Aberrant: Mutant High - Late Arrival

[Rorx]

A tall figure appears out of the darkness and light snow walking down the road towards the Lawerence Hunt Academy. As it gets closer the figure resolves into a tall young man with a backpack on his back, a duffel bag balanced and held on his right shoulder and a guitar case in his left.

Nathan didn't seem to feel the cold and had no problem carrying his bags, but he still regretted having to leave his pickup half a state away. It had managed to make it most of the way from Wyoming, but had developed a problem just before he crossed over into New York state. Although he had spent an hour trying to track it down the cause of the problem eluded him and he had eventually had to admit defeat and leave it at a garage. After that it had taken another day to sort out a variety of buses and trains to make it this far. In the process he had burned through most of the little cash his dad had given him for the trip. Once he arrived in the town closest to the school he had considered getting a cab the rest of the way, but the antimutant graffiti he had been faced with when he got off the bus was enough to put that idea to rest. Instead he had used his mobile to get a local map and set off to walk the rest of the way.

A couple of hours later and he finally approached the school gates and pressed the button on the intercom. After a long delay, and a couple more presses a voice crackles in reply, "Yeah, wattcha want?"

Nathan sighed briefly at the attitude of the responce but then considered the attitude of some of the locals in town as well.

"I want in to be blunt. I'm a new student, Nathan Scott. I would have been here yesterday but my car brokedown on the drive here."

"Hang on, I'll have to go find yesterdays day list."

"Look man, it's cold out here, it's still snowing a little and I've just had to walk out fom town to get here. How about you at least let me in to somewhere warm while you check me out heh?"

[Rorx]

There was a pause and then the man replied reluctantly, "I'll send a car out while I find the paperwork. They can then be ready to either bring you in or give you a lift back to town."

Nathan smiled slightly, "Cheers, that would be good."

A ride is better than walking any day.

While he waited he put his duffel bag down then place his guitar case on top of that, to keep it out of the shallow snow on the ground.

A few minutes later Nathan heard a soft whine as an electric car approached and then the gates opened. Pulling up next to him the driver leaned across and opened the passenger side door.

"Put your stuff in the back kid, you've been cleared already."

With a click the trunk unlocked, and Nathan heard the door close again as he walked around to put his bags into the car.

Nathan was soon sitting in the warm car, "Thanks for the lift."

"No problem kid. Don't worry about Jenkins, he can be a lazy arsehole at times but he doesn't mean any harm by it. Because of that he tends to go by the paperwork more than most of us. I remembered your name from yesterdays sheet, the Director made a comment about it when you didn't show."

That made Nathan feel a little better about coming to this place, at least someone had noticed when he didn't arrive on time. "Yeah, my car broke down just after I got in to New York state. I probably wasted more time than I should trying to fix it myself before getting it to a garage. So I ended up having to spend the night there and come on by bus and train today."

The guard, Snyder by his name tag, gave Nathan a brief glance, taking in his practical jeans and all weather coat, "Got your own car? What make?"

"Just my dad's old pickup, he got himself a newer one about a year ago."

[Rorx]

Snyder nods in understanding, this new kid didn't look, or act as though he was particularly wealthy, unlike some that ended up here.

"I'll take you into reception, they should have your welcome pack and some idea of where your room is."

Nathan nods, looking at the approaching buildings and grounds as he replies, "Ok, thanks. Glad to here they'll be able to sort out my room for me tonight."

As he scans the grounds a brief glimmer of light attracts his attention down by the lake.

"What's that down there?"

Snyder glances over then his expression becomes wooden and he stares straight ahead, "Thats the boathouse down by the lake. All closed up at this time of year, nothing going on there. By the waythe Director has arranged a New Year party in the main common room for some of the students."

"Seems like the Director's a decent guy?"

"Best man I've ever worked for, that's for sure. Anyway, here we go."

Nathan thanked him and got out, retrieving his bags from the trunk and heading into the reception area. A guard behind the counter signed Nathan in and gave him an information pack along with directions as to how to find his room. He also told Nathan of the party in the common room and commented that it was probably the best place to grab some food at this time of night.

Within quarter of an hour, after a few wrong turnings, Nathan had found his room, although the lack of lights or noise on the rest of the corridor suggested that either it was abandoned or that they were all out. Deciding that food and perhaps meeting people was more important than unpacking Nathan simply put his bags on his bed, leant his guitar against a desk chair and left the room to look for the party. However, curiousity over what had changed the guards demeanor so much overcome his faint hunger, so it was outside to find the boathouse that he went....