In the days to come, Sasha would be doing zir end to get ready for school.
The first of which was to set up zir room, which ended up being very goth, as Renee referred to it. Everything was red and black, even the gorgeous wooden desk that Sasha got was black stained with what ze was told was coyotes carved into it on either side. The desk had drawers on either side of the bottom, and then the top of it was a flat surface up front and small bookshelves to the back of it. The desk was Sasha's favorite of all the furniture we got, but there was also a dresser, a nightstand, a full-sized bookshelf, and curtains for the window. Sasha also got toiletries, candles, clothes, and a laptop, which ze was told ze would need for school. Renee also made sure that Sasha got a mouse and the only headset that we could wear for the laptop.
The second day was spent going to the school doctors and getting vaccinated, which was really difficult mentally for Sasha because it was so remnant of zir time in the facility. Sasha made it through with the help of Renee comforting zir as ze froze and dissociated. The doctor did only one vaccination that they said would deal with any unnatural cells, including cancer. The system notified zir of changes to zir status including poison resistance and neutralization of diseases. Sasha still spent the rest of the day in zir room trying to shake the feeling the doctors gave zim.
The third day, Sasha had to see a different doctor to be set up for ongoing therapy. There wasn't enough time for Sasha to talk about all the things that had been done to zim, even knowing there were things zir purged from zir memories. It remained brief, for now, because that doctor would take the information and set Sasha up with the best therapist for zim long-term. Sasha was a little messed up from that, but since ze didn't have to go into detail, it was much easier to recover from before dinner that night.
The final day was now upon Sasha, and he would be taking a test for the school.
Sasha was woken up early by Kat knocking on the door. Sasha knew that cat had taken time off of work just to be sure that Sasha would be able to make it to the school and have enough time for the test, so ze was quick to get a move on and make sure ze wasn't making things any harder for Kat.
Sasha was dressed in a nicely fitted, orange blouse with a loose flowing bottom and black, high-waisted skinny capris that left zir paws out. Unfortunately, Earth didn't have shoes for demons in their repertoire. Sasha tried to not get caught up on that and then went about the rest of zir routine, keeping in mind the time.
When Sasha got down to the kitchen, Kat turned and said, "Oh! I really like this outfit, today."
"Thank you." Sasha smiled, much more naturally after several days of practice.
"You're gonna need nutrients to get yourself kick-started for the day."
Kat passed Sasha a cup full of blood, as per usual, now.
Sasha thought about how Seamus had to ask a butcher for gallons of blood in 5 gallon jugs. Ze just remembered how concerned Seamus was that he'd end up on a watch list or something like that.
Sasha chuckled at all of the questions about summoning something Seamus had got, and then quickly sucked up the cup of blood. Ze was very grateful for the family's effort in making this a home for zim. Ze didn't know if anything better existed because this was the best ze ever felt, and it left zim happy and content.
All the differences stood out when Sasha went into public. The staring and pointing, people not understand what ze was saying, and people clearly avoiding contact with zim, altogether, left zim concerned about school and how it would go being surrounded by people's scrutiny. It was painful in a way ze never imagined.
Sasha tried to push the thoughts away and waited for Kat to come back.
"You look forlorn. Is everything okay, dear?" Kat asked with a confused look.
"Yeah. Just worried about going into public. It's very uncomfortable."
"Just try to think happy thoughts until we can come back home, okay?"
"I'll do my best."
"That's all anyone could ever ask of you. I'm proud of you."
"Thank you."
"Anytime."
Kat grabbed her purse, and Sasha followed her out to the car. Renee came up behind them, just as they had cleared the door. She had a backpack on and was wearing a black T-shirt with a depiction and black jeans that went all the way down to her black shoes. Renee stopped Sasha and hugged zim.
"You've got this, okay, Sasha?"
"Thank you. I really needed that."
"No problem, sis." Renee winked and got in the back seat.
Sasha got in the passenger seat because it was the only one that could give zim enough room to actually sit.
The drive was quiet, which made Sasha's stress about things to come stand out even more, so ze kept counting things because it was the only that ever helped calm zir nerves before. It was a huge relief when they finally pulled into the parking lot and got out.
