Embers

I

"Get up!" A deep voice blasts through the intercom. I shoot up from my bed, hitting my head on the ceiling.

"Dammit," I curse, holding my head as I groan and wall to the bathroom, hitting multiple corners on the way. As soon as I step into the bathroom, the lights flicker on, bright white light consuming my vision.

"Ugh," I groan looking at myself in the mirror. I glance down at the wristband, turning it over. "What time is it?"

"The time is 4:15 am," a calm robotic voice responds. I pause, looking down at my wristband, then resume brushing my teeth, unfazed.

"What time did that dude say to meet him?" I ask through all the foam in my mouth. I spit out the toothpaste and pour a small cup of mouthwash into my mouth, swishing it around and spitting it out after a minute.

"Can you clarify who 'that dude' is?"

"Connor something," I reply, splashing water on my face. I press the right side of the wall, revealing the shower, and grabbed a freshly packed bar of soap. I begin washing my face, waiting for a response.

"There are five Connors here. Would you like me to say their names?"

"Sure."

"Connor Grey, Connor Hayes, Connor Howell, Connor Mendez, or Connor Stuart?"

"Grey."

"He said, 'Before I forget, again, your training begins at 0500. Try not to be late, okay?'"

I furrow my eyebrows as I wipe the soap from my face, turning behind me to see the clock in my room. 0425.

"How did you know exactly what he said?" I ask, skepticism rising in me.

"I am a computer. My role is to monitor, record, and respond. I hear everything that you hear," the robotic voice responds, its monotone voice growing more dynamic and human-like.

"That's not creepy at all," I reply, stepping out of the bathroom. I glance around the small dorm, noticing two drawers at the foot of the bed. Athena, a silver sign read on the first drawer. I pull the top shelf open to reveal a new set of clothes: light grey joggers with a black t-shirt. I lay the clothes on the top of the drawer and open the other shelves, just out of curiosity.

"Am I supposed to wear these clothes," I ask quietly, not wanting to wake up my dorm-mates.

"Yes," the robotic voice answers, mimicking the volume of my voice. "Don't forget the shoes on the bottom drawer."

"Noted," I state, bending down to open the last drawer that revealed a nice, new pair of black combat boots. Coincidentally, they were my exact size, along with the clothes.

I walk back to the bathroom and change into the new clothes, placing my old ones in the first drawer.

"Time check."

"0435. Twenty-five more minutes before Mr. Connor Grey wants to see you."

"Thanks," I whisper, opening the hallway door. I step out of the door only to see soldiers at each door, none of whom were paying any attention to me.

"Are we supposed to leave yet?" I quietly ask the guard next to the door, who only grunted in response.

"You might want to leave now, kid, before everyone else comes. Otherwise, you'll be like someone trying to find a lifeboat on the Titanic," the guard from the room across from mine responds, turning his head in the direction that I should go.

"Thanks," I mumble to him, following his path. Before I can even reach the half-way point of the hallway, a red light began flashing, followed by an ear-bursting alarm. In an instant, the doors around my shoot open and people begin pushing their way into the hallway, the once calm and quiet hallway now filled with screaming, laughter, and talking. The guards turn from in front of the doors to walk along the walls, pushing people who were stepping out of line back into the crowd.