by Paris Singer
“He play pro?”
“No, gym only, but that’ll change, won’t it, Seven?” he said, turning to face me.
“Oh, sure, yeah. One day, maybe. I’ll be the best,” I spluttered.
“What’s with the stupid look on his face?” asked another Ikanian in a deep monotone.
“Don’t mind him,” said Sally. “Think he’s had a few too many vasta slammers.”
“New to sauce, huh?” asked the first Ikanian, leaning toward me. “You like it?”
“Iss good,” I slurred.
He raised his hand and clicked his fingers. No sooner had he done so than the surface of the circular table in the middle slid open, and a round platform rose from inside it. On it were five glasses of the fluorescent green vasta liquid.
“Enjoy,” said the Ikanian.
“For me?” I asked, swaying as I tried to keep my balance.
“For you.”
“That’s a little much, isn’t it?” said Sally.
The Ikanian turned his head to face him, and said, “I’m breaking him in. He’ll thank me for it. Problem?”
“No, no. No problem. I just don’t want him to puke everywhere that’s all.”
“Go ahead,” said another Ikanian with a grave voice.
“Don’t mind if I do,” I said, and knocked back one drink after another. I can’t remember much after that. I still have flashes of getting up on a bar counter and dancing as VAIAs scolded me politely while they tried to get me down. After that, the music, the people, the lights, all faded into darkness.
CHAPTER THIRTY NINE
“… wake, Seven. You will be late for class.”
“Ugh.”
“Seven, it is time to wake.”
I wanted to tell Al to stop talking so loudly, but my mouth couldn’t formulate the words, so I grunted at him, instead.
“Seven, my scans indicate that there are high levels of ethanol in your bloodstream.”
“Shh.”
“It is against protocol B-6 for students to be intoxicated on academy premises. I must report my findings to the academy nurse, and Ms. Photuris.”
I frowned and opened my eyes into slits. My head pounded. The room was spinning. “Al, c’mon. Can’t you just be cool and let it go? Be a friend?”
“Automated Life Management Assistants are designed to ensure every student at the academy has all their needs met so they may thrive, while making certain they adhere to the rules and regulations set out for their own success both, here and in life beyond. Assisting in rule-breaking is not within my programming, Seven, nor is being a friend.”
“You’re no Ava.”
“What is an ‘Ava’?”
“Never mind,” I said, struggling to sit at the edge of the bed. “Look, I’m fine, okay? You don’t need to tell Ms. Photuris or the nurse anything.”
“You are intoxicated, Seven.”
“I think someone must have put something weird in my drink,” I lied, getting to my feet, and wincing. “See? I’m okay? What’s my first class?”
“Seven, I must report you.”
“Really, Al, there’s no need. I didn’t put anything into my drink, so technically, I didn’t break any rules, right? And if I didn’t break any rules, there’s nothing to report.”
“If you didn’t willingly become intoxicated, you didn’t, as you say, break any rules, Seven.”
“Good.”
“But I still need to provide the nurse with my findings.”
“No, you don’t. I told you I’m fine. See me walking around? You may be programmed in a certain way, but Simians are tough. A little intoxication isn’t going to stop me.” Walking around my quarters had made me feel light-headed, and like I would vomit, so I leaned against the table as casually as I could. “So, what’s my first lesson, Al?”
“Your first lesson is Biology, Seven.”
I frowned and closed my eyes, cursing my luck. Mr. Hibutt’s voice would add to my already pounding head, possibly making it explode.
“Is everything okay, Seven? You seem distressed.”
I feigned a smile. “No, no, everything is fine. I was just thinking how much I enjoy Biology class that’s all.” I stepped into the washroom and onto the cleaning plate. The warm feeling from its yellow glow went some way to making me feel a little better; enough, I thought, to survive the Biology class. “Well, I better get going. Could you give me the Portable Codex, please, Al?” As soon as he had, I turned and left my quarters.
