Chapter Text
.......Ugh.
"Huh? What's going on? Where am I?"
I woke up after some time with my head resting on a wooden desk. My body feels heavy and lethargic. I wonder why...
For the longest time, black clouded my vision. I've got a small headache too. I'm not sure if was knocked out, or fell asleep or passed out. I tried hard to regain any sort of consciousness.
It's not like me at all to fall asleep in class or something. I definitely wasn't tired when I got here. Something is definitely wrong. What was I doing sleeping here just now? I've never been in or even seen this classroom before. Is this somewhere in Ocean Falls? Or am I somewhere else entirely?
"What in the world is going on here?"
I looked around the classroom some. I noticed there was a security camera on the wall.
Why would a college need that in its classrooms? I guess it's not unheard of. There are dangerous people in the world after all. But still...they look way more advanced than general security cameras.
I then took notice of the windows.
"What the heck?"
This was where the windows should be. But here, there are metal plates covering them. Why would someone do that? They seem to be bolted on tight. I can't see anything outside at all.
Let's see, if I tap on one... *clang, clang*
"It's just like I thought, they're real. Thick too. I could never pull them off. Real steel here."
Why are there metal plates over the windows here in the first place? The metal plates make this room look like a prison. Why would the school do that? Maybe this isn't Ocean Falls after all...
That makes me even more concerned.
I then glanced up at the clock on the wall. It read 8 o'clock.
I can't believe it's already 8. I got here around 7:15. Has it really almost been an hour since then?
I then noticed the TV monitor on the wall.
I guess that's not too unusual. My high school had TV monitors in the classrooms. This college is government funded, so of course they'd have money for monitors. But these look like one-way monitors, the kind someone has to connect to a computer to display anything.
But, I can't shake this feeling in gut that something is off about all this...
I wonder what it is. I need to find out! Enough sitting around.
I finally looked at the desk I woke up on.
"Hey, what's this?"
I picked up a piece of paper sitting on the desk.
"What is this? Orientation guide? If that's the case, why is it written on such a cheap-looking pamphlet? Isn't this school government funded? You think they could afford something better than this. There's something handwritten on it though. Odd...I feel it should be typed or made by computer."
"Welcome new student! Your first semester is about to start. Starting today, the university will be the entire world you know."
"What in the world is this? Some kind of joke? If this is really done by Ocean Falls, why does it look so unofficial? Is this someone's idea for a joke? This isn't funny if it is. Ocean Falls is elite and prestigious, the epitome of class. There's no way this is done by the school. But if that's the case...who made this?"
"OK Natalie, let's take a deep breath, calm down, and try to figure out what happened here."
Maybe I got so nervous and passed out in the main hall? That's possible. Then maybe someone carried me to this room. If that's the case, then does that mean I'm inside Ocean Falls right now? But I've never been here before.
"But then again, if 'that's' true, that just makes me question things more. I've never passed out before in my life. I can always handle my nerves."
This is all very strange, almost like the setting for a movie or something. I mean, look at the metal plates on the windows. It's almost the like a prison. None of this is really making sense. That combined with the note makes me very nervous.
Waking up in a classroom I've never been in before with no other students around... None of this makes sense, it's making my head hurt trying to figure this out.
"Well, I can't worry about all that right now. I should head back to the main hall. It's already past the meeting time. There might be other students there now. Maybe they'll know something about all this. I hope they do."
I then walked out of the classroom into the hallway.
The sight that greeted me only raised more questions.
"Woah, this hallway is kind of weird too. What's up with the lighting?"
The lights are shining with a purplish color. What's up with that? This is getting stranger by the minute. Why have the lights be that color and not plain white? I honestly have no idea what's going on anymore. This is too strange to be anything resembling normalcy.
I noticed a sign behind me leading to another area. 'Hotel'? I guess that could be a place to stay overnight or something. Dorm rooms maybe? But why call them that and not just dorms? I can't worry about that now. I should get to the main hall.
As I walked down the hallway, I passed several other rooms. Nurse's Office, School Store, other classrooms, AV room. The lighting was also different in certain spots. Green and red lights lit the halls as well. This lighting makes this place look more like a funhouse than a school. The atmosphere it creates is oppressive.
I finally came to a set of double doors that were slightly open. This was the main hall.
By the time I walked into the main hall, everyone else was already there.
As I looked around the room, the first thing I saw were obviously the people. They seemed to be college students like me from the looks of it. There were a total of fifteen of them, all seemingly engaged in small talk in a confused anticipation. It only took about a second or two after I entered the room for the others to take notice of me.
"Wow there's another new student here?" one male student asked.
"So if we count her that makes sixteen of us. A decent number to cut off at, but it seems a bit odd." A female student said.
"Huh? Then are you guys all...?" I asked.
"Yeah, we're all new freshman here at this college, today's supposed to be our first day of classes." A female student answered.
They were all standing before me, the "Ultimate Students". The ones that were hand-picked by the college. The next leaders, the elitist of the elite. I looked around at everyone. I took in their faces one at a time. I can't exactly explain it, but I can feel a type of aura or energy coming from each of them. Maybe I'm just imagining it.
"Hello everyone. I'm Natalie Lett, sorry I'm late. A weird string of events happened and I just fell asleep suddenly. Or I passed out, I'm not sure. I'm still confused." I said.
"You too? Seriously?" a girl with light brown hair asked.
"Huh, this just keeps getting weirder, almost like a setup." A girl said with her head still buried in a book.
"This is definitely strange, that much is for sure." A boy wearing a tracksuit said.
"What are you guys talking about? Did you guys all pass out or fall asleep out of nowhere too?" I asked.
"Sixteen of us all gathered together in this place. Makes you wonder. What do you think they have planned for us? This isn't normal, so it can't be anything good." Another boy added.
"Hey guys, chill out. We can talk about this in a minute. For now, why don't we go around and introduce ourselves? It'll help us lighten up a bit." an easygoing-looking girl said.
"Is now really the best time for introductions?" another boy asked.
"Perhaps, it would probably be good for us to find out who we all are before digging into the deeper problems here. After all, how can we discuss any of this if we don't even know each other's names?" An athletic-looking girl said.
"Yeah, you're right. Cool." A nerdy-looking boy said.
"Okay, so how about we get introductions out of the way and then we can talk about whatever else we need to. That sound good to everyone?" The easygoing girl said.
There's still pieces of the puzzle missing regarding our current situation. But they're right, I think it's best to focus on getting to know each other for now. Figure out who each other is. I guess this is really the best chance I'm going to get. I already tried looking up everybody online on those threads and forums, but I still don't really know what kind of people they really are. I suppose it's time for me to find out. With the easygoing girl's words in mind, everyone began spreading around the main hall, introducing themselves to each other. I could hear conversations coming from every direction. Some sounded pleasant, others just gave an air of obligation. Guess I should get started on meeting everyone.
The first student I approached was a serious looking guy. He had brown hair and wore a lightweight orange and grey long-sleeved shirt with blue jeans. He also was wearing outdoor boots and had a pair of gloves in his pants pocket.
"So the final student comes to introduce herself to me," the boy began, "In that case, I will introduce myself. My name is Charlie Rhodes! I believe in scoping out details. I hope we work well together during our time here."
Charlie Rhodes: Ultimate Landscape Contractor
Charlie Rhodes: Ultimate Landscape Contractor
So this is Charlie huh? According to the forums, he runs one of the most successful contractor firms in the country. That's incredibly impressive considering he started that firm by himself in high school. They say he respects the finer details of any task when it comes to contract work above all else earning him the title of Ultimate Landscape Contractor. Detail-oriented and by the books, that's Charlie Brock.
"You said your name was Natalie, right?" Charlie asked.
"That's right." I replied.
"You seem like the kind of person I would like," Charlie said, "You look like you have an eye for details. But to find those details you have to put in effort, right. Any successful career will only pay out however much you put into it. That's what I believe. I will never lose sight of that truth."
This guy seems really intense. I do agree with him to a point though. I suppose someone who surveys landscape for potential work sites should have an eye for detail.
"Anyway," Charlie continued, "Did you see the detail on the 'orientation guide'? So unofficial. If the school really did that, it shouldn't have looked so cheap. Where's the detail? Where's the professionalism? That's an insult to the education system. Don't you agree?"
