Maximus Thatcher

by Robert Miller

  “What about Elite training?” he replied, looking hopefully at Dozer.

  Dozer noticed his impatience and met it with a frown. “Consider this the first task on your journey to becoming an Elite. Students have to complete much more school before even being considered. However, you have shown promise and that’s why I’m giving this job to you and no one else,” Dozer replied.

  “In that case, I accept,” Max gave Dozer a big grin.

  “What class do you have next?” asked Dozer.

  “Government,” replied Max with a sour expression.

  “I will let them know you will not be attending,” said Dozer.

  “Great!”

  “Meet me in five minutes behind the dining hall and bring a friend if you need to,” said Dozer, as he hastened towards the door.

  Max pondered on whom he could bring, going through the list in his head. Chris, Rachel and Hilary had never climbed with him before. Only one person came to mind: Jimmy.

  He had no need to change clothes; PT gear was good enough to get the job done.

  He walked to Jimmy’s English class, waiting a couple of minutes for all the small students to settle down. Max knocked on the door twice and Mr. Wilson welcomed him in with a wave of his hand.

  “Yes, Maximus?”

  It didn’t look like an ordinary classroom; it was much brighter and more colourful, the walls crowded with the students’ artwork. The kids all looked up at him with interest.

  “Dozer has requested Jimmy on the matter of an Elite task.”

  The teacher eyed Jimmy and nodded his approval.

  “On your way,” he said to both boys as Max watched Jimmy leap to his feet.

  Jimmy couldn’t hold in his ecstatic energy, bouncing around Max in circles.

  “What are we doing?” he half-yelled, looking up at Max with fire in his eyes. “Is it training or my first mission? Come on, tell me!” he nagged.

  “Has anyone ever told you that you sound like a girl?” Max laughed and Jimmy giggled, proving Max’s point. Jimmy followed him with his mouth shut, although still humming with excitement, until they got to the south end of the pillar, behind the dining room building. There lay a small patch of grass with ropes, bulbs and climbing equipment. Dozer stood over it all, checking that they had the tools for the job.

  “Too young, don’t you think?” said Dozer, eyeing Jimmy.

  “Yeah, he is young, but he can do the job better than anyone I know,” replied Max.

  “You must not know many people then,” said Dozer in mock seriousness.

  Max turned his gaze on Jimmy, cutting through his laughter with narrowed eyes.

  “It was funny,” said the younger boy, his hand over his mouth in an effort to hold back the giggles.

  “Do you want to go back to class?”

  “No.”

  “Didn’t think so,” said Max returning his attention to Dozer.

  “These are crampons, and they provide you and little Jimmy here with some extra grip on your feet,” he said, picking them up and showing them to both boys.

  “None of this stuff is necessary,” said Max, looking over all the equipment. “We really just need the bulbs and the rope and we’re set.”

  Dozer looked at Max as if he were mad.

  “So, how are you going to get to the bulbs? Free climb?” he joked.

  “Exactly. The pillar has enough cracks to guide your way right round and back,” said Max, toeing the grass.

  “Well, don’t really care how you get it done; just make sure it’s done before lunch time.”

  “No problem,” replied Max, watching Dozer as he departed.

  “Let’s get going, shall we?” said Max, tossing the rope to Jimmy.

  “Help me attach these lights to the rope,” said Max, picking up a light bulb and tying it on.

  One by one, the boys attached all the lights to the long rope and then set it down on the soft grass.

  “I know you’ve just started working on controlling your power, but I need you to turn the right side of your body to rock.”

  Jimmy nodded his head at Max’s request and focused. His mind was blank and he struggled to find the source of his power. He opened his eyes; why could the grass flow with the wind but not his body with his power? He shifted his gaze from the grass to the dirt that swirled around like a mini-tornado. He tensed and tried the opposite approach, forcing it out. Jimmy turned red and Max could see that he was using the wrong method.

