Back in the present day, Veronica dressed in warm clothing, ready to make the journey across the school grounds to her office. As she prepared to leave, she thought fondly of the pendant, kept safely in her jewellery box at her home on the Mayfly. It had been the only real evidence she had to prove that ‘A’ was real, and not simply a figment of her imagination, dreamed up to protect her from the horrors of reality. The connection they had shared over the months they had been trapped together was deeper than any bond she had experienced with anyone since, and yet she had no idea whether ‘A’ was even alive. Guilt consuming her, she vowed she would do everything in her power to stop the Society of the Enlightened, owing it to both herself and ‘A’ to thwart their plan, before they inflicted pain on any more innocent people. Taking a deep breath, she slowly came to terms with the fact that she would soon be confronting the nightmare that had haunted her since she was eight years old, causing her greater terror than any monster under the bed ever could.
Veronica stepped out of her apartment and hurried down the hallway, riding the lift down to the teacher’s lounge, fear churning in her stomach as she forced her shaking legs to carry her forward. Heading towards the exit, she weaved around the lavish furniture, avoiding bumping into any of the expensive items she had purchased to rectify Admiral Allance’s decision to strip the lounge bare in order to raise money for one of his various bribes. When she reached the grand, double doors, she flung them open, stepping with purpose into the deserted school grounds beyond. Gazing up at the bejewelled sky, she filled her lungs with as much air as she could muster, steadying her shaking nerves as she braced herself for the battle she was about to join. All denial melting away, she accepted her fate, realising that the path she had trodden thus far in life had been leading her to this very moment. She had always known, deep down, that she would have to face the Society of the Enlightened again, confronting her deepest fear. Her only comfort was the knowledge that she was no longer the quivering, terrified child she had once been, unable to defend herself when everything she had ever known was so cruelly ripped away from her. This time, when she met the Society, she would be ready. This time, she would not be afraid…
16.
The Observatory
Lois stared at the blank display on her tablet, her eyes aching with the strain of staring at the bright screen for the past three hours. She was beginning to regret the decision to work on her final projects with Finley, her expectations of the two of them having a pleasant evening together quickly fading as she realised how serious Finley was about completing their assignments. He had been absorbed in his own mind for almost the entirety of the time they had been shut up in Lois’ room, sprawled out on the carpet with their various devices and I-Books scattered around them. Lois watched as he tapped violently on his screen, his mouth opening and closing silently as he contemplated each sentence in his head before transferring it onto his tablet.
They had been working on a piece for Mr. McGowan, which required them to describe in detail how the alien race named the “Blindevis” had intervened in the War against artificial intelligence back on Earth. Finley had comprehensively explained how the water dwellers, whose name means “blind fish”, used a special form of sonar to disable the rebelling robot’s internal systems, the exceptionally high-pitched frequency they produced undetectable to the human ear. Lois had tried to fluff this explanation out as best as she could but was struggling to stretch her answer to the two-thousand words Mr. McGowan had requested. Desperation overpowering her, she began reading from Finley’s tablet upside down, copying his complicated account of how human soldiers had been able to disarm the robots once they were vulnerable, using the blind spots in their vision to coordinate their attack. She was in the middle of writing about the treaty of alliance that had subsequently been signed with the Blindevis, when Finley slammed his tablet down abruptly, announcing he was finished and striding over to the window, rubbing his hand across his forehead as he looked over the school grounds.
“Are you alright?” Lois asked him, getting to her feet.
“I’ve finished all my work,” he frowned, deeply troubled by the thought.
“Isn’t that a good thing?” Lois responded, walking over to join him by the window.
“I like working, it distracts me,” he answered.
“Distracts you from what?” Lois probed him, watching with unease as he began to pace the room, his demeanour becoming more agitated by the second.
“Everything,” he said bluntly, refusing to make eye contact as his jaw jutted out with anger.
