A Political Football
Harriet Garth watched as Donald Cochran's face filled the screen. He was so close, she wished she could physically shove him back, but he was broadcasting from New Tokyo.
"Congratulations, Harriet! You scored big! Tell me how it went!" He said with great glee.
"Christina Spencer is fine!" she said, with a subdued joy that only revealed itself in the way she stood, upright, shoulders back, and a determined glee in her eyes.
"She arrived earlier. That idiot Peller had these devices attached to her hands. Something about her power. We had them removed. She's adjusting. She's housed in the West...no! Ah, the East wing!"
She sat down and ran her hands across the desk She shook her head and held up a sheet of paper.
"Thanks for the map!"
"Don't thank me Harriet. We all benefit. With any luck, we can put a political end to that pompous ass Peller, once and for all."
"Serendipity, my dear Mr. Cochran. The intel paid off... I should find out what happened to her lover-boy... what's his name? Well, only if he's alive... damn that Peller! Well, I better go check on her, make sure all is well."
"Soon, Harriet!" he grinned and disconnected.
She practically danced away from her office, and found out Christina was at the horse stables at the Southwest end of Donald Cochran's estate.
Or was it Northwest?With the aid of her map, she got in a motor-cart and raced over. Then she stood at the entrance and watched the young girl carefully.
Christina turned around, grinning from ear to ear "The horse's name is Catharine!" she exclaimed.
"Indeed!" Harriet enthused, as she approached the girl.
"Would you like a trainer? Let me call Roger, he's very good with... "
Harriet stopped as she watched the girl mount the animal with a smooth, acrobatic grace.
"Horses! BE CAREFUL!"
She adjusted herself with ease, cooing softly to the graceful horse. She looked at the older woman with sadness and hope
"Harriet, why am I here?"
She was taken aback, smiled helplessly. "I want to keep you safe. I looked over your file. Your not a bad girl."
Christina rolled her eyes. "I don't believe you. I want to... but I don't... hey don't call me 'girl', ok? I'm not the child you think I am!"
Her voice was harsh and demanding, and the look in her eyes was cold and stubborn. Harriet grimaced, resisting the urge to drag her off the horse and slap her for her insolence and obvious ingratitude.
She fought off the urge to do so; whether Christina knew it of not, the two needed each other, and Harriet was determined to convince her of that.
"Woman... You're right and I'm sorry. You just look so young and healthy, for what you've had to endure."
Christina turned away, slipped her hands onto the reigns.
"I'm not trying to be ungrateful... but I attacked Simon Peller. I blinded Simon Peller. He 'called me a monster'. "
She made air quotes, and with a smirk on her face, she urged the horse from the stable.
"And you bring me into your home, you un-neuter me, because you feel bad for the poor little mutant?! I'm supposed to take you at your oh-so-altruistic word?"
Harriet felt intimidated by the brutal honesty this girl possessed, and she hoped it would not become a habit; didn't the child understand that honesty was not always the best policy?
"I prefer the name 'genetic variant', myself. You should consider it. You should be proud... the woman with something extra!"
I think I hate these fancy names... I'm a mutant, my cells are mutated! It's not a big deal.
"Your helping me so you can get elected."
Harriet shrugged, grinning from ear to ear. "I'm the best candidate for the job."
"I hope so," Christina replied.
Then she urged the horse into a gallop.
Harriet watched in horror, hoping the girl would not get herself killed.
That would ruin all her plans, and she would never get elected!
x-x-x
"I've been looking everywhere for you! No, wait! I haven't! We heard you were last seen in the company of Harriet Garth and so I started from there!"
Max looked at her longingly.
Max looked at her longingly, sadly.
"I missed you, fantasy girl... we all did."
She sat up on her queen-sized bed with the silk sheets and feather pillows and the ornately carved headboard. She tapped the tv gently and pulled a stuffed giraffe into her lap.
"It took me about 2 weeks to physically recover from that... encounter... Kyle didn't leave my side. We... left town-"
"You went to Norway... to the dark castle, and you brought home a piece of the magic!' he grinned knowingly.
"I... " she blinked, confused "well... the spell is safe right?"
