They finally arrived in front of the big doors at the end of the corridor. Two of the guards opened them and Pat walked inside of the room, the third guard on his tail. The room was really large, with a high ceiling and screens everywhere. Whether it was the fake windows on the walls, displaying a bright and sunny day, or the screens of the surveillance cameras all over the school. Pat walked to a big desk in the back of the room. Behind the desk, sitting in a large leather chair, was a fairly intimidating man. Large muscular build hidden by a neat and tidy suit and tie, fitting with a completely clean-shaven face, showing all the years of stress and authority the man had faced in the establishment. He lifted his gaze from the book he was reading on his tablet, and frowned.
“What is it?” he said in a low and raspy voice.
The guard that had stayed with Pat pushed him forward with his gun. “This student has an old tracker.”
Pat stayed silent. He should've changed his tracker when he had the chance. Now what kind of punishment was he going to receive for what he did?
The principal stepped out of his chair and moved closer to Pat. He pushed his head to the side to expose his neck, and brought up his tablet pen to it to touch the tracker. He tapped it lightly, then looked up at Pat. “A 380-Z tracker? What are you doing with this, young man..?” He looked at the number on the boy's jacket, and looked back at him. “You're the student who got transferred this year, Number 52?” Pat nodded nervously, not saying anything by fear that he'd say something that would aggravate his already severe situation. The principal stared at the tracker a bit more before taking a few steps back and letting go of the boy's neck. “Is it in perfect working condition?” Pat nodded. “Yes sir!”
The principal snapped his fingers a few times and turned to the guard. “Bring me a tracking tablet, I need to check something.” The guard quickly took out his tablet from his pocket and handed it to the principal. The man turned it on and searched for Pat's number. “Well, it looks like it's working properly…” the man gave the tablet back to the guard and stared at Pat. “But tell me… why didn't you change it each year, like the protocol says?” Pat looked down in shame. He felt so bad, and wished he could just disappear or turn back time so that he could change his tracker before he got caught. “It… it still worked so well, and there was a year where they changed the trackers… a bit later than usual… and… m-my tracker was still working correctly…”
The principal raised an eyebrow. “Where was your old school, 52?”
“N-New Montreal, s-sir…”
The man looked at the guard in shock. “That's… very interesting. New Montreal is notorious for having very poorly managed schools... And what made you change schools again? Was it… because of something that happened in your old city..?” his gaze made the boy very nervous, as if he was staring right into his soul and planting knives into it.
Pat gasped in horror, understanding what the principal was getting to. “N-no sir!!! My family is very loyal!! My father simply found another job… a-and after a small Gemoid rebellion near the school, we all agreed it was safer to go somewhere else…”
The principal frowned. “What did you think about this rebellion?”
Pat gasped. “What a silly question! I thought it was a very stupid decision of those creatures to try and… s-scare us like that!”
The principal frowned more and tilted his head. “Where do your loyalties lie, 52?”
Pat could feel the atmosphere in the room get colder and more intimidating. He felt cold sweat roll down his forehead. “M-my loyalties lie with The King, sir!!” He said loudly, saluting, his breathing shallow and fast. He had never been suspected of anything before. He didn't realize just how terrifying it was.
The principal nodded and lifted his head up. “Good.” He patted the boy's shoulder in reassurance. “I wasn't really suspecting you, don't worry. It's just standard protocol.”
Pat sighed in relief and relaxed his muscles a bit. “It seems that everything is fine with you after all. You may go back to class, young man.” The principal waved his hand in the direction of the door as he walked back to his desk, the guard pushing a bit on Pat's back to make him walk back outside.
When Pat came back to his table, he saw that someone else had taken a seat besides him. Long brown hair tied in a bun, a bit of hair on his caramel skin, a bit chubby. It was the guy who asked a very odd question to their teacher during the very first period. Pat sat down and looked at both Jane and the new guy. Jane smiled innocently and looked at the guy. “Hey, Pat!” She said happily. “Did you actually go in the principal's office?”
He nodded, and she make a scared face. “Whoa, what was it like? Are you gonna get expelled?” The guy next to Pat leaned over and scoffed. “You can't get expelled because of something like this. Unless you're a spy or a traitor, they won't expel you.” He lifted his hand up and shook Pat's. “I'm Ludoviko by the way, nice to meet you.”
Pat smiled. “I’m Patrick, and likewise.”
He heard Jane snort in the background. “So, you're the one who asked that question this morning to the teacher.” he smirked. “I’ve been wondering… why did you ask that?” Jane moved closer to Pat and whispered in his ear. “He's a conspiracy freak.” She laughed quietly and Pat raised an eyebrow. “Well, I was just wondering. I've heard Gemoids talk with each other before and-” he placed a hand on his tracker, hiding the microphone. “They did seem intelligent.” He said quietly, then looked down and shrugged. “Well, apparently I was wrong. Seems like we're the only true intelligent species on this planet, huh?” Ludoviko turned around and started eating his meal. Jane tugged on Pat's sleeve and he turned to face her. “He sat there because there was no other place where he could sit, also… what kind of person would I be to not let him sit here, y'know?” she widened her eyes to put emphasis on her words, a way to let Pat know she didn't really want Ludoviko to sit with her. Pat sighed and took a bite from his food, then turned back to the guy. “Well, I'm sure we'll get along just fine. You seem like a pretty interesting guy!” He gave the man a little pat on the shoulder. A fight was something he really didn't want to happen so early in school. And when he thought about it, Ludoviko was right to try and search for signs of intelligent life elsewhere. From his point of view, finding another civilization could potentially help their own civilization develop and get stronger and more powerful.
