek had doubled in width.

Neither boy bothered to search for fresh food. Other than a few berries they picked along the way, they subsided totally on pastes. They managed almost twenty miles [30 km] before calling it a day and they were both dog-tired. Instead of bothering to pitch a tent they slept under the stars. They slept close together that night for warmth and comfort. Twenty yards south of the encampment the creek cascaded downward on a steep slope. The sound of the water crashing down over the rocks was soothing to the ears of the tired boys and their sleep was deep and dreamless with one exception.

Sometime during the night Nate woke up to a familiar voice, a threatening voice. "Slow down, asshole!" The voice shouted in the distance. Nate's entire body tensed at the sound of that voice. He quietly sat up and listened, his head cocked at an angle, but all he picked up was the sound of the creek and an owl hooting its night song. He lay back down beside Tommy and shivered, even though he wasn't really cold. That voice had scared him badly, but after thinking about it he decided that it must have come from his own head, or that owl. The zones were very large and the likelihood of another soul being within one hundred miles [150 km] of here was miniscule. But deep inside he knew that it wasn't an owl. The voice was clear and it was menacing.

Nate cuddled up close to Tommy and after only a few minutes sleep regained its hold on him.

***

"Slow down asshole!" Ox yelled. Brandon stopped and waited for Ox to catch up with him. When he arrived, Ox was out of breath. "What do you think this is?" Ox panted, "A race?"

Ox looked back at Taylor and Hank, who were a good forty yards behind. The little ones looked as if they could drop where they were and sleep for days. They carried more weight on their small bodies then either Ox or Brandon, their payment for the protection the older boys afforded them. When they reached Ox and Brandon, the small boys immediately dropped their heavy bags and sat down hard.

"Maybe we ought to quit here for the night." Brandon suggested.

Ox looked at the tired little kids, feeling pretty wasted himself, and nodded in agreement. It was after 11:00 at night and they had been hiking since 5:00. They had gotten off to a late start after goofing off for most of the day.

"You guys get the tents up and I'll look around" Ox ordered.

"Look around for what?" Brandon asked defiantly. "It's dark."

Ox's ham-like hand moved with surprising speed and slapped the right side of Brandon's face painfully, causing the shocked boy's eyes to water. The report was like the crack of a whip. Brandon's hand went involuntarily to his cheek and he could already feel the beginning of a hand shaped welt there.

"I'm tired." Ox said, looking as crazy as ever. "And I'm in a bad mood. Just do what you're told and don't fuck with me."

He stared at Brandon, almost daring him to open his mouth. Brandon always knew that Ox had a crazy side to him, but at this moment Brandon realized that the large boy was dangerous. Brandon looked away from that lunatic gaze, joined the younger boys and silently began setting up the tents.

Ox walked about twenty yards away from the campsite and sat heavily on the ground. He rested his elbows on his knees and dropped his face into his hands. His right hand still tingled from the slap he had administered to Brandon. He considered Brandon lucky that he used an open hand instead of a closed fist. Lately Brandon and the brats were getting on his nerves. He'd even thought about leaving the entire group behind and striking out on his own. It seemed that every time one of them opened their mouth he wanted to fill it with his fist.

Ox didn't have any real friends, but Brandon came close. He and Brandon had a history together. He didn't really want to hurt Brandon, but his self-control seemed sporadic lately. Little things set him off and his anger was reaching its peak at the drop of a dime. For one wild moment, instead of a simple slap, Ox wanted to throttle Brandon, to choke the life out of the smart-assed little prick. He envisioned Brandon's lifeless body lying on the ground as he turned his attention to the little brats. It took a good deal of self-control to back off and only slap him… self control which was becoming harder to find.

He stood up and headed back to camp. The others had completed erecting his tent and were working on the others. Ox said nothing and went into his tent for the night.

>>next chapter–purple>>

Kyle Aarons

(Maria, Elijah, TomTom & David)

Adventure Quest

(The Boyplanet)

Chapters 4-6

Chapter 4
Arrival: Zong

14 – Driving to the moon

15 – Nate and Tommy

16 – Skinny Dipping

17 – The official SFC

18 – Kids and Nature

19 – Tommy and the Fish

20 – James

Chapter 5

21 – Testing

22 – The quiet power

23 – Discoveries

24 – Bullies

Chapter 6
New Goals

25 – New Goals

26 – An Angel with a Stiffy

27 – Cyril

28 – Catch that Turkey

Kyle Aarons

(Maria, Elijah, TomTom & David)

Adventure Quest

(The Boyplanet)

Chapters 4-6

Chapter 4Arrival: Zong

14 – Driving to the moon

15 – Nate and Tommy

16 – Skinny Dipping

17 – The official SFC

18 – Kids and Nature

19 – Tommy and the Fish

20 – James

Chapter 5

21 – Testing

22 – The quiet power

23 – Discoveries

24 – Bullies

Chapter 6New Goals

25 – New Goals

26 – An Angel with a Stiffy

27 – Cyril

28 – Catch that Turkey

Chapter 4
Arrival: Zong

Chapter 6
New Goals