SHATTERED

by S. C. Deutsch

  Ana found the writing hard to understand at first. It sounded stilted, almost unnatural. But after the first couple of chapters, it became easier. She now understood why her father had been so desperate to keep it out of her hands. When she finished, she put the book back and slipped out. Curling up on the couch, she stared out the window, mentally reviewing what she just read. The book was both terrifying and enlightening. The similarities, too close for comfort. Staring at the mountains as they changed from black to purple to blue with the approaching dawn, Ana ultimately rose and headed upstairs. It was time. The day of her admittance to the Academy had finally arrived.

  Chapter 10

  Month 1

  Week 2

  Ana stood alone at the curb. The walk to the entrance seemed to stretch for miles and she was having trouble working up the courage to take the first step. Glancing up, she saw the ornate wrought iron sign identifying her new home:

  Atlantica Academy for Progressive Studies

  “Progressive Studies my ass,” Ana said under her breath. “More like Inescapable Studies.”

  The Academy, as it was commonly known, spread out for what seemed like miles. The main building lay directly ahead and rose three stories, tall windows evenly spaced across its face. On the left sat a large dome, glass panels reflecting the sun and making it impossible to see what was inside. To the right lay a large, square building, no windows and only one small door set in its wall. Past it were several low buildings with walkways winding between them. Behind these were several taller buildings, very modern looking with lots of glass and steel. Glancing back at the huge dome, she noted a large building in front of it. Ana sighed, wondering if she would end up getting lost trying to find her way around.

  The transport had arrived exactly on time. She had been unable to eat, feeling sick after the first bite, and spent the time pacing. When the transport appeared, Ana turned to her father and buried her face in his chest.

  “Daddy, I don’t want to go,” she cried, her voice muffled. “I’m scared. More scared than I was on the island. I don’t think I can do this.”

  Ana’s father gently lifted her head, wiping away her tears as he smiled sadly.

  “You can do this. You are strong, you are brave, and you are my fierce little hawk. I won’t lie. It’s dangerous and it will test you in ways you cannot imagine. But the tests at the Academy are not much more difficult than the island’s, simply different. Vice Premier Drake will be watching over you. I can assure you he will not allow you to suffer any harm. You will survive this.”

  Ana wanted to believe her father. But if someone intended her harm, they would find a way to do it. And the last thing she wanted was to call attention to the fact she had been hand-picked by Vice Premier Drake. She was on her own. Again.

  Screwing up her courage, Ana stepped under the sign. Telling Jax to stay put, she slowly made her way to the front doors and entered.

  The lobby was bright with a large open area in the center. To the left was a counter with several people seated behind it. Ana walked over and waited until one of the women looked up.

  “Ana Swift,” she said, introducing herself. “I was told to report to the Academy today.”

  The receptionist looked at the tab in front of her, then smiled and turned back.

  “Welcome, Miss Swift. Please have a seat in the waiting area until your coordinator arrives. Is the Ra-mur with you?”

  “She’s in my backpack. I was told to keep her hidden.”

  “She can come out if she likes. But once you start your tour, she’ll have to be hidden again.”

  “Thank you, but she’s used to the pack. Unless she becomes restless, I’ll just leave her for now.”

  The woman nodded and Ana walked to the waiting area, pulling her overnight bag behind her. She looked around, noting there was a tab on the wall but nothing else. Sitting stiffly on the edge of her seat, she waited patiently for the coordinator. Jax had not moved since being told to get in the pack and she was glad her companion was behaving.

  At the light touch on her shoulder, Ana jumped, knocked her bag over, then stumbled over it. Embarrassed, she quickly apologized as the red crept up her cheeks. Cursing under her breath, she righted the bag, then gathered the courage to look at the owner of the hand. Looking into coldest eyes she had ever seen, she took a step back and introduced herself.

  “I’m well aware of your identity, Miss Swift. Shall we get on with this?”

  Ana nodded, grabbed her bag, and followed the man down the hall. Stopping in front an unmarked door, he motioned for her to enter after it opened.

  The office was spacious, a large desk with a high-back chair facing her. Two more chairs faced the desk and a pair of smaller desks sat against the wall behind her. Several tabs of different sizes lay on one of the desks and she was shocked to see a paper file in the middle of the large one.

  “Miss Swift, please place you bags over here,” the man said, pointing to the wall. “I need to scan you, then the bags.”

  “My Ra-mur is in the backpack,” Ana said, slinging it down and opening the top. “Let me get her out. She’s the only thing inside.”

  “Yes, yes, but I still need to scan it.”

  Ana had hidden the bone knife inside the backpack, slitting the fabric on the bottom and sewing it carefully back up. The knife wouldn’t show so didn’t matter if the pack was scanned.

  The digi-drive, however, could be a problem. Ana had buried it in her braid and tied Jan’s bracelet over it. If they scanned her entire body, she was in real trouble. Waking Jax, she softly told the creature to sit on one of the chairs, then placed the backpack next to her bag. Returning to the center of the room, she stood with her arms outstretched.

