CHAPTER 2: THE CALL

"Welcome to the prophetic year. Welcome to the year pointing towards the horizon. 2035 begins now!!" That is what the emcee was screaming as we entered. You could see students of all levels in the amphitheatre struggling for a good spot. But being with Dazna spared me the effort. As the most important lady in the school, she was treated like gold. And that treatment by conjecture was also extended to me. We were given a comfortable spot to follow the presentation. The only disadvantage was the eyes sniping me from all directions. Most of them which were those of men. I could hear them murmur their disbelief. Not that I wasn't good looking but they had a certain image of the acceptable dude who should be with Dazna. Anyways, I didn't come to listen to those morons but to understand what is going on.

"Welcome once more. I go by the name of Kuonga Klein. People call me KK. Your gathering here means you accepted to be part of a transformation." He spoke, pausing from time to time and staring at the crowd with bewilderment.

"You have decided to be part of destiny changers. And the destiny you are going to change isn't yours. No, no, no." He nodded. "You are going to change the destiny of your beloved country!"

"Is it worth it?" A student screamed.

"And Why shouldn't be it?" Klein asked.

"Saving this God-forsaken country? That's a laudable joke." Another dude interjected, followed by a thick hail of laughter.

"A very energetic laughter. I like the spirit. Since it has come to this, let's throw aside the speech and discuss. Would you?"

"Suit yourself, old man." Another scream burst through the hall.

"You guys received a message from an unknown number and didn't even question it. You took your two legs and joyfully assembled here. Isn't it strange?" Klein asked, with a smile that reckoned a dangerous incline. He was indeed very correct. The message had no sender information nor did it even suggest any form of trust. When you think of it, the message was very shady and none of us had to be here but still, we happily marched in this amphitheatre.

"Let me knock things to a higher gear. I challenge any of you to leave the hall. Any student who succeeds will be granted his engineering diploma despite the level."

"Old man, you don't know what you are saying."

"I am not yet senile. I am still only in my forties. I dare you to cross that door." Klein sparked again. Dazna remained poised, and I just followed her vibe. Two benches ahead of us, a guy stood up quietly and gently marched towards the door. At two steps to the door, he froze. Everyone in the hall stood up, spooked at what they saw. This didn't make sense. Other students tried and froze again. Some decided to push or carry those who froze and fling them outside but they seemed to be trying to lift Thor's hammer. Seeing their senseless struggle, the rest of the students began panicking. Some began instigating violent reactions. Others just kept quiet, unfazed by what they were just from seeing. In all that cacophony, his voice, which sounded like a whisper silenced everyone. That was the proof that moved my soon-to-be bae.

"Lofty proposal but we still don't know what we are doing here," Dazna spoke, spiking the emcee's curiosity.

"Manners want it that you present yourself when you formally take the floor.

"Nanga Dazna."

"Thank you for the question, Lady Dazna. I was indeed coming to that." Klein commenced the monologue that made us see heaven in that country that saw us as strangers. What I retained from his very lengthy monologue was the insertion of an extra course in our training as engineers. That course would be simulations of real-life situations, making us gain years of experience while still in school. This revolutionary method will make most students graduate from school with at least 3 years of experience in their respective domains.

"His excellency, Mbi Mvondo Barthelemy Paul Biya, always believed in the youth of his country. He knew that the development he sought could only be brought by them. But seeing how they were being corrupted by social media platforms, he decided to lay out the foundations we have today. May such a good soul rest in peace."

He added a few specifications as to how the simulations would take place and wished us good grace. Everyone left that hall either scared to death or motivated for life. I was in between. So many questions flooded my brain and so many dream paths popped up. Dazna still remained composed. I could see her eyes rapidly swaying in all directions. She seemed to be playing countless scenarios in her mind. And when she emerged from that, she smiled and offered me to shake her hand.

"I think we are engaging in a very tough streak. A friend to watch my back and put some sense back into me when I go haywire would be greatly welcomed." She proposed.

"We seem to see eye to eye." I agreed, sealing the beginning of our friendship with that handshake.

At the end of the day, I felt soaked in joy. A shady dude, suffering from an onset of baldness had revived something in me. But still, I was scared. The demonstration he showed clearly told us something within us had been rigged. Did he just flaunt it, telling us we were controllable objects? Or was the hall rigged before we entered? Either way, that action was very much questionable and had unseen effects on the students that were in the amphitheatre that day. I didn't meet with Dazna anymore till the second semester came and the simulations started. The first day was a tour of the simulation building. A three-floor building with several pods. The first floor was for Level 1 and 2 students. The second floor was for level 3 and 4 students and the last was for the level 5 students. We were told how the pods used virtual reality and quantum physics to give the users real-life experiences in a virtual world. Mr Klein explained the 'witch craft' behind the technology by brushing over highly accurate and precise sensors, and brain scanners created in 2030 by Google. This technology made it possible to extract the soul of the individual in the pod. Hence, all the situations felt during the simulation, each detail, each drop of sweat or tears is reflected on the physical body. He took a simple case example;

"If you do sports as a simulation. Specifically, you simulate some weight lifting in a gym. Your real body will feel all the effects too. The sweat, the pain, the emotions everything has been coded to make it look real. If you had a class project where you guys may simulate a whole IT business structure, implement it with the necessary equipment and all that. All the knowledge and experience will be scarred in you, making you very prolific and one step closer to a sweet life in any enterprise of your wish."

