The warm air embraces me in a welcoming way and I can't help the huge smile that stretches across my cheeks when I take in the large crowded space before me.
The black walls gleam like fresh cut stone from the south and the bright microlights from the ceiling above cast a magical glow over the stone walls making them shine like diamonds. The massive room is bustling with commanders, sergeants and officers all dressed like Remulus.
I admire the way they look in their black uniforms with translucent blue streaks lining their sides and can't wait to look just as professional. Remulus leads me to a row of full body scanners and walks into one of them. He places his forearm onto a small projected screen and it glows bright green under his tracker.
"Your turn." He folds his hands behind him and waits for me to do the same.
I follow suit and place my tracker on the same screen. The words 'access granted' glow across the green and I walk through to join him.
"Does everyone here have trackers in them?" I ask him. I wonder how I'm going to get rid of mine.
"Of course. It's compulsory for all officers. Imagine getting lost somewhere in the galaxy. The only way we would be able to find you is with that tracker."
I nod my head and eye the red dot that glows brightly under my skin, feeling like it is staring back at me. I shake myself out of the paranoia as we maneuver through the crowds of officers to a set of lifts.
"This is the most accessible place in the building where freshies come in to get sorted out. That's why it's so crowded. The building has multiple layers, the deeper ones are not as accessible as the outer ones," Remulus explains.
He walks past a row of lifts and stops at a set of doors at the end of the room. He then lifts up his arm and allows the sensor to scan his tracker and the doors unlock swiftly.
I am about to ask him how many layers there are but he silences my thoughts by answering just that.
"The building has numerous floors and the outermost part we just came through is called the SyStem. The barrier we just passed to get here is called the Dura - the first level of clearance."
We walk past a hallway identical to the one outside, only less crowded. There are lifts here positioned in the same place as in the SyStem and we pass them to reach a similar set of doors.
"Aria?" I hear a male voice and whip around to see Matt, Rosie's boyfriend staring at me. He is standing behind a small group of Plutonian's who are too busy discussing among st each other to notice our interaction.
"Matt. Hi." I force a smile, trying not to think about the fact that I nearly killed his girlfriend during my last match.
"Congratulations. You made it." He smiles back and walks up to me. To my surprise, he doesn't look angry at all.
"Aria, we need to leave. PG will kill this HG if we're late," Remulus points at his chest and I nod my head.
"Can we spare a minute. Please?" I ask him hopefully.
"Ughh. Okay, one minute. Just stop looking at me with those goo goo eyes," He huffs and then waits by the doors.
"How is she?" I ask Matt the question that has been plaguing my mind since I left the medical facility.
"She's...still sleeping," Matt says, looking like he is about to cry. "Thank you so much for not killing her. Rosie used to tell me you were different and after that match I saw what she meant."
My lips quiver at his statement and a flood of emotions threaten to rise to the surface. I suddenly think of Lucian and long for his comforting embrace again.
"She will wake up. I just know it," I reinforce to myself and to him.
"Ya, she has to," Matt looks down at his feet. "But even if she doesn't she would want me to tell you this."
I lean in curiously when he does and frown in confusion at his words.
"She would want you to come to Onyx tomorrow night."
Onyx? Isn't that the place she works at?
Matt leans back and looks me right in the eye, it feels like he is staring at my soul and the expression on his face is so serious I can't help but feel he is telling me more with his eyes than with his words.
"Tomorrow night?"
Matt nods his head just as an older female Plutonian from his squad calls after him.
"Yes, we have a special offer available only then. Hope you can make it," He says and then he rushes off to the female Plutonian who glares at him. I briefly wonder if she is his Plutonian lover and then turn around to return to Remulus, who is checking out another female officer standing by the lifts.
What was that about? And why does he want me to go to that bar tomorrow night? I quickly brush of these thoughts once I reach Remulus. I'll have to ponder over it later.
"Oh, you're back. Think some of my hair turned silver since then," He says sarcastically and I instinctively look at the silver streaks in his hair.
"Sorry," I mumble. "The streaks are nice though." I add and thankfully the compliment lights up his face.
"Apology accepted. Come on, we're only halfway. This is the next layer called Arachnoid." Remulus says while scanning his tracker.
"How big is this place?" I wonder out loud eyeing the elongated space beyond this one with it's black shiny walls and brilliant micro-lighting.
"It's huge. And the reason why everything looks the same is because the building's cross section is shaped like a pentagon with the central part at the heart of it. Our squad's room is located in the second deepest section known as the Grey area, because we are lead by PG Lucian."
"Is that the deepest part?"
