In Serpent's Embrace: Chapter 3-Interstellar Academic Quiz Bowl Pt 2
#3 of In Serpent's Embrace
In Serpent's Embrace
Chapter 3-Interstellar Academic Quiz Bowl Pt 3
Jacob was looking out the window, watching the clouds as they pass by. The trip from the school to his hometown, Alantica City, took a few hours. Based off the description of Atlantis from Pluto's stories, the city had canal's that converged on a central tower, which sat over the central harbor. Jacob's mother had a mansion built on top of the central tower, so she could feel better then those who live on the lower levers. Jacob felt the Skylimo descend knowing they were near to their destination. Jacob looked down and saw the bustling city. Skycars, sky trains, and starships flying to and from the city, like ants coming and going from an anthill.
Atlantica City was one of the largest cities on earth, right behind New York City, Chicago, and Berlin. It was constructed 4 centuries ago by Jacob's ancestor, in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean for the purpose of a midpoint for early skyvehicles so they could travel from the Americas, to Eurasia and Africa. During the time as space expansion and early trade with alien races, the city quickly took the jump to become a port for Earth and Space travel. The city quickly became a powerhouse as well as the capital to the Raymond corporate empire. After his grandfather died, his mother was the only daughter with enough experience to run the company.
Jacob could now see his mother's mansion. He never called it home because it never felt like home. Just some place he stayed for a few days, then went back to school, his true home. After high school, Jacob had plans to move to an apartment in Chicago, close to his friends.
The Skylimo came down on the landing pad and the pilot shut her down. Jacob stepped out of the vehicle and made his way through the garden of roses that his mother loved so dearly. It separated the mansion's large patio from the landing platform. In reality, the garden was more like a maze about a waste high and had different turns and dead ends. Jacob traveled through it enough that he knows it by heart.
He entered through the patio door and no one was there to greet him. No surprise, Jacob thought. The staff was always doing this and that regarding his mother's orders. Jacob made his way up to his room, on the third floor of the four-story mansion. Up the flights of stairs and down the hallway, he came towards some double doors. He opened the doors, walked in, closed the doors, and placed his bags on the large king sized bed. As soon he had done so he heard a knock on the door behind him. He opened the door and saw one of the staff members standing in the doorway.
"The Mistress is requesting your presence in her office," the man said walking away after delivering the message.
Jacob found this weird. Normally he and his mother tried to avoid each other. When they did bump into each other, it ended with a beating. He swallowed and made his way to the forth floor were his mother had the entire floor to herself. Jacob walked up to her office and knocked on the door.
"Come in," came a stern voice from behind it. Jacob opened the door and stepped through. His mother was sitting behind her desk while looking at the computer screen that was infused to her desk. She looked up through her glasses at him. She had the same soft features as Jacob. She was the same height and had long brown hair, just as he did. She had brown eyes and has never once smiled since his father left. She said in her stern voice, "We are having a guest over tonight, I'm expecting you to be on your best behavior. Don't ruin the night for me."
Jacob nodded his head and walked out of her office, back down to his room. For the next few hours, Jacob spent his time waiting in his bedroom for this 'guest' to come.
Sometime later, the doorbell rang. He made his way down the stairs where he found the house's staff and his mother waiting. When he was standing by his mother, the doorman opened the door. There stood a man, 6'2", wearing a blue polo t-shirt and a pair of kaki pants. He was quite muscular, and seemed to have a standard military haircut. His high cheek bones and brown eyes made him look quite stern in the face.
He walked in, took Jacob's mother's hand, lifted it up to his lips and kissed it. "A beautiful house for a beautiful woman," he said.
Jacob's mother smiled, which shocked Jacob. She never smiled, especially after his father left. Then the man turned to Jacob and held out his hand, "And this must be the man of the house. Hello, I'm Chuck Normand."
Jacob took his hand and shook it and nearly winced when Chuck squeezed it, "Uh, Jacob Thompson." I replied
"Haha, I know. Your mother talks a lot about you all the time," Chuck replied, that threw Jacob into a loop. His mother talking about him, what dimensional rift did he past through on his way here?
As the evening progressed, Chuck's attention turned to Jacob. Which Jacob could notice, was irritating his mother. While they were eating, Jacob thought this was his chance.
"Um, mom, there is this thing going on with the schools of the IRS and neighboring states. They are having this academic bowl to see which school is best," he looked at his mother who had a look of 'I don't give a rat's ass' but wiped it off when Chuck turned to her.
"Oh, well that will be interesting," she replied in a pleasant voice.
"Um, Mrs. Stinheart, my Geography of the Earth and Astrology of the Milky Way Instructor, suggest that I help represent Ferdinand High." Jacob said. "She says all my instructors agree and all I need is your permission."
Jacob's mother then asked, "What is it we get in return if you win?"
"The school that wins will get money for new supplies, and the students representing the school, get full scholarships to any university that accepts them." Jacob replied.
"That seems like a wonderful idea," Chuck piped in, "for a smart boy like Jacob, it would also make your family very popular across the known galaxy."
