Schooled

by Pamela Ruth Foland

  “Testing? Like where I fall academically? I completed the standard educational curriculum and began a study of early medieval European societies. Then I metamorphosed and my studies were interrupted,” Faith replied.

  Tawny’s face twitched into an unreadable expression, “We are aware of your studies. The testing is more to indicate areas in which you are talented and might find a rewarding career. That is a very simplistic overview of the testing. There is quite a bit more to the testing than that...”

  “Like what?” Maeve interrupted.

  “Maeve you have already been assessed and you will not be involved in the testing,” Tawny replied. She directly addressed a small speaker nearly completely hidden in the corner.

  “I would like to know more too...” Faith stated.

  “You will receive more information as you need it,” Tawny answered, “The rest of your dormitory group will be arriving this afternoon. If you would like you could take a self-guided tour of the campus...”

  Faith felt like there was more to the testing than Tawny wanted or could reveal but she pushed the thought away. “Is there any way Maeve could come with me?”

  Tawny nodded, she held out a small remote interface pin to Faith, “This will connect you with her and registers your allotment. You have a factor-in-training level allotment, as do all of the students. This doesn’t mean you necessarily have to become a factor, just that this program involves the same investment of time and effort.”

  Faith attached the small round pin to the neckline of her blouse. A factor trainee allotment was the highest standard allotment available to non factor personnel. There were of course higher allotments available to people who excelled in their particular fields. Even as the daughter of prominent factors, Faith had never enjoyed quite that many resources.

  Tawny abruptly rose from the chair, “My apologies Ms. Brucan, I am requested elsewhere.” Tawny quickly returned to the elevator and tapped the call pad. When it opened, she stepped inside. For a moment Faith wondered why there was a call pad for the elevator when upstairs it had activated on approach. Then the doors closed and Faith was left alone with Maeve again.

  “So, where are we going to hang out?” Maeve asked.

  Faith shrugged and tapped one of the display screens on the wall. It displayed an, “In the event of an emergency...” sign which indicated there was an emergency access ladder in the elevator shaft. Faith tapped past that sign and found a more detailed map of the campus and began memorizing it.

  - - - - - - -

  Milo and Millie clung to each other as they stepped through the portal from their parent’s shelter to Sanctuary. Their mother was right behind them. The infinite white expanse of Sanctuary’s portal room came as a shock to their senses. Behind them were row upon row of portal arches. In front of them was a wide swath of examination stations. To their right was the enormous diamond frame surrounding the quicksilver of the portal to the outside omniverse.

  They were surrounded by people coming and going. There were even a few independent factors like their parents using the portal to the outer omniverse. Their mother led them up to the line to the examination stations. According to Milo and Millie’s parents it was standard procedure for movement between worlds in The Preserve that individuals go through a complete medical screening to prevent the spread of disease. It was also sometimes the only time individuals were given any medical screenings because some Preserve’s cultures didn’t quite agree with common medical practices.

  Their mother settled them in line, “Okay, kids, I am going to return to our shelter. We have people and androids to interview as field support staff. Your father tends to ignore perfectly qualified females if I am not there to correct him.” She kissed them each on the cheek and gave them both half-hugs and turned back to the rows of portals. She tapped the back of her id bracelet to the portal frame and it opened the vertical quicksilver puddle of a portal. Without so much as a wave she stepped through and left them.

  The wait for the medical check in seemed to take forever, and they were upset to discover that incoming factors had priority over internal travel. Eventually they came to the front of the line. Two medics waved them forward. Milo and Millie chose one and started towards her. She held up a palm and gestured one of them forward. In a moment of near terror, the twins realized they would have to separate for this. They clung together for one more moment. Millie went left and Milo went right. Their minds were still in the standard split screen awareness, but both found they had to push the other’s experience away to function properly.

  “Name?” The medics asked, just shy of in sync.

  Millie frowned and recalled the information their mother had told them the medic would need, “Millie Anne Daniels, age 12, I am a resident of the shelter of Angela Daniel’s and Daniel Mann, They are my parents.”