“Finley, what’s wrong?” she demanded, determined to finally unearth the truth behind his strange behaviour.
“I don’t understand why the three of you are all so desperate to get wrapped up in another drama,” he exclaimed, releasing his pent-up frustration. “It makes no sense to me. The thing with Allance…it was so dangerous. We all could have died. Why would you willingly put yourselves at risk again? I mean, don’t you want to have a normal year at school? Our biggest problem should be our final projects, not trying to find out whether the Society of the Enlightened is at large at the Academy!” he panted, the exertion of his speech left him breathless.
Lois nodded her head, digesting his words as she began to understand what had been bothering him all year. The situation with their old Headteacher had left a greater mark on him than the others had realised, and Lois felt guilty for not realising how Finley had been affected. All his life he had stood out for one reason or another- whether it was due to his family’s impoverished status or the fact that he had a hand in uncovering the terrible plot that had threatened the Mayfly. Either way, it didn’t matter to him. All he wanted to do was blend in. Having spent most of her life wishing she could be invisible and avoid the persistent stares and whispers that followed her wherever she went, Lois understood how it felt to crave normality.
“Let’s go out,” she announced, grabbing her pink, velvet coat from where she had left it on the back of her chair and throwing Finley his discarded black jacket.
“It’s past curfew,” he replied, checking the time on his Personal Device.
“We’re allowed out after curfew, remember?” Lois smiled, pulling her long, blonde hair out of her coat collar and flicking it over her shoulders.
“Lois, I already told you, I don’t want to be part of your ‘investigation’,” he said flatly, his tone full of his disappointment.
“Who said anything about investigating?” Lois replied, turning and flouncing out of the room with Finley following close behind her, tripping over his feet in his eagerness to keep up.
“Where are we going?” he asked, as they stormed down the corridor.
“I’ve always wanted to see the Observatory,” she sighed. “I know it’s supposed to be reserved for third-year Astronomy students, but I’m sure Miss Fortem won’t mind us having a look around. We can always tell her that we found a clue there if we get caught.”
“I’m not sure this is a good idea,” Finley sighed.
“It probably isn’t,” Lois shrugged, “but what’s the worst that could happen?”
Finley nodded his compliance, riding in the lift quietly beside Lois and trailing after her as she trudged through the foyer and into the grounds beyond.
The journey to the Observatory was brief, Lois leading Finley down one of the many shortcuts she had learnt during her nightly escapades as part of Miss Fortem’s detective team. Taking the lead, she guided Finley down the asphalt paths that twisted and merged around the school buildings, treading over the fake, dewy grass as she cut across one of the many artificial lawns that covered the campus. They continued on, slinking undetected past the teacher’s living quarters, which was concealed in darkness, save for the lights shining through the top window of Miss Fortem’s apartment. Noticing Finley’s face pale at the sight of the tall tower, Lois was relieved to see the Observatory looming just ahead of them, drawing Finley’s attention away from the scene of his pas
t trauma. The distraction was a success, and the pair of them were soon captivated by the sight of the magnificent, silver building, its circular roof left open to allow the gigantic, brass telescope that resided in its belly to jut out, its eye poised to capture images of the stars above them.
“Come on,” Lois ordered Finley, taking him by the hand and dragging him towards the small door in the Observatory’s base. When they reached the entrance, Lois pressed the sensor pad to unlock the building, escorting Finley inside before he was able to change his mind. They stepped into the small entrance chamber, which had been left completely bare, save for a tall flight of twisting stairs, their destination obscured as they disappeared behind the Observatory’s curved wall.
Without hesitation, Lois rushed up the staircase, running as fast as her legs would allow. The echoing footsteps behind her indicated that Finley was in pursuit, and so she sped up, desperate to be the first to see the observation deck. Reaching the top floor, she held her breath, momentarily taken aback by its beauty, the aesthetics of which she had never seen before. In the centre of the circular room stood a giant telescope, the side of its body decorated with delicate carvings, depicting planets and solar systems of every design imaginable. The ceiling above Lois’ head was made up of shutters that were painted in midnight blue, ready to slide away at the flick of a button, revealing the immensity of the vast sky beyond.
