scarring from climbing tools as he clambered up the tree this afternoon, so it was unlikely that a person had been there. Sighing, he reached into his backpack and pulled out one of the mushrooms he had collected for his godfather. He'd have to collect another one on the way back.
He looked out at the meadow reflectively. He hoped that he had put his nightmares behind him with what he had done. Conquering his dreams using his imagination and ability to form fantasy lands and people seemed unorthodox, but he expected it would be effective. The meadow was no longer a mysterious place but one he had a distinct connection to - and more importantly, one that he made his own refuge. He grinned at his Asherah. She was cute and witty and a little silly. A good companion to confide in. Brandon was a decent friend but even he wasn't privy to Steven's deepest secrets. Even if Asherah was imaginary, it was nice to have someone he could openly talk to. The glare of the sun interrupted his reverie. It was low enough to shine directly into the window, which meant the day was coming to a close. Sighing, he shut his computer down and turned off the inverter circuit. Today was nearly over, but tomorrow was another day full of promise. He especially looked forward to spending more time in the meadow. He nimbly hopped and dropped straight out of the hatch, pulling on the rope handle of the hatch cover as he fell through so that it closed behind him. He landed on a branch a few feet below and he began his typical rapid descent to the ground, already planning his projects for the next day.
Chapter 4
Laurence stood in the lobby contemplating the memorial of officers lost in the line of duty. There were two recent additions that he took note of, both within the last couple of years. There were no names on them, no text describing the portraits. Just the pictures. This stressed the secrecy of this government organization while at the same time paid homage to those who worked for it and died in the line of duty. He looked at his watch and looked at the reception desk. The secretary was on the phone talking to someone. Behind him were some comfortable sofas arranged around a table with a selection of periodicals stacked neatly on it. The only thing that differentiated this reception area from any corporate foyer were the armed guards and the body scanner at the entrance. Laurence nodded at a guard that had noticed him and met his gaze with a steely look, then he returned his attention to the plaques on the wall. He heard a door open and turned to look.
"Mr. Johnson?" A thin and balding man stepped out of the door, carrying a tablet computer. Laurence saw the screen of the tablet for an instant from across the room, but the glance was enough for him to see what was on the display. He relaxed a little. It was his portfolio and credentials, naturally. Today he is a computer expert and investigative analyst that has had extensive consulting experience with the DoD. It would appear that they are convinced he is legitimate. He smiled and waved, walking confidently toward the man.
"Bill Paul," the man said, holding his hand out. Ah, a man with two first names, Laurence thought to himself as he grasped the extended hand in his own. Bill smiled broadly. "We just got your clearance."
"Thanks. I was wondering why it was taking so long." Laurence picked his jacket up off the sofa and the two of them stepped through the door that closed and locked behind them. The room they entered was huge and full of cubicles with a lot of busy agents crunching and filing collected intelligence. A few looked up as they walked past, still obviously focused on their work but taking a moment to see who was walking by. There were no greetings except for a few nods. These people were very focused. Bill ushered Laurence into a windowless conference room where they were joined by a couple of other agents, and the door was shut. Bill typed a code on a wireless keyboard sitting on
He looked out at the meadow reflectively. He hoped that he had put his nightmares behind him with what he had done. Conquering his dreams using his imagination and ability to form fantasy lands and people seemed unorthodox, but he expected it would be effective. The meadow was no longer a mysterious place but one he had a distinct connection to - and more importantly, one that he made his own refuge. He grinned at his Asherah. She was cute and witty and a little silly. A good companion to confide in. Brandon was a decent friend but even he wasn't privy to Steven's deepest secrets. Even if Asherah was imaginary, it was nice to have someone he could openly talk to. The glare of the sun interrupted his reverie. It was low enough to shine directly into the window, which meant the day was coming to a close. Sighing, he shut his computer down and turned off the inverter circuit. Today was nearly over, but tomorrow was another day full of promise. He especially looked forward to spending more time in the meadow. He nimbly hopped and dropped straight out of the hatch, pulling on the rope handle of the hatch cover as he fell through so that it closed behind him. He landed on a branch a few feet below and he began his typical rapid descent to the ground, already planning his projects for the next day.
Chapter 4
Laurence stood in the lobby contemplating the memorial of officers lost in the line of duty. There were two recent additions that he took note of, both within the last couple of years. There were no names on them, no text describing the portraits. Just the pictures. This stressed the secrecy of this government organization while at the same time paid homage to those who worked for it and died in the line of duty. He looked at his watch and looked at the reception desk. The secretary was on the phone talking to someone. Behind him were some comfortable sofas arranged around a table with a selection of periodicals stacked neatly on it. The only thing that differentiated this reception area from any corporate foyer were the armed guards and the body scanner at the entrance. Laurence nodded at a guard that had noticed him and met his gaze with a steely look, then he returned his attention to the plaques on the wall. He heard a door open and turned to look.
"Mr. Johnson?" A thin and balding man stepped out of the door, carrying a tablet computer. Laurence saw the screen of the tablet for an instant from across the room, but the glance was enough for him to see what was on the display. He relaxed a little. It was his portfolio and credentials, naturally. Today he is a computer expert and investigative analyst that has had extensive consulting experience with the DoD. It would appear that they are convinced he is legitimate. He smiled and waved, walking confidently toward the man.
"Bill Paul," the man said, holding his hand out. Ah, a man with two first names, Laurence thought to himself as he grasped the extended hand in his own. Bill smiled broadly. "We just got your clearance."
"Thanks. I was wondering why it was taking so long." Laurence picked his jacket up off the sofa and the two of them stepped through the door that closed and locked behind them. The room they entered was huge and full of cubicles with a lot of busy agents crunching and filing collected intelligence. A few looked up as they walked past, still obviously focused on their work but taking a moment to see who was walking by. There were no greetings except for a few nods. These people were very focused. Bill ushered Laurence into a windowless conference room where they were joined by a couple of other agents, and the door was shut. Bill typed a code on a wireless keyboard sitting on
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