Experiment 1.0

Tuesday, June 12th, 2018 9:30am

A loud ping resonates in the air and nearly scares me out of my seat. A youthful female voice echoes through the speakers. "Attention all students attending the summer internship. Please assemble in the left wing auditorium on the main level. I repeat please assemble in the main level auditorium in the left wing, thank you."

The auditorium seems to resemble my school's middle school auditorium on an uncanny level. Then again a large majority of YIELD services are training and offering classes to teenagers like me so it likely makes sense to set up most of the building like a school. The room is relatively tiny, probably since it is only of use a couple times a year. Seven metal fold-out chairs are positioned in a straight line facing a small stage with red velvet curtains.
Margret is the first to pick a seat and beckon the rest of us to join. Evan sits beside her in the third seat from the end and she groans while scooting to next chair over at the end of the line. Charles settles into the seat between them. Elijah, Lily, and I follow next, but the last chair remains empty.
A man walks onto the stage and taps the microphone standing in the middle. "Testing...testing 1,2,3," The man clears his throat and begins to talk. "Welcome students to the YIELD summer internship 2018. Before we start the orientation we'll take roll." A taller man holding a clipboard walks on stage and switches spots with the first.
"Please say 'here' once I call your name." I squint to read the man's name tag on his lab coat. It says "Dr. Algernon" "Elijah Trom?" Elijah stands and raises his arm high in the air. "I am proudly here!" The Doctor seems irritated with a look on his face that seems to show he doesn't want to be here. "Thank you, please sit down." Elijah and Lily snicker. "Alex Bishop," "Here," I respond shyly while hoping my voice won't decide that it wants to try skydiving. Dr. Algernon continues on to Charles Morgan, Evan Akabane, Margret Vermillion, and Lily Ackerman.

"Keith Noctua," The doctor looks at the empty chair then scribbles something on his sheet and sighs. "Sorry, Sir but I was sure Keith w-" Margret begins but freezes as the two metal doors leading into the auditorium slam shut with a clang. I turn around and flinch. Keith is already sitting down in the chair next to me. Is this kid a ninja? Watch out for the emo ninja-he'll sneak up and attack you while chanting My Chemical Romance songs. "...Okay then, I guess you are all here so we can begin the orientation." A female doctor wearing headphones around her neck announces from behind Dr. Algernon.

"First things first, I'm Dr. Mell I run the biology labs on floor 3. I probably won't have any classes with you bunch until August when you get to dissect a pig heart." Doctor Mell continues without seeming to notice Lily gagging. "Here is a map of the building, I highlighted and labeled each important location you should be aware of." Dr. Mell steps off the stage and hands each of us a sheet with 11 spots colored in bright yellow. "Every week you will also receive a schedule of your classes. This is the schedule for this week." She walks back over to hand out another paper to each of us. "If you have any questions as to a class location or anything else you can ask any of the doctors here for assistance they will be happy to help."

"There are also a few forms that you will have to fill out before we begin the tour. " We're each given three sheets and a pen before Dr. Mell walks back to sit on the stage stairs. I quickly filled out the sheet-completing simple questions that ask my name, gender, home location, age, and if I have any allergies. It appears to be the same as the sheet I had to fill out to be selected for the internship. However, I notice a few questions that seem strange. One of which is asking my blood-type. Why do they need to know my blood type? I shrug and write "AB+" on the line anyways. After we all hand in our forms Dr. Mell stands up and claps. "Okay Dokie, now for the tour."

Each of us follows Dr.Mell in a single file line down blank white halls and into labs filled with vibrantly colored lab equipment. She shows us to three labs and three locations we had already been to before on the main level (our dorms, the cafeteria, and the auditorium we were just in). Next, we follow her up the stairs and to five more places on the second and third floor. On the tour, Dr. Mell explains the importance of each location and what is done there. There are so many different sections I almost lose track. Herbal Medication and Testing with live mice are two I hear her mention before quickly moving on to the next one. I don't even notice how long the tour was until Dr. Mell looks to her watch and announces that it is 12:00. Just like earlier the cafeteria is filled with way too much food. I scoop a decent amount of Mac & Cheese onto my plate and a handful of apple slices before sitting down at a table with Evan, Margret, Elijah, Lily, and Charles. Lily is speaking through mouthfuls of mashed potatoes. "This place is so huge." Lily holds her arms out in front of her to emphasize. We each nod our heads in agreement.
"Do we all have the same schedule tomorrow?" Charles wonders aloud and lays his schedule on the table for us to compare. I look at my schedule for this week.

9:30-10:00 Breakfast

10:05-11:00 Ecology

11:05-1:00 Physics

1:05-1:30 Lunch

1:35-3:30 Cell Division and Genetics

3:35-4:30 Garrison Space Studies

4:35-5:00 Daily Journal

5:00-5:30 Supper

5:30-8:30 Free Time

8:30 Bedtime/Curfew

As we compare I find that I have Ecology with Elijah, Physics with Charles, Cell Division and Genetics with Margret, but no one else has Garrison Space Studies. The classes themselves sound really fun and exciting, but I can't help wondering When can I accomplish what I really came here for?