Star Runners Omnibus

Chapter 11

The path led around the side of Terminus toward two smaller buildings.

“You said these are used for classrooms as well?” he asked.

“Yes, for the most part. Some are for gardening and maintenance tools, but most buildings are reserved for different classes.” Sharkey gestured forward. “The main campus consists of a circle that spans about three hundred acres. Behind the dormitory, there are fields for the physical aspect of your education.”

Austin frowned. “Fields for the physical aspect” did not sound encouraging. He knew from Nubern’s first meeting the physical requirements of enrollment with the Tizona School, but he thought they meant like a P.E. class in high school. The dormitory came into view as the cart rounded the massive Terminus Building. The dormitory was a simple two-story building with a slanted roof and stucco siding. Steel staircases led to the second floor.

The cart rolled to a stop.

“It’s quiet.”

“It’s study hall right now, as I said.” Sharkey stepped out of the cart and walked around to the back. He unhooked the strap holding Austin’s baggage. “Welcome to the dorm.”

He produced a tablet from his belt and keyed a couple screens. “You are in Room 209. Second floor at the end of the building on this side. Chow’s at six. You are expected to wear your uniform during normal school hours. You will find two uniforms in your room as well as workout attire. All other information can be found in your welcome packet. Good luck.”

Austin grabbed his two bags. Before Austin said another word, Sharkey jumped back into the cart and drove away. The back tires spit gravel on his feet.

“Thanks,” he muttered.

The sound of the cart faded as it drove out of sight. A soft wind touched his face as he took a deep breath of humid air. He glanced to his right at the side of the Terminus Building. On the top floor, a face peered out of a window.

Austin held his hand up to block the sun. For a moment, he thought a blonde girl stared out the window at him. When he squinted, he saw only the sky’s reflection.

He shrugged, adjusted his grip on the bags, and stepped toward the dormitory.

Two small beds fit into the room. Posters decorated the wall closest to the window. One poster showed baseball fields around the country and another an altered photograph of a tidal wave hitting the Golden Gate Bridge. An alarm clock blinked on the side table. A hot breeze blew in from the window as Austin set his bags on the bed.

His side of the room was vacant. His study area had been recently cleaned, the smell of bleach filling the air. A yellowish light flickered to life above his desk. Bulletin boards flanked his desk. In between the two study desks, his roommate had already taken his half of the closet. Austin glanced at the clothing hanging neatly inside. A dark blue suit hung on the far side of the closet. He pulled it out and examined it. The coverall was the dark Tizona blue with a white stripe down the left pant leg and a silver sword on the breast pocket.

He placed what few clothes he brought into the closet.

After finishing, Austin opened his school bag with pencils, pens, notebooks, and all the other ingredients required for school.

“Austin,” a familiar voice called from the hallway.

He turned. Jonathan Nubern stood in the doorway. He was dressed much differently than their first encounter when he’d worn a business suit. He wore the same one-piece blue coverall Austin had in his closet and a hat covered his salt and pepper hair. He looked like a member of the SWAT team. A lanyard hung from his neck with three identification badges attached. A clipboard rested in his left hand, and a tablet blinked at his belt.

“Mr. Nubern, I didn’t know you would be here today.”

“Yes? Well, here I am,” he said in the nonsense-free tone he had used during their first meeting. “You are the last recruit for this class. Given that the rest of the students have been here three days, and they have already had the benefit of orientation, you get the private tour. Be downstairs in your uniform in five minutes. We have a lot to do if we plan to make chow by six. Move it!”

Nubern left.

Austin stood in silence for a moment, unsure of how to react to Nubern’s greeting. He tossed his school bag on the desk and closed the door as he changed into the Tizona blue suit. The coverall fit perfectly. He checked the various pockets: two on each arm, four on the torso, two on each leg. He grabbed two pencils and put them in his breast pocket. He tucked the information packet under his arm and hurried down the hall. Nubern stood with his back to him, studying the tablet in his hand.

“Let’s have a look around. As we go on this little tour, ask any questions. Don’t be shy.”

“Yes, sir.”

Nubern nodded and walked toward the Terminus Building. “A lot of what I’m going to tell you can be found in your information packet, but I’m going to hit the highlights you must not forget. First of all, I’m your official mentor. All students are assigned mentors for their education at Tizona. Since all of the other mentors have already been assigned, I have been assigned to you. My purpose is to help you get acclimated to college and the Tizona lifestyle, understood?”

“Understood,” Austin said, hurrying to keep up with Nubern.

Nubern spun around and faced the dormitory. “Behind your dorm, you will find the athletic fields. You should utilize them to keep up with the physical requirements. You are required to be at chow by six in the morning, so the athletic fields are popular at four or five. Be careful, though, as you are not admitted to chow after six-fifteen. Classes start at seven and continue for most of the day. You have your schedule in your packet?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Good, I would study that tonight and be sure you aren’t late on your first day. Your instructors are already going to be annoyed you have showed up on day four of classes.” He spun back around toward the Terminus Building. “Let’s check out Terminus, shall we?”

The gravel crunched under their feet.