"Well...it is really weird that it looked so unofficial." I replied, "It makes me wonder if Ocean Falls is really behind that. If this school is elite, it should look more professional."
Charlie nodded in agreement. He seems really detail focused, very serious kind of guy. He's a little tightly wound, a little uptight too. Still, focusing on the details is an admirable trait to have.
The next student I approached was a girl who was reading a book. She a little shorter than me, thinner too. She also had straight dark brown hair. She wore a long-sleeve white shirt with a denim vest over it. She wore black pants, with casual attire shoes. She looks engrossed in whatever she's reading, like she's entirely disinterested from everything else happening.
"What do you want?" she asked.
"I just wanted to introduce myself." I replied.
"Oh, well you probably won't remember my name anyway," she began, "You don't look like someone who could remember everyone. But, my name is Mamie, Mamie Mahdavi."
Mamie Mahdavi: Ultimate Mystery Novelist
Mamie Mahdavi: Ultimate Mystery Novelist
Mamie Mahdavi, yeah I remember reading about her. She once wrote a mystery novel called 'The House by the Lake' that got every mystery enthusiast talking. It was critically acclaimed for its unique mystery and twists in its storytelling. In fact, it's considered one of the hardest fictional mysteries to figure out while still being understandable. Since then, she's written several other books that have also been well received. Despite the success of her other books, 'The House by the Lake' is said to be her masterpiece. She's won several literary prizes as well, and her books became top sellers. That's how Mamie came to be known as the Ultimate Mystery Novelist. But something seems off about her. I would've thought someone who loves mysteries to be interested in the situation we're in, but she doesn't seem to be.
"Are you done looking at me?" Mamie asked, "Didn't know I was so fascinating to you."
"Well, it's just I would think that someone who likes mysteries would be the first to try to get to the bottom of this weird situation we're in, but you seem distant and disinterested. No offense." I said.
"What do you know about me anyway?" Mamie retorted, "I mainly got into writing mysteries because most mystery stories are so easy to figure out that I got bored of them. So I wrote my own stories with unique mysteries that actually make people think. I hope you can at least understand that. I doubt you could figure out my mysteries though."
Her voice and tone is dripping with sarcasm. It's kind of annoying.
"I didn't really even want to come to this school in the first place." Mamie added.
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"It was almost pure luck." Mamie said, "My siblings thought it'd be funny to reach out to the scouts and have them look at me and my 'talent' without even telling me because they thought coming here would 'help me make something of myself'. 'Mamie's so lazy they used to say'."
So she didn't even know she was being scouted? She's really just here by chance in a way? I bet she wouldn't mind being called 'Ultimate Luck' or something due to the way she got here. What a cynic.
"Are we done here? You've got other people to meet don't you?" Mamie asked.
"Yeah, you're right. Talk to you later Mamie." I replied.
She just went right back to reading her book. She's so sarcastic and standoffish. I guess I was off on what a mystery writer would be like.
The next person I approached looked much friendlier than Mamie. He wore skinny jeans with a plain white shirt with a neutral-colored flannel vest over it. He also wore a pair of vans shoes. He was pretty thin with light brown hair that seemed to have a wave to it. He had very pleasant look to him. He smiled at me.
"Hey there! It's nice to meet you. I'm Daniel Ramone." The boy said.
Daniel Ramone: Ultimate Musician
Daniel Ramone: Ultimate Musician
I recognize this one. Daniel Ramone, he's a singer and talented musician. His music's in high demand. He has created many original songs that have a comforting feel to them. One would easily feel relaxed and encouraged just by hearing his work. I also heard one of his songs made it to the top of several music charts this year. This along with his passion has earned him the title of Ultimate Musician. He's been approached about record deals too. It's truly impressive for a starting artist.
"So are you a music fan Natalie?" Daniel asked.
"Yeah, I love music! It always helps me relax after a stressful day." I replied.
He seems really easygoing.
"That's awesome man. Music is a language in and of itself. It can either convey emotion to us or even speak to us in a sense. I want my music to be able to make people feel at ease. It's all about connecting with people on an emotional level. Anyone can make music, but it takes a certain level of dedication to make music that can speak to someone. It's my passion." Daniel said.
"That's really admirable of you Daniel." I said, "It must be pretty fulfilling for you, making music like that."
"It definitely is," Daniel replied, "Be able to touch the souls of people with my music, there's no greater feelings."
"We'll definitely have to talk more. I'd love to hear more about your passion," I replied, "I've got other people to talk to. I'll talk to you later."
"Sure thing! I'd love be able to talk about music with you some more." Daniel replied.
He seems the most normal so far. We can talk more later on.
The next student I approached was a muscular black-haired guy. He wore a dark blue athletic track suit with tennis shoes. This guy is obviously an athlete. He also had a thin beard and mustache.
"Hey there! Nice to meet ya. I'm Carter Bowman! They call me the Ultimate Athletic Trainer!" He introduced.
I'm Carter Bowman! They call me the Ultimate Athletic Trainer!" He introduced
Carter Bowman: Ultimate Athletic Trainer
Carter Bowman, athletes all over the country love this guy. Not only does he possess the knowledge of a typical trainer, but they say he can come up with various different plans to help any athlete regardless of their limitations. He's even coached and helped with individual skills training some as well, but people say he's at his best when he's helping athletes manage their physical condition.
"Hi, I'm Natalie Oliver," I said.
"Could use a little more enthusiasm, but otherwise that was a solid introduction Natalie!" he congratulated, "Sports just like life requires you to make an effort. Without that you'll never reach your full potential. It's all about controlling what you can control in sports. Things like effort, energy, things like that, it's key to reaching those goals."
"Do you actually play sports Carter?" I asked.
"Not as much these days," he replied, "I used to, but my calling now is to help other athletes get better and be better in their own athletic fields."
He definitely deserves his title. But with a build like his, I feel he could still be playing sports instead of just training others. Not that what he's doing is any less worthwhile though. I did read on those threads that as a kid, Carter kind of sucked at sports. He was a typical jock without any of the athletic talent. He looked the part, but lacked any of the talent. I bet that's quite the story of how he changed from talentless to talented. I'll have to ask him about it later.
"See you around Carter." I said.
"Yeah, see ya!" he replied.
He then gave a hearty laugh as I turned to walk to the next student.
The next student I approached was a thin girl with light brown hair. Her hair had bit of curl to it as well. She wore a flannel dress with a green sweater over it. She also wore a pair of black-heeled pumps.
The girl was writing down various things in a notebook.
"Hello? Can we talk for a minute?" I asked.
The girl glanced up from her notes to look at me. She stared for a few seconds as if she was gauging my appearance and intent.
"How interesting, I'm usually the one conducting interviews and introductions," the girl said.
"Is this out of the ordinary for you somehow?" I asked.
"It is unusual for me, yeah," the girl replied, "Well, I suppose it can't be helped here. I'm known as the woman on the streets, the one who gets the story without fail. My name is Katie Sharpe!"
Katie Sharpe: Ultimate TV Reporter
Katie Sharpe: Ultimate TV Reporter
"Nice to meet you," I said.
Katie Sharpe... from what I read about her, she's one the brightest up-and-coming reporters in the television news industry. I read she even started a school paper at her high school and worked as its lead writer, editor, and reporter until she got more students on board to help her. Despite it just being a school paper, I heard that every student wanted to use it to keep up with all current events involving that high school. They say her top value is getting the story and telling it how it is with no sugarcoating or sidestepping details. She prides herself on journalistic integrity. I read that eventually she even got as a job a writer for a high-profile new station while still in high school and worked her way up to become a field reporter before coming here. This is how she became known as the Ultimate TV Reporter.
"Your name's Natalie Oliver right?" Katie asked.
"That's right," I replied.
Katie then took her pencil and wrote my name in her notebook.
"Why did you write my name just now?" I asked.
"It's another name to add to my network and connections," Katie replied, "I'm also trying to record all the details of our current situation. As a TV Field Reporter, it's my job to gather information to piece together and tell a story if I want people to stay informed."
I keep up with the news a decent amount myself, but a life when that's all you see and encounter, I'm not sure I'd want to live like that. All that news bias...
"That was my goal when I first started taking a real interest in writing and reporting," Katie continued, "Why, my first issue of the school paper sold out in a matter of hours. That was almost a thousand copies! Even some of the teachers wanted to get them. Some students didn't understand what I was doing however. But, a reporter follows their gut when there's a story that needs to be told."
