Written in the stars (placeholder title)

Chapter 4- Arki

My pace quickened.

Not far behind what the unsuspecting troopers seemed to call Aldrich, I scouted the lodging of my new disguise. As expected, walls barely strapped together with thin, tarnishing chunks of silver material; spaced enough for the sun to peer through from every breach that allows. The floor was a slip hazard, yesterday's rain moisturizing the blatant dirt. Unhygienic to say the least, yet this home raised refinement. Every Sol dweller, from those repairing the tempest's damage to even the highest of predictors, were in uniform. Their crests, marked on the collar of their blazers, aligned with pants that suited their eminent position. Nothing far from normal for these dwellers nonetheless, they are in constant migration. After all, the safety of the predictor's comes first.

We were walking away from any glaring eyes, which must have been the girl's little plan. She truly was a mystery. A predictor must be fated to die if they were to so recklessly go out in the middle of the night for no apparent reason. If it weren't for me, she'd probably be dead, or have suffered a critical amount of brain damage from the loss of blood until the sun shone its face. For now she was my goal. That is,

if she's who I think she is.

The old man slowed down, as if reading my closed mind, mirroring my steps. He was an inch shorter than me, yet his aura would intimidate even the highest levelled troopers. His was the only set of clothing that differed. He was in Sol clothing of tradition. A full body length poncho with leather as smooth and blinding as the sun's rays, his crest being that of the orange sun-the highest of rankings. Hundreds of eggshell white tassels swayed with his movements as he approached me. His eyes narrowed in when they reached my gaze, levelling me down to size each step he takes nearing me.

"Prepare yourself Boy"

A wide smile indented his stiff cheekbones with the least bit of joy. I scratched my head in questioning.

" The moment you enter that girl's line of sight, well, let's just say your interview has begun."

His tone had a twinge of nostalgia, a chuckle in accompaniment, the only thing that distracted from his evil like speech. Looking forward, he forgot of my existence scurrying away in the long, narrowing hallway, dreadlocks flipping with the turn of his head.

I paused for a moment, absorbing his remark. Yes, my interview. The only threat to my flawless disguise is the predictors even more heightened wit. Any new recruit would be involuntarily interrogated. The fact that I, a "new recruit", just so happened to bump into a dying trooper, with the convenience of not having been in uniform, must have really led them to tighten security. Let alone the fact that I was not actually a certified Sol dweller, I was already screwed from the start.

It took a while to realize that both the girl and Aldrich had come to a halt. I walked past them both with a hand behind my head, still in thought of what my cover would be. I walked straight past the girl and without the slightest faze, she grabbed the neckline of my white shirt and yanked me back to face her.

"He-!"

"You're not going anywhere Scarface" her voice was bland yet condescending at the same time.

I was held aback by her ruthlessness. My back straightened on instinct as if I was faced with a highest ranking commander. Aldrich raised her well; if well could be considered as a spitting image of her master. I exerted but a glimmer of sweat. I knew my place.

Annigan, from what I've heard, kept a tight hold on my collar. I would have been emotionless. Completely apathetic. A stone. Instead I tilted my head to the side, breaking eye contact with her shorter stature and smirked.

"Ungrateful much"

For now, I wasn't the void I was before. I was Arki. A new personality for a new disguise.