“When you say you are my mentor, are you talking about classes?”

“I’m not a tutor, nor should you expect me to be. I am merely your guide. Many aspects of the school will seem strange at first. I would recommend following the rules to the letter during your first few weeks until it becomes second nature. Soon, you will not even be thinking about the rules.”

They stepped up a stone staircase and Nubern propped open the door.

Inside, the shining marble floor reflected the light. It looked similar to the main gate building where he had left Mom. A sense of sadness fell over him as he considered Mom driving back by herself. He should email her.

“There are fifty-eight students in your class, including yourself,” Nubern continued in a softer voice. Even after lowering his voice, it echoed in the silent hallways. “Terminus has twenty different classrooms. The third floor is for special instruction and labs. There are other rooms you will be introduced to as you advance in your studies.”

“Is there a computer lab?”

“Computers are available in two labs on the third floor and in the common area, where I am taking you right now. All labs are equipped so students may compete in LAN tournaments whenever time permits.”

Austin blinked. They encouraged local area network tournaments?

He glanced in the classrooms as they passed. In each room, a dozen students wearing the same Tizona blue uniform listened to a teacher’s lecture. One teacher used an interactive digital board to show a microscopic view of cells splitting. The second teacher was administering a test. Already?

“Keep up, Recruit,” Nubern snapped from the end of the hall.

Austin increased his stride. “Sorry, sir.”

Nubern led him into an open area where dozens of personal study areas were lined up in neat rows. Each desk had a computer, a light, and a cup of pencils. Built-in bookshelves lined the walls. The ceiling stretched thirty feet above the floor. Massive windows filled the room with the afternoon light.

“This is great,” Austin said.

“The Terminus Common Area. If you have a break between classes, this is an adequate place to spend that break.” Nubern gestured to the walls. “The books on the walls may not leave this room, but they will help you with your study. The computers are also available for your use. Your login information is available in your packet. Any questions?”

He shrugged. “I don’t think so.”

“Good.” He looked at his watch. “Chow’s in fifteen minutes. That time is yours.” He pointed out the front door. “Chow hall is just outside to the left of the Grand Lawn.”

“That’s the circle of grass in front of Terminus?”

“Yes.” He offered his hand. “It’s a pleasure to have you here, Recruit.”

“Thank you, sir.”

Nubern turned and marched down the hall, his footsteps echoing in the common area. Austin stared at the ceiling and then strolled along the bookshelves, studying the different titles and authors. He sat in front of one of the computers and logged in using the information in his packet.

A browser opened, and a red screen flashed with a white font, warning all Internet activity is recorded on campus. He clicked “I understand” and logged into his personal email. He wrote his Mom a quick email to check in and let her know everything was going fine. Then, he keyed in Kadyn’s address.

Hey Kadyn,

How’s it going? You enjoying Savannah?

I’m getting situated here at my new school. I’m not too far from you. Only a couple hours. Not sure when we get a break here, but I’ll let you know. It’s a weird place, seems very serious and full of rules, but at least I made it to college. That’s all I ever wanted. I don’t think they have a baseball team. HA!

Let me know how classes are going when you get a chance. It would be great to hear from you.

Pretty crazy to think this time last year we were seniors. Time flies.

Anyway, I have to get going to make sure I have time for dinner. Take care of yourself.

Austin

Voices droned on the other side of the green door.

Austin opened the mess hall door. Four long tables sat side-by-side the length of the hall, each filled with students downing food as they spoke. One student near the door laughed as the guy next to him shot milk out of his nose. The students at the table nearest the door glanced up at Austin’s approach. He looked away, but soon all eyes in the room fell on him.

He offered a smile before strolling across the room to the buffet line. Clouds of steam erupted from the kitchen door as staff dumped food onto a massive receptacle. Austin grabbed a roll, some green beans, and a hot dog before he rushed back to an empty table near the front of the room.

Staring at his food, Austin ate in silence as the room buzzed with conversation.

“You ready for that test next week?” one student called to another.

“It’s the first one. How hard could it be?”

“Sterling will be out of here by Christmas.”

With zingers flying across the room like paper airplanes and spitballs, it didn’t seem much different than the cafeteria at his high school. He felt the tension ease from his shoulders as he finished the last bite of the hot dog and washed it down with some milk.

“Attention!”

A hush fell over the mess hall.

Austin glanced around. A man in a sleek business suit stood in the doorway, flanked by Chief Sharkey and another security officer Austin hadn’t met. The broad-shouldered newcomer with a tight flat top marched into the mess hall. He studied the room with confidence, surveying each table as he rubbed a graying goatee. When his eyes fell on Austin, the man clapped his hands once.

“Now that we are all finally here,” he announced in a solid, booming voice, “we can begin.”

Several students nearest Austin looked at him with widened eyes.

“The rest of you have been here three days now. I hope you are getting acclimated to the Tizona culture.” The man clasped his hands behind his back and strolled between the tables. “My name is Lovick Pierce and I am the president of this institution. It is my duty to ensure you all receive the best education in order to prepare you for what’s to come. Only the best and the brightest graduate from Tizona. I want you to look around this room.”

