Jonathon walked into the gymnasium, hiding his displeasure at being here. The room was full of people and noise. Tables were set in neat rows all around the room and various displays were on top of the tables. Above the door was a large paper banner stating: “SCIENCE FAIR TODAY”. As Jonathon walked in, a heavy-set woman rushed over, puffing slightly from the exertion. “Dr. Jace,” she bubbled, “you made it. I’m so glad to see you.” Smiling at him, she offered her hand.

Jonathan moved his bishop. "Check," he said. As he turned slightly from the computer screen, he reviewed the data on the latest test of his armor. To his disgust, the .30 caliber round had managed to penetrate the plating. He could make it thicker, but the added weight gave a negative return on investment. While he considered the problem, he quickly filled in three more clues from the New York Times crossword puzzle. Then he turned back to the chess game. A quick shift from his rook was mate. He snapped off the screen in disgust.

Jonathon hummed softly to himself as he checked his appearance in the mirror. Frowning slightly at his tie, he made subtle adjustment to the image generator, tightening the lines on the tie and smoothing out wrinkles. He made a mental note to tone down the realism subroutine next time.

The fact that the tuxedo was holographic didn't detract from how well it looked on him. He had hired a personal image consultant years ago and never regretted it. Everything he wore and carried was carefully crafted to enhance his appearance and to look good on him.

JACE was flying over the city when he heard the police sirens. Intrigued he turned and homed in on them. There, at the First National Bank. A collection of police cars was out front, officers behind the cars with guns drawn. He could faintly hear yelling over a bullhorn as he drew closer. Even as he landed on a nearby roof, he saw media vans from the local television and radio stations pulling up. A smile crossed his face. "Excellent," he murmered.

ooc: Just a warning, this is quite a bit longer than I really wanted, but I was too chicken to cut it down. ; )

Rachel chewed her lip as she listened to the rings. She wasn’t sure if she wanted her parents to answer or not. She was afraid of how her parents, especially her father, would react. She turned in place, then gagged slightly as the phone cord wrapped around her neck. Struggling to untangle herself, she almost missed her mother’s “Hello”

“Hi Mom,” Rachel answered brightly. She was determined to keep this as upbeat as possible. “It’s me.”

Rachel looked out the window of the cab, trying to see the cause of the disturbance. Something had stopped traffic completely. “Sorry, Lady,” the cab driver said. “Some kind of accident or something up ahead.” With a wave of a hand he indicated the stopped traffic in front of him. “I’ll get ya through as soon as something clears.”

The huge man in dirty coveralls studied the board for a moment, wondering how he would get to Star Station Regellus. He couldn't afford passage except for low class. Even that would empty his pockets and leave him penniless in an unfamiliar environment. He thought back to how he had fallen so low.

Seven Years ago:

Cady had noticed a few of her companions had become less personable to her over the past few days. It was no secret to her that some of them didn't like her. She couldn't be sure if it was her disposition regarding Rhenn's affliction, or the confession she had made to the group concerning her unsavory occupation, that had unsettled them.

The warm summer breeze carried the smell of wild flowers across the plains. Khevar inhaled the scent deeply, smiling in appreciation. It was truly a beautiful day, perfect for riding. As he rode along, he carried his bow ready, firing the occasional arrow at a distant tree, just for practice.

Hiss, thump. Cheers accompanied the arrow striking the painted heart of the stuffed antelope. The archer turned and smirked at his opponent. "Top that, Shorty" he said under his breath as he stepped back. Khevar grinned back at him. Barely 5 feet tall, he was used to being called short and it rarely bothered him any more. So long as he had his bow, he was tall enough to handle any challenge. Even this one. There were only two targets he could shoot at, the eye and the heart. The eye would win, the heart only tie. At 100 paces, neither was very easy.