The journey from the main plaza to the science field was completed in what felt like a short time and Kaden soon found himself standing on the edge of a much smaller plaza that connected to the entrances of the two silver colored buildings he'd seen earlier.
One Lombax was standing alone in the middle of the plaza, watching the new students as they made their way down the path. He had brilliantly white fur that was lined with thin black stripes. He wore a large, white lab coat, like most of the science field students, but his seemed somehow sleeker and more like a suit than a work outfit. A small, mechanical orb caught Kaden's eye as it floated gently above the Lombax's right shoulder.
Behind the man stood another group of students that almost matched the size of the new students' group. Most were wearing their signature white coats and mimicked the Lombax at the center in how they studied the new arrivals curiously.
As soon as everyone from the main plaza was assembled and no one was left on the walkway the Lombax at the center began to speak, "My name is Varick Adjunaris," he announced loud enough for everyone to hear clearly. "I am the president of the Science Field and I'd like to be the first, as I'm sure our beloved Dean Tor'doran has not, to officially welcome you to Nova Academy and, more specifically, to congratulate you all on your excellent choice in joining its Science Field."
Varick smiled wide at his comment and Kaden was surprised by how many teeth he managed to show with such a simple and friendly grin, "As some of you already know, Nova Academy has a much more complex system of learning than most other schools. To help you adjust quickly to it, you will each receive a 'mentor' who is your elder in the academy. They will show you around and answer your questions for the rest of the semester, so rely on them for firsthand information and endeavor to learn as much about your new home as possible while you can. Some of you have already met your elders," Varick paused and gave a slight nod that was directed toward the elder students already in the group. "I leave the rest to them. As for everyone else, I will read your name and you will step forward to meet your mentor."
As soon as Varick stopped talking the elder students in the crowd started walking towards the square building to their right, each one with a wide-eyed, new student in tow, leaving Kaden and a couple hundred others behind.
Varick waited for the first group to leave the area before he reached out a hand as if holding something in the air. Upon seeing this motion from its master, the floating, robotic orb hovered down to Varick's outstretched hand and projected a holographic screen that he used like a digi-pad.
From the screen, he read off each student's name one at a time. As he read each one, a student from Kaden's group walked forward. As they walked toward Varick, a student from the group behind him would also walk forward and greet them halfway. The two would then both move toward the square building and enter like the others had done.
It took a few minutes, but eventually everyone's name had been called and they'd all left the plaza. Everyone, that is, besides Kaden and Varick.
Kaden had his suspicions, but he wasn't exactly sure why only the two of them remained. Varick glanced around the plaza to make sure there were no stragglers before dropping his arms to his sides and walking forward. As he did, the hologram display disappeared and his robot floated back to its place above his right shoulder.
When he'd crossed the field and reached Kaden, he stopped and offered the young Lombax his hand, "You must be Kaden, correct?" he asked with a smile.
"Yes, I am," answered Kaden simply before taking the offered hand and shaking it.
Now that Kaden could see Varick up close he realized something: Varick was extremely handsome. It felt odd to make a note of something so superficial, but he knew the word fit. He was tall for a Lombax and his fur was evenly kept and symmetrical, but most impressive was the vibe he gave off.
Kaden didn't like to judge people the moment he met them (his personal policy required that he ask at least two questions and learn their holo-net email before he could reasonably peg a person), but he knew just from the way Varick moved, the way he spoke, and the way he smiled that this Lombax was born to carry authority, or that he had at least learned how to do it very well.
"As I'm sure you've guessed by now, Kaden, I will be your mentor," said Varick cheerfully. "I expect great things from you and not just because of how many bolts your mentorship rights cost."
"Bolts?" Kaden repeated in confusion, unsure of what Varick meant by 'mentorship rights'.
"Hmmm," intoned Varick as he thought for a moment. "Let's start a little further back shall we? Nova Academy is a school meant to turn a student with the best potential in the galaxy, into the best Lombax in the galaxy. To do this end, the elders have found that making the academy mimic real life challenges offered the best learning results. Like the saying goes: 'The galaxy is the best teacher'." Varick paused to let Kaden think for a bit.
Kaden had known this much about the academy due to his research on it (and by 'research' he meant 'read the brochure'). There was surprisingly little information on the holo-net about the details of living at Nova Academy.