I reached the Biology class and sat down.
“Welcome, students,” bellowed Mr. Hibutt.
I covered my ears as fast as I could, but that did little to stop his loud voice echoing in my head.
“Is something the matter, new student?” asked Mr. Hibutt.
“No, sir,” I replied, through gritted teeth. “Could you lower your voice a little? To a nice whisper, maybe?”
The teacher grumbled something to himself and resumed the class. “Turn to your book files on macromolecules and complete the adjacent exercises when you are ready.”
The class fell into silence as the other students did as Mr. Hibutt had asked. I rested my head on my hand and read the same sentence eight times, feeling my eyelids becoming heavier and heavier, until they remained closed and I fell asleep.
“New student,” the teacher’s voice broke through the dark calm of my sleep.
“I sincerely hope I am not disturbing you,” he said with an air of sarcasm.
I don’t know what happened, but in that moment, I didn’t care about anything anymore, and I snapped.
“Well, you are. The level of your voice is disturbing. Isn’t there anything you can put over it to muffle that horrible noise?”
The class erupted in giggles and whispers. Mr. Hibutt gazed at me aghast, and boomed, “Your impertinence is deplorable, new student. Get out of my class, and head straight to Ms. Photuris. She will be expecting you. Now, get out of my sight.” The level of his voice had been so loud that the room itself had shaken. I left without saying a word, hoping not to pass out or be sick.
I reached Ms. Photuris’ office and climbed the stairs. Her high chair was facing away from me. I took a couple steps forward, uncertain of whether she was there.
“Ms. Photuris?”
That’s far enough, her voice echoed in my head. I have yet to see the model student I was assured you were.
“Things change,” I replied, not meaning to. It was as though I were on auto-pilot, and couldn’t stop myself.
Indeed. And you think such behavior is accepted here? Do you believe it will be tolerated?
“I don’t know, and I don’t care. I never asked to come here in the first place.” I heard a sudden buzzing behind me. I turned and saw Ms. Photuris hovering over me, wings moving so fast they were blurry. She fixed her black oval eyes on me.
Whether you wish to be here or not is irrelevant. Your behavior is not acceptable. So long as you are here, you will adhere to the rules set out by the academy, and you will treat your teachers with the appropriate respect.
“Why? They don’t treat me with any,” I cried.
Perhaps you need to earn that respect, not simply demand it be given.
“I haven’t been given a chance to—I’ve studied, and caught up with most the work, but I’m still treated like dirt, like I’m nothing.”
Ms. Photuris landed and placed her hands behind her back. A yellow-green light glowed inside her, and all the anger and frustration that had built up ebbed away.
I see, she said, I shall speak with your teachers to find out what their positions are on the matter. If I deem it appropriate I will ask them to modify their attitudes toward you.
That was the first time someone had listened to what I had to say at the academy. “Thank—”
However, she added, do not be under the impression you are free to come to me any time you may have a complaint. You must take responsibility of your own actions, and must learn to solve your own problems. This worl
d will not hesitate to swallow you whole if it gets the chance, and no one will care. Alana jumped to mind. You would fade from the memories of those strong enough to survive. Existence owes you nothing. Do you understand, my child?
It was hard to know what to think, so I just nodded.
Good. You will assist Mial with any tasks he wishes during the next two break days. Report to him at first light. You are dismissed.
My heart sank at the thought of collecting skeebers again, but I nodded once more, and left her office.
CHAPTER FORTY
I felt a little better that evening, so I went to Sphere practice with Sally, ready for the grueling training ahead. I never looked forward to hearing Brong list the exercises I’d need to do that night, but I had to admit I was fitter and stronger than I had ever been before.
