Lucid (32 page)

I waited several moments as the bicycle riders whizzed past. When there was a lull, I sprinted across the track and its sponge like surface and headed for the food science building. I
'
d entered at the northwest end of campus, not far from my destination. The building itself was situated against a hill. Behind it stretched the greenhouses of the hydroponic farms, row upon row of crops grown without the use of soil. Silence greeted me as I pushed open the doors and stepped inside. A hallway branched off to my left lined with Teacher offices. To my right, a staircase led to the food labs on the second floor. I was tempted to head upstairs and explore the labs while I willed my heart to be calm. Instead, I stood a few moments in front of Professor Baal
'
s office and tried to collect myself. Just this morning I was at the Tennis Academy. Last night, I
'
d played my last tennis match for the Reformation. Now, a new chapter of my life was about to begin. I took a deep breath, gave a short knock, and opened the door.