Adam Brodie and the monster from the dark planet

Chapter Six

Chapter Six

Adam walked through the labyrinth of passages within the beehive structure holding the students of House Red Giant. Recalling the main chamber of the space ship he wondered what he would find at the House meeting. He would meet the other members of his house and he could rely on them all being very strange.

The corridors were square at the base and rose to a curved ceiling and everywhere was suffused with that white light with a hint of blue. The light came from nowhere in particular but was all around. From time to time they passed a doorway set into the wall. Now and again they would pass another student, or what Adam assumed was a student. He passed a furry creature that might have been Cousin It from the Addams Family, and something that looked like a bouncing beach ball and he wondered if it were a student or some machine. He walked by a small girl with pointed ears and a long trailing blue beard.

What was the meeting going to be like?

He was accompanied by scenes from his home on the walls, the farm and the wood and the horses and the sounds of birds singing. A tide of homesickness and misery welled up inside and he slammed a fist against the wall.

"Stop that!" he cried.

The android halted and turned.

"You're unhappy. I understand that. It is your first day and this world is like nothing you ever experienced. But you will get used to all these new experiences."

Adam thought, want to bet? He said. "My parents told me the same thing."

"Wise people," said the android turning.

He strode on and Adam followed. Mercifully the images on the walls had flickered off. The Nexus was going overboard to make him feel comfortable but it wasn't working. Adam again noted the air had no smell. It wasn't just nose blindness, he knew, it was that nothing here except the occupants smelt. Certainly his cybernetic companion had no smell. There was no sounds, not even his or the androids footfalls. He could hear his own heart beat and his breathing.

The android stopped smartly and gestured to a doorway. Adam took in a deep breath. What was behind those doors. He recalled the vision he had en-route to the Nexus and wondered if there was some horrible surprise waiting for him behind the closed doors. He suddenly felt angry at his parents sending him here, away from the farm he loved, his own world! He wasn't up to this. The enthusiasm of his brother and optimism of Brigitte added fuel to his anger. It was alright for them!

The android said, "Are you alright Adam?"

"Since you ask, no!"

Adam took a step forward and the doors swept silently open. He found himself in another vast room and was assaulted by smells of all kinds. He reeled at this odour assault, and the cacophony of noise within, after the silence of the corridors and the total absence of smells.

The chamber liked all the rest he had come today was huge. It was shaped like a great hexagon and had numerous doorways all the way around. Adam took his place in the chamber and stood beside an alien student. The student was a tall bird like alien standing on two legs and sporting a huge orange beak and reminded him a little of Big Bird on Sesame Street. They were all here the residents of the beehive building of House Red Giant. He scanned the room looking for anyone that looked like him. There were a few and they were obviously doing the same and they gave him gestures that may have been signs of recognition and friendship, but may also have been something else. Adam felt very small and insignificant.

His attention was drawn to the empty dais at the room's centre. All of a sudden there was flash of light and two figures appeared on the dais. One, a man, assumed a crouch with both legs splayed apart, his head bowed and a single gloved finger touched the floor, and the other arm was held out at a right angle.

The second figure was a young woman with golden hair and dressed in a long flowing white gown. She had large wings of white feathers spread out from her back. The man stood slowly up. He looked even more bizarre than the woman.

He was an ordinary man wearing a bizarre costume. The costume followed the contours of a tall and muscular body. The costume was coloured blue and he wore large red boots. He had a red cape and heavy white gloves with large white wrist protectors. He wore a heavy belt and below this, red shorts. A red cowl covered the upper part of his face, leaving his mouth and square jaw uncovered. On his breast there was a free floating hologram of a large atom constantly splitting and a flash of light bursting from it.

The man strode up and down the dais, regarding this year's intake of students through the eye holes in his cowl. As he moved he made the red cape sweep and flap about him dramatically.

"Students of House Red Giant, welcome. I am your house leader. I am Captain Trinity."

Adam suppressed a sudden snigger.

"I live in a universe different to yours, on a parallel earth where they are fortunate enough to have a super hero protecting them from all evil doers, namely yours truly."

With a dramatic sweep of his cape, Captain Trinity turned and regarded his audience. He stood with his legs apart and his hands bunched and thrust against his hips.

"These are my powers, teleportation, and I can send out bolts of destructive energy from my fingertips."

"Must be fantastic on Guy Fawkes night," muttered Adam.

Captain Trinity pointed at him. "You at the back, stop muttering. I have the power of the split uranium atom featured on my chest."

Trinity starting striding up and down the dais again. "I was a famous scientist working in a laboratory when a flask of uranium compound spilt on me, and I was transformed into a superman. Evil doers everywhere fear me." Here Trinity punched a gloved fist into the air. He then pointed to his cowl. "I wear this so I do not reveal my secret identity, even here."

Trinity turned to the woman in white. "Let me introduce Matron."

"Can you fly?" asked someone.

"That's a personal question," replied Matron. Her wings flapped slightly. "Any way, come to see me when you feel ill. That's what I'm here for."

Captain Trinity was admiring himself with a hand mirror. He looked away from it.

"And see me if you need general help or advice."

"Where can we find you?" said something that looked like a giant lemur.

"That's a thought," said Trinity. "I usually exist in E-space but you can't get to that." He shrugged. "I'll work something out. I want to welcome this year's newcomers. I'll just say this, enjoy your time here and work hard. Now, off to dinner."

He went back to looking at himself in the hand mirror while striking heroic poses.