“Wow, the school really have gone overboard with all this, haven’t they?” Emily noted. “This room looks like a display from the I-Tech store.”
“Do you have a command?” Bertie repeated. “I am happiest when I am serving my master.”
“Erm, could you please unpack my suitcase for me?” Emily replied uncertainly, unable to think of any other use for the strange little robot.
“Certainly,” Bertie replied, and he began work immediately, extending small, metal arms from inside his body and unzipping her suitcase with expert dexterity.
Leaving Bertie satisfied with his new occupation, Emily turned and left the room, re-entering the corridor where Lois, Finley and Will were waiting for her, having just investigated their own new living quarters.
“Well…the rooms are definitely nice,” Emily concluded, folding her arms and leaning against the wall.
“Over the top more like,” Finley muttered darkly.
“At least we’re all on the same floor this year,” Will pointed out. “And we’ve definitely got enough space for our Earth Wars tournaments.”
“More importantly, we’ll have privacy up here,” Lois said, looking pointedly at Finley. “There’s a place for us to escape if things get chaotic.”
“Speaking of things getting chaotic…” Will began, opening the notification that had caused all their Student Planners to explode in synchronised beeps. “Miss Fortem has just summoned us down for the start of year Assembly.”
“Well then,” Emily replied, struggling to hide the underlying tone of apprehension from her voice. “Let’s go and meet our new Headmistress.”
6.
The Headmistress And The Robot
Lois, Finley, Emily and Will rode the lift down to the dormitory foyer, joining ranks with the rest of their year group as they made their way towards the Gathering Hall, where the start of year assembly would be held. Finding their place amongst the procession, the four of them trudged across the school grounds, reaching the entrance to the main school building and passing under the imposing representation of Novum that hung above.
Once inside the Reception Hall, Lois was relieved to find that the school interior hadn’t changed since her first year, the statue of the no-eyed man greeted her upon entry, staring forward through pupil-less eyes as he clasped a tiny, gold planet in his hands. High above their heads, the domed, glass roof revealed a crystal-clear picture of the stars above them, the holographic planets and moons that demonstrated which solar system they were currently passing through swirling around just beneath the ceiling. The trophy case had been reshuffled, with new awards added to display the previous year’s accolades. The large frame containing staff photos had also been adjusted, Admiral Allance’s picture replaced with a giant image of a smiling Miss Fortem. Aside from this minor change, the school seemed much the same as it always had been, and Lois was comforted greatly by the knowledge that something in their world had remained untarnished by their transformation into the “Famous Four”.
Following the rest of the second-years, Lois and the others filed into the Gathering Hall, where they were greeted by the sight of Miss Fortem waiting regally on the stage. She was wearing a midnight blue dress with golden trimmings and had attached a high-collared cloak to her broad shoulders. She stood straight and tall, her back rigid with the effort of holding her upright. Remaining statue still, she held her stance firm, nodding graciously towards the second-years as they passed her. Lois watched as she extended a gloved hand, waving nobly to the members of the teaching staff that were wandering into the Hall behind the students. Taking in her regal mannerisms, Lois wouldn’t have been surprised if Miss Fortem had suddenly whipped a crown from the depths of her cloak to place on her head as she prepared to make her first welcome speech as Headmistress.
Lois, Finley, Emily and Will wove their way around the front of the Hall, passing by the first-years who were sat dazedly in the front row and scrutinising their surroundings through wide, eager eyes. They travelled to the second line of raised seating and found a place near the edge, ignoring the persistent stares and the low hum of whispers that rose up around them as the third, fourth and fifth years took their seats. It seemed that even some of the teachers couldn’t resist glancing in their direction, dropping their gaze to the ground the moment Lois caught their eye.
Once the Hall began to quieten, Miss Fortem cleared her throat, clapping her hands together and capturing the attention of the room, which fell into an immediate silence. Lois waited with baited breath as she anticipated the Headmistress’ address, her body reverberating with nerves as she prayed that the ‘Famous Four’ wouldn’t be mentioned.
