The Devil Loves Teenagers

By Coral Lights

 

Stars

 

Chay slept: Dreaming of a teenage girl roaming the halls. Her shadow only altered by the bouncing sash of her dress. Her laughter precluded her arrival and then with a sidearm toss she let the Tracer Stars go. One by one they overwhelmed their victim until he lay barely conscious like beneath the stars of old. Pop! Whir!  Pop! they concussed jumping through the air until the purple sparks faded out. And then young star-painted eyes appeared above his and he lay looking up into her porcelain face. “Got yah!” She yelped. Damn, and she went right on chewing her gum. He could smell the pink flavors.

            “Chay?”

            Chay’s wife awoke him with a shake. “Yah? Wha--” Chay rolled over quickly and saw the concerned eyes of his wife.

            “The portal is calling. You got a phone call,” said Jeen, close to his face.

            “Oh,” said Chay. He noticed the bed sheets on his side were cooling to counter his sweat.

            “I think you’re running a fever,” said Jeen, touching his forehead.

    “I’m okay,” said Chay.  He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and got out of bed, making his way through the blackness to the only light in the room, the wall portal. The ring tone kept on humming until he stared at the green nebulous patterns. “Down here,” said a voice. “Oh,” said Chay, rubbing his eyes again and leaning over the portal edge and staring into the orange eyes of Chief Pitz.

            “Chay, I need you down at the station.” The orange irises narrowed and a disembodied head rose higher on the wall to the main viewing area.  The mustache twitched. “We got a new case. See you in fifteen.”

            “Yes,” said Chay, and the head disappeared into the clouds. Up on a higher corner on portal five, the news pictures was playing quietly. A vehicle crash burned brightly in the tunnels. Off to the left, the weather forecast of the outside world played.

            Chay suddenly noticed his wife propped up on one elbow looking at him with concern. “What’s wrong, Jeen?”

            “In your sleep you said ‘Stop bothering me huss. Stop. Go on leave me alone’. You kept on repeating it like someone was attacking you.” Chay could barely make out his wife’s eyes growing wide. “Chay, there’s not a problem is there? I could go stay with my mom.”

            Chay suddenly felt a chill. “No,” he sat down on the bed. “No, it’ll be fine.”

            “I may interfere with your thoughts,” she said, still unsure. “I can tell when you feel another’s portal.”

            “No, I want you here,” said Chay, putting on his socks. “Stay.”

 

Crime

 

Chay jumped into hallway car flashing with Xplanet advertisements. “Take me to Gratez Crime Unit,” said Chay. “As you wish man,” said the car. The robotic four-seater glided easily along on tiny wheels, over stairs, down inclines, around corners and deeper into the depths of the underground. Chay rested his arm over the side and put his feet up over the dash. The cool air of the passageway lilted gently through his hair. It suddenly pulled ahead of the other hallway cars, and tore down the halls. The car soon hit a curve in the long wall and rounded the corner before starting a long descent, passing by light traffic and pedestrians entering in and out of stores.

             His ride over, Chay swung his legs over the side and jumped out. He inserted some money. “Thank you,” said Chay. “Your welcome,” said the car, going to park and wait for another customer.

            A couple more cars passed by and then Chay crossed the huge expanse and then opened the door beneath the purple glow of the Gratez Crime Unit insignia.

            Inside, he made his way down the white washed halls to the corner office. He stood by the door.

            “Come in,” said a voice through the glass.

            “Hi, Leeta,” said Chay.

            “Welcome Chay,” said Leeta, and her chair slid her away to be replace by her Boss’s.

            “Hi, Chay,” said Chief Pitz. And he stood to shake hands.

            Chay took his palm in his own and pressed it firmly.

            “Gotta a new case for you,” said Pitz. His orange eyes glimmered.

            “Good,” said Chay.

            “You feelin’ anything?” said Pitz.

            “No, not too much. Did Jeen tell you anything?”

            “No, I only talked to you. Why do you ask?”

            “Nevermind,” said Chay. He didn’t bother telling him about the dream.

            “Oh, well okay.” Shrugged Pitz. “Thought maybe your portal senses might be acting up. Something’s going dead wrong at Gratez Academy. Portal systems messed up and everything. Gotta get them young ones their homework. Damn, virus with only one signature. And get this -- it says Frequent Mind on its tail. Don’t know where these kids keep on coming up with these names. Or maybe, it’s the faculty. Hell, I don’t know. Good thing they brag or we might never find them.”

            “Sounds like a portal name,” said Chay.

            “Maybe. And I know one thing. We got one hell of a virus disrupting the campus portals and nothing to do about it.  See to it how you must.” A finger pointed.

            “I’ll see to it,” said Chay.

            “Good.” Pitz gave him a grave look and sat to let the chair take him away.

 

Welcome to Gratez

           

“You ever hear of Frequent Mind?”  

            “No, what is it?” said Chay, feigning ignorance.

            He sat before the Dean of Gratez Academy and she was scanning the data projection from her mini portal. “Well, other than that’s who… or it…that’s been breaking into our school portals...”  Dean Ness nodded, names and numbers reflecting on her skin. “But Chief Pitz told me you’d be coming.” She pressed the folds of her skirt.

             “I’ll be dressing as a student at Gratez Academy for a while,” said Chay. “I need to be close to the portals here to scan the student traffic. It’s faster work when I'm closer.” Chay held the eyes of Dean Ness, trying to connect.

            “I prepared a student ID and got your books." Dean Ness pressed a few keys near her portal, eyes focused on the flowing readout.  She gave him a look indicating she was not happy about having a crime unit man on his campus. She sighed. “Your name’s Corace Sazinsky and your from Sector Y. That’ll be far enough away, most students will never have heard of you. Very few of them come from Sector Y. We usually don’t admit them.”

            “Sector Y, huh? Guess I’ll have to be a bit of a bad boy.” Chay had live in Sectors D and E his whole life. A big step up in the management of chaos.  

 The Dean looked Chay in the eyes. “Welcome to Gratez Academy, Corace Sazinsky.”

            “Thank you, Dean Ness.” Chay rose to leave.

 

Billian

 

“Hi, I’m Billian,” said the man, “I head Gratez’s Portal security”. Billian stood to shake Chay’s hand. He took of his silvery headband which seemed to give him a shock as he did so.

            Chay took his warm grasp. “Chay -- or rather, I’m known as Corace here, to the students I mean.”

            “Okay, Corace. I hear they sent you to work with us,” said Billian. “Thanks for coming on so short notice. It’s my job to make sure all the students here have complete and safe access to the school’s portals. Only problem is, someone has been breaking in almost at will. Flooding it with traffic in the classrooms, stealing student information…”

            “Any idea who it might be?” said Chay. “Thinks it’s a student, or outside job?” Chay pulled his mini portal from his pocket.

