The sun peaks over the horizon. The few trees that dot the campus are still green for the most part and have just started to turn colors. A cool breeze blows across my skin, telling me fall is finally here.
Before me stands a mid-rise building, wholly covered with glass windows, save for a span in the middle, which holds an elevator. The emblem on the front door is a book and quill, with the word 'HUMANITIES' engraved over the top.
Glob!
The amount of prep work just for this moment boggles my mind. After losing my roommate, I had a nice long orientation at the college. We had to visit multiple facilities and get checked in countless accounts for an endless number of online curriculums.
It's ironic, considering how advanced humans have become to make everything about their daily lives easier, faster, and more cost-efficient; the idea of doing the same for education seems to have slipped by.
However, the neat student ID card I got at the end was worth it. It's a sleek light blue, with a silver outline of a lighthouse in the background and my picture in the top left corner.
"Okay, Finn," I whisper to myself, "Let's just do a quick mental check," I mutter, sitting down on a bench nearby.
"I got pencils, erasers, pens, markers, notebooks, notecards, and most importantly, the textbook." I swing my backpack over my shoulder and pull it out. The cover reads 'The History of Our Founders'. Setting the book down on my lap, I open it to peek at the table of contents.
"Chapter one,'The World at War,' Chapter four, 'A New Odyssey,'Chapter seven,'The Forming of the Founders'…" I scroll over the page with excitement.
Finally! The story of humanity is now in my hands—an entire semester all about my own people. I barely slept last night!
I look down at the watch Mother bought for me, "It's only seven-thirty! For the love of humanity, it can't start soon enough."
"What can't start soon enough!?"
Instantly, I slam the book shut. Jumping from the bench, I quickly turn around, only to find Shannon smirking behind the bench.
"You, dummy! One of these days, sneaking up on people will come back to haunt you," I complain.
"Maybe…, but reactions like yours make it so worth it," Shannon grins, "What are you even doing out here dude? Class doesn't start for like another half-hour."
"Just couldn't wait to get here, man; I came here right at sunrise. First-day jitters, you know? Anyways, you wanna go sit down early?" I suggest.
Shannon shakes his head, "Dude, you are overthinking this. I'm not even going inside the building yet, it's too early. I'm heading towards the café right across the street to grab a burrito. Wanna come with?"
GROOOWWWLLL!
My stomach goes wild at the mere mention of food.
"What the heck was that!?" Shannon exclaims.
"Ahh jeez," I scratch my head, "Guess I forgot to fill up this morning,heh."
"You're too much,"
Our class sits inside an auditorium on the main floor of the building. Inside, we take seats closest to the door, while the rest of the class spreads out.
"Here," Shannon points at two seats near the door.
"There?" I question.
"Yes, if we sit there, it will be easier to exit after class is over. If not, we'll get caught in foot traffic on our way out." Shannon explains.
"Seriously, dude," I call out, "I might be overthinking this class, but you are way overthinking a doorway."
"It's simply the poor design of the facility; it makes for terribly inefficient access and egress. Also, haven't you noticed how the sprinklers aren't even centered on the ceiling? What if there is a fire? Do they plan on only putting half of it out? The point is the layout of this room sucks!" Shannon protests.
I glance at the ceiling; sure enough, only one row of sprinklers exists, and it lands on our side of the room.
"I'm sure it's fine," I insist, "Out of everyone in the room, I'm sure you're the only one thinking about sprinklers. Honestly, I wonder what goes on inside your thick head."
"It's the engineer living inside of me, dying to get out of here," Shannon protests, "Like, who even cares about history?"
"I do!" I declare, "Especially since I've never heard it before. I don't know anything about the Island besides what my Mom has told me, and for as long as I can remember, I've been the only human around. So please excuse my enthusiasm."
"Oh, that's right, I forgot that you're not from here," Shannon frowns, "Well don't worry, you're in the right place-"
"Alright, class, let us begin," An older, thin lady wearing a raccoon hat waves her hand to grab all our attention.