We walk through the next layer in the same manner - passing the set of lifts and reaching the sealed doors.
"No, beyond the grey area is the heart of the building called the White Matter. It's also known as the Command Center and can only be accessed by the Generals and the Trinity."
This immediately reminds me of the cameras and security system Lucian had once told me about. The sturdy set of doors at the end of the Arachnoid layer seem so impenetrable, it only reinforces how difficult it would be to access the Command Center.
We pass through a layer known as 'Pia' before finally reaching the section Remulus called the Grey area. The hall is wide and spacious, though not as big as the SyStem and the walls here are a befitting shiny grey.
This time we stop in front of the lifts and Remulus places his finger on the extended finger pad. The doors slide open once his access has been granted and we step inside.
"Do I have clearance to these parts?" I ask him.
"Not yet but you will soon. You will, since your squad's assigned here," He eyes me. "So how is he?"
"How is who?"
"PG Lucian? Is he good?" His eyes narrow at me and he grins slyly.
"Good. Yeah, I guess he is," I frown at him, wondering why he is asking such an odd question. Of course Lucian is good, shouldn't he know that by now.
Remulus bursts into a fit of laughter and I nearly jump back in worry.
"I bet he is after all those lonely years. I'm glad he finally got a lover. He was such a grump before," He complains. "And now he's much more relaxed and sweet. You must be doing a good job at relaxing him."
It takes me awhile to figure out why he is looking at me coyly and I nearly choke at his insinuation. I can't believe he's talking so freely about Lucian's sex life.
"I don't think you're allowed to talk about him like that," I stutter, feeling extremely embarrassed even though we don't even have an actual sex life.
"Of course I can. PG Lucian and I go way back. We even have nick names. I call him Lulu but he just doesn't know it yet," He puts a finger to his lips, looking deep in thought. "I think it's for the best that he doesn't."
The lift opens and Remulus walks out quickly leaving me to scuttle after him. We walk down a grey hallway and enter a room titled LX Squad.
I walk in after him, feeling extremely nervous when I see four other male Plutonian's sitting around a table. One is typing furiously on a small projected computer screen like the one in Lucian's room while the others talk to each other but they fall silent the moment I walk in.
"Everyone meet Aria the--," Remulus stops quickly with his hand in mid air. "Just Aria."
I smile at him gratefully and then turn to the others.
"Hello." I smile shyly.
The one on the computer nods his head and goes back to the screen but the other three keep their gazes fixed on me. It feels like they are assessing me from head to toe.
"She looks shorter off the pits," One of them states.
"Forgive them for their rudeness. They don't interact with humans much," Remulus chides, earning a glare from one of them who has a red earring dangling from one ear.
"We're not rude. Just shocked to see her in person," He states. "I'm Altair and this is Sirius." He gestures to the officer next to him who has a shaven head with tiny spikes of silver hair growing all over.
"Hey." Sirius gives me a small smile.
"And I'm Deneb," A long haired Plutonian seated to his left says to me. "And this antisocial computer nerd is Pollux."
Pollux just grunts in response, his eyes never leaving the confinements of the screen in front of him.
"You can sit next to me, newbie. I'm the nicest one here," Remulus walks towards the table and pulls out a chair for me.
"Nicest? More like the biggest flirt. Beware of him, Aria," Altair scoffs out loud.
"Beware for me? Excuse me, she is our leaders lover. I'm not suicidal and neither am I an idiot."
I walk over and take the seat offered to me whilst Altair and Remulus continue their banter.
The table is quite large for just the five of us and the room is a vast expanse of nothingness. The only thing inside is our table and the walls are a pale grey with no patterns or decorations. I don't know why but I expected something much more grand for Lucian's squad.
I look around the table at the five of them and it suddenly dawns on me that I've never interacted with so many male Plutonian's like this before.
"Is this the whole squad?" I finally ask them.
"Yes, why were you expecting others?" Deneb answers.
"No, I was just wondering if I'm the only female." My voice comes out small.
"Well yes but it wasn't always this way. We have Remulus here to blame for the lack of females," Altair scowls. "He can never keep it in his pants and they all end up fighting because of it."
"It's not my fault the ladies love it." He puts his hands up innocently.
"Keep what?" My eyes widen when I realize what he is talking about.
"Oh, don't act like you don't know, missy. You've been getting the royal treatment." Remulus waves a finger at me teasingly, making me blush.
"You're being ridiculous," I place my hands on my burning cheeks.
And the timing could not be more perfect for Lucian to walk in to the room.
Heyyy this was more an introductory chapter. I hope you guys enjoyed. Let me know your thoughts below :) :)