Star runners, p.15
Star Runners, page 15
The pirate appeared on the top side while Skylar still flew around the lower end.
“He’s just come back out the top side. Loop back or he’s got you!”
Skylar adjusted course. The pirate was too quick. He bore down on her position, his fighter unleashing a hail of laser fire into her shields.
“Okay,” she said. “I need your help.”
The disgust in her voice made him smile as he threw power into his engines. With his engines powered low, the pirate must not have been able to pick up Austin on his sensors. He achieved lock on the pirate and released a missile.
The engagement ended eight seconds later.
* * *
The simulation pod arched open with a hiss as Austin wiped his eyes. The light in the underground recreation room shone brightly after the darkness of simulated space.
“Another victory for the Rock,” a familiar voice echoed in the room.
Nubern stood at the observation post, dozens of small screens flickering behind him. He smiled as he studied Austin.
Ignoring his sore muscles and aching joints, Austin slid his legs out of the cockpit and stood. Even three days after completing the Gauntlet, he still struggled with pain from the ordeal.
“I can’t believe you took that guy! I had him!” Skylar hurried through the rows of simulation pods and halted as if she’d hit a wall. She swallowed and looked at Nubern. “I’m sorry, sir. I didn’t know you were there.”
“Think nothing of it. A little competition between our students is never a bad thing.” He turned to Austin. “May I speak with you a moment, son?”
“Sure.” Austin slid off his headset and placed it in the cockpit. “I’ll see you later, Sky.”
“I’ve got some more practice to do here.” She headed back to her simulation pod and pulled the door down.
Nubern gave an approving nod. “Glad to see you guys are enjoying the rec room. Wish more of the students would spend some time down here, especially with the semester almost over.” He stared off into the distance, his eyes grim, face expressionless. He blinked. “Let’s take a walk.”
They marched up the stairs and out into the fall sunshine. Austin yanked a half-finished bottle of water from the deep pockets of his Tizona uniform.
“Thirsty?”
Austin took two mouthfuls. “Yes, sir. Been so since the Gauntlet.”
Nubern nodded. “You were dehydrated. It happens after an ordeal like that. How is everything else?”
“Still sore all over, but it’s getting better. I’ll try to restart PT over the break.”
“And your classes?”
“I finished my finals. I don’t think they were too bad.”
Nubern gestured to the path leading back to Terminus, and they strolled in silence for a moment. “I wanted to tell you how well you’ve done. You’re getting better at the simulation.”
He blinked. “Simulation? Oh, you mean the game?”
Nubern nodded. “Yes, the game. Your discipline has helped you maintain the highest grade point average of the remaining students here, and don’t get me started on how well you did with the Gauntlet. Superb.”
Blood rushed to Austin’s face. “That means a lot.”
Nubern grinned. “Even though you were headed the wrong way.”
“Even so.”
“You lasted longer than any student in years. I’ve noticed more and more start to cry for their mothers by the first night. You should be very proud, son. Your mother would be very proud.” He glanced back toward the rec room. “I noticed you and Skylar are all right.”
Austin thought back to the night his Gauntlet test ended when he thought Skylar was hurt, or worse. “I was never mad at her. Chief Sharkey said the hunting parties would try tactics like that; lying and things. I’m not sure I would have lasted much longer, anyway. I was pretty beat.”
“Anyone would have been. I guess that is what I wanted to talk about with you. I wanted to make sure you knew how well you did and that you weren’t beating yourself up. It was quite a showing and the faculty have been talking about it.”
“Thank you, sir.” Austin took another sip of his water. “May I ask you something?”
“Of course.”
“Will I be able to come back next semester?”
Nubern nodded, a smile forming on his slender face. “Most students in your position don’t ask a question like that. After the Gauntlet, they want to know its purpose. Why did we do it? What are we supposed to learn from such an exercise? You get the idea. But you want to know if you get to come back for more next semester, huh?”
“It’s always been my dream to go to college. My dad said it would give me the ticket to do anything I want in life.” Austin looked at the ground.
“You miss him a great deal, don’t you? He would have been proud of you, too. Very proud.” Nubern cleared his throat. “To answer your question, Recruit; yes, you will be here next semester. Actually, Tizona would be honored to have you back. You are a credit to your generation.” He clasped Austin’s hand. “You take care, son, and enjoy the rest of your afternoon.”
Nubern moved off toward the Terminus Building.
* * *
The sun dipped behind the trees outside the window in the Terminus computer lab. Austin clicked through his email. The empty room made a stark contrast to the beginning of the semester when students filled the computer stations. Of course, there were only a handful of students remaining. The Gauntlet had weeded out a few more.
In her email, Mom wrote she was happy about him coming home. She had already bought a Christmas tree and decorated the house without him. Thinking of his old room and his living room with stockings hanging over a crackling fire was like a dream. It was hard to believe it had been a year since he and Josh talked in the living room about going to college.
The most recent email revealed Josh would not be coming home for Christmas. He said he had another mission trip for his school that would keep him away in South America for a few weeks. Austin sighed.