“Welcome back to another year at The Space Academy,” Miss Fortem smiled, strolling across the stage with authority. “As I’m sure you’re all aware, I will be replacing Admiral Allance from this day forth as Headteacher here at the school. Though most of the rules and traditions will remain the same, there will be a few changes to the way things are run, and I would like to take this opportunity to explain to you what is to be expected from this Academic year.
“As always, no student is permitted to fly a rocket without a licence or express permission to do so. The Resources Biodome also remains off-limits, unless adult supervision has been organised prior to entry.”
“They still haven’t found Riley Fitch then,” Will muttered under his breath.
“The most important rule, however, is the strict policy that no student may leave their beds after the ten-p.m. curfew. Although you may rest assured that the grisly events from our previous school year will most definitely not be repeated in the near future, it would still be highly unwise of anyone to roam the grounds at night, considering the fact that our Alien Studies teacher, Mr. Krecher, is allowed to take his subjects out for some exercise once all of the students are safely in bed.
“To ensure this rule is better enforced in the coming year, the technicians at I-Tech have very kindly donated me a gift, which will serve as the school’s own brand-new branch of personal security. I believe it is important for you all to get acquainted with the beings now, so that their presence doesn’t come as a shock to you when you see them around campus.”
Miss Fortem gestured towards the doorway, which burst open, allowing for a procession of tall, grey robots to stride in, their mechanical feet moving together in perfect unison as they trooped to the stage, standing in expert formation behind Miss Fortem’s back. Their cold, metal eyes stared indifferently from their firm, square heads as they scanned the sea of bewildered faces before them, awaiting their next orders with an unwavering patience.
“These robots may look intimidating,” Miss Fortem noted, “but they are in fact here for our safety. As long as you take special care to obey the school rules, you shall have no reason to fear our new security forces, who will be taking daily and nightly patrol across the school grounds.”
There was a short pause as the entire student population at the Academy stared at the school’s newest additions with a collective apprehension. Apparently unaware of the uneasy reaction, Miss Fortem continued her speech with confidence.
“As well as providing us with new security, I-Tech have also generously sent us a new member of staff, who will be joining the current collection of excellent teachers that work tirelessly to provide the high standard of education that The Space Academy is renowned for.”
Miss Fortem signalled once again towards the door, through which a smaller, friendlier looking robot strolled in. His round head was significantly less frightening than that of the security bots, his skinny metal limbs giving him a more fragile appearance than his menacing counterparts. He hopped lightly onto the stage, waving at the students as he moved to stand beside Miss Fortem, who seemed entirely comfortable with his presence, as though there were nothing abnormal about announcing the appointment of a robot teacher to her workforce.
“This is Mr. Calcon, our new Arithmetic teacher,” she informed the assembly. “He is part
of a new, innovative technology developed by I-Tech and is the leading android for performing mathematical calculations. We are very excited to welcome him here to the school and look forward to discovering what he might be able to teach us with his infinite wealth of knowledge.”
“Thank you, Miss Fortem,” Mr. Calcon replied in a pleasant voice. “I’m thrilled to have been granted the honour of teaching at the Academy. Shaping the young minds of the future is one of the primary goals my creators at I-Tech hope to achieve. I will do my best to live up to their expectations, and, of course, the expectations of the school.”
Miss Fortem nodded her gratitude and proceeded to wrap up her speech, the robot security forces continuing to stand immobile behind her. Lois half-listened as Miss Fortem rattled off a list of her aims for the year, reminding the Academy pupils of the importance of passing their end-of-year exams and final projects if they wished to progress through the school. Once the assembly was over, Miss Fortem dismissed the pupils by year group, sending them into the Dining Hall to enjoy the traditional back to school lunch.
After the second-years had been released into the Reception Hall, Lois turned to Finley, Will and Emily, reading the same sense of unease in their expressions that she felt at the Miss Fortem’s imposing new security regulations.
