When the bell rang for second period, Levi walked to the math building called Hawkins Hall. From the outside, it was an unbelievably odd-looking glass structure with a long skinny entrance hall that led to a spherical building. Almost like a beetle, a larger building shaped like a rounded heart was attached at the back of the first. Small spikes and balls also made from black glass stuck out from the building’s sides, making it look like a gigantic insect. Levi would have thought it a nonsense design until Fletch explained that all the buildings were built to represent the subject of the classes held within. This particular building was shaped like the Mandelbrot set, Fletch explained, a popular fractal image generated and named after one of the founders of the fractal geometry discipline.
Levi walked back into the second large room of Hawkins Hall and found his class. It was in a circular room that tilted so that the seats in the back were higher than those in the front. He was one of the first students to arrive, so he grabbed a seat in the back. The desk in front of him seemed unusual, so while the other students were arriving Levi studied it. The actual flat portion could be tilted so that it could lay parallel or perpendicular to the floor and at every angle in between. He pressed a button on the top left and the desk turned into a screen that lit up.
“Whoa.”
“It’s an LED screen so we can write our notes and send them to our personal folders in the cloud.”
Kierra had taken her seat next to Levi and turned on her computer. She wasn’t making eye contact. Levi figured she had gotten the message from his last text, but she was trying to play it off like she didn’t care. Trying was the key word. Like him, this was her first day at a vastly different school and he legitimately wanted to be a friend to her now.
“That’s really cool. This school is pretty amazing, isn’t it?” Levi tried to break the ice.
Kierra looked at him then, and Levi could tell by her expression that she was consumed in internal dialogue. “Definitely beats what we had in Fort Bragg. Where were you born?”
Levi was taken aback by the question. “In Fort Bragg. Why?”
“Just wondering.”
The class was almost full now. Looking around the room, Levi saw that the students were just as diverse as the city’s population, with five desks occupied by Extensions. The bell rang and Levi looked around for the teacher. The students were talking amongst themselves, turning on their screens and logging into the system. Talon should be here, Levi thought.
“Figures Mr. Gilbert is missing. He is so spacey,” a student yelled loud enough for the class to hear.
“I vote we just leave,” another suggested.
“Can you believe he wore a green necktie the other week? It was so ugly,” an Extension added snidely.
Suddenly one of the androids stood up. “Surprise!”
Every student but the ones who just spoke up were laughing. The android went to stand in front of the class.
“Rule number sixteen. Never gossip when an Extension is around. You never know who is connected to it…like your teacher, for example. I rather like that necktie, Andrea. How was everyone’s spring break?” Several students began telling the class about their experiences back home.
“I’m glad to hear everyone had a nice vacation. I hope everyone prays for Chinlee. Her parents were in the spaceport during the…explosion.” The class fell into a somber silence. “On a lighter note, we have two students joining us today from California. Can you stand up please?”
Levi hated being the center of attention. He and Kierra stood up and the class greeted them.
“Are you twins?” Mr. Gilbert asked.
“No!” Kierra answered for them.
“Oh, it is rare to have two students begin on the same day from the same place. It’s nice to have you in class. Make sure you see me at some point this week so I can catch you up on what we have learned so far. Now turn on your screens and let’s begin the unit on bivariate data.”
The rest of the class unfolded like any other high school class. The sense of normality had already settled in by the time the bell rang.
“Want to have lunch with Fletch and me?” he asked Kierra.
“Not today. I’m going to go to the library and get started catching up on the first few months of class material. I hope you enjoy the rest of your day, though.” Kierra then walked down the stairs to go talk to Mr. Gilbert.
Levi had lunch with Fletch and a few other students and then the bell rang for third period. He had been looking forward to the Water Sports class and hurried to dock 3, which was clear on the other side of campus. Levi walked into the building and followed the narrow hallway down to a very small classroom with seats in rows of four.
“Hey, Levi!”
