Jayden's Cybermountain

by Katrina Cope

  That night Liam lay in bed, knowing that sleep wouldn’t come straight away but not concerned. His head was full of wonderful and exciting—yet comforting—thoughts about his future, which was about to take off with a flying start. To make it even more special, two of his best friends were coming with him. What more could a kid want?

  ~~~~~

  FINALLY, THE DAY to go to the new school had arrived. It was really here. Liam was beside himself with excitement. A beautiful summer’s day greeted him when he looked out of his bedroom window.

  “Perfect!” he said out loud, even though no one but his black-and-white border collie could hear. “Come on, Alex!” he said, telling his beloved, furry friend to come closer. The dog ran up to him, and Liam gave him a big hug around the neck. “I’m going to miss you, though.” He ran down the stairs of their two-story home with the dog following close behind him. “It’s here! It’s here! The day is finally here!” he called out.

  Matt sat at the table in the kitchen with his eyelids drooping and his hair in disarray, an elbow resting on the table and his hand propping up his head. He was trying to eat a bowl of cereal. “Dude! You’re goin’ to school a whole week early because of your age-group. How can ye be excited about that?” He rubbed his eyes.

  “Are you sure we’re from the same family?” Liam asked his mom, who was at the stove.

  She smiled back. “Yes, you are! And you’re both so different. If it were a skateboarding school, I bet he’d be more than happy to go a week early.”

  “Skateboarding school? Now there’s a perfect idea.” Matt suddenly looked wide-awake.

  At that moment, Gemma started her electric violin practice upstairs. “Really? Now? At this time of morning?” Matt looked at his mother pleadingly.

  “What? Everyone is already up.,” she said. “Besides, she’s getting really good.”

  It was then that Gemma made a couple of mistakes, and the two boys looked at each other.

  “Yeah, really good,” Matt said with sarcasm, and the two brothers laughed.

  “Now, now. No need to be mean,” their mom said, defending Gemma in her absence with a soft reprimand. “So, are you ready to go?” she asked Liam.

  “I sure am.”

  “Then you’d better have breakfast, and we’ll get going. Your dad has taken the day off work to see you off as well.”

  “Really?” Liam’s voice rose.

  “Of course. It’s going to be a few months before we see you again.”

  “True!” he said.

  After breakfast, they loaded everything into the car and started the two-hour journey to Ernest State College. On arrival at the gates, there was no mistaking that they had come to the right place. Apart from all the extra vehicles in the parking lot, the place looked exactly like the photographs in the brochure. There were large, attractive buildings of two and three stories, surrounded by a landscape of open lawns and generous, wide pathways. This was what they could see from the front of the school. Liam’s dad found the first available parking space, and they piled out onto the pavement with his luggage.

  A horn tooted. Liam turned to see Dryden waving from a car. The rest of his family was with him. “Hey, there’s Dryden,” Liam said to his family. “Let’s wait for him.”

  “Ohhh! I’m so jealous,” Gemma whined.

  “Chin up, kiddo! Keep up the good work, and you might have a chance next year,” Liam encouraged her.

  Dryden and his family soon headed toward them and Hayley also ran up excitedly from the campus side, with her curly, red hair flying behind her.

  She jumped in between the two boys and put an arm around each of their shoulders. “How awesome is this, you guys?” she asked. “I’m so excited! It’s everything I was hoping for, and more.” They started to separate from the others and strode toward the college buildings, leaving their families to follow them and carry their baggage.

  “It seems pretty good so far,” Dryden responded, “but we haven’t had a chance to look around yet. We only just got here.”

  “Well, aren’t you two sleepyheads,” she teased.

  “But it’s only just after ten in the morning, and it’s a two-hour drive!” Liam objected.

  “So what? I’ve been here since eight. Already said goodbye to my family and had a good look around. I tell you—this place is awesome!”

  “That’s great! You can show us around then.” Liam gave her a smirk.

