Hawk Fleet (14.2)

Laurie followed the Flight Coordinator, and after he introduced her, she stepped behind a podium facing a group of Elementary School students.

"Um… As the Exandrian Flight Coordinator told you, I'm Laurie Kingston, crewmember of the Star Traveler EX-001. I didn't really have any type of speech prepared, so if you would like to ask some questions, I'll work from there."

"What is Exandra like?" A young girl in pigtails asked.

"In some ways a great deal like Earth, yet very different in others. Its beaches are purple and the scale of life is much larger. For example, there are some creatures we have met on Exandra who resemble Earth Squirrels, yet they are as tall as a full-grown human."

After a moment's silence, a small first grade boy spoke up.

"What are those things on your belt?"

"Well, this is my MTD, (Laurie pointed to the small holster like pouch at her side). This pouch holds a device invented by a Laskonian friend of ours; it enables us to breathe on planets without a breathable atmosphere. Here is a coil of rope, the clip I normally keep my pocket knife on, and finally, my ECOP staff. It's called a tegar." Laurie stated, pointing out the different items.

"It doesn't look much like a staff," a fifth grader jeered.

While looks from a few of the school's teachers flashed towards the boy; Laurie smiled, shook her head and laughed.

"No, it doesn't," Laurie responded, unclipping the collapsed tegar from her belt.

Laurie walked around to stand in front of the podium. She shook it twice and to the amazement of her audience, it extended to five feet. Laurie held it out in front of her with two hands.

"How about now?" She asked the taunting fifth grader, his eyes large and round at the sudden change. "One of the ECOP tegar's interesting features," Laurie explained, "is the fact that only its owner can activate it."

Laurie collapsed the tegar and handed it to the Flight Coordinator, who promptly shook it twice with no success. After he handed it back to Laurie, she stepped off the edge of the small stage and passed it to the first row of kindergarteners who proceeded to pass it down the rows as they inspected it.

Laurie sat on the edge of the stage and pointed to a second grader who had raised his hand.

"Is it true that an alien race, the Platonians, want to kill the people on Exandra?"

The young child's question hung in the hot, humid, and tense air as the Flight Coordinator motioned for Laurie not to answer. Laurie glanced at the Coordinator, then back at the rows of innocent faces in front of her. She stood and carefully considered her answer.

"It is true that there are Platonians that do not want us, or anyone else, living peacefully on Exandra. But what you must also understand is that not all the Platonians are out to harm us. I was on the Star Traveler when we landed on their home planet. We met a large group of Platonians who are peaceful and risk much to bring peace to their own people as well as others. So, to answer your question, yes, there are Platonians who would like nothing more than to drive us from Exandra. However, there are also Platonians who wish only for friendship," Laurie scanned the children at her feet.

Laurie's MTD began to chirp. After motioning to the Coordinator, she stepped away from the stage and took it out. Angela Hagan appeared on the screen.

"Is something wrong, Mrs. Hagan?"

"I'm afraid there is, Laurie. Traffic is thick right now. We were told at the last possible moment that Chris' graduation will start in about an hour. I don't think we can make it; at the rate this traffic is going it will take us two hours just to get there!"

"Where is the graduation being held?"

"At the Mercury High School."

"That is only a five-minute drive from here; I'll go and record the graduation on my MTD for you."

"Would you? Oh, thank you, Laurie. Please tell Chris that we'll call him right after the graduation."

"I will, Mrs. Hagan."

"Thank you again."

"Sure, any time."

Laurie closed her MTD, put it back into its case on her belt, and snapped its flap shut. She strode back towards the Flight Coordinator who was talking to the children from the podium. He stepped down from the stage and joined her.

"I'm afraid I have to leave early, sir. I have a graduation to catch," Laurie said in a lowered voice.

The Coordinator nodded in understanding and took a two-way radio out of his pocket. Laurie walked out in front of the stage.

"I'm sorry, but I'm afraid I must leave earlier than I expected. But I do wish to leave you with one piece of advice: Go for your dreams, no matter how high‒ there is always more than one way to attain them, so don't give them up at the first hurdle." Laurie looked over the large group of children with a smile.

As she stepped back out down from the stage, the Flight Coordinator immediately met her.

"I've already arranged for a taxi to drive you to the graduation; you will have to leave straight from the graduation to catch your flight assignment. The driver knows where to take you for your flight. Would you like me to send someone to your hotel to get your things?" The Flight Coordinator inquired in a quiet voice.

"I suppose so, I still don't know exactly what is going on." She pulled her room keys out of a pouch attached to her utility belt and handed them to the Flight Coordinator.

"It's room 206. I had never bothered to unpack, so all my things are in my suitcases at the foot of the bed,"

"Very good, I'll see you at 3:00, then."

Laurie found a taxi waiting for her at the front of the Visitor Complex. When she arrived at Mercury High School, she was met at the front door by a guard who asked her for her name and ID. Laurie showed him her Identification and Access Card.

"Very well, Miss Laurie. We have been notified that you have to leave early," the guard replied as he touched an earpiece in his ear. "You have been assigned a seat in the left hand third row next to the side door. You'll want to follow the First-Class graduates; they're heading for the same destination as you."

Laurie frowned slightly, nodded and proceeded into the assembly building to find her seat. She picked up the assembly schedule from her chair and found that Chris was listed among those graduating with First Class honors. Smiling to herself, she set up her MTD to record the ceremony.

After a few minutes, an official appeared on the large stage in the front.

"Traditionally we would honor our First-Class graduates last. Today we have a rather tight schedule, so we will present them first."

Behind the official, 20 young men and women filed in to stand in two rows facing the audience. As each of the First-Class graduates' names were called, they stepped forward to claim their certificate, saluted, then stepped off the stage. They all lined up single-file along the left -hand wall quietly congratulating each other and clapping for their classmates. Chris, though he was the youngest of the group, saluted smartly and stepped off the stage, fifth in the list of names. After the last name was called, the First-Class graduates filed out the side door while the ceremony continued. Laurie closed her MTD, and followed them, meeting with Chris outside.

"Your parents were stuck in traffic and couldn't make it. I told them I'd come and record it for them," Laurie exclaimed.

"The whole thing was set up on short notice," Chris replied.

"Yeah, which really seems odd. Do you happen to know where you're heading?" Laurie asked.

"The old Shuttle Landing facility, at Cape Canaveral."

"I was told that I'm supposed to go there as well. I'll meet you there."

"Sure, see you later Laurie," Chris called with a smile and a wave as he boarded a bus with the rest of the First-Class graduates.