Varick noted Kaden's expression and continued his explanation, "Everything in the school will cost you bolts and there are no rules on how to get them. We don't mess around with vague 'credit' or 'point' systems here. Cold hard bolts are as powerful at Nova as they are in the real world. All new students will be given an allowance, from which you must purchase your housing, meals, and other basic living expenses. Don't worry though, this is a school after all and there is a safety net for students. It does, however, come with some rather humiliating repayment options, but I'm sure you won't have to worry about that. The primary way most students receive- hmm… that is to say, 'earn' bolts is to do jobs for the academy, though you won't have that option as a fuzzy."
"What's a fuzzy?" interrupted Kaden at the mention of the strange word.
Varick laughed at the question, "Yes, I'm sorry about that. You see, a 'fuzzy' is actually academy slang for a new student at Nova. Its origins are believed to have been derived from the peach fuzz of a newborn baby, meaning that you are like a newborn to the rest of us." Kaden didn't like how Varick grinned and looked him straight in the eye as he said 'you', and his eyes narrowed with displeasure.
Varick's expression faded slightly. Kaden almost didn't notice it, but before he could look any closer, Varick cleared his throat and continued, "Ahem, every semester Nova Academy gets a fresh crop of students from all over Fastoon. There are relatively few full time instructors here, as many of the teaching positions are taken by elder students, so there aren't enough staff to be tasked with babysitting the new ones. So, like most of its problems, the school fixes this by throwing bolts at it, so to speak. Current students are paid a small fee to become a mentor during the beginning of fuzzy season, err... the new school term."
"Ok," said Kaden inquisitively, "but you said 'you' paid to be my mentor?"
Again Varick smiled, "Hmm, yes, well, ever since the mentoring system has been around there has been a student tradition of bidding for the rights to mentor new students that show the most potential and would likely make a good ally during their time at here at Nova. Many elder students have large projects that are required as part of their curriculum, are for extra credit, or just to make some bolts. These projects often need a lot scientific baxpower to complete, so think of 'mentorship rights' as a way to recruit talent for future use. Let me just say this though, buying the mentor rights for the great Kaden of Valmecha's 2nd district cost me quite the shiny bolt or two."
Kaden was at first shocked by the notion that people had been bidding on the rights to teach him, but if he was honest, he was more pleased than anything and he took it as a complement, but it was still strange.
"What makes you so sure I'm worth the time and the bolts?" he asked, now suspicious of the handsome Lombax's attention.
Varick offered another smile, but this one was full of humor, "The school keeps very detailed records on all of its prospective students and much of that information is made available to their prospective mentors. Usually, that's enough for anyone to choose a mentee. I, however, like to be a little more thorough with such things. Luckily there was more than enough information on the holo-net about you. Especially in the Praetorian Guard's criminal records databanks."
Kaden groaned audibly and rolled his eyes.
At the sight of his reaction, Varick laughed with genuine amusement, "Anyway, let's just say that there was more than enough information for me, and several others, to know that you were guaranteed to make quite a few waves here at Nova. Waves of all kinds I'm sure, so, on that note, let me be clear, Dean Tor'doran is very serious about the Velocity Inducer, but don't worry, the security team hasn't failed to catch a student yet." Varick's assurance didn't make Kaden feel much better. "Besides, you've already proven my suspicions correct," he continued, now wearing a mischievous grin. Kaden didn't think he liked this smile. He raised an eyebrow quizzically and Varick leaned in close to his ear, "Hacking the Honeymoon Suite? I'm surprised a fuzzy even knew it existed."
Kaden caught his breath and a sudden fear ran through his mind, "Does the Dean know?" he asked as he realized how close in proximity these words were to Varick's previous warning about the punishment.
Varick's smile brightened even more, which surprised Kaden that it could, "I never assume Tor'doran doesn't know about something, that's a sure way to lose some fur, but I can tell you that if she was planning on punishing you this time... you would likely have known it before you made it three steps off the train. I know about your activities myself, because I was watching through the trains monitoring system. I like to keep tabs on my investments you see. You learn all kinds of interesting things when you're observant. By the way, who's that attractive young girl you seemed so close to on the way here?"
Kaden's mild sense of concern evaporated and a spike of annoyance replaced it. He didn't like having someone standing over him so obviously, both metaphorically and literally.
Varick's expression faded and returned with a twitch again, "Interesting," he said with a quizzical expression that studied Kaden's carefully.
"What is?" asked Kaden with the hint of a growl.
"Why, you of course!" exclaimed Varick with a sudden cheerful excitement that caught Kaden off guard. "Oh, this going to be a fun year," he added with glee before turning around and walking toward the square-shaped building. Stopping a few meters away, he turned and called back to Kaden, "Come on, don't stand there with your tail nailed to the ground. We've got to get you settled in," before continuing forward once more.
