Panic

In exasperation, Ms. Stubbs ran her fingers through her black hair, which was now sticking out in all directions. One of the brass buttons on her vest popped off and clattered to the floor. "Mr. Dyson, sometimes I swear you do this on purpose."

"I really don't," Gerald defended as he stood at his desk. "In fact, I'd prefer to keep a lower profile, truth be told."

"The school pledge is a tradition, you should feel honored to be a part of it."

"I know that, and I am flattered, but my religion does not allow me to make promises or oaths to other organizations."

The students groaned collectively.

"It's not like it's even legally binding. Just say it but don't mean it," Tomar suggested.

"I cannot, that would be a lie."

"But no one would know it was a lie."

Gerald looked at Tomar. "I'd know."

"Can we please begin the lesson?" Aryc pleaded.

"Why? This is the most fun I've had all day," Ilrica chuckled.

Ms. Stubbs held up an angry fist as if ready to strike Gerald, but the lights in the room changed to red and the intercom came up.

"Teachers and students," the friendly computerized voice said pleasantly. "We have an intruder on campus. Please proceed in an orderly fashion to the evacuation tubes per safety protocols."

"What the trog is this?" Tausay asked.

"Is this another drill?" Kzoyohaan wondered.

Gerald was knocked down to the floor as his desk and much of the back wall reshaped themselves into shielded evacuation tubes.

"Okay, class, you heard the nice disembodied voice, let's get into the tubes," Ms. Stubbs urged. The students lazily began to gather their belongings.

"Just what kind of intruder is this?" Gerald asked, picking himself back up.

"A Vlukkia," the computer responded.

There was a moment of stunned silence, and then the students dropped their belongings and sprinted to the back of the class. Some screamed, others clamored over their classmates to get to the tubes first.

"Is that bad?" Gerald asked as students shoved him aside and ran past him.

Ms. Stubbs held up a finger as she shuffled up to the mass. "Be careful, students, one at a time."

She was ignored as panicking aliens from dozens of different worlds shoved past one another. "Let's not do anything we'll regret tomorrow. Um, Mr. Dyson, could you stand watch at the door please?"

"Sure, but why?"

"Well, if it comes in here you can hold it off while the rest of us escape."

Gerald raised an eyebrow. "Isn't that the teacher's job?"

"Well, normally, yes," she admitted as she lined up to evacuate. "But, you see, this is a Vlukkia."

The tubes opened and with a pneumatic whoosh the first group of students jumped in.

Gerald scratched his elbow. "Look, if this thing is as dangerous as you say, I don't really see what I could do to stop it."

"Oh, you don't have to stop it Mr. Dyson," she said as she pushed impatiently on the student in front of her. "Just... slow it down."

Another whoosh and another group jumped in.

Gerald frowned, "Ms. Stubbs, it would seem that you think of me as disposable."

"I'm so glad we understand one another," she mumbled, pushing on the student harder.

Cha'Rolette hovered above the crowd, clearly offended. "Really, Gerald, stop being so boorish. The man is supposed to sacrifice himself to protect the woman."

Gerald blinked as he walked over to the door. "Why would I do something so clearly against my own best interest?"

"So you only do what is in your own best interest? How selfish you are."

Gerald peered out into the hallway, not sure what he was looking for. "And your insistence that I sacrifice myself for you just because I was born a man isn't selfish?"

"Shut up, Dyson."

As another group jumped into the tubes Gerald thought of something. "Is this message being broadcast everywhere?"

"No, just the classrooms, why?"

He walked back over to the group. "Because there's a student down in the reactor room who isn't hearing this."

Tomar turned to Ms. Stubbs. "We need to get a message down there."

A window and keyboard made of light appeared in front of Ms. Stubbs. She tapped away for a few seconds, but the symbols all went red. "I can't; the comm-systems to that part of the school haven't been fixed yet."

"What about one of the robots?"

"Still down."

"Doesn't anything work around here?"

"Don't complain, this is all your fault anyway, Dyson," Entayta complained.

"How is this my fault?"

"I dunno how, but ever since you got here, everything's been all frakked up!"

"This isn't helping us, what about a telepathic message?"

Cha'Rolette closed her eyes and her ringlets glowed. "Too much shielding between us and the reactor."

"Then we need to send someone down there," Tomar suggested.

"Yes, Trahzi needs to be warned," Gerald added.

"Oh, never mind then," Tomar withdrew.

"What?"

"She's a demon, just let her die."

Gerald furrowed his brow. "How can you be so cold?"

Tomar scoffed. "After all she's done, it's better than she deserves. I'm outta here."

And with that, Tomar turned and jumped down into the waiting evacuation tube.

"Oh my," Ms. Stubbs said, placing her palms on her temples. "If one of my students gets hurt, I could lose my tenure."

"You were willing enough to risk my safety."

She ran her fingers through her frayed hair. "No offense, Mr. Dyson, but I really don't consider you to be one of my students."

"Ouch."

"That's a good point," Kamanie added. "Can a Vlukkia ever hurt a Trahzi? I mean, you saw what she did on the field this morning."

Cha'Rolette thought for a moment. "Vlukkia are psychic predators. Trahzi may be physically powerful, but they don't have any special defense against psychic attacks."

Ms. Stubbs turned back and forth, flustered. She shook her hands at her sides like little fins. "Um... Um... Um... what do I do?" Her watch band broke and it clattered to the floor. "Oh, I know. Ilrica, you're a hunter, surely you could..."

Ilrica placed a hand on the tube and smiled, revealing a mouth full of ivory white fangs. "Sorry guys, but that would be a suicide mission, which is, sadly, not my area of expertise." With a salute and a wink, she jumped down into the tubes.

"Well, grogs!" Ms. Stubbs swore.

"I'll go," Gerald volunteered.

Cha'Rolette's eyes went wide. "You can't go."

"Why not? Just a minute ago you were saying that it is the man's duty, weren't you?"

"It's too dangerous. And what about you? Just a moment ago you were protesting being treated as disposable."

"This is different," Gerald said as he ran over to the doorway.

"How?"

He smiled roguishly. "Because this time it is my choice."

And with that, he ran off into the corridors.

"Grrrff, that man is so infuriating."

Tulda smacked her gum. "But Duchess, you're a telepath, why not just force him to do what you want?"

"What, you mean like this?" Cha'Rolette's ta'atu glowed and Tulda slapped herself in the face.

"Oww! Yes, like that."

"Don't you think I've tried? It doesn't work that way. The closer you get to someone's core values, the harder they are to manipulate."

Tulda rubbed her nose. "But, you just made me..."

"That's because you have the willpower of chewing gum. Dyson is different, his core is hard as a rock, and everything he does is intimately connected to it."