If you'd like to pick up a paperback copy of the book:
You can buy it at Amazon for $12.99
You can buy it at CreateSpace for $12.99
If you'd like to get an ecopy of the book:
You can buy it at Smashwords in many different formats
You can buy it at Amazon for the Kindle
You can buy it at Amazon UK for the Kindle
You can buy it at Barnes and Noble for the Nook
It should also available at the iBookstore. I don't have a link for it, but I'm sure a simple search will turn it up.
At each spot it is available for the low price of $1.99. I hope you make time to pick up a copy of your very own, and I'd love to hear what you think of it, either here on my blog, on Twitter, on Facebook, or as a review on whichever site you purchase it on.
Thanks, and I hope you enjoy the story!
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Friday, December 3, 2010
Hiatus
I have plans to make this a fun site to visit, but I'm not ready to implement them at this time, so I'm going to be taking a hiatus from posting here until I'm more ready. Just in case anyone is wondering where new posts are. :-)
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Way Over the Line on Smashwords
Way Over The Line is now available on Smashwords: Click here to check it out! You can download it to most (if not all) eReaders and phones with eReader apps. Smashwords has plenty of options. You can also read it right on your computer if you don't have any devices to read it on. It's only $1.99. It's geared towards kids ages 10-13, but I think even adults will enjoy it. It's a science fiction story with plenty of baseball, so if you enjoy either of those, give it a read. If you know any parents with kids who enjoy science fiction and/or baseball, let them know. And tell teachers about it, too; I'm sure they know some kids who would be interested in reading this story. I hope you give it a go and enjoy it!
Way Over the Line Chapter Fifteen
Click here to read earlier chapters
Chapter 15
Exploration time had to wait, as the organizers scheduled their first on field practice less than an hour after they signed up. It had to be punishment for being so late. Instead of Jessie and Ryder exploring the space station, the team grabbed their equipment, including Pitch, and hustled to the stadium.
Coach led them past the entrance, where they'd been not an hour before, to a small side door in the structure. They walked down a short plain hallway, this one made of concrete, not metal. As they stepped out of the tunnel and onto the field, Ryder echoed Jessie's thoughts with a "Wow."
The hologram they'd watched back in the ship did the playing field and the stadium as a whole little credit. The grass looked greener, the walls higher, and that pitching machine way closer. The ring of seats around looked never-ending. Was this what it was like to step onto the field of a major league stadium back home?
Jessie closed his eyes and let everything wash over him. The grass smelled crisp and clean, like it had just been mowed. Did they cut it with a lawn mower, or did they have some sort of space-aged method? Since it was a space station, he'd assumed it was artificial, but his nose didn't agree. It felt real under his feet, too.
He opened his eyes and looked up. Disappointment hit him at first. The dome, while see-through from space, looked solid from the inside. As he kept his eyes on it, though, it went from dark gray to an intense black. Seconds later, he could make out stars.
Stretch broke his concentration. "It's designed to look gray for ten seconds or so from the field. Long enough to track the ball. Then it turns so you can enjoy the view."
"How come? Shouldn't the ball be easy enough to track through the black of space?"
"Yeah, but there are the occasional passing ships or other anomalies. This way it's the same for all teams."
Jessie pointed to the stands. "How about up there?"
"No, it's always see-through there. No need to wait for the view."
"Cool."
"Ryder, Jessie, catch." Rake dug into the equipment bag and tossed them each their mitts from home. Jessie had forgotten that the ship had beamed those up when it pulled them onboard.
"I was wondering what we were going to use," Ryder said. "I sure didn't want to break in a new glove during games."
"Out to your positions," Coach said. "Rake, show the kids where to stand. You two take turns out there. For every two plays you make, switch."
"He can have them all if you want," Jessie said. "Since he's the starter."
"You need to stay sharp, too. Get out there."
As everyone jogged to their positions, Jessie scouted the field. There was a path to the outfield on either side of the playing field. As he remembered from the halo, the first tier wasn't very big, but being so close to the plate, the fielder there wouldn't have much time to react. It also lay a few feet lower than the batter's box. He hadn't noticed that in the hologram.
When they passed the wall that separated the first two tiers, he saw the second was quite a bit bigger than the first. It was at least twice as long from foul line to foul line. No wonder a fielder with good range, like Mickey, was needed to patrol it. In the hologram it had looked like it had towered over the batter, but since the plate was elevated a bit, he could see that it wasn't really that much higher. A couple of feet, at the most.
"Holy cow," Ryder said as they came to the third tier, the outfield. Jessie could only nod. His mouth fell open, and he didn't bother to shut it. This had to be like looking at an outfield in a major league park from the infield. It was huge! He saw the yellow line that divided the grass from front to back. As they reached it and he looked back to the plate, he marveled that anyone could hit it this far, let alone for just a double. If the simulation in the ship could be believed, Ryder had cleared it by a lot. Almost to the wall. True to the hologram, the only bit of ground out here that wasn't covered in the lush green grass was a strip of dirt that acted as the warning track in front of the home run wall.
Rake held them up. "Here's the default position. It's easy to remember, just a game of halves. The first part's easy enough. We're halfway between the line and the wall." He pointed to the middle of the field. "Picture a line in the middle running from front to back. You stand between that phantom line and the foul line. Got it?"
Jessie nodded, and Ryder said, "You bet."
"Prove it to me. Take your position in right field. Both of you."
They started off jogging, but after a few strides picked it up and sprinted, each trying to get there first. Jessie pulled ahead, but as he looked to get his bearings, Ryder sped in front.
"Yes! Winner!" Ryder slowed and stopped, his arms raised in a "V" for victory.
Jessie came up behind him, his eyes scanning for the imaginary line. Ryder might have got there first, but maybe he wasn't in the right spot. Nope. Jessie came in second fair and square.
"Excellent, you two," Rake called. "Jessie, hit the sidelines. Remember, Ryder, when you make two plays, switch. Okay?"
"Yeah," Ryder called. Jessie jogged to the side to watch. Coach, standing at home plate, looked like he was holding a bat, but instead of tossing a ball into the air and smacking it into play, he held it on his shoulder and stuffed a ball into its end. The ball, with a sharp crack, shot out to the field. Whoa, it was a baseball bazooka. Cool! This shot flew up to the outfield. Rake took a few steps in and made an easy catch. Instead of firing the ball into the infield, he tossed a lazy grounder to foul territory. It smacked against the stands and came to a stop. As soon as it did, a small round metal object zipped over and sucked it up, just like one of those self-vacuuming robots he'd seen on infomercials. He scanned the foul territory on his side and saw one against the wall not too far from him. Though he knew it wouldn't hurt him, he took a couple of steps away from it.
Coach aimed in Ryder's direction and shot a ball. Ryder took a few steps back, watched the ball, and jogged forward to make the catch. Following Rake's example, he threw the ball to the side. When it stopped rolling, the vacuum robot sucked it up.
Everyone got balls shot at them, and after Ryder's second catch, he motioned for Jessie to switch. Jessie took a deep breath and hustled into position.
Ryder jogged past and said, "Just stay calm. You'll do fine." Jessie tried to nod.
As he watched first Mickey and then Stretch catch screaming line drives, his chest hurt from his heart beating so hard. Stop it, he told himself. Don't ruin everyone's practice by passing out again.
Coach shot the next ball deep over Rake's head. He sprinted back and snagged it just before it hit the wall. Jessie's heartbeat stabilized a bit. If Coach didn't shoot it right at him, he could do it.
Coach pointed to Jessie and launched the ball. Jessie took a step back and stopped. Shoot, where was it going? He took another step back, and then one forward. No, it was coming straight for him. At the last second, he ducked and threw his glove hand up. The ball nicked off his mitt and fell to the grass.
"Come on, Jessie." Coach's voice carried a little too well. "Use your mitt and you won't get hurt. Play the ball. Don't let the ball play you."
Jessie picked it up and lobbed it to the side. He didn't know if he got anywhere near the robot. He felt his face heat up, and the world went blurry through his tears. He didn't watch anyone else take their turn. When he heard the ball snap into Rake's mitt, he looked up and wiped his eyes to clear his vision.
"Let's go, Jess," Ryder shouted. "Show everyone you can do it."
Coach launched the next one. Jessie saw right away it was well short of him. He took off in a sprint. He passed the yellow line, still tracking the ball. It screamed down about halfway between the second tier wall and the yellow line. Jessie threw himself towards it, feeling it smack into the pocket of his mitt. The soft grass cushioned his fall, and he used his momentum to pop back up to his feet, his mitt held above his head to show his catch.
"That's the way, Jessie," Coach shouted. The others also yelled their encouragement.
"You got it, kid!"
"Way to go!"
"Knew you could do it, Jess!"
Jessie rolled the ball over towards the robot as he switched spots with Ryder, who gave him a high-five as they passed. That was why he loved baseball.
--------------------------------------
That's it for the sample chapters. I hope you enjoyed reading them. Roughly two-thirds of the book is left, so if you want to see how it all turns out, you need to buy it. It'll be available tomorrow, December 1st as an ebook on Amazon for the Kindle and at Smashwords for most other formats. It'll likely be available for the Nook at Barnes and Noble and (hopefully) in the iBook store for the iPad sometime soon. I will, of course, have easy-to-find links on the front page of my blog, so you won't be able to miss how to purchase the book. It'll be $1.99. I hope you not only buy the book, but also recommend it to others!
Chapter 15
Exploration time had to wait, as the organizers scheduled their first on field practice less than an hour after they signed up. It had to be punishment for being so late. Instead of Jessie and Ryder exploring the space station, the team grabbed their equipment, including Pitch, and hustled to the stadium.
Coach led them past the entrance, where they'd been not an hour before, to a small side door in the structure. They walked down a short plain hallway, this one made of concrete, not metal. As they stepped out of the tunnel and onto the field, Ryder echoed Jessie's thoughts with a "Wow."
The hologram they'd watched back in the ship did the playing field and the stadium as a whole little credit. The grass looked greener, the walls higher, and that pitching machine way closer. The ring of seats around looked never-ending. Was this what it was like to step onto the field of a major league stadium back home?
Jessie closed his eyes and let everything wash over him. The grass smelled crisp and clean, like it had just been mowed. Did they cut it with a lawn mower, or did they have some sort of space-aged method? Since it was a space station, he'd assumed it was artificial, but his nose didn't agree. It felt real under his feet, too.
