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CHAPTER TWO

1130 Hours, August 17, 2517 (Military Calendar)

Eridanus Star Systelow on the playground of Elysium City Primary Education Facility No 119

Dr Halsey and Lieutenant Keyes stood in the se and watched children as they screamed and chased one another and cliravballs across the repulsor courts

Lieutenant Keyes looked extreray suit, a white shirt, and no tie Dr Halsey found his sudden aardness char

When he had complained the clothes were too loose and sloppy, she had alhed He was pure military to the core Even out of uniforid, as if he were at perpetual attention

"It’s nice here," she said "This colony doesn’t kno good they’ve got it Rural lifestyle No pollution No crowding Clirunted an acknowledgment as he tried to smooth the wrinkles out of his silk jacket

"Relax," she said "We’re supposed to be parents inspecting the school for our little girl" She slipped her arht such a feat ihed and pulled away from him, opened her purse, and retrieved a palm-sized pad She adjusted the brilare With a tap of her finger, she accessed and scanned the file she had asseenetic inal study--he was as close to a perfect subject for her purposes as science could determine But Dr Halsey kneould take more than theoretical perfection to make this project work People were enes

There were environmental factors, mutations, learned ethics, and a hundred other factors that could make this candidate unacceptable

The picture in the file showed a typical six-year-old rin that revealed a gap between his front teeth A few freckles were speckled across his checks Good--she could match the patterns to confirled the pad toward the Lieutenant so he could see the boy, Dr Halsey noticed that the picture was four ed? Sloppy She ular basis until phase three started

"Is that him?" the Lieutenant whispered

Dr Halsey looked up

The Lieutenant nodded to a grassy hill at the end of the playground The crest of that hill was bare dirt, scuffed clean of all vegetation A dozen boys pushed and shoved one another--grabbed, tackled, rolled down the slope, and then got up, ran back, and started the process over

"King of the hill," Dr Halsey remarked

One boy stood on the crest He blocked, pushed, and strong-armed all the other children

Dr Halsey pointed her data pad at him and recorded this incident for later study She zooet a better look This boy sap between his front teeth A split-second freeze frame and she matched his freckles to the picture on file

"That’s our boy"

He was taller than the other children by a full head, and--if his perforer as well Another boy grabbed him from behind in a headlock Nuh--tossed him down the hillside like a toy

Dr Halsey had expected a speci intellect True, the subject was strong and fast, but he was also dirty and rude

Then again, unrealistic and subjective perceptions had to be confronted in these field studies What did she really expect? He was a six-year-old boy--full of life and unchecked eed up on his and one threw his arms around his chest They all tumbled down the hill Number 117 kicked and punched and bit his attackers until they let go and ran away to a safe distance He rose and tore back up the hill, bu

"He seems," the Lieutenant started, "um, very animated"

"Yes," Dr Halsey said "We lanced up and down the playground The only adult was helping a girl get to her feet after falling down and scraping her elbow; she marched her towards the nurse’s office

"Stay here and watch oing to have a closer look"

The Lieutenant started to say soed across the painted lines of hopscotch squares on the playground A breeze caught her sundress and she had to clutch the he the brim of her straw hat with the other She slowed to a trot and halted four meters from the base of the hill

The children stopped and turned

"You’re in trouble," one boy said, and pushed Number 117

He shoved the boy back and then looked Dr Halsey squarely in the eyes The other children looked away; some wore embarrassed smirks, and a fely backed off

Her subject, however, stood there defiantly He was either confident she wasn’t going to punish him--or he simply wasn’t afraid She saw that he had a bruise on his cheek, the knees of his pants were torn, and his lip was cracked

Dr Halsey took three steps closer Several of the children took three involuntary steps backward

"Can I speak with you, please?" she asked, and continued to stare at her subject

He finally broke eye contact, shrugged, and then luled and nored thee of the nearby sandpit and stopped

"What’s your name?" she asked

"I’m John," he said The boy held out his hand

Dr Halsey didn’t expect physical contact The subject’s father hly ith in his rip "It’s very nice to meet you"

She knelt so she was at his level "I wanted to ask you what you were doing?"

"Winning," he said