Chapter 14: Big Trouble
Classes of the Combat Department were all scheduled in the morning. Yuka dragged herself out of bed and gave her timetable a cursory glance to check the location of her first class.
"Ah, theoretical class in the central teaching building on a sleepy Tuesday morning," Yuka thought as she pulled on her clothes.
She tapped on the details and discovered the day's topic included basics like the history of the Alliance. But what caught her eye was the focus on the 'Insectoid Atlas.' 'Insectoids have been extinct for almost a century, what's the point of studying them now?' she pondered.
With this question in mind, she and Ayoi stepped out and made their way to class. Yuka took a seat in the back row, with Ayoi munching on a sandwich next to her. "Heard the theory exams are a tough nut to crack," Ayoi mumbled between bites. "Scoring full marks is a rare achievement, usually claimed by those brainy logistics majors."
As the class bell chimed, a professor wearing a monocular eyeglass entered. He thudded down a textbook hefty enough to squash someone and addressed the mecha specialization students, "Good morning, everyone. I'm Professor Pickle, and I'll be your guide through the theoretical wilderness this term."
He pushed up his glasses and said, "I have high expectations. You're expected to memorize this entire book. An e-version is available in the 'Library' section of your opticomputer. We'll have just two exams – midterms and finals. Your final grade will be the average of these two."
Scanning the room, he added, "Missing or skipping classes will cost you marks."
"Now, let's begin," Professor Pickle turned on the electronic whiteboard. "We'll skip the history section... I assume no one here is clueless about the history of the IMPERIAL Alliance of the Stars?" He emphasized 'Imperial' a bit too much, triggering chuckles around the room.
Crown Prince Fred clenched his fists, his face turning a shade of displeasure. 'Is the professor mocking the royalty?' he thought.
Yuka, smirking slightly, downloaded the e-book from the library and flipped to the page Professor Pickle was about to cover. But her smile vanished the next second.
The image on the screen showed a massive insect, a blend of green and black, with three pairs of spiked legs and a mosquito-like proboscis.