He opened his eyes and looked up. Disappointment hit him at first. The dome, while see-through from space, looked solid from the inside. As he kept his eyes on it, though, it went from dark gray to an intense black. Seconds later, he could make out stars.
Stretch broke his concentration. "It's designed to look gray for ten seconds or so from the field. Long enough to track the ball. Then it turns so you can enjoy the view."
"How come? Shouldn't the ball be easy enough to track through the black of space?"
"Yeah, but there are the occasional passing ships or other anomalies. This way it's the same for all teams."
Jessie pointed to the stands. "How about up there?"
"No, it's always see-through there. No need to wait for the view."
"Cool."
"Ryder, Jessie, catch." Rake dug into the equipment bag and tossed them each their mitts from home. Jessie had forgotten that the ship had beamed those up when it pulled them onboard.
"I was wondering what we were going to use," Ryder said. "I sure didn't want to break in a new glove during games."
"Out to your positions," Coach said. "Rake, show the kids where to stand. You two take turns out there. For every two plays you make, switch."
"He can have them all if you want," Jessie said. "Since he's the starter."
"You need to stay sharp, too. Get out there."
As everyone jogged to their positions, Jessie scouted the field. There was a path to the outfield on either side of the playing field. As he remembered from the halo, the first tier wasn't very big, but being so close to the plate, the fielder there wouldn't have much time to react. It also lay a few feet lower than the batter's box. He hadn't noticed that in the hologram.
When they passed the wall that separated the first two tiers, he saw the second was quite a bit bigger than the first. It was at least twice as long from foul line to foul line. No wonder a fielder with good range, like Mickey, was needed to patrol it. In the hologram it had looked like it had towered over the batter, but since the plate was elevated a bit, he could see that it wasn't really that much higher. A couple of feet, at the most.
"Holy cow," Ryder said as they came to the third tier, the outfield. Jessie could only nod. His mouth fell open, and he didn't bother to shut it. This had to be like looking at an outfield in a major league park from the infield. It was huge! He saw the yellow line that divided the grass from front to back. As they reached it and he looked back to the plate, he marveled that anyone could hit it this far, let alone for just a double. If the simulation in the ship could be believed, Ryder had cleared it by a lot. Almost to the wall. True to the hologram, the only bit of ground out here that wasn't covered in the lush green grass was a strip of dirt that acted as the warning track in front of the home run wall.
Rake held them up. "Here's the default position. It's easy to remember, just a game of halves. The first part's easy enough. We're halfway between the line and the wall." He pointed to the middle of the field. "Picture a line in the middle running from front to back. You stand between that phantom line and the foul line. Got it?"
Jessie nodded, and Ryder said, "You bet."
"Prove it to me. Take your position in right field. Both of you."
They started off jogging, but after a few strides picked it up and sprinted, each trying to get there first. Jessie pulled ahead, but as he looked to get his bearings, Ryder sped in front.
"Yes! Winner!" Ryder slowed and stopped, his arms raised in a "V" for victory.
Jessie came up behind him, his eyes scanning for the imaginary line. Ryder might have got there first, but maybe he wasn't in the right spot. Nope. Jessie came in second fair and square.
"Excellent, you two," Rake called. "Jessie, hit the sidelines. Remember, Ryder, when you make two plays, switch. Okay?"
"Yeah," Ryder called. Jessie jogged to the side to watch. Coach, standing at home plate, looked like he was holding a bat, but instead of tossing a ball into the air and smacking it into play, he held it on his shoulder and stuffed a ball into its end. The ball, with a sharp crack, shot out to the field. Whoa, it was a baseball bazooka. Cool! This shot flew up to the outfield. Rake took a few steps in and made an easy catch. Instead of firing the ball into the infield, he tossed a lazy grounder to foul territory. It smacked against the stands and came to a stop. As soon as it did, a small round metal object zipped over and sucked it up, just like one of those self-vacuuming robots he'd seen on infomercials. He scanned the foul territory on his side and saw one against the wall not too far from him. Though he knew it wouldn't hurt him, he took a couple of steps away from it.
Coach aimed in Ryder's direction and shot a ball. Ryder took a few steps back, watched the ball, and jogged forward to make the catch. Following Rake's example, he threw the ball to the side. When it stopped rolling, the vacuum robot sucked it up.
Everyone got balls shot at them, and after Ryder's second catch, he motioned for Jessie to switch. Jessie took a deep breath and hustled into position.
Ryder jogged past and said, "Just stay calm. You'll do fine." Jessie tried to nod.
As he watched first Mickey and then Stretch catch screaming line drives, his chest hurt from his heart beating so hard. Stop it, he told himself. Don't ruin everyone's practice by passing out again.
Coach shot the next ball deep over Rake's head. He sprinted back and snagged it just before it hit the wall. Jessie's heartbeat stabilized a bit. If Coach didn't shoot it right at him, he could do it.
Coach pointed to Jessie and launched the ball. Jessie took a step back and stopped. Shoot, where was it going? He took another step back, and then one forward. No, it was coming straight for him. At the last second, he ducked and threw his glove hand up. The ball nicked off his mitt and fell to the grass.
"Come on, Jessie." Coach's voice carried a little too well. "Use your mitt and you won't get hurt. Play the ball. Don't let the ball play you."
Jessie picked it up and lobbed it to the side. He didn't know if he got anywhere near the robot. He felt his face heat up, and the world went blurry through his tears. He didn't watch anyone else take their turn. When he heard the ball snap into Rake's mitt, he looked up and wiped his eyes to clear his vision.
"Let's go, Jess," Ryder shouted. "Show everyone you can do it."
Coach launched the next one. Jessie saw right away it was well short of him. He took off in a sprint. He passed the yellow line, still tracking the ball. It screamed down about halfway between the second tier wall and the yellow line. Jessie threw himself towards it, feeling it smack into the pocket of his mitt. The soft grass cushioned his fall, and he used his momentum to pop back up to his feet, his mitt held above his head to show his catch.
"That's the way, Jessie," Coach shouted. The others also yelled their encouragement.
"You got it, kid!"
"Way to go!"
"Knew you could do it, Jess!"
Jessie rolled the ball over towards the robot as he switched spots with Ryder, who gave him a high-five as they passed. That was why he loved baseball.
--------------------------------------
That's it for the sample chapters. I hope you enjoyed reading them. Roughly two-thirds of the book is left, so if you want to see how it all turns out, you need to buy it. It'll be available tomorrow, December 1st as an ebook on Amazon for the Kindle and at Smashwords for most other formats. It'll likely be available for the Nook at Barnes and Noble and (hopefully) in the iBook store for the iPad sometime soon. I will, of course, have easy-to-find links on the front page of my blog, so you won't be able to miss how to purchase the book. It'll be $1.99. I hope you not only buy the book, but also recommend it to others!
Monday, November 29, 2010
Way Over the Line Chapter Fourteen
We're just a couple of days away from Way Over the line being available for purchase! I have two more sample chapters to publish (this one and ch. 15 tomorrow), and then you can buy the entire novel for $1.99 at Smashwords or Amazon. If you haven't read all the sample chapters yet, please click the below link! And please remember to spread the word (and link!) to others if you are enjoying these sample chapters. Teachers, parents, and, of course, kids, are excellent targets for the links. Thanks! And now, on with Chapter 14.
Click here to read earlier chapters
Chapter 14
Jessie had no time to check out the interior of the space station as they raced for the registration table. They dashed through a number of plain metal tunnels that reminded him of the inside of the Fastball 1. Were all space vehicles and ports so boring? That mindset changed not long after. Coach led them through one particular door and Jessie swore he stepped out into a park on Earth. Their path became a gravel road that led through a grassy field. To their left was a sandpit with concrete structures he assumed were playground equipment. Small aliens that looked vaguely human-shaped crawled on the structures. Were they kids playing on the toys?
He and Ryder slowed almost to a stop to look around, but before they could, Coach's voice snapped them to attention.
"Ryder, Jessie, move it!"
They sprinted to catch up. Jessie made sure to stay with the group to avoid any further reprimands. He soon found himself breathing hard as the alien's bouncy run moved them faster than he could match. Ryder seemed to be having the same trouble, but Mickey looked as if he could outdistance them all.
"You'll have plenty of time to explore later," Stretch said, his voice as normal as if they were sitting at the table talking. Jessie could only nod, afraid that if he spoke, he'd lose valuable oxygen and fall behind, drawing Coach's ire again.
The stadium appeared ahead. Other than the strange lettering and artwork, it could host any major league franchise. If he didn't already know, he never would have guessed the field inside was so different.
Coach led them to a pair of aliens sitting at a table with markings on it. If his eyes had undergone a Universal Language thingy, too, he guessed it'd read, "Registration."
The aliens at the desk looked nothing like those on his team. The one on the left looked as if he might be eight feet tall standing up. His skin had a reddish glow and shifted slightly with every movement, as if he had rubies between his muscles and skin. His head pulsed every few seconds. Was that his heart beating or his brain working?
The one on the right appeared almost human. If Jessie had passed him on the street, he wouldn't have glanced twice. He was a bit taller than Jessie or Ryder, and wore his brown hair short. The only real differences were the slits in his neck that looked like gills. Jessie had no idea gills worked out of water, but this guy seemed to be breathing fine.
Both aliens wore a look of impatience as the Aces approached. "You're late," the big one on the left said. His voice didn't boom as Jessie expected, but sounded soft, like a cooing dove.
"My apologies," Coach said. "I assume you'll let us sign in or you'd no longer be here."
Both aliens behind the desk stared at Coach as if they wanted nothing more than to order the team away, but finally the human-looking alien nodded. "Sign here, here, and here." He thrust three pages at Coach, who pressed his thumb on each and handed them back. Jessie frowned. Was that how signatures were done in space?
The large alien handed Coach a packet. "Have each member sign the top sheet. Give it back to me and keep the rest. The rules, your opening round schedule, and other incidentals are listed. Learn everything. Ignorance will not be accepted as an excuse."
Coach tore off the top sheet and passed it around. "Just push your thumb in this box here," Rake told Ryder and Jessie as he handed it to them. Ryder flinched a bit when he complied, then handed it to Jessie. As soon as Jessie's thumb touched the paper, a slight electric shock shot through his hand. It didn't hurt, but his hand tingled for a few seconds. He placed the page on the desk between the aliens.