  “Don’t push it,” Max insisted.

  “How else can I do it? It’s not coming to me, Max,” said Jimmy in frustration.

  “How about just turning your right arm and right leg?”

  Jimmy tried once again, but again failed.

  “What are you thinking about?” asked Max.

  Jimmy wasn’t sure. “Nothing,” he replied, staring at Max.

  “There’s your problem; you have to draw out your power from somewhere.”

  “Where do you get yours from?” asked Jimmy hoping for some further advice.

  “When I was struggling with my power I would use my cousin for inspiration,” he said, straightening the rope along the grass. “Do you remember any of your family?”

  “No,” Jimmy replied, looking down at the ground.

  “Then we will just have to use the memory of me falling,” said Max, running over that night in his head. “Try and picture me falling and that second before you decided to jump and save me. When you get to that point grab at the memory and turn it into your power,” explained Max walking over to stand in front of him.

  Jimmy closed his eyes for the third time, trying to picture the dark cliff side. He could remember the fear and pressure that built up within him. Also, Max’s feet stepping over the edge and his body plummeting through the air. He could remember the tiniest flicker inside of him.

  “Good, keep that thought,” whispered Max.

  Without Jimmy noticing, his body had slowly turned into a rocky surface. First his hand, then his leg, slowly working its way to the centre line of his body.

  “Stop,” Max said, looking up and down the length of his body. Jimmy opened his eyes and was even more ecstatic than he was earlier, if possible, shrieking with delight.

  “Okay, okay! Calm down,” smiled Max.

  “Does this mean I always have to dig deep into that memory?” asked Jimmy, hoping there would be an easier way.

  “No, just for now. Eventually, your body will get used to your power and a connection will open up, making it easy to open and close.”

  “I understand,” replied Jimmy, still excited.

  “Now, enough of the chit chat. Let’s get started,” said Max, wanting to get a move on.

  Max had Jimmy turn his left hand into rock, making sure he was strong enough to dangle the long rope with all the light bulbs on it. He gently lowered the rope down the cliff and began descending towards the first blown bulb. He could tell this one needed changing because of a red mark that was clear across the bulb. Max untied the first light bulb from the rope and held it up for Jimmy to see.

  “How do you know that one works?”

  “Watch,” replied Max. He pushed out a little spark and the bulb shone a bright yellow. He then grabbed the rope and ran his current through it, watching as every bulb lit up. Jimmy could only look on in amazement and admiration.

  “Wow,” Jimmy sighed, watching as the lights dimmed again.

  It took the boys forty-two minutes to successfully rotate around the pillar in a spiral, replacing all the red-marked bulbs.

  Eventually, they crawled back over the cliff’s edge to the small grass patch behind the buildings.

  “Well done,” said Max, lying flat on his back.

  “Thanks,” replied Jimmy, immediately pulling him to his feet. Max stretched his arms and legs and found he was surprisingly sore from the day’s exercises. He looked worriedly at Jimmy – he looked pale and drawn. Max knew exactly what was wrong with him. He had exhausted his energy. T
o maintain that consistent form for his first real time had put him into overdrive. The bags under his eyes made him look tired. Suddenly, he swayed on his feet, half-falling to the ground before Max caught him.

  “You have done well, Jimmy,” said Max. He lifted the boy onto his shoulders and carried him to his room, where he could rest for the afternoon.

  By the time Max sat down with his well-deserved lunch, he had worked up a pretty big appetite. He ate in silence as more and more people filled the tables. Hilary hadn’t said a word to him for a couple of days and Rachel was still mad at him about his comment.

  “Hey, Max,” said Chris as he took a seat next to him.

  “Hey, man,” Max replied, chewing down on his food.

  “Have you heard about the assembly tonight?” Chris asked, obviously excited.

  “Yeah, I heard Master Lee and Danny Tucker are coming with their applicants for the first Assessment,” said a girl named Jane across the table.

