Trials in Walls of Ivy (Triskelion Trilogy Book 1) (3 page)

Her words vibrated in the air. Did I really want to commit myself to this? What would I do if I went through the door? I knew exactly what I would do. I would go back to work at the beach. Probably marry some surfer who saw more of the waves than me. If I was lucky, I may take a few college classes. Would it be so bad to stay at home in Cornwall? The seasons were beautiful and the people were friendly enough.

I watched as a dozen or more people descended the stairs and filtered through the door. A moment later, a larger group followed. Their expressions were a mixture of anger and embarrassment. I gripped hold of the arm rests, ready to push myself free. Did I honestly want to blindly enter into a life with no escape? Again the face of my rescuer came to mind. He told me that I should take chances and follow my instincts. But, what were my instincts telling me now? I watched, lost in my own internal indecision as more people left the room. They must have been happy in the lives they already had. Could I really be happy going back? Could I give up this chance of a new life?

No. I had to do this. This was my chance to matter. This was my chance to get away from the beach bar and do something for me.

The last of the retreating students exited the room, returning to the life they almost left behind. I looked back at the seats. More than half were now empty. As the man closed the door, attention returned to Dr Llamp.

“When you leave this room, you will be given a booklet which contains the regulations of this institution. This will be your guide to your new life. I cannot stress this point enough. Consider it thoroughly.” She held up the booklet for us all to see. “Now, to the point I’m sure you’re all hoping I get to soon: what will you be training as in addition to your chosen subjects?”

I sat up in my chair, hands fisted.

“The University of Terram is in fact, a branch of the government.” She paused, her words heavy in the air.

My mind flooded with a million questions.

“As I have stated, whilst here you will not have the opportunity to leave. Your education and training will be paramount. You are expected to deliver results and surpass your own expectations. In return, you are free from the burden of tuition fees. Your accommodation, meals and equipment are freely provided.”

The whispering hummed in my ears as I contemplated her words. I didn’t have to pay tuition fees? Or pay rent, just on the promise that I wouldn’t quit? It seemed too good to be true.

Llamp held up her hands and the crowd silenced in response.

“We call ourselves the Consummate. We are the intelligence, the strategists and the strength of this country. We are the eyes and ears in the shadows, the force which commands peace. And today, you have been chosen to be one of us.” A ripple of shock hummed through the room.

“Each of your unique talents have been identified as holding a potential advantage which coincide with specific areas of the Consummate force. Those of you with a finesse for science will be stationed within the laboratory departments. Here you will learn how to push the boundaries in medical advancement, defensive weaponry and more.”

I tried not to flinch as I heard whispers behind, each one asking the same question: did she say weaponry?

“Those of you with a physical and analytical temperament, will train in our arms and infantry department. Our expansive technological area will accommodate those of you who have the aptitude for surveillance, code breaking and technological manipulation. And finally, those with an aptitude for problem solving and leadership, will belong with intelligence. There you will discover how to be invisible in a crowd, acquire information from the most secretive, and, to lead others to success.” She smiled as she watched each of our reactions.

I gulped. I didn’t fit into any of those categories. I wasn’t fit enough to be in the infantry. My computing skills were limited. I was quite good in science at school, but not enough to take any further. I only just scraped through the exams in the end. But in all honesty, I couldn’t consider myself overly intelligent either. Where could she think I belonged?

Llamp stepped forward, placing her hands behind her back. Her smile faded. “However, let me be clear. Although you will be taught mainly within your own area, this university works as a team. No speciality is more important than the other. We are links in a chain. Force does not work without intelligence, just as science advancement does not work without technology. If I am to send an agent in undercover, they have to know that their team have them covered.”

“We’re going to be spies?” The girl, Bree, shouted with excitement.

Llamp laughed. “I’m afraid not. This is not a film. You will not have gadgets and gun fights. Here you will learn to adapt to what is around you and use it to your advantage. You will discover how to gather intelligence, create advancements and protect what is vulnerable for the well-being of your country. This is your chance to make a difference. Each of you have been selected for your talents. We know you are capable of greatness.”

