"Class of 3214! I have a small speech prepared for you. I hate having to interrupt your party but this is the last time that I'll see most of you again." That was Mr. Smith, an old style teacher. Even though his vision could have easily been corrected he preferred to wear an antique pair of glasses. He was used to talking to large groups but even his voice had trouble getting to the back of the huge assembly hall. With enormous chandeliers and tall sloping walls it was a curved marvel of architecture.
"This could take awhile." Thought Mikoleth to himself as he moved toward the punch dispenser at the front of the hall.
"I have only known some of you for a year. Others I have known since they could talk. Some of the things that I have noticed through the years are..."
"Hey, Mikol" a female voice whispered from behind him. He turned around and was glad to see that it was his best friend Chan. Her short black hair was combed flat to her head and slightly spiked. In her dark eyes he could see only one message, help.
"How are you doing Chan? I see you decided to take enough time away from the shooting range and the sims to join us." Chan smiled and hit him lightly on the arm. She was most mens worst nightmare. Not only was she beautiful but she could beat them in anything from arm wrestling to deep space combat.. Any guy with to much ego and not enough brains would find himself either on his back with her sward at his throat or dead in space looking down her torpedo tube.
"Good, as long as I don't die of boredom that is."
"Excuse me Mr. Arklelle and Miss Ecosse if you have something so important to say that it can't wait until I'm done why don't you share it with the rest of us." Said Mr. Smith. His eagle eyes had no trouble picking them out amongst the crowd of people.
"Mikol was just telling me how much he loves your speeches and he was just trying to get closer to the stage so he could hear it better."
"Is this true Mr. Arklelle?"
"Um... yes sir, yes it is."
"Very good then. I believe there is a seat away from Miss Ecosse right here." He said pointing to a seat in the front row. Even with plenty of seats for everyone most people chose to stand where they could talk and have a cool drink. "You will remain there until this presentation is over."
As Mikoleth moved to the front of the hall he could hear Chan chuckling behind him. He walked to the front with everyone looking at him. Mr. Smith waited until he sat down in the indicated chair before he continued.
"As I was saying, I am glad to have been your teacher in this, your final year. I wish you all a good life and many the water protect you. Among the applause of students, more happy that the speech was over then anything else, Mikoleth got up from his seat. He moved toward the punch dispenser before he headed back to where he last saw Chan. Along the way he received more then a few smiles from his classmates.
"Thanks a lot Chan."
"No problem, you know I'd be happy to publicly humiliate you anytime." Mikoleth laughed and shook his head. She was defiantly one of a kind. Some music started to play and the bright lights began to lower.
"You want to go back to the shooting rang?" This time Mikoleth was able to doge the friendly punch that was aimed fro his shoulder.
"Just let me get out of this stupid dress uniform." Said Chan indicating to her maroon dress uniform that she was forced to wear to all of the schools special occasions.
"I'll meet you at storage then, in half an hour."
"See you there."
Mikoleth wandered back to the habitation section of the campus. It was a warm evening but the cool sea air kept it from getting to humid. Upon entering the forest he took the same path that he had taken for the last five years. It winded it's way through tall trees with green leaves that where just starting to change colors for the harvest season. The last rays of sun where just shining through as he exited the small forest. He could see the zero-gravity fountain that was at the center of the school grounds. Just beside the fountain was building number three. It was four stories high and looked like it had grown out of the earth itself. It was the same color as the rocks in the area and it had moss and vines growing all over it. He entered the main lobby of the building and noticed that for once it was in complete silence. He walked across the room witch was filed with chairs and wall-screens for calling family or friends.
"Floor number two." He said as he approached the lift. It rose to his floor and he stepped off to start walking for his room. It wasn't to far down the hallway but every door was the same so anyone that wasn't used to the building could easily get lost.
"Is there anything I can do for you Mr. Arklelle?"
"Computer. Deactivate auto-greater."
"Auto-greater deactivated Mr. Arklelle." Mikoleth continued down the hallway and soon arrived at his room. He stood at his door and placed his thumb on a blue panel. The panel turned green as the door unlocked and opened for him. There was his room before him, as much as a mess as it was when he left it this morning. The long windows where still darkened and his books where still littered all over the floor. After turning on the lights he went strait for his small storage box by his bed and removed his wallet. Before leaving he traded the stiff uniform he was wearing for some more casual cloths from his clean cloths pile on the floor. He had just put his wallet in a pocket on the inside of his vest when the wall-screen that was imbedded in the wall above his desk started to beep. Annoyed he walked over and pressed the activation button.
"You have a incoming call from a Miss Otama Arklelle."
"Receive message." The screen then lit up with the picture of a older woman. Her face was visibly aged but she still had a sharpness in her eyes.
"Hello Mikoleth, how are you doing?"
"Just fine mom. I just came back from my graduation ceremony and I have plans to meet Chan in a few minutes."
"I'm so proud that you finished school at the top of your class."
"Thanks mom but you know how easy I find it."
"You must have been born with a sponge for a brain Mikoleth." She started to laugh but it ended as a sigh. " Well I won't keep you from your date."
"Chan and I are just friends mom, I enjoy her company and having someone to talk with."
"I know son, I was just. . ." The speakers erupted in static as the screen went black. Mikoleth looked at his watch and noticed that he was late for his meeting with Chan.
"No time to fix it now." Mikoleth ran out of this room and went strait for the storage building. Besides school his only other talent was running. As soon as he got off the path his legs started speeding up and he could feel the sea air on his face. By taking a shortcut through the open field on witch all of the major sports where played he shouldn't be to late. Witch was good because if he was late Chan would never let him hear the end of it.