Fledgling Read Online Free PDF

from the belt station. There must've been another Crowded Condition on the Quad Six beltway. That had been happening a lot, lately.
    "Maybe you should talk to your mentor," Theo said to Lesset, as they turned left down the hall. They were walking so slow now that lazy-moving Kartor was ahead of them, and she could hear Estan panting from behind.
    "I did talk to my mentor." Lesset sighed gustily. "She said I was learning how to deal with adverse conditions."
    "Oh." said Theo. She frowned. "Are you?"
    "I don't think so," her friend said mournfully.
     

Four
     
    Scholarship Skills Seminar: Advertency
Professor Stephen M. Richardson Secondary School
University of Delgado
    Four Team Three came around the corner into the seminar hall more like a loose gaggle than a team, Estan and Anj still sweaty and breathing hard.
    Theo cringed. Professor Appletorn paid attention to such things, and graded for form. But Lesset's steps had gotten slower and slower the closer they'd gotten to the classroom, and Theo had lagged behind, too, to show support for her friend. It was important to support your friends, according their Social Engineering instructor. Even if you privately thought they were being just a little too sensitive.
    Four Team Six was ahead of them, which wasn't unusual; their Ready Room was closer to Advertency by a good three halls. They shouldn't be showing bonus just for being ahead—fairness said that such advantage would be factored in to the Team averages.
    What was unusual was the fact that they were standing in front of the seminar room like a bunch of random nonacs instead of a functioning Learning Team, blinking at the door.
    Which was shuttered.
    Theo frowned.
    "What's wrong?" Lesset asked. "Why are they standing in the hall?"
    "The door's closed," Theo said.
    "Closed?" Lesset repeated. "But why would it be closed? We have a class. Professor Appletorn insists that the door be open until he starts teaching!"
    "Did we all miss a schedule jump somehow? Is it locked?" Kartor asked, as their group joined Six in front of the shuttered door.
    Several people snatched out their mumus, fingers flying.
    "Sched clean," came a mumble, followed by a group sigh of relief.
    "Is it locked?" Kartor asked again, since the crowd of Team Six blocked his view of the status lights.
    "No-oo," Vela answered slowly, looking at him over the heads of her teammates.
    "Then," Roni said impatiently, "open it!"
    "Do you think we should?" That was Simon, Team Six's proceduralist.
    Before Estan, Team Three's proceduralist, could answer, Roni sighed loudly and lunged forward over Vela's shoulder, smacking her palm against the plate. Somebody on Team Six—probably Simon, Theo thought uncharitably—squeaked nervously, like he expected alarm bells or a team of Safeties. All that happened, though, was that the shutter folded out of the way, showing the bright, empty room beyond.
    "Was that so hard?" Roni asked, still impatient.
    Team Six traded glances.
    "No," Vela said quietly. "It wasn't hard. But we didn't have consensus, Roni."
    "To open a door?" Roni shook her head in visible disgust, which, Theo thought, Vela didn't deserve. They should have reached consensus—or at least let the proceduralists talk. Roni was weak on consensus-building—and consensus-reading, too. Consensus was one of the things the Team was supposed to help her with.
    "As long as the door's open," Kartor said, "maybe we should go in."
    Team Six exchanged another round of glances, and Theo didn't blame them. The teacher always awaited the class. The seminar room was the instructor's space, and students only entered with permission.
    On the other hand . . . Theo heard the muted twitter from her mumu, the tone she used to warn herself that she was about to be in trouble . . . 
    "If we don't get to our stations soon," she said from the back of the group, "the room will mark us all late—as Teams and as students!"
    Simon bit his lip, but he turned to address his teammates.