My stomach felt like it was going to flip over and bubble through my pores. I couldn’t decide whether I was excited, terrified or on the verge of hysterics. I had been chosen for this? I couldn’t do the things they were suggesting. I worked in a beach bar, what did I know about all of this?

“Be aware,” Llamp continued, “although each of you were individually selected, it does not mean that every one of you will make it through the testing period. The Consummate do not accept the best of the best. We are looking for the elite, the exemplary. You will be graded not only on your results, but on your methods, your associations and on your ingenuity. You will surpass expectations, or you will fail. ”

The silence in the room was suffocating. I held my breath and watched her as she beamed at the room. 

“Now, off to your rooms and study your booklets. Tomorrow is going to be the first day of the rest of your lives. Tomorrow, you begin on the path to becoming Consummate.”

The chill in the room remained long after Llamp left. As I sat in silence, I opened the file to the front page. There, in bold black letters, was my name. I felt my fingers tremble, my eyes frozen wide. A sudden breath burst from my chest as I mouthed the words. I had been chosen. This top secret university had chosen me to not only be a student, but a leader. My pale thumb ran across the bold font in disbelief.

I had been chosen for intelligence.

I went through each of Llamp’s warnings in my mind and counted them on my fingers. I had to be better than everyone else in my group to compete. I had to excel in every area. I had to become some kind of government agent? I had to lead. I had to put together a team, show the way and get us through tasks.

What were they thinking choosing me? I didn’t stand a chance.

I pulled the file to my chest with both hands, hiding the glaring words as I stood to face the room. Throughout the lecture hall, each one of my fellow students were either sat in silence or frantically questioning each other. I could feel the panic rising throughout the crowd.

“But, where are our rooms?” The blonde girl from the dining room shouted. She didn’t seem to be asking anyone in particular.

“On the second page,” I heard a guy toward the back shout, “it has our room and timetable.”

I opened my file and turned to the second page. It stated I was to be housed in G block, room two. Thankfully, there was a map. I scanned it to see we were on the other side of campus. Determined to start as I meant to go on, I slung my bag over my shoulder and made my way up the steps.

“I’m in block B. Anyone else there?” A guy with jet black hair shouted as I passed.

“I am. Let’s go.” A guy with shorter, shaved hair said. He slung a huge army camouflage bag over his shoulder and nudged his way passed me. “Hi there,” he said, as he continued to walk.

“Hi,” I replied, too late.

The students began calling out blocks, claiming themselves a walking partner. Finally someone called my block. “I’m in G,” I shouted, to the room.

“Awesome. Let’s go.” It was the girl who spoke to Llamp earlier, Bree. She was dragging a tatty one handled sack behind her. It banged on every step as we made our way out the door and into the evening darkness.

In the glowing lamp light, her woollen cream jumper glowed. I looked down to see she was wearing baggy jeans which seemed to be too big and a pair of rubber wellies. I let out a laugh before I could stop myself. She turned to see what was so funny.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to be rude. I just, wasn’t expecting to see someone wearing wellies.”  I said.

She held her foot in the air proudly. “These are my favourites. Don’t you think they’re cute?”

I nodded with a grin.

“I’ve never been one of those girls who have to look all glam, no matter what. Boots are comfy, and with the right accessories, they can suit every occasion.” She continued to walk, looking over her shoulder with a smile as I followed.

I had to admit, she was right. They did fit her style perfectly.

“I’m sorry for laughing. They actually do look great. Just different from what I’m used to. Living by the beach, I’m usually in flip flops.”

She laughed and shrugged her bag again. “Well, they wouldn’t get you very far on a farm. The tics would make a meal of you.” She elbowed me playfully as I cringed at the thought.

We made our way lazily, periodically checking the map to stay on the correct path. I was glad to see we weren’t heading to one of the tower blocks. I didn’t like the idea of a flat. I wasn’t overly comfortable with the thought of sleeping too close to the clouds. We passed the dining room and the castle. It looked haunted. All covered in ivy and towering above us with its jagged rock bricks; it looked like the typical centre piece for a horror film.

