Koven looked at the golf balls in his travel bag. They looked like normal golf balls. They weighed 45.9 grams just like normal balls. They even had 336 dimples just like normal balls. But they had something special, an offset electromagnet buried deep in the core. This magnet held a small piece of lead in suspension, a circumstance where the weight of the lead was not detectable.
But once the ball made impact with a club, the offset electromagnet would instantly switch off and the lead would do what it was intended to do, give more mass and momentum to the ball. It had taken Koven nearly three hundred revs to design and manufacture golf balls that would carry over 50 percent further than regulation balls, and no one could tell them from regulation balls without cutting them open.
And golfers are notorious for their ego. Most golfers that are Nons believe that they can spot a “hot ball” faster than a Criminology professor can spot a fake 100-block chain.
And why did Koven do this? One of the oldest reason known to humans: he did this to gain the approval of his father, Eflin.
As the cruiser settled into orbit around Dis 29, a resort planet, Koven frowned. He knew Tanit would be angry when she learned that he chose to spend his day off with his parents instead of fulfilling his commitment to her.
He walked to the edge of the airlock.
“Is there anything you want me to do while you are visiting your parents?” asked Rusa.
“No. Would you like to come with me? It’s a very pretty planet,” Koven asked.
“No, thank you. There is maintenance to do here,” she replied.
“OK. I will be back tomorrev,” Koven said as he activated his personal transport device.
“Koven,” said Rusa, “I will miss you.”
Koven stepped out from the airlock and the PTD took over. As he zoomed faster and faster down to the planet with his eyelids tightly shut, he wondered if any android had ever said they would miss a human before. It was a peculiar thing for a machine of metal, sensors, electronics, and computer code to say.
Koven’s mother, Indira, was not at home when he arrived. She was at the 21st green, the learning annex attached to the golf course. She was teaching a sunset course on the Evolution of Leisure Activities.
Evening-time courses were always full, three hundred packed into each lecture hall. Later in the evening, Eflin would teach a course on the History of Golf. It was the most attended course in Dis 29 history. Day courses were less entertaining and more serious.
But life was excellent for the Modi couple on Disney 29. Their condo overlooked the ocean and was near the top floor, just under the clouds. They taught in the morning, played golf together every afternoon, and taught entertainment classes in the evening, the kind of class where participants applaud at the end of the lecture.
“Good evening, Son. Welcome,” said Eflin to his son.
“Hello, Father,” he replied with a smile. “I’ve brought you a present,” he added with enthusiasm.
“Why?” asked his father coldly.
“Because I know how much you like to golf. And I know how much you like to win.”
“True,” replied his father. “I’m going to make some coffee. Would you like some?”
“Yes.”
Koven took his travel bag to one of the visitor rooms. He pulled the pack of golf balls from his bag and went back to the large kitchen. His father handed him a cup and Koven took a sip. Eflin liked coffee and always made sure that he had the best beans imported from Primus Earth. Koven set the box of golf balls on the counter.
“Do they explode when I hit them?” asked his father. He took one from the box and tossed it in the air and caught it. He looked at it closely.
“No. But they go farther than normal balls. Use them on the tee, but don’t try to putt them,” Koven replied.
“Ah, hot balls,” said Eflin. “You know, Professor Seintus was caught using hot balls a few revs ago. He was suspended for thirty revs.” Eflin was grinning from ear to ear.
A few words should be said about this grinning business. Imagine if you are required by law and profession to always tell the truth. No matter what, you must be honest. This has strange effects on the human psyche. Social interactions are difficult, romantic relationships are even more so. The historian walks a path known only to other historians. Some historians even suffer from a mild form of schizophrenia, as they are compulsively thinking of the lies they could tell when asked a question but don’t permit those words to leave their lips. It is like an inner voice that constantly provides lying answers for every question.
So imagine the thrill to a historian when given the chance to cheat at something and a very low probability of being caught. And if they are asked, they will confess to the minor deception. It is the second best thing known to a historian. Do I need to tell you what the best thing is? Really? OK. Sex. You should have guessed that one.
For the first time Koven could remember, his father seemed pleased with him.
One hundred fifty tox or so later, Koven and his parents were at dinner at DelFerino’s a premiere Lunian Cuisine Restaurant on the ground floor of their building. Being two of the most prominent historians on Disney 29, they were afforded the window view. There, they could look out the window and watch the splashdown of the large barges from the freighters in orbit above the planet. These million-kilogram metal containers would descend from the sky rapidly, until a few hundred maatars from the surface of the ocean they would reduce speed before hitting the water. It was quite a sight to see. Even at reduced speed the splash was significant and would send water shooting several hundred maatars into the air. While they watched and ate, Koven told his parents about his mission.
“Remember that the PPS has a flaw on the underside,” said Indira to her son.
“Thank you for reminding me, Mother,” he replied.
“You’re welcome. Do you listen to music while you are on missions?”
“Yes. Usually Beethoven or Implosive Intent,” Koven replied.
“You should try some lectures. There is one about combat that I used to play often during missions. I think it was called ‘Not My Time.’ Saved my butt a couple of times. I’ll send you a copy.”
“Let’s hope that he doesn’t get into life-or-death circumstances,” said Eflin. “Your history is not good in that area.”
Koven was immediately back on the shore of the pond, his brother’s yells for help amplified by memory. He felt his jaw set tight, his lips tighten, and he tried but failed to stop the tears from forming in his eyes. He got up from the table quickly and excused himself to go to the bathroom. And for the short period he was in the bathroom wiping the tears from his face, he hated his father again.
Koven was more quiet when he came back to the table. His mother was fussing at his father as he approached. The rest of the dinner conversation was about other topics.
When they got back to the condo, Koven tried to call Tanit. She had left him a very short message. In it she told him just how upset she was with him. She called him a gutless bastard, a coward, and ended the message abruptly after telling him that she was beginning to realize that he wasn’t worth the effort.
Tanit didn’t answer his call. He left her a rambling message, very out of character for him. He told her that he was scared. Scared of disappointing her. Scared that she deserved more than him and would eventually come to that conclusion. He told her that if she would just give him one more chance, and if she would help him work through his fears, he would try his best to be the kind of boyfriend and lover that she needed, that she wanted, that she deserved.
Tanit watched his message the next morning while she was eating breakfast.