Kaden watched the unusual Lombax's shrinking form for a moment, before following him to the building. He still couldn't decide if he liked him or not.
Varick passed through the square building's entrance where everyone else had gone. From a distance, it had looked like the building didn't even have doors, just a large opening in the front. As he approached, however, Kaden quickly noticed the small, light fluctuations of a low level Atmosfield.
This simple energy barrier prevented things like heat and dirt from passing through while still allowing heavy, solid objects like students to cross the threshold. As Kaden passed through the shield, he could feel his fur being rustled lightly from it.
After he passed through, a light above him turned green and a computerized voice welcomed him by name to the Science Field Living Quarters. He also caught sight of a second set of field emitters embedded in the surrounding walls. These devices would likely produce a much stronger security barrier in case someone tried to enter the building without permission.
Now that he was inside, Kaden found himself standing on the edge of an expansive lounge area. Seats and chairs filled most of the floor space and large holo-monitors dotted the area, attached to walls or hanging from the ceiling, while displaying various programs. As a side note, there were also several vending machines placed strategically about.
Here and there students were engaged in various leisure activities like reading holo-books or typing on digi-pads. A small group in the distance was even playing multi-dimensional holo-chess.
Seeing that Kaden had passed the barrier check successfully, Varick began to make his way through the area, "This is the 'Waiting Room'," he explained without slowing his pace. "This is where most students come to relax in-between their classes as it's the only part of the Science Field that's publicly open to most non-Science Field students."
Varick's explanation was simple, but it was all Kaden needed. Most students were required to take courses from all three fields, regardless of which field their focus was. The Military Field handles the various athletic requirements and the art field taught things like literary and social studies. The Science Field obviously took care of analytical studies such as mathematics and physics. This lounge area was little more than a rest stop for students from other fields so they don't have to go all the way back across the academy before their next class.
As Varick walked quickly through the rows of chairs and couches, he exchanged waves with a few of the other students. In fact, he was actually doing it a lot and it seemed like everyone in the building knew him. Kaden had yet to discover if that was just because of Varick's status as Field President, or if the Lombax himself was popular in some way.
When the two of them had reached a row of wall sized holo-screens Varick stopped suddenly, almost causing Kaden to misstep. When he'd regained his balanced he looked up at one of the larger holo-boards as it played an image of two Lombaxes sitting at a news anchor desk.
"That's the 'Solar Flare'," said Varick with a gesture towards the screen. "They're the academy's own news service. It's run by students studying public media in the Art Field, but that's pretty basic for any school. The Solar Flare is the first place anyone goes to see information ranging from student rankings and accomplishments to academy events and sports results. I'm sure your name will be up here eventually. Whether for good or bad, I'm curious to find out."
Kaden got the feeling that he should have been mad at Varick for his comment, but if he was honest with himself, it was something that he too had been wondering.
Varick next turned down a hallway and then quickly entered a large Cafeteria, "This is the main Eating Hall," he said after Kaden had entered behind him. "The name explains itself, I hope. If you want something that isn't on the menu you can make a special order for it, but if they don't have the ingredients on hand you'll have to wait for the kitchen staff to make another supply order and restock their stores. Of course they always feel like making a new order for supplies sooner if they happen to find a few extra bolts in their pockets," Varick added the last part with knowing wink.
The cafeteria seemed normal at first glance, other than how vast the space was. Kaden could see from the stairs in the corners that it even spanned more than one floor. If the next floor up was as big as this one he was sure thousands of Lombaxes could eat comfortably inside and that's not even considering that there might be more than two floors.
Varick barely gave Kaden time to take it in however, before he quickly turned around once more and left the room before heading down another hallway.
After a short, but brisk walk they stopped at a row of grav-lifts. Varick waved his hand over a panel in the wall and a holo-screen appeared. Floor numbers, followed by short descriptions, were listed on it and Kaden was surprised to see that there were over a hundred of them. He'd never have guessed that the facility was so extensive.
Varick quickly scrolled through the list, searching for a particular floor, when his finger froze over one of the keys, "What am I doing?" he said suddenly in self-reproach. "It's much more efficient if you learn the academy's systems by engaging them directly. Here, give it a go."
Varick stepped away from the panel, causing the holo-screen to disappear and beckoned Kaden forward.
Kaden copied Varick's actions and waved his own hand over the panel. The holo-screen reappeared as he'd expected, but it was different. The new screen now only showed just over a dozen floors. If he hadn't just seen Varick's screen, he likely would've never known there were more to the building. Confused, he turned to Varick to ask, but his mentor answered the question before he got the chance.
