Graduation Ceremony — Veldmeer High Gymnasium: Spring, Year 5
The whole school had assembled in the gymnasium which had been reset with rows of chairs and a stage set up at one end. In addition the families of the graduating students were also present. Principal Brandt was in full flight giving his end of year address.
Principal Brandt: …and as another year comes to a close, we reflect back on the achievements we have made and the paths we have travelled…
…for those graduating, this is not an ending, but a beginning, soon you will spread your wings, and reach for the stars beyond the rings…
He paused for a moment to snuffle and clear his throat.
…and no matter how far you fly away, may you always find your way back, like the homing pigeons of old returning to their roosts…
Timo snorted and coughed just a little more loudly than absolutely necessary.
Timo: Did he just call us pigeons? Those urban rats are not exactly known for their soaring ability…
Toby: Endurance maybe… to sit through this speech.
Raven: Same speech every year, word for word.
Hans tilted his head slightly, the way he did when a claim failed to meet basic scrutiny.
Hans: Three separate metaphors—
and they contradict each other. Wings imply the flight is instinctive. Pigeons imply the return is instinctive. But between the two, he’s asked us to reach the stars—
which, even ‘beyond the rings,’ is a distance no instinct has ever crossed.
If anything gets us there, it will be several years of a syllabus, not a homing reflex.
The speech finally ended and it was time to present the diplomas. One by one the graduating students crossed the stage to receive their diplomas and shake hands and paws with Principal Brandt.
Principal Brandt: Raven Cole!
Unhurried, Raven crossed the stage. He shook Brandt’s paw, and took the diploma, he then let his gaze sweep the crowd for just a moment, finding Grandma Bella and Grandpa Jake sitting together, returning their beaming smiles.
Principal Brandt: Callum Grant!
Callum, one of the Headwall boys, grinned the whole way across, shook Brandt’s paw like they were old friends and got a whoop from someone he was sure was his friend, Owen Lloyd.
Principal Brandt: Toby Hall!
Toby sauntered across the stage nonchalantly, shook, and then saluted the crowd with his rolled diploma, before continuing.
Principal Brandt: Sebastian Jarvis!
As Seb crossed the stage he caught sight of a familiar face, with a familiar navy turtleneck. Their eyes met for just a moment, Huxley acknowledging his achievement with a single nod.
Principal Brandt: Timotheus Jäger!
Timo practically bounced his way across the stage, firmly taking Brandt’s paw in both of his to shake. Brandt, then gave Timo a single playful tap to the back of his head with the diploma before handing it over to him. The whole gymnasium exploded into cheers and appreciative laughter. Timo, thoroughly enjoying his moment, pumped his fist at the crowd before leaving the stage.
Back in the seats, Raven elbowed Toby.
Raven: Brandt, might give boring speeches, but he sure knows how to deliver Timo a swack!
Toby simply leaned back in his seat with a satisfied smirk.
Principal Brandt: Hans Keller!
Hans, tall and upright crossed the stage with dignified composure, shook Brandt’s paw precisely once, and inclined his head just a fraction.
Two other Headwall boys were graduating today, Owen Lloyd and Scott Price. Owen crossed the stage easy and confident, receiving a return whoop from his friend Callum. Scott Price, not used to being the centre of attention, crossed the stage quickly, shaking and taking his diploma in the shortest time possible.
Finally, one more diploma remained to be awarded.
Principal Brandt: Today, I am pleased to award the last diploma to a particularly outstanding student who at just fifteen, is our youngest student ever to graduate from Veldmeer High School. This was in addition to completing and passing with merit, several tertiary courses from Theden University.
Lewis Vale!
Lewis, with Dogger firmly under one arm, pushed his glasses up his nose, crossed the stage, shook Brandt’s paw and received his diploma, with a modest smile.
Graduation Dinner — Headwall
Warm late afternoon sun washed its way up the Greyfall Valley transforming the twin Greyfalls into fiery golden ribbons of falling water with the full force of the spring thaw. Behind the valley’s headwall, mountain peaks still glistened with snow at the highest levels. The rings of Hundeerde, always there if you knew where to look, also caught the lowering sun and made their own golden bow across the sky.
The entire Headwall family and several guests, the families of Toby, Hans, and Timo, along with General Huxley had all made their way back to Headwall Station, for a celebratory graduation BBQ dinner in the orchard. A full beef brisket had been slow cooking in the smoker all day. As the family and guests arrived, the smoky smell of the roasting meat and spices wafted across the yard to meet them.
Seb had also invited Anja who had also graduated along with the rest of the senior class. The meal progressed pleasantly as the sun dipped below the ridgeline and several braziers were lit to ward of the evening chill, as family and guests settled in for the evening.
During the meal the sound of vehicle could be heard making its way up the valley road. It pulled up in the yard behind the house with the sound of a door opening and closing with a thunk. Then, through the deepening twilight, the unmistakable outline of a large German Shepherd Hunde appeared, wearing the uniform of the Hundeerde Space Defence and Communications Network. He approached Grandpa Jake and General Huxley and saluted smartly.
Commander Onyx: General Husky, Sir?
Grandpa Jake: Yes. That’s me, retired. You seem very familiar, have we met before?
Commander Onyx: We have. I am Commander Onyx, from the team that extracted you and your family from Barking Green.
If we could step aside for a moment, Sir, I have something to give you. General Huxley, Sir, you should also accompany us.
Grandpa Jake: Of course, Commander, let’s go up to the verandah at the house.
