VLORs & VICE: Awakening: Volume 3

By Sean L. Johnson

A sequel to VLORs & VICE: Rise of a Bio-Being, this third volume, VLORs & VICE: Awakening, finds Agent Z and his cohorts battling evil forces who pose a threat to the world in 2107.

Zadarion discreetly searches for clues while he’s disguised as Vex Z he hopes this leads him to his grandfather’s whereabout. He’s also struggling more and more with the mystery arm band. Will he ever discover what it’s truly capable of?

One of Zadarion’s classmates was recruited by DiLusion, joining his side for whatever he’s planning. Will she be able to return home to her loved ones?

Valery has rambunctiously joined a hero’s crusade against VICE HQ and the many evil forces threatening both dimensions. But is she also harboring a deep, dark secret that could harm her?

Alecxander and Zhariah continue to struggle with their inner demons. What more can push them further into the darkness they’re already in?

• Language: English
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Release date: Aug 17, 2017
• ISBN: 9781532025136

Sean L. Johnson

Sean L. Johnson is currently in the United States Military, exploring new challenges and seeing new places. He received his associates degree in arts and currently working on his bachelor’s degree. “While I was growing up, I never had my own voice to speak out. I was ridiculed as a child. It felt like I didn’t matter. I isolated myself starting at the age of twelve. I (metaphorically speaking) entered an imaginary world! I started watching many television shows. Who would’ve known I would create this HUGE world! Every new place I visit inspires me to feel new and released from my childhood. I will forever explore new places because it’s a good emotional stress reliever.”

Book preview

VLORS & VICE

AWAKENING: VOLUME 3

Copyright © 2017 Sean L. Johnson.

Cover Artwork Created by Sean L Johnson

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

iUniverse

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Bloomington, IN 47403

www.iuniverse.com

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

ISBN: 978-1-5320-2514-3 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5320-2513-6 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2015917038

iUniverse rev. date:  12/06/2023

Contents

SEASON 3, EPISODE 13 (CONTINUED)

SEASON 3, EPISODE 14

SEASON 3, EPISODE 15

SEASON 3, EPISODE 16

SEASON 3, EPISODE 17

SEASON 3, EPISODE 18 CONTINUED

SEASON 3, EPISODE 19 CONTINUED

SEASON 3, EPISODE 20

SEASON 3, EPISODE 21

SEASON 3, EPISODE 22 – KIYLA GERALD’S MISFORTUNE!

VH UNIVERSE APPENDIX PAGE 1

VH UNIVERSE APPENDIX PAGE 2

VH UNIVERSE APPENDIX PAGE 3

VH UNIVERSE APPENDIX PAGE 4

VH UNIVERSE APPENDIX PAGE 5

VH UNIVERSE APPENDIX PAGE 6

VH UNIVERSE APPENDIX PAGE 7

SEASON 3, EPISODE 13 (CONTINUED)

Saturday, August 05, 2107

Somewhere in the Middle East, Jayn Talgitx and his Navy SEAL buddies are bringing down the terrorist organization ISCA.

A bomb goes off on the building’s rooftop, and his buddies shout for him to move his ass to the aircraft. He leaps forward, jumping off the concrete platform before the damaged building explodes.

Suddenly, it explodes, and smoke fills the entire area around the building.

24 hours prior

Jayn Talgitx is a former Combat Specialist and Equipment Operator, now part of a classified SEAL team comprising six highly trained professionals for the United States Government.

The team’s briefed to take down a secret underground terrorist organization operating somewhere in South Africa.

8 hours prior

They successfully infiltrated the organization’s base.

During their routine recon, the team got separated during their mission. Jayn is now alone and looking for the terrorist organization’s leader.

1 hour prior

Luckily, the man found a few leaders but decided to hide and wait for his team and waste all of them.

The terrorists do not know where the gunfire is coming from. One terrorist leader decides it’s time to bomb the entire base. Explosions start going off everywhere.

On Jayn’s COMMs, he can hear his team trying to contact him, but he can only listen to bits and pieces, broken words, and breaks in between. He can determine that his team is trying to instruct him to make it to high ground.

He starts running for his life while at the same time shooting screaming terrorists he finds along the way.

