K'Nabu placed the transporter over the lock of his travelling case. He entered the location of his home for the next year and watched the box, which was almost as tall as he was, slide out of the transporter room of his house.

"I'm ready," he mumbled to himself following the case to be sure it attached itself to the rail, the only rail that traveled that far outside of the city.

Tomorrow he would finally attend the Wakanda Institute of Technology, his dream since he was old enough to program kimoyo beads.

"You could still attend Oronde's School of Combat," he heard his mother say.

K'Nabu turned to look at her. "I know," he replied. "You've told me many times."

"And you still haven't changed your mind?"

"I'm not having this conversation again, Mother," he said following her into their home. The door to the transporter room closed and the protection field re-sealed their home when they entered.

K'Nabu was the son of K'Dochi, the new leader and perhaps the most skilled warrior of the Border Tribe. K'Dochi had been working to earn his position since he was very young only to earn it after W'Kabi, their former general, betrayed King T'Challa. K'Dochi would have preferred to earn his rank in ritual combat as did his predecessors. Since he could not, he had to prove himself worthy to lead.

Easy to do with the support of the Dora Milaje. His wife, Niku, a member and a confidant General Okoye, managed to restore the standing of the members of the Border Tribe who chose not to fight the king the day Killmonger was defeated.

K'Dochi and Niku were warriors and expected their children to be warriors as well. Their eldest two daughters were attending Oronde's School at Combat located between the Border Tribe and the Panther Tribe and were working to entering the Dora Milaje training program. Their oldest son was already a member of the Hatut Zeraze, having graduated from Oronde three years early not only due to his skill in combat, but also his great aptitude for politics and government.

K'Nabu did not follow his family's path. He was determined to go into the city and attend the same school from which Princess Shuri obtained her qualifications. K'Nabu was determined to be a leader of science, much to the disappointment of his family and tribe.

"You could at least stay until you father returns from the Outer Border," his mother told him.

"He doesn't return for a week. I would miss the opening ceremony for my class. You and father can visit me in the city."

Niku took a deep breath. K'Nabu was stubborn like his grandmother and she knew she could never convince him to change his mind. She had only tried, at the request of her husband, to make one last appeal to K'Nabu.

She put her hand to her son's cheek. "You could do great things here."

K'Nabu smiled. "Hanam, Nuni, and K'Mado will do great things here. I will do better things in the city."

Niku laughed inspite of herself. "Wake me before you leave in the morning. I have a meeting with the General this evening."

"Yes, mother," K'Nabu replied. He went to his room to prepare for the day ahead.

The Wakanda Institute of Technology was the most prestigious school in all of Wakanda. The greatest of the country's technology had been created there: the first nanite, vibranium integration with kimoyo beads, the Dora Milaje spear, the Border Tribe's shield, the first hover vehicle, and it was where Princess Shuri revolutionized their magnetic levitation train system. It was the only place on Earth K'Nabu wanted to be and he was finally going to get there.

Of course, there was no real concern that he wouldn't get in. He was the top of his class in all of engineering courses. He was the youngest student to ever build a nanite network, even younger than Shuri. No one entering Wakanda Tech that year was more prepared than he was.

Living on the border meant K'Nabu had to ride his hover bike to the train. He would never need it in the city, so he sent back to his transporter room with a kimoyo and waited impatiently for his train to arrive. He knew he was early, but he was too excited to stay home any longer.

The train zipped through the country to the city that sat directly in the middle. The first stop for K'Nabu's train was the Border Tribe stop. He was the first and only person on the train when he got on. By the time he made it to Wakanda Tech's underground station the train was full of nervous students. The energy as they disembarked was almost frantic. It seemed that first years were the only people in the entire station, buzzing around in every direction, trying to find the lift that took them to their living quarters.

K'Nabu had visited the school twice the year before so he knew exactly where he was going. His lift was the third from the north side of the station. He followed behind a group of people apparently going to the same place. They were walking to slow for K'Nabu who was eager to unpack and get ready for the opening ceremony.