That's too bad about those people. But over a thousand copies at a high school is pretty remarkable. I don't I could've ever done something like that.
"That's why I work as hard as I do." Katie continued, "I'm working with integrity to restore people's understanding of why the news is important and why these stories need to be told and heard. I can tell by looking at you Natalie, that if you looked at some of my writing or reports, you would comprehend its significance right away. For I want the news to have meaning, not just something people put out due to some obligation. People need to understand the craft. Even though I'm working in news right now, the industry kind sucks. So much misreporting, bias, and lies. But I am to change that!"
She's definitely passionate about her craft. If more people reported like she supposedly does, maybe more people would care about news media today.
"So, as a reporter, what do you think about what's going on here?" I asked.
"Well it's definitely strange," Katie said, "I can feel it in my gut that something's not right. And a reporter trusts that feeling for it often help us to find the truth. But we'll have to wait to find out for sure. I need more information."
"I'll talk with you later then." I said.
She nodded back as I walked towards the next student.
This next student was a girl with curly blonde hair that reached down to her shoulders. She wore a white t-shirt with a high school emblem on the front. She also wore blue shorts along with white and blue tennis shoes. She also had on a green track jacket that was unzipped. This girl looks like an athlete too, but I won't judge too quickly. The girl gave me a friendly smile and waved at me.
"Hey there new girl. I'm Gracie Weathers, but for you guys, Gracie's enough. 'Sup?" the girl introduced.
Gracie Weathers: Ultimate Soccer Star
Gracie Weathers: Ultimate Soccer Star
Gracie Weathers...hmm. I read that she's been breaking soccer records in terms of goals scored all throughout grade school. She's the all-time leading goal scorer in her state. She's even being looked at for a spot on the United States Women's Olympic Team. She's without any doubt the Ultimate Soccer Star. I heard she's even helped younger players improve their skills too. The combination of her skills, abilities, and appearance have been widely discussed online. I wonder if she's a natural talent or if she had to develop that passion? I know that soccer players have to train a lot to hone their skill. I bet seeing her on the pitch would be an amazing sight.
"So can you tell me your name again?" Gracie asked, "I want to make sure I remember it."
"It's Natalie Oliver," I replied.
"OK! I got it now," Gracie said.
She then started to take in my appearance almost like she was looking for something.
"I think you've got it," Gracie said.
"Got what?" I asked.
"Potential," Gracie said, "There's a lot of it in you."
"Soccer potential? Me? I'm not sure Gracie..." I asked.
I can't say I've seen myself as an athlete, but I guess I should trust the opinion of an actual player.
"Maybe, but that's not what I'm talking about," Gracie said, "I'm talking about general athletic potential. With some training I think you could become something along those lines. Maybe we just need to find the sport that's right for you!"
I'm not really interested in athletics right now, but I don't think I need to tell her that.
"Anyway," Gracie continued, "Glad to meet you! Hope we get along."
"Yea, same here," I replied.
She seems very easygoing. She looks like she has a lot of energy too. I think we can always use someone with a positive attitude like her.
The next student I approached looked the most casual out of anyone I'd seen so far. He had a very thin and lanky build. He wore a red t-shirt with black casual shorts. He had on a pair of grey hiking shoes as well. He also wore a white ball cap with a black bill with a script 'A' on the front. He also wore black rectangular glasses and had a decently full beard and mustache.
I don't recognize this guy. I don't think I saw any pictures of him online.
"You need something?" he asked.
"Oh, I just wanted to introduce myself to you. That's all," I replied.
He paused for a second or two as if he was unsure how to respond. I gave him a friendly smile as a way to maybe encourage him.
"Huh?" he whispered softly.
It's almost like my smile took him off-guard or something, like he wasn't expecting it. Or maybe he's not used to someone smiling at him.
"Well then," he said, recomposing himself, "I suppose I should introduce myself then. Greetings, the name's Thomas Saban. Pleased to make your acquaintance."
Thomas Saban: Ultimate College Sports Enthusiast
Thomas Saban: Ultimate College Sports Enthusiast
Thomas Saban...? I don't remember seeing his name very much online. The only thing I could find out about him was that he writes his own online sports blog. I'm not even entirely sure on what his talent is. Wait a minute...Saban? As in Nick Saban? Maybe they're related somehow.
"It's good to meet you Thomas," I said, "Are you related to Nick Saban by any chance?"
Thomas gave me a blank stare before replying.
"No I'm not," he said, seemingly slightly annoyed, "Do you have any idea how many times people ask me that? I wish I was related to him, but I'm in fact not. And if I was, I think you would've recognized me in some capacity."
"I guess you're right. Sorry," I apologized, not wanting to annoy him anymore, "Hey, I don't exactly know what your talent is. Can you tell me? I couldn't find much information about you."
Thomas thought for a second.
"To this University I am known as the Ultimate College Sports Enthusiast," Thomas said.
Ultimate College Sports Enthusiast? Is that really a talent? It's not like I have any room to talk though due to the questions around my own talent.
"Not to be rude, but is being a sports fan really a talent?" I asked.
He pondered my question for a moment before his confident reply.
"I am more than a mere sports fan Natalie," he said, "Anyone can be a sports fan. What I do goes deeper than just someone who watches sports all the time. I study the history of college sports. The tradition, pageantry, the landscape of college sports as a whole. The historical figures, the events that lead the landscape of college sports to evolve and change into the landscape you see today. It's similar to how someone can like history, but based on that alone, can you say they're a historian? That's how my talent works. Of course I am also a sports fan and watch live events quite often."
OK, the way he's describing it now, it makes much more sense how a sports enthusiast can be a talent.
I then noticed his shirt. It had the words 'Property of Alabama Crimson Tide' on it. I guess it would make sense that someone who likes college sports would wear something like that in support of a college sports team.
"So tell me Natalie," he asked, "Are you into college sports at all?"
"Probably not on the same level you are," I replied, "But I enjoy watching college sports, yes."
He gave me a nod of affirmation.
"Good, then perhaps will have a mutual topic to discuss at some point," Thomas said, "Now why don't you finish meeting the others?"
"Alright," I replied.
He's passionate about his interests for sure, but I can't help but feel there's more to him. There's something about him, something I don't think he'd say much about. Maybe I'll figure that out later.
The next student I saw was a girl with long light brown hair with a bit of curl at the ends. She wore a light blue blouse top with a short sleeve light pink skirt. She wore a light gold necklace. She also had a pair of nicer tan sandals and had on clear glasses as well. She was a bit shorter than me, but seemed fit, like the kind of person gets out a lot.
"Hello," I said.
"Oh, aren't you the one who was late getting here?" the girl said.
"Uh, yea that was me," I replied sheepishly.
"Hey, you've got to keep it together you know," she said.
She stood still for a second or two just looking at me.
"Did you want me to introduce myself?" she finally said, "I haven't done it yet right? Let's see, I'm Sarah Grace Tripp, but most people call me SG. I look forward to getting know you."
Sarah Grace Tripp: Ultimate World Traveler
Sarah Grace Tripp: Ultimate World Traveler
I remember reading about Sarah Grace. She's a renowned world traveler. At this point she's been to 25 different countries throughout North America, Africa, Europe, and Asia. She's not someone who just travelers for fun or leisure, she's a documentarian of sorts. She documents all of her travels and posts them online on her website. Her goal always seems to be to get to know other cultures and immerse herself in them while there. I saw some of her photos, they really are something. Her reports and pictures have won her several awards as well.
"Honestly, I'm kind of relieved right now," SG said, "You seem decent enough."
"What is that supposed to mean?" I asked.
"Well, it's just there seem to be some weirdos here," she replied, "I can't tell whether some of us are Ultimates, or just insane. I was worried things wouldn't go well. I've met a lot of people in my travels who were just like some of us who turned out to be weird. You can always tell something about a person based on your first interactions."
That doesn't surprise me. There's a lot of different people out there in the world.
"I just hope we can all get along, this situation is making a lot of us uneasy," SG said, "I mean part of college is making friends right?"
"Yeah, you're right," I replied.
"We can talk more later if you like," SG said, "It's good to meet you Natalie."