Leading the way Grandpa Jake, Onyx and Huxley all walked over to the house away from the general noise of the gathering, and to the quiet of the verandah.
Once all three were together on the verandah, Onyx made known the purpose of his unannounced visit. He wasted no time, keeping his report short.
Commander Onyx: General Husky, Sir, as you may know the Network are continuing efforts to extract all remaining Hundel from Earth. However, it has proven especially difficult and dangerous to extract personnel from what was the island of Britain and especially from inside the London M25 motorway ring.
Just over a week ago, we attempted an extraction from inside the ring after making initial contact. But the subject disappeared right on the point of extraction, just before we could get to them.
We were however able to recover an item, which came with strict instructions to deliver it directly into your paw, Sir, and into your paw only. It has not been opened.
Onyx then took a small object from his pocket and gave it to Grandpa Jake.
It was a plastic 35 mm film canister.
Grandpa Jake held it in his paw for a few moments just looking at it. He clearly recognised it for what it was, an old school 35 mm film canister of the same type that he used for his own photography, and had also taught Raven to use. With his paws giving way to the smallest tremor, he popped open the lid. It did not contain a film, however it did contain a small folded piece of paper. Grandpa Jake carefully unfolded the paper and saw what was written on it.
GEE – 26
HAW – 11
GEE – 11
Grandpa Jake looked at the paper for a long time not saying anything.
Huxley: Jake?
Grandpa Jake looked up at his friend with a look of shock, but mixed with a glimmer of hope. His voice when it came, was cracked and hoarse.
Grandpa Jake: It’s the combination to the strongroom in the basement of The Fox and Hounds in Barking Green. It contains my whisky collection.
Gee and haw are sled commands for right and left.
Right – 26, left – 11, right – 11.
The numbers are the Earth birth-dates of the pups, Angus, Fergus and Hamish. Also, Angus and Hamish are right pawed, Fergus is left pawed.
He paused for a moment deep in thought.
This code could only have come from one person — Duncan. He must be still alive, somewhere in central London. There is no other explanation.
Huxley: This is the first message in years that has managed to get out of London.
Grandpa Jake: You’ve told me yourself — every extraction attempted in London, from inside the M25, results in the subject vanishing right at the last moment. But this time… someone… managed to get a message out.
Huxley: This is solid evidence. My promise to you still stands, but we need to proceed with extreme caution. You are correct, we have never managed a successful extraction from within the M25 ring.
This time…we need to succeed.
The three Hundel stood there in silence for a few moments as the weight of the conversation settled. Suddenly, Grandpa Jake’s nose twitched catching a scent on the air.
Grandpa Jake: Commander Onyx! Would you like to meet the boys again; and how do you like your steak — medium rare?
Onyx straightened and grinned.
Commander Onyx: Yes, Sir! Affirmative to both, Sir!
The three Hundel, their noses led by the smoky scent of roasting meat, soon returned to the gathering in the orchard.
Later that evening
Huxley: Jake, let’s have that talk with Seb and Raven.
Grandpa Jake: Absolutely. Let me go find them.
Before long, Grandpa Jake returned with the two boys. Huxley wasted no time getting to the point of the meeting.
Huxley: Congratulations on your graduation.
I can confirm that both of you have now met all the requirements for entry to the Hundeerde Space Defence and Communications Network Academy.
The places are yours if you accept.
Seb: Thank you, Sir! Yes, Sir, I accept!
Raven: Yes, Sir! I accept!
Huxley: Excellent.
The next Academy intake is at the beginning of Autumn.
Enjoy your summer!
And then as quickly as it had begun, the meeting was over.
Seb and Raven then returned to the main gathering, bubbling with excitement. They couldn’t wait to find Toby, Hans and Timo to tell them the news. They soon found their friends warming their paws by the braziers.
Timo: Wait! What? The Academy? Both of you?
Can… can we do that too?
Raven: I don’t see why not. Nobody said it was just us.
Hans went quiet for a moment, the way he did when a new variable had entered a calculation he hadn’t finished running.
Hans: The entry requirements would be the same. Grades, physical assessment, an interview.
There’s no reason the three of us couldn’t apply.
Toby said nothing, looking toward the house and the verandah, where he could see the General and Grandpa Jake who were still up there deep in conversation.
Toby: Well… if Timo’s in… Then, I’m in.
Raven grinned widely.
Raven: That’s the rule. If you get Timo, you get Toby too.
Raven laughed loudly.
…or the other way around!
Timo: I’ll take that as a compliment.
I’m a package deal.
Seb: You certainly are!
Hans: It’s a shame Lewis is only fifteen.
The Network could do with a brain like his.
Seb: Let’s go tell General Huxley you guys are interested in joining too!
Later — The Verandah
Later, once the last of the guests had gone and the braziers had burned down to embers, Jake found Bella on the verandah, looking out over the darkened valley.
Grandma Bella: You’re still thinking about it.
Grandpa Jake: Five years, Bella. I’ve been thinking about it for five years.
Nothing.
And now this.
Bella took his paw in both of hers.
Grandma Bella: Then we hold onto it. Whatever else happens — we hold onto hope.
They stood together a while longer, the sound of the Grey River quietly making its way down the valley below them.
Grandpa Jake: A code to a locked room, a thousand light years away on the other side of Orion.
Grandma Bella: Closest we’ve felt to them in five years.
Grandpa Jake: And further away than they’ve ever been.
Screw Pile Developments 