Ludoviko poked Pat’s shoulder, and the boy turned around. “I heard our teacher has a book about this school. Maybe you could get it?” Pat frowned slightly. “Why do you want me to have this book?” Ludoviko looked to the side. “You’re new at school, and I've heard that this book is a great way to know everything about this place, and well, the teacher really respects you, I've seen that he really likes it when you ask questions and stuff…”
Pat nodded. “Alright, I'll get it if you want.”
Ludoviko smiled shyly and they both got back to eating.
****
The bell rang and the students got up from their desks, taking tablet and pen and placing them back in their bags. Pat stood up and walked to the teacher, who was writing something on his tablet. “M-Mr. Vilhemo?”
The man looked up from his work and smiled. “Aaahhhhh! 52! You know I love the questions you ask, always so interesting! What is your question today?”
Pat looked around. “I-I would like to know… a bit more about this school. Since I'm new here, I want to be able to know as much as the other students…”
The teacher's eye brightened. “The school you say? Why that is a great thing to ask me, my friend!” Mr. Vilhemo stood up and walked to his closet, opening it and taking out a book from a small bookshelf. He walked back graciously to his desk and gave the book to Pat. “I didn't know you were interested in this school, or even just books! Kids these days, with their tablets and technology are too caught up in the present to think about the past, I say. If you ever want more books, I'll be happy to help you!” He smiled. Pat smiled back and walked back to the door. “Thank you! I'll take note of this!”
The door shut silently and Pat walked through the now empty corridors of the school. A noise made him jump and he quickly turned around, but sighed when he realized that it was just a Gemoid cleaning the floor. Pat walked through the doors of the school and stepped outside. The sun was already setting, letting the large moon slowly emerge from the horizon, lighting up the quiet city with it's comforting rays and imposing presence. Pat took at glance up at the star-filled sky, smiling softly to himself. There was always this magic to looking at the stars, those millions of lights so far away yet so close, illuminating the dark blue velvet of the cosmos like gentle and restless fireflies, and knowing that in each of those stars was a solar system just like theirs, yet to be discovered. Pat had heard legends of ancient humans who explored galaxies and discovered countless star systems, found alien life and spread the message of peace to them. He wished that one day maybe he could do that too. That one day he could be the one to explore the universe and make those legends come true.
He arrived to his house and pushed on the door bell. The door stayed close, and he assumed his parents were still not back from work. He picked on the lock button and the eye scanner popped up. He quickly scanned his eye and the door opened with a beep.
As soon as Pat entered the house, he was greeted by his maid. The Gemoid bowed. “Welcome home master. How was school today?” Pat stared into the creature’s yellow eyes as he gave him his bag, then sighed, walking to the dining room’s table and sitting on a chair. “This school is so weeeeeeiiiird. Those guys acted nice with me!” He looked up at the Gemoid with a helpless face. “And the teachers aren't at all like my friends at my old school told me!!!” He slammed his face on the table. “Hey OB-7?” The Gemoid looked down. “Y-yes m-master?”
“Why is everyone so scared of this place?” He turned his face around.
The Gemoid shrugged, playing with his antenna on the top of his head. “W-well, it might be because of the King?”
Pat sighed and stood up, taking out the book he had gotten from the school. “Whatever, it's not like you'd know anyways… you're just a Gemoid…”
OB-7 stayed silent. “Would you like any tea, master?”
Pat nodded as he opened the book and OB-7 walked in the kitchen. It was the first time he actually touched a book before. He had never seen any in real life before, usually the stories and texts he'd read would be on his tablet. Pat gently, and almost religiously caressed the white pages, feeling every bumps and scratches on them, taking in the delicious smell of the old paper, that could have once been described as nostalgic, but for him, this was an entirely new experience.
He slowly turned the page and started reading. The book mostly talked about how the school was founded, and how it was the most secure and respected establishment of the whole country.
“Whoa, I didn't know it had that good of a reputation…” Pat said out loud, cursing himself for not staying up to date with news and stories, realizing that people all over his old school did talk about the school in City 0, that one famous school, the school where each year The King himself would visit, the school notorious for having Gemoid workers inside the building and being able to control them.
Because, as he was reading, he realized that School 0, despite it's very unoriginal name, was probably the best school he had ever been in.
High security, not that many students, small classes of around 20 students with only one teacher for each class. According to the conversations he overheard during lunch, the other classes also had great teachers.
Very strict rules, any transgressions was punished severely. Longer lunch periods to let the students decompress but also long school hours, to maximize learning time.
And the Gemoids. God only knows how they were able to keep them tamed like that. Pat did see that each of them had a collar on their necks, and he wondered if that was how those creatures were all so obedient. Maybe controlled shocks or tasers.
The door opened and Pat jumped and closed his book, shoving it into his bag. OB-7 stopped making the tea and walked to the front door, as Pat took out his tablet and quickly opened it, as if he was just doing some studying. Footsteps grew closer and Pat looked down, recognizing the familiar taps on the floor.
“Welcome home master.”
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