"Your Science Field Rank is currently 'Level one'. As such you only have access to the most basic of school facilities, though some students, like me, could give you temporary access to certain floors if necessary. However, since even you can access the level we're heading to, there's no problem."
Varick indicated the floor he wanted to go to on the holo-screen. Its description said that it was the first level of a shopping area. Kaden pressed its icon and his name flashed across the screen before being replaced by a chronometer and grav-lift indicator. It read '0:00:32 Lift: 3' and began counting down until the time hit zero and the doors on the lift marked '3' opened.
The two Lombaxes then entered the newly opened grav-lift and an almost identical screen appeared inside. It read Kaden's name and listed Varick as a companion with the time until arrival displayed.
"If this is just the living quarters does that mean there's even more in the other building?" asked Kaden as their lift descended.
Varick shook his head, "The difference between the two buildings is only what you see above ground and slightly below the surface. After about the 8th floor down the two buildings merge into one complex. There are even levels that connect across multiple Fields; you just need the clearance to access them."
After a few seconds, the lift doors opened and Kaden walked out into what, to his astonishment, looked exactly like an average shopping mall in Valmecha. A large sign listed names and specialties of, what Kaden had to guess were, stores within, though he had yet to digest the fact that there was a mall under his school dormitory.
"This," Varick, began stepping forward with arms raised in clear display of his affection for the area, "is the Science Field's 'Supply Depot!' Here you will find everything you might need during your new life here at the academy. The top floor, which we're on now, is for more basic supplies. Things like food stuffs, hygiene/medical care, and clothing. The next floor down is for vanity. Mostly entertainment devices like wide display, high definition holo-panels and furniture. The lower you go, the more unique and specialized the items get. As a fuzzy you can't even access the fifth floor, but I give you my word, what's down there is awesome!"
"Hold on," Kaden interrupted. Varick halted his bravados explanation and lowered his arms to look back. "There is a mall under the dormitory?" Kaden asked, still in amazement.
Varick shook his head in mild disappointment, "Come now Kaden, have more of an open mind. We all live in a mountain, miles from any form of technologically advanced civilization. Of course there's a mall here. There's one in each of the other Fields as well; though the Military Field calls theirs 'The Armory' and the Art Field changes the name of theirs on a whim. I think they call it 'The Bazaar' at the moment."
Kaden nodded in acceptance of Varick's words and walked forward into the main area. All around him were vendors, manned mostly by androids.
Even if it was a mall, he was surprised by the variety and color of the place. He would have assumed that anything run by an academic institution would only offer the bare minimal of necessity for efficiency's sake.
"Does the academy operate all of this?" Kaden asked curiously.
"Nope," Varick declared with a hint pride. "Every store here is owned and operated by at least one Lombax at the Academy. Any of the quality stores are run by high level business students, but there are no rules about who can do what, so long as they have the bolts to rent the floor space."
The two of them toured the mall long enough for Kaden to get a good understanding of its layout. Varick pointed out specific stores he liked and talked about a few of the owners that he knew personally, though by the end Kaden got the feeling Varick knew everyone personally.
Eventually, they stopped to have something to eat at a food court. "So, what's on the lower levels?" asked Kaden between mouthfuls of his Norig burger with two layers of bacon and extra cheese.
Kaden's eating habits were a pet peeve of Sorana's. He had briefly worried that living at the same school would mean that she'd finally make good on her promise to force a healthier diet on him, but after seeing the vastness of Nova Academy so far he was feeling much safer.
"Like I said before, it's all specialty items down there," replied Varick as he sipped his own smoothie. "If you need something like materials for an experiment, that's where you'd go. If they don't have it in stock there will definitely be someone who can get if for you. At least, so long as..."
"...so long as you have the bolts." interrupted Kaden, finishing Varick's sentence for him. He had finally noticed the obvious pattern to life here at Nova, or at least in the Science Field.
"Good," nodded Varick pleasantly and without missing a drop of his enthusiasm. "You've already learned the second law of Nova Academy."
"Second?" wondered Kaden. "What was the first?"
Varick looked at his smoothie and didn't reply right away, "Don't ever cross Dean Tor'doran," he said finally. There was a faraway look in his eye for a brief moment before he looked back up at Kaden a second later, "But you'll probably learn that on your own soon enough, I'm sure," he continued, snapping back to his cheerful mood and checking the large chronometer on the wall. "Come on. We've still got to get you a room. I'm sure the line for room purchasing has dwindled by now, so back to the first floor we go."
They disposed of their garbage by tossing it toward a gravity well in the center of the court. There it was caught by the gravitational field of an artificial black hole in the ground and was crushed into a singularity.