"First, we will take attendance, then go over the syllabus. Finally, if we have time, we'll get started on chapter one," She hollers.
I get here a freakin' hour early, and she starts with more bull donk!
Ugh…
How typical.
Does the bureaucracy ever end around here?
The teacher begins to list names. Then more names. Then even more names. The mind-numbing number of them is so dull I can feel… myself… going to…
ZZZzzz…
"Finn," I hear a whisper…
"Huh? What? Oh yes, Mother!"
A wave of laughter falls across the room.
"Finn! You dork! The professor is calling your name," Shannon barks.
"Finn Campbell," She calls once more.
Campbell?
Mom and I don't care much for Dad, considering,you know…,but to my surprise, she has never bothered to go back to using her maiden name from Mertens.
Until now at least.
So, why the change?
My stomach begins to turn as the thought of a red and black striped bowtie crosses my mind. Now isnotthe time to think aboutthat.
"Here!" I cry, lifting my hand.
Stay focused, Finn. You can think about who this mystery man is later.
"Here, but not entirely present," The professor remarks, checking a box.
The teacher finishes taking attendance and gives a brief overview of the syllabus. Then, the moment of truth finally comes.
"Alright, class, please open your textbooks to chapter one."
Wow!
Just like, wow.
It was worth it: the orientations, the new accounts, the wait for it all. The lesson was amazing!
It all makes sense now. What the professor calls World War Three is what most in Ooo refer to as The Great Mushroom War. For as long as humans have been around, we've always found reasons for war.
Then there were these groups of people, which formed these things called 'nations' and were super competitive about everything. Good food, clean water, stable shelters, and especially new energy resources were all super important to these nations, and the earth was running super low, which is why war broke out.
This war was different; however, in that this war involved a special weapon called a 'nuke', and humanity had so many of these nukes they could essentially end all life on earth. What's mind-boggling is that they actually did!
Or so they thought.
What happened after is considered to be worse. After the nukes were launched, they left behind a deadly side-effect called 'radiation'. In the fallout of the war, this radiation caused the mutation of the genes in every living thing, creating these so-called 'monstrosities' which, without a doubt, describe the inhabitants of Ooo.
Which is kinda donked up if you ask me. Cause like, weren't humans the ones who caused all this? It makes you wonder who the real monsters were, after all.
Looking over to Shannon, I see the smile on his face beaming. The dude is literally on the edge of his seat, tense and ready for action.
What's gotten into him?
I check my watch. Wow, is class time already over?
I can understand his cheerful mood; what bothers me is that all the other students in the room have the same eager look.
I guess no one else cares much for history.
"Lastly, homework is due by the start of next week's class," She finishes, "Now, does anyone have any questions?"
I stand from my chair, "I do!"
Suddenly, Shannon's daze is broken as he whips his head around and glares right at me. It's not just him, but the entire class has joined in.
Weird…
Everyone is looking at me with this deadpanned expression on their faces like they wanna say something. Instead, they're all stone silent.
"Oh?!" The professor looks at me equally shocked, "Yes, Mr…" She quickly scrolls through the attendance list, "Ah,Minerva's son, of course, yes Mr. Finn Campbell?"
"Uh, yes, about chapter one," I regain my focus. "It mentions the causes of the great nuclear war, but it never really gets into the specifics of how it got started. Any chance we'll be covering that this semester?"
The old professor perks up, "As astute as your mother, I see." She remarks.
"Well, you see, historians often summarize it down to simply nation states engaging in conflict with one another over natural resources, but I personally refer to Doctor O'Higgins's work on…"
Out of the corner of my eye, I see Shannon leaning forward in his chair and staring me down. I peek over to see what he's up to when he subtly signals me with a few head shakes.
No?No what?
Oh, chill man. It's just a question.
"So you see, Finn, despite other historians dismissing it as conspiracy, there's some decent evidence that suggests a dispute over the ownership of rubber duckies out in the middle of the ocean was a pretext for war." The professor explains, "Now, do you have any more questions?"
