Maya had made the mistake of thinking educating a highly intelligent child would be a simple endeavor, requiring little more work than making sure he got out out the door on time and finished his homework, but Enzo’s case was unique and challenging. Only ten years old, and he was already bored with university level math and science but woefully lacking in social skills. His understanding of Earth’s history, much like Maya’s had once been, was biased to the point to being incorrect and stopped short at the Eugenics Wars. His education had to be tailor-made, and Maya had a say is most of the decisions.
She returned home to see Enzo sprawled out of the floor, listening to loud music that featured an energetic guitar solo, and surrounded by PAADs, each open to a different subject—much like herself when she had first escaped Ceti Alpha V. She looked down at Enzo and his work and smiled as she took note of everything he was working on: two novels, a page of complex mathematical calculations, and photos of Andorian glaciers.
“Is it too much to hope that one of those is your organic chemistry assignment?”
“I have two days.” Enzo did not look up from his work.
Maya crossed her arms. “Enzo…you can’t get by acting like deadlines don’t exist, even when it seems to work. I learned that the hard way.”
“That’s what I don’t understand.” This was where Enzo peeled his attention away from his work. He turned his neck to look Maya in the eye. “How is it you failed out of Starfleet Academy when you should have been so much smarter than anyone else?”
A question she had to think about a lot before she had an answer for herself. “Because there’s more to success than knowing things. Now get started on your assignment.”