Sanctify
Chapter 1 - One Triple Nine

The streets were filled with people hurrying home on the cold Wednesday night in winter. Los Angeles was always bustling but everyone had a bit more fervor in their steps this time that made young Noriko Xi quicken her pace as she jumped down the steps of the subway station entrance and tapped her card before passing through the turnstile. She heard the beeping of the train and knew she would just make –

Mavis Toppercani smiled to see Noriko walk along the train, her eyes searching each head for his. He lifted his bag and an old man sat down. Mavis frowned and looked up just in time to catch Noriko’s. He sighed and whispered, “Sorry. I was saving a seat for you but someone else needed it.”

Noriko shook her head and held onto a pole to keep steady. “It’s fine. I can stand,” she added, smiling so sweetly, Mavis stood.

“Take my seat,” he offered, attempting to shuffle out.

Noriko shook her head, “No, Mave, it’s fine. Sit down, we have a trek ahead of us. Get your energy up!”

Mavis looked her over and growled. He pushed past the older man and shoved Noriko in, past the man, and stood in the way so as to block off her exit. Mavis smiled, seeing Noriko sit back in the seat and when a closer seat opened up, the man next to her moved away so Mavis sat down. Mavis grinned rather gleefully at the predicament.

Noriko rolled here eyes, “You’re so much trouble.” The two had been friends for a long time and met at Professor Egas’s tutoring center two years ago. Only the brightest minds and most forthcoming of all youngsters survived the picking process and lasted through the classes. Mavis entered the program before Noriko, but because she shined much brighter than he did, he felt a strong need to protect her.

At that moment, however, Mavis rolled his eyes as a pair of grannies noticed them. Mavis turned to Noriko and whispered, “If you don’t look into their eyes, they won’t ask us to move.”

Noriko peered around Mavis and saw the two older ladies whispering to each other while eyeing them. She knew the rules but they were still farther away. Though he knew others would be able to move for the convenience of the older ladies, she stood and shooed Mavis. “Come on, we have a bit more and then we have to get off anyway,” she chided.

Mavis grumbled as he stood up but followed Noriko towards the side of the sleepy train as the two older ladies hurried over and sat down thankfully. And as the train tilted, Mavis grabbed Noriko’s hands and placed them on his jacket. “Hold on,” he murmured, blushing as he turned to face away from her, “to me. I’ll keep you safe.”

Noriko noticed his throat when he swallowed and the way his hands firmly rooted him to the train. She felt happy in that moment. Laughing at herself, she knew she would have to pay him back for making him stand instead of sitting comfortably. He had once mentioned that the rocking of the train reminded him of a car drive and that he enjoyed it.

Around them, she watched a pair of businessmen and some women chatter amongst themselves. It wasn’t natural, nor did her instructors promote it, but she shifted her gaze every so slightly and heard the conversation as clear as if they had all been standing right next to her.

One man expressed his concerns about the secure files on his computer as the women asked if the Y2K computer crash would be real. Mostly, the guys claimed it was just a rumor but had backed up their data so as to be safe and make it past the great rumored crash.

The other guy added to the group, “I heard that Sanctus crashed something known as the hub for hackers. Yup, we’re all doomed if those hackers get out.” It was then that the train jolted to a stop and she crashed into Mavis, who was surprised to see her so off balanced.

Mavis put his arm on Noriko’s shoulder and asked, “You okay?”

Noriko looked into his cool blue eyes and nodded. “Yeah. Is this our stop?”

Mavis’ eyes widened to see her so spaced out and tired. He hooked an arm under her to support her weight and grabbed her bag. “Yeah, let’s go.” They pushed their way off the train and stopped on the platform for a moment, next to a column so people could move around them. Mavis looked around and noticed the other train arriving. The doors opened and people filled the platform. He jumped up on the bench and noticed a familiar bright blue beanie over wavy blond hair. “Diane!” he shouted and the beanie turned, searching for the voice. A pair of big brown eyes saw Mavis and walked over, moving past the flurry of people.

Noriko frowned, slightly propped up by Mavis as Diane Emery slipped under her other arm, keeping her up on the other side. She looked deeply annoyed and when the elevator arrived, they got Noriko on and the doors closed behind them. “What the heck happened to you?” Diane demanded, visibly displeased with Noriko. When she got no answer, she turned to Mavis, “Well?”

As they got out of the elevator and to the next elevator that led to the street level, Mavis held onto their bags and Noriko. “She was fine one minute and then, I think she listened in on some people on the train. You know how she gets when we pull her out of one of her cycles before she detaches from them on her own,” Mavis squirmed under the accusing glare of Diane’s lioness eyes.

