ANTARES: Chapter IV
Click to viewSpiros came to see me many times when he was younger. He was always so unsure of himself. He worried a lot about what others would think of him.
- Downing Institute Student Advisor
Time: Weleran 3rd, 6231 - 3:00pm (Shaulan time: 3:00am)
The buzzer went off shining its bright, brilliant, obnoxious green and Spiros shot out of bed and leaped towards its home on the wall next to the door. Josias, however, woke up in a panic.
“Wait, what is this? Is the city under attack? I don’t know the procedures they’ve taught you people!” He stumbled off the top bunk and hobbled over to the table looking around the dim room.
“It’s just the rising alarm,” Spiros told him while pressing the green button, making the loud buzzing stop, “calm down, freak.” His comment didn’t seem to annoy Josias as he was regaining his composure trying to pretend like nothing happened. The mail basket attached to the door had a letter in it, which Spiros already knew was for Josias. He picked it up and turned around to see Josias back in bed staring at the ceiling. “Um, are you going to get up? You have to read this, just so you know,” he said placing the letter on his bunk. Spiros knelt down to get his trunk from under the bed when he heard Josias clear his throat.
“’Morvion Josias Selcoim Rho of squadron 6220 unit 17.’ That’s me alright,” he said jumping down from his bed and moving to sit at his desk, “Your orders by command of the Downing Committee chairman legitimized by the seal below are to report to the front circle at three past high with three other people from your unit for traffic control of the incoming students and their families.”
“Thanks for sharing,” Spiros said, “for future reference, don’t read your notices out loud. Officially the only one here who is supposed to read or hear about those is you."
“Gather up the squad, I have an announcement to make. Is there a meeting room?” he asked seemingly brushing away my comment.
“Yes, right across the hall. It’s got a sitting and storage area. It sounds nice but it’s no bigger than the room we’re in now so it gets a little cramped.”
“I don’t care what it looks like just get them all in there by the time I shine my shoes.” So with that Spiros left. The hall that morning seemed to be filled with excitement, not like there were people running around or anything, but it was noisy like people were happy. It is the last cycle they’ll be in a squad together and the last cycle that being a good citizen means using violence towards other countries, at least in the physical sense. Although it was likely that most would still go on to some type of military activity or do whatever their parents are doing. Few ever start a new path on their own.
At that moment Spiros heard someone unlocking the front door and not a second later and exhausted looking Bion tumbled into the small hallway. Spiros held back a laugh.
“Just where have you been?” he asked while helping Bion with a large box he had dropped.
“Around. I had to do some stuff before I came up here um… Morvion” Bion finished with a nod of the head. Spiros’s happy expression faltered at the title.
“Well, about that…. You see-“
“Come on, help me move this in” Bion interrupted while pushing the box towards Spiros’s direction and towards his room.
“What’s in this anyway?”
“Files.”
“Ah…”
“My goodness you look a mess!” Emessi exclaimed as she reentered the small hallway from the opposite side, hair still wet from the shower.
“You’re not even dressed yet” Bion shot back. Emessi rolled her eyes and opened the door to her room.
“Hey Nami, Bion is back!” Namelia crawled out of the room with a sleepy expression.
“Oh, hello there” she said with a small smile.
“Excuse me everyone” Spiros interrupted. “Lounge, thirty seconds. Go.” Everyone stopped what they were doing and headed towards the lounge where Josias was sitting like a king on top of a small table in the corner.
“So this must be him,” Udesh, Senosef, and Oseor all said in unison as they crammed themselves into the room.
In a few moments all ten of them were seated within the small lounge. Josias sat on the couch with Spiros on his right and Edkari on his left with the rest sitting in a circle on the floor cushions facing the couch.
“So,” Josias began, “who are you people? Spiros, point and explain them to me.” Udesh, Senosef, and Oseor burst out laughing which made Josias annoyed.
“Would you three shut up?”
“Of course, madam” Senosef said sticking out his tongue. Josias became wide eyed.
“Oh yea, you’re right!” Oseor added in. “Hey, that hair of yours is so long it makes you look at a woman, pretty face too.” Josias’s eyes became glassy for a moment, which made the other boys stop their antics.
“Spiros,” Josias said again with a cold tone.
“Right,” Spiros picked up. “As you know, within the squad we’re grouped into units and pairs which are based off of our positions inside and outside of crash teams. This is squad 17 of squadron 6220. I am Spiros Armases Rho ranked as the standing Cerdat, sharp shooter, unit 2 commander, and pair 1 position B. Going around this is Bion Grev….Rho of course. We’re all Rho in here so I’m going to drop that formality,” Spiros pointed to the person sitting on the floor to his right, “he’s ranked number 2, Udesh is rank 4, Emessi is rank 6, Namelia is rank 8, Oseor 7, Senosef 5, Moahne 3, and Edkari 1,” he finished, gesturing towards Edkari on the other side of the couch. “Crash team 1 is led by Udesh with Senosef and Oseor and crash team 2 is led by Bion with Emessi and Namelia. Unit 1 is led by you, Josias, with Udesh, Senosef, Oseor, and Edkari while unit 2 is led by me with Bion, Emessi, Namelia, and Moahne. Edkari is our pilot and driver and Moahne is our navigator of everything. Pair 1 is you and me, pair 2 is Edkari A and Bion B, 3 is Moahne A and Udesh B, 4 is Senosef A and Emessi B, and 5 is Oseor A and Namelia B.”
“Ok,” Josias responded as if he had not been paying attention.
“Do you need me to give you a sheet to go by?” asked Spiros.
“No it’s ok, I have good memory. Well then, as you all know we have new students moving in today from the Hill campus. I think we’ll just beak up by crash teams. Crash team 2 can go to the Forest campus and crash team 1 can go to the Hill campus. The rest of you will stay here and help with the kids moving here on main campus.” Everyone responded with a quick “yes, Morvion” and went to their respective rooms to gather their things. Spiros gave a quick nod to Senosef and Oseor who he hadn’t had the chance to speak to personally since they had arrived while everyone was sleeping.
It would most likely be a long day with him, Josias, Moahne, and Edkari left on main campus alone but hopefully the new students would distract them enough from each other. It was going to be a very long, awkward last term.