The Library of Alexandria had for millennia stood as a shining beacon of enlightenment, a bastion of knowledge that was the world's envy. Yes it had suffered some hardship in the past, but it persevered and in its walls remained some of the greatest minds humanity had to offer. This knowledge weighed heavily on Hadrian's mind as he waited outside a grand lecture hall where his idol, Heron of Alexandria, instructed the next generation of natural philosophers on this thing called geometry, whatever that was.
He had been told when it would be best to arrive, but every moment he spent at the large estate made it increasingly clear that he was completely lost. Though he ran things as smoothly as he could, he was directionless and couldn't shake the feeling he was being constantly watched, as irrational he knew that to be. So in the hope of finding some answers to his issues, he made his way to the Library.
"If you're late for class you don't have to wait outside the door." said an unknown man, older than Hadrian but younger than Heron.
"Not a student, I've got a meeting with the professor after class."
"Likewise." said the man. "I suppose he double booked."
"I suppose."
"Indeed."
The old man then stood near Hadrian, the two men facing the wall across from the lecture room door. They waited there for a further hour, Hadrian tapping his foot and the old man whistling a simple tune. The time dragged on, and for a moment it felt as if they were duly condemned to eternally wait in that hallway.
The doors burst open with a wave of students eager to go home. Hadrian was careful to stay close to the wall and not make eye contact for the five minutes it took for everyone to clear out of the hallway. The two men walked into the lecture hall, seeing Heron fiddling with papers at the front podium.
"Hellllooooo!" the man dramatically yelled, startling Heron.
"O-oh hello, I didn't see you approach. Must you insist..." Heron paused, noticing Hadrian behind the other man. "Why are you here? I told you to meet up with me in an hour."
"I didn't have much going on so I came early."
"Don't worry, that happens with the best of us." the man remarked, turning to Heron. "So Hero... is he... not here for..."
"No, we just have some business to attend to." Heron asserted.
"Aww, you sure? He's kinda cute. Look at that jawline!"
"Absolutely not!" Heron yelled, then turned to Hadrian. "Just go to the cafeteria and order something, tell them to put it on my tab. I'll come get you later."
"Alright then. And sorry for messing with your schedule." Hadrian then faced the other man, bowing. "And you, sir."
"Oh so polite!" the man chirped.
Hadrian then turned away to walk out the door, looking back to see the man waving goodbye.
"Bye-byeeee!" the man said, fluttering his hand. Heron then grabbed his wrist and threw it down as Hadrian left before he saw any more.
Hadrian found a seat at the cafeteria, which was at roughly half capacity. He ordered a hot bowl of oats with varied fruit mixed throughout. It was delicious and he ate it quickly. The oats being warm, filling, and it being a while yet that he would have to stay in the cafeteria, Hadrian leaned back against a wall and drifted off to sleep. His dreams were vague eather filled with plenty but nothing identifiable.
"Hadrian?"
"Bye-byeeee!" the man said, fluttering his hand. Heron then grabbed his wrist and threw it down as Hadrian left before he saw any more.
YOU ARE READING
Automata Romana
Historical FictionHadrian had come to accept his relatively comfortable life as the favored slave managing a large roman estate. But as he becomes entranced with the curious mechanical devices of a natural philosopher while caught in the aftermath of a murderous sche...
