The World Needs Saving...Again

Chapter One: Finding A Friend

"Valerie Kipling. Clean record. Perfect scores for All-Around Survival, All-Around Travel, Shipbuilding, Language Literacy, and..." The headmaster frowned slightly. "...Cooking in the Third Millenium. Very specific skill sets but useful nevertheless."

Valerie squirmed on the edge of her seat. "I have very specific goals in mind, Professor Trey."

He looked over the top of the tablet, a breeze from the window tracing the edges of his unkempt hair. Of which, had speckles of gray amidst the black strands, creating a wolf-like appearance for the man. It did not help when his eyes were bluer than the reflecting light of a diamond. This prompted many, many jokes to be made. But it was all in good fun, coming from the way he would glare at his former students jokingly as they teased him about it.

"I can tell." He quirked his eyebrows, the edge of his mouth curling up slightly as he read. "Advanced placement in Universal History, Evolution, Arithmetics, History of Arithmetics, etcetera, etcetera. Wow, you have quite the knowledge base, Miss Kipling."

Valerie flushed, allowing herself a small sense of pride at her achievements.

He continued. "Mediocrity in Space Travel and Flight. I'm surprised. With a perfect All-Around Travel score, I would have thought you've achieved high marks for those two?"

Valerie cleared her throat. "It's 7990. Anything can happen."

"Eight Millenium, going on Ninth," He muttered. "I can still remember the Sixth when the last person died of old age."

"You're that old?!" She blurted out without thinking.

Professor Trey gave her a small smile. "Yes. My age has been a mystery for a while. I suppose it's time for someone to know, wouldn't you say?"

"I suppose so." Valerie shook her head. "Still. From the Sixth Millenium as well! How..."

"My age is not of your concern right now." He interrupted her. "What should concern you are the risks of time jumping and seafaring."

"You mean--" Her eyes lit up with excitement, the fire burning in her brighter than ever.

"You've met triple the requirements, Miss Kipling." Professor Trey let out a chuckle. "I think you are more than ready to face history and pirates. But you need a crew or a partner."

Valerie studied the desk in front of her. It was made out of glass, which was suitable for making things look nice but terrible for durability. There were several strips of black onyx to access the virtual world and information and the like.

"Miss Kipling?"

"Oh right." She closed her eyes. "I can do that--find a partner, I mean."

"I understand that several may find the company of a crew or partner unenjoyable, but it is necessary--"

"--for the safety and knowledge of all. I know, Professor Trey. I have a photographic memory." A wry smile appeared on Valerie's face.

"So I've been told," He murmured. "But anyway, I do recommend meeting new people. It's not good for the soul to work all day with no play."

She nodded. "I shall do that. Is my record updated?"

With a firm nod from the professor, she gave a bright smile. "Thank you, Professor Trey. Godspeed!"

He shook his head as she disappeared from his room. "Ah, to be young again."

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Valerie skipped back to her dormitory, grinning wildly as she gathered her belongings into a silver Re-Sizable Backpack. It could hold many objects one would need, including objects the size of a refrigerator to a paper clip. And they were invented by none other than one of her uncles, Ross. Similar inventions had been made from people all over her family.

Her mom created the world's first Time-Zone, of which could produce a bubble where time was temporarily frozen for an individual and allow them to do as they pleased without any after effects to reality.

The trick, as she often said, was to manipulate the particles that allowed time to continue.

Most people used this invention to take naps throughout the day, despite their resistance to aging. This allowed for them to learn more, as some would proclaim because nothing is more important than learning in the Eight Millenium.

Valerie thinks it's due to impatience but that's just her opinion.

But that's just one branch of her family. There have been plenty of adventurers, writers, inventors, and other people with other professions throughout her ancestral lines. Which, was convenient because it provided her multiple opportunities to find a way to raise her family's prestige.

In 7990, prestige was one of the most valuable things in the universe. It outranked any value of a space artifact and determined how the world treated you. No one dared cross the line in which prestige was at risk, leading to a dramatic decrease in crimes and increase in knowledge.