"If you fix it I can talk more freely... yeh, it's good. Safe... except for the evil wizard who's trying to cast an immortality spell on himself!"
"Can't go back in there," Christina shook her head slowly "it's... addictive. Even the... the magic spell... protecting the spell became a priority and the prince was my guide... if I hadn't had those... "
Max sighed, twitched around. "I'm gonna miss you! Well now what can be done about the good spell and the evil wizard? There's the question of the magical princess who never saw that coming."
"The spell deserved to be free!" she shot back. "Oh, never mind. The handsome prince will look out for him. I... can't go back to Network 23 and I can't go back into Cyberspace... ever!"
Max sighed with guilt.
"I'm sorry! Please find it in your heart to forgive me? We've been friends forever... I don't want us to go down that path!"
"I'm safe here, Max. Simon Peller tried to murder me, Max."
Then she began to weep.
"I want to be with Theora and... you guys can't protect me anymore, Max!"
She turned to him. "Not that I deserve it... I did a horrible thing. In front of everyone with a tv."
"Awww! Christina I knew that wasn't 'you'. We're not mad at you. We just want you away from... well, back home."
"Away... from... "
Then she turned away from the thought, back to the ornate bed, and laid on her side.
"Harriet Garth wants me to help her get elected... against Simon Peller... and I'm ok with that. I'm a token mutant she dragged off the streets because she cares blah blah blah."
"That's not the problem!"
"I sleep in a real bed. Max, these covers are silk!" and her fingers danced across the spread in a demonstration of her satisfaction
"Harriet Garth works for 66. Network 66!"
He froze in place, every cyber-muscle in him on edge, watching carefully as her face went from confusion, to anger, to sadness and back again.
"She's not a bad person... a politician, but you can't hold that against her... I think... "
He got closer to the screen, wondering if it was a bad time to mention that no one had seen or heard from Ned Grossberg since the confrontation in 66's basement.
x-x-x
Kyle Cheviot stepped into the network 23 building. He was dressed in a fine gray suit that was giving him a horrible wedgie. He tried to straighten his tie as best he could, but it was a futile endeavor.
"Aw, fuck this!" He finally tore it off, then put on a handy clip-on bow tie, then reflected on the irony of it. Bow ties were his dad's favorite too!
However, it was the terms of his probation that he get meaningful employment. Being he was a "damn dirty mutant," no one was interesting in hiring him... save for good old dad, Ben Cheviot.
There were stipulations however. Wearing a suit into the network every day was a requirement. He was not supposed to flaunt the rules in anyway; he was not supposed to put people's heads through soda pop machines ever, he was not supposed to download and sell copyrighted material from Network 23 servers, nor any other rules, from misdemeanor or otherwise, was he to violate.
He was going to miss that!
Kyle Cheviot the rebel formerly known as Kyle Jennings, begrudgingly agreed to all of it. Christina was in a... safer… place, and taking care of his brother, was a priority. Here at Network 23 he had that much more chance of being able to do so.
"Boo! he yelled to the lady who crossed by him. He couldn't help himself.
"Kyle, oh my God!"
Theora punched his arm, put her hands on her hips "if it had been anybody else but you… "
Kyle chuckled heartily. "Please forgive me, lovely lady! Other than that I promise to be a good boy. I won't even slash a tire!"
Certainly good to hear, Theora drawled.
"You look better as well... I mean the dress… fancier than usual."
We're going to see Christina. Edison and I want to look my best. Well, do I?"
"You don't have to ask, Kyle said feeling disappointed. I wish I could go... I need to… "
"I understand," Theora told him gently.
I don't!" he replied sharply "buuut I made a promise to princess as well as to my brother…. sorry. I can tell your worried. If it's about my brother, don't. He really is better now, and we're going to protect him from Simon Jerk-off. If it's about Murray... well I heard he's not real happy, but I signed a contract and everything. Going to be the best behaved hooligan you ever seen!"
He shifted back a little turned away.
"Tell her I said hi," he mumbled then he moved off to his new assignment jiggling his butt a little as he tried to work the wedgie out from his ass.