He continues to run through the base. Eventually, he locates an opening in the roof, and it’s very high up from the ground.

Jayn sees the helicopter hovering near the building and hears gunfire from below. He starts firing his weapon in all directions. His team members in the aircraft start shouting for him, telling him to jump.

The soldier takes off running while firing his weapon at the terrorists on the ground below.

The building under him is starting to fall apart. He silently inhales, drops his gun, and leaps into the air. The plane swerves away from the building as smoke from the explosion fills the entire area.

FLASHBACK – Friday, August 04, 2107

The area around Marina Bayou Harbor, Illinois, is pretty quiet. People walk down the pavilion, going into many shops. Down the hill from the building, next to a shipyard, a portal over the harbor opens up in the sky. DiLusion, Xavier, and a medium-sized odd-shaped stone fall out of the doorway and hit the ground within ten seconds. The two moan as they stand up.

XAVIER. He dusts himself off, fixes his shirt, picks up the odd-shaped stone, looks at him, and points his finger. You ever try something like that again-

DILUSION. He walks a little closer to him. I don’t think you should blame me for your idiotic trust in that fool!

XAVIER. He lowers his arm and smirks. Pfft. King Keikaie. He shakes his head. Well, we’re here now. You get in my way again, and we’ll see how fast those portals can manifest.

DILUSION. Confidently. I would loooove to witness what a mere human might do to me.

The VICE commander raises his head and turns his body away from the fused person. He lowers his head to the ground and then looks out before him, and he starts to walk away. DiLusion turns around, and a portal opens before him; he walks into it, and the portal disappears.

PRESENT DAY – Saturday, August 05, 2107

Valery is hiding on the side of a building, watching Agent Z and another kid, wearing goggles, fighting electricity-wielding robots. She is in a crouched position.

They are at Vickie Male’s Play Park and Art Street in Flavrare County, Illinois.

Vickie Male’s Play Park is a children’s playground, and there are many pathways with many different styles of artwork around the park.

VALERY. She cannot believe what she is witnessing. What are those?!!!

SHOCKER. He kicks one statistabot away from him. It’s good to have the real you back, Z!

AGENT Z. He slams his new shibarian blade at two bots. Yup! Glad I am not trapped with Xavier and DiLusion in that other world anymore.

SHOCKER. A bot blasts him to the ground. He jumps to his feet, grabs a bots arm, and swings it into another one. I hope those guys stayed.

AGENT Z. Same here! He charges at the remaining bots, swiping his blade at them, and reaches his friend. He stands next to him while eyeing the remaining bots. Are you doing okay without your abilities?

SHOCKER. He is breathing a little heavily. Yeah. I’m good. I am impressed with myself.

AGENT Z. He chuckles. This fight would’ve been over if you hadn’t lost your abilities.

A female agent glides closer to the battle, entering the Invisi-Dome. The boys look at her as she enters the Invisi-Dome, and she immediately finishes them off.

Shocker has a scared look on his face. Z looks at him, then looks back at the girl.

SHOCKER. Uh, Z.

AGENT Z. He is looking at her, who has one bot left. I know. You should go now!

The electricity boy starts running on foot, away from the battle.

AGENT RAHZ. She spots him running away as she finishes off the last statistabot. What’s your hurry, cross-human? She glides towards him.

Agent Z discreetly materializes a V-Copier, a built-in function inside the V-Link. It can produce multiple copies of anything. However, they are sometimes like intangible objects.

Several cloned bots are making their way to the female agent. She materializes her blaster and starts shooting at them. Z glides closer to her and starts helping her out. Shocker is getting away.

AGENT RAHZ. She looks over at the fleeing boy. No, you don’t! She materializes V-Cuffs and throws them at him.

AGENT Z. He inconspicuously looks at her and his buddy while pretending to battle the cloned bots. He whispers. No.

SHOCKER. He jumps high and flips over the V-Cuffs. That was close.

AGENT RAHZ. She is gliding closer to him. You’re not escaping! She materializes her twin daggers and swipes them at him.

The boy dodges her attempts to cut him, and she elbows him in his face, and he falls to the ground, landing on his back. Z gets closer to them and slams his blade where Shocker is lying. He immediately rolls on the pavement, getting away from them, and Z pursues him.

