The buzzer sounded, and high heels clicked into the .

  "Good m, everyone."

  Ms. Evans's honey-sweet voice echoed through the room. She wore a dark jacket and bck leggings. Her long bck hair was tied ba a ponytail. Her rge forehead was sweaty, and her eyes appeared small yet friendly. She held a stack of papers in her arms, pg them on the desk.

  "It's the twelfth of the month again," she sang, overly cheerful. "You all know what that means."

  From the very back of the , Morbus had a good view of the other students. Someoh wild, reddish hair slowly raised his arms in the air and responded with a deep, newly broken voice. "Hooray. It's Memorial Day again," he said with sarcastithusiasm.

  Ms. Evans responded as if he genuinely meant it. "Exactly. Today is an important moment to refle the history of Catsroes, and particurly, that of Aquinox."

  She turned oop and started the projector. As soon as it powered on, the Aquinox logo appeared.

  As always, we begin with the introductory video. Afterward, you will read indepely and plete the exercises.

  Morbus heard Tomou, who was sittio him, groan. "Man, we've seen that video, like, a billion times or somethin'. Shit's in' out of my nose. 't we like, skip it just once?"

  "Rules are rules," Ms. Evans said sharply. "The video is meant to make you aware of the terrible times we've been through. Only then is it possible to live in pure pead pleasure. That's atch it every time. But the choice is yours. You could also go to the bathroom to your nose, if you prefer."

  A few people in the css chuckled softly.

  Tomou didn't find it funny. "Hirious, ma'am," he said dryly. "T'was just a joke. I'll survive, don't ya worry."

  She responded cheerfully. "Good! Then it's time to cry, feel, ahize."

  She pressed py, and the film came to life. A ral, formal voice came through the speakers.

  "Catsroes is a try with a rich history. We know the agricultural revolution, the industrial revolution, the goldehe romantic era, and the venienodern times..." Ses from the nation's past appeared. "...But we also know another side. We Catsroans have always suffered from the water. Various floods have dragged our try down multiple times..." Now there were bd-white images of the 1985 flood disaster.

  Ms. Evans stood at the back of the . As always, she was clearly moved by these images, holdirusty handkerchief to dry her tears.

  "...After 1985, such a thing could never be allowed to happen again. So, it was decided to build a structure that would forever keep the water out of our try: the Delta Works..." Footage showed the stru of the massive storm surge barriers in the early ies. "...It took some time, but by 2005, the Delta Works were plete. Over twenty years, een storm surge barriers were built. From now on, the try was safe from future water disasters. At least, that's what we thought..."

  The s showed a man around forty years old. He wore a suit, had a high forehead, and a small, pact face. A narrow, round pair of gsses sat on his nose.

  "...Out of nowhere, a new politi came into view. John Previs had been active as a minister for some time, until one day he had an epiphany about the future of Catsroes. He called it a 'predictive vision,' which foretold a new flood disaster in 2023 that would pluhe whole try into anarchy. No one believed him at the time, as everyone had faith irength of the Delta Works. Minister Previs, however, sidered his vision as the truth. He decided, entirely on his own, to take a. In his powerful position, he began building massive, steel walls around his hometown Aquinox from 2009 to 2016..."

  The Walls appeared on the s. "...Thirty meters thiearly two hundred high. These would protect the city during the 2023 disaster. But since Previs draihe state treasury to build these Walls, he was suspended as minister, and new leaders took power. But Previs remained active in Aquinox. He devised an emergen. Ohe disaster would strike, he would take trol of Aquinox and reanize society. This is where the Category Pn was born..." The film showed a few elderly men in suits sitting in a feren, making arras.

  "...And then the moment arrived. On July 12, 2023, storm surge barrier 17 broke, just as the predi had foretold..." Morbus saw drone footage of a flooded Catsroes. Ms. Evans sobbed loudly as she watched these ses.

  As always. She's so predictable.

  "...Catsroes was wiped away, and only Aquinox stood tall, thanks to the Walls that held back the water. From that moment, Previs appointed himself president of Aquinox, and sihere was no lover, also president of Catsroes. Life could tinue here, thanks to President Previs's fht and the emergen he had kept in reserve. He immediately took trol of Aquinox's citizens and introduced the Categories. This meant that Aquinox's residents had to choose one of four Categories to focus on for the rest of their lives. In exge, they would receive ration cards to trade at food points for food packages..."

