Chapter 4

Introduce Me

Lee heard more about Kara Thrace and the sims that evening when his roommate Marty returned from dinner. Lee had skipped the meal in the cafeteria, electing instead to get a sandwich from the vending machine downstairs in his dorm in order to work on the first big assignment in his Command Strategies class.

Marty came in at 21:30, talking exuberantly and smelling of beer. "You missed it, man. I told you that you should have come with us."

"Missed what?"

"About halfway to the cafeteria, we decided to go to McGee's instead. Guess who was there holding court at a corner table?"

Lee didn't turn around from proofing the last page he'd typed on his computer. "You know you're spending more time at McGee's this year than studying. Who was holding court at a corner table?"

"Kara Thrace, man. You did hear about the Viper sims, didn't you?"

At the mention of Kara's name, Lee finally turned. "I heard. So what's she like?"

"I didn't remember her being that good looking."

"Where have you seen her before?"

"She played for the Academy pyramid team a couple of years back. Not a starter, but she subbed in most of the games. Pretty damned good, too, for a freshman. If she hadn't gotten hurt right before the end of the season, she'd have been a starter by her second year."

"What happened to her?"

"She hurt her knee, I think. But then you wouldn't know that because you don't go to sporting events. You spend all your time with your nose in a book or glued to that computer working on assignments."

"And we know you don't. So go on with your story. We've established that she's attractive. Blond, brunette, short, tall?"

"Slim, short blond hair. Average height from what I remember. I only saw her sitting down tonight. She's hot, though. Oh, yeah. Damned hot."

"You get her autograph?"

Marty shrugged. "Nah. She was sitting with a bunch of her friends. Drinking and cutting up. I gave her a thumb's-up one time, though, and she raised her beer to me. She might even have winked, but I'm not sure. I couldn't see much through the cigar smoke."

"Has she got a boyfriend?" Now why had he asked that? What did he care if she had a boyfriend?

"It didn't look like it to me. Do you want me to find out for you?"

"You're the guy who said she was hot. I thought you'd have found out all about her."

"Give me time. I will."

Lee mused. "If she has a boyfriend, it would be tough if he were a pilot, wouldn't it? Knowing your girlfriend is just as good in the cockpit."

"Just as good? Hell. Better!" Marty smirked like he knew what Lee was thinking. "It wouldn't bother me, though. I'd put myself in her hands in a minute, less than a minute, couple of seconds, couple of nano-seconds."

"Put a sock in it, horndog," Lee said, "I got your meaning. Have you ever met a girl whose pants you didn't want to get in?"

Marty seemed to be thinking. "Not many, no. I'm not the brain you are Lee. The first thing I think about when I meet a girl is not her frakking IQ. I look at her lips and move down to her…"

"Cut it out!" Lee said more harshly than he'd intended. He went on, more gently this time. "If I start thinking about girls I won't get any more work done on this damned assignment and right now it's kicking my butt worse than any of Burgher's Viper sims."

"Okay, brain-man. Just because you're my roommate, I'll pass along a little something to help you on your quest for information. You know Karl Agathon, don't you?"

"We have a class together. Why?"

"He was in Thrace's entourage tonight. I don't think he's her boyfriend, but I got the impression they know each other pretty good. Bet he could tell you something about our Top Gun sim ace. And if you meet her, tell her your roommate's the man of her dreams. Her hot, sweet, wet dreams."

Lee finally laughed. "Right. You can count on me telling her that very thing. And thanks. Once in a while I realize why I put up with you."

Marty snorted. "I love you, too, man, even if you care more about your grades than you do a red-hot babe. Maybe I'd care more too if my old man was the commander of…"

"Cork it, Marty! Part of our roommate agreement is that we don't talk about my father."

"Sure, Lee. Time to hit the shower and think about a certain sim ace."

"Don't use all the hot water," Lee said absently as the door closed.

...

Lee waited in the hall the next day for Karl Agathon to leave their Strategy class. As Karl exited, Lee fell into step beside him. "How's it going, Agathon?"

"Man, that assignment kicked my butt. You sounded like you really understood what was going on. How long did you work on it?"

"Long enough." They walked in silence for a few steps and then Lee said. "I hear you're a friend of Kara Thrace. Is that right?"

"I guess you heard about yesterday. So what is it? You want to know if it's really true or just want to say the only way she could have done it was cheat?"

"Neither one. I just want to know something about her. No one has ever smoked all of Burgher's sims first time out. She made Academy history. What I'd really like to do is offer her my congratulations."

"Sorry, Lee. I didn't mean to jump you like that. It's just that most people don't believe it or if they do, they think she cheated."

"How could she have cheated? Burger changes those sims on the fly every single time. He's always coming up with new stuff to put in them, too. The only way somebody could cheat is if they could read his mind."

"The thing about Kara is that she's got lightening fast reflexes and probably the best hand-eye coordination of anyone I've ever known. When we were growing up, nobody could ever beat her in video games if it involved flying or shooting or anything like that. It's like when she was a baby, the gods reached down and touched her and gave her a special gift."

"That good, huh?"

Lee thought he would like to have had a chance to go up against her. He bet he could have given Kara Thrace a run for her money. Nobody had ever beat him either.

"I watched Kara smoke those sims." Agathon grinned. "It was just frakking awesome."

"Are you her boyfriend?"

"Me?" Agathon snorted. "No way. We're good friends. I've known Kara since we were kids. She's like a sister. You definitely want her on your side in a fight. She has a really mean right hook. She's a good drinking buddy, too. Look, Lee, I'll introduce you if you want to congratulate her, but if you think you'll get a date with her, forget it. You're not her type. I mean you are, because you're a guy, but you're not the kind of guy she goes for."

Lee felt himself bristle. "What's that mean?"

"No offense. You're too straight up serious and rules and regs for her. Kara's smart, but she's definitely not about the rules all the time. In fact, she's mostly not about the rules all the time."

"You've got it all wrong, Karl. I'm not in the market for a girlfriend. I've got one right now. I just don't want to pass up the chance to meet someone who aced Burgher's sims. So are you going to introduce me or not?"

"Sure. But don't say I didn't warn you."

"Warning taken. Where and when?"

"Where else? Tonight at McGee's. Table in the corner in the back. Anytime after 19:00."

Lee gave Agathon a questioning look. "Do you guys ever study?"

Karl laughed. "Sure. Before 19:00 and after midnight. That's when McGee runs us out."

TBC…