Agent Atlantis

Chapter 10-The EAUD

Luke wished he was invisible. And it wasn't because he was in trouble.

But because he was the center of attention.

His life had been going smoothly until that point; a few hours ago, Collins had dropped him off at the front gate with a newly procured student ID, discussing all the preparations with the guard stationed there. Luke probably should've been paying attention, but he had been busy gawking at the campus: a beautiful skyscraper smack dab in the middle of the lawn, surrounded by grass, trees, and dilapidated buildings.

"You've gotta be kidding me," Luke had said once Collins led him through the gate without a hitch. "Who's living in those ruins?"
Collins laughed, as if he had been enjoying Luke's anguish. "You are. Those are the student faculties."

"And where are you going to stay? There?" Luke pointed to a nearby building that was the size of an apartment complex, but with cracks and holes in the cement.

"Don't be silly. My office and dorm is in there." He pointed to the luxurious skyscraper—the Tsipas center, named after the headmaster—with a grin. "I had to live through hell here for four years. I'm not going back."

"I might just switch sides again," Luke muttered.

The captain's face went pale at that. "C'mon, it isn't that bad. The EAUD's been getting more funds."
"EAUD?"

"The East Artenian Universal Defence. The board has been building new things . . . Like that." Collins pointed to the eastern edge of the campus, where Luke observed a huge stadium build kind of like a Colosseum.

"Am I going to be living there?" Luke asked.

"Er . . . probably not."

"Then why the hell would I care?"

Collins gave up trying to trick him. "Look, Luke. The EAUD might look like this, but it's not as bad as you might think. It kind of has a . . . rustic charm to it. If you need any help, feel free to call me—but not too often." Collins smiled at him. "I'm going to do some work. I'll see you later."

At that, the captain walked away. Luke tried to follow Collins, but he merely gave him a dismissive wave, then sicced a passing student onto him.

Oh well, the boy had thought as he watched Collins disappear into the glass lobby of the skyscraper. It can't be that bad—we're in the most civilized country on the continent.

Oh, but it was much worse. Agents are exempt from paying taxes, and it seems like they are also exempt from acceptable shelter.

If the outside of the structures was bad, the inside looked like a horror movie. The other boy, Pietro, didn't talk much, walking through the rickety door that was being held up by only the middle hinge.

This ought to be good, Luke thought in anticipation. He wasn't expecting anything glassy and gilded as the West Artenian one, but a cozy, mahogany floored room with dozens of bookshelves would do the trick.

When he walked inside, his eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets in shock. Forget the mahogany—with cracked fake-marble as a floor, Luke was happy that their weren't any holes he could fall through. The shelves looked rickety and as if they would collapse under the weight of the dusty books. On the crumbling cement walls was a poster of a man smiling with the words, Success is Everywhere. But given how it was half-scratched out, Luke didn't think anyone beleived him.

Under flickering lights was a group of several dozen students. They were sitting in rickety chairs and at chipped tables. The only thing that looked even remotely close to new were their pencils—dull, mechanical ones. As the boys entered, they some of them turned to look at the newcomers, but quickly focused back onto their tests. Something important must be going on.