Shocker gets some distance, stands up, and runs to Z. The agent boy swings his blade, and his friend catches the tip with both hands.

AGENT Z. He leans in close and whispers. Sorry. He lets go of his blade and throws a punch at him.

The female agent gets closer and thumps him in the back of his head. He moans and throws his left leg behind him, kicking her, and she leans to her right, barely getting a scratch. He punches Z, and the boy face-plants on the concrete. Shocker turns his body around, facing the girl. He looks furious and starts kicking randomly at her, and she fights back, trying to avoid Shocker’s kicks.

They are impressive. Z gets off the ground, watching them.

AGENT Z. Ah. Come on, Rahz. He sighs.

The boy is tired, and the female agent shows she can continue forever.

AGENT RAHZ. I’m bringing you in, cross-human. She does a roundhouse kick.

SHOCKER. He dodges her kick. I am not a cross-human! He throws a punch.

AGENT RAHZ. I don’t care! She catches his fist and flips him over her shoulder. You set off our organization’s alarm! Do you happen to be in this exact location?! I wasn’t born yesterday!! She materializes her twin daggers again and attacks.

SHOCKER. He is dodging the twin daggers. Give me a break!

AGENT RAHZ. Never! She drops to the ground and sweep-kicks his legs.

AGENT Z. He is worried. No.

Three cloned statistabots are flying to her.

AGENT RAHZ. She turns her head. I knew it! She shakes her head and prepares to battle them.

Shocker quickly stands up and runs away. The three bots and the Invisi-Dome disappear, and Shocker is hiding nearby.

AGENT Z. He runs closer to her. Let’s head back to HQ.

AGENT RAHZ. She groans. I will get that cross-human. Her face has a unique expression, and it looks like it’s her mission to stop all cross-humans. She teleports.

AGENT Z. Wow. He sighs. That was a close one. He looks out before and behind him, then teleports to VLORs HQ.

VALERY. She is astounded by what she just watched. Wow. That girl is hardcore! Heh. Kind of like me! She giggles.

There are four non-cloned bots still in the area. They are creeping closer to her, who is crouching on the side of a building. She hears a noise, and the statistabots are now within twenty steps of her current location.

VALERY. She grins, turns her head around, and stands up. Oh, so you guys want to play! Well, get some! She starts running towards them, sliding underneath them. She turns around quickly and jumps on the back of one. It tries to shake her off, but she is hanging on tight. She maneuvers the bot, and it crashes into another. She hops on the back of another. She continues this strategy until all are out of commission. She jumps off the last one and lands on the ground. Wow. You guys suck! She dusts herself off and walks away.

The unconscious statistabots disappear. Meanwhile, around 1700, Reesa McCulkin was just called to visit the InquiZiehion for a job interview.

STAN BOUGH. Ah. Please come in, Ms. – He looks at the application on his desk. – Reesa McCulkin. His left hand pointed at a cathedra (chair) on the opposite side of his desk. Please. Have a seat.

REESA MCCULKIN. She walks into the office and closes the door behind her. Thank you, sir. She’s walking to the chair by his desk. It’s a pleasure to be here today! She sits down in the chair.

STAN BOUGH. So. I see you would like a job as a News Reporter. Do you have anything to show me?

REESA MCCULKIN. Yes! She hands him a brown envelope. You’ll find a story I have been working on this week, and I’m sure you’ll like it.

STAN BOUGH. He takes the envelope out of her left hand and opens it. Hm. He takes out his red marker and starts making marks on the paper as he reads. Please. Tell me why I should hire you. He’s skimming through the story and waits for her to respond.

REESA MCCULKIN. Well, sir. I am excellent at computer science and technology, and I studied four years of them in college. Even as a child, I was a tech nerd. I was the lead editor of my high school and college newspaper and even worked for a few news and media companies in America.

STAN BOUGH. He finishes making marks on the story and places it on his desk. I see. He looks at her questionably.

REESA MCCULKIN. Is there a problem with my story, sir? She says in her head. I hope I didn’t blow my cover.

STAN BOUGH. As a matter of fact, yes! This story is trash. Complete garbage! He is glancing at her and the paper sitting on his desk. What you wrote here is not newsworthy, and I will not publish it.

