Milo and Millie threw their enthusiasm into eating their large breakfasts. Lyla offered Stone a smile and slyly snitched a sausage from Stone’s tray.
Faith smiled at Stone, “Don’t mind her, she know she’s rude. She would rather eat other people’s breakfasts rather than taking time to order her own tray.” Lyla sighed heavily and rose from the table, clearly bound for the food processor. Faith smiled at Stone, “By all means dig in, you are clearly the hungriest person in the room.” Stone nodded and had made a good dent in her meal when Lyla returned with a single tray of food.
Lyla sat next to Stone and moved a single sausage from her tray over to Stone’s, “Sorry, I am starved. Faith was right, I needed to get myself a tray. So, two trays? Are you due for a metamorphosis or something?”
Stone paused, “No, I am sustaining a rapid growth rate and I burn through calories quickly. I am surprised I did so well during the crisis without more food or supplemental electricity.”
Faith cocked her head to the side, “I bet those monitoring suits were slipping you extra juice on the sly.”
“Juice?” Stone inquired.
“It is a North American, earth slang term referring to electricity,” Lyla stated around a mouthful.
Stone considered the idea. It had interfered with her in many ways, blocking her abilities, monitoring her. She supposed it could have been maintaining her health on the stealth. Stone returned to her meal.
“Maeve, do you know if the monitors during the test were keeping Stone healthy?” Faith asked the air.
“I will do some checking,” Maeve said from the room’s speakers.
Stone thought about attempting to shadow the program’s search, but she really was too hungry to pay much attention to anything other than her food. She had forgotten Maeve’s existence, that was insensitive considering Stone’s parentage. She almost discounted the program’s sentience.
“Yes, not only did the suit supplement her electrically it directly introduced glucose and other nutrients to keep her on an even keel. Do not ask what I had to do to get that information,” Maeve stated without preamble.
“Thanks,” Faith said.
Stone almost remained nonreactive to the information but Faith’s expression of gratitude reminded Stone of the niceties, “I appreciate it Maeve.”
“You are both heartily welcome.”
Stone flashed a smile and went back to eating.
- - - - - - -
Beaker entered the hallway from the boy’s bedroom and was greeted with a near physical wall of delicious smells. He was aware of the near feast-like smells coming from the kitchenette before he reached it. Unsurprisingly, Beaker found himself hungry beyond belief. His metamorphosis could happen any day. He wondered just how near his metamorphosis was. Thoughts of becoming a mature fully functional adult brought forth memories of his promise. He wished his parents hadn’t forced him to agree to completing his education even after becoming physically mature. Though the people he would most likely be working with were pleasant enough.
Beaker ordered his meal from the food processor, the order kept getting larger and larger. The cupboard pinged and his order came out on a two tiered tray. Beaker shrugged and took it to the table. He was relieved to see Stone too had a double-decker tray and the plates and dishes filling everyone else’s trays revealed they had come close to needing stacked trays too. It felt good to realize his breakfast isn’t much smaller than anyone else’s. He joined them at the end of the table, he sat next to Faith.
“Morning all,” Beaker said by way of greeting. Everyone smiled in his direction without ceasing in their face stuffing efforts. Then he set to eating his small feast. His thoughts went back to his parents. They were far too involved in wanting him to be properly prepared for a career. Beaker honestly didn’t know why they were so concerned about it. He had already decided on his career and every day of his life had been preparing him for it. He wanted to join the teams surveying the numerous unexplored worlds within the Preserve and assessing their habitability and requirements for colonization. The only other job his skill set really prepared him for was becoming a primary factor, and he knew that his parents would block that goal with every favor they had saved up.
The other members of their dormitory level, including the ones that hadn’t joined in on the grand adventure, trickled out of the bunk-rooms. Goru’s hair was a certifiable mess. It looked like he was still in his pj's. They were plain and looked very comfortable. Beaker considered ordering himself a set. Goru waited in line for the food processor. He scratched at his hair randomly. He cocked his head to the side and a brush appeared in his right hand.
“Ha, ha, Very funny! Who teleported me my brush?” Goru snarled.
Lyla and the rest of the team looked at each other, exchanging shrugs. Beaker finally spoke up, “It might have been you dude!”
Goru sighed and began making his hair presentable. By the time he was finished he was also the head of the line. He ordered a none too small breakfast and sat next to Milo. “Morning!” Goru said by way of apology. Then silence fell again as they all attacked their trays with gusto.
Chapter Fourteen
Welcome
"No seriously, Biagou got his muzzle stuck to a fence-post,” Beaker stated.
Lyla laughed, Beaker had been telling stories about his razorwolf friends. He was a good storyteller. “I mostly had androids and AIs for friends,” Lyla stated, “I wish I could meet yours they sound like so much more fun.”
“There is nothing wrong with AIs,” Faith stated no doubt for Maeve’s benefit.
Lyla held up both hands, “I am not saying there is. I would have been happy to have someone like Maeve to hang out with. My friends were all working farm AI’s Kenobi was my favorite but he had to monitor three whole fields of farm-bots. He wasn’t much of a conversationalist.” That thought brought to mind Lyla’s last day at home. She had been so sure her father had been the source of her only memories of illness. Did that mean she could fool around with other people’s minds and bodies? There was so much she still had to learn about herself, things her parents should have been honest about.
