The pilot and the headmaster spoke for only a few seconds longer before the person stood, saluted him, then headed back to the pilot’s seat. The headmaster sighed softly then looking to me with a tired smile, the corner of his eyes crinkling from his age. I gave him one back before moving to his side so I could speak with him easier. “I was wondering what you’re testing me for. All I know is the word Navigator,” I said. I heard a harsh cough and looked to my parents in confusion.
Pop was frowning in worry and mom was looking at me with wide eyes. “You’re telling me that my Rosie is a Navigator?” pop said, his eyes drifting to me before snapping back in the direction of the headmaster. I looked to Headmaster Rockefeller and he gave me a small smile before sighing and nodding his head.
“You see, your daughter is a fabled True Navigator,” Headmaster Rockefeller began but mom cut in.
“They all were killed weren’t they? Killed by their own kind? Plus, she’s never seen you before, she couldn’t have possibly gotten it from you. She shouldn’t be like this,” she said with concern and horror in her voice. I frowned at her before looking to Headmaster Rockefeller, who was nodding slowly, his expression unreadable.
“Yes, most of them did die and yes we have not had contact before. For all purposes, she shouldn’t exist in this way. She should be living a normal life,” he said with just a hint of sadness in his voice. I frowned deeper and looked to pop, who was now shifting in his seat with a look of irritation on his face.
“What does this mean?” he asked, frustration leaking into his voice. I leaned back in my seat, making sure my parents and Headmaster Rockefeller were in my line of sight before settling and watching them look at one another.
“She’s special. More special than your run of the mill Lawful and Chaotic Navigator,” the headmaster said slowly, as if testing out the words. Pop ground his teeth together while his hands curled into fists and mom looked stricken, her left hand flying to her chest.
“That isn’t good. That really isn’t good. How is she different?” mom asked in almost a frantic voice. The headmaster sighed before looking me straight in the eyes and blinking once.
“Her eyes are neither white nor black, they’re grey. I knew a man with the same kind of eyes as her, he......was my mentor and was called a Neutral Navigator,” the headmaster said, something akin to pain entering his voice. “My choices are attributed to a naturally “good” moral inclination so they consider me a Lawful Navigator. A Chaotic Navigator will twist the rules and or blatantly break them to do as they please. Finally a Neutral Navigator can do both.”
After he finished that thought, pop surged to his feet and waved his arm in my direction, distress on his face. “So she’s some kind of rare Navigator type?!” he cried. Mom was looking at me with wide, tear filled, eyes and I shifted uncomfortably in my seat. I didn’t know what the big deal about this was. I didn’t even know what a Navigator was. At the headmaster’s nod, pop sank into his seat and cradled his head in his hands while sighing heavily. Mom quickly stood and I jumped as she stomped her foot like a child.
“She’s not going to the school. Take us home!” she cried. Pop’s head snapped up and he grabbed her hand, gently pulling her back down as she sobbed. I shifted, feeling uncomfortable and looked to Headmaster Rockefeller.
“What’s wrong? Why is me being a Navigator so bad?” I asked a ball of anxiety in my belly.
“Navigators were supposed to go extinct when I died Rosie. Most of them were killed by a very smart and very foolish Chaotic Navigator a long time ago. After that it was decided that the remaining would be killed when I died to get rid of the gene. A kind of loophole was created though. If another human manifested the ability before my death then the contract was null and void. You see young one, Navigators are the black sheep of the human race and we have been for a while.”
“We’re considered the next step in an evolution that Earth wants no part of. On the other hand, we’re also a jewel or trophy for the alien races. They see our potential and utilize it for war. Since I was considered the best of the last of the Navigators, I’ve stayed out of the affairs of other planets for a long time. Now I will be training you. If left unchecked your ability will make your life a living hell. Trust me,” he finished in a low grumble. I frowned deeply before nodding and looking to my parents who looked even more distressed. I quickly stood and moved over to comfort them, but stopped when pop and mom flinched away. A pang of pain shot through my chest and I recoiled myself, moving back to my seat when they looked at me in shock.
“I’m sorry,” I mumbled, swallowing a bit and looking down at my hands before looking to Headmaster Rockefeller to hide the pain in my eyes.
“No sweetie….We’re sorry,” mom said. I looked back to her and found she was just about to stand, but Headmaster Rockefeller placed a hand between us. Mom’s eyes darted to him before she looked to me with an expression of distress on her face.
“Maybe its best that we all calm down. One of the laws of Earth is specific to newly created Navigators. They have to go to Starstream and they must have an older Navigator as a teacher,” the headmaster said in an all business tone of voice all of a sudden. I swallowed past the thick lump in my throat again before yelping when the ship shuddered violently for a second. I looked back and at the large window that had at one point been showing space. Now we were in some kind of building. “Oh! We’ve arrived,” he said in a pleasant tone of voice. I looked to the headmaster weakly and he slowly stood, holding his hand out to me. I took it hesitantly and he pulled me to my feet before dusting off his white suit jacket.