When the lift was full it rose quickly out of the station and above the city. Wakanda was beautiful. The sunlight reflected off of the palace and the light danced across the surrounding buildings. K'Nabu was so enamoured he almost didn't make it out the lift before it descended again.

The holograms of students present floated around the elevator. K'Nabu found his and waved his kimoyo beads over it.

The hologram transformed into directions to his room which were then downloaded to his bracelet. More students exited the lift, as K'Nabu followed the crowd into the common room.

"Wow," he said admiring the high glass ceiling. The photos of former students floated around the walls. Traditional music played softly as people traversed the room. Many of the students, K'Nabu knew, were already acquainted. Most people admitted into Wakanda Tech were either from the Panther Tribe or the Mining Tribe, so most of them had attended the same primary school. K'Nabu was the only person in his year from the Border Tribe. There was, as he expected, no one.

His bracelet directed him to the Third Quadrant. As each student walked through the entrance, a recording of the Head of Wakanda Tech, dressed in the red Mining Tribe robe that marked members one rank below the Chief, welcomed everyone individually.

"Welcome, K'Nabu son of Chief K'Dochi of the Border Tribe," she said as K'Nabu crossed the threshold to his new home.

"Border Tribe?" he heard someone say behind him. K'Nabu turned to see a boy a few inches shorter than him already dressed in opening ceremony clothes.

"Yes," K'Nabu said. Then he continued down the sparkling white corridor, lit by the vibranium glow from walls.

"How did Border Tribe end up here?" the boy said following him.

"By getting a perfect score on every entrance exam," K'Nabu responded. He was loud enough for those around him to here. Most looked at him as he said it.

"Ah," the boy said. "You're the one who raised entrance requirements." K'Nabu found his name to the left of a smaller corridor. On either side, there was door that led to quarters.

"Looks like we're hall mates," the boy said pointing to his name that was to the right K'Nabu's corridor.

The boy crossed his arms across his chest and introduced himself. "M'Ka, son of M'Do of the Mining Tribe."

K'Nabu did the same. "K'Nabu, Chief K'Dochi of the Border Tribe."

They broke their X at the same time. M'ka let K'Nabu pass into their corridor first.

"Will join me at the opening ceremony?" M'Ka asked.

K'Nabu nodded as the doors to his quarters slid open. He checked to make sure his things had made to proper place.

"I will see you there, M'ka," he said letting the doors close behind him.

All first years were required to attend the Wakanda Tech's opening ceremony. It was a traditional ceremony done at the beginning of any journey for a Wakandan. The gathering took place in the city center in the Dome of Wakanda where students could give thanks to the elders and chant the name of every Chief and the King. There would be food and traditional music from each Tribe. Then first years would have to opportunity to talk with older students and some professors.

K'Nabu was not interested in tradition. The only reason he didn't find some excuse for getting out of the ceremony was because of the Nanite Competition at the end. Upon receiving their qualifications, the winner of the competition would be recruited to any job in their field of study and the chance to visit the lab in palace.

The rules differed every year and the details of the game were not revealed until the moment is was time to play. All K'Nabu new is that every first year student would go against one fourth year student and every year the solitary older kid won. K'Nabu intended to change that.

He stood next to M'ka impatiently, going through motions of his country's traditions, just to make it to the end. He noticed his hall mate followed the ceremony with ferver. K'Nabu found him to be irritatingly similar to his older brother, K'Mado.

When the ceremony had finally ended, and everyone took the position, the Head Professor, shouted, "Wakanda Forever."

The crowd roared in applause.

"And now," said the Head Professor as his platform hovered at the front of the arena, "It is time to announce who was chosen of the fourth year students to compete in the Nanite Competition."

"Finally," K'Nabu mumbled.

"The genius is excited," M'ka said watching K'Nabu's face lighten up. "Don't be. First years never win."

"That changes today," K'Nabu said.

"...Ari, daughter of Zamona!" The Head Professor clapped and the rest of the university leaders followed suit.

"Ari," M'ka said, "I think she's from the Merchant Tribe."

"Doesn't matter," K'Nabu said. His hand fingers were already resting on his bracelet ready to begin as soon as the game was set.

