by David Harp
Chapter 30
School of Wizardry
The atmosphere was relaxed as the teenagers talked, laughed, and acted silly on the ride to their new school home. The large stone gate opened as before when the bus arrived.
Instead of following the road as they did on the tour, the vehicle began to sink. An elevator lowered the limo-bus twenty feet into an elegant terminal. The unusual entrance reminded Dan of a place in the book, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by J.K. Rowland.
“This place looks a lot like Hogwartz School of Witchcraft and Wizardry,” he said as an escort led the group to a stylish waiting area stocked with food, toiletries, magazines, and clothes.
There were many amenities including a wide-screen TV, well-stocked library, immaculate restrooms, and a massage chair which Steve quickly occupied.
Dan looked back and saw the limo-bus spinning on a turntable. When it completed the rotation, the entire luggage compartment was ejected and loaded onto a fast moving conveyor.
An attendant called Haley to a staging desk after the group had time to stretch their legs, eat snacks, and take a bathroom break.
“This is an honor,” she said. “Are our Prophies ready to continue?”
“We’re ready to go.” Haley answered even though she didn’t fully understand what “Prophies” meant or why the girl considered it an honor to meet them.
“What did she call us?” Steve asked Haley.
“It sounded like profies. Maybe it’s a nickname for new students.”
They followed the attendant into a small chamber and climbed into giant vacuum tubes which resembled the little plastic thingamajigs seen in the drive-thru at banks. Once seated, the tubes shot off like a rocket.
“If it weren’t for the dampening field, I think our brains would be splashed on the windows of the vehicle like a Jackson Pollock painting.” Steve remarked.
They came to an abrupt stop within a few seconds and heard a clear female voice.
“Welcome to the Hub!” The doors to the claustrophobic little chambers opened and the Prophies gladly disembarked into a large circular room.
“How may I be of assistance?” A young woman asked from a raised platform in the center of the chamber. Although her appearance was attractive, she seemed cold and detached.
“We’re new students.” Haley announced. “Where do we need to go?”
“Please state your names,” the woman said with mechanical efficiency.
Haley provided the names and within a few minutes, three excessively cheerful older students came through one of the many tunnels to greet them. One of them spoke.
“Welcome to the ORION Institute or as I like to call it, ‘Hogwartz’ for gifted muggles.”
Dan looked at his friends with an expression of validation, “See, I told you this place is like Hogwartz!”
The young man continued, “I’m Tim Taylor. This is my brother Tom, and my sister Tammy. We’re identical triplets, all theoretical physicists, and your humble sponsors.”
Haley and the boys were trying to avoid laughing. The three older students looked like life-size versions of Howdy Doody, with Ronald McDonald hair, conspicuous freckles, and huge smiles.
“Well hello there triplets Tim, Tom, and Tammy Taylor,” Haley replied melodiously. There was a brief silence until Brian began to giggle. Steve, Matt, and Dan started chuckling at the same time. Suddenly, everyone in the room except the girl on the platform was laughing.
“That’s a good ice-breaker.” Tammy said as she, Tim, and Tom began shaking hands and hugging everyone like members of a family.
“What’s with her?” Steve whispered to Tim as he nodded toward the lady on the platform.
“That’s the Ice Queen. She’s the interface for the central computer.”
“You mean she isn’t human?”
“Nooo,” he said rolling his eyes. “She’s synthetic and dangerous. That is why they keep her on a stage away from people. One of our second-year students climbed up there on a bet and kissed her. She broke his arm!”
“She looks so real,” Steve said as he stared at her.
“Come on guys, let’s get this show on the road. We have a long tour ahead,” Tom announced from the first of three vehicles that looked like sleek high-tech golf carts.
“This cart will be yours when we’re finished Haley. The guys get the other two.”
“Hey!” Steve protested in jest. “Why does Haley get her own cart and we have to share?”
“Actually, no one else on campus has private carts. The other students walk or use the public carts located at the various charging stations.”
“Why are we so special?” Haley asked.
“I suppose because you are famous.”
“How can we be famous?” Steve asked. “We arrived less than an hour ago. We haven’t done anything.”
“It isn’t what you have done, but what you are going to do. I haven’t witnessed it personally, but all six of you have massive shadows on the Quantum Biomolecular Interactive Field Indicator. Tammy has seen it.”
After an awkward pause, Steve starting smiling and said, “Very funny, you’re joking.”
“No,” Tom said calmly. “The QBIFI is the most advanced piece of technology at the Institute! It is like a computerized fortune teller. In fact, your arrival was predicted by the machine. The students have a name for you, the Children of Prophecy or Prophies. We’ll stop by the QBIFI on the tour if we have time, but we should get started.”