  “Oh, by the way—you two are sharing a room. I’ve already checked that out,” she said and grinned.

  The boys looked relieved. “We can handle that,” Dryden replied for both of them.

  They reached the stairs near the entrance to the main building and waited while their families caught up. “Nice of you to wait for us,” Liam’s mom commented dryly.

  “Sorry,” Liam said, feeling a little guilty. “We were a bit distracted.”

  “We found out we’re in the same room though,” added Dryden.

  “Well, that’s good for you two,” said Dryden’s mom. “Let’s go in and get you settled in.”

  As they entered the building, they noticed that the front entrance, though clean and well structured, it wasn’t all that elaborate. The lobby was spacious and had plenty of windows and glass doors. Directly through to the other side of the building, they could see a large, open, grassy area with huge trees and park benches.

  Hayley directed them to the side of the lobby, where a large noticeboard was hanging on the wall, and she showed them a map with a list of student names and their room numbers. It was a very large campus. They followed the instructions on the map out the back door and walked along a path that led to the building on the right. Taking the elevator up to the boys’ room, they passed many families and students, most of whom were older than Liam and his friends. The halls were long and the walls were all white, with corridors that had several doors of various bedrooms.

  Matt elbowed Liam. “Hey, bro, did ya check out those good-lookin’ geeky girls back there? Some of them aren’t too shabby!” he said and winked.

  Liam pulled away from him. “Seriously, Matt! I’m here to prove myself as a student, not to chase girls.”

  Matt chuckled. “That may be so, but ya know me—just makin’ sure ya won’t go lonely.”

  Liam scoffed. “I’m walking with my best friends to my room, and I’m even going to be sharing a room with one of them. How am I going to be lonely?”

  Matt shrugged his shoulders sheepishly.

  “We’re here!” Hayley announced.

  They entered the second-floor room, which overlooked the large, open, grassy area in the center of the campus. The room was neatly laid out with two single beds on opposite sides of the room that were on small platforms. Next to the beds were built-in dressers for their clothes. Liam raced over to the window. “I don’t mind this view,” he told the others.

  Dryden joined him at the window. “Yeah. It won’t be too bad looking at that every day.”

  “Have you seen your desks and study areas?” Hayley asked.

  “No. Where are they?” asked Dryden.

  “Here, genius,” Hayley answered, rolling her eyes. She went over to one of the beds and pulled out a desktop from underneath. “How neat is this?”

  “It’s a really good idea, actually,” Liam agreed. “I wouldn’t have thought to look there.”

  “Here you go, son.” Liam’s dad passed him his suitcase. “Here are your things.”

  “Thanks, Dad,” he said, plunking it down next to the bed he wanted.

  “Aren’t you going to unpack?” his mother asked.

  “I’ll do it later.”

  “Uh-huh,” said his mom, looking doubtful.

  “What? I will—I promise.”

  “Sure you will.” she said, while raising her eyebrows.

  “Where’s your room, Hayley?” Dryden asked, changing the subject in order to avoid the same sort of conversation with his parents.

  Hayley went over to the window an
d pointed. “See that building over there?” They looked to a building directly opposite theirs and nodded. “That’s the girls’ dormitory. ”

  “Well then, they definitely have the right idea if they have the teenage girls and the boys separated for their sleeping quarters,” Dryden’s dad said. “Especially if they want them to concentrate.”

  “Absolutely,” John agreed, and they both chuckled.

  “Oh, really?” Dryden snapped. “You have no trust in us teens at all!”

  “In a few years you’ll understand why,” Dryden’s dad said.

  Dryden grumbled while shrugging his shoulders.

  “Well, it looks like you three are all ready to settle yourselves in, or would you like us to hang around for a while to hold your hands?” Liam’s dad joked.

  “Oh, John—seriously? So quick to ditch them already?” his mom asked in protest.

  “It’s all good, Mom,” Liam assured her. “We have each other, and we’ll probably settle in better by ourselves.”

