by C. C. Monö
Axel grabbed his cup and, without thinking, took a sip of his tea. He pulled a face as pain shot through his lower lip, a testimony from his fight.
“Who was he, Professor?” he asked and took another sip, this time trying not to let the hot liquid touch his lip.
“I think you know already. His name was Hayato Sano.”
In the pond, one of the fish splashed its tail, drawing Axel’s attention. The story of Hayato Sano was well known. He got accepted to the Academy at the age of twenty-three. A year later, as part of his training, he became the CEO of Francis Security, a small global security company, about to go bankrupt. Mr Sano’s challenge was to turn the company around, which he did. In twelve short months, Hayato turned an unknown company into the most advanced and successful security company in the world. It was an achievement that few thought possible, even for an E.K.A. student.
Then two days after his graduation, Hayato Sano vanished. No one knew what happened to him. He did a number of interviews on the sixteenth of June and, on the seventeenth, he was gone.
“He was quite a remarkable man, Mr Sano,” Professor Evans said, her tone low as if she was making the statement to herself alone.
She had a vacant look in her eye. Axel studied her as she fidgeted with her scarf, wondering what she was thinking. The seconds passed, and he soon found himself glancing at the plate of biscuits. Man, he was hungry.
“So who was the other student?” he asked.
Professor Evans let go of her scarf.
“Sarah Wangai.”
“I’ve never heard of her.”
“Not many people have.”
“You said she didn’t get the opportunity to prove you wrong. What happened?”
The professor shook her head and returned her cup to the coffee table.
“That’s a story for another time, Mr Hallman.” She let her eyes wander towards the ceiling. “I won’t keep you any longer, but, before you go –” Her eyes dropped and locked themselves onto his. In a sudden and swift move, she reached out and grabbed him by the arm. “I want you to listen to me. Be careful. I don’t mind if students challenge me. In fact, I appreciate it. It means you’re paying attention. I also think that a leader must be able to see things from different perspectives, and must have the courage to ask questions others won’t ask.” Her grip tightened and she leaned forward. “But not everyone here shares that perspective,” she whispered. “There may be both teachers and students who interpret your inquiries as a form of confrontation. Whatever you do, don’t get yourself enemies. This isn’t an ordinary Academy. The students are not ordinary pupils and the professors are by no means ordinary teachers. Never forget that, Mr Hallman. Work hard, take the perspectives of a leader, and don’t disappoint your teachers. You have no idea the forces involved here.”
CHAPTER 60
The man opened the gold-plated holder with the engraved Academy logo at the front. He pulled out the business card he’d stolen from Axel’s apartment and held it above the gold case. The card snapped to the lid and the case buzzed to life. The man grinned and opened it. Inside, the lid was now a screen, similar to that of a cell phone. At the bottom, a digital keyboard had appeared.
A new message was waiting for him. “Status?” was all it said.
“We still have access,” the man typed. “I’m ready. Shall I proceed?”
It took almost ten minutes before he got a reply.
“Yes. Tuesday morning, three weeks from now.”
“I’ll need the sound files.”
Two minutes later, the communication device buzzed. The files had arrived.
CHAPTER 61
“Today, I’m going to divide you up in pairs,” Professor Evans said, pulling out a list. “Ms Taylor and Mr Reed, you’ll work together. Ms Martins and Mr Zulu…”
They were in the Cabin. Axel was sitting in the back, dressed in a black training suit, chewing on an apple while balancing on the hind legs of his chair. In the weeks following his conversation with Professor Evans, he’d worked hard to keep up with the gruelling workload. He got up at around five every morning in order to complete assignments, prepare for upcoming tests, and practise in the Speechomat. During breakfast, he updated himself with the latest news until seven-thirty when classes began. The last session ended twelve hours later, after which Axel would continue his studies until midnight.
It was an exhausting process, but necessary. Axel had to do everything he could to prove himself. Of all the teachers, Professor Evans was the one he respected the most, and her warning had rattled him. If a student could get in serious trouble for asking the wrong type of questions, what would happen if the professors found out he’d lied about the events in the Chamber?
He shuddered. Not a day passed without him thinking about the incident. “We know why you applied, Mr Hallman.” The mere memory made him queasy. “We will keep it a secret if you collaborate.”
Axel took a big bite of the apple. Someone knew his secret and they seemed to want something in return for their silence. But what? Three weeks had passed since the incident and, so far, nothing had happened.
“So it’ll be you and me, mate,” Paul whispered, pulling Axel out of his thoughts. There was a hint of disappointment in his voice. “Bella’s going with Thabo.”
“The exercise is quite simple,” Professor Evans explained. “At the far end of the Chamber is a vase with six red roses. Each team must bring me back one rose.”
“What’s the catch?” Edward wanted to know.
“The catch is this, Mr Reed: to reach the roses, you have to complete an obstacle course in total darkness. You’ll have to collaborate. Each pair will have a ‘reader’ and a ‘runner’. The reader will guide the runner through the course.” Professor Evans looked at her students with excited eyes. “Now, who will be the readers?”
“You’ll have to be the runner,” Paul whispered. “You’re the one who’s fit as a Mallee bull.”
