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Description
The jeans and t-shirt she had originally been wearing were now replaced with plaid pajama bottoms and an over-sized band shirt. Her shoes were missing as well as her jacket, and the cool winter night stung her bare-feet. Jim Poccolio, a bottle of alcohol she swiped from her own stash of random purchases, was the only thing in her hand that remained the same. With a heavy sigh Lydia knocked on the heavy wooden door of the two-story house. "Good evening Mr. Gatlin, I brought over some booze as compensation for this delicious meal I am about to consume."

"Lydia, you really should stop showing up in your pajamas." A man a head and a half taller opened the door, his eyes which were the color of pine trees, were wise and brilliant. A soft smile rested on his slightly creased face as he stood in front of the girl who often showed up at his door.

"Faulty wiring with the teleporter on my end, sir. I'll fix it when I go home." Lydia gave him one of her hopeful smiles. Ever since she invented the teleporter at the innocent age of 14, people had forgotten Lydia Jeannette Reford was also an actual person. Now proudly fitting the age of any average 25 year old, she often found herself sneaking over to the residences of her friends, which annoyed the government agencies trying to watch over her immensely.

"Well, get in here before your feet freeze off" Before Lydia could make her signature smart-ass remark, the head of the house's voice resounded along the walls. "I know I know. Go help Madalene set the table if you would." He smiled at the young genius and took the alcohol from her hands, pushing her inside the home and locking the door behind her. The walls of the house were painted with warm colors which added to the charismatic atmosphere that its' tenants shared. Pictures of the family often included members that didn't abide by the rules of blood, but rather what some would call a deeper bond. One such picture, which remained always in plain view, was of of the oldest son standing beside his best friend and aiding her in the removal of the sheet to present their invention that would change the course of history. Lydia took a moment for herself and looked at it carefully, pushing the few strains of reddish brown hair away from her face as she looked closer at the picture.

"Pajamas? Again?" A playful sarcasm laced voice startled her and the woman quickly turned around. A handful of plates in one arm and a stack of glasses in another. He watched her stand straight with similar green eyes to his father though his knew a different kind of knowledge.

"Well, if I start showing up in normal clothes, how else are you going to know it's really me standing in your doorway?"

"True enough. I mean, no one can even try to recreate your weird." The young man placed the cups down and began to set the plates. "Well Mom is nearly finished with the dishes, go make yourself useful you weirdo."

Leaving him with a salute, Lydia smiled "Aye aye Capt. Jensen". With a quick twist of her body, she found herself in the kitchen.Clacking plates and the smell of spilled spices filled the kitchen. Terracotta decor brightened the room though night had already fallen. A short woman with hair the color of drying tar welcomed the younger woman with a sweet gaze from her deep indigo eyes. Her voice was lost due to a past illness, but she easily communicated with small gestures and an expressionate face. Madalene handed Lydia a ladle and a serving bowl. She then collected a small bowl of ice and the pitcher of grape juice before heading out into the dining room to place them. Lydia was therefore left in the kitchen by herself, sampling a bit of the meal prepared for her and the family who actually resided there. She smiled to herself and began placing the salad sides into the serving bowl for those to take for themselves and then placing the main dish in another bowl. Lydia easily picked the utensils she needed as this house was more familiar to her than the one she currently lived in. No men dressed in black swarming her, sampling everything she was to eat before her. No military personnel trying to get her to further the "economy and livelihood" of the state and country. Here she was just a girl helping serve dinner, a normal and everyday girl who loved science, math, and cats while hating scalloped potatoes because they had a weird texture. She carried the bowls out with a bit of trouble due to their size, but it was easily remedied by soft hands taking one of the bowls from her. "Thanks Nanette!"

The younger girl smiled and placed the salad bowl on the table. "Lydia, can you spend the night?! You're already in your pjs, so why not?" Nanette was 14 now, her body starting to change from girl to woman and all the awkward feelings that came with it filled her. Though her mother taught her many things, Lydia held knowledge of the more recent generation though it was odd and didn't always fit current trends. Nanette enjoyed girl talk, and was often inspired to do as she felt because of such a role model in her life that didn't allow people to pressure her into becoming a woman of their image.

"She's got work like the rest of us, Nan. She can't spend the night all the time like you'd like." A irritated voice said from the top of the stairs. "Besides, we have a test tomorrow in Bio which we should be studying for after dinner." The young voice belonged to none other than Nanette's twin brother Shamus. A pout was featured on Nanette's face and the two bickered between themselves as Jensen finished the final settings. Jensen looked up, finding a dorky smile on Lydia's face as she watched his siblings bicker over her affection, the bowl of pasta still in her arms. He watched, completely unimpressed, as his mother had to once again save said girl from burning herself with the sauce.

"You know, you're supposed to be a genius, right?" His gaze met with hers. Lydia, though dressed in a shirt too big for her and pants that couldn't match it no matter what angle one tried to look at it, could be considered beautiful. Had he not grown up with her, the way she smiled honestly, her reddish brown hair looking more red than brown depending on the lighting, her soulful emerald eyes that occasionally changed to a very odd colored sea foam the same way his sister's did, and the womanly figure she had grown into despite her daily meals consisting of some variation of a sugary treat could have made him fall in love. But he knew this girl inside and out, and considered her an important member of his family, his best friend, but nothing more.

"Well, I have to fail at some normal human things or the government would never let me leave." She retorted though it was the truth.

"The government doesn't let you leave. You sneak in here all the time." Jensen found his seat across from his ridiculous friend and beside his mother, who placed her gentle hand on his to let him know it was time to ease up and prepare himself for food.

"Mr. Lewis," Lydia began, ignoring the comments and looking at the head of the house while smiling that dorky smile that allowed her inside the house the first time she came when she was 7 and barely friendless. "Would you say grace?" The family gathered hands, each of them bowing their heads though Lydia and Jensen kept their eyes open and looked at one another, passing a smile from Jensen to Lydia as a silent way of assuring one another that the teasing caused no hard feelings as it ever rarely did.

