Hive Mind

by Timothy J. Bradley

  Fifteen minutes later, the car pulled into the Jamisons’ driveway. As they stepped through the front door, Sid could smell the dinner Housemate was already cooking for them. The image wall in the living room displayed a slide show of family photos. Even though Sid had seen it thousands of times, it still was fun to watch his face morph from infant to toddler to tweener. The faces of family members that were no longer around were always comforting: his grandfather’s smile and scratchy wool sweater; his grandmother, with her silver hair, holding a plate of cookies; and his mom and dad when they were younger. Sidney’s dad had died when Sid was only two years old, so he didn’t really remember him, but the photos always made Sidney feel like he was coming home to a full house.

  “Good evening, Jamisons,” Housemate called. “Welcome home.”

  “Sidney, get started on your homework, please,” Ms. Jamison said.

  Sidney thought about protesting but decided he was already in enough trouble. Instead, he went to his room as directed. “House, could you download my homework assignments for tonight?”

  “Of course, Sidney. It is very responsible of you to get started on your homework so promptly.”

  Sid rolled his eyes. “Save the positive reinforcement.”

  “Yes, Sidney,” the house answered contritely.

  As he cleared his desk of tools and gadgets, he caught sight of the digipack that had come in the mail. He studied it again.

  DO NOT OPEN! was printed on the face of it, yet it was sealed with nothing more than holotape.

  DIGIPACK

  It might as well say, “Open me right now!” Sidney thought. Homework would have to wait a few minutes. His curiosity was at an epic level. He broke the seal on the back flap. Suddenly, the digipack lit up, getting brighter and brighter.

  “Yikes!” Sid yelped, dropping the box on the floor. What the heck is this thing? he wondered.

  A pinpoint of light formed above the floor, projected from the now glowing digipack. Sid stared at it, mesmerized as the tiny light grew brighter until it was almost too bright to look at. It exploded in a soundless blast that filled the room with light. Clouds of dust rushed past Sidney, swirling and expanding. Particles ignited, forming enormous stars. The entire universe seemed to spin past him. There were planets, moons, and asteroids. Galaxies swirled and dissolved. In the haze, Sidney could see one planet spinning slowly. It was Earth. Continents rushed past, giving way to cities, then neighborhoods and streets. The Jamisons’ house appeared. Then the inside of the house…until Sid was staring wide-eyed at himself.

  “Whoa,” he breathed.

  The cosmic light show suddenly disappeared. The little box on the floor was changing again, unfolding and refolding itself like some kind of glass origami. A group of sleek buildings took shape. A light shot out from the central building and spelled a greeting. “Welcome to Sci Hi,” it said.

  The bedroom door swung open. “What’s happening in here, Sidney?” his mother asked.

  “I don’t know, Mom…but it’s totally lethal, whatever it is!”

  A powerful voice declared, “Congratulations, Sidney Lee Jamison! Only those who are curious and brave enough to open the voxvitation are offered a place at Sci Hi, the Universal High School for the Sciences.”

  Brave enough? Sidney wondered.

  The voice continued, “We have observed your talents for many years. Your inquisitive mind and passion for discovery will serve you well at Sci Hi. If you choose to accept this invitation, you will be tackling the largest scientific problems the world has ever seen. If you decline, this message will be destroyed, and you will return to Bleaker High School, site 04937, tomorrow as scheduled.

  “Please convey your decision immediately. We look forward to having you join the most creative and advanced minds on the planet.”

  Suddenly, the light went out.

  Sidney’s head was spinning. He had heard rumors about Sci Hi, but he never thought it was a real place. Nobody did. And if it did exist, he never would have thought he had a shot at actually going there. He didn’t think his grades would be anywhere near high enough. Then, there was the cost. Rumor had it that Sci Hi was located on a man-made island off the coast of California. It would take a huge amount of money just to fly there, let alone live there for the school term.

  He glanced up at his mom, who was standing in the doorway, grinning. “What do you think?” she asked.

  “But I didn’t…I’m not…How do they even know who I am?” Sid stammered.

