“Professor Krecher is his hero,” Dylan rolled his eyes. “He teaches the course. You’ll probably see him around campus at some point. He does farming on the side of professing. He gives his students free apples when they get a good grade.”
“He’s got apples?” Elsie said with disbelief. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d seen one.
“Oh yeah,” Toby replied. “He’s not one of your typical farmers either. Like Dylan said he gives all his stuff away, no charge. Even to the locals.”
“Sounds like an interesting man,” Elsie mused.
“He is. Anyway, believe it or not we did come for a reason,” Toby smiled.
“And what reason was that?” Elsie asked.
“To give you these,” Dylan answered, handing her a few leaflets from his large collection. “You’ll find everything you need to know on there. There’s a map of the town and of the campus and then a few advertisements for places to drink and eat.”
“Thank you,” Elsie said, putting the flyers down on the desk next to her.
“We were going to do downloads for everyone’s Personal Devices but we thought leaflets would be more impressive. They’ve still got a computer and printer on College campus from the old days. You should check it out if you get the chance- it’s weird,” Toby informed her.
“We also came to let you know there’s a mixer this evening for the people living in this building,” Dylan interjected. “There’ll be free alcohol! It starts at seven pm in the foyer. It’s a good opportunity to meet the people you’ll be living with for the next year.”
“I’ll be there,” Elsie smiled.
Toby and Dylan departed and Elsie was left alone once more to finish her unpacking. Once everything was in order, she inspected her handiwork and decided with satisfaction that her environment was beginning to look a lot more like a bedroom than a prison. As she made plans with herself to visit the market town in the morning to buy some new décor, she absentmindedly wandered over to the window, taking in her new view of high sycamore trees and far away mountain tops. In the gravel car park below, armed guards in full defensive uniform had started to patrol, their huge weapons cradled in their arms as if they were their precious children. Elsie raised her eyebrows. The Government were pulling out all the stops to protect education- one of the very few remaining aspects from the old culture that hadn’t yet been destroyed. She wasn’t sure whether it was out of compassion, or simply because skilled and intelligent workers would be needed to populate Novum once Earth was abandoned, but she certainly didn’t feel any safer at the sight of the armed men.
Seven o’clock rolled around and before Elsie knew it, it was time to head down to the foyer to meet whichever lucky strangers had also made it to the Utopia that was College. She had dressed well for the event, choosing her best pair of black trousers with a matching black top and grey high heels. She had never had an occasion to dress up properly before, but was sure she had read on one of her Aunt’s fashion downloads that wearing all dark colours gave the most flattering impression. To add colour to the bleakness, she wore a gold chain necklace that she had stolen from Aunt Veronica’s closet and painted a bright, red lipstick on her lips. She put her hair up, something she favoured to do ever since a boy once told her as a child that it suited her.
She made her way downstairs, her heels clacking on the stone steps as she descended. She reached the foyer and entered without hesitation, finding herself astonished with its transformation. The first thing that caught her eye was a huge, holographic banner projected in the centre of the room, reading “welcome freshers” in giant, multicoloured lettering. Machines had been attached to the faded, yellow walls, their functions varying from periodically spitting out confetti to blowing a constant stream of bubbles into the room. Between them, were several television screens displaying 3-D images of women dancing in time to the beat of loud music, which was blaring from an enormous sound system, currently operated by an ecstatic Toby.
The foyer floor was crowded with people mingling, already seeming to have formed exclusive friendship groups. Attracting the most attention was a sandy-haired boy who was stood in the middle of a gang of girls, hanging off his every word. Feeling intimidated by everybody’s pre-existing relationships, Elsie headed over to the corner of the room, where a drinks table had been set up. It was lined with dozens of plastic cups, filled with either a yellow or a red liquid. The cups were being handed out and refilled by a sleek, white robot, the letters “CS” standing for “College Snowdonia” emblazoned on its chest.
She approached the table with confidence. Drinking was something she had some experience in, mostly due to her Aunt’s enthusiasm for the past-time, which had only seemed to grow more popular the worse things had gotten on Earth.
“What may I get you, Miss?” the robot asked her in a polite voice.
“What are these?” Elsie asked, looking dubiously at the plastic cups.
“I only know they are “red” and “yellow”, Miss,” the robot replied, its voice emitting from a speaker inside its spherical head.
“I’ll have a yellow one then,” Elsie said. The robot picked up a cup in its curved hand and passed it to her effortlessly.
“Thank you,” she said.
“You are welcome,” the robot answered.
“So, are you owned by the College?” Elsie questioned him, desperate to speak to someone, even if they were made of metal.
“I was programmed by the Interactive Tech company, commonly referred to as I-Tech” the robot replied, “I was purchased by the College in the year 2090. Tonight, I am in service of Mr. Toby Wyatt and Mr. Dylan Martinez. Does this answer your question, Miss?”
“Yes, thank you,” Elsie confirmed and walked away, realising she couldn’t make small talk with a robot.
She scanned the foyer, wondering if she’d be better off heading back to her bedroom rather than face the humiliation of standing there alone. She was just about to leave, when she saw a tall boy with dark hair, shrinking into a wall in the corner. Seeing this as her only chance to socialise, she made her way over to him, his timid posture suggesting he wouldn’t be difficult to approach.