"I see you've already broken a rule," the human-looking alien said.
"I didn't . . ." Jessie started to say, but he saw both aliens staring at Coach, who shrugged.
"We'll have to disagree. That rule was passed after the Over-The-Line summit. It's not valid."
The large alien rose to his full height. "You are in not position to argue. You've come late with an extra player."
"Only four are starters. One is nothing but an observer. He's only here to play if someone gets hurt. Well within the guidelines passed at the summit."
"Rules change. And you've broken this one."
"If this rule is passed by majority vote at the coming summit, we'll abide by it next year. But we'll not be disqualified on a technicality that should not exist."
The human-looking alien put his hands out in a defensive pose. "Coach, please, we're not here to disqualify you. If that were the case, why would we have waited? All that we ask is that your fifth go to the free-agent pool. If one of your members is injured, he can rejoin your team."
"As long as he hasn't been selected by another," the large alien said.
No. Jessie hadn't come all the way out here, been rescued from pirates, to be taken off the team now. He looked around, frantic with fear that they would accept the deal.
Coach shook his head, as did each of the other Aces. He felt a jolt of pride for how they stuck up for him, even if he was the weak link.
"This is not a debate!" Now the large alien's voice more matched his size.
The human-looking alien put a hand on the large alien and whispered something. The large alien started to say something, but then nodded and sat back down. "Face it, Coach. There's nothing you can say that will change our minds."
Mickey stepped forward. "No, but maybe you'll listen to me."
Both aliens' eyes went wide as if they were seeing him for the first time. "Mickey Martell," they said in unison.
"If the kid doesn't stay on our team, I don't play. How would that look for the marketing of the tournament?"
The human-looking alien stared in disbelief. "You . . . you wouldn't."
"Try me. In fact, I won't just quit, I'll stand out in front of the stadium and tell everyone why I'm not playing."
Both aliens sat there speechless. Jessie and Ryder exchanged a look, but the others stared back as if daring the two to make the next move. When they didn't, Mickey turned around. "Looks like we got protests to organize." Jessie felt his eyes well up with tears. He couldn't believe that one of the best players of all time would stand up for him.
Before they'd even gone a step, the large alien stood back up. "No, wait. You can't. You're our marquee player. Many are coming to see you play."
Mickey turned. "Tell me what I want to hear."
The aliens looked at each other, and then slumped their shoulders, beaten. "You have your alternate. The rule is bunk."
"Thank you," Coach said. "We'll see you opening day."
The team turned and walked off. "Don't look back," Rake whispered. "We'll look more in control this way."
"And way cooler," Ryder said.
"That too."
When they were far enough away, Coach spoke up. "We'll head back to the ship to check out our practice and game schedule. We'll read through the rules so you two know what's expected of you on and off the field. Then you can go exploring. Deal?"
"Deal," the boys said. They smiled at each other and scanned their surroundings, anticipating the fun.
"Make sure you're both paying attention how to get back to the ship, too," Stretch said. "You'll get locators, but it's still better to know where you are."
"No worries," Jessie said. "Ryder always knows the way."
Click here to read Chapter 15
Click here to read earlier chapters
Chapter 14
Jessie had no time to check out the interior of the space station as they raced for the registration table. They dashed through a number of plain metal tunnels that reminded him of the inside of the Fastball 1. Were all space vehicles and ports so boring? That mindset changed not long after. Coach led them through one particular door and Jessie swore he stepped out into a park on Earth. Their path became a gravel road that led through a grassy field. To their left was a sandpit with concrete structures he assumed were playground equipment. Small aliens that looked vaguely human-shaped crawled on the structures. Were they kids playing on the toys?
He and Ryder slowed almost to a stop to look around, but before they could, Coach's voice snapped them to attention.
"Ryder, Jessie, move it!"
They sprinted to catch up. Jessie made sure to stay with the group to avoid any further reprimands. He soon found himself breathing hard as the alien's bouncy run moved them faster than he could match. Ryder seemed to be having the same trouble, but Mickey looked as if he could outdistance them all.
"You'll have plenty of time to explore later," Stretch said, his voice as normal as if they were sitting at the table talking. Jessie could only nod, afraid that if he spoke, he'd lose valuable oxygen and fall behind, drawing Coach's ire again.
The stadium appeared ahead. Other than the strange lettering and artwork, it could host any major league franchise. If he didn't already know, he never would have guessed the field inside was so different.
Coach led them to a pair of aliens sitting at a table with markings on it. If his eyes had undergone a Universal Language thingy, too, he guessed it'd read, "Registration."
The aliens at the desk looked nothing like those on his team. The one on the left looked as if he might be eight feet tall standing up. His skin had a reddish glow and shifted slightly with every movement, as if he had rubies between his muscles and skin. His head pulsed every few seconds. Was that his heart beating or his brain working?
The one on the right appeared almost human. If Jessie had passed him on the street, he wouldn't have glanced twice. He was a bit taller than Jessie or Ryder, and wore his brown hair short. The only real differences were the slits in his neck that looked like gills. Jessie had no idea gills worked out of water, but this guy seemed to be breathing fine.
Both aliens wore a look of impatience as the Aces approached. "You're late," the big one on the left said. His voice didn't boom as Jessie expected, but sounded soft, like a cooing dove.
"My apologies," Coach said. "I assume you'll let us sign in or you'd no longer be here."
Both aliens behind the desk stared at Coach as if they wanted nothing more than to order the team away, but finally the human-looking alien nodded. "Sign here, here, and here." He thrust three pages at Coach, who pressed his thumb on each and handed them back. Jessie frowned. Was that how signatures were done in space?
The large alien handed Coach a packet. "Have each member sign the top sheet. Give it back to me and keep the rest. The rules, your opening round schedule, and other incidentals are listed. Learn everything. Ignorance will not be accepted as an excuse."
Coach tore off the top sheet and passed it around. "Just push your thumb in this box here," Rake told Ryder and Jessie as he handed it to them. Ryder flinched a bit when he complied, then handed it to Jessie. As soon as Jessie's thumb touched the paper, a slight electric shock shot through his hand. It didn't hurt, but his hand tingled for a few seconds. He placed the page on the desk between the aliens.
"I see you've already broken a rule," the human-looking alien said.
"I didn't . . ." Jessie started to say, but he saw both aliens staring at Coach, who shrugged.
"We'll have to disagree. That rule was passed after the Over-The-Line summit. It's not valid."
The large alien rose to his full height. "You are in not position to argue. You've come late with an extra player."
"Only four are starters. One is nothing but an observer. He's only here to play if someone gets hurt. Well within the guidelines passed at the summit."
"Rules change. And you've broken this one."
"If this rule is passed by majority vote at the coming summit, we'll abide by it next year. But we'll not be disqualified on a technicality that should not exist."
The human-looking alien put his hands out in a defensive pose. "Coach, please, we're not here to disqualify you. If that were the case, why would we have waited? All that we ask is that your fifth go to the free-agent pool. If one of your members is injured, he can rejoin your team."
"As long as he hasn't been selected by another," the large alien said.
No. Jessie hadn't come all the way out here, been rescued from pirates, to be taken off the team now. He looked around, frantic with fear that they would accept the deal.
Coach shook his head, as did each of the other Aces. He felt a jolt of pride for how they stuck up for him, even if he was the weak link.
"This is not a debate!" Now the large alien's voice more matched his size.
The human-looking alien put a hand on the large alien and whispered something. The large alien started to say something, but then nodded and sat back down. "Face it, Coach. There's nothing you can say that will change our minds."
Mickey stepped forward. "No, but maybe you'll listen to me."
Both aliens' eyes went wide as if they were seeing him for the first time. "Mickey Martell," they said in unison.
"If the kid doesn't stay on our team, I don't play. How would that look for the marketing of the tournament?"
The human-looking alien stared in disbelief. "You . . . you wouldn't."
"Try me. In fact, I won't just quit, I'll stand out in front of the stadium and tell everyone why I'm not playing."
Both aliens sat there speechless. Jessie and Ryder exchanged a look, but the others stared back as if daring the two to make the next move. When they didn't, Mickey turned around. "Looks like we got protests to organize." Jessie felt his eyes well up with tears. He couldn't believe that one of the best players of all time would stand up for him.
Before they'd even gone a step, the large alien stood back up. "No, wait. You can't. You're our marquee player. Many are coming to see you play."
Mickey turned. "Tell me what I want to hear."
The aliens looked at each other, and then slumped their shoulders, beaten. "You have your alternate. The rule is bunk."
"Thank you," Coach said. "We'll see you opening day."
The team turned and walked off. "Don't look back," Rake whispered. "We'll look more in control this way."
"And way cooler," Ryder said.
"That too."
When they were far enough away, Coach spoke up. "We'll head back to the ship to check out our practice and game schedule. We'll read through the rules so you two know what's expected of you on and off the field. Then you can go exploring. Deal?"
"Deal," the boys said. They smiled at each other and scanned their surroundings, anticipating the fun.
"Make sure you're both paying attention how to get back to the ship, too," Stretch said. "You'll get locators, but it's still better to know where you are."
"No worries," Jessie said. "Ryder always knows the way."
Click here to read Chapter 15
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Way Over the Line Chapter Thirteen
Click here to read earlier chapters
Chapter 13
Jessie took a huge bite of his bacon cheeseburger. The juicy burger and crispy bacon contrasted perfectly. Even the cool lettuce added to the experience. In order to eat this he had to promise to get lettuce on the burger and a heaping bowl of fruit salad on the side. They'd compromised on the fries and let him have a small plateful. Everything tasted scrumptious. He wished they'd let him have one of the cooking boxes for home, but Coach explained Earth wasn't ready for the technology. Luckily Mom was a good cook, so it wasn't too much of a disappointment. He felt sad for a few minutes thinking about home, but kicked himself out of it. Mom and Dad wouldn't even know he was gone.
Ryder had a personal pepperoni pizza, while Rake and Stretch ate bowls of blue gruel made of some sort of plant on their planet. Both Coach and Mickey had taken their meals elsewhere on the ship.
When Rake and Stretch finished, they got up and headed for the door. "We're going to see how close we are to the space station," Rake said. "We'll call you to the cockpit when we get there."
