The Split

by Hannah Hopkins

  “Yeah, in Alien Studies, Rocket Control and Combat and Weaponry,” he answered merrily.

  “Seems like Mr. Krecher was very generous this year,” Finley noted.

  “I know. It makes me feel a bit guilty, considering we broke into his office,” Lois admitted.

  “I’m so excited we all passed,” Will beamed, changing the subject. “All we have to do now is not mess up on our final projects and we’ll be coming back in September.”

  Just as Will spoke, Rudy and his followers passed by the table, overhearing his announcement.

  “Isn’t that nice?” Rudy said to his posse, his voice heavy with sarcasm. “Emily and her boyfriend together for another year.”

  “He isn’t my boyfriend,” Emily blushed.

  “It’s a shame we won’t be partners for our final projects, isn’t it Emily?” Rudy continued to taunt, ignoring her completely. “You and I made a great team looking after that Beakin thing.”

  “You hardly did anything, Rudy. Monster would have starved if it wasn’t for me,” Emily snapped back.

  “Well, if you find yourself missing me, you know where I am,” he winked, before sauntering away.

  “He really isn’t very bright, is he?” Finley mused after him.

  “At least I didn’t have to fight him this time,” Will smirked.

  “Now that’s all over, let’s eat!” Emily exclaimed and the four of them strolled over to the serving station together, asking the robots to pile their plates high with celebration food.

  Back at the table, they sipped merrily on sweet, cold orange juice and chewed on buttery, warm croissants, their conversation flowing as they basked in the glory of their success. Half-way through their breakfast, Emily’s older brother, Charlie, strode over to their table, sitting down assertively between Finley and Lois and squashing them to the end of the row.

  “Guess what?” he grinned, not bothering with greetings or introductions.

  “You passed your exams?” Emily ventured.

  “Well, yeah, obviously,” he waved his hand dismissively. “I got ‘one’s in everything. But no that isn’t what I meant. What I was going to say is, we’re passing by a Sun.”

  “What do you mean, Charlie?” Emily sighed.

  “The school!” he exclaimed with frustration. “We’re passing by a nearby Sun in whatever solar system we’re travelling through.”

  “So?”

  “So, it means we get real sunlight!”

  “What do you mean?” Will asked him, his brows furrowed with confusion.

  “Oh my goodness,” Charlie rolled his eyes in exasperation. “We are flying past a Sun in a see-through dome. Therefore, we will experience real, genuine sunlight for a few days,” he explained, enunciating every word carefully as though speaking to very young children.

  “That’s never happened before on the Mayfly,” Finley frowned.

  “Well, of course not, there aren’t any real windows on the Mayfly. It only happens here at the school,” Charlie replied. “There’s nothing else like it. You can even swim in the lake and sunbathe. Trust me, once you feel proper sunlight you’ll never forget it. That fake UV stuff has got nothing on the real thing.”

  “How do you even know about this, Charlie?” Emily asked him with suspicion. “None of the teachers have announced anything.”

  “I have contacts in all the right places,” he winked.

  Just as he spoke, a pinging noise rang out across their heads, travelling over the Dining Hall and provoking an instant reaction of silence from the students inside. The noise seemed to be coming from an inter-com that Lois had never realised was there.

  “Here we go,” Charlie whispered.

  “Good morning, Space Academy,” Admiral Allance’s voice boomed through the speakers.

  “First, allow me to congratulate you all on your excellent exam results. I am sending this message across the school through every television screen and sound system to make absolutely certain that every student knows how truly proud I am of their achievements this year so far.”

  Lois couldn’t see the Admiral’s face, but his flat tone of voice greatly contradicted the expression of pride he was trying to convey. Had she headed out into the school and found a T.V screen, she wouldn’t have been surprised to find him reading his speech from a piece of paper.

  “Secondly, I would like to inform you that we will shortly be bypassing a Sun on our way through the Irodonius solar system. If you would like to make your way outside in an orderly fashion, you will be able to witness the magical moment that we are bathed in natural light!”