  At the other check in Milo recited his information, uncomfortably out of sync with his sister’s recitation. His medic smiled “Okay, got it. Hop up on the exam table so I can get your weight.” Milo did as he was instructed, very disturbed that his sister had been told to stand still for scans instead.

  Millie was disturbed by her brother being told to stand still just before her medic told her to sit for a weighing. It felt unnatural to her to move in such a different fashion from her brother. “Miss Daniel’s, when was your last menstruation?”

  Millie frowned at the reminder she was a young lady, “I’m briaunti and have not begun puberty yet. My mother didn’t start her period until the afternoon of her metamorphosis.”

  The medic nodded and made a note on her tablet, “Then just a warning Miss Daniel’s, your scans show you are into the beginning of puberty, you could metamorphose at any time.”

  Millie blinked. Milo grunted, his medic took it as a sign of discomfort, “Are you in pain?” The medic waved another scanner over his body.

  “No sir, I just got some bad news,” Milo stated. Then he privately admonished Millie for not believing her budding breasts were a warning marker.

  “Okay we’re done here,” His medic released him. He waited next to Millie’s check in station until her medic released her.

  Millie clutched a pamphlet on the warning signs of immanent metamorphoses. Milo took it from her and tucked it into his bag. His other hand wrapped around hers. Then they entered the line to the outgoing section of the programmable portals. It was a busy day and their wait was almost as long as their wait for the medical check in. As they approached the front of the line Milo retrieved the thumb drive with their destination instructions from his pocket. He smoothly inserted it in the port when it finally came around to their turn. Then when the puddle of the portal appeared he and Millie stepped through together.

  They arrived in a town square. An arch labeled “Sugar Town” stood in front of them, Half of the square held a farmers’ market the other had tables and chairs beneath colorful umbrellas. There were a lot of confused looking adolescents standing around in the square with a variety of luggage. Millie reminded Milo it was move in day for all the students. He chuckled, and pulled out his tablet to bring up the map of the route to the campus. Across from the square, which was surrounded by a decorative brick and iron fence, there was a lush and fragrant city park. A road ran from the gateway out of the square across the park and on into the countryside. Milo began to lead Millie across the road between the square and the park. Millie tugged at his hand and pointed to an open sided trolley rolling their way. Its destination sign bore the words, “Aspirations Academy Shuttle.” It pulled to a stop next to the gate. Milo started to board, but Millie hesitated.

  They loudly cleared their throats, “Excuse me...” Milo began.

  Millie raised the volume of her voice, “...People, there is a...”

  “...Shuttle to the...” Milo continued.

  “… Campus waiting...”

  “...At the curb,” Milo finished. By the end of the statement all the adolescents in the square were paying attention. Soon the trolley
was standing room only. Milo and Millie climbed aboard. The pressure of other riders forcibly separated them. They stood several feet away from one another. Each had their eyes locked on the other. The trolley started moving. Millie and Milo were jostled even further apart. They had a thought in unison, “This is going to be a difficult situation to handle.” They hated the ride through the park and the countryside beyond.

  Relief from the situation only came once they left the trolley. The campus was full of people their approximate age. Unlike many first day of school processions there were no parents. Milo checked his tablet. All he could find on where they were supposed to go was “purple dorms.”

  A maintenance bot rolled over to them from where it had been tending a flowerbed, “You two look lost. Do you need directions?” It had a cartoonish face on its display screen, “The dorms are located beneath the one-story buildings with the sharply sloped roofs. Their main entryways are decorated in the color of the dormitory unit.” The bot gestured towards structures resembling its description with its manipulator arms.

  They went towards the right row of dorms seeing a flash of purple on its front. The front was glass, and they easily saw the lounge within. At the back of the room were three sets of elevator doors. Millie and Milo proceeded directly to the center elevator. The one to their right opened, “I believe you are headed to my level, Millie and Milo,” A young feminine voice stated. They stepped into the elevator, “Going down.” They realized it came from the elevator’s speaker.

  “Excuse...” Milo began.

