I wondered if the electronic friend in my ceiling could help.
"Hello?" I called.
"Yes, Mr. Miles?" the voice replied immediately. I jumped.
“Who, um, what are you?” Staring at a point above my head, I still couldn’t figure out where the sound came from. The ceiling was completely smooth, white and uniform right down to its joints, with no visible breaks for speakers or even a smoke alarm.
“I am your personal digital interface, available at all times to answer any questions you may have.”
"Okay, interface. What's something fun I can do?"
"You could visit the library, Mr. Miles. Our collection of titles is attractive, spacious, and comprehensive."
While I agreed with that statement, I really needed to do something mindless. That attitude didn’t belong on Alpha, I realized, but I couldn't argue with it.
"Uh, no library today. I need something fun."
"Fun," the computer repeated. "Fun means enjoyment. The library is enjoyable."
"Yes, it is. But I mean, something less academic."
"The fitness complex is not related to education. That should be . . . fun."
I cracked a smile. This computer had personality.
"Thanks, interface."
"You are welcome, Mr. Miles."
After changing into workout shorts, I grabbed a towel, an extra shirt, and a stick of deodorant.
Then, I realized I didn't even have a place to put them.
"Interface, where can I buy a duffel bag?"
"Mr. Miles, I've provided instructions on your prism. Please refer to it for directions."
I looked down at my prism and, sure enough, Gym Supply Store glowed in big, bold letters. Beneath those letters, a small, moving dot rushed down a path within the area map, signaling what direction I needed to take.
"Thanks!"
I exited my dorm, took a left, a left, and yet another left, and then after a few minutes of walking, I stood directly in front of the Gym Supply Store. The store was nestled into a corridor of businesses like Home and Bath Supplies and Electronics Supply Store.
Making a mental note to check out the electronics store later, I headed into the gym store. Walls of duffel bags, water bottles, heat and ice packs, and workout clothes stretched as far as the eye could see.
Exploring further, I soon realized that the products on Alpha were not like the water bottles and duffel bags I was used to. On Earth, I had never imagined that the Duffel 3.0 could exist, yet there it was. When I put in my towel, a panel popped up from the bottom of the bag and pushed my towel neatly to the edge. Then, another panel folded over the top of my towel, securing it inside its own little section.
The design was very efficient, I knew, created especially to conserve space. But as I picked up the bag and turned it over, trying to find a release button, I began to wonder if the design really was all that, or if the bag had just eaten my towel.
"Need some help, there?"
I jumped as a large hand slapped me on the back. Turning, I saw Malik grinning at me. While he was about my height, I was skinny and pale, and he was completely the opposite. He constantly looked like a model fresh out of a bodybuilder magazine with dark, sweaty skin, perfectly white teeth, and biceps the size of my head.
"Um, sure," I responded after a moment, still startled.
"Sorry, man. Didn't mean to scare you."
He flashed a grin at me with teeth so white they were almost blinding. How is that even possible?
"How's Alpha treatin' ya?"
"Pretty good,” I breathed, shoulders relaxing. I returned his smile. “I really like it here."
"Glad to hear it," Malik replied. "Enjoying the Duffel 3.0?"
"I think it ate my towel," I replied, gesturing to the device. "Where's the release?"
Malik chuckled. "No release, dude. Just touch it. See?" He reached into the bag and lightly tapped the top of the panel covering my towel. It immediately retracted. My towel was safe, unharmed by its near-death experience, and I stood there feeling dumb.
"Probably should have tried that earlier," I commented, embarrassed. "Thanks."
"Anytime, Miles. Rookie mistake. You headed to the gym?"
I nodded.
"Get the 3.0 and meet me outside the store. I'll show you where it's at."
"Okay, thanks," I said, taking the towel-eater off the shelf and heading over to the checkout desk. Malik clomped out of the shop into the hallway as I handed the bag to the cashier, a peppy-looking girl with straight, light brown hair and a name tag that read Julia.
"Will you be using your allowance to purchase this, Mr. Miles?"
"Yes," I replied, marveling at the fact that the cashier knew my name already.
"That'll be one-hundred and sixty dollars," she informed me nonchalantly, scanning the bag and sliding it across the counter to me.
A hundred and sixty dollars? I blinked.
"How much money do I have left?" I asked, afraid of the answer.
Julia laughed. "You really are new here, aren't you? You have plenty left in your account." She swiveled the monitor so I could see the figure for myself.
$999,840.00.
I blinked again.
Recovering from my brief daze, I shook my head, packed my stuff into the duffel, and left the store. "Thank you, Julia," I called over my shoulder.
"You're welcome."
Chapter 10
Light, rhythmic thumps echoed off my desk, a pattern drummed by my restless fingertips. A small scrap of paper waved almost imperceptibly as warm air circulated within my dormitory. After making sure my doors were locked, I gingerly unrolled the paper and stared at it for a moment.
Maxwell Reed: 97.4685.
If that figure was accurate, it meant Max should have been deported long before he started classes on Alpha. He should have lived out his years as a Terran, struggling through an average and disharmonious life, a life that should have continued far beyond his teenage years.
I couldn't imagine what my school years would have been like without him.
I looked down at my grey skirt, fidgeting with the lace at the bottom. My feet squirmed inside their slightly-too-big boots as I studied the classroom.
My desk was in the front-left corner of the room, and the other desks were arranged in three neat rows: four in the front, four in the middle, and five in the back. Right at the head of the class was something that looked like a huge prism. I guess that's what my interface told me about. I think she called it a lightboard.
I breathed slowly, in and out, as a few other kids began to sit down. This was it, this was the day my life was going to start. This is what I'd prepared for every minute since I was born. My first day of school!
Digging through my backpack for my prism, I was so lost in thought that I didn't notice the boy until he was right next to me.
"Good morning!" he said cheerily.
I jumped, startled, which made me hit my head on the corner of my desk as I tried to see who was talking. "Ow!"
A few of the kids behind me giggled, and I shot them a look before smiling along with them. Even though my head hurt, it was a little funny.
"Good morning," I replied to the mystery boy, rubbing my head and turning to face him.
He had already plopped down in his chair, slinging his backpack on the floor next to him, and grinned at me.