Sanctuary Falling (8 page)

Annette held onto the knob for a minute. Should she really be taking advice from a room? It was Corrine Dayton’s room, and she was one of the best factors in the business. It was also a stubborn insubordinate computer program. The trouble was it seemed to like Annette, and strangely enough Annette was starting to like it.
 
Annette turned the knob and met Niri’s angry expression in the hall.

Niri had a scowl on her face, but it quickly faded to puzzlement. Her sudden puzzlement was what probably turned the tides of her immanent lecture into a simple question,
 
“What’s that look for?”

Annette looked at Niri’s puzzled expression for a minute, “What look?”

“Never mind!” Niri shrugged, and glared past Annette into the open door, “Room, next time send her out when I ask the first time! We’re running late now, thanks to you!” Niri grabbed the doorknob and shut the door un-gently. Then she turned and started running along the corridor. Annette followed at not quite as hurried a pace. “I hope you’ve eaten,” Niri grumbled back towards Annette.

“Yes,” Annette said, pretty sure this was one of the times Niri didn’t expect an answer.

Niri tucked an energy bar she had been holding back into a pocket, “Good.” Then Niri trotted into her office.
 
Annette followed and found Niri standing in a transport pod, waving at Annette to hurry, “Hurry up, Sinclair’s probably already there and gloating.”

Annette stepped into the pod. “Already where?” Annette asked as Niri activated it.

“Here,” Niri answered on arrival in a small waiting room.

Annette stepped out of the transport pod and looked around. There were a lot of chairs, but no one else was waiting. “I guess we’re not so late,” She mumbled softly.

“Maybe not,” Niri replied, “but that’s a good sign, that Sinclair isn’t taking this seriously. If he were, he would have been here early just to prove his point.”

Annette had to do a double take at Niri’s smug tone. Between Niri’s tone and the content of her statement, Annette was beginning to sense that maybe Niri wasn’t telling her everything about this test. “So, what kind of test is this going to be?”

“I don’t know,” Niri answered, suddenly guarded, “Angela’s the one administering it. You’ll be taking it with a few others. I don’t know how many for sure. I really don’t know much more than you. I just know that if you do well, then you have every chance of becoming a factor.”

Angela, was involved? That piqued Annette’s curiosity, but the look on Niri’s face stayed any more questions before they could form. Annette took a seat and tried not to let her excitement sour into paranoid anxiety.

Finally Chavez arrived, he had an even sourer look on his face than he usually did. “Hello, Niri, thanks for waiting,” He growled leading a yawning boy, which Annette recognized as one of Chavez’s obnoxious favorites into the room. Annette couldn’t tell from his tone whether he meant thanks or not. What she could tell, mostly from the look on his face, was that he wouldn’t have offered the same courtesy.

           
“Not a problem, You aren’t running that late, yet,” Niri replied, gesturing to the door. Sinclair made a noise in his throat and started directly for the other door out of the room. Annette leapt from the chair. Using quick gestured short hand, Niri gestured for Annette to let them pass, then to follow her.

Annette nodded, the gestures had the effect of bringing to mind the expanded lesson they had come with. Niri had taught a brief module on non-telepathic,
 
non-verbal communication last spring. Part of that module had included the abbreviated gesture code, but that had just been to augment the rest of the lesson which was about the necessities of field factors to be able to read situations and people when telepathy was inappropriate or impossible. She had given several examples of times when not following the non-verbal clues in a situation could mean the difference between a bad consequence and worse.

Annette dwelt on that as she followed Niri into the room. It seemed almost like Niri was leaving her breadcrumbs, or trying to help as best she could despite some kind of promise not to reveal some things about this test to Annette. Annette’s eyes followed the boy that had come with Sinclair to a chair, and she shook herself. She was over-thinking and under-observing the situation. There were two other kids her age, one boy and one girl, they were seated as well. Annette glanced at the one remaining chair in the room. Unable to remember whether the boy had been told to sit in the chair, Annette chose to leave the last chair open for Niri or Sinclair. She sat on the floor in front of the row of chairs and looked up to see one of her greatest heroes.

Killing the moment for Annette, Sinclair stepped forward, and began to introduce the boy, “This is Anthony Simmons, he’s expressed an interest in becoming a factor, and I feel he is uniquely qualified. He’s a Tanerian, Agurian hybrid with an Everett rating of 1686. Three of his older brothers are currently running solo in the field acting in the capacity of tertiary factors.”
 
Angela nodded in Sinclair’s direction then glanced at Niri.

Annette didn’t wait for Niri to step forward. She wasn’t going to miss the opportunity to introduce herself to Angela, “Hello Mrs. Daniel’s, My name is Annette Peterson. I’m basically human,” Annette paused, she didn’t have a long impressive preamble of qualifications, like Sinclair. She glanced his way and the scowl on his face chased her eyes back towards Angela, “I don’t have a measurable Everett rating, but I do have a brother who’s working in the field with his wife as a tertiary factor. Not that what he can or can’t do really tells you about me, because he’s Briaunti. The dark did something to him on our world before the factors came and brought us here. Personally, I want to be a factor, because you help people who need it, and I may have been young, but I remember what it was like to need help.” Annette stopped, that was all she had to say. Her mouth went dry and she sat.
 

Annette watched Angela for a reaction. Angela rubbed her temples, and sighed.
 