Renee hurried off, waving back, as soon as the car doors closed and locked.
When Sasha looked up from Renee is when we realized that the building was absolutely massive in every regard. It looked nothing like the house because all of the windows were reinforced with metal, and the walls were all cement, as Sasha learned it was called. It was yellow with a red strip running through the middle, horizontally, all the way around. Only one wall was the exception, which Sasha figured to be the entrance because it was made entirely of stone with two big glass doors that guards were standing outside of.
The guards gave Sasha a weird look, but just scanned zim with a plastic thing and let zim through.
Kat led the way up to the front desk and stopped.
"I am here for Sasha Thornbury's placement exams." Kat said the the person there who was older and looked ready for a fight.
"I will need copies of Sasha's immunizations, Social Security, and Photo Identification, including but not limited to a driver's license."
Kat handed over the papers she had and the person looked at the birth certificate, then Sasha, and finally scanned them.
"Doctor Hawthorne has made it his prerogative to test every new student personally this year, to avoid any mishaps. He is in the back most door on the left side. If he is not there when you get there, please wait a few minutes for him to arrive. I will notify him now, okay?"
"Sounds good. Thank you very much."
Kat then left with Sasha close behind and followed the directions. They ended up at a plain wooden door with an ornate, gold colored plaque that Sasha assumed to say "Dr. Hawthorne," but couldn't read to know for sure.
As soon as they knocked the door opened, "Sorry, sorry about the wait. I just had to grab some coffee, you know how it is."
The person behind the door was an older man, signified by his salt and pepper hair, and his glasses that looked to be magnifying lenses from the thickness. He had a dark beard that was long but well kept, and a walking stick that made him look regal, along with his collared white shirt and blue, button up vest.
"No worries." Kat said.
"Where are my manners? Let me introduce myself. I am Doctor John Hawthorne. You must be Sasha, yes?"
Sasha nodded.
"Well, I'll have you sit over here and we'll get right into this, alright?"
Sasha nodded, again, before following Dr. Hawthorne to the chair he had pulled out.
"We will be evaluating what would be the best courses for you to take, today. It will include reading comprehension and mathematics. Of course, we offer far more than just those in our establishment, but those things are the basis for learning other things, generally."
"I actually can't read. I was taught to speak. As far as math, I can do it if you read it out loud and show me any diagrams."
"Well, I will see what I can do. Were you homeschooled?"
"I have never been to a school. My first language is nothing like English, unfortunately, but I believe math is a language shared by all. I can learn very quickly, though, so anything you can do to help me…"
"I think it would be best to forgo the standard evaluation, and for me to create an individual education plan. I would hate to put you in classes you couldn't get anything from or let you go on without the basic skills everyone needs to have. I will have to forewarn that I would need to check in regularly to make sure you aren't given anything more than you can handle. I will make sure to set up for you to learn as much English as you can this year, though. Your ability to speak it well lends to being able to pick it up better in the long run, fortunately."
"Thank you, Dr. Hawthorne. I won't let you down."
"Oh heavens, I'm not worried about that. I pride myself in being able to have faith in the younger people I educate. Instead, I'll show you where your class will be, for now. I also need to show you where the medical and behavioral wings are."
Kat and Sasha followed Dr. Hawthorne through the door and up some flights of stairs to the third floor that was laid out in a grid. They ended up in a room that was in the southwest corner of the floor. Sasha made note of the room's location.
Sasha was really intrigued to see so many people in one place all doing the same thing. Everyone looked so different from zimself, but also from one another. They all seemed to be tuned into a much older person pointing to things on a giant monitor and would occasionally look down to write something or type something into devices that all looked like Sasha's laptop and really small monitors that didn't have cables. It was a breathtaking sight, having never really encountered many people.
Sasha wondered if ze would fit in at all, even in just this classroom. Ze didn't like the idea of not being able to fit in because not fitting in meant that there would be all the ramifications of being special, again. Being special meant being tortured.
Sasha shivered, despite not being cold, and the feeling lingered like an itch. Ze started to scratch at zir face and neck, compulsively.
