"The curveball flew past the batter, and the Dodgers tied it up again, 4–4! The weather here at Ebbets Field was as wonderful as that pitch. The Phillies were in a jam once more. Pearson drove Leizer home last month, and now he sent him racing to third—he scored!"
Boom!
Brooklyn Dodgers fans in the stands leaped to their feet, roaring in triumph. Applause and cheers blended into one, as the most thrilling game of the season unfolded at Ebbets Field.
Steve, his mother Sarah, and their friend Bucky's family all screamed with excitement. They were Dodgers fans, and, truth be told, there wasn't a single person in Brooklyn who wasn't.
"I really should've insisted that we invite the teacher to the game!"
Steve shouted to his mother. He was now a young man of eighteen or nineteen, still short, but lean, sturdy, and full of energy.
"Steve, Mr. Howlett has a lot of important things to take care of. He doesn't have time to spend watching baseball."
Mrs. Rogers replied with a touch of reproach. After working at the Howlett Advanced Research Institute for several years, Sarah had become a junior supervisor in the logistics department. She often hosted generals and politicians who came to the institute for meetings and collaboration, and her understanding of Mr. Howlett had been repeatedly broadened.
After the game, they excitedly discussed the Dodgers' repeated comebacks and the game-winning hit. Then Steve suddenly stopped and looked at a recruiting poster displayed outside the stadium, his expression complicated.
It showed an old man with a white beard dressed as Uncle Sam, wearing a tall top hat patterned with stars and stripes. He proudly pointed straight ahead, and beneath him, bold black letters proclaimed: I WANT YOU!
Mrs. Rogers's expression suddenly turned cold. She smoothed her