            “Well,” said Billian, standing and pointing to several data displays filling the air. “I suspect it’s a student. I can’t think of any other way our portals can be reached through the outside.

            “Look here,” Billian continued. “We have seven thousand and twenty-four students at Gratez, you’re not going to be able to search through them all. But, I think we had a break. The last time one of our science wing portals were infected there were only three students logged in. It was late: three ay em.  So, that cuts heavily down on the traffic. No one expects students to be on that late. Narrows it down to three names that look a bit more likely than others right now.”  Billian grabbed three names from the data trail and pushed them at Chay’s mini portal.

            Chay peered deep into his portal and sifted through the three names. One by one an image of the student, with name and student record projected into his eye.

            The first was a goofy looking kid named Fibez. The second image projected a serious looking female student named Juliace with a mousy ponytail and wearing data glasses. And the third showed a strikingly pretty girl with long black hair, probably popular, with the suitable name: Starzen.

            “Hey, let me give you a word of advice.” Billian put an arm around Chay’s shoulders. “I wouldn’t bother with her too much.” He nodded at Starzen. “I mean, all the kids here have been programming portals since they were five years old, but the other two actually have the intelligence to break into our system here.

            “That last girl, well, she’s known as a bit of a ditz.” Billian looked at Chay as if to say, Sorry I had to talk about a student that way.

            “Thanks,” said Chay, flipping through the students’ images again, one at a time.

            “Sorry, that’s all I have,” said Billian.

 

Serious

 

Chay stared hard at the image of the serious looking female student with the name Juliace. He entered the teachers’ access code into his portal and located Juliace. The coordinates from her student ID located her at the quiet study room in Sector A on the seventh floor. Chay rode the graviton elevator up.

           When Chay entered the room it was dark and lined with crescent shaped couches. About fifty or so students lay lounging around or studying. Some projected their portals onto blank walls, floors or ceilings.

           Along the back of the room was a picture pane simulating a rainstorm.

           Chay walked sideways along the front of the room until he noticed the back of a girl’s head with black hair in a ponytail.

           He stepped down a small set of stairs to get to her.     

            “Hi,” he said, walking to her front.

            “Hello,” she said, lowering her data glasses and looking up from her lap surprised. She was shy and looked back down.

            “What is that you have?” asked Chay.

            “Oh, this,” she said, raising the object from her lap. “It’s a holobook.”

            “Really?” said Chay.

            “Yeah, I’m the only one quirky enough to use one. Very old technology.”

            “Can I see it?” said Chay.

            “Sure,” she said, smiling.

“Can I sit down?”

“I don’t know, can you?”

She laughed uncontrollably and Chay realized just how quirky she was. She definitely wouldn’t have any friends; at least, not normal ones.

            Chay took a seat and she handed him the holobook. Chay looked at the cover; it showed a middle aged man covering his face in his hands. “You know, I heard of these,” said Chay. “Just never seen one.”

            “It’s very old,” she said. “But Mrs. Koft from the Ancient History departments sometimes let me borrow them.”

            “She has many?” asked Chay,

            “I think ten,” said the girl

“Wow,” said Chay, fascinated and now leafing through the flimsy pages. Images from the story jumped out at him, water flowing, battles fought, a couple kissing.

"Do you know what the pages are made of?"

Chay pulled at the rubbery surface. "I could guess. Some sort of paper?"

"No," she said, laughing. "That’s not paper."

 "Oh." Shrugged Chay. “I just heard of it.”

 "Paper was made from trees." Her hand brushed his. “This is liquid silicon. The tiny circuitry is invisible. Ugly, you wouldn’t want to see it. But, the pictures sure are pretty.”

 "I 've never seen a tree. I mean a real one"

            "Neither have I. Only those fake cygrown ones in the student park." They both looked at the picture pane. It simulated a scene of heavy winds, rain and lightning. Trees blew in the background.

"I'm so fascinated by that story." She looked longingly at the holobook. “They keep me from killing myself.”

Chay was dumbfounded into silence.

She looked at him and noticed the discomfort in his eyes. “The holobooks I mean -- stories.  Without them…”

Chay let her continue, noticing a house being torn apart in the pane.

"Last year, some of the students altered our school’s portal." She looked pained. "When I opened it at home, I saw a graph where I was voted Most Likely to Kill Myself. I was at home on break and my mom was standing there.”

"That's evil," said Chay. "Did they catch who did it?"

"No, but I think it was probably someone from Z block." She looked out into the storm and whispered: “I hate all of them.”

Chay changed the subject. "So--how did you get into Ancient History?"

"I don't know. I feel like I have no future. Nothing--It's not so much the history I like--I like the stories." Her eyes searched his. "Without these"--she patted the holobook--"my classmates would have been right." She looked embarrassed. "I don't even know your name…"

"Corace."

            “Juliace,” she said shyly, holding out her hand.

            Chay took it and felt its delicate softness. “I know.”

            She laughed.

            “Oh, I mean--“Chay realized his mistake (they hadn’t met as students) -- “a pretty girl would have such a pretty name.”

            “Thanks,” she said, smiling.

            Chay noticed she was holding out her hand again.

            “Oh,” said Chay, handing her back the holobook.

            “Thanks,” she said. “I’m really not supposed to let anyone else handle them. It’s just Mrs. Koft is very protective. They’re all she has.”

            “What is it about?” said Chay.

            “The holobook? It’s a story from ancient history, like I study.”

            Several students were braying and shooting gaudy images on the ceiling. Both Chay and Juliace looked at the distraction and then turned away.

            “I didn’t know there was an Ancient History class,” said Chay. Ancient History? That made her very unlikely to be Frequent Mind.

            “Oh, there’s only five students in that study,” said Juliace. She shrugged. “And I guess I’m one of them. Everyone else here studies programming or graphics or engineering.”  She looked around to the other students holding their portals.

            “So, why did you go into Ancient History? If I may ask.” Chay held up his hand in apology.

            “Oh, I don’t know,” she said. “I guess…I guess I feel like you can learn a lot from old tales.”

            “Like the ones in that holobook?” Chay said, nodding.

            “Yeah,” she said, smiling “Are you a student?” she suddenly asked. “I’ve never seen you before. You seem more mature. No one before cared about my holobooks.”

            “Yeah, I’m a student,” said Chay. “I study cotronics.”

            “Oh,” said Juliace. “Portal studies, just like the rest of them.”

            “Yeah,” said Chay. “But what’s in the holobook? you got me interested.”

            “This,” she said, opening the first page. “Its entitled Sverikus’s Nightdreams.  The guy covering his head on the cover, that’s him.”

           “He looks sad,” said Chay.

            “Well, of course he should be. If you knew what happened.”

 “What’s it about?” prodded Chay. He felt a vague familiarity.

