It was early morning and sleep evaded Nerani, as it often did. Long ago, he had learned that restlessly awaiting sleep to return was a futile endeavor, and so he silently slipped out of the apartment where his student still slept. Outside the door, a wide balcony ringed a large atrium. The cylindrical room had a dome shaped canopy that imitated the open sky. In the predawn hours, synthetic stars provided dim lighting to the facility below.
In no particular hurry, Nerani began walking slowly around the balcony, the highest of several terraces that wrapped around the lower third of the room. Each tier decreased in diameter and contained numerous small apartments that were occupied by the students and their Mentors. The sound of running water echoed through the chamber as a series of synthetic waterfalls rushed down the terraces and into a central pool that surrounded the vertical transit system. There were patches of green ivy growing over railings and walls. Other trees, shrubs and vines were scattered throughout the levels, providing a peaceful and varied environment.
Nerani was an old man. He had short, graying hair and a thin and well-maintained beard to match. His face was narrow and wrinkled with age. Thick eyebrows hooded his subtle green eyes, which sparkled with intellect and wisdom. Many Mentors were well on in years, but Nerani was numbered with the oldest serving and most successful Mentors in the Academy.
The old man’s thoughts wandered from subject to subject as he strolled around the walkway, hand resting on the railing for support. He had seen many decades in the Academy. A lifetime ago, he had been chosen to become a Literate by the Oracle. The Literate were a small subset of Malaki’s population that were dedicated to learning the past and passing on their knowledge to generations of Literate to come. As well as being highly educated themselves, the Literate were culture-keepers, the secret guardians of the long history of mankind. Nerani had applied himself diligently to the task.
Most Literate exclusively remained within the cycle, learning from and teaching other members of the guild. However occasionally, as with the ebb and flow of life, the need arose for a Literate to fill a vacancy at the Academy. Due to the sensitive nature of the Academy and its processes however, there was no discussion between the Academy Council and the Conclave as to whom was to fill the vacancy. Instead, the Council covertly transported the Literate they had chosen from the Conclave to the Academy with no advance notice.
Nerani was chosen. He recalled his alarm when late one night he returned to his apartment to encounter a squad of four armed Enforcers. Nerani briefly struggled against the intruders, but the Literate were a peaceful guild and thus his efforts were short lived. The enforcers responded swiftly and efficiently to his defiance, subduing him unyieldingly. They drugged and smuggled him covertly from the Conclave, away from those he had come to know as family.
When everything was explained upon his arrival at the Academy, Nerani was immediately aware of the acute responsibility that was being placed on his shoulders. However in his youth, he still harbored and nourished resentment toward the Academy for his abduction. His years as an Instructor were filled with frustration and anger, which he frequently vented on his students. Nerani was not a kind Instructor; he challenged his students in constructive but difficult ways and offered little assistance. His methods either produced strong-willed candidates who were willing to stand their ground or paved the way for unfortunate but necessary wash outs. Not every student survived their final years at the Academy, and Nerani had not cared if they did.
However, despite his brash temperament and hostility, Nerani continued to apply himself and excel at the task at hand. Over the years, he began to understand his students. Like him, he recognized, they had been taken from their families and called to a higher purpose. With comprehension came a profound enlightenment that changed him as a person. He began to see past the black and white facts and into the grays of his world. The newfound wisdom he discovered lended him compassion and empathy, traits that when fully developed allowed him to easily transition from the role of Instructor to the responsibility of Mentor.
Four generations he had mentored. Four generations of students who were either serving faithfully as Enforcers or were regrettably lost to the intense training and preparation that they endured. A Mentor’s call was to guide the students through their youth and prepare them for the bitter work ahead. Nerani had equipped his students as well as he could, but not every casualty can be prevented. His heart did not carry the burden of those lost.
As he was nearing the completion of the circuit, Nerani spotted a boy sitting against the wall next to his apartment. He immediately recognized the boy as Garai, his young charge. As he approached, Garai noticed him returning and clambered to his feet. The boy ran quickly toward him and Nerani immediately knew he was troubled. Garai wrapped himself around Nerani’s legs tightly. He was trembling.
“I- I couldn’t find you. I was scared.”
Nerani placed his hands on the boy’s shoulders to comfort him.
“Was it the nightmares again?”
Garai nodded, his striking blue eyes brimming with tears.
“Shhh, shhh. It’s okay now. You’re okay.” Nerani picked up Garai and held him tightly as he walked back toward their apartment. The door slid back effortlessly at Nerani’s prompting, allowing him access. He made his way to the alcove where their beds were located and set Garai down gently on his.
“Come now, let’s go back to sleep. Both of us. We have a busy day ahead.”
Garai nodded and crawled back into bed hesitantly. Nerani likewise eased himself onto his mattress and laid down, pulling the sheets over himself. He reached out to a display on the wall between the beds and dimmed the lights until they turned off. Several minutes passed in stillness before Nerani felt a tug at the comforter as Garai slowly climbed his way into the bed beside him. “No regrets,” Nerani thought as he sighed softly and slipped back to sleep.
● ● ●
Dawn came soon, and life in the Academy started early. A series of tones repeated several times, preceding the morning wake up call. Nerani slowly sat up on the edge of his bed and Garai rubbed his eyes as the notes roused them from sleep.
“Good morning,” a bright, feminine voice rang over the communication system in their apartment. “The date is 20 March 2375, weather clear and temperature 23 degrees and rising. It’s going to be a beautiful day.”
“Thank you Sarai.”
“Of course Master Nerani. Is there anything I can do for you this morning?” the woman inquired politely.
“Oh, nothing unusual,” Nerani replied. “Transfer the daily curriculum to my datapad and un-shutter the windows, please.”
At his request, the dark, opaque wall at the back of the apartment became transparent, revealing the beautiful landscape far below. Low hanging clouds on the horizon were painted with brilliant red, orange and purple hues. It was not long before the first rays of daylight broke over the flatlands beyond the Akani mountains, far to the east. Nerani and Garai lingered for a few minutes and watched the sunrise.
The apartment that Garai and Nerani shared had almost no interior walls or divisions of any kind, essentially making it one large room. The two beds where they sat were slightly recessed into the left wall near the window, extending out into the room. Across from them, a desk was likewise tucked within an alcove in the wall. There was a small but fully furnished kitchen located between the beds and the narrow hallway that led to the exit of the apartment. Within that hallway, a large closet and a single occupancy bathroom were located along the right wall.
Nerani thanked and dismissed Sarai. He stood and made his way into the kitchen to prepare the morning meal. Garai remained seated in Nerani’s bed, half tucked underneath the blanket.
“What are we learning today, Nani?” the boy asked curiously.
“I haven’t looked yet. Now get out of bed and wash up, I’ll have breakfast ready by the time you’re done,” Nerani chided.
Garai hopped out of bed and trundled across the apartment, stopping to grab his uniform before heading into the bathroom. True to his word, Nerani finished preparing their meal as Garai exited the bathroom in full uniform, brown hair still dripping wet and bed clothes in hand. “Come here,” Nerani chuckled, grabbing a small towel from a drawer below the countertop. He briskly rubbed Garai’s head, drying his hair.
“There. That’s better.”
● ● ●
