Aetheran Child (16 page)

The good mood left him suddenly but he was still excited.

“Quiet down, please!” Tr. Ronic yelled, “Now, please, upload this program to your NCC,” A prompt informed everyone of the file. “It will tell you what we did in class, what we will do, and about all your out-of-class work,” Lexan activated the connection and waited, “It will also show you all major school events and learning sessions. Some other teachers might provide similar programs which you will learn to integrate in a programming class. This program also includes a copy of your textbook. Start reading as soon as possible.”

Tr. Ronic ended the class by letting everyone talk until a warning beep let everyone know they should move to the next class. He was a young man that seemed to hold little to no interest in the students but could not hide his enthusiasm for the subject.

Lexan tapped his NCC and the silver liquid poured out from his wrist bracelet. He checked the time and messages. His next class was programming. He left the classroom, and a few minutes later, he arrived on time. He started remembering the important routes.

“Hello students, my name is Tr. Circi,” the young man said. His short hair gave way to his bushy eyebrows. He would have been about thirty years old on Earth, perhaps younger but on the galactic standards, he looked about sixty or hundred years old since he was an Aetheri. His scruffy beard gave him a very funny look, “You will learn to understand modern Theric programming, a type of programming with a focus on NCCs. You will construct you own MPI throughout the semester. An MPI is a Main Personality Interface, that is, the program that transfer orders from you to the core of your NCC. For some of you, this might be a great starter career. People all over the galaxy are looking for unique and advanced MPIs.

“Since it’s a Theric programming type, you will be able to experience your NCC as an Aetheri,” he paused and touched his wrist computer. A holographic icon popped up in the air, “Please download this program for notifications and special access to your NCC. This package contains basic subroutines, applications, compilers, as well as libraries that you will be required to use. The program also contains a calendar that will synchronize with the calendar from the electronic department.”

The students uploaded the data, and Lexan shifted his attention to a different matter, as was starting to become his habit.

“You are getting an incoming call,” Bran alerted him. Bloo’s icon danced on the screen. The boy nodded.

“Hey, Lexan,” the familiar voice answered.

“Hey, how are you doing?”

“Fine, how about you?”

“Good, good,” the boy thought for a second, “What’s your next class?”

“Art, you?”

“Same class, another one.”

Bloo laughed, “Yeah, what a coincidence? Right, let’s meet up before the class starts. We’ll have some time between classes, so that will work.”

“Alright, pick the place, send me a message,” Lexan completely ignored what the teacher was explaining and instead spent his time thinking about Bloo and the recess period between classes.

II

Lexan left to see Bloo and realized he had more than two hours to spare before Art. He stood in front of the classroom and noticed the news played on the wall. He turned on Degree II vision, as soon as he did that, he found himself in a room with the announcer talking to him. The newscaster woman stood in front of him and talked, her eyes clearly looking at the boy.

“As another story, we have an interesting phenomenon occurring all over Swift-Space. We will patch you directly through to our on-site correspondent. Jim, can you hear me?”

“Yes, I can hear you,” the empty space transformed into the inside room of a spaceship where the other newscaster stood by the window that encompassed the whole wall.
 

I am here inside our newscasting ship, the Coreena, reporting from Swift-Space. An unnatural wave of energy is spreading through the Twister. We are not sure why it has suddenly appeared but we know that it cleanses the whole system of objects and people who do not belong in this plane of existence. Thousands of ships have already been destroyed along with matching amount of casualties. The physicists tell us that the objects were decompiled from matter to energy and put back together in an anti-matter form. The ships disintegrate immediately after this transformation because the Swift-space universe cannot stabilize the forces involved in the anti-matter atoms. Thus, the ships, once again, transform back to energy by colliding and interacting with the natural particles of Swift-space. The subsequent explosion fuels the wave.

