Alex Armstrong: Awakening Read online

  3

  Campus and Registration

  The road shuddered beneath the Mercedes. Alex looked at Gus and the old guard motioned for him to look down. He stuck his head out the window and saw that he was on a circular platform. When he looked back at the guards, they were both waving.

  The platform began to screw into the ground and soon Gus, the wall, and the rest of the outside world slipped from view, leaving Alex with nothing to see but the glare of his headlights against the rifling of the elevator shaft. He felt as if he was being loaded into a gun.

  Alex opened the sunroof and watched the little circle of sky get smaller and smaller. He stayed like this until he saw the underside of the shaft. He looked forward again. It was a tunnel wide enough to handle two trucks and tall enough for a semi. A single line of LEDs ran along the roof.

  The platform settled into position with a loud HISSSSS.

  “Mr. Armstrong.”

  Alex noticed Gus’s bearded face smiling at him from the steering wheel display.

  “Pretty neat trick, huh?” Gus said. “The real campus is at the end of that tunnel. I’m sending the coordinates to your car right now.”

  The map flickered on; his new destination was 4.3 miles due north. The autopilot engaged and the car rolled forward. Alex heard the platform rising back into position.

  “Next student’s on the way,” Gus said.

  “Where do I go after this tunnel?”

  “The car’s takin you to Registration. Go in there and see Melissa.” Gus turned his head and for a moment Alex could only see his beard on the steering wheel. “I gotta go. Good luck in there, son. And welcome to Pal Tech.” The old guard disappeared and the Mercedes logo and horn icon drifted back into place.

  Alex closed his eyes and took a breath and tried to assimilate everything that had just happened, but his mind was spinning so fast that he knew there wasn’t a chance he could hold a thought. So he gave up and placed both hands on the wheel and leaned forward, willing the car to move faster.

  He saw the tunnel’s end with two miles to go, just a pinprick of light. With one mile to go, it was a flashlight. A quarter mile and it filled the windshield and he could see its light reflecting off the concrete walls. He was beginning to think that maybe the car should hit the brakes when he lurched forward, the seatbelt tight against his chest. When he was finally able to lean back, the car was halfway out of the tunnel and passing a modest brick sign welcoming him to Paladin Technical Institute.

  The Mercedes quivered a bit and the water in his bottle sloshed around. There was no more asphalt; it was a pathway of pavers, spaced in such a way that there was more grass than concrete. Alex had never seen anything like it. But it was the building coming up on his right that really caught his attention. It was large and its walls were mostly glass, with the type of modern, boxy architecture that would have looked right at home on a beach in California, save for one curious feature: its roof was covered in grass. Rye grass. The kind that makes you want to take off your shoes and wiggle your toes.

  And it wasn’t just that first building. All the buildings were sodded. The only difference between them—at least, the three that Alex could see—was the color of their glass walls. The first had blue-tinted panels, the second, pink; and the third, yellow. Yet it was still the color green that stood out above all others. Everything about the campus was green and grassy and growing, as if he had just rolled into The Shire.

  Alex was passing the pink glass when he saw his first student. The boy was older, definitely not a freshman. He held a football in his right hand and as Alex’s car pulled even he wound up and threw it across the field.

  And then a funny thing happened. As the ball began its descent, it nosed upward and reversed course like a boomerang, right back into the boy’s waiting hands.

  “What the…” Alex said. He unbuckled and twisted around in his seat and watched through the back window as the student heaved another pass. But before he could see any special effects, the road sloped away and the student was gone. Alex twisted back in his seat—slowly but not carefully—and his elbow hit the Driver 2 Memory Button. There was a single beep and the steering wheel telescoped and the seat slid forward. Way forward. Alex tried to push the other button but he was trapped, the steering wheel squeezing his elbows against his chest so that his hands rested lamely in the air. He looked like some elderly T-Rex leaning over a tree limb, squinting at its prey. And of course this is when he saw his second student.