For us level ones and twos, we could use the pods for any academic stuff. Be it projects or extracurricular activities. We enjoyed how our brains were modelled by those pods day after day. Our reaction time in physical activities became slightly professional just after a month of usage. Our thinking capacity and reaction to stress or unforeseen circumstances were also ameliorated in just a month. It indeed felt like a miraculous machine. After three months of usage, we were made to follow specific activities, under certain supervisors. Those activities were far more difficult than expected and the number of students having access to the building began reducing. And when the semester came to an end, the real deal began.

During the holidays, I received a certain message. This time around the number wasn't unknown and seemed to be that of Mr Klein. I was urged to be present in school on a particular day at a certain hour that didn't look glorious. I knew my parents wouldn't let me go but to my greatest dismay, they were the ones that drove me to the school at that hour. It was 11p.m when the vigil opened the gate. The silence of the night was threatening but I kept advancing, humming one of my favourite tunes. Arriving at the simulation building, the vigil waved and went back to his station. When I opened the door, a single soul was in that spacious floor as though waiting for me. She was leaning on a wall with her eyes buried in the screen of her tablet.

"Seems like we can't escape from the other." She welcomed.

"Seems like it indeed." I smiled.

"Well, let's go." She ordered and I just followed. Instead of taking the steps leading to the upper floors, the steps went deeper to some unknown lower level.

"Are we not taking the wrong stairs?" I giggled.

"I would have also been scared like you, but all the other pairs took this path when they entered the building."

"Pairs?"

"Yeah. Mr KK ordered us to come only in pairs."

"I see. Means grace wanted us to be together."

"We can put it under grace indeed." She answered. We silently continued descending, till we arrived the supposed destination; a bright large hall with pods hinged on the walls. Higher pods had stairs and a little platform leading to them. At the back of the hall were several office stations in transparent shelter rooms. And from one of those rooms came out Mr Klein, sweating like there was no tomorrow. He was casually dressed and seemed to emit a highly exhaustive aura. With a hand gesture, he called us to him.

"Thank you for being here destiny changers. Answering this call to change is a much greater step than you can imagine. You guys being here pushes Cameroon to a better tomorrow. A glorious tomorrow. Choose a pod and make yourself comfortable. We shall begin in a few minutes." He said, ushering us to choose a pod. The vibe wasn't as usual. I entered the pod with such anxiety, fearing the worse. The pod felt different. Honestly, it wasn't our usual pods. There was cask, rather than the usual pair of glasses we always had, and the pod cushion this time around seemed to have more special electrodes than usual. When I lay in, I could feel the electrodes gripping my skin through the clothes I wore. The cask began flashing a series of lights for a couple of seconds before stopping. Then came Mr Klein's voice thanking us and giving us some specifications.

"For all those who are here tonight, you have answered to the call of evolution. The call of change. That said, let's stop beating around the bush and begin the real experiment. The code word to initiate the simulation is deep dive."

When I said that, I felt my spirit leave my body. That feeling was beyond description. It was like I was splintered to a different world. Forcefully pulled to a certain plain, sucking my spirit and soul. The dive felt so intense I closed my eyes. And when I opened them back, I was in front of a huge black door. A limitless height and names written on them. The names seem to start from infinity descending towards the bottom. And as I stared at that door, I could see names disappearing and appearing. I began wondering if this was still just a simulation. Looking at the other participants gave me comfort. For they all seemed to be scared just as I was. But Dazna looked at the gate with a different resolve. Her eyes were challenging. They were screaming; 'I am ready for war.' Mr Klein appeared above us, floating towards the door. His attire wasn't one I could describe. I had seen such a dress once in some records of music of the year 2010. A traditional attire made from a peculiar cloth.

"It starts with a will. A zeal to open that door. This door facing you is the only door separating from who you are now and the great person you are to become. It starts with fear and then fear becomes courage and courage becomes greatness. I am here as your forerunner, enticing you guys to gather what fear you have and push that door."

His words were not encouraging. On the contrary, most of us wouldn't muster our fear but instead felt overcome by that fear. But then, a guy moved ahead and began pushing. As he laid his hand a name began being inscribed. Then Dazna followed and her name was inscribed and the rest of us followed. When I touched that door, I felt a connection to certain events I had not tasted. A kiss. A bliss. Pain. Bravery. A fight. Sex. Death. These events flashed so quickly I thought it was a game glitch. With that collective strength, the door opened. We rushed through it. Running away from the fear of a second thought. Crossing to a cliff side with breath taking view. A dense forest with one distant tree taller than the others. We didn't even have the time to be mesmerized that KK came in again with his presentations.

"Einstein said that imagination is more important than knowledge. Add endurance to your imagination and you get the ultimate weapon. This introduction to our utmost training starts by testing those two concepts. It will also serve as starting ranking system. But before you start, I want you to test your reflexes. Do little stretches, jumps and finger flexes."

It felt so real. It had real life physics and feeling. It was my body but with a boost I couldn't explain.

"There are basic hand gestures to call up the map and list of participants. You draw respectively an 'm' and an 'l' respectively. Calling the map highlights everyone foes and allies alike, though some may still find means to disappear. Imagination is the key and endurance is the strength to turn the key when it is blocked. That said spring young guns. Spring!" And that was the departure signal. Everyone jumped off the cliff, falling with no fear. Not even thinking about the landing. While falling, we all did the map gesture. Immediately the map was smeared in our brain and the objective of the simulation. We were to reach the tallest tree of the forest. It was 40,000km tall and the distance between the bottom of the cliff and the tree was approximately the height of the destined tree. We landed, with the floor almost giving up under our feet. And without caring of our state, we immediately dashed. Dashing towards the beginning of our future.