“Nani, why do we have to live here? Why can’t we go anywhere else?”
Garai strolled through the Academy’s spacious courtyard alongside Nerani. The air was warm with spring. Lazy clouds drifted across the sky, ambling along as if accompanying Garai and Nerani on their walk. The mountains that surrounded the cleverly hidden Academy complex were regaining their color after a long and bitter winter. Snow only remained on their peaks, high above.
“Now why do you ask that, Garai?” Nerani asked inquisitively, “Do you not like it here?”
Garai considered his words, struggling to explain what he was asking. “I do like it here. But why can’t we go anywhere else?”
Nerani took a long, slow breath. Placing a hand on Garai’s shoulder, he answered in a compassionate and even voice.
“One day Garai, you will learn why we cannot leave. When you are older, when you can understand.”
Garai’s small face bunched up as he thought hard. “But why not now?”
“Always why,” Nerani chuckled. He did not answer immediately, but instead led Garai to a bench in the shade of a grizzled and crooked Cottonwood, near the center of the courtyard’s ring. Scattered around them were various Mentors and their students. Mentors used the open space of the courtyard to teach their students the arts. Music, gardening and meditation occupied most. Questions were encouraged, and Mentors were happy to teach on subjects that their young students were curious about.
Garai looked up at Nerani as the old man spoke. “There are lessons you must learn first, many of which I cannot teach you. Such it is with much in life. You must learn this.” They fell silent, Garai’s limitless questions forestalled for a moment. A breeze stirred the leaves of the tree, causing several to lose their grip and tumble down. “Garai, never stop asking questions. Questions lead us forward, they teach us and shape us, and can make us better. But be wary of the answers that come with them. You may not like an answer, but you must always be ready for that outcome. For often it is the answers that we do not like that we most need to hear.”
“Okay Nani.”
The old man smiled. Garai was quiet and introspective. He asked much about the whys of the world, and the depth of his comprehension at such a young age surprised Nerani. For the six years that Nerani had been charged with Garai’s instruction and care he had been content to let Garai discover and question subjects at his own pace. Nerani held no ambition over Garai but that which the boy himself wanted to achieve. The subtleties of Garai’s interests were unusual in comparison to the other students Nerani had encounters with. He was always conscious of people, their needs, their mood and what to say to disarm or please them. In his youth it was benign, but Nerani knew that if it continued to develop it would make him a compelling leader.
Much of their free time was spent walking the Academy grounds, deep in conversation. They both enjoyed the ritual, but Garai all the more. The boy was enthralled with nature, many times Nerani would catch him staring with wonder at the majestic crown of peaks that surrounded the Academy. Nerani knew the location of the Academy was chosen out of the necessity of privacy and not ill pursued vanity, however it could be said that the functional defense of the natural mountain fortress was also its most beautiful asset.
The patter of footsteps rapidly approaching caught Nerani’s attention long before he heard a young voice shout “Garai!” They both turned to see a boy running toward them, tailed more slowly by his Mentor. Nerani recognized the child as Osaze and his Mentor, Aharon. Garai’s face lit up with excitement when he saw Osaze. The two were close friends and had been since they had met in their early years at the Academy.
Osaze was dark-skinned and excitable, quite the contrast to Garai’s reservation. He was always in a rush and never seemed to sit still. Together they often balanced each other’s extremes and encouraged the other to branch out from their comforts. They frequently got in trouble when left alone, although the blame could usually be traced to Osaze. Still, both Mentors had decided long ago to let the two of them make mistakes and learn from the consequences, and as reward for their patience the boys’ collective judgment was improving.
Nerani greeted Aharon while Garai and Osaze chattered about whatever came to mind. The Mentors who lived at the Academy tended to be reclusive. There was not much that required interaction from them outside day to day encounters. Nerani and Aharon were an exception to that rule. They spoke frequently and constantly kept tabs on each other’s student, allowing for greater flexibility in teaching. Nerani believed that the most potent lesson he could impart to Garai was the value of perspective. One may be able to see what they perceive to be every possible outcome of a situation only to be truly blinded by bias. Nothing was more valuable than a friend willing to challenge that bias.
“Master Nerani, can Garai and I go to the Field together?” Osaze asked boldly, but respectfully.
The students had recently been given access to the Field, a large, dynamic room full of obstacles and pathways that students were challenged to traverse. The Field was located in one of the Academy’s many underground training facilities. Completion was timed and results were logged, providing a much needed level of competition between the growing children. Physical and mental health were high priorities of the Academy, and the Field was designed to strengthen both. As it was new and extremely challenging to the young students, only the most courageous had attempted it thus far. Nerani was not surprised by the inquiry coming from Osaze.
“Have you Master Aharon’s permission?” Nerani replied.
