“Leo, you don’t look so good. Are you okay?” Renn asked.
“Yes,” Leo replied.
They all continued watching, trying to get a glimpse of what he was trying so hard to hide. He finally pulled open the drawer beneath his bed and crammed a temperature controlled flight suit in it as fast as he could.
“Leo, why don’t you wear the cooling suit the school gave you?” Dylan asked
“Because I’m trying to fit in, all right?” Leo grumbled.
“So, you’d rather get sick?” Renn asked.
“Yes,” Leo replied firmly. “As if being half invisible isn’t bad enough, I’m not going to walk around in some stupid space suit.”
Everyone stood there, staring at Leo, unsure of what to say.
“It’s my decision,” Leo said. “Just let it go.”
The door slid open again and a ship-bot walked in, carrying a large tin box. It stopped before Renn’s bed and held it up a little higher. “It's for you, Mr. Andreas,” the robot said, placing the box on Renn’s bed.
“Did my dad send this?” Renn asked, as he opened the box.
“Is your father's name Hollen?” the android asked.
“No, that's my mom!” Renn said, excited that she had sent something to him, thereby acknowledging his existence. He then reminded himself that she had risked her life for him the day before, and that according to his dad, she had not been in contact with him before then, in order to keep him safe.
“Will that be all, sir?” the robot asked.
Renn looked at the ship-bot, having forgotten it was there the moment he heard his mother’s name.
“You have to dismiss the bots after you assign them a task,” Dylan said, grinning.
“Oh! Sorry. Yes, that's all…thank you,” Renn said, embarrassed at not knowing the protocol. He opened the box and found a small square piece of glass lying on a pile of clothes. “What is this?” Renn asked, holding it up.
“That’s a Federation message player. Just tap on it and it will play,” Dylan said.
Renn stared at it a moment while his mind raced. He had asked so many questions over the years, without any response. Answers that, over the years, he ended up making up in his head, imaging what she would be like. A message from his mom. It would be the first time he heard her voice. The first thing she would ever say to him. Reality obliterating the fictitious image he had created of her.
“Are you all right?” Leo asked.
Renn looked up and realized Leo and Dylan were both staring at him with rather concerned looks on their faces. “Yeah…I’m…I’ll be right back,” he replied nervously, and walked out the door.
“What just happened?” Renn heard before the sliding doors closed behind him. He ran down the steps, speed-walked out of the common room, and raced down the corridor, with no idea where he was going. There had to be a place on the ship, even the smallest spot, where he could be alone.
He finally saw a pictogram of stairs on a door and opened it, finding himself in an empty stairway. He stared at the glass, while it fogged up from his breath. He backed up into the wall and slid down to the ground, then tapped the glass.
Hollen’s face illuminated on the glass with a soft smile that couldn’t hide her brows furrowed with worry.
“Renn,” Hollen began. “I’m so thankful that you made it out safely. You can’t imagine how difficult it’s been to be away from you. I want you to know that not a day went by when I didn’t think about you, wishing that we could be together. If there’s anything good that could possibly come of this, it’s that it means we no longer have to remain apart. Please know that I have always loved you and we’ll see each other soon.”
Hollen’s face froze when the message ended. Renn tapped on the glass again, replaying it over and over. Everyone talked about her as if she were a fierce warrior. He would agree with that description after the Searsmont police station, but from the message, all he saw was a mother. He tried to fight back the resentful thoughts gnawing at him as he looked at her face: I wish you had found a way for us to be together. I’m your son ― how could you let me go? I wish you had tried harder.
After a few minutes, he picked himself up and headed back to the dorms. He took a deep breath and turned the corner, walking right into the pretty brunette from the mess hall.
“I’m so sorry!” Renn said, catching her before she fell.
“It’s okay,” she replied laughing. “I’m sure it was me.” She finished composing herself, then looked up to make eye contact with Renn. Oh my gawd, the cute guy from the mess h… Her face cringed in embarrassment. Stop thinking, Meta!
