6. NEW ENCOUNTERS

School ended as usual, around three o’clock in the afternoon. I walked off to the parking lot with Mya and Brendan. We were still discussing about the lesson we had in Biology class today. When we got to the parking lot, Mya said goodbye and headed to her own vehicle. Brendan and I headed to my car for departing the school premises.

I dropped him off at his place and I headed home. I parked my car outside the garage because I felt like going out for a drive later on. I headed upstairs to my room and put my bag on the bed. I opened it and took out the detector and the manual that my dad had lent to me for the day. I set off to my dad’s lab and I found him working on his gadgets, although he wasn’t alone.

I set the detector on his desk and sat down on one of the chairs that the lab offered. I waited for him to finish off what he was doing before I talked to him.

“Hey dad”, I called after he set down what he was working on.

“Oh, hi honey”, he looked up with a smile.

He saw me eyeing the man that he was working with and he understood where I was already. I knew that he had never allowed anyone else, except me, into his lab. I never thought he’d be in need of a sidekick because he seemed to be happy working all on his own.

“This is James Carter, an old friend of mine that I used to work with in college. James, this is my daughter Lina that I was telling you about”, he introduced us.

“Hi Lina, it’s a pleasure to meet you”, James said with his hand extended.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you too, James.” I took his hand in greeting.

“Please, call me Jay”, he said while he was still holding my hand.

“Jay”, I smiled at him.

He let go of my hand and moved back to what my father was working on. My dad stepped around to where I was seated and he saw me raising a questioning eyebrow at him. He didn’t need any mind-reading ability to know what I wanted to question him on.

“James has decided to partner up with me through all this lab work since he knows how I work and we kind of work in the same way”, he said in a serious tone.

“But why?”

“Well, both of us had an ambition of having our own labs and working independently since college. We both got those goals in check, that’s why you’ve never seen him before. He had his own lab in Cape Town but it wasn’t as private as mine. So he got attacked by an organisation because they wanted him to work for them but he didn’t want that. They took all his work notes, his gadgets and wanted to burn his lab down with him inside. He managed to save himself from the set-up but he couldn’t save anything else from his lab. They took everything from him but not his money and documents. He decided to come back to Johannesburg so as to save himself from them.

"I ran into him this morning when I went out for the supplies. He told me that he’d love to work with me hand in hand in making the best scientific supplies that would make us earn more millions from different countries. And also, to protect you from the organisation”, he said.

I gasped, “Protect me?”

Jay had heard our conversation and he came around to join in so that I could understand what they were talking about.

“Lina, your dad told me everything about you so don’t be alarmed that I know this much. This organisation was planning on creating a new superhuman race that they wanted to use for their evil deeds. So they had started on abducting kids from all over the world so that they could change them to superhumans by adding different kinds of powers in them. They wanted me to help them do so, but I couldn’t involve myself in something that ludicrous and dangerous. So that is why they took my notes, so that they find another scientist who knows a way around all my formulas. And that is why I bailed from the city”, he said that in a very sad tone.

“So you’re telling me that there’s an evil group out there that is trying to get hold of people like me?” I asked that with bitterness.

“Yes, and that is why I have joined forces with your father. We were the best in our class back then, and I know that we might be able to take down this organisation with all the combinations they may be able to come up with. And of course, you can be able to help out when it comes necessary”, Jay said with a shrug.

I couldn’t respond to what he said because I was caught up in a lot of thinking about everything that they’d told me. I got my act together to answer but I couldn’t help but get annoyed over it.

“How am I going to be able to help out?”

My dad answered this time, “Remember all the training that we’ve been doing around here?”

“Yeah?”

“Well, now it would have to be done in reality, see it as your first mission that you’ve been training for”, he said in a soothing tone.

It didn’t help because I got really overwhelmed and my super senses glitched.

“What?” I said and immediately my heat vision activated such that I shot a laser across the lab that hit the far wall and did some damage to it.

Jay jumped up frightened by what he saw but my dad came around and told me to calm down.

“It’s not that big a deal, honey. Just keep on acting like you’ve been doing and no harm will come your way. These people don’t know you, or me for that matter. They only know Jay but they don’t know that he’s here”, he said that and wrapped his hands around me when he saw that I was in control. “So, for security reasons, Jay will be staying with us from now on. We’ve got plenty of room and I hope you don’t mind”.

“Of course not, he’s welcome to stay”, I said in a low tone and then I got hold of myself. I turned to Jay and smiled apologetically, “Sorry about the overreaction”.

“It’s all good, kid. I hope you’re not going to put a hole through me from that laser shot of yours”, he laughed.

“No, it won’t happen, not unless you cross me and leave me no choice but to do so.” We all laughed at that.

So it was all settled and I felt better knowing that I now had two people protecting me.

“I almost forgot, I have a surprise for you”, my dad said with a lit up face.

“What is it?”

He went over to the wall near his desk and I saw a small screen on it. He swiped on the screen and an almost translucent face appeared. I noticed that it moved and soon after that it talked.

"Hey”, it said.

I stood there not moving, amazed by the creation on the wall that was looking at my dad.

“Lina, I’d like you to meet Jack, a new member of the family. Jack, that’s Lina over there”, he gave the introduction like it was from one person to the other.

“Hey Lina. You sure are a feast for the eyes, aren’t you?” it talked as if it was living and I was still amazed that I couldn’t say anything.

I gathered my thoughts and said, “Hi Jack. Nice to meet you”.

Jack made a smiling face and I couldn’t help but smile too.

“Jack is our new home security system, better than those set alarms every night. Jack is more fun, since he can talk”, my dad said.

“And he’s not just here, but everywhere in the house, except the rest rooms”, Jay added.

“Jay, you were not supposed to say that, I was supposed to tell her myself. Or even surprise her when she got to the other rooms”, Jack said.

“Sorry, Jack”, he smiled.

“Party pooper”, Jack commented.

“So, honey, what do you think?” my dad asked, still standing by Jack.

“Umm, I think he’s cute and better than the security alarms”, I said with a shrug. “I mean, with time, I’ll get used to him.”

“Great, that’s great”, Jack commented. “I look forward to that, Miss Lina.” And then he winked at me. I laughed at that and then he went away.

I started to move towards the elevator to get upstairs but my dad stopped me to ask about Ashton.

“Hey, how did it go with the guy you told me about yesterday?” he asked.

“Oh, the detector detected that he really is bionic.”

“Oh my!” my dad exclaimed.

“Who was detected to be bionic?” Jay asked.

“There’s a new kid that enrolled in her school and he’s bionic”, my dad told him.

“Where’s he from?” he asked.

“I don’t know”, I answered.

“What do you know about him?” he asked me in a serious tone.

I had to go back, take a seat and tell him about it.