After reaching the grav-lifts again, Kaden was tasked with working the controls once more and selected the level that read: 'Main Lobby'. A few seconds later the lift doors opened to a familiarly extensive hallway on the ground floor.
Varick immediately set out from the lift, back tracking their way through the lounge area in almost its entirety, before veering off and stopping at a random doorway that had a red neon outline.
Once there, Varick explained to Kaden how every year all the elders and their fuzzy protégés formed a massive line in front of this door just after the introduction ceremony. He also mentioned that he never understood why they all rushed to it at the same time. Kaden was grateful for Varick's foresight since he hated waiting in lines and didn't have another stink-bomb on him.
After a short wait, the red outline around the doorway turned green and the doors slid open, allowing the pair of Lombaxes who'd been inside to leave. It was clear from looking at them that one was a new student and the other, their elder mentor.
Varick gave Kaden a nod and the two of them walked into the now empty room. The room's inside was a perfect square with white walls that were crossed by black lines that ran parallel and perpendicular to the floor. Kaden immediately recognized the pattern and material of the room as a hologram room.
The door slid shut behind them and Varick quickly began taping various icons on a holo-screen attached to the wall. Shortly after, the room started to shimmer with various colored lights before reconstituting into a holographic representation of a small bedroom.
"This is where you choose and purchase living spaces and workshops, but the latter you won't have to worry about for a while," explained Varick. "There are dozens of options for all kinds of situations. I call this one here 'The Impoverished Loner'. It's the cheapest single room available."
Kaden looked around. It was very small and the only furniture was a small, one-person sleeping pod and a one-piece work desk. To Kaden it looked perfect, as he was quite comfortable in small spaces. He'd likely only ever use the room to sleep in anyway, so what did he care if it was little more than a bed in a closet?
Just to be sure though, he flipped through all the cheapest rooms in the holo-index, but ended up picking the 'Impoverished Loner' anyway. The only option more economical than this choice would require him to get a roommate and Kaden definitely didn't want that.
The name it had been given by his mentor still irked him and he began to wonder if Varick had known which room he'd pick and came up with the name solely to annoy him. It seemed likely.
Kaden finished purchasing the room and was about to leave when he noticed Varick had held back to type a few more things into the holo-panel on the wall. Kaden waited for him to exit and then take the lead once more, before following him again.
For the next hour or so, Kaden was taken all around the rest of the building. Kaden was shown the virtual library hub, more lounge and eating areas, various communal bathrooms, small exercise rooms, a medical suite, and the teleporter hub. Here and there they could see similar elder/fuzzy activities being performed as all of the new students were acclimated to the Field areas.
Varick also explained the dorm rules, which were very ordinary: No noise after a certain hour, no teleporter activity after the same hour, no artificial quantum singularities outside of designated areas, no molecular ionization of the atmosphere indoors, no mixed gender roommates, etc. All of it was pretty standard for a school living quarters. That was, until they reached Varick's room.
They both rode the grav-lifts to the top of the living quarters building and walked out into a long hallway with a few doors that were widely spread out. Varick stopped at the third one down and held up his hand. The door pulsed with green light a few times before beeping and sliding open. Varick entered the room and told Kaden to come in and make himself comfortable.
As Kaden stepped over the threshold, he had to fight the strong urge to gawk at what he saw. The inside of the room was like something you'd see in a luxury Hotel. It had a full kitchen, living room, a separate bedroom, and its own bathroom (with Jacuzzi). Plus there was an amazing view off the edge of Mt. Supernova and the setting sun in the distance. Kaden could hardly believe this room existed for a student.
"Like it?" asked Varick from the Kitchen. "Nova Academy makes sure that being the best of the best is well rewarded." This sentence was finished with a self-satisfied smile from the Science Field's president.
"You said there were very few rules about how to get bolts right?" Kaden asked with a specific thought in mind.
"Yes I did, and I know what you're thinking. It's half true I guess," Varick answered as he pulled a jug from his refrigeration unit and placed it on a cooking station. After typing in a number on the station's panel there was a quick succession of clicking noises. He then lifted the jug back up and brought it to the table that Kaden was sitting at.
"No, getting bolts from your parents is not against school rules. Yes, I do come from a very wealthy family. No, my parents' money did not buy me this room. I earned my home and title of president with my own hard work and dedication. I can't take all the credit though, since I did live out my time as a fuzzy on my parent's wallet."
Kaden took a moment to consider Varick's words. He hadn't expected his mentor to consider himself a hard worker earnestly. Perhaps it was because of the politician feel he got from him.