“Yes Master.” Osaze nodded curtly.
Nerani glanced at Aharon, a look of understanding passing between them in the momentary silence.
“Very well. We will expect you both back by the evening meal. Good luck!”
Osaze grinned wildly and thanked Nerani before hurrying away with Garai in tow. Nerani and Aharon waited until they were out of sight before themselves heading toward the central elevator shaft. There was an observation hub high in the Academy spire from which they could study their students as they attempted to cross the Field.
The Academy’s architecture mirrored the design of Malaki, though the Academy was more decorative in nature. A large, conical spire formed the central structure, its glass surface gleaming in the sunlight. Just as the mountains towered over the courtyard, the massive spire towered over the mountains. The upper floors were home to the Dean, the Instructors and the Enforcers, as well as many of the logistical hubs for the Academy’s operation. The middle of the spire was residential, containing the homes of Mentors and their students. The lowest sections of the spire contained the lecture halls, labs, and other scholastic facilities. The students would be assigned their Instructors next year, and once they had much of their time would be spent in those halls.
As the base of the spire flared out, three large, triangular canopies stretched from the center to the outer wall. Solar coils lined the flexible material, effectively creating massive solar panels that sustained a sizable portion of the Academy’s energy. Beneath the canopies and along the outside wall of the courtyard were a menagerie of white and silver single story buildings that made up the dormitories and other auxiliary learning facilities. They sat empty for now, however once the students matured past their Mentor’s care, they would be assigned their room and their roommates.
The outer wall was heavily fortified and imposing. It stood fifty meters tall and was twenty meters thick. The exterior surface was covered in seamless steel plating, unbroken except by the five watchtowers stationed around the perimeter, two positioned next to the main gate and one each between the solar sails. The inner wall was latticed with catwalks and elevators that provided quick access to the causeway that crowned the wall. Combined with the geography, the Academy was a fortress built to protect the students and personnel who were sheltered within.
A short walk led Nerani and Aharon to the elevator shafts. There were twenty-four elevators in a ring that made up the center of the spire, six freight and eighteen personnel. The shafts were vacuum sealed, providing rapid transportation up and down the tower. As the doors to the elevator that they approached slid open, the two men stepped into the lift car. Nerani keyed his access code and then selected the floor that he and Aharon would need. The elevator doors slid closed and the compartment pressurized before rapidly ascending to their destination. They did not have to wait long before the capsule slowed to a stop and the pressure equalized. The doors retracted, allowing the Mentors to step into the observation hub.
The hub was a multi-tiered room composed of three layered rings around the central elevator shaft. Each ring had a multitude of stations where a chair and a holo-display were provided. The display was linked into the Academy’s security feed, allowing Mentors and others with access to the facility to monitor any location in the Academy with ease. The outside wall was a panoramic window that provided an unobstructed view of the surrounding terrain.
Nerani and Aharon found stations that were available and made themselves comfortable. They logged in, pulled up the series of feeds they were looking for.
● ● ●
Garai and Osaze stood, silent. Neither boy had ever seen the Field before, let alone attempted it. What lay before them was an intimidating array of climbs, leaps and crawls. Certain parts of the terrain shifted and moved, creating and denying paths seemingly at random. An artificial voice drew Garai’s attention away from the challenge that they were facing.
“Students Osaze and Garai, welcome to the Field and allow me to introduce myself. I am Sarai, the Academy’s AI. Would you like me to tell you about your objective?”
Osaze piped up, speaking for both of them. “Yes ma’am!” Garai watched his apprehension turn to excitement with anticipation.
“Very well. The objective is simple: Cross the Field as quickly as you can. There are no rules, only words of caution. The Field can be dangerous if you are not careful. All moving parts have sensors to prevent injury, however falls and collisions can still be harmful. I advise you to be patient on your first attempt. Do you understand?”
In unison the boys replied “Yes ma’am!”
“The time begins when you step onto the Field. Good luck, students.”
Osaze looked at Garai impatiently, eager to begin. “Are you ready, Garai?”
Garai tapped the side of his nose, a habit he had when thinking deeply. “Yes.”
Osaze went without hesitation. As soon as he crossed the line, a holographic display overhead began rapidly counting up his time. His small legs pounded across the open section before the obstacle course actually began, angling toward a section where a ladder hung down. He reached the wall and scaled the ladder quickly. When he reached the top, he hesitated briefly, examining the far side. Then, he jogged several feet to his left and jumped down, disappearing over the ledge.
At that point Garai began, aware that his own timer began counting alongside Osaze’s. He followed Osaze’s path until he reached the top of the wall. From there he was able to see what had caught his friend’s attention. A ten-foot jump across a fifteen-foot drop faced him on the other side. To his left, a series of shorter drops descended down into the pit, where at the bottom a low tunnel traveled underneath the next wall. Garai clambered down the makeshift stairs until his feet hit the floor and then laid down prone and began to crawl underneath the overhang.
