The Navel of the World

by P. J. Hoover

  With a final kiss and hug, Benjamin put his hand on the picture and vanished into a pinprick of light.

  “Welcome to Lemuria. Please step off your teleporter pad.”

  Benjamin turned and immediately recognized the same old man from last year supervising his arrival pad. It didn’t seem possible, but the man’s already oversized ears seemed to have doubled.

  “You again,” Benjamin said. “It’s good to see you.”

  “What?” The man cupped a hand behind an ear.

  Apparently just making someone’s ears bigger didn’t help their hearing.

  “I said it’s good to see you again,” Benjamin said.

  “No time for pleasantries,” the old man said. “We don’t want to spoil an on-time arrival with unnecessary conversation.”

  “Of course not.” Benjamin walked off the pad and out of the arrival area.

  “Benjamin Holt if I remember correctly,” the man said.

  Benjamin nodded his head.

  “On time two years in a row. Very commendable. Pads four and five have been down for the last two hours. We’ve been hurrying students through so we can divert others to the working teleporters.” He shook his head, and his ears flopped back and forth. “Still they haven’t upgraded our numbers. Not in the budget this year they say. You’d think a 900,000 year-old civilization would be beyond budget constraints.”

  Benjamin didn’t say anything; sometimes, it seemed, keeping quiet was the best choice.

  “So, have a nice summer.” And the old man moved back to the teleporter pad.

  Benjamin sighed and walked to a kiosk to get his homeroom assignment. Homeroom 1110. Very binary.

  Benjamin dumped his bag in the nearest luggage terminal and started down Primary Hallway Number One. Sitting on the first bench Benjamin passed was something familiar and green. And about six inches tall.

  “Hey, Jack!”

  Jack tapped his foot on the bench. “I’ve been waiting on this bench all day.”

  Benjamin raised an eyebrow.

  “Fine. Not all day.” Jack jumped and landed on his feet. “I met with Helios this morning, but then I came here.”

  “Why’d you meet with Helios?” Benjamin had thought about Helios Deimos, one of the rulers of Lemuria, a lot over the last year, but he certainly hadn’t talked to him. Helios had been responsible for saving Benjamin’s life not to mention keeping the shields intact around Lemuria and Atlantis last year.

  Well, mostly responsible. Benjamin had played a small part in it too.

  “Oh, you know,” Jack said. “This and that.”

  Benjamin reached out to grab at the little man, but Jack was too fast and teleported away, appearing a foot or so to the right. “This and that what?” Benjamin said.

  Jack cleared his little throat. “I happen to have important matters to take care of with Helios. We Nogicals have to keep some of our secrets.” And then he pointed. “Look who it is.”

  “Hi, guys!” Heidi hurried over. “You’ll never believe it. I levitated my bags into the luggage terminal all by myself.”

  Benjamin laughed before he could stop himself. “You did not.” Heidi could hardly lift a feather with telekinesis.

  “Did, too.” Heidi crossed her arms. “And I can lift more than a feather. Why do you always forget I can read your mind?”

  “Because you’re not supposed to?” Benjamin said.

  “Well maybe you should practice a little harder on blocking your thoughts,” Heidi said.

  “She’s right, you know,” Jack chimed in. “Sometimes your mind is so wide open a human could read it. Have you thought about taking mind blocking as your elective?”

  “Ha-ha. Very funny.” Benjamin planned on taking something cool like Body Part Teleportation. Then he could make good on his vow to teleport Ryan’s teeth from his mouth.

  But Jack shook his little head. “Not kidding. You of all people should work on telejamming.”

  Heidi turned to Jack. “Telejamming?”

  “Of course,” Jack replied. “Telejamming—blocking telenergetic forces.”

  “Telenergetic forces?” Benjamin asked.

  Jack smacked his forehead with his palm and shook his head in disbelief. “Didn’t you learn anything last year? Telenergetic forces: all the extra cool stuff telegens can do with their minds.”

  And then Benjamin had a good idea. Jack wouldn’t get off so easy. “Hey Heidi, what did Jack and Helios talk about this morning?”

  Heidi blushed, looked to Benjamin, then back to Jack. And then she mumbled something.

  “What?” Benjamin asked as Jack smiled.