Levi looked over and saw Katen beckoning him over. “Hey.”
“This is the best class you can take at this school. Not only because it’s fun, but it’s an easy A. Only A I have, actually,” Katen disclosed. “That’s the teacher sitting up there, Mrs. James.” He pointed to a Ryley woman with an extra-long neck.
Finally, someone like him at this school. “So, where’s the water?” Levi asked.
“They don’t call this a dock for nothing,” Katen shrugged. “Oh, and don’t be late or else you get a zero for the day…obviously. Don’t forget to put on your seatbelt.”
Levi was about to ask what was so obvious and then their classroom came alive. It started to shake and make a low-rumbling sound…like a ship. Next thing he knew, their ‘classroom’ was lifting up and Levi had an aerial view of the campus. He quickly put on his seatbelt. Now what Katen had said made sense. If you were late, you would miss take-off.
“The campus doesn’t have a water arena so we go to the Waterdrome every class,” Katen explained.
The ship took off and a minute later he was lifting up in his seat like he did on the PB. The ship flew them to the floor of the asteroid where it landed a few blocks away from the Waterdrome in a ship lot.
“Everybody out, let’s go!” The woman yelled to the class. “We will be in Hall I today. That’s ‘Hall I’ as in ‘I’m the best teacher ever.’ I will call roll there in fifteen minutes.”
When the class walked into the Waterdrome, the students went to their designated locker rooms to change into their bathing suits. Levi didn’t have a pair of board shorts, so he wouldn’t be able to participate until Wednesday’s class. He hopped on one of the conveyer belt carts and headed for Hall I to wait for his fellow classmates. The building had noticeably fewer people during the week than compared to a weekend day. He rode by himself on the cart and a feeling came over him. The same feeling he experienced back in Fort Bragg when a surf board was tucked under his arms and he headed to the beach in his jeep. When he arrived at Hall I the smell of the ocean hit his nose and he jumped off the conveyer belt, happy to be there in that moment.
Then he saw it. His eagle was flying with her hair whipping behind her head. She had caught a wave and a smile spread across her face that shown brighter than any mid-day sun he had ever seen.
“Talon!” he yelled to her when she got closer to the shore.
“Levi! Hi!” She tucked the fiberglass under her arms and ran up the beach. “Well, don’t you look handsome in your uniform? What are you doing here? Not that I’m not ecstatic to see you.”
“They actually have an entire class called Water Sports at the Academy. Apparently, we just come here and surf. How cool is that? Talon, you need to come to this school. It’s actually kind of amazing,” he admitted.
“I will ask my uncle about it! I want to be with you.”
Guilt washed over Levi. He needed to tell Talon the truth about her uncle. “Look, Talon…”
“Shh. We will talk about serious things tonight. For right now, I just want this moment to be like old times. Me and you on the water, breathing in each other and the salt water.” She leaned up to kiss him.
“Like old times, huh? One, we are in a giant room with a fake ocean in it, and two, I am i
n this ugly uniform.”
“We make it real,” she looked deep into his eyes. “And as for this uniform, take it off.”
“What?”
“Take it off and go catch a wave, Levi. Here’s my board.” She held out her surfboard.
He laughed. Levi really did love this woman and her crazy ideas. She made him feel alive. He hadn’t been able to surf the last time he was here with Fletch and was more than anxious to jump into the water. He stripped off his shirt and tie, removed his shoes and socks, and took her surfboard. Levi ran to the beach then, and this time he wasn’t running to the water to run away from something. He jumped into the ocean and let the water rush over the length of his body, washing away any baggage he brought with him.