"Let us be thankful for this meal that my wonderful wife has prepared for us. Thankful for the love this family shares with one another and for gentle hearts they all hold dear. Let us enjoy ourselves as we always do and this delicious food." Clapping his hands, he ended grace and smiled up at the people he cared for. "Eat up!" The man poured himself a small amount of the Jim Poccolio that was brought to the table as a gift. He then poured a glass of the same in the small glasses of his eldest son and the young woman he watched grow up in his home. Both raised their glasses with him in a toast, the children raising their juice before all took a sip.

Warm chatter and conversation filled the dining room as both food and drink filled their stomachs. Laughter was draped over the room like curtain over the window, keeping out the feeling of loneliness that was all too eager to consume the young genius. Time had its way of running past them without notice. By the time the table was cleared of both dishes and homework, the clock reminded them all that tomorrow was almost upon them. Lydia looked at the clock once more, drowsy from the hard liquor and aiding the study of biology. Jensen sighed heavily as she gave his parents long hugs goodbye and patted his younger siblings head good luck. Part of him wished that she really was his sister so he wouldn’t have to watch the sadness in her eyes as she made her way towards the door. The other part of him knew better. If she had been born into the family, she would have never had a reason to build the teleporter when she did.

“It’s about time you slept in your own bed.” Jensen remained the voice of reason. “You can always come back afterwards.” He offered her a smile and got one in reply.

“I suppose you are right, O’ Wise One.” She bowed her head and sleepily gave him a hug. “Good luck on your seminar! College kids are giant dorks. They all ask the same exact questions.” He nodded and smiled. “Oh, and don’t let them bully you. They think because I’m a girl I can be pushed around easily, but one time I wired every seat to an electrical charge. Then I had a remote with a button to each chair. Those brats never knew what hit them!” It had taken a bit for the alcohol to hit her system and he knew it did when she was wildly throwing her arms about. Jensen laughed and walked her back to the porch, helping her on the platform that was the teleporter and guided her.

“I remember that. Now stop throwing yourself around before you hit a button. You’ll end up naked like that first time. It’s already bad enough you always show up in your pajamas.” Lydia watched him smile. Jensen had a good head on his shoulders, and the device she created she couldn’t have done without him. He was as knowledgeable as she was and was the only one who could believe that her crazy idea was actually possible. His kind green eyes stood out against his black hair, which he had grown long enough to pull back into a small ponytail. He was as tall as his father, and though he drenched his love and kindness in sarcasm, his hidden messages were always received. It was not his appearance that kept people away -for if such a girl or man who did not attach his name to his face would see him they would swoon- it was his intellect. He didn’t have time for people who wasted theirs on people they knew to be unworthy, or things they had no passion or drive for. Lydia nodded quietly as she prepared herself for transport. “See you later.” With that, Lydia waved goodbye before disappearing right before his eyes.

Her original clothes laid in a pile on the platform in her room. She looked at it for a moment, thinking that she probably shouldn’t have built it in her room. Luckily Jensen had advised her and helped her in the creation of a code one must enter for a particular destination, and that code must be accepted via the watch one would always wear. So no random guests showing up in her room while she was dressing. Lydia looked at her watch and touched it gently. She had come so far since the first teleporter, which was a giant machine that could only teleport things and people from one room to another. Now, a thousand miles could pass in an instant, and many companies tried to shut her down. Rubbing her head, the 25 year-old looked at her calendar. Another meeting. Research required funding she could not produce on her own and though she had plenty of backers, she had to prepare for a future without her.

“Lydia!” An extremely annoyed face showed itself in her doorway. There stood a tall man, twice the height of her. A long scar covered his cheek and the story behind it was just as long, though he never hesitated to tell it. He was one of those men who looked frightening, and had the potential to be, but something helped them remain human. For him it was the introverted scientist who enjoyed sneaking out at night when she thought no one was paying attention. One could say she was his obsession, but neither parties involved liked the thought of that. “Do you know what tomorrow is?”

“Yeah I know. That’s why I’m home now instead of later, and why if you could just find it in yourself to leave me alone that I could get to bed.” Just as annoyed as he was, the young women looked at him with a sideways glance she learned from her best friend, a glance that sent even one of the most veteran of the military shivers. She reserved this look because it was hard to maintain for her, and if she were to use it too often, it would lose it’s value. He left her without another word, and once she was sure he would not reappear, she flopped onto her bed. It took all her remaining energy to hold such a look. A slow buzzing sound vibrated from beneath her pillow and reminded her to actually get into bed rather than lying halfway on the floor. Lydia opened her phone and read the message with a gentle smile, pulling the covers over her cold feet and reading it once more before falling asleep.

Morning stretched its’ ample colors and soaked the sky in red and orange. The clouds tricked the light to bend to its’ will as the sun began to rise. Standing at the window, the light colored her hair red like the sunrise and her bright green eyes watched, pumping herself to take on the day. Her footfalls felt heavy with fatigue, but the warm water of the perfectly pressured shower and a shuffled playlist of all her music made quick work of getting rid of it. She decorated the glass shower door with soap suds the same way she did when she was five. Green-blue eyes watched as the suds flowed slowly down, covering the glass in their wake. A side step would wash them away in a torrent of water, but the girl protected the invasion. Lydia drew a small hexagon and then another. Soon the soapy glass was broken into hexagons and an idea struck her. What if they used the same tech of the solar roadways for the teleporter platforms? Equations bustled in her head, forgetting to rinse the conditioner out until it too began to invade previously unknown territory. Namely her eyes. The young woman finished washing herself and put her work on paper because is was a little more durable than a soapy shower door. She ran to dress herself for time had slipped past her once again and she had a meeting to attend to.

Before Texas, a name given to him by the person left in his charge, stood a woman who somewhat resembled what had the potential to be a professional 25 year old genius. Her hair was tied up in a wet braided bun though her make-up was well done. Dressed in a ruffled lavender blouse and black pencil skirt, the only thing preventing her from being completely ready were the black cat slippers she wore. Knowing no words to describe his irritation, he casually grabbed her wrist and made a beeline for the car.