M'ka, surprised by his intensity, did the same.

They watched as Ari descended the Leaders Platform onto the student level. She took her place facing the first years whose eyes followed her as she walked. She wore the traditional colors of the Merchant Tribe, but her clothes were modern. No fear could be seen on any part of her as she faced her opponents taking the same ready position, M'ka noticed, as K'Nabu.

"This will be a nanite collection problem. The rules are simple," the Head Professor's voice boomed throughout the now silent dome. "You will begin this competition with only twenty thousand nanites. Program your nanites to rest in this space." A hologram ring rose between Ari and the first years.

Every nanite has a unique signature to match its controller. Nanites controlled by a kimoyo can only work with that specific kimoyo bead unless reprogrammed to do so. This was a simple task as long as you had the time to get the proper permissions from the nanites' host. The problem that had to be solved was speed. Whoever took control of the nanites fastest would.

No one could see 20,000 nanites on their own, but the dome's computer said, "Collection complete," indicating that the students had done as they were told. A gray haze of nanites rested over the circle.

"Your goal, my students, is to collect every nanite inside of that ring. You may not disable or destroy any nanites including the ones programmed to your kimoyo bead. You may not push any of the nanites outside of the boundary including your own. If you break either of these rules you will be disqualified. Are there any questions?"

The first years began to mumble, but no one was brave enough to speak up. The Head Professor smiled. "You may release your screens when you hear the horn."

The dome was silent again and K'Nabu could feel his heart beating in his throat.

One second passed. Two seconds passed. Three. Four.

The horn sounded. Within seconds, K'Nabu could see a few students around him, including M'ka disqualified.

K'Nabu knew that most students would focus on trying to change the signature of every nanite. He knew that by the time anyone accomplished this, the capable fourth year would have collected that challenger's nanites. K'Nabu could already see a group forming near Ari's side of the boundary.

K'Nabu allowed himself to lose 5,000 nanites while he programmed the rest to act as a magnetic core. Then he had to release the core temporarily to change the magnetic orientation of every nanite he could scan. As he expected he regained control of his core and programmed it to spin. He could see the his cluster forming quickly. Now all he had to do was protect it and magnetics would do the rest.

He watched the fourth year with a smile. She looked worried. By this time there were only 10 of the 1000 participants remaining and her cluster was only the second largest. K'Nabu's continued to grow.

"We are down to two," said the head professor and crowd's eyes rose to the faces of the finalists.

"That's you!" M'ka said grabbing K'Nabu's shoulder. M'ka started cheering for K'Nabu and eventually every first year joined him overpowering the older students yelling Ari's name.

K'Nabu controlled 90% of the nanites and was sure he had done it. His cluster rose steadily and the cheering grew louder. Then at 98% K'Nabu's nanite count stopped. In the next second is dropped down to 95%.

"What?" he mumbled checking his protection system. It had been deactivated.

"No!" he said as his count dropped to 50%.

He tried to re-enable his program, but he seemed to be locked out and he couldn't understand why. Then he saw the signature of his kimoyo bead had changed.

"Collection complete," said the Dome's computer. Only Ari's face hovered overhead. The older students roared with excitement.

"Will K'Nabu please join us?" The Head Professor said. His platform descended next to Ari and he stepped down. Ari was an inch taller than him.

"She cheated!" K'Nabu shouted pushing his way to the front.

He ran over to the Head Professor to show what he found.

"How dare you," Ari said, "I do not need to cheat to defeat a first year."

"That is a serious accusation," the Head Professor said. He examined the results from his own beads.

"She disabled my protection program to control my nanites."

"Yes, I did."

"So you cheated!"

"No. The rules were that we couldn't disable nanites and I did not do that."

"That is cheap trick."

"A trick that worked," said the Chief Head of Wakanda Tech from the univeristy leader's platform. All eyes rose to her. "She worked around the rules, but did not break them."

Many first years shouted their disagreement to no avail. Ari was named the victor.

K'Nabu stormed out of the arena angrily as the First Night Fesitval, the dance party that ended the opening ceremony, began.