A Spaceman

Chapter 10--A really wonderful (awful) plan

"I need these," I have no idea what you're supposed to say when you check out at a store. our mum goes shopping while I'm at school.

"How old are you?"

So not that.

"I'm seven and a half," I say, reluctantly.

"Where's your mum?" he asks.

"At home sick. The oven isn't working and I'm fixing it," I say, pointing at the parts, "So I need those. I have the money."

"Where did you get the money?" he asks.

"My mum," I lie. It was money for lunch at school but I didn't eat so I could do this.

"You're too little to---"

"That's not fair I can fix it," I say, folding my arms, just because I'm little.

"Yeah well---what's your name, kid?" he asks.

"Clarisse. Slaughter," I say, "But everyone calls me Ris."

"Okay, listen, you are too little to go fussing around with ovens. Now go on home to your sick mum, okay?" He asks, waving me on, "I've got other customers I need to help."

"That's not fair," I say.

"Life's not fair kid----Hey!" he cries, as I toss the coins on the counter, grab the parts, and run. I'm very, very fast. No one can ever catch me.

**

Part 1 of my brilliant plan. Get me, Tom, and Quinn in space, over Russian airspace. Other people will be on the ship with us, preferably Thorn because it's about to become intensely uncomfortable for him.

Part 2 we get shot down by Isylgyn's which I arrange, in a battle I let Space Forces lose.

Part 3 we crash in Russian jungle and hopefully some people I don't like die in the crash though I can work around that if necessary since, Tom and I have to live. Quinn too hopefully.

Part 4 in stumbling through the jungle, Tom falls madly in love with me.

Part 5 we find a Russian Space Command base and demand to get sent back to New America. They have to oblige. I speak Russian very well I see no reason why this won't work.

Part 6 in getting sent back to New America we have to meet with Russian military etc, etc, and I try to figure out who is behind their really excellent battle plans. Whoever he or she is, they've been out of form for the past couple of weeks and its disappointing. I want to make sure they're better and ready to play again very soon.

Part 7 we get sent back to New America and Tom is still wildly in love with me.

It's one of my better plans, and I'm quite pleased with it. Flying? Check. Tom? Check? Speaking multiple languages and lying to people? Check. Depriving Thorn of alcohol/inconveniencing him majorly? Triple check.

This is going to be fun.

**

"Okay, so we're gonna try to escape right?" Sophie is a verbal if moderately helpful sous chef.

"Shhh, possibly," definitely. This is entertaining for the moment but I don't like being a prisoner on principal.

"Come on, you have to have a plan, you're like really educated and stuff---and I can help. I'm not stupid," she says, sitting on the counter and watching me work on a roast I'm preparing.

"We shall see," I say.

"Where did you get that?" she asks, looking at the meat on the counter, "It wasn't in the fridge this morning when you made me make you a list of our supplies."