Ell Donsaii 12: Impact! Read Online Free Page B

around as much as Shan thought kids his age should—maybe thinking about his weight might motivate him to engage in a little more physical activity? Shan turned his attention to the screen for a moment. The athletes had finished marching into the Coliseum themed Olympic Stadium. Some chariots were carrying people dressed as gladiators around the track at the periphery. “Chariots of Fire” was playing and fireworks were going off. A little worried about how Zage might be taking his own father telling him he was overweight, he looked down at his son.
    Zage had been looking up at his own HUD. After a moment he looked down at his stomach, then up at Shan again, “‘Epidemic’ means a widespread outbreak of a disease that spreads from person to person. Did I catch obesity from someone else?”
    Shan’s eyes widened. For a moment he thought back to how he and Ell had worried about Zage for so long, first because he didn’t walk, then because he didn’t talk. Now Shan felt uneasy that a child Zage’s age was talking to him like… Like what, he wondered. Like a little adult, or maybe how a kid ten years old might ask surprisingly perceptive questions? Should a kid Zage’s age be saying things like, “widespread outbreak of a disease?” He snorted softly to himself, no he shouldn’t. A kid his age might be able to repeat it, but wouldn’t understand it. Shan had the distinct impression that Zage knew what it meant.
    To Zage he said, “Well, that’s what epidemic usually means. But, I think when they say ‘obesity epidemic,’ they just mean that a lot of people have become obese. So many people are obese that it seems like a disease that’s spreading from person to person, but really, it’s probably just because there’s so much food available nowadays and people don’t get much exercise.” He pointed up to the screen, “I thought we could watch the opening of the Olympics together. The Olympics is an event where the best athletes from all over the world get together to compete to see who’s the best. These people get a lot of exercise.” It’s too bad I can’t tell Zage that his mother is the world’s most famous athlete. Maybe that would inspire him to take up a sport himself?
    On the screen someone carrying the Olympic torch jogged into the Coliseum. The runner passed the torch to someone dressed in light armor and a Roman helmet, evidently to represent a gladiator. The gladiator jogged out into the middle of the stadium. Shan had his AI turn up the sound. The announcer said, “Tension is building here at the Coliseum as everyone wonders who’s going to carry the torch up to light the cauldron where the Olympic flame will burn for the duration of the games. The fact that the cauldron sits far above the wall of the Coliseum has led to speculation that an archer will light the cauldron with a flaming arrow, but as of yet there is no bow in evidence.”
    Out in the center of the stadium the gladiator who had carried the torch from the entrance stopped at a pedestal on which stood a short Roman column with a discus mounted on edge atop it. The announcer said, “A discus? A flaming discus would certainly be interesting, but certainly no one could throw a discus high enough to light the cauldron.”
    Holding the torch, the gladiator drew a sword and dropped it point first to stand in the turf. Two attendants stepped forward to catch greaves, vambraces, pteruges, and curiass, all of which fell away into their hands to leave a slender young woman wearing nothing but a helmet and a leotard.
    She reached up and lifted the helmet off, revealing strawberry blond hair.
    Momentarily speechless, the announcer suddenly said, “It’s Ell Donsaii! Much has been made of the fact that she has said she is not participating in these games. Although, at the last games her participation in both the gymnastic and the track and field events was kept a secret until the last moment. Could this be a signal that she is going