Garai had plenty of space to move as he wiggled his way through the gap, however he was grateful when he was on the other side and able to stand again. He quickly took in the next pair of obstacles. On his left, a series of vertical climbs over rough rock faces led near the ceiling of the room, and on the right a free hanging cargo net attached itself to a platform that extended from the wall. At the top of the rocks was a suspended cargo net that crossed a ten foot section of open space before reaching the next platform. Similarly on the right, a series of small platforms extended at five foot intervals from the end of the runway, allowing agile students to run across the gaps rapidly before they retracted. At the end of a narrow channel between the left and right options, a free hanging rope hung from the ceiling and provided access to the same platform that the other options led to.
There was no indication which way Osaze had gone and Garai knew he was not strong enough to climb the rope in front of him, so he cut his losses and went left. The climb proved more challenging than he had first anticipated. Several times he had to climb back down to the previous ledge and rethink his route. When he had reached the top, he struggled to clamber over the peak. For a few tedious moments he struggled for a firm foothold, and when he couldn’t find one he began to panic. Suddenly his foot gripped the wall and with the strength of adrenaline he thrust himself up and over onto the ledge. As he caught his breath, and his nerve, he glanced up at the timer and saw that it read 18:27. Spurred into action, he stood up and jumped for the cargo net overhead, his hands gripping the rope firmly.
Garai was tired from the climb, and as he worked his way out from the safety of the platform he began to worry that he was not going to be able to make it. Determined and afraid, he looked up and focused on his hands, not his feet. Each agonizing rung he progressed forward brought him closer to safety, until finally Garai looked down and was able to drop onto the platform below. He landed heavily, falling to his hands and knees. After a few moments of rest, Garai looked up to confront the final challenge.
The section of floor in front of him was made up of three-by-three-foot squares, and they were oscillating up and down at random intervals. Garai studied the pillars for a few minutes, waiting for an opening. Suddenly he saw one and bolted forward, hopping on the platform as it began to rise again. Jump by jump Garai picked his way across the expanse. As he landed on a platform close to the end, Garai noticed an opportunity to finish in one more jump, but it was fading quickly. Osaze stood on the final platform, watching intently. Emboldened, Garai leapt.
His jump was mistimed, and instead of landing on top of the platform he was aiming for, he crashed hard into the side of it. Osaze yelped in alarm as Garai struggled to hold on to the pillar. Garai felt his fingers begin to slip, and he was about to let go when a pair of hands grabbed his forearms. He looked up to find Osaze holding him firmly.
“C’mon Garai!” He yelled, pulling with what strength he could manage. With his help Garai worked his way up the side of the pillar and flopped on top of it. At Osaze’s encouragement the two of them leapt down to the finish line. Garai stood with his hands on his knees, breathing heavily. Sweat dripped from his hair and nose, and his muscles burned from exertion. Garai stayed in that position until his arms stopped shaking and he felt like he was no longer struggling to breathe. He looked over at Osaze who had a wild grin on his face.
“What’s so funny?” Garai asked between breaths.
“Look at the times,” Osaze replied, pointing at the timer on the ceiling. Both timers were frozen on the final time.
Osaze - 31:23
Garai - 31:24
“How?” Garai asked incredulously. Osaze had finished well before him, or so he had thought.
Osaze looked at the time again as he explained. “You caught up a lot yourself. Sarai told me I could help you, but my time would start again the minute I re-entered the course. By then we were pretty much even, so it didn’t matter to me. I just wanted to help you.”
Grateful and surprised, Garai returned Osaze’s grin. Suddenly Sarai’s comment about the rules of the Field flashed across Garai’s mind. He tapped his nose absentmindedly.
“I have an idea,” he said after a few minutes of thought. “Sarai, how do we get back across?”
“I can reset the Field for you.”
At her word, the modular sections of the Field flattened to allow the two boys to cross to the start again. When they had reached the beginning of the challenge, the Field reset to its default position. Likewise, the timers had reset to 0:00 in preparation for a new run. They took a few minutes longer to recuperate before they decided to try again.
Finally, Garai looked at Osaze and asked “Ready?” Osaze nodded his answer. “This time, together.”
Both boys squared off and prepared to run the course again. In unison they leapt across the starting line and the timer started.
● ● ●
The Incorruptible Saga
Prologue - Part 1
Prologue - Part 2
Chapter 1 - Part 1
Anthology Works
#1 - "I Wasn't There"
#2 - "A Class Project"
#3 - "Aryth"
#4 - "The Catalyst of Unification"
#5 - "Becoming Literate"
#6 - “Sikari’s Tale”