  The Admiral’s announcement ended and the hall erupted with the noise of benches scraping against the floor as everyone rushed to their feet to observe the spectacle. Lois, Finley, Emily and Will joined in amongst the herd, converging with dozens of students in the Reception Hall as they pushed towards the school grounds.

  Searching for a decent spot within the gathering crowds outside, Lois and the others planted themselves on the lawn opposite the school’s main entrance, turning their faces towards the black sky where an orange glow had already begun to form. In the far distance, thousands of miles above their heads, the planets of the Irodonius system were visible. They ranged in colour from deep magnificent blue to rich emerald green and floated enigmatically in perfect orbit around their Sun. Rings of dust could be seen swirling around one of the celestial bodies, forming a hazy layer of cloud around the planet’s burnt yellow surface.

  Captivated by the fascinating sight of the solar system, Lois almost missed the moment the grounds were flooded with brilliant, bright light. She felt the warmth spread across her body and closed her eyes, basking in the pleasant heat. She was amazed at how it was possible for the light of a single, burning star to carry instantaneous feelings of happiness in its rays. She remembered something her mother had once told her about all humans being made from stardust and wondered if that was the explanation for the wonderful sensation that was spreading through her bones.

  Opening her eyes again, she looked about the grounds with a new, sharp focus as though seeing them clearly for the first time. In the new light, she could make out the exact shade of grey concrete that had been used to build the main school, which appeared far less imposing now it was out of the shadows. The golden logo of Novum above the navy, blue doors glinted as the Sun reflected off its large, spherical surface, blinding the beholder who gazed at it for too long. The glass windows shimmered, the Resources Biodome sparkled and the smooth, metal roof of the school Observatory swam hazily in the distance, visible waves of heat rising from its metal shell. The grass they stood upon was suddenly a bright shade of green, looking far more realistic than it did under the black sky. Even the asphalt paths that provided passage around the school looked beautiful in the Sun’s illumination, glittering in hues of charcoal and silver.

  With the arrival of the Sun came several days of bliss, in which many of the teachers decided to move their lessons outside to make the most of the rare show of natural light. Mr. Krecher took the opportunity to showcase one of his favourite alien specimens; a beautiful, four-winged creature with crystal skin that refracted the sunlight, casting rainbows onto the floor as it flew above them.

  In between lessons, Lois, Finley, Emily and Will spent their time by the lake, sunbathing and dipping their toes into the cool, clear water to ease the effects of the intense heat. When they weren’t relaxing outside, they confined themselves to the library, where they found their good spirits had even managed to make Mr. Mayhem’s uncharacteristically boring final project about “How the early intervention of aliens in the 1980’s greatly advanced the space travelling capabilities of humankind” a relatively bearable task.

  In the wake of her new positive attitude, Lois had been persuaded by Emily to accompany her to the Book Club she attended every Friday evening, insisting, despite Will and Finley’s teasing, that her membership had nothing to do with the librarian, Martyn, or his charm and good looks. Lois w
ent along obligingly and discovered a great joy in reading the famous works of antique literature, never having realised what true pleasure could be found by holding a real book in her hands. As a result, she had taken to spending the evenings curled up on her bed, reading novels as the strong sunlight poured through the window, turning their crinkled pages in her hands and inhaling their musty aroma, until the shutters in her bedroom closed at ten p.m., forcing her into sleep.

  It was as though they had left reality and entered Utopia, where there were no troubles and no negative feelings at all. So wonderful were the days of sunshine that Lois was filled by a genuine depression when Admiral Allance announced they were soon to pass through the solar system, leaving the warmth of the Sun’s presence behind. To temper the sting, she invited Will, Finley and Emily to her room after dinner, under the premise that they would start work on the lengthy project Mr. Krecher had set them, which entailed picking five different species of alien and explaining how humankind had discovered them. In truth, she didn’t want to be alone when the darkness resumed and was even willing to pretend to be enthralled as Finley explained in great length about the trade deals humans had made with aliens, resulting in the acquisition of many different specimens.

