Initiates (The Book of Adam 3)

by Scott Gelowitz

  Adam knew that his feeling was correct. Someone was staring at him from across the room.

  Sitting in the corner by himself was Derek Gunderson.

  CHAPTER NINE

  The person that had been blocking Derek Gunderson sat back up again and more people sat down to further block him from Adam’s view. It had only been a momentary glance, but Adam knew Derek’s face well enough, especially since Derek looked so much like his father.

  “Guys,” Adam said in an urgent, quiet voice to the others at the table before leaning over.

  Everyone else at the table leaned in to hear what Adam had to say.

  “Derek Gunderson is here!” he exclaimed. They began looking around the room, although they had no idea what Derek looked like.

  “There are people in the way now, but he was sitting in the back corner of the room by himself.”

  They continued to search, but it was no use. More initiates had blocked the view, and they all realized it would seem suspicious if they all stood and searched him out.

  Horton’s voice cut through the noise and made them stop their searching. “Initiates,” he said in a loud voice, and everyone in the room turned to see him standing near the stairs leading up to the main hall. The noise level in the room dropped as all of the people that were standing sat down and conversations ended.

  Once it was nearly silent, Horton continued, “I hope everyone has had enough to eat. Please give your thanks to Betty for the wonderful selection.”

  The room clapped loudly as the large white haired lady stepped into view and bowed slightly.

  “Betty runs the show here in the cafeteria. She serves three full meals a day – breakfast from 6 until 11 am, lunch until 4 pm, and dinner – known as supper to some of you – until 8 pm. If you are hungry after those times, there are always fruits and vegetables in the coolers behind the serving tables, and a selection of dry items as well. We are going to take you on a short tour right away, but first we need to hear from someone important to the Sentinel League. His name is Gurpreet Gupta. Gurpreet is called Number 2, because he is the second person in command of the entire Sentinel League. Even though he still looks like he’s only 29 years old, he’s been with the League for a very long time.” Horton paused long enough to look over at Gurpreet who in turn was rolling his eyes. “Not that family history makes any difference, but his Great-Great grandfather was a member.”

  People in the crowd began to look confused as they tried to calculate approximately how long ago that would have been.

  “That would have been almost a hundred years ago,” Horton answered the question for them. “Anyway, without further adieu,” and Horton stepped off to the side as Gurpreet sauntered to the middle.

  “Hello initiates and welcome!” Gurpreet’s low voice boomed his East Indian accent throughout the room. “We are happy to see so many of you here this year. This particular school has been around for over eighty years and has been an integral part of our operation all along. I’ll spare you the details because you’ll learn them over the next eight months, but you are all working to become members of the oldest and most secret organization on the face of the earth. Our mandate is to be the eyes and ears of the Decreta, those people who lived on the island you know of as Atlantis, to keep them and their secrets safe from all who wish them harm and thereby protecting all of Mankind. It is a proud tradition that we have carried on for nearly a thousand years.”

  Gasps escaped from those in the audience who hadn’t been given a full briefing about the Sentinel League before arriving for training. Adam and his friends knew those facts, but hearing them in that setting, being told to that many people, reminded them how real it actually was.

  “Over the next eight months, you will learn many things. First and foremost, I’m sorry to tell you that you will continue with the curriculum you would have learned at your various schools over the next year.”

  Groans escaped from around the room.

  “I know. A lot of you hoped to miss out on a year of normal school work, but we can’t have that. You will be assigned one main instructor for this task, and they will work with you to keep you on track of where you would have been at your normal schools. On top of your regular school duties, you will be taught self-defense, survival, concealment, and many other skills that will be helpful for those of you that may want to go further within the organization.”

  That news seemed to make the crowd happy again.

  “Over the next few weeks and months, the instructors will analyze each of you to determine what skill sets you have and then offer you guidance into different areas of work and training. This will be helpful not only within the League, but for life in general. These instructors are excellent at figuring out what occupation will suit you best, so I advise giving them the benefit of the doubt and trying their suggestions before you dismiss what they have to say. Last, but not least, you are still being judged on your conduct and fit for the League. If you do not wish to stay within the League, you are free to go home at any time. We will merely wipe this experience from your memory and you will live happily without the knowledge, as many before you have done successfully. As well, there will be some of you that just won’t fit within the League no matter how hard you try. Sadly, you too will have your memory modified and be sent home to live forever without remembering anything about the League.”

  Adam looked around the table and the others seated there were doing the same. What if one of them was deemed unsuitable for the League? Which one would it be? Mark? Jimmy? Kevin? Adam was fairly certain it wouldn’t be him, but at that moment his confidence wavered. He shook it from his mind and then the thought hit him that Trevor was the most likely to be asked to leave. He was almost too old to be there and had only just been asked to go for training, so he seemed the most likely. After all, he just barely made it in before he turned 19. But if it was one of the other guys, what would that do to their friendship? They wouldn’t really wipe that person’s memory because everyone in Grayson already knew about the League – or would they? Questions raced through Adam’s mind.