“It says on the map, that’s called the keep,” Bree said, as we craned our necks to see the towering castle top.

“What’s in there?”

“Library and offices. Never spent much time in a library, that’s going to be weird.” She shifted the sack to her other shoulder. “Where you from then?”

“Cornwall. Lived there forever. What about you?”

“Wales. Like I said, we got a farm. Worked there since I could walk. No idea how that got me chosen to be a spy,” she laughed as she talked, like everything was funny.

I checked the map as we approached a row of square buildings. Each of them had a letter on the door in place of a number.

“This must be us.” I pointed down the row to a brass letter G nailed to a door. “And she said were not spies. We’re…” I couldn’t put another word to it.

Bree looked up at me and smirked. “Were going to gather information, defend in secrecy. Sounds like a spy to me.”

“I suppose, but that can’t be the only thing people do here.”

“Really? Then why did those people have to leave before she talked about this place? And why did we have to agree to secrecy?” She nodded at me like I was in on the conspiracy.

She pushed the front door open and dropped her bag behind the door. I followed through and held my breath in surprise. It was a house. Steps lined the wall on the right, a door to my left looked to lead to a living room. Ahead of me was a kitchen. This place didn’t look anything like the pokey flat I was expecting. The carpet was thick and fluffy, the curtains long. This place would have even gotten my mother’s approval.

“I thought we’d be in student accommodation like those flats,” I said, dropping my bag next to Bree’s.

“Hello roomies!” A guy walked out of the kitchen with a mug in his hand. “Looks alright, doesn’t it?” He walked into the living room.

Bree and I followed. “How long have you been here?” I asked, hoping we weren’t in the wrong place.

“About five minutes.  You guys walk slow.” He slumped into a chair and put his feet up on the table. “I’m Owen. You two are?”

“I’m Bree,” Bree imitated Owen and sank back in a chair, feet on table, “this is Roz.”

Owen gulped his drink as he appraised us. I worked my way around the room and sank into an oversized armchair in the corner.

“What do you think of the place so far?” Owen asked.

Bree shrugged. “So far, easy going for spy training.”

I laughed. “Bree, we’re not spies. We’re here to…” Again, I couldn’t think of the right words.

“Yes?” Bree said, sarcastically.

“We’re here to defend and protect,” I replied, confidently.

“Defend and protect who?”

“The country, I suppose.”

“You mean, we’re training to be super heroes?” Bree sat up and gasped dramatically.

I threw a cushion at her head. “You know what I mean.”

The night flew by in a flurry of coffee and introductions. Three further housemates joined us an hour later. Fern, a towering dark haired girl, seemed shy, only speaking when asked a question. Karissa was the opposite. From the moment she walked in the house, she dominated the conversation. She sat cross legged on the arm of the chair beside Owen, constantly sweeping her red hair back, whilst regaling us with tales from her home town. Our final housemate, Warwick, was simply obnoxious. He constantly cut off our conversations with his repeated views. He made out like he was the best at everything. Whenever anyone began to describe a piece of their life, he cut in with how he had done the same, but bigger and better. By the end of the night, I couldn’t wait to be away from him.

My room was exactly what I needed, no more, no less. I had a comfortable enough bed, a desk and chair, a filing cabinet and book case, and a chest of drawers. My clothes fit with room to spare. I realised when I sat on my bed and gazed out the window that the contents of the room didn’t matter. This was
my
room. A room of my own. I hadn’t expected this. Back at home, I still had to share with my sister as we had a two bedroom house. We never minded. It was simply how it had to be. Here I could listen to my own music, when I bought a stereo. I could watch my own films, when I bought a TV. And, most importantly, here, I could have my own thoughts and my own time. I laid back on my bed and listened to my solitude. This was my new beginning. This place was where I was going to find my future.