"Yes, could you-Oof!"
The wind almost gets knocked out of me as Shannon elbows me right in the belly.
"Nope! That's all… thank you!" I respond.
Before the professor speaks another word. The entirety of the class stands up, grabs their bags, and begins walking out of the auditorium. Shannon grabs my shoulder and notions for the door.
"What the junk, Shannon. Why did you cut me off?" I demand as we walk out of the building.
"Look Finn, I did you a favor. I get that you were raised off the Island, but I didn't realize you were a clueless hermit." Shannon jests.
"Hey! What do you mean by that!" I shout.
"Dude, here's the thing, there's this kind of an unspoken rule, a taboo if you will, about taking up other people's time. When you started asking questions after class ended, and it was clear everybody wanted to leave, you made yourself an enemy to the entire class." Shannon explains.
"Wait, I don't remember the teacher dismissing us, she asked if we had questions," I defend.
Shannon rolls his eyes, "That's the formula, Finn, all professors end their class that way."
"So, I am just not supposed to ask questions because everyone else is being dumb? That's dumb man."
"Just send an email to the professor on your own time, freakin' nerd,"
Sigh…
"Hey man, cheer up! The university's intramural sports clubs are recruiting freshmen tonight. We have some spots open at the martial arts club, just please remember to bring the gear you bought."
"Mathematical!" I yell, holding up my fist to bump.
Shannon's brows curl while bumping my fist "Something like that,"
"So, what's got you in a hurry to get out of class? Do you have another one right after?" I question.
"Nah, I'd just rather spend my time in the lab at the tech center. I got a little project I'm working on."
"Oh, and what's that? I question.
"Steel annealing," Shannon's eyes widen.
"Steel what?"
"Sounds like you're unfamiliar, please Finn, come with me."
WHOOOSSSHHH!
Flames burst out from a blast furnace. Inside is a piece of steel piping. Shannon and I are standing a few meters back with safety goggles on.
"So, what's the point of this?" I ask, covering my metal arm to brace against the heat.
Shannon smiles, "When steel gets heated to certain temperatures, it changes the properties of metal. It becomes more ductile, more malleable, and stronger overall."
"Oh," I reply, still fixated on the furnace, "Okay, what are you planning on doing with the pipe?"
"Err…" Shannon looks down at the floor.
"You just wanted to play with the furnace," I chuckle.
"Every boy gets filled with joy, whenever they play with fire and metal," Shannon sings.
"You're too much,"
Shannon looks at me, "You know Finn, I'm curious."
"About what,"
"If you don't mind me asking, where did get your prosthetic arm?"
"Oh, well, it's a bit of a long story. To keep it short and sweet, I got it from a friend back at Ooo."
"Somebody from the colony?"
"No, it was from Princess Bubblegum, she's the ruler of the Candy Kingdom."
"The Candy Kingdom? You are pulling my chain dog," Shannon retorts.
"Nah man, I'm serious. Didn't you pay attention in class? Radiation from the war created all kinds of wildlife on Ooo. There's also the Breakfast Kingdom, the Slime Kingdom, and even a Fire Kingdom."
"Get out here," Shannon waves his arm, "You're telling me there's an entire kingdom made of fire? Who runs it? Let me guess, a princess?"
"Yeah, she's my ex, but we're good friends now."
Shannon gives me a good, long stare, "Please tell me you didn't steal some hash off the kid who just got expelled. That's not cool, dude."
"What!" I exclaim, "You're asking me if I'm high off whatever that bum was on back at my dorm? Nah, man, I would never. Besides, do my eyes look red to you?"
"I mean come on! I don't know which is harder to believe, a princess made of fire, or the thought that you once had a girlfriend," Shannon quips, turning back to the furnace.
"Oh HA-HA!"
"Ah, chill Finn. I believe you; I've got an older sister who moved to the colony recently. She's been telling me all sorts of crazy things, quite like what you described." Shannon clarifies.
