The Secret Society

by Hannah Hopkins

  “This way!” a familiar voice called, and Emily looked up to see Mr. McGowan standing in the open doorway of the Shuttle, his arms outstretched as he prepared to catch the two teenagers rushing towards him.

  Will and Emily sprinted in his direction, placing their arms in his strong grasp as he heaved them safely aboard the huge transporter ship that would take them to the school, snapping the door shut behind him the moment they had landed safely inside.

  “Are you two alright?” he asked, his eyes wide with worry.

  “We’re fine,” Will puffed. “Thanks for saving us.”

  “Don’t mention it,” Mr. McGowan said, glancing with apprehension towards the sealed door of the Shuttle, through which the noise of the avid crowd beyond could still be heard.

  “Luckily, I managed to get everyone boarded before the pandemonium broke out,” he grinned. “I don’t think Miss Fortem would have been best pleased if I’d left anyone behind. All I’ve heard from her all holiday is how important it is that I get everyone to the Academy safely, now that she’s too busy to oversee the process herself.”

  Without answering, Emily and Will looked around the second-year compartment, noting with unease the enduring stares they were receiving from their classmates. Spencer, Alasdair and the rest of Will’s old tutor group from Floor One sneered and folded their arms in disgust at the sight of them. Rudy opened his mouth to make a remark, and Emily shot him daggers, stopping his voice before it reached his throat. Hunched in the corner, almost completely obscured from view, was Finley, who was slouched against the window and staring with disassociation at the platform wall outside. Lois was sat beside him, smiling thinly at Emily and Will, her eyes full of concern as she beckoned them to the two empty seats behind her.

  “Will!” Matina called out suddenly, standing up and waving to him. “Come and sit with me! I saved you a seat.”

  Will dithered for a moment, glancing between Matina and Lois as he frowned with the stress of the dilemma.

  “Do you mind?” he asked her after a moment.

  “No,” Lois shook her head. “It’s fine.”

  Will hastened off to join Matina, leaving a furious Emily to sit alone in the seats behind Finley and Lois. She crossed her arms and legs simultaneously, bouncing her foot up and down as she chewed the inside of her cheek with irritation.

  “What happened out there?” Lois asked, turning her body to face Emily.

  “We got noticed,” Emily answered. “Didn’t you?”

  “My father sent us down with security,” Lois replied. “They were protecting Will too, but we ended up losing him. I suppose he must have gone to look for you.”

  She glanced at Finley and lowered her voice, so that he wouldn’t overhear.

  “Finley was having another episode when we found him,” she told Emily, chewing her lip with anxiety. “He couldn’t take being amongst all the commotion on the platform. The robot Guards that were escorting me had to practically drag him onto the Shuttle.”

  “Is he going to be alright?” Emily whispered, glancing at the back of Finley’s head as he continued to stare despondently at nothing.

  “I don’t know,” Lois sighed. “Hopefully when we get to the Academy, everything will go back to the way it was.”

  Emily scowled, ignoring the sound of Matina’s high-pitched laughter travelling down the compartment as she replied. “So far, it doesn’t seem likely.”

  “Right!” Mr. McGowan announced, capturing the second-year’s attention and silencing the hum of conversation in their compartment. “I’m supposed to be chaperoning the first-years, so I’m going to have to leave you to your own devices. We’ll be taking off shortly. Remember the safety regulations, which dictate that you mustn’t get up from your seat unless there’s an emergency. I’ll be in the front compartment if anyone needs me.”

  He gestured to the round, metal doors behind him, touching his finger to their sensor pad and exiting through them, leaving the second-years alone and unsupervised. The moment he disappeared, the compartment was filled with the sound of voices, with people twisting and turning in their seats in order to converse with their peers. If Emily and the “Famous Four” were being discussed, she didn’t hear it, too busy lost in her thoughts as she sat surly-faced, replaying the moment that Will had chosen to sit with Matina on repeat in her mind’s eye.

  Her displeasure over Will’s actions was so immersive that Emily barely noticed the Shuttle taking off and was forced back into attention when the ship began to judder, slowing its engines down as it hovered through the opening in the platform’s roof. They paused for a few seconds, suspended momentarily in mid-air, before the metal cover above them snapped open, allowing them to gradually ascend into Space.

  The view from Emily’s window was just as magnificent as the first time she had seen it, and she soon found herself absorbed by the sight of the infinite black sky, bedazzled with millions of shining stars. It was impossible to remain in a bad mood as they zoomed towards the Academy, the excitement of returning to the school pulling even Finley out of whatever dark reverie he had fallen into. A few minutes into their journey, he turned to join in with Emily and Lois’ conversation, with interest, speculating with them about what they might expect from the second-year curriculum.

  “I hear Mr. Krecher brings out the really scary aliens this year,” Emily informed them. “Charlie said a boy nearly got his hand bitten off in his second year, but it’s hard to tell whether he’s telling the truth or not.”

  “I can’t wait to see what we’ll learn in Combat and Weaponry,” Finley enthused. “I hope we can use proper weapons this year, instead of just lasers.”

  “I’m excited to get back to the book club,” Lois confessed. “I’ve been reading antique books from my dad’s library all holiday.”