Austin raised his eyes from the empty plate. A girl stared at him from another table. Her eyes darted away. Did he know her?

“We have a total of fifty-eight students here at this very moment,” President Pierce said. “It is an average class for us and you may think it is small. Well, Recruits, it will only get smaller from here. At least half of you will be gone by the end of the semester. Some will quit, while others will be asked to leave and finish up the semester at a location away from this campus. I implore you to not waste our time or yours.”

The girl looked at him again, but she didn’t turn away this time. She wore her platinum blonde hair back in a tight ponytail, and her eyes were the color of an autumn sky. She grinned and sipped on her drink.

“Should you want to leave, I ask you to go to the statue of the sword past the lawn. Place your hand on the hilt of the sword and Security Chief Sharkey, whom I believe you all have met at one time or another, will be there shortly to meet you. Neither you or your family will be charged for your time here at Tizona.”

Pierce stopped at the front of the room and leaned against one of the buffet tables. “But,” he said in a much softer voice, “if you decide to stay, if you decide this school has something to offer, if you decide greatness and honor are part of your future, then I welcome you.”

He stood with outstretched arms. “I welcome you!”

Pierce took another look over the room. Austin met his gaze. Pierce smiled and marched between the tables, his eyes fixed on the door. When he stepped out of the mess hall, the groan of conversation resumed.

Austin looked back to the table with the blonde. She stood and walked out.

The shadows grew long across the Grand Lawn as Austin prepared to spend his first night at Tizona. Insects crackled. A cool breeze drifted from the swamp as the temperature subsided.

Austin thrust his hands in his pockets and strolled across the gravel path between the Grand Lawn and Terminus. Lights flickered on from various floors. Students filing out of the mess hall scattered in different directions. Four guys tossed a football while the majority walked toward Terminus. One guy challenged others to a LAN party, but some rejected the idea in favor of studying.

Austin headed back to his room.

As he passed by the different dorm rooms with their doors open, he saw students lounging on their beds with their noses stuck in books, laptops, or tablets. Across from his room, a guy with curly blond hair wearing nothing but socks and boxers sat in a beanbag chair on the floor. He was playing a console game on a small television sitting on top of egg crates.

“‘Sup!” he called without turning from the video game.

“Hey,” Austin said. He lingered in the hallway before shuffling into his room.

He unzipped his uniform down to the stomach and sighed, collapsing in his chair. He flipped through the packet. His first class, calculus, started at eight in the morning followed by biology and cartography. Lunch would follow and the afternoon was booked with physics, astronomy, and physical training.

Weird schedule, he thought and rolled his neck around on his shoulders.

“Uh, hello?”

Austin turned. A student who appeared years younger than Austin stood in the doorway and stared back through thick black-rimmed glasses.

“Yes?”

“I’m Stetson Levien, and this is my room,” he said, pushing his glasses back up the bridge of his nose.

“Oh, hey, I’m Austin Stone.” He stood and offered his hand. Stetson shook it, his grip soft and lifeless. “I guess I’m your roommate.”

“Ah, I guess you are.” Stetson shuffled to his desk.

The guy carried a blue laptop case tucked under his arm. He unhooked the case and produced a state-of-the-art computer with slick neon green stripes and colorful stickers on the back. He started the computer and sat as it booted.

Austin stood in the center of their room, unsure if Stetson was finished speaking. Finally he shrugged and sat at his desk.

“Damn it!” the student yelled from across the hall, tossing his controller across the room.

Stetson sighed and stood. He walked to the door and turned back to Austin. “You mind if I close the door?”

“No, it’s cool.”

“Thanks. Curt does this every night.”

“That’s Curt across the hall?”

Stetson nodded and sat at the laptop. “Curt Osby. He’s a jock. He won’t last at this school if he plays games every night.”

“Yeah, I was looking at my schedule. Seems tough.”

Stetson shrugged. “It’s not too bad if you study. The PT is the toughest.”

“PT?”

“Physical Training. It’s worse than PE back in school.”

“Where you from?”

“Nashville. You?”

“Around Atlanta.”

“Oh.” Stetson turned back to his computer.

Flipping through the welcome packet, Austin paused on the letter from President Pierce. The professional profile photo showed Pierce in front of the blue Tizona symbol. “What’s the deal with our school president?”

“He hasn’t said much that didn’t sound like a sales pitch, honestly. He likes the Tizona.”

“What? The school?”

“The Tizona. It’s the name of the sword you see everywhere.”

“Ah, right.” Austin nodded. He studied the school map and found all of his classes except for astronomy and physical training took place in the Terminus Building. “Any advice for my first day?”

“Don’t be late,” Stetson said without delay, “and be quiet.”

“Fair enough,” he said with a sigh. He noticed a familiar load screen on Stetson’s computer. “You play Star Runners online?”

Stetson shifted in his seat. “Yes. Will it bother you?”

“Not at all. I love that game. I’ll miss it.”

Stetson grinned. “You can play when you want. I’m glad you like this game. I can give you some tips. I’ve just started playing on the elite server.”

Austin returned the smile. “I’d like that.”