I always thought working at the SSES was the worst job ever. After working at a fast food joint, I think I found something worse. In the end though me and Casey never talked again and I forgot a good most of those horrible days. At thirty-seven I was currently working at the State of California Library as a Reference Librarian. That's what my badge said, I like that, a sense of pride filled me. You could still see the black clouds emitted from a giant SSES building nearby and sometimes the vents went out and the air went foul. But you could always dig you nose in a book. That's what I did anyway.

It was a nice job; quiet, not many questions, not many annoying kids. The money was always tight but until I found something better this wasn't too bad.

But then, here I was, putting biographies together. It was Remembrance Day so we had a stand where all the famous people went. People who did something. Casey was probably designing dresses or somehow putting that cheerleader voice to use.

I placed Teddy Roosevelt on the shelf and started on the Scientists. Madame Currie, Salvatore Delgado, Charles Mendel. All these people I had memorized.

"Excuse me."

I turned around.

An African-American boy, looked about twenty or so, stood in front of me. He looked familiar. Had I seen him on TV?

"Yes?"

"Do you have the special edition on Alexander Jefferson Banks."

"Special Edition, you mean his journal?"

He nodded. Then smiled. "My friends are getting it from somewhere."

"Not here!" I smiled cheerily.

He shrugged and laughed. "Oh well, I'll find it. Or borrow it."

"Did you need help with those?" I asked nodding toward his books.

"Oh I can do it."

"The self check outs are closed right now."

"Well then I would love for your help!"

I liked this one. I liked the ones that were happy and laid back.

I put down my books and lead him over to the counter. It was empty right now, it always was on Monday at 6:40 am. He handed me his card and I clicked in the passcode. I handed it back as the computer logged in. Big letters filled the screen; Welcome Benjamin Red.

"Oh! Benjamin Red." I looked up. "You were in the um, on the MTWABP News Channel. Something about a new scientific branch your helping with?"

"Yeah." He laughed. "You watch that channel?

"Not really, I saw you at those store TVs when I was getting salmon. Glitch love salmon."

"You have a cat?" He asked.

"Dog."

I picked up the books and started scanning.

The first one was on the blood of the body.

So were the next three.

I picked up the fourth book. The Inside the SSES.

"You know," I said scanning it. "They do tours."

"Hm? Oh yeah! I went on a field trip there once. I work there now. Just started."

I scoffed. "I used to work there. Hated the place. Tell me. Was it the aroma of burning flesh that brought you there? It wasn't the paycheck I'm sure."

He laughed. "Actually I was inspired there."

"Really?" I couldn't hold back my disbelief.

"Yeah, I was a Sci-Fi Fanatic when I was a kid. I came up with some crazy ideas."

"We all do. I thought I was going to be a ballerina, the next was that college would be great. I learned to stop listening to crazy ideas."

He chuckled. "I wanted to have everything to do with lasers and spaceships. I watched a lot of Star Trek."

I nodded. "You have afine of thirty-four dollars and 28 cents, did you want to pay that off?"

"Really? Thirty- wow last time I checked it was fifteen." He pulled out his wallet.

"So do you work with Lasers now?"

"No, I work with the DODM. Disintegration Of Dead Matter. It's a new branch the SSES opened recently."

"Oh." I tapped on the fussy screen to pay the amount. "What do they do?"

"It's finding an organic, safe, earth-friendly way to break down dead matter." He grinned impishly. "Sometimes we use lasers."

I smiled. "The SSES inspired you to that? Or Alexander? Or Star-Trek?"

"Neither, it was the tour guide. Stephanie."

I looked up, startled. But he was looking at his checked out books. "Oh?"

"I left the group when I heard that the Cremation room and Fertilization rooms were out of order. The Fertilization room was the one I was looking forward to the most. People were coming out so I went in and scouted everything out."

"Were you disappointed at the lack of lasers?"

"No, there were these tiny corns though-"

"Laser corn." We said in unison. He gave me a curious look and laughed.

"Yeah! Anyway I made the poor gal run all over the place for me but when we were walking back she told me about Alexander's experiments to use white blood cells to break down matter. Have you heard of it?"

"A little something here and there. I dabble."

"Well that didn't really interest me at first but when I started growing up I never really forgot about what she said. So yeah, now me and a group of friends are working to make it happen. Every time I think of doing something else or giving up, because white blood cells are fussy, I think back to that and decide to keep going." He smiled at me.

"Really? What was it she said that stuck with you?"

"She said 'humans would rather find another planet then fix the one we have'. Being a Trekker, it kind of hit a chord with me. The wrong one for a few years." He laughed.

"I'm glad you're fond of this planet."

"Oh don't get me wrong, once we start sending people to the moon I'm jumping straight onto that bandwagon."

I laughed. "Um your account's paid off."

"Thanks," He got his books and headed out. "Have a great day!" He called over his shoulder.

"You too!" I called back.

I watched after him. Then looked at my desk. I felt my hand down to my Master keys. I picked one up, "I <3 books", I flipped it over where it show my old SSES card. I worked it out and flipped it over. There. Casey glued the picture to my card since it was her last day. There I was with that days last class, a smile that didn't reach my eyes, my cropped, dyed brown hair. Why did I dye my hair? To stop cat calls. I touched my own shoulder-length blond curls. I could've told him. But would it of been too awkward? I looked over to Alexander on the shelf and smiled. Maybe, but it was too late now anyway. Someone was on their way to greatness and in a small way so inspired them to go there.