Stretch nodded. "You won't want to miss the sight. It's truly spectacular."
Both Jessie and Ryder had their mouths full so they just waved. With the two adults gone, Jessie swallowed his bite of burger and turned to Ryder. "They don't want to talk about it, but I do. How did you guys get to me so fast? I thought I was a goner. They were going to sell me into some kind of intergalactic slavery or something."
Ryder snickered. "Like the Spice Mines of Kessel?"
"Whatever 3PO. Seriously, what happened?"
"I heard your door explode, but I had to wait awhile before Coach came and unlocked me. It was easy to see the pirates had nabbed you, what with your door being totaled and all."
"But how did you guys know where to find me?"
"Sounds like Rake put a tracking device on you when he locked us in our rooms." He shrugged. "They didn't tell me, but that's what I pulled from the conversation."
Jessie reached around to the back of his neck and remembered the twinge he'd felt there. That must've been it. "Did you get one, too?"
"I don't know. Did you feel anything?"
"Yeah, like a bug bite."
Ryder frowned. "No. I didn't get anything."
The two finished the rest of their meal in silence. The burger and fries still melted in his mouth, but Jessie's entire focus wasn't on the food any longer. Why would they have marked him and not Ryder? More importantly, why had the pirates targeted him? He wanted to keep talking about it, but he could sense it would be a bit of a sore subject. Ryder looked to be mulling over the question of why Jessie, too.
Just as Ryder polished off his last bite of pizza and Jessie swallowed his last piece of fruit, Rake stuck his head into the room. "We're almost at the space station. Come take a look."
They jumped out of their seats and followed him down a couple of hallways. He stopped at a door that looked like all the others, but instead of waving his hand in front of it, he pressed it in the middle. The door slid open, presenting the cockpit.
"Wow," Ryder said.
Jessie wasn't sure what he expected an intergalactic spaceship cockpit to look like, but this wasn't it. The whole area was about the same size as his bedroom back home, and the three walls were covered from floor to ceiling with various-sized buttons, levers, and knobs. The fourth wall was one big window, though he doubted it was made of glass. There were two seats, both unoccupied. Plus there was no steering wheel or control stick or any other way to drive. The only thing that looked like it might be driving was the head of a robot positioned about half-way up the front window.
"Is that robot driving?" Ryder asked.
"A rather crude way to put it, Mr. Gonzalez, but the answer to your question is affirmative. Though I prefer flying. Or maneuvering may be more appropriate."
Whoa, the robot had said that.
"Cool!" Ryder said.
Coach stepped forward. "Ryder, Jessie, meet 7-23-AFX."
"Though I prefer Pitch."
"Pitch?" Jessie asked.
"In addition to piloting this vessel, Mr. Campbell, I am also the pitcher for the Aces."
Coach chuckled. "Mickey's nicknames tend to be right on the button, even if they do lack some in the imagination department."
"I heard that." Mickey Martell walked into the cockpit. "We there yet?"
"We're just coming into visual range now, Mr. Martell."
"It's Mickey, Pitch. How many times do I have to tell you that teammates are on a first name basis?" He paused for a second. "Or nicknames." He looked at Ryder and Jessie. "That goes for you two knuckleheads, too. I don't want to hear any more Mr. Martell. Got it?"
They both nodded and gave each other star struck looks.
"My apologies, Mr. Martell," Pitch said.
While Mickey rolled his eyes, Jessie and Ryder struggled to contain their giggles. Coach, Rake, and Stretch had no problem bellowing out their laughter.
"See what you started?"
"I don't know what you mean, sir."
Jessie had to work doubly hard to keep his laughter in. He had a feeling Pitch knew a lot more than he let on.
Ryder pointed out the windshield. "Is that the space station?"
"Yup," Coach said. "That's our home for the next few weeks."
At first it looked like a little disc floating in the sky, but as they got closer, Jessie saw it was so much more. He thought Pitch had chosen this trajectory for him and Ryder, but a quick glance around the room proved the adults were just as enthralled.
The first thing that jumped out at him was the stadium itself. It sat under a huge see-through dome, and as impressive at it was from this angle, Jessie couldn't wait to see the view from the field. Talk about playing under the stars! The playing field looked easily as big as Sea Lion Park in Newport Beach. Jessie could see the differences between this intergalactic version of Over-The-Line and a major league field, but the size matched up pretty evenly. The stands were comparable, too. He couldn't tell how individual seats differed from back home, but there were just as many.
"That must seat thousands," Jessie whispered.
"Seventy-five thousand, give or take," Coach said. "And they'll all be full."
"That many people, or whatever, show up?" Ryder asked. His eyes never left the stadium.
Rake scoffed. "Heck, they could quadruple the seating capacity and it'd be full."
"I would be glad not to be in charge of the docking bays if that were the case," Pitch said. "They're crowded enough as it is."
Coach patted Pitch's metal head. "You'll get us in. You always do."
"Speaking of that, Coach, the station computers informed me that they'll be closing down registration soon. You should make it in time, but be prepared to rush off as soon as we dock. I'll complete all of the shutdown maneuvers. We'll be set in a few moments."
As the ship moved closer to the station, Jessie pulled his eyes off the stadium and looked at the rest of the floating structure. Though it was mostly a smooth white disk, he saw pin-pricks of light dotting the walls. Were those windows? As Pitch drew them closer, he wondered if they'd be able to see inside some of them.
Someone tugged on his shirt. Jessie tried to shrug it off, but it persisted. He needed to see in one of the windows.
"Come on, Jess," Ryder said, snapping him out of his zone.
"We need to hurry as soon as we land," Coach said. "They'll be plenty of time to admire the station later."
Jessie blushed and followed his teammates out of the cockpit.
Click here to read Chapter 14
Chapter 13
Jessie took a huge bite of his bacon cheeseburger. The juicy burger and crispy bacon contrasted perfectly. Even the cool lettuce added to the experience. In order to eat this he had to promise to get lettuce on the burger and a heaping bowl of fruit salad on the side. They'd compromised on the fries and let him have a small plateful. Everything tasted scrumptious. He wished they'd let him have one of the cooking boxes for home, but Coach explained Earth wasn't ready for the technology. Luckily Mom was a good cook, so it wasn't too much of a disappointment. He felt sad for a few minutes thinking about home, but kicked himself out of it. Mom and Dad wouldn't even know he was gone.
Ryder had a personal pepperoni pizza, while Rake and Stretch ate bowls of blue gruel made of some sort of plant on their planet. Both Coach and Mickey had taken their meals elsewhere on the ship.
When Rake and Stretch finished, they got up and headed for the door. "We're going to see how close we are to the space station," Rake said. "We'll call you to the cockpit when we get there."
Stretch nodded. "You won't want to miss the sight. It's truly spectacular."
Both Jessie and Ryder had their mouths full so they just waved. With the two adults gone, Jessie swallowed his bite of burger and turned to Ryder. "They don't want to talk about it, but I do. How did you guys get to me so fast? I thought I was a goner. They were going to sell me into some kind of intergalactic slavery or something."
Ryder snickered. "Like the Spice Mines of Kessel?"
"Whatever 3PO. Seriously, what happened?"
"I heard your door explode, but I had to wait awhile before Coach came and unlocked me. It was easy to see the pirates had nabbed you, what with your door being totaled and all."
"But how did you guys know where to find me?"
"Sounds like Rake put a tracking device on you when he locked us in our rooms." He shrugged. "They didn't tell me, but that's what I pulled from the conversation."
Jessie reached around to the back of his neck and remembered the twinge he'd felt there. That must've been it. "Did you get one, too?"
"I don't know. Did you feel anything?"
"Yeah, like a bug bite."
Ryder frowned. "No. I didn't get anything."
The two finished the rest of their meal in silence. The burger and fries still melted in his mouth, but Jessie's entire focus wasn't on the food any longer. Why would they have marked him and not Ryder? More importantly, why had the pirates targeted him? He wanted to keep talking about it, but he could sense it would be a bit of a sore subject. Ryder looked to be mulling over the question of why Jessie, too.
Just as Ryder polished off his last bite of pizza and Jessie swallowed his last piece of fruit, Rake stuck his head into the room. "We're almost at the space station. Come take a look."
They jumped out of their seats and followed him down a couple of hallways. He stopped at a door that looked like all the others, but instead of waving his hand in front of it, he pressed it in the middle. The door slid open, presenting the cockpit.
"Wow," Ryder said.
Jessie wasn't sure what he expected an intergalactic spaceship cockpit to look like, but this wasn't it. The whole area was about the same size as his bedroom back home, and the three walls were covered from floor to ceiling with various-sized buttons, levers, and knobs. The fourth wall was one big window, though he doubted it was made of glass. There were two seats, both unoccupied. Plus there was no steering wheel or control stick or any other way to drive. The only thing that looked like it might be driving was the head of a robot positioned about half-way up the front window.
"Is that robot driving?" Ryder asked.
"A rather crude way to put it, Mr. Gonzalez, but the answer to your question is affirmative. Though I prefer flying. Or maneuvering may be more appropriate."
Whoa, the robot had said that.
"Cool!" Ryder said.
Coach stepped forward. "Ryder, Jessie, meet 7-23-AFX."
"Though I prefer Pitch."
"Pitch?" Jessie asked.
"In addition to piloting this vessel, Mr. Campbell, I am also the pitcher for the Aces."
Coach chuckled. "Mickey's nicknames tend to be right on the button, even if they do lack some in the imagination department."
"I heard that." Mickey Martell walked into the cockpit. "We there yet?"
"We're just coming into visual range now, Mr. Martell."
"It's Mickey, Pitch. How many times do I have to tell you that teammates are on a first name basis?" He paused for a second. "Or nicknames." He looked at Ryder and Jessie. "That goes for you two knuckleheads, too. I don't want to hear any more Mr. Martell. Got it?"
They both nodded and gave each other star struck looks.
"My apologies, Mr. Martell," Pitch said.
While Mickey rolled his eyes, Jessie and Ryder struggled to contain their giggles. Coach, Rake, and Stretch had no problem bellowing out their laughter.
"See what you started?"
"I don't know what you mean, sir."
Jessie had to work doubly hard to keep his laughter in. He had a feeling Pitch knew a lot more than he let on.
Ryder pointed out the windshield. "Is that the space station?"
