They looked back to the simulation and saw Lux jump up more rows of huts to meet back up with Joss. The scoreboard stopped blinking, but points were deducted as a penalty for bad form.
“Nope, she’s good,” Dylan said, watching the scoreboard settle.
After the five minutes were up, the cliffs descended into the arena floor and Renn looked up to see that Lux and Joss had triple the points of the other team, even with Lux’s point loss.
Menkar died soon after level two had begun, when Carmen left her side, seeing an opportunity to score more points on her own. As far as species went, Menkar should have survived longer than all three of the other players, considering she was fighting with humans, but no species was strong enough to survive without a little help now and then.
Joss and Lux worked well as a team, defeating Carmen at the end of level two, and dying in level three, a respectable level to die in.
***
Renn had only used a portal twice in his life: the day he was born and the day he escaped to the Galileo. Portals were rarely, if ever, the topic of conversation on Earth, but in space, they popped up in myriad conversations. He knew they were used for travel, but that was the extent of his portal-knowledge.
“There were two species credited for discovering the portals,” Professor Zaneer said, as visual representations displayed behind her. “While researching on a lifeless planet, members of a Zeanup exploration crew fell into a pond of a shimmering silver substance we now refer to as ‘Xeero.’ When they came up for air, they were on another planet, twenty light years away. Now, the interesting thing about Xeero, and what makes it so unique, is that it has a memory and can be programmed.
“It was the Sensati, however, who invented the technology to communicate with Xeero, making it possible to recall a destination at will. They developed a system that could transfer any creature from one planet to another, regardless of how many galaxies lay between. This system allows a traveler to place their hand on the scanner, the scanner to feed the data to the system, and the system to approve or deny passage. When approved, it communicates through the frames to the Xeero that the traveler may pass and what the destination is. This operating system is referred to as ‘Cybernex.’
“Once portals were opened on multiple planets, the Federation was born. Both the Zeanups and the Sensati claimed ownership of the portals and the two species went to war, killing each other by the billions in an attempt to control the portals. The newly formed Federation intervened, taking the leaders of both species into a room. When they came out, the Zeanup and Sensati leaders had handed over the portals to the Federation in order to bring peace to their citizens. The Federation then designated a third party, tasked with protecting the portals and those who used them.
“No one knows who the third party is, only that they are referred to as the De-An. Most assume the Zeanups are the guardians, others say the Sensati. It depends on who one asks, but all that’s known is that neither the Zeanups, nor the Sensati can claim ownership. Are there any questions?” Professor Zaneer asked.
Renn raised his hand.
“Yes, Renn?”
“How do portals without frames work, then?”
“There are no portals without frames,” Professor Zaneer replied.
“But I’ve seen them. They descended out of the air and….” He stopped when he noticed Desh, Kia, and Etienne staring at him from across the room as if they were seconds away from jumping over their table and pouncing on him.
“That can’t be,” the professor said. “There would need to be something to initiate it; a way to communicate. Besides that, a frameless portal would still be extremely dangerous. It would be an open doorway, allowing anything and everything through without Cybernex available to regulate it. All that would need to happen is for an insect flying through, carrying a virus that could wipe out an entire species. There would be an uproar amongst citizens if they found out anyone was doing this.”
“Maybe Renn’s just seeing things,” Desh said.
“Whoa,” Dylan said. “If he said he saw something, then he saw something.”
“All right, all right. Keep the battles in the arena, boys,” Zaneer said before Desh could counter.
Renn wasn’t sure what was happening, but wondered how many Mindeerians had been rescued via nonexistent portals. The news was still listing more counts of Mindeerian survivors, with each survivor crediting the Quintessence for saving them. One of the survivors must have been Desh, and Renn was dying to know what he knew about them.
“What if someone breaks into Cybernex and takes over the system?” Katie asked, looking rather troubled. “They would have access to every planet in the Federation.”
“Anywhere in the universe,” Dylan corrected.
“Yes, but where is Cybernex?” the Professor asked.
The students looked around, waiting for an answer no student seemed to have.
“No one knows its location or who runs it,” the Professor continued.
“The Sensati probably do,” Remi said. “If they invented it, then they probably run it too.”
“The portals don’t belong to the Sensati,” Sargus 29 said, rather heated, defending his own Zeanup species.
“Just because no one knows where the location is, doesn’t mean it couldn’t be corrupted,” Katie pressed.
“Katie,” the Professor said, patiently. “They would have to defeat Cybernex, the De-An, and the entire Federation to take over the portals. Believe me, that’s an impossible feat and in the 7,200 years since its creation, it’s never been accomplished. You’re all perfectly safe.”
***
Self-defense class was held in a classroom for once, as Professor Paro discussed a planet called Hethroen. The dominant species on Hethroen was technically advanced, and became rich selling invisibility suits all over the Federation when the portals first opened. Many species thought they would win every war wearing them, until a news report surfaced on the Federation News stating that both sides of the Chelonia war had worn them, and the suits were so effective that both sides kept accidentally shooting their own fighters.