  “I can’t read Jack’s mind.” Heidi managed to say it louder this time.

  Benjamin’s mouth opened but he could hardly form the right words. “You can read anyone’s mind.”

  “Not mine,” Jack said. And then he smiled.

  “Is it because you’re a Nogical?” Benjamin asked.

  “It’s because I’m so good at telejamming!”

  Jack left before they got to Homeroom 1110. When Benjamin and Heidi turned down Tertiary Hallway Number One, a short line waited to enter a crypt-sized box in front of the classroom door. And so Benjamin and Heidi joined the line.

  “What’s going on?” Benjamin asked.

  Heidi paused, obviously employing her telepathic genius. “No one seems to know.”

  The boy in front of them turned around. His dark brown hair matched his dark brown eyes which matched his dark brown shirt. It looked like someone had taken a giant brown crayon and colored him in. “It is ’edzup display,” he said in a thick accent.

  Benjamin narrowed his eyes. “What?”

  “’Edzup display,” the boy repeated.

  Heidi smiled at the boy, and he smiled back. “What exactly is edzup display?” she asked, but Benjamin could tell the kid had no idea. He’d bluffed enough times to know what it looked like.

  “You ’ave not listened as you walked,” the boy said.

  Benjamin glanced at Heidi and then shook his head. “No, I guess not.”

  “’Edzup display is—” the boy began.

  “Nicholas Konstantin,” a voice called from the crypt.

  “Ah, is my turn. I will see you in classroom.” And the boy turned to enter the box.

  “So you have no idea what we’re in for?” Benjamin asked.

  “None.” Heidi let out a nervous chuckle. “Maybe they’ll call you first.”

  Sure enough, Benjamin was next. He gave Heidi one last look before forcing himself to walk into the crypt thing.

  “Identity confirmed—Benjamin Holt. Please step to the center of the cube and focus on the red dot of light. Do not blink your left eye.”

  “What?” Benjamin narrowed his eyelids to slits. “Why not?”

  “Please do not move. Your new heads-up display will now be implanted in your left eyeball.”

  “Eyeball!” Benjamin squeezed his eyes closed. “I don’t need something implanted in my eyeball.” More like didn’t want something implanted in his eyeball.

  The voice spoke again. “Please open your eyes.”

  Benjamin thought of Heidi waiting behind him. He didn’t want her thinking he was afraid of some eyeball implant. Not that afraid would have been the right word. Reluctant? He opened his eyes and looked at the red light. “Will it hurt?”

  “It is done,” the voice said. “Please exit straight ahead.”

  Benjamin blinked a bunch of times, and nothing felt different. But when he looked ahead and thought about the school, a map lit up in front of his face, showing his current location. He reached out, trying to touch it.

  “Please exit straight ahead,” the voice repeated in its dull monotone.

  Benjamin stepped out of the cube, and decided to wait for Heidi.

  She came out a minute later. “Pretty cool, huh?” Her hair which had been blond and straight just minutes before was now red and curly.

  “Cool?” Benjamin snorted out a laugh. “What hap
pened to your hair?”

  Heidi pulled a piece of it around to see and sighed. Staring at the red curls, she changed them back into the straight blond strands she normally wore. “Guess I just got a little bit nervous.”

  Benjamin laughed. “Glad I’m not the only one. Let’s go.”

  They walked into Homeroom 1110 and almost bumped into the boy who’d been ahead of them in line. “So that’s a heads-up display,” Heidi said.

  “Yes.” The boy brushed invisible dust off the front of his brown shirt. “’Edzup display. Will be very ’andy.”

  “What’s Andy?”

  Benjamin turned to see Andy, Gary, and Iva behind them.

  “Hey!” Heidi gave them each a hug. She hadn’t hugged Benjamin this time. Maybe he shouldn’t have been so weird about it back over Spring Break.

  Andy glanced at Heidi, but Benjamin noticed he had a hard time peeling his eyes off Iva. “We thought you’d never get here,” Andy said.

  Iva’s smile turned bemused. “Yeah, I’ve been stuck listening to Andy brag about all his telekinetic displays of the last year.”

  “I was not bragging, Iva.”

  “Iva?” the boy with the accent said. “That sounds like language of Russia.”