  “I’m not blind, pal. I’ve seen how frustrated you’ve been with school, so I spoke with Ms. Dirge about what we could do. She suggested Sci Hi. Ms. Dirge recommended they review your files, and she wrote a very nice letter of recommendation on your behalf.”

  “What?! Ms. Dirge did that for me?”

  “We have to let them know if you’re interested. What should I tell them?”

  Sid was still trying to wrap his mind around what was happening. “But Mom, it’s gotta be crazy expensive! How can we afford it?”

  “Don’t worry about that. It’s well worth it if you’re really interested in going there and doing your best,” his mother replied.

  Sidney tried to remember the whispers he had heard about Sci Hi. Different people had said different things about the school, but the basic story was the same. The school had started as an international laboratory where scientists could meet, discuss their work with one another, and conduct groundbreaking research. Sci Hi never seemed to be in the news much, but some of the rumors sounded pretty wild. Some people said the scientists there could control gravity—and even time. After years of experiments, the group had begun holding college classes for the most promising students they could find. Over time, they had started a high school to locate and educate the next generation of scientists, engineers, and technologists. The faculty was said to be made up of the world’s top scientists. And the students were rumored to be the best of the best.

  Even if the stories aren’t really true, Sid thought, it sure sounds cool.

  Thinking back, Sidney remembered one of the kids in his class had left suddenly without saying anything. The official story had been that he had moved to Kentucky, but Sid had also heard whispers that he had really gone to Sci Hi. At the time, the idea had seemed crazy, but now Sidney wasn’t so sure.

  “What do you say?” Sid’s mom had out her freshly replicated voxpod, ready to call the school.

  Still thunderstruck by the adventure that lay open to him, Sid just looked at her and nodded.

  His mom initiated the call. “Hello? This is Ellen Jamison. I’m calling in reference to my son Sidney, who just received an invitation to attend Sci Hi….” She gave him a thumbs-up as she left the room, closing the door on the way out.

  Sidney grabbed his voxpod from his desk and lay down on the carpet of his room. He said, “Search subject: Sci Hi,” and set the voxpod to project the results onto the ceiling. With the voxpod resting on his stomach, Sid gazed up at the intermaze results and tried to find out what was in store for him. As he read the speculation and theories that surrounded the school, he became more and more excited. It was as if his mind had been spinning its wheels, looking for the right track, and now it had finally found its groove. He couldn’t predict exactly what would happen, but he knew somehow his life was going to change at the legendary Sci Hi.

  CHAPTER 3

  “What time is it?” Sidney asked.

  “Thirty-five seconds since the last time you asked,” Housemate replied serenely.

  “Very funny, House,” Sid muttered. He had persuaded his mom to purchase an upgrade to Housemate’s operating system that included a new sarcasm module, but he was annoyed to find he was usually the target of Housemate’s remarks.

  Sidney was staring out the large picture window in the living room waiting for his ride to Sci Hi. Kids from neighboring houses were playing hover hockey in the street outside. He had played a few times, usually getting stuck as goalie. He remembered being hit by t
he hover puck and rubbed his arm, recalling how much it stung. He wondered how long his trip would be. He expected he would have to go from his house in Philadelphia to the airport, fly to California, and then probably make some stealthy connection from that airport out to the island where the school was located. He was a bit nervous about flying, but his excitement about getting to the school overrode his apprehension about the flight.

  “They’ll be here, don’t worry,” his mom said.

  Just then, a shadow fell over the house, and the leaves on the front lawn were blasted away by the arrival of the Sci Hi retrieval unit. A stealth aircraft touched down lightly on the front lawn. Silent engines on the wings and tail swiveled as they shut down, turbofans spinning.

  The kids playing out in the street just stood and stared.

  “Your transport has arrived,” Housemate said.

  “Whoa….” Sid breathed. He had been expecting a taxi or maybe a limo—not this futuristic thing. “Mom? I think my ride’s here.”