She seems normal enough, I would like to talk with her later. I would love to hear more about her travels.
The next student I approached was a girl wearing a plain blue button down blouse and black pants. So also had on a white coat which was unbuttoned and black stockings with black shoes. Finally, she had on a thin blue tie which was tied into the shape of a bow. She had long, straight brown hair as well. She had a very serious and almost emotionless look on her face.
For several moments neither of us said anything.
"Hey, can I ask you what your name is?" I asked nervously.
She paused again for a few seconds.
"My name is Blaire Moon," she finally introduced.
"My name is Blaire Moon," she finally introduced
Blaire Moon: Ultimate Medic
She's pretty quiet, huh. I do remember reading about her though. Blaire Moon is the Ultimate Medic. She has more medical knowledge than many at our age. I read she became interested in the human body at a young age. She's done volunteer work many times growing up. However, there's something really unnerving about her. The scary thing is, I heard she even served as a combat medic for the army core which specialized in direct combat when she was around fourteen. I'm not entirely sure how that was possible. There was never hesitation in her craft, there could never afford to be. In all her time serving, she herself never sustained a single injury. That alone is very frightening. I mean, a teenage girl serving in the army?
"Are we done?" Blaire asked stoically, "I don't know if you noticed, but I'm dangerous."
I recoiled a bit after that.
She says it so casually, like someone just talking about the weather. If astounds me how someone so stoic and emotionless can provide life-saving medical expertise.
Her face is like a mask, unreadable. It's impossible for me to know what she's thinking or feeling. People like her...they make me nervous. I don't think I'll get much from her right now. I don't feel like she's the kind who likes to talk much. She seems more like a woman of action rather than words.
The next student I went up to was a tall boy with wavy dark brown hair. He wore a long knee-length grey jacket which was unzipped. Under his jacket was a white button-up shirt that looked more like a lightweight military vest than a shirt. Under that, he wore a grey shirt with a knife design on the chest, as well as a tie. He also wore black pants and black boots. There were also straps all over his clothes, but were mostly hidden by the outer coat, presumably meant for storage of some kind. He also had a thick beard and mustache. As if his appearance alone wasn't a little unnerving, he had a sort of dark presence about him. His appearance alone was a little unnerving.
"Halt! Stop right there! Stay right where you are!" the boy shouted.
I jumped back a little bit, but then regained my composure.
"If you value your own existence, you will not come any closer," he said.
"What are you talking about?" I asked.
"You still persist despite my warnings?" he said, "Very well then, I shall accept this courage you have shown me!"
I still don't know what this guy's talking about.
"Ha-ha-ha-ha... Would you like to know my name then?" the boy continued, "Those with weaker wills may see your courage as recklessness, but I however welcome it! In honor of such courage, I shall tell you my name. I hope for your sake that you do not forget it throughout your entire existence. You may refer to me as Pete Sullivan! Remember it well, for it will be engraved into the very fabric of humanity's existence!"
You may refer to me as Pete Sullivan! Remember it well, for it will be engraved into the very fabric of humanity's existence!"
Pete Sullivan: Ultimate Weapons Technician
Engraved into the fabric of humanity? What does he mean by that? Is he actually serious? If so, he's pretty out there.
Eccentric or not, I do remember reading about Pete. He's one the leading experts on weapons in the country. He's received training in high school as a member of the High School Junior ROTC Program at his high school. There he apparently became very knowledgeable about weapons and the maintenance that coincides with them. Because of this, I heard he can use any weapon with maximum efficiency. He's even been in some direct civil combat before. People say there has never been a weapon that Pete could not fix or wield.
"Now then," Pete said, "I will ask you a question. Have you ever wielded a tool of destruction before?"
"What?" I asked.
"Have you ever used a tool of destruction? Answer me!" Pete yelled.
Wait, maybe he's asking if I've ever used a weapon of some kind.
"No, I haven't ever wielded such a tool," I replied.
Pete seemed to recoil a bit at that.
"So your own essence caps so low, how pathetic," Pete said.
"Pathetic? Really?" I said, shocked.
"Is it wrong to state facts as they are?" Pete said, "One like you, perhaps shouldn't even be speaking to one as powerful as me. Who do you think I am? I am Pete Sullivan! Master of Weapons the World Over! I'm not used to going easy on my enemies, so you would do well to not make an enemy of me! You certainly would not like me then!"
Pete then let out a loud laugh.
He's definitely eccentric and strange. I thought a weapons expert would be less out there personally. I guess I shouldn't always judge by initial knowledge.
The next student I approached was a nerdy-looking boy. He was thin and not very muscular. He had light reddish-brown hair that wasn't combed quite right and had several light freckles around his face. He wore a short-sleeved light green shirt that had a tree design on it. He also wore a dark green survival jacket which had a lot of pockets. He also had on heavy tan jeans and hiking boots.
"Hey, you're the girl who was late. Cool," the boy said.
He then paused as if he was unsure what else to say.
"Sorry about this man, I'm not used to girls walking up and introducing themselves to me. Or anyone really, for that matter," he continued.
"Well let's keep it simple," I said, "What's your name?"
"My name is Seth Woods, Outdoorsman Supreme," the boy introduced.
"My name is Seth Woods, Outdoorsman Supreme," the boy introduced
Seth Woods: Ultimate Outdoorsman
Seth Woods, or the Outdoorsman Supreme as he said, is well known among those with passion for the outdoors. I read he once went to a national park for an entire month and survived just relying on his own skills and wits. Those threads also said he seems to have a deep connection and understanding with nature and even wildlife to a degree. I suppose he could also be called a survivalist given how nothing in the outdoors seems to faze him. I do get the appeal you get from being out in nature myself.
"It's good to meet you," Seth said, "You seem nice. Back home people mocked me for my interest, calling me a caveman and stuff."
"Well I don't want to mock you for your passion," I said, "Plus in this weird situation, we don't need to get off on the wrong foot with each other."
"Yeah," Seth said, "I'm almost glad we're in this creepy building. I thought coming to Ocean Falls would be like being on TV on a big stage in front of a big audience. This place works much better for my skills."
I'm not sure what he means by that. Does that mean he likes the uncertainty?
"What kind of skills are you talking about?" I asked.
"Survival skills Natalie," he said.
"Why would we need survival skills in a school?" I asked.
"Just call it a gut feeling," Seth replied, "I just get the feeling that there's something more going on here than just the school."
He then gave me a smile and pumped his fist.
"Talk to you later Natalie," he said.
I'm still not sure what Seth is hinting at. Maybe it just a gut feeling he has. I hope we find out soon. This whole situation is uncomfortable.
The next student I approached had an easygoing look about her, mainly in her facial expressions. She had a welcoming and relaxed smile. She had straight long brown hair that was curled and wore a white short sleeve shirt with black shorts. She also a on a lighter black coat which was unbuttoned as well as comfortable looking black shoes.
She waved at me as I walked up to her.
"Hey there," she greeted as she smiled.
I smiled back, but even I could tell my smile looked a bit forced.
"Hey come on there," she said, "That's a forced smile. Take a deep breath and relax for a sec. OK?"
I took a deep breath like she said. I do feel a little more relaxed.
"That's better," the girl said, "Now that that's out of the way I'll introduce myself. I'm Meghan Hendrix. My friends know me as the Master of Parties. Take it easy yeah? I know I'll be doing that!"
Take it easy yeah? I know I'll be doing that!"
Meghan Hendrix: Ultimate Events Planner
Meghan Hendrix, known as the queen of the party scene at her high school, is the trendsetting Ultimate Events Planner. I honestly was not much for parties myself in high school. I did hear that during her first week in high school, she planned a party and invited the whole school. I heard she's done planning for several events in her home town from her school to even citywide events by the request of the city council. It was said on those threads that if you attend an event organized by Meghan, no matter your interest in the event or the people, you will get a sense of enjoyment.
"OK, listen you need to chill out a bit," Meghan said, "Stressing out about things you can't explain yet is worthless. Life's over like that man, and if you don't relax and take it easy sometime, you'll live to regret it."
She's got a point, but can we really afford to not be concerned right now?
"You give off the vibe of someone who overthinks things often," Meghan continued, "I've met a lot of people like you. Being an events planner has allowed me to meet a ton people with different personalities. Why I bet you rarely went to a party in high school right?"