  She looked hurt. “Are you sure?”

  “Of course. Don’t worry. I’ll even Skype you tonight if you like, just to confirm that I’ve settled in okay. I won’t need it, but I will do it just for you,” he added with a grin.

  “All right,” she said and sighed. “We’ll leave you to it. But only if you promise to contact me tonight—or tomorrow, at the latest.”

  “Don’t worry. I’ll be fine,” he said. “And I will definitely contact you either tonight or tomorrow for sure.” He gave her cheeky smile. “I promise.”

  - Chapter Seven -

  The Lessons Begin

  Jayden was still in shock. “You really can’t see the school.” Amazement filled his voice.

  “No, you can’t,” Avando agreed.

  “That’s amazing! How’d you manage something like this? It’s been hidden so well, and yet a small town could almost live inside.”

  “I employed builders and architects who specialize in fabricating this natural look while still retaining all possible comforts. Not to mention the experts in technology who designed Scarlet.”

  “What a job! It would’ve been fun and rather scary, building on the other side of the ‘mountain.’” He emphasized the word mountain in a mocking tone.

  “Yes, I’m certainly glad that I didn’t have to do it. Although some people aren’t afraid of the height,” Avando added. He glanced at his watch. “Oh, goodness! Look at the time. Come now. You’ll have more time to look at other parts of this area later. We have to get you started in your classes.” He coaxed him toward the building with an arm around Jayden’s shoulders, like a father.

  They walked slowly together toward the big mountain. Jayden didn’t know which “rock” was the correct one for entry. He marveled at the natural-looking surroundings that wouldn’t have been there naturally at all. He enjoyed looking at the water, which was designed to look like a natural waterfall that flowed firstly into a lake and then down to a place near the trees. As they approached the mountain, Jayden noticed that they were headed directly toward a large, flat rock that was angled straight up and down. A rock above it sheltered it from the weather. Avando stopped in front of this rock and turned to Jayden.

  “We now need to get you signed in with Scarlet.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Well, no one can get in without first being approved by me and registered into the computer. If you go outside, you can’t get back in unless you have the proper authority, so you must sign in. It’s like an electronic key, but the computer recognizes the person entering—either by handprint, voice recognition, stored information about that person, or code words that the person has previously placed into the system.” He looked at the rock wall and said, “Scarlet!”

  “Yes, Avando?” Scarlet’s placid computer voice answered.

  “We need to add Jayden into the list of approved people who are allowed entry.”

  “Certainly, Avando. Please initiate the process.”

  Avando took Jayden’s hand and placed it into an indentation in the rock. Jayden watched with uncertainty as a light flashed across the rock under his hand.

  “This may look like just a rock, Jayden,” Avando told him. “However, it’s actually a high-tech palm scanner. It recognizes your palm and fingerprints.”

  “A palm print of the left hand has been processed. Please place the right hand on the scanner,” the lady’s calm voice requested.

  Jayden did as instructed.

  “Right palm print processed. Please state your name clearly,” Scarlet continued.

  “Jayden Jenkins.”

  “Date of birth?”

  “Fifteenth of June, 2002.”

  “Your mother’s first name and maiden name?”

  “Maria Carpenter.”

  “Another security word you wish to have on file?”

  Jayden’s mind raced. What word could he use? A memory of his childhood family pet flashed before him. It was an Australian cattle dog that he had named based on her markings and his long lost friend he consoled with many time. “Patches,” he blurted out.

  A moment passed that seemed to drag on forever, and then Scarlet said, “Thank you. Jayden Jenkins has now been accepted and will be recognized by me in the future.”

  “Thank you, Scarlet,” Avando said.

  “Yeah, thanks,” Jayden said, feeling stupid talking to a computer.

  “Jayden, why don’t you open the door?” Avando asked.

