Chapter Two - Dr. Sanders
Dr. Kahlee Sanders was sat at the Magnus family dinner table across from Charles, who was flanked by his parents on either side of him. She was a middle aged woman, probably in her late forties, but in Charles' mind she had some very attractive features. Not least of which was her blonde hair that fell softly over her shoulders. Not that Charles was in any way an expert when it came to the opposite sex. He had never had a girlfriend, not even close. In fact he couldn't remember ever having a real conversation with any woman aside from his mother. He did however feel pretty comfortable with his judgment of Dr. Sanders's looks. He was sure that she would be considered attractive by a majority of people.
Though she didn't come across as very old, Charles could tell from the way that she talked and her confidence that she was probably a bit older than she looked.
His eyes wandered from her hair down to her standard Alliance officer's uniform. He had prayed that the doctor would have showed up in her civilian clothes. He feared that the presence of an Alliance officer in their home would upset his parents so much that they might pull the plug on the entire project. However, Mr. Magnus appeared to have been completely disarmed by the doctor's good looks, and Mrs. Magnus was too preoccupied with keeping her husband in check to even notice the Alliance logo on Sanders' chest. She threw a jealous look at the doctor's golden hair, which seemed to be glowing almost as much as Charles' face. As he sat there between his parents, Charles' face was positively gleaming with anticipation and happiness.
"So, young Mr. Magnus, I trust that you know why I am here today, yes?" Sanders said in a soft voice, smiling at the young man sitting directly across from her.
He nodded.
"Let me start by making sure that you understand that this is absolutely your own choice. We are not trying to draft you into the Alliance military against your will. We are merely offering you an opportunity," She continued.
Charles gave her another nod.
"Wonderful. Then let me first tell you a little bit about our facility and the program that we would like for you to join. As you know, my name is Dr. Kahlee Sanders. I work at a place called the Jon Grissom Academy, which is a school for young humans with extraordinary potential. We have students who are mathematical geniuses, students that are scientific prodigies and students who are trying to break through as artists. We strive to offer education to the most promising young humans of many different fields, and we would like for all of our students to simply be the best that they can be. The academy is funded by a large number of different investors, the largest by far is the Systems Alliance," Sanders said, unable to hide the pride in her voice.
Charles listened to her with a concentrated look on his face. Determined not to miss a single piece of information. He still couldn't imagine himself as part of a student body with "extraordinary potential".
His parents shared nervous looks, but none of them could help but feel some sort of pride that their son was being invited into this, apparently, very exclusive school program.
Dr. Sanders continued her monologue.
"I am the officer in charge of a project called Ascension, which is dedicated to all of our students with biotic abilities. I am here today to offer you a spot as a student of the Ascension Project. This part of the academy is funded solely by the Alliance, and I myself am obviously employed by the Alliance," She said, gesturing at her uniform.
She went on.
"Though sponsored by the Alliance, the students of the Ascension Project are not required to pursue a career within the Alliance upon completion of their education. Should you choose to join our academy, you will hold the military rank of ensign, but as I said, once you have your graduation papers, you are free to do what you want."
Mr. and Mrs. Magnus looked very relieved at this, and they simultaneously sighed loudly, causing both Kahlee Sanders and their son to smile.
"Now, Charles, as I am sure that you are aware, amps are typically implanted in kids with biotic potential when they hit puberty. This is where we would usually invite them to our facility to begin their basic training. At the age of eighteen we will then offer the students to stay with the project for four additional years in advanced classes that will begin to teach them combat biotics and the project will become more and more militarily based. However, your case is special as you will soon be 18 years old. We would like for you to essentially skip basic training and join the students that in a few months will be starting advanced class," She explained, still smiling.
Charles looked terrified now. How was he expected to just join a class of students who had been honing their biotic abilities since their early teens, when he was yet to have his amplifiers surgically implanted.
Dr. Sanders seemed to pick up on his anxiety almost instantly.
