Alex Armstrong: Awakening (18 page)

“That’s it?!”

The look on her face made him recoil. “No. I mean—I don’t know. Just give me time to think about it and then we can talk. I hadn’t thought of any of those questions.”

“Of course you hadn’t.” She pushed away from the table and walked out of the Dining Hall.

“Eva, wait.” But it was too late. She never looked back.

“What’s her problem?” Patrick said.

“I gave the wrong answers,” Alex said. He closed his eyes and rubbed his temples. “But what the hell was she thinking? Did she really have it in her mind that I was gonna sit here and have that conversation in front of you guys? She should know me better than that.”

“Doesn’t matter now, man. You better apologize. Now.”

“Jesus.” Alex yanked his phone off the table and ran out the door.

“So why is she so pissed?” Patrick said.

“Seriously? Come on, man. She’s thinking they’re gonna take Alex away from her. She likes him.”

“That’s such a girl thing. They’re always stuck in the hypothetical,” Patrick said. He popped another piece of bacon.

“You have a lot to learn about women,” Nate said.

“
He
does. I’ve got em all figured out. You wanna know what I think? I think Eva’s probably on her period. A box of chocolates and some flowers and she’d be just fine.”

“Like I said.”

“Eva!” Alex had run all the way from the DH. They were almost to Hope Hall.

“Not now, Alex.” She kept her head down and kept walking.

“Eva, I’m sorry. I’m an idiot. I didn’t mean to upset you.”

She stopped walking, and for a moment Alex thought that this would all end in a big hug. Maybe even a kiss. Something movie-worthy. Instead, she turned without a word and marched up the steps and went inside, the blue door slamming behind her.

18 - Simtest

18

Simtest

“Gentlemen.”

“Good morning, Chris. When did you get in?”

“Last night. Late.”

“How is he?”

President Joyce shook his head. “Gone. Passed away in the afternoon.”

“Probably for the best. He would’ve been a vegetable with those injuries.”

“Try telling that to his wife and children.”

There was a long pause as the three of them sat there drinking their coffee.

“We identified the suspect.”

“And?”

“Roka. And he was alone.”

Another pause.

“I never…‌I should’ve seen it. There must have been signs.”

“There were no signs, Bill. No one could have predicted that he’d turn. Davarian…‌Davarian can be very persuasive.”

“Are there others?”

“If there are others, they’re lower in the pecking order. Roka is Davarian’s right hand.”

“And now he’s going on missions alone. He’s come a long way since the Workshire.”

The two others grunted in agreement.

“How many are left?”

“Including me?”

“Including you.”

“Five.”

“And they know, of course?”

“Of course. I’ve assigned a team of Palkins to each of them.”

“What about you?”

“I don’t need protection.”

“Chris—”

“That’s not up for discussion.”

He shook his head and popped a handful of gum.

“What do you say we change subjects? Did you ever watch the video of his lab?”

“I did. Most impressive. Did you patch the hole in the wall?”

“A few weeks ago.”

“Good. Lucky you didn’t hit a monitor. Marc, I’ve noticed that he’s doing better in self-defense.”

“Correct. He’s not as gifted as his friend, but he can hold his own.”

“He won’t need to be as gifted as his friend. Still, it’s nice to see that he’s taking things seriously.”

“When are you going to speak to him?”

“Today, if all goes well.”

“Why wouldn’t it? Are you expecting something to go wrong?”

“No, not in the least. I just make it a point to never take anything for granted.”

“So if all goes well, do we keep him on an accelerated program?”

“Yes. If we put him on a normal trajectory I fear that his mind will grow stagnant and his talent may go to waste. But if we do this right, and we keep pushing him every step of the way, then Alex has the potential to be the most powerful telekin in the world.” He took a sip of his coffee. “And in light of recent events, I think we’re going to need his help sooner rather than later.”

The professors exchanged glances.

He looked at his watch. “Bill, I think it’s time you and I get moving.”

“I told her to meet me in my office.”

