Ataxia

Chapter 10

Sander

2056

I strode through the hallways of Pennsylvania University, feeling quite pleased with myself. A year ago I escaped that forsaken boot camp with Danique. I found P.A.I. Agency and I got a new identity and now I live peacefully. I was a freshman in college and I felt I got my old life back. Almost.

I started to head over to the dorm on the outskirts of the University, finishing up all my classes for the day. It was dreadfully cold outside and I pulled on my winter coat. I turned a corner past the science lab building and slipped. There was a break in the sidewalk where the concrete ended and a small puddle of solid ice was. Was it even cold enough for ice to be on the ground? Not likely.

Ignoring it, I dusted himself off and got back up to my feet. Gathering my things on the ground, I suddenly yelped in surprise. The ice melted in a matter of seconds and then the water leftover formed a shape on its own. Suddenly I was staring at a teen boy lying on the ground, rubbing his head.

"You know, people really should watch where they're going," the mysterious boy said. "He slipped on me and believe it or not, it actually really hurts for his entire body weight to collapse on me." He told himself.

I covered my mouth in shock. "You're -- you're --" I said through my hands. I've seen lots of crazy things before, but I hadn't seen it in a while and everything that happened was scientifically impossible. I was awestruck and felt my throat go dry.

"Oh. You didn't just see that, did you?" He questioned, sounding sheepish.

"I -- I --"

"Are you okay?" He asked kindly, picking up the rest of my things and holding them out to me as if he was giving me a peace offering. Deep down, the boy probably was.

"I'm insane," the words finally left my lips. "I'm seeing ice turn into kids, I'm probably going crazy," I was muttering to myself, which was also extremely creepy. "Please tell me you're just a bad daydream, right?"

"No," the boy shook his head, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "I'm real. Luckily, there is no one around and you only saw me. Will you keep my secret, please? I don't think I'm supposed to be here, being an ataxia and all." He whispered the sentence with caution, sure that no one heard him.

"S-sure," I stuttered, holding out my hand. Of course I would keep his secret for helping out a fellow ataxia, right? I didn't tell him I was one. It was possible he may be a spy. "I'm Sander."

"Jeez, where are my manners?" The boy said, a little flushed in the cheeks. "I'm Abhik. It's nice to meet you, Sander. So ... are you a student here? You look kinda young to be one."

"I should say the same," I remarked. "You look thirteen or fourteen."

"I'm actually thirty-four," he said after a moment of counting his fingers. "But I look like I'm thirteen." Strange.

"Well, not to sound weird or rude or anything, but you look good for your age. Are you a teacher?"

"No, I finished school awhile ago."

"Oh." I paused for a moment. He was definitely an ataxia. I was having a conversation with a guy who was ice a couple minutes ago. I still wasn't sure if I was crazy or not. Was I? Or was this all real? Living in a world of ataxias, basically almost anything is possible. Ataxias had been showing themselves more out in public lately, the disease was spreading quickly. So this boy was thirty-four, according to him. How is that possible? Does he have multiple abilities, which are extremely rare these days. But if he was thirty-four, he was born long before the first ataxia was made public.

"So what's your major?" Abhik asked and I supposed he was trying to make small talk. For once, I didn't mind.

"I'm working for an experimenting science major. I wanna minor in geography, though." Abhik flinched and he actually looked a little mad. Was he angry with me? Was it something I said? Such a first impression. "Sorry," I added hastily.

"Sorry for what?" The anger drained from his face. Confusion substituted my present emotions.

"I thought I made you mad," I muttered sheepishly. "And making somebody you just met mad is a horrible first impression."

"No, you didn't make me mad." He replied kindly. "Nothing was your fault. It's just ... I never really liked scientists, that's all. It's not you." It made sense. Abhik was an ataxia. I couldn't blame him, I didn't like scientists all that well either. But why I was going to become one was a totally different reason than experimenting on ataxias.

"It's okay, Abhik. I get it. I don't really like scientists, either."

"Then why are you majoring in it?"

"Eh ...," stood in silence. "It's a long story. Let's just say they weren't that kind to me, either." Abhik looked up to meet my eyes, empathy suddenly filling his expression. "Well, I gotta go."

Well, that was strange. I'm still not sure about that boy, Abhik. I think I know him from somewhere. From -- no, it couldn't be him. Thirty-four years ... ageless? Could he be the first ataxia, Abhik Kabadi?