Page 31 of Facade

Knowing he was doing what he could to protect his mate, Jace went about his normal routine. Other than three students attempting to ambush him for extra credit, it was a peaceful evening.

Tuesday, Clarke texted on breaks. She told him that her knee was stiff and sore, but better than the day before. He appreciated that she knew he needed that honest communication to keep from fretting constantly.

When everyone gathered for the staff meeting, Jace was surprised to see the chief maintenance engineer, head of security, kitchen supervisor, and head groundskeeper present. He didn’t know what this heralded, but it would not be a typical meeting.

Clarke did seem to be moving with more ease, meaning she was already beginning to recover. That was a relief. Jace sat down next to her, and Russell took the chair on her other side.

Instead of making inane chitchat like usual, the assistant librarian looked serious, staring across the table at the other monitors. His manner seemed rather protective. Interesting. That gave Jace the impression that he was not alone in suspecting Mitch of foul play, and causing Clarke’s accident.

“Thank you for rearranging your schedules to attend this meeting,” Dean Stanhope said when everyone was seated. “I have an announcement that will affect all of us to one degree or another.”

After a brief pause, he continued, “Mars and Venus will be hosting the next annual Regional Intercollegiate Evolved tournament, which will be held during spring break.”

Everyone was surprised to hear that. But it was Heath’s reaction that drew Jace’s attention. He looked alarmed, and possibly concerned, more than anything else.

Each region held a tournament every year. Upperclassmen from every evolved institution would compete. This region had seven participating universities.

There were several athletic events, but also contests that would showcase a variety of talents and strategic thinking. Some were theatrical performances geared to display the scope of a power. Competitions were tailored for every classification of evolution.

Students applied for entry, planning their performances months ahead of time. Scouts and recruiters from military agencies, sports teams, and businesses would all be present. These tournaments could make and break dreams.

Hosting this tournament would take a tremendous amount of effort, explaining the presence of non-academic staff. Potentially hundreds of thousands of spectators and entrants would descend on Clementine for the occasion. While it would be a daunting task, Jace didn’t understand why the news would cause Heath anxiety. It didn’t make sense.

“The location of each tournament is usually scheduled years in advance,” Wayne Sterling, second in the hierarchy in the powered department, mentioned. “I thought Alabama was hosting this year.”

“They were supposed to, with us hosting the following spring,” Dean Stanhope confirmed. “However, a recent earthquake has compromised the foundation of the stadium. It may not be repaired in time for the tournament.”

“I thought that was a minor quake,” the chief maintenance engineer said.

The dean nodded at him. “It was. But it must have exposed a pocket of natural gas,” he said. “Four days ago, there was an explosion under the stadium that collapsed a third of the seating. Therefore, we swapped. Alabama Evolved will host the following year.”

“Is everyone ok?” Clarke asked.

“Yes. Fortunately, the stadium was empty at the time of the explosion,” Dean Stanhope said.

“At least no one was killed or injured,” Russell said.

“Yeah, if that had happened during a sports event, the results would have been catastrophic,” Jace said.

A few staff members murmured their agreement, expressing relief at the lack of casualties. Heath watched each speaker intently, like he was searching for something under the surface, but didn’t comment.

They didn’t have earthquakes in this part of the territory often, and most were minor. But the meteor bombardment that reduced Earth’s population by nearly half, had changed the planet permanently. Tectonic plates had shifted on most continents. Previously dormant volcanos had become active.

An intense discussion ensued about the preparations that needed to be made. The sheer number of details needing to be addressed meant there would be many more such meetings.

Most of the responsibility would fall on other staff members. Jace had participated in a tournament, but hadn’t worked one. The last time Clementine hosted was before he had begun working at Mars.

Jace, Clarke, Mitch, and Ray were tasked with student housing. Every vacant dorm room would be utilized. Temporary, prefabricated housing would be set up around and behind the dorms.

Mitch was scowling, clearly disliking the idea of having more work to do. Ray actually seemed engaged for a change. But he could be faking interest to stay out of trouble with his superiors.

The meeting went on for over two hours. With so much to cover, that wasn’t surprising. Jace’s attention kept wandering to Heath.

The caster professor frowned intently as his fingers flew on his tablet, taking detailed notes. That seemed odd to Jace since the professors would have the least amount of involvement. Their primary responsibilities would be coaching their participating students.

They would be doing so regardless of the location of the tournament. Perhaps Heath was using the time to prepare for future classes.

Clarke