            “Well,” she said, pulling up her legs and folding them underneath her. She looked enthrallingly out the picture pane. “It’s about a man named Sverikus who has a blessed life, riches, a wife, many children. But--” she reached out her hand and touched Chay’s arm -- “he becomes enraptured by a beautiful young woman named Shacejakus--”

            “Sha shee jah kus? That’s hard to even say.” Laughed Chay.

            “Yeah,” said Juliace.

            “Then what?” said Chay.

            “Hmm?” she said, absently. Suddenly she closed the holobook’s cover and stood up. “I’ve got to get to class,” she said.

            Chay stood beside her. He was caught up in the intrigue of the story. “Well, what happens to Sverikus?”

            “Do you come here everyday at this time?” said Juliace. “I could finish telling you the story tomorrow.”

            “No, I can’t guarantee I’ll be here,” said Chay, rubbing his face.

            “Oh,” she said, sounding gravely disappointed. She wasn’t a particularly attractive girl and on top of being shy, Chay figured she didn’t have a lot of guys coming up and talking to her like he had just done.

            “Well, in that case I better tell you,” said Juliace. She grabbed Chay’s arm again. “You see after Sverikus is seduced by Shasejakus, his goes home and finds out his wife knows all about it.”

            “And then…”

            “And then—“  her nails bit into his arm. She whispered. “He kills himself.”

            She opened the book to the last page; and out popped an old man wearing a crown. He groaned and then slit his throat with a knife. The virtual blood began to drip on the study room floor.

            Chay watched Juliace walk off and leave him standing there, alone with the image. It soon faded and then blue lightning from the pane cast shadows throughout the room as he made his way to the door.

           

           

Dorm Hell      

 

“I’m Corace,” said Chay, extending his hand.

            “Sazz,” said the girl, taking it. She put her hand on her wide hips. “So, what took you so long?” She put on her data glasses and began reading the displays. “School’s almost over for the summer.”

            “I just transferred here,” said Chay.

            “Oh, where from?”

            Chay hadn’t counted on this. So he made up something, hoping it sounded plausible. “Uh--oh, I transferred from the Space Academy in Nemtiz.”

            “Really?” she said. “My father in law teaches there -- Dr. Jankow. What area were you studying?” 

            “Propulsion.”

            “Really? that’s what he teaches. Did you have him for classes?” She was speaking so fast.

            Chay had forgotten how fast young ones talked.

            “No,” said Chay. “Listen” -- he nodded to the empty bunk and hoping she wouldn’t ask him any details about chemical propulsion (of which he knew little about) -- “I better get some sleep. It took me all day to get here.”

            “Oh, okay,” said Sazz. She pressed the side of her temple; it grew her skin out into a control plate and then she zoned out to some music. “Goodnight.” Chay watched her patter over to her bunk on the other side of the dorm room.

            “’Night,” said Chay, climbing up onto his bunk.

            He lay there and look at the ceiling, four feet from his eyes. A portal was there, showing all the latest school news. He shut it off and rolled over to his stomach and waited for sleep to come.

            When he fell asleep, he felt the distinct tugging at his left brain hemisphere when his implanted pad receptor logged into the school’s public portal system. 

            He sifted through the various data streams organized from waves of light. Catching glimpses of text encoding and images. He searched for the any encoding indicating Frequent Mind but came up empty. He passed through several gateways. The receptor tugged just above his eye, a light pain.

            Then it became a nightmare. He was running down tunnels of light and the walls were closing in around him. He had night sweats.

            ‘I’m Frequent Mind’ said a deep androgynous voice in his dreams. ‘And if you are listening, I will leave. The first detection of eavesdropping and I will go.’

Chay felt the traffic alter and get jammed. Then he felt the system shut down.

            “Corace, are you okay?” Chay felt a rustling on his shoulder.

            He turned, opened his eyes and looked at Sazz’s concerned face. “You were shaking, like uncontrollably,” she said.

            Chay’s head felt horrible -- like a sharp pin poking into his brain.

            “I thought you were having seizures,” said Sazz. “You woke me up.” He thin arms waffled in the air.

            “Say something,” she said.

            “Oh, I fell horrible,” said Chay, finally able to speak. “What time is it?”

            “Early. Maybe you should go to the nurse in the morning.” Her soft eyes showed genuine concern.

            “I will,” said Chay.

 

 

Nurse Kokase

 

 

“You had a mild stroke,” said Nurse Kokase. “I’m surprised. You have no predilections, you’re so young.” Her big, wide eyes grew even bigger.

            “I know,” said Chay. He rubbed his head.

            Nurse Kokase showed him the brain scans. “It happened right near the left hemisphere. It looked like major trauma more than clogging” -- voice now quiet --  “You damaged some of the cells in your receptor.”

            Damn, thought Chay, it happened right where he linked to the school’s portal system. Frequent Mind had tried to kill him there last night.

            Nurse Kokase began rubbing a glowing stimulator tube against his head. It started to feel better. “I know why you’re here,” she said. “I don’t know what you’re doing” -- concerned look --“but please be careful. Even if you’re not a student here, you’re under my care.”         

 

           

Fibez

 

 

“She can get into anything,” Fibez nodded at the girl called Starzen. She twisted her hips and tossed her hair, toying with the boy in front of her.

“What do you mean?” said Chay, sitting across a small dining table from Fibez.

“Like anything tight.”    

“You mean like the school’s portal networks?” Chay leaned forward, looking at student number two on his list. Fibez looked exactly like the image Billian had given him, tall, gangly, unathletic, and goofy.

“No, clothes, I mean man. Barely fits. Lookit those tight clothes. That dress fit any tighter and she be suffocating.” Fibez whirled his gaze back around with a smile. "Heh.

            “Can You imagine networking with her? I’d like to put my male projector into her female socket twenty times a day.” Fibez held up his hand. “Then we let out carbon-bits combine one by one“--he sprinkled his fingers -- “until a beautiful kack child popped out.” He made a popping sound with his mouth. Then he suddenly looked forlorn. “She’d never let me though.

            “Now, that girl over there.” Fibez pointed to a broad-shouldered red-head standing with a group in the corner. “I networked my portal on the downstairs, if you know what I mean, with her all the time.” He gave a sly grin. “But, the hell, she gave me a virus. I never network with that huss again. Two weeks of negabiotics before I got rid of that damn rash.”

            “Can you introduce me to her?”

            “Oh-hoh,” said Fibez. “You’re new here and already you want to get that --“

            “I mean Starzen,” said Chay, nodding toward the slimmer girl. Her tight skirt clung to her curvy rear as she twisted her hips. Starzen looked more effectively attractive than she did on his portal list, mostly because the image Billian had given him was just of her face, not the rest of her body that everyone in the dining room seemed to be enjoying.

            “Oh,” said Fibez. “No, sorry man, you gotta get that stuff yourself. She’s too cool for me. I can’t even get near her. Oh hey wait. You know what? I think she has a game tonight. Maybe you can go wait for her afterwards like all the rest of her clan --“

            “What game?” interrupted Chay.