“Good.” He pushed away from the table. “Marc, we’ll see you shortly. I hope you’ve been practicing.”

****

Alex stood at the base of the mountain at the northern edge of campus and looked up. Nestled amongst the oaks, halfway to the mountaintop, was Palkin Hall. He could just make out the shrubbery growing atop its roof. He took a swig of water and started the long walk.

The path began as trampled grass but turned into mostly dirt as it wound deeper into the shadows. After a while, Alex became aware of his own breathing. He stopped moving. It was quiet. Isolated. Somewhere to his right, a squirrel scratched its way up a tree. Alex felt like an outsider. He silenced his phone and his tablet and continued walking.

He reached the end of the path and the beginning of the stone steps and stood staring at the small building. It looked like some long-abandoned holy place with its vine-covered marble exterior and iron-studded wooden door. Alex took one more swig of water and tucked the bottle into his backpack and started climbing.

He stood just outside the door. Every now and then he would catch a whiff of varnish. He took one last look down the side of the mountain and walked inside.

There was nothing natural about this place. The smell was artificial. Digital. Like the television section of an electronics store. The walls to his left and right were alive with brightly colored fish darting in and out of purple and pink coral reefs. He zeroed in on a pair of seahorses drifting with the current.

“I find them relaxing.”

Alex turned and saw Melissa sitting behind a desk at the opposite wall. That and her chair were the only pieces of furniture in the room.

“The little pufferfish is my favorite,” Melissa said, pointing to her left. She pushed a button on her monitor and it blew up like a balloon.

Alex laughed. He tried to hold eye contact as he approached her desk but he couldn’t help glancing at the red door.

“Oh, don’t worry about that just yet,” she said, waving it off. She half-stood and extended her hand. “Good morning, Alex.”

“Good morning. Kinda lonely up here, isn’t it?”

“Very. That’s why I turn the walls on.” She smiled. “So how are you? Your haircut still looks good. And your eyes…‌they look very blue under water.”

Melissa had trimmed his hair two weekends ago. She usually set up shop on the Student Center porch. “Thanks. I’ve been okay. Nervous about this thing.”

“Oh, I have a hard time believing that. From what I hear, the amazing Alex Armstrong doesn’t get nervous.”

He just shook his head.

“It’s true! I’ve heard them talk. Your classmates look at you like a celebrity.”

“It’s embarrassing,” he said, his cheeks turning red.

“Only because you’re shy,” Melissa said, smiling. After a pause, she asked: “So how’s Eva?”

Alex felt his cheeks grow warmer. He rubbed the back of his neck. “She’s…‌fine.”

“Oh, my. That didn’t sound very convincing. Don’t tell me the stories are true. You two are my favorite couple on campus.”

“Stories? There are stories?”

“Sure there are. It’s a small campus.” She leaned forward. “So, are you guys fighting?”

“No! No, nothing like that. She’s just not talking to me…‌or returning my texts. I made her mad a couple days ago in the DH.”

“And how’d you do that?”

“Because I can’t read minds.”

Melissa laughed.

“Seriously! I’ve thought about this a lot the last few days, and I’ve come to the conclusion that the only way this could’ve been avoided is if I had read her mind. I mean, it’s not like I tried to piss her off. I swear, I think I’d be better off as a telepath. At least that way I’d understand women.”

Melissa’s laugh turned high-pitch. “Oh, that’s too funny. But you better be careful what you wish for. Most men would go a little bit crazy if they always knew what we were thinking. It’s frightening the amount of things we have on our plates, both real and imagined.”

“I guess. I’m just hoping she comes around before the year’s over.”

“Something tells me she will,” Melissa said. “I know I always did.” She glanced at her monitor’s display. “Oh, look at the time. May I see your arm?”

“My what?”

“Your arm.”

“Why?”

“Your left arm, please.”

Alex looked around wondering if anyone else was hearing this. Just the fish. He shrugged and offered his arm like some wannabe falconer.