Amazement taking over her mind, Lois stepped forward, pressing her eye against the telescope’s lens and peering out at the spectacular view it provided. She stood still for several minutes, losing all concept of time as she gazed out into Space, barely aware of Finley arriving in the room behind her. The stars above glinted alluringly, scattered across the sky like dustings of chalk on a deep blue canvas, their splendour more evident through the telescope than Lois had ever seen before. Humbled by the magnificence of the view, she stepped back from the lens, eager for Finley to share in her wonderment.
“Finley, come and look at this,” she told him, indicating with her head that he should look through the colossal telescope. Obediently, he moved into the position where she had stood, scrutinising the view through the giant piece of equipment.
“It’s incredible,” he exhaled, his eyes glued to the star-swathed blanket above.
Lois was silent for a moment, unable to pull herself out of the spellbound reverie she had fallen into. It wasn’t until Finley was standing right in front of her that she noticed he had moved, his face so close to hers that she could feel his warm breath on her skin.
“Lois, there’s something I have to tell you,” he said, his eyes full of sincerity. “I’m sorry it’s taken me so long to say this.”
“What is it?” she asked, her heart racing as she anticipated his revelation.
“A few weeks ago, I saw something,” he replied, taking a deep breath as he prepared to continue.
“Oh…” Lois said with disappointment. “What did you see?”
“It was on one of the nights that I stayed in my room, while you and the others were searching the grounds. I couldn’t sleep, so I decided to look out of my window until I felt tired. That’s when I saw them…” Finley continued, Lois’ eyes widening with horror at the familiarity of the words.
“There were two figures on the grounds by the lake.” Finley sighed. “They were both dressed in red cloaks. By the look of their height, they were too tall to be students. I think…” he paused, gathering himself as he let the words escape from him. “I think it was the Society of the Enlightened.”
“Are you sure that’s what you saw?” Lois asked him gently. “Could it have been another hallucination?”
“No,” Finley shook his head. “It wasn’t like when I saw Allance in the lobby. This was real. I should have told you sooner, but I didn’t want to believe it was true.”
“It’s alright,” Lois re-assured him. “I understand.”
“What do you think we should do?” Finley asked, an anxious expression on his face.
Lois opened her mouth to reply but was interrupted by the sound of her Personal Device beeping, the shrill noise echoing across the inner-chamber of the Observatory.
“Is that a message?” Finley asked her as she retrieved the Device from its place on her wrist.
“It’s from Will,” she frowned, reading the hastily typed words displayed on her screen.
“What does it say?” Finley questioned her, noting her look of confusion.
“He says something serious has happened,” she informed him, repeating Will’s words out loud. “He wants us to meet him and Emily outside the main school building.”
Finley cast his eyes to the floor, his body stiffening with fear.
“You don’t have to come,” Lois told him. “Go back to the dorms if you like. I’ll be alright on my own.”
“No,” he shook his head. “It could be something dangerous. I can’t leave you on your own. We’d better go now. It sounds urgent.”
Lois nodded, and the two of them rushed down the Observatory’s winding staircase, running outside into the silent campus, their determination to reach Will and Emily propelling them forward. When they arrived outside the main school building, they slowed to a sudden halt, shocked to see Mr. Mayhem standing next to Emily and Will, his head darting back and forth as he scanned his surroundings.
“Will?” Lois called to him. “Is everything okay?”
“No, not really,” he replied, advancing towards her. “Mr. Mayhem has had something stolen from him. We think the Society of the Enlightened is responsible.”
“How do you know it was them?” Finley asked.
“We saw them,” Emily explained, stepping forward to join the group. “Well, we saw one of them anyway. He’s taken a device that has the ability to free all the robots on the Mayfly. Mr. Mayhem and Miss Fortem are trying to stop him before he escapes with it.”