The last email was from Kadyn. She would be his ride home for Christmas break. Austin still needed to arrange a ride to I-16 to meet her in two days when her finals ended. She was excited about the chance to catch up and tell him all about life in Savannah. An image flashed in his mind of Kadyn driving home after school, her brown hair flying in the wind.
“Austin?” The voice echoed, bouncing around the high ceilings of Terminus. “Am I bothering you?”
Austin turned. Skylar stood at the edge of the room, her hands clasped in front of her. She carried no bags or books, which looked strange after so many months of endless studying. “Hey, Sky, what’s up?”
“Nothing.” She stepped into the room as if she might trip over something. Her eyes darted from left to right before coming to rest on her feet.
“You all right?”
Skylar nodded but then shook her head. Her chin trembled.
Austin logged out of his computer and stood. He stepped toward her and rested his hand on her shoulder. She threw her hands around his neck and pulled him close. Her breath felt hot on his cheek.
“I’m sorry about what happened,” she whispered, her voice wavering. “I didn’t mean to ruin everything.”
He faced her. Tears wet her cheeks. Her eyes swelled red. With his thumb, he gently rubbed a tear from her face. “What’s all this about?”
“They used me to make you fail the Gauntlet.”
“So? That’s not your fault.”
She blinked. “Now we’re going back to our old lives. I’m going to Florida, and you’re going back to Atlanta, and that means we won’t see each other until January.”
“That’s only a few weeks away.”
“I guess. I’ve just gotten used to having you around and, anyway, I didn’t want you leaving if you were mad at me.”
“None of that was your fault. They got me. I really thought something was wrong, and you were hurt. I wouldn’t let that happen.”
Skylar’s eyes locked with his own. “You wouldn’t?”
“Of course not.”
She smiled and wiped her face. “I’m so stupid, crying like this.”
“No, you’re not.” He hugged her. “I’m going to miss you, too.”
“How are you getting home?”
“My friend, Kadyn, is coming to meet me at the interstate. She’s down in Savannah for school. We’re meeting the day after tomorrow when her finals are done.”
“Oh.” Skylar looked out the window. “My parents are coming tomorrow.”
“We’ve got one more night, then.”
“Yep.”
Austin swallowed hard, fighting a lump in his throat. “Let’s go grab some dinner. I haven’t heard one way or the other, but I’m pretty sure the mess hall is going to be open during the break for any students staying here.”
“Some students can stay here?”
“I think so. I haven’t heard anything about the school closing or the day we have to be out of here, have you?”
Skylar blinked. “You know, I haven’t. That’s weird, I guess.”
“Yeah. I didn’t know the school stayed open. I had always thought a college campus became like a ghost town over the Christmas break.”
“Huh. Could you imagine staying here over Christmas?”
“It’d be really weird.”
“Yeah, it would.”
A bell rang throughout Terminus.
“Attention, attention,” the voice boomed in the hallways. “This is President Pierce. All remaining students will report to my office just after dinner this evening at 7 p.m. This includes David Keller, Patrick Smith, Ashley Miller, Christine Chapman, Doug Gardner, Skylar Kincaid, Austin Stone, Jennifer Melton, and Kathryn Connor. That is all.”
A screech of feedback blared through the halls just before the microphone deactivated.
“What’s that about?” Skylar asked.
“We’ll find out tonight.”
* * *
Drying his hair after the hottest shower he could stand, Austin slipped on his cleanest Tizona uniform and checked himself in the mirror. He brushed lint from the dark blue uniform. It wasn’t every day he got invited to the president’s office.
President Pierce had rarely been heard or seen during the semester. Teachers mentioned him often, and Sharkey seemed to jump at the mere mention of his name. When Austin actually saw Pierce, he looked like a general or a head football coach. Pierce bellowed in a deep voice like a tuba, tossing his hands around with each syllable.
The idea of being inside this man’s office forced Austin to pace his room for twenty minutes. When the clock read ten minutes to seven, he ran out. Skylar met him on the lawn, her bright blonde hair tucked in a tight bun and her hands clasped behind her back. Her uniform was flawless, not a wrinkle or a stray piece of lint.
“You look great.”
Skylar smiled. “So do you. What do you think this is about?”
He sighed. “I haven’t been told anything since you asked me earlier. Honestly, I’ll bet we’re getting confirmation of our scholarship for next semester.”
“That would make sense. You’re probably right.”
David “Bear” Keller stood in the main foyer of Terminus as they entered. He loomed like a massive statue as he studied a painting on the wall. Broad shouldered and thick, Bear looked like the perfect athlete. He could have been an Olympian.
Austin looked up at Bear as they approached and realized the guy had to be six and a half feet tall. A sandpaper five o’clock shadow darkened his face.
“Bear,” he said with a nod.
“Stone,” Bear responded without turning from the painting. “You guys heading to the office now?”
“We were about to,” Skylar said.
“Okay, I’ll go with you,” Bear mumbled, his voice low and deep.