"Glad I'm not the only one that feels like hiding in the corner," she remarked with a smile when she reached him. "This is a bit overwhelming isn't it?"
"It is," the boy replied shyly. "Everyone else seems to know each other."
"I noticed that," Elsie frowned. "It’s like they’ve all had a secret meeting without us. Maybe we missed the memo."
It was a phrase she'd heard on American television and she wasn’t entirely sure what it meant but it seemed to resonate with the boy, who laughed musically.
"What are you drinking?" he asked her, pointing to her plastic cup.
"Honestly, I have no idea," she admitted.
"You chose yellow," the boy observed, peering over her shoulder. “I was too frightened by the smell. I've got what I think is supposed to be red wine but it just tastes like vinegar."
"I don't think much of the budget for this evening was spent on the drinks," Elsie noted, glancing again at all the garish decoration in the foyer.
"You might be right," the boy agreed. "I suppose people don’t really have much to celebrate anymore. It looks like whoever organised this might have got a little bit carried away."
“You can say that again," Elsie asserted. Realising she hadn't introduced herself, she extended her hand.
"I'm Elsie by the way, Elsie James."
"Alfie," the boy grinned in response, taking her hand and shaking it.
"Just Alfie?" Elsie replied. "How diva of you."
"Alfie Sommers," he corrected himself with a blush.
“Nice to meet you Alfie Sommers,” Elsie smiled.
“You too,” he grinned.
“It’s a bit strange, really,” Elsie noted, looking around her at all the happy faces. “You could almost pretend that nothing bad is happening to the world.”
“My mother said it’s
the way of the British,” Alfie smirked. “She said this country would fight Wars with tea and alcohol, given the chance.”
The sound of approaching engines distracted them from their conversation and they looked outside to see a group of shiny, black cars adorned with the university logo pull up in the gravel car park. The patrolling guards rushed over to investigate, nodding their approval when they saw that the cars were College property.
“Are people going out?” Elsie asked Alfie. “Is it safe?”
“Must be,” Alfie shrugged. “It is quite remote out here. I suppose all the real danger is in the cities.”
“Who called the cars?” Toby shouted over the music.
“Guilty,” the boy with sandy-blonde hair laughed from amongst his group of fans, holding his hands up in mock surrender. “A few of us thought we’d head out, see what the town’s like. We’ve never been out at night before. Can’t waste the opportunity.”
Toby frowned, but even he could not argue with the boy’s obvious charm.
“Be careful,” Toby warned him.
“I always am,” the boy grinned.
The gaggle of girls swanned their way into the cars first, but the boy hung back, looking around to double check he hadn’t left anyone behind. It was at this moment that Elsie realised how attractive he was. There didn’t seem to be a single flaw on his perfectly chiselled face. His eyes, noticeably green even from across the room, shone brilliantly, setting them apart from all his other features. He noticed Elsie looking at him and grinned impishly in her direction. Her heart began to race as he strolled towards her, his confidence seeming to fill every corner of the room. He stopped just in front of her, ignoring Alfie’s presence to stare at Elsie with an intensity that made her blush.
“Hi,” he said, extending his hand for her to shake. “I’m Austin.”
Back in the present, Elsie sat bolt upright, cursing herself as a searing pain tugged across her chest. She had foolishly let her mind wander into such painful territory and now she would certainly suffer for it for the remainder of the night. It took every ounce of strength she had not to revisit the happy days of her relationship with Austin. She could not bear now, to think of the blissful five years she had experienced with him before he had so cruelly pulled the plug on everything she knew and loved.
Knowing she would not sleep otherwise, she retrieved a bottle of sleeping pills from her bedside drawer and took two, allowing them to calm her frantic mind and lull her into drowsiness. As she drifted off to sleep, her mind entering a state of numbness, she could not shake the unsettling feeling that her past was about to receive an incredibly rude awakening.
14.
Hallowed Eve
On the morning of Hallowed Eve, Emily awoke early. She rushed out of bed and pulled on the purple, velvet dress her mother had selected for her to wear the night before. She dragged a brush through her thick hair, being sure to remove all the knots and kinks that had formed overnight. Once she had finished, she inspected her appearance in the mirror. Satisfied that she had made herself presentable, she took a deep breath.
“You can do this,” she told her own reflection.
She walked from her bedroom and into the dining room, the smell of pancakes wafting out from the kitchen where Liza, the family assistant, was making their traditional Hallowed Eve breakfast. Emily’s family were already gathered around the long, glass table that sat in the centre of the room. Her father was reading news stories from his tablet, grunting with disapproval every so often, while her brother, Charlie, tapped on his Personal Device furiously, sending messages to one of his many friends. Her mother was staring forwards, her eyes glazed and her face pale from working the night shift in the Medic Ward. Emily suspected she hadn’t been to bed yet and was most likely exhausted, but missing the breakfast her father insisted on ordering every year would be more trouble than sleep was worth.
“Good morning,” Emily said when she entered the room, announcing her presence.