"Yup," Coach said. "That's our home for the next few weeks."
At first it looked like a little disc floating in the sky, but as they got closer, Jessie saw it was so much more. He thought Pitch had chosen this trajectory for him and Ryder, but a quick glance around the room proved the adults were just as enthralled.
The first thing that jumped out at him was the stadium itself. It sat under a huge see-through dome, and as impressive at it was from this angle, Jessie couldn't wait to see the view from the field. Talk about playing under the stars! The playing field looked easily as big as Sea Lion Park in Newport Beach. Jessie could see the differences between this intergalactic version of Over-The-Line and a major league field, but the size matched up pretty evenly. The stands were comparable, too. He couldn't tell how individual seats differed from back home, but there were just as many.
"That must seat thousands," Jessie whispered.
"Seventy-five thousand, give or take," Coach said. "And they'll all be full."
"That many people, or whatever, show up?" Ryder asked. His eyes never left the stadium.
Rake scoffed. "Heck, they could quadruple the seating capacity and it'd be full."
"I would be glad not to be in charge of the docking bays if that were the case," Pitch said. "They're crowded enough as it is."
Coach patted Pitch's metal head. "You'll get us in. You always do."
"Speaking of that, Coach, the station computers informed me that they'll be closing down registration soon. You should make it in time, but be prepared to rush off as soon as we dock. I'll complete all of the shutdown maneuvers. We'll be set in a few moments."
As the ship moved closer to the station, Jessie pulled his eyes off the stadium and looked at the rest of the floating structure. Though it was mostly a smooth white disk, he saw pin-pricks of light dotting the walls. Were those windows? As Pitch drew them closer, he wondered if they'd be able to see inside some of them.
Someone tugged on his shirt. Jessie tried to shrug it off, but it persisted. He needed to see in one of the windows.
"Come on, Jess," Ryder said, snapping him out of his zone.
"We need to hurry as soon as we land," Coach said. "They'll be plenty of time to admire the station later."
Jessie blushed and followed his teammates out of the cockpit.
Click here to read Chapter 14
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Way Over the Line Chapter Twelve Part Two
Click here to read earlier chapters
Chapter 12 Part 2
"What happened?" Jessie asked.
"You pushed me into the sensor before it was blinking."
Rake and Stretch came up behind them. "What happened?"
"I didn't tell Jessie about the sensors soon enough."
"I pushed him into it."
Rake pointed at the sliding door, which was almost halfway shut. "Got a dart?"
Stretch nodded. "I hope it's enough. If that blast door shuts before we're out, we could be here awhile."
Rake nudged Jessie and Ryder forward. "Stand by the door. Plug your ears and close your eyes. After the explosion, dive through. Hurry!"
The boys did so. When they reached their spot, the blast door was just under half-way closed and gaining momentum. Ryder clenched his eyes shut and plugged his ears. Jessie followed suit. A loud crack sounded. Jessie opened his eyes, saw the bottom half of the regular door was gone, and followed Ryder through. With the blast door about three-quarters of the way shut, Stretch and Rake sprinted down the corridor. Their natural bouncy gait made their strides that much more powerful, and they closed the distance quicker than Jessie thought possible.
With just enough room to spare, the two dove through the opening. The blast door slammed shut a second later.
"Safe!" Ryder bellowed, making the umpire signal with his arms.
"High five us later," Rake said as he and Stretch bounced to their feet.
Stretch pointed down the corridor. "Last door on the left. Go!" All four took off and met no resistance. Rake waved his hand in front of the door, springing it open.
"Nice try," the hissing voice of the pirate leader said. A glance through the door showed a half-dozen pirates waiting for them. Fastball 1 was on the other side.
Each pirate drew a gun, and though they didn't point them at anyone, the threat was there. Jessie felt light-headed, but he bit the inside of his cheek to stop from blacking out. This time it could spell doom, not just for him, but for his friends. He managed a glance around, and though he couldn't read either Rake's nor Stretch's expressions, he could see the fear in Ryder's eyes. The pirate leader saw it, too.
"So this is the other human child. The one, they say, who can actually play the game." He ran a scaly finger across Ryder's cheek. Jessie had to suppress a smile as the fear in Ryder's eyes turned to hate. "If he's as good as my master says, why aren't we targeting him? Why have we been instructed to kidnap the other boy?" He threw a questioning glance to Rake and Stretch, both of whom shrugged.
"We're just the hired help," Rake said.
The pirate leader bellowed an unpleasant laugh. His snake-like vocal tendencies almost completely took over. "I think you underestimate yourselves. On purpose, most likely." He turned to the five pirates at his back. "Let them pass."
"The boy?" Stretch asked, nodding towards Jessie.
"He's still our captive. The offer was for you three only."
Ryder stepped towards the pirate leader. "No deal." Even though he was at least a foot shorter, he stared into the pirate's eyes.
This time all the pirates hissed out their reptilian laughs. Even with Ryder's aggressive move, none of them pointed their guns. Ryder wasn't perceived as a threat. Jessie figured that was to their advantage, but he wasn't sure how yet. He glanced over at Rake and Stretch, but still couldn't read their passive expressions. Were they really as calm as they appeared? Did they have any of this under control?
"Do you think you could stand against me, boy? I promised all but the loser boy would arrive to the tournament safely, or I'd teach you exactly how inferior you are. When it's all said and done, feel free to challenge me."
"Did you call me a loser?" Jessie said. He wasn't sure where the courage came from, but he needed to do something before Ryder took the bait and got himself into real trouble.
The pirates again laughed, and the pirate leader reached for Jessie. Before his hand grasped Jessie's shoulder, Ryder shoved the leader hard to the side. That set off a series of simultaneous events.
The pirates aimed their weapons, while the leader whirled around on Ryder. Jessie reared back and kicked him as hard as he could in the shin. Rake moved in to help Jessie and Ryder, while Stretch yelled, "Now!"
An explosion rocked the pirate ship, which knocked everyone off balance. A couple of the pirates dropped their guns, and none of them were in a position to use them. Rake pushed the leader, who was already off balance, into the wall. Jessie and Ryder sprinted towards the Fastball 1, where Coach and Mickey Martell stood with laser rifles in their arms. As the pirates regained their composure and saw the guns, they kept their own pistols aimed down. In seconds, everyone was aboard, all in one piece, and the airlock connecting the two ships closed.
"Won't they chase us?" Jessie asked as he gasped for breath, not just from the quick sprint, but from the whole terrifying incident.
"We're safe," Stretch said. "When that robot blew up, it sent waves to disrupt both their engines and their navigation. By the time they get it all figured out, we should be at the space station."
"Packed a heck of a punch, too," Mickey Martell said. "We felt it all the way in here."
The whole group filed back to the sitting room and collapsed into the couches and chairs. No one said anything for a few minutes until Ryder broke the silence.
"Dude, Jessie, that was awesome when you kicked that pirate guy. I didn't think you had it in you."
"Yeah, kid," Rake said. "See? You do have some courage. You'll be fine." Everyone else nodded and agreed. Even Mickey Martell.
Jessie felt himself get a bit light-headed again. This time it was from smiling so hard.
Click here to read Chapter 13
Chapter 12 Part 2
"What happened?" Jessie asked.
"You pushed me into the sensor before it was blinking."
Rake and Stretch came up behind them. "What happened?"
"I didn't tell Jessie about the sensors soon enough."
"I pushed him into it."
Rake pointed at the sliding door, which was almost halfway shut. "Got a dart?"
Stretch nodded. "I hope it's enough. If that blast door shuts before we're out, we could be here awhile."
Rake nudged Jessie and Ryder forward. "Stand by the door. Plug your ears and close your eyes. After the explosion, dive through. Hurry!"
The boys did so. When they reached their spot, the blast door was just under half-way closed and gaining momentum. Ryder clenched his eyes shut and plugged his ears. Jessie followed suit. A loud crack sounded. Jessie opened his eyes, saw the bottom half of the regular door was gone, and followed Ryder through. With the blast door about three-quarters of the way shut, Stretch and Rake sprinted down the corridor. Their natural bouncy gait made their strides that much more powerful, and they closed the distance quicker than Jessie thought possible.
With just enough room to spare, the two dove through the opening. The blast door slammed shut a second later.
"Safe!" Ryder bellowed, making the umpire signal with his arms.
"High five us later," Rake said as he and Stretch bounced to their feet.
Stretch pointed down the corridor. "Last door on the left. Go!" All four took off and met no resistance. Rake waved his hand in front of the door, springing it open.
"Nice try," the hissing voice of the pirate leader said. A glance through the door showed a half-dozen pirates waiting for them. Fastball 1 was on the other side.
Each pirate drew a gun, and though they didn't point them at anyone, the threat was there. Jessie felt light-headed, but he bit the inside of his cheek to stop from blacking out. This time it could spell doom, not just for him, but for his friends. He managed a glance around, and though he couldn't read either Rake's nor Stretch's expressions, he could see the fear in Ryder's eyes. The pirate leader saw it, too.
"So this is the other human child. The one, they say, who can actually play the game." He ran a scaly finger across Ryder's cheek. Jessie had to suppress a smile as the fear in Ryder's eyes turned to hate. "If he's as good as my master says, why aren't we targeting him? Why have we been instructed to kidnap the other boy?" He threw a questioning glance to Rake and Stretch, both of whom shrugged.
"We're just the hired help," Rake said.
The pirate leader bellowed an unpleasant laugh. His snake-like vocal tendencies almost completely took over. "I think you underestimate yourselves. On purpose, most likely." He turned to the five pirates at his back. "Let them pass."
"The boy?" Stretch asked, nodding towards Jessie.
"He's still our captive. The offer was for you three only."
Ryder stepped towards the pirate leader. "No deal." Even though he was at least a foot shorter, he stared into the pirate's eyes.
This time all the pirates hissed out their reptilian laughs. Even with Ryder's aggressive move, none of them pointed their guns. Ryder wasn't perceived as a threat. Jessie figured that was to their advantage, but he wasn't sure how yet. He glanced over at Rake and Stretch, but still couldn't read their passive expressions. Were they really as calm as they appeared? Did they have any of this under control?
"Do you think you could stand against me, boy? I promised all but the loser boy would arrive to the tournament safely, or I'd teach you exactly how inferior you are. When it's all said and done, feel free to challenge me."