  “Wow!” his mother said as she joined him in the living room. “Talk about traveling in style. C’mon, let’s go see.”

  Sid grabbed his duffel bag and headed for the front door.

  The door to the aircraft opened, and a short set of stairs lowered to the ground. A large robot appeared in the doorway and climbed down to the ground.

  “Hello. My designation is Talos, one of the Als assigned to Sci Hi. You must be Ellen and Sidney Jamison. A pleasure.”

  “Hello, um…Talos,” Sid’s mother said.

  “What’s an AI?” Sid asked.

  “I am an artificial form of intelligence, a nonliving, thinking machine created to assist the scientists and researchers at Sci Hi. My duties include coordinating digital inquiries and research as well as monitoring experiments. I also enjoy chess, botany, and various forms of culinary preparation.”

  “You mean you like to cook? I should have you talk to our Housemate. Our dinners are getting a bit repetitious. Are you a robot?” Ms. Jamison asked.

  “I am more sophisticated and complex than a robot. I am a conscious entity, just as you are. My design allows me to think beyond the parameters of my programming in order to make decisions and judgments the way the human brain does. I am a machine collective, made up of approximately thirty-five million nanobots, which allows me to alter my configuration to accomplish specialized tasks. I am the seventh of twelve Als built at Goddard Island.” Sidney raised an eyebrow at his mom, but she didn’t seem to recognize the name either. “As soon as you are aboard, we will start out for the Sci Hi campus,” Talos finished.

  Sid gave his mom a hug. “It feels kind of strange to be going off on my own for six months.”

  TALOS

  Sci Hi AI 7.0

  She hugged him back, holding him tightly. “You’re going to have an amazing time. Just promise me you’ll work hard, take apart lots of stuff, and have fun, kiddo. Call when you can.” She smiled, blinking back some tears. “I’m really going to miss you.”

  “I’ll miss you, too,” Sid replied, swallowing down a hard lump in his throat. It was true. He really would miss her.

  Sidney followed Talos to the gleaming jet and clambered up the steps. He turned back at the top of the stairs and took one last look at his house where his mom stood on the front lawn, waving good-bye. He tried to take a mental picture of the scene, with the old gray wooden house and their little orange car sitting in the gleaming ceramic driveway. His mom’s head was tilted slightly, and her hair was blowing in the wind kicked up by the jet’s engines. He tried to see Bleaker High in the distance, but it was too far away.

  Things are going to be different from now on. They have to be, Sid thought, giving his mom one last wave as the steps retracted and the door to the jet closed with a thump. Taking a deep breath, he stepped into the aircraft’s small, sleek passenger cabin. Soothing circles of colored light drifted along the smooth walls and ceiling. There were eight padded passenger seats, one of which was occupied by a boy who gave Sidney a nod as he entered. The boy looked about Sid’s size. He had dark brown eyes, thick black hair, and skin the color of coffee. He was dressed in a wrinkled plaid shirt with his sleeves rolled up to the elbows, utility shorts, and thick-soled walking boots. Sid stashed his duffel bag under the seat and sat down next to the boy. “Hi, I’m Sid,” he said, offering his hand.

  “Hari,” the boy said, giving him a firm handshake and a wide, friendly smile. “Nice to meet you.”

  “Please strap in, Sidney,” Talos said from the vehicle’s control cabin. “We’ll be taking off in thirty seconds.”

  Sid buckled the safety belts across his chest and sat back in the gel-cushioned seat. The vehicle immediately lifted off, shooting straight up into the air.

  “Holy smokes!” Sid yelped, gripping the armrests.

  The intercom crackled to life. “This is Talos. The Mach drive engines will be ignited shortly. We will reach our cruising speed of Mach five in ten minutes and land at Goddard Island in approximately ninety minutes.”

  “Ninety minutes!” Sid exclaimed to Hari. “How can we fly from the East Coast to the West Coast that fast?”

  “It only took me four hours to fly here from my home in India,” Hari explained.