"So how exactly does the 'level' system work?" Kaden asked next, changing the subject.
Varick sat down at the table Kaden was at and his tiny robot appeared with two cups almost immediately. It laid them both on the table in front of its master and Varick poured steaming blue liquid into each cup before passing one to Kaden.
"There are ten levels in the academy's grading system. They're like any ordinary school's grade levels except they're not dependent on age or years of attendance. You simply have to prove that you're worthy of being awarded a higher level based on your Field. Essentially, to 'level up', you either get all your instructors to give their approval for advancement or get the Dean to like you. My advice is to assume that the latter is impossible."
Kaden nodded as he took in the information and took a sip of the strange liquid in his cup. To his surprise, it was very sweet. He had expected something a bit more mature and bitter from someone like Varick. What's more, Kaden found that he actually liked it and drained his cup quickly before accepting Varick's offer for more.
"So you graduate when you become level ten or after you pass it?" Kaden asked.
Varick laughed a little, somewhat harshly in fact, "Nobody ever graduates from Nova Academy, Kaden. They simply reach the limits of their ability to improve," he answered somewhat somberly. "Only a few Lombaxes in history have ever made it to level ten. Most level nine, eight and even level seven students have moved on from Nova. They now live their lives as Lombax society elites in most cases. You never lose your level privileges from Nova and you can come back to study at any point in your life. Most of the elder students choose to go to branch schools, though. The academy even has some on other planets. Think of Nova as a school that gradually becomes a community of the extremely skilled and intelligent."
"So can you stay at any level as long as you like?" was Kaden's next question.
Varick thought about the answer for a moment, "Well, it's very rare that a student wouldn't be able to proceed through the lower levels, but it has happened. Usually if a student is of a low level and they show no signs of improvement the current Dean of the school will expel them. It's not as harsh as it sounds though. You get warnings in advance and if you still can't improve then you simply lose the right to use academy resources, but it doesn't happen very often."
Kadend considered the information, "What level are you, then?"
"I am a level eight," answered Varick. "I've been one for nearly two years now. My goal is become a level ten eventually, but every level is exponentially harder to achieve than the last. Not that I'm complaining, my current position is in no way unsatisfactory."
Kaden took another look around the luxurious room and he had to agree, "So then, what are these 'privileges' that come with the levels?"
"Oh they vary from Field to Field and from year to year. There are even some that you're only allowed to know about once you've reached the level required, a few level eight privileges for example," Varick winked as he finished the last sentence. "However, one of the biggest privileges that comes with higher levels is 'how' you get to learn. As a fuzzy, you're essentially restricted to a normal school life dedicated to lessons and exams. As you increase your level however, you gain more options."
Varick reached to the center of the table and waved his hand. An image appeared on the glass surface and he scrolled through the pages of icons it showed, pressing one after the other. When he'd finished, a Holographic folder materialized above the middle of the table. Varick then reached for it, taking a hold of it as if it physically existed and and then tossed it to Kaden. The folder glided through the air and stopped just in front its target.
Kaden reached up and took hold of the folder, before flipping it open and taking look at the holo-pages inside. He read through the file for a bit and found that it was full of records about a contract to design and build a research facility on planet Kortog. It listed Varick as one of its architects.
Kaden looked up at Varick who began to speak after seeing he'd finished reading, "That was one of the first assignments I accepted after rising to level four. It was a little menial to be honest. The hall of knowledge is surrounded by research facilities so there was already a standard in place for its design." Varick stared off as he recalled the memory. "Of course, no Lombax worth his stripes would make anything 'standard'. I even laser carved my name in the final girder placed on the frame." Varick grinned at the thought.
Kaden dropped the folder and it pixelated away before Varick continued, "Nova academy grants its students the ability to go out into the galaxy and get real life experience in their fields of study. They use your performance on these tasks the same way they use the grades you'd receive if you had simply gone to class. While the experience and academic credits are nice, the best part of doing this kind of work is the bolts. Almost anyone can commission the school for almost any kind of contract. They pay the student's well even after the percentage that the Academy takes out for handling fees. Most of these contracts come from the Fastoonian government and private Lombax corporations, but there are plenty of extra-planetary ones too. Contractors who'd like a little Lombax strength and ingenuity on their side." Varick said proudly.
"You mean people pay well to have inexperienced students work for them?" asked Kaden, somewhat in disbelief.
Varick nodded his head with a smile, "Remember, Kaden, Nova Academy requires students to be above average just to enter. A student contracted here is likely to be just as skilled as a professional anywhere else, just without firsthand experience. It's also likely to be cheaper for a company to employ temporary Nova students than to keep their own standing faculty. Plus, there is a long list of different kinds of contracts available for students to choose from. Here, have a look."