“Seven,” said Brong hurrying toward me. “Three hundred laps around the gym, three hundred push-ups, three-hundred sit-ups, and three-hundred ball suicides (ball suicides was an activity where you had to run to the first quarter of the length of the gym, run back to the start backward, run to the halfway point, back again, then to the three-quarter point, back, and finally to the other end of the gym; all that while carrying a large, heavy metal ball in your arms. It was by far the worst exercises there), and, if there’s time, a round or two inside the Sphere.” Fit as I’d become, I doubted I’d be able to complete all the exercises, and still have time—or the strength—for two matches in the Sphere. Brong took a step toward me, and added, “Stay behind tonight. We need to talk.”
“How come?” I asked, perplexed about what he wanted to say.
“Never mind why, just do it. Now, get going,” he said, and walked away.
“What do you think he wants?” asked Sally.
“I have no idea,” I replied.
“He might tell you tonight’s your last exercise session, and that you’ll be able to train normally again. That’d be something, huh?”
“I hope so. I think he’s trying to see if he can kill me.”
Sally laughed and slapped me on the back. “Whatever doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, kid.”
“Yeah? Trade places with me.”
“No, no, I’m good. I’ll just cheer for you from over there while I practice. You heard Brong, kid, you better get started,” Sally winked and walked toward a group of Sphere players. I have to admit, I was a little jealous of him in that moment.
By the time I’d finished the last of the ball suicides, there only remained Sally, his father Tanks and Brong in the gym. They clapped for me as the assistant coach ushered them out. “See you tomorrow, kid,” shouted Sally, before the door shut. I sat on the floor, exhausted, sweat dripping from my every pore. Brong walked up to me.
“Coach wants to talk to you.”
“The coach?” I asked, panting. “Why?”
“No idea. Wouldn’t tell me. Wants only you here.”
“You’re not staying?”
“Like I said, the coach wants only you here.” With that, Brong turned and walked out of the gym, leaving me alone wondering what the coach wanted with me.
A few minutes passed with no sign of him. I looked up to the windows upstairs, wondering if he was up there, watching me. That’s when I heard a sudden soft whirring. The elevator to the coach’s office was coming down. I stood gazing at it as my heart pounded in my chest. I was suddenly nervous to meet the mysterious coach no-one but Brong had seen, and I had a good few questions to ask him about why he’d picked on me. The elevator reached the floor, and the door opened, revealing the coach. It was Alana.
***
“Hello, Seven,” she said, stepping out of the elevator.
“What are you doing here?” I asked, my heart beating so hard I could hear it.
“I’m your coach,” she replied, in a calm tone.
“So, you’ve been here all this time, and you didn’t tell me?”
Alana frowned and lowered her head. “It’s not as easy as that, Seven.”
“Yes, it is,” I said, an unsettling mix of anger and relief rising in my chest. “‘Hello’. How hard is that?”
“Seven…”
“You were here all this time, but instead of telling me, you let me go on thinking something happened to you. Thinking maybe you just didn’t care what happened to me.”
“Of course I care.”
“Do you? I got dumped in that so-called academy where I was alone. Everyone laughed at me, told me I was dumb, as I waited every single day for you to contact me. I was crushed every day you didn’t. I had to force myself to hate you just to stop the pain.”
“Seven—”
“You abandoned me.”
“It’s not like that. I couldn’t contact you.”
“So, you became the coach of this gym. For what? So you could keep an eye on me? To torture me with endless exercises? To make me hate Sphere, too, until I really had nothing left? Is that it?”
“Seven, listen to me—”
“No. Do you realize how worried I was? I had no idea where you were, what had happened to you—nothing. I now find out you were here this whole time? What’s wrong with you?”
“I know you’re upset—”
“Upset? You have no clue how I feel. So don’t pretend to.”
“That’s enough,” cried Alana. “If you shut up a second, I’ll explain everything to you. Okay?” I’d never seen her so angry. It was a scary sight. I waited for her to continue. “I couldn’t contact you. The Council insisted I have no communication with you.”
“Why would they do that?” I asked.
“They told me it was so you could integrate into society faster. That communication with me would hinder your progress as I’d be a way for you to cling to the past.”
