Chapter 6 – A Place of Learning
The very next morning Zia arrived early to physics. She hadn't slept at all that night, for fear that she would have nightmares again, but she wasn't tired. Vulcans could stay awake for weeks and not feel tired if they were in the right conditions. There was something strange in her stomach. Anticipation. She wanted to know that their conversation yesterday wasn't a dream. The thought that there could be someone out there who could help her was somewhat comforting.
He walked through the door just before the bell rang, and his eyes met Zia's. So, it wasn't a dream. She couldn't hide her relief as he turned away and prepared for the class. Now she could be a normal cadet.
"Today's class is on atomic, molecular and optical physics," Spock told them, switching on the projector so it showed the protons, neutrons and electrons that made up an atom. "What do you know about these areas?"
A cadet at the back of class raised their hand. "Atoms are made of three different materials – protons, neutrons and electrons. Protons are positive energy, electrons are negative energy and neutrons are neutral. An atom has a nucleus, made up of protons and neutrons, and electrons orbit the nucleus to balance it out."
"Thank you, cadet," Spock said briskly. "Now, you should all be familiar with electron capacities. The six atom shells are made up of electrons and you find the shells by squaring the number of rings and multiplying that by two. The first ring carries two, the second carries eight, the third carries eighteen, and need I go on?"
"No, Professor," the class chorused.
"It is that formula that all atom-based physics is founded upon. Its subject matter includes nature, the properties of matter and energy, mechanics, heat, light and other radiation, sound, electricity, magnetism, and the structure of atoms. It is atoms that form the macroscopic."
Zia made a quick reminder in her notebook, though she was certain anything Spock said would always be ingrained in her mind.
"What's macroscopic?" a cadet asked. "I can't recall the term."
"Macroscopic is used to describe objects which can be seen with the naked eye," Zia blurted, surprising even her. All eyes in the room were now trained on her, but the only ones that had any impact were Spock's.
"That is correct, Miss Abbott. While macroscopic and microscopic have similar sounds, there is a great difference between them. Both terms are used to describe size, however microscopic is used to describe an object that can only be seen under a microscope, and macroscopic is a term for objects that are visible to the naked eye. They are expressions that you will become very familiar with throughout this term."
He continued the class and Zia diligently took notes, though she couldn't bring herself to answer anymore questions. As class finished, he assigned them the task of drawing up a periodic table that included diagrams of each element and their corresponding protons, neutrons and electrons.
As the bell rang, everyone jumped. It was so sudden and loud that they were surprised, as they had been for the previous week. Soon the sound of the bell would become normal and they'd adapt, but it had only been a week.
Zia shut her notebook and got caught in the mad rush for the door, smiling at Blair as he left for his next class. He saluted at her in jest and they went their separate ways, thinking about their assessment week. It was looming closer, but they would go through sixteen of those weeks before graduating. The last week was the most important ever, as it determined their career paths in the future.
There were only twenty or so determined cadets holed up in the library doing work, most of them fourth-years. Zia sat at a table, and from memory drew the periodic table and placed each element accordingly. Then, using her legend she drew small diagrams of each element, complete with protons, neutrons and electrons. She drew each separate particle, marking it with a plus-symbol, negative-symbol, or leaving it blank. Hydrogen, helium, lithium, beryllium, boron, carbon, nitrogen, oxygen… As there were over two hundred elements, it was one of her more time-consuming pieces of work. Nevertheless, she worked diligently and got seventy done before she had to go to her next class.
After changing into her swimmers, Zia jumped in the pool and began laps, losing herself in the wonder of the water. As she swam, she thought about assessment week.
Introduction to Physics would likely be a written exam, as would her history and math class. She suspected her anthropology and biology class would have practical elements, and as for Athletics Program she had no idea.
The bell just managed to penetrate her mind and she continued to swim for a few minutes before exiting the pool. With dinner still two hours away, Zia had a brief shower and went back to her room. She sat cross-legged on her bed and continued her periodic table. Hafnium, Tantalum, Tungsten, Rhenium, Osmium, Iridium, Platinum, Mercury… On and on she went, drawing each atom and keeping her attention from straying as she worked. Tara came into the room just as Zia put the finishing touches to her homework.
"What's happening?" Tara grinned.
"I finally finished my physics," Zia said. "I've been working on it for hours."
"That sucks. Well look, I've gotta go to the computer rooms to do some stuff, but I'll be back before midnight."
Just as Tara turned to leave, Zia stood. "I'm going to see Spock after dinner."
Tara stilled. "So, he's teaching you the Vulcan way?"
"Yes. And I just want to say… thank you. Thank you for caring and getting help. It means more than words can express."
"No worries," Tara laughed, facing her. "And, uh, thanks for not being mad. I was worried that you might view it as a breach of your privacy."
"It's okay. I know you meant well."
The roommates smiled at each other and moved forward into a hug. They squeezed each other affectionately and Tara left. Zia made a mental note to ask about her roommate's family and past life. It was only fair, as Tara knew everything about her.
Zia packed away her Introduction to Physics things and picked up a book. After almost an hour of trying and failing to read, she was able to go to the professors' dorms and wander the corridors until she found Spock's room.
She knocked on the door and stepped back, her pulse racing as she waited for Spock to answer.