"Did you call me a loser?" Jessie said. He wasn't sure where the courage came from, but he needed to do something before Ryder took the bait and got himself into real trouble.
The pirates again laughed, and the pirate leader reached for Jessie. Before his hand grasped Jessie's shoulder, Ryder shoved the leader hard to the side. That set off a series of simultaneous events.
The pirates aimed their weapons, while the leader whirled around on Ryder. Jessie reared back and kicked him as hard as he could in the shin. Rake moved in to help Jessie and Ryder, while Stretch yelled, "Now!"
An explosion rocked the pirate ship, which knocked everyone off balance. A couple of the pirates dropped their guns, and none of them were in a position to use them. Rake pushed the leader, who was already off balance, into the wall. Jessie and Ryder sprinted towards the Fastball 1, where Coach and Mickey Martell stood with laser rifles in their arms. As the pirates regained their composure and saw the guns, they kept their own pistols aimed down. In seconds, everyone was aboard, all in one piece, and the airlock connecting the two ships closed.
"Won't they chase us?" Jessie asked as he gasped for breath, not just from the quick sprint, but from the whole terrifying incident.
"We're safe," Stretch said. "When that robot blew up, it sent waves to disrupt both their engines and their navigation. By the time they get it all figured out, we should be at the space station."
"Packed a heck of a punch, too," Mickey Martell said. "We felt it all the way in here."
The whole group filed back to the sitting room and collapsed into the couches and chairs. No one said anything for a few minutes until Ryder broke the silence.
"Dude, Jessie, that was awesome when you kicked that pirate guy. I didn't think you had it in you."
"Yeah, kid," Rake said. "See? You do have some courage. You'll be fine." Everyone else nodded and agreed. Even Mickey Martell.
Jessie felt himself get a bit light-headed again. This time it was from smiling so hard.
Click here to read Chapter 13
Way Over the Line Chapter Twelve Part One
Click here to read earlier chapters
Chapter 12 Part 1
The space pirates didn't worry about Jessie's comfort. He bounced around in the bag, which he pictured as a large grocery sack tied closed at the top. That's what it both looked and felt like from the inside, though he couldn't imagine something so low-tech being used to transport hostages. He could sense when they went from his ship to the pirates' by the sounds. Fastball 1 had no outward noises, just the clangs of footsteps in the metal corridors. The pirate ship, on the other hand, hummed and clanked in ways which couldn't be good. It sounded as if it might shake itself apart. He didn't want to hear the horrible noises it would emit when it sped away.
"Toss him in the cell," the pirate leader said. His henchmen took him at his word, and Jessie soared though the air and landed with a thud. It hurt, but not too bad. The bag cushioned the worst of it. He examined the top, hoping they'd left an opening, and after a few pushes and prods, slithered out.
As he emerged, his mind's eye had him in a jail cell like he was used to seeing in movies and on television, with bars and a little cot. Instead he found himself in a small metal room that looked like his bedroom back on Fastball 1, just without a comfortable bed or adjoining bathroom and closet. He supposed if he was stuck here for very long, he could lay on the bag. It turned out it was a large duffle bag with pull strings.
Jessie picked a spot against the back wall where he could watch the door and slumped down. He put his head in his hands, but no tears came. Why bother? They weren't coming for him. No one would. He'd only been brought along because they hadn't been able to get Ryder alone. Now the pirates had him, so his team wouldn't risk missing the registration to come after Jessie. Ryder would want to, but he wouldn't get a vote.
Maybe after the tournament the team would try to track him down, but would it be too late? What did pirates do with their captives? Make them walk the plank into deep space? No, they wouldn't have bothered capturing him if they were just going to jettison him. Would they sell him into slavery? He moaned. That was it. Why someone would want an Earth kid when he imagined plenty of robots were available was beyond him, but that would be his fate.
He leaned his head back against the wall and willed himself not to cry. He'd feel sorry for himself, but he wasn't going to spill tears. He was sick of the reputation back home as that kid, and though he'd probably never see anyone from school again, he wouldn't fall into that behavior anymore.
As he sat there, he realized the ship was rumbling again. It had been so smooth for awhile that he hadn't paid attention. He felt the walls and floor. Yes, they were shaking like when he'd first been brought aboard. He stood up, his legs jiggling separate from the ship. Were they going to blow up? Fastball 1 never vibrated like this. He didn't want to think about his future at the moment, but he at least wanted to have one.
His cell door slid open. Maybe they thought him bad luck and were going to toss him into space anyway. Jessie, who'd never even considered getting into a fight in his life, balled his hands into fists and prepared to pounce. He'd probably get trounced, but they weren't taking him down easy.
Instead of one of the lizardy space pirates, Ryder walked in. "Come on, dude. Let's get out of here."
Jessie almost slumped down in relief, but he knew they couldn't waste time. "How?" he managed to get out.
"I don't know. They put some sort of tracking device on you. Now let's go. Rake and Stretch are almost here."
Ryder led him out of the cell just as the two aliens arrived. They held a bag between them that looked like the one he'd ridden in. They dumped it down with about as much grace as the pirates had shown him. Instead of the muffled sound of flesh and bone, the bag held something a bit more solid.
"What's in there?" Jessie asked.
"A robot," Rake said. "We're hoping it'll keep them from chasing us out of here."
They shook it out of the bag. It looked about Jessie's height, but other than that didn't resemble him in the slightest. "How is that going to fool them?"
"Questions later. Ryder, make sure Jessie doesn't trip the sensors. Go!"
As he dashed out of the cell, he saw them pushing the robot into a sitting position in the middle of the room. How was that going to trick the pirates? Did something monitor this room that could only sense humanoid shapes? Why couldn't it tell something was wrong now? Before he could speculate, Ryder stopped. Jessie had been so caught up in the escape that he noticed a second too late and barreled into his friend.
"No, wait! Crud." Ryder tumbled forward. The door slammed shut, and another huge door started to slide closed in front of it.
Click here to read Chapter 12 Part 2
Chapter 12 Part 1
The space pirates didn't worry about Jessie's comfort. He bounced around in the bag, which he pictured as a large grocery sack tied closed at the top. That's what it both looked and felt like from the inside, though he couldn't imagine something so low-tech being used to transport hostages. He could sense when they went from his ship to the pirates' by the sounds. Fastball 1 had no outward noises, just the clangs of footsteps in the metal corridors. The pirate ship, on the other hand, hummed and clanked in ways which couldn't be good. It sounded as if it might shake itself apart. He didn't want to hear the horrible noises it would emit when it sped away.
"Toss him in the cell," the pirate leader said. His henchmen took him at his word, and Jessie soared though the air and landed with a thud. It hurt, but not too bad. The bag cushioned the worst of it. He examined the top, hoping they'd left an opening, and after a few pushes and prods, slithered out.
As he emerged, his mind's eye had him in a jail cell like he was used to seeing in movies and on television, with bars and a little cot. Instead he found himself in a small metal room that looked like his bedroom back on Fastball 1, just without a comfortable bed or adjoining bathroom and closet. He supposed if he was stuck here for very long, he could lay on the bag. It turned out it was a large duffle bag with pull strings.
Jessie picked a spot against the back wall where he could watch the door and slumped down. He put his head in his hands, but no tears came. Why bother? They weren't coming for him. No one would. He'd only been brought along because they hadn't been able to get Ryder alone. Now the pirates had him, so his team wouldn't risk missing the registration to come after Jessie. Ryder would want to, but he wouldn't get a vote.
Maybe after the tournament the team would try to track him down, but would it be too late? What did pirates do with their captives? Make them walk the plank into deep space? No, they wouldn't have bothered capturing him if they were just going to jettison him. Would they sell him into slavery? He moaned. That was it. Why someone would want an Earth kid when he imagined plenty of robots were available was beyond him, but that would be his fate.
He leaned his head back against the wall and willed himself not to cry. He'd feel sorry for himself, but he wasn't going to spill tears. He was sick of the reputation back home as that kid, and though he'd probably never see anyone from school again, he wouldn't fall into that behavior anymore.
As he sat there, he realized the ship was rumbling again. It had been so smooth for awhile that he hadn't paid attention. He felt the walls and floor. Yes, they were shaking like when he'd first been brought aboard. He stood up, his legs jiggling separate from the ship. Were they going to blow up? Fastball 1 never vibrated like this. He didn't want to think about his future at the moment, but he at least wanted to have one.
His cell door slid open. Maybe they thought him bad luck and were going to toss him into space anyway. Jessie, who'd never even considered getting into a fight in his life, balled his hands into fists and prepared to pounce. He'd probably get trounced, but they weren't taking him down easy.
Instead of one of the lizardy space pirates, Ryder walked in. "Come on, dude. Let's get out of here."
Jessie almost slumped down in relief, but he knew they couldn't waste time. "How?" he managed to get out.
"I don't know. They put some sort of tracking device on you. Now let's go. Rake and Stretch are almost here."
Ryder led him out of the cell just as the two aliens arrived. They held a bag between them that looked like the one he'd ridden in. They dumped it down with about as much grace as the pirates had shown him. Instead of the muffled sound of flesh and bone, the bag held something a bit more solid.
"What's in there?" Jessie asked.
"A robot," Rake said. "We're hoping it'll keep them from chasing us out of here."
They shook it out of the bag. It looked about Jessie's height, but other than that didn't resemble him in the slightest. "How is that going to fool them?"
"Questions later. Ryder, make sure Jessie doesn't trip the sensors. Go!"
As he dashed out of the cell, he saw them pushing the robot into a sitting position in the middle of the room. How was that going to trick the pirates? Did something monitor this room that could only sense humanoid shapes? Why couldn't it tell something was wrong now? Before he could speculate, Ryder stopped. Jessie had been so caught up in the escape that he noticed a second too late and barreled into his friend.
"No, wait! Crud." Ryder tumbled forward. The door slammed shut, and another huge door started to slide closed in front of it.
Click here to read Chapter 12 Part 2
Friday, November 26, 2010
Way Over the Line Chapter Eleven
Click here to read earlier chapters
Chapter 11
The next morning at breakfast, instead of ordering anything he wanted, Jessie found himself face to face with a bowl of oatmeal, half a grapefruit, and a tall glass of orange juice. Ryder, who'd greeted him as if nothing had happened, had the same breakfast, except for one of those gooey cinnamon rolls on the side.
