Mysteries of Aurora - Monday, September 2nd, 2024

 

Mysteries of Aurora, the Nation of Eternal Dawn

Aurora, over Urbs Aeterna

Monday, September 2^nd, 2024

Freya Andersson was excited. She was starting University at Academia d’Aeterna Universitas d’Aurora, the oldest university in the world. Of course, that wasn’t the reason she was studying there. It had the best Creative Arts programs in Aurora.

 

“We’re here,” her mother said.

 

She opened her eyes and looked out of the plane, ahead. They were flying over the eastern suburbs of Urbs Aeterna towards the University’s eastern airstrip. The layout of the ancient city was already creating patterns in her mind. It let her see the expansion of the city over time.

 

“AAUA East Tower, private flight from Brinjarsson Town on approach,” her mother said in to the radio.

 

“Brinjarsson Town flight, airstrip is clear. AAUA East out.”

 

“Acknowledged.”

 

 

Several minutes later, Freya and her mother, Astrid, disembarked from the plane in a small hangar/terminal on the side of the airstrip. She could tell that the hangar dated from the early days of Auroran aviation.

 

 

They emerged from the hanger to the outside of the airstrip and Freya took in the sight of the sprawling campus. It was overwhelming, but she kept her eyes open, because she knew her mother would be on her case about that habit right away. ‘I’m sure I could make my way to the dorm without looking,’ she thought. She had memorised the route from the airstrip to the dorm through the various elevated walkways.

 

“Are you sure you want to go on the walkways?” her mother asked.

 

“Yes. It won’t be that difficult,” Freya answered.

 

“I mean, given that your senses…” her mother began, trying to be diplomatic.

 

“You also know that I like to test my limits,” Freya said. “I want to see if I can go along the walkways.”

 

Her mother nodded.

 

 

As Freya and Astrid headed to Freya’s dorm along the elevated walkways, another unusual new student arrived at Academia d’Aeterna Universitas d’Aurora.

 

Olivia Marcus was riding Urbs Aeterna’s subway system to the AAUA station closest to her dorm, which was in the western side of the campus.

 

“Arriving at Academia d’Aeterna Universitas d’Aurora Western Dormitories in five minutes.”

 

Olivia was nervous, although she had been preparing for it for years. She knew it was going be quite different to high school. She glanced at one of the signs and the familiar and frustrating dance of dyslexia made it difficult to make out. But determination had got her through school. ‘It will get me through University too.’ She knew she was lucky. To be admitted to AAUA was to be among the best Aurora had to offer.

 

 

She got off the train into the subway station, which was crowded with other new students. She was once again thankful that the old station was well designed, which allowed the students to move freely away from the station towards their dorms. She took out her tablet and looked over the map.

 

 

“Here we are,” Freya said. “Sigrun Sigurdottir Hall.”

 

“It looks great,” her mother said.

 

Freya took it in. The Hall dated from the late 19^th Century and had the usual look of that era, although she could also see more modern attributes, such as the antennae and solar panels. She led her mother inside.

 

 

“Freya Andersson, Music and Art,” Freya said.

 

“Here. Room 2.16,” the person in the Hall’s office, who’s name Freya saw was Diana, said.

 

“Thanks.”

 

 

Astrid followed Freya into the room. “This is a little larger than I had,” she said.

 

“That was over on the west, wasn’t it?” Freya asked as she wandered over to the window.

 

“Yes. Julian Trajanus Lodge. But then I didn’t have a scholarship.”

 

Freya considered that she looked out over the expansive campus northwards, towards the sea.

 

 

While Freya and her mother unpacked, Olivia arrived at her own dorm, Janus Hadrian Lodge. It was just as she had expected it to be.

 

“Olivia Marcus.”

 

 

Astrid paused and saw that the room was already reflecting her daughter’s personality. ‘Overactive and creative.’ Sometimes she thought that Freya brought some of her challenges on herself, by continually pushing her boundaries. ‘But I wouldn’t have it any other way.’

 

There was a knock at the door and Freya bounded over. “Hi, I’m Freya.”

 

“Hi, Freya, Sara Iannas, Resident Assistant for Floor Two of the Hall. I’m checking that each new student made it here alright.”

 

“We got here half an hour ago. We flew into the eastern airstrip. Seeing Urbs Aeterna from the air was very cool,” Freya said at her usual speed.

 

“I heard. It was a private flight.”

 

“That’s right,” Astrid said. “Flying gives me inspiration for my projects. Being able to fly Freya here was a bonus.”

 

“You’re also an artist?” Sara asked.

 

“It runs in the family,” Freya answered. “Although, apparently, I’m the first synesthete.”

