Velocity

        He ran faster as the monstrous lizards closed in behind him.  Another moment and they would catch him!  Lucas called forth every last ounce of strength in his legs, but he had been running for so long and he was so tired.  He stumbled momentarily, and they were upon him.

        The alarm rang, and Lucas pulled off his visor, frustrated.  “I almost had it that time!” he frowned in disgust.  Sitting nearby, a blond boy with stunning blue eyes shrugged his shoulders.  Lucas gave the machine a kick as he stepped out, and the machine beeped in protest.  Looking up, he saw the projected time was 1:02.47.  Almost a second faster than his last run, but that was worthless unless he could finish the 400m in less than a minute.  He was so sure he had it today, if only he hadn’t tripped over his own clumsy feet.

        “Snack time?” the blond boy looked up at Lucas hopefully.  Lucas sighed.

        “Come on, Dresden,” he headed toward the cafeteria, with Dresden tagging along behind him.  Lucas envied Dresden.  He was only four, and all he had to do was look cute.  In a couple of months, Lucas would be six, and it would be shameful if he didn’t make under a minute by then.  He wiped the sweat from his forehead.  Most children were never taken home after turning six, and Lucas didn’t want to be one of them.

        Seeing the cafeteria already half full, Lucas quickly found an empty seat and sat down, Dresden still tagging along.  Across the table, a brunette girl waved at them as she drank her juice box.  A red-headed boy threw a baby carrot at Dresden and giggled.  Dresden quickly grabbed a carrot from his own tray and threw it back.  A miniature food fight commenced, with miniature food tossed around by five or six kids, and ending as quickly as it began.

        “Did you get it today, Lucas?” the brunette asked him.

        Lucas shook his head.  “Almost,” he told her.  He munched thoughtfully on some celery.

        “Ashley,” the redhead piped up, “Did you get it?”

        “Of course not, idiot!” Ashley shoved him.  “I wouldn’t still be here, would I?”

        A woman passed by and patted Ashley on the shoulder.  “Let’s use our inside voices.  And no pushing.”  Glancing at the redhead, who was sticking his tongue out, she quickly added, “You too, Lawrence.”  A few other children giggled as the woman continued down the aisle.

        Lucas patted Ashley’s hand sympathetically.  “You’ll get it tomorrow.”

        Ashley hesitated before replying, “I’m turning six tomorrow.”

        Everyone looked at her with pity.  Ashley was their star gymnast.  There were so few girls here at the center, and the girls almost always made it.  They were hard workers.  Ashley turned away from their gazes, embarrassed.  “I still can’t stick the landing,” she mumbled.  An Asian boy passed her his juice box, and a few others followed suit.

        “Thanks,” she whispered, trying not to cry.

        “You’ll get it,” Dresden told her, nodding sagely.  He smiled at her with those clear blue eyes, and Ashley couldn’t help smiling back.

        They ate their snacks in silence, until a three-year-old who didn’t know any better started humming some tune he had heard that day.  Normal conversation resumed, and everyone forgot about Ashley’s upcoming birthday.

        Over the next several days, Lucas never got any closer to his goal.  He was starting to become frustrated, but that just made him even more determined.  On the fifth day, he could feel the nervous energy coursing through his veins before he even began.  He stepped into the machine and put on his visors.  In a moment, the familiar menu popped up, and Lucas selected the jungle scene.  He’d always found the lizard-men to be the scariest visuals, which seemed to help his running time.  The countdown started, and Lucas began to run in place as the floor of the machine moved like a treadmill.  Virtually, he was making his way through heavy underbrush and dodging trees.  In the distance, he could hear the heavy thumping of approaching lizards.  Soon, they were right behind him, and he felt the breath of a particularly nasty fellow on the back of his neck.  Fear kicked in, as did his natural flight instinct, and he pumped his legs harder and leaned forward.  Leaping over a fallen tree trunk, he aimed for the bright light in the clearing ahead.  Then, everything went dark.

        “Nice going, Lucas!”

        Lucas pulled off his visor and turned to see Dresden clapping enthusiastically.  He gave the younger boy a big thumbs-up.  The lizards hadn’t caught him!  Stepping out to check his time, he saw the display flash a red 56.14.  Better than he had expected.  Lucas literally leaped for joy and hugged an excited Dresden.  Now he would go home.  Now he would see his parents and be loved and spoiled.  Now they’d all see that he’d made it.

