Adam is standing in the entranceway of the school when I arrive, talking to Tony and clearly waiting for me.

“Sorry, Adam. Am I late?”

“Oh, no Nick. Tony was a little early and I knew you wouldn’t be far behind. Staff come and go at all hours and you’d be surprised just how early or late some of us are to be found here.”

“Is there so much work?” Tony asks.

“No, the workload these days is indeed substantial; fair but not a burden. It’s just that some staff members like to catch up on preparation or marking away from their homes and either come in early or stay late. Don’t worry, you shouldn’t have to do any of that for the first year.”

“And school starts at nine?” I ask, just to make sure.

“Yes. I’d normally expect you to be here about 8:30 or so, but when you have nothing scheduled, we can be flexible. Come on, I’ll introduce you to as many of the staff as we can corner.”

It turns into a day that’s sixty percent orientation and introductions and the rest doing paperwork and working out schedules that fit everything in. I knew that I needed to study a huge variety of time periods and events. Some would just be those I already had a familiarity with, but others would be totally new eras, countries and details.

What I’d overlooked, however, was just how much more I would need to increase my knowledge of other subjects. Luckily, these were, for the most part, subjects that I was currently good at and enjoyed. It’s easy to forget just how good your grasp of English grammar needs to be, no matter what subject you teach. If you’re marking an essay, then you need to point out the spelling and grammar as well as any factual inaccuracies.

What was nice, however, was the fact that much of it could be done remotely. Adam commented on this very early in the day. “I’d rather you studied at home as much as you can, particularly for the first few months. There’s not really the spare space here for you, especially with us having two new apprentices this year.”

“Do you need us to be here at all?” I ask.

“Oh yes. You’ll need to spend some time with your department heads. They’ll act as a tutor or professor of sorts. There aren’t really any tests, but you will be expected to prove you’ve done the work. They will also want you to sit-in on classes, probably right from the start. It’s not so bad for you Nick, but Tony here actually needs to do a lot of lab time. He may find himself filling in as an assistant one or two days a week soon enough.”

“Oh good,” Tony smiles. “That’s the bit I enjoy the most and you can’t really have a lab at home.”

“Speaking of department heads, I’ll leave you right here Nick.” Adam knocks on the door of an apparently empty classroom and steps inside.

“Nick Quilliam, this is Mark Walker, head of the history department. You will be reporting to him from now on.”

“Hello Mark,” I say smoothly, finally seeing a face I recognise and holding out a hand. “You’re the one who really got me interested in history in the first place.”

“Good to see you again Nick. I’m glad that enjoyment has turned into something good for you.”

“Great. I’ll leave you two to get reacquainted.” Adam turns back towards the door and Tony, who is waiting patiently in the corridor. “Nick, I’ll see you again on Friday. We have a couple of things to go over and I’d like to have a word with you about a small favour.”

Mark really was one of the best teachers I ever had. His lessons were interesting, rewarding and just good fun. It’s almost impossible to not learn in these conditions and I loved every minute of it. He explains a little about how he likes to work and we compare our schedules, working out when we can have time together to keep track of my progress.

Mark is the last item on my schedule for the day and, as he is finishing for the day as well, we walk back to the main entrance together, chatting amiably.

“Just one more thing Nick.”

“Yes Mark, what is it.”

“I know it can feel a little overwhelming. The workload is pretty substantial and honestly, I’ll expect a lot from you. But, and it’s a big ‘but’, don’t neglect life in the pursuit of perfection.”

“You remember my anxiety disorder?”

“Yes. I had a couple of long talks with your parents at the time. They told me how much you looked forward to our classes together. I didn’t show any favouritism - well not much.”

“Thank you, Mark. Both for helping me and also for not letting me know at the time. Having a class to look forward to really did help.”

“You seem to be much better than I remember, if you don’t mind me saying so. I’m surprised you now have the confidence to think of teaching if I’m being honest.”

“Oh, no, I don’t mind at all. Actually, you’re one of the first people I’ve met who knew me a few years ago. I’m working through a Nexima-powered course of therapy at the moment and it really is a miracle.”

“I’ve heard of these new treatments. Is it truly as good as they say?”

“Well, it seems to be working for me. In just a few weeks, since I got my implant, I’ve gone from how you remember me – or even a little worse – to how I am now. Even I’m shocked, but I’m not complaining. I’m guessing the AIs took this possibility into consideration when they suggested this as a job choice for me. Actually, the only choice.”

“The only choice Nick? That sounds really unusual.”

“Yes Mark, everybody keeps telling me the same thing. I’m starting to get a little paranoid about the AIs. I sometimes feel as if they have a plan for me. There are just too many happy coincidences. But, whatever the oddness of the initial suggestion, I now feel that it fits.”

“Yes, Nick, I really think it does. Now, get yourself home and we’ll see you again on Friday.”

I know I have a busy week ahead and it’s a good thing that I warned Peter that I wouldn’t be able to talk much through the week. Tuesday passes in a blur of study. I get totally absorbed in looking closely at the Roman persecution of the Christians and how it changed the empire, leading to the eventual split and decline.

Dad comes into my room as I am finishing up and handed me an empty picture frame with a mount that had been cut to the right size. “Come on Son, I haven’t seen it yet.”

I open the back of the frame and carefully remove the drawing from my drawer. Dad leans over my shoulder to look it over before it is placed behind glass. “Yes, your mother was right?”

“Right about what exactly?”

“Well firstly, Peter really does love you. Secondly, this is you. The real you, unfiltered and uncovered. And, lastly, you really do look like I did when I was younger.”

“That’s not a bad thing, Dad.”

“No, I suppose not. Glad to see some things are passed on genetically,” Dad finishes with a wink and a smile.

“Dad!”

“Now, come on downstairs, dinner is almost ready.”

Sam’s home for the evening and insists on seeing this drawing that Mum keeps talking about. He tries his best to tease, but finally has to admit that it is both tasteful and meaningful. He, too, can see my inner self revealed.

<Nick, voice call from Doctor Taylor.>

<Accept the call please, Nexima.>

“Hi Paul.”

“Hello Nick. How are you doing this week? Have you started work?”

“Yes, Paul, I started on Monday. All in all, I’m feeling pretty good. The treatments knocked me out pretty bad, particularly the Friday/Saturday one, but I seemed to recover fairly quickly.”

“Excellent. Looking at the AIs notes, that correlates with the nature of the session. You don’t feel any side-effects, anything unusual?”

“Well, honestly, everything feels unusual, but I know that’s just mostly down to my new-found confidence. I don’t see it as a side effect though.”

“No, I don’t think that’s how we’d classify it either. Otherwise, everything is good?”

“Yes. Really good. Work, home, Peter. It’s all pretty fantastic really. I do find myself getting stuck in my own thoughts from time to time. I find myself second-guessing simple decisions. I feel that, before the treatment I would not have done it, and have to double-check with myself to see if I should do it now. I know I’m an over-thinker, but am I going too far?”

“Honestly, Nick, I think it’s totally normal. You’re adjusting to a very different state of mind and it sounds like you’re getting a good handle on it. These thoughts will probably get less intrusive over time.”

“Thanks Paul.”

“Well, Nick, I’ll add a little more good news for you. I don’t need to speak to you for three months now. The AI has no further treatments planned and we now just need to go to infrequent check-ins. We don’t call this a cure, but it is a successful outcome.”

“Paul. That’s the best news. I’m so grateful for your time and help. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. If you do have any issues, then please message me and we’ll have a chat. I’ll liaise about our next appointment nearer the time.”

“Thank you again Paul. Goodbye.”

“Goodbye Nick. Take care of yourself.”