  Sid could already feel the aircraft gathering speed. At first, the engines were roaring and the flight was choppy, but soon the engine noise quieted to a hiss and the ride became smoother. The sky outside darkened from a deep-blue color to purple as they raced through the atmosphere.

  Sid turned back to Hari. “So, your family lives in India?”

  Hari nodded. “My father writes software for a computer company, and my mother is a surgeon. I have an older brother named Pradeep. We live in Delhi.” When Sid nodded his head, Hari continued, “My father spent some time in America, so I’ve been to New York and California before. They were excited that I was accepted into Sci Hi. Well, after they got over that I applied without telling them.”

  Sid looked at Hari with respect. “Are you kidding me? You just decided to apply…and did it? Whoa.”

  “My parents never would have considered sending me to Sci Hi on their own. I don’t think they believed it even existed. And anyway, in my house, Pradeep is the one who gets to make all the choices, and he always chooses the safest way to get rich. He’s the oldest, and my parents have very high hopes for him. They haven’t given much thought to what I want to do. Up until now, I’ve just gone along with it. But we’re in high school now. I decided this year I would do my own stuff, not just take Pradeep’s leftovers. I knew if Sci Hi existed that I wanted to go there, so I searched through the intermaze for any information I could. Somehow, they must have been alerted that I was looking for them. They sent me an application, and I filled it out and sent it in without telling anyone. Pradeep never would have done that. Once the acceptance letter came, what could they say?” Hari paused. His expression darkened. “They don’t think I’ll be able to cut it here. When I left, they told me to let them know when I’m ready to come home. But now that I’m going to Sci Hi, I’m not going anywhere else!”

  “Oh, man! That’s the complete opposite of what happened to me,” Sid said. “My mom sent in the application without telling me. I never would have thought I’d be accepted. I’m no brainiac.” The flight passed quickly as the boys compared stories about life in their home countries. Delhi sounded like an amazing place to grow up. Sidney tried to imagine cows walking around downtown Philly. That would be something to see.

  Talos’s voice once again sounded from the intercom. “If you look over the left wing, you will see the man-made island named for Robert H. Goddard, the scientist who built the first liquid-fueled rocket. We will be landing in approximately thirty seconds.”

  Sid watched the island rapidly grow larger as they approached, still moving at high speed. Beaches softened the coastline, with green waves crashing on the sand. Clusters of sleek skyscrapers lined the interior of the island. In the center were the buildings that made up Sci
Hi, surrounded by a ring of concrete slabs sunk into the ground. “That’s the school, isn’t it?” Sidney wondered. “Wow, it really does look like that voxvitation!”

  GODDARD ISLAND

  “Pretty amazing, right?” Hari replied. “And that circle of concrete is where the particle accelerator is located. It’s buried underground to prevent the radiation produced by the particle collisions from reaching people.”

  Sid could only shake his head in stunned awe.

  The aircraft slowed, circling around the central dome of the school. It approached a landing pad on the roof of a nearby tower and gently touched down, descending into Sci Hi’s underground hangar. When the elevator reached the bottom, it locked into place with a loud clang.

  “You may now unbuckle your safety belts,” Talos instructed from the doorway of the cockpit. “I will take you to Dr. Macron, the headmistress of Sci Hi.”

  Hari and Sid clambered out of their seats, grabbed their belongings, and stepped out of the aircraft into the brightly lit hangar. All around them, various aircraft were being repaired and tested. A small, spindly vehicle had transparent wings that flapped up and down, slowly at first, then so quickly they were almost invisible. The wings made a loud hum that echoed in the cavernous space. One truly titanic jet dwarfed the technicians and the robots swarming over it, making the workers look like fleas on an eagle.

  Talos led them out of the hangar, up an escalator, and into the warm, breezy air outside. They walked across a small courtyard to the main building where a short elevator ride took them to Dr. Macron’s office. The elevator opened in the middle of her office, which occupied the entire twentieth floor. Huge windows gave them a panoramic view of the island. Translucent panels floating around the office contained diagrams and images showing research being done around the world. Small groups of scientists huddled together, consulting on their latest findings.