Astral Legacy Book 1

7

It had been two weeks since the events of Citadel Hill, and they had been taken to a secure facility inside the military base. The world didn't know how to process what happened that day, now being referred to as the Citadel Hill Incident. This was the first indisputable reminder that humanity was not alone in the universe and no longer even alone on their own planet. In the days they had been at the base Kale hadn't been allowed contact with Kershala or Anubis. Instead he had been confined to a small room very reminiscent of a prison cell with a toilet and a bed. He was locked behind a large metal door of sorts. They had taken his phone and he had had no communication with anyone outside of the base. He sat on the edge of the bed thinking about everything, there had been nights where he cried himself to sleep overcome with both fear for what was going to happen to him and worry about how Kershala was doing or what they were doing to him. All he had to go on to reassure himself that Kershala was okay was what he had been told by military personnel. There was suddenly talking outside of his room and he could hear them using the keys to open the door. Kale stood up with his back to the wall facing the door, not sure what to expect. The door opened slowly with a creaking hinge and an armed officer stepped into the room followed by a black-haired woman in an officer's uniform. By the medals on her uniform he could see that she was a decorated officer, she was a little older likely early fifties, late forties, she had a stern but friendly look on her face.

"Hello Kale, how're you feeling?" she asked in a French-Canadian accent.

"Fine," Kale was short and to the point he didn't want to make his situation any worse but by this point he was past polite.

"My name is Officer Bethany Stanfield. Officer Star and I are going to take you to another area of the base so that we can ask you some questions about your friend, is that alright with you?"

"Given my current situation I don't imagine I have a choice so lead the way." The women stepped aside and gestured for him to leave the room. Kale wearily followed her instructions and walked past her and out into the hallway. He looked around taking in his surroundings, the building didn't appear to be that old, so he wasn't sure where they had taken him. After the battle he and Kershala had gotten into the back of an ambulance and he woke up in his room. He couldn't tell anything from the hall he was in. It was painted in neutral colors there was no obvious signage telling him about exits or entrances and there were no windows. Bethany and Officer Star, the man that had been watching him in his cell during the day for the last two weeks, guided him through the hallways that seemed to go on endlessly. They took a lift to a lower floor and eventually he was led into a room. He knew just from the demeanor and the look of the room that he was about to be interrogated. His nerves began to get the best of him as they sat him down and he could feel his heart beating loudly in his chest. His life had been normal and that had all changed the night he met Kershala. The women sat down across from him and sat a recording device on the table that she pulled from her bag, between them.

"Can you state your name and occupation for the record?" she asked. Taking a note pad from the bag she carried. Kale looked at her for a second then glanced at the other officer who had taken a position by the door.

"Kale Jarin, since I haven't been to work in two weeks, I probably don't have a job anymore..." Kale didn't even try to hide the irritation in his voice, he wanted her to know how he felt. She looked at him expectantly waiting for a reply. "Security." He spoke quietly and looked at his hands that fidgeted on the table in front of him.

"Thank you. How did you meet the alien?" she asked seemingly emotionless. Kale didn't like Kershala being referred to just as the alien.