  “Regardless, life within the community of the Sentinel League is great. It is a very caring and helpful community and you will find that help is always available if you should need it, and you should always try to help your fellow initiates when they are in need. It is the easiest way to success. With that, I will pass you back over to Horton. Have a great year.”

  Gurpreet stepped aside to the appropriate applause and Horton re-took his place at the center.

  “Thank you Gurpreet. I know you have to go, but we appreciate your kind words of encouragement.”

  Gurpreet bowed to the crowd, looked at Mark and gave him a thumbs-up, then turned and walked up the stairs.

  “Don’t be sad Mark,” said Jimmy. “Once they find out your only skill is watching TV you’ll be heading straight home. I give it thirty days.”

  Mark looked back at Jimmy. “You know,” he said, “I’d be more worried if I were you. I doubt the League needs a used car salesman.”

  The rest of the table tried to control their laughter as Horton continued to speak.

  “So, on to introductions. You already know me and yes, I am the oldest person here. I’m so old that when I was young, rainbows were in black and white.”

  The crowd had a genuine laugh, and Horton knew to wait until they had settled before speaking again.

  “I’ve helped with just about everything in my time, but this year I’ll have a small class of students. I am also the Physics and Mechanical systems expert, which you will learn about later. Next, I’ll introduce you to Tilda Pendergrass.”

  Tilda stood and made a small bow.

  “Tilda is our Administrator. She makes all of the big decisions here. You won’t see her very often because she is usually busy making sure you are all kept safe and fed.”

  The crowd clapped politely once spurred on by Horton. Mark clapped extra loud.

  “Next, we have Valentine Pa
vlov.”

  A large man stood behind the table. “Please call me Val,” he said with a slight accent.

  “Val will be taking one of the Grade 12 groups this year. On top of that, Val will be the main self-defense and sports instructor.”

  That time the crowd knew exactly when to clap. The girls in the crowd seemed extra excited for some reason.

  “Next, we have Penelope ‘Poppy’ D’Amour,” Horton made quotation marks in the air as he said ‘Poppy’. “Poppy will also be taking one of the Grade 12 groups this year, and her specialties are Social Sciences and Strategy.”

  Again the crowd clapped as a well-dressed lady in her mid forties stood and gave a version of the Queen’s wave. It should have been funny, but no one knew if it was a joke or not.

  “Next we have Dreena Rumer. She will be taking one of the Grade 11 groups this year.”

  Another woman stood. She looked to be in her mid to late thirties, but the short, spiky, bleached hair made it a bit more difficult to pick her age. Because of the black leather outfit she wore and the distance she was away from Adam, she immediately reminded him of the 1980’s rock star named Billy Idol. Even though she looked like a stereotypical ‘bad boy of rock and roll’, she moved gracefully as she bowed to the introduction before kissing two fingers and holding them in the air in a peace sign.

  “Dreena is also our expert in Astronomy and Mathematics.”

  Adam found it funny that a lady that looked like Dreena would be an expert in mathematics, let alone astronomy. She looked as if she would fit in better as an art teacher.

  “Who do we have next?” asked Horton as he looked over to the table of instructors.

  “I see you over there,” he said with a grin. “Next we have Allan Kemmis who will be taking on another of the Grade 11 classes. Allan is our Biology, Chemistry, and Earth sciences expert.”

  Applause greeted the tall, slim man who stood and waved at the crowd.

  “Alright. So that’s the end of the experts panel,” said Horton, “But that’s not the end of the instructors. Next, we have Toby Landris, who will be taking on one more of the grade 11 classes.”

  A short and very overweight younger man struggled to his feet and raised his hand. He smiled wide before sitting back down again.

  “Andrea McFadden, who will be taking on the last of the grade 11 classes.”

  A young lady, probably in her mid-twenties stood and waved.

  “And last, we have Lillian Cardinal, who will be taking on the only grade 10 class we have this year.”

  Another lady stood and waved. She was tall and thin with long, straight hair that made her look even taller than she really was.

  After the clapping died down again, Horton looked around at the instructors table once more.

  “Did I miss anyone?” he asked.

  The instructors looked at each other and shook their heads.

  “OK. Now, besides all of the instructors, there are many other people here that help to make it run. There are six Security officers, and they all wear the same blue uniform that our security head Linus Yang was wearing as you arrived. Tilda has a staff of four helping her out. They don’t wear any special colors. You met Betty, and she has a staff of ten people helping her out. Usually they are recognizable by their hair nets, but if that doesn’t clue you in, they also wear the pretty white uniforms.”

  Betty shook a spatula at Horton, grinning the entire time.

  Horton grinned back. He was obviously enjoying himself.

  “In addition, we have a staff of thirty various people who wear brown or grey uniforms when they are on duty. These are the people who keep this place clean and running. They are the maintenance staff, and they do an excellent job. Feel free to introduce yourselves to any of the staff at any time, and if you have a question for any of them just ask – they are all here to help you in any way that they can.”

  Horton paused and looked over at the instructors table. “Did I miss anything?” he asked them.

  “Maybe mention their schedules,” said Tilda.