"Oh, that's cool, man; you should totally come visit her in Ooo sometime. I could be your local guide and take y'all on some radical adventures."
"I'd like that," Shannon replies, "But first, I got to finish my degree, and even though I give you a tough time for being a newbie, I'm just a second-semester freshman myself. So, I have a long way to go."
"Can't you visit over winter break?" I inquire.
"Not all our parents pay for college, Finn," Shannon counters. "I got a part-time job at a fab shop on the main island. I should be covered between that and the scholarships I've been awarded."
"Oh, geez man, I'm-"
"Don't worry, dude, I don't envy you one bit." Shannon interrupts, "Look, I mean this in the nicest way when I say everyone appreciates your mom for what she does, but she's a little strict on the rules. It can't be easy having her as your mother."
"Glob, you got that right! In some ways, I envy you. You got grit, man, and you're crazy smart too. Right out of the gate, you picked a major in mechanical engineering. That's nuts!" I say, pointing my finger right at him.
"Well about that…"
"Oh?" I raise a brow.
"It's kind of a dream I got. Something to aim for, you know?"
"I don't, I'm undeclared, but let's pretend that I do." I tease at my own expense.
Shannon smirks, "Anyways, it's because of my dad. You see, he's an electrical engineer working for the railroad on the Island. He created this patent for a special hFE electronic meter that's embedded inside both the maglev tracks and the train themselves. It constantly measures the beta values of the electric current running through the magnets to ensure they're accurately amplifying the necessary number of volts to propel the train."
"You lost me after the word maglev," I reply.
Shannon smiles, "In other words, I want to make something useful of my own invention, my very own patent, just like my dad."
"Radical man! Knowing you, it's only a matter of time. I wish I that kind of determination."
A blush colors Shannon's face red, "Thanks, man. I appreciate it."
Another half hour passes by. Not much is said by the other. Shannon occasionally removes the steel piping and brings it over to a hydraulic press to crush the pipe, then to another machine that forms the steel back into a pipe.
The process is quite relaxing. Just two dudes, hanging out after class. It doesn't get much better.
Unfortunately, time passes too quickly.
I look down at my watch and realize my next class starts soon.
I point to my watch, "I got to take off, but let's do this again sometime."
"Let's," Shannon affirms.
I begin my way back to the humanities building.
"Oh, and Finn!" Shannon hollers.
"Yeah?"
"Don't be late tonight for tryouts, or I'll beat you up myself," Shannon taunts.
"You're all bark, no bite" I shout back.
Arriving at the humanities building, I make my way towards psychology class.
In the classroom, I stick to Shannon's logic and pick a seat closest to the door. I'm not so eager to leave though. From what Professor Holmes told me, psychology also sounded interesting.
The other students soon follow, along with the professor, another older lady wearing a fox hat. Class begins as the professor starts taking attendance.
The professor looks up from her list, "Has anyone seen-"
BLAM!
The classroom door is flung open.
"I'm here!" she cries.
It's the same girl Shannon pointed out during my college tour. What was her name again?
"Emmy, glad to see you," the professor welcomes, "Please have a seat."
That's it!
Emmy moves to the last seat available, the seat right next to me.
Sorry, I'm late," Emmy apologizes, "I just got off my shift at the dining hall."
"That's okay, you made it just in time." The professor reassures.
Everybody stares in awkward silence as the girl plops her backpack onto her desk and pulls out a little pink notebook along with the textbook.
I can't help but stare at her myself.
There's something off about this girl. Why isn't she wearing an animal hat like the rest of the class? Looking around the classroom, I can tell everyone gets bad vibes about this girl, but why?
About five minutes pass by as the professor rushes through the syllabus, "Alright, class, please open your textbooks to chapter one."
So, the formula begins.
The lecture proved to be another interesting session. It was a basic introduction covering what exactly psychology is. In essence, it's just like any other science but specifically focused on humanity's behavioral and mental processes. Its goals are to describe, explain, predict, and control observed phenomena.