“Texas! I need my-” Lydia was cut off as her slippers were taken from her and flats and paperwork awaited her in the backseat. She grumbled as she finished getting dressed while Texas drove towards the main city. “I wish they would have let me teleported there, but then again my end is still making me wear my pajamas to people’s houses.” She grinned. Texas ignored the outright confession of her leaving the grounds. Neither of them really had time for that conversation.

Meanwhile, Jensen rolled out of bed, grumbling about the seminar for the college in the main city. Having been hounded by both the college and his parents for taking on the job for months now, Jensen realized that he should have gone to the meeting and have had Lydia do this in his place. He pushed his long black hair out of his face, staring at the small amount of fuzz that had appeared on his chin. The dilemma of whether to shaving it away or not took a long minute, but the silent conversation he would have had with his mother made it a clear winner. Little black hairs filled the obnoxiously deep blue sink. A lazy rinse of water pushed them down the drain right before used toothpaste could follow it. Soap and water cleaned out the pores of a standing man, his hands busily at work as the water now ran in the same colored tub. The shower curtain stood strong against the torrent of water, lasting the five minutes it took him to take his shower. A towel wrapped around his waist, Jensen left the warm steam of the bathroom down to the cool hall that lead back to his room.

Getting dressed took little to no effort. A towel rub dried his thin black strains fairly quickly and then he combed them into a neat ponytail. A white dress shirt and dark colored jeans coated his barely dry body as he slipped into his favorite pair of sneakers. Jensen, dressed as he was, could easily pass for your average grad school bound undergrad. He could be getting ready for a job interview or internship that could set him down a career path. However this was not the case and a car horn honked twice to warn him of its’ departure. The young man trotted down the stairs, pet the top of his sister’s head which earned him a growl, and left his home to go meet with people in his age range that were not nearly interesting enough to get him excited.

“What time do you need a pick-up?” Lewis Gatlin asked his son, he too dressed in a similar manner.

“Don’t need one. Lydia is stopping by the college after her meeting. I have been instructed by said weirdo to stay here until she gets here.” Jensen smiled at his father as he closed the car door behind him. “Thanks though. Enjoy your day off.” With a nod and a smile, Lewis drove off and left behind the man who was walking towards auditorium.

The clock ticked a half hour past three, the microphone completely forgotten as it was pinned beside one of his buttons on his shirt. “Now though the banana melted, it did keep every cell that it originally had. Well, minus a few hundred from heat loss in transit. This was the start of everything. All we had to accomplish now was to keep the structure the same. After countless fixes, reprogramming, and tests, we were able to get a pristine banana in the other-" a song began to play loudly, Jensen's pocket vibrated. A quick glance showed the nickname "The Weirdo" flashing on the screen, and he slid it silent. "I'm sorry about that, now where-" cut off once more by the same song and the now seemingly angry vibration of the phone, Jensen checked his phone once more. "The Weirdo" flashed on his screen several times.

"Excuse me, this probably is important." He sighed. The class offered him an awkward chuckle and the young man answered the call as he stepped out of the room.

"CAPT. JENSEN. I'VE GOT SOME NEWS FOR YOU!" The loud voice on the other end startled him, and it echoed into the room he was previously in. He would have noticed this, but the ringing in his ears from her ridiculous voice prevented him from making such a judgement.

“Calm down, Lydia. Remember that people hold phones to their ears so other people don’t have to yell like that and ruin ear drums.” Jensen sighed heavily and listened to the background noise of passing cars that foretold she was outside.

“Oh, duh. Anyway, so I’m at this really boring meeting with these old dudes. My brain is wondering because there are so many better places is could be than right there and right then.” Her voice was slightly tuning into a higher pitch, which it did whenever she became what he considered a ridiculous amount of excited. “Then I remembered what happened in the shower this morning!”

“In the shower?” Utterly lost now and frustratingly confused, he waited for her to continue her story.

"This meeting is supposed to be talking about the energy supply to the platforms. Since the first teleporter we built in that lab we basically hijacked,” she never felt guilty towards much of anything as would always be the first to confess to any crime should she think she hadn’t committed one, regardless of the rules of law, “We have been able to cut down all man-made doors and even capsules right? Now we just use capsules of energy that charge the particles in one's body and transfer them to another location. Well, the problem lies now with how to create that energy and how to store it without depleting any particular storage facility or running really expensive energy bills. This boring meeting got me to thinking to what I was thinking earlier in the shower! SOLAR ROADWAYS. Now, the platforms are already solar right? They have giant batteries stored beneath them to conserve energy when not in use. Just like the solar roadways. HOWEVER, what if we change the shape of the platforms? The hexagon is a stronger and bigger shape than that dumb circle we're using, plus hexagons are way cooler."

"Get to the point here." Jensen was used to these long winded speeches. He could easily see her drawing all over a whiteboard little hexagons with sunglasses on them.

"Okay, okay, Captain," Her voice became playful and he could see a bright smile on the other end of the call. "Get this. Eventually I want people to be able to transport anywhere without the use of platforms. We have come a long way considerably since our first banana.” A laugh escaped Jensen, as it did in a perfect unison in the room next door. The man thought that it was a pretty well timed laugh until he remembered that the microphone was pinned to his shirt, and everyone could hear every word she was saying. “What if we build platforms in space. Now we can’t travel to space with those particular platforms, but they could act as satellites do and bounce us to our next location.” He could hear the waiting in her breath,

“That still doesn’t solve the energy problem.” Literally biting his tongue to prevent himself from calling her any playful names or get her even more excited. His blood was boiling with possibilities and he wanted to run and work on them instead of the seminar that would now only be full of questions about the current conversation. “Think on this a little more and listen to some of those boring old people.” He couldn’t stop himself from jesting. “Maybe they can solve your energy problem so you could start working on your space thing. Have to go, the seminar is still in session.”