REESA MCCULKIN. Her heart drops, and she now feels beaten down. I– I’m sorry to have wasted your time. She stands up and looks at him. Please, sir. What is your typical news story?

STAN BOUGH. His eyes are stuck on her for a few seconds before he responds. Listen, Ms. McCulkin. If you want a job at the InquiZiehion, find me something out of this world!

REESA MCCULKIN. She brings her arms to her body and cups her hands together. Yes, Mr. Bough! I’ll get right on it! She walks to the door and exits his office.

Meanwhile, Xavier walks down the first-floor hallway at VICE HQ with a new scientist.

Louis Gravnelle studies human physiology, a science of mechanical, physical, and biochemical roles of tissues or organs in the human body. As a physiologist, he analyzes the human body and studies its functions, the whole organism, and cellular or molecular levels. His faith is in science, and he believes it is a way to heal death.

CO. XAVIER. I must be honest. When Mr. Machenist mentioned hiring a new scientist during my brief absence, I was displeased with him. I’ll admit. Your career in reanimating corpses is remarkable.

DR. GRAVSIGHT. Much appreciated, sir. I understand you want to finance my hobby. It may seem highly illogical to want to bring back the dead, but I think it’ll help humankind.

CO. XAVIER. Not judging here, and I like people with interesting talents. He pauses for a few seconds. But in your case, a mystical pondering.

DR. GRAVSIGHT. Thank you much.

They stop by his office to grab the keys to where the scientist will be working. Afterward, they head upstairs to an empty office space, and Dr. Machenist (Mache) walks down the hallway toward them.

CO. XAVIER. He hands Gravsight the keys. A project folder sits on the desk, and a comfortable patient waits for you inside. Once you have a look, contact Mache. Now, get to work. Expect great things from you!

DR. GRAVSIGHT. He takes the key out of his hands, swipes the card key, and the door slides open. I will not fail VICE, sir.

CO. XAVIER. He laughs. Better not. He winks and points his finger at him. He turns around, facing the lead scientist.

DR. MACHE. May I have you come to my lab? You’re going to like what you see.

CO. XAVIER. He nods his head and follows him down the hall.

SEASON 3, EPISODE 14

Sunday, August 06, 2107

Fuuluchi Capitol, South Dakota, is an island city similar to New York but much smaller and more suburban.

The city is media-based; everyone has some talent, whether it’s in music, art, etc. Everyone born and raised here hopes to make it big and travel to Hollywood Vale, on Sandulay Island, one day to seek out their dreams.

There’s a small home on McGregor’s Street. It’s average, and there is no car parked in the driveway. There are flowers lined along the side of the house to make it look satisfying to view.

A dirty, overweight man, Mr. Bhim Phantolok, owns the home. He is living with an orphaned twelve-year-old girl, Shylinnohiroz, and she does not have a last name.

BHIM PHANTOLOK. He is sitting in his ratty old recliner chair, watching television. Why are you just standing there?!

SHYLINNOHIROZ. She is standing on his left, right in front of the kitchen. I was just wondering. May I go outside now? She’s smiling so innocently.

BHIM PHANTOLOK. Have you finished your chores? He pauses for a second. Have you cooked my food, cleaned this raggedy ass house, and completed all the other damn things I’ve told you to do?!

SHYLINNOHIROZ. Yes, sir. She has her hands cupped together in front of her.

BHIM PHANTOLOK. He remains silent, staring at the floor for a few seconds, thinking of more to say before he speaks. He starts waving his right arm, looking up at the television. Bring me my damn tray, girl.

SHYLINNOHIROZ. Y – Yes, sir! She walks into the kitchen and grabs the man’s food tray, and she walks it into the dining room and places it on the man’s fat thighs. She starts smiling.

BHIM PHANTOLOK. He looks at her for a second and then back to the television. You have one hour. He says rudely. Get out of here! He rips meat off a chicken bone and starts talking to the television with his mouth full.

SHYLINNOHIROZ. She yelps excitedly and claps her hands together. Yes!! She quickly walks to her corner, grabs her things, stores them in her old and raggedy backpack, and exits the house.

The girl is to sleep in the corner of the living room when she doesn’t finish all her chores.