Varick began tapping out a series of icons on the table-screen again before sliding the screen over to Kaden with a flick of his wrist.
Kaden looked down at the embedded table screen and saw that it displayed several rows of contract categories organized by Field association. Kaden opened a random list for the Military Field and read the first one. It was titled 'Merchant Fleet Escort' with a picture of a typical Markazian merchant, cargo ship underneath.
The description at the bottom explained that its owner wanted to hire Lombax soldiers to defend their ship while on cargo runs in the nearby Vorex Nebula. It also contained contract details about the length of the journeys and the pay. The soldiers got paid a small sum for standing guard and huge reward if the vessel was attacked and protected properly.
When he finished reading the contract description Varick explained the application process, "As a student, you simply make a request for permission to take on one of the contracts listed there and academy officials review and approve or reject you for it. That being said, level two and three students can only accept a contract if they are specifically requested for them by the employer and level one students can't accept contracts period. Keep in mind though, that any student that Nova grants permission to will then represent the academy itself by their performance, so students are judged harshly."
Kaden tapped his chin thoughtfully as he processed the information and flipped through more contract listings, "So I have to wait until I'm a level four and then I can go on any of these jobs?" Kaden asked. He liked the sound of the whole 'contract education' concept. This way he'd be able to do almost anything he wanted and still get school credits for it.
"So long as you're approved by the academy you can, but 'you' won't have to wait until you're a level four. You'll receive plenty of jobs from the Science Field when you're a level two, I'll make sure of that," said Varick happily. "However, I can see by your class requests that you're seeking proficiency in the Military Field as well. If you want to receive any contracts from the Military Field, you'll have to prove yourself in the tournament to make your name known."
Kaden furrowed his brow and looked at Varick in confusion, "What tournament?" he asked.
Varick looked up with an expression like he suddenly remembered something important, "Of course!" he exclaimed. "I knew I was forgetting something. Yes, the tournament. Every year, Nova Academy hosts a tournament to test the mettle of the new fuzzies and to re-evaluate the low level students. Varick repeated the process of retrieving a holo-document and once again tossed it to Kaden, "These are the official rules and dates of the tournament. All students of level one and two who are enrolled in at least one Military Field class can choose to join. You'll be pitted against your fellow students in an open field combat zone and be rewarded for your success. Literally, you get paid bolts for scoring high."
Kaden looked at the holo-file then looked back up at Varick, "But I've only just started here. The academy makes brand new students fight current students just after arriving?" Kaden had expected to fight at some point in the year, it was the Military Field after all, but nowhere near this soon.
Varick nodded his understanding, "Yes, there have been a few concerns about the policy in the past, but the tournament tradition has stood firm. It has proven to be the best way of showing the elders your abilities first hand." Varick paused and the corners of his mouth bent a little. "That... and it serves to knock new students down a peg or two. Everyone who is accepted into Nova must be exceptionally skilled and this usually means they're exceptionally arrogant as well. In most cases this happens because no one in their community is at their skill level. An all-out, free-for-all battle against Lombaxes of equal or greater skill usually puts a stop to that kind of nonsense almost as effectively as a non-visible spectrum defense shield stops a speeding hoverbiker."
Kaden nodded his understanding and pushed the holo-file of the tournament he was holding into his chest, causing it to vaporize. Each dot of light then winked out of existence in quick succession as the file was downloaded to his NID.
"That's most of the basics I think." Varick began again. "Do you have any other questions?"
Kaden thought about it for a second. He was pretty clear on the school so far and he was sure that he'd pick up anything else he needed to know rather quickly, but there was one thing that had been weighing on his mind for a while now.
"Why is there a Red Lombax attending Nova?" Kaden asked with straightforward resolve.
Varick's face put on an expression that said this was probably the one subject he didn't want to answer questions about.
After a few seconds of thought, however, the President let out a sigh and spoke, "Kor Vol'terran," he said, somewhat reluctantly. "That's the name of Nova's Academy's own living legend. From what I've been told, he's the son of the Red Lombax people's leader. He's also somewhat of a special case, but the dean wouldn't elaborate much further. To be honest, I was probably as surprised as you when she first told the three Field heads about a Red Lombax joining us. Until then I had thought they were just an old story that's been passed down for generations."
