by Kunz, C. A.
“Welcome to the Magnus Academy, everyone,” my dad announces, looking out at the crowd. “Please proceed to the mess hall for the opening ceremony.”
We all begin to file into the facility. As I pass my dad he reaches out and touches my shoulder. He gives me a head nod and I slightly smile back at him before continuing inside.
The area beyond the entrance was unlike anything I’ve seen before. It looks like a futuristic utopia, a perfect blending of nature and technology. The room had bright white walls, which almost seemed to be illuminated. There is a grand staircase that leads up to a second floor balcony which overlooks where we’re standing. The stairs seem to be made up of this bright neon blue light and not metal, wood, or any other solid material. I’ve never seen that before, I think to myself.
Off to the left is a small waterfall surrounded by all kinds of colorful foliage. There are two rows of trees that run up the center of the room, leading to a large fountain. As I pass a tree, I reach out to touch one of the leaves. My hand goes straight through it and the image of the leaf shutters. What the? Is this all virtual reality? I ask myself.
“Weird,” I hear Joey say beside me as he does the same thing.
Before I have a chance to reply, an Ada android appears beside me and tells us to keep up with the group. Falling back into line we continue toward the mess hall. Upon entering the large space, the first things I notice are the armed guards lined up at the front of the room, right in front of the stage and podium. My eyes grow wide with shock as I recognize the man at the podium. His face was undeniable and one I’ve seen a thousand times on television. It’s the Federation’s head general, Roman Barclay.
“Welcome, welcome. Everyone come in and take a seat,” he announces with his arms outstretched wide.
Shiny and polished white posts are scattered throughout the area in several rectangular patterns. I’m amazed when suddenly a blue light emanates from the stands, creating tabletops. The smaller white posts that sit next to the four room-length tables begin to project out the same light, forming benches.
I’m wary as I go to sit down. Feeling the blue light that makes up the bench, I find that it’s actually solid. This is crazy, I think as I take my seat. They seat us by region and continent, so I find myself next to Joey, Sam, Geoffrey, and Caleb. I look down the table a ways and see Landon. He sends me a little wave and I return it with a smile.
“Uh-oh, boy trouble three o’clock,” Sam whispers at me jokingly from across the table.
“Shut up,” I reply playfully. “It’s not like that.”
She laughs. “Okay, Grayson. Whatever you say.”
I give her a withering stare and her grin grows wider.
We hear the sound of someone tapping on a microphone, so we turn to look at the stage. The general clears his throat and then smiles really big, his pearly whites glistening in the lights overhead.
“I’m sure you all know who I am, so I can probably skip the introduction. This next part, though, I want to emphasize.” He pauses and looks seriously out at all of us.
A hologram of a hulking beast projects from the wall behind the general and walks up next to him. Shocked gasps sound throughout the crowd of cadets at the sight of the creature. It stands about seven feet tall, with long muscular arms that hang way below its waist. It almost has a human appearance, except for its face and the fact it’s skin is a dark purple color. The creature has two sets of eyes, an almost nonexistent nose, and four mandible-like fangs that encase its mouth.
“This is your enemy…the Bringers. Not many people have seen one of these things and lived to tell about it. This unknown race had been lying dormant for some time now, and their silence since the Shaw Blitz was worrisome. We assumed that they were prepping for something on a large scale. Well, it would seem that the devastation we’ve suffered from recently was due to falling war debris, and not direct attacks from the Bringers themselves. We’ve still yet to rule out the possibility that the Bringers were involved in some way though. These ‘attacks’ may be a part of a much bigger plan of theirs to always keep us on guard. The Bringers have proven in the past to be a malicious, cunning, and unyielding foe, decimating our soldiers without even an afterthought. So we’re inclined to believe that their next attack will be an attempt at a crippling blow. That’s where all of you come into play. You will help us hit them before they hit us. Every single one of you is an integral part to this war, and the Magnus project. You’ve committed to the ultimate sacrifice, and there are no words to describe how important you all are to Earth. You are not just representing the Allied Federation here. No, you’re representing the entire world…your world. So don’t hold back, and make us proud,” General Barclay finishes his speech and salutes us as the hologram of the Bringer fades away. We all stand and salute him back. He waves as he leaves the stage and is followed out by his group of armed guards who are dressed in all black, which is slightly different than the rest of the Federation.
The beautiful woman who was standing next to my dad at the entrance, approaches the podium with a clipboard in hand. “Hello, cadets,” she begins, “my name is Dr. Sadie Patel. I’m the head of the Fortification Division here at the Magnus Academy. But more on that later.” Her British accent is very alluring. “Now, I’m going to call you up in groups of five to receive your Artificial Intelligence partner, or as it is more commonly called, AI. They will act as your guide during your stay here at the academy. Your AI will also monitor your implant and vitals, just to ensure you’re acclimating well,” she explains and then peers down at her clipboard. “First, we’ll begin with North America. We’re doing this alphabetically by geographic region, so when you hear yours, please approach the stage. First up is Appalachian Mountains region.”
