Sensei Awakens

The school week started out a little different - instead of speculation about the Protector, Dan’s surprise save at the end of the football game was the biggest point of conversation. Even some of the teachers brought it up.

Almost as big were discussions about the new teacher, Salvador Gee, with most of the girls talking about how good-looking he was and most of the boys just a bit jealous. His class was popular, and he seemed a very good instructor.

Nick noticed that he tended to toss out odd questions - often ones that seemed unconnected to the lecture topic - at seemingly random intervals. About a third of the time, he tied the question back into the discussion, another third of the time, he would use the opportunity to lecture the class on paying attention at all times as everything could be important - and the rest of the time, he just made a note on a tablet at his desk and kept going. Each time, he singled out one student, seemingly at random.

It was an effective strategy to keep most of the class focused, but it also made Nick (and a few other students) very uneasy.

On Wednesday, Sandra came up to Nick at the end of the day and opened with: “that was weird.”

He stopped turning the lock on his locker and turned to look at her: “What was weird?”

“Class was almost over when Teacher Gee called my name and asked if I had ever been alone during the factory field trip. Just out of the blue.”

Nick considered this for a moment, then said: “That is strange. What did you say?”

“The truth,” she replied. “I said ‘Only for a few seconds when I went off to find Nicholas and then when I left him to report what we found to a teacher.’ He just nodded, made a note, and resumed his lecture.”

When Nicholas got home that afternoon, his father was packing. “Off again dad?”

His father replied: “Yeah - leaving on a red-eye tomorrow for about a week in Australia. Part of a story.”

“Australia? Wish we could go along - would love to go there someday!” Nick replied.

His dad smiled. “Exactly what your mom said. Maybe I can wrap this up quickly and get you guys to come join me next weekend. We can hope.’

“That would be amazing,” Nick replied.

His dad just made a happy grunt and went into his office to check something on his computer. Nick set his books down on the desk in his room and decided to go to the kitchen to get a drink. As he passed his dad’s home office, he suddenly felt an odd, shocked cry in his head, and then heard Sensei tell him: “Move out of sight of the door and then stand there quietly, please, Nicholas.”

Nick frowned but did as requested.

For almost a full minute, he stood there like that, wondering what was going on. Then Sensei finally spoke to him: “It seems I do not have gaps in my memory, just sections that have not been translated. I am not quite sure what that means, and the outcome seems the same but…. Once I figure more out, I will explain.”

Nick sighed. “I hope that is soon; I’m confused enough already!”

“Nicholas, so am I,” came the ominous reply.

***

The next morning, Nick drove his dad to the airport before heading off to school. On the ride, his dad mentioned the video that started this quest.

“An Australian SAS guy maybe over a hundred years ago left a video of a kaiju that seems to be on our side, and I am looking into his story, assuming any of it is real and not some home movie or something.”

“So, a non-Exerian kaiju or some kind of renegade?” Nick asked as he pulled into the airport “Departures” area.

As he prepared to exit the car, Hakama said. “Apparently an Earth-native one. It seems they actually first appeared during the Lost Decades. If my - very limited - research pans out, it seems they had, well, personalities as varied as humans, so some were friendly and some not - and the ‘friendliest’ seems to be some kind of, well, ‘Dream Spider,’ so that is what I am looking for.”

Nick was a little incredulous: “In Australia? Seems kind of odd.”

“Yeah - felt even stranger after finding out that the relaunch of the Ultimate Warrior series took place there,” his father added as he exited his son’s car. Nick joined him and helped him with his bags.

“I’ll keep in touch and see if I can bring you and your mother out there for my last few days. Take care, son. We live in interesting times, which is always a double-edged sword!”

Nick laughed, thinking “You don’t know the half of it, dad,” but aloud he said: “You take care, too, dad. We will miss you and I hope we can join you next weekend!”

The two men hugged, and Hakama then hurried into the terminal as Nick slowly drove off.

As he approached the school, Nick said aloud: “Sensei?”

“Sorry, Nick, I’ve been occupied. I think I’m nearing a breakthrough but not there yet. Where is this Australia that you and your father discussed? It … feels important.”

“I’ll show you on the map in second period,” the young man replied.

***

The day was mostly uneventful, typical high school tedium, until Nick was heading to his last class, and Sensei interrupted his thoughts: “Can you get back to the factory where we met? I think we missed something important there.”

“Maybe after class. I think I know exactly where it was,” Nick replied.

“Good. Answers are coming but they are not yet making sense. There should be a red crystal somewhere in the complex that will open most of my locked data files.”

***

His last class of the day was Salvatore Gee’s Environmental Sciences. Salvatore greeted each student by name and began the lecture immediately at the bell - even though two students had not yet arrived. When they did, he paused, greeted the first, and asked the second about the Climate Compact of 2212.

She gave a good answer, and the teacher turned to the other late student. “Miss Belmont gave an almost complete answer. If you can provide the missing pieces, Mister Cameron, you will both be forgiven your tardiness.”

