Chapter 10: I have a call for you

Many years ago our founder, Adam Slade, arrived in Sunset Valley with a dream of creating a long-lasting legacy, and family dynasty that would be renowned across the three cities. Now his son, Brandon Slade and his wife, Qiana, are quietly continuing Adam's work in establishing the Slade name and equipping their children Cleo and Carl to continue the legacy.


In this chapter telephone calls herald excitement for Brandon and Cleo  ...

For Brandon and Qiana, life was good.  Qiana was still busy offering style advice and consultations to fashion-conscious residents across the town.

Though now, as a well established 'style guru' and earning good money from each job, Qiana was able to limit her case load to just a handful of clients each week. This meant she could now take more 'me time', and enjoy the simple things in life, like the abundant flora and fauna that thrived in the town’s open spaces.

Being more of a ‘home worker’, it was often Brandon who spent more time with their new son, Carl. Not that he minded this at all.

He looked forward to those breaks in his day where he would leave his workbench and play with Carl. He really loved fatherhood, and Carl was such a responsive child, always eager to learn new things or simply have fun with his dad.

As for Cleo, it seemed that her life was getting more exciting, more opportunities were opening up and her social circle ever expanding.

So, on her eighteenth birthday, even though a relatively modest affair held at home, there were many good friends there to help her celebrate.

When she thought back to her last big birthday, just before she started secondary school, so much had changed for her. But not everything … she still loved hanging out with good looking boys, and her school had plenty!

Sadly, though, not Thomas Easley, her very first crush. He had suddenly disappeared from school a few months after she started, in fact his whole family had left Sunset valley and no one knew why. Or, at least, no one was telling her what had happened.

Not one to mope, Cleo soon found plenty of other cute boys to amuse her during break times. Lads like Jake Miguel and Nickolas Bartlett who always seemed to be having a laugh – even if her mother couldn’t understand why their parents let them out “dressed like that!” But, hey, what does mum know about 'cool' these days?

Cleo was also delighted to see Garett Fisk at her party. Although he went to an out-of-town school he was their usual baby-sitter for Carl so Cleo would often see him briefly when she came home from school or sometimes when her folks went out at the week-end. Garett was hot, so it was going to make plenty of girls at school pretty jealous that he had come to her party.

Of course, he wasn’t as hot as Pascal but seeing as he couldn’t make it, Cleo was going to make the most of the attention she got from Garett, Jake, Miguel and the other boys who were there.

As the party progressed, and the celebratory cake was brought out, Brandon and Qiana, couldn’t have been prouder of the fine young woman that their little girl was turning into. She had a daredevil streak but tempered with her ability to make quick and accurate judgements they knew that she would be brave enough to face any challenge that would come her way.

The last few guests were leaving the party as Cleo’s phone rang. It was Pascal. “Joyeux anniversaire ma chérie, happy birthday!”

Her day was complete, everyone she loved was sharing this milestone day with her, even her lovely boyfriend, from all those miles away.

Somehow, Cleo reaching adulthood spurred the rest of the family into making significant changes in their lives.

Now that she had left school and would soon have to find a job, Cleo was keen to look more 'adult'.

So, with Qiana’s expert help she got a whole new wardrobe of exciting clothes and a fashionable new haircut.

So pleased was she with the results that she insisted that it was time for a whole family portrait – something they had, somehow, never done before. They had to admit, they were a good looking family!

After many years of great fun, and sometimes frustration, of working with the greatest designers, and the most unfashionable clients, it was time to step aside and let a new generation take the lead. So, after one last job, styling her own daughter, Qiana decided that it was time to retire from the salon.

With Cleo soon to start a career and young Carl now going off to school, her kids were growing up, and she felt the time was right, that she should concentrate on what made her happy.

In this, she was similar to her father-in-law, Adam.  Qiana loved growing things, so retiring meant she could devote more time to the garden that Adam had created when he first moved to Sunset Valley.

Carl was just starting primary school and was really taking to it, though his parents often felt that the school perhaps wasn’t as challenging as it could be.