Varick paused for another while and thought about his words a bit more, "I'm not even sure I'm allowed to tell you this, but the Dean never said we couldn't so here it goes: The Red Lombaxes live on the island of Magnaron, where the harsh environment has hardened them into some extremely tough warriors. Apparently they were discovered shortly before the Great War by the members of some project that wanted to harvest the interference-radiation for the war. Due to their natural skill in combat, a new project was born with the hope of militarizing them and training them to fight with the modern weapons of the era. As far as the legend is concerned, it worked. The Red Lombaxes were a key part in the victory over the Cragmites, but for some reason, one which the dean wouldn't explain, after the war the Red Lombaxes returned to their island and shunned outside contact. In honor of their accomplishments and service during the war, the Council of Elders granted the wishes of their leaders and kept their existence officially a secret."
This was a lot for Kaden to take in. Until now he'd half thought that the Red Lombax he'd seen earlier was just some sort of joke. Now, he essentially just learned that his childhood heroes were real. At least the basic idea anyway, he seriously doubted that The Crimson Commander from the holo-show he loved as a babe was real, though a small part of Kaden's mind still held out hope that he might be.
Kaden pushed the unprocessed information back into his mind so that he could ask another question, "I'm surprised anyone can live on Magnaron. The Quasar express had trouble just picking up a single person from there."
Varick nodded knowingly at Kaden's words. "It hasn't come without its costs. The Dean has informed us, me and the other two heads, that Kor will be granted permission to wear his armor at all times during his attendance at Nova. After all the years of evolution on Magnaron, the Red Lombax people have an extreme sensitivity to light, so Kor will have to wear eye protection from even mild photonic levels. Probably worse though, is that their race has also suffered diminished lung function as a result of the toxic environment. As such, Kor can't even breathe the air like a normal Lombax and will require some form of a filtered breathing apparatus at all times. It's a little sad, really."
Kaden took a moment to digest that information. It explained why Kor had continued to wear his goggles and mask even after getting off the train. The young Lombax felt a sense of relief to finally get a few answers for the mountains of questions that had been piling up in his brain.
However, he still needed to know more, "But why is a Red Lombax coming out now? And why Nova Academy?"
Varick shrugged, "Apparently, ever since Nova Academy was founded it's had an open invitation for any Red Lombax student to join as a way of reaching out to their isolated culture, should they ever want to attempt to rejoin modern society. It seems that Mr. Vol'terran was a 'special case' and his people have finally decided to take the offer. Unfortunately that's all I know so let's end this subject. Now... anything about the 'academy' to ask?"
Kaden and Varick had continued their conversation about other topics for some time until Varick's robot buzzed and showed him something on a holo-screen, "Well, it's that time already," said Varick, after reading the holo-screen. "I have an appointment with some friends soon, so I guess we'll end things here for now." Varick stood up and Kaden followed suit. "Look over those rules and make plans now. The tournament is in a couple of weeks. I'll come see you tomorrow for your first official day at Nova, so you're free until then. I trust you can find your way back to your room?"
Kaden nodded and walked to the door. He then left after shaking Varick's hand and bidding him a farewell.
As Kaden waited for the grav-lift to arrive the gears of his mind spun violently, eager to chew up and process the vast amounts of information it had received today. He wasn't even sure what was harder to swallow, the entirety of how vast and beyond expectation Nova academy was or the whole 'Kor, the Red Lombax' thing.
Kaden planned on getting to his room and unpacking quickly so that he could get a good night's sleep to help him process, but he also knew that he'd probably be up all night going through every file in the Nova Academy's database that he'd just been given access to.
Breaking him from his mental quagmire, the lift doors split open and revealed two other Lombaxes standing on the platform. The one on Kaden's left was a very large, tan-furred Lombax with dark brown stripes. He had big, golden eyes that spoke of more intelligence than his muscles would suggest and he wore combat armor. He definitely belonged to the Military Field.
The other was a tall, brown-furred Lombax. Her eyes were orange, but that wasn't a natural color for a Lomax; she must have done something to alter them artificially. She wore a bright red dress and was weighed down with so much jewelry of so many odd shapes and sizes that it made Kaden's eyes hurt. The sense of illogical confusion that he was feeling told Kaden that she was from the Art Field.
They both largely ignored Kaden, though, and brushed past him towards Varick's door. The large Lombax waved his hand over the holo-lock pad, which activated the doorbell. The door opened a few seconds later and Varick welcomed them in. Kaden watched them disappear before finally entering the grav-lift himself, keying in his destination, and setting off on his way. He didn't give the two Lombaxes a second thought.
AN:
Varick Adjunaris - The president of the Science Field gets his last name 'Adjunaris' from the world 'Adjudicate' which means to make decisions or judge.