That didn’t sound good, but it was more of a reaction than Sinclair received. Annette glanced back around as she heard the other kids rise.

“My name is Rupert, and this is my sister Becky. We’re
 
here to take this test in the hopes that this time, at least one of us will make it as a factor. Angela offered since we didn’t quite get a fair shake last time, seeing as how they’re going to do it anyway.” Annette instantly liked Rupert and Becky partly because of their story was in a way like her own, and partly because of something indefinable about their bearing.

The two sat and Angela spoke again,
 
“Thank you, Niri and Sinclair, I think that’s all we’ll be needing for now, you can wait for them at the other end of the course.”

Niri and Sinclair left, Annette felt suddenly alone. Whatever happened next would help decide her fate as a factor. Just as her anxiety was about to get the best of her, she remembered Tawny’s words earlier, and managed to calm down.

Angela spoke, “Okay, now that everyone knows everyone else, I guess it’s time to explain the test. First, everyone seems clear that these will be strictly special circumstance tests. The prize you’re all aiming for is enrolment in factor training. Now I’d like to emphasize that, while I am mainly looking for satisfactory completion of the tests, finishing first is likely to be a point in your favor. The test you will be taking today is a preliminary skills test. Today’s test will be a timed test.
 
I have prepared an obstacle course, and I think it can handle two of you at a time. So I’ll take the boys first.” Angela gestured towards the transport pod in the corner of the conference room. Rupert and Anthony followed her. Angela activated the controls and they all disappeared, leaving Annette alone with the silent Becky.

Several times Becky seemed to be close to saying something, then would remain silent.

Finally Annette rose and sat on the chair next to her, “Hi, Becky,
 
my name’s Annette, seeing as we may be here a while maybe we could talk, rather than just sit here stewing.”

“Yeah, that would be good, I guess,” Becky replied, but made no move to further the conversation. Annette felt like she was holding something back, like Niri.

“So, have you heard anything about what this test will be like, other than what she just told us?” Annette asked.

Becky’s eyes lit up, “No, have you?” Suddenly, Annette felt as though she were being interrogated. She couldn’t tell the source of the suddenly intense interest.

“No, I just thought maybe she said something before we came in,” Annette answered.

Becky’s eyes dimmed, “Oh! So what took you so long in getting here?”

“Niri didn’t mention I had to be up at any specific time this morning, and then the room didn’t tell me she’d come looking for me, and then we waited a little while for Sinclair in the waiting room,” Annette paused, perhaps she shouldn’t have mentioned that, Niri hadn’t, “but that was barely long enough to sit.”

“Hmm,” was Becky’s only response.

“So, you didn’t get a fair shake the first time?” Annette prompted.

“I guess not. No, not really.”

“So you want to be a factor pretty bad to try this?” Annette asked.

Becky shrugged and stared off into space. Annette thought she heard a whisper, “It would make mom happy.” Annette suspected the whisper was telepathic. Then a moment later, Becky actually spoke, “I want to make my mom proud of me.”

Annette’s mind itched. She was hearing people’s thoughts, maybe running into that pole had turned on her telepathy. She shoved those thoughts aside, and thought of what tawny would say,
 
“Are you sure that’s the only way to make her proud?”

“I,” Becky stopped short and glanced around, then she blushed, “Never mind.”

Annette thought about pressing the question, again she got the feeling that something was going on that she wasn’t aware of.
 
She glanced at the clock. What was the big hurry if only to end up waiting? She stiffened, Annette knew there was more to the test. Niri’s strange behavior first brought up the feeling. Becky’s behavior confirmed it, or at least that Becky thought the same way.
 
This was part of the test, that’s why Niri and Sinclair left. Heck, everything from the moment she walked through the door was probably part of it.

Annette fought not to allow herself to think of the mistakes she had made. Now wasn’t the time. Should she have sat in the chair?
 
Should she have introduced herself? Should she have spoken with Becky? Should she? ? ? Annette’s mind froze. She couldn’t do this. How could she have ever thought she could make it as a factor?

“Well ladies, the gentlemen have completed their run,” Angela said appearing abruptly in front of Annette.

Annette leapt to her feet, more out of startlement than out of preparedness. Though standing she couldn’t get her feet to move. Tony and Rupert must have finished the next part in record time if Angela was already back. Annette knew she couldn’t manage whatever it was anywhere near as quickly.

Angela gestured towards the transport pod in the corner of the conference room. Becky followed her, and sluggishly Annette managed to follow Becky. Numbly she watched as Angela activated the controls. Then they arrived in a locker room. Angela pointed, “There are a couple of jumpsuits over there, I’d suggest you change into them, the course is a little muddy. When you’re both ready, step into the pod and activate it then follow the arrows to the end of the course, good luck.”

Annette picked up a jumpsuit and mechanically began changing.

“I take it you’re really into this,” Becky said, “You really want to be a factor don’t you.”

Annette paused, now Becky wanted to talk? As if suddenly no one was watching, maybe there wasn’t. After all they were changing clothes. It wouldn’t be right to have cameras in here.

“Yeah, I’m into this,” Annette answered, “but I don’t think I’ll make the cut.”

Becky smiled, “I know what you mean there. People say Angela can be even worse than Mr. Shove-us-out-the-door.”

“I can’t believe you called him that!” Annette exclaimed, because she couldn’t believe it.