He couldn’t help but grin. “Hi, Meta,” he said.
“Hi. Renn, right?” she replied.
“Yeah…” Renn looked to her left and saw a First Year boy standing next to her. “Hi…”
“Oh, I’m sorry,” Meta said. “Renn, this is Remi. Remi, this is Renn.”
The two boys exchanged a “Hey” and a nod.
Renn wanted to start a conversation with Meta, but all he could think to ask was: Are you two together?
“Were you crying, man?” Remi asked.
Renn’s mouth dropped. “Uh…”
“Oh, your eyes are a little red,” Meta said, looking worried.
Renn averted his eyes as quickly as he could. “No…I…I was just…um, I gotta go,” he said, rushing down the hall. “I’ll see you guys around.”
Renn wished there was a rock he could crawl under in the dorm common area, but there was none in sight. Great, he thought. The first impression of him to a pretty girl was him snorting water, and the second was him crying like a sniveling child who had just lost his mom.
He slowly walked up the dorm steps and into his room, hoping his roommates wouldn’t ask about the red eyes. “I hope she sent a change of clothes,” Renn said, heading straight for the box, before either Dylan or Leo could speak.
He pulled out the first white bundle of clothing, finding it to be the coolest uniform he had ever seen. He checked the label, noting that the garments were made on Mindeere. The quality rivaled Earth’s, but it was the style with the silver, magnetic snaps tracking over the shoulders and wraparound collar that made it so unique. He set it aside when something else in the box caught his eye. He pushed more uniforms aside and pulled out a pair of white sneakers. He held them for a moment as a grin streaked across his face.
“What?” Dylan asked.
“They’re auto-adjustable!” Renn said, refraining from kissing them. He yanked the tattered shoes off his feet and slid his right foot into one of the new shoes. The fabric tightened without prompting after the cushion in the sole conformed to the shape of his foot. He wiggled his toes, finding the available space to be an absolute novelty.
He continued digging through the box and found a clear tablet with a rubbery black frame. He turned it over and around, unsure of which side was right side up.
What’s he doing? Renn heard and looked up to see Dylan and Leo still watching him.
“I don't know what half of this stuff is,” Renn said, staring at the tablet. “It kind of looks like a computer, but I’ve never seen one that’s clear before.”
“It’s a computer, but the screen’s clear so it can identify,” Dylan said.
Renn held it up and randomly pressed buttons on the frame.
“It also works as a camera,” Leo said, as Renn accidentally took a picture of Leo, mid-sentence. The tablet then identified him as a Class A Crystallian, listing Leo’s origins, food habits, and kill zones.
“That’s a little intense,” Renn said, tossing it on his bed. He picked up a long rectangular piece of metal, finding it smooth on both sides. “I can’t even guess. What is this?”
“Oh right on, you can’t live on this ship without one of those,” Dylan said. “It’s your vicom.”
Renn stared at Dylan, blinking.
“Your video communicator?” Dylan said, as if Renn would suddenly recognize the common device. “
Seriously, how do you talk to your friends when you’re not in school?”
“I go over to their houses.”
“Like...you physically walk there?” Dylan asked, dumbfounded.
“Well...yeah,” Renn murmured.
Dylan walked over and took the metal rectangle from Renn, wrapping it around Renn’s wrist. Dylan then tapped his own vicom and scrolled through pictures of students. “We’re not allowed to have Federation vicoms, so this will only work on the Galileo. It’s so Ava can regulate them. They’re useless during class, but the moment the bell chimes, you should be able to send and receive messages.”
Renn’s vicom chirped with a picture of Dylan’s face. He tapped on the picture and Dylan’s face animated.
“Hey, man,” Dylan said, creating an echo in the room.
“Classic,” Renn replied. He continued digging through the box, pulling out a pair of black gloves with padding on the knuckles and a clear shiny cloth on the palms. “Okay, what's the point? There's no winter in space.”