Pulling up the sleeves of his sweater, Axel shrugged. It didn’t matter to him.
“Please listen,” Professor Evans said after a minute and clapped her hands. “Readers, you’ll be isolated in small, soundproofed booths in the room next door. In each booth, you’ll find instructions, a rough map of the obstacle course, as well as a headset connected to your partner.
“Runners; you’ll communicate with your partner using a tiny microphone and two earpieces. Some of you may find the earpieces uncomfortable. As you’ll notice, they block out any sound other than that of your partner. Any questions?”
“So we’re doing this at the same time?” Federico asked.
“Yes, and to make things a little more interesting, the first team that returns with a red rose will win a luxurious weekend in New York next week.”
Axel wrung his hands. He stood alone in a small booth within the Chamber, the microphone attached to the collar of his sweatsuit, and the earpieces firmly in his ear.
“Do you hear me?” he asked Paul while rolling his shoulders in a little warm-up.
“Clear as a bell, mate. And you?”
“Loud and clear.” Axel laughed. “It’s kind of creepy. It’s like you’re sitting inside my head.”
“Cool, now listen to me. I can see you and the other runners on a digital map. You’ve got a door in front of you, right?”
“Yeah. I see it.”
“Good. Behind it is a square room. You’re supposed to go straight through it, into a long corridor, but according to this map, there’s no opening between the two rooms.” He paused. “Just wait a second.” Axel shifted his weight from one side to the other and back again. “All right, I’m back, mate. We’ve also got a list of words here,” he said. “It’s gibberish at first glance but I reckon they’ll make out the instructions somehow.”
“What’s the first word?”
“It says: ‘In the wall of our house, hides a little grey…’.”
“Mouse?”
“I guess…hold on.” Paul’s voice vanis
hed again. Axel began rubbing the outside of his thighs. Man, why was he so nervous? It was just an exercise. “All right, mate,” came Paul’s tense voice. “Professor Evans is about to open the doors. Are you ready?”
“Yes.”
“Then let’s win this thing! I’ve always wanted to go to New York.” The lights above the door faded, and the world went black. “Go,” Paul yelled. “The door is open!”
Axel took off, feeling his way forward. It didn’t take long before he reached the end of the first room. Running his hands over the smooth surface, he searched for an opening.
“There has to be a way in,” came Paul’s tensed voice. “Don’t you feel anything?” Axel jumped, searching for the edge of the wall. “Come on,” Paul hassled. “Thabo just got out of his room.”
Axel tried to ignore the comment.
“What did you say the first words were?”
“In the wall of our house, hides…now Ava’s through.”
“Help me out, Paul.”
“Yeah. In the wall of our house, hides a little grey…Shit! Now Federico is through!”
“Paul!” Axel stopped and took a second to think. “A little grey…” mouse? It had to be mouse. He chewed the inside of his cheek. Mice lived in small holes.
“Aseem is through,” Paul barked. “You’re the only one left!”
“Stop shouting.” Dropping to his knees, Axel ran his hand along the edge of the floor until his fingers swept over a small round hole at the bottom of the left corner. “Wait!” He pressed a finger into the hole and a hatch opened up. “I found it!”
“Come on, mate. Hurry!”
“What’s next?”
“You are in a narrow corridor. It’s long, so just run!”
“And the word?”
A slight static noise brushed through his speakers, and Paul’s voice vanished. Axel came to a dead stop.
“Paul?”
“Tell me, Mr Hallman; billions of dollars are invested in leadership every year. Is the world a better place because of that?”
Dreadful cold washed over him and Axel couldn’t breathe.
“Who are you?” he whispered.
“Billions of dollars are invested in leadership every year,” the voice repeated. “Is the world a better place because of that?”
There was a faint click.
“… the hell is wrong with you,” came Paul’s voice bellowing.
Axel snapped out of his coma-like state. The voice! It had been the same voice as last time, but what had she meant by…
“What the hell are you doing?” Paul cried. “Why the hell aren’t you running?”
CHAPTER 62
“We won!” Izabella exclaimed as Axel entered the room. “Thabo and I are going to New York!”
“Congratulations,” Axel managed, shaking water out of his ear.
The entire obstacle course had been a nightmare. For obvious reasons, Axel was distraught after hearing the voice, and Paul’s competitive nature hadn’t helped. The man had cursed, yelled, and insulted his partner until Axel, with a frustrated shout, threw his earpieces as far as he could. He tried to find the rose on his own, but he was lost in the dark without any guidance. Soon he fell into a pool of ice water. When he shortly thereafter tripped and went head first into a box filled with sand, Axel decided that he didn’t care about finding the rose anymore. He crawled back through the darkness, until he’d stepped into the Cabin, angry, wet and dirty. Everyone but Paul and Professor Evans were there.
“Thabo was fantastic,” Izabella continued, unable to contain her excitement. “He was a machine out there.”
“You gave me good instructions,” Thabo replied diplomatically.
Axel wasn’t listening. His ruffled appearance brought amused sniggers from some of the others, and it angered him more than he wanted to admit.
“You look terrible,” Edward jeered.