        “Let’s go tell everyone else!” Lucas practically shouted, running to the Commons and not really caring if Dresden could keep up.  He felt as light as a feather.

        Only two adults were in the Commons, keeping an eye on the children playing there.  Most of the children were still in their morning training sessions.  The few who didn’t need morning sessions usually slept in late.  Looking around, Lucas recognized Lawrence and the Asian boy, Elliot, with whom he wasn’t really familiar.  They were playing cards with a black boy, who looked to be about five.  His name was Jason or something, Lucas thought.  He didn’t really know the other kids, who were clearly younger.

        As a panting Dresden finally caught up, Lucas headed over to the little group.

        “Hey guys,” he casually stood next to them.

        “Hey,” they replied in unison, barely glancing up and still engrossed in their own cards.

        “Hey Lawrence, hey Elliot, hey Jeremy,” Dresden chimed in.  Apparently he had caught his breath.

        Jeremy, Lucas nodded.  I knew it started with a ‘J’.

        “Anybody seen Ashley?” Lucas asked.

        Lawrence and Elliot looked up sharply, then exchanged a quick look.

        “Einstein says she was ‘de-kishened’,” Lawrence told him.

        “It’s ‘decommissioned’, moron,” Elliot rolled his eyes.  “And my name’s not Einstein.”

        Nobody really knew what happened to kids who were “decommissioned”.  There were rumors that they were sent away to be adopted by strangers, but the adults always spoke in code and used big words they thought the children wouldn’t understand.

        “I won’t be decommissioned,” Elliot continued.  “Don’t know about Lawrence.  He hasn’t won a single hand yet.”

        “Oh yeah?” Lawrence flared up.  “I bet you can’t speak as many languages as I can, Elliot.”

        “Well, I’m still smarter than you,” Elliot retorted.  “Plus, I can play a bunch of instruments, and I’m taller too!”

        Lucas rolled his eyes.  It wasn’t like they had any say in how they looked or what skills they had.  Elliot’s parents were probably really rich.

        “You’re only a little taller, and you’re older!” Lawrence countered.

        “I’m at least three inches taller!” Elliot yelled back.

        “Well, I’m taller than both of you, and I just passed!” Lucas shouted.  That shut them up.  He smiled proudly and puffed up his chest as all three stared admiringly.

        “You get to go home?” Lawrence asked.  “I’m sooooo jealous!”

        “Dr. Ketter will probably send me home right away,” Lucas bragged.  “I made it four seconds faster than I was s’posed to.”

        “Almost four,” Dresden looked up thoughtfully.  Lucas was surprised.  He’d forgotten Dresden was smart for his age.  That kid must have some natural talent.  He never had to do any training like the rest of them, but he was a quick thinker and fast learner nonetheless, with a steel trap memory.

        “Well, it was really close anyway,” Lucas shrugged.

        Just then, one of the women walked in and headed straight for Lucas.  “Time to go, Lucas,” she smiled at him.  “We’re going to see Dr. Ketter.”

        Lucas waved goodbye to the others and grabbed her hand.  As he turned to go, Dresden ran up and quickly hugged him.

        “Visit me, ‘kay?” he asked.

        Lucas could have promised him the world at that moment.  He patted the blond head fondly and nodded.

        The lady led him out of the Commons and toward Dr. Ketter’s office.  Dr. Ketter was the brains behind the center.  He had a whole team of geneticists, engineers, and professional nannies who ran the place.  The center was certainly not unique in its offerings, but Dr. Ketter’s center was the most well-known and easily the most expensive.  He had the success rate to back it up.

        After three quick knocks, the nanny waited until Dr. Ketter opened the door himself.  Nodding to the woman, he guided Lucas into his office and closed the door.  Lucas hopped up onto the familiar leather sofa, making himself comfortable right away.  Dr. Ketter smiled at his enthusiasm and seated himself behind his desk.  The doctor was an aging man in his 60s, and his kind face made the children like him immediately.  He always spoke softly with them, often asking how their studies or training were going and offering advice when they were discouraged.  He would walk around the center at least once a day to make sure the children were treated well and kept happy.  He also acted as psychologist and counselor whenever a child seemed to struggle.  Lucas had spent quite a lot of time in this office, and he rather liked Dr. Ketter.