  Iva turned to look at the boy, and even a blind man would have noticed their eyes lock. “Oh, yes, actually it is,” she said. “My grandparents were agents in Russia when my dad was growing up. I’m Iva Marinina.”

  “And I am Nicholas Konstantin.” The boy kissed her hand.

  Andy’s mouth dropped so far open, Benjamin thought a giant squid could fit in it.

  “Do people call you Nick?” Iva asked. And then she giggled.

  “It matters not what other people call me.” Nicholas still held onto her hand. “Women as beautiful as you may call me whatever and whenever you like.”

  Benjamin looked again over at Andy. Andy looked like someone had punched him in the stomach. Not that Benjamin could blame him. Did anyone really act like this?

  “What should I call you?” Andy ground his teeth together, hardly getting the words out.

  The boy laughed. “Ah, my friends call me Nick.”

  “I’m not sure that clears it up,” Benjamin heard Andy say telepathically. Heidi must have heard too as a huge smile broke out across her face.

  Luckily a chime sounded, and the tall double doors to the classroom sealed shut. They walked to the desk area at the front of the classroom where Benjamin, Andy, and Gary chose seats behind Heidi and Iva. Nick didn’t even hesitate. He walked over and sat down in the empty seat next to Iva. Andy opened his mouth, and for a split second, Benjamin actually thought Andy might say something. But he didn’t. Thankfully.

  “Guess you should have sat there,” Benjamin said mentally to his friend.

  “Whatever,” Andy replied.

  Proteus Ajax teleported into the classroom and smiled at the students. “Hello! For the lucky students who had me last year, guess what?” He didn’t wait for an answer. “I’ve decided to move up a year.”

  This was met by some claps and hooting (from those who’d had Proteus last year) and some confusion (from those who’d never seen him before in their lives).

  “If you didn’t receive a heads-up display, now is the time to tell me.” Proteus stopped talking and looked around. Nobody raised their hand. “Good. What do you think?”

  Jonathan Sheehan raised his hand. He sat with Ryan just behind Julie Macfarlane and Suneeta Manvar, Julie’s best friend.

  “Yes, Jonathan Sheehan?” Proteus said.

  “What exactly is the heads-up display?” Jonathan asked. “That machine said it implanted something in my eyeball.”

  Proteus nodded. “The heads-up display is equivalent to a computer stored in your eyeball. A projection system casts an image directly ahead of your retina. This image can be anything from the current weather to the results of your last science experiment.”

  “Fantastic!” Gary’s eyes glazed over.

  “Money on the fact that he was already checking the science lab,” Andy said telepathically to Benjamin.

  Heidi blinked a few times. “Does it ever come out?”

  Proteus shook his head. “No, the heads-up display is there to stay. All Year Two Denarians and above are equipped with them.”

  Proteus looked around the classroom and answered a few more questions. Benjamin couldn’t believe some of the questions people asked. Do Year Two Denarians have to do their own laundry? Are there special bathrooms for Year Two Denarians? Would Year Two Denarians really have to share the dining hall with Year Ones? By the end, every time a hand went up, Proteus answered through clenched teeth until finally, the questions stopped.

  They picked electives next. Benjamin thought ‘List of Electives,’ and in front of his left eye scrolled his choices. There were lots of cool ones, like Telekinetic Muscle Building and Outer Space Telepathy; it was actually hard to decide. But like Jack had said, taking some sort of telejamming course made sense. He scrolled down the list and found what he was looking for. Telejamming—Blocking Telenergetic Forces. And he picked it.

  Andy settled on Agent Training, Heidi on Empathy, and Iva on Dream Interpretation. And after ten minutes of debate with Proteus, Gary relented and picked only one elective—Genetic Engineering—instead of the three he’d originally intended.

  Andy looked at Nick. “Let me guess, you’re taking Dream Interpretation, too.”

  Nick shook his head. “Ah no, telegnosis is not my strong point.”

  Iva rested her chin on her hands and looked at Nick. “So what are you taking?”

  “I know sounds silly, but I ’ave chosen Poetic Interpretation,” Nick said. “I ’ave always ’ad fascination for poetry.”