  Automatically Millie continued the thought, “...Us, but...”

  “You want to know who I am and how I know about you. You probably want to know how much I know as well… You are the current crop of Daniel’s twins. Don’t worry I won’t tell anyone. What name have you chosen to use?”

  Milo and Millie looked to each other, and then they spoke together, “Dane.”

  “Ooh nice choice,” The speaker cooed, “My name is Maeve Pointer. I will be the program for your dormitory level. I am a student too.” A peal of laughter bubbled from the speaker, “Here we are.”

  The elevator doors opened and Milo stepped out first. He turned to looked at Millie in surprise. Silently through his link he asked, “What is wrong? Are you coming? We need to do this.”

  Millie frowned, she spoke aloud, “I just feel like this is going to change everything.” Millie sighed, it was the longest independent statement she had ever made her mouth was dry, and the words tasted foreign.

  Milo blinked at her reaction. He started to press reassurances on her mind and then changed his tack. He opened his mouth, “Only if we let it.”

  The statement was un-reassuring, especially since things had already changed. They were verbally discussing things. Millie took the few steps off of the elevator and took up the proper position next to Milo. Together in habitual sync they explored their unit’s common area. It had all the standard amenities of most housing in Sanctuary. They couldn’t see any bathrooms but it was safe to assume those would be deeper in.

  They proceeded down the hall. They noted of the labeled doors and both turned right to enter the male dorm. Milo entered easily. Millie was bounced back by a force field, at first gently. The second attempt at entry led to her being bounced across the hall. “Sorry,” Maeve apologized, “Only males and similar genders are permitted in that dorm.”

  Milo turned and exited he gave Millie a hesitant look. He left the male dorm and crossed the hall. The door wouldn’t even open for him. Millie could sense something near panic through their bond. Yes, they had slept in separate rooms for nearly a decade, but they weren’t accustomed to being completely barred from entering each other’s room. Their default reaction was to reach for each other. They hugged like they had when they were toddlers.

  “Uh, don’t you want to check out your rooms?” Maeve asked from a speaker in the ceiling.

  They each took a step away from the other. Resolute, Millie went through the female door. She pushed Milo’s impressions to the back of her mind. She checked out the bathroom and the small sitting area. Then she headed towards the bunk area. The curtains were drawn on one of the upper bunks. It was most likely already claimed. Millie threw her bags up on the top bunk next to the claimed one, and drew closed the curtains. Milo was busy actively putting his things away. Millie knew he was on autopilot. She stepped up to the table and sat in the chair in front of her chosen bunk. She rested her elbows on the surface. It lit up with a welcome screen. Millie swiped it back into standby mode and propped her head up with her face in her palms.

  - - - - - - -

  Lyla stepped off of the shuttle trolley. She was standing on the grounds of her new school, and home for the next five years. An unfortunate sense of anticipation was ruining her mood of sullen stubbornness. This place might not be so bad… Lyla dropped her bags. She had four and a backpack. Over half of her fellow new arrivals were nearly unburdened by luggage. Lyla slapped her forehead. She should have ordered a bottomless travel bag for her things. That would have been the smart thing to do.

  Lyla was trying to talk to herself into lifting her burdens when a tall middle-aged woman walked up to her. At a second glance something about the way the woman moved rang bells.

  “You’re Lyla,” the woman smiled.

  “And you are an AI...” Lyla stated, rudely.

  The android cleared her throat, “Yes, my name is Tawny, and I am your faculty adviser.”

  Lyla smiled, instantly reassured, “Are you The Tawny?” Lyla had been fascinated by the foundation of the original Sanctuary, and was well aware a “Tawny” had been one of the founders of the factor movement. She might not know much about recent factor history, but she did know her origin stories.

  “Yes, I am that Tawny,” The android replied, she seemed surprised.

  “Really? What was Dr. Briaunt like? And the Mars mission?” Lyla practically exploded with questions.

  “Dr. Briaunt is a surprisingly nice man. The mission was actually fairly boring.”