“Those aren't to keep your hands warm,” Dylan replied. “They're Mindeerian simulation gloves to go with your battle suit,” Dylan said, pulling out the black suit and holding it up to Renn.
Renn looked at it with a blank expression.
Dylan looked at Leo and mouthed the word, “Wow.”
Leo smiled, lying back on his bed of ice.
Dylan looked at Renn and grinned. “Come on, you’re gonna love this. Bring your gloves.”
Renn followed Dylan down the school corridors and into a white room. He looked around, wide-eyed. There were no walls and no ceiling; it just seemed to go on forever.
Dylan lifted his hands in the air and exclaimed, “This is where all the magic happens. Ava, douse this white boy with water.”
“Producing water,” Ava replied. With that, water seemed to materialize out of thin air, drenching Renn. There was nowhere for him to go. Water poured all over him, until his hair and clothes were soaked through and through.
“What the hell?” Renn asked, wiping his eyes once the water stopped generating.
Dylan laughed. “Ava, clear water simulation.”
The water instantly disappeared.
Renn stood there in shock, running his fingers through his dry hair and scrunching his clothes without finding a drop.
“What was that?” Renn asked. “It felt so real.”
“Well, it wasn't. It works like a hologram,” Dylan explained. “Now, a hologram tricks your eyes into believing what it sees is real, right?”
“Yeah…” Renn replied.
“Well, that’s using only one of your senses. The simulation room tricks all the senses. It uses haptic technology for feel, using energy forces, vibrations, motion and temperature to trick your mind into believing what you feel is real. There’s sound at various levels traveling at different points in the room to create Doppler effects, giving the illusion of distance and location.
“All of the senses can be fooled, but they haven't quite mastered smell or taste yet. Ava does them for battle simulations, but doesn’t always get them right.”
“Amazing,” Renn said.
“Now put your gloves on,” Dylan said, hopping with excitement. “Ava, eliminate pain for the rest of the session.”
“Pain eliminated,” Ava complied.
“And Ava, stop repeating everything I say, just do it,” Dylan said, daring her to repeat the last command. Nothing. Dylan grinned. “All right then,” he said, returning his focus to Renn.
Renn looked around, a little paranoid, while he put the gloves on. He had to admit, it was a bit unnerving knowing he was standing in a room that could create physical pain on command.
“Okay, now zap me,” Dylan said to Renn.
“I’m sorry, what?” Renn asked, hoping he had misheard.
“You know, do that lightning thing,” Dylan said, while thumping his chest. “Right here.”
Renn put his hands up, palms facing Dylan, but couldn't convince himself to release. Electrocuting Eminites and Aranea was one thing, but Dylan seemed like such a nice guy and Renn didn't want to kill someone, especially his first time away from home. “Are you sure about this?” Renn asked.
Dylan flinched the longer he waited, “Come on, just do it.”
Renn fired the lightning, hitting Dylan in the chest.
Dylan screamed in pain as a hole seared through his body.
Renn stopped, screaming along with Dylan. He remembered the Aranea he electrocuted in Searsmont and how it withered and contorted in pain before it died. He thought he was going to be sick, unable to believe he had just done that to a human.
Dylan stopped screaming, replacing it with hysterical laughter. “You should have seen your face!” he said, wiping away the tears from laughing so hard. “I told you it wasn't real!”
Renn took a deep breath, relaxing. “Man,” he said, punching Dylan in the arm.
Dylan stopped laughing, rubbing his arm. “Um, ouch. Now, hitting me with your fist will bruise me, because that's with your body, not a simulation weapon.”
“Oh, sorry!” Renn said.
“Don't worry about it,” Dylan shrugged it off. “Ava, clear wound.” The burn wound disappeared.
“So, this is where students practice fighting?” Renn asked, looking around again into the empty space.
“This is where anything you want to happen, can,” Dylan said. “Ava, give me a pool.”
