Tomorrow's Yet to Come

Chapter Twenty – Nine – Clandestine Meetings

"Every good school should have an eraser room of some type," grumbled Maria. "I don't care what galaxy it's in. Che'koth promised us a place where we could get together. I wish he'd hurry up and come through with it."

"I don't think he had that in mind when he suggested a meeting place, Maria," Ava said with a grin.

"That is so not what I meant, and you know it," said Maria. "I meant just a place to get together where we could be us, and not have to watch every single thing we say and do. It's hard. I mean, we're together in classes every day, but even then, we still have to watch every single thing we say."

"Life's about to get a bit harder," Ava reminded her. "We have Jara Kobodi's class again."

"Oh," moaned Maria. "Don't remind me. Fine, let's go." She grabbed the pouch, which contained her last remaining penicillin tablet, and followed Ava out of her sleeping quarters into the hallway.

"Do you think this is what dorm rooms in our colleges are like?" asked Maria.

"N'ah," said Ava. "Me and Zan crashed at one of the dorms at NYU one time when he was pissed with Lonnie and Rath. They were way bigger than these. And they had way more personality if you can believe it. These rooms are horrible, a little cot, and a closet for your stuff. And all the rules about not leaving personal belongings out, and not decorating the rooms is weird. I mean that dorm room we used was filled with junk."

"Why are you two girls talking in the halls," demanded an imperious voice behind them. "As students of the Training Academy, you should be aware that the rules prohibit talking in the halls between classes. It is a disturbance to the more serious minded students."

Maria and Ava turned around, expecting to see Jara Kobodi, and were shocked to find Liz's primary instructor Plash Nevenia standing behind them.

"I can well see why Jara Kobodi finds you to be such a poor representation of her program. You will, I think, have to perform some sort of service, as a punishment." She took a folded piece of paper from her pocket and passed it to Ava. "You will follow these directions exactly," she said. "Do you understand?"

"Ah, yeah," said Maria, grabbing Ava's arm and pulling her away from Plash Nevenia. "Whatever you say. We're going to be late. Please excuse us."

"That was above peculiar," said Maria. "What's on the paper?"

Ava unfolded it and read it carefully, then passed it to Maria. Maria stared uncomprehendingly at the paper for several moments before the meaning finally sank in. "Hot damn!" she said.

Liz sat at the lab table, studying the sample under the Antarian equivalent of a microscope. It was far more powerful than anything she had ever seen at home. She removed the slide, and slipped in another one, this one containing a sample of her blood. Carefully, she added a drop of a chemical compound she had been working on, to the slide, and the chemical attacked her blood cells, completely eradicating them.

She meticulously noted her findings, on the log sheet and continued to study. She removed the slide, and put another one under the viewer. This one contained both a sample of her blood, and a classmate's blood. She added a drop of the chemical compound to the slide, and watched through the view piece as the chemicals attacked only her blood cells. Again she noted her findings on the log sheet, then waved her hand over them, and watched as the writing disappeared completely. A quick glance at the time piece on the wall revealed that she had only minutes to clean up before she had to go to class. Today was her afternoon session with Maria and Ava, and she wanted to get a sample of their blood to confirm her findings.

Liz ran down the hall, and slipped into her seat just before the instructors entered the classroom. Jara Kobodi walked in as if the entire room was subservient to her. Plash Nevenia followed behind her, shooting daggers of hatred with her eyes.

"Good afternoon students," said Plash Nevenia. "Today, I would like you to,"

"Today, they will continue what they were working on yesterday," interrupted Jara Kobodi. "Their findings were totally useless. I am highly disappointed in their performance. I expect far greater things from them today. Is that clear," she addressed her final comment to the class.

"You had any luck on the penicillin front?" Maria asked Liz "Because I would give anything to wipe that supercilious smirk off of her face."

"Maria," laughed Liz. "I didn't even know you knew what supercilious meant. And yes, I did make some headway on it. I worked on it all last night."

"Oh Chica, I'm sorry, you must be exhausted," said Maria.

"No, actually it was kind of exhilarating," said Liz. "And lately, I've been finding I don't need as much sleep as I used to."

"Okay, then, what's our next step?" asked Ava. "I feel so useless, I haven't done anything helpful yet."

"Ava, don't talk like that," said Maria. "You were the one who found almost all of the plant life Liz needed to do whatever it was she did."

"You're right though," Liz said to Ava. "We need to find a way to explain what we've found, and why we put it together the way we did."

"Cool it," whispered Maria. "The evil on herself is on her way." She motioned with her head toward Jara Kobodi, who was walking around the classroom. Liz looked around and shot a pleading glance at Plash Nevenia, and was rewarded when she Plash Nevenia darted around Jara Kobodi and came to their table.

"Yes, Lan, how are things progressing here?" she asked.

"Oh we are making some progress, Plash," said Liz.

"Let me look," said the instructor. She peered into the microscope and focused on the sample on the slide. "This is interesting, very interesting. What is its purpose?"

"It's a compound to eradicate infection," said Maria. "We've utilized several natural substances that Atara suggested."

"No, most of the plants were suggested by Mira," said Ava. "She's very, very knowledgeable.

"Keep up the good work, girls, I think you are on to something here," Plash Nevenia said in an undertone.

"What foolish things are these three wasting their time on?" inquired Jara Kobodi, shoving her way past Plash Nevenia.

"Nothing, they've found nothing, I was just about to take them to task for their shoddy work, Jara Kobodi," said Plash.

"I would expect no more from these two," said Kobodi, pointing at Maria and Ava. "They are worse than useless." She turned from the table, her disgust evident, and crossed the classroom and walked out the door.

"I'm sorry, girls," Plash said softly. "I had to do that." She moved on to the next table, leaving Liz, Ava and Maria to sit in silence. Ava glanced around the room, and saw that the other students all avoided looking in their direction. She took the opportunity to pass the message she and Maria had received earlier, to Liz.

Liz quickly read the note, and stuffed it into her pocket.

"How can we get it to the others?" Maria asked. "We never see them."

"Um, well, I can get it to Alex," said Liz. "If he can get it to Isabel, she can give it to Zan and Max, and they can tell Michael and Kyle. God, this is worse than junior high!"

"I do not want to wait until the next market thingy before we get to tell them," said Maria. "There has got to be some way to be certain that Alex can get this to Isabel."

"Maybe there's another way," said Ava. "Liz, quick, make a copy of the note and give it to me. I have an idea."

Liz quickly copied the note and gave Ava the original. Ava raised her hand and called to the instructor.

"Excuse me, Plash Nevenia," she whispered softly. "I received an urgent message from my family today, and I need to get it to my brother. Is there any way I can do this?"

"Certainly," said the instructor. "Do you know where his living quarters are located?"

"Yes, ma'am, he's in the warrior training section," said Ava.

"Then I suggest you go quickly, and slip the message under his door. Make haste and do not get caught."

Ava muttered a quick thank you and scampered out of the classroom. She looked up and down the hall, then walked swiftly to the Training Academy living quarters. She crept silently up the stairs and quickly located Michael's room. Ava looked up and down the hall once more to make sure she was unobserved then slid the note under the door. She turned and started back down the hallway. She reached the stairs, and screamed as she felt a hand come crashing down on her shoulder.