[COMPLETED] The Academy For Genetically Gifted Children Book One: Genesis

Andromeda

Chapter Five:  Andromeda

The last month went by far slower than Andi would have hoped. Even the Christmas holidays didn't cheer her up much. Not that she got many presents anyway, although she did get a new bedspread.
Andi looked forward to a new challenge and a chance to do something great with her life.
I've always been exceptional at school, able to retain incredible amounts of knowledge, been skilled in analysis and data comprehension—possibly I can put it to good use.

She was consumed by the thought of a new life while on the long trip to Sector 3, where the plane she was closest to would take off from.
The letter mentioned which Sector to go for the Airport, but didn't mention which Sector the plane would take us to... quite odd, Andi pondered. But her worry was quickly whisked away as Mrs. Shirley hit a pot hole on the road and her poor rusty Bond 60 was thrashed around again.
"Sorry, so sorry! Not quite used to driving this yet, am I?" Mrs. Shirley let loose a giggle.

Andi thought that by now she would surely miss the place she called home for all of her life but she didn't.
What would be present to miss? The perpetual name calling and requests to do everyone else's homework? No, I don't believe I'll miss that at all. 
Andi wasn't normally bothered much by emotions. Sure, she'd occasionally get upset if something of drastic proportion occurred, but other than that, she relied on logic and reality. She assumed her lack of emotion was caused by her genetics, but without any medical background, she couldn't be sure.

Mrs. Shirley had always told her she just arrived one night, while it was stormy and rainy. It was then that the typical game of ding-dong-ditch occurred, only this time, it had a baby involved. When Mrs. Shirley got to the door, all that was left was a baby girl and small card that read, Her name is Andromeda Lovelace. She is special, unlike the others. Raise her well.
Or, at least, that was what Mrs. Shirley had told Andi about the night she arrived. She had inquisitions of course, but no matter how many times she asked there was never an answer, which was especially infuriating to Andi.
Andi really liked having answers.

When she was six she read a book on memory, and how sometimes certain past events could be randomly remembered and every day from then on Andi hoped memories of her parents or her origin would come back to her, but there was nothing.

Mrs. Shirley let loose another cry of apologies as the car went sailing over a large bump in the road. "Sorry about that, but we're almost there now! No, not much longer at all."
Andi looked out the window and saw a large sign reading Sector 3 Airport, exit now, and as Mrs. Shirley took the exit her insides were churning in a combination of excitement and nervousness. After another twenty minutes of nothing but a view of snow-covered trees the road finally led to the Airport.
How big everything is here, she thought. The experience of a plane ride should prove interesting.
After reading all the books she could find at the local library on aviation aircraft Andi knew almost everything there was to know about planes. She was most fascinated by the fact that the international language of flight was English and that all pilots had to know at least the English language. Andi could already speak three different languages, those being English, French, and German, so it was interesting to her that English was the staple for flight.
She watched in childlike awe as a plane began to take off. It started gaining speed down the runway and then finally elevated into the air, flying right above her car.
Mrs. Shirley broke the silence saying, "It was awfully nice for the Academy to pay for all of the students's plane tickets. I dare say you would never have been able to go due to how expensive they typically are."
"Yes, very nice indeed," Andi replied, watching the plane disappear behind the clouds.

Mrs. Shirley pulled into a guest parking lot and took the keys out of the ignition with much trouble. "Well, here we are! If I remember correctly you are to go to gate B13, in terminal 4. Just follow the signs, and oh, here's your ticket that also came with the letter," handing Andi a slip of paper. "I'm not supposed to go with you, you have to find it on your own. At the very least though, let me help you get your luggage out the trunk in this cold weather."
Andi stepped outside the car and opened the hatch in the back, where they both grabbed her luggage, one large suitcase and one small backpack.
"Don't think you get off without a hug, Andromeda dear. I've raised you since a baby and now I won't get to see you for four years at the least, that is if you don't make it to be the final four. I have full faith in you though. Use your wits and keep an open mind and you will be just fine."
"Thank you Mrs. Shirley, you know I will. I'll see you again sometime," and she gave her a quick hug good bye. As Andi walked up the icy sidewalk leading to the airport entry with her bags, she turned and gave one last smile to her care taker, and then stepped inside.