  “Wait Dr. Briaunt is? I thought he died ages ago of cancer...” Lyla stopped Tawny, “Surely you are talking about one of his alternatives...”

  Tawny frowned, “Your educational record indicates you have not been informed of recent developments,” Tawny paused, “Current events will undoubtedly be included in your individualized curriculum. Have you decided on a pseudonym?”

  Lyla grimaced and shook her head no.

  “You still have time. I realize it is most likely difficult, but it is necessary for most of our students to have a cushion of anonymity. The reputations of famous or infamous parents can be a burden on their offspring. Our philosophy is that individuals should have a chance to shine on their own. You don’t want other students to have an advantage because of their parents...”

  “I suppose not,” Lyla stated.

  “Good, come with me, I’ll take you to your dorm,” Tawny began striding confidently off down the sidewalk. Lyla struggled to pick up all of her baggage. Tawny glanced back, within moments several maintenance bots had retrieved her bags in their many hands then scuttled off with them. “Come on...” Tawny continued on their way.

  Lyla had to step quickly to keep up with Tawny’s long legs. Tawny led her to a building with a steeply sloping roof. The front of the building was mostly glass decorated in shades of purple. Tawny paused at the front door and it opened for her, “Lyla, this is the entryway for the purple dormitories. I am faculty adviser to all the purple dorm students.” Tawny led Lyla to the open central set of elevator doors.

  They got into the elevator together and the door closed behind them. The elevator began to go down. Lyla’s mind bubbled with questions. Why was she even going to this school? She wasn’t particularly academically gifted, and her parents weren’t anyone important. Her father was a farmer and her mother worked in an office. Was she here on some kind of average person quota?

  The elevator doors opened to a modern great room. The
re was a table with seating for sixteen. The large area had seating for at least that many. Tawny led Lyla down the hall. There were two doors, one basically labeled male and the other basically labeled female. “These are the bedrooms for this level, You may only enter the one corresponding to your sex and gender.”

  Tawny gestured for Lyla to enter she stepped inside. There was a square desk in the center of the room. A redheaded girl sat with her head in her hands at one of the eight chairs. The room held eight bunks. Two of the upper bunks had thick draperies drawn closed of them. Lyla’s luggage sat in front of the bottom right one. She shrugged it was as good as any. Lyla turned to ask Tawny a question, but the android had already left.

  The room could most easily be described as opulent. The curtains for each bunk were thick velvet blackout curtains. Lyla ran her hands over the bedding the sheets were soft and durable silk. The comforter was embroidered satin. All the fabric and carpeting was in the same matching tones of purple. There was elaborately carved wooden molding. It and the walls were painted in shades of silvery lavender. Lyla searched out a closet. There were four. One was conveniently located at the foot of her bed. Lyla went inside there were drawers and hangers. She began unpacking. It took her some time. When she was finished, she sat at the table. She was still uncertain of the name she would choose. Her name was important to her. It was part of her. She wanted to keep it familiar.

  Lyla, Lyle, might work, but it was too alliterative. Lyle… Lyle.. Carlyle, that would work. Lyla smiled, she repeated over and over in her head until it began to feel familiar. Lyla Carlyle, who was Lyla Carlyle. It didn’t escape her attention that choosing a new name meant she could choose a new identity, a new self image. It wasn’t like she didn’t like who she had been, but Lyla Amante was a hick farmer’s child. Lyla Carlyle could be anyone. Lyla Carlyle could be an adult, she decided that was who she chose to be.

  Lyla smiled at herself. She wanted to share her new self but, the other girl sitting at the square table didn’t seem open to conversation. Lyla propped her chin up with her hands in a slightly less despondent pose than the other girl had assumed. Then she began visualizing her future. She had never really gone to school with anyone else before. Her father had home schooled her, and she had excelled. According to her AI tutor she was courses equivalent to 20th century human college level studies in math and sciences. Her language arts skills were almost as good, and she could speak seven languages fluently. She knew her knowledge of Sanctuary’s histories were lacking, but her experience in interacting with others her own age was even worse. She considered introducing herself, but the other girl's mood silenced her.