He leaned over and whispered, "Sorry. I tried to get one for you, too, but they wouldn't budge."
Rake leaned over and gave his own whisper. "We budged on you because you didn't pass out yesterday and sleep until morning." Ryder cringed and blushed at being overheard, and it almost got a smile out of Jessie. Almost.
"Mickey's idea," Stretch said. "Something about growing boys needing a healthy breakfast. We all had it." He shrugged, which proved to be an exaggerated movement, much like his bouncy gait. "It wasn't bad, really. I enjoyed it."
"Speak for yourself," Rake said. "It'll never replace food from home."
Jessie was about to ask what he normally ate, what that food from his home planet was like, but then remembered his sour mood. He glanced over to Ryder, hoping he'd take the bait, but he'd crammed his mouth full of cinnamon roll and wasn't paying much attention. As he watched Ryder chew, a transcendent look on his face, Jessie sighed and looked at his own plate.
He tried the oatmeal. Not bad. The computer had gotten the blend of brown sugar and cinnamon perfect. If he'd have let himself, he would've enjoyed it. He dug into the grapefruit and found it good even though he didn't normally like the bitter-tart taste. This piece must have been grown in sugar.
As he and Ryder finished their breakfast, Coach spoke. "We'll get back in the simulator today. Don't worry, Jessie, you don't have to participate, but you do need to watch."
Jessie stared down hard at his breakfast, but was glad Coach hadn't made a bigger deal out of yesterday than that.
"I persuaded Mickey to take his batting practice with us. You'll both learn a lot just by watching him up close. Stretch and Rake can teach you some things, too."
Rake nodded. "I saw a couple of tweaks we can make to your swing, Ryder. Next time that partial trampoline shot will fly right over the fence."
"Cool," Ryder said with a half-chewed bite of cinnamon roll in his mouth.
"How close are we?" Rake asked.
"We'll be there later today," Stretch said. "We left the wormhole not too long ago, so the station is within range."
"We're cutting it close," Coach said, "but we'll make it in time."
"Are there a lot of wormholes?" Ryder asked.
With his bad mood simmering just under the surface, Jessie tried not to look too obvious about perking up to hear the answer.
Coach fielded the question. "It's estimated that only a small fraction of them have been discovered, which is impressive since there are countless in operation. In fact, the space station is where it is because there are over a dozen different wormholes within a light year of it. It's like a galactic transportation hub."
"Wow. Will there be people or whatever from all over the universe?"
"Nah, the universe is too big," Rake said. "This one caters to the nearby galaxies."
Coach started to say something when the whole ship lurched. Jessie and Ryder managed to catch their plates before they tumbled to the ground. Coach aimed himself into a chair so he didn't fall. Had they hit something? Who was flying this thing anyway?
A voice Jessie didn't recognize came over the loudspeakers. "Space pirates. They snuck up on us. Hide. They're about to board."
Coach stood up and looked at the ceiling. "Find out where Mickey is. Make sure he's hidden."
"He's safe in his quarters."
Coach hurried everyone out. "Rake, get them to their rooms and lock the doors. Stretch, make sure the cargo door is locked. I'll get to the cockpit and see that our distress signal is aimed everywhere. Hurry!"
Rake pushed Jessie and Ryder forward and they sprinted down the hallways to their rooms.
"Are they going to hurt us?" Ryder asked. Jessie's stomach sank. He'd never seen his friend so pale.
"Not if we're locked up. The pirates won't take the time to open secured doors. The distress signals are already out. Coach is just making sure they're answered in a timely fashion."
When they reached their doors, Rake shoved first Ryder, then Jessie into their own rooms. Jessie had hoped they could be together, but Rake didn't give that option. Before Jessie turned around, a tiny jab stung the back of his neck, like a bug bite. His hand flew up there, but he couldn't feel anything unusual.
As the door closed, Rake yelled, "You'll hear the all clear when they're gone."
Jessie stared at the door, too nervous to even sit on the bed. The back of his neck itched right where he'd felt the prick, but he couldn't feel a bump or anything. As he turned to find a mirror, a loud crack blasted from his door. He stumbled back to his closet and hid. Maybe the pirates would look in, see no one, and leave. But Coach, Rake, and Stretch all said they wouldn't take the time. Why choose his room to break that policy?
The sound of bending metal joined the next crack. Hissing voices, muffled by the clatter outside, flowed in, but he couldn't make out the words. He ducked down deeper into the corner and prayed they'd let him be.
A final thud came from the door, and the pirates pushed into his room. "He's in here," a voice hissed. "Look in the back."
They couldn't be here for him. First off, who knew who he was? Second, he didn't matter. Not even a little bit. They wanted Ryder but picked the wrong room. At least if they grabbed Jessie, Ryder would be safe. He was important.
Two big lizard-like creatures pushed their way back into the closet area. Jessie held his breath and shrunk down as far as he could, but it didn't work. "There he is," one said, and the other grabbed him.
"Excellent," the biggest of the lizardman pirates said. "Make sure you have a good grip on him." Even if he hadn't been giving the orders, Jessie would have pegged him as the leader. His uniform, if you could call it that, had more fancy adornments than the others. He also didn't wear a gun on his hip, at least not that Jessie could see. Maybe leadership here was not having to show visible force.
"Get him in the bag and we'll go."
Bag? What? Before Jessie could protest, they lifted him off his feet and shoved him into somewhere dark.
"Don't worry, boy," one of the pirates said. "We don't want to hurt you." Even with the Universal Language-thingy, Jessie had to fight hard through the hisses to understand him.
"The boss has a lot of money riding on the Slammers winning. Your team is the only real threat." That voice came from his other side. Two of the pirates must've been pulling him along in the bag.
Jessie considered screaming his lungs out, but he'd seen too many movies and TV shows where that got the captive in nothing but trouble. Besides, there was no doubt now that they thought he was Ryder. If he just kept his mouth shut, the team could go on and not worry about him being dead weight. Tears sprang to his eyes, but what choice did he have? This was for the greater good.
Click here to read Chapter 12 Part 1
Chapter 11
The next morning at breakfast, instead of ordering anything he wanted, Jessie found himself face to face with a bowl of oatmeal, half a grapefruit, and a tall glass of orange juice. Ryder, who'd greeted him as if nothing had happened, had the same breakfast, except for one of those gooey cinnamon rolls on the side.
He leaned over and whispered, "Sorry. I tried to get one for you, too, but they wouldn't budge."
Rake leaned over and gave his own whisper. "We budged on you because you didn't pass out yesterday and sleep until morning." Ryder cringed and blushed at being overheard, and it almost got a smile out of Jessie. Almost.
"Mickey's idea," Stretch said. "Something about growing boys needing a healthy breakfast. We all had it." He shrugged, which proved to be an exaggerated movement, much like his bouncy gait. "It wasn't bad, really. I enjoyed it."
"Speak for yourself," Rake said. "It'll never replace food from home."
Jessie was about to ask what he normally ate, what that food from his home planet was like, but then remembered his sour mood. He glanced over to Ryder, hoping he'd take the bait, but he'd crammed his mouth full of cinnamon roll and wasn't paying much attention. As he watched Ryder chew, a transcendent look on his face, Jessie sighed and looked at his own plate.
He tried the oatmeal. Not bad. The computer had gotten the blend of brown sugar and cinnamon perfect. If he'd have let himself, he would've enjoyed it. He dug into the grapefruit and found it good even though he didn't normally like the bitter-tart taste. This piece must have been grown in sugar.
As he and Ryder finished their breakfast, Coach spoke. "We'll get back in the simulator today. Don't worry, Jessie, you don't have to participate, but you do need to watch."
Jessie stared down hard at his breakfast, but was glad Coach hadn't made a bigger deal out of yesterday than that.
"I persuaded Mickey to take his batting practice with us. You'll both learn a lot just by watching him up close. Stretch and Rake can teach you some things, too."
Rake nodded. "I saw a couple of tweaks we can make to your swing, Ryder. Next time that partial trampoline shot will fly right over the fence."
"Cool," Ryder said with a half-chewed bite of cinnamon roll in his mouth.
"How close are we?" Rake asked.
"We'll be there later today," Stretch said. "We left the wormhole not too long ago, so the station is within range."
"We're cutting it close," Coach said, "but we'll make it in time."
"Are there a lot of wormholes?" Ryder asked.
With his bad mood simmering just under the surface, Jessie tried not to look too obvious about perking up to hear the answer.
Coach fielded the question. "It's estimated that only a small fraction of them have been discovered, which is impressive since there are countless in operation. In fact, the space station is where it is because there are over a dozen different wormholes within a light year of it. It's like a galactic transportation hub."
"Wow. Will there be people or whatever from all over the universe?"
"Nah, the universe is too big," Rake said. "This one caters to the nearby galaxies."
Coach started to say something when the whole ship lurched. Jessie and Ryder managed to catch their plates before they tumbled to the ground. Coach aimed himself into a chair so he didn't fall. Had they hit something? Who was flying this thing anyway?
A voice Jessie didn't recognize came over the loudspeakers. "Space pirates. They snuck up on us. Hide. They're about to board."
Coach stood up and looked at the ceiling. "Find out where Mickey is. Make sure he's hidden."
"He's safe in his quarters."
Coach hurried everyone out. "Rake, get them to their rooms and lock the doors. Stretch, make sure the cargo door is locked. I'll get to the cockpit and see that our distress signal is aimed everywhere. Hurry!"
Rake pushed Jessie and Ryder forward and they sprinted down the hallways to their rooms.
"Are they going to hurt us?" Ryder asked. Jessie's stomach sank. He'd never seen his friend so pale.
"Not if we're locked up. The pirates won't take the time to open secured doors. The distress signals are already out. Coach is just making sure they're answered in a timely fashion."
When they reached their doors, Rake shoved first Ryder, then Jessie into their own rooms. Jessie had hoped they could be together, but Rake didn't give that option. Before Jessie turned around, a tiny jab stung the back of his neck, like a bug bite. His hand flew up there, but he couldn't feel anything unusual.
As the door closed, Rake yelled, "You'll hear the all clear when they're gone."
