Animus

Chapter One - Nolan

I awoke to find myself trembling in a cold sweat. I quickly gathered that the experience was only a dream…a shockingly realistic dream. 

“This is the third time I’ve had a dream like that,” I said out loud.

Still in my nightclothes, I rolled out of the sheets and comforting mattress onto the chilly, hardwood floor of my room. I shot both my hands above my head and began to stretch out my muscles from their slumber.

“It’s only a dream,” I told myself.

My room was anything but clean. Books, folded clothes, papers and other things were littered about it. The walls were an ugly shade of olive, blotched on the walls of the room. To the front of my room was my door. I hated it. The damned thing always made this unmistakable creeking noise whenever you tried to open it or close it.

Father bought this house when he first moved in with Mother so this house has some history to it. I remember him telling me it was built in the year 2013 and he’s been living in it ever since. When the government offered to upgrade his house for free in the turn of the Cosmic Era, the year 2030, he refused 

The house lacks any of the modern upgrades from most of the houses in the Northern Continent like automatic doors and lights, holographic panels, and sensor scanners. Regardless how “old” this house is, I still love it to pieces. I have too many memories here.

And some of the not-so-great memories like when my mother walked out on my father and I. I vaguely remember what happened, but I’ve never drawn up the courage to ask my father what happened.

I began getting changed for school on this already mundane feeling Monday. Father says that just because I’m part Chiron doesn’t mean I don’t need an education.

I’m guessing Father doesn’t want me to grow up like he did. Most of his youth was dominated with mercenary jobs; kill orders, and shady organizations. He once even traveled to the very corporate East City. He never liked it there.

“These people will smile in your face while they stab you in the back,” he said.

Being part of a race that lives for battle and conflict is tough, a lot is expected from you and I find myself in situations where it's almost imperative that I prove myself. At least going to a school where most of the population is Human, is a little easier to cope.

But Mother’s genes still run strong through my veins. She is a Nathak and is naturally gifted with intelligence and cunningness. It’s probably why I’ve never had much trouble in school. The Humans say I’m gifted, but really I owe it in part to my mother. I’ll have to thank her when I meet with her again 

Someday...

… 

I grabbed my things and headed out the door. The large tree in the front yard welcomed me. Its pine branches swayed gently in the wind as I walked past it.

I took a deep breath and exhaled. It was a lovely morning for the middle of May. Looking above me I could see hovercars zipping across the blue sky, going places for the morning commute.

I felt a vibration on my wrist, it was my watch; it was reminding me I had less than half an hour to get to school. I touched a button on my watch and a holographic planner appeared in front of my eyes. The blue light was a little washed out so I turned my back to the sun.

I scrolled to June and remarked my graduation date: June 15, 2050, Cosmic Era. I closed the holopanel and stretched to the sky, my fingers reaching for the infinite blue heaven.

I looked ahead; my school was just a couple kilometers down the road. Running there would be no problem at all. Being part Chiron naturally gifts me with agility – I’m able to move at “superhuman” speeds.