“Morning sis’,” Charlie grinned. “Happy Hallowed Eve.”
“Morning sweetheart,” her mother said, flashing a weak smile. “Come and sit down.”
Emily did as she was told, sitting in the chair across from her mother and folding her hands in her lap as Liza brought in their food.
“Thank you,” she smiled as her plate was placed in front of her, the food still steaming hot from the pan.
“You’re welcome, Miss,” Liza replied, continuing to serve the rest of the family. Emily’s father sniffed as she put his meal in front of him, refusing to acknowledge her presence as he continued his engrossment with the news.
“Shouldn’t you be at home, Liza?” Charlie asked her. “Nobody’s supposed to work on Hallowed Eve.”
“Mr. Pannell insisted I work today, Sir,” she replied, her voice strained.
“Of course he did,” Charlie grimaced, proceeding to attack the food on his plate with his fork.
“Stop talking to the help, Charlie,” their father snapped. “You’re distracting her from doing her job. Go and clear up in the kitchen now, Liza.”
“Yes, Mr. Pannell,” Liza nodded and disappeared.
“So, Emily,” her father said, putting his tablet down and crossing his legs as he leant back to regard her. “I assume you’ve had a successful first term at The Academy?”
“Yes,” she replied.
“Your examinations will begin when you return after the holidays,” her father informed her. “I hope you will spend the rest of your time at home studying.”
“I’m going to my friend Lois’ tomorrow to revise with her,” Emily told him.
“Lois Sommers?” he pressed her. “The Captain’s daughter?”
“Yes,” Emily answered.
“Excellent,” her father nodded his approval. “The Captain is a fine man with excellent taste. That much became clear when he recently re-appointed me as Governor of Education for the fifth year running.”
Charlie rolled his eyes in an exaggerated fashion, so that only Emily would see. It was the fourth time her father had mentioned his renewal of office since they had returned home for the holidays.
“I was wondering,” her father cleared his throat, “has the curriculum at the Academy given you any ideas about what you would like to do when we reach Novum? Only Academy students are given the opportunity to take up important positions, you know.”
“Yes, I know father you told me every day when I was studying for the entrance exams,” Emily replied. “Anyway, I’d like to do something in technology, I always have.”
There was a moment of silence as Charlie and her mother froze with surprise. Her father had voiced strong opinions about women working in such areas over the years, and up until this point, Emily had never been brave enough to reveal her true ambitions to him. He chewed over her words for a minute, calculating his response.
“Jarvis Holt, the CEO of I-Tech is an acquaintance of mine,” he began. “He’s a fine gentleman- an excellent businessman and very talented. He only takes the best of the best. If you wanted to work for him you’d better start working a lot harder than you do now. I’m not entirely sure you’re cut out for it.”
Emily looked down at the white, linen napkin she had folded on her lap, concentrating on the pattern of sewing across its hem as she tried to block out the noise of her father.
“Still,” he continued, “at least you aren’t following in your mother’s footsteps. To be a nurse in this day and age is absolutely preposterous. The pay is laughable, there’s no status in it and with all the medical science and technology we have, there’s no need for human involvement at all. Perhaps you’ll end up inventing something that will make your mother’s ‘job’ completely obsolete, Emily. Wouldn’t that be amusing.”
“People need human contact,” her mother said quietly. “They wouldn’t recover without it.”
“Oh, nonsense!” her father exclaimed, waving his hand in the air. “You tell yourself whatever you need to, dear. We both
know if it wasn’t for me, you’d be down on Floor Seven with the rest of the deprived population.”
“My friend Finley is from Floor Seven,” Emily said, setting her knife and fork down with a crash, “and he is probably the nicest person I’ve ever met, not to mention the most intelligent.”
“What rubbish,” her father replied. “I still can’t believe Allance allowed him in to the school. I was one of the Governors that voted against the motion you know. Such a pity I was overruled. Allance couldn’t help but be swayed by the hefty sum of credits he was given by the board for taking a pupil from a disadvantaged background. A waste of a valuable school place if you ask me.”
“Suddenly I’m not hungry,” Emily said, pushing her plate away from her.
“Don’t being dramatic, Emily,” her father scolded her. “I’m only pointing out the truth. The boy can live out his little fantasy with the better half, but as soon as his education is over, it’ll be off to the Bureau of Labour where he belongs. By the time we reach Novum, he’ll be a faceless man in a crowd of builders, with no higher status than the dogs I used to own back on Earth.”
Emily stood up, knocking the table with the force of the action and causing the glasses to wobble and clatter into each other.
“Sit down, Emily,” her father ordered.
“No,” she replied, turning to leave the table.
“Sit down,” he repeated with force.
“I said ‘no’!” she yelled back, her voice louder than she had ever heard it before. Her father recoiled in shock and she seized upon the moment, exiting the room as fast as she could.
“Go on, Emily!” Charlie called after her as she left.
She reached her bedroom and pulled out her suitcase, packing it with bundles of tangled clothes as she tried to see through the tears that were pricking her eyes. She was just about to leave when her mother walked in, stopping her in her tracks.
“Emily, sweetheart, you don’t have to go,” she pleaded, her eyes full of sadness.
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