            “Tuberball,” said Fibez, looking at Chay like he was dumb. “Rayen stadium. They play Traty Academy tonight.”

            Chay decided to try a new approach. “Do they play frequently?”   

            “Huh?”

            “Do you mind if they play frequently?”

            Fibez had an aghast look on his face. Fibez was either a good actor, or truly had no clue what Frequent Mind was.  “Man, what you been jiggling your brain with -- I can’t understand you. Are you scuzz or something--

            “I don't know what--”

            “Hey, check out my monkey.” Fibez, suddenly changed the subject and pulled out a mini portal which he set on the table. And out popped a monkey. “Hi, I’m Veeper,” said a hologram, extending a hand to Chay.

            “I coded and graphixed him myself,” said Fibez, proudly.

            This was going nowhere now, Chay thought. He stood and stared, entranced by Stazen. “I to go -- I mean I got to go.” He offered his hand to Fibez who clasped it self-consciously and then offered a curt nod to Veeper, before sliding around and out of the booth to leave.

            “Fibey, what are you doing over there?” one of Fibez’s friends called. “Are you gay?”

            “No man… C'mohn”

            Chay hurried away; then took one last gaze over his shoulder at Starzen.

She turned and looked, like she had sensed him.

 

 

Her Game

 

 

Chay lay on his bunk staring into the school news portal. He was perplexed, he didn’t find any inkling any of the student names Billian had given him could be the portal hacker they were after.

A new flash caught his attention. “Tonight Gratez Academy will go for its fifth win in a row against Traty Academy,” said the student reporter. She looked to her left. “Lekin, is here to tell us more about tonight’s match.”

            “I’m here with Gaya Knight, co-captain of Gratez Tuber ball team. Tell us how are you and the team preparing for tonight’s game?”

            “By not doing any homework,” joked the girl in silvery spiked Tuberball uniform.

            Another girl jumped in over her shoulder. “We’re gonna kill them.”

            “Die!” shouted another teammate, pumping her gloved fist.

            “Going to the game?” Sazz’s face appeared at his bunk. She climbed all the way up and sat at his side. She was hyper and Chay had hoped to avoid her, wishing she was still in class so he could have some quiet.

            “Oh, maybe,” said Chay, trying to listen intently. He noticed Starzen was now being interviewed by the reporter.

            “She sure is pretty,” said Sazz.

            “Oh, uh yah,” said Chay, wishing she would shut up so he could listen.

            “I can introduce you,” said Sazz. “I mean, I really know her --“

            “Oh, oh really?” said Chay, now giving Sazz his full attention.

            “Yeah, I was roommates with her last year.”

            “Yeah, yeah, that would be great,” said Chay. He sunk a little further back into his pillow.

           

           

On his way to the game Chay came across Fibez in the hallway.

            Fibez stood looking down over the railing to the floors below. “Oh!” he said, ducking under a thin stream of water and then jumping up to point his water gun. He shot a stream of red colored water at a group of students below. “Heehee!”

            A wet burst of cold green water suddenly struck Chay in the face.

            Fibez looked at Chay; then mild alarm entered his eyes. “Hey,” shouted Fibez to his friends down below. “You shot the security dude! Oops” -- Fibez covered his mouth realizing his mistake -- “I mean the student dude.” 

            Damn, was his guise that weak?

            “Thanks Fibez,” said Chay, wiping water from his nose. For keeping my identity a secret, he thought as he walked past. Bastard. How many students knew he was undercover?

 

           

Chay took an empty seat in the stands at the back of Rayen stadium. Most of the students sat in front of him, filling up the rows closest to the Tuberball playing surface. The surrounding glass walls changed the scores and counted up the time.

            Chay watched the two teams chase the Tuber ball all around the transparent court, flailing away with their rodders. Two girls collided and the crowd groaned.

            Chay couldn’t spot Starzen, until, there! He saw her jump from the Gratez Academy team bench.  Starzen standing poised with her two-handed rodder raised. The Tuberball bounced around suddenly to her side and she took a huge swing at it, knocking it back around the walls to the other side. It missed the opposing goal by inches. Starzen whirled around and smashed her rodder against the wall. Crack! It smashed into bits, much to the delight of the crowd.

            “Whooo!”  someone yelled.

            Chay stared at the broken pieces. He could just barley make out the fit of swear words she was shouting.

            What was wrong with her? Chay thought she had made a good shot. He watched her drift to the open side panel where her coach handed her another rodder.

            Before she got back into play, the other team scored and Starzen whirled and a mask of rage broke upon her face. She then charged at the first girl in vision and struck her with the rodder. Chaos ensued as two of the girls from the other team jumped on top of Starzen. Then both teams went berserk, dropping their rodders and throwing punches.

            The crowd screamed and cheered.

            Blood spurted on the glass wall.

            Chay turned and walked out. “Jesus.”

           

 

He wandered around the halls outside the stadium.

            “Corace! Corace!” called Sazz. He saw her coming around a crowd of students. “Told you I’d keep my promise.” She smiled and grabbed his hand.

            She pulled him to a set of doors. And pushed her way in.

            Highlights of past seasons played out on the walls and trophies spun in the air. “There she is,” whispered Sazz.

            They approached a large group of girls from Gratez Academy still in their uniforms.

“Starzen! Starzen!” Sazz called.

“Yes?” said Starzen, whirling.

“This is Corace.” She indicated Chay.

“So?” said Starzen and turned away, backed to joking with the team.

Sazz tapped her on the shoulder. Starzen gave a wicked smile. “Uhm, who exactly are you?”

Sazz looked wounded. “I -- I was your roommate last year.”

“Oh,” said Starzen. “Guess I forgot. Goodbye.”

“Wait,” said Sazz.        

Chay spoke out: “Starzen, you’re good at tuberball. Why do you get so angry?”

He approached her slowly.

She looked at him as if for the first time, appraising, deciding. "Hi."

Was that how she decided who could talk to her, by their looks?

She still had her tuber uniform on. Blood dripped from her left nostril; and she dabbed it absently with a towel. “I don’t know -- ” she nodded -- “I just hate it losing. I hate it.” She lowered her shoulders under the weight of the huge silver pads.

            “You only missed a shot. So what?”

            “They scored and I don’t miss those,” she said, smiling lightly at him.

            “Well, you did. Who cares? You’re still the top ranked Tuberball player on your team.”

            Starzen breathed a sigh of misunderstanding on Chay. The she turned her face away.

            “Spit out your gum in his face,” said one of her teammates, coming up from behind, and chiming in.

            “No,” said Starzen, looking Chay in the eyes. “I kinda like him. I know what he is saying.”

            Several more of her teammates appeared behind her.

            “Yeah, please don’t do that gum thing,” said Chay, eyeing the other girls, and thinking her gum on his face now kind of turned him on.