  The man pulled a tab off the desk and turned it on. Holding it in both hands, he quickly scanned her, starting at her feet and working his way up to her shoulders. Satisfied, he turned to the bags and quickly scanned them as well. Ana relaxed and waited for him to finish.

  “Thank you, Miss Swift,” he said, turning the tab off and placing it back on the table. “I’m glad you obeyed the rules. Many don’t, and I would hate to start off on the wrong foot.”

  Ana plastered a fake smile on her face and nodded. Jax sat still as a stone, watching the man warily.

  “My name is Wynstead Bromster, but you can call me Wyn. I’ll be processing your admittance, giving you a tour of the campus, and showing you your room. You supplies have already arrived and are waiting for you. In addition, the sessions with the Ra-mur and your brother will resume tomorrow. Elva will retrieve the creature and return it after. She will be given access to your room as there may be times you’ll gone.”

  Ana bit her cheek to keep from correcting Wyn on how he referred to Jax. Instead, she nodded, leaving the smile in place for now.

  “You can call me Ana,” she said politely, calling up her old personality and hoping it would get her through this intact. She expected to fall back on her old ways but having to do so already was troubling. “Thank you for helping me.”

  Wyn opened the file and flipped through the pages. Ana was sure it was the same one Vice Premier Drake had had, only now it was much thicker.

  “Miss Swift, do you know why you are here?” Wyn asked after he finished reading, obviously bewildered. “The circumstances are highly unusual and from what I can see, you are being placed in upperclassman programs. The file does not explain why, just that the orders come from higher up. Much higher up.”

  Ana groaned inwardly. This was worse than she thought. The circumstances around her admittance were bad enough and now she was headed straight to the second-year programs.

  “I was only told I would be attending the Academy immediately. And that my Ra-mur was to come with me.”

  “Another irregularity,” Wyn said, frowning. “So you have no idea why you were granted admittance? Do you know who granted it?”

  Ana felt like she was walking on one of the narrow beams in her gymnastics class. She didn�
�t know how much she could say and was still operating under the guidelines she had been given on the yacht.

  “I was only told recently I would be attending. My family was relocated to Virmar and when it came time for school enrollment, these are the instructions I was given.”

  “Were you told in your debriefing or after?”

  Ana felt the beam get a little wider. Being able to talk about the island made this much easier.

  “In my debriefing.”

  “But no reason was given?”

  She shook her head, not wanting to lie but reluctant to admit that Vice Premier Drake had given her a choice, this being the preferrable of the two.

  “Hmm,” Wyn said, tapping his chin. “I won’t lie. This will likely cause problems for you. Before reading the file, I was aware of the special conditions granted for the Ra-mur as well as the late enrollment. But this heading straight to upperclassmen studies will cause a lot of resentment. Your age is already a factor and now you’ll be attending classes with students who are two years older than you are.”

  Ana nodded, already concluding she was going to have to watch every move she made. The only upside was she would leave much sooner than she originally thought.

  “We do not coddle our students. You’ll be on your own. The atmosphere here is very competitive and your status cannot be hidden. I’m sorry this is going to be so difficult for you. I hope whoever made this decision knows what they are doing. You’re going to be very hard-pressed to pass.”

  Wyn closed her file and stood up. Coming around the desk, he pulled another tab off the table, sitting opposite Ana as he opened it.

  “Time to get you registered. This won’t take long and then we can get you to your room.”

  The entire registration process took less than fifteen minutes. Ana answered some questions, agreed to the rules, and answered a few more about Jax. When Wyn was finished, she placed her palm on the tab, certifying she agreed with everything. Wyn placed his palm on the tab after her, then closed it and placed it on top of her file. He rose, had her grab her bags, and told her Jax had to go back in the pack. She spoke quietly and Jax climbed in, giving her a sad look before sinking out of sight. Slinging it over her shoulder, Ana followed Wyn out of the office.

  Wyn led her down the hall and out the door at the end. Following the path, he headed to the left when it split, then right when it split again. Passing the first set of buildings, he stopped at the second one on the right, using a small tab to open the door.

  “Each building has its own special code. Your tab will automatically unlock the door unless it is after curfew. Should you wish to visit another student, they must ask for clearance. If granted, your tab will open that building’s door, but only for the time allowed. Should you fail to be out before your time expires, you will be punished.

  “Romantic relationships between students are frowned upon. The stress makes them difficult to maintain and even more difficult to break cordially. Should you enter into a romantic relationship, any deviation from the rules will be dealt with harshly and no special conditions to accommodate such relationships or it’s end will be allowed.

  “During school hours, you are free to roam the Academy, but only the east side. The main path marks the dividing line. Everything on the west side is only accessible with prior permission. If you are found on the west side, you will be expelled and punished accordingly.”

  Ana jerked, shocked that straying to the wrong side of the path would result in such a punishment. Glancing over, she saw the dome and the attached building lay to the west and became more curious as to what was inside.

  Wyn opened the door and ushered Ana inside. Another long hallway stretched in front, unmarked doors on both sides. The floor was carpeted in the Academy’s colors, a thick blue pile with gold borders. The walls were soft cream, and each door had a light above it.

