Arrival

Posted on July 07, 2008 @ 08:11PM

Litter was strewn about as if someone had hastily unpacked something and just as quickly left. A human wearing what appeared to be a uniform was standing in front of me and seemed to be expecting an answer.

It took me a few moments for the boot sequence and memory/recording data to be accessible. The last that I could recall, I was alone in a lab; and now I am here, in a large room with an unknown human. But where was here.

Something was not computing, and I lacked the sufficient data to comprehend what had happened.

Looking around to try and identify my location, the Officer cleared his throat and said, “Well?”

Focusing on the human before me, I said, “Well what?”

He said, “I asked if you were functioning.”

“Obviously I’m functioning at some level if I am standing and interacting with you,” I replied.

It would seem that this was not the answer he was expecting, as I registered an increase in his heart-rate and body temperature, pupilary reaction, sudden change is skin tone, and the inability to speak.

After watching this human attempt to say something for a few moments, he finally bellowed, “Akershon!”

The clopping of boots running on tile could be heard, and a young lady, appeared from around the corner.

The red-faced human shouted, “Get this thing off of my Quarterdeck, and get him his standard issue, and find a closet to stick it in.”

Snapping a sharp V Salute, the young lady said, “Aye, aye, sir.”

Pointing at me she said, “Follow me plebe,” as she turned and headed down a long hall way.

Stopping at the first room in the corridor, she pointed me inside. Following her direction I walked inside when someone looking over some paperwork said, “Size?”

When he didn’t get an immediate reply, he looked up from his paperwork and said, “I said…” but stopped mid-sentence when he looked at me.

Quietly I said, “Size? Size of what?”

The young man stammered, “Uh… U… Uni… Uniform.”

“What do I need with a uniform,” I asked.

Ms. Akershon answered from somewhere behind me, “All cadets are required to wear a uniform for inspections, formations, and any other time that the Command sees fit.”

After processing this bit of information, I gave the still stunned young man my measurements.

Robotically he turned and grabbed several articles of clothing and handed them to me.

Taking them, I turned around to face Ms Akerson. She turned and exited, obviously expecting me to continue to follow her. Walking down the corridor stopped at a desk. Extending her hand, she said, “Sponder.”

When I didn’t move, she looked at me and said, “I need your wristsponder.”

I told her that I did not possess a wristsponder, and she mumbled something under her breath. Walking around the desk she opened several drawers, until she found what she was looking for, an old wristsponder that looked as if it had been in that drawer since the time of the Great Earthquakes.

Plugging it in, she tapped a holoscreen and downloaded some information into it. Putting it on top of the pile of uniforms that I was holding, she said, “That has your class schedule and all the basic information that you’ll need to get around campus, as well as your room assignment. If you need any information, try your sponder first, if that doesn’t answer your question, try one of the terminals that you’ll find around campus. If that doesn’t answer your question, don’t come looking for me. Either you weren’t meant to know, or it’s something that you need to figure out on your own. Formation is at 0800 sharp.”

Ending on that note, she spun on her heals and walked back the way we had come. Checking my chronometer, it was currently 0333. Which meant I had a little more than four hours to find my quarters, figure out where the formation was going to be held, and figure out what was going on.

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