Part 9
//I was always told of the pearly white gates that would lead me to the love-filled hope of the afterlife, a monument to the ingenuity of my parents and my lack of self-thought. Now I know that those gates aren't whit, but a cold, dusty gray. They also don't lead to the love-filled hope that all people dream of, but to the bitter reality that life is hard and the road to redemption even harder. Thraveling through that gate was the hardest journey I have faced yet.//
~~ The office I sit in is dark even with the curtains open. The faux-leather armchair I am perched upon clings to my bare arms. The mahogany desk that dominated the small office commands any visitor to marvel at its presence. My heart feels as though it's stuck in my throat, courteousy of the man currently residing bhind the aforementioned desk. He is a middle-aged man with gray, thinning hair. His half glasses reminding me of the kind an old inn's keeper had, whom I met in my travels. His air of authority is a drastic change from the street bums I worked for previously. Staring intently at his terminal monitor, I believe him to be taking him time reviewing the results just to cause my anticipation to grow to an astounding level.
"You come to me with no past, wearing tattered clothes, with no money, thievery and fighting your only skills, and you refuse to tell me your real name," the man states solemnly causing my face to drop. "The academy prides itself on producing the finest soldiers and pilots. Each student becomes an unparalleled being proficient in all areas of academia." He eyes me suspiciously. "You claim a vast knowledge of space. For some reason I highly doubt it, but if you can prove me wrong we might be able to find a place for you."
I almost completely loose all the courage that I had stored up for this moment. Yes, I do know more about space than anyone I've ever met, other then Mayle, but I haven't recalled any of the facts since that fateful day six years ago. He crosses his arms across his chest, peering over his glasses, waiting.
After taking a deep breath I begin, The first probe to enter space was the Russian Sputnik in 1957 AD. A satellite fashioned after the original Hubble was launched into the orbit of Pluto in 2312 AD, furthering the plotting of the known universe. Since then space exploration has progressed by leaps and bounds. With the creation of vernier rockets and hyper drives, manned vessels were able to stretch the boundaries of the traveled universe. The revolutionization of space colonization was with the first civilian colony in space. Previous to that only few people spent long periods of time in the ever-growing International Space Station. The first star reached was the Strontolia in the Tore region in the year AC97, by the ship Intruperter."
"I must admit I misjudged you."
Hearing those words uttered causes my heart to leap into my throat. All that I had learned from my long gone teacher has stayed with me even through my troubled times, when all I wished for was to forget everything in my past. 'Thanks Mayle'.
The dean presses the intercom on his desk, which is answered by a spunky young woman. He asks her to retrieve someone then returns his attention to me. "If you plan to study here you must go by a name. Do you have anything in mind?"
I really hadn't given much thought into picking a name. For the past six years I've been known as: Kid, Brat, Blondie, Squirt, and Shorty. No one had thought to call me something other then those, and I cared not what they called me as long as it wasn't connected with my past. "I have no idea, sir."
"We'll, I'll give you some time to think about it." A knock comes from the door and the dean quickly leaves his chair to answer it. A boy around my age enters the office, he looks around slightly nervously as though he is expecting some sort of punishment. He notices my presence and visibly relaxes. "Jeremy, this is a new student. He will be sharing the room with you. I want you to show him around the school. Make sure he knows where his classes are and take him to get a uniform." Jeremy nods and waits for me as I gather up the heavy shirt I wear to protect myself from the bitter cold nights.
After the deans office is safely behind us Jeremy breaks the silence, "So what's your name?"
"Give me an hour and I'll think of one," I reply hastily.
"What do you mean? Didn't your parents give you one?"
"I'd rather not talk about it."