  Horton nodded. “Right. Good Idea.”

  He turned back to the crowd. “Sometime this evening we will be finalizing the class lists. As soon as we do, we will hand copies out to everyone. There is a small mailbox beside each of your bedroom doors where we will place your class list and instructor name, as well as classroom number with instructions how to get there. Classes start at 9 am every day, so don’t be late. We have set a standard wake-up call time as 7 am. If you wish to change that time, simply pick up your phone and wait until you get a voice on the other end. Tell them what time you would like and they will ask you a few questions before they make the changes.”

  Horton looked to the instructor table, and Tilda nodded back at him.

  “Alright then,” Horton continued, “on to the tour. Just wait in your seats for a moment and then we’ll get started. Please save all of your questions for your instructors tomorrow because if we don’t, you won’t get to bed tonight. Trust me, we’ve done this many times before. As I said earlier, this is the cafeteria. You’ll get to know this place quite well. Up those stairs,” he pointed at the ones they had used to enter the cafeteria, “is the main hall, as you already know.” Horton spun and faced the stairs at the other end of the room. “Those stairs lead directly to your rooms. As you can see, they are clearly labeled so you don’t get lost by accident. In the Men’s and Women’s common areas, there is a single door on the far wall that will lead you here as long as you follow the directions in the hallways.”

  Adam found it hard to listen and had basically heard nothing after the introduction of the really overweight instructor whose name he had already forgotten. He didn’t even realize that no instructor was named to be in charge of the Grade 9 students, which would include him and his friends. Instead, Adam wondered about Derek. He didn’t think Derek was that much older than he was, and since boys were usually older than girls when they were invited into the League, the only conclusion Adam could make was that Derek’s dad, John Gunderson, had pulled some strings to get Derek in on the training. Adam knew that John was being investigated by the League because of information Adam had told them, so naturally that would mean Derek wouldn’t be happy to see Adam.

  His thoughts were interrupted when everyone stood. He had missed the instructions from Horton, but Horton was making his way up the stairs toward the dorms.

  “I missed what he said,” Adam said to Kevin. “Where are we going?”

  “I thought you were off in space somewhere,” said Kevin. “He’s taking us to the classrooms and showing us how to get there from the dorms. Were you thinking about Derek?”

  Adam nodded. “He can’t be too happy with me since I’m the one that told on his dad.”

  “I’d be pretty unhappy about that if it were me,” agreed Kevin. “Just make sure you don’t get caught alone with him.”

  “I’ll try,” said Adam, thinking about the first time he had met Derek and remembering that Derek was much bigger than himself.

  The crowd sauntered up the wide stairwell and into the equally wide hallway, again still decorated in the fashion of a hunting lodge. Adam and his group were near the front of the group because the table they had sat around had been near the stairs.

  As soon as they reached a ‘T’ intersection, Horton stopped.

  “All of the intersections are clearly marked,” he yelled to the crowd as soon as they had quieted down, and his voice carried all the way to the back. “If you go to your left, it leads to the Men’s dorm, and the right will take you to the Women’s dorm and to the Arrival chamber, which is our central hub for all the areas. That is where we are headed now.” He turned up the right side hallway and the crowd followed him again.

  After walking for a while, Horton stopped where a hallway branched off to the right. “This hallway leads to the Women’s dorms,” he yelled before continuing on. Adam noticed the signs clearly indicating the Women’s dorm to the right and the Arrival cha
mber straight ahead.

  They seemed to walk for a long distance before Horton turned right at the next intersection, even though the one they were in continued on straight ahead. The crowd followed, and after stepping through another large set of double doors they were back in the familiar Arrival chamber.

  The Radome looked impressive in the light of the Lumiens, since the sunlight was barely trickling in from above anymore. He realized that there must be dark clouds outside, because the sun should have still been shining at that time of day. Looking around, Adam again realized just how huge the Arrival chamber was.

  Horton walked until he was standing near the Radome.

  “You’ll all remember this,” he said once everyone stopped. “I’m sure your parents or local League members explained some of this to you before transporting you, but this is the only way in or out, unless you want to wander through vast wilderness. That’s partly why this place is so safe. If you need something sent here, or need to send something out, you will need to speak to the instructor you have been assigned and they will assist you. Anyway, the classrooms are straight ahead through those doors.” He pointed at the appropriate double doors. “There are classrooms on both sides of the hallway, and each one has the instructors name on the door, along with the grade number. Since you know what grade you are going into, look for your grade so you have an idea where to go tomorrow once you find out which instructor has been assigned to you. When you are done, meet me at the far end of the hallway and we’ll continue on.”

  Horton sauntered over to the double doors, propped them open and walked through. Adam didn’t know what to expect, but as soon as he had made it close enough to see inside, he thought to himself that he should have guessed. The classroom section looked almost exactly like his school in Grayson, which in turn looked like most other schools he had seen on television or in books. Once he had made it inside, the brick walls, shiny tile floors, and high paneled ceiling made him feel as if he hadn’t actually left the normal world at all.