“Have I-Tech sponsored the school this year or something?” Lois frowned, folding her arms protectively around herself as they queued behind the multitude of students making their way towards the Dining Hall.
“It certainly seems that way,” Finley shrugged. “A robot teacher… What a strange thing for them to create.”
“It’s the new CEO, Brett Baker,” Emily explained with a sigh. “His mission as the new head of I-Tech is to push as much technology as he can onto the Mayfly before we reach Novum. He wants everyone to become reliant on the products, so the company can remain relevant and successful when we start building the new civilisation.”
“Well, whatever the reason, it gives me the creeps” Will shuddered. “What’s that ‘Mr. Calcon’ going to do if we don’t do our homework? Punish us with death by laser eyes?”
“At least he’s not as frightening as those security-bot things,” Finley countered. “I dread to think what they would do if they caught anyone breaking the rules.”
Their discussion fizzled into silence, each of them imagining with horror what might happen should they find themselves recipients of the security bot’s wrath. By the time they had reached the Dining Hall and collected their meals – which had been downgraded from the delicious shepherd’s pie to the less appealing salmon-en-croute at Miss Fortem’s request- the majority of the first-years had already finished eating and were being summoned by the Prefects to their very first lesson at the school.
“Alderin!” one Prefect called, “Alderin class over here.”
“Strange that isn’t us anymore,” Will observed as they took their places at an empty table. “I wonder what our class will be called this year.”
“We should get our timetables soon,” Emily reminded him. “Then we’ll find out.”
No sooner had the words left her mouth than their Student Planners began to beep, causing each of them to pull the devices from their pockets with eagerness, desperate to find out what their new class mantra would be for the upcoming year.
“It says we’re in ‘Galileo’ class,” Will read from his screen. “I wonder where the name comes from.”
“It’s all to do with Space travel and pioneering,” Finley explained, reluctantly taking a bite of his salmon. “The classes are named after astronauts, physicists, and astronomers. All from the old days on Earth, of course.”
“How do you know that?” Emily asked, impressed by his intelligence.
“I did a lot of research about the school before I got here,” Finley answered. “I was so happy to get in, I wanted to know everything there was to know, just so I didn’t mess up when I got here.”
He blushed at the revelation, and Lois smiled at him warmly, catching his eye to re-assure him that he had nothing to be ashamed of.
“No way!” Will exclaimed, continuing to read from his planner. “Our first lesson of the year is Arithmetic. We get to see what it’s like being taught by that robot.”
“What are the chances of that?” Lois sighed. “I was hoping we’d be able to put it off.”
“Miss Fortem probably wanted to show off her shiny, new toy to the ‘Famous Four’,” Finley surmised, an edge of resentment to his voice. “I’m surprised she didn’t mention us in her assembly.”
“That’s not really her style,” Emily pointed out. “She was trying to establish her position of power. Drawing attention to us would only have taken it away from her.”
Lois was about to agree, when their conversation was interrupted by Cara and Matina, who bounded over to the table and sat down beside them, immediately launching into animated chatter about their new timetable. Emily shrank into herself, their presence darkening her mood. A deep frown set upon her face, she ate her meal with speed, jumping up from the table the moment she had cleared her plate and scraping her chair across the floor with force.
“I think I’m going to get a head start at getting to our first lesson,” she announced. “I want to try and get into Mr. Calcon’s good books, just in case he is as terrifying as we expect him to be.”
“I’ll come with you,” Lois replied, sensing Emily’s dismay.
“Me too,” Finley concurred.
The three of them rose from the table and exited the hall, leaving Will happily preoccupied, oblivious to their sudden disappearance. As soon as they entered the Reception Hall, Emily’s hard-wired expression relaxed, her face returning to normal as she sighed heavily, releasing the weight from her chest.