“Lyla?” Faith stood behind her with a hand on her shoulder. Everyone had moved.
“Where did everyone go?”
“To finish getting dressed and ready, Tawny just sent word we were to head up to the sports field for orientation,” Faith replied.
Lyla cocked her head to the side surprised she could have been so thoroughly distracted as to miss that. “I am mostly ready. I just need to get on some real shoes.”
Faith nodded. Lyla took her tray to the food processor and disposed of it. Then she trotted down the hall to their room and retrieved some hiking sandals. She strapped them on and was the third person to the elevator. The group who had found their own way during the test waited until everyone was present. The people who stayed behind offered no such courtesy and got into the elevator when they were ready and rode it up to the surface.
Lyla waited for Goru to return before she even addressed the group, “Let’s head on up together.” The boarded the elevator and joined the other floors of their dormitory tower as they walked out to the sports field. Lyla joined her team on a purple tinged stretch of the bleachers. Tawny was on a platform at the center of the field along with many others.
A short, spritely woman stepped up to the floating microphone ad the center of the platform. “Welcome ladies, gentlemen, and others, to the inaugural class of Aspirations Academy.”
The bleachers erupted in cheers.
The woman continued when the interruption died down, “My name is Niri Everett for those of you who don’t know who I am; I am the educational superintendent for The Preserve. this school was founded for the purpose of bringing the best out of all of you. Make no mistakes, we believe each and every one of you are extraordinary individuals.”
The crowd cheered even louder.
“The school has nearly infinite educational opportunities availa
ble to you all. You are free to pursue individual interests in addition to your recommended course of studies, though your individualized curricula are designed to reflect your interests. You will each be directed to mentors in your chosen fields of study and some students may have several mentors.”
Lyla was getting bored, Ms. Everett was quite a talker. Lyla doubted she would stop for a bulldozer.
"I would like to reiterate this school’s policy of anonymity. I request students do not pry into one another’s backgrounds. While students pasts and families are not subjects to be discussed or considered Every student needs to be aware that the entire student body can be considered especially gifted with great potential. Each student will receive a generous student allotment for personal items and all will be issued school supplies as needed.”
“You all have student advisers, each adviser is responsible for several neighboring dormitory groups these allied dormitory groups are expected to work together on larger projects and in competitive activities. Now, allow me to introduce your faculty advisers. First, the purple dorms,” The students in the purple section cheered interrupting Ms. Everett, She gestured towards Tawny, “The purple dormitory units answer to Tawny. She is an organically powered android, with experience with training generations of field factors. Tawny encourages cultural exploration especially through food. She was also once AI for the first colonization attempt of humanity. With thousands of years of experience I believe the purple dormitory is very lucky.”
“Next the blue dorms,” Niri continued but was interrupted when the blue section cheered loudly, this time she pointed to a tall man dressed in casual clothing. “Are the domain of Nicholas D’Fauli, a briaunti who was raised as a dark operative, and who ultimately defected to our side. He was once married to Tina Harvey, one of the most respectable doctors in The Preserve. Mr. D’Fauli has experience with questioning one’s own motivations and childhood norms, something many of you struggle with as well.”
“For the green dorms, Ambrose Ylleran is an Agurian with restored shape-shifting abilities.” Ms. Everett gesture to a man in of white linen slacks and a white cotton tunic, “He was born a tanerian slave, and because of his early experiences, he deplores racism and tyranny. Mr. Ylleran spent time in Natto Harvey’s concentration camps and was successfully rescued by a team led by Mae Amante. Ambrose has great deal of experience with animal and plant engineering and care.”
Niri gestured to a third man, “The yellow dormitory units answer to Max Xandari, a briaunti, ex-catalyst and one of the first independent factors. He was central to the defeat of the second Riiad collective. He is married and bonded to Yllera Vllet, the first restored Agurian female.
Lyla yawned She hadn’t been tired when Ms. Everett started her speech but she was wearing down quickly and there were still two color dormitory units. Ms. Everett paused in her speech to take a drink from the levitating podium to her left. With her free hand, Ms. Everett pointed to a male razorwolf dressed in a tweed professorial suit, “Memmen Wolfhand is the adviser to the orange dormitory. He is a razorwolf fully adapted to bipedal life. As a member of truebreed clan, he has faced prejudices from humans and extra-humans. Often he is treated as though he had very little intelligence. Do not make the mistake of others, and he will do the same for you. Memmen has generations of ancestral memories going back to the first generation of tanerian hounds. This gives him a long view of history even though he is only a few decades old. I advise you to respect his fount of wisdom.”
Ms. Everett waved over the only other female on the platform, “Lastly, allow me to introduce you to Andrea D’llen, , your headmistress. She may appear to be an administrator, but she is more than that. She also acts as an adviser to a select few students. Though she may be strangely lacking in credentials, let me assure you that if you are chosen you will be in the best of hands. Her select students reside in the red dormitories.” Finally, Ms. Everett backed away from the microphone and everyone loudly applauded the headmistress. The applause brought Lyla back to attention.