            Suddenly she reached out, and to Chay’s surprise, put her hand lightly on his face. But it wasn’t gum, just gentle fingers and then the press of her dry palm. She left it there:

            Your thoughts are electric

            How can you hear me? Stop!

For a second, she closed her eyes as if in concentration and then took it off.

            Then Chay felt it: She was afraid to lose.

            God girl, how are you hearing me?

            Chay waited for her inner thoughts. She transmitted them to him: Like you, I have a receptor in my brain.

            You’re not supposed to have one. None of the students are. Didn’t they scan you for one?

            I’m stealthy. Chay saw her smile.

            This could get you in a lot of trouble – kicked out of Gratez if you’re caught.

            I don’t care. And you won’t tell will you? She reached out and touched his hand.

            Some of her girlfriends started laughing.

            Chay wanted some privacy --  to think more clearly.  How do I connect to you—later tonight? We’ve gotta talk.

            Starlight. My handle is Starlight.

             

 

Starlight

 

What were you expecting? Chay heard Starzen’s voice clearly in his head, once he connected to Starlight in his dreams.

            Can you help me? Chay transmitted.

            With what? Starzen answered.

            You know the school’s portal system. Have you noticed Frequent Mind?

            No, she answered. -- And so seriously, Chay was apt to believe her.

            You’re sure? Haven’t you noticed the extra portal traffic it’s making? Haven’t you felt it get shut down at night, in you dreams?

            No, she answered. I don’t really use it much, I don’t want to get caught. I don’t want them to remove my receptor. Serious again. ‘Cept one time--

            “Corace, Corace, Corace.” A rustling at his shoulder.

            “Damnit!” said Chay, opening his eyes.

            “Sorry,” said Sazz, eyes widening and pulling back from his bunk. “You were having the seizures again. I was just doing what you said -- “

            “It’s alright,” said Chay, rubbing his temple and noticing the piercing pain. “I gotta get out of bed.”

            “I’m off to class,” she said.

            “Bye, Sazz,” said Chay, looking after her as she left their dorm room.

 

 

Starzen

 

“Hi Starzen. About that invitation -- “

            One of Starzen’s friends stuck her head into Chay’s Portal. “Oh, he’s cute,” she said. A couple of other girls took turns looking: “Let me see!”

            “Where’d you meet him?”

            “Is he new?”

            Chay ignored them.  All the girls were trying to look at him now, through Starzen’s portal.

            Starzen reappeared. “Sure, come on over. See you tonight.” She blew a kiss and then disappeared.

           

 

Chay walked around the dark dorm room looking for Sazz. He saw a trace of light coming from the adjoining bathroom and heard the shower running. And he stepped in.

         Through the gold-tinted shower shield he could see Sazz’s form.

         “Sazz?” he called.

         “What!” she answered in her cheery tone.

         “Can you help me?”

         “Sure,” she said. And then she stepped out of the shower once dry.

          Chay brushed by her and walked behind the shield and took over the shower.

          Once done, he got dressed in what he thought would fit in with Starzen’s clan.

 Sitting before her mirror, he let Sazz paint black lines around his eyes. Looking properly dead, he stepped away.

  “You look ready,” she said.

  “Thanks Sazz.”

  “See you there,” she said.                              

            He gave a hall car the portal directions and sat back for the ride. He soon neared his destination and when it was too crowded with students to drive any further, he hopped out. The car disappeared. 

Music cascaded throughout yards of interconnecting hallways. Packs of students stood wall to wall and Chay had to push his way through the crowd. The sounds grew to deafening levels.

            “Hi Corace!” shouted Juliace, much to his surprise. She stood close and shouted into Chay’s ear. “Didn’t know you were the party type.”

            Chay pressed his mouth toward her ear. “Either did I.”

            “See you around,” she said.

            Chay got moving, heading toward Starzen’s room.

            On the way, he saw Fibez standing in a corner with two girls. He had his mini-portal out and Veepers the grapphix monkey was dancing around. Fibez was asking the girls if they’d like to ‘pet his monkey’.

            To his left was Starzen’s dorm room and when he got there he had to shove through more students. One with purple data glasses gave him a dirty look as he scraped past.

            Inside, groups of student’s danced. Several portals were projecting against the walls sending out shocks of colors with the music. Lyrics frothed forth: I’m gonna fall. You’ve got it all. Beneath the world we crawl. Now fade with me.

            Chay looked for Starzen.

            “Hi!” she made him jump, yelling into his ear. “Huhhuhuh!”

            Chay grabbed her shoulders reflexively.

            “Thanks for coming,” she said into his ear. She had blue stars painted around her eyes and a pair of red devil’s horns projected above her head. Her yellow eyes gave him the devil’s glare. And then she disappeared back into the crowd.

            When she came back, she had a drink in her hand. She pushed it at Chay.

            He resisted.

            “Are you afraid, Corace?”

            Chay drank it: and the rest of the night passed in a blur. He seemed to remember being enshrouded by Starzen’s portal; there were trees and a cliff overlooking the night sky. But later, he was sure he and Starzen had made love, in the deafening darkness.

                       

Dean’s Warning

 

“Listen, Chay. We can’t have staff interacting with the students physically. Intimately.  I know you’re not on our official payroll, but I consider your one of our staff.

“We don’t spy on our kids’ dorm rooms here at Gratez (probable lie), but I heard rumors of you getting a bit too close with one of our students.”

“What you heard could be wrong,” said Chay, slinking deeper into his seat across from Dean Ness. He wondered how much she knew -- probably not the whole truth if she hadn’t thrown him out yet.

“I don’t know, I just heard rumors.” Dean Ness leaned forward. “The youngest students we have here are thirteen, the oldest barely eclipsing eighteen. They’re children.”

Chay stood to go.

“Chay, they’re so easily impressionable at this age. Don’t make them something when they don’t know yet who they really are.”

“Thanks for the advice.” Chay backed to the door.

“Just be careful,” said Dean Ness, “or” -- she have him a stern look -- “we’ll have to remove you. They need our guidance Chay, that’s how we love them.”

 

  Chay had one more stop, before he retired for the night. And he didn’t look forward to it. He was starting to feel sick; perhaps he was coming down with a virus. All he wanted to do was get back to his dorm room and sleep.

  “Where were you?” Billian demanded. “All the portals went down last night.” He gave him a hurt look as if to say, Where were you when we needed you?

   “Sorry,” said Chay. “I was…I was…”

            “Look,” said Billian, pointing to a portal projection of data. “We just had a major security breach and I wish you could’ve been here to help. Together, maybe we could have caught Frequent Mind.”

            “I was busy,” said Chay, thinking of his night with Starzen and the mess it had caused. He sighed and handed his mini portal to Billian to transfer the data for later analysis.

            “I’ll be ready next time,” said Chay, taking back his portal with the new security breach data.

            He left Billian and hopped into the first hall car.  