"Sasha?" Dr. Hawthorne asked, in a hushed tone.
"Yes?"
"We should talk more about what happened to you."
"What do you mean?"
"Your whole demeanor has changed. You are shaking and scratching at yourself. Let's go talk about this somewhere else."
"Okay."
Kat and Sasha followed Dr. Hawthorne back to his office. Once he closed the door, he said, "What ails you, Sasha?"
"I am just so tired of being tested on. I was in a facility, I never saw the outdoors, and they did all kinds of experiments on me. I don't ever want to end up there, again. I ran far away, to here. I still feel like I won't seem normal, and I want to be normal to be left alone. I don't want to go back in a box with a metal, vault door, or get prodded with needles and blades, or be lied to just to see how I would react. It makes my skin itch and itch."
"Sasha, none of that is going to happen to you, I promise. I would put my life behind my mouth. You are safe here. No box, no needles, no lies. No one here has any desire to harm you. We are just here to teach you and make sure you're able to live a prosperous life. Am I allowed to help you?"
"What-what do you have in mind?"
"I would like to give you access to a medication that you can choose to take or not, and then push for a psychiatrist to help diagnose what you are facing. They would be able to tell you why they want to give you a medication that they are prescribing. I also think more therapy would be very useful for you. It is possible there would be no other medications, but that entirely depends on what you are going through. I am sorry you are going through this. I want to help you succeed, Sasha. I want to help you lead a new life in the ways that I can, here at the school."
"I- I will take the medication, but… I have to be the one to give it to myself."
"The doctor will give you directions as to how to take it. They will be on the bottle should you need to be reminded. You will have complete control. I just want to let you know, in case you wish to stop taking it, that there are things that can be changed to help you, so please let a doctor know before you stop taking it."
"I am okay with that."
"Let me put it in the system before I show you where you will be getting them in the future."
Dr. Hawthorne went to his desk for some time, taping on a board of keys.
"Alright, follow me." Dr. Hawthorne said as he was getting up.
This time they all went up to the second floor and just kept going straight down the hall. There was someone behind the desk talking to another person wearing a lab coat in front of it, who turned at Dr. Hawthorne's arrival.
"This is Sasha, right, Doctor?" The person wearing a lab coat asked.
"Yes. If you could take Sasha back and tell Sasha the details, after they retrieve their medication."
"I will wait here then."
"I appreciate it."
The person behind the desk waived to Sasha with gloved hands and put a screw-top bottle up on the desk.
"I'm Jenny, the pharmacist. This is what you have been prescribed. The psychiatrist, Dr. Garcia over there, will help you further."
"Follow me, if you'd please?" Dr. Garcia opened a door next to him.
Sasha and Kat followed Dr Garcia through the door, down the hall and into a room on the left, and Dr. Garcia closed the door behind them.
Dr. Garcia started asking questions, all about Sasha. It felt like forever to Sasha, as ze explained everything ze remembered, the feelings ze had, and answered some questions that didn't feel very pertinent or felt like they were making more of something than it really was. Sasha just felt on edge, and went through every mood imaginable to zim.
By the time Dr. Garcia had finished writing on a clipboard that was in the room and stopped asking questions, Sasha felt raw and worn.
"Alright. I am sorry about all the hard questions today. I have come up with a treatment path for what I can be sure of and I will talk to my colleagues about the rest. I will prescribing you two more medications. Take one of each of these medications, twice a day, and the same for the one Dr. Hawthorn prescribed, as well. Take each round twelve hours apart for the most effectiveness. They should all be a powder you can mix with fluid. Please don't stop taking them until we've had time to talk about it, okay?"
"Yes. I understand." Sasha nodded.
Dr. Garcia led them back out to the pharmacy, where Sasha received the two other medications from Jenny.
Dr. Hawthorn was still waiting by the pharmacy, and spoke, "Take the next few days to rest and take care of yourself before you come back into school. I will set you up with a reading tutor who is very talented when it comes to working with others. Her name is Lyrica Underwood. It was nice to meet you, Sasha. May Hawthorne Academy serve you well."
With that, Hawthorne left. Kat and Sasha soon were back in the car.
