Prologue
Run!
Little feet pattered on the cold hard cement. Two brothers. One not even old enough to run yet, the other was carrying him, running as fast as his little twelve year old legs would carry him.
"Get back here!" a rough voice yelled.
The twelve year old looked back. He was getting closer, his black suit and dark hair almost disguising him in the cold night air.
"No," the little boy thought, "don't look back keep running." He looked down at the sleeping baby in his arms and kept running through the dark empty streets.
The sound of the man's chasing feet came closer. The boy burst up his speed and looked around for somewhere he could hide. There were houses lining the streets on both sides and he couldn't very well run into a house. "But I might not have any other choice," he thought.
The sound of someone running behind him reminded him that he was being chased. He quickly looked around, scanning the street for somewhere to hide. His eyes caught on a dark street, an alley. His breathing was becoming more frequent and he decided that he would hide in the alley so that he could take a breather. While still running he looked back for the man chasing them but saw no one. He raced into the alley, found a large dumpster and hid behind it, squeezing into the dark shadows as much as possible. The little baby in his arms started wriggling and was about to cry, but the boy rocked him in his arms shushing him quietly. "I've got to go," the boy thought," Before he finds out where we are."
He slowly stood up and looked around. 'No one,' the boy whispered to himself. He started running the opposite way he came down the alley. The boy raced out the alley and down the street running, looking for something. He was about to give up when he saw it. Through the window of a house. A family. A happy one. They were having supper at the table, laughing together, eating together. There was a girl about twelve there sitting at the table. For a moment the boy felt lonely standing out there in the cold. He had never known a family never had one. He stood staring at them. Then he forcefully shook himself out of his reverie and quietly walked up the steps. The boy looked at his brother sadly, hugged him and with great hesitancy put him down on the welcome rug. He started walking back down the steps then turned around and just about changed his mind.
"No," he thought "he will be much safer here, they won't find him." He walked back up the steps, leaned down and looked at his little brother with sadness but also with certainty that he would be safe. The little tag with the baby's name on it moved as the baby looked up at his brother. He reached his little chubby hand up and touched his brothers left eye, for he had a scar there. The boy held the little baby's hand and smiled; he stood up, rang the doorbell and ran down the street tears coursing down his face as he ran. "Good bye, Joel," he whispered.
Part one
He was running, but from who? He looked behind him but for some reason his vision was blurred and all he could see was a smudge of moving black. He tried to run faster but he was really afraid and rooted to the spot. He looked back; the black smudge was coming closer. It was talking? And saying his name?
" Joel," the black smudge yelled. He?
It didn't sound like a guy. Actually it sounded like a girl
"Joel!" it yelled again more loudly.
Joel gasped and woke up. It was his sister yelling his name. He was sweating and breathing hard. ' Again,' he thought ' the same dream again.'
Joel sat up in his bed.
"Joel!!" his sister yelled loudly.
"I'm up!" Joel yelled back." Jeepers."
You know sometimes I can't believe that my sister Sam is even aloud at home. She is twenty-eight and still lives here. She was supposed to have gotten married already. Had kids. Thought Joel.
" Joel, you're going to be late for school," Sam yelled
"I know I'll be there in a second," Joel shouted back impatiently as he got dressed.
He looked around his room. It was pretty clean for a 17 year old. He had a bed a desk and a laptop. The laptop was his most prized possession. Of course it was old fashioned since they had come up with a new version in 2070. It looked like a watch but it had a holographic mode that could be a computer, live messenging, GPS and many other useful things. That was why he didn't have it. Lots of useful things meant lost of money which he didn't have. His family did not have a lot of money, but they weren't poor. Although it did seem like it because they lived in the poorer side of town. There were two parts to each city. The rich side which was full of the new technology and huge houses, known as Ladati. And the poorer side which had barely any technology and older houses called Datior.
Joel grabbed his laptop and stuffed it in his backpack along with his homework and textbooks and grabbed his coat. He walked down the stairs and into the kitchen.
