*****
The storm kept Keelic indoors both days of the endweek, so he spent most of the time in his room with the alien, eyes closed, sitting in a phantom Command chair, fighting great battles they imagined together, practicing what the simulator had taught him. The storm faded by midweek, and his parents got a message from the school stating that the bus would be by for him the next morning.
On the bus to school, he found that he could still talk to his friend. The images and emotions were faint, but definite. Classes were boring beyond endurance, and he spent the time linked with the alien all through Mr. Drin’s dribble of Ermolian trivia. Expansion History started out well with a recording of the first Colony Battles of Crit, humanity’s initial contact with the Paboosht. After a few minutes of hard-to-see battle recorded with someone’s personal far-scanner from many kilometers away, the instructor stopped the show, and started lecturing about why the colonists had wanted the lands where the Paboosht were living. Keelic tuned her out and linked with the alien. The alien built a gigantic space station, which Keelic attacked with a wing of Alliance Defense League proto-fighters. In midbattle he discovered the instructor standing beside him asking him a question in a voice that was raised to the this is the last time I will ask level.
He blinked away the visions and felt the weight of the instructor’s glare on his head.
"I don’t know," he said, hoping she would accept that.
"Mm-hmm," she said.
A Paboosht raised its hand and said, "Because the Paboosht weren’t low-tech like the colonists thought."
"Very good, Larosn."
The end-class chime rang, and Ms. Coster said to the class, "For tomorrow read to the end of this chapter. Keelic, I want a three-page report tomorrow for you to read to class on the Colony Battles of Crit."
There were snickers all around as he walked out.
Someone said, "Total vac-brain."
In Galactin class he thought about skipping school, but there was no way to get home, and his parents would never understand. During recess he moved away from the others, and walked around the gym to the perimeter of the play field. Force-fencing separated him from the forest. He turned around to face the school. The gym, attached to the near wing of the school like an afterthought, loomed before him blocking most of his view of the classrooms. He looked east and saw the field were the hover buses landed on the other side of the school. To the west was the little building, isolated in the middle of the field, where Mr. Hallod would be waiting for him after lunch.
He walked along the fence away from the school, ignoring the lunch chime. With the gym between him and the school, and the field empty of kids, Keelic sat in the stringy grass beside the fence. Tattered clouds dimmed and brightened the air as they passed the sun. On the ground under the fence, he saw a pile of red, shiny-backed creatures and picked one up. Touching its legs made its tiny eyes open and close. Putting it down, he touched the fence and felt his finger go numb and his hand tingle. Must be a paralysis field, he thought, wondering if the alien heard him, wanting to be with his friend, but there was no contact. The alien was probably taking a nap.
"Keelic Travers," blared a voice from the school. "Keelic Travers, return to the building."
Walking back to the school, he heard the grind of the Study Hall door opening. He saw Mr. Hallod watching him, and waved as an exasperated Ms. Onkalwitz grabbed his arm and guided him to the Chief Instructor’s office.
The Chief said, "What were you doing, Travers?"
Keelic shrugged.
"Your parents will be informed. This is still a frontier world, boy. You can’t just go wandering off. Go to lunch. Don’t make visiting me a habit."
After eating, Keelic went to his tablet locker, but it was empty. He remembered putting his tablet into the locker before recess. All his homework was on it, including Mr. Hallod’s. Down the hall, he felt someone staring at him.
Thom sneered with slit eyes. A nimbus of crimson cloaked the older boy, and Keelic found himself advancing through the crowd of students, but Uban and another boy stepped in front of him. Keelic realized what he was doing and retreated to the Study Hall.
"Where is your tablet?" asked Mr. Hallod.
"Someone stole it."
"Who?"
Keelic looked up at Mr. Hallod. His face was concerned and strong.
"Thom took it."
"Well, you’ll have to tell Chief Instructor Webs."
Going back to the Chief Instructor’s office was the last thing Keelic wanted. "Isn’t there another way?"
Mr. Hallod watched him for a moment, then said, "When did you notice that it was gone?"
"Right after lunch."
"Come outside," said Mr. Hallod. They walked around to the back of the building and entered the piloting compartment of Mr. Hallod’s shuttle. Keelic didn’t know anything about art design, but he could tell this vessel was a work of art. Everything was a pattern of warm brown lines and swirls, highly polished. The pilot and co-pilot seats were incredibly plush, and Keelic’s shifted its shape to accommodate him.
Mr. Hallod said, "Enka, I’d like you to scan the school building. We’re looking for the location of every student tablet."
A 3-D map of the school appeared in the air between the seats, with red dots showing tablet locations. Keelic was amazed. The map was solid and real-looking, one of the best holos he’d ever seen. It even reflected light from the shuttle windows.
"Highlight all tablets not in close association with a student."
Three showed up in lockers, along with a supply in storage.
"That’s Thom’s locker," said Keelic, pointing into the display.
"You know what you have to do now," said Mr. Hallod.
Keelic was unsure.
"You must go to the Chief Instructor, tell him that you think Thom has your tablet, and have him open Thom’s locker."
Reluctant, Keelic walked back, and told the Chief his story. The instructor called Thom out of class and had him open his locker. The Chief handed Keelic his tablet, then shoved Thom toward his office.
After classes, Keelic made it a point to walk quickly to his bus to avoid trouble.