 

“Synaesthesia,” Sara considered. “I have heard about it.”

 

“It means that certain sounds create visual patterns, amongst other things,” Freya explained.

 

“That seems cool.”

 

 

Olivia found her room and saw that her roommate was already there, unpacking.

 

“Hi, I’m Janara.”

 

“Olivia.”

 

“What are you studying?” Janara asked.

 

“History and Archaeology. I want to know about our long history. I have a feeling that there is more to be discovered.”

 

“There are rumors of secrets that have been hidden for centuries within the University.”

 

“I have heard of them,” Olivia responded as she put her suitcase on her bed. “But things can easily be lost over time, especially at this University given that it does date back millennia.”

 

“That’s true,” Janara considered. “The website even says ‘founding date undetermined’. The actual anniversary date is of the renaming in 1224.”

 

“Too bad we missed the Octocentennial of that earlier this year.” Olivia opened her suitcase and turned back to Janara. “What are you studying.”

 

“Computer Science. I have been able to code since I was six.”

 

“Amazing,” Olivia responded. That was something she had found difficult, given her dyslexia. She looked out the window and saw that she could see the mountains in the south over the campus and southern suburbs. “I didn’t realise the Hall was on a rise.”

 

“Or maybe it’s not a rise,” Janara said. “Maybe ruins of older Halls this one was built on.”

 

“Either in the Roman or Norse eras…” Olivia mused.

 

 

Back on the other side of campus, Freya had finished unpacking and was sketching the view from the window.

 

“Freya.”

 

“Oh! You’re leaving now?”

 

“Yes, I need to get back before Bjorn and Sigrid get home from school,” her mother said, referring to her younger brother and sister.

 

“Of course,” Freya said. She then jumped around and hugged her mother goodbye.

 

 

As Astrid headed back to the airstrip she thought back to an unexpected moment with Freya not long after she started high school.

 

Early 2018

Astrid entered the living room. She saw Freya working on something on the table. But that wasn’t what was unusual. It wasn’t even all that unusual that she had her eyes closed, creating something by touch. But there was something different about her. “Freya? Did you dye your hair?”

 

Freya turned in the direction of her voice. “Yes. I wanted something different, rather than boring old blonde.”

 

“But, pink?”

 

Freya opened her eyes, and brought a tress in front of them. “You know it’s my favorite color.”

 

Astrid sighed. “Of course I do, since you use it a lot.”

 

“And I didn’t want a traditional color.”

 

Present

‘Of course, she has kept it pink since,’ she thought, although there had been variations in shade and highlights. She arrived back at the hanger.

 

“The plane is fuelled and ready to go,” one of the assistants said.

 

“Thanks.”

 

 

As the afternoon went on, Freya explored the Hall, finding that the northwestern balcony on her floor gave the best view over the campus and the ancient core of Urbs Aeterna beyond. She knew that she was going to spend many an afternoon sketching that vista. She looked closer, where the Hall met the walkways and one of the neighboring Halls. ‘Maybe one could go over the rooftops there?’ she wondered. She then took out her sketchpad.

 

 

As night fell, Olivia and Janara entered the Lodge’s Dining Hall and saw that it was mostly full. “I’ll have to find another time,” Olivia groused.

 

“It isn’t absolutely crowded,” Janara pointed out.

 

“It isn’t, but I don’t do well around crowds,” Olivia confessed.

 

“Maybe we can find a corner?”

 

“Hopefully.”

 

Janara looked around. “There!”

 

 

Five minutes later, they were sitting in a corner next to a window.

 

“What are your plans for tomorrow?” Janara asked.

 

“I’ll have a look in the Main Library,” Olivia answered.

 

“But it’s absolutely huge. The largest building on campus, and the largest Library in the world.”

 

“I know, but I know I’ll be using it a lot in my studies, so I want to get a start.”

 

“I’ll come with you, then,” Janara decided.

 

“That would be good. I’m certain it would be overwhelming.”

 

 

Freya looked around after she had grabbed her meal. She saw Sara with a few others and went over. “Mind if I join you?” she asked.

 

“Not at all,” Sara said. She turned to the others. “This is Freya.”

 

The others introduced themselves and Freya found herself in her social element, even if the chatter around them was a little overwhelming at times.

 

 

“Freya, was it?” Dana Lind asked the pink haired girl as they left the Dining Room.

 

“Yes,” Freya said.

 

“You said that you’re an artist?”

 

“I am. I’m here to learn from the best in Aurora.”

 

“Everyone is,” Dana said. “I’m studying entomology. There are well over two million species of insects in the world.”

 

“That’s a lot of insects…” Freya considered.