Update on Replication and Excerpt From Upcoming Kid Sensation Story

I heard voices in the hallway – getting louder.  Someone was coming. I fought my natural inclination to teleport and opted for turning invisible instead. There might be something to learn here. I then floated up into a corner of the room where I would be safely out of the way.

The door opened and Capri came in, looking provocative, as always.  However, I was surprised at who was with her: my father, Alpha Prime.

“Okay,” Capri said as my father closed the door. “You wanted to talk, so talk.”

“I’m sure you know why I’m here,” Alpha Prime stated.

“Well, I know why most men come through my door,” Capri said with an inviting smile. “But you used up all your vouchers in that regard a long time ago, so I assume it’s about the boy.”

“The boy is my son.”

“Oh, trust me – I know. The fruit doesn’t fall far from the tree.”

Alpha Prime shook his head. “No, he’s not like me.  Not in that way.”

Capri cocked her head to the side. “Oh, really?  That’s not the way I heard it. Word on the street is that he’s juggling a fiancée, a girlfriend, super model groupies…  If he’s not you all over again, it’s only because he’s raised the bar.”

“That’s not fair. Whatever you’ve heard, there’s no way you got the real story, but believe me when I say that he’s not the kind of guy I was when it comes to women.”

“Oh? And what kind of guy was that?  I’ve never really heard you say it out loud.”

“Did I ever mistreat you?” Alpha Prime angrily blurted out. “Misuse you in some way? Put pressure on you to do anything you didn’t want to do?”

Capri crossed her arms and gave him a smoldering look. Rather than answer, she said, “We were talking about the boy. Go on.”

My father let out a deep breath. “The way I understand it, he’s been spending a lot of time with your daughter.”

He didn’t explain anything further, but he seemed to be implying something that Capri took offense to.

“And?” she asked.

“Well, isn’t she…?” He looked down, unable to go on. I wasn’t sure what he was suggesting, but several things came to mind that left a bad taste in my mouth.

“Isn’t she what? Yours?” Capri barked, then laughed in a way that was almost a cackle. “Can you even count? My daughter came along way after you and I were done.”

“I realize that,” my father said in annoyance. “I can do the math.  What I was trying to ask, is if she’s like you.”

Capri gave him a knowing smile and declared, “One hundred percent.” She then placed a hand on her hip and thrust it out to the side tantalizingly. “With genes like these, the arrow don’t miss the mark.”

Alpha Prime frowned. “Don’t you think that’s a problem?”

“I don’t recall you voicing many complaints,” Capri retorted.

A little red-faced, my father said, “Again, Jim’s not me. He’s still a kid. He’s–”

“Do not tell me you’re about to play the he’s-too-young card!” Capri forcefully interjected. “To hell with being the world’s greatest superhero – that would make you the biggest hypocrite on the planet! How many parents, siblings, friends, etcetera made that argument to you about some girl you were dating, and how many times did you listen?”

“Can you stop making this about me for two seconds?” my father asked in irritation. “This is about our kids – my son and your daughter – and right now, he doesn’t know what she is.”

“Oh, yeah,” she said sarcastically, “because it made all the difference in the world when you found out about me.  I mean, you stepped off – stopped calling, stopped asking me out, stopped sending me flowers. Oh, wait,” – she put a finger to her chin and stared off into space, as if reflecting on something of deep import – “you didn’t stop doing any of that.”

Alpha Prime didn’t say anything, just stared at her expectantly. After a moment she sighed and said, “Look, let’s not blow this out of proportion.  My daughter has a boyfriend; your son allegedly has a girlfriend. The two of them are just friends. Maybe that’s news to you, but people of the opposite sex can have platonic relationships. If it starts looking like it’s more than that, somebody may have to say something, but until then let’s not make things awkward with a conversation that may never need to happen.”

My father seemed to contemplate for a second, then nodded. “Alright, that seems fair.”

“Great,” Capri said. “Now that that’s out of the way, tell me the truth.  Did you really only come here to talk about your son, or is there something else you wanted to do?”

She asked her question in a husky, alluring tone and raised an eyebrow teasingly. A knowing glance passed between them and they both smiled. Sensing an unexpected, but similar, flurry of emotions arising simultaneously in the two them, I phased and practically fled, going through the wall and down the hallway as fast as I could without making my presence known.