"Joel, make sure you actually have some breakfast today," his mom said popping some bread in the toaster.
"Mhmm," Joel mumbled.
"Well I don't want you starving when you get home like you always are. If you just eat your breakfast you won't have to eat your lunch halfway through second period!"
"Alright, fine, I'll have some breakfast as long as my lunch size is still the same,"
His mom smiled.
Sam walked into the kitchen and grabbed some toast. "Hey, sleepyhead you're finally awake," Sam said, spreading jam on her toast.
Joel slipped into his coat and put his backpack on his shoulders, glad that his heart rate had finally calmed down form the nightmare. Those nightmares were getting more and more frequent. That was only his second nightmare of being chased the other ones were different but they still freaked him out. They always seemed so real and there is always a boy beside him and He always forgets what he looks like when he gets up.
"Hello, earth to Joel," Sam waved her hand over his eyes.
Joel took his mind out of his thoughts. "What!"
"Did you know that there is going to be a lunar eclipse tonight" Sam asked..
"Where did you hear that?" questioned Joel, taking a piece of Sam's toast.
"On the news," Sam gestured to the television, "The military are getting jumpy because of it."
"Why is that?" asked Joel.
Sam finished her toast, licking the jam off her fingers, "Well, last time there was a lunar eclipse Sevler attacked."
Joel cocked his eyebrow "Sevler?"
"That was about, what? Sixteen years ago?" said Sam "They didn't attack this city, but I heard about other cities that were demolished and a few people went missing."
Joel was about to ask what Sevler was but his eyes caught on the clock. He was going to be late if he didn't hurry. "Got to go!" he exclaimed. Joel grabbed his lunch and ran out the door. He wasn't particularly excited to go to school. He had good reason not to be though. He was the only one from Datior that went to a Ladati school. He had wanted better schooling so he had worked one summer and saved enough to go. But of course nobody really accepted him there. So he was teased and bullied. But he never told anyone in his family that otherwise they wouldn't let him go there and he wanted to. He wanted a better education so that he would be accepted to a good college and get a good paying job and help his family.
"Hey, Joel,"
Joel waved. It was his best friend Matt. They always walked together.
"Have you heard about the lunar eclipse happening tonight?" Matt asked.
Matt was obsessed whenever is came to space. Anything to do with space and he was always the first one to know.
"I thought that maybe we could get together tonight and see the lunar eclipse," Matt said enthusiastically "I just bought this super cool telescope I've been saving for, we will be able to see everything," he said holding an invisible telescope in his hands.
"Cool, where do you want to do it?" Joel asked
"Rock hill, be there at 9:00," Matt said waving.
"See you later Matt!" Joel watched his friend walk into Datior's high school and walked on. Joel sighed. Sometimes he wished he was in Datior's high school with Matt, but he had to accomplish his goal.
Joel lagged his feet as he walked down the street, kicking up dust as he went. As he was almost to Ladati Joel stopped in his tracks. The hair at the back of his neck stood up and he froze. He had the weirdest feeling that someone was following him.
Joel casually started walking again. The feeling didn't go away. He quickly turned around but saw no one. Joel started picking up his pace until he was sprinting down the street. 'I'm probably just imagining things,' he thought while running. 'But I'm almost sure I was not imagining that.' Joel stopped running and walked again at a normal pace. There was his school. Just across the Ladati line. He took a deep breath and walked across. The scenery changes dramatically after you cross the line. The houses are huge and colorful. There are huge signs everywhere that are like overly big TV's advertising products and other things. And the people ride electric scooter everywhere. Joel felt like an alien whenever he came to Ladati. He arrived at his school. Damon high school it was called. It was a huge building with multiple campuses. They were each attached by long hallways that went to the other buildings. The entire school looked like a square. There were doors on each of the four sides, and in the middle was the courtyard and cafeteria. And on the outside of the square was an even bigger square building surrounding the whole other small square of the school.
