Spark Read Online Free PDF Page A

besides, people were waiting.  I gathered my folder, stuffed it in my backpack, and shuffled to the next station.
                  The man in uniform also had a nametag and it said “Ernie.”
                  “Hi Ernie,” I said. 
He looked bored.  “Mornin,’” was all he said.
                  There was one student in front of me, and nothing was happening.   So instead of just standing there, I looked at Ernie and said.  “I feel like I’m in the airport,” immediately feeling silly for saying it.  The guy in front of me glanced back, shifted his feet.
                  Ernie gave me the same bored expression, indicating that he’d heard that same comment about a million times.
                  Just then, another Blue T-Shirt Lady jogged across the linoleum, wiping her hands on her khakis.  “Thanks, Ernie,” she said, and then looked at the guy in front of me.  “Had to visit the little girl’s room.”   Little girl’s room?  I thought.  Do people really still say that?
                  By then, more students had gotten in line behind me.  I didn’t recognize a single face.  A few people looked at me, though, like they thought they knew me.  But then they just looked away.
    “Welcome,” she said.  “The device before you is called an Accu-Read.  It’s a scan recognition system that records and stores your dental profile for proper identification and entry into the campus system.  Think of it as an anatomical password that allows you access not only into the physical campus, but also the virtual campus.” 
    She paused, as if expecting a barrage of questions.  Personally, I had about a hundred of them, but I wasn’t about to speak up first.  When no one said anything, she continued.  “The system is currently in setup mode, during which each student is profiled and entered into the system.  The first thing you need to do is locate the silver card located inside the blue folder given to you at Station 1.  That card contains your personal information, name, address, year in school, etc.  You will then be asked to step through the vertical profilers and slip the card into the slot located on your right.  You will then hear three short beeps.  On the third beep, you will be instructed to look into the lens positioned on the podium directly in front of you and smile.  The system will automatically scan your dental profile and log it into the database.  Again, today, we are in setup mode.  The procedure will be very similar when you come to log on the first day of school.  The only difference is that there will actually be six Accu-Read stations instead of just one, and you will hear a fourth beep for entry.  If you are denied entry, you will hear a buzzer instead of a beep.  If there are no questions, we'll get started with the set up. ”
    I heard a few mumbles, some restless groans.  The thought of having to smile into a machine every day to get into school was really annoying.
Some guy in the back piped up, “We have to do this every day?”
Blue T-Shirt Lady smiled patiently.  “Yes, but believe me, it’s a small inconvenience compared to all the benefits of the system.”
                  “Like what?” Someone else scoffed under her breath.  Suddenly, everyone was speaking at once.
                  “Hold on, hold on,” she said.  “That’s why you’re here today.  You’re going to find out about all the neat stuff during orientation class.  Right now, we have to move.  You sir,” she pointed at the guy in front of me.  “Step forward.”
                  “Dang prison,” someone muttered.
                  When it was my turn, I stepped up, held my card ready, and inserted it.  I heard three beeps and looked straight ahead, smiled. 
     
                  Feeling a little nervous and disturbed by the morning’s events, I