Almost-eleven year old Sarah Louise Kerrigan had a reputation for being different, for lack of a better word. And being different wasn't necessarily a good thing, as far as her neighbors and classmates were concerned. Make no mistake, the child was supremely gifted – for instance, she never failed to achieve anything but perfect marks in school without even having to put in a whole lot of effort – but she had a penchant for getting into trouble.
The quiet, introverted girl seldom looked for trouble, but it sure had a penchant for finding her. Some of her jealous or bigoted schoolmates tended to mock and tease her because they didn't understand her. For several years, she did her best to ignore her tormentors, but over time the taunts and insults turned into pushes and shoves. She often came home from school with scrapes and bruises on her arms, but whenever her parents asked questions, she always assured them that she 'took care of the problem'.
One spring morning, there was a sharp rapping on Mrs. Flanagan's door in the middle of science class. "…grasses and maize are two common types of monocots. Oh, excuse me for just a moment." Mrs. Flanagan strode from the blackboard to the door near the rear of the room to address the unannounced visitor. She saw two burly men wearing solid black suits and dark sunglasses, both having dour expressions on their faces.
"Who are you?" Mrs. Flanagan asked in a timid squeak. "Can I help you?"
One of the men cleared his throat. "We're here to escort Miss Kerrigan to see Superintendent Youmans," he growled in a low, gravelly voice.
Mrs. Flanagan flicked her head toward the precocious redheaded girl, and let out an exasperated sigh. "Is she in trouble again?"
The two strangers looked at each other, before the other man addressed the teacher. "Erm, not exactly, ma'am," he answered in a voice even deeper than his partner's. "Miss Kerrigan has been identified as having gifts that are of great interest to us."
Mrs. Flanagan cocked her head to one side. "Well, she's exceptionally intelligent… in my thirty years of teaching, she might be the brightest student I've ever had."
The first man seemed to look through the middle-aged teacher. "Yes, Miss Kerrigan's eidetic memory is most certainly going to be a valuable asset… but her intellectual gifts aren't what we're interested in." There was an awkward pause for about fifteen seconds, before he elaborated. "I'm afraid we're not at liberty to discuss the specifics, ma'am. Now, if you'll be so kind as to fetch her – we really don't want to keep Superintendent Youmans waiting."
"Very well," Mrs. Flanagan said in a resigned tone. "I'll get her right away." She turned around to retrieve Sarah as requested.
Before Mrs. Flanagan could say anything, Sarah's bright green eyes locked on with those of her teachers. "I'm going to see the superintendent today, aren't I?" she asked, with no sign of fear or nervousness.
Mrs. Flanagan's eyes widened, surely she wasn't able to overhear the semi-private conversation from just a minute ago… how in the world did this child know? She closed her eyes and nodded once.
"Oooh, the freak's getting busted," chortled Ritchey Morales, the boy who sat behind Sarah. Mrs. Flanagan turned around and gave the boy a quick, sharp glare. "You certainly didn't do anything wrong, child," Mrs. Flanagan whispered into Sarah's ear as they continued toward the door.
Again, Sarah's emerald eyes locked on with her teachers. "I know," she whispered. "That's why I'm not afraid." If anything, Sarah sounded more confident and assuring than her teacher. She offered her teacher a small smile, before following the two muscular agents down the hallway and upstairs to meet with the superintendent.
The agents directed Sarah to a steel bench near the end of a long corridor lined with glass doors. "Wait here," the second agent said, though not entirely unkindly. The first agent opened up his attache case, and pulled out a pale yellow folder labeled "Kerrigan, Sarah L." in red stenciled letters near the top. It was surprisingly thick, thought Sarah. She didn't even think her whole life story could fill more than a few pages, so what did these two men know about her that she didn't know about herself?
The second agent rapped on Superintendent Youmans' door. The superintendent was a balding, dark-complected mustachioed man of slightly below average height. He looked to be around sixty years old, and had fleshy jowls. He carried himself in a dignified, almost regal manner, and favored tailored suits and expensive colognes. He eyeballed the agents for a moment, then waved them on in.
Sarah had been to the vice principal's office numerous times over the years; she'd even seen the head principal a couple of times for pugilism, but she'd never seen the superintendent before. Whenever the superintendent got directly involved with student affairs – which was quite rare - that usually meant getting heaps of accolades… or expulsion.
She sat with a bored expression on her face for what seemed like an eternity, though in reality it was probably closer to fifteen or twenty minutes, before the first agent opened the door. His expression was impassive. "Miss Kerrigan? We're ready for you," he drawled. Slowly, she got up and entered the superintendent's office.
Superintendent Youmans went first. "Ahh, Miss Kerrigan. Thank you for coming on such… short notice," he began. Sweat began beading on his brow. He then fluttered his hands about. "You have nothing to fear, my dear. You're not in trouble… quite the opposite, in fact. I'll let Agent Knepper elaborate, if that's okay."
The first agent nodded, then addressed Sarah. "Miss Kerrigan, Agent Tomlinson and myself come from Tarsonis City – we represent a very special program sponsored by the Confederacy, a program that we believe you are beyond qualified for."
Agent Tomlinson continued. "This program is… challenging, to say the least," he said, his face remaining as stone-like as ever. "The curriculum offered at this academy will be quite different than what you're currently studying at your current school, but based on your background I have every reason to believe you'd thrive there."
Agent Knepper then picked it back up. "You may find some kindred spirits of sorts at our academy… many of the students are exceptionally intelligent, social outcasts… or maybe both, like yourself." Sarah thought she could make out a hint of a smile on his face, but if there was one, it quickly faded. "Make no mistake, this is going to be an exceptionally competitive environment… the faculty and your peers will challenge you – that is a promise."
Agent Tomlinson then gestured toward Sarah. "Miss Kerrigan, as it stands, we merely believe you qualify… but we need indisputable proof first, which is why we're asking you to come with us to the capital for testing." He nodded toward Superintendent Youmans. "Don't worry, we'll have her back before the end of the day."
Sarah folded her arms on her chest. "Do I have to participate? What if I refuse to go along?"
Agent Knepper barely suppressed a chuckle. "Miss Kerrigan, you're of course under no obligation to take part…" He lowered his voice to barely above a whisper. "But I highly recommend that you do… from what we gather, you've always struggled to fit in socially, and you've found schoolwork mundane. This program can give you both a sense of belonging and purpose… and it can also give you a fresh start."
Agent Tomlinson barely gave his associate time to finish his last sentence. "If you'll pardon the metaphor, should you choose to follow the white rabbit, you'll be leaving everything you know and love behind. If you are accepted into this program, you'll have this summer to say your goodbyes."