My little section stands and makes our way toward the stage. Five androids are waiting in front of us, holding what look like smooth white strips of hard plastic in their hands. The female android before me smiles awkwardly as I come to stand before her.
“Please present your right arm,” the female android says.
I send her a confused look, but still do as she asks. The android holds up the piece of plastic above my arm and then swings it downward. It slaps around my wrist, stinging a little. I flinch in pain. As I examine the piece of plastic that now has become more like a bangle, I can’t seem to find any kind of opening or release mechanism. It seems to have sealed itself.
“Please present your right arm once again,” the android requests.
I extend it out, wincing in anticipation of more pain, but instead she takes my hand gently and brings my wrist close to her. She smiles awkwardly once more. Bringing her left hand up to the bangle, her index finger opens up and reveals some kind of probe looking thing within. As it touches the band of white plastic, it begins to pulse with a faint blue light and I feel this tingling sensation in my wrist.
“Unification complete,” the android tells me.
The bangle begins to pulse again and a little blue hologram projects from it, startling me. The image resembles the nondescript figure of a man. It shutters when it speaks.
“Greetings, Grayson, Kenley. I am called Galileo.”
“Hi,” I reply hesitantly.
“Hi…searching database for hi…an informal greeting used in place of greetings like hello…adding to vocabulary.”
This should be interesting, I think to myself.
“Now, if you five will follow Ada 26, she will give you a brief tour of the facility and then show you to your living quarters,” Dr. Patel explains, pointing to an android standing over by the entrance of the mess hall.
While walking through the facility, I find myself faced with technology that I never dreamed could be possible. I’m continuously in awe as we enter each new area.
Ada 26 stops in front of a large window looking into what appears to be a classroom of some sort. Beyond the classroom is another room, but the lights are off and I can’t make out what it looks like.
“This i
s one of the three training classrooms in the facility. All of your Fortification exercises will be discussed and practiced within this room,” Ada 26 explains. “Moving along.”
“Fortification exercises? I ask Joey.
“Maybe it has something to do with our implants,” he replies.
“Please keep up,” we hear Ada 26 call out to us as we lag a little behind, still staring into the training room.
Joey puts his arm around my shoulder and proceeds to act like a robot while whispering mockingly. “Please keep up.” We both chuckle and catch up with the rest of the group.
Reaching the second floor balcony, which looks over the entrance to the facility, we peer down the main staircase and see that the stairs are comprised of the same solid blue light that the tabletops and benches are.
The hallway in front of us, across the balcony, has a sign above the entryway that reads: living quarters. As we walk down the hallway we pass many doors labeled with a letter followed by a number. The doors are very unique in that they’re circular in shape.
“This hall is where you will find your living quarters. Your AI is the key to your room. Each door locks automatically once one enters or exits a room,” Ada 26 explains. “Grayson, Kenley. We have reached your quarters. Room number C-15.”
“Like the android said earlier, I’m in D-10, okay? So I’m just down the hall if you need me,” Joey says with a reassuring smile.
“I’ll be fine. No worries,” I reply.
“All right, see you soon,” Joey says into my ear as he gives me a quick hug.
I watch my group continue down the hall as I stand in front of my door. Looking back at the door, I notice there’s no handle. I look down at the band around my wrist and see that it’s pulsing with that blue light again. Holding it up to the door, I hear the sound of an electronic lock disengaging. The door rolls to the right, into the wall. Huh, interesting, I say to myself.
The room beyond is white like the rest of the facility. There are basics like a bed, a closet, a dresser, a window with blinds, a vanity mirror, and a bathroom. It actually looks like a futuristic version of a college dorm room I visited once.
As I enter, Galileo projects from the bangle. “Welcome to your living quarters. Please let me know if I can be of any assistance,” he says in a slightly robotic tone.
“Thanks,” I reply.
I sit down on the bed and it’s stiff as a board. I bounce up and down, but the bed doesn’t move an inch.
“Recalibrating,” Galileo says.
The bed becomes softer and feels just like the one I have back home.
“Cool,” I say as I plop down onto the bed.
“Grayson, Kenley?” Galileo asks.
“Yes?”
“I must perform a complete vitals scan. It will take approximately two minutes. Could I please have you remain still for the duration of the scan?”
“Sure.”
As I lay there I think about home. About how much I miss my mom and little brother. I haven’t had much downtime to really just think and reflect.
A tear begins to roll down my cheek as Galileo chimes in. “Scan complete Grayson, Kenley. Implant functioning at optimum level. Vitals are stable.”
“Well, that’s a relief,” I joke hollowly.
“Agreed,” Galileo replies seriously. I shake my head and smile.
Pushing myself off the bed, I make my way to the only window in the room. Strangely, I notice tiny slivers of sunshine creeping through the blinds. How is there sunshine? I ask myself. When I open the blinds my eyes need a few seconds to take in and process what I’m seeing outside. My heart sinks as I scan the vision before me. A perfect garden lies just outside my window. It’s my mom’s garden, though off in the distance it begins to fade away like someone forgot to finish a painting. It’s the same view I have from my second floor bedroom window at home. I see the red poppies my older brother Dylan gave my mom, but don’t see the blue ones I gave her before I left.
