The students all shuffled out of their desks, moving like an uncoordinated herd as they grabbed the sheets. Kiego watched his students sit back down and sart conversing immediately before he heard a knock at the door.
"Wonder who that is..." Kiego said arbitrarily to himself as he got up from his teacher's desk and moved towards opening the door. Before he opened the door he addressed the class once again,
"Go ahead and look over the sheet and ask me questions if you have any. I don't want anybody coming to me in tomorrow saying that didn't understand the directions."
A collective murmur of acknowledgement rose from the class before their respctive conversations continued.
Kiego opened the door to find an older balding man. He was one of the administrators at the school and his face was reddened, "Mr. Xianelli. The board wishes to speak with you... is now a bad time?"
What does the board want to talk to me about? I haven't done anything...
He pushed those thoughts out of his mind for the moment, "Um, well I am in the middle of class, but they are getting started on a project they could probably administer themselves. If it is really urgent I think I could leave now. What's going on?"
Kiego sighed then replied "All right, I guess if it's just that..." He quickly went back into the classroom to notify his students.
"I have to leave class for some time, there's only twenty minutes of class left, so feel free to leave when you want."
Kiego then left the room, following the balding man to the board meeting.
When they arrived at the meeting, Kiego was more than a little nervous. The mojority of his superiors were there; three women and two men, all of them standing behind a long desk like the panel of a jury.
Kiego was indeed very anxious. As he stood there in front of the panel he thought of how the last time he was in front of the board when he was interviewing for his job; he hoped now that he wouldn't be fired in front of a board as well.
"Well, you said the board needed to speak with me...?"
Gyri, the leader of the school board, glared at him ignominiously. Few women reached a status as high as hers and she spoke without mercy, reiterating how she reached her position. "Tell us about the plant you've been experiencing lately."
Kiego gulped. Gyri was a formidable woman who Kiego both respected and feared. Right now he was mostly fearing her.
A barely noticeable tremble in his voice, Kiego began to address the board. "Well, you see it's just this unknown plant I've been studying. The only real interesting about it is that I can't manipulate it at all...there's not much else to it."
Kiego hoped that his answer would be enough to satisfy Gyri, but he had a sneaking suspicion that there was more going on here than he realized.
She definitely knows something about that plant...or desperately wants to know something. I just don't know if I can give her the information she wants.
"Any reason why the Immortalis confiscated it?" she asked in a tone that was equal parts curious and fearful. Even a woman in her position knew that she was a mere pawn of the great three.
A look of shock cam upon Kiego's face. He honestly had no clue that the Immortalis had confiscated one of his plants, let alone were even interested in him.
He nervously put his hand to his forehead, brushing his hair, "I...I have no idea, I didn't even know that they had, I haven't been in the lab all day. Honestly, I really don't know why the Immortalis would be interested in it."
"I'm going to ask you to go on sabbatical" she replied in a tone that was far from a request, "the institute has already been going through a rough time and we don't want any more trouble from the Immortalis. So please, Kiego, take some time off."
Kiego was at a loss for words. He was trying to wrap his head around what Gyri was saying, but kept hitting a mental brick wall.
"What...but...I'm sure this is just one big misunderstanding. Surely there's something else that can be done?"
"I- I wish there were" she stuttered, faltering for words despite herself, "I assure you that this is about much more tan just your little project, professor. It's just... it's hard to operate when the Immortalis have such a close connection with the school. I'm sorry."
Kiego felt the shadow of hopelessness engulf him. There seemed to be nothing he could do, Gyri's decision was final.
"How long will I have to be gone then?"
"A week... a month" sighed the woman, making him even more uneasy, "I honestly can't say." She looked at him, her eyes flexing her authority but glinting with sympathy, "we'll find you when we need you. This isn't your fault..."
"You don't have to leave right now" sighed his superior, "but..." She hesitated for a moment as he saw her face soften into a pleading manner, "just... please don't dawdle. It's easier that way."
Kiego nodded, a feeling of hopelessness and finality over coming him. Maybe it would not be so bad. If he looked at the glass half full, it was as if he suddenly had a surprise paid vacation.
"I...I guess I should return to my office and pack." he said to Gyri and the other staff, shaking his head.
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"Go ahead and look over the sheet and ask me questions if you have any. I don't want anybody coming to me in tomorrow saying that didn't understand the directions."
Kiego opened the door to find an older balding man. He was one of the administrators at the school and his face was reddened, "Mr. Xianelli. The board wishes to speak with you... is now a bad time?"
[Left Play Designs][Coffeehouse][DeviantArt]
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Weeks: 37/85/87/94/135/159/160/226
What does the board want to talk to me about? I haven't done anything...
He pushed those thoughts out of his mind for the moment, "Um, well I am in the middle of class, but they are getting started on a project they could probably administer themselves. If it is really urgent I think I could leave now. What's going on?"
[Left Play Designs][Coffeehouse][DeviantArt]
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"I have to leave class for some time, there's only twenty minutes of class left, so feel free to leave when you want."
Kiego then left the room, following the balding man to the board meeting.
[Left Play Designs][Coffeehouse][DeviantArt]
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Weeks: 37/85/87/94/135/159/160/226
"Well, you said the board needed to speak with me...?"
[Left Play Designs][Coffeehouse][DeviantArt]
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A barely noticeable tremble in his voice, Kiego began to address the board. "Well, you see it's just this unknown plant I've been studying. The only real interesting about it is that I can't manipulate it at all...there's not much else to it."
Kiego hoped that his answer would be enough to satisfy Gyri, but he had a sneaking suspicion that there was more going on here than he realized.
She definitely knows something about that plant...or desperately wants to know something. I just don't know if I can give her the information she wants.
[Left Play Designs][Coffeehouse][DeviantArt]
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Weeks: 37/85/87/94/135/159/160/226
He nervously put his hand to his forehead, brushing his hair, "I...I have no idea, I didn't even know that they had, I haven't been in the lab all day. Honestly, I really don't know why the Immortalis would be interested in it."
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"Yeah..."
[Left Play Designs][Coffeehouse][DeviantArt]
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"What...but...I'm sure this is just one big misunderstanding. Surely there's something else that can be done?"
[Left Play Designs][Coffeehouse][DeviantArt]
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"How long will I have to be gone then?"
[Left Play Designs][Coffeehouse][DeviantArt]
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"So...I have to leave right now?"
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"I...I guess I should return to my office and pack." he said to Gyri and the other staff, shaking his head.