“Well oh shit. I totally forgot you had that today.” A deep breath released and he could hear the sound of doors opening as she made her way back inside. “My bad, Jensen. See ya later. Tell those peers of ours I give them some sort of an apology.” The loud click echoed in the silence of the room next door. There was a long pause before he gained the composure to walk back inside the auditorium. He was met with 40 sets of eyes, staring into his soul, burning with questions.

Clearing his throat before the first person broke the silence he stated, “I apologize for forgetting the microphone was on. I will not answer any questions regarding that call and you should not bring it up because Lydia’s idea is just that at the moment.” He gave a practiced smile and began his lecture once more. It was not until the final questions had been answered and the students were trickling out that the girl approached him. A veteran college student, the ripe age of 21 chiseled her into a beauty. Gone were the baby cheeks, and her gentle curves gave her a womanly shape. She approached Jensen slowly, who though admired the beauty of a person, did not feel the need for the type of intimacy she was obviously desiring. “How may I help you, miss?” he asked checking his watch for the time before looking up to meet her gaze. She looked down, trying to impress him with her shyness and twirled a lock of blonde hair around her finger. This annoyed him slightly, for he didn’t understand why women felt the need to act meek around a man.

“I was wondering if you would like to grab some coffee with me.” Her voice was slow and smooth like honey. “I really enjoyed your lecture today. Your brain must work in fascinating ways.” Now a coy smile played on her thick lips and his irritation grew.

“Though I would love to grab a cup of coffee, I’m afraid I have an appointment already made.” He sighed with a quiet relief and she picked up on it.

“Is that so?” One knee bent as she placed her hand on her hip, trying for a sassy posture now. “Let me ask you this then, would there be a possibility of coffee with me in the future? Or are you continuously scheduled with a lack of free time.” Her annoyance bothered him, but in order to try and remain some sort of polite he humored her.

“It is so, and I am a very busy man, but I wouldn’t mind an intellectual conversation in the slightest. I am rather fond of those.” Hoping she’d get the hint, he gave her a smile. The look on her face confused him though as her cheeks turned red and she adverted her eyes.

“Is that why you and Ms. Reford are a thing?” Her voice was quiet, having lost her confidence. Jensen blinked several times while he processed her question. He questioned it himself a few times to analyze what she was really asking. Jensen’s eyes widened and laughter overtook him. His sides shook violently as he doubled over, his shorter hair falling out of the ponytail and covering his face. The girl not much younger than him took a step back in fright as his laughter echoed in the now empty room. Lydia in fact heard the commotion, and stood at the top of the stairs, watching the two. She leaned against the door with a curious expression on her face as she enjoyed her friend’s laughter but wishing to know what caused it. While doing so, she too earned curious glances from men passing by her as she was still in her business attire and could pass as a grad student or even a young professor.

It took a moment to calm himself, holding his side still as he straightened his posture. It took even more of a moment after looking at the startled expression on the woman’s face. “No,” he paused, gathering his breath again. “Lydia and I are not a ‘thing’. I didn’t mean to be rude, but such an idea has never passed my mind nor hers.”

“Well how are you sure she doesn’t think of you as a love interest?” The young woman leaned closer to him, not noticing that the woman in question was now standing behind her.

“It is because he knows everything about me. Besides, he has the romantic attraction of a goldfish.” The professional voice behind the girl startled her and she turned quickly. Lydia spoke eloquently, not like the rushed voice of madness that was her on the phone call. The blonde looked her over and sighed, thinking that she really didn’t have a chance since the woman before her was obviously well versed.

“Well….uh...I” Feeling annoyed and cornered though she had no reason to do so, the girl excused herself and ran for the safety of the stairs. Watching her, the two young geniuses found themselves gossiped over by those standing in the doorway.

“A goldfish, hm?” Jensen looked at his friend. Though he knew she didn’t care for him in any romantic way, it slightly surprised him.

“Yes, a very pretty goldfish. One you feel relaxed when watching him swim around in his tank you prepared for him” The grin she gave him while saying this and the gentle pat on his back made him sigh. He should have expected this. After all, Nanette had told him once that the gossip magazine she read suspected him interested in Lydia which was why he turned down approaches for romantic involvement.

“A goldfish.” He couldn’t help but chuckle. Maybe the idea that he and Lydia were a thing would actually get people to leave him alone. He didn’t care at all for romance. However, he didn’t because though he didn’t care for it, Lydia did. Tying her down to him would restrict her happiness, and he didn’t care for that either.

“Well my guppy friend, let’s get some tea. They offered me coffee at the meeting but I can’t handle that stuff.”

“Hey, I thought I was a goldfish!” Jensen followed after Lydia and walked beside her when he caught up. She chuckled and smiled, the other men around her watching the two of them as they passed.

It took them several minutes to be able to leave the science building because several professors, who had attended the seminar, had stopped them. The two answered questions with joyous expressions due to the content of the conversation. Lydia was just happy to be out of the business meeting and being able to discuss things she actually cared for. Jensen was pleased to be talking to people who actually knew what they were talking about and not being asked out on anymore potentially disastrous dates. The clock ticked five, and the school bell charmed several times. They both stood on the campus grounds listening for a moment, a cup of freshly brewed tea in her hands and a hot cup of coffee in his. An autumn breeze reminded Lydia that she was wearing a skirt and she shivered slightly.

“It’s getting to be cold out, isn’t it?” Her voice was slow and quiet. This was not surprising as Lydia enjoyed nature more than most, and a moment like this hardly passed her up. The young woman’s shiver did not go unnoticed though, and Jensen casually placed the jacket he had been holding earlier around her shoulders. Perhaps this was why people thought the two a couple, but neither of them thought the action a romantic gesture so feelings of that nature were not tied to it.

“Yes, it is. Make sure you bring a jacket with you.” He smiled began to walk ahead of her, sipping his cup-of-joe nonchalantly. It warmed his throat and settled happily in his gut. “Shall we be off?” He stopped and turned to her, waiting for her to stand beside him before they headed toward their next destination.