            The ride made him terribly dizzy and he threw up out over the side. He began to tremble and felt like he had a cold fever. Had Starzen poisoned his drink?

            He felt a ramming from behind and his head cracked against the back of the seat.

            It was Starzen and a group of friends, crashing their hall car into his. “Hi!”

            “Starzen, please stop. What did you do?”

            His car jerked as they rammed him again, and laughed. High shrieking piercing laughs, that cut his ears to the bone as they sped off.

            He didn’t know how he survived it, but the car finally dropped him off at his door.

            Chay fell to the floor and Sazz came rushing to help him to his bed.

            “It’s gonna be alright. Corace? Corace? Here hold my arm….”

 

 

Bad Case

 

Chay awoke, to the concerned gaze of Nurse Kokase.

           “How did I get here?”

She looked at him with her big eyes. She lowered them: “You got canveritis. Your friend brought you here in a car.”

            “What!” said Chay in disbelief. “You mean the STD? Like the female passed disease?”

            “I’m sorry to have to break the news.”

            “I can’t believe this. Wait till I get that girl.”

            “What girl? I would like to treat her also. Can you tell us who she is?”

            “No,” said Chay.

            “Why not?” said Nurse Kokase. “It will save a lot of others from this misery if you let us treat her before she infects others.”

            “No,” said Chay. “Tell me: what am I going to do?”

            “There are some treatments.” She searched his eyes. “I don’t know what you do to yourself.”

            Chay was silent.

            “The robot can help you.”

            Chay noticed the infirmary robot catching his eye for the first time. “Can I take your pulse?” said the robot, its transparent paneled brain flashing and coming forward to reach for Chay’s wrist.

            “No,” said Chay, slapping at the plastic arm.

            “Let him help you,” pleaded the nurse. “If you don’t eventually it’ll turn lethal. It will poison your bloodstream until you die.”

            “How long?”

            “Within a year.”

            “Alright. Alright!” Chay threw down his hands and followed after the robot.

            “You made the correct decision,” said the robot, turning to study his face. “Painful, but the right one.”

           

 

Chay spent two weeks in bed: painful ones, just as the robot said. For most of the first week he was too sick from the robots chemical intravenous treatments to even leave bed. The robot had arranged for him to recover in an anonymous sick bed because he was too embarrassed to see anyone.

            “Let me die,” he once exclaimed to the ceiling. But, then he was glad he didn’t for the next day the robot brought new treatments and then he began to feel better.

            “Get well, Chay.” And the robot left.

 

 

Glass

Chay was in a hurry and so he jumped into one of the hallway cars without waiting for it to even stop. He entered the teachers’ access code into his portal so he could locate Starzen’s current location. It traced her by student ID and he gave the info to the car; and it promptly changed directions in the hall and carried him through a set of arches and down across a long transparent tunnel. Far below he could see several classes in session and then blue ripples as he passed through the energy barriers that recharged the cars and then the car led him out over the cafeteria.

            Chay saw a food fight in progress. He saw Starzen, he could swear. She was leaving. “Get down, there, now,” said Chay.

            The car hurried along until it reached an exit and slid down the long tunnel, past several startled students on foot, and then it leveled off with a small curve. The car emerged in the edge of the cafeteria and Chay hopped out.

            “You must pay,” said the car, following him.

            “Later,” said Chay, kicking it in the side.

            A siren began to glow and sing from the car. “I know you. You will be prosecuted!”  It drove off to look for security.

            The cafeteria menu flashing the day’s meals dominated the curved walls and Chay brushed past the long lines. “Look out tard! Watch it!” He lost sight of Starzen, but then using the coordinates in his portal he spotted her.

            “Starzen!” he called; she ducked and ran.

            “Wait!”

 

Her Dorm

 

Chay was pissed. He had followed Starzen until she escaped from him by entering her class. Chay started after her, but turned away after he saw all the students staring at him.

            Perfect, since she wasn’t being honest with him, he wouldn’t be with her.

            He figured he had two hours or so, while she sat in class.

            He took a hall car immediately to Starzen’s dorm room.

Chay looked over his shoulder and didn’t see any students. He quickly slipped his portal card into the slot and waited for the door to open. It admitted him with a swing.

            Chay tiptoed into the room and breathed a sigh of relief when the room appeared empty.

            He got to work, slipping on some gloves and then walking to Starzen’s side of the room where she kept her main portal. He sat down on the side of her bed and switched her portal on. It began to glow.

Chay quickly made an exact image of Starzen’s main portal to his own. After a few seconds, he stood to leave. But something caught the corner of his eye.

In the front of her data were several pictures. He sifted through a group of several typical school girl images until he noticed one of Starzen standing in a bikini by the pool. He brought up another and it moved and followed as she walked through the halls in another bikini.

            Chay carefully marked their place on his portal and headed for the door.

            He backed his way out and bumped into something soft:

            Damnit, he sighed

“Thanks for making love to me,” she said.  “You’re the only one I’ve ever met like me.”

“How did you know I’d be here?” he demanded.

“I don’t like that class. I never stay the whole time. Oh, I know you’re from Gratez Security. I knew all along. You hardly act the part of a student.

“Though”—she touched his face—“you look young.”

“Cut it out,” he said, removing her hand. “And stand clear, I’ve got work to do.”

He started off, embarrassed.

“I know all about you,” she said. “What will your wife think?”

He turned back. “You—bi…”

“What?” She shrugged. “Someone had to contact her…about us.”

He grabbed her chin, threateningly close to her neck “Remember, Starzen. You mustn’t say a word about this to anyone.” Chay held up a finger. But he felt the same way: she was as close to him as he ever felt about a women or a girl.

            “I won’t.”  She snuggled close to him. “I learned a lot from you. Not anything from the mind”—she kissed his cheek—“no from you, I learned from the body.”

            “Good Lord,” sighed Chay. And nervously brushed his hair and looked over his shoulder.

            Two female students were coming, chattering loudly. Probably her roommates.

            “I’ve got to go.”

 

 

Report to Dean

”And so, what were the results?” said Dean Ness.

            “Negative,” said Chay. “She cleared it out. She watered down her portal of anything even remotely incriminating or telling before I got there. It was like she was expecting it.” But, he didn’t Dean Ness about the images she planted where he would see them easily.

            “The portals were down last night. Weren’t you watching?”

            “I was still investigating,” said Chay, getting tired of making excuses. “It took awhile.” Lie, he went to bed in grief, wondering if Starzen had actually contacted his wife.

            “You know we won’t get that many chances.” Dean Ness turned away, trying to hide her disappointment. “So what now?”

            “I don’t know Dean Ness. I don’t know. I guess we keep on looking.”

 

Stars

 

Starlight. Starlight. I need to talk to you.

            What? Starzen answered.

            Are you sure you don’t know anything? About Frequent Mind.
            No. They don’t tell the students things like they tell you.