Axel gritted his teeth and pulled off his soaked sweatshirt.
“Zip it,” he muttered and threw the wet clothing on the floor.
“Oh, come on.” Layla giggled and eyed Axel as he took off his T-shirt. “Someone’s got to be last.”
“What happened out there,” Izabella asked, placing a hand on Axel’s naked back.
At that moment, the door bust open and Paul stormed in.
“You got us disqualified!” he yelled, pointing at Axel.
“You were being a prick,” Axel snarled, kicking off his shoes. “You were supposed to help me.”
“Guys,” Izabella said, laughing, “don’t fight.”
With eyes narrowing, Paul noted her hand on Axel.
“Forget it!” he growled and steamed off to the back of the room where he slumped into a chair and stared at the desk. At that moment, Professor Evans entered, grim-faced and silent. The students watched her as she made her way across the floor. Handing Axel a towel, she gave him a long look before turning to Izabella and Thabo.
“Well done. Your effort has earned you a trip to New York. Nicole will brief you on all necessary details. As for the rest of you –” she turned to her class “– while your colleagues enjoy themselves in New York, you’ll write a comprehensive report on today’s challenge. I want you to describe the communications strategy you used, how well you followed your strategy and what you would do differently if you had the chance. I’ll post the details on Eagle Net tonight.”
Annoyed, Axel began drying himself. Great. More homework. Just what he needed.
“Now, Mr Hallman and Mr Harris, I want you to stay,” the professor continued. “The rest of you may leave so you can get changed for Professor Plouffe’s class. As you know, he’s invited a very special guest for today. Make sure your appearance is flawless.”
When the last student walked out the door, Professor Evans turned to the two remaining men.
“Mr Harris,” she barked with surprising force. “I’m very disappointed. I told you to help Mr Hallman through the course, not yell and curse at him. You were supposed to be his ears and eyes, not his bad consciences. Explain yourself!”
“I wanted to win, ma’am.”
“And just how did your strategy work?” Professor Evans challenged, her words dripping with such glorious sarcasm, Axel had to lower his head to hide the smirk spreading across his face. “You were paying more attention to your competitors than your partner,” the professor continued. “Had you focused on helping Mr Hallman instead, you might have won.”
Paul raised his palms in a defensive gesture.
“I lost my head, ma’am. I admit it. I’ve always been competitive…”
“That’s no excuse! ‘I am accountable for my actions; keep in check my bad reactions!’ Remember? There’s a reason why those words are in the Leadership Allegiance. As punishment, I want a ten-thousand-word essay by Monday, focusing on various reactions you might have gotten, had you collaborated with one of the other students.”
With a moan, Paul lowered his chin, turning his attention to the floor.
“And Mr Hallman!”
“Yes, Professor?”
“Integrity and demanding respect are an important parts of leadership. You can’t give up just because someone isn’t paying you enough attention or giving you the respect you deserve. ‘I’m a fighter, not a bleeder’, as the Allegiance put it.”
It was hard to hold one’s head up high while standing with a naked torso, trembling with cold and embarrassment, but Axel did his best.
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Next time, I expect you to react with force against anyone who shows you disrespect. You are an E.K.A. student; act like one! Toughen up. Your followers will expect you to crush anyone who stands in your way.”
“Yes, Professor.”
“You too will write a ten-thousand-word essay, but your focus will be on identifying ways in which you could have gained Mr Harris’s attention.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Good, now get out of here!”
Making their way to the el
evators, Paul turned to Axel.
“I’ve got to ask; why the hell did you stop in the middle of the exercise?”
Failing to think of something clever to say, Axel shook his head.
“I’m not sure,” he lied. “I just froze. Sorry.”
Whether Paul believed him or not didn’t matter. Axel had bigger problems to deal with. “Billions of dollars are invested in leadership every year. Is the world a better place because of that?” What kind of crazy comment was that? And what the hell was Axel supposed to do with it? It wasn’t a threat or a warning. It was just a…comment.
CHAPTER 63
In a different part of the E.K.A. building, Professor Jackson sat motionless in his large office chair. He was staring out the window, haunted by old memories. A few of the teachers had left his office after a thirty-minute discussion regarding Mr Hallman’s tendency to ask irrelevant and provocative questions.
“I hate to say it, but the fellow is beginning to annoy me,” Professor Plouffe had admitted, slurping his coffee with frustration. “I know he’s a wild-card, but the questions he asks…Just yesterday he wanted to know if leadership could pose a threat to democracy. Bah!”
“He seems uncomfortable with the idea of ruling people,” Professor Williams had concurred.
As expected, Professor Evans hadn’t agreed. She liked the young Swede and argued that his questions should be a sign of great potential.
“Hayato Sano was the same,” she’d argued. “He challenged our perspectives and it made him the best student we’ve ever had.”
“Ms Wangai also asked a lot of questions,” Professor Plouffe had objected, “and we all know what happened to her.”
Their meeting had ended with Professor Jackson promising to discuss the matter with the principal when he returned later that week. Until then…
A knock on the door interrupted his thoughts. For crying out loud! Couldn’t he get five minutes alone to sort out his thoughts?