Pragtige

Chapter 1

-The auditorium of Duckett high school-

-Friday-

Mr. Montgomery: Hello students. My name is Charles Montgomery and I am a discovery scientist that needs your help. I’ve been watching the four of you for a while now and you four kids are exactly what i’m looking for.

Venus: *raises hand* I'm sorry. *puts hand down* Why have you been watching us? And for how long?

April: Yeah man that's kind of weird. Not even kind of, you do realize we’re minors right?

Mr. Montgomery: Yes, I do know that you guys are minors. All you minors also have a phone with a camera in it correct?

Mark: Wait hold up. *shakes head and chuckles* All that FBI agent stuff is real?

Mr. Montgomery: Not necessarily. Only the people we feel can impact the world have an FBI agent. It's to make sure they don't die before they’re supposed to. Anyway, let's get back on track. I have been watching you, and other students. Not through your phone cameras though. Y’all like to send things I don't wanna see through text for some reason.

Mark: *a little shocked* Y’all can see that?

Mr. Montgomery: Yes mark, we can see when and who you send uncensored pictures too. Even after you delete them. I know you’ve heard of a digital footprint.

Jacob: Can we get back on topic?

Mr. Montgomery: Sure. None of the other students meet the standards I’m looking for for this project. What we're doing here is completely voluntary. The four of you, if you agree, are going to explore a new planet I’ve discovered.

April: Awesome!

Mark: Cool!

Venus: Where is this new planet?

Mr. Montgomery: It's in-between Venus and Earth.

Venus: Ironic.

April: Did you give it a name?

Mr. Montgomery: No not yet. I'm working on it though. *takes a slightly deep breath* You guys are goin to be reporting back to me and my team about what you find on the planet.

Mark: So we’re gonna have like- ear pieces or something?

Mr. Montgomery: Yes. If they stop working one day, try to find another way to communicate. We can’t risk losing any of you. *under his breath* I’d have to start all over.

Jacob: Wait what? One day? How long we gon be there?

Mr. Montgomery: Um, you’ll be there a minimum of 1 to 2 months.

Venus: *in a distressed voice* When do we start because graduation is in a month?

April: *with aggravation in her voice* How you gon tell us this a month before graduation. You just expected us to drop our lives for you? You know I have a job 'cause you've been watching us right? I can’t just quit or say “hey I'm going to explore a new planet for NASA keep my spot open for when I get back in I don't know how long, if  I get back because I could die while I'm there"

Mr. Montgomery: Okay, I understand that this is last minute but we have it all under control. You guys are going during June. Also, you can’t tell anyone about this. This project is top secret. Not even the president knows about this. We don’t want to start any wars, we’re not prepared.

Venus: What about our parents? They’ll know if they’re child is gone for months.

Mr. Montgomery: ……we paid off your parents.

April: I'm sorry?

Mark: What?!

Mr. Montgomery: *regretfully* Yeaaaa.

Venus: You paid our parents to just let you take us to some unknown, undiscovered planet and be okay with it?

Mr. Montgomery: What?! No!! ….well… kind of. We paid them to let you do this if you agree to and to not tell anyone about it.

April: Well how much did you pay them?

Mr. Montgomery: 5 million…each

April: What?!?!

Mark: You gave them 5 million dollars?!?!

Mr. Montgomery: They haven't received it yet. They receive the money after you guys verbally agree and sign some papers saying you agree. Then once you're at HQ we'll have someone send the money into their bank accounts.

April: ‘He knows about it now and there's money involved. I could go and get away from him for a while and I could use the money to get my own place. Half of it would probably be gone by the time I get back. I could  not  go, but then he'd probably treat me worse than what he already does. I guess I don't have a choice.’  I agree.

Jacob: I do too. ‘she probably won't even remember talking to the guy. I could use the money to buy her meds and maybe I could get this guy to come up with a cure or something.’

Mark: I agree. ‘He doesn't deserve anything for what he did but if I don't die on that planet I could become really famous and out him as payback'

Venus: I don't know. It’s not even safe. I could die out there.

April: That’s part of the risk girl. You gotta live yo life, no one’s gonna live it for you.

Mr. Montgomery: That's…actually really good advice. How’d you come up with that?

April: Oh I didn't. I think I got it from a show or something, I don't remember.

Mr. Montgomery: *chuckles* Well alright then. Just for the record Venus, you don’t have to agree just because everyone else did.

Venus: Yeah but…April's right. This is a once in a life time opportunity. This is apart of my life and i’m the only one that can live it for me.

April: That’s right.

Mr. Montgomery: Okay cool. *Grabs forms out of his bag and hands them out* These are the forms you and your parents will have to read and sign in order to actually go because like I said before, you have to verbally and physically agree. You guys can go now, your parents should be outside the building waiting for you.