            Oh, you know too?

            Of course. I figured out you were scuzz the moment you arrived.

            Corace, I gotta go.

            Bye.

 

  Chay disconnected with Starlight and searched the school’s portals on his own. He raced through heaps of data until he reached a dead end.

            Then, he felt a piercing in his brain.

            And he saw a shadow swimming through the data. It was very dark. It didn’t look like Starlight.

 

           

Warning

 

“Chay, I don’t think you’re brain can take much more. These seizures might kill you.” The nurse looked at him with her big eyes. Still attractive, but for the first time, all Chay noticed was how old she was. Perhaps it was the light.

            She put down the brain scanner.

            Chay sighed. And turned away.

            She began rubbing the glowing stimulator tube against the side of his head. “I can only repair this so much. The vessels near your receptor cells are weakening. Nothing is ever like new. Next time it might kill you.”

            “I know,” said Chay, getting off the examining chair.

           

 

Late

 

Chay lay in bed tossing and turning. His head ached with frustration and he couldn’t sleep.

            A flicker came into his eye and at first he thought it was Sazz, but then he heard the gently buzzing of a communication probe, and felt its gentle spotlight.

“It’s over,” said Chief Pitz, through the probe. “I’m calling off the investigation. You can come home now. I heard what happened with you and a student -- ”

            “Wait,” said Chay. “I think I got some info -- ”

            “Chay, come home. It’s too late.”

            “No,” whined Chay. “It’s not too late. I can still do this.”

            “Sorry Chay, we missed.” But the eyes of Chief Pitz said, You missed.

            Chay watched the probe fly away and out the door.

             

 

Call From Home

 

Chay stood with his hands in his pockets, underneath the cygrown trees. Underneath the expansive dome of the student park, a gently breeze rattled the branches and raked the thick grass. He waited there, exactly where his portal message told him.

            And when he thought it couldn’t get worse, a probe approached him. “Chay,” it said, “Message from your wife.”

            She was crying. Chay saw the flashes of divorce on the screen.  

Chay,” whispered his wife Jeen through tears. “There was a video sent to me of you at a party with some girl wearing devil horns. And you were kissing.” Jeen could barely speak.

            “Jeen, I can explain,” spoke Chay.

            “I filed for divorce.”

            “No,” said Chay. “No. I can explain.”

            “I don’t care what type of undercover requires that,” said Jeen. And then she disappeared with the probe.

            I can explain.

           

 

You Okay?

 

“You okay?” said Sazz, climbing up to his bunk.

            “I feel dead,” said Chay. “It’s like my body is still alive, but my soul is dead.”

            “You look -- older,” Sazz blurted out. “I don’t know, older. I can see it in your eyes.” She put her hand over his heart. “But, you’re still alive. Something's beating.”

            He tugged at a strand of her long blond hair, it was soft and smooth between his fingers. “I was alive Sazz, but not now. Not ever again.” Chay could see dust particles floating behind her head, back where the outside view of the sun was just an illusion. Would always be.

            “Maybe, you should go to the nurse,” said Sazz. Her hand moved to his forehead. “Did you just break up with your girlfriend? Really, I didn’t know you had one.”

            “It was worse than that,” said Chay, lamenting. And then he flashed back to when he first met Juliace. And the story she showed him of the king who betrayed his wife and then killed himself when she found out.

 

Shooting Stars           

             

Chay stood in the open door. “Starzen, what are these Tracer Star cases doing in your room?”

            “They’re not mine,” she said. A look of shock on her face.  “Maybe someone left ‘em here. We have a lot of parties in this room. You should know…”       

            “There yours aren’t they?” Chay waved the empty shells in the air.

            “No,” she said, making doe eyes. “Honestly…I would tell you if they’re mine. Besides why do you care? How do you know what they are?”

            “Well, they’re illegal. I’m taking them with me,” said Chay putting them under his coat.

            “Please do,” said Starzen, grabbing his arm. “Thank you security boy for helping me out. And tell me whose they are when you know. I don’t like dangerous things.” Her voice rose a pitch.  “Chay, I’m scared—they won’t pop will they?” Starzen smirked and leaned toward Chay for an embrace.

            “Damn you girl! How’d did you get into my dreams?”

            Chay turned to leave. He wanted to run.

            “No, you’ll go back crying to your wife. You’ll never be there for me?” He could hear her following after him.  “Damn you scuzz,” she called out through a fresh flow of tears.

 

 

Park

 

As Chay crossed the student park a probe reached him. Its mechanical eye made sure he was looking and then showed Chief Pitz’s face.

            “Hello Chay.”

            “Hi.” Chay turned to face a cygrown tree.

            “I thought I ordered you home. Don’t make us send in someone after you. Come home, Chay.”   

            “I want to know!”

            “Give it up, Chay. You checked her portals and she was clean. It’s over.” Pitz orange eyes glowed with concern and then pity. Pitz put a virtual hand on Chay’s shoulder.

            “No,” said Chay, shrugging it off. “No. I’ve never failed a guess. I don’t give up.” And then he stalked away from the probe.

            “You’re gonna get yourself into trouble...” The voice trailed after Chay. “I will send someone into remove you if I have to. Get out of there by tomorrow.”

 

 

Who?

 

Chay was packing up his things. He didn’t have much, just a few articles of clothing. Sazz had a sad look in her eyes and was following him around.

            “I’m so sad to see you go,” she was saying. “I can’t believe you have to transfer again. Where are you going?”

            “Tren Beach,” he said.

            “Wow, isn’t that next to the cygrown Pacific?”

            “Uhm, yah,” said Chay.

            “Wow, I’ve been there. You’ll love it.” Sazz stepped forward when she saw Chay had all his stuff packed in a backpack. “Bye Corace. I’ll miss you.” She gave him a fierce hug.

            Chay took the embrace. “Yeah, me too. I’ll miss you.”

            She started laughing. “You have the worst head of anyone I ever met.” She tapped him on the head, near the receptor that had caused him so many seizures.

            Chay walked out of the room and started down the hall.

            As he looked back, she was waving.

            Chay shuffled with his head down for awhile until he reached the first glass tunnel. He was about to call a car so he wouldn’t have to walk across, but then he heard Starzen. 

“Listen, I know how to find out who Frequent Mind is.” She walked up behind him.

            “Why do you care?” He stopped. The car energy from the tunnel played out on her face.

            “I want to know as much as you do. It’s a mystery!” Her eyes grew wide.

            “You got me divorced.” He turned his back to her.

            “It wasn’t my fault,” pleaded Starzen. “You went along.” She rested her chin on his shoulder.

            He fought back an urge to embrace her. “No, I’ve searched everywhere…” lamented Chay. “I thought it was you…” But, he knew he was lying. He couldn't trick himself anymore.

            “Not the main portal in Sector A,” whispered Starzen. “It monitors all portal traffic. In and out of the -- maybe it’s a hacker from outside.”