Katrina Belmont had covered the content of the Compact but, as she (and a majority of people, truth be told) did not completely grasp the political side of the Compact, she had said nothing about it. Fortunately, Class President Jason Cameron had plans to go into politics eventually, and it was the only part of the Compact that he truly understood, thus he saved the two of them from serious punishment for their tardiness.

“That is correct, though your editorializing may be in error. Take your seats and do not let this happen again,” the teacher informed them.

They did as ordered, and the class passed uneventfully until a few minutes before the final bell, when Salvatore paused, cast his glance around the room, and said: “Mister Sato, if you could stay behind for a few minutes, it would be appreciated. I am sure the rest of you are eager to get to the rally at the athletic field, or just to get out of here, so you are dismissed.”

Nicholas remained seated while the rest of the class gathered their books, tablets and other materials up and filed out of the room. From the sounds in the hallway, several other classes had also let out early.

Salvatore looked up to see that Nick remained seated, nodded at him and held up a hand to tell him to wait. He then glanced over some papers on his desk, looked up at the clock, then at Nick and smiled.

“Please approach my desk, Mister Sato,” Teacher Gee commanded, as he returned his attention to his papers. Nick rose and did as asked.

“During the field trip to the factory to gather artifacts, before my family came out here, you spent several minutes separated from the group, correct?” the teacher asked, without looking up.

Curious where this was going, Nick nodded, then realized Teacher Gee was not looking at him and said: “That is correct, sir.”

“So, you did not witness the first appearance of this so-called Protector, right?”

Puzzled, Nick admitted: “Correct, sir.”

Finally looking up at the student, the teacher then asked: “Have you ever even actually seen the Protector?”

Nick swallowed. Then he heard Sensei’s voice: “I am connecting with Guide. Something is up. Sorry I did not realize I could do this before.”

Remembering the one time he actually saw his own reflection, Nick was able to answer truthfully: “Yes sir, I have.”

“But not the day Lord Kao was defeated, right? That story is fabrication?”

Nick raised an eyebrow at this. “Why do you ask, sir?”

Salvatore pushed his chair back and stood. “Walk with me,” he commanded, and headed to a window at the back of the room.

In his mind Nick heard two voices suddenly - one was unfamiliar and said, “Hi dad.”

The other was Sandra: “Nick? Sensei? Something is up out here. Where are you?”

“Teacher Gee is grilling me about Protector.”

“In the athletic field - there’s an old woman just standing there…” Sandra replied.

Gee began talking at this moment, pointing first at the field, and then at the sky. “Do you see the athletic field below? The football team is about to come out for their final rally before tomorrow's season wrap-up game. Do you see those dots in the distance? Look down at the field, please and tell me what you see.”

Very confused and a little scared, Nick did as asked. “There appears to be someone on the field who is not a school administrator. If I were to guess, I would suspect that it is your mother.”

The teacher gave him a very unnerving smile: “Very good. You are a bright boy. I think the Prototype chose well. Those dots are Blastcrows. She has also summoned a pack of Velocivores who should get here before they do.”

“Sir?” Nick asked, suddenly suspecting he knew where this was going but hoping he was wrong.

The handsome features of the Teacher gave him a smug look and demanded: “Protector, swear allegiance to the Exerian Star Empire and become our Regent of this sector, or all of your friends and classmates will perish this day.”

Suddenly details clicked into place in Nick’s mind. “Gee… Gee-dorah?”

The smile broadened and seemed predatory. “That is the name your media - in fact, I believe your father - gave us, under the mistaken belief that we were all male. One is always male, one always female and the third is the same as the eldest. When Mother dies or chooses to retire from our Unity, I will become the eldest, Trinity will take my place, and another male will join with us. As close as your tongue can render it, we are Ghios.”

Nick heard a wordless alarmed sound in his head, and asked: “Sensei?”

Just then Sandra sent: “There seems to be something going on… Holy crap, Velocivores!”

“There are Blastcrows en route too,” Nick sent back. “And you may have to face them alone, at least for the moment. Oh, do you have eyes on Trinity Gee?”

“She was with us but had to use the bathroom…have not seen her since,” came the reply.

“Blast - she, her brother and their mom are Ghios - the thing we mistakenly called King Ghidorah. This is bad…”

“Oh God,” came the reply.

Sensei then spoke finally: “Nicholas, I was created to fight Ghios, but we were too late, and my people were destroyed. I alone survived and made my way ahead of the expected invasion route to where I might be found and used against the Exerians. But, Nick, we are not ready for this. Not by a long shot.”

“We have to be. We have no choice,” Nick grimly replied.

Salvatore’s statement drew his attention back to the classroom: “Impatient buggers. Already killed a security guard and an assistant coach,” Salvatore said with a strange mix of pride and frustration in his voice.

Again, Salvatore turned his attention to Nick: “So what will… wait a minute… there are two of you!?”

Nicholas tapped the back of his neck as he said. “I suspect you can still hear me, Teacher? I will never side with the Exerians. Never.”

Salvatore kept his attention on the athletic field and did not see the armor activate. “My bosses hoped you would see reason, but that is the answer I was hoping for,” Salvatore replied, laughing.