- - - - - - -
Beaker was too busy checking out the students in the other dormitory units to notice much of Ms. Everett’s speech. He might have missed the whole thing if it weren’t for Memmen Wolfhand. It made Beaker miss home seeing a razorwolf in a position of authority. He had long respected all the razorwolf elders in his pack. Beaker casually wondered if he could change faculty advisers.
Milo and Millie leaned forward and spoke softly in unison, “We think that it is highly unlikely that you can trade advisers.”
Beaker snapped his head around to face them, “Were you reading my mind?”
Millie blushed, “Your shielding is very leaky.”
“I thought you only read each other’s thoughts!”
“I am really sorry, I didn’t mean to, don’t blame Milo. It was me. I am sure of it.”
Beaker glared at her suddenly highly irritated, “Stay out of my head, it is private! Or it is supposed to be!” Millie started crying, and strangely Milo made no move to comfort her. Beaker felt a sudden stab of guilt. “I’m sorry Millie, I didn’t mean to make you cry…”
Millie blotted her eyes with the neck of her t-shirt. “It’s okay. I’m okay. We’re missing the headmistress’s speech.” Beaker turned his attention back to the platform just in time for the headmistress to end her speech. It mustn’t have been very important she barely said anything. Behind him he felt rather than heard Milo and Millie actively arguing. The argument was most likely entirely telepathic, but Beaker could most definitely feel Millie’s side. Milo was accusing her of some kind of disloyalty, which had something to do with Beaker. Millie was actively backpedaling from Milo’s arguments.
The flurry of emotional exchange ended with both of the twins turning away from each other and crossing their arms. Beaker felt he was somehow at the core of the issue. “Millie, are you okay?”
She looked at him with a frown on her face, and more tears in her eyes, “Peachy.”
“Is this my bad? Did I do something to hurt you guys?” Beaker asked.
“You mean other than existing?” Milo barked.
“Dude, I am sorry for breathing! Don’t be this way with Millie. She’s your other half,” Beaker argued.
“She used to be,” Milo grumbled.
“Dude, come on, nobody knows you better than she does. What is a little disagreement? Everyone has arguments. The real test is how you resolve them,” Beaker stated.
Millie smiled a little and turned back to face Milo, he was still frowning with his arms crossed, but his words didn’t reflect the same attitude, “I see why you like him so much…”
- - - - - - -
Faith sat self-consciously taller than her dorm mates. There were a few others in the bleachers that shared her awkward height. They seemed to be glancing around like she was. Faith could just about bet that they were measuring themselves against their peers. Faith felt especially awkward among them, most likely there wasn’t a single post human individual as young as she was, and she was one of the most mature looking.
She knew she had so much to learn. She had taken a definite interest in healing others, using her abilities or the devices in the medical kit. Ms. Everett introduced each of the faculty mentors and discussed the personalized curriculum. Faith hoped her curriculum would include medical courses. Ms. Everett went on to introduce the headmistress. Faith felt like she could almost recognize Ms. D’llen. She knew that the surname meant she was at least distantly related to her through her great aunt, Ellen Briaunt.
Her thoughts drifted from the headmistress to Goru, a confirmed relative. She looked over the students in around her. Given how important and well represented within the Preserve Faith’s family was there was a good chance she was related to a good number of them. How many relatives shared Tawny as their mentor? It was a question she did not have long to ponder, as the headmistress finished her short speech with instructions to join their faculty advisers for a tour of the campus. Faith
followed the people in front of her. The flow towards Tawny’s position on the sports field was gentle and guiding. Faith surrendered to it. Somehow she ended up standing with her friends.
- - - - - - -
Stone sat in the bleachers analyzing the makeup of the student population. At first she didn’t analyze things to deeply. Most of the students were strictly biological. But as Stone made note of each student, the glow of micro-circuitry became evident. There were a handful of androids which glowed brightly to Stone’s vision, that brought to mind Maeve, surely there were other programs among the student body.
With a second pass, Stone noticed individuals who were, cyborgs to one degree or another. Some glowed as though draped in lace from circuitry designed to augment or replace their neurological systems. Stone referenced her database and discovered the meanings of the various patterns. One pattern served to treat a neurological disease similar to ALS. Other patterns treated other issues.
Many individuals had patterns which revealed congenital deformities or deficiencies corrected by micro tech. Some appeared to have been deaf, blind, or even paralyzed. Stone weighed this knowledge against Ms. Everett’s statement that all the students were particularly gifted with enormous potential. She found it interesting that none of the students appeared to be judged by physical limitations. If she had more personal experience, she might have found that attitude refreshing, but really she expected nothing less.
Stone openly stared at the individuals who didn’t have the glow of technology. It was a state foreign to her experience. She had always had access to information on the net as easily as her own memories, if not easier than her memories. She exercised no effort, when she had a question a limited segment of her self would search the answer and she would know it before she could ask the question. She wistfully wondered what it was like not to know things. That was one thing she could find no answers on.
Schooled Page 15