Well, she's not wrong about that.
"I won't disagree with you on that," I replied.
"Well when we get a chance, I'll invite to an awesome party planned by yours truly!" Meghan said.
"When are you going to do that?" I asked skeptically.
"After we get started here at Ocean Falls of course!" Meghan said smiling, "Everyone knows that at the start of college semesters is when some of the best events happen."
I'm not sure how crazy parties at Ocean Falls can be though.
"Well, I'll let you finish meeting the others," Meghan said, "Just remember what I said. Take a breath and chill out some."
She definitely the most easygoing out of all of us. I feel that if everything was normal right now, we'd be good friends. Maybe we'll get to the point though. We are classmates.
The next student I came up to was a boy with wavy light brown hair that had some length at the back. He wore a white button-up shirt with a black suit jacket over it. He also had on black dress pants kept up with a stylish black belt. He also wore black dress shoes and an expensive blue tie. He also had a thin beard and a very thin, barely noticeable mustache. There was not a part of his attire that was out of place.
As I walked up, he narrowed his eyes at me, analyzing my appearance, my every motion.
This guy doesn't look very approachable.
"Uh, hello," I said nervously, "What's your name?"
"Name's Harrison Montoya," he replied simply.
"Name's Harrison Montoya," he replied simply
Harrison Montoya: Ultimate Politician
He hasn't said anything else.
"It's nice to meet you," I said, trying to break the ice.
Harrison kept his eyes narrowed at me and still didn't say anything else.
That was the most half-hearted introduction I've heard in my life. There's nothing I can do about though. Unlike most of the others here, I'd heard of Harrison before even looking anyone up online. Harrison is an aspiring politician. During his high school years he won student body president and student council president all four years and served both those rolls at the same time. I read he eventually starting interning for various political figures in his state such as councilmembers and even the state governor. I even read that he could possibly be accepted as political advisor and even run for political positions right now due to his talent and respect he commands in the political landscape.
"We're done with introductions right?" Harrison finally said, "You've got other people to meet right? Introductions are just that; introductions. There is no need for small talk. Go away and meet the others so we can get on with more pressing matters."
Jeez, this guy. His tone and personality say clearly to me, 'You and I won't ever stand on the same level or platform.' Guess he really is a politician.
The next student I came up to was a girl with long flowing blonde hair. Her hair can be described as the kind of perfect hair every girl wants. She had on a loose-fitting mini-dress that was a combination of teal blue and light seafoam green. She also had on light brown cowgirl boots. She also wore a gold necklace with an 'M' pendant.
This girl looks like a lot of girls I've seen in various movies depicting late high school life and the beginning of college life.
"Oh, it's you," the girl said, "We doing intros or something?"
It doesn't sound like she's particularly interested in talking with me.
"Well, if I have to, I'll tell you my name," she said, "I'm Mollie George. They call me the Queen of Fashion. Don't talk to me like we're on equal footing though."
Mollie George: Ultimate Fashion Designer
Mollie George: Ultimate Fashion Designer
This one is envy of everyone in the fashion industry, Mollie George. I think anyone could recognize her. She's got a ton of presence in the nation's fashion industry. Her presence is bigger than any college student and even some adult fashion designers. She's truly the Ultimate Fashion Designer. I've seen her designs in tons of magazines. Those threads said that Mollie claims she can make designs that make even the biggest social losers look good. I did read that Mollie ruled her high school's social system. She was the queen bee there, the resident 'mean girl' according to those threads. I can tell just by looking at her that she's got the appearance of some of the snobby girls I knew at my high school. A real life Regina...
"I've seen some of your designs online," I said, "They really are something."
"Well, of course they are!" Mollie said, "Even a loser like you can tell my designs are outstanding. You could benefit from some style in your look. I mean, it's not bad, but it doesn't stand out. You could've definitely benefited from my insight in fashion. We wouldn't have hung out in high school if you did that, but I might have spared you from some social ribbing. Now go finish with your intros or whatever. I'm sick of waiting around."
Girls like her can be difficult to deal with. They can be very deceptive and manipulative. I better watch myself around her.
The last student I approached was a heavier set guy. He wore a casual dark yellow shirt, which was barely visible, with blue jeans that were rolled up. Over that, he wore a simple open white button-down shirt. He also had a uniform grey jacket that he was wearing on his shoulders. He also had on casual grey shoes.
"What's going on?" the boy said, "It's nice to meetcha. I'm Richard Brewer."
Richard Brewer: Ultimate Bartender
Richard Brewer: Ultimate Bartender
"Nice to meet you to Richard," I said.
Richard Brewer according to the threads online, is one the most effective drink makers in the country. With proficiency as a beverage technologist and his easy banter with others, he's become a staple in his hometown, the Ultimate Barista. Still not sure how he even got into bars to get a job at our age.
"You good Natalie?" Richard asked, "You're sorta spacin' out."
I quickly composed myself.
"No I'm good. Thank you for your concern though," I said.
"OK," Richard said, "But hey, we should hang out and grab some drinks sometime and chat."
"Hang on!" I said, "I'm not twenty-one yet."
"Oh, I guess I forgot about that," Richard said.
"What'd you forget?" I asked.
"That most college freshmen are younger than me," Richard said, "I'm actually twenty-one already. I was held back a few times in high school. You see...well it's too long of a story to bore you with now. Maybe some other time."
I bet that is a long story. I wonder what exactly happened. He still seems normal enough, for a bartender at least.
With that, all the introductions are finished. After meeting everyone, even though I know they're all at the top in their fields, they've each got their own individual presence about them. None of them seem the same. The interests are so different.
After a few seconds, Harrison spoke.
"Alright, I've had it. Time to get down to business," Harrison said, getting everyone's attention, "Now's not the time for us stand around gawking at each other like braindead fools."
"Yeah, let's not turn this into a scene from a sappy sitcom or something," Mamie said dryly, "We still need to address the elephant in the room."
"They've got a point," I acknowledged, "We were talking about the bigger picture or something. What is all this about?"
"Well you see Natalie," Daniel said nervously, "You said you got here to the school and then you fell asleep, yeah?"
"Yeah, I stepped into the main hall then I fell asleep or passed out or something," I said confirming her statement.
"The thing is, the same is true for all of us," Daniel added.
"Are you serious?" I asked nervously.
"Yep," Carter agreed, "Just after we all got here and walked into the main hall, we were out. Then when we all woke up again, we were somewhere else in this school. That sounds like what happened to you right?"
"That's exactly what happened," I said, "But how did that happen? It's really strange that we would all happen to pass out when entering the school. This is so strange! All of us knocked out...it can't be a coincidence."
"That is why these fools are losing their composure," Pete said, giving a slight laugh, "Of course, one such as I welcome situations like these and shall not panic."
To think we all experienced the same thing...
"And that is not the only concerning matter," Charlie proclaimed, "I assume you saw the windows in the rooms? They were all bolted tight with heavy metal plating. Why have that instead of normal glass?! What is that about?"
"Aside from that, all of our stuff is missing," Mollie pointed out, "Our phones, laptops, everything."
"Then there's the matter of the main hall here," Thomas said, "This exit is completely blocked by a giant hatch like you would see in a bunker or something."
After Thomas said that, I looked at the front entrance. How could I have missed this? The front entrance is completely blocked by a metal door of sorts.
Does that mean we're trapped?! Is there no way out now?
"I don't remember the entrance looking like that at all when I first arrived. It looked just like a normal entrance hall. This place doesn't look anything like the hall I walked into when I got here," Thomas continued, "If that's the case, then why is it here? And where exactly are we?"
"Maybe we all got caught up in a kidnapping or something?" Sarah Grace wondered.
"You mean like, getting taken from the school, to somewhere else entirely?" Seth asked, "You think someone brought us all here? It could explain why the place looks different now compared to when we got here."
"In all my time as a reporter, I've never heard of anything like this happening," Katie mused, "A potential mass kidnapping of high-profile students, it's almost unheard of..."
"Hey guys cheer up! Take a deep breath," Meghan encouraged, "We don't think to think negatively like that! I bet this is just part of orientation or something. I mean, Ocean Falls has always been unique in a sense. I mean, it's elite, why be normal and boring like any other college. Makes sense they'd want to make it more exciting for us."
"That sounds about right," Richard agreed, "I'm gonna take it easy for a bit."