        “So, Lucas,” Dr. Ketter began, glancing at the report on his desk, “it seems you finally managed to pass your time.  And at...56.14 seconds.  Very nicely done!  You should be very proud of yourself.”

        Lucas beamed at him.  He was very proud of that.  In fact, he was pretty sure that had to be a record in the center’s history.  Who else could run that fast?

        “Well,” Dr. Ketter continued, “we’ll get you set up right away.  I know your parents have been eagerly waiting for you to come home.  They got right in their car and headed over as soon as we called them.  They should be here any minute.”

        “Thanks, Dr. Ketter,” Lucas told him.

        “Don’t thank me,” Dr. Ketter smiled again.  “You’ve worked hard and earned it.”  He escorted Lucas out the door again and led him to his room.  There weren’t many personal effects in there.  A photo of his parents, a few toy cars, some candy saved for later.  He put these carefully into a plastic bag and followed Dr. Ketter out again.

        This time, they headed down an unfamiliar hallway, arriving at a large, luxurious lobby that Lucas had never seen.  In one corner was a waiting area with velvet armchairs and an espresso machine.  Pictures of smiling children lined the opposite wall.  Near the receptionist’s desk, brochures showed photos of complex scientific instruments.  Not all of them were real instruments or machines, but they all looked very high-tech and impressive.

        Standing at the desk, talking to the receptionist, were two people Lucas instantly recognized from the photo still in his bag.  They turned as Dr. Ketter led him into the room.  Lucas felt shy for the first time in his life, but his parents beamed at him and his mother held her arms wide open.  Lucas ran to them.

        The next few weeks flew by in a whirl.  His parents had taken him to a house almost as big as the area they were allowed to roam in the center.  He could hardly believe how large his room was or how many toys and games were waiting for him.  After being enrolled at school, he was once again among other children, although most of them didn’t seem to like him very much.  One girl told him he was a “designer baby”, and he went home to ask his parents what that meant.  His father had seemed angry and called the school, while his mother had blushed and left the room.  Still, he was admired at school every week when sports events were held.  Lucas always won the 400m easily, and he managed to come close to winning several other races too.  His parents always looked on proudly and cheered him as he ran.

        Soon, his birthday was just around the corner.  The days became even busier as his parents constantly asked his opinion on what decorations he wanted for the party, what kind of cake, what color napkins.  They seemed interested to know everything about him and wanted to fulfill his every wish.  No demand was too great for their little boy.

        At school, Lucas began handing out invitations.  His mother had warned him that there were a limited number of invites, and he needed to be smart about who should come.  Not knowing what that meant, Lucas started by inviting the kids who had been nice to him.  Some of them were called “designer babies” themselves, though he still wasn’t sure what it meant.  But there did seem to be two separate groups of children, and only one group was consistently nice to him.  A few of the other children received leftover invites, but his mother seemed pleased with his choices when he told her.

        The day before his party, Lucas felt an extra jolt of excitement as he walked through the halls at school.  There was another meet today, and he would get to see the envious glances on the faces of those children who called him names.  Outside, runners from the visiting school were stretching and tying their shoelaces.  Lucas eyed them suspiciously before deciding that none of them were a threat.  He gave a couple of high-fives to his teammates and lined up for his race.  The speakers beeped the starting signal and they were off like a rocket.  Lucas had an easy lead and began to let his mind drift to tomorrow’s party.  He wondered what presents his parents had bought him.

        Without warning, another boy shot by Lucas and broke through the tape.  Lucas came in second.  The crowd was stunned.  Stealing a look toward his parents, Lucas saw the shock on their faces, quickly turning to anger.

        “Impossible!” his father yelled at the machine, which showed the other boy’s name first.  “That’s completely impossible!  He cheated!”

        The judges looked a one another and shook their heads.  It wasn’t the first time they’d encountered something like this from a parent.  Lucas’s father demanded a drug test--anything to show that the other boy cheated.  To appease him, the schools decided to run a quick test.  Taking an instrument that looked like a thermometer, one judge stuck it in the boy’s mouth and pulled it out again a few seconds later.  After waiting another moment, he declared the boy completely clean and free of drugs.  The officials urged Lucas’s parents to go home, fearing that they would upset the other parents who were already getting restless.