  A map of Aquinox appeared on the s. From the three gates in the south, west, and northeast, the main roads led te square in the ter, Previs Square. This way, the city was divided into thirds.

  So funny they still haven't removed the west gate on the map, Morbus thought. It is pletely useless now as the new sea levels have crept above the entrance height.

  The right se lit up, and the voice tinued.

  "...The first Category, Agriculture, focuses on providing Aquinox with food and wood. Here, people work long days in the fields, both g for crops and maintaining forestry. Then es Sce..." Now the lower-left area lit up. "...where people researew teologies, manage electricity, and maintain water supplies. Every day, they are making progress in engineering, iing and improving our way of living, and they are seen as the hope for humanity's future..."

  Groan. That's us.

  "...Then there's Ma, under supervision of President Previs himself..." The focus shifted to the upper part of the map. "...This is the Category that keeps Aquinox running like a well-oiled mae. They maintain important funs that keep Aquinox livable, thanks to their many sub-divisions like healthcare, politics, various social sces, and public administration. They also ehat all other Categories funoothly..." Finally, the boundary of the city lit up. "...And the st Category is Enfort. They form a group of thousands of individuals, many of whom are stationed on the Walls 24/7, ensuring no os ihey also uphold the w ahe city safe..."

  If only they told us who or what's left outside the Walls... mabye then this video would finally start to get iing.

  A quadrant appeared on the s, each se showing the logos of the Categories.

  "...Everyone 21 or older must choose one of these Categories. But since you aren't that age yet, you'll attend school in one of Agriculture, Sce, Ma, or Enfort..."

  Again Morbus groaned internally. It was always so awkward when the voice addressed them directly at the end.

  "...But no worries. It's alossible to switch Categories. Try to decide before you're 21, though. At that age, it's harder for your brain to absorb hings."

  The ses disappeared, and Previs appeared on the s again. This was a sele from a press ference shortly after the 2023 disaster. He was now the 64-year-old man they knew. His high forehead was exactly as it had been, except that his ministerial hairstyle hadn't survived. The gray tufts remained as his only head c.

  "Thanks to the Walls, we are safe here," boomed the president. "Thanks to the Walls, society tinue in Aquinox. Thanks to the Walls, humanity has a future!"

  "Long live President Previs!" the people shouted. "Long live Aquinox! Long live Catsroes!"

  Then the president cluded the speech with Aquinox's familiar slogan. "Live protected. Live forever."

  As the s faded to bck, the logo appeared, surrounded by the retly spoken words. Ms. Evans walked back to the front. Her cheeks were a forest of tears.

  "That st part always gives me a lump in my throat," she sniffed. "Really special." She ed her face with her handkerchief. "I wish you would watch this every week."

  The css remained surprisingly silent at her ent.

  She opened her agenda. "Today, you tinue from page 106 to 115. Focus especially on the exercises at the end of the se."

  A girl raised her hand. "Ma'am?"

  "Yes, Mora?"

  "arts of history are o month's test?"

  "Everything we've covered. I'll post the exact material oudent portal. But don't just study food grades. The point is to truly uand the horrific things that happened. With an emphasis on horrific."

  Mora nodded a over her textbook.

  Ms. Evans turned back to the css, her eyes still red fr. "Alright, now get to work, everyone." After a few seds, she added, "That includes you, Morbus."

  Morbus only just realized that he'd been staring at Mora's back since her question.

  "Or is something wrong?"

  Morbus felt his cheeks flush red. "No, sorry."

  He started reading but quickly noticed he couldn't trate at all.

  Urgh. Mondays are the worst.

  * * *

  When the bell rang, it was time for lunch break. Morbus and Tomou walked through the school hallway toward the cafeteria.

  "So, how was your weekend, buddy?" his friend asked.

  "Oh, nothing special," said Morbus. "Did homework, chilled, that kind of thing. Yours?"

  "Fine, fine. Dude, yesterday night, I was GONE, man. I think I'm like, still half in bed."

  Morbus believed it immediately. From the sound of his stoned voice, he really had been tripping. His face betrayed him too: dark circles under his eyes, his short bck curly hair in a mess, and his browaring dreamily ahead like he was still in a haze.