He nodded in my parents’ direction before straightening out, a look of harshness beginning to form on his face. “I wanted her to feel comfortable here, but I can see now that this process will be a little harder for her. Please follow me Rose Mary and say goodbye to your parents,” he said. I swallowed again and looked to pop and mom, wincing at Pop’s enraged look.
“You have no right to take my daughter!” pop roared, surging to his feet, but the headmaster ignored him and nodded to me.
“Please hurry, you know that this situation is only going to get worse before it gets better,” he said lowly. I hesitated, my mind waring with my emotions before I slowly nodded. I could see it in my head and no matter what I said I saw the outcome of me staying so I sighed before looking down, kicking at the ground awkwardly.
“Bye mom, bye pop,” I said weakly.
“Don’t go with him!” pop snarled in anger, while mom released a sound between a sob and whimper. I winced and shifted in place uncomfortably before shuffling over to the headmaster’s side, the older man placing a hand on my shoulder and pulling me through the room.
“Your parents will come around. This is usually the hardest part for parents of True Navigators. Many children were abandoned and some’s parents never truly adjusted to their children’s status. The parents usually get scared that the same would happen to them, but I’ve found that the oldest person to become a True Navigator was a twenty five year old man. Strangely enough only humans can become True Navigators,” the headmaster said as we walked. I looked up at him then back at my parents, who were being held back by several officers. Pop was struggling violently while mom sobbed and I frowned, feeling a bit more distressed.
“Will I be able to see them again?” I asked softly, looking to Headmaster Rockefeller. He nodded before his eyes rolled over to me and he gave me a half smile.
“Around winter time. They need time to come to terms with what you have become and you need time to learn how to manage your new brain power. You’re very lucky your ability manifested around this time. We’re still having some students try out late,” he said as we walked down a silver walled hall and into an elevator. I spun around and looked the room over while the headmaster pressed the down button.
We fell into a mildly awkward silence since I was more interested in the ship. I also didn’t exactly want to speak with him about what was going on in my he
ad. It was strange. Part of me was scared and slightly devastated about my parents while another part of me felt like it was for the best. I was a weird mixture of calm and sad. I was beginning to think that the calm part was the Navigator part of me.
“What’s school like?” I asked only to break the awkward quiet. My eyes moved to the headmaster and I found he was playing with a puzzle cube. He looked up from the cube before waving his free hand and shrugging.
“Rather lax for being a military based prep academy. You will have a curfew and such, but that will be touched down upon later when you have your team,” he said before beginning to fiddle with his puzzle cube again. I frowned then looked forward as the elevator doors opened and blinked in shock when I realized we were in a large starship station. I really wanted to look around, but Headmaster Rockefeller gently grabbed my upper arm and tugged me towards the exit.
Several aliens stopped to watch us with curiosity shining in their eyes, but the headmaster paid them no mind. “This is a very exciting day,” he said out of the blue. I reluctantly nodded and shuffled after Headmaster Rockefeller, who held the door to the exit open for me. I nodded my head to him in thanks and gasped when I walked out of the building.
The sky as blue, but a different shade and I stumbled to a stop to watch as ivory clouds drifted through the air. The sun brightly shone down on us and I slowly looked away from the sky. A long white stoned pathway led to a towering black building was in front of us and I looked back at the headmaster with wide eyes.
The building looked more like some kind of gothic castle, which was pretty awesome. He chuckled before shaking his head and giving me a warm smile. “Amazing isn’t it?” he asked. I nodded and looked back at the building again. It towered into the air and if I moved forward a little bit more then I was pretty sure it would block out the sun!
The whole building extended out to the sides, almost like a wall, and the headmaster set off for it. I quickly jogged after him and we fell into step as the headmaster straightened out and waved his hand forward. “We’re going to head through the main entrance area to the center quad and towards the gymnasium. On the weekend students usually head into town which is a few miles in that direction by bus,” he said, waving to the right of us.
I quickly glanced to the side before looking forward again and shuffling after him when we got to the door. The main entrance area was huge and I shifted in place, eyeing everything in awe and amazement. It was deceptively small looking from the outside. He waved for me to follow him and we headed through the main entrance area and down a cream colored hall to our left. “Our school prides itself with our high graduation rates, test scores and our extracurricular activities,” he began, launching into a speech about the school. I nodded along absentmindedly before jumping when a bell went off and looking around for the source of this disturbance. “I forgot that some classes are already in progress,” he mumbled before shaking his head and gently leading me to a green door on our right.
We entered the room and I was surprised to find it was some kind of office. “This is where my secretary works, her name is Madam Matron and I think she’s currently at the Tailors office right now. Oh well. I’ll introduce you later. For now let’s head to the gym to get you your team,” he said with cheer in his voice.