“The good news is that the physicists ‘hunting’ after the wave have observed a gradual descrease in the speed of the wave. The UGN’s council has motioned to send out free-flowing sensors that continuously monitor the progress of the situation and warn any incomers. The area inside the wave is considered contaminated and strictly off limits, meaning, hundreds, perhaps, thousands of systems will not be able to use the Swift-space and will have to reconcile to using older, and slower planes that twist through lower dimensions.

“It seems impossible, right now, that the Swift-space should ever be repaired because anyone that does not natively belong to the area, cannot survive. Some suggest that we should start using Nethers’ traveling dimensions but criticts say that this will upset the inter-galactic relations.

“We will keep you updated throughout the..” the vision cut off and Lexan found himself staring at a blank wall in front of the Art classroom.

“Hey,” Bloo tackle hugged him while Lexan tried his best to hug back.

“So where are we going?”

“Well, we have two hours to waste. Let me show you this great place I know,” She smiled and led him to the transport station.

They took a trip to another sphere and within minutes arrived. They walked through a typical corridor. Lexan opened a door at the end of the corridor and it turned out to be another transport, but one that he has seen before, a different one, that transported solely across great vertical distances.

“Are we going up?” He asked.

“Nope, we’re going down,” Bloo smiled and the light grew brighter, noting that the destination has been selected and the transport is awaiting passengers. She noted that typical transports can move creatures only between Orbs but not underground. Lexan stepped in and seconds later walked out into a dark cave, illuminated by the transport light and fungi on the walls.
Bloo gripped Lexan’s hand and led him through more than a few passages into an enormous and beautiful chamber. Stalactites and stalagmites grew all around into complicated shapes. Small crystals illuminated different spots; they grew out of the fungi and lichen. They sparkled like diamonds and their refraction of light caused little rainbows to travel from one rock formation to another. Lexan looked around and noticed the many entrances that sparkled deep in the darkness they led to. No artificial lighting was required, the boy realized.

He stared in amazement and remembered visiting caves on Earth with a group of tourist like himself, but none of those caves were as gorgeous and breath-taking as these. His jaw hung open.

Bloo noticed him staring and pierced the magical trance, “See? It’s a nice place.” She smiled.

“I never said it wasn’t,” He whispered back softly, as if he worried his voice might cause the collapse the dream of the cavern.

“This is where they get the crystals for concentration items, rings, and stuff, you know,” she said knowledgeably.

“The what?” He whispered.

“You see these crystals?” She motioned all around her, “Their refractive properties make them special, they can be used to concentrate light and other electromagnetic waves,” He shook his head.

Her eyes narrowed, “Look, see this ring? It helps control Aetheric energy. It absorbs the energy until there is enough to unleash a more powerful force. Don’t you have one? Everyone needs it to channel their energy,” She held up her hand and showed her bright red ring. The thin metal band looked like nothing special but it was certainly made from a strong alloy to avoid breaking or scratches. There was a ridge in the middle of the ring, holding the red formation.

“I don’t have a ring,” He held up his hands.

“Never mind,” She gave up again and turned back to the main chamber to enjoy the light show.

“How does it work?” He asked mindlessly, moving his head slightly left and right, trying to see if he could catch one of the rainbows off guard but no such luck, the rainbows moved with him.

“I don’t know, I’ve heard something about trans-dimensional energy rifts, but I don’t know.”

They both sat down on a flat rock and smiled. The place somehow seemed to quiet their minds and give them inner peace, and happiness. Bloo’s
 
ring started to glow along with the other crystals, and they looked down on it.

Their hands touched briefly and with embarrassment, they quickly moved away. Lexan and Bloo turned their attention back to the twinkling and dancing of the lights in the dark.

III

The two silently returned to class where the teacher already stood, waiting for the students there. Bloo sat right next to Lexan.

“Hello, my name is Ríta,” the teacher started, “there is an accent over the ‘I’ remembered that. I am a Shun from the United Galactic Nations, your big neighbor. I came here in pursuit of Aetheric arts and your school, Athiris offered me a good job as an art teacher. In this class, you will learn the basics of Aetheric arts. Here are a few examples,” She motioned toward the adjacent walls covered in intricate patterns. The patterns moved and changed colors as one shifted positions. The art also seemed to respond to thinking. Lexan, for example, saw calms blue waves while Bloo saw glowing red, which was calming to her, they realized.

