Green Lantern - Galactic Guardian [1]

Chapter Six

Hal watched as the recruits walked into yet another classroom. Ganthet was in the front of the room. 

"Hello everyone," Ganthet started. "As the teacher for this class has met an untimely death, I will be filling in for him."

Hal wondered if the alien he had seen die was supposed to be here now, teaching this class. Hal guessed that if the alien had not died, Hal would not be here.

"This is a different class. I will not be teaching you anything in this class. I will be preparing you to join the Green Lantern Corps. Today I will recharge your ring and tell you the percentage of loyalty, or commitment, the ring has to you. Now, form a line."

The recruits did what they were told immediately. Even the usual juvenile ones. Hal guessed that Ganthet must be very important. Hal joined the line as the first recruits walked up one by one to Ganthet. They gave their ring to him and he recharged it. Then, he told them it's commitment percentage. No one had 100% commitment. The highest was 70%, and that particular ring had been in the recruit's family for years. Most people's rings were at 50%, maybe 40 if they hadn't taken care of it. Hal wondered what his would be.

B'Shi walked up to Ganthet and gave him her ring. He placed his hand on it and recharged it. Then he closed his eyes. When he opened them, he said that B'Shi's ring was at 62% commitment, which was great for someone who's species had never been a Green Lantern before. B'Shi turned and walked out of the classroom like the others had. She headed towards the dorm.

It was Hal's turn. Hal walked up to Ganthet and gave the old man his ring. He heard a humming as a tiny meter he hadn't seen before on the ring rose up to the green section. Ganthet closed his eyes and focused. When he opened his eyes, they were wide.

"Your ring. It has a 10% commitment," Ganthet said finally.

Hal's face fell. His ring had the lowest commitment by far.

"But this isn't an ordinary ring," Ganthet whispered, not wanting anyone else to hear. "This is the first Green Lantern Power Ring ever created. It was given to someone of the Rojiran race, her name was Rori Dag. It has never, for some reason, had a high commitment to anyone after Rori's mysterious death. It has been passed on and was given to Abin Sur. He only got it up to 20%."

"Oh," Hal said, finding it cool that he had the first ring, but sad that it would never be fully committed to him.

Abin Sur, he guessed, was the alien he got the ring from. He seemed like a well trained Green Lantern, and only had the ring at 20%. Hal probably wouldn't get it past 11%.

"But this ring, it is different from other rings," Ganthet said. "I think Rori Dag found that out. Nobody else has. See if you can."

"I will," Hal said, heading into the dorm room and sitting on his bottom bunk, staring at the ring.

--

Hal followed B'Shi into Norchavius's classroom the next morning. They sat down together. Everyone else filed it.

"Welcome back everyone," Norchavius started. "Today I will be explaining the Space Sectors to you all."

Someone groaned. Hal looked back and saw Turytt banging his head on the desk.

"The door," Norchavius said loudly and sharply, getting Turytt's attention. "Is behind you. If any one of you if too bored to hear me teach, kindly step out, but don't come back. Because by doing that, you've shown us that you are incapable of handling the responsibility that being a member of the Corps comes with."

Everyone, even Turytt sat up in their seats, attentive.

"That's better," Norchavius smiled. "Now, the Space Sectors. There are 3600 sectors in the universe, each covering several planets. Each of you will be assigned a sector and you will protect all of the planets in it from outside threats."

Norchavius began walking them through some of the sectors and the planets they contain. Hal wondered which sector he would be chosen for, if he even finished this strange training. He wanted to finish so he could visit home. Then he realized something. His date with Carol was supposed to be last night, around the time of Ganthet's class. He groaned, he had ruined the only chance he would get with his boss.

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