Steve raised his nose in the air. “Prophies,” he said. “I like the way it rolls off the tongue.” Tom cleared his throat to get everyone’s attention.
“There’s a lot to see. The facility includes sixty-four primary satellite buildings on four levels with over a thousand connecting passageways. You can get anywhere in the complex without ever going outside or you can get hopelessly lost.”
After more than two hours of non-stop cheery commentary, hundreds of identical tunnels, classrooms, laboratories, bathrooms, shops, dormitories, dining stations, offices, and on and on, Steve was the first to complain.
“I’m hungry. This place is a giant ant colony! I should have eaten more back at the bus station.”
“Perfect timing,” Tim replied as he parked the cart. “Gentlemen, this will be your home. Tom and I are across the hall. Haley, you will be sharing an apartment with Tammy in the next module.”
“Is anybody else hungry?” Tammy asked. She was answered with “it’s about time,” an “oh yes”, two affirmative grunts, and one “hallelujah!”
“Check out your apartment, freshen up, and meet Haley and me back here in thirty minutes,” Tammy said as she and Haley rode away.
After Tom demonstrated how the carts were connected to the charging station, he programed the apartment door entry system which used biometric facial recognition access control.
“It’s a brave new world,” Steve remarked. After entering, Dan led a race to the curved back wall of the apartment. It was completely transparent providing a spectacular view. The apartment was positioned thirty feet above ground on the far side of the complex. The sun was setting like a giant pumpkin over the marsh. They stood awestruck, staring at the seamless union of technology and nature.
“Look at the alligators!” Dan said. There were a dozen on a dry bank below.
“And get a load of the size of that turtle,” Brian added. A turtle which had been sunning in the same area was over three feet wide. The view seemed so peculiar and out of place. Observing the wetland from the high-tech apartment was like being in an enormous spaceship which had landed on an alien planet.
Their luggage had already been placed in the assigned sleeping cubicles, so they hastily toured the apartment and prepared for dinner. By the time Steve figured out how to open the door to leave, Tim, Tom, Tammy, and Haley were already waiting in the hall.
“That is a fire hazard,” Matt said, pointing to the door as they exited. “It took us five minutes to get out!”
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“You will get the hang of it,” Tammy assured them. “And in an emergency, all the doors open automatically.”
“You are in for a real treat tonight,” Tim said. “All first-year students are served their initial meal in the Planetarium.”
“And the sky is clear tonight!” Tammy added. “We are going, up there.”
They gazed out the corridor window. The Planetarium was the highest structure in the complex. It had the shape of a giant flying saucer with a clear dome which glowed orange from the setting sun.
They arrived at the Planetarium six corridors and three escalators later. It also served as a conservatory and was the largest meeting room at the school. A dozen tables with eight to twelve chairs each were sporadically placed amongst the camouflage of lush and fragrant plants.
“Here is our table,” Tim called from behind a large fern.
The Prophies found their assigned seats and began sampling the warm bread and tropical fruit. Tim cleared his throat to get everyone’s attention.
“The Director is preparing to speak.”
A man who was illuminated by a faint spotlight appeared in the middle of the room.
“Good evening ladies and gentlemen. I’m Claude Gautier, Director of the ORION Institute. Welcome to our family.” He was wearing a dark suit with a more impressive appearance than when he led the tour.
“Every person here has been carefully screened and selected to participate in a vital project. We at the ORION Institute are determined to shape the future of mankind on planet Earth. In exchange for your help, you will receive the finest education available anywhere and participate in astonishing technical and societal innovations.”
The new students gasped with astonishment when Claude activated the sky dome. The chamber had darkened and the stars in the sky shinned unnaturally bright, even more luminous than on the blackest night at the river.
“How is this possible?” Steve asked Tim. “I’d expect the curve of the dome to produce a fisheye effect which would make the stars appear smaller, but they appear much larger and brighter than usual.”
“The dome isn’t the simple clear substance it appears to be,” he replied. “It is a giant telescopic camera. What you are seeing is a digital projection of the night sky, magnified with atmospheric distortions removed. You could not get a better view if you were on the space station.”
Claude continued speaking, “You will learn more about our goals over the next few weeks and months, and I am confident you will be as excited as we are. Tonight, enjoy your meal and welcome to our family.” The dim spotlight on Claude faded and he disappeared.
The meal was spectacular and the students talked, laughed, and watched the stars until midnight when the lights came up and everyone was ushered out. The boys were so tired by the time they arrived back at the apartment they went directly to bed.
Dan closed his eyes and found himself dreaming, welcome to Hogwartz!