"Hold on," I interjected, "Maybe we should talk about this more."
"I mean, I'd like to think this is just something they'd do to surprise us," Gracie said, slightly unsure of herself, "If so they did a good job."
"Yeah I think we're just overthinking it," Richard agreed, "I'm just gonna rest for a bit then. Was up a little late last night."
"Same here," Seth said.
"You two should take better care of your bodies with a proper sleep schedule!" Charlie said, "How can you possible hope to succeed in anything when you're dead on your feet from exhaustion?"
The tension in the room began to evaporate and everyone began to calm down.
It is nice that to know that everyone isn't as on edge as they were before.
But...
As soon as the tension evaporated, it came back as quickly as it had vanished as...it began.
We all jumped as we heard a bell chime from the monitor on the wall.
*Ding, dong, Bing bong*
We all turned to the monitor on the wall.
The picture was fuzzy, but I could barely make out two figures.
Just then, the figures began to speak.
"Hello! Hello! Testing, testing, one, two, three. I just wanted to make sure everyone can hear us through this thing."
This sounded like a man, but there was something off...
"Everyone this is a test of our university's broadcasting system. Can everyone hear us? Okay! Great!"
The second voice sounded like a woman, but there was something off, just like the first.
However, they both seemed so carefree, so relaxed, so playful, so...unconcerned. They were similar, and yet so different at the same time. The male voice had a sophisticated tone, but still had the carefree air to it. The female voice was much more gleeful and playful, much more easygoing and casual compared to the male's voice.
As I listened to their voices, I felt a deep sense of dread come up in stomach. It felt like someone laughing at the scene of an accident or even war.
"To all of you new freshmen of Ocean Falls," the male voice said, "I'd like for us start the opening procedures and ceremony...right now guys!"
"If you all would, please make you way to the auditorium at your earliest possible convenience," the female voice said, "Come on down there and we can get started! That's all. We'll be waiting for you guys!"
The announcement then cut off and the silhouettes disappeared. As I looked around the room, I could tell that the original tension was back. Everyone was dead silent for a few moments. Until...Gracie spoke up.
"Guys...what the heck was that just now?!" she asked worriedly.
"Very well then," Harrison said.
He then walked out of the main hall.
"Hold on! You're just gonna walk off like that?" Gracie called out.
"I told you guys they were just getting us excited for the entrance ceremony!" Meghan said.
"Good thing too," Richard added, "I'd probably be freaking out if any of this was a real threat or somethin'. This was a good joke. I'm gonna head over there."
Both Richard and Meghan walked off toward the gym.
"I wonder what's next for us," Seth asked. "Was looking forward to resting though."
"See you guys there!" Carter bellowed.
"So this is our summoning? I must depart then," Pete mused.
"Don't keep us waiting forever," Mamie said sarcastically.
The three of them then departed for the gym.
"I gotta follow this lead," Katie said.
Katie then left and Mollie followed without saying anything.
As everyone took off for the gym, I stood there, rooted to the spot where I was, unable to convince myself to move. The uneasy feeling that had creeped into my mind during the announcement, I couldn't stop thinking about it. And I wasn't the only one.
After that, only Gracie, SG, Thomas, Daniel, Blaire, Charlie, and I were left in the main hall.
"This doesn't feel right guys," SG said, "I don't know of any college that handles orientation like this. And why hide their faces? The staff shouldn't have any problem showing us who they are."
"Yeah, that announcement totally freaked me out," Gracie added.
"That may very well be the case, but just standing here doesn't mean we'll be safe," Thomas pointed out.
"Aren't you guys even the slightest bit curious as to what's going on?" Blaire said, speaking up for the first time.
"I guess we have to press forward," Charlie said, "If we don't we learn nothing, despite my own nerves."
Charlie's right. But I'm still really nervous right now. I've never felt quite this way before. I guess we don't have a choice. We all have to go.
The seven of us then walked out of the main hall towards the gym. We turned left as we walked down the hallway.
On the way I noticed a couple of bathrooms as well as a room that I couldn't read the name of.
I can explore those later.
I finally came up to a set of double doors with a sign that said auditorium above them.
However, I couldn't bring myself to open them and walk inside. The feeling of unease was consuming me. I stood outside the door, unsure of what to do. I just stood there. I'm not sure how much time passed until the others who left the main hall with me showed up in front of the auditorium. They also shared that nervous mindset.
"I had no idea Ocean Falls would be such a pain," Blaire said, "It reminds me of the places I went during my career. Maybe worse."
"And where's everyone else?" Daniel asked, "When we were walking over, I didn't see any other people. Are we the only ones here? I thought there'd be other students at least. But I didn't see anyone. No students, no professors, no staff, no one at all."
The cloud of tension each of us felt at the moment made the whole situation go from feeling uneasy to feeling straight up dark. The more I walked around the room, the more I felt the muscles in my legs get weaker. It's not because I'm tired, it's because I'm worried. I try to keep a calm face to maybe ease the nerves of the others but they can probably tell I'm just as nervous as them.
"I'm sure they're just trying to scare us...," Charlie said unsure of himself, "They'll put everything back to normal, I'm positive."
"Well let's go then," Thomas said.
After his words, we took a step towards the double doors that led to the auditorium.
I was still filled with a nervous dread, but I walked into the auditorium just as the announcement said.
When I walked inside I had to take a second to make sure I was seeing things straight.
The inside of the auditorium was nothing too extravagant, but it clearly had some effort put into it for the ceremony. There were Ocean Falls banners hanging along each of the side walls and in the front of the Auditorium was a large stage with a stand and microphone. The stand had the Ocean Falls emblem on it as well. I guess this is where a lot of school assemblies happen.
There were also around twenty chairs set up in front of the stage. The room could obviously accommodate more people, but I guess they wanted this to feel intimate, like the ceremony was just for us.
"Wow, I'm a little surprised," I said, "It really does look like an orientation ceremony."
"See I told you so," Meghan said with a relaxed tone, "It's totally normal."
Meghan's right. Normal...the thought that this looks so normal makes me nervous.
We all then started to take our seats.
Charlie, Harrison, Meghan, and Richard sat in the first row. Sarah Grace, Gracie, Daniel, and I sat in the second row. Mollie, Mamie, Carter, and Seth sat in the third row. Finally, Pete, Katie, Thomas, and Blaire sat in the back row.
After we were all seated, all could do was wait.
I turned to Daniel who was sitting next to me.
"Do you think this is really just an orientation?" I asked.
"It's hard to say," Daniel replied, "It looks normal, but..."
He stopped his train of thought. He didn't need to say anything more.
Just then, two voices rang out across the gym.
"Hey there everybody! Is everyone here? Alright! Let's get this started!"
It was the same two voices from earlier.
We all fixed our attention on the stage. And then...
Two figures jumped out from behind the podium and landed on their feet right in front of it.
Each of the figures were barely two feet tall just above most of our knees. One of them was a boy and the other one was a girl just as I had thought. At first glance, I thought they were just dolls or something.
The boy wore a black button up shirt with white dress pants and black dress shoes. He had wavy black hair and some of it was swept to the right, covering up his right eye. His left eye however, seemed swirl somehow with an eerie red glow.
The girl looked similar to the boy except she wore a white buttoned shirt with black dress pants and shoes. She also had long black hair, but her hair was swept to the left, covering her left eye. Just the like the boy, the visible eye had an eerie red glow.
Both of their appearances were incredibly unsettling.
"Huh?" Gracie asked, "Are those dolls?"
Right after Gracie finished her sentence, something unreal happened.
"We're not dolls! We're real!" both of the figures said in unison.
"I am Axel!" the boy said.
Axel's voice is very sophisticated, very proper sounding. The tone sounds like a proper gentleman, but it's still weird.
"And I'm Aqua!" the girl said.
Aqua's voice was much more easygoing and cheerful. But like Axel, I still feel there's something not right with them, appearance aside.
"And we are the Deans of this University!" they said in unison.
This was without a doubt the weirdest thing I'd seen in my life. What I was seeing in front of my own eyes...I wasn't able to comprehend it.
"It's nice to meet all of you!" the two said with a grin.
The way both of them talk, it's too carefree. Too upbeat. Their whole attitude is simply unnerving. Suddenly, all the nerves I felt transformed into outright fear for my current situation.
