Finals: The Dolbin School Book 4--Chapter 2 Research

 Finals: The Dolbin School Book 4

I am going to serialize my next book here first before it is available anywhere else.  It is still in the formatting stage at the moment.  I have serialized the other three books here on Steemit in the past year.  Here are the first chapters from where I serialized each book.

Dolbin School for the Extraordinary

The Dark Cloud Rises

The Return of the Professor

You can click here to see them on Amazon.

Hope you follow along! 

Chapter 2 Research

Jake woke up.  He looked at the clock on the wall.  3:05 pm.  He bolted out of bed, grabbed his tablet, his bag, and sprinted down the hallway.  He was late for his meeting with Professor Powers.

The door slid open as he ran into the Giffin Building.  The doors were a few feet thick and weighed several hundred pounds, and they slid as if they weighed the same as a sheet of paper.  A teacher instructed Jake to walk.  He dropped his speed to walking fast.  He walked quickly past the large reef aquarium.  He passed the large banner of the Dolbin Crest; To Serve, Educate, and Protect hung over him as he moved quickly past.  He skipped the elevator and bounded up the stairs --two stairs at a time.  He pushed through the door steel doors and out onto the second floor.  He rushed quickly to Professor Powers’ office.

He zoomed through the  front waiting room that had chairs and a table covered in magazines.  Pictures of horses and beaches covered the wall.    He knocked as he opened the door to the professor’s office.  “You’re late,” said Professor Powers with his back to Jake.  He was rummaging through a file cabinet.

“I know.”  Jake sat down in the chair in front of Powers’ desk.  Jake slowed his breathing.

“Your paper is due the last week of school, during exam week.”  Powers turned around, faced Jake, and pointed at a paper calendar on his wall.

“Yes, sir,” Jake replied.

“How is your research going?” Powers asked and he sat down behind his desk.

“Fine, I think.”

Powers rolled his eyes, put his tablet on his desk, “Show me what you have so far.”

Jake pulled out his tablet, and sent the rough draft of his paper to Powers.  Powers leaned back in his chair and red quietly for a moment.  Occasionally making a grunt, or a “ahmm…” Powers sat up in his chair and put down the tablet.

“In the library are other research, independent projects and papers that other students have done.  There are a handful of papers on the Dark Cloud.  Reading their work will give you some other ideas.  In particular look up paper by Rebecca Walton, she is a 12 grader, but she wrote on a similar subject last year as a junior.”

“We didn’t have student research in our school library at my old school,” Jake commented.

“No, you did not.  But her research is very in-depth, and in her paper she organized the information and research, and that will help you.”  Powers leaned back in his chair, “So let’s talk about Jordan.  If Jordan was being useful to the US in World War I, why would he have left and gone with Dolbin?”  

“He was becoming afraid that the US would have never let me him go.  They would have imprisoned him and done research on him.”  Jake put air-quotes around the word research.

“True, but also remember that Dolbin was learning of more and more people with Extraordinary abilities.  Jordan wanted to come along and help.  It was the first time that Jordan was not feeling alone with Extra abilities.  This would have been the first time when he was around others who could run like he could.”

“I think it would have been cool to be the fastest person around.”

Powers leaned back in his chair, “Interesting thought.  I guess because you were quickly brought here once your abilities manifested, you had no time to be alone with your abilities.  You have always been around others with your abilities.  Those first two known Extras, Korinski and Jordan were alone.  Korinksi was in the circus and Jordan, of course, in the army, their abilities gave them special roles, but there was no one else like them known at the time.  That’s a lonely feeling.  You have Mr. Banner, who is teaching you how to use your strength.  And there is Bruce on your hallway who is a Super Strong Extra.  You can go to Bruce to share your experience with being strong.  Imagine having no one to teach you or to share with about being strong.  That’s alone.”

Jake felt ashamed for his comment, “You’re right.  That would suck.”