  “Could you pass me that newspaper?” asked Max pointing at the one closest to Jane.

  “Sure,” she replied handing it down to Chris, who tossed it into Max’s arms.

  “Check this out,” called Max. Everyone sitting around him squeezed in to get a better look.

  “Bank robberies in England and Sherwood. Authorities believe both banks were robbed at the same time by the same people,” said Max, reading further down the article.

  “They must have had a teleporter with them,” said Jane, leaning over seven people for a closer look.

  “Where in England?” asked Chris.

  “Let me check…” He quickly skimmed over the article once again, holding his finger on the spot. “London.”

  “You look worried,” said Jane.

  “It’s where my family live. However, I always end up in New Zealand visiting my grandfather. He has a really nice bach by the ocean,” he explained.

  “I haven’t seen the sea in a long time,” replied Jane, wistfully.

  “Beautiful place, New Zealand. North or South Island?” questioned Rachel, joining the conversation.

  Jane shot a nasty look at Rachel, who immediately felt rotten for cutting Jane off. She dropped her gaze to the floor, avoiding Jane’s glare.

  “South,” replied Chris. He could vividly picture the vast green mountaintops and cold river springs. He had spent a lot of time in the environment with his grandfather. He was told at a very early age about the Power Association. He was trained on how to adapt to certain situations and his grandfather leapt through the roof when he witnessed the extent of his power.

  They had been tramping for many hours, climbing and navigating through the mountains. The weather had begun to cave in very quickly and Chris had missed his footing, sending him tumbling down a bank. He was ten metres away from falling into the rapids of the river when his power struck. He turned the whole river into ice and slid across the surface. His grandfather made it across as quickly as he could, lifting the boy to his feet and hugging him.

  “It explains why you don’t mind the cold,” his grandfather had said, patting him on the back.

  “Incredible cold in the winter,” said Rachel with a shiver.

  “What did they steal from the banks, money?” asked Jane.

  “Safety deposit boxes,” replied Max.

  “I bet you they have the NPA on this case,” muttered Rachel.

  “The Nons will be puzzled for a while,” laughed Chris.

  “Dozer,” whispered Jane and everyone fell silent.

  “May I have a word?” said Dozer, looking over Chris’s shoulder at Max.

  “Sure.” Max smiled, grabbing his last bread roll and following Dozer from the room.

  “It has come to my attention that your room is lacking in the furniture department,” said Dozer, leaning up against the wall.

  “You could say that,” replied Max.

  “Since you and Jimmy did such a good job, I am happy to give you both a hundred points each. If I may suggest maybe a desk to help you with your homework?” smiled Dozer.

  “Definitely. And if you could be so kind as to spare a different light for my room, too, that’d be great. The one I have at the moment is a bit non-existent, if you know what I mean.”

  “Maybe. I will think about it,” said Dozer as he turned around and headed to the kitchen.

  “Oh, one more thing,” he said, turning back to Max. “Meet me after the assembly.”

  The day wrapped up quite quickly and soon it was the end of Max’s last class. He had decided to make his way up to the girls’ level to try and get Rachel to forgive him.

  “Number thirteen,” he repeated to himself as he climbed the staircase. It looked exactly like the boys’ level corridor, except with bigger numbers on the wall. He counted the numbers up from room one and worked his way around to a room at the corner of the level. He waited at the door for a few seconds trying to marshall his thoughts, knocking on the door only when he was sure of his apology.

  “Coming,” said a girl’s voice. The door swung open, revealing a sight that rocked Max back on his heels.

  “Hilary,” he said stunned.

  “Max, what are you doing on this level?” she asked just as stunned as he was.

  “Um.”

  “Not this again,” she said. “I thought you’d got over all the awkwardness.”

  “Sorry, but it’s a bit hard to concentrate when you’re like that,” he replied. She had a blue towel covering most of her body and her wet, wavy hair draped over her shoulders.

