Astronomy Class

[beantheory]

Bean sat on his desk in the astronomy classroom, waiting for his class to fully assemble. There was no point in sitting behind the desk, since no one would be able to see him, and standing in front of it would just emphasise how small he was

Comments

[cardarchitect]

Well, looking at the floating models from just one angle is hardly 'the information you have'... Near gets up to walk around them, examining them from different vantage points.

[garland_briggs]

Being in the classified section of the Air Force that had something to do with outer space, this wasn't too hard for Briggs. However he couldn't quite figure it out. He walked up to the white haired boy studying one of the constellations.

"Trying to views these constellations from uncertain angles certainly adds an element of confusion. I could hazard a guess that this one may be Orion, though I'm not very sure."

[cardarchitect]

"He did say that they might not be in their accustomed orientation, did he not? Then exploring the possibilities may be an essential 'confusion'."

[garland_briggs]

An essential confusion? Garland was pleasantly surprised at the boy's cognition. "You are certainly right. Its quite a spatial puzzle, is it not? I have some background in astronomy but only from the Earthly plane."

He extended his hand. "Major Garland Briggs."

[cardarchitect]

"I'm Near." He shook the Major's hand. "Puzzles are a specialty of mine. This will be, perhaps, tricky, but certainly not unsolvable."

[garland_briggs]

"Pleased to meet you. You seem like a pretty intelligent you man." Garland looked up at the constellation from underneath it. "Take a look at it from this angle. See anything?"

[cardarchitect]

Near drops to his knees to look up at the constellation, and compares it mentally to the worksheets. "That's Leo."

[garland_briggs]

Garland grinned. "As I expected. You know I don't think we make too bad of a team. Would you care to accompany me on the next one, Near?"

[cardarchitect]

Well, why not? It's not like Near had any resentment toward the military, and the man seemed pleasant enough.

"Certainly." He started circling the next one, examining the angles.

[garland_briggs]

Garland wrote down his answer on the first one and followed Near to the next one. There was an aura about this boy that Garland could pick up on. One of his colleagues in the military once said that Garland was born with hardware that most people only dream about, and it was true. That hardware could tell there was something odd about Near, and it sparked an idea in his mind.

As he studied the constellation, he asked nonchalantly. "So I'm guessing you know another young man named A. Am I right?"

[cardarchitect]

If Near had known about the comparison, he wouldn't have appreciated it; despite his displayed knowledge of herblore, he thought A should spend the rest of his life somewhere with crayons and basketweaving.

"I've met A, and I know a little about him," he replies. "I'm not sure I know him, precisely."

[garland_briggs]

There was something similar about a few of the boys he had met since arriving here, and he had a mind to figure out what that was. "How about a young man called Ryuuzaki? You all seem to be connected somehow."

He stood up and looked diagonally downwards through the second constellation. "Orion, I expect. Care to take a look?" He stepped aside.

[cardarchitect]

This questioning is enough to set off tiny alarms for Near; it wouldn't do to give him too much information. "Do you know A and Ryuuzaki, then?" He peered at the floating model. "I believe you are correct."

[garland_briggs]

Garland could tell he was agitating Near. "Can't say that I know them, as it were. They both greeted me when I first arrived here a while ago. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you. I'm just curious about what your connection is, that all,"

[cardarchitect]

"We have a similar education, perhaps that's what you're picking up on." He wasn't about to volunteer more information.

[garland_briggs]

Garland sincerely doubted that that was all there was to it, but he didn't want to pry any more information out of the boy. He would ask around. Certainly he could find someone more willing to talk. He hoped.

"Ah, yes. That's probably it." He lied. "Well, lets take a look at the next one, shall we?"