"You're late" a woman showed up out of nowhere. I scanned the huge room and not a single spatial transit margin can be seen, how did she do that?? Is she a mutation??
"Oh hello Syth. Sorry he's kind of a special case" Shiobhan coaxed, I glance his way and he didn't seem shaken by her appearance at all.
"So that gives him an excuse to be late Commander?" she shot back with a stern expression. She doesn't seem angry, actually she seems more cold than mad.
"Of course not" Shiobhan awkwardly chuckled "But, Genesis advised that he takes his rest so I let him be for a few hours before waking him up" I glance at Shiobhan, he's not sweating but he looks guilty.
I turned my attention to the woman and only then did I notice how intimidating she really is, her arms are crossed and her eyes are bitter, her demeanor was nothing but cold. I gulped down and instantly felt my mouth dry "I deeply apologize for being late Miss, I'll make up for it with extra work"
She squinted her eyes at me and sighed "I sure do hope you do. Now state your name and profession"
"Uhhh" The instant change of her tone took me by surprise "I'm Five, I'm an Engineer"
She took a glance behind me, briefly, searching for something "He's alone?" she directed her question to Shiobhan.
"Apparently he's more than enough" Shiobhan answered and she nodded.
"Let's get you to meet the others then, she scanned the wall beside us, her hands trace the blue liquid lining and pressed her thumb at the end of it, to my surprise the vacant room showed an activated spatial transit core, is this what she used?
"I'm heading in. Don't dally" she touched the activated core and immediately vanished.
"Who is she?" I asked Shiobhan, his hand already reaching out for the core.
"Osyth, you're going to see her often so get used to it" he yawned and touched the core that led him to vanish also. Honestly I haven't seen him yawn since we got here, only now—I guess he isn't always sleepy and lazy.
I walked towards the core and touched it, in the next blink, I got transported to another place, a brighter place.
Seriously what is up with these people and their obsession with lights? I rubbed my eyes multiple times to adjust to the brightness.
"Hii! You're Five right? Here's your ID, make sure to take care of it" a sweet voice and a small hand gave me my Id handler.
"Thank you" I said with a smile as I reach for it. I can't quite make up the face of the girl but she seemed young and small, maybe a 17 or an 18 year old? Or maybe just a really feminine woman, there's no way they'll allow youngsters in an expedition.
I walk slowly, relying on my other senses to make out the room. I hope it'll be fine in a few minutes.
I don't know in which corner of the room I am right now butan I can hear sharp slashes, a sword maybe? It might be people who are training.
"Hey! What are you doing!?" a tiny voice called out and shoved me to the side "This is a family antique!"
I winced when I hit the cold wall, gladly the impact wasn't much.
"I'm sorry" I apologized to avoid more trouble.
"Sorry? Yeah right! If you had touched my spear you'll ruin it!"
The guy kept pushing me with his tiny finger, he must be a really small person. He kept rambling on about his spear but I barely heard him. My vision's getting clearer by the minute and when I looked down, I saw a child, looking around, maybe 12 years old?His pale blonde hair look wet with his sweat and his grey eyes look furious.
"Whose child is this?"
"Child!? How dare you call me a child!?" I don't know what I just said that made him burn with anger, he grabbed a blade bigger than his size and swung it at me, the blade swung fast, it hit the ground with great precision—just right in front of me.
"Hey! That's enough, Sachin!" Osyth grabbed the kid by his arm.
"Did something happen?" the sweet voice sounded alarm, I look to the owner and to my surprise, it's a girl—a teenage girl.
I looked to the kid Osyth called Sachin and back to the teenage girl. The expedition allows children!?
"Five! Are you okay?" Osyth approached me.
I nodded.
"You shouldn't have gone to Sachin's corner, just because he's a kid doesn't mean he can't hurt you" I look towards Sachin who is now blaring his teeth at me. I can see it quite clearly Osyth.
"What's wrong??" Shiobhan showed up at last.
"Five walked up to Sachin like a blind man" I was a blind man during that time, thanks to your lights.
"What happened Kid?" Shiobhan looked more mocking than concern so I told him about the lights and my eyes.
"I didn't mean to walk into your place Sachin, I just didn't know where I was going" I explained in an apologizing manner.
"Who gets blinded by lights?" he asked.
"I do, you seem to experience that first hand" I didn't mean to make my tone sarcastic.
"All right, that's settled. Five didn't mean it Sachin, now get back to your training" surprisingly he listens to Osyth and walks away, he looked back for a brief moment and shot me a glare along with a cunning smile. I'll have to watch my back when I'm with him.
"Did you really got blind from the lights" the teenage girl asked me.