  They turned into another hallway aered the cafeteria.

  "I need coffee, man." Tomou said it like his world was ending. "Want some?"

  "No thanks, I still have water."

  "Go find us a spot, then."

  He walked over to the coffee mae on the ter, and Morbus sed the cafeteria. Here and there, some students had already takes around the characteristic piic tables in the ter. It was still retively quiet, but that would ge in about five minutes.

  He headed to a quiet er at the bad sat on a bench against the wall. A momeomou joined him, holding a steaming pstic cup of bck sludge.

  "So, how long has this been going on?" he asked.

  "What?"

  "Don't py dumb, man. I saw the way you were lookin' at her."

  Morbus tried to keep from blushing. "That was actal, okay? There's nothing... deep going on."

  "Maybe not this time." Tomou smirked mysteriously. "But I know ya better than that, man." He cpped Morbus firmly on the back. "You like her, don't ya?"

  Morbus stayed silent, uo stop his ears from turning bright red. After a bit of quiet, Tomou added, "e on, man. You don't have to hide it. What are friends for?"

  Morbus nodded in uanding. Tomou really was the only friend he had here. The kind of friendship that just happens naturally when you sit o someone in css long enough.

  He gnced around to make sure no one would overhear. Luckily, Mora was nowhere in sight, and everyone else was far enough away.

  He sighed. "Alright then. To answer your question: a few months. It's just…" He searched for the right words. "Her slender figure, her long brown hair. That almond-colored skin. I—"

  "Hey, it's alright, man. That's totally normal fuys ye."

  Morbus shot him a fake-angry look. "Was it the same for you?"

  Tomou took a big gulp of his coffee. "Yeah, I oed a girl. But it ended quickly. Right now, I'm a loner". He stretched out the st word like it was estic.

  "Man, that sucks," Morbus replied in his friend's style.

  Tomou shrugged. "I'm totally fine on my own, man. Just gotta do the things you love."

  Like drugs and alcohol?

  Tomou tinued eagerly. "But you've totally got a shot, man. Girls like that want nothin' more than a good guy like you." He ruffled Morbus's oily bck hair and thely stroked his bicep.

  "Stop that! I don't eople to think we're—"

  Tomou burst out in his infamous, booming ugh at 500 decibels.

  Everyone in the room looked up in their dire.

  Awkward.

  When everyone looked away and the cafeteria noise resumed, he tinued. "It's just a joke, man. I'm only teasin' you."

  "Make it a det joke ime."

  "Aye, aye." He took another sip, finishing his coffee.

  After a long, pleasant sileomht up aopic.

  "So, my friend, do you know what ya wanna do after school?"

  Morbus shrugged. "Sce, I guess. But I'm not sure yet." That st part was a lie. The other three Categories were absolutely not for him. "What about you?"

  "Dude, I've always wao work on those Walls," he said with a grin. "Nice view, bit of chill. Totally my thing. But I don't know yet. I gotta decide in two years, though."

  Morbus grimaced. For him, it was still a bit further off; he was three years youhan Tomou.

  He thought about the times Tomou had talked about his brother and got curious. "What did Uzya choose?"

  "Hard sces, man. My bro was a total pro. He made it all the way to Kosrov Isnd."

  Morbus's jaw half-dropped. "Kosrov Isnd?"

  He had heard of it. It was a small isnd under Asroes's jurisdi, a experiments were ducted underground there. Nobody kly what. Only the best stists from Catsroes received permission to research there.

  "Then he must have been really good," Morbus cluded.

  "That's what I just said." Tomou crushed his empty cup and threw it perfectly into the trash from the bench. "So dope."

  "Do you know what kind of work he does there?"

  Tomou made a pouty face. "Sadly, that's secret business my friend. I only know that everythin' they do is meant to make our try habitable again. Nothing more."

  Morbus wasn't sure how much of that to believe. It would still take a long time before Catsroes was restored, after all.

  The bell eheir break. Time for afternoon css.

  Thankfully, no history, just math with Mr. Ro. Much better.

  * * *

  When everyone was ba css, Mr. Ro closed the door.

  He walked in slowly, almost like a monk. He may have been old and gray, but his eyes and smile were as radiant as a child's.