  She was tall and athletic and her straight blonde hair was shiny in the sunlight. She looked up at the sound of his car and smiled. Alex grinned and tried to wave but only succeeded in looking ridiculous. She laughed.

  “Damnit! Move the seat back! Memory 1! Memory 1!” The seat moved back, but the damage was done; the pretty blonde was long gone.

  The Mercedes approached a small natural pond and made a right. Alex glanced at the map. They were going east, toward the edge of campus. Wherever they were heading must have been near. He looked up and saw the gym to his left. No one was inside. To his right was another field, this one complete with wooden benches and tables scattered about under the cover of white oaks. He noticed a man lying in a patch of sunlight. He was reading a book. But there was something peculiar about him. Alex had to stare for a moment before he noticed. It was the man’s arms. They were at his sides, his hands near his kneecaps. The paperback hovered a few inches from his face. Alex leaned forward and saw a page turn in midair.

  The car parked in the tiny lot at the bottom of the hill. “We have reached your destination.”

  “Good, cause I’ve got some questions.”

  ****

  Alex stretched his arms and cracked his back and bent over and tried to touch his toes. He closed the door and noted that his was the car on the right. Four more Mercedes—the exact same model—were parked to his left.

  He walked up the pathway and the automatic doors ushered him into the Student Center. He took a step inside and stood still as he got his bearings. It was one large room divided into a student lounge and a café. Cherry-wood bookshelves were to his left and a stone fireplace was to his right. An aroma of coffee and fresh-cut lumber hung in the air. About the only thing missing from this Student Center were other students.

  Alex glanced around the room again and this time saw the handwritten sign informing him that new student registration would be on the lower level. He walked downstairs into the much cooler basement.

  He opened the door and entered a room buzzing with activity. There were about two dozen students, and for one brief but awkward moment, every one of them stopped whatever it was they were doing and turned to look at Alex. And all he could muster was a weak little smile. The door closed behind him and they went back to their conversations.

  “Quite an entrance.”

  “Huh?” Alex turned to the student now standing at his side. He had curly brown hair and was very short.

  “You just stood there. I know, I know, you were caught off guard. But wouldn’t it be cool to have a do-over? You know, so you could do something awesome, like maybe do a backflip. Or have some theme music ready and walk in and just start breakdancing. Think of how cool that would be. You’d be a legend before the year even started. You’re looking at me like I’m crazy. I’m rambling, aren’t I? Sorry, I think about these things. I can also be a bit of a smart-ass, so I’ll go ahead and apologize for that now in case we become friends. I’m Patrick, by the way.”

  Alex shook his hand, laughing. “Don’t apologize. That was impressive. I couldn’t talk that fast if I tried. I’m Alex.”

  Patrick nodded and smiled. “Where you from?”

  “Florida.”

  “That would’ve been my first guess.”

  “What makes you say that?”

  “Surfer T-shirt. Tan.” Patrick shrugged. “I figured there was a better-than-average chance.”

  “And the funny thing is I rarely go to the beac
h,” Alex said. “I just like these shirts. Where are you from?”

  “Tampa.”

  “Cool. When’d you get in?” Alex said.

  “An hour ago. I’ve just been hanging out in here, trying to meet some people. You’re the first fellow Floridian.”

  Alex nodded and leaned close and lowered his voice. “So, what have you heard about this place?”

  Patrick smiled. “What, are you beginning to think this is more than just an elite college for geniuses? Gosh, what would make you think that?”

  “So you do know something?”

  “Oh, I looked at some of the course offerings. I have a pretty good idea.”

  “Well?”

  “And ruin the surprise for you?” Patrick said, still smiling.

  “Come on, I’d like to know what I’m getting into here.”

  “What’d you see out there, besides the fact that we’re on a secret campus?”

  “I saw an older kid make a football change directions in midair, and I’m pretty sure I saw a guy reading a book without using his hands; it was floating.”

  “That would make sense,” Patrick said.

  “What? How?”

  “Because this is a school for telekinetics.”

