The Decision

Chapter 4: A new home

I notice a jerk and hastily wake up; it looks like I fell asleep as we drove. The girl next to me smiles at me friendly, as I turn to see where we are: „ So you're awake. My name is Mary, by the way.","My names Sephora.", I answer. The Amity girl suddenly points at a tower, we can now see through the window of the car we're siting in. „ This looks amazing.", Mary shouts and our driver, an old man, looks annoyed in his rearview mirror. „ So that's gonna be our new home ?!",she shouts again, the driver just looking more annoyed, I slightly tap my elbow in her side and whisper: „ You probably should talk less. There's no reason in speaking out loud what we're all thinking, is it ?" Mary looks surprised but happily we've already arrived, so we exit the car and then we walk into our new home, the Erudite-Headquarters.

As we've all gathered in the large lobby, the woman from the ceremony appears through a lot of busy Erudite, entering a balcony to speak to us :"My name is Jeanine Matthews, leader of Erudite, and I am happy to see so many future members of our faction. But before you can become a full member of Erudite, you need to get through initiation, which means:
You are required to take a battery of tests in the natural sciences, social sciences, mathematics, logic, computer science, humanities, such as history, philosophy or literature, and English. You must pass all the tests to continue with
identifying a field for further study. After that, you will take courses in all the aforementioned academic areas in addition to your selected field(s). If you pass all the classes you are asked to complete a research project or thesis on a specific topic within your chosen field. Once the project or thesis, your transcripts, test scores, and writing samples are approved by a committee or me, and you pass a minimum academic requirement of 80 points for transfers and 90 points for Erudite, you will become a full member of Erudite after passing a final IQ-Test and a simulation.
But first you need to know what's behind the name Erudite;
We submit the following statements as truth:
"Ignorance" is defined not as stupidity but as lack of knowledge.
Lack of knowledge inevitable leads to disconnect among people with differences.
Lack of understanding leads to a disconnect among people with differences.
Disconnection among people with differences leads to conflict.
Knowledge is the only logical solution to the problem of conflict.
Therefore, we propose that in order to eliminate conflict, we must eliminate the disconnect among those with differences by correcting the lack of understanding that arises from ignorance with knowledge.
But first , your Instructors will teach you and show you the compound. Erudite born, your guide will be Edward. Transfers will be guided by Hannah.
I hope most off you will pass the initiation process.", Jeanine finishes, turns and walks away.

Hannah and Edward come from the balcony and show us initates the very large tower. As Hannah has shown us everything and we got our ID-Cards, she brings us to our dorm and says: „Okay, it may be good if you change your clothes now. Then just take dinner and go to bed, we will start studying tomorrow. Breakfast is form 7am to 8am, lunch at 1pm until 1:30pm and dinner takes place from 7 to 8 pm. The first three days I'll wake you guys up and guide you to your lessons if you can't find the room, but after these days, you'll have to do it on you own.", with that, she turns and walks away and everyone chooses beds. In our dorm, there are forty beds and one large bathroom. I choose the bed in the last row in the corner, because I want to be on my own, but Maya soon chooses the bed next to mine and so I have to deal with her. I'm not hungry and so, after I changed into a blue pyjama, that lay with some other clothes in the locker next to my bed ( a white blouse with a dark blue blazer, a pair of trousers that match my blazer and some dark blue flats, different changing clothes, light blue towels and some bathroom utensils), I lay in my bed and just try to process everything that has happened today as I slowly fade into a deep, dreamless sleep...