He paddled fast against the rough seas, shooting over breaks and diving under swells. It wasn’t long before Levi caught sight of the wave he wanted. For now it was but a mound, but it started swelling like the belly of a sleeping hydra. A wave of this size was rare in Fort Bragg, and Levi swam along its crest like he was stalking the mythical creature. The spine formed then, sharp and rigid, giving one last warning to those who dared be on the wrong side. Just when the monster was ready to unleash its fury, Levi stood up on his board, mocking its attempt to knock him off. He glided along parallel to the beach, his hand petting the monster as he went. The wave curved then like a pair of claws trying to crush Levi within its grasp. He bent his knees so that he sat in a crouching position on his board, completely enveloped in the wave’s barrel. When he came out on the other side, he stood back up on his board and out-stretched his arms in an exultant display of victory. For a moment Levi felt like he was back in Fort Bragg, and then he smiled. He was happier now. He had Talon.
Levi looked towards the beach to find her standing in a crowd of people — his classmates, and they were all looking at him. Some were staring open-mouthed, others had their phones out cheering and whooping. When he paddled his way back to the beach, he was surrounded by them.
“Holy crap!”
“That was awesome!”
“You just destroyed that four meter monster!”
“Where did you learn to do that?”
“You didn’t even flinch. You made it look so easy.”
They were excitedly asking him questions, patting his back, and shaking his hand in sheer respect for what they had just witnessed. Levi had never gotten this much attention for surfing before, and tried to remember that most of them had probably not grown up around water.
“Thank you, it was definitely a great ride and I just happened to hit it perfectly,” Levi shrugged with a small flush of pride.
“So you’re admitting there was a little luck involved?” Katen said, looking quite jealous of the attention.
Levi smiled. He might have been an amateur air surfer, but here in Hall I, this was his turf, or, rather, surf. “There’s always a little luck involved. Luckily,” he turned to Talon, “I’ve got my good luck charm with me.” He walked over to Talon, took her face in his hands, and gave her a sweet peck.
“Alright, alright, no canoodling. You’re new I presume?” Mrs. James inquired, looking at Levi in his soaked brown slacks.
“Yes, my name’s Levi Avondale.”
“Well, Levi. I asked the staff to juice up some good waves so that I could teach the class some techniques. Not only have you not signed my waiver, but you are not allowed to go surf the waves until I release you to do so. I also hope you have another pair of pants.” She paused. “That being said, I can tell you are no stranger to surfing. In fact, I bet you were an avid water rider back on the ground?”
“Yes, I’m from Fort Bragg, California.”
“He’s the best surfer in our whole town! Levi gave surf lessons every day after school,” Talon interjected.
“And who are you?” Mrs. James asked.
“I am here visiting family…and Levi,” she added after seeing a few girls eyeing Levi intensely.
“I don’t know where Fort Bragg is, but you, Levi, are talented. We have a surfing team you should join. In a couple of days our team is going to the National Scholastic Surfing Association’s amateur competition for high school students. It’s our first year attending, and the overall winner gets an invite to the US Open in July. We have the room and board covered, but not the flight ticket.”
Levi knew he couldn’t go. Not only did he not have money for a ticket, but he couldn’t leave Ohmani while his mother was in jail.
“I wish I could go, but I just don’t have the money,” Levi revealed rather disappointingly.
“Alright, well maybe next year. You can still join our surfing team. We meet Thursdays after school at Dock 2. Now for the rest of today’s class, I do not want to see you back in that ocean. Understood?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
It was all well and good anyways because Levi was able to sit with Talon on the beach for the remainder of third period. Instead of listening to Mrs. James teach the class about surfing techniques he already knew, he closed his eyes and focused on everything that was real to him in that moment – the most important being the way Talon’s hand fit in his own. She refused to let him talk about their parents until later that evening, wanting to keep this place, Hall I, their happy place. And so he let it be until this evening.
An hour later they were on the ship again heading back to the ceiling of the asteroid. On the ride back to the Academy, the class bombarded Levi with questions about surfing, except Katen, who decided not to sit next to him for the return trip. Levi was excited for fourth period because he was going to get to use an Extension for the first time.