Joel walked through the doors and was immediately greeted by dean, the school bully. Well I wouldn't really say school, more like a bully just for me' thought Joel.
" Hey, Datior trash," said Dean angrily, "I thought I told you, If you ever came back there would be consequences," Dean gestured to his followers. "Get him."
Joel was grabbed roughly be both arms and led to a discreet corner of the school. Dean grabbed fistfuls of Joel's coat and slammed him against the wall. Joel gasped as the wind was knocked out of him.
"How many times have we told you Datior trash," Dean punched him in the stomach emphasizing the last word as he clenched his teeth in anger.
Joel slid to his knees holding his stomach in pain, trying to get his breath back.
Dean picked him up by his shirt, his other fist lifted and aimed at his face. Joel held his breath ashamed that he could not defend himself.
"What do you think you boys are doing?'
Dean turned around. It was the school nurse Ms. Iacavone. Dean whispered in Joel's ear "We will continue this later."
Dean and his gang ran off into the hallways.
Joel breathed a sigh of relief.
Ms Iacavone walked up to Joel. "Are you okay?" she said, her blue eyes full of sympathy.
"Yeah I'm fine," Joel said mellowly straightening his shirt.
Joel started walking down the hallway.
"Well, if you're not feeling well or it gets worse just come over to the infirmary," Ms.Iacavone said.
"Okay," Joel said lifting his arm up in a wave while walking.
Joel's first couple classes went by slowly. During breaks he avoided Dean and his gang as much as possible. And then finally last class. Technology Ed. was what it was called. During this class he learned how to take apart, put together and how to work technology devices. There was one girl in this class. The rest were boys. Joel took his seat in the back of the classroom. The desks for this class were larger to allow more room for parts and tools. So Joel put his backpack up beside him and took his laptop out. Today they had to bring there own Technology device to class, and since his father wouldn't at all let him use the television he had to bring his laptop. Hopefully they wouldn't be doing anything like taking it apart.
"Okay class," said Mr.Altime "I see that you have all brought your homework, which is good because today we will be taking it apart and putting them back together."
Joel moaned "How ironic," He said sarcastically.
"You all know what to do," Mr. Altime said, "This activity is your test so you all better do a good job."
As everyone was starting to take apart their devices Joel looked down at his laptop.
"Well," he thought, "now would be the time to say 'trust in your abilities' but I am afraid I don't have much."
Joel sighed, took his tools and began to take apart his laptop. As he was getting into his laptop he began to realize that since his laptop was so old the tools he had been given weren't working. Joel walked to Mr. Altime's desk
"May I go to the supply room and grab some tools, mine aren't working very well,"
"Yeah, go ahead," Mr.Altime said, "Just don't take long, you only have this period to finish your test."
Mr.Altime watched Joel walk out the door. "Oh," he thought " I should have gotten him to get something for me, Ah well I'll just go get it myself," Mr. Altime walked out of the classroom.
Joel went down the hallway to the supply room. The door was steel and had handprint access which only technology. Ed students and teachers could get into. Joel put his hand on the green screen by the door. The door unlocked with a mechanic beep. Joel walked through the door. The room was dimly lit. Joel walked through in search of old tools when he started getting a headache. It was piercing and painful behind his eyes. "A migraine?" he thought "I better find those tools quick."
Joel searched through the boxes labeled tools. " Aha," he whispered, " found them."
Joel stood up and started walking to the door when the pain in his head suddenly got worse. Joel tripped and fell over a box full of broken pieces from different devices. He was on his knees now, the pain wracking his entire body. He started moaning. Trying to get up so he could open the door but none of his limbs seemed to want to do what he told them to. Joel grabbed the box hoping for support to get himself on his feet but the box tipped over and all the pieces fell out scattering over the floor. He managed to get on his knees, deciding that it would be better to call for help. His hands touched the pieces. It felt like an electric shock had just been sent up and down his body. All of a sudden everything got brighter including himself. The pieces started floating and piecing themselves together. The last thing Joel saw before he passed out was a completed technology device once broken hovering in the air, And Mr. Altime standing there with mouth and eyes open in silent surprise. Then everything went black.
