Initiates (The Book of Adam 3)

by Scott Gelowitz

  Horton had continued on to the end of the hallway and stood in front of what looked like a glass-fronted trophy case that took up the entire wall.

  Adam looked at the first door on the right as he shuffled further up the hallway. It was marked ‘Grade 12 – Valentine Pavlov’. The door immediately across from it on his left was also marked ‘Grade 12 – Penelope D’Amour’, so he continued walking. The next two sets of doors were marked grade 11, so he knew what to expect. He knew there was only one grade 10 class, and because his group was the youngest group there, he also knew that there would only be one Grade 9 class – and it was going to be small.

  The next set of doors came into view as he walked, and when he was close enough he saw that the door on the right was labeled ‘Grade 9’, and the teacher was listed as Horton Van Helstrom. Suddenly it all made sense. When they had signed in, Horton had said they would be seeing a lot more of each other.

  Adam pointed at the door and made sure the other three boys saw it as well before continuing up the long hallway.

  They passed four more unlabeled doors before reaching Horton at the Trophy case.

  “So, from here we can go right or left. If you go this way,” he pointed to his left, which was right for everyone facing him, “you will find the washrooms. This is very important with all of the time you will be spending in here. Further down this hallway is the gymnasium and we will show that to you last. Also, this is another way you can get back to the dorms, but it is a much longer walk than the way we came. Right now we are going to go this way,” he pointed to his right and the crowd’s left. “This way leads to the rooms we use for specialized training, specifically for the Physical sciences like Mechanical, Biological, and Chemical. We put those labs at the furthest point away as possible because they are the places where it’s most likely we could have an accident. We’ll take a quick look at them and then make our way back to the gymnasium.”

  Horton led the way, and that time Adam had heard most of what Horton had said. The thought of seeing those areas almost made him forget about Derek, and he guessed that the rooms probably looked like high school Chemistry labs and Metal shops, based on how the rest of the area looked.

  How wrong he was.

  When they entered the Natural Sciences lab, Everyone’s jaws dropped. The room was at least the size of the arrival chamber, and it too had a large opening running across the ceiling, but there wasn’t a lot of light left streaming through it either.

  Adam couldn’t take it all in at the same time. He swept his gaze slowly across the entire area, but there were too many things to process in too short of time.

  “If you end up specializing in the natural sciences, you will end up spending a lot of time in here,” said Horton, waving his arm to indicate the large room. “It is laid out in a few different sections. Agriculture is at the back where you see all of the low-hanging lights. We grow a lot of our own food right here, mainly fruits and vegetables. Over against that wall you will see the chemistry lab. It is built in an explosion resistant room. We used to call it explosion proof, but students kept proving to us that it was only explosion resistant,” Horton grinned in a way that those who saw him couldn’t be sure if he was kidding. “We don’t keep livestock here, though, so if you are destined to care for animals you will receive theoretical training here and practical training elsewhere. So, off we go to the Mechanical lab.”

  Horton cut a path back through the crowd and out into the hallway where he turned to the right. Adam and his friends ended up near the back of the crowd because they were some of the first ones who had entered the Natural Sciences lab.

  Soon afterward, the hallway turned left and then the group turned right into the Mechanical lab. Adam knew what it was before he even got close. The sharp metallic smell and underlying oils were nearly the same in every shop that did mechanical work, and it was Adam’s favorite. The smell made Adam excited at what he was about to see, because the Natural Science lab was so much more than he had expected. Now, he expected the Mechanical lab to be the same.

  When he finally made it inside, he wasn’t sure where to look first. The area was at least as big as the Natural sciences lab, and again there was so much going on that it overwhelmed his senses. He intentionally panned over the room slowly to try and take it all in. One area contained rows and rows of shelving, and from what Adam could see they were filled with parts and supplies. Equipment was scattered everywhere, from drill presses to lathes, woodworking saws, presses, brakes, and even a large English Wheel. He had always wanted to try one since the first time he had ever read about them.

  Adam had made his way to the far right side of the crowd so he could get a better look at everything. Horton noticed that Adam was wandering further and further into the lab.

  “Hold your saw horse,” said Horton and Adam stopped.

  “You’ll get a chance to see everything in here eventually. This is just a quick tour.”

  Once Adam had made his way back over to the edge of the group, Horton continued.

  “This is our Physics and Mechanical Lab. We take a real hands-on approach to physics here. If you lean toward building things with wood, metal, plastic, or electronics, you’ll be in here. We have all types of equipment and are fully stocked with parts and supplies. If you can think of it, we either have it, can order it, or we can make it here. This is my specialty area, so if you end up here, you’ll have to put up with me!”

  The crowd chuckled.

  Adam kept looking all around. He was excited to see a welding area, since he had always wanted to learn how to weld. And it looked like they had Arc, Mig, Tig, and Acetylene equipment, all of which Adam was dying to try.

  The rest of the crowd followed Horton outside, but Adam lingered. His friends realized this would happen and hung back too.

  “Hey, come back to the real world,” said Jimmy, snapping his fingers.

  “Does anybody have a napkin? I think I see some drool,” said Mark.