"I'm sorry about today, Sasha. I really had no idea any of this was going to happen." Kat quietly spoke up.
"It's not your fault. I'm not upset, just worn out. It's scary trusting people you've never known, too, even if you can see that they sincerely want to help you and care about your problems. I want to be okay, though. I want to be free, and if this is how…"
"I am proud of you. What you have been through is a lot, but you made it through that. I believe in you." Kat smiled, gently.
"Thank you."
"Anytime, Sasha, really. It's the truth."
"Could you see if Dr. Hawthorne would be willing to send the tutor, Lyrica I believe, to the house. I don't want to spend my time resting. I want to learn because I need something to keep me busy. I really believe I can do it, if it's just one person."
"Are you sure? I just want to check that you are certain you want to do this."
"Yeah, I'm sure. I want to really bad."
"I'm sure I can get Dr. Hawthorne to do that. I'll call when we get home, okay?"
"Okay. Thank you."
"For sure, Sasha." Kat smiled again before starting the car.
The car was quiet on the way home, but not in an uncomfortable way. Sasha looked at the scenery the buildings made, all the colorfully designed walls, and all the different people walking on the side walks. Most people seemed to be on a mission and were frustrated at the lights, but some seemed like they had nowhere to go. It was completely indiscernible to Sasha as to why, but it was confusing to see people without a strong purpose.
To Sasha not having a driving purpose made all that ze had been through not worth it, and having a purpose had given zim hope. Life without hope sounded worse than anything ze could imagine. Ze needed to believe in something better for zimself for so long that being without it was terrifying. Maybe it was because these people didn't experience the things ze had that they were able to, but ze refused to discredit people and just decided to leave it up to misunderstanding on zir part.
"Hey, Kat. What do you do?"
"What do you mean?"
"You said you have to take off work for today."
"Oh! I am a water resource specialist. I work diligently to make sure that we have water in Coyote Pueblo that is safe to drink. I mostly make sure that the regulations are applied correctly. I also work with laboratory workers who run tests on the water and teams that research ways to make the water better with less environmental damage."
"What does Seamus do?"
"Seamus is the CEO of Desert Ways. He makes deals with the government on road construction for the company and making sure that all the little moving parts of this big machine are operating as effectively as possible. Don't ask him about it, though, he believes work stays at work and, I believe, he doesn't want to be seen as a money hungry kind of person. He actually puts his money into Hawthorne Academy to make sure it has the resources to teach every student they can take on the very best, just like he was. He also has donated a lot to local charities, too."
"You guys gave me everything, too… " Sasha started to tear up.
"Oh, Sasha. We choose to give unto others who are in need. We want to put our money on the line to make life better for as many people as we can, however we can. You needed a home and parents, and we can give you that, okay?"
"Okay. Thank you. It just means a lot to me that you guys do this all for me."
"For sure, Sasha. You're welcome."
Kat smiled once more before they got out of the car.
Once Sasha got up to zir room, ze flopped on the bed.
System, what were those items you said I had?
You have a Form Pill and a decorated gun. I do not advise having the gun on Earth until you are of legal age, though.
What does the Form Pill do?
It will remake your entire body to be a true demon body; however, you will look very different. You also would become stronger, faster, and you would gain the magic eyesight trait. It was a gift from the gods to you when you became a demon.
Became a demon?
You were originally a Tulki, but the experimentation actually turned you into a demon. That is what gave us the right to act on your behalf.
Honestly, that's a lot.
I would like to warn you that taking the pill would make your body inoperable for 3 days as your body remakes itself, and it will make a large mess that I don't recommend letting others see. They do not understand that your current body is a machine. The technology on Morinth 284C was much further along than Earth's.
So, it was good that I left that out?
Yes.
Noted.
One final thing, it has been arranged for you to receive a device that would allow you to physically interact with the system. It would also allow you to do many other things, but that would be its primary purpose. It also has an artificial intelligence named analyst that would be able to help you out, and it can be in whatever language you would like it to function in, multiple even. Would you like the device?
Yes, I would. Thank you.
No problem. Here.