It was the same dream again. Him running away from a person in black only this time he could see the boy beside him. The boy on his left eye had a scar running down from his eyebrow to his cheekbones. His hair and eyes were brown just like his own. In his dream Joel looked around. It was just as bleak as any other dream except for the boy, Joel felt very familiar with him. The boy's lips moved. Joel didn't know what he was saying. Suddenly he felt a sharp pain on his forearm. Joel ignored it and focused on figuring out what the boy was saying. But the pain kept on getting worse and worse until he was on his knees the boy fading away. Joel yelled, "No, Wait!"
Joel's eyes shot open. He yelled and sat up breathing in short ragged gasps, sweat lining his forehead and body.
"Whoa, whoa, easy there,."
Joel turned his head. It was the nurse. Ms Iacavone.
Joel looked around the room. A few hospital like beds and doctors equipment . White sheets.
"Am I at the hospital?" inquired Joel.
Ms. Iacavone shook her head and slowly pushed Joel back into the pillow.
"No," she said, "you are in the infirmary."
"Infirmary?' Joel asked, " What happened? How did I get here."
"Well as to how you got here Mr.Altime carried you," Ms Iacavone gestured to someone behind the curtain. Mr. Altime stepped out.
Joel tried pushing himself up and winced at pain in his left arm. He furrowed his eyebrows. Pain in his arm? Joel lifted his arm up an turned it. He gasped. There was a mark on his arm. When did that get there?
Ms. Iacavone looked at Joel curiously. "What is it?" she asked "Is something wrong?"
Joel lowered his left arm. Ms.Iacavone looked down on his left forearm and stared. A look of surprise on her face. She continued staring at him and the mark. The mark itself was very odd. Joel had never seen it before. It looked like it was carved into his skin, no wonder it hurt. The mark looked like this.
Ms Iacavone finally took her eyes of the mark. She stood up and gestured to Mr. Atime. They both went behind the curtain and had a whispered conversation. Joel tried listening but could only hear little snippets that did not seem to have any importance. After a few minutes they finally came out. Ms Iacavone had a strip of thin white cloth in her hand. And Mr. Altime was standing there looking very serious. The nurse came and sat on a stool beside the bed. She stared at Joel. Her stare was serious, not at all like the happy go lucky nurse she was before.
Ms Iacavone took a deep breath. She held his left arm. "You must not let anyone see this mark," She said looking into his eyes.
Joel looked at her with confusion "Why not?"
"Because we do not want the wrong people to get a hold of you," she started wrapping his arm in the white strip of cloth, " Joel you are special."
"What are you talking about?" Joel said, confusion and unbelief evident in his voice " I'm just a normal high schooler."
Ms Iacavone looked at Mr. Altime, " We need to take him to Mokaida,"
Joel looked at the Nurse "Take me where? What about my test?" Joel said looking at Mr. Altime.
"The test is not of importance, right now we need to get you off earth," Mr. Altime said.
"Off earth?" Joel looked at them "You mean Mokaida is in space,"
"Yes," said Ms Iacavone nodding, "Mokaida space academy is its proper name, There are people of all ages there,"
"What about my family?" Joel questioned.
"You will see them because you have to pack so don't worry," the nurse said with a smile
"But my family wouldn't just let me go to space you know."
"We know that is why we sent some of our agents there to tell them everything."
"Oh," Joel said.
The school bell that ended the day rang. Joel got out of the bed and stood up.
"Well I'm going to head home then," Joel said grabbing his backpack.
"Wait a minute didn't you hear anything we've been saying?" Mr. Altime said angrily.
"Yes and the bell rang, I need to go home, it's my turn to clean the kitchen," said Joel.
"There are people after you," said Mr. Altime.