  When the light finally faded, they began to rub their eyes, putting their tablets down wearily as the darkness enveloped the school once more. Will yawned and stretched, complaining of a dead leg and mumbling something about homework being bad for his health. Emily got up from her crossed-legged position on the floor and cricked her neck, heading to the drinks machine to pour herself an icy drink. Finley rose from the bed next to Lois and strolled absent-mindedly to the window, staring out at the inky blackness that had returned outside. Lois was in the middle of tidying the blankets that had been strewn across her floor, when Finley suddenly let out a cry of horror, causing her to drop everything she was holding and rush to the window, Will and Emily hot on her tail.

  They stood for a moment, united in confusion as they scanned the grounds for the source of Finley’s distress. All at once they saw it, letting out simultaneous gasps of horror as they reeled from the terrible sight. Standing clear as day by the lake was a Vacuous, its bone, white skin shining like a beacon in the gloom. Its long, spindly arm was outstretched, its clawed hand grasping thin air as though it were frozen in some sort of strange, dramatic tableau.

  “It’s back,” Will whispered, his pupils wide with terror.

  “What’s it doing?” Lois whispered back, hardly daring to breathe. “It looks like its holding something invisible.”

  “It’s not invisible,” Finley said darkly. Lois scrutinised the scene once more, straining her eyes to distinguish the shapes amongst the shadows. It was then that she saw it. Letting out a scream, she covered her mouth and staggered backwards, her stomach heaving at the realisation of what she had witnessed. The Vacuous’s gnarled claws were not clutching the air at all, but were clasped around the throat of a man, dressed all in dark clothing. As she watched, the terrible creature released its grasp, letting the lifeless body of its victim slump horribly to the ground. Lois fell backwards, fear overpowering her as she lost control of her legs. Will and Emily ducked beneath the window, crouching on all fours to avoid being seen. Finley, however, remained standing, his face ghostly white as he stared paralysed at the awful scene before him. Will tugged firmly on his clothes, knocking him off balance and dragging him to the ground and out of sight. He sunk to the floor, shaking uncontrollably as he looked to his friends in terror.

  “It saw me,” he swallowed. “It looked right at me.”

  “Are you sure?” Lois asked him desperately.

  “I’m sure,” he replied with harrowing certainty.

  Will leapt to his feet, locking the door and barricading it with Lois’ bed. Emily pressed a button beside the window so that the shutters drew shut, concealing them from anyone watching outside. Lois went and sat beside Finley, putting her arm around him to comfort him as he continued to tremor, his skin freezing cold to the touch.

  “Okay,” Will said, struggling to level his tone. “What do we do?”

  “We have to tell,” Emily replied with resignation. “We don’t have a choice.”

  There was a long pause as the statement resounded across the room. They were each afraid of the consequences they would face from telling the truth, but knew they had no other option. Will began to pace, walking back and forth with such a fury that Lois was surprised he didn’t wear a hole in her carpet.

  “Did anyone recognise that man?” he asked. “The one the Vacuous...”

  He trailed off, unable to bring himself to say the word “killed” out loud. The three of them shook their heads in response.

  “We haven’t got any evidence,” he frowned, “and we can’t name the victim. Who are we going to tell that’s actually going to believe our story?”

  “Someone just got murdered on school grounds, Will,” Emily reminded him, flinching as the words left her mouth. “There’ll be a missing person’s investigation, there’ll be a body. We have to go and tell someone what we’ve seen, right now!”

  “You want to go now?” Will said with disbelief.

  “The longer we sit on it, the more trouble we risk getting in,” she replied. “This goes way beyond expulsion. People found guilty of a crime get thrown off the Mayfly. Failing to come forward as witnesses to somebody dying would definitely constitute that.”

  “Lois’ dad is the Captain,” Will protested. “Do you really think he’d let his own daughter get thrown into Space?”

  “He might not spare the rest of, though,” Finley fretted.

