Ascendants of Ancients Sovereign - By Phillip Jones Page 0,3

fellow soul … not that it matters, since everything would eventually cease to exist because of The Great Destruction of Everything Known ... but Sam’s genius was a gold mine, despite the turmoil with his father. Thanks to Sam’s worldwide reputation, the family practice was an immediate success. Just as Howard had foreseen, other eager, high-achieving doctors applied for employment because of the publicity they would receive on the coattails of Sam’s notoriety.

The family practice employed 533 doctors, nurses, and therapists of different medical backgrounds. Sam’s parents, business-minded people with administrative experience, handled the day-to-day operations while Sam offered no additional help above a minimal effort. Instead, he pursued his passion.

Tonight, Sam hoped his first professional fight in Las Vegas would be the beginning of his rise to stardom and the end of his medical career. As he left his office on the 12th floor, a plain looking, dark-haired secretary named Melissa tossed Sam the keys to a new convertible Mustang and winked. “Go get ‘em, Champ. Your dad’s jet is fueled and waiting. Oh, and thanks for the big screen. My husband invited some friends over to watch you fight. It’s going to be weird to see you on Pay-Per-View. My girlfriend, Cindy, can’t wait for you to take your shirt off. Her boyfriend’s jealous.”

Sam grinned. “Okay, okay. Let me think. Tell Cindy when I look into the camera, I’ll flex my pecs. Make sure her stud knows I did it just for her.”

Melissa giggled. “Her boyfriend is gonna crap himself. I can’t wait to see his expression.”

Sam slapped the top of the counter Melissa was sitting behind. “Record it for me, will you? I’ve got to go. See you Monday.”

“Good luck!” As she watched him leave, she exhaled, “I so want that.”

Emotions flooded Sam as he arrived at the MGM Grand. The press and the fans of the barbaric sport swarmed his dad’s stretch limo. He had not fought professionally yet, but he was already on the cover of ESPN The Magazine. He had to laugh at the headline:

The Smartest Athlete in the World

Dumb Enough to Enter the Cages of MMA

Tossing the magazine to the seat, all he could do was hope to give a good show and live up to the hype. He would hate to be the first cage fighter on the cover with a losing record. He smirked at the thought and stepped out of the limo.

The surging crowd pressed in as he walked toward the arena entrance. He laughed inside, thinking, These people are fanatical. They won’t be so interested if I lose.

Women were shouting marriage proposals, which startled him. One woman lifted her shirt. “Sam Goodrich, marry me, and I’ll take care of you, baby!”

Like most red-blooded males, Sam surveyed the woman’s figure. He took the time to admire her long, shapely legs, and curvy hips. They were perfect. As his eyes moved upward, the coolness of the night only added to her beauty. Everything was exquisite, until his eyes focused on her teeth. They were the antithesis of her silky, brown, flowing hair. Her wretched smile exposed twisted gaps he could drive a bus through. Forcing a pleasant nod, Sam rushed inside.

The woman called after him. “Wait! Come back!”

A barrage of flashing lights greeted Sam as he stepped through the door. Almost blinded by their intensity, he somehow managed to work his way through the mob.

“Sam! Sam Goodrich!” a woman wearing a dark-blue, Dior, business suit and a large smile hollered. Her hair was pinned up, exposing a slender neck, and she was waiting next to the hallway which Sam had to enter to get to his dressing room. “Sam Goodrich, Martha Haige, ESPN. Will you take a moment to allow the fans to get to know you?”

Putting on his best smile, Sam responded, “Sure thing, Ms. Haige. What do the fans want to know?”

With cameras flashing and live video streaming throughout the Pay-Per-View world, Martha changed her tone. Her smile vanished and was replaced with a more serious expression. “You seem to be a bit of a mystery. I think the fans would like to know why a doctor would choose to fight. Why would a genius elect to be a part of the brutality? Can you help us understand what drives you to break your Hippocratic Oath?”

Sam searched for a response to Martha’s inquiry, but he was left speechless. The depth of her probing made him realize he could not answer because he did not understand the conflict within his