If you or any of the other men are ever around southwest Missouri drop in. There's always a rack there for you. I will be happy to put you up for a da... or even longer."Jeremiah forgot about his plans to have lunch before he left. The first few miles he was thinking about the conversation he just had with the Master Chief. There had been a lot of loneliness and longing in that conversation. He was almost an hour down the road before he felt the first hunger pains. He drank his coffee and kept. The civilian refugees on board were not on the access lists for any of the equipment compartments. Mev pressed the admittance button on his console and the door slid open.As soon as the door was completely open the person who had requested entrance walked into the compartment. It was Kathleen Chen, one of the civilian refugees and Mev's close friend. She was the only other person on the ship who knew what Mev really was. The two shared the common experience of their home worlds having been. “My folks are rather old-fashioned. I grew up on a farm. Dad taught me how to drive anything. This summer, it was mostly a tractor. In high school, I was considered a nerd and a tall, skinny girl with glasses. I had laser treatment for my eyes but I’m still a nerd, I guess. You know I’m here on a volleyball scholarship and a merit scholarship. I’ll major in business and volleyball.“What about you, Eric?”I grew up in a smaller town east of here. I played all sports but never really liked. "When did I stop being Jeff?" When you became my boss and boy toy, besides, Wesley is your name. Why would I use a name like Jeff when Wesley has so much more class?" 'Cause that's what people call me?" Oh, but I'm not just people. I'm special. " Yeah, I can see that." I leaned over the blanket she had spread and kissed her lightly on the lips."Ahoy there," broke the kiss as Brian and Charlotte made their way forward."Hey kids! What are you guys doing out here?" Charlotte and I had lunch at.