            Chay looked at her in disbelief. “Are you crazy? That’s top secret clearance only. A major crime. No way.” Chay shook his head. “Besides Billian said it’s impossible to get into the school’s portals from outside Gratez.”

            “Not true,” said Starzen. “Look, I snuck a receptor in to Gratez. I know there’s way into the portals from outside. You just gotta be smart. Besides, I know how to get into the Sector A portals without being caught. We could be in and out in minutes. Know one would know. I have friends…”

            “No, no way,” said Chay, getting up to leave.

            “Bye Stazen...” He struggled for words. “It was nice getting to know you. We can talk some nights while we sleep. But only with our minds.”

            “You’re just gonna leave? don’t you want to know? You’ve never missed solving a case.”

            Chay stopped dead. “How do you know that?”

            “I have my ways. Are you gonna let Frequent Mind ruin your record?” She brushed his arm.

            “I don’t hate losing as much as you do Starzen. I can take a loss with dignity once in a while.”

            “No you can’t.” She stood up and came close to him. “We’re alike. Both winning psychos.” She put a finger in his chest. “And you can’t handle losing anything as much as I can’t. You can’t stand losing games or…girls” She breathed gum in his face. “If you lose, you must attack something or somebody… Like me. Make them hurt as much as they hurt you.”

            They stood in silence. Chay wanted to kiss her. And he knew she was right: He would be nothing but a bucket of rage if he let Frequent Mind beat him. And if he lost his wife and now his pride he would be a wreck. And maybe if he caught Frequent Mind, he could somehow makes things better.

            “Meet me in Sector A tomorrow at Genz. I’ll call for you.”

            “I can’t, I have to leave.”

            “Well, hide somewhere. I’ll meet you tonight.”           

 

My Star

 

She called him when the time came.

            Corace? Starlight called. He felt her voice and sighed.     

            I’m here, where are you? Chay had been sleeping against a wall in the shadows.

            Coming. And there she stood, just coming into view. She looked different. Wearing data glasses flipped up on her head, and lots of makeup. The stars were around her eyes, and she wore a short dress -- with a thick sash.

            “It’s down there.” She pointed to the energy barrier that led to Sector A.

            “How do I get through?” he whispered. Pink energy beams whirled though the tunnels, preventing anyone from entering, without the right clearance.

            “Walk,” she said. She opened her portal, and it began to glow.

            Chay did as she said. Figuring if he died, he deserved it. As he made it to the energy beams, he put his hand gingerly forward and his palm passed right through. Then he kept on walking.

            He made it to the other side.

            He jumped in the first hall car and she gave it directions.

            It dropped him off near a door.

            He entered and fell to his knees. Sector A portals!

            He used his receptor to enter and there he found wonderful arrays of data.

            And then sirens went off, and he knew he was dead.

            He turned and ran.

            The beams let him out, back into Sector B.

            Chay edged forward like in a dream.  Starzen wasn’t there anymore. His heart pounded within, and his eyes couldn’t believe what was going on without. He stared in horror at the shadows of a long sash dress leading forward a pack of her girls.

            They appeared around the corner. Faces painted and dizzily spinning.

            “I knew it. Huhhuhhuh. You were mine!” Starzen reached under her dress and pulled out a bunch of Tracer Stars. And when she let them go with a sidearm throw; Chay thought, God, in a minute I’ll be lying flat on my back and smelling her gum.

            Pop! Pop! Pop! Chay fell to the floor beneath the pressure of the concussions and was blinded by the purple flashes. It all went dark and soon he lay looking at the ceiling.

            “Hi, sugar-kiss,” said Starzen her face coming over Chay’s in a sliding blur and then brushing his cheek with her lips. “I’m famous. I caught the thief!” Her starry eyes glistened. “Frequent Mind is famous!”

            “That’s what you did it for?” said Chay, saddened. Female faces above him went in and out of focus.

            “That’s what she did it for!” cooed another girl. There was high-pitched laughter in the background. Chay could just see various female shadows on the walls. “Did what for?” said another girl.

            “They’ll never know who you are. It’s just your hacker name that’s famous.” Chay tried to move but couldn’t.

            “Fine by me,” said Starzen looking to her friends for approval. “All that matters to me that knows is standing around right here. Besides” -- there was an uncommon look of honesty in her eyes -- “I don’t know who Frequent Mind is either.” She shrugged. “I really don’t. I didn’t come here to learn much. I don’t know why you were investigating me. I’m a Tuber player and that’s it. That's how I got into this school. It's their fault for recruiting me for sports. I’m not a hacker.”

            The girls all laughed.

            “Your bunch of wretches! Slimey bitty wretches.”

            “Oh,” said one of the girls. “Helpless little boy there is trying to get you back by calling you names.” She waved her painted hands over his face, giving him some air. The circles around her eyes glimmered.

            “You’ll never get me back,” said Starzen breathing pink flavors into Chay’s face. “Remember, I hate losing…Chay.”

            “How you’d know my real name? Help me up,” said Chay, feebly. He tried but his mind couldn’t get his body to go.

            Suddenly, Starzen lept away and all the girls took off running.

            Chay heard the inevitable clatter of boots as the guards approached. "Do not move!"

            And then, Chay felt his mind going, and then the back of his head, and then he blacked out.

           

           

Her Justice

 

Chay lay on a cot in a small cell. Blue-lighting-bars made from high voltage locked him in. They glowed brightly and if you touched them you died. Often prisoners used it as a quick method of suicide. That was that and he was stuck here.

            Through the bars, Gradey Manx, his lawyer spoke: “How you doing?”

            “Not so good,” said Chay, attempting weakly to sit up.

            “I’m sorry Chay, but the rule is no accessing the main portal files. I can’t break it for you. You didn’t have clearance. And they got you on ten different cameras. All from different angles. Perfectly lit. Like a magician.”

            Chay stared blindly though the humming bars at Manx. “It wasn’t her, I don’t think. She probably had someone help her with the cameras. She probably told someone.”

            “I don't know who you're talking about,” said Manx. “Did someone make you do this?”

            “That damn…” Chay’s voice trailed off. He balled his hands into fists, then put his face in his hands. He just sat there and rocked.

            “Chay, we need to talk about this coherently--”

            “That huss was from Sector Z. My mind does not belong there.” Chay mumbled on and on.

            Uncertain what to do, Manx added: “Yeah, the Z Sector is bad. Every child that grows up with a portal uses it for ill will. To bad they have to grow up there.

            “Huhhuh,” Manx laughed lightly as if remembering. “Chay, you know what they say, in the Sector Z of the Underworld? I have friends from there you know.”

            Chay didn’t answer.

            “Tell me,” suddenly screeched Chay.

            Manx tapped his tiny portal. “The Devil Loves Teenagers.”

            Chay reached for the glowing bars.

“Don’t do it!”