Tides of the Continuum 1: Making History Read Free Page A

replied to him, “Thanks Paul. I’ll see you in a few days.”
    The other student left, leaving Aurora and her friend mostly alone. Lincoln looked up to her expectantly. Slowly Aurora sat back in her chair, hoping he wouldn’t stay long. But then she again realized her pattern and changed her mind. She decided to hope he would stay longer.
    “Have I been cold to you?” she asked in a low tone.
    Lincoln thought for a second before he answered her, “Well, yes. But I’m not offended by it. As near as I can tell most people who grew up in foster care sometimes have that as part of their personality.”
    Aurora looked at him, not knowing exactly how to take his comment. But he continued, “I think it just comes from uncertainty in a child’s life. Children need a level of stability in order to develop properly. If they learn that they can’t count on anyone to stick around, they’ll begin to believe that they will always be abandoned. And so they begin to close themselves off from the world, ensuring they will never be hurt.” Lincoln paused and then said, “They may never lose friends, but they may never gain friends either.”
    “I’m sorry I’ve been rude to you. I didn’t mean to fence you out or hurt you.”
    “No harm done. So what’re you working on?”
    Aurora answered him by opening her book and showing him the title written largely across the top of her page: Developmental Disabilities Related to Childhood Trauma. To which he replied, “Sounds like a knee-slapper.”
    She caught his sarcasm and slapped his knee. “Hey, you were right.”
    “I didn’t expect that, though,” said Lincoln back to her.
    She replied softly, more to herself than to him, “I didn’t expect that either.”

-MESSAGE RECEIVED FROM 'BISHOP'
    -FILTERING...
    -DECRYPTING...
    -TRANSLATING...
    -DISPLAYING MESSAGE CONTENT:
     
    Scheduled checkin. Have
    you found it yet?
     
    -COMPOSING REPLY FROM 'ROOK':
     
    I found what you've been looking for.
    She will be easy and gratifying to kill.

-END TRANSMISSION

4
     
    “Lincoln!” The shout rose above the dull tone of students milling around the halls. “Lincoln, wait up!” He turned toward the voice just in time to see Aurora’s red braid swaying from side to side as she strode toward him.
    To his left, Lincoln felt the unwanted presence of a previous potential. “Who’s this, Colonel, another volunteer?” Lincoln’s skin crawled and his neck muscles tensed as the voice, tainted with a tone Lincoln hated, pierced his calm. He was being mocked. James Marlow was a potential three months before Aurora was considered. Jimmy, as he liked to be called, was very closed-minded. These days he was turning many of Lincoln’s potentials against him and in the process making his job ten times harder.
    “What's he talking about?” Aurora was completely confused by Jimmy’s remark.
    “Nothing, just ignore him. He’s jealous that I made the advisor position.” Lincoln hoped that would pacify her for now.
    They were almost to their next class, one that they shared, when Aurora spoke up. “Why did that kid call you Colonel?” She was sincerely curious.
    “I’ll tell you later.” He didn't want to be so short but this wasn’t supposed to come up yet. Jimmy was such a pain.
    Their next class was a math class: Advanced Calculus Theory. There were twelve students in the class and only one female. Aurora didn’t mind being surrounded by guys. She didn’t even notice because she was too intent on the lessons. This intrigued Lincoln; it was odd to find a girl in any of Dr. Graf’s classes let alone this one, the highest math class offered by the small community college. The challenge excited Aurora. This was one more reason Lincoln thought he had found his last recruit for this trip.
    During the class, Dr. Graf wrote a rather complicated equation on the chalkboard. He was moving into an area of the curriculum the class hadn’t learned yet. Lincoln knew he'd seen this concept