  Benjamin wasn’t sure what was funnier—the look on Andy’s face, like he was going to throw up, or the ones on Iva’s and Heidi’s, like they both wanted to marry Nick and have his children on the spot.

  Proteus looked around. “Well, I believe that’s enough for one day. I’ll see everyone bright and early tomorrow morning.” And then he teleported out of the room.

  CHAPTER 7

  A Chip Off the Old Block

  Level four telekinesis was no place for the weak, and when Benjamin walked out after the first day of class, his only consolation for feeling like he’d been beaten with a stick was that he’d won against Ryan in a Kinesis Combat. Sure, only once, and unfortunately Ryan had won once, also. Not to mention Andy had beaten Benjamin a couple times. Benjamin wasn’t sure what was worse—losing to Ryan or losing to Andy.

  Actually both were painful; he’d just have to practice more.

  Just as they were about to walk into the dining hall for lunch, Benjamin glanced down a side hallway. Heidi was leaning against the wall talking to some guy. Alone. He had long dark hair that reached his shoulders, and he wore a black leather jacket over the standard t-shirt and jeans. Was that even allowed? And was that stubble on his face? How old was this guy? He had to be older than fourteen.

  “Who’s that guy talking to Heidi?” Benjamin asked Andy. As fixed as her eyes were on the guy, Benjamin doubted she’d be listening for other thoughts.

  Andy shrugged. “I’ve never seen him before.”

  Just then Iva and Gary walked up.

  “Where’s Heidi?” Iva asked.

  Benjamin nodded his head in the direction of the side hallway. “Down there.”

  “Whoa!” Iva said. “Who is that?”

  “You think he’s hot?” Andy said.

  “Well, yeah. I mean just look at him.” She glared at Andy. “And don’t read my mind.”

  Andy scowled. “Don’t broadcast your thoughts.”

  Just then, Heidi smiled to the boy, and they parted ways. She started walking but hurried up when she saw her four friends watching her. “Oh, sorry I’m late.”

  “Who was that?” Benjamin asked.

  Heidi flushed red. Then she ran her hand through her hair, and it gave off small sparks.


  That was new. Benjamin had seen it go from curly to straight and change colors but never give off sparks.

  “Oh, some guy I met in Empathy this morning.”

  “Does he have a name?” Benjamin asked.

  “Josh,” Heidi said. “His name is Josh.”

  “It looks like you guys really hit it off.” Benjamin prayed it came out less idiotic to Heidi than it sounded to him. “How old is he anyway?”

  Heidi giggled. “Oh, he’s actually fifteen. And we have Telepathy together tomorrow, also. Isn’t that great?”

  “Yeah, just great,” Benjamin said.

  “Wow, lucky you,” Iva said. “As fate would have it, Jonathan Sheehan is in my elective this year.”

  Benjamin could hear his stomach carrying on a conversation in growls. “Can we get moving? I’m starving.”

  As they headed toward the dining hall, Benjamin relived fond memories of the food from last year. The automatic menus put out food better than any restaurant in the human world. But when they walked into the dining hall, a horrid scene descended upon Benjamin.

  Long streams of kids queued up in food lines like the kind normal human cafeterias had. And the cleaning lady, Leena Teasag, was serving the food. He looked over and saw the same horrified expressions on Andy and Gary’s faces.

  “What’s up with the lines?” Benjamin was almost afraid to ask but figured he had to know.

  Gary’s pupils dilated as he checked. “My heads-up display says the menus are out of order.”

  “So the cleaning lady is serving food?” Andy asked. “Doesn’t she have toilets to scrub or something?”

  “This means she’ll have less time to talk to us,” Heidi said. And then she sighed.

  Benjamin looked at the lines. “Sounds like a blessing to me.”

  Heidi and Iva ignored Benjamin and got into line.

  By the time he got through the food line, Benjamin wished he’d headed out to the city to eat instead. Or starved. Either would have been better. First, he couldn’t decide what to get. There was the boiled mush that looked like it might have been meat in a previous life, the genetically engineered tuna noodle casserole complete with fish heads mixed in, or the strained spinach with extra iron. The boiled meat-wanna-be looked like swill, and the spinach smelled like metal, so Benjamin settled on the mutant tuna casserole. Maybe he could teleport the fish heads onto Andy’s plate.