A large pool instantly appeared in the white floor with crystal clear water, sparkling from an unseen light source. The invitation was too overwhelming. They looked at each other, smiling, and jumped in, clothes and all.
They laughed, splashing around and enjoying the water until a voice called out behind them, “Are you two just about done?”
Renn and Dylan turned around to find a professor standing in the doorway with a group of snickering students behind him.
“We have a class scheduled in here. You two are going to have to schedule a time to swim.”
They got out, dripping wet.
“Ava, clear the simulation,” the professor said.
The simulation vanished and Dylan and Renn were once again dry. They walked out while the professor mumbled something about Ava not repeating his command.
They spent the rest of the day walking around the ship, trying to familiarize themselves with the lay of the land. They found their classrooms, hoping they could find their way back again once classes started, especially in view of the fact that they had gotten lost a few times throughout the day already.
After a few hours, they became so turned around, they finally asked Ava how to get back to their dorm. In response, a blue arrow illuminated on the floor and glided in front of them towards their destination. A few minutes later they got the impression that walking with an arrow was the equivalent to wearing a dunce’s cap at school and they asked Ava to take it away so the Fourth Years would stop laughing at them.
They were almost to the dorms when Renn noticed a group of Second Years running into a room. “What’s in there?” he asked curiously.
“Probably the observation deck. Word has it, we just jumped to the Christmas Tree Galaxy. Actually, I wouldn't mind seeing it either,” Dylan said, following the Second Years into a large auditorium.
Students sat on carpeted steps, facing large windows. The Christmas Tree Galaxy shimmered with sparkles of red and green clouds of dust, as planets seemed to stand suspended in space, waiting to continue a colorful dance.
“A couple Third Years said this place is usually empty,” Dylan said. “Like, we're just traveling through the void most of the time, but every once in a while, the ship will pass something really cool and this turns into the hangout.” He leaned into Renn, whispering, “Not a bad place to take a pretty girl on a ship with no privacy, if you know what I'm saying.”
Renn grinned and nodded.
Sleep regulators emitted soft warning beeps throughout the auditorium, prompting half the species in the roo
m to stand up and walk towards the door.
“Come on, we gotta go back to the dorms and get to bed,” Dylan said. “Our sleep regulators will make us fall asleep wherever we are and the last thing you want to do is fall asleep while walking down the hallway and be found snoring on the floor.”
When they got back to the dorms, Renn found two large boxes sitting next to his bed.
“They’re from Earth!” Leo exclaimed, wiggling in anticipation.
Renn opened the first box and found personal items his dad had packed. He smiled, pulling out a few t-shirts from his favorite bands — Orgot’s Destruction, The Pea Coats, and Lithium's Dead. His dad hated those shirts, but knew how much Renn loved them.
He pulled out a small black tablet and tapped on it, scanning through pictures of his friends and his dad; everything Cybernex had missed at the port junction. On the left-hand corner of the screen were three horizontal white bars, blinking. Renn pressed his finger over them, bringing up a video of his father.
Adam forced a smile, unable to hide the worry and upset that drained him.
“Hi, Son,” Adam began. “I’m glad you’re all right and I know you’re in a place where you want to be. I just wish it had been under different circumstances.
“I’m going to have an intergalactic phone installed and will call you soon, but at least your mom’s been in contact and is keeping me more updated on what’s going on. She said she sent you the school supplies, but if you need anything, just get word to me.”
At that moment Max jumped up on Adam and licked his face.
“Max says, ‘Hi’,” Adam continued, “and I sent you something...a little unusual, so the second box is locked,” he said with a wink. “I love you. We’ll talk soon.”
When the video message ended, Renn set it aside and walked over to the large box.
“Locked? You got a key?” Leo asked, peeking into the first box.
“My dad uses audible keys. It’s probably a riddle,” Renn said, tapping on the box.
A deep male voice resonated.
Galileo (Battle of the Species) Page 9