        At home, Lucas watched as his father immediately picked up the phone to call someone.

        “Do you have any idea what just happened?!” Lucas’s father shouted into the phone.  “Lucas lost today!  He lost!  And to a normal kid too!  Do you have any idea how embarrassing that it?!”

        His mother burst into tears.

        “Go to your room!” his father ordered.  Lucas ran upstairs as fast as he could, not wanting to hear the rest of his father’s phone conversation.  He jumped into bed, not bothering to change into his pajamas.  Downstairs, he could hear his parents arguing, though he couldn’t make out the words.

        That night, Lucas dreamt about lizards.  They were bigger than any he had ever encountered in his virtual program, and they had glowing red eyes and sharp yellow teeth.  Whatever direction he ran, they were there, waiting for him with giant, gaping jaws.  He slept fitfully until the morning, waking a few times to hear his parents still arguing.  When dawn broke, the house was finally quiet.

        Lucas changed his clothes and readied his school supplies.  He slowly walked down the stairs, dragging his backpack behind him.  His parents looked up from the kitchen table as he entered.  Their eyes were bloodshot, and they were wearing the same clothing from the previous night.  Wordlessly, they hustled him into the car and began driving down the lane.  Lucas noticed that it was a different route than the one to school, but he was too afraid to say anything.

        Finally, they arrived at Dr. Ketter’s center, and quickly got out of the car, not bothering to park it properly.

        “Get out,” Lucas’s father told him.

        Reluctantly, Lucas stepped out of the car, leaving his backpack behind.  His parents resolutely walked into the center, with Lucas trailing sever steps behind.  The receptionist seemed to be expecting them, and Lucas’s father demanded to see Dr. Ketter right away.  In a moment, the kindly old man appeared.

        “Let me take the child first, and we can openly discuss the situation,” he told them.  He motioned for the receptionist to seat Lucas’s parents comfortably in the waiting area.

        “Come along, Lucas.”  Dr. Ketter grabbed Lucas’s hand and led him away.

        “I have to stay with my parents!” Lucas panicked, looking over his shoulder and trying to catch a glimpse of his parents’ backs.

        “Not anymore,” Dr. Ketter told him, showing signs of frustration.  “You didn’t do what you were supposed to.”

        Leaving him in the Commons, Dr. Ketter headed back to the lobby to deal with the situation.  Lucas sunk to the ground, unable to understand what was happening.  A familiar face peered at him from under a head of red hair.

        “Hey Lucas,” Lawrence called out.  “You visiting?”

        Lucas shook his head slowly.  Looking around, he saw a lot of unfamiliar faces staring at him.  He shifted uncomfortably and stood up.

        “Where’s Dresden?” he asked, missing the comfort of his perky follower.  “Elliot?  Jeremy?”

        Lawrence shrugged.  “Elliot and Jeremy passed last week or the week before.  Dresden was de-kishened.”

        Lucas frowned.  “How?  I thought Dresden didn’t have training!  He can’t fail anything!”

        “I dunno,” Lawrence shrugged again.  “Something wrong with his eyes I think.”

        Lucas felt numb.  Getting up again, he turned and ran.  Faster and faster he went, back down the hall from where Dr. Ketter had brought him.  He slowed as he neared the lobby and heard voices.  It was his father, yelling.  He backed up against the wall so no one would see him.

        “I can’t believe you screwed up like that!  What did we pay you for?!  What a waste of time!  Now we’ll have to start all over again!”  Lucas had never heard his father so angry.  His mother was crying again.

        “Sir,” Dr. Ketter was saying as the receptionist tried to calm his crying mother, ““Sir, we apologize.  This is very rare for us.  We will refund your money right away and immediately start over at no charge.  We’ll even throw in a few extra options.  We guarantee the next one will be better.”

        Still angry, but slightly appeased now, Lucas’s father turned to leave, pulling his mother along.  Dr. Ketter escorted them out the door, still apologizing and promising better results next time.  “We’ll call and schedule an appointment,” Dr. Ketter told them.  “We’ll take care of everything.”

        Lucas wanted to call to them, but his voice was stuck in his throat.  He watched as his parents got into their car and drove away.  They’d forgotten to wish him a happy birthday.