Description
The jeans and t-shirt she had originally been wearing were now replaced with plaid pajama bottoms and an over-sized band shirt. Her shoes were missing as well as her jacket, and the cool winter night stung her bare-feet. Jim Poccolio, a bottle of alcohol she swiped from her own stash of random purchases, was the only thing in her hand that remained the same. With a heavy sigh Lydia knocked on the heavy wooden door of the two-story house. "Good evening Mr. Gatlin, I brought over some booze as compensation for this delicious meal I am about to consume."

"Lydia, you really should stop showing up in your pajamas." A man a head and a half taller opened the door, his eyes which were the color of pine trees, were wise and brilliant. A soft smile rested on his slightly creased face as he stood in front of the girl who often showed up at his door.

"Faulty wiring with the teleporter on my end, sir. I'll fix it when I go home." Lydia gave him one of her hopeful smiles. Ever since she invented the teleporter at the innocent age of 14, people had forgotten Lydia Jeannette Reford was also an actual person. Now proudly fitting the age of any average 25 year old, she often found herself sneaking over to the residences of her friends, which annoyed the government agencies trying to watch over her immensely.

"Well, get in here before your feet freeze off" Before Lydia could make her signature smart-ass remark, the head of the house's voice resounded along the walls. "I know I know. Go help Madalene set the table if you would." He smiled at the young genius and took the alcohol from her hands, pushing her inside the home and locking the door behind her. The walls of the house were painted with warm colors which added to the charismatic atmosphere that its' tenants shared. Pictures of the family often included members that didn't abide by the rules of blood, but rather what some would call a deeper bond. One such picture, which remained always in plain view, was of of the oldest son standing beside his best friend and aiding her in the removal of the sheet to present their invention that would change the course of history. Lydia took a moment for herself and looked at it carefully, pushing the few strains of reddish brown hair away from her face as she looked closer at the picture.

"Pajamas? Again?" A playful sarcasm laced voice startled her and the woman quickly turned around. A handful of plates in one arm and a stack of glasses in another. He watched her stand straight with similar green eyes to his father though his knew a different kind of knowledge.

"Well, if I start showing up in normal clothes, how else are you going to know it's really me standing in your doorway?"

"True enough. I mean, no one can even try to recreate your weird." The young man placed the cups down and began to set the plates. "Well Mom is nearly finished with the dishes, go make yourself useful you weirdo."

Leaving him with a salute, Lydia smiled "Aye aye Capt. Jensen". With a quick twist of her body, she found herself in the kitchen.Clacking plates and the smell of spilled spices filled the kitchen. Terracotta decor brightened the room though night had already fallen. A short woman with hair the color of drying tar welcomed the younger woman with a sweet gaze from her deep indigo eyes. Her voice was lost due to a past illness, but she easily communicated with small gestures and an expressionate face. Madalene handed Lydia a ladle and a serving bowl. She then collected a small bowl of ice and the pitcher of grape juice before heading out into the dining room to place them. Lydia was therefore left in the kitchen by herself, sampling a bit of the meal prepared for her and the family who actually resided there. She smiled to herself and began placing the salad sides into the serving bowl for those to take for themselves and then placing the main dish in another bowl. Lydia easily picked the utensils she needed as this house was more familiar to her than the one she currently lived in. No men dressed in black swarming her, sampling everything she was to eat before her. No military personnel trying to get her to further the "economy and livelihood" of the state and country. Here she was just a girl helping serve dinner, a normal and everyday girl who loved science, math, and cats while hating scalloped potatoes because they had a weird texture. She carried the bowls out with a bit of trouble due to their size, but it was easily remedied by soft hands taking one of the bowls from her. "Thanks Nanette!"

The younger girl smiled and placed the salad bowl on the table. "Lydia, can you spend the night?! You're already in your pjs, so why not?" Nanette was 14 now, her body starting to change from girl to woman and all the awkward feelings that came with it filled her. Though her mother taught her many things, Lydia held knowledge of the more recent generation though it was odd and didn't always fit current trends. Nanette enjoyed girl talk, and was often inspired to do as she felt because of such a role model in her life that didn't allow people to pressure her into becoming a woman of their image.

"She's got work like the rest of us, Nan. She can't spend the night all the time like you'd like." A irritated voice said from the top of the stairs. "Besides, we have a test tomorrow in Bio which we should be studying for after dinner." The young voice belonged to none other than Nanette's twin brother Shamus. A pout was featured on Nanette's face and the two bickered between themselves as Jensen finished the final settings. Jensen looked up, finding a dorky smile on Lydia's face as she watched his siblings bicker over her affection, the bowl of pasta still in her arms. He watched, completely unimpressed, as his mother had to once again save said girl from burning herself with the sauce.

"You know, you're supposed to be a genius, right?" His gaze met with hers. Lydia, though dressed in a shirt too big for her and pants that couldn't match it no matter what angle one tried to look at it, could be considered beautiful. Had he not grown up with her, the way she smiled honestly, her reddish brown hair looking more red than brown depending on the lighting, her soulful emerald eyes that occasionally changed to a very odd colored sea foam the same way his sister's did, and the womanly figure she had grown into despite her daily meals consisting of some variation of a sugary treat could have made him fall in love. But he knew this girl inside and out, and considered her an important member of his family, his best friend, but nothing more.

"Well, I have to fail at some normal human things or the government would never let me leave." She retorted though it was the truth.

"The government doesn't let you leave. You sneak in here all the time." Jensen found his seat across from his ridiculous friend and beside his mother, who placed her gentle hand on his to let him know it was time to ease up and prepare himself for food.

"Mr. Lewis," Lydia began, ignoring the comments and looking at the head of the house while smiling that dorky smile that allowed her inside the house the first time she came when she was 7 and barely friendless. "Would you say grace?" The family gathered hands, each of them bowing their heads though Lydia and Jensen kept their eyes open and looked at one another, passing a smile from Jensen to Lydia as a silent way of assuring one another that the teasing caused no hard feelings as it ever rarely did.

