Part 1 (2/2)

All the Foresters were in a hurry today, except Chris that is, who was the laid-back member of the household. Today, however, it was beyond his control, as Sh.e.l.ley had to be at school early for rehearsals, and mum was acting as chauffeur. Toast was eaten, coffee was spilled, and the breakfast table became a glorious mess. Kids and mom rushed out the door closely followed by dad, and Rufus had the house to himself. Pleased as anything he ran round the kitchen cleaning up everything edible that had fallen into his domain. This done, he took a turn around the house as if on patrol, and ended up back at his basket in the kitchen, where he settled down for a quiet nap.

Clare and the kids travelled at break-neck speed to get to school on time. Her years of doing field studies had prepared Clare well for city traffic: She'd been used to driving a big old four-by-four across very rough terrain, and at high speeds, whilst avoiding trees, rocks, a.s.sorted wild-life and other botanists. Her vocabulary had gained a few colourful phrases too, which came in handy for any city dwellers who had the gall to get in her way.

In what seemed like no time at all, they arrived at the school that both kids attended.

”Bye guys,” Clare called out as Sh.e.l.ley and Chris jumped out of the car.

”Bye mom,” came the joint reply as she sped off towards the university.

Steve was altogether more laid-back about life. He mainly drove at the speed limit, which drove Clare up the wall, but Steve had a different view on life to Clare. His aim was to achieve what he had set out to do, no matter what that might be, and to purposefully 'get there' at his own pace. Even old Vinkle couldn't shake Steve out of this life-long habit, and Vink' had tried.

Steve pulled into the security gate at the lab. ”Hi Dave,” he smiled, through the open window, as he pa.s.sed his ID over for the security guard to examine.

”Good morning Dr. Forester, sure is a nice one.”

”Yep, it's days like this that make me envy you your job, Dave. I have to be shut up in the lab all day in artificial light.”

”Gee that's tough,” Dave smirked as he waved Steve through.

The two men had gone through this same ritual, or something very close to it, for almost a year now. Steve had been at Star labs for just about that length of time, having moved from his last post to join the team here.

Steve's job was top secret, not even Clare knew what he was working on, but he knew she would approve had he been able to tell her. One day, everyone on earth would know about this, but for now, it had to remain secret.

Today was a big day for Sh.e.l.ley Forester. At ten years of age, she had a part in the school's latest drama production. Each year, the school put on a performance designed to enhance the kids' life skills, and this year it was big. For some time now, Mr. Sharp, the drama teacher, had had it in mind to do something really ambitious. He'd been teaching kids drama for 10 years, and each year he had been disappointed at the outcome. He was determined that situation would change this year, so he had chosen a particularly difficult play for the kids to perform, an adaptation of, ”The Taming of the Shrew.” He had even found the perfect kid to play the shrew, Sh.e.l.ley Forester, who seemed to have all the natural apt.i.tude for the part. She certainly had the voice for it! Now if he could just find a kid who could tame her...

Sh.e.l.ley and Chris parted company in the school entrance hall, he going off to maths, and she to the sports' hall, where the rehearsals were to take place.

”Good morning Sh.e.l.ley,” Mr. Sharp said as she walked in.

”Good morning Mr. Sharp,” came the cheery response.

”We still don't have a male lead yet Sh.e.l.ley,” Mr. Sharp told her, ”I don't suppose you know of someone who might be right for the part, do you?”

”Well,” Sh.e.l.ley answered somewhat slowly, ”you could try my brother, Christopher, he's pretty good at acting, well he is when it's time to get up!”

”Hmm, Christopher, I hadn't thought of him,” Mr. Sharp replied thoughtfully, ”it's a tough part Sh.e.l.ley, do you think he could handle being shouted at for an hour?”

”O yes,” came the instant reply, ”I shout at him all the time so I expect he's quite used to it by now.”

This remark drew t.i.tters from several of the other members of the company, who knew only too well just how much truth there was in what she had just said.

”OK,” Mr. Sharp said, ”I'll bear him in mind. Now, let's get on with scene two.”

Maths wasn't Chris' favourite subject, but he could manage it without too much effort. The bell rang for the end of cla.s.s, and Chris, aged twelve, and Simon his best friend, were heading for the drinks' machines in the school's entrance hall. It was there that they over heard some of the girls from Sh.e.l.ley's cla.s.s giggling as they walked past, talking about Chris being lumbered with a part in the school play, and having to be shouted at by his sister for an hour. Chris and Simon stopped dead in their tracks, stunned.

”Did you hear that?” Chris asked, hoping his friend would say no.

”Yes, I did,” Simon replied, and then added, ”erm...Sorry,” when he saw Chris' face.

”Oh no,” Chris groaned, ”not the school play.”

Just then, Sh.e.l.ley came around the corner grinning from ear to ear. ”How about that then,” she smirked, ”I've managed to get you into the school play, and Mr. Sharp wants to see you at the next rehearsal.”

'She's impossible,' Chris thought to himself, but didn't say anything out-loud. ”I'll get you for this, squeak,” he called after her as she pa.s.sed. He only called her squeak when he was angry with her, but as usual, she took absolutely no notice.

Clare had arrived late for her first lecture, but was not bothered about it. Neither were her students, who were used to such occurrences. As usual, she began the lecture whilst entering the cla.s.sroom; she could get through a couple of paragraphs by the time she'd reached the front of the cla.s.s and taken her coat off.

Clare had built up a reputation for such behaviour, everyone at the university seemed to think it was normal for someone who had spent so long doing field studies. The eccentricity was part of her charm, and she had bucketful's of that.

Clare was very clever by any standards, and could always rely on her intellect to get her out of a sc.r.a.pe, but she also knew she was rather cute looking, so that was her backup. Many of her students had had a crush on her, but she knew just how to handle such things and took it all in her stride.

”Cute, and with brains?” Steve had said, when a friend first mentioned her to him. ”Now that's what I call a winning combination.”

Clare had taken to Steve from the outset, after all, he was pretty cute looking too, and at least her equal in the brain department. Even now, after 15 years of marriage, she still didn't know just how clever Steve really was, but she would find out before too long, everybody would.

Chapter Two.

Chapter 2.

Star Labs Steve Forester was head of the Moon Base Alpha project. Star Labs had been working secretly with the government for almost ten years on MBA. Steve had been drafted in to solve certain problems that had arisen suddenly a year or so back, when the previous head of the MBA project had been taken ill. He had 'been retired', according to Kay, his a.s.sistant, but Kay had always had her suspicions about the whole affair.

”Dr. Pebbles would never have retired,” she told Steve one time, when Vinkle had been particularly obnoxious. ”It was his life's work. Vinkle, or someone higher, must have pushed him. I think Vinkle was jealous of Pebbles' success with irrigation. I don't know what Vinkle's angle is, but he's been muscling in on MBA for years. I think he has his own agenda.”

Steve wasn't really listening to all this, he was much too busy with his own problem, but he had learned long ago to nod and grunt in the right places; many years at university had taught him how to do that.

Vinkle had risen through the ranks at Star Labs, and was now acting head. He had first and last say in what Star Labs did, and it had definitely gone to his head. Rumour has it that he was once an ok guy, but if that were ever true, it was long forgotten now. Vink', as he was known, was a tyrant.

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