Inside the second elevator, Noriko breathed in deeply and opened her eyes, as if waking from a REM cycle of sleep. Refreshed and quite happy, she slid away from her two friends and turned to Diane, “Di, what do you think about the Y2K rumors?”

Diane rolled her eyes, “Don’t tell me you believe those. They’re just rumors. If anything happens, the Haven will respond.” The elevator doors opened and the three stepped out onto the chilled air of the 1999 winter.

But as they walked, the conversation continued as if they sat around a table and discussed it despite the huffing and puffing of catching signals and being on time. Noriko shook her head and insisted, “And what if they don’t catch it?”

Mavis thought for a moment and then asked, “You mean, if someone hacks the haven?”

Diane frowned and then replied, “No one can hack our haven. The security is a bit tougher than that. Come on, give me some credit,” she added, feigning insult, “I beat Cisco and Norton every year they put something out!”

But Noriko swept right over it and corrected, “Hacked the haven as a hacker.”

“Cracker,” Mavis put in.

“Right, cracker. It’s possible, right?” Noriko asked.

Diane was quiet for a moment as they crossed the main intersection and Professor Egas’ Haven for the Bright Minds facility at The Grove. No one said much as people streamed past them. Topher Chase held the elevator door open as the three got in, past the crowds. Topher grabbed Diane’s bag and smiled sweetly as she rolled her eyes. Not put off, Topher leaned over and side hugged her, sniffing her hair in the moment. “Mm, sweet,” was all he said.

They rode the elevator quietly, watching the numbers shoot by until they reached the lowest level and the doors opened. Hurrying down the hall, they stopped at a door shaped like a giant R2-D2 and Topher punched the passcode into the number pad. While waiting, Noriko pretended to be a robot and waved to the small robot, “He-llo Ka-non.” Her voice was stiff, like her movements. The air around R2-D2 let out and the door unlocked.

Mavis smiled and joined in, “Beep-beep-boo-beep-boop.” He saluted the small robot and Diane only rolled her eyes at their childish antics.

Topher pulled the door open, “Get in or stay out,” and the others hurried in quickly. Topher the reliable and faithful, it was only a miracle he was there. His parents hadn’t wanted him to play with the others. But, instead, he hung on and kept it a secret from his family just so that he could.

Behind R2-D2 was a foyer. Each took off their shoes and pulled on assigned slippers, tucking their shoes into their cubbies. They pulled off their jackets and hung them, before grabbing their bags and running down the hall to the interior rooms. The first to break off were Mavis and Diane, who waved and hurried into different classrooms. Topher moved quickly, Noriko on his heels. He saw his room and hurried through; waving to Noriko, “Tell the Professor there was traffic!”

Noriko rolled her eyes but before she could say anything, he disappeared through his doorway. Noriko hurried more, feeling time pass, and when she turned the corner, she saw her classroom. She jumped through to replace Professor Egas seated behind his desk, seven of the desks taken, one left open for her. She put down her bags and pulled out her notepad and pen.

She cleared her throat and asked, “Professor Egas, sir,” and as he turned to look her way, the others in the class did as well, their eyes filled with condescension and annoyance. Noriko swallowed and asked, “What is the prompt, sir?”

Professor Egas smiled and replied, “Write an essay on the fears of Y2K and determine whether or not they are rational.”

Noriko nodded and replied, “Thank you, Professor.” She bit her bottom lip and hurriedly scribbled away.

Professor Egas turned his hidden desk camera onto Noriko and pressed the red button. He knew of her abilities and for it to be found in an eight-year-old, it left him with many years to develop and train her. As he watched her, he saw her close her eyes and her hand moved before she opened her eyes, but from the camera mounted on the walls, he smiled when he saw her writing land on the lines with expert precision that no eight-year old would possess yet.

She was advancing very nicely.

On and on, she wrote, her eyes opened wide and closed completely at times. She wrote confidently, in pen, without erasing, and fully versed. When she finished and put down her pen, thirteen pages sat next to her. She slumped over, resting her forehead on her arms. Professor Egas recognized it as her dream REM state and watched the others finish up their eighth page. He smiled and sat back. “Two minutes,” he announced.

Noriko was silent for the two minutes but as soon as it was up, she lifted her head, her eyes clear and her body strong. Professor Egas couldn’t explain it any more than having the only eight-year-old in his special class filled with kids at least seven years older than her. It was tough and he knew she didn’t get along completely with the other kids, but they respected her because she had earned it.