"Let us be thankful for this meal that my wonderful wife has prepared for us. Thankful for the love this family shares with one another and for gentle hearts they all hold dear. Let us enjoy ourselves as we always do and this delicious food." Clapping his hands, he ended grace and smiled up at the people he cared for. "Eat up!" The man poured himself a small amount of the Jim Poccolio that was brought to the table as a gift. He then poured a glass of the same in the small glasses of his eldest son and the young woman he watched grow up in his home. Both raised their glasses with him in a toast, the children raising their juice before all took a sip.

Warm chatter and conversation filled the dining room as both food and drink filled their stomachs. Laughter was draped over the room like curtain over the window, keeping out the feeling of loneliness that was all too eager to consume the young genius. Time had its way of running past them without notice. By the time the table was cleared of both dishes and homework, the clock reminded them all that tomorrow was almost upon them. Lydia looked at the clock once more, drowsy from the hard liquor and aiding the study of biology. Jensen sighed heavily as she gave his parents long hugs goodbye and patted his younger siblings head good luck. Part of him wished that she really was his sister so he wouldn’t have to watch the sadness in her eyes as she made her way towards the door. The other part of him knew better. If she had been born into the family, she would have never had a reason to build the teleporter when she did.

“It’s about time you slept in your own bed.” Jensen remained the voice of reason. “You can always come back afterwards.” He offered her a smile and got one in reply.

“I suppose you are right, O’ Wise One.” She bowed her head and sleepily gave him a hug. “Good luck on your seminar! College kids are giant dorks. They all ask the same exact questions.” He nodded and smiled. “Oh, and don’t let them bully you. They think because I’m a girl I can be pushed around easily, but one time I wired every seat to an electrical charge. Then I had a remote with a button to each chair. Those brats never knew what hit them!” It had taken a bit for the alcohol to hit her system and he knew it did when she was wildly throwing her arms about. Jensen laughed and walked her back to the porch, helping her on the platform that was the teleporter and guided her.

“I remember that. Now stop throwing yourself around before you hit a button. You’ll end up naked like that first time. It’s already bad enough you always show up in your pajamas.” Lydia watched him smile. Jensen had a good head on his shoulders, and the device she created she couldn’t have done without him. He was as knowledgeable as she was and was the only one who could believe that her crazy idea was actually possible. His kind green eyes stood out against his black hair, which he had grown long enough to pull back into a small ponytail. He was as tall as his father, and though he drenched his love and kindness in sarcasm, his hidden messages were always received. It was not his appearance that kept people away -for if such a girl or man who did not attach his name to his face would see him they would swoon- it was his intellect. He didn’t have time for people who wasted theirs on people they knew to be unworthy, or things they had no passion or drive for. Lydia nodded quietly as she prepared herself for transport. “See you later.” With that, Lydia waved goodbye before disappearing right before his eyes.

Her original clothes laid in a pile on the platform in her room. She looked at it for a moment, thinking that she probably shouldn’t have built it in her room. Luckily Jensen had advised her and helped her in the creation of a code one must enter for a particular destination, and that code must be accepted via the watch one would always wear. So no random guests showing up in her room while she was dressing. Lydia looked at her watch and touched it gently. She had come so far since the first teleporter, which was a giant machine that could only teleport things and people from one room to another. Now, a thousand miles could pass in an instant, and many companies tried to shut her down. Rubbing her head, the 25 year-old looked at her calendar. Another meeting. Research required funding she could not produce on her own and though she had plenty of backers, she had to prepare for a future without her.

“Lydia!” An extremely annoyed face showed itself in her doorway. There stood a tall man, twice the height of her. A long scar covered his cheek and the story behind it was just as long, though he never hesitated to tell it. He was one of those men who looked frightening, and had the potential to be, but something helped them remain human. For him it was the introverted scientist who enjoyed sneaking out at night when she thought no one was paying attention. One could say she was his obsession, but neither parties involved liked the thought of that. “Do you know what tomorrow is?”

“Yeah I know. That’s why I’m home now instead of later, and why if you could just find it in yourself to leave me alone that I could get to bed.” Just as annoyed as he was, the young women looked at him with a sideways glance she learned from her best friend, a glance that sent even one of the most veteran of the military shivers. She reserved this look because it was hard to maintain for her, and if she were to use it too often, it would lose it’s value. He left her without another word, and once she was sure he would not reappear, she flopped onto her bed. It took all her remaining energy to hold such a look. A slow buzzing sound vibrated from beneath her pillow and reminded her to actually get into bed rather than lying halfway on the floor. Lydia opened her phone and read the message with a gentle smile, pulling the covers over her cold feet and reading it once more before falling asleep.

Morning stretched its’ ample colors and soaked the sky in red and orange. The clouds tricked the light to bend to its’ will as the sun began to rise. Standing at the window, the light colored her hair red like the sunrise and her bright green eyes watched, pumping herself to take on the day. Her footfalls felt heavy with fatigue, but the warm water of the perfectly pressured shower and a shuffled playlist of all her music made quick work of getting rid of it. She decorated the glass shower door with soap suds the same way she did when she was five. Green-blue eyes watched as the suds flowed slowly down, covering the glass in their wake. A side step would wash them away in a torrent of water, but the girl protected the invasion. Lydia drew a small hexagon and then another. Soon the soapy glass was broken into hexagons and an idea struck her. What if they used the same tech of the solar roadways for the teleporter platforms? Equations bustled in her head, forgetting to rinse the conditioner out until it too began to invade previously unknown territory. Namely her eyes. The young woman finished washing herself and put her work on paper because is was a little more durable than a soapy shower door. She ran to dress herself for time had slipped past her once again and she had a meeting to attend to.

Before Texas, a name given to him by the person left in his charge, stood a woman who somewhat resembled what had the potential to be a professional 25 year old genius. Her hair was tied up in a wet braided bun though her make-up was well done. Dressed in a ruffled lavender blouse and black pencil skirt, the only thing preventing her from being completely ready were the black cat slippers she wore. Knowing no words to describe his irritation, he casually grabbed her wrist and made a beeline for the car.