  Wyn stopped at the fourth door on the right. Swiping his tab, he typed in something and the door opened. Gesturing, he allowed her to enter first.

  The room was bigger than she expected. A large, double window took up most of the back wall, giving a pleasant view of the trees and large sloping lawn. The bed was on the right, the desk under the window, and a large tab occupied most of the left wall. A door next to the tab led to her bathroom.Her boxes were lined up and every one had been opened.

  “Everything has arrived, and you will have the afternoon to put your things away,” Wyn said. “The fridge has been turned on and can be used immediately. You will be granted an allotment of credits every month for your personal use. Most students order food with theirs, but you are free to order supplies, clothing, or entertainment options if you choose. Your school tab will have a list of what is available, and orders will be delivered to your room within twenty-four hours. Please remember that once you spend your allotment, you cannot purchase anything more until the next one is granted. You are not allowed to use any personal credits while on school grounds.

  “The tab on the wall will wake you for your classes. Announcements, important news, and daily activities will automatically play. You cannot turn these off as the Academy wants to make sure you are fully informed. The rest of the time, you may watch whatever is available, most of which is free. There is content you can pay for, things like premier vids, digi-games, or extra instruction if you feel you need help. Everything can be accessed through your school tab.

  “Mealtimes are set by level, so you will be eating with the upperclassmen. The commissary offers several different dishes for each meal, so you shouldn’t have any trouble finding something appealing. Your Ra-mur’s food will be delivered each morning.

  “The Ra’mur’s sessions will take place while you are in class. Your schedule, also found on your school tab, will indicate which classes you are to attend with the Ra-mur. Please make sure the Ra-mur is hidden while travelling between classes and your room.

  “Due to the special needs of the Ra-mur, you have been granted access to a small, secluded area to relax and socialize in. Again, the Ra-mur is to remain hidden while travelling back and forth. In addition, should anyone appear, the Ra-mur is to hide. Should the Ra-mur be seen by anyone other than those granted permission, you will lose the creature.

  “Because you have been granted permission to keep the Ra-mur, you will not be allowed any visitors in your room unless there is an extremely good reason. The only exception is if the Ra-mur is attending its daily session and you are not attending class. Again, any visitors must leave before the Ra-mur returns.”

  Ana nodded. She didn’t plan on making friends, so this wasn’t going to be a problem. The rules were irritating, but she could live with them. Opening the backpack, she softly told Jax to come out. Jax hopped on the bed, looking around intently. She told Jax she had to leave for a bit and asked her to behave. When Jax nodded, she rummaged through the boxes until she found one of her blankets. Laying it on the bed, she told Jax it was okay to go to sleep. Opening her overnight bag, she pulled out a banana and an apple, leaving it on the desk in case Jax got hungry.

  “Can anyone see in?” she asked, pointing to the large window.

  “No. It’s reflective. You can ask for it to darken after curfew if you wish.”

  “Thanks. I just want to make sure no one can see Jax. She likes to watch the leaves and the birds.”

  Ana hugged Jax and promised to return soon. She was relieved when Jax curled up under the blanket and closed the door, falling in step alongside Wyn.

  Wyn led her to the cluster of modern buildings first, confirming it was the Academic center. Classes were currently in session, so he just pointed out the different wings. He explained a map would appear on her tab and tell her where to go, letting her know if she was going to be late. Ana was happy to hear this, worried she would get lost trying to find her way around.

  Wyn next led her behind the academic complex, descending another hill before entering a massive oval building. Explaining this was the physical education area, he walked h
er through the interior, pointing out the different sections. Ana was impressed with everything she saw. The building housed a pool on the lowest level and the main level contained an indoor track and field complex, a large rock-climbing wall in the center. The second level contained smaller rooms for different disciplines. She was shocked to see equipment for things like boxing, martial arts, and archery, and resolved to find classes that could teach her new skills.

  Leaving the oval building, Wyn led her back up the hill, entering a smaller building adjacent to the academic complex. This was the commissary, and she got another shock. She assumed the student body was very large, but the commissary appeared to hold no more than two-hundred people. This meant the entire student population didn’t exceed four-hundred and was probably less than that. She wondered what the extra buildings on campus were for.

  After leaving the commissary, Ana pointed to the big, square building.

  “What’s that?” she asked. “It’s on the east side, so it’s for students, right?”

  “Yes, it’s for students,” Wyn replied slowly. “But only the best can enter it. It’s where the sims are located.”

  “Sims?” she asked, cocking her head. “What kind of sims?”

  “Learning to drive transports, learning to manage the computer system, coding classes, things like that.”

  “What else?” she asked, pushing for more information.

  “There are classes to learn how to use monitoring equipment, advanced weapons classes, and sims for learning to fly a heli-craft. But like I said, only the best of the best attend. In order to study there, you have to take a very difficult test, be a top performer in all your classes, and receive recommendations from your instructors. Most attend after their regular studies are complete, finding it too difficult to manage both at the same time. You’re already going to have a difficult time, so it’s not something you need to think about right now.”