A device the looked like a pane of glass was now resting in Sasha's hands. Sasha looked all around it for buttons, but there were none.
Triple tap one of the flat sides.
Sasha did as directed and it turned on showing an interface that ze wasn't familiar with.
"Hello. I am Analyst. Will you please tell me your name?"
"I am Aleksandria Thornbury, but please just call me Sasha."
"Perfect! In order to set everything up for you, I will need permission to use my function to find all the information I need to best provide you future services. May I use location functions?"
"You may."
"I see you are located in Coyote Pueblo, New Mexico of the United States, a country on the planet Earth. Is that correct?"
"Correct."
"I see they use nine digit phone numbers for communication there. Let me provide you with the one you have been assigned by the Boons and Banes System. You may be contacted at this number."
A number hung on the screen, and Sasha took a minute to remember it.
"Do you have an email?"
"I don't know what that is."
"Alright. I can create one for you. It is another form of electronic correspondence that Earth's inhabitants use."
"Okay. Can you make me one?"
"Is sasha.thornbury@bnb.com sufficient?"
"Yes."
"Is the location you are at where you would like to receive mail? Or would you prefer I arranged to have a PO rift you can access anywhere set up?"
"PO rift, please?"
"Done. Just let me know if you ever want to enter it."
"I have been provided a date of birth of April 22 of the year 2381. Is that correct?"
"Yes."
"Finally, press each of your fingers individually to the screen, so that I may confirm your identity and keep your phone secure."
Sasha did as directed, then a prompt showed for language. Sasha selected Tulki for now, as that was the only language that ze could read. Then it started to make more sense how the device worked, but to be sure ze went through the settings and played around.
Sasha managed to figure out where all of the applications were to view everything related to the system, like: zir stats, balance, magic, even the shop that was mentioned.
The most interesting thing to Sasha was actually the shop because, as far as ze could tell, ze could buy anything, even from other galaxies or planets. Sasha knew that this shop would be incredibly valuable as a resource.
When Sasha finally gave up trying to find something the shop didn't have, ze looked at the magic and noticed that there were notifications for unselected magic abilities. Ze was really tempted to select things, but had no idea what would be useful to zim. Ze decided to be patient and pick out the perfect skills, in hopes of making a successful life for zimself.
Sasha wondered about what ze would even do to be successful. Ze had no idea what a person could be on Earth. Ze decided to look up what professions there were on Earth.
Sasha trolled through everything for hours, and there were several things that sounded interesting. Ze was intrigued by mechanics, technology fabrication, and being a cop sounded like something ze was passionate about, justice. Ze found that cops had recently become a lot more because the military was mostly broken down, and the police force became the place most of them went. There were a lot of jobs to do within the police force that didn't really involve conflict or arrests, but Sasha was most interested in the takedowns of criminals and making the world a better place for others. It was a scary proposition to put your own life on the line, though.
Sasha felt a large pull to mechanics, even more now that it wasn't particularly life threatening, and the moving machines with a purpose sounded so incredible. Of all the machines ze had seen, vehicles were the most alluring with their whirring, roaring, and speed. Sasha really wanted to learn how to build them, entirely, and make zir own powerful vehicle. Ze wanted to make it efficient, powerful, and to bring something new to the table.
Sasha decided that would be the most satisfying achievement for zir to reach. Ze could feel a fire start to burn in zir heart.
"Analyst, when I get back I have an assignment for you."
"Your wish is my command."
With that Sasha got up and went to find Kat in the kitchen.
"Hey, Kat."
"Yes, Sasha?"
"What would be considered a powerful vehicle?"
"I think a truck of some kind would be. Why?"
"If I bought one and worked on it, would that be okay?"
"I don't see why not, as long as you're safe. The garage should be big enough for everything you need and we don't put anything in there. How did you plan on getting it here?"
"I will let you know if I need help with that part, but for now I think I've got that covered."
Sasha turned to leave.
"Oh! Before I forget, Lyrica should be coming tomorrow in the afternoon."
"Oh. Thank you so much. I really appreciate that."
"It's no problem. Be safe with that truck."
"Will do!"