“Texas! I need my-” Lydia was cut off as her slippers were taken from her and flats and paperwork awaited her in the backseat. She grumbled as she finished getting dressed while Texas drove towards the main city. “I wish they would have let me teleported there, but then again my end is still making me wear my pajamas to people’s houses.” She grinned. Texas ignored the outright confession of her leaving the grounds. Neither of them really had time for that conversation.

Meanwhile, Jensen rolled out of bed, grumbling about the seminar for the college in the main city. Having been hounded by both the college and his parents for taking on the job for months now, Jensen realized that he should have gone to the meeting and have had Lydia do this in his place. He pushed his long black hair out of his face, staring at the small amount of fuzz that had appeared on his chin. The dilemma of whether to shaving it away or not took a long minute, but the silent conversation he would have had with his mother made it a clear winner. Little black hairs filled the obnoxiously deep blue sink. A lazy rinse of water pushed them down the drain right before used toothpaste could follow it. Soap and water cleaned out the pores of a standing man, his hands busily at work as the water now ran in the same colored tub. The shower curtain stood strong against the torrent of water, lasting the five minutes it took him to take his shower. A towel wrapped around his waist, Jensen left the warm steam of the bathroom down to the cool hall that lead back to his room.

Getting dressed took little to no effort. A towel rub dried his thin black strains fairly quickly and then he combed them into a neat ponytail. A white dress shirt and dark colored jeans coated his barely dry body as he slipped into his favorite pair of sneakers. Jensen, dressed as he was, could easily pass for your average grad school bound undergrad. He could be getting ready for a job interview or internship that could set him down a career path. However this was not the case and a car horn honked twice to warn him of its’ departure. The young man trotted down the stairs, pet the top of his sister’s head which earned him a growl, and left his home to go meet with people in his age range that were not nearly interesting enough to get him excited.

“What time do you need a pick-up?” Lewis Gatlin asked his son, he too dressed in a similar manner.

“Don’t need one. Lydia is stopping by the college after her meeting. I have been instructed by said weirdo to stay here until she gets here.” Jensen smiled at his father as he closed the car door behind him. “Thanks though. Enjoy your day off.” With a nod and a smile, Lewis drove off and left behind the man who was walking towards auditorium.

The clock ticked a half hour past three, the microphone completely forgotten as it was pinned beside one of his buttons on his shirt. “Now though the banana melted, it did keep every cell that it originally had. Well, minus a few hundred from heat loss in transit. This was the start of everything. All we had to accomplish now was to keep the structure the same. After countless fixes, reprogramming, and tests, we were able to get a pristine banana in the other-" a song began to play loudly, Jensen's pocket vibrated. A quick glance showed the nickname "The Weirdo" flashing on the screen, and he slid it silent. "I'm sorry about that, now where-" cut off once more by the same song and the now seemingly angry vibration of the phone, Jensen checked his phone once more. "The Weirdo" flashed on his screen several times.

"Excuse me, this probably is important." He sighed. The class offered him an awkward chuckle and the young man answered the call as he stepped out of the room.

"CAPT. JENSEN. I'VE GOT SOME NEWS FOR YOU!" The loud voice on the other end startled him, and it echoed into the room he was previously in. He would have noticed this, but the ringing in his ears from her ridiculous voice prevented him from making such a judgement.

“Calm down, Lydia. Remember that people hold phones to their ears so other people don’t have to yell like that and ruin ear drums.” Jensen sighed heavily and listened to the background noise of passing cars that foretold she was outside.

“Oh, duh. Anyway, so I’m at this really boring meeting with these old dudes. My brain is wondering because there are so many better places is could be than right there and right then.” Her voice was slightly tuning into a higher pitch, which it did whenever she became what he considered a ridiculous amount of excited. “Then I remembered what happened in the shower this morning!”

“In the shower?” Utterly lost now and frustratingly confused, he waited for her to continue her story.

"This meeting is supposed to be talking about the energy supply to the platforms. Since the first teleporter we built in that lab we basically hijacked,” she never felt guilty towards much of anything as would always be the first to confess to any crime should she think she hadn’t committed one, regardless of the rules of law, “We have been able to cut down all man-made doors and even capsules right? Now we just use capsules of energy that charge the particles in one's body and transfer them to another location. Well, the problem lies now with how to create that energy and how to store it without depleting any particular storage facility or running really expensive energy bills. This boring meeting got me to thinking to what I was thinking earlier in the shower! SOLAR ROADWAYS. Now, the platforms are already solar right? They have giant batteries stored beneath them to conserve energy when not in use. Just like the solar roadways. HOWEVER, what if we change the shape of the platforms? The hexagon is a stronger and bigger shape than that dumb circle we're using, plus hexagons are way cooler."

"Get to the point here." Jensen was used to these long winded speeches. He could easily see her drawing all over a whiteboard little hexagons with sunglasses on them.

"Okay, okay, Captain," Her voice became playful and he could see a bright smile on the other end of the call. "Get this. Eventually I want people to be able to transport anywhere without the use of platforms. We have come a long way considerably since our first banana.” A laugh escaped Jensen, as it did in a perfect unison in the room next door. The man thought that it was a pretty well timed laugh until he remembered that the microphone was pinned to his shirt, and everyone could hear every word she was saying. “What if we build platforms in space. Now we can’t travel to space with those particular platforms, but they could act as satellites do and bounce us to our next location.” He could hear the waiting in her breath,

“That still doesn’t solve the energy problem.” Literally biting his tongue to prevent himself from calling her any playful names or get her even more excited. His blood was boiling with possibilities and he wanted to run and work on them instead of the seminar that would now only be full of questions about the current conversation. “Think on this a little more and listen to some of those boring old people.” He couldn’t stop himself from jesting. “Maybe they can solve your energy problem so you could start working on your space thing. Have to go, the seminar is still in session.”