*   *   *

I re-checked my timetable as soon as I woke. I was in for a full day of sociology with a Dr Wang. I cracked my bedroom door and tiptoed into the bathroom across the hall. There were no sounds from the rest of the house. After showering and dressing in cut-off jeans, vest and a cardigan, I ventured into the kitchen, my flip-flops snapping with every step.

“Morning, sunshine,” Owen called, as soon as I opened the door. He was sitting at the dining table, coffee mug in hand with a newspaper spread out in front of him. “Kettle’s hot.” He didn’t look up from the paper.

“Thanks. Anything interesting?” I had never been overly interested in the news. Whenever I picked up a paper it seemed to spell more doom and gloom across the world. I dug out some tea bags and poured the hot water into a pot.

“Fire and brimstone.” He flipped the paper closed and held it up for me to see the headline. “This one was quite close to Bree’s neck of the woods. Second one in a month and wait ‘till you see page five.”

I took the paper from him and scanned the headline. Another bomb, this time in Llandudno. I thought back to the bomb my Dad mentioned a few weeks back. Bournemouth and Llandudno weren’t the usual places to be targeted.

“What’s with the bombs? Do they know who’s set them?” I asked, even though I was holding the paper.

“No, not so far. It says nobody’s claimed responsibility. Bit odd though, isn’t it?” He gulped the last of his coffee and held his cup up toward me. “I’ll have some of that if it’s going.”

I grabbed his cup and poured him a tea. “What’s odd?”

“Well, why those places? What makes a seaside holiday destination a target for bombs?”

“High casualty rate?” I sat in the seat beside him and put the paper back on the table.

“Nah, it’s not the right season. This time of year it’s just locals. You should know that.” He took a sip of his tea and winked at me in approval.

He was right. My seaside village was almost deserted out of season. We occasionally had visitors on weekend trips, but they were few and far between. Most of the shops didn’t even open during the true winter months.

I threw down the paper and was about to stand up when Owen held up his hand, fingers spread.

“Page five.”

I opened it flat on the table, flicking through to find the page. Nothing stood out. A simple article about a heroic dog, complete with a picture of it slobbering over its owner.

“Give me a clue?”

“The new legislation. Right there, how can you miss it?”

I read through the next article, fighting to finish through sheer boredom. “They’re giving more power to the police to look for evidence during investigations? That’s good.”

“Bloody hell, Roz. Thought you were here to do the intelligence and stuff?”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

Owen shook his head, grinning. “Look at what it actually says, not how it says it. The government have lowered the level of privacy. They have given the authorities further permission to obtain evidence through online activity and history. You see what that means?”

I shook my head. “They can get the bad guys quicker?”

“It means, we’re now legally overheard, recorded and watched by big brother. We’re now without the defence of privacy or freedom of speech.” He held his cup up in cheers, grinning.

“So, why do you look so happy?”

“Why? Because it’s brilliant. Now, every time I get caught hacking into their systems, I can point to this new legislation.”

“I don’t think it’s there to give you permission. And, where do you get caught?”

“Government files, they have an embarrassingly pathetic firewall.”

“You hack into them? What for?”

He shrugged in response, still grinning.

“Owen, I really don’t think they put this legislation through to make it easier for you.”

“Maybe not, but that shady grey area just got a whole lot bigger.”

The two of us jumped as we heard a crash on the stairs.

“I’m ok,” Shouted Bree. She slammed open the kitchen door and sank into the chair beside mine. “If I have to spend another night like that…” She slumped her head into her hands on the table.

“What’s wrong?” Owen and I asked in unison.

“That fecking Warwick. All night. All flippin’ night he was at it. Right against my wall.” She banged her head against her hands which were laid flat on the table. “Creak creak, creak creak. All fecking night! He was either sleeping in a rocking chair or… I don’t even want to think about it.”

“Or what?” Owen laughed.

I poured her some tea and placed it in front of her. “Didn’t you knock to tell him to keep it down?”

“Did I hell. What if he came to the door all greased up and ready for action? No way am I wanting to see that.” She sniffed the tea and took a sip. “Any whiskey?”