  “What, like the X-Men?”

  “If that helps, sure,” Patrick said. “Except this is real; you just saw a couple examples.” He reached into his backpack and pulled out his tablet. “Here, check this out. Here’s the course catalog. And this is the one and only class we’re taking this semester.”

  Alex read the entry:

  Intro to Pal Tech and Telekinesis

  Mornings, 9 a.m.

  Students will learn the basics of telekinesis. Lab work Tuesdays and Thursdays.

  Alex stared at the screen long after he finished reading.

  “Did I just blow your mind?” Patrick said. “Because I was freaking out when I read that. Seriously, how cool is this?”

  Alex was vaguely aware that Patrick was still talking. Normally, he’d smile and nod to at least fake that he was listening, but not right now. He was too busy picturing scenes from X-Men, Carrie, and Star Wars. He never knew any of it could be real. He wondered what it would be like to move an object without touch, just by thinking about it. He zeroed in on Patrick’s tablet.

  “Are you trying to pick this up?” Patrick said, waving his tablet in the air. “Don’t bother, man. It won’t happen.”

  “I just thought…”

  “I know. Seriously, though. No one in here has moved a thing. It isn’t gonna happen. Sorry to get your hopes up.”

  “It’s cool,” Alex said. “So who do I talk to in here?”

  “Besides me?”

  Alex laughed. “You know what I mean. Where do I get the course catalog?”

  “That lady behind the desk. Melissa is her name.”

  “Got it.”

  “I’ll leave you to it, then. I may hang around here a little longer, meet some more people, maybe meet a few of the girls. I’ve definitely seen some talent. I’ll look for you at dinner.”

  Alex made eye contact with as many students as possible as he crossed the room. They looked normal enough; no one was wearing a cape or covered in pig’s blood. He didn’t see any lightsabers, either. But there was one student who caught his eye. A brunette. Petite. She would have looked right at home on a cheerleading squad. He wondered if he’d ever have the confidence to talk to a girl like that, or if his mind would just go blank like it always did. Who was he kidding? Of course it would go blank. What he needed was a girl like that to approach him. Too bad the chances of that happening were slim to—

  “Ooof!”

  Alex walked right into the table. Black coffee spilled out of a purple mug. “Sorry!”

  The lady giggled. “You’re fine. No problem.” She grabbed some napkins from the floor and blotted the liquid. “And don’t worry. She didn’t notice.”

  “Ma’am?” Alex blushed.

  “You heard me,” she said, a little smirk on her face. She started thumbing through a folder. “Ah! There it is.” She placed some paperwork on the desk and offered her hand. “Mr. Alex Armstrong, welcome to Pal Tech. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

  Alex glanced at her nameplate and took her hand. “Nice to meet you, Miss…”

  “Melissa. Call me Melissa. Anything that starts with a Miss or a Mrs. makes me feel old.”

  “Sorry. Habit.”

  “That’s okay. So you come from…‌let me see…‌Jacksonville. Oh, I love that area—especially the beach. Little cooler up here.”

  “Yes ma’am. I mean, yeah. Yeah, it is.”

  “And the ride up? I trust everything went smoothly?”

  “Yeah, the car was sweet. I didn’t have to do anything.”

  “Oh, they’re beautiful, I know.” She paused and looked up at Alex. “You have very pretty eyes.”

  Alex felt his cheeks grow hot and he looked down at the table. When he finally looked up again Melissa was still smiling. He put her age at forty and thought that twenty years ago she would have held her own with that cheerleader.

  “That’s twice I’ve made you blush. I always loved doing that. Good to know I’ve still got it. Okay, moving on.” Melissa picked up the stack of papers and clicked them a few times on the table. “You are here because you need to register. The first thing I’ll have you do is sign these papers.”

  She handed him a stack about a quarter-inch thick, and if the first page was any indication, it was all legalese. “You want me to read this?”

  “That’s your choice. I just need you to sign all the yellow boxes.”