“Where is Arithmetic class?” she asked after a moment, her brow furrowing as she attempted to recall the location from the depths of their mind.
“Same as last year,” Finley answered. “Third floor, classroom 3A”
They stepped into the elevator and rode it to the appropriate floor, exiting out into the corridor beyond. Their footsteps echoed through the empty hallways, reverberating noisily across the steel walls as they passed underneath the hanging plaques, each featuring an inspirational quotation from a series of supposedly famous philosophers, though Lois had never heard of them.
“Through discipline comes freedom- Aristotle,” she read aloud from the plaque directly ahead of her.
“Sounds like Miss Fortem paid him to say that,” Emily scoffed.
They continued walking, seeking out the correct classroom and waiting outside for the rest of their class to join them. Lois’ stomach plummeted as she noted the arrival of Alasdair, Spencer and Ezra from Floor One, meaning that Arithmetic would be taken as a whole year group, forcing her to keep company with her former friendship group, who had ostracised her for befriending Finley in their first year. As the minutes ticked by, the other two classes joined them outside the room, chatting amongst themselves about what to expect from their strange, new teacher.
“Hello, there.”
Mr. Calcon’s voice sounded from the doorway, causing the waiting students to jump and spin to face in his direction. His smooth, metallic features arranged themselves into something that vaguely resembled a smile as he beckoned them inside his classroom.
With some hesitation, the students followed him in, finding themselves in a surprisingly normal room. The rows of grey desks remained in the same position at the centre of the class as they had the year before, complete with comfortable swivel chairs, which had been carefully upholstered in the school colour of midnight-blue. The walls were covered in a series of virtual posters, images of shapes, diagrams and equations flashing intermittently on their canvases. At the front of the class was an interactive board, Mr. Calcon’s name written across the top in perfectly formed handwriting.
Lois filed into the room, catching sight of an empty seat and heading towards it with purpose, her eyes fixed firmly o
n the floor in an attempt to avoid making eye contact with the frightening robot, who was standing silently in front of the large desk at the head of the room. Finley and Emily followed suit, sitting down next to Lois and arranging themselves carefully, straightening their backs and facing the front so as to please Mr. Calcon. The three of them sat quietly for several minutes, watching the rest of their year group enter the room, the smiles fading from their faces the moment they stepped through the door. At the back of the group was Will, flanked on both sides by a nervous Cara and Matina. Upon seeing Lois and the others, he paused to nod in their direction, hastening over to the last vacant seat in the room after Mr. Calcon rotated his round head in his direction.
Once everyone had settled, the robot pressed a button on the small device in his hand, causing the interactive board behind him to light up with a three-dimensional message displaying the word “welcome”.
“Good afternoon, second-years,” he began. “My name is Mr. Calcon. I have been appointed by your Headmistress to teach Arithmetic, a duty which I intend to fulfil to the best of my abilities. In your desk drawers, you will find a tablet device, on which I have downloaded a series of mathematical tests. For our first lesson, I would like you to retrieve the devices and undertake the assessments I have set for you on there.”
There was a moment of silence as the students digested these orders.
“That’s it, then?” Rudy called out from the back of the classroom. “We just do tests all lesson. You’re not actually going to teach us anything?”
“It is paramount that I understand your individual level of skill, before I am able to proceed with my lessons. My hard drive contains unlimited knowledge which would, put simply, destroy the mind of anyone without the ability to fully comprehend it.”
“Oh,” Rudy said simply. “Alright, then.”
The class pulled out their tablets and proceeded to carry out the tests, the room filled with the sound of tapping as each student carefully selected their answers. At the end of each mini-assessment, the results were sent to the interactive screen, which Mr. Calcon was scrutinising carefully. About halfway into the lesson, a sniggering noise began to emit from the back of the class, causing several pupils to turn their heads in curiosity. Lois looked around to see Rudy, huddled with one of his cronies and laughing as he pointed to something concealed on his tablet screen.
The Secret Society Page 7