In any case, people bartered for objects rather than paying for them with Earth's only currency, Units. Foreigners from other planets and worlds demanded that the humans come up with some sort of currency, so Units became equal to the foreigners' Discs. (1 Unit = 1 Disc)

Valerie was resolute in gaining more prestige to her family. It was her goal to add at least 100 more points to her family's 1800. That was a decent score, she figured. Better to set her expectations low before they could fall.

She grabbed her bag and turned on the strip of black glass that was engraved on the underside of her forearm. With several swipes, Valerie turned her dormitory over to one of the waiting students whilst also updating her status to "Wanderer" and "Searching For Partner".

But not in that way.

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Valerie plopped onto the bar stool, her hands toying with a glass halfway-filled with a golden fluid, of which the sparkle inside it rivaled the blood of gods. A bartender stopped in front of her, leering at her sullen eyes with a gleam in his.

"What's a pretty girl like you doing in a dump like this?" His voice was grating against the soft, soothing music that played overhead.

"You work here." Was her only response.

"Not for much longer. I just need several Units and a few honor points until I can fund my kid's education." He frowned.

"Then why did you flirt with me?" Valerie asked evenly. "If you have a kid, I mean?"

"The kid's not mine. I'm doing this to repay a debt," He huffed. "Anyway--"

"I think we're done here. Here are your Units and I'll be off."

"Not so fast." He grabbed her wrist. "You're coming with me--"

"I hardly think that is necessary." A new voice appeared from behind Valerie.

"Who are you?" The man spat, clearly unsatisfied at how his evening was going. "This is none of your business, ya little prick. So get the fu--"

Before Valerie could even react, a golden arrow penetrated the wooden wall behind the bartender. His eyes bulged out of their sockets and he let go of her, clambering over the counter to face his contender.

"Language." The voice, now decidedly feminine according to Valerie, calmly spoke to the infuriated man.

Valerie whirled around, meeting shockingly soft, dark eyes that cast a shadow on the man. Without thinking, she grabbed the collar of him and flipped him onto the ground with her knee on his back and his arms pinned behind him.

"Touch me again and you risk it all," Valerie growled.

The man whimpered profusely,"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Let me go and I'll do anything you want. Please."

Valerie stood up, brushing her hands on her jeans as the man scrambled up and leaped over the counter to attend to other, less hostile customers.

"I was ready to kick his ass but I can see that you can hold your ground, Valerie Kipling." The girl gave her wide smile, holding out a hand for her to accept.

Valerie happily obliged. "Who might you be, stranger?" She asked, putting an emphasis on the last word.

"The name's Darcy. Darcy Syeford." She blew a few strands of hair out of her face. "So, I was looking online for a friend and yours was the only one available at Boston University."

Valerie studied her face. She had distinct cheekbones that really brought out her features. Her nose was prominent but not too much so as to hide her perfectly positioned eyes, and her cotton-candy pink lips were full. Her hair was the color of a melted chocolate cookie, with sprinklings of dark chocolate and an all-around golden tone. It framed her face in such a way that brought out everything and yet, hid it in a veil of mystery. Her jawline itself could cut the diamonds that rained from Neptune. In simpler terms, she was beautiful.

"Earth to Val. You there, bud?"

"Oh, yes! Right, sorry. I get sidetracked easily." Valerie blushed. "Yeah, I am looking for a partner to accompany me on my travels. Regulations and all, y'know?"

"Oh, I know. I'm just wondering if a person from such a high ranking family would take me in as a partner or crew member, y'know?" She seemed nervous when saying this, scraping a fingernail lightly against the other.

"We can figure that out later." Valerie's eyes twinkled. "I just want to see if you're fit for the mission first."

"Bring it on." The gleam of adventure was brought back into Darcy's dark eyes, instilling a flame that Valerie swore wasn't there before.

She couldn't wait.