BHIM PHANTOLOK. He says as she’s walking out the door. Don’t come back in here with that stupid ass smile either! He swallows his mouth full of food.

Meanwhile, Agents Rahz and Rev are sent to Atlanta, Georgia, to investigate a spike in nuclear energy. The unknown activity happened a few hours ago, and VLORs traced neutrons and pinpointed the exact location of a fish market.

AGENT Z. He jumps off his flight board and lands on the ground. He looks around. Ew! I’m sorry, I can’t. He materializes his V-Haler, and it covers his mouth and nose. Ah! That’s better!

AGENT REV. His hover boots land on the ground, and he walks closer to Z. It not that– Ugh!!!! He pretends to barf, but nothing comes out.

AGENT RAHZ. She shakes her head. You two can be brothers. She walks past them, creeping closer to the fish market’s side window.

The three agents make their way inside. They see fish bones and other sea creatures in barrels, crates, and on top of rectangular tables. The girl locates a door hidden behind a poster, and the boys follow her.

Five minutes later, they enter the basement, and nothing is there.

AGENT Z. He is looking around the area, trying to find some evidence or a clue. Come on.

AGENT REV. He is looking around the bare room. Dead-end?

AGENT Z. It is. He lowers his right wrist. My V-Link isn’t picking up any signs of a bomb.

AGENT RAHZ. That’s crazy, and VLORs has never been wrong before. She rolls her eyes. This odd place has VICE written all over it!

AGENT Z. They set up that fake nuclear energy so we can track them. We show up and come across a dead-end.

AGENT RAHZ. I know there’s an ulterior motive. She sighs. Let’s head back to HQ.

They teleport back to VLORs. After they teleport away, DiLusion walks to the entrance and starts grinning.

DILUSION. Heh-heh. What could you be up to this time, Commander Xavier? He teleports from the area.

Meanwhile, at VICE HQ, a young eleven-year-old scientist, Marie Johansson, also known as Mackle, is being escorted, through the halls, to her quarters by DR. MACHE.

MACKLE. Why’d you guys move me in such a hurry?

DR. MACHE. It was necessary. Our enemies finally found the hidden warehouse after you accidentally set off that small amount of nuclear energy.

MACKLE. I’m so sorry about that. Honestly, I am!

DR. MACHE. Don’t worry. He shakes his head. I don’t know why the old commander had you separated, and our new leader wants you under this roof.

MACKLE. Wait! General Talgitx isn’t the commander anymore?

DR. MACHE. No.

MACKLE. Do you know who replaced him?

DR. MACHE. I do. A young man named Xavier.

MACKLE. What’s his last name?

DR. MACHE. He waits thirty seconds to reply. No clue. He sounds like he tried to find out, but his findings disappointed him.

The two arrive at her new quarters. He swipes a keycard in the door slot, and the door unlocks and slides open. Mache places the girl’s luggage inside and gives her the keycard.

DR. MACHE. Here you are, and this room was made especially for you by Mario Vega.

MACKLE. She sighs. Man. That guy needs a break. He works so hard keeping VICE in working condition, yet no one has ever seen his face!

DR. MACHE. Yeah. He is quiet for a few seconds. Well–

MACKLE. Mackle! Call me Mackle, please!

DR. MACHE. He smiles. Well, Mackle, do not hesitate to buzz my laboratory number if you need anything. He laughs. I am the caretaker to the youth VICE brings on board.

MACKLE. Okay, doc! Bye. She walks into her quarters with her backpack on her back, and the door slides shut behind her.

Meanwhile, Xavier is inside the elevator, and he is going up to his office.

The elevator beeps twice and stops on the top floor. The door opens, and he walks to his office. He reaches the office and opens the door.

Someone is standing inside, right next to the window, in complete darkness. The darkened room obscures the unknown person’s face.

Xavier steps inside, and his right arm goes to turn on the lights.

THE INFORMANT. If you value that arm, I won’t touch those lights.

XAVIER. He stops moving his right arm. He says while looking at where the voice came from in the darkened room. Heh! A threat? He follows the sound. Was that a threat I just heard? He lowers his arm back down to his side. Who are you?

THE INFORMANT. He turns his body around, his face is in darkness, and his body is a silhouette in the dark. I’m VICEs Informant.