When the ship landed, Levi quickly changed into another pair of trousers he had gotten earlier that day and then made his way to the Careers Center. This was the most ordinary looking building on campus. It was a perfect glass square without any spike, ball, or curlicue enhancements. Fletch said it was meant to represent a stone that could be chiseled into any shape imaginable, like an individual deciding their future. As sentimental as the concept was, Levi could appreciate its symbolism after being Progged earlier that morning.
“Hey, Levi!” Fletch was crossing the courtyard.
“Hey. Man, that Water Sports class was awesome.”
“I heard.”
Levi looked at Fletch confused.
“You’re the talk of the school,” Fletch laughed. “I was sitting in legislation class and everyone’s phones started buzzing and beeping.” He held out his phone and played a video of Levi surfing the wave from last period. The words below the video were, ‘new kid rocks.’ “I wish I could have seen Katen’s face!”
“Yes, he seemed a little green-eyed,” Levi admitted. “It was just amazing getting back in the water.”
“Well, come on. Let’s end your day on an even higher note.” They started walking into the cube together. “Mr. Franklin said that I could train you today, so wherever I extend you can come too. I’ve gotten the spaceport gig for the past month though.”
“Fletch,” called a black man with an afro. “Come here please. I’ve got some good news for you.”
“Yes, sir?” Fletch asked after walking over to stand in front of him.
“Today you will have the honor of escorting the Sydces sect leader, Mantys Ti, from the spaceport to his hotel. He likes mentoring high school students. I have chosen you, as our senior class president.”
“Thank you, sir! That is an honor, but I am supposed to be training Levi to use the Extensions today.”
“Hmm. Levi, you just moved to Ohmani, correct?”
“Yes, last week,” Levi answered.
“Do you like it?” Mr. Franklin asked.
Levi thought about being drugged, bombed, barfed on, denied entrance into clubs and seduced by hot women trying to use him for his non-virus semen; he thought about living next door to a woman whose throat was slashed, about almost getting into a fight with a jealous alien, and finally about his mom being arrested for murder and terrorism. “No, not r
eally.”
“And do you care about politics?”
No thought went into this answer. “Definitely not.”
“In that case, I want you to shadow Fletch today. Most groundies do not like Ohmani at first…too much change for them…but change is a part of life and you’ve got to get used to it. Change is coming with this conference one way or another. I want you to take today as a big learning and listening opportunity, because everyone should care about the future of the human-midaki relationship. That being said, I do not want you to get in Mantys Ti’s way, to engage in conversation, or to annoy him in any way, shape or form. Like Fletch, you will represent this school with the upmost professionalism.”
“Of course.”
“I will tell his publicist to expect two ambassadors.”
11 mantys ti
“This is a dream come true.” Fletch practically frolicked towards a room that had ‘Control Room D’ written on a plaque that hung above the double doors. “Seriously, Levi, you have no idea how big of a deal this is. Mantys Ti is a big time leader on Dedrake.”
“Like a president?” Levi asked.
“Not quite a president, but kind of. He’s the Sydces sect leader of the Dedrake Space Organization. He will probably bring his whole committee with him. I’m surprised that with the bombing attempt of Ambassador Wharran, they are not flying him in secretly or something.”
Levi had forgotten to tell Fletch about Talon’s theory that someone was actually trying to kill his mother. He was going to mention it, but then they walked into Control Room D and Levi was rendered speechless by the scene before him. Students stood in their own separate cubes about the size of small bedrooms scattered throughout the warehouse-looking room. The cubes themselves were opaque, with plastic-looking walls and green and red lasers shooting in all directions inside of them like giant spider webs. The students were wearing big high-tech looking helmets with a glass face-piece like an astronaut’s helmet. Some were walking in place, others were reaching out to shake an invisible hand. One boy burst out laughing at some invisible spectacle on the ground of his room.
Journey to Ohmani (Across the Infinite Void Book 1) Page 15