“Why would the Society want to free all the robots?” Lois queried. “That doesn’t make any sense.”
“The device was supposed to control the robots, not free them,” Will interjected, “but it hasn’t been fully developed yet. Mr. Mayhem was testing it out the day of the Rocket Race. It’s what caused the security bots to attack Heidi. For some reason, it allows robots to use their free will.”
“I don’t mean to interrupt” Mr. Mayhem cried, rushing towards them, “but we don’t have time for this discussion.”
“Sorry, Sir,” Will apologised. “What do you need us to do?”
“I think we should split up and search the grounds,” Mr. Mayhem replied. “Miss Fortem’s looking for the culprit on the security camera but that could take a while. It’s paramount that we stop him before he leaves the Academy. If he reaches the Mayfly, then all is lost.”
“Isn’t Miss Fortem going to be angry if she sees us roaming the grounds?” Emily asked the frantic Technology teacher. “She told you to take us to the dormitory.”
“We can’t worry about that now,” Mr. Mayhem shook his head. “There are more important things at stake.”
“Finley, are you with us?” Will asked him, noting the reluctance displayed on his face.
Finley hesitated, scuffing his shoe on the floor as he contemplated the consequences of refusing to help. He looked at Lois for clarity, who nodded at him with encouragement, her eyes communicating the severity of the situation. Finley swallowed, a lump sticking in his throat as he realised what he had to do.
“I’m in,” he replied.
“Good,” Mr. Mayhem concurred. “The more eyes we have the better.”
“Right then,” Will announced. “Who’s going to search where?”
“I don’t think I should allow any of you to wander off on your own, given the circumstances,” Mr. Mayhem stated. “It’d probably be best if you search in pairs. Will and Emily, you’ve seen the man we’re looking for. You two should divide up so you can help Finley and Lois.”
“Okay,” Will agreed. “I’ll go with Lois, Em, you go with Finley.”
/> “Now remember,” Mr. Mayhem continued, directing his speech at Emily and Will. “I have my Personal Device with me. I’ve given you each my contact details. The moment you see anything, alert me immediately. Do not attempt to reprimand the thief yourselves. Are we clear?”
“Yes, Mr. Mayhem,” Emily and Will confirmed.
“I’ll search inside the school,” Mr. Mayhem decided. “That way if Miss Fortem comes out of her office, it’ll be me she finds. Lois and Will, you search near the teacher’s quarters, in case they try to leave through Miss Fortem’s private Launch Bay. Emily and Finley, you two go down by the lake. It’s the only place on the grounds that provide any cover. The thief could be hiding there.”
“Alright, let’s go,” Will replied, eager to begin the hunt.
“Lois, be prepared to contact your father if necessary,” Mr. Mayhem added as an afterthought. “I’d rather not involve him, but, if we don’t succeed in catching the culprit, they’ll need fair warning up on the Mayfly. It might at least give them a chance to defend themselves from what’s coming.”
“Understood,” Lois nodded.
Without another word, the five of them disbanded, each taking the direction that Mr. Mayhem had laid out in his instructions. Lois and Will moved rapidly, their motion synchronised as they made their way across the grounds, the layout of which they had long since committed to memory. Adrenaline coursed through Lois’ veins as she ran, her eyes peeled for any hint of red clothing against the unfathomable darkness that surrounded them.
They reached the teacher’s apartments, their footsteps banging loudly against the floor as they struggled to slow their pace in time to reach the doors without crashing into them. Their momentum pushing them forward, they flew into the foyer, bumping into the smooth, leather sofas that Miss Fortem had placed around the teacher’s lounge. As they came to a stop, bending over and leaning on their legs to catch their breath, they noticed a lamp in the corner had been knocked over, fragments of glass from its smashed bulb scattered on the floor around it.
The Secret Society Page 21