"Yes I know," Joel walked to the door "I'll be careful." He walked into the hallway
Joel walked as though in a dream. What had just happened? Was this another of his dreams? Joel looked at the white cloth covering the strange mark and shook his head. He had to get home. He walked out of the school and ran to the border that divided Ladati and Datior. He crossed it and started walking. He avoided Datior high school because he did not feel like talking to his friend. Joel started re thinking about what had happened. Searching his memory for anything missing. The hairs on the back of his neck rose and Joel froze. Someone was following him again and this time Joel was a bit more freaked out after what Ms Iacavone had said to him. Joel turned around and gasped. A man was standing there. He looked to be about the same age as Sam. But something was familiar about him. What was it? Joel just about called out to him but the man turned. Joel immediately knew from a side glance who he was. He was the boy from his dreams. The scar on his left eye. The same as the boy in his dreams. Only an older version of him. The man said something "Joel," the man said and walked down an alley and disappeared. Joel was shocked. He turned around and ran home. When he got to the door of his home something felt very odd. It was silent. He could hear no voices. Joel quietly opened the door, aware of every sound. He went into the living room and there on the couch were his parents and sister looking very stressed and worried. They were staring at three men in the room.
Joel walked in, "What's going on?" he looked at his parents and then at the men.
"Joel," one of the men said, " we have come to take you to Mokaida."
"Already," Joel sighed.
"We'll give you five minutes to pack and say your farewells," one of the men said.
"Yeah," said Joel
The men started walking out of the living room and went outside.
Joel looked at his family and took a deep breath.
"So, they told you everything," Joel said breaking the silence.
"Yeah," his mother said sadly.
"Well I'll go pack and come back down and say goodbye," Joel started walking to his room.
He looked under his bed and grabbed his duffel bag.
He stared packing his clothes first then a few trinkets and of course his laptop. Joel stood up and stared at his room one last time, taking in every detail. He walked downstairs and was met by his family waiting by the door. His mom was already crying and his dad was silent. Sam was the first to give him a hug.
"I'm going to miss you," she said
"Me too," Joel said.
His mom was next. She hugged him still crying.
"I love you, be safe," she said
"I will," said Joel
His dad stood there.
"Bye dad," Joel said
"Goodbye son," he said.
Joel walked out the door and was met by the men. The car was waiting out front. Joel turned around and waved, holding in his emotions. Joel walked into the car and looked out the window wondering if he would ever see them again. Then they were gone and driving. Joel looked up at the sky. His life was about to change and somehow he knew that everything, his life everything that has been hidden from him would be shown in Space.
Part two
Joel looked up at the huge building in front of him. He had never actually been this close to the Ladati spaceport. It was way bigger than it looked. The whole building was shaped like a 'U'. It was about ten stories tall and only consisted of one floor, which had the boarding areas, waiting rooms and some little shops.
The most interesting part of the whole building was the runway. It started on the ground but when it turned it starts lifting of the ground so that the space shuttle could get in the air. Other than the windows the whole thing looked like it was made up of some sort of metal. It seemed to be the style for buildings. Joel didn't like it because it made it look tacky.
The three men guided Joel through the spaceport. Joel was fascinated by how huge it was. There were bullet trains that crossed the entire building and mini hover cars to take people to areas the bullet train did not.
After taking the train to their stop they walked across to customs and took out their information cards. Every citizen had one. It contained all of their personal information. It had replaced passports decades ago. As they were walking to the shuttle, Joel who had gone ahead was stopped by security.
"Boy," the security guard said. " Are you carrying any metal or technology devices on you?"
Joel looked up at him, "No."
"You're lying boy," the security man came closer
Joel looked at his nametag. Apparently his name was Dan. Dan was now close enough to touch him.
Joel raised his hands surrenderingly, " No, I'm not lying." he looked curiously at Dan.
"Our x-ray scanners picked up something on your person, and x-ray scanners don't lie," Dan was getting impatient. "I will search you and if your lyin-"
"Hey!"
