March Forth (The Woodford Chronicles Book 1) Read Online Free PDF Page B

these answers were pure guesses, jotted down more because he thought they looked nice there than for any logical reason.  Once or twice, he just copied the symbol from one equation as the answer to another.
    He started to think this was all some elaborate practical joke; however, the two officers who stood nearby never cracked a smile or, for that matter, spoke a word while he took his tests.  They would simply give him each test and tell him how much time he had to take it, and then stand silently.  Silently and, he thought, rather menacingly. 
    Finally, in the third section, he was asked to describe any “unexplainable and unusual experiences” he had had both in the Navy and in his civilian life before enlisting.
    For lack of a better answer, he described the odd lidar readings as his “unexplainable” Navy experience, though he felt like writing a detailed account of the test he was currently taking.  It seemed a far more “unexplainable and unusual experience.”
    He considered whether he had had any such experiences in his civilian life, and drew a blank.  Just as he was about to throw in the towel, he remembered something: 
    He was ten years old, visiting an aunt in Pennsylvania with his mother.  He was outside playing, and he heard a loud motorcycle engine coming down the usually quiet road.  He watched it go past; a shiny, gleaming black and silver machine that made him wish he was old enough to have one.  It stopped suddenly, made a quick U-turn, and drew to a stop right in front of Steven, maybe five feet away.  The driver removed his helmet and stared silently but intently at him for several seconds.  The biker was a small but muscular man who looked to be in his early fifties, with dark skin and a few grey hairs.  He was dressed all in black.    Steven wished his mom or aunt would come out of the house; this man’s dark eyes scared him.  Even at ten years old, Steven knew when he looked into the biker’s eyes that something was very wrong in the man’s mind.  Steven did not speak.  He was made mute by terror, wondering what the man would do next.  He thought he might be kidnapped or worse.  Then, with no explanation, the biker said, “That’s not how you treat the Lady, friend.”  Then, he put his helmet back on and drove away, just as suddenly as he had appeared.
    Steven remembered this, and wrote a brief synopsis of the experience on the last page of the test.  He had no idea if it was the kind of answer they were looking for, but it was the only thing that had come to mind.
    The officers took all three of his tests and instructed him to wait where he was.  He sat at the desk, worried and waiting, for another hour.  He began to feel he would never see the light of day again.
    Then, the officers returned.   Captain Righty said, “We’ve reviewed your tests.  Pack your belongings and meet us here at 0600 tomorrow.  You will be relocated.”
    Steven did as he was told.  He didn’t have much to pack; it only took him an hour or so.  He did not (could not) sleep that night.
    The next morning, he returned to the office, carrying all of his belongings.  The two officers met him outside and loaded his things into a black SUV, then told him to get in the backseat.  The two of them got in front.  Lefty drove.  No one spoke.  Steven made a few attempts at lighthearted conversation about the weather and such, but neither Righty nor Lefty responded to anything he said with any more than a perfunctory nod.
    The drive went on for hours.  At some point, Steven fell asleep.  When he awoke, he was still in the backseat of the silent vehicle.  He felt horribly disoriented.  Only by looking out the window and studying the signs did he figure out that they were in Connecticut.  The car showed no signs of stopping.  More time passed; between the silence in the car and not knowing where their destination was, it felt like an eternity.
    Finally, about two hours after they passed a