Fiction Friday: Chapter Two - D-Flat

Here is the next part of the D-flat story.

CHAPTER TWO

I walked toward the indicated door, feeling a bit confused. Pass? I thought I would know a bit more than that at the end of the final. Rumors abounded about what happened at the end of the course, but I had thought that there would be more coming through the headphones than just one word. I opened door C and walked down the long hallway.

Three years of intensive training to become a tuner were now in the past. I had demonstrated proficiency in ear training and pitch matching as well as frequency fluctuation. I learned how to calibrate the engine cores as well as how to balance harmonics in all sorts of situations. I was ready to leave the Academy and move into my chosen field. I was confused by my results. No one else had entered door C during the finals. Only me.

The door at the end of the hallway opened smoothly, and I entered to find an empty desk and two chairs in an otherwise empty room. As I entered, a woman opened a door on the far side of the room and took one of the chairs. I sat in the other, feet firmly planted on the floor, my back not touching the chair at all. I forced myself to breathe.

“Congratulations on passing your exam,” the woman stated. I nodded, not quite trusting my voice to sound steady. “You probably have some questions.”

“Your situation is unusual. You completed the test within the time allotted, but there were some irregularities that came up in your performance that merit further discussion.” I realized I was holding my breath. What irregularities?

She continued, “In our years of training core tuners, we occasionally find people who demonstrate traits and skills that call for specialized training and an expanded role beyond that of a tuner. You demonstrate these traits and skills. I would like to offer you a different role – music therapist.”

Music therapy? What was that? I forced myself to take a deep breath and leaned forward in my chair. The questions came to mind furiously.

“What traits?”

“Irregularities?”

“What is music therapy?” Before I could speak, the woman started speaking.

“Music therapy is a profession that started in the 1940s on Earth. Originally, music therapists used the elements of music to help their clients reach personal goals. Since we’ve become space-centered, music therapists work to maintain harmony with the residents in whatever form is necessary. Core tuners work with machinery. Music therapists work with people. You have been selected to be a therapist. Congratulations.”