Jessie stared at the door, too nervous to even sit on the bed. The back of his neck itched right where he'd felt the prick, but he couldn't feel a bump or anything. As he turned to find a mirror, a loud crack blasted from his door. He stumbled back to his closet and hid. Maybe the pirates would look in, see no one, and leave. But Coach, Rake, and Stretch all said they wouldn't take the time. Why choose his room to break that policy?
The sound of bending metal joined the next crack. Hissing voices, muffled by the clatter outside, flowed in, but he couldn't make out the words. He ducked down deeper into the corner and prayed they'd let him be.
A final thud came from the door, and the pirates pushed into his room. "He's in here," a voice hissed. "Look in the back."
They couldn't be here for him. First off, who knew who he was? Second, he didn't matter. Not even a little bit. They wanted Ryder but picked the wrong room. At least if they grabbed Jessie, Ryder would be safe. He was important.
Two big lizard-like creatures pushed their way back into the closet area. Jessie held his breath and shrunk down as far as he could, but it didn't work. "There he is," one said, and the other grabbed him.
"Excellent," the biggest of the lizardman pirates said. "Make sure you have a good grip on him." Even if he hadn't been giving the orders, Jessie would have pegged him as the leader. His uniform, if you could call it that, had more fancy adornments than the others. He also didn't wear a gun on his hip, at least not that Jessie could see. Maybe leadership here was not having to show visible force.
"Get him in the bag and we'll go."
Bag? What? Before Jessie could protest, they lifted him off his feet and shoved him into somewhere dark.
"Don't worry, boy," one of the pirates said. "We don't want to hurt you." Even with the Universal Language-thingy, Jessie had to fight hard through the hisses to understand him.
"The boss has a lot of money riding on the Slammers winning. Your team is the only real threat." That voice came from his other side. Two of the pirates must've been pulling him along in the bag.
Jessie considered screaming his lungs out, but he'd seen too many movies and TV shows where that got the captive in nothing but trouble. Besides, there was no doubt now that they thought he was Ryder. If he just kept his mouth shut, the team could go on and not worry about him being dead weight. Tears sprang to his eyes, but what choice did he have? This was for the greater good.
Click here to read Chapter 12 Part 1
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Way Over the Line Chapter Ten
Click here to read earlier chapters
Chapter 10
Jessie sat up and found himself in his pajamas. Pressure thudded in his head, but it was nothing like the pain earlier that he thought would rip his brain into shreds. He felt his face to see if it was still sweaty and clammy, but it was dry. His pajamas also didn't stick to him. How long had he been asleep?
He thought about going across the hall to find Ryder when his stomach grumbled. He hadn't had anything to eat since breakfast, and though he didn't know exactly how long, he guessed it was awhile ago.
The dining area wasn't that hard to find. He could probably make it there with no problem. He glanced at the doorway and saw what looked like an intercom system. Maybe he could use that to get the colored lights to direct him. He didn't want anyone to get mad at him for wandering alone, but if the light showed him the way, they couldn't get upset, could they?
He waved his hand in front of the door, like he'd seen the aliens do. It hissed open. Ryder's door was closed. Before he tried anything on his own, he'd get Ryder to help. But what if it was the middle of the night? He'd hate to wake him just to go eat. Especially since Ryder probably wasn't even hungry.
"I'm being stupid," he whispered. He walked over to Ryder's door and tapped. When he got no answer, he knocked a bit harder. He didn't even know if you could hear a knock through these doors. He glanced around for a doorbell or something, but didn't see one. It was possible it wasn't as late as he thought and Ryder was somewhere else. Maybe even back at the simulator.
Chills ran up and down his spine at just the thought. He was glad he wasn't expected to actually play. He'd leave that to Ryder, thank you very much.
A growl from his stomach reminded him that he wanted to eat. He wondered if he could get that magic food machine to produce a bacon cheeseburger and fries. He hoped so, as his mouth was watering at the thought. He gave up on waiting for Ryder and wandered back to his door and the intercom system.
There were a few buttons under the thing that looked like they'd operate the speaker, but he didn't know which to push. He didn't want to mess anything up. Maybe if he talked into it. "Uh, can you put a line for me to follow?"
He looked out to the hallway for the same trail he'd followed to breakfast, whenever that had been, but no luck. Wait, he hadn't said where he wanted it to go. Why couldn't Ryder be here? He was so much better at this kind of stuff.
"Sorry, could you put a line to the dining room?" Still nothing. Maybe it didn't know dining room. Hadn't Coach called it something different? Something simple? Yes.
This time, without thinking, Jessie pushed the button on the far left under the speaker. "Can you lead me to the eating center?" The illuminated blue band under the floor greeted him. Had it been because of the button or because he'd called it by its proper name? Maybe later he could play with it to figure that out, but for now he wanted to eat.
He kept his footfalls light, as he wasn't sure what Coach or any of the others would say if they knew he was out here on his own. He hadn't thought of putting on shoes, so he didn't have to worry about those echoing through the metal corridors. Luckily the floor was warm, pleasant under his feet.
As he passed a half-dozen doors, he wondered if there was anything behind any of them, or if they were all fake. Had Ryder gotten the tour today? Maybe he was out exploring right now.
In the next corridor, the lighted guide led him past an open door. He couldn't be positive, but he thought it was the living room-type area with the holographic television. The eating center wasn't too far past, but he didn't want to be seen sneaking around. He crept over to the side of the doorway and listened for anyone inside. Almost at once he heard a conversation, so he stayed back out of sight. He'd have to pick the perfect opportunity to cross.
"What's it going to be like when he faces live pitching?" That was Mickey Martell.
Jessie thought the next voice came from Rake, though he couldn't be positive without a visual. He didn't know who else was in the room. "We can't have him falling unconscious in the middle of a game, that's for sure."
Jessie's face burned red. It wasn't surprising that they were talking about him, but that didn't mean he wanted to hear. At least this hadn't happened at school. What would his classmates say? It wouldn't be pretty. He'd be a laughing stock, no doubt about it. As it was, he wanted to slink back to his room, but his legs wouldn't let him.
"Do we really need him?" Mickey Martell asked. No one answered, which Jessie took to mean that Rake and anyone else in the room agreed. Coach had already told him he was just a spectator, but it hurt to know they didn't even want that. He wiped away a few tears that ran down his cheeks and hurried back to his room, his hunger forgotten.
Click here to read Ch. 11
Chapter 10
Jessie sat up and found himself in his pajamas. Pressure thudded in his head, but it was nothing like the pain earlier that he thought would rip his brain into shreds. He felt his face to see if it was still sweaty and clammy, but it was dry. His pajamas also didn't stick to him. How long had he been asleep?
He thought about going across the hall to find Ryder when his stomach grumbled. He hadn't had anything to eat since breakfast, and though he didn't know exactly how long, he guessed it was awhile ago.
The dining area wasn't that hard to find. He could probably make it there with no problem. He glanced at the doorway and saw what looked like an intercom system. Maybe he could use that to get the colored lights to direct him. He didn't want anyone to get mad at him for wandering alone, but if the light showed him the way, they couldn't get upset, could they?
He waved his hand in front of the door, like he'd seen the aliens do. It hissed open. Ryder's door was closed. Before he tried anything on his own, he'd get Ryder to help. But what if it was the middle of the night? He'd hate to wake him just to go eat. Especially since Ryder probably wasn't even hungry.
"I'm being stupid," he whispered. He walked over to Ryder's door and tapped. When he got no answer, he knocked a bit harder. He didn't even know if you could hear a knock through these doors. He glanced around for a doorbell or something, but didn't see one. It was possible it wasn't as late as he thought and Ryder was somewhere else. Maybe even back at the simulator.
Chills ran up and down his spine at just the thought. He was glad he wasn't expected to actually play. He'd leave that to Ryder, thank you very much.
A growl from his stomach reminded him that he wanted to eat. He wondered if he could get that magic food machine to produce a bacon cheeseburger and fries. He hoped so, as his mouth was watering at the thought. He gave up on waiting for Ryder and wandered back to his door and the intercom system.
There were a few buttons under the thing that looked like they'd operate the speaker, but he didn't know which to push. He didn't want to mess anything up. Maybe if he talked into it. "Uh, can you put a line for me to follow?"
He looked out to the hallway for the same trail he'd followed to breakfast, whenever that had been, but no luck. Wait, he hadn't said where he wanted it to go. Why couldn't Ryder be here? He was so much better at this kind of stuff.
"Sorry, could you put a line to the dining room?" Still nothing. Maybe it didn't know dining room. Hadn't Coach called it something different? Something simple? Yes.
This time, without thinking, Jessie pushed the button on the far left under the speaker. "Can you lead me to the eating center?" The illuminated blue band under the floor greeted him. Had it been because of the button or because he'd called it by its proper name? Maybe later he could play with it to figure that out, but for now he wanted to eat.
He kept his footfalls light, as he wasn't sure what Coach or any of the others would say if they knew he was out here on his own. He hadn't thought of putting on shoes, so he didn't have to worry about those echoing through the metal corridors. Luckily the floor was warm, pleasant under his feet.
As he passed a half-dozen doors, he wondered if there was anything behind any of them, or if they were all fake. Had Ryder gotten the tour today? Maybe he was out exploring right now.
In the next corridor, the lighted guide led him past an open door. He couldn't be positive, but he thought it was the living room-type area with the holographic television. The eating center wasn't too far past, but he didn't want to be seen sneaking around. He crept over to the side of the doorway and listened for anyone inside. Almost at once he heard a conversation, so he stayed back out of sight. He'd have to pick the perfect opportunity to cross.
"What's it going to be like when he faces live pitching?" That was Mickey Martell.
Jessie thought the next voice came from Rake, though he couldn't be positive without a visual. He didn't know who else was in the room. "We can't have him falling unconscious in the middle of a game, that's for sure."
Jessie's face burned red. It wasn't surprising that they were talking about him, but that didn't mean he wanted to hear. At least this hadn't happened at school. What would his classmates say? It wouldn't be pretty. He'd be a laughing stock, no doubt about it. As it was, he wanted to slink back to his room, but his legs wouldn't let him.
"Do we really need him?" Mickey Martell asked. No one answered, which Jessie took to mean that Rake and anyone else in the room agreed. Coach had already told him he was just a spectator, but it hurt to know they didn't even want that. He wiped away a few tears that ran down his cheeks and hurried back to his room, his hunger forgotten.
Click here to read Ch. 11
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