“Well oh shit. I totally forgot you had that today.” A deep breath released and he could hear the sound of doors opening as she made her way back inside. “My bad, Jensen. See ya later. Tell those peers of ours I give them some sort of an apology.” The loud click echoed in the silence of the room next door. There was a long pause before he gained the composure to walk back inside the auditorium. He was met with 40 sets of eyes, staring into his soul, burning with questions.

Clearing his throat before the first person broke the silence he stated, “I apologize for forgetting the microphone was on. I will not answer any questions regarding that call and you should not bring it up because Lydia’s idea is just that at the moment.” He gave a practiced smile and began his lecture once more. It was not until the final questions had been answered and the students were trickling out that the girl approached him. A veteran college student, the ripe age of 21 chiseled her into a beauty. Gone were the baby cheeks, and her gentle curves gave her a womanly shape. She approached Jensen slowly, who though admired the beauty of a person, did not feel the need for the type of intimacy she was obviously desiring. “How may I help you, miss?” he asked checking his watch for the time before looking up to meet her gaze. She looked down, trying to impress him with her shyness and twirled a lock of blonde hair around her finger. This annoyed him slightly, for he didn’t understand why women felt the need to act meek around a man.

“I was wondering if you would like to grab some coffee with me.” Her voice was slow and smooth like honey. “I really enjoyed your lecture today. Your brain must work in fascinating ways.” Now a coy smile played on her thick lips and his irritation grew.

“Though I would love to grab a cup of coffee, I’m afraid I have an appointment already made.” He sighed with a quiet relief and she picked up on it.

“Is that so?” One knee bent as she placed her hand on her hip, trying for a sassy posture now. “Let me ask you this then, would there be a possibility of coffee with me in the future? Or are you continuously scheduled with a lack of free time.” Her annoyance bothered him, but in order to try and remain some sort of polite he humored her.

“It is so, and I am a very busy man, but I wouldn’t mind an intellectual conversation in the slightest. I am rather fond of those.” Hoping she’d get the hint, he gave her a smile. The look on her face confused him though as her cheeks turned red and she adverted her eyes.

“Is that why you and Ms. Reford are a thing?” Her voice was quiet, having lost her confidence. Jensen blinked several times while he processed her question. He questioned it himself a few times to analyze what she was really asking. Jensen’s eyes widened and laughter overtook him. His sides shook violently as he doubled over, his shorter hair falling out of the ponytail and covering his face. The girl not much younger than him took a step back in fright as his laughter echoed in the now empty room. Lydia in fact heard the commotion, and stood at the top of the stairs, watching the two. She leaned against the door with a curious expression on her face as she enjoyed her friend’s laughter but wishing to know what caused it. While doing so, she too earned curious glances from men passing by her as she was still in her business attire and could pass as a grad student or even a young professor.

It took a moment to calm himself, holding his side still as he straightened his posture. It took even more of a moment after looking at the startled expression on the woman’s face. “No,” he paused, gathering his breath again. “Lydia and I are not a ‘thing’. I didn’t mean to be rude, but such an idea has never passed my mind nor hers.”

“Well how are you sure she doesn’t think of you as a love interest?” The young woman leaned closer to him, not noticing that the woman in question was now standing behind her.

“It is because he knows everything about me. Besides, he has the romantic attraction of a goldfish.” The professional voice behind the girl startled her and she turned quickly. Lydia spoke eloquently, not like the rushed voice of madness that was her on the phone call. The blonde looked her over and sighed, thinking that she really didn’t have a chance since the woman before her was obviously well versed.

“Well….uh...I” Feeling annoyed and cornered though she had no reason to do so, the girl excused herself and ran for the safety of the stairs. Watching her, the two young geniuses found themselves gossiped over by those standing in the doorway.

“A goldfish, hm?” Jensen looked at his friend. Though he knew she didn’t care for him in any romantic way, it slightly surprised him.

“Yes, a very pretty goldfish. One you feel relaxed when watching him swim around in his tank you prepared for him” The grin she gave him while saying this and the gentle pat on his back made him sigh. He should have expected this. After all, Nanette had told him once that the gossip magazine she read suspected him interested in Lydia which was why he turned down approaches for romantic involvement.

“A goldfish.” He couldn’t help but chuckle. Maybe the idea that he and Lydia were a thing would actually get people to leave him alone. He didn’t care at all for romance. However, he didn’t because though he didn’t care for it, Lydia did. Tying her down to him would restrict her happiness, and he didn’t care for that either.

“Well my guppy friend, let’s get some tea. They offered me coffee at the meeting but I can’t handle that stuff.”

“Hey, I thought I was a goldfish!” Jensen followed after Lydia and walked beside her when he caught up. She chuckled and smiled, the other men around her watching the two of them as they passed.

It took them several minutes to be able to leave the science building because several professors, who had attended the seminar, had stopped them. The two answered questions with joyous expressions due to the content of the conversation. Lydia was just happy to be out of the business meeting and being able to discuss things she actually cared for. Jensen was pleased to be talking to people who actually knew what they were talking about and not being asked out on anymore potentially disastrous dates. The clock ticked five, and the school bell charmed several times. They both stood on the campus grounds listening for a moment, a cup of freshly brewed tea in her hands and a hot cup of coffee in his. An autumn breeze reminded Lydia that she was wearing a skirt and she shivered slightly.

“It’s getting to be cold out, isn’t it?” Her voice was slow and quiet. This was not surprising as Lydia enjoyed nature more than most, and a moment like this hardly passed her up. The young woman’s shiver did not go unnoticed though, and Jensen casually placed the jacket he had been holding earlier around her shoulders. Perhaps this was why people thought the two a couple, but neither of them thought the action a romantic gesture so feelings of that nature were not tied to it.

“Yes, it is. Make sure you bring a jacket with you.” He smiled began to walk ahead of her, sipping his cup-of-joe nonchalantly. It warmed his throat and settled happily in his gut. “Shall we be off?” He stopped and turned to her, waiting for her to stand beside him before they headed toward their next destination.