The suits were equipped with fine antennas that could keep anything bouncing around them, from any radar. Too effective and they became more deadly to themselves than to the other side. Most species kept the suits, mainly because of Hethroen’s no return policy, but they found use for them by giving them to their lone assassins. On one’s own, an enemy could win a war by severing the right head.
At the end of class, as everyone was packing up, Jonah walked up to Renn, putting both hands on his desk and leaned forward so he could intimidate Renn by hovering over him. It was inevitable, Renn thought, but he had been preparing himself for it since the moment he discovered that Jonah had boarded the Galileo.
“Well, if it isn’t the mutt from Camden,” Jonah said. “And here I was hoping the rumors about you getting torn apart by Aranea were true. I guess I’m just going to have to do that myself.”
“Get lost, Jonah,” Renn said.
“What did you say to me?” Jonah asked.
“We’re not on Earth anymore. No one’s going to kick me out just for defending myself against chemwaste like you.”
“Chemwaste?” Jonah said, turning red. He took a step to lunge, then looked back to see the professor was only a few desks away. He turned back to Renn and whispered, “When I get my hands on you…”
Renn interrupted by emitting energy beneath Jonah’s jaw, clapping it shut.
Jonah grabbed at his chin and swiped at air, as he tried to spit out insults through a clenched jaw.
“Goodbye, Jonah,” Renn said, as he grabbed his tablet and walked away.
Renn walked out of the room and felt a liberation he had never felt before. For the first time, feeling comfortable in his own skin.
***
It was another day off for the First Years, and Renn and Dylan decided to head to the girls’ dorms to see Lux, Joss, and Meta. After taking a couple ste
ps in the door to the dorm rooms, they were stopped in the common area by the housemother, Sally. Sally was an android with the appearance of a human woman in her sixties, short and plump, with curly silver hair, and looked very no-nonsense.
“What are you boys doing in here?” Sally asked gruffly, with her hands on her hips.
“Uh...we...I...” Renn and Dylan stammered, a little taken aback.
Sally broke into a fit of giggles and waved her hand. “Oh, I’m just teasing you! Come on,” she said, motioning them to follow. “Meta said you two were coming.”
Renn and Dylan smiled and followed her as she waddled up the spiral staircase. Renn couldn’t help but look at her shoes, noticing that they were flat and made for comfort, like older humans on Earth seemed to always wear. The detail was impressive, he had to admit.
When they had reached the top level, Sally opened the second door, and asked if the boys could enter. Carmen unfortunately roomed there too, and told her “No” and to tell them to “Get lost.” The boys heard Joss reply something to Carmen about who should get lost, and Sally motioned to the boys to enter.
Renn and Dylan walked in as Carmen stormed out of the room.
“Remember, boys,” Sally said, shaking her finger and continuing to smile, “door stays open. No hanky-panky,” she said.
“Yes, ma'am,” Renn said.
Renn stared at the open doorway after she left, then looked over at Dylan. “Seriously?” he asked a bit flabbergasted.
“Yup,” Dylan said. “Don’t mess with Sally and Ava. They’re determined to keep us sexually repressed throughout puberty, and you don’t want them zapping off your pecker while you sleep.”
Dylan walked around giving the girls kisses on the cheeks, but Renn just waved, a bit shaken up by the thought of Ava zapping off beloved body parts.
“Do you guys want to go ice skating in the simulation room?” Meta asked.
The others thought about it and looked at each other, able to be persuaded either way. “I’ve never been ice skating,” Renn said, then wasn’t sure if he wanted to see Meta on skates, seeing as how accident-prone she was.
“Great. Let’s go,” Meta said, jumping up.
The others hesitated, as if unsure of whether the invitation included them, until Meta waved for the girls to come.
When they got to the simulation room, they opened the door, looking out into space. Their hearts stopped and they froze in the doorway until Meta, who of course wasn’t watching where she was going, bumped into Renn and Dylan, causing them to fall forward into the room. They fell into space, floating in the direction Meta had pushed them, yelling that they couldn’t grab onto anything.
“Hey, I can breathe,” Renn said.
“Yeah and I can hear you,” Dylan replied laughing.
For a few moments, they were enjoying floating in space, until a fighter ship flew passed them, and they realized a couple Fourth Years were practicing dog fighting.
“Ava, turn the gravity back on for just me and Dylan,” Renn shouted.
“Gravity initiated,” Ava complied.
Renn and Dylan fell to the invisible floor and stood up in the middle of space, ready to eliminate pain if Ava had misunderstood the command and initiated gravity altogether, thereby crashing the ships into the floor. The ships, however, kept flying.
Renn and Dylan walked out of the room to find the girls in hysterical laughter, and then proceeded to drag them towards the mess hall, until they could walk for themselves. When they got there, the girls ran to one of the tables near the faux windows just as a couple of Third Years abandoned the coveted seating.
Desh watched them sit down from the other side of the mess hall, then turned his attention back to Etienne and Kia, who sat beside him, playing Battle of the Species - War Games. It was a mobile hologram game that simulated war, testing the players’ strategies. Etienne chose Mindeerians, Torans and humans, to go up against Kia’s Eminites and Aranea.