“That’s why this place was built.”  Powers pointed all around the room.  “People need to feel connected and not alone.”

“But why did Dolbin help?  Why didn’t he just turn Extras in or perform experiments on them as well?”

Powers paused for a second, “That’s a good question.  But not everyone is a bad person.  From those that knew him personally, I would say it was his humanity.  He was driven by a curiosity.  Driven to find out how Extras were different.  But he was also driven to find out how Extras can help the world.  Even if the world was going to be afraid of them.  He gave us our slogan, ‘To Serve, Educate, and Protect.’  We serve all of humanity, we educate both Extras and hopefully eventually Basics, and we protect everyone.”

“That’s very different from those in The Dark Cloud,” Jake replied.

“It is.  It is also the reason, why those that are determined to be a part of The Dark Cloud are sent to Brisbone.  They are dangerous to both Basics and Extras.”

Jake interrupted, “How are they dangerous to Extras?  If extra just want to be able to live their lives out in the open, why is that dangerous?”  

“Are you asking that question for you?  Or for your research paper?  You know the answer.”

Jake sat back in his chair.

Powers continued, “Change is scary.  It is scary for anyone.  But when Basics find out that Extras exist, you know that they will not be welcomed with open arms, but instead with crossed-arms and weapons in hand.”

“But not everyone is like that,” Jake replied.

“You’re correct.  Not everyone.  But cowards can have a real effect on crowds.  Remember how Mark was treated at your old school for being really good at math.  He wasn’t respected, he was feared, he was bullied.”

“But those were immature children that were bullying him.”

Powers leaned forward in his chair and put his hand on the desk, “Jake, there are many, many immature children in the world.  And a lot of them are stuck in adult bodies.”  Powers took a deep breath, “And if I remember one of those bullies is now a student here at Dolbin.”

Jake sat up in his chair, “What does that mean?  Why would use say that?”

“I am saying that bullies aren’t always cowards.  I think that is something we say to make ourselves feel better.”  Powers looked at Jake and raised his eye brows, “I know about your fight with Brad on the baseball field.   I saw the footage.  He wasn’t afraid of you.  He wasn’t afraid to fight you, or Bruce for that matter.  Bullies aren’t always cowards.”

“Then how do we stop them?”  Jake felt uneasy.

“We do what you did on the field.  Stand up to them.  Stand with your friends.  That’s what why we don’t allow the Extras in the Open, they want to bully Basics, they want to subjugate them.  So we stand together to say that is not allowed here, that is not acceptable.  We can only do that together.”

Powers took a sip from his water bottle.  “Let’s talk about you. How are you doing here at Dolbin.  You’ve been here about six weeks.”

“It’s gone by fast,” Jake replied.

“You seem to be adjusting well here.  You don’t seem to have a lot of homesickness; you’ve clearly made friends.  How are your other classes?”

Jake relaxed, “Professor Guinness’s class is difficult.  There is a lot of reading.”

Powers laughed.

“Dr. Fisher’s math class is cool.  She teaches math differently than I had learned it before.”

“How so?” Powers raised his eyebrows.

“She gives us different ways to approach problems.  We’re allowed to use calculators.  She also allows us to use our tablets.  We didn’t have that at my old school.”

“That’s true.  How about gym?  How is Mr. Banner’s class?” Powers replied.

“I’ve enjoyed learning how to be a Super-Strong Extra.  It’s surprised me how much technique and motion matters when listing or throwing things.”

“He just thought all you had to do was just pick real heavy things up or throw real heavy things?” Powers smiled.

“Yeah.  There’s a lot more to it.”

“Good.  Sounds like you’re doing well.”  Powers leaned back in his chair.  “For your assignment, I recommend you look up Rebecca Walton’s paper.  The librarians will now how to find it.  Go and find that.”

“Yes, sir,” Jake stood up and walked toward the door.

“Oh, and let’s work on our punctuality,” instructed Powers.

Jake smiled, “Yes, sir.”