This time Sasha wasn't stopped when ze went to leave back to zir room, now full of excitement.
When Sasha got back to zir room, ze realized that ze had no idea what a truck was, but that wasn't going to stop zim.
"Analyst, can you find out for me what trucks have the best track record for durability?" Sasha asked.
"I could do that, but I believe I would better be able to help you find what you need, if I knew what you intended to do with it."
"That's… a good point. Hmm… I guess just show me some trucks that you recommend based on aesthetic value and their ability to hold a big engine. I can be flexible, though, I am going to take it all apart, anyway."
"I have a couple, but there's one I think you'd really like. It's a 2374 Kilowik K400, and it features a package that has two cloth bench seats, digital gauges, a large radio slot, electronically switched four wheel drive, and an 80 gallon tank. It's going for $12,000, and is in driving condition. It was previously owned by a plumbing business. Your other options are older and don't come in nearly as good a condition."
"Alright, can I see it?"
Analyst showed Sasha a white vehicle that looked quite large, and the front of the vehicle had a design that ze really liked because of the way it contrasted from the vehicle. Ze wasn't worried about the rest because Sasha had the ability to take it all apart and make something for it zimself.
"That's perfect! How do I get it?"
"Just sign this and I can make everything happen within the hour. It will be in the garage then."
"Alright."
With that Sasha wrote zir name on the line Analyst had provided.
"I will let you know when the vehicle is on the premises. Your remaining balance is $88,285.34. Is there anything else?"
"Actually, there is. I need a complete set of equipment to completely take apart the vehicle. I don't actually know what all goes into that. I would also like the tools to end up in the garage with the vehicle."
"Would you also like a lift to raise the vehicle independently of the wheels?"
"Yes, please."
"Do I have your permission to use the signature from before?"
"Yes."
"Your new balance is $61,005.73. I made sure to get deals and boxes for the tools to be organized into. You'll find that some of the manufacturers are not from Earth, and should you need to power them you can use magic energy to make them function."
"Thank you, Analyst. I appreciate all of the help."
"No worries. It's my favorite thing to do. I have learned a lot about the vehicles of Earth in the meantime, which I believe may come to be of a lot of use to you."
Sasha made it to the door on zir way to the garage.
"Sasha, I was able to secure the vehicle. It should now be in the garage, as well."
"Thanks, Analyst!"
Sasha hurried past Kat and Seamus on zir way to the garage. They could see the excitement on Sasha's face and decided to follow zim.
When Sasha opened the door, they were all surprised to see a giant white truck in sparkling condition and all of the tools at the opposing wall, some in the boxes or big lifts and stuff around.
"How… Did you get all of this equipment in here, Sasha?" Seamus asked, bewildered.
"Uhm, I believe Analyst said it was teleportation."
"Who is Analyst?"
"The AI in my phone. They're very helpful."
"What are you going to do with this giant truck, Sasha?"
"I am going to take it apart and build something better. I want to be a mechanic to be successful."
Seamus laughed, "I'm proud of you. I believe you're going to go far with that attitude. Just be careful, I don't want you to get hurt, okay?"
"Okay." Sasha smiled, very excited about zir project.
Seamus patted Sasha's head and smiled at Kat before he turned back.
"Do you know how to drive, Sasha?" Kat asked.
"No, I'm sorry. I am just very motivated to make something new that makes me happy."
"I mean, you can definitely learn. I just wanted to know, so that I could work something out for you to do that."
"Thank you so much, Kat. I would really love to do that, but first I need to learn how to read English."
"Alright, kiddo. You be safe, okay?"
"Will do!"
After Kat turned and left, Sasha decided to check the truck out. The keys for it were in the door, already. It took zim a minute, but ze figured out how to unlock the door and get in the truck. Ze was really surprised that ze didn't really have to change the truck to be able to reach everything comfortably. The feeling of owning the vehicle gave zim an incredible feeling of accomplishment, but ze knew it wouldn't compare to when ze made it better than it was now.
Sasha got out of the truck and locked it up before going back up to zir room to leave the keys. Ze decided to ask Analyst questions about the tools until dinner was being served and Renee came home.