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“Theoretically, with entangled particles we could build instantaneous communication relays,” you say.

“Good answer, if surface level,” Reina says. “Now name six states of quantum entanglement.”

“Um, there’s GHZ state, NOON state, two Bell states...oh, spin-squeezed state?” you say.

“There are four Bell states are there not?” Reina says.

“Oh, of course...”

“Now suppose you have a qubit-qutrit system, how would you determine separability?” she says.

“Um...uh...does anyone on Earth even know this?” you say.

“7?” Reina says.

“The Peres–Horodecki criterion,” 7 says.

“Good. Someone who isn’t completely hopeless.” Reina’s eyes snap to you as she says this. Most of the class turns and looks at you. You stim nervously waving your arms slowly in front of you.

“Aydan doesn’t even understand quantum entanglement,” Ida whispers to Kaz.

“How’d it even get into this school?” Kaz whispers back.

Zeta glares back at them. “Ms. Reina, what does this even have to do with cybernetics?”

“That’s it, both of you go stand in the hallway for the rest of the day,” Reina says.

Zeta stands up abruptly. “Come on Aydan.”

You follow it. The eyes of the class follow you.

Out in the hallway, you sit down against the wall.

“Fuck that Reina, she always has it out for us!” Zeta says.

“But isn’t she usually really nice?” you say.

“Huh?”

“Everything is just so wrong today.” You clutch the sides of your head. “I feel like I’m losing my mind.”

“Isn’t this how school always is?” Zeta says.

The lights in the hallway shut off, leaving only dim sunlight from the window at the end. Freezing air blows down on you from the vent in the ceiling.

“No, something’s definitely wrong,” you say.

The bell chimes over the intercom, signaling the end of the school day.

“What? Already?” you check the time on your terminal: ??:??:?? “A lot of good you are.”

A cascade of metallic noise spreads through the hallway as every classroom door opens, within a second of each other. Students pour out, walking in a daze. Slowly their heads all turn toward you.

“Um...hi?” you say.

At the front of the crowd from your classroom, 7 steps forward, staring at you. Her magenta eyes turn pure black. “You’re not supposed to be here.”

“What?” you say.

“You’re not supposed to be here.” The entire mass of students repeats it in one voice.

You and Zeta back away from them. You see a clear route to the stairs. Through the window, you see more large black corvids perched just outside, watching you.

“Whether this is a lucid nightmare or a dissociative scenario, we have to get out of here!” you say.

“Okay, but where?” Zeta says.

“I know a place we can hide!”