  Jayden again placed his left hand into the indentation. As he glanced at his hand in the dent, he noticed the quick flash of light that swept across his palm. A few seconds later, there was a sliding sound. Jayden jumped away from the sudden movement. There before them, the rock had pulled away to reveal an open doorway. They walked through the lobby toward the impressive marble common room that was anything but common. The area remained deserted.

  “It’s after 9:30 a.m.,” Avando said as he pulled out his smartphone and started fiddling with it. “Let’s see what your first lesson is, shall we?” He clicked a few more times and squinted at the display. “Ah, here it is. Your first lesson is…with me.” He smiled at Jayden. “Tae Kwon Do.”

  “Really?” Jayden tried to swallow the lump of self-doubt that was building in his throat. “I’m not sure if I will be very coordinated, and I’ll probably do something stupid.”

  “I doubt it. I’ve seen many dreadfully uncoordinated students do very well after a while,” Avando reassured him. “We need to put on our uniforms now—and we should do it quickly, since we’re already a little late.”

  “How will the class start without you?”

  “I have a top student in Tae Kwon Do whom I let teach lessons when I’m not there. He’s young, but he’s rather impressive. Now, your uniform is in your dresser in your room. Why don’t you hurry to go get dressed and then meet me back here as soon as possible? The uniform is the white, baggy, cotton pants and matching top, with a white belt.”

  Jayden left and hurried to his room, struggling to remember exactly where it was. The dorm setup was a bit confusing, but he knew this would only be a problem until he became more familiar with the building. He walked past the boys’ bathrooms and, yes…there it was.

  He found the white uniform Avando had described and changed into it. While doing this, he couldn’t help but look at the magnificent view of the waterfall again. He marveled not only at this amazing sight, but also at how his life had changed so much in just a few short hours. There was no way he wouldn’t try extremely hard to stay in this wonderful, safe place. He had Avando to watch over him and regular food on the table—not to mention clothing and safe housing. Even if those basic needs were the only things met, he would’ve been grateful. Jayden was still amazed that he was also in the middle of a mansion that looked like a mountain.

  He stopped his daydreaming and looked down at himself in the white, baggy uniform. He held the belt in his hand and noticed that there was no buckle. How was he supposed to do
it up? It was also extremely long. He shrugged his shoulders. With his belt in his hand, he put his shoes in the dresser and left quickly to go meet Avando back in the common room.

  Avando saw him coming and raised an eyebrow. “Couldn’t work out the belt, huh?”

  “No, sorry. No clue.”

  “Come over here, and I’ll show you how to tie it.”

  Jayden handed him the belt. “Arms up!” Jayden did as instructed. Avando tied the belt quickly while showing Jayden the steps.

  “All done. Now let’s go to your first martial arts lesson.”

  They walked through the common room with Avando’s cane clicking on the marble floor with every second step they took. Then they walked down a corridor to the room on the end at the left, where they could hear counting and grunting coming from the students who were already in the classroom.

  They entered the room at the back. At the front, there was a young guy about Jayden’s age, with short, dark hair and a thin, muscular build, who was demonstrating the moves with ease and grace. He made the most difficult moves look easy. His cotton uniform was the same as Jayden’s, except for the black trimmings around his neck and a black belt with three white stripes on both ends. The other students in the room were copying the moves he made as closely as possible. The class was filled with students of different ages, both boys and girls. Some of the students were really good, while others weren’t so skillful. Jayden noticed that the students at the front were better than the students at the back.

  “Now Jayden, when you enter your Tae Kwon Do instruction room when your teacher is present, you need to show your respect and do a slight bow—like this.” He bent over at the waist to approximately a forty-five-degree angle. “Now, you do it.”

  Jayden did as told. He felt ridiculous—but if he needed to do it, he’d do it.

  “Good. Now seeing that you’re the newest student in the class, and also the lowest belt in ranking, you’ll begin at the very back left. You’ll remain there until another new person joins the class.” Avando put a hand on Jayden’s back and directed him to the rear left side of the classroom.