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Dr. Gantz--Shore Leave By Mitchell Moss My name is Dr. Gantz, and I have just saved the human race from invasion by aliens. Now it is time for some much-needed shore leave. After tricking the Vorklans into leaving human space, Emperor Campbell offered to buy me a new ship. It will require two weeks to build it, so in the meantime, Connell, Amanda and I have been offered shore leave, with an expense account. I have been allowed to choose any planet, and even though there are many more luxurious planets, I chose Houston, Earth, since it is the place of Amanda's home, and my earliest adventures. Connell caroused and partied, while Amanda and I toured the city, hoping to find memories. Amanda was very upset to see that most of her memorable places had vanished, including her grandfather's house, her schools, her dance studio, and many other sentimental places. It appeared that all of twentieth century Houston had been replaced. Our hopes returned when we found The Houston Historical Museum. We entered, and saw many pictures and models of Houston's past, including many of Amanda's favorite places. We found one exhibit called, "Entertainment History," and knew that we had to enter. They exhibited holographic models of many past entertainers, and clips from many shows from radio, television, movies, virtual reality, and early holographic entertainment. There was also a theater, where live performers sang old songs, and told jokes. Our heartbeats jumped as we noticed one exhibit that made the trip worthwhile; magic and illusion equipment. We saw equipment for many tricks and illusions, including several pieces from Amanda's grandfather's collection. It broke my heart to see them resting behind a stasis field. I had an idea, but did not have to tell Amanda, since it was obvious that she thought of it as well, as we eagerly rushed to the administrative offices. We explained our experience and skills, and after a quick demonstration of prestidigitation using some items from my pocket and from their desks, they agreed to hire us to perform in the theatre. They enjoyed my small show, but were most fascinated by Amanda's experiences from the twentieth century. Their attention was riveted on her, as she told stories about school, money, fashion, celebrities, current events, and other twentieth century experiences. After an hour of attentive listening, some of the ladies invited Amanda to join them for a night out with them. When she mentioned that she had nothing to wear, they excitedly agreed to take her shopping. This was obviously an offer that Amanda could not refuse, so I left and returned to my hotel. Connell and I decided to have a guys� night out, and went to a local nightclub. Connell showed himself to be very much the ladies man, as he flirted and danced with many beautiful women. He never failed to get a lady's comm number either. Meanwhile, I spent the evening sitting at our table, drinking non-alcoholic drinks, and thinking about Amanda. My next three days were spent with Amanda, preparing our shows at the museum, while Connell arranged dates with the women who he had met at the club. On the fourth day was our opening night, which was well received with thunderous applause and a standing ovation. Amanda and I decided to celebrate that night by taking Connell out to dinner at a fancy restaurant, and then to one of Houston's most exclusive nightclubs. We expected to enjoy ourselves, as usual, but an event occurred which ruined Connell's evening; his first rejection. A waitress was serving drinks at a nearby table. She was extremely beautiful, and had long, wavy hair, which appeared to be a combination of medium brown and gold. I had never before seen this color combination on a human, but it could have easily been artificially colored. Connell approached and tried to talk with her, but she appeared to politely walk away as he pursued her. Eventually, Connell ended his pursuit, and joined us at our table again. Connell sat with us, and told us, �There is something unusual about that waitress.� I replied, �There is nothing strange about her. You are just upset because she turned you down.� Then he said, �It is true that it is unusual for a woman to turn me down, but there are other unusual things about her. Her walk is smoother and more graceful than any other walk that I have ever seen, except for the most agile warriors. She also has an extremely well defined muscle tone.� I responded, �She is probably a dancer, and has had so many guys flirt with her, that she has become tired of it.� Connell then said, �That may be true, but there is still something very unusual about her.� Connell did not flirt with any other women for the rest of the night. He was obviously obsessed with that waitress. This was unusual, since I had never seen him so preoccupied with one woman before. This was possibly because she was the first woman who had rejected him. Near the end of that night, Connell approached her again. She continually tried to politely walk away from him, but he pursued her, refusing to take �no� for an answer. He finally returned to our table, with a smile on his face, and told us, �I am walking Heather home tonight.� I retorted, �You need to stop bothering her. She only agreed because it was the only way to stop your aggressive pursuit. She has no interest in you.� Then he explained, �I only wished to make sure that she would arrive home safely. I offered her a ride, but she said that she likes the exercise from walking. Then I offered to walk her home, since she could get mugged. She told me that she preferred to walk alone, but I insisted that she allow me to protect her. She finally agreed.� I tried to argue some more, but it was futile. He was too obsessed with her to listen. |
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