LOCATION: ORION LUMINARY INSTITUTE
PLANET: LAPIS DIVINUS
ARRIVAL DAY
The sun was already beginning to set on Lapis Divinus, changing the picturesque cobalt to shades of purple and casting streaks of orange across the evening sky.
Kaela marveled at it as she followed Navinia up a long, winding path. Trees and plants lined the walkway, creating an olfactory journey that would be hard to forget on one’s first day in this alien world.
The trees were spaced widely enough for Kaela to see a vast valley below full of neatly arranged gardens.
“The dormitories are located on this hill,” Navinia said as they walked. “The views are incredible. The Accord really did a remarkable job of terraforming Lapis Divinus. It started as a rocky planet with a strong magnetic field, and now we have all of this.”
She gestured to the views around them with a flourish and a smile. Up on the hill where they were heading, a huge city loomed with uniform buildings laid out in an even grid along the valley’s edge.
“It looks like a terrific place to study,” Kaela said. She still felt weak, although walking wasn’t an issue.
Navinia reached out and plucked two small fruits from a tree as they passed by. She handed one to Kaela.
“We call these Lapis Apples. You can eat the entire thing.”
Kaela watched as the tree grew two more fruits in place of the two they had just taken. She had so many questions. Did it have anything to do with the massive energy output from Alnilam?
The fruit was about half the size of an apple on Earth, and blue. Kaela sniffed it, shrugged, and took a bite.
Her mouth was immediately filled with an explosion of flavor. It tasted like a cross between a kiwi and a sweet apple, with a bit of citrus mixed in.
“It’s delicious,” Kaela said, quickly finishing hers. A System message appeared moments later, despite the ongoing integration process.
---
You have consumed Lapis Apple.
+15 to all stats for 2 hours.
---
Navinia smiled.
“We often run out to grab one before studying. The stat boost helps a lot.”
Kaela nodded.
“I can see how this would be helpful. How does it grow back so fast, though? Is it the energy from the star?”
“It’s a combination of Alnilam’s bountiful energy and botanical engineering. Our botanists are extremely talented in harvesting and utilizing life energy. You’ll learn more in your General Introduction course. That’s the only mandatory class for new students. It gives you a wide overview of the Institute and its offerings.”
Kaela was quiet as they continued walking. Then, she turned to her guide.
“Navinia, if the school encompasses this entire world, how many students are here, and how do you travel to more remote areas?”
“Let’s see,” Navinia said, looking up toward the sky for a moment. “Last I heard I believe we have around five billion students. As for traveling around, we use portals, of course. We don’t use them for your arrival and enrollment just because we don’t want you to miss all of this!”
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She gestured to the scene around them once again.
And Kaela had to agree with the sentiment. The landscape was immaculately kept and utterly breathtaking. Then something occurred to her.
“Wait,” Kaela said. “Did you say five billion?”
“Yes, why?”
“And there is only one student from each world?” Kaela asked. She stopped walking as she was hit with the staggering realization.
“Are there really five billion planets with life on them?” she asked, grabbing Navinia’s sleeve as if to hold herself upright.
Navinia laughed.
“Of course not. These are just the planets with intelligence advanced enough to develop a System capable of bolstering its people. The number of planets with life is far greater than that.”
It took Kaela a while to grasp the concept. Her head was still fuzzy from the ongoing integration, but this would have thrown her for a loop any time.
She had read about the longstanding question on Earth before the System: are we alone in the universe?
Apparently the answer was not only no, but life was far more common in the universe once you pulled your lens back far enough.
They crested the hill, and Kaela saw the city up close.
The lip of the valley extended for miles and miles into the distance, and the entire space was filled with building after building of the same soft white and brown stone.
“These are the dormitories,” Navinia said. “Each building is forty floors, and the residents are rotated twice a year so that by the time you leave the Institute, you will have lived on every floor. New students begin on the first floor, of course.”
“We have to move twice a year?” Kaela asked.
“Oh, it’s an automated process. It happens while you are away at class, and your portal will automatically take you back to your new rooms when you return.”
It turned out that the entire city Kaela had spotted from so far away was just one giant dormitory.
And with five billion students to house, it was larger than every populous city on Earth combined into one sprawling metropolis.
Yet, as Kaela’s Map began filling in slowly, she could see how well it was arranged. Each building was placed in such a way that even those on the first floor were greeted with gorgeous views.
“We have restaurants, bars, grocery stores, and other sundries located every couple of blocks,” Navinia said, continuing her tour. “You can get cuisine and cocktails from all over the multiverse.”
Kaela was still reeling from the scale of it.
“How do we pay for all of this?” she asked. It was the first time she realized she’d never asked about the cost for tuition, room and board, or any of it.
“The Orion Celestial Accord sponsors a single student from each newly inducted planet.”
Navinia paused for a minute.
“Well, let me rephrase that. The planets, the people, and the System they deploy must match the Accord’s standards of ethics. By which I mean to say, we do not condone cruelty. In fact, we do not tolerate it amongst our allies.”
Kaela looked at her guide, but stayed quiet.
“Ambassador Skrixx had been observing your planet before, during, and after your induction. He was very impressed with the karmic gates built into your System architecture, and the Accord is considering building it into our own Framework. Earth passes that basic test without issue.”
Navinia shook her head to clear the thought.
“Anyway, my point is that when you enroll here, you are provided with 50 Lumens. These are the credits we use for both currency and merit at the Institute and on Lapis Divinus.”
She continued her explanation as they entered the city proper. Kaela looked upward at the tall buildings. They passed by a pub and, it being evening already, the place was packed with students talking and drinking.
“The dormitories are free for the duration of your stay, but everything else costs Lumens. The General Introduction course and most of the recommended first-year classes cost one Lumen. Basic food is provided with your enrollment, but anything other than the standard meals cost Lumens. A night out at the pub might cost four or five Lumens, to give you an idea.”
They weaved between a group of students on the street. Since there were no cars here, everything was a pedestrian zone.
“So I assume there’s a way to earn more?” Kaela asked.
“Yes. You will learn all about it in your introductory course, but you can do anything from work in the pubs to be a teaching assistant in areas you are familiar.”
She looked at Kaela for a minute.
“For you… once you reach a certain point in combat development, your trainers can recommend you for expeditions to other planets. These are high-risk, but pay thousands of Lumens.”
Kaela perked up at the idea. The idea of testing her mettle against such challenges made her blood pump faster. She winced from the headache still pounding as constant background noise.
“Here we are,” Navinia announced. “Building 238 will be your home for the duration of your stay on Lapis Divinus.”
Kaela smiled. The building faced a large lake that went as far as she could see. The water from this vantage point was pristine. She could even see fish swimming deeper in.
“It’s beautiful,” Kaela said.
“Step inside,” Navinia said. “It’s time to meet your roommate.”