Free Solaris Rising by Ian Whates

on the other hand, how could he know just what goals would best reverberate to mankind’s advantage?
    Suppose he pushed at a sweet spot to force the discovery of a brand new mega-barrel oil field in the Gulf of Mexico? He had actually half-sensed just such a sweet spot lurking at the periphery of his consciousness. It was over in Chicago somewhere, a not unreasonable distance to cover, given the payoff. Sure, doing so would make a lot of rich people richer and even help some middle-class schlubs and the general economy. But what would the long-term effects be? More pollution, a swifter plummet into Greenhouse Earth? How could he, sixteen-year-old average teenager Arpad Stroll, make such decisions wisely? Wouldn’t he be better off just going for little things that would mean a lot to him alone? But what a waste of his gifts!
    The circular labyrinth of reasoning and worrying preoccupied Arp for a week during which, despite Jason’s imploring, he did not employ his powers again. And, to add insult to injury, he had to deal with an old problem as well.
    Blueberry Chefafa.
    Blueberry Chefafa was in love with Arpad Stroll, and the feeling was not mutual. Just as he pined for Ronnie Kingslake, so Blue longed for him.
    Really, there was no solid reason for Arp’s lack of interest in the pretty girl. Granted, Blue was not a knockout like Veronica, but her distinctive looks, derived from a blend of African-American and Greco-American genes, attracted many a male glance. There was, admittedly, the matter of her, ah, somewhat robust build to contend with. No petite princess, Blue captained the female wrestling squad at Edward Lorenz High. To report that the team was undefeated was to convey something of Blueberry’s possibly intimidating physicality. Arp knew from experience that she could beat him at arm-wrestling. But her muscles were packed along attractive curves, and she certainly sported a more impressive rack than slim and WASPy Ronnie. And Blue’s academic record matched her sporting accomplishments: sharp and quick, she excelled in the classes she shared with Arp.
    No, there was no reason not to have the hots for Blue, other than the sheer mysteries of the heart.
    But would the girl give up in the face of Arp’s deliberate cold shoulder? Never! She pestered Arp ceaselessly, doing him unrequested favors, finding reasons to be wherever he was, casting meaningful glances his way in crowds, getting her friends to go to bat for her. It was enough to give a guy the jitters.
    The week of Arp’s special befuddlement, Blueberry exhibited extra attentiveness toward the object of her affection, as if she could detect that something potent was troubling Arp. She even showed up at his house, ostensibly bringing news of a homework assignment she thought he had missed hearing about. It took him half an hour to ditch her.
    And now here she was, in Mrs. Christelli’s class, auditing it for extra credit during her study period, she claimed, and seated right next to Arp. Her foot had strayed more than once into his personal space, and she kept fluffing her abundant dark hair to waft the scents of her floral shampoo his way. What a pain in the ass!
    Mrs. Christelli, fully recovered from her spill of a week past, finished cabling her laptop to the big flatscreen at the front of the room. “Today, class, we are going to watch the most recent episode of NOVA. The topic is earth-grazing asteroids, how to detect them and what might be done to stop one from impacting the planet. I’m sure you will all find it extremely interesting.”
    The lights went down, giving Blueberry a chance to inch closer, and the screen came alive with solar system vistas and the narrator’s placid yet somehow alarmist voice.
    “Always at risk for another celestial impact event such as the one during the Permian-Triassic era that killed ninety per cent of life on Earth, our planet dodges many near-misses each year. In fact, scientists at the University of