Etienne had uploaded new war robots that could outrun the Aranea and wanted to see them in action. They often changed their location, from their dorm room, to the mess hall, to the observation deck, but one would usually find them doing the same thing. Endlessly playing war games in hopes of one day figuring out the best strategy to beat the Eminites and anyone they forced to help them.
Etienne’s new designs were surpassing their expectations, but Desh couldn’t take his eyes off Lux. He noticed she wasn’t wearing thought blockers, despite sitting with Renn. He fed her an image of Renn reaching over and pulling her hair. Lux looked around and saw Desh staring at her from across the room.
Knock it off, Desh, Lux thought, staring him down.
Desh looked away in embarrassment as she dug into her pocket and pulled out her thought blockers, putting them on while she continued to glare.
Renn looked at her, not having noticed the exchange, and looked a little hurt.
“They’re not for you,” Lux said, motioning to Desh.
Desh suddenly heard, Unbelievable, projected into his head, and looked over to see Renn staring at him in disbelief. Desh returned the look with a scowl and then went back to the war game.
***
When the bell chimed, Professor Zaneer called Dylan to give his speech about the species of his choice. He jumped up in front of the class, initiating the projector with his tablet and illuminated a hairless alien with large black eyes, oval shaped head, and a short, skinny body.
“I did mine on Regnums,” Dylan began.
“Regnums got off on the wrong foot with humans long before the exodus, when all humans were still on Earth. They would abduct people at night and take them back to their ship to perform experiments, in hopes of learning more about our species.
“Regnums were so clever at hiding themselves and any evidence of their existence, that anyone who had been abducted was instantly considered crazy, because they couldn’t get any proof. So the Regnums continued poking and prodding until the day came when humans joined the Federation.
“When we met them, the human ambassador told them to knock it off, attempting to end their experimenting. But my grandpa says that not only are they still experimenting, but they experimented on him on Temin!” Dylan paused for a second, thinking about it. “Though just for the record, he really is crazy. Like he always gets the holidays wrong. For Christmas, he’ll hide Easter Eggs around the back yard and for Halloween he’ll yell, ‘Happy New Year!’ He’s really cool though…”
“Dylan?” Professor Zaneer interrupted.
“Yeah?”
“Digression…”
“Oh! Sorry. Regnums are telepathic and unlike other telepathic species, they have no vocal cords, relying on telepathy alone. After the portals were opened, they were the lead species to study the anatomy of new species, cataloging their findings for Cybernex. This was the only way they could continue experimenting without breaking Federation law.”
When Dylan finished his speech, he was followed by a series of knocks on the desk for praise, and a “Who’s next?” from the professor.
At that moment, Kia got a shiver and ruffled his feathers, catching the professor’s eye. She called his name and Kia walked to the front of the class, initiating the projector.
“I did mine on humans because I was hoping to find out why they smell so funny, but I couldn't find anything,” he said with the utmost sincerity.
The class laughed, even the humans, but Kia looked up, missing the joke.
Etienne smelled himself out of paranoia. It wasn’t as if Kia hung out with a lot of humans.
“Humans originated on Earth as monkeys,” Kia continued, with the utmost of earnestness, “though many humans said they came from God. The species however, believed in different gods and killed each other for not believing in the same one.
“They have a reputation in the Federation as a species that devours the planets they inhabit. For centuries the Federation refused to invite their species into the Cybernex system, out of fear that they wo
uld take over and destroy other planets like they did their own. A couple thousand years ago, the Earthlings discovered a planet called Temin and all but a few relocated to that planet. They ravished the new land, again draining the planet’s resources, and required assistance while their civilization was once again on the verge of imploding. The Federation granted them admittance, and now both Temin and Earth provide the humans we know today.
“They do have is intelligence that exceeds many of the other species and are able to survive pretty well off their wits alone. Though many species exhibit the same behavior consistent with their race, humans’ behavior and character are all across the board, depending on the human you come into contact with. It makes them risky crewmembers to have until you get to know them and decide whether to put your faith in them or not.”
***
Later that day, Renn walked through the sliding door into his dorm room, finding the room empty, except for Rudy and Ivan. Rudy sat in the middle of the floor with enough wires, fuses, and hubs spread about to make it look like a robot had just thrown up in front of his bed. Ivan sat on his bed, watching Rudy mount a shaft to a metal plate.
“How's your robot coming along?” Renn asked.
“Horribly!” Rudy replied, throwing down the shaft and grabbing another size. “Why do I even have to learn this stuff? I'm not going into engineering. I want to be an explorer. Explorers don't have to build robots!”
“You'll have to take robots with you on expeditions though and what if one breaks? It might be good to know how they work so you can fix them,” Ivan said.
“Whatever, professor,” Rudy grumbled.
“If you’re going to mount the shaft to a flat surface, use the two-bolt flange,” Ivan said, as if he were an expert.
Rudy looked around at the parts scattered across the floor. “A two-bolt what?”
“Have either of you seen Leo or Dylan?” Renn asked, throwing his school tablet on his bed.
“I think they’re still in the medical bay,” Rudy replied, not taking his eyes off his robot parts.
Galileo (Battle of the Species) Page 16