“But that’s stupid.”
“That’s what I told them, but they were insistent. There was no way to change their minds. They recruited me as an official adviser of the Morex. They wanted to know everything about them so they could be stopped for good. I don’t think I’ve slept in weeks.”
“If they didn’t want you to see me, why did you become the coach here?”
Alana grinned to herself. “I was never good at following rules, and I was worried about you. I hated leaving you alone in a planet you’d never been to before, even if it is the place of your birth. I was aware that your love of Sphere is like mine, so I found out about this place, and the whole underground Sphere thing—intoxicated Simians have loose lips. Figured you’d eventually find out about it, too, so I challenged the coach of this gym for the position.”
“Brong?”
“Brong.”
“What was the score?”
Alana smiled. “Let’s just say he wasn’t very happy.”
I grinned. The match would have been awesome to watch.
“I waited for you to turn up. I found out that one of the guys here goes to the same academy as you, so I figured it was only a matter of time. I was so happy and relieved when you did. It was hard not to tell you I was there.”
The anger that had built up inside me faded, but then I remembered something. “Hang on,” I said, frowning. “If you missed me so much, and were happy to see me, why have you been giving me those horrible exercises to do? They almost killed me.”
“I had my reasons. Watching over you here just wasn’t enough, I decided, so I paid a visit to an old teacher I’d had on the Sky Drifter who just so happened to be the principal of the academy you attend.”
“Ms. Photuris?”
Alana nodded. “She hasn’t changed in all these years. She told me about your intoxication, Seven.”
A sudden wave of embarrassment washed over me. “Yeah, so what?”
“Look, Sally is a good person. Even Sova and Milo are, in their own ways. But they’ll lead you down the wrong path if you let them.”
“Wrong path? They’re the only ones who have been there for me. Without them, I really would have been alone here.”
“I unde
rstand. I realize they’ve helped you survive. But if you listen and become like them, any hopes of leaving here, any chance of making a good life for yourself, will be gone.”
“You don’t know that. Just because I did it once, doesn’t mean I‘ll do it again. You don’t know me.”
“I‘ve watched you your whole life, Seven. I saw you take your first steps, I was there when you dodged your first Sphere ball when you were four, and I cheered when you passed your first exam and won your first tournament. I know you.”
“You watched me… But you were never there. And if you do know me, like you say, you understand that I make my own decisions.”
“I just don’t want you to miss out on opportunities you could have had. You have so much potential.”
“Oh, yeah? Tell my teachers that.”
“Seven, you do. You’re destined for something great. Please don’t throw it away.”
I felt so conflicted. I wanted to be angry with Alana: she hadn’t been there for me when I’d needed her the most, but she thought she could lecture me. A little voice in my head agreed with what she was saying. I hadn’t enjoyed being intoxicated and, despite it all, I still wanted to prove myself to teachers and to Ms. Photuris. I needed to think.
“I should go,” I said.
“Oh, okay. It’s late.”
“Yeah. So, I’ll see you, okay?” I jogged toward the door, knocked on it and, as it opened, I paused. Without looking back, I said, “I’m glad you’re back, Alana,” and left.
CHAPTER FORTY ONE
I reached my quarters and got into bed. I lay in the dark, and thought about Alana for most the night, until I fell asleep.
“Time to wake, Seven.”
I got straight up. Despite not having slept well I felt better than I had in a long time. I got dressed and, as I sat on the edge of the bed, putting my boots on, a blade of sunlight from one of the rising suns glowed on something, blinding me for a second. On the table was the ring I’d taken. I picked it up and examined it for the first time since I’d placed it there. It was warm to the touch; pleasant. The initial guilt I’d felt at taking it was gone. I’d paid for it, after all. I slipped it on my right index finger. I didn’t like how close I’d come to stealing it, so wore it as a reminder in case I was ever in that situation again. Physical Development class was first up that morning, so I asked Al to place the Portable Codex on me, and I headed off to class.