As they walked up the spiral staircase leading to the second floor, Austin realized Bear had been waiting for them. The viewing of the painting was a front, a ruse to make sure they knew he wasn’t worried about the meeting. Safety in numbers is always true no matter how big you are. The other students left computer stations and followed up the stairs. Austin led the group.
They moved down the hallway of the second floor, their footsteps popping against the hardwood floor. The floorboards creaked with their movement. At the end of the hallway, Sharkey stood next to a cherry wood door with glistening golden knobs. He snapped to attention as they approached.
“Right on time, Recruits.” He turned and opened the door to the president’s office.
Austin inhaled as he stared inside.
The room looked like a museum. Ornate carvings lined the fireplace, filled with a roaring fire. Two black as night dog statues polished and carved from volcanic glass flanked the mantle. Above the sizzling fire, stretching out like a brilliant ray of moonlight on a fog-filled night, the Tizona sword with a silver hilt sat on two steel hooks. Two built-in bookshelves stood on either side of the massive bay window behind Pierce’s desk. A globe in a brown wheeled case was next to the desk. Austin found nothing strange about the globe but frowned at the three other globes, one on top of the other and connected by a golden metal bar, in a corner next to the window. He had never seen anything like it.
“Welcome.”
Even at the low volume, President Pierce’s authoritative voice commanded attention and ripped Austin’s gaze away from the room. Pierce sat on a plush leather couch near the fire. Standing behind him like a security guard, Nubern nodded to Austin as they entered. The nine students filed into the room and lined the space in front of the desk, facing Pierce. When they had all entered, Sharkey slammed the door and remained outside.
For a long moment, the sound of the roaring fire and ticking grandfather clock filled the room. Pierce stood and took a deep breath, his chest and shoulders swelling, making him even larger.
“You are wondering why you are here tonight, I’m sure,” he said, pacing the room. He grabbed a glass of ice water from the mantle and sipped. “You all are here at this moment because you are the best. Out of the nearly sixty students that arrived this semester, you are all that remains. Without a doubt, you will be invited back next semester. Congratulations.”
Austin’s eyes met Nubern’s for a brief moment.
“I have been contacted by important dignitaries far from here,” Pierce said as he tossed a paper in the raging fire. “It seems they need our help. It is quite an extravagant trip, and it would be completely for charity to help your fellow man. The journey would be long, I assure you, but it would be for a fantastic cause.”
He turned to face the students and looked at each of them for a few seconds before continuing. “However, there is, as you say, a catch.”
Taking two long steps forward, Pierce stood close to Austin. “This charity trip would cause you to miss your winter break and it could bleed into next semester. Any missed class time would be made up for college credit. You will have to decide tonight whether or not you are going and be down by the grand staircase at four in the morning tomorrow. You don’t have much time to make this decision. I understand that. Tizona would be sure your families are notified of the event should you decide to come.”
Pierce paused, then continued, “I can tell you this trip will be unlike any you have ever taken. You will see more, accomplish more, and make more of a difference than you ever thought possible. If you decide to stay, nothing more will be said. You will be allowed to go about your holiday plans with no consequences. You should be aware that if there is a delay in the charity trip for any reason, you might be taking next semester’s classes on a different campus as many of Tizona’s faculty will be on this trip. Does everyone understand?”
Austin nodded. A charity trip? What were they going to do, build houses for people or drill for wells in the middle of the jungle? He wanted to go, but he missed home. He glanced at Nubern, who revealed nothing in his expressionless face.
“All right then,” Pierce said, clapping his hands. “I will see some of you in the morning.”
* * *
Austin packed everything he needed in his black backpack and sat on his bed, leaning against the cinder block wall. The chill of the wall seeped through his uniform. He propped his legs up at the foot of the bed. What had been his home for the past four months now looked institutional: the tan tile flooring, the white walls, and the wood cabinets. Nothing remained in the two study nooks. He remembered Stetson buried into his laptop during those early days of the semester.
He sighed. Poor guy had never stood a chance here. Probably wouldn’t make it at any school he attended. He wondered what had become of Stetson since he went home and had lost the scholarship. It could have happened to Austin. He could be working at the fruit stand and dreaming about another chance for a college education that would probably never come. In the years before his father’s death, when the idea of college first became a discussion around the dinner table, Dad always said it was a bad idea to take too much time off between high school and college. He thought it would be hard to go back to school once you started making money. Dad had gone to night school for years to get his degree, and he didn’t want Austin struggling to do the same.
After a full semester in one of the toughest schools Austin could imagine, he had passed his classes and maintained a full ride. He closed his eyes and relished the moment, realizing he did not have to study or do homework for at least a couple of weeks. No classes to attend tomorrow, just the excitement of a trip without a definite outcome. Tizona planned to take him to a faraway land. He would meet people from another country. He had never been out of the United States before and now he would travel abroad to make a difference in the world.
Perhaps a mission trip wasn’t such a bad way to spend the holiday.
The clock read just after midnight. In four hours, he was expected in Terminus. He had written everyone explaining the situation: Mom, Kadyn, and even Josh, although he wondered if his old friend even had the time to respond.