  “Shame you’ll be going on your own this year,” Finley pointed out. “Emily won’t want to go, now that Martyn, the librarian, has left the school.”

  “That’s not true!” Emily replied indignantly. “The only reason I won’t be going is if I apply to join the Tech Club. My work experience at I-Tech should help me to get a place.”

  “I wonder if Mr. Mayhem has managed to successfully invent anything yet,” Finley mused, referring to their Technology teacher’s series of failed projects, which had, at one point, broken the entire school’s security system as a result of some serious short-circuiting issues.

  “He needs to invent something that’ll tame his hair,” Lois remarked, causing Finley to snort loudly.

  “Mr. Mayhem used to work for I-Tech back on Earth, you know,” Emily corrected them. “I saw his file when I was sent to delete old records from their database. He’s actually the one responsible for inventing the Personal Device.”

  “No way!” Finley exclaimed. “Why isn’t he still working there?”

  “It said there was a dispute and he left,” Emily shrugged. “Apparently, he didn’t agree with I-Tech’s ventures into creating weaponry. He thought it was going to backfire and cause huge problems for humanity.”

  “Well, if what Allance did is anything to go by, then Mr. Mayhem was right,” Finley said quietly, his eyes clouding over as he was reminded of the incident with their previous Headmaster.

  “What do you think Miss Fortem will be like as Headmistress?” Lois asked him, hastening to change the subject before Finley became lost in his own mind.

  “Terrifying,” he grinned, coming back to reality. “Mind you, she’s probably the only person who’d be willing to do the job after what happened.”

  “She’ll definitely keep everyone in line,” Lois noted. “I think she was the only teacher last year that Will was actually afraid of.”

  “Well,” Emily said bluntly, “Will’s so absorbed in himself, I doubt if he’ll even notice that Miss Fortem’s there.”

  Finley and Lois exchanged a knowing glance but said nothing, turning their attention back to the window as the Shuttle neared The Space Academy. Emily followed suit, he
r heart leaping when she caught sight of the school, floating enigmatically in its protective biodome. As they drew closer, she was able to make out the colossal Ivory Tower, standing gigantic in comparison to the rest of the buildings that were spread across the school grounds. She leaned left and right in her seat, eager to get the best view as she counted down the seconds until they would finally reach the Academy.

  The Shuttle circled into land, drawing near the glass encasement that shielded the school and flying through the small, metal door that allowed them access to the landing bay. They descended to the ground, shuddering to a halt as the Shuttle’s doors slid open, permitting them to exit and venture out into The Space Academy’s vast campus. The moment the ship became still, there was a flurry of movement as everyone in second-year pushed to be the first ones out the door, nattering with enthusiasm amongst themselves as they made their way outside.

  Distracted by the chaos on the platform, Emily had forgotten to store her suitcase with the rest of the luggage in the Shuttle’s belly, and so was forced to drag it noisily behind her as she battled to find a place amongst the steady stream of students heading towards the exit. Eventually, she was given a place by Will and Matina, who paused to let her go in front of them in the queue. With reluctance, she accepted their offer, stepping out into the gangway and refusing to make eye contact with them as she disembarked the Shuttle, with Finley and Lois hot on her heels.

  Together, the five of them strode through the loading bay and out into the grounds. The sight of the school struck Emily with a warm familiarity that caused all the difficulties she had faced in getting there to immediately fade. She took a deep breath, smiling as she soaked in her surroundings, her feet treading on the hard, asphalt pathway that wove its way intricately around the school campus. In the light of the tall lamps that illuminated the dark grounds, she could just about make out the glinting roof of the Observatory, reflecting the starlight that poured down on it from above. The Resources Biodome stood a few metres beside it, torrential rain hammering from the inside of its glass, showering onto whichever terrain the dome was currently set on. Straight ahead was the main school building, the colossal school logo displayed proudly above the large, navy doors. The second-years travelled unanimously in its direction, feeling as though they were being drawn home by the magnificent, golden beacon.

  As they reached the Ivory Tower, they were stopped short by the sight of Mr. Krecher, who had been impatiently waiting at its base, his arms folded to reveal the worn elbow patches on his shaggy, tweed jacket. The line of students changed formation to gather around him, waiting intently for the instructions they were certain he was about to deliver. Right on cue, he cleared his throat and began to speak, his gruff voice echoing across their silent surroundings.

  “Welcome back second- years! I’m sure you must be incredibly excited to begin the new school year here at the Academy,” he greeted them astutely, noting the enrapt expression painted on each of their faces. “While the first-years get acquainted with the school and have their traditional private assembly with the Headteacher, I’m going to take you to your dormitory so you can view your new rooms.”

  An excited mutter rippled through the group at this prospect, and Mr. Krecher smirked, turning on his heel and leading his entranced followers towards the complex of buildings that provided the living accommodations for each separate year group. They passed their old first-year dormitory and entered a new and slightly larger tower next door, which had been coated in the same, light-grey paint as the majority of the school structures.