Joel turned around. It was the three men who had brought him here. Dan saw them running towards him.
" He's with us," one of the men said. He had a badge with him. Apparently the badge was more powerful than Joel had first thought because Dan was now staring at them, awed and scared.
"Oh," Dan said apologetically,. "I'll go then."
Dan started fast walking down the spaceport.
Joel started following the men again and wondered what he was getting himself into. What gave them so much power? Why him?
The space shuttle was much like an air plane. It had the basic shape but the wings were at the end of the body. It had rockets and the shuttle was much bigger than an airplane.
Joel sat in his seat and buckled himself in. The buckles were much like a baby's car seat but were quite comfy.
He was quite excited for his first shuttle ride. He had always wondered what it would feel like. Matt had often told him about shuttles and it always got him wanting to go in one.
Joel let in a breath 'oh no,' he thought. ' Matt, I'm not going to be there.' Joel drooped his head. 'Matt's going to wonder where I am. He is going to be so mad at me.' He sulked.
Joel felt more than heard the starting of the rockets. They were taking off. Joel momentarily forgot about his friend. The shuttle was starting to move and Joel had a window seat. The shuttle turned the corner and started picking up its pace, faster, faster. When Joel thought it could go no faster he felt it lifting off. As they were above the city Joel turned in his seat and looked out. He could see rock hill and just as they were about to engage the second rockets Joel thought he saw matt waving. Then the second rockets kicked in. Joel was slammed into his seat, the force of gravity so hard he thought he would go right through the chair. His seat was shaking. Joel knew they had entered the first layer of the earth's atmosphere when the shuttle gave a jerk and started shaking violently. The first layer was where the storms and weather were so it was a bit rough. Joel remembered Matt telling him the layers of the earth's atmosphere. First was the troposphere, second was the stratosphere, then mesosphere, thermosphere and exosphere. The gravity and force was extreme, although it did feel like a couple pounds of gravity were being let go every time they entered a new atmosphere. And then all of a sudden he felt no weight at all, not even his own.
Pitch black covered his window. He could see earth, like a blue marble with cloudy white inside.
He was in space.
The excitement hit him. He was in the vast, endless black full of mysteries unsolved, and planets yet to be discovered. He felt himself floating but the belt they wore stopped him from going more than two inches.
For the first time Joel looked around the shuttle at the people inside. There was only seven people on board counting himself, and the three men behind him. Two men in what appeared to be uniforms sat in opposite seats. One looked a higher rank than the other. There were also a women and one boy. They boy had a mysterious aura around him, his black hair adding to the effect. They boy turned his eyes straight at Joel. Joel felt frozen and awed. His eyes were two different colors! One was green the other red. 'Odd colors.' Thought Joel. Joel felt himself sinking into his chair as the artificial gravity kicked in. He turned around and looked out the window. There were 3 hours to waste. Joel looked out the window and thought.
Joel was awakened by the captain's announcement.
"We are now arriving at Mokaida space academy. Please stay seated and keep your seatbelts on. We hope you enjoyed the ride."
Joel looked out the window. He took in a sharp breath. It was huge! He never imagined it to be this big. He couldn't even see every window because it was so big. The space shuttle was like a spec against Mokaida. The bottom part was like a huge rectangle facing upwards. The middle a sideways huge 'I' and the top yet a smaller 'I.' It almost looks like a gun with a sight telescope on the top.
As they were docking in Joel gawked at it , taking in every detail. The docking station was much like an airstrip. The opening they got in closed and while the shuttle was moving Joel felt gravity gently pushing the space craft down until it moved no more. A few more garage like doors closed them in and they heard air being sent into the outside space where the shuttle was. Joel heard the intercom ring and the Captain spoke again.
" The shuttle has docked, and in a moment the flight attendants will be helping you out of they shuttle. Thank you for riding Ladati space lines. Have a great day."