Nothing normally left Andi speechless, but it was all she could do to stare once she stepped inside the doors. There were children everywhere. They looked confused and nervous, constantly glancing at their tickets and then at the plethora of signs. There were adults running around as well, who were just taking flights for vacation or work purposes, Andi assumed.

Looking at her own ticket reading Terminal 4, gate B13 and then seat 35C she adjusted her bags on her shoulder and began to follow the sign that read Terminal 4. As she started to move towards the terminal, most of the other children that were still confused as to where to go followed her.

Andi felt a slight tug from her sleeve. Before her stood boy of somewhat asian descent, with black hair that almost met his eyes and that curled down by his neck. She had to gaze up at him, for he was quite tall. On his left cheek bone sat a green and grotesque bruise.
This child better not be some kind of miscreant, Andi thought hotly.
When the boy spoke, however, his voice was low and smooth. "Hullo, I'm Kai, from Sector 4. Are you heading to the plane that takes us to the Academy too?"
Slightly astonished that anyone would speak to her, Andi said, "Yes I am. I believe we are headed in the right direction, although I've never been in an airport before. My name's Andi."
"Cool, me either," Kai told her. "I sure am nervous for the plan ride though. And to make the trip the day of New Year's Eve! Pretty cruel, don't you think?"

The orphanage didn't really celebrate New Years; a good deal of people didn't these days, but she replied, "I agree. You would think they would at least postpone the flight until tomorrow. And don't fret about the plane ride; there are about 100,000 airplane flights that happen in just one day. If there's that many and if you estimated that each plane holds about 200 people, that's an average of 20,000,000 people that fly a day. So if all those people can do it surely you can."
Andi thought she was only helping; statistics always soothed her, but Kai gave her a strange look.
"How'd you know all that? Are you some kind of mathwiz or nerd or something? No offense, of course," he added after seeing Andi look away hastily.
"I simply enjoy learning new things and information," she replied in an even tone.
The boy shrugged. " Cool. Is that why you were selected to join? Because you're so smart?"
Andi stood up a little taller. "I would assume so. Why? Do you know why they picked you?"
Kai's eyes turned guarded, but he answered her nonetheless.
"Well, I guess because of my strength. Although they didn't exactly tell us, did they? This one kid though, he goes to my institution back at home, a big bully. Name's Josh and he got selected too."
Andi noticed Kai look over his shoulder as he continued talking. "Everyone who knows him knows why got picked though; his parents chose to have a slice of ox gene placed in him as an embryo. It was a diluted slice of course, he doesn't have horns growing out of his head or anything, but he's large and muscular."
They turned down a large hall that had a sign reading B Gates 1 to 15 as Andi said,
"Wow, I've only ever heard of human-animal hybrids; they're really rare, you know. It's incredible that you met one."
Kai had an expression on his face that suggested Josh was someone who was not typically deemed incredible.
"Just hope you'll never have to meet Josh—he's nothing but rude. He's the kind of kid who uses his strength to beat up others. I tried to stick up for the littles though, of course, back at home. "
Andi decided Kai wasn't a full miscreant, if he was watching out for other children. She also discovered that talking to new people wasn't too awful either—having increased intelligence was great and all, but it didn't exactly do her social skills any good. She was normally seen as a shy or introverted child.

Together they located Gate B13 and discovered many kids who had already found their way while the rest had been following them. Andi suspected that there must have been almost 200 kids in the large waiting area for the flight— some were sleeping on the floor, a few reading books, and a couple of kids that managed to make friends already were playing cards.
Kai looked around spotted an unoccupied space on the ground and asked, "Wanna sit and wait together? What seat do they have you in anyway?"
Andi replied, "I suppose so. I'm seat—" pausing to look at her ticket— "...35C." They sat down, leaning against the wall and dropping their luggage next to them.
"Hey, I'm 35B!" Kai exclaimed. That means we sit next to each other, right?"
Andi nodded.
"What luck we met before then, right?"
Again she nodded. She glanced at her watch—1:30pm—and gave a yawn. It had been a long day so far with having to get up early for the car ride. As if from afar she heard Kai mention something about being hungry, but her eyes started to close and soon she heard nothing.

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