  Walking through the sliding doors, they found themselves in the foyer, which was far more sophisticated in appearance than the one in the first-year building. Whoever had de-signed the second-year dormitory had significantly better taste in décor than Ms. Everly, opting for fashion-able silver tile covering the floors and bare metal walls. The only furnishing to be seen was a transparent, blue-tinged, glass desk in the corner, an interactive screen flashing on the surface. Stood behind it was a round-faced young man, his hands stuffed awkwardly in his pockets and he grinned at the gathering of students.

  “Welcome to your new home,” Mr. Krecher announced. “I’d like to introduce Mr. Wilder, your warden for the upcoming year. Is there anything you’d like to say Mr. Wilder?”

  “Hello, everyone” Mr. Wilder replied, raising his hand in a spirited greeting. “As Mr. Krecher explained, I will be your new warden for the year. I used to be a student here, so I know a lot about the place. If you need anything, please feel free to contact me at any time. I’ll send my details through to your Student Planners along with your new room numbers. I’m sure you’re all dying to find out who you’ll be rooming next to, so I shan’t keep you waiting any longer.”

  With a skilled swish of his fingers over the interactive screen, he sent an instantaneous message to all the second-years, the foyer erupting with a loud series of beeps followed by the sound of fabric rustling as everybody rooted into their pockets to check their Student Planners. Emily looked at Finley, Lois and Will with confusion. Their planners remained silent, the black screens displaying only the puzzled reflections of their owners.

  “Oh yes,” Mr. Krecher said suddenly, clearing his throat. “Will, Emily, Lois and Finley, could you come over here for a moment?”

  The four of them traipsed over, wondering how they could have managed to get into trouble so soon into the new term. Mr. Krecher led them to the corner of the room, checking over their shoulders to ensure they were out of earshot of the other students.

  “Miss Fortem has asked me to inform you on her behalf that you will each be given special accommodation this year as thanks for your services to The Space Academy,” he told them, raising his eyebrows as he delivered the message.

  “Services?” Will repeated. “What does that mean?”

  “I should imagine it refers to you stopping the evil alien impersonating our Headmaster, before he was able to execute his particularly dastardly plan,” Mr. Krecher replied with a tinge of amusement.

  “Are we ever going to be able to just forget what happened?” Finley sighed. “I don’t want any thanks or ‘special accommodation’. I just want a bedroom to sleep in- the same as everybody else.”

  “I understand,” Mr. Krecher said with sincerity. “However, I have to carry out the Headmistress’ wishes. Allow me to show you to your rooms. They’re located on the fourth floor.”

  “Fourth floor?” Emily frowned. “I thought each dorm only had three floors?”

  “The fourth floor is usually where the warden sleeps, however, the dorms have been refurbished so that you could receive luxury living quarters,” Mr. Krecher explained.

  They followed Mr. Krecher to one of the lifts, Finley stony-faced as they rode alongside him to the top floor. Upon their arrival, they discovered that they had indeed been rewarded with luxury. The walls were marked with four sets of grand, double doors, painted cream with silver numbers on their front, labelling each entranceway from one to four.

  “Is this really necessary?” Emily frowned, made uncomfortable by the obvious show of grandeur.

  “It’s Miss Fortem’s gift to you,” Mr. Krecher replied. “I can’t imagine refusing it will do you much good. You’d have better chances arguing with a Runhorn.”

  He reached into his pocket and produced four electronic keys, handing them out randomly in no particular order. Emily turned the flat, rectangular object over, noting that she had been given room three. With a cursory shrug towards the others, she walked over to the set of doors in question, sliding the key down the sensor pad attached to the wall beside it.

  The doors clicked, and she opened them, stepping into what would become her bedroom for the upcoming school year. The interior had been covered in white, fluffy carpeting that spread over the vast space, reaching into every corner of the spacious room. In the centre was a circular double bed, dressed in silk sheets and a midnight-blue duvet, the school’s logo embroidered across the middle. A war
drobe had been fitted into the wall, a touch screen installed beside the pair of grey doors to allow its user to scroll through a catalogue of outfit choices. In front of the large, multi-paned window was a wafer-thin, interactive screen displaying the Mayfly’s course towards Novum, as well as their current position in the galaxy. A fashionable, black desk had been placed neatly to the side of the room, a collection of complicated looking devices laid out upon its surface. In the left-hand wall, there was a sliding door, which led to a sizeable bathroom, complete with an enormous overhead I-Shower and large, square bath that spanned the length of the room.

  Emily walked into her new bedroom, startled to find a small, white robot whizzing enthusiastically at her feet. She jumped back, almost tripping over the minuscule android, which beeped and buzzed noisily as it spun in frantic circles around her legs.

  “Good morning,” the robot greeted her in a mechanical voice. “My name is Bertie the bot, and I will be your assistant for the academic year.”

  “Assistant?” Emily repeated. “What do I need an assistant for?”

  “I have many helpful functions, including recording, storing and organising any information that you share with me. I can also take photographs, videos and audio recordings. As well as this, I am able to perform basic chores, if you so wish, and can even serve as your alarm clock. My purpose is to make the life of my master as easy as possible. What do you com-mand me to do first?” Bertie replied, skating back on his tiny wheels and awaiting Emily’s response.