Carl loved learning, particularly puzzles and computational challenges.

When he was at home he would often be found sat quietly in a corner reading, or playing chess with his father.

Brandon would normally win these games, but it wasn't always easy,

Carl had a good eye for the unconventional move that would test all his father's strategic skills.

Brandon’s lifestyle was not so dramatically changed. As a self-employed inventor and occasional contributor to the Landgraab Institute his days were pretty much his own anyway.

What he did find, however, was that he was spending a lot of time with Carl, probably even more than he did with Cleo when she was this age.

He was delighted that Carl so loved reading, and testing his intellectual abilities but he made sure that it wasn’t "all work and no play" for his young son.

Whether it was the latest race game on the computer or playing catch on the lawn Carl always gave his all.

Cleo was going to take her time in deciding on a career path, she’d had several conversations with the careers guidance team at school as well as her mother and father all of whom had said that there was no rush. Better to get it right first time than waste years in a job she hated.

The other thing was that she wanted was to spend more time with Pascal, and a full-time job would get in the way of that!

With a phone call at least once a week, and as much as they loved talking and sharing stories, both Pascal and Cleo knew that if the relationship was to develop they would need to spend quality time together.

It was towards the end of one conversation, when Pascal casually said, "Oh, and I have something else to tell you, ma chérie, I am coming to Sunset Valley in three weeks, we will have a whole week-end together!"

She could barely contain her excitement, rushing back down to the breakfast table to tell her dad that Pascal was coming, and to make sure that he could stay with them. Brandon agreed it would be good to have Pascal stay, indeed he was looking forward to seeing him again - he would be sure to arrange a good fishing trip for them both.

"Uh-huh, no way!" Cleo protested, "Pascal is coming to see me, he is not going to want to waste time sticking yucky worms on hooks!". "Well," Brandon smiled back, "let’s wait and see shall we?"

"Hmm, yeah, right." Cleo was pretty sure her dad was just joking but, whatever, she wasn't going to let him steal Pascal away from her for even a second. She had waited long enough to see him again.

The days ticked by, Cleo did her best to research job opportunities, but more often than not she would drift into dreaming about seeing Pascal. Even when she was pounding the treadmill for all it was worth she would lose focus on what she was doing – it was a wonder that she didn’t hurt herself!

But the days did turn into weeks and that Friday came round and there was Pascal, standing in their garden.

They  hugged, and kissed, and held hands and just enjoying being able to reach out, touch and embrace the other.  "If only this could be my job," thought Cleo, "to spend my days gazing into those eyes ..."

Just like the last time Pascal had visited the Valley, the two of them could talk for hours without noticing the time passing.

On this occasion, however, Cleo had a special treat for her boyfriend, and they needed to be in town by mid-day.

She had arranged the local cinema to put on a special screening of the latest Alexandre Simas film, part of which was actually filmed in Champs Les Sims!

As Cleo and Pascal were at the cinema, Brandon who was in town to put some of his latest gadgets in for sale at the Swap 'N' Sell, received an unexpected phone call from the Landgraab Insitute.

"Mr Slade, this is Jackson Livsey, director of Cybergenetics at the LIS."

"We have been very impressed by your recent work both in building fundamental electronic devices and biological research.  We have a job for you."

"We have reason to believe that an unauthorised  cybergenetic organism is responsible for a drop in local fish populations in North Africa."

"You, Mr Slade, are uniquely qualified to find, identify and, if necessary, capture this organism."

"Mr Slade, you are not to inform anyone of this conversation. If you accept this assignment, and I sincerely hope that you do, please go directly to the airport and check in for the next flight to Al Simhara.

Brandon had heard of Doctor Livsey, from his colleagues at the Institute, he was a man with an impeccable reputation for ethical science and if he was asking for help, Brandon had no hesitation in agreeing.

So, with a quick call to his wife to explain that he would be away 'on business' for a few days, Brandon set off ...

Chapter 11: Hunt for the Organism