Just as the Captain finished the flight attendants came and opened the hatch to outside. Joel unbuckled his seatbelt and grabbed his bag from below his seat. He walked down the aisle and stepped out.
It was like he had stepped into technology mania. It was more futuristic at Mokaida than down on Earth! And this was only a small piece of it.
When Joel was beginning to walk towards the exit doors the tree men who had brought him to Mokaida stopped Joel and gestured toward a young woman standing near the exit doors.
Joel looked up at the men with a questioning look.
"She is going to show you to your room," one of the three men said.
Joel nodded in assent.
The three men turned around and left him standing there alone with the woman,
"Hi, my name is Alex," the woman held out her hand. Her face was bored and apathetic.
"Joel," he said shaking her hand in greeting.
"Well then Joel, come with me, I'll show you to your room."
Joel followed her.
It took them half an hour to get to the dorms using the elevator and walking. By this time Joel was immensely surprised by they size of Mokaida and so tired he could fall asleep on his feet.
" Here is where you will be living," Alex opened his room door.
Joel stared into the room. There was a kitchen , bathroom, little living room and a bed. Joel stared at the bed.
"Here is our schedule," Alex said giving him a stack of papers, "there is a summary as to what each class does. Your first day of school is tomorrow at 8:00., be sure you get up." Alex slammed the door.
'Boy is she a grouch,' Joel thought.
He dropped his duffel on the bed and sat on it with sigh.
'Man , what a day,' he said and lay on the bed
He was thinking of looking through those papers the lady handed him but he was so tired that he almost immediately fell asleep.
Joel hurried down the corridors. His uniform was foreign and uncomfortable to him when he ran. The uniform itself was two pieces. A shirt and pants, the shirt was long sleeved only on is right arm. The left side stopped just below his elbow revealing his mark. The shirt also had the M.S.A logo on it.
He looked at his schedule.
"128," he mumbled, " 128…128…128."
He looked around the hallway.
"Aha," he said as he spied the door to his first class.
Joel ran up to the door and put his hand on the handle. He hesitated. There was no window on the door so he couldn't see if they had started class. Joel squeezed the door handle and pushed it open. He walked into the classroom. All seventeen pairs of eyes stared at him. Joel breathed in deeply and walked to the desk in the corner.
'The teacher in the chair is a woman,' Joel thought surprised. She had short brown hair and was probably in her mid thirties or late twenties. Her name was on the board. Ms Vinare.
Ms.Vinare looked up from her reading and stared at Joel.
"You are Joel, correct?" Ms Vinare said standing up from her chair.
"Yes," replied Joel.
"Class please stop your work," Ms Vinare said, "I would like you to meet a new student, he just arrived here yesterday from earth."
Joel felt the entire class, girls and guys, staring him down with mostly boring, uninterested looks. He looked at the classroom. It was set up like half an auditorium. The room slanted upwards. There were steps and ledges where the desks were placed. Five rows of desks which fit four people with lost of room to spare. Joel's eyes stopped on the third row. It is the boy he saw on the shuttle, his two colored eyes were staring at him with an unbendable glare. After a few seconds Joel finally gave up and looked away.
"Joel, your seat will be up by Ely on the third row," Miss Vinare pointed to the third row.
Joel looked up and inwardly groaned. 'Well,' Joel thought, ' Maybe his outward appearance and freaky glare have nothing to do with his personality.'
The class went by rather slowly, with Ely glaring at him for most of the time and Joel trying his hardest to concentrate on work that was completely different from normal school. Nothing made sense! It was all about space flight and how to fly it and how to change the settings. Joel was completely confused.
Finally after half the class had gone by chewing his fingers and staring at the screen on his desk. Joel raise his hand, his face looked defeated.
" Yes Joel, " Ms Vinare said as she looked up from her papers. " You have a question?"
"Umm… I- Well, I," Joel stuttered.
"What is it?" Ms Vinare looked impatient
'I don't have a clue what I am supposed to be doing at all," confessed Joel.