  "Well, let's get started," he said in a friendly, rexed voice. "We've actually covered all the material already, so I have a fun assig for you this afternoon." He smiled mysteriously, taking a piece of paper and scissors from his desk drawer. "Watch this." He showed the paper to the css. "I'm going to transform this piece of paper with just a few cuts…" He made four snips, one in each er, parallel to the paper's edge. Then he folded the edges inward. "…Into a box."

  He sounded fasated, as if he had just discovered a new w of nature. "As you all know, the formu for volume is given by length times width times height, correct?" He wrote it on the board.

  "My question for you: what's the rgest possible volume? In other words, he should the cutouts be so that when you fold the edges inward, the volume of the box you get is bigger than any other?"

  The girl sittio Mora raised her hand. "Are we assuming that all fes are the same height?"

  "Certainly," Mr. Ro replied. "Otherwise, folding it would be rather—"

  "Then it's really simple," she replied. "You just have to—"

  "Quiet, please, Iramia." He held up his hand. "The idea is for everyoo think it through themselves." He gestured to the css. "Feel free to work together, by the way. In fact, I ence it." He pced a stack of simir sheets on his desk. "You take one of these too, if it helps."

  A murmur filled the room. Soon, everyone seemed to have formed teams. Morbus and Tomou were the only ones left.

  "Well, just the two of us again," he said, walking over to Mr. Ro's desk to grab a sheet.

  They often ended up paired together when w on assigs. But that usually worked out just fine; betweewo of them, they had all the knowledge they needed. Math and physics were Morbus's specialties, while Tomou felt right at home iry. He especially loved to 'mess around' during experiments, as he liked to put it.

  His frieurned with a small stack of sheets.

  "Why so many?"

  "We o experiment, man. You really think I make the perfect box in one go?"

  Oh my god.

  "That's not the point," sighed Morbus deeply. "You only o measure the length and width."

  Tomou raised an eyebrow. "Mr. Genius has already e up with a pn, hasn't he?"

  "Well, see," Morbus began. "If you assign a variable to the cutout... And the up a fun based on that... Then you just have to... find the value where it's maximized. Right?"

  "What have you been sniffing, dude? Sounds like mumbo jumbo to me."

  "It's just applying what we've learned. Just differentiate and—"

  "Uh, we work with you?"

  Morbus looked up. Two girls were standing beside their table. One of them was Iramia, the girl who had raised her hand earlier. She had short, blonde hair and a forehead dotted with pimples, and she always seemed to have a scowl on her faext to her stood a girl with light brown skin and even more brown hair, but Morbus had reized her the moment he heard her voice.

  Mora.

  Morbus's heart skipped a beat.

  "She means, of course, if she wants to work with you", Iramia said in a sneering, nasal tone. "I already solved the 'problem' ages ago." She made air quotes with her fingers.

  Morbus was still searg for words but found nothing.

  Crap, what do I say?

  Tomou came to his rescue.

  "Absolutely, join us, diez. We could use all the help we get. The more, the merrier."

  Morbus's heart raced.

  Mora tried to expin herself. "I mean, I have a hard time with math, and... it seems like you two are really good at it." She lowered her head.

  "Then you're in the right pce," Tomou replied, nodding at Morbus with his thumb. "The real mastermind is right o me."

  Morbus's ears turned bright red.

  Mora looked up again. "Thanks, guys." They walked away, came back with two chairs, and sat down across from them.

  Mora sat directly across from Morbus. They exged a gnce.

  Help.

  It felt like the individual beats of his heart had fused into one stant buzz in his chest.

  "Good luck with that," Iramia said mogly, who sat o Mora. "You'll probably need boxes of time to think it over." She cackled at her own joke.

  Mora looked Morbus directly in the eyes. "So, you already had an idea of how to do this?"

  Double help.

  The heat from his ears spread to the rest of his face. "Y-yeah, I w-was already… I… I was—"

  Tomou was his saving grace again.

  "Dude, you literally just cracked the code. You ain't tellin' me you've fotten it already..." He slid a piece of paper under his nose. "Write down what you're thinkin', man. Maybe even I'll uand it then."

  Morbus picked up a pen, trying to keep his trembling hand steady enough to write legibly. Stammering, he expined his pn to Tomou and Mora.

  Sigh. This is going to be a long afternoon.