"I understand that this might seem like a tall order," she said. "But with the test results that I have seen, we all believe that you will quickly catch up. Also, by joining the advanced class, your classmates will all be around your age, instead of six or seven years younger. I also think that you will find that the other students will be able to help you a lot in the beginning."
Charles glanced to his left where his mother was sitting, lovingly looking at him with a nervous smile barely visible on her lips. He looked into her watery eyes, searching for some kind of clue. What does she want me to do? He thought. She gave him a small nod, which let him know that she would support him whatever he decided to do. His father put his arm around his neck and asked in a soft voice.
"Is this what you want, son?"
Charles nodded.
"I... I think it is."
Dr. Sanders let out a little laugh and continued her description of the Jon Grissom Academy.
"The station itself is roughly one kilometer in length and houses more than 8,500 students, instructors and other personnel. A very small amount of the population is actually affiliated with the Ascension Project. We are one of the smallest departments, and we are expecting less than ten students in the advanced class that you will join. The basic training part of the department is much bigger, but still only represents a tiny fraction of the total population of the academy. Everything else that you will need to know about the station will be forwarded to you. But a lot of it will probably be easier to fathom when you actually arrive."
He nodded, completely understanding what she meant.
"I can tell you though, that our advanced class students will be offered some new and quite luxurious rooms that we recently retrofitted to our station. It will be almost like having a nice, although small, apartment on the citadel," Dr. Sanders finished, now completely unable to hide the smirk on her face.
This Ascension Project was obviously something in which she took extreme pride.
After almost an hour of conversation Dr. Sanders finally said.
"So, Mr. Magnus, still interested in joining our project?"
He smiled and nodded, but then his face became serious again.
"Yes Dr. Sanders, but what about implants?"
She held out her datapad.
"If you and at least one of your parents sign this, we will have you in the hands of the best surgical team the Alliance has to offer within a couple of weeks. Everything will of course be sponsored by the Alliance."
Charles was now very excited and completely unable to come up with any reason not to accept the offer to join the Ascension Project. He pulled the datapad from Kahlee Sanders and signed it with a flourish.
He looked up from the pad and grinned at Dr. Sanders, who in response smiled and said.
"As I said, at least one signature is required from your parents, seeing that you are still not eighteen years old."
Charles' head seemed to spin on his neck, as he scanned the faces of his parents for any signs of unwillingness to sign the datapad. They both still looked very undecided, and Charles could feel that he was starting to get nervous. Would his parents' distrust of the Alliance cause them to keep him from achieving his newfound goal in life?
Time stood completely still in Charles' mind. His mother had frozen in her seat, but she was becoming increasingly more teary-eyed as seconds dragged on. His father had been staring at the datapad still resting in the hands of his only son for what seemed like hours.
Charles was now on the edge of panic, realizing that his parents had changed their minds, and that they wouldn't let him go to the academy. He knew that they would miss him, and that they were only keeping him there because they loved him, but he was still very disappointed and absolutely heartbroken. His chin fell to his chest and his eyes settled on his signature on the datapad in his hands. The two lines under the one on which he had made his own signature were empty, and he would have to give up the dreams of the space station that had grown within him in the past week and had increased tenfold in intensity during the conversation with Dr. Sanders.
She however, did not give up so easily.
"I understand that you don't like the thought of your son on a space station far away, but let me assure you that nothing is more important to us than the well-being of our students. Even in the Ascension Project. Especially in the Ascension Project. We will always allow for our students to take some time off to visit their families here on Earth or wherever they might be. The Alliance will also pay for both of you to travel to the academy once every year to see your son and meet his class mates and instructors."
The doctor looked patiently at the older couple and their son, who still had a defeated expression on his face.
Mr. and Mrs. Magnus briefly looked at each other before leaning towards each other behind the back of their son. They shared as passionate a kiss as they dared with an Alliance officer sitting on the other side of the table before both signing the data pad.