Sol devoured the books Hugo supplied. While the Academy provided an excellent education, they tailored it toward a career within upper Terran society—from personal bodyguard of their leaders to career politician—not expanding the mind to think beyond the boundaries of one's planet. Within the pages of his new education, Sol learned about ancient Earth history and philosophy—subjects the Academy viewed as worthless to one's life on Terra. The ties between Earth and its planet colonies had been severed long ago, so why study a past that had no relevance? At times a thinner manual about alien history and cultures would grace the rising stack of literature, but the commentaries within them were less absolute and more speculative. Not surprising since humans authored most of them. What did his race know about how other species thought and reasoned?

Though the diverse subjects fascinated Sol, and distracted him from missing his brother, one subject remained absent—the Speakers. Not one book about the Speakers's history or abilities or prominent leaders within Terran society. Even the private library, with its rows of books, didn't have any insight into the mystery of the Speakers.

One day Hugo caught Sol riffling through a book on the shelf.

"Looking for something?"

Sol closed the book with more force than necessary.

Hugo quirked an eyebrow. "Found one of my more scandalous texts?"

"No."

Sol had grown accustomed to Hugo's thump-walk, never expecting the man to quiet his tread and spy on him. Hugo leaned against the doorjamb, striking his cane against his shoe. There was something inviting about Hugo that Sol had never experienced before.

Sol eased the volume back onto the shelf. "I was looking for information about the Speakers."

Hugo harrumphed. "Why would you expect to find that in a book?"

"Maybe because no one speaks to me, let alone socializes. Except for you." The golden lettering on the spine had tiny cracks in the paint and dark spaces from where a few letters had worn off. "Thought I might get lucky and find a journal, shedding light on this secret society of yours."

"Secret society indeed." Hugo snorted. "All right then. Let's dispel some of these foolish Academy rumors."

Hugo was out the door before Sol could react. The Speaker was quite spry for his age. Sol met up with him at the end of the hallway where a life-size bronze statue of an ancient Earth warrior half-concealed a narrow staircase. Sol had already discovered it, but the locked door at the top refused his keycard access.

"This used to be the servant's entrance." Hugo lifted each foot with care as he ascended. "When the Institute went through its series of remodeling, adding more technology like trans units, they never removed these obsolete access pathways. Speakers are a paranoid bunch, not quite trusting in the technology we immerse ourselves with. Never know when you might need an old-fashioned escape plan when someone storms your castle."

"Invaders? Against Speakers? No one would be stupid enough to try."

"No? And that thick wall around the Academy is just for aesthetic appeal?" Hugo chuckled. "History says otherwise, kid. Sometimes the threat is an outside alien force and sometimes it's a lot closer to home and hearth."

Hugo whipped out his hand. "Keycard."

Sol plopped it into Hugo's palm. Instead of trying it on the door, Hugo let it rest flat on his hand. A thread of light illuminated from within the card, tracing the circuitry within. It only took a second before it faded, the opaque material concealing its inner workings from sight.

"Take it," Hugo said, nodding at the access pad.

The warmth on its surface dissipated. Sol stepped closer to reach the pad's proximity sensor. A click came from the door.

"Time you joined the ranks of your fellow peers." Hugo pushed the door open.

Sol walked into a dingy room, but Hugo strode across the space as if on a mission. Sol kept pace, navigating from barren rooms to dusty storage spaces to a hallway full of light. The warmth bathed Sol's face as the brilliance of the day blinded him for a moment.

"You're late," a voice said.

"Had a bit of a problem with a locked door," Hugo replied. He shifted to the left, unblocking Sol's line of sight.

The sun-drenched room housed a diverse group of individuals seated around a table. Hugo pulled out a chair with the crook of his cane and beckoned Sol toward it. The plush piece of furniture did not ease the tension coursing through Sol's body at the sudden hush in the room.

A stern woman frowned at Hugo. "If you feel like our guest needs more stimulating conversations, there is a beginner's class just two doors down."

Hugo walked past her to sink into the next vacant chair. "And why would I waste both his and the teacher's time with such a basic class?"

"Because he's a minor." Justin eased forward, leaning his arms on the table as he pinned Sol with an intense gaze.

Sol had hoped to avoid Speaker Justin. The man symbolized all he had lost. Based on Justin's scowl, it would appear the avoidance was mutual.

Taking his cues from Hugo's relaxed demeanor, Sol relaxed, letting a half-smile tug at the corner of his mouth. Uncomfortable at being in the middle of this battle of wills, it was more interesting than keeping company with a pile of musty books.

Justin's eyes narrowed and his mouth pinched tight. "And he should know his place among his peers."

"Know his place." Hugo scratched at his bristly cheek. "Where better to learn it than among those who choose to remove him from the Academy? I believe the Director had you sign paperwork transferring a Speaker from the Tower grounds, not a ward of the state. Unless I'm mistaken?"

Hugo shifted his body to tilt his chair back, focusing on the dignified woman beside him. She looked like she wanted to spit nails. Instead, she smiled.

A chill slivered down Sol's spine. She was the Director of the Institute.

"You are not mistaken," the Director said. "And you're right, Hugo. I've been lax. Justin."

"Madam?"

"You've been showing interest in becoming a mentor." The Director waved a hand in Sol's direction. "Meet your first student."

Justin smiled at Sol as he eased back into his chair. "Delighted."

Hugo clapped his hands together. "Good. All settled. What's today's topic?"

The group launched into a discussion of how the outdated Earth philosophies were reappearing within Terran society. Half of the discussion went over Sol's head, but some lines of reasoning he could follow. The swirl of opinions and analysis washed over him as the group argued and picked apart each other's deductions.

"What do you think, Solaris?" Justin asked. "Is an organized peacekeeping entity that exists outside of planetary law still necessary in today's day and age?"

Right. Put the former Academy student in the hot seat. Justin could have substituted the words peacekeeping with the Towers, given that was essentially their role.

Sol inhaled, buying himself time to organize his thoughts. "It depends. Who are our enemies? If they're the people of Terra or the other colonies of Earth, then, no, such an entity shouldn't exist. But there are many races and many realms. Terra has seen the devastating consequences of when foreigners have infiltrated our quadrant of space bent on conquering and enslaving us. Our history would have been quite different without such an organization."

"You speak of the Great War and the era of Aftershocks," Hugo said. "Yet because of those periods of power, the Towers grew corrupt."

At least Hugo had the bluntness to call out what Justin had been tiptoeing around.

Sol leaned forward. "True, but the Towers internally corrected its path and overthrew the very entities that had corrupted it. Within a generation, it had weeded out the unethical factions, regaining its own internal checks and balances."

"Which involved a coup and losing too many lives," Justin said.

Hugo nodded. "And we come back to Sol's question: who are our enemies now?"

"Well?" Justin asked, looking straight at Sol.

Sol was about to admit to his ignorance when his vision went dim. A piece of his mind reminded him about the Speakers surrounding him—Speakers who were not wearing their customary shades or gloves. That fact slammed into him as his line of sight narrowed to the dark pools of Hugo's eyes.

"Abominations, bringers of death, the soulless ones," Sol said, not knowing what he was saying until it came out of his mouth. "The Abominari go by many names and would wipe us out if they did not remember and fear the Vascellum, who still guard our skies, and the Sentinels, who crew their decks."

The moment ended. Sol sucked in an unsteady breath. Was that what being a Speaker was like? Speaking of things one had no knowledge of?

Hugo smirked at Justin, crossing his arms.

The Director stood. "And that concludes our time today."