chapter 5
Dad put two guns in front of me. “What would be your pick if you had to kill someone in public?”
I picked the Platino Max. “I won’t have a second chance to shoot, and I can’t afford a misfire in public.”
This gun feels very stable in hand. I’ve never fired it before, but it seems like it wouldn’t lose control even with high recoil force. Dad told me once about its finality in a kill.
“What do you think? Can you fire it?”
“I’m not sure.”
“Try it.”
I check the chamber, slide the magazine into place, pull back the slide to load the round, then take my stance. My fingers adjust on the grip, my other hand steadying the recoil. I aim, exhale, and press the trigger.
The recoil pushes me back, but I keep myself grounded.
Dad pats my shoulder. “Well done.”
The door of the training room opens and Leo enters. It’s now our training time. Uncle Alessio’s house and Dad’s house are on two adjacent hills, joined by a bridge. We can meet anytime during the day. This whole area is tightly protected by security.
He greets Dad. “Good evening, Uncle.”
“Good evening, Leo.”
Leo takes the gun from me. “How’s its recoil?”
“About 450 newtons of force, around 3.5 kilograms of momentum.”
Leo takes his stance and fires.
I take the gun back from Leo and fire again. This time it doesn’t feel that high.
We fire in alternate rounds until the magazine empties. Now it’s time for our hand combat.
After training with Leo, I take a shower and join my family for dinner. I know this is my family. They are my people.
I sit beside Avira on my chair, directly in front of Mom.
Dad asks Avira, “So, you and Wen haven’t decided anything yet?”
She pouts. “Daddy, can’t we take a few more months to decide?”
Mom sighs. “You both got cleared from Base class months ago, and since then you’ve just been roaming aimlessly everywhere.”
Dad pats Avira’s head.
“It’s okay, wife. We built this school so our kids could have every opportunity and possibility for learning. Let her explore more. She’s still young.”
Our school was made by Dad and Uncle. It was their idea to establish a school with no rigid class rules, where anyone can learn anything up to the level of masters.
Avira grins, showing the gap of her fallen tooth. “Zoan is also exploring, Mama! And he got cleared before me.”
Mom chuckles. “Zoan is not exploring, baby. He chose his fields more than a year ago.”
“No, Mama! I saw him in the psychology hall and the literature hall today. When someone finds their field, they stay in that hall only.”
“He has six fields,” Mom tells her.
Her round eyes widen. “He chose six fields?” She looks toward me. “Are you serious about all of them?”
I nod.
“What are those fields?”
“Weapon Engineering, Psychology, Quantum Physics, Classical Literature, Languages, and Cybernetics & Coding Systems.”
Her mouth falls open. She looks toward Dad and Mom.
“If I don’t pick so many difficult fields, you won’t think I’m dumb, right?”
They laugh. Dad pinches her cheek. “Why would we ever think you’re dumb? You could have completely different interests. Zo is different from you.”
She grins and claps her hands. “Ohhh, I forgot. He’s a genius, so he can have all those fields. And I’m not a genius, so I won’t understand them.”
“Everyone is a genius in their own field, Dove.”
She rolls her eyes. She looks very cute whenever she does that. “Look, Mama, Daddy, who’s talking—someone who has six fields.”
Mom and Dad chuckle.
She’s learning these kinds of comments from the girls she and Wen are hanging out with in school. I’m sure they are the reason she hasn’t chosen any field yet.
Avira (6 years old)
“How much more are you going to study?” He has been studying for the past two hours, sitting on the floor of my room.
And I have nothing good to do. I already talked with Mama and Daddy. They are asleep now, and they think I am too. But I can’t sleep until Zoan hugs me.
He finally closes his notebook and comes onto the bed. But instead of lying down, he sits beside me and asks, “What did you learn today?”
“The basics of Biology. The teacher taught us about our body, all the names of the parts that are visible to us. The Literature teacher taught us how to read poems and short stories, and how every story has a beginning, a middle, and an end. The Chemistry teacher showed us how things mix together, like how sugar disappears in water but sand doesn’t, and how colors change when you mix them. ”
“And why can’t you pick any of these?”
I lay down on my pile of teddies.
“I find all of them interesting, Zoan. I want to read all of them and even more. I also want to join Music and Dance. But Lea, Mayra, Shaomi, and Sandy said music and dance are too girlish.”
“How about Wen?”
“Wen also wants to join, but it’s only the two of us.”
“Two is enough. If you keep walking with everyone, you will never be able to find your own path.”
I smile and hug him. “You are the best big brother. I love you.”
He pats my head. “Let’s sleep.”
He lays down. I rest my head on his chest, listening to his heart beating like music. Tomorrow, I will also go to the music class.
“Promise me you won’t leave my bed after I fall asleep, or I won’t fall asleep at all.”
He keeps patting my head. I know he will leave, like every night… and my sleep never listens to me.
I look up at his face. “Promise me.”
“Sleep.”
I pout and turn my head away, hugging him tightly. I will see how he tries to move now.