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he meant by principalities and powers, but at least he didn’t talk down to me.
    There were a dozen computer jobs I could have taken now that I was a big hero; but I chose to work with Ackerman. For one thing, he’d asked me to. His research was interesting, and there was a lot I could do for him.
    I didn’t mind his interest in me, especially if I was going to be an assistant. But I didn’t like the way he kept asking about the others. Albert, Fly, and Arlene had lots of military stuff to keep them busy. Ken was recovering in the hospital; whenever we talked, he tired out quickly.
    â€œThere is every indication that Ken is also a genius,” Ackerman said, smiling.
    â€œAt least he’s unwrapped.”
    â€œWhat do you mean?”
    â€œI was, uh, making a joke. He looked like a mummy when we rescued him from the train. When I look at him now, I think of a . . . mummy.”
    â€œYes, yes,” he replied. “You and Ken were worth the sacrifices the others made.”
    â€œThey were very brave.”
    â€œNormal specimens,” he said to himself.
    People who talk to themselves are overheard sometimes.
    â€œWhat do you mean?” I asked.
    He looked up from his clipboard and blinked at me through his heavy black-rimmed glasses. “Sorry. I’m spending too much time in the lab. I only meant that if the human race is going to survive, we must harvest all of our geniuses.”
    I’d been called a genius ever since I was a kid. Sometimes I got tired of it. “What’s a genius?” I asked.
    He had a quick answer. “Anyone who can think better than his neighbor.”
    â€œThere must be a lot of geniuses, then.”
    He smiled. “Don’t be a smart aleck or I won’t show you my collection.”
    I’d always found it hard to shut up. “How do you know who’s so smart?”
    He placed a fatherly hand on my shoulder. I didn’t hold that against him. He had no way of knowing I wasn’t looking for a dad.
    â€œJill, the military keeps records. Sometimes I think it’s all they’re really good at doing. If your military friends had unusually high IQs or other indications of special mental attributes, we’d know.”
    â€œI thought a lot of records were lost during the invasion.”
    He laughed. It didn’t sound as if he was enjoying a joke. “You should be a lawyer.”
    â€œNo, thanks.”
    â€œThis base had thorough documents on military personnel of all the services before Doom Day.”
    â€œDoom Day?”
    â€œThat’s what we’re calling the first day of the invasion. By the way, I notice you’re trying to change the subject. You are a genius, Jill. You might find it interesting that your last name, Lovelace, is the same as that of Augusta Ada King Lovelace, an English mathematician who has been called the world’s first computer programmer.”
    It was amazing how much trivia Ackerman carried in his head. While we were talking, I followed him into the largest laboratory I’d ever seen: an underground warehouse they’d allowed Dr. Ackerman to turn into his private world. Clearance was a cinch: he ran the lab.
    I wanted to get him off the subject of my friends. The way he talked about them made me uncomfortable. They’d been sort of ignoring me lately. At least that was how it felt. I didn’t want to be disloyal to them when I was already pissed off. I wasn’t a rat.
    Besides, maybe they were purposely giving me time to be alone. Arlene had said I could really be a pill when I was in one of my moods.
    Well, why shouldn’t I be? Albert and Arlene had a thing for each other. When they were like that they didn’t want anyone else around, not even Fly. But lately Arlene was spending more time with Fly. They had this really gross brother-sister kind of thing going. When I first met them, I thought there might be something else between them. I