AWAKENING

CHAPTER THREE: A WARNING

"Attention, all students please report to the gymnasium," said a voice through the school announcement speakers. Genesis exchanged glances with Dryden as they started to follow the sea of students as they all began migrating out of the cafeteria.

Genesis locked eyes with Soren's red ones as he passed from a few feet away, his friends the purple eyed twins, and the green haired guy following shortly behind him. They glared at each other, and Dryden clapped his hands together cheerfully, snapping her out of the staring contest. Soren tore his gaze away, and Genesis noticed his hands were glowing with that red light slightly, before that light quickly disappeared and he vanished in the crowd.

"Well," Dryden said. "Should we get going? Never mind the creepy android."

"Yeah," Genesis said, cussing under her breath. "Let's just go."

They entered the gymnasium and took seats on the front bottom row of bleachers, off to the side, seeing as they were pretty full as it was with the entire school having been called there. The military was making an effort with the police, and they each appeared to be consulting one another. Rows of soldiers and police stood behind the principal and various Crest High staff. The principal was a lanky old guy, whose hair was gray and thinning, and he wore clear framed glasses and a suit with the Crest High symbol on it.

The awkward man greeted the last few staff members as they approached him and took their seats, and then everyone watched as he stood up to the microphone, tapping it not once, but twice for confirmation that it was ready to go before he spoke into it.

"Testing? Yes, hello," he said in a low, tired voice. Principal Satori was known for being tired, also having to have been rumored to fall asleep in his office on occasion, Genesis recalled with a small smile.

"Students, thank you for being present here with us today. I'm sure you're all very confused by our surprise guests," He gestured to the soldiers and police officers behind him, nodding at them to acknowledge them. "They will be here to protect and serve from right here in our school. As you all know, in recent years, an imminent threat has put us all at risk. Dangerous technological advancements, such as the invention of robots and androids, though very useful, have proven to pose a threat to the average citizen's safety. Not to mention the rising crime rates to date, which do hint at some modern day civil unrest. So as of today, all school androids will be taken for inspection or shut down, and I am displeased to inform each and every one of you that cellphones will now be banned on school grounds starting today."

The entire gymnasium gasped, and each student seemed to look at one another in confusion or disbelief. "They can't really do that, can they?" Genesis asked Dryden. She suddenly became aware of the absence of Cassie and her father, who appeared not to be present in the room with them. She tried not to overthink it, but something about Cassie not being there was striking her as odd.

"I think they can," Dryden said, shifting his weight beside Genesis. He ran a hand through his gray hair, afterwards shifting his gaze and pointing a finger to its direction. "Check it out," he whispered.

"Weird," Genesis said as she followed his gaze, which trailed across the gymnasium to one of the far corners near an exit, where police and soldiers stood, seeming to be messing with the androids. There were sport training droids, health and nurse droids, and janitorial droids alike all being inspected now.

Students were informed by the overhead speaker to report to their classes as the principal stepped down from the microphone and returned his attention to the other Crest High staff as well as to the government officials, who seemed to demand his attention the most. Genesis noted that she could hear the principal's heartbeat from where she was, and she noted it was pounding quite quickly and hard.