“Mhm,” I mumbled, looking at everything as I followed after him like a baby duckling. We walked through the office in silence, heading through another green door and down a stone path. I was pleasantly surprised to find that we were in a garden like area and relaxed a bit as we followed the stones through several twists and turns. The short walk was peaceful and when we got to the end, I was mildly disappointed it hadn’t lasted longer.
I shook my head then looked up at the large space in front of us, my eyes darting to Headmaster Rockefeller for instruction. He motioned me to continue after him and we walked through the large quad towards a big gym looking building. “So…what am I going to be doing?” I asked, jogging to keep pace at his side. He was silent for a moment, stopping us when we got to the large double doors of the gymnasium. I heard yelling and shifted in place nervously as it got louder.
“Nothing too strenuous! You’re just going to lead a small team of five through a maze. It should be a piece of cake for you,” he said in a soothing manner. I slowly nodded and he opened the gym door, ushering me in before gently shutting it after us. “I have two different teams that I have chosen for you and I wanted you to look over all of the information that I’ve pulled. When you feel confident with one group tell me and I’ll get you sorted,” he said gently.
I nodded and he led me over to a medium sized computer. I gingerly took a seat before hesitantly pressing the computer screen at his prompting. A holographic text popped up and I looked to him with wide eyes before turning back and beginning to read the floating file. Technology was weird some times. I heard Headmaster Rockefeller walk off, but paid him no mind as I read the files.
Both groups were very interesting, both quite good at their chosen skills, but group two was only slightly better. I bit my lip in thought and leaned back in my seat, tapping my chin as my mind raced. I could see the two separate outcomes if I chose one over the other. To keep me as neutral as possible, he had refused to put down gender, species and age. I hummed in thought before slowly getting up and heading over to the headmaster.
He was in front of two separate groups, one comprised of nothing, but humans while the other group was made up of three aliens, a human and a familiar looking android. I quickly walked over to his side and tapped his shoulder to catch his attention. He looked back at me before giving me a smile then turned back to the two groups. “This is the Neutral Navigator Rose Mary Jones. Since she is my apprentice, she is allowed to choose her own team. She seems to have already chosen in the most neutral way possible. Navigator Jones? What team have you chosen?” he asked his eyes still on the assembled students. I swallowed nervously before straightening out and looking the people over as well. My mind was telling me to at least fake some confidence so I decided to do just that. I felt my face fall into a neutral expression and I began to look them all over. They all eyed me with interest and curiosity, which didn’t make me feel much better.
“I chose team two. I felt that they were more put together than the other team,” I said.
“Interesting choice. You do know that one of the members of team two is a former criminal right?” he said offhandedly. I hummed softly before shrugging and looking everyone over again. They were still looking to me, but for a fraction of a second one of the human girls twitched.
“I don’t see much of an issue with that sir. The person aced the medical practical and knowledge test. That’s without formal training too,” I retorted. Headmaster Rockefeller laughed before shaking his head and shooting me a look with mirth in it.
“You’ve gotten very good at this already Navigator Jones,” Headmaster Rockefeller praised before dismissing the group of humans to my left. “Well congratulations Navigator Jones. Get to know your team because your test is in thirty minutes,” he said before spinning on his heel and marching off.
Chapter 4
Team Time
I watched the headmaster walk off before turning back to my team and awkwardly shuffling in place. They were just staring at me and I did the same before clearing my throat and hesitantly waving. “Hello,” I began, jumping when the human girl from earlier burst into laughter. The others looked at her as well and the girl rubbed at her eye while continuing to laugh, a grin settling on her face when she finished.
“Sorry boss lady. I just expected a little more,” she said. I frowned at her, but she waved me off and I found my eyes drawn to the tallest member of the team. She was a tan human looking alien with long black hair and golden eyes. Twin wolf ears twitched on the top of her head and her black tail swished behind her as she looked around. She was muscular and towered above the rest of us easily, probably passing the 6 foot mark. She had a mustache looking discoloration on h
er upper lip and she looked down at me awkwardly before looking away, her ears twitching slightly.
My eyes came to the next person and blinked in shock when I really took her in. She too was a human looking, but she had six large arms and dark red skin. On her forehead were two small horns and her six arms had small white spikes on them. Her ears were tall and pointed and her nose was just slits in her face. Her eyes were completely blue and her hair was pitch black. It was cut short and spiked back out of her eyes.
She looked to be in the six foot range as well and she was awkwardly rubbing her arms together as she looked around nervously. I swallowed and moved onto the next person, who was more human looking, but had blue skin, no hair, purple eyes and red tattoos on her face in a bird like pattern. She was fiddling with her pockets and I moved onto the human girl next.
She didn’t look too special, long blonde hair and blue eyes, but her hair had pink streaks and I took notice of her arm. It was blue, well her hand was anyway, and I quickly looked onto the last person. She was a silver android with long synthetic ivory colored hair and silver colored eyes. She was dressed in the gym uniform and gave me a huge smile when our eyes met. “Hello!” She chirped her voice eerily human like.
Starstream Academy (The Navigators Book 1) Page 3