Melissa clasped his wrist just below his watch and before Alex could squirm away she drew what looked like a miniature nail gun from the desk and pressed the nozzle against his forearm. The only sound was the little plastic
click
of the trigger.

“Ouch!” It felt like he’d been pinched by someone with long fingernails. “What was that?”

“I implanted your arm with a tiny electric capsule that contains all of your vital information.” She removed the backing from a flesh-colored bandage and placed it over the puncture, flattening a little blood bubble. “And I’m sorry about the surprise, but I’ve done quite a few of these and I’ve found that there’s less anxiety if I just go through with it without much warning.”

Alex rubbed his thumb over the bandage. “What’s it for?”

Melissa motioned to the red door. “That capsule is the only way in there.”

“So all freshmen get this thing?”

“If they want to graduate.”

Alex looked at the door. His jaw was clenching.

“The capsule’s already active. All you have to do is approach the door. Just leave your backpack here on the desk.”

Alex did as he was told and when he was within three feet of the red metal door there was a single
beep
and a panel slid out of the way to expose a display and keypad. He turned around and looked at Melissa.

“Hold your arm against the screen.”

Alex placed his arm on the display. It was warm. It pulsed white and then turned green.

“Now bend over so your eyes are level with the screen and stay still while the system scans your retinas.”

“What is this, Fort Knox?”

Melissa smiled. “Go on.”

Alex leaned forward and forced his eyes to stay open as the scanner did its work. The screen turned green again, this time accompanied by the same pleasing tone that preceded the captain’s voice on an airplane. The red door slid to the side and Alex felt a rush of cool air. He turned to Melissa. She was standing at her desk.

“Good luck, Alex.”

“Any last words of wisdom?”

“Just trust your instincts. And have fun. That’s what Chris would tell you.”

He stepped into the short hallway and the red door
whished
closed behind him.

****

The brushed aluminum of an elevator door capped the end of the hallway. Halfway there and to the left was an alcove with a widescreen monitor. Alex stopped and looked at the screen.

He smiled at someone’s decision to use four exclamation marks. He touched the arrow on the far side of the monitor.

Alex swiped across the screen looking for more information but none was offered. He reread the words, hoping to discover a clue hidden within the text. Nothing. He felt like he was about to face some big boss character for the first time in a videogame, blind and without a strategy. It didn’t escape him that his character usually died in that first go-round. Oh well. Sometimes he got lucky. He walked into the elevator. Inside were only two buttons,
UPPER
and
LOWER.
He pressed the latter and leaned against the back wall. Ten seconds of travel time and he reached bottom.

Ding

The elevator door opened to a room the size of an airplane hangar. All Alex could do was stand there blinking. The floor was a hard-packed street filled with debris and oil and piss and blood. War-torn buildings lined the walls, their ragged curtains blowing in the wind. Little swirls of sand rose from the rooftops. The only respite from the overwhelming presence of yellow was the sky, stark blue save for the fading tendrils of missile smoke.

Alex stepped onto the playing field and instantly a nearby glass tile rose from the floor, the metal framework underneath telescoping higher and higher until it touched the ceiling. He watched a dozen more do the same thing, so that columns were now spaced irregularly down the length of the street.

“Welcome to the Middle East!”

Alex noticed the platform halfway up the far wall. Professor Sonnier stood there smacking his gum. Below the platform was the exit door, its frame glowing white with fluorescent light.

“These are the largest displays of their kind,” Sonnier said, spreading his arms. “It can be overwhelming the first time…‌especially this simulation. You see the remains of that helicopter?” He pointed to his right. A mangled heap of twisted black metal sat smoking between buildings. “I was in there moments before the rocket took it down. Three dead.” He stopped chewing and stared at the wreckage.

“Five minutes,” he said, turning back to Alex. “You’ll have five minutes to reach the exit once the simulation begins. The timer will be located here on the back wall.” He placed his tablet into the case at the top of the railing and his fingers danced across the screen. Something powered to life on the floor below. “Be mindful of the floor display as you make your way to the exit. Hazards are to be treated as such. One wrong step and the test is over.