XAVIER. You’re about to be escorted out for– He stops himself, thinks for a few seconds, and starts smiling, looking at where the voice is coming from in the dark. Talk to me, Informant. I remember Talgitx spoke about you before his departure.

THE INFORMANT. OH! I know about that very well. Although, that’s not why I am here. He clears his throat. I’m here to give you insight and congratulate you for doing something Talgitx had not done when he was here.

XAVIER. Heh. He is acting suspiciously.

THE INFORMANT. There’s a job, and this one requires expertise.

XAVIER. Go on.

THE INFORMANT. There’s someone I need your agency to find for me. If VLORs gets to him first, you will have more of a problem.

XAVIER. He walks to the office window behind his desk and doesn‘t bother looking toward where the man is standing. He stops by the window and looks out. Leave the details on my desk or shoot me an e-mail. I’ll have your little assignment complete as soon as I can get around to it.

THE INFORMANT. You’re a very respectable man.

Five seconds later, Xavier hears the door close, and the lights turn on.

XAVIER. He turns around, seeing no one in his office. He sniffs, and he smells an unusual scent in the room. He smirks and starts shaking his head. He turns and stares out the window.

Monday, August 07, 2107

It’s the start of a new school day. Marie (Mackle) is starting her first day at Centransdale High School and is the youngest student.

She passes Zadarion in the hallway, hiding her face in her books and blushing until they pass each other.

Zadarion is walking to his locker to grab his books and supplies for the first period.

At Jayla’s residence an hour prior, Jayla had finished getting ready for school. She walks downstairs to the kitchen, enters, and prepares herself a bowl of cereal.

Her mother, Miryova Price, walks into the kitchen and greets her. She passes her daughter, sitting at the breakfast table, kisses her on her forehead, and walks to the coffeemaker.

MIRYOVA. Morning sweetie!

JAYLA. She says with a mouthful of cereal. Good Morning.

MIRYOVA. She grabs her coffee thermos out of the cabinet and pours coffee inside. While doing so, she speaks to her daughter. Are you walking to school with Kiyla again today?

JAYLA. She is chewing her food and replies five seconds later. No. She swallows her food. She’s going to meet me at school.

MIRYOVA. What about Zada? I haven’t seen him in a while. Did you two break up or something?

JAYLA. She turns red in the face. Mommmm!

MIRYOVA. She smirks, finishes pouring coffee into her thermos, and exits the kitchen. Okay, sweetie. You be on your best behavior today, Jayla. I know you always are!

JAYLA. She stands up, grabs her cereal bowl, and walks to the sink. I will, Mommy. She quickly rinsed the bowl and spoon she used and placed them back in their proper place. She checks the time on her phone. Oh! I must hurry! She grabs her backpack by the staircase and walks out the door.

MIRYOVA. Oh! One more thing before you leave!

JAYLA. She stops at the door, and one foot is already outside. She walks back inside the house. Yes.

MIRYOVA. You didn’t happen to see Gavin this morning, did you?

JAYLA. She shakes her head, and then she shrugs her shoulders. No. I haven’t seen Mr. MacCarter all week nor been looking for him.

MIRYOVA. Hm. Okay. She starts smiling with her eyes closed. Okay. Off to school now!

JAYLA. Okay! She runs out the door, and the door closes behind her.

Miryova rents near a suburban area three blocks from Zadarion’s home. The suburban area is a residential existing within commuting distance of the main street, Tarainound Street. The building is painted a dark orange color, with white horizontal lines. The building is much larger than Zadarion’s home and is a two-story house.

Miryova’s residence has an entrance in the front and through the left side of the building (facing from the street). There is also one back entrance leading to her handmade garden. She talked to the landlord about building a garden. She grows distinguished and exotic flowers that are out of this world! They would make you believe you live in France and various other locations. A minimum number of African Americans live on her block, Cenbaile Street.

Meanwhile, in Dowers City, outside of Chainberland’s coffeehouse on Quail Street, Navas is waiting for Gobon to exit the building with his coffee in hand.

NAVAS. He sighs after checking the time on his cellular phone. Hurry your ass, Gobon! He attaches the phone to his belt.