“How?” is all I get out at first, but then I breathe and try again, “how is…that outside my window?”
Galileo projects from the bangle and replies, “I re-created it for you.”
“What? How do you know about this?” I ask confused.
“The image was stored in your database.”
“My database?”
“Searching for alternative word for database…memory, the image was stored in your memory,” he answers.
I don’t respond right away and instead just stare out the window. My eyes become misty as I fight against tears. “Thank you, Galileo,” I say softly.
“I detect a slight variation in your vitals. Are you feeling okay? Do you need to lie down?” Galileo asks matter-of-factly.
“No, I just miss home. That’s all.”
“Portland, Maine, is where you are from. You miss Portland, Maine?”
“Yeah,” I answer. “I also miss my brother. I lost him two years ago.”
“Grayson, Dylan. Killed in action…I am sorry for your loss,” he states.
“You can feel sorry?”
“I do not understand the concept, to feel sorry, but I know by me saying it, your vitals have returned to stable levels.”
I laugh to myself and shake my head. “I see, I guess.”
“My pleasure,” he responds.
I hear an electronic clicking sound followed by some quick static that erupts from the speaker above my door. It sounds like the intercoms at my high school.
“Grayson, Kenley. Will you please report to the office of Doctor Grayson, Wyatt? He is expecting you,” a monotone female’s voice echoes in my room.
Galileo projects out of the band and says, “I can show you the way.”
Chapter Five
Becoming Acclimated
I follow Galileo’s directions to my dad’s office, and after navigating the many corridors of the facility, I finally arrive at his office. There’s a sign next to the door that reads:
Dr. Wyatt Grayson
Headmaster at Magnus Academy
“We have arrived, Grayson, Kenley,” Galileo announces.
The door to my dad’s office is a large metallic oval with a slit down the middle of it. Just as with all the other doors, this one also lacks a handle. Like I did with my room’s door, I hold up the bangle to it and hear the familiar electronic unlocking sound before the two oval halves slide apart, revealing the room beyond.
“Kenley, there you are. Come in, come in,” my father says as he rises from behind an oversized desk made up of blue light. “I hope you’re settling in all right. I know all of this has been happening so fast,” he states, giving me a hug.
Returning his hug I reply, “I’m acclimating, I guess. But Dad this place is amazing. And when were you going to tell me about you being headmaster? Kind of glossed over that one, didn’t you?”
“Sorry about that, there was a lot going on and I completely forgot to tell you about the whole headmaster thing. But isn’t this place absolutely remarkable? This facility was going to be used to train soldiers in advanced battle tactics, but once the war began, the project was scrapped and has since become home for the Magnus Academy. We’ve obviously upgraded it a bit,” he jokes.
“I’ll say. There’s stuff here that I never thought I’d ever see.”
My dad chuckles. “Well, I’m glad to hear that you’re doing okay. How’s your implant? Any more nausea from the fluid?”
“Well-“
Galileo’s image springs from the band, making me pause. “Implant is functioning at optimal levels,” he states before disappearing.
“Good to hear,” my dad says with a smile. “Seems like your AI is working well. I’d hope so since I designed them,” he continues with a laugh.
“It’s been interesting to the say the least,” I say, glancing down at my wrist, and then back to my father. “Why are we here? What is this place? This is almost too much to process.”
“I know, Kenley. That’s why I called you here,�
�� he replies as he leans up against the desk. “You’re a soldier now, Kenley. And as a soldier you must train and hone your skills. That’s what this academy is, your training ground. You’ll find that you have powers lying dormant inside of you that you can’t even imagine. They’re just itching to get out.”
“You mean the implant?”
“Look at your hands, daughter of mine.”
I look down at my hands and they’re glowing with a faint blue light. “What’s happening?”
“That’s only the beginning,” he says, clasping his hands around mine. The blue light in my hands fades away. My wary eyes rise to my dad’s. “I’m so sorry, Kenley,” he says softly and pulls me in for a hug.
So many questions flood my mind, but there’s only one that creeps from my lips. “Why did they really pick me, Dad?”
He sighs heavily and replies, “Because I told them to.”
I pull back from him slightly. “What? Why?”
“I had no choice, Kenley. You did so well in your preliminaries, and they were going to put you on the front lines. I couldn’t go through that again. At least this way you’re here, and your odds of survival have greatly increased,” he explains.
“And Joey, what about him?” I ask in a huff.
“I knew you’d need a support base in all of this, so I told them to pick him too.”
“I can’t believe this. We’re here on a lie?” I ask, my voice laced with anger.
“I’m sorry for deceiving you, but I’m not sorry for bringing you here. I hope you understand why I did this. Here you’re much safer,” he says as he places his hand on my shoulder.
I gently shrug off his hand and back away. “I need time to let this sink in. With everything else going on, this just complicates things even more.”
“I understand dear. Just know that I did this for your safety,” he states, pushing my chin up and making me look at him.