"Yeah, it seemed too bright"
"It must suck to be you" she murmured, she reached out her hand to me "I don't think I properly introduced myself though, I'm Feyn! I'm from the Intelligence profession, nice to meet you!" I shaked her hand and smiled "I'm Five, engineer"
She gave me a sweet smile while we shook hands. Such a young girl sent to be slaughtered.
"You're alone?" she asked. Osyth asked the same question earlier.
"Yes, I am."
She looked at Shiobhan who just gave her a shrug "What's your placement in your profession department??" oh, I hate this question, placements are like hierarchy in my profession, we try to avoid this kind of conversation no matter what.
"I don't think that's significant at all" I avoided, maybe the same thing applies to theirs.
"It is significant" Feyn insisted "Now tell me your placement"
"It doesn't matter at all, I swear"
"It does"
Feyn kept on insisting while I try my best to avoid her questions. She grabbed my arm and gave me a sparkling look, like a starved puppy
"Uncle Five, please tell me" Un-uncle?? Am I that old??
Shiobhan seems to have noticed my reaction and patted my shoulder "It's okay kid, just consider it as a compliment, after all, you do have a mature look on you" and he doesn't intend to help.
"I'll tell you" I started, Feyn's eyes lit up instantly "But promise me you will not call me Uncle again"
There was a moment of silence before Shiobhan and Feyn bursted into a loud laughter.
"Okay, I promise" she gave her word and even raised her right hand as a sign.
"I'm in 3rd" I finally said.
I don't know what's wrong with what I just said that made Feyn's face drop instantly. I know 3rd is quite the placement, but it doesn't deserve this kind of reaction.
"Third? Third? As an engineer??" why is she so shocked??
I nodded "Yes, I've been one for two years now. Although it is quite hard to maintain it"
Her mouth gaped open "For Two years!?"
"Why? What's wrong with it??"
"You do realize that the whole galaxy had only four engineers that have a 5th placement in their career, and you're in 3rd!?"
"Yes I do know but I don't think a professional should be defined by their placements" I shrugged.
She looked at me like I insulted her "Yes, it does, Stars! No wonder you're the only engineer recruit this year"
Okay now I get it, I forgot something important, Amias may be a small planet in our galaxy but profession placements are galactical and recognized by the Sovereign, I forgot how much my placement weighed.
She gave a glance at Shiobhan "Did you know about this?" the old man just shook his head "Honestly I didn't, when I recruited him that is" that means he knew when we got here, he must've done a background check on me.
"Stars! We got a genius on our Combine center. We might just get back safely from the expedition" she looked hopeful, and her eyes looks honestly happy. I guess this child also wants to go home alive, I mean, who doesn't??
Hahhh speaking of the expedition, I think need to check on something.
I nudge Shiobhan who is looking amused at Feyn's reactions "Do you think you can show me the cryos??" I whispered.
"Sure kid" he started walking away.
I looked back to Feyn "Don't you think we should say goodbye first?" I said as I follow behind him.
"Oh! right" he looked around at the girl who seems to be lost in her own world "Hey Feyn, we're going to check the cryos. Go train"
"Hahh??" she snapped back to reality "O-of course Commander! Anything for bringing that blessing here" she went to Osyth by the other corner, skipping happily. She's very hopeful about me, and that's….very suffocating.
Shiobhan led me to the corner of the room, he pressed his thumb by the vacant space in the wall—a scanner, and a thin glass wall enveloped us. The tile started descending and by just a few minutes, we have reached another floor.
"Welcome to the dorm" Shiobhan said, this place isn't like earlier, this feels more homely, more alive than artificial. It's big room and with paths leading to nine corners like a nonagon, every corner is hidden behind a glass oscillating door, there are plants everywhere although powerd by a machine and the ground is grass, green soft living grass.
"Are these real?" I asked Shiobhan, referring to the ground.
He looked down "Oh yes it is. C'mon this way" he pointed to a door by the right side "Before they distribute it to our rooms"
The door opened and we entered. This looks more common than earlier, the bright lights are back and the ground is no longer grass.
"Oh hey Shiobhan" the doctor approached us with a smile, he glanced at me and his eyes immediately showed a different emotion. This one I fear more than Sachin.
"We wanna check the cryos, I hear they're distributing it later"
"Sure, actually I'm examining it right now, let's go there"
Shiobhan gave a halfhearted laugh "What? Are they afraid it might malfunction and kill someone again?" What??
"Yes, and they surely don't want to repeat that"
The atmosphere felt serious, they're talking about something I'm not aware of, what do they mean by that malfunction? A cryotub malfunction killed a person before? Are the stars playing a joke with me!?
"Hey Kid, how do they look?"
"Huh??"
He smacked my head "You are so absent-minded, look in front of you!"
I rubbed my head as I raised it, rows of cryos are lining down in the room. I thought back then that this was my only hope, but is it really??
"How does it feel Five, to see your lifesaver?"
"Overwhelming" conflicting, what if this kills me too??