  “Sorry. You just caught me coming out of the shower,” she said, giving Max an innocent look.

  “I didn’t mean to disturb you, just haven’t heard from you in a while. I just wanted to see if everything was all right.”

  Hilary took a step forward, giving Max a hug. He could feel the water drip off her wet hair onto the back of his neck. The attraction came as a wave, washing over him as he stood there with her in his arms.

  “You’re so sweet,” she said as she let him go.

  “No Elites today?” he asked hoarsely.

  “Lucky for us it’s been cancelled because of the assembly. Why don’t you come in for a couple of minutes?” she said, walking back into her room.

  He walked in, looking from wall to wall. Posters featuring half-naked men covered most of the blue paint, with photos of friends and family stuck up in between.

  She had a queen-sized bed in the middle of her room, which looked ten times more comfortable than his. A desk and drawers sat on the right-hand wall, covered in stickers and notes from her friends.

  “Not a dull room, is it?” said Max, still looking around.

  “It’s just me,” she said, smiling.

  “Well, you wouldn’t want my room; just a bed and a whole bunch of carvings in the wall,” he laughed.

  She now sat at her mirror, attempting to dry her hair with a second towel.

  “But it must be peaceful,” she replied, turning around to face him.

  “Nowhere is peaceful when you have Jimmy around,” he laughed.

  “Has he been in your room, then?”

  “Yes, why do you ask?”

  “No reason,” she replied.

  “Okay, well I should probably get out of here and let you get changed,” he said, looking at her one more time.

  “Thanks for stopping by. If you like, you can come here after the assembly and talk. I promise I’ll be properly dressed,” she said giggling.

  “After I’ve seen Dozer,” he said with a smile.

  “Sounds like a plan,” she said. She stood and gave him a hug, showing him out and closing the door.

  He walked down the girls’ corridor happy with himself, hoping that Jonny didn’t hear about their little encounter. He had only just got over the bruising he’d been given, and payback was long overdue in his mind.

  Max turned the corner, trying to make his way back to the stairs, and he looked up as he bumped into someone.

  “Ouch!” said Rach
el as she hit the floor.

  “Sorry,” said Max, looking between her and Jane, who was helping her up.

  “What are you doing on the girls’ floor?” Rachel demanded, now angry at Max for yet another reason.

  “Well, honestly, I came up here to apologise to you.”

  “What were you doing coming from that way, then?” said Jane, coming to Rachel’s defence.

  “You can blame that one on Jimmy. He told me room thirteen,” he replied with a hint of annoyance.

  “You don’t have to lie, Max; I know that’s Hilary’s room. Sometimes you really know how to be a good friend,” said Rachel, sarcastically.

  She stormed past Max, not about to stop for anything.

  “Wait! I’m telling the truth,” he pleaded.

  “She’ll be fine, but lying is a bad habit,” said Jane, walking fast to catch up with Rachel.

  “I’m not lying!” he yelled, trying one last time to convince them.

  * * *

  Allocated seats were given to every student, Elites at the front, teachers at the top table and everyone else filling the long tables in the hall. Max could see Master Lee on the left of Alexander and an older man on his right. He assumed it was Danny Tucker, the head master for the sister Elementrix School.

  Max couldn’t help but overhear students talking about the head boy and girl arriving back from their visits to the other schools. Max was surprised to find out they had a head boy and a head girl; it had never come to his attention that the school had them.

  “Hey, Jace, who are they?” Max asked.

  “Our head boy and head girl? Elizabeth Suater and Dave Berky,” he replied, identifying them to Max.

  “Are they anything special?” asked Max.

  “They are just smart users. They get picked based on their knowledge, skill and experience.”

  “What’s this assembly in aid of?”

  “For students to advance to become an Elite they must be selected from their school to compete in different Assessments,” replied Chris.

  “That is why they hold this assembly with the three schools. This is where the students get picked,” continued Rachel, who appeared to have forgiven him, much to his relief.