Discovering Alien Tech
Copyright© 2025 by GMet
Chapter 13
Monday morning, the announcements mentioned our win against the Ice Dogs but at least names weren’t mentioned. I still got looks and some congratulations as I walked through the halls in between classes. At lunch, as I suspected, the new guidance counsellors sat in my meeting with Miss Shannon.
“Mr. Addler, your results on your tests show you know all the material required to complete grade nine,” Miss Shannon started. “You had perfect scores in Computer studies, math, science, geography, and history. You scored a ninety-nine in English and ninety-seven in French. Mr. Addler gave you a ninety-eight in shop and your obvious study habits and essay writing on your exams make your last class of How to study and write essays fulfilled.”
“I’m happy with those marks,” I responded. “Why do I have the feeling that there is a big ‘however’ coming.”
“This is Mr. Sullivan, the new head of the guidance office, and this Mr. Buchannan, our other new guidance counsellor,” Miss Shannon made the introductions.
“Gentlemen,” I said with a nod.
“Mr. Addler, your marks are remarkable, especially three weeks into the year,” Mr. Sullivan took over. “Unfortunately, the school district and the province discourage skipping of grades once the student is in high school.”
“Discourage or forbid?” I inquired.
“Discourage is the terminology used,” he replied. “I’m afraid we’re not going to be able to advance you into grade ten.”
“I assume there have been exceptions in the past,” I responded. “What is the procedure to get an exception?”
It would have to go through me and the principal and neither are willing to do that at this time,” he stated with finality.
I shook my head and stood up.
“Miss Shannon, thank you for spending the time to get me tested,” I said to her. “Gentlemen, I’ll be writing the SAT test next month and will move on from high school that way.”
Mr. Buchannon scoffed, “Going from grade nine to university will be much harder than you think, young man. No university will even look at you without a high school diploma.”
“I wrote an official practice test yesterday and got a 1500 out of 1600 without any prep, so I think I’ll do fine with a tiny bit of studying,” I told him. “My software division is launching it’s third game this week and my robot division is on it’s second model build which is already better than any on the market or in development. I have no doubt that MIT and Stanford will be happy to extend a scholarship once I show them my work and a perfect SAT score. Have a good day.”
I walked to the cafeteria and ate my lunch, fuming inside.
‘Base, I don’t know about you, but I’m perturbed,’ I sub-vocalized.
‘If I felt emotions, I too would be more than perturbed,’ Base agreed. ‘All we can do is get you prepared for the SAT test and make plans for you to attend a university in the new year. We should research what would be needed to apply for early admission into the best schools for robotics and computer science. Your parents had some good points in their reservations about you going to school far away at such a young age. It’s been done before but my research shows that some of the young people did well while others got caught up in adult culture without the experience to handle it well.’
‘I agree with them but the big difference is that I have you with me,’ I replied. ‘I have no doubt that you will help guide me while keeping me grounded. We would have to have something more than just a dorm room or we won’t be able to continue our robot building. Even an apartment will have limitations.’
‘That is true, we would need a separate workshop that we rent or rent an entire house to live and work in,’ Base responded. ‘That would be costly and come with it’s own set of issues and responsibilities.’
‘Maybe we can get the university to give us some space to work in,’ I suggested. ‘We’d have to be able to split what we own and what the university could claim. That might be too difficult to work out so an off-campus workshop might be best.’
‘All things to consider as we proceed,’ Base agreed. ‘It is time for you to go to your next class, Ben.’
‘Thanks Base,’ I said as I gathered up my trash and stood up to head out.
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