  Kevin and Jimmy laughed. Adam shook his head and grinned.

  “Yeah yeah,” he replied and slowly wandered toward the door.

  “Don’t worry,” said Kevin. “You’ll be back soon enough. I’ll bet you’ll be spending a lot of time in here.”

  Adam nodded. That room looked like heaven to him. He hoped Kevin was right.

  CHAPTER TEN

  Adam completely forgot about Derek for the rest of the tour. The gymnasium was another impressive area that had everything from a weight room to a full sized running track. The climbing wall looked like a lot of fun, and so did the archery room.

  Through one of the side doors there was a games area that held a mini golf course and rows upon rows of carnival games. Mark became overly excited when he saw that the games room also had many old stand-up arcade game consoles with classics like Pac man and Space Invaders.

  Horton had led the group back to the gymnasium and set them free for an hour of doing whatever they wanted. Mark made a bee-line for the game room and the rest of them spent time all over the place. The foam pit and trampolines were quite popular. Some people started a soccer game and others watched. Adam, Kevin, and Jimmy spent time wandering between areas before playing a round of Mini golf. It was the most difficult course imaginable and they gave up after only six holes.

  Horton called everyone back into the Gymnasium and once they had settled down he led them back to the main hall, pointing out the alternate routes back to the dorms as they passed.

  "That's the end of the tour," he said over the noise and it helped to quiet the crowd. "I know you will have seen that I didn't take you everywhere, but I’ve shown you what you need to know so you don't get lost. The Mathematics and Astronomy lab is at the top of the narrow stairs in the Arrival chamber and we are too big of a group to go up there all at once. The other areas are mainly for maintenance and services. You are welcome to wander around anywhere you want, but please don't touch anything you don't know about. Critical areas should be locked anyway. W
ith that, you are free to mingle and get to know each other. Just remember that we will be starting in the morning, so try and get some sleep."

  They all clapped and Horton bowed to the applause before stepping off to the side where a couple of the other instructors still remained.

  "Well," said Mark. "I don't know about you guys, but I'm hungry. Who wants a snack?"

  Before Jimmy could insult Mark, Kevin agreed and they began walking away. Jimmy and Adam looked at each other, both wearing the same look of confusion.

  "I guess if they’re gonna agree on something it's probably food," said Adam. "Do we go with them?"

  Jimmy shrugged. "Might as well," he replied and wandered in the direction of the cafeteria.

  Adam followed, and when he could see the stairs ahead, a hand reached through the crowd and grabbed him by the shoulder. Adam spun at once, and thought he knew who had grabbed him, but when he saw who it was he was relieved.

  Kassie was smiling at him as she dragged Trevor along through the crowd. He didn't look particularly pleased, but she was smiling as usual.

  "What do you think about this place? Pretty crazy, right?" she said.

  Adam nodded and smiled back at her.

  "I'll bet you can't wait to get back to the Mechanical lab," she said over the increasing noise of background conversations.

  "Yeah," he replied, "and I'll bet you can't wait to get to the Earth Sciences area, but I'm not sure what part," said Adam.

  "Actually, I'm excited for the Astronomy lessons and possibly mathematics," she replied. Adam was surprised at that answer, since her family was so involved with the land.

  "What about you," Adam asked Trevor. It felt strange, since Trevor was one of those older guys that assumed anyone much younger than him wasn't worth speaking to, unless you were a girl.

  To his surprise, Trevor looked directly at him and answered. "Same as you."

  Adam found that interesting since in all the years he had known Trevor he had never thought of him as handy.

  "We're going to keep mingling. You should too. There are people here from all over the USA and Canada," said Kassie before she pulled Trevor back into the crowd.

  Adam turned and bumped roughly into a boy who was busy telling a knock knock joke to a small group. When Adam apologized, the boy said, "No problem buddy," in a thick accent that Adam thought was either from New York or New Jersey.

  Barely a second later, Adam was again grabbed by the shoulder. Again, he thought he knew who he would see when he turned around, and again he was wrong.

  Horton was standing there smiling at him.

  "I was glad to see that you were coming this year, although they were thinking it wouldn't be for a few more years. You probably figured out why I knew your dad so well once you saw my name on the Mechanical lab."

  Adam agreed.

  "I was his main instructor when he first came here. We spent a lot of time in that lab together. He was incredibly talented at almost anything he tried. From what I hear you're starting to take after him already."

  Adam wasn't sure what part of that information he should focus on first. The look on his face must have given away his thoughts.

  "Most of us have heard about your events last year and your abilities. For all of the members in the League, it's actually a pretty small community, especially among Senior members. I'm betting you've inherited a bunch of Eddie's skills - but we'll figure that out later. For now I just wanted to tell you and your friends to relax and enjoy your time here. This is one of the safest places in the League. If any of you have any concerns, please bring them to me and I'll do my best to help."

  Adam was unsure how to respond. Should he ask why Derek was there? Or the bigger question would be why no one told him that Derek would be there at the same time. They had to know that there would be some friction over the recent events.

  Instead of asking, though, all he said was, "OK, thanks."