"Woah!" Carter yelled, "Are you guys real people?!"
"They're talking too well for their size," Mollie said, "I'm sure they're just dolls."
"How dare you think of us as mere playthings?!" Aqua said appalled, "You stab us with deep wounds!"
"GOSH! They can move too?!" Seth yelled.
"You got that right my good man!" Axel said, "Our system are so complex that we have become the pinnacle of robotic advancements in modern times!"
"Clam down!" Mamie said trying to diffuse the situation, "They've probably just got speakers."
"Oh, but shouldn't say stuff that can destroy dreams for those in robotics. That would be tragic," Axel said.
"Tragic?" Thomas asked, "How so?"
"Anyways, let's put all that aside, because I'm sure you all want some answers," Aqua said.
"Let's hear some applause and good morning!" Axel said.
"Good morning!" Charlie yelled.
"You don't have to say it back man," Carter deadpanned.
"Now then everybody," Axel began, "Let's begin our most noteworthy orientation ceremony! It's your first experience here at Ocean Falls, so it should be memorable, right? We're going to make sure it's as memorable as possible for you guys. Firstly, I'd like to talk about what your life here at Ocean Falls will be like. Now everyone, if you haven't understood anything before now, understand this---you sixteen students represent our country's future. Future leaders, influencers, people that will be looked up to as the pinnacle of society. All of you, so full of potential, so full of hope, the hope for our great nation, the great United States. With that being said, such great hope must be protected. No harm must come to it. And how will that happen?"
As he said those words I felt a pit deep in my stomach. Axel then dropped a bombshell on us.
"You'll be protected by living a communal life together with each other here in this great university!" Axel said with sophisticated glee.
"What?! This isn't what I signed up for. I signed for a college experience not something like this!
"Your life will be solely within this university!" Aqua added, "You will all live here together and follow the rules and regulations laid out for the school."
"Now I know you guys are used to college lasting around four years, maybe five give or take," Axel said, "So in regards to the end of the communal life for you all... Well it's simple. There isn't one!"
Another bombshell...My heart stopped beating for a second as Axel's words sank in. All of us choked on our breath at this news.
"You will all live here at the illustrious Ocean Falls University until the day you all die! You'll all live here and grow old together. A real communal lifestyle. Isn't that awesome?" Aqua concluded.
There was a dead silence over the entire gym for a few seconds. This...this has to be a joke! It has to be! There's no way this real!
"Did you just say until the day we die?" Daniel asked nervously.
"Don't worry guys," Axel said, attempting to diffuse the situation, "We've got a massive budget so you won't ever have to worry about running out of food or water or any basic conveniences. There are perks to being government funded and elite after all. So all your need will be met, don't you worry."
"That's not at all what we're worried about right now!" SG said.
"Come on, I've seen better acting than this in high school, "Mollie said snidely, "This is just a cruel joke they're playing on us. There's no way we're gonna have to live here forever. If we're the next leaders of society, there's no way we'd be confined here instead of, oh I don't know...leading society. They're just messing with us."
"Nope, we're not just messing with you!" Aqua said gleefully, "We're not liars or anything. You guys can take heart in that knowledge. We never go back on our word."
"Oh and by the way," Axel said ominously, "You're all completely cut off from the rest of the world! Isn't that nice? You won't have to worry about jobs, or taxes, or even basic human civilization ever again!"
"Is that why the metal plates are everywhere?" I asked nervously, "To cut us off from the world?"
"You guessed it right on the money!" Axel said.
"They're meant to keep us trapped in here?" Gracie asked.
"Absolutely! That's exactly what they're for!" Aqua said, "Because of that, no matter how much you scream, rant, or yell, help won't ever come for you. You can try all you want but it won't work. So you can feel free to live out the rest of your lives here with a great sense of reckless abandon!"
"Come on, can you cut this out?" Katie called out, "This has just got to be a really bad joke. Why would America's next leaders have to be locked in here? We don't want your 'protection'."
"Agreed!" Pete boomed, "Cease the idiotic prattle coming from your mouths!"
"You're all a bunch of skeptics you know!" Axel said, annoyed, "Well, I suppose I can't blame you given the way of the world now. You're all starting college! I thought you'd know how to trust people by now."
"Well, I guess it doesn't really matter," Aqua said, "Over time reality will sink into all of your minds. And when that happens, you'll see with your own eyes that we speak nothing but the truth."
"If we had to live here forever, that'd be super lame man," Seth said.
"Oh come on guys! What's the matter with the lot of you?" Axel said, slightly annoyed and confused by our fear, "You all decided to accept the invitations and come attend Ocean Falls of your own free will didn't you? The semester hasn't even officially started and you've already decided you want to leave and call it quits?"
"Yes! This is not what we applied for!" Charlie exclaimed, "We applied for a normal education, like the classes before us. Not...whatever this is!"
"Okay, okay, I get it. You're pissed about things not being normal. Well I'll tell you something. Do you guys want to know what I'm talking about?" Axel said ominously, "There is actually one way for you to leave this university."
"Are you serious?" Katie asked.
The feeling...that dread came back as soon as Axel said there was a way to leave. His tone, I could tell this was probably not as innocent as it sounds.
"As your beloved deans, we've crafted a special clause in the metaphorical contract for those of you that would like to leave early," Aqua explained, "We're calling it the Degree Clause! Consider it the same as earning your college degree or a substitute of sorts."
"Let me explain how this works," Axel began, "In order to maintain harmony, peace, and hope we employ a communal lifestyle here. However, if someone here were to disrupt that harmony and peace, that person and that person alone will be allowed to leave this university! That is what the Degree Clause entails my students."
"Disrupt the harmony?" Mamie asked unsure, "You mean like cheat on exams or something? That's stupid."
"Not exactly," Aqua answered calmly.
"Then what do you mean by disrupt the harmony and peace then?" Harrison asked, clearly annoyed.
Axel and Aqua look at each other and smirked, then they looked at us, still smirking as if they're laughing at themselves over what they are actually talking about.
Suddenly, if even just for the one moment in time, every sound in the world seemed to stop. My heart stops, my breath stops. They then dropped the biggest bombshell of all on us.
Suddenly, Axel and Aqua declared in unison,
"If one of you...were to murder another."
"Murder?!" I yelled doubling back.
That's absolutely crazy! This has to be a lie! None of us should stoop that low!
"Yep!" Axel says gleefully, "It doesn't even matter how you do it. If you want to stab someone like a shish kabob, feel free. Desire to bash someone? Go ahead. Want a more subtle approach? Try a little poisoning. Want it to be dramatic? Go for lighting someone on fire. Maybe simple choking is your choice? Maybe strangling? Whatever you like! Whatever method you choose is fine with us. Hope you stocked up on knowledge from crime and detective shows. The bottom line here is; you must kill someone else here if you want to leave Ocean Falls! That's all there is to it!"
Several chills shot down my spine, one after another. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't stop them. My blood ran cold. 'You have to kill someone else if you want to leave.' Those words rang in my head constantly for several moments in time. I can barely even feel my own blood.
Axel and Aqua both laugh loudly as realization sets in.
"So guys, did that bit of info help your brains wrap themselves around what's going on here?" Aqua asked, "We'd like you guys to remember, you guys are the hope of the nation, so full of potential, so you must have figured out that if one of you dies, that hope within you dies too! And with it, one of the people destined to guide our country into the future. It turns that hope on its head! What a despair! What a feeling! What a reality! Isn't that just so exciting?"
"What blasphemy!" Pete yelled, "To take another's life in cold blood is simply...!"
"I figured that'd make you all start thinking!" Axel said, cutting Pete off, "If you need further clarification, there's probably a dictionary lying around here. It's a college after all."
"We know what you mean!" Gracie yelled, "We're asking why we have to kill each other?"
"Yes, none of us will give you the satisfaction you want," Charlie proclaimed, "You'll both fail! Just let us all go home."
"You won't?" Axel said, holding back the fury of his words.
Suddenly, as both Axel and Aqua approached Charlie, their hair covering their eyes moved to the side. Are they starred Charlie down, red swirls appeared in both eyes on the both of them. They glowed with a sinister glow.
"You won't do it?" Aqua said darkly.
