Chapter Nine
Lex had to admit the food was pretty good. The mashed potatoes had enough lumps in them to pass for real potatoes, and the meatloaf was moist and flavourful.
Lucas sat across from her, his blue eyes darting back and forth between his plate and Lex. He groaned inwardly when he spotted Kreig, Ortiz and O'Neill heading towards their table.
"Mind if we join you?" Kreig asked as he dumped his tray on the table and sat down. The other two followed suit. Lucas glared at them, only to be ignored. Instead, Kreig turned his attention to Lex. "I'm Ben. This is Tim and Miguel."
"Hi," Lex replied cautiously.
"This is Lex," Lucas offered when it became obvious that she wouldn't divulge the information herself.
"Cool name," Tim replied, spearing some re-hydrated peas.
"Lucas, I need you to have a look at my console again, it's acting up," Miguel said.
"I thought I might have to rewire it when I replaced that chip," Lucas frowned.
Lex's right eyebrow rose. "You're an electrician?"
Tim chuckled. "That's one way of putting it."
"What do you mean?" Lex asked, just a tad defensively.
It was Miguel who answered. "Lucas could probably take this boat apart piece by piece, put it back together and have it running better than ever. He's modified quite a few of her programs and systems."
Lucas began to squirm in his seat, his mouth gaping like a fish out of water as he tried to cut into the conversation.
"Yep, boy wonder here is a true genius, in the real sense of the word." Kreig slapped Lucas on the shoulder. Lucas sank even further into his chair.
"At seventeen, he's the youngest member on the ship as the chief computer analyst." Miguel nodded.
"That's right," Tim agreed readily. "Just last year he graduated Magna Cum Laude from Stanford University with a degree in Applied Principles of Artificial Intelligence."
"His I.Q. is so high, they have to adjust the grading system cuz when they tested him, they ran out of numbers," Kreig snickered.
By now, Lucas' face was completely red with embarrassment. Lex instantly felt bad for him and tried to lighten the mood. "Good! I'll know who to go to when I need to plagiarize a science report."
Everyone laughed, even Lucas, though it was a tad nervous. Lex caught his sigh of relief though, when the subject changed and he was no longer the topic of choice.
The others quickly finished their meals and Lex soon found herself alone with Lucas once again. Not only was she surprised to find she'd enjoyed the company of his friends, but she was even more shocked when she realized that she was glad that they had left them alone together.
Lucas fiddled nervously with his fork, clinking it against his glass repeatedly. Finally, Lex reached over and snatched it from his fingers. His head snapped up, his eyes startled.
"What's wrong?" she asked him with a frown, grabbing the rest of his utensils when he reached for them. Sighing, Lucas crossed his arms, his hands clamped tightly under his arms.
"Now you know my dirty little secret," he replied angrily.
Lex shook her head, nonplused. "What?"
"I'm a genius," he said sarcastically.
Lex rolled her eyes. "Lucas, locking yourself in your room, dressing up in women's clothing and wanking off to Barry Manilow is a dirty little secret. Being smart is a gift. Never be ashamed of that."
Lucas fought desperately to not laugh, but it burst out, causing several people in the mess hall to turn and look at them. "Barry Manilow?"
Lex grinned back at him. "Unless Michael Bolton is more your style."
"Not likely."
"Now, Luther Vandros, he was king. That man could sing."
Lucas nodded, but his grin faded. "It really doesn't bother you? My I.Q., I mean?"
"No, it really doesn't bother me. There is one thing that is bothering me, though."
"What?"
"What the Hell is Applied Principles of Artificial Intelligence?"
Lex had to admit the food was pretty good. The mashed potatoes had enough lumps in them to pass for real potatoes, and the meatloaf was moist and flavourful.
Lucas sat across from her, his blue eyes darting back and forth between his plate and Lex. He groaned inwardly when he spotted Kreig, Ortiz and O'Neill heading towards their table.
"Mind if we join you?" Kreig asked as he dumped his tray on the table and sat down. The other two followed suit. Lucas glared at them, only to be ignored. Instead, Kreig turned his attention to Lex. "I'm Ben. This is Tim and Miguel."
"Hi," Lex replied cautiously.
"This is Lex," Lucas offered when it became obvious that she wouldn't divulge the information herself.
"Cool name," Tim replied, spearing some re-hydrated peas.
"Lucas, I need you to have a look at my console again, it's acting up," Miguel said.
"I thought I might have to rewire it when I replaced that chip," Lucas frowned.
Lex's right eyebrow rose. "You're an electrician?"
Tim chuckled. "That's one way of putting it."
"What do you mean?" Lex asked, just a tad defensively.
It was Miguel who answered. "Lucas could probably take this boat apart piece by piece, put it back together and have it running better than ever. He's modified quite a few of her programs and systems."
Lucas began to squirm in his seat, his mouth gaping like a fish out of water as he tried to cut into the conversation.
"Yep, boy wonder here is a true genius, in the real sense of the word." Kreig slapped Lucas on the shoulder. Lucas sank even further into his chair.
"At seventeen, he's the youngest member on the ship as the chief computer analyst." Miguel nodded.
"That's right," Tim agreed readily. "Just last year he graduated Magna Cum Laude from Stanford University with a degree in Applied Principles of Artificial Intelligence."
"His I.Q. is so high, they have to adjust the grading system cuz when they tested him, they ran out of numbers," Kreig snickered.
By now, Lucas' face was completely red with embarrassment. Lex instantly felt bad for him and tried to lighten the mood. "Good! I'll know who to go to when I need to plagiarize a science report."
Everyone laughed, even Lucas, though it was a tad nervous. Lex caught his sigh of relief though, when the subject changed and he was no longer the topic of choice.
The others quickly finished their meals and Lex soon found herself alone with Lucas once again. Not only was she surprised to find she'd enjoyed the company of his friends, but she was even more shocked when she realized that she was glad that they had left them alone together.
Lucas fiddled nervously with his fork, clinking it against his glass repeatedly. Finally, Lex reached over and snatched it from his fingers. His head snapped up, his eyes startled.
"What's wrong?" she asked him with a frown, grabbing the rest of his utensils when he reached for them. Sighing, Lucas crossed his arms, his hands clamped tightly under his arms.
"Now you know my dirty little secret," he replied angrily.
Lex shook her head, nonplused. "What?"
"I'm a genius," he said sarcastically.
Lex rolled her eyes. "Lucas, locking yourself in your room, dressing up in women's clothing and wanking off to Barry Manilow is a dirty little secret. Being smart is a gift. Never be ashamed of that."
Lucas fought desperately to not laugh, but it burst out, causing several people in the mess hall to turn and look at them. "Barry Manilow?"
Lex grinned back at him. "Unless Michael Bolton is more your style."
"Not likely."
"Now, Luther Vandros, he was king. That man could sing."
Lucas nodded, but his grin faded. "It really doesn't bother you? My I.Q., I mean?"
"No, it really doesn't bother me. There is one thing that is bothering me, though."
"What?"
"What the Hell is Applied Principles of Artificial Intelligence?"