  "I'll let you get back to your friends now." Horton smiled and faded back into the crowd.

  Adam quickly located the stairs to the cafeteria and a clear path through the crowd to get there. He shuffled along at a quick pace trying not to make eye contact with anyone. It wasn't that he was unsociable, but he'd spent his entire life in the town of Grayson; a place where everyone had always known him, and it seemed that he'd always known everyone. Coming to Area 51 with his friends seemed easier when he was thinking about it before actually being there, but at that moment with no one that he knew around him, he started to panic. He knew Mark, Kevin, and Jimmy were only down the stairs ahead, but at that moment he needed to get back to them.

  He dodged people as he walked, replying with "Hi" and "Hello" whenever someone tried to initiate a conversation, but he didn't stop. Just before he made it to the stairs, he thought he saw Derek looking at him, but he couldn't be sure. As he was making his way down, he saw Jimmy appear at the bottom step and look up, spotting Adam. Adam could feel himself relax at the sight of his friend.

  "I didn't think you could get lost on your way to the stairs, but I guess I was wrong," he said smiling.

  "Your brother and Kassie cornered me," Adam replied once he had reached the bottom. "Then Horton stopped me to talk."

  "Well, that's more excitement than me," said Jimmy, pointing over at the table where Kevin and Mark were eating. "Tweedle dee and Tweedle plump over there haven't said a word since I got down here. Seems like all they can do is grunt like cavemen when they’re eating. I finally figured out that they were asking where you were, so after I mocked them a little I decided to come find you."

  They sauntered over to their feeding friends as they talked. "I know I should try and make some conversation with everyone here, but it's a little overwhelming," said Adam.

  "You can say that again," Mark managed to reply through a mouth full of food. Kevin nodded to agree.

  “I think we should wander around once these two are done stuffing their faces. You know, try and get to know the place,” said Jimmy.

  “I’m in,” said Kevin after a quick swallow of something that, by the look on his face, should have been chewed a few more times.

  “We could go back to the gymnasium for a while,” said Mark before taking a bite of a bagel.

  “You just want to play some more of those old video games,” said Jimmy.

  “Hey, if I’m going to have to be here for eight months they’re going to have to be ok with me playing those old games. I just wish they had something newer than 1992 in there.” He washed down the last bite of bagel with a swig of whatever was in his cup.

  Kevin stood and Mark finished his drink.

  “Let’s go up past the Men’s dorm and take the long way around,” suggested Adam.

  The others shrugged and followed as he led the way.

  It was a long walk, but each intersection was clearly marked along the way. Just on the other side of the intersection that led back to the main hall, the hallway changed into the brick and tile theme that ran through the classroom area and all the way to the gymnasium, so they knew they were getting close to the gymnasium once again. There were a few numbered doors along the way, but all of the ones they checked were locked.

  Once they reached the gymnasium, they continued down the hallway instead of walking inside.

  “Aren’t we going in?” asked Mark.

  “I thought we’d just tour around the place first. We can come here on our way back so you can play later,” said Adam.

  Mark looked as if he wasn’t sure what to do. The video games were calling him, but being left alone there without his friends wasn’t particularly appealing, so he kept following.

  In a short amount of time the group made it back to the classroom hallway. They stopped at the intersection and looked toward the double doors leading to the Arrival chamber, but they were now closed.

  “Should we go straight ahead or go back to the Arrival chamber and climb up to the astronomy lab?” Adam asked.

  All three others voted for g
oing straight ahead, which made Adam happy, since the Mechanical lab was in that direction. In a matter of moments they were standing outside the Mechanical lab again, peering in from the doorway, but all of the lights were out so they decided to continue on.

  They walked straight ahead, passing a few doors on both sides, all labeled with numbers and nothing else. Eventually, they came to another intersection that showed the Arrival chamber to the left, Operations to the right, and Dorms straight ahead. Naturally, they picked right.

  Numbered doors lined that hallway, all the way until they reached a ‘T’ intersection with a sign indicating Climate Controls/Pool to the right and Restricted Area to the left. Naturally, they went left.

  That hallway was long and dimly lit with no doors on either side of the wide open path. As they walked and walked no one said a word, and it started getting eerie. After a while, the hallway turned sharply. At the end of the hallway was a large steel door with a radiation hazard symbol in the middle.

  “Didn’t expect to see that here,” said Jimmy.

  “Freaky,” said Mark.

  Adam looked over the door as close as he could. There didn’t seem to be anyplace to put a key, let alone a handle to open the door. He knew there would be a trick to opening it though. It was the way that the Sentinel League did things, after all. When he thought about it a little longer, he realized that he didn’t really want to go through the door even if he knew how it opened.

  “Well, we’re not going in there,” said Jimmy, turning back the way they came. “Time to check out the pool.”

  Jimmy led the long way back until they reached a row of windows on the left wall. They stopped to look through, and inside was a sight that they hadn’t expected. A huge underground waterfall flowed on the other side of the glass. Water fell from forty feet high and some of it was re-directed into large diameter pipes rising out of the large pool at the base.