"Humanity has killed each other for hundreds of years," Axel said, "It is their nature. It is the way of the world. It is mankind's basic instinct, an instinct that stretches all the way back to the beginning of humanity's existence on the planet. You don't need to do anything more than look in a history book to find evidence and proof. It's an inevitably with humans, no matter who they are."
They both then backed away from Charlie and their eyes went back to normal.
"You can say things like 'let us go home' or 'this can't be real' all you want!" Axel said, his voice getting louder, emphasizing his point, "This University is your home now. Your whole life, this is it. The sooner you accept that, the better! So go on, if you wanna leave, you've got the rule laid out right in front of you! It's the only option for leaving."
"Alright, come on man," Richard said calmly, "How long are you guys gonna keep this up? You got us real good ok? So you can just reveal what really happening. Where's the hidden camera? I bet we're just getting messed with."
"Reveal what's really happening? What do you mean?" Aqua said.
"Well, you know, this has gotta be a trick or something," Richard replied calmly, although his voiced betrayed slight nervousness.
"Out of my way fool!" Pete boomed.
Pete shoved Richard out of the way and stood in front of Axel and Aqua, his voice, loud like roaring thunder.
"You fiends! Listen, this has gone far enough!" Pete roared, "What kind of twisted humor is this? It is not of this mortal world!"
"A prank?" Aqua asked, "You mean like you own outfit?"
At that, there was a sudden boom as Pete launched himself forward out of his seat in an airborne sliding kick. It was quite the leap. He launched himself straight at Axel and Aqua with the precision of a skillfully aimed bullet as he'd locked onto his targets. His foot slammed into both of them simultaneously as he pinned them both with his foot on the front of the stage.
"This has gone far enough!" Pete roared, "I do not know your origin or even desire to find out. I do not care if you are a mortal body or a mere machine, but the Master of Weapons will destroy such evil. I shall show you my full power! Here and now!"
Axel and Aqua squirmed under Pete's foot.
"You know violence against your deans is a direct violation of the university's rules. Just thought you should know," Aqua said ominously.
Suddenly, a beeping sound rang out from the self-proclaimed deans.
"What have you lost your nerve?" Pete asked.
The beeping sound continued.
"Cease that infernal noise and answer me!" Pete yelled.
"Get rid of it now!" Thomas called out to Pete.
"What?" Pete asked.
"It's a bomb, hurry up and get of them!" Thomas called.
I'm don't know if it was fear for his life or the tone of Thomas's voice, but Pete suddenly did as he was instructed. He quickly picked up Axel and Aqua and threw them.
And as soon as he did...
Both of them exploded in midair.
"What in the...!?" Pete said, stunned, "That was no mere jest! Those beasts exploded!"
Smoke fluttered around the auditorium and fell onto the stage, my ears would not stop ringing, and the smell of gunpowder was everywhere. One might think of explosions mainly in a fiction context or even sometimes comedic such as in cartoons, but being next a real one, it was deafening. I'd never seen anything like it before. I don't think I'll forget that experience anytime soon.
"Hey, this means the two of them have been destroyed right?" SG asked hopefully.
"Don't be an idiot," Mamie said, "It can't be that easy. It's too elaborate a setup for it to end like that."
Suddenly, both Axel and Aqua reappeared in front of us. Most of us were shocked seeing them reappear so quickly after exploding.
"There's more than one of you guys?" Seth asked, shocked.
"You fiends!" Pete said angrily, "You tried to end my mortal existence!"
"Well of course we were," Aqua said, as if it was obvious, "You violated a rule that was set out for you. But you can consider this your warning. You all better be careful and take this lesson to heart. Any future rule breaker won't get off so easily. You'll be punished accordingly."
"So are there like, multiple versions of you around here?" Seth asked curiously.
"Well of course there are," Axel said proudly, "Various Axels and Aquas have been placed all around the school to keep an eye on you guys. And don't forget about the surveillance cameras that are installed everywhere too. It's against regulations to destroy them by the way. So we'll always be watching, so don't let us catch you breaking any other rules. You saw what just happened right? Next time we won't be so lenient."
"That's just wrong," Meghan said with her hands over her mouth.
"Oh, and one last thing before you're dismissed," Aqua said, "I've got something for each of you to commemorate the start of your glorious college life."
Axel then pulled out a pile of what looked like modified iPads. They each had the Ocean Falls Emblem on the back of them as well as on the lock screen.
"These will serve as your student IDs' of sorts," Aqua said, "But they're much more than that, they're like a student handbook. Pretty innovative right? They're fully digital as you can see, so they are very useful at storing information and staying up to date with events around the school. They've also got a map that will be filled in as you explore the school. These things are vital to a healthy and efficient college life, so make sure you don't lose them. When you turn these babies on, they'll display the owners' name so make sure you've got your own. They are also completely waterproof, bulletproof, and can withstand up to ten tons of force so they're very durable, so go around trying to break them. They're essential as I said. They will also display all of the university regulations, so make sure you look over and review them."
"Now I know you guys are probably sick of me saying this," Axel said, "But violating the established rules will not be allowed. It's true that rules restrict, but they also protect. For instance, society itself would crumble without rules and laws."
"But this environment is not like normal society!" Charlie exclaimed.
"That same principle applies here," Aqua said, ignoring Charlie, "So you may hate 'em, but they do keep you safe. Well...to a point."
They both walked behind the podium, beginning to conclude their speech.
"With that," Axel said, "This concludes our orientation!"
"I hope you enjoy your new life here!" Aqua said.
"Welcome to Ocean Falls! See you all later!" they said.
Both Axel and Aqua then disappeared from the room.
The shock of everything still weighs heavy on each of our minds. It took several seconds for anything to fully sink in.
We really are stuck here, maybe for the rest of our lives under strict rules where the only way out is to murder someone. Why is this happening? What is the point of it? Why...us?
"So guys," Charlie spoke up nervously, "Any thoughts on what we just went through?"
"It's pretty self-explanatory," Blaire deadpanned.
"I don't understand why this is all happening!" Katie said, her hands on her head, "I've never heard of anything like this."
"They're saying...we have to live here forever, or kill someone?" Carter said.
"What's happening to us?!" Gracie yelled.
"Calm down everyone," Thomas called to us all, "We need to keep our heads about this and look at it logically. Let's take a minute to sum up everything we were just told about. It seems that according to those two, Axel and Aqua, that we basically have two choices. The first one is that we accept living a 'communal life' here together until the day we die. The other choice is..."
Thomas's voice trailed off, as if he's unwilling to finish his statement.
"The other choice is if we want to get out of the situation alive and leave this place, then we have to kill someone right?" Mollie said, picking up where Thomas left off.
Her words seemed to rally us up a bit.
"But killing each other...," Daniel said, "That's just...I don't know."
"More importantly," Pete added, "Someone seems to have abducted us all and placed in this cruel plain that looks like a place of higher knowledge."
"Now we're supposed to start killing each other?" Seth spoke out," Gosh, no! Yeah man, no."
"It's a lie! It's gotta be," SG said, "All these things they told us, it all has to be fake!"
"At this moment it doesn't matter if what we heard is real or not," Harrison said with a serious tone.
"What are you talking about man?" Richard asked.
"Yeah, what do you mean it doesn't matter?" Meghan asked.
"I get what he's saying," Mamie said grabbing everyone's attention, "What's more important is...is there anyone who's actually willing to take this seriously?"
To Mamie's words, no one had a reply. I kept quiet myself, afraid to say anything to break the tense silence as I stared at everyone.
The others as well were staring at each other, trying to gauge each other's thoughts. You could easily sense the hostility in the air.
As I looked at all of them, studying their faces one at a time, everything hit me at once. Our whole situation, but something much more horrifying as well.
The absolute horror that the rules laid out for us.
'You must kill someone else in order to leave this place...'
That line affected us all. It planted vicious thoughts deep in each of us. If they did not do that we could not be considered human. We now saw each other differently than even a mere hour ago. Every one of us became suspicious of everyone else in the room. We were forced to accept the reality of the situation and wonder, 'Is someone going to try and kill me?' 'Is someone going to betray us?'
And that was how my new college life at Ocean Falls University began. This University, in which the opportunity for me to come here came out of nowhere to take me to the next phase of my life, it's not actually a University of Hope like as I hoped it would be.
It's leading us in the opposite direction. Towards a dark future that we cannot escape from.