An attractive couple walks in front of Navas and crosses the street. He bites down on his bottom lip. The man stared at the couple for a while and never even heard the coffeehouse’s door open.

His business partner is standing close to him, looking across the street.

GOBON. He’s trying to discover the direction he is staring at and what has him in a daze. Did you locate me a baby momma yet? He says it jokingly, but his tone says it like he is serious. He takes three steps back and smiles at his friend. Heh-heh.

NAVAS. He shakes his head, shaking away his daze. Worrying about the one you met in that other town would be best.

GOBON. Nah! She wasn’t my type. He sips his coffee. So. Where to next?

NAVAS. The message from our boss said we have to head to VeVideer Forest.

GOBON. Okay. He finishes his drink, tosses the empty container in the trash, walks to his car, and gets inside. Let’s ride!

NAVAS. He gets inside the car.

GOBON. He points at a man standing across the street. Is that your type?

NAVAS. He looks at the man, rolls his eyes, and turns his head. You forget I’m pansexual.

GOBON. He stops pointing, stares before him, starts his vehicle, and looks out for traffic. Yeah, and I don’t know what that means.

The fall semester (September 2107) begins at Centransdale High School; there are a few new unnamed first- and second-year students.

It is a Monday morning. Zadarion enters his Physics 102 class and sees Mr. Colussen organizing his new desk. The man pulls out his roster and calls out his student’s names for attendance.

MR. COLUSSEN. Alecxander Jackson?

ALECXANDER. Present!

MR. COLUSSEN. Angie Azalea?

ANGIE. Right here! She raises her right arm in the air.

Miss Azalea is very athletic. She’s all into sports but only runs track at Centransdale. She signed up for basketball last year but did not make the team due to missing tryouts. She has a hard time keeping her busy schedule balanced.

MR. COLUSSEN. Jessica Bodega?

JESSICA. In a muted voice. I’m here.

MR. COLUSSEN. He looks at the back of the classroom. Planning on participating actively in class this year, Jessica?

JESSICA. Sure. She grins for a second, then looks at her desk.

Miss Bodega has been attending Centransdale for a while. She stays to herself.

MR. COLUSSEN. He is looking at his roster. Ah! An eleven-year-old genius! He looks at the class. Marie Johanssen?

MARIE. She inadvertently raises her hand in the air. I’m here too!

MR. COLUSSEN. He chuckles. Don’t let these older kids get to you. He stops grinning and looks at his roster. He sneers at the next name on the list. Mitch Conald?

MITCH CONALD. Right here, boss!

MR. COLUSSEN. Okay. New school term, Mitch. You are without your homeboys. Please do not act like an ass in my class. Alright?

MITCH CONALD. He rolls his eyes. Yeah, okay. He whispers. Whatever, man.

MR. COLUSSEN. Alright, moving on. He looks at his roster. Ry– Uh, I mean, Zadarion Jones?

ZADARION. Here!

MR. COLUSSEN. He looks at his roster again. Hm. Another new student. Valery Maxill? He looks at the class.

VALERY. She has an inviting smile. Her left arm shot into the air. Right here! She lowers her arm back on the desk before her, looks behind her, smiles at Zadarion then turns around.

MR. COLUSSEN. Welcome to my class! He smiles and looks at his roster. Jayla Price?

JAYLA. I’m here.

MR. COLUSSEN. Heh. Without your partner in crime this year?

JAYLA. She is swimming right now.

MR. COLUSSEN. Hm. Okay. He looks at the class roster. Rani Darivele? He looks at the class.

At that time, the classroom door opens. Rani opens the door in a rush, steps inside, closes the door, and quickly makes his way to his seat.

MR. COLUSSEN. He looks at his watch. A pleasure for you to join us, Mr. Darivele.

RANI. My apologies, Mr. Colussen.

MR. COLUSSEN. All right now. Don’t fall into bad habits this semester. He looks at his roster, but he looks at the boy again. Oh! I’m surprised not to have your sister in my class this year.

RANI. Yeah, she wanted to take macroeconomics. He rolls his eyes. It was the only scheduled time the school was offering it this semester.

MR. COLUSSEN. Ah. Very well. He looks at his roster one last time. And last, Ms. Marie Mikaelson and Ms. Delena Bloome.