“I will teach you the fundamentals. I warn you though, we only have a half of a year together.” She explained the procedures in the mini studio and future project assignments. Then she showed everyone slideshows of pictures from famous artists. Every picture contained similar patterns as on the wall but each one was slightly different. Some, instead of reflecting thoughts, tried to adjust them. And some had nothing to do with the viewer at all. Some leapt into several dimensions, and changed in different ways over time. Rita explained the phenomenon of different perspective, wherein everyone sees something entirely different in the pictures. The bizzare shapes and patterns when on and one produced an occult feeling in the class when some seemed to have almost biblical allusions in it.

“The class will be over soon. Just remember that all the greatest artists started as callow as you are right now. There is no need to give up on art even if it gets too overwhelming at first,” With her last words, the bell rang and everyone exited the classroom with a hum.

Bloo and Lexan parted ways with a warm hug. He felt well. He remembered Alary for a few moments and the great times they’ve had together until that one day when Mt. Raki took him from the Orphanage.
 

The night before he left, it reappeared in his dreams night after night. Lexan smiled grimly as he remembered he did not have to face it anymore now that he has banished his sleep.

IV

“We will always be together, I promise,” Alary said one night. They sat together in the thick fog of the morning at the Orphanage’s playground. She kissed Lexan softly, leaving her hand on his back.

He smiled, looking up at the stars. He wanted to at least but the thick fog seemed to block out even the moon. He took Alary into his arms and hugged her tightly. Whenever he did so, no matter how many times he’s done this, his heart raced and thumped loudly until he let go again.

Alary could always feel that tremendous, thunderous heartbeat. It’s how she made sure, every day, that he still loved her. After an argument, she would still hug him goodbye and place her head on his chest. If she heard his heart skip a beat, and pound loudly and proudly, she would know that everything would be alright. And it was always alright.

She reached up and kissed his cheek. Lexan kissed her forehead and helf her ever tighter to his body. He too had a way of finding out if Alary still felt the same way about him. And it was all about the hug. If she hugged him, he knew she still loved him. She always hugged him before they departed.

These silent beautiful moments had ceased for both of them. Lexan thought about all the time they spent together, silently, holding each other. He suppressed a silent tear, as always, and let go off Bloo. He smiled and departed toward Meditation, which incidentally, was taught by the same teacher Lexan had for Transformation.

The thought of Alary left Lexan as he saw Bloo smile at him. He skipped to his class happily, eating some nutritional cubes available next to the water fountain.

V

“Ah,” Mt. Trance sighed and looked around, smiling, “I see some familiar faces from Transformation. Sadly for the rest, these students will have an easier time in the class since I teach the two subjects jointly,” He greeted the new students.

“We will start with the simplest form of meditation today, it is the meditation of breath control with soothing music to aid the process. Throughout the year, you will see how music and your current mood will affect your abilities. The exercises, over time, will always start with soothing music, then we will practice with no music, and afterward, you will listen to the sound of several busy environments. Finally, you will gain focus and meditate effectly even with distracting and obnoxious music playing very loudly.”

Mt. Trance looked around and nodded to himself, “Everyone, please, position yourself with your legs crossed. Straighten your back and close your eyes. Put your hands either on your knees or cradle them between your legs.”

Lexan did as asked. His body would not, however, relax. Such routing thing as meditation did not require a class, it was the same as Transformation and many other classes he would have to face. He sighed, finally realizing that what was true about schools on Earth was true about schools in the United Republics. He will learn many useless things that will never have an application in real life. He would be taught useless details that he will neither remember nor care to remember. And just as on Earth, there is a whole dedicated class to a subject everyone knows everything about. Meditation was a routine activity that everyone in the class knew already.