Chapter Eleven
--Ienji--
On the other side of the school, Ienji had missed the bell by a short moment--fortunately, the teacher was absent. The students sat and talked in low voices; a few minutes later, their instructor strode through the doorway, appearing a bit flustered.
"Hello, class," he greeted the students formally, as he set his materials upon the desk and adjusted his shirt collar. "Today...." he trailed off before continuing, "we will begin a brief unit on energy."
He cleared his throat before continuing. "For now, you will take notes. If there is any time left at the end of class, you may address any questions to me concering the subject matter."
True to his word, for the next forty-five minutes, the students sat and took notes. Of course, many kids would pass personal notes, or forward pictures of hand-written notes on their cell phones--text messaging had become apparent. Note-taking, and a system of weekly segmented teaching units, was a common teaching style among the faculty of SHS, Siojaton High School.
Ienji had begun to fully waken--it always took him a class or two--and was more able to focus his attention on what was taught, instead of the events of the previous day, which were of course much more interesting.
Although concentration was growing more and more difficult.... he was beginning to sense strange things; what he believed were the feelings of the thoughts of others. Yesterday afternoon, Evan had told him that this was to be expected; that didn't make it any easier to adapt to these sensations.
"So, energy exists in one of two states: kinetic or potential. Potential energy is the type of energy that is stored, often after a force has taken place," the teacher summarized. "Kinetic energy is the driving energy; it is the non-material component that allows the universe to exist as it is today."
With these words, the instructor set his pen down before checking the clock. Seeing that there were still five minutes to the bell, he turned back to his students and asked, "Are there any questions?"
A kid sitting in the row ahead and off to the left raised his hand. Ienji recalled the kid's name to be Miguel. "If energy exists within a continuum, namely the universe as we know it, then of course, as you have stated, it exists in a finite and immeasurable state; however, if that continuum were to possess associative and disassociative properties in relation to matter and energy, how would a paradox be resolved?"
As this was said, Ienji frowned. He'd rarely heard Miguel speak up before in class, but now he was asking the teacher a question that was clearly out of line with the curriculum--was the kid looking for trouble?
The teacher quickly masked an expression of displeasured surprise. "Mr. Santos, no such properties exist. However, if you wish to ask a physicist in the field, you may feel free to do so after class," the instructor replied.
The response was clearly a dismissal, but for some reason Miguel didn't pick up on it, or perhaps chose not to. "Well, will this section be covering the role of anti-matter? I think it may be relevant."
Inadvertantly displaying his flustered state of mind, the teacher replied, "No, we will not be covering anti-matter. Now, if there are any other questions--"
"I have another question," Miguel interrupted. "What business does Siojaton High have teaching underdeveloped, simplistic curriculum in spite of the intellectual curiosity of its students? Does the school administration consider its students to be unfit for the tru--"
Now it was the instructor's turn to interrupt. "Be silent! You disrespect the authority of this establishment when you speak so insolently. Report to the office, immediately."
Miguel appeared startled, as though wakening from a trance, but he did stand up and walk to the back of the room behind the desks, and then to the exit. He appeared dazed, confuddled. Ienji sensed something strange....
No sooner had he sensed this than the teacher designated him to wash the chalk board for the next class. For the next three minutes, until the end-of-class bell rang, he washed dutifully and mostly forgot what he'd felt.
--Ienji--
On the other side of the school, Ienji had missed the bell by a short moment--fortunately, the teacher was absent. The students sat and talked in low voices; a few minutes later, their instructor strode through the doorway, appearing a bit flustered.
"Hello, class," he greeted the students formally, as he set his materials upon the desk and adjusted his shirt collar. "Today...." he trailed off before continuing, "we will begin a brief unit on energy."
He cleared his throat before continuing. "For now, you will take notes. If there is any time left at the end of class, you may address any questions to me concering the subject matter."
True to his word, for the next forty-five minutes, the students sat and took notes. Of course, many kids would pass personal notes, or forward pictures of hand-written notes on their cell phones--text messaging had become apparent. Note-taking, and a system of weekly segmented teaching units, was a common teaching style among the faculty of SHS, Siojaton High School.
Ienji had begun to fully waken--it always took him a class or two--and was more able to focus his attention on what was taught, instead of the events of the previous day, which were of course much more interesting.
Although concentration was growing more and more difficult.... he was beginning to sense strange things; what he believed were the feelings of the thoughts of others. Yesterday afternoon, Evan had told him that this was to be expected; that didn't make it any easier to adapt to these sensations.
"So, energy exists in one of two states: kinetic or potential. Potential energy is the type of energy that is stored, often after a force has taken place," the teacher summarized. "Kinetic energy is the driving energy; it is the non-material component that allows the universe to exist as it is today."
With these words, the instructor set his pen down before checking the clock. Seeing that there were still five minutes to the bell, he turned back to his students and asked, "Are there any questions?"
A kid sitting in the row ahead and off to the left raised his hand. Ienji recalled the kid's name to be Miguel. "If energy exists within a continuum, namely the universe as we know it, then of course, as you have stated, it exists in a finite and immeasurable state; however, if that continuum were to possess associative and disassociative properties in relation to matter and energy, how would a paradox be resolved?"
As this was said, Ienji frowned. He'd rarely heard Miguel speak up before in class, but now he was asking the teacher a question that was clearly out of line with the curriculum--was the kid looking for trouble?
The teacher quickly masked an expression of displeasured surprise. "Mr. Santos, no such properties exist. However, if you wish to ask a physicist in the field, you may feel free to do so after class," the instructor replied.
The response was clearly a dismissal, but for some reason Miguel didn't pick up on it, or perhaps chose not to. "Well, will this section be covering the role of anti-matter? I think it may be relevant."
Inadvertantly displaying his flustered state of mind, the teacher replied, "No, we will not be covering anti-matter. Now, if there are any other questions--"
"I have another question," Miguel interrupted. "What business does Siojaton High have teaching underdeveloped, simplistic curriculum in spite of the intellectual curiosity of its students? Does the school administration consider its students to be unfit for the tru--"
Now it was the instructor's turn to interrupt. "Be silent! You disrespect the authority of this establishment when you speak so insolently. Report to the office, immediately."
Miguel appeared startled, as though wakening from a trance, but he did stand up and walk to the back of the room behind the desks, and then to the exit. He appeared dazed, confuddled. Ienji sensed something strange....
No sooner had he sensed this than the teacher designated him to wash the chalk board for the next class. For the next three minutes, until the end-of-class bell rang, he washed dutifully and mostly forgot what he'd felt.