  “I can handle that.” Alex signed his name with a blue pen still wet with spots of coffee.

  “Thank you. Next up: do you have your tablet handy?”

  Alex handed over his tablet and watched as Melissa inserted a memory stick.

  “I’m giving you the registration packet, the course catalog, the dining room menu—basically everything you need to know about Pal will be in here.” She pulled out the memory stick and laid the tablet flat on the table. “Let’s start with the campus map.” She hovered her finger over the northeast corner, highlighting the Student Center. “We’re here. Directly to our south is the Dining Hall. You can see it if you step onto the patio. And the dorms,” she moved her finger to the southeast corner of campus, “are right here. We have four dormitories. The freshmen will be here, in Hope Hall. It’s the one with the blue doors.”

  “All of us?”

  “All of you? Honey, there are only sixty freshmen; it’s the smallest class in school history. So yes, Hope Hall is big enough for all of you. In fact, you will all be in singles this year. You’re in room H107.”

  “No roommates?”

  “No roommates. And I recognize that look in your eye, so I should mention that Pal Tech has strict rules regarding visiting hours for members of the opposite sex.”

  “I’ll stay out of trouble.”

  “With those blue eyes, I seriously doubt that. By the way, your pretty friend over there…‌she’s looked this way three times now.”

  Alex lowered his head and grinned.

  “There you go again!” Melissa stood and handed him his tablet. “That’s all I’ve got for you today, Alex.”

  He shook her hand and turned to leave.

  “Oh! I almost forgot,” Melissa said. “Dinner will be served at 7:30 in the Dining Hall. All freshmen have to be there.”

  “Sounds good; I’m hungry already. Will you be there?”

  “Why, yes,” Melissa said. It seemed to catch her off guard.

  “Then I’ll see you tonight. Thanks for your help, Melissa.” He glanced at the cheerleader one more time on the way out. She had brown eyes.

  4

  Hope and Eva

  Alex considered grabbing a hoodie, but the only one that matched was tucked away at the bottom of his biggest suitcase, so he didn’t b
other. He locked the doors and made his way across the tiny parking lot. He climbed a few stone steps and pulled open the heavy blue door and stepped into Hope Hall’s foyer.

  Front and center was the staircase leading up to the girls’ hall. An enormous pink bow sat atop each bannister. Alex couldn’t see the door above but he did smell a trace of perfume and if he really focused he could hear them talking and laughing. A part of him wanted to walk up there and peek inside their hallway, if only to see how the other half lived. He started toward the stairs but caught himself and turned left in an awkward pirouette. “Later,” he said. He walked across the hardwood floor and pushed open the door marked H101-H108.

  It was as if he entered a war zone. Explosions and gunfire rattled off the walls. Alex recognized the game immediately. He stood outside H102 and watched. The kid wore a shirt at least two sizes too small, its fabric stretched taut across the rolls of his back as he leaned forward with his shoulders hunched and eyes up, totally absorbed in his game. Another burst of gunfire and the kid broke into a wheezy laugh. “Stupid noob!”

  Alex shook his head and continued down the hall to H107. There was a dry-erase board beside his door. Someone had written with a steady hand:

  Welcome to Pal!

  Alex Armstrong

  Jacksonville, FL

  Alex reached into his back pocket and grabbed his keycard and waved it in front of the lock. A tiny beep, a green dot, and a click. He pushed open the door and smiled. It had everything he’d been promised. The dresser and closet and a sink were on his left. The desk and black leather chair to his right. On the far wall was his bed. And just inside the door on the right was his monitor, all eighty inches of it. He tossed his backpack into the chair and flopped down on the bed.

  Alex reached up and opened his blinds. His room faced east, overlooking the valley beyond the edge of campus. He stared for a while and then moved his backpack to the bed and sat on the chair and adjusted its height. He synced his phone and his tablet to the monitor and turned on ESPN. Some player he’d never heard of had just hit a home run. He turned it off and propped open his door and went back into the hallway.