Miss Vinare walked up the steps to his desk and grabbed Joel's work screen. She stared at it then looked at Joel again with confusion, interest and impatient anger.
"I think you have come in the wrong class," she said with irritation in her voice and an air of impatience.
Joel looked at her a furrowed his eyebrows, " I'm pretty sure I'm in the right class," he fumbled for his schedule.
" You should go talk to the Captains to rearrange this mixup," Miss Vinare prompted Joel to grab his things and ushered him out the door way.
Joel was unceremoniously let out of the classroom. The door slammed shut behind him. Joel looked at the schedule he was given. ' It says room 128 on here,' Joel thought, frustrated, ' she was wrong, or maybe there was a mix-up.'
Joel started walking down the hallways looking for the Captain's office.
' Why do they call him a captain?' thought Joel.
Walking down the hallway Joel was distracted by some windows that showed outside. Joel let in a breath as he looked out. It was amazing! Outside there was a river of sparkling dust masking the incredible darkness of space. Earth was very close to Mokaida. Its bright blue glow was a light in the darkness of space.
Joel was interrupted by footsteps behind him. He turned around and his heart leapt. There standing before him was the man he had met on the road who knew his name. Joel did not have much time to think before the man grabbed his left arm. Joel winced, his mark was still sore. The man started pulling him behind him. Joel panicked, but not before he heard a huge alarm bell let out of the speakers. The hall turned red from lights and alarm. The man started running and dragging Joel along.
"What are you doing?" Joel shouted above the sirens, struggling to get his arm out of the steel grip on his arm.
"You are coming with me," the man said, "I must take you to Sevler."
"Sevler?" The name sounded familiar, where had he heard it before? It didn't sound like someone he should go meet.
"Who are you?" asked Joel above the din.
The stranger looked at him. His gaze looked familiar but cold. The man looked like he was about to answer . But a lot of running feet downd the corridor had presidence.
"Hey, You, STOP!" a man yelled.
The stranger picked up his pace. Joel was almost literally dragged along. Struggling to keep up with his mind bending pace and also trying to get the man to loosen his grip.
After multiple attempts to lose the people behind him the man found an unlocked door and shoved Joel in it with him. The man roughly covered the struggling Joel's mouth. The pattering feet ran past the door Joel was in. The man loosened his grip on Joel. Joel took this opportunity. He bit the man on the hand. Joel quickly stood and yelled as loud as he could, hoping to alert someone that he was in here. Then he ran further into the room. Joel quickly found a hiding place and looked around the place trying to take stock of his surroundings. He was in a storage room of some kind. Although is was the biggest room Joel had ever seen. The ceiling was at least a hundred stories tall and the room was very wide and stuffed with all kinds of ships and technology. Joel looked around for the man, then stepped out of his hiding place and looked for a door so he could get out of here. As he was about to approach a door Joel grasped his head and dropped to his knees in pain. There was a heachache again but this was way worse than last time. It felt like his head was going to explode. Joel started seeing stars. He stood up on wobbly feet and staggered to a metal post for balance. Suddenly Joel felt his left arm turning very warm. He lifted his arm to look at it. His eyes widened. The mark on his arm was starting to glow green. It looked like the mark was being outlined by a green glow. The glow looked like it was redrawing it with the bright color. It felt like something very warm was being put on his arm, but at the same time Joel felt pain. Joel heard a steady, humming noise coming from the post. He looked up, his wide eyed look changed to amazement and fear. For the metal pole he had been leaning against was starting to be outlined in the glow as well. Joel heard the pieces inside the machine rearranging. Before he could be even more surprised he felt his conciousness fading. Joel heard footsteps running down the room. He looked and standing there was some teachers and Ely. With his last burst of strenghth Joel yanked his arm of the pole and collapsed, unconscious to the ground.
TO BE CONTINUED……
Mokaida
By Justina
Hot. Burning hot. It was like fire was burning his entire body.
"Hold him," a voice
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