Jacob's mother mused over the possibilities, "Well, ok, but I'm expecting good things." She smiled.
Thank you Chuck, thought Jacob.
As the night came to a close, Chuck left for home and so did the nice mother that Jacob never knew.
"Ok you little bastard, go to your room and don't come out for the rest of the night," she said, "and you better win the bowl thing of yours, or you will be looking for a new home."
She left for her office and Jacob went to his room.
*******
While riding in his Skycar, Chuck pulled out his compad and typed a few things into it. A computerized voice said, "Voice authorization code please."
Chuck replied, "Code 219347," which received a confirming beep. Then the holographic image of another man appeared floating above the compad. "Sir, I found him, he was with her the whole time," Chuck spoke to the image.
"Good, I'll be sending Carol to keep a close eye on him," A male voice from the compad responded.
"And the mother?" asked Chuck
The image smiled and said, "I know how you like to play with your prey, have fun, just make sure the boy is protected."
"Yes sir," Chuck's confirmed.
The image disappeared and Chuck sat in comfortable silence with a smile on his face.
*******
The man from the hologram sat in silence, thinking of the boy, he reached over and pressed a button on his desk. Images of the boy appeared above his desk, images and holo recordings that Chuck sent to him before calling.
"Sixteen years, Sixteen years and I've found you," said the man, a smile spread across his face and a tear rolled down his cheek.
******
Jacob lay on his bed and looked at the ceiling, he had a big smile plastered on his face. He was able to get his mother to say yes to something. Give or take he had to get someone's help, but he did it. He was so excited that he was going to the academic bowl.
For the entire weekend, all Jacob did was study for the quiz bowl. When Monday rolled around, Jacob got up earlier then normal. He showered, got dressed, ate breakfast, and then headed off to school.
A few hours later, after disposing of his thing in his room, Jacob was standing in the school courtyard waiting for his friends at Ferdinand's statue. When Becca, Felix, Brittany, and Javelin arrived they exchanged stories of how their weekend went.
Becca and Felix spent their weekend skiing in the Alps, and Brittany and Javelin went to Hawaii. Jacob explained his plans for the quiz bowl. The others congratulated him with a hug, and patted him on the back. Then he saw Elizabeth. His heart leapt when he saw she was heading their way.
"Hey Jacob," she said with a smile, "You remember when you said you would help me?"
"Y-yeah, we forgot to...um, set a time when," Jacob replied.
"Yeah, can we do it after like, about 6 or so, today in the library?" she asked.
"Yeah, sounds good," Jacob, answered. She then smiled, walked away toward her friends, and headed to the school. While Jacob stared longingly after her, Felix and Javelin began chuckling.
"Man, you need to ask her out for Gods sake," said Felix.
"Yeah man, you are letting that fine piece of ass walk away," Javelin said, earning a slap in the back of the head from Brittany. "Oh come on baby you know I was joking," Javelin said.
All Brittany did was walk away while the others laugh at Javelin's slip of the tongue. He went chasing after her to say how sorry he was.
"Man I thought Avora Devils were suppose to be loyal mates," Felix said when he couldn't stop laughing.
Becca replied, "Yeah, but he is still a man, so his dick does most of the thinking."
They heard the warning bell telling them school was about to begin. They said their goodbyes and made their way to class.
When Geography of Earth rolled around, Jacob gave Mrs. Stinheart the good news that his mother agreed for him to participate. Mrs. Stinheart was so pleased. She knew this was a good thing for Jacob.
For Jacob, the rest of the day was uneventful, and he hasn't run into Jeremy today. Jacob felt like he was on the top of the world. After class he headed to the dorms to take a quick shower, to prepare for his tutoring with Elizabeth. When 5:45 blinked on his clock, he headed toward the library. When he got there Elizabeth was already sitting at a table with some stuff out.
Elizabeth smiled when she saw him coming. "Thanks again for the help Jacob, it really means a lot."
Hearing her say that made Jacob's heart soar. He let this goofy smile spread across his face and sat next too her saying, "My pleasure...so what is it you need help on?" he asked. While looking at the different books on the table, he made the guess that it was history and math.
She replied, "History of the Republic and Geometry," yep just as Jacob thought.
"Ok, lets start with history," said Jacob, and for 2 hours he tutored her until she got it. Then she said she had a date with Jeremy to get ready for, in which she ended up leaving.
After they went their separate ways, Jacob decided to take a short cut through the park that's on campus. He then noticed a few shadows around him were moving. Then he saw someone step out of the bushes ahead of him. It was none other then Jeremy, and he looked pissed. Jacob looked behind him, and noticed some of Jeremy's buddies were guarding his only retreat. Jacob and Jeremy knew, no one will hear him scream.
Jeremy walked up to Jacob while his two friends grabbed him from behind. "You have no freaky alien friends or teachers to help you this time princess," and with that the beating began. First a blow to the head, then to the stomach, then another blow to his face that knocked him out of Jeremy's friends' arms.
Jacob could feel conciseness slipping away as they continued to kick him. He eventually let himself slip into unconciseness.