  “We’ve got to go to the Admiral,” Emily pressed. “We need to tell someone who can do something fast.”

  “Where will he be?” Will wondered, frantically gathering his things up as he prepared to depart.

  “I know where the teacher’s live,” Emily replied, putting her shoes on and tying a knot in her laces. “Charlie’s pointed it out to me before. It’s not too far from here.”

  Lois jumped to her feet and rushed to her wardrobe, pulling a hoody on over her uniform and following Will and Emily towards the door. It was only when they were about to leave that they realised that Finley hadn’t moved from the floor. They turned back to see him getting unsteadily to his feet, his complexion now a shade of green as he balled his fists up tightly.

  “You can’t go out there,” he warned them. “It’s too dangerous.”

  “We have to,” Emily insisted.

  “That thing saw me!” Finley exclaimed. “It knows I know what it did. It could be waiting out there in case I try and tell someone.”

  “We can’t just sit in here doing nothing,” Will argued. “And besides, it saw you in this room. If it was coming after you, it would come here. It still might. The best thing to do is find Allance. We’ll be safe with him.”

  Finley shook his head profusely.

  “Lois,” he pleaded with her, knowing she was his last hope. “You can’t go.”

  She hesitated, his emotional display setting her in a dilemma. As much as she wanted to comfort him, the thought of the Vacuous coming for them while they were trapped in her bedroom was far more terrifying than the possibility of encountering it out in the open, where they would at least be able to run or hide.

  “Come on Finley,” she encouraged him. “We’re all in this together now.”

  He took in a deep breath and then let it out again, nodding slowly as he acknowledged her words. He stepped forwards, placing his hand firmly into hers so that she could feel the sweat that was moistening his palm. With a meaningful look at Will, he gave his silent consent for them to leave and the four of them began to run, hurtling towards the dark of night and towards whatever fate was awaiting them.

  18.

  The Admiral’s Confession

  Finley sprinted as fast as his legs would allow, the noise of his blood pounding in his ears and mingling with the sound of thundering footsteps as he, Loi
s, Emily and Will raced to find Admiral Allance. He dared not look around, petrified that he would see the Vacuous lurking in the dark and waiting pitilessly to kill him. Instead, he kept his eyes forwards, focusing on Emily’s back as she ran ahead, leading them to the building where the teachers slept.

  “It’s just up ahead,” she called, without turning around to address them in case doing so slowed her down. She pointed to a bland, high-rise block a few yards in front of them that had almost no distinguishable features, save for a small replica of the school logo attached to the very top. Finley had passed the building many times before, but had always assumed it contained classrooms. He had expected the place where the teachers resided to be more luxurious and was surprised that they would value their privacy more than their taste in the finer things.

  As they approached the block, his heart began to soar with hope. He could see the front door beginning to take shape. If they could just a figure out a way in, he was convinced that the Admiral would be able to help them stop the Vacuous before it hurt somebody else.

  His joy turned to terror as something large and pale white caught the corner of his eye, causing the air in his lungs to turn to ice. With sickening fear, he looked towards the silvery figure, everything around him turning to slow motion. The Vacuous cocked its head to the side as it regarded the running group of children a few metres in its wake. As soon as it realised it had been seen, its empty, black eyes connecting with Finley’s wide brown ones, it began to run towards them, its muscular limbs carrying it at a pace Finley knew none of them could match.

  Finding his voice, he yelled out in panic to alert the others, who had continued dashing forwards with no idea of the imminent danger that was approaching them. In unison, they turned their heads towards the Vacuous and screamed, chaos descending as they all ran in different directions, scattering like pieces of shattered glass. Finley knew what he had to do. Instead of fleeing with the others, he set his sights firmly on the building ahead of him and dashed towards it as fast as he could. Given how quick and agile the Vacuous was, he was almost certain it would intercept his path before he reached Admiral Allance, and he braced himself, flinching with every step as he anticipated the pain of its sharp claws on his skin.