There are a lot of approaches to how to do this.
The biological approach, where the study focuses mainly on the body.
The behavioral approach leans heavily on the idea that environment determines behavior.
The psychodynamic, or what I like to call, the fruit cake approach, concentrates on the idea of unconscious thought, whatever that is.
However, what I like the most is the humanistic approach, which focuses on our ability to control our destiny. The idea is that we shouldn't just respond to our environment or impulses but should strive to be the best version of ourselves.
Alas, that was all we had time to go over in class when the professor spoke the magic words.
"Does anyone have any questions?"
"I do" a voice calls out.
The entire class wakes up from a daze as we all turn our attention toward the voice that dares to ask questions.
"You mentioned a guy named William James, and he sounds like a cool dude. Was he the first psychologist?" Emmy asks.
No! Please, somebody, warn her. Doesn't she know? How could she not?
The professor perks up, "Ah, while Willam James was the first person we know to teach psychology as we know it today, there is a strong argument to be made that a German physician named Wilhem Wundt was the first psychologist, as he performed the first experiments studying the speed of which the mind could register various senses. Thus, making him the first person in the historical record to map the structures of the mind."
Glob! What should I do? WhatcanI do? I can't just elbow her in the gut.
"Anything else you wanted to ask" The professor goes on.
"Well, I was wondering about- "
"ENIGMA!" a girl from the back of the class yells, "I'm not trying to be a jerk, but could you please just ask her in an email?"
"Don't interrupt, Wendy! That's rude." The professor snaps back.
But the damage was already done.
Emmy looks like someone just knocked the wind out of her.
"It's fine," she responds, "Yeah, I… I think that would be best," she mutters, then rushes to collect all her belongings and runs out the door.
Without missing a beat, the class follows suit. Leaving the professor in a foul mood.
Enigma?
What the heck does that mean?
I run up to the front of the class. "Um, professor, what was that word she just called Emmy? Was it something bad?"
"Oh, Finn… well, uh, no, not particularly. It's just a nickname everyone knows her by, but she prefers Emmy for short." The professor explains.
"Well, what does it mean? And why do the other students call her that?" I question.
The professor frowns, "It would be best if you ask her that yourself."
Okay, that's odd. Is she cursed or something? I try to wrap my head around it all as I head for the door. Then I spot Emmy's pink notebook from before.
I grab the book off the desk "Well, here's my chance."
Running outside to the main campus, I search all around the crisscrossing sidewalks until I spot her.
"Hey, Emmy!" I call out.
"Huh?" Emmy turns to face me, "Hey! That's my notebook!"
"You left it on the desk back in class," I hold it out to her.
Emmy snatches from my grasp, "You haven't peaked inside, have you?
I give a bowing gesture. "I would never; a lady's written word belongs to her alone."
"What a white knight," Emmy rolls her eyes,
"Look, I'm just returning your notebook. I'll be out of your hair, but first I had to ask. What's with the name that girl called you back there," I inquire.
Emmy's eyes fall to the ground, "Enigma means mysterious thing or person. People call me that because I'm not from the Island."
"That's wild!" I exclaim, "So you're not from the Island either?"
"Well, I…" Emmy cuts off, "Look a…what was your name again?"
"Finn Campbell, but everyone calls me Finn."
"Right, Finn I'm not trying to be rude, but I think I should just go." Emmy starts to turn away.
"Oh, my bad, I won't bug you anymore," I turn to talk away. As I walk, however, one more thing pops into my mind.
"Hey, Emmy!" I holler back.
"Yeah, Finn?" She turns and looks at me.
"If you email the professor, can let me know what she says? I thought you had some good questions."
Emmy lets out a little smile, "I will," She hollers back.
My head turns, and as I walk away, I check the time.
Half past noon? I think I'll grab a bite to eat.
"Hey, Finn!" Emmy yells.
I turn once again, "Yeah?"
"Wanna grab lunch together?" Emmy offers.
"It would be my pleasure."