The Portal of Anaya - Book 1 - The Origin

Chapter 17 - A hardworking student

A hardworking student

Julianna opened her eyes frightened. Her whole body was shaking and sweat soaked her neck, running down her back. Her racing heart and shortness of breath prevented her from issuing any sound but moaning. With much effort, she managed to rise from the bed and sit up, closing her eyes again. Gradually she calmed and regained control of herself. She reached out and groped the wall, however, she remembered where she was and just voiced softly: – Light – And the environment became clear, as if the sun entered the nonexistent windows of her tiny room.

- I don't understand... I'm dead, but I feel more alive than ever. My heartbeats and my lungs seem to function normally. I have hunger, thirst and need to sleep. Not to mention these nightmares that haunt me daily. – She looked at the ceiling and asked without knowing exactly who – Where's the eternal rest?

She kicked the sheet that was at her feet out of bed and looked around. Since she separated from Zogham she had been taken to a small individual dormitory. She couldn't say how long she was there, because she was still not familiarized with the calendar used in the Provisional Colony, the same as the Anaya Gateway, which had quite different duration from the one of the Earth, although it was divided into days, weeks, months and years as well. Her bedside table was filled with books, as well as the entire length of the opposing wall to the bed.

Her co-Advisor, Myrthila Granjem, occupied the room next door. The woman appeared to be 100 years old, but her eyes were alight and she had energy to envy. She was the one who brought her food, water and clean clothes. She spoke with a quiet voice, but was relentless with her studies. After a lesson, she demanded proof that that knowledge had been internalized; otherwise, she applied disguised punishments.

- My sweetie, don't you know what day it is? But you have this calendar there a week already! Ah, what a pity! I was hoping you could take the walking tour of the Colony on the 49th, but only after learning to tell the time and counting the days.

- It's not that I don't know what day it is, I just can't do the conversion.

But Myrthila Granjem alwayswalked away after making her remarks. She left shaking her head, leaving Julianna to feel like the dumbest of creatures.

- But if she thinks I'm going to give up, she's very much mistaken!

Julianna knelt on the bed and picked up the calendar that hung on the wall beside her. She held it with outstretched arms and recited the names of the months aloud:

- Bali, Mali, Tala, Geli, Nila, Tula, Sila, Gala, Rela, Pala, Vula, Zela, Xali and Fuli. Very well, it's 14 months and I know we're in Sila. All months have 55 days and each month has approximately eight weeks. The week is equal to the one on Earth, with seven days. Weekdays are Lumo, Cielo, Tero, Akvo, Vivo, Esti and Paco. The hours...

She hung the calendar back and picked up an object on one of several piles of books scattered around the room. She examined it in detail, letting out a long sigh. – This is the strangest clock I've ever seen in my life. I'll never learn to read the time in this place! – And she threw it on the bed. With the impact, the object bounced toward the ground. Julianna let out a muffled cry, shooting up toward it, holding it before it hit the ground.

- Phew! That was close. It was just what I needed, having to admit that I broke the clock in a moment of anger. Anger of my incompetence!

She settled on the floor, leaning against the bed and checked if it was still working. Realizing that it still made the traditional little noise of tic-tac, she continued to analyze it. The piece consisted of several parts, overlapped and fitted between each other. The center had a green cylinder; on top of which could be read 4,74b indicating what year it was in Anaya Gateway. She remembered that she was stunned to find that it amounted ten billion Earth years.