《Ascension》 Prologue Incessant dripping noises echoed next to my ear. The last thing that I remember was binge watching Love & Hip Hop, and then being fussed at by my mother about eating too much KFC. As I come to my senses I realize that I''m no longer on my mother''s raggedy, torn, and beat up sofa. It feels damp, wet, and smells earthy. I twitch a finger, still unable to open my eyes, and unable to move any other part of my body. My kinky curly hair is stuck to my neck, and it feels as if my tongue is glued to the roof of my mouth. The ground feels flat and slick against my back, shortly thereafter I realize I''m wearing nothing but a sports bra and panties. I attempt to move my leg, but it tremors as if some unknown force was holding it there and I relax once again. I focus my hearing searching for clues with sound. With each drip I can hear a crescendo of echoes in either direction. The air was damp and it was slightly hard to breath. It didn''t have it''s usual freshness, crispness, or even the smell of laundry detergent and fried chicken like at home. It was musky, with metallic and mossy undertones. It was warmer than usual as if I was basking in a sauna. Finally one of my eyes manage to peel open, although I liked my previous situation better. It was completely and utterly dark. Stolen novel; please report. Managing to get my eyes open completely, I slowly begin to regain full control of my body and senses. I feel around and both of my hands hit what appears to be a wall on either side of me. I attempt to sit up, but my forehead slams into what appears to be another wall right above me. Judging by all of the information I have gathered in the last few seconds I was in a crawl space. That''s it, it''s really it I''m dead. Hell is a never ending dark tunnel. I should have never promised to go to church Sunday. I spend and endless amount of time using my senses, dragging my body, and taking power naps. My body is sore, I''m getting weak from exhaustion, and my body screams in agony as I have been scraped by one too many rocks and unknown objects. I hadn''t had water in who knows how long, and I was beginning to hear things. I had no idea how long it had been, but finally I had reached the end. My problem? Something was in the way of my exit. Using whatever energy I had left in me, I press against it with all of my might. It doesn''t budge. Finally I rest against it. Suddenly I am falling. With no clue as to what is at the end. It appears to be night, and although I''m free falling I get glimpses here and there. My final destination was a pink body of water. Chapter One The last thing that I remembered was seeing the pink body of water as it was silently sparkling beneath me. I remember thinking of how strange it was, and that the color a soothing, yet it was very vibrant. My body was completely exhausted, so whatever fear that I had was shoved deep down into my consciousness, and I was too tired to fully care. As I hit the water, it felt as if a thousand bees were stinging me at once. Then it was ice cold, surprisingly transitioning to warmth. It wasn''t long before I began to black out, I remember floating all the way to the bottom. What appeared to be a garden lay beneath me, and finally dark spots clouded my vision and I had the irresistible urge to rest. ***** I yawned, waking up to the smell of bleach, linen, scented candles, and antiseptic. I looked around and froze. What is going on? Where am I? The water... Is this what heaven looks like? Maybe hell. It doesn''t look so bad, no flames peeling the flesh off of my body. I was laying in a pod shaped device, beneath me was the most comfortable bed I had ever laid in. I was in a pink gown, something similar to that of a hospital gown, and my feet were immersed in what appeared to be a thick gel. I pulled at my feet expecting to get up, I tried with a little more force but they didn''t budge. I began to panic, but just as I was about to start screaming like a mad woman from a soap opera the pod began to open. A woman, too beautiful to be real stood there smiling at me. "Hi I''m Nora. I''m so glad you''re awake. That was quite a fall you took there. In fact you''re somewhat of a celebrity around here." "Fall?" I said. "There is so much to explain in so little time. Here let me get those for you." She placed her hand on the gel, for a fraction of a second a small light almost too small to visible began to flash. The gel slowly liquidized, soon it finally reduced to a watery substance, and I removed my feet ane began wiggling my toes. "Well that would have been great as a spa treatment. Just a permanent and creepy one," I said. She giggled, "You are very funny. Miss Haori." "How do you know what my last name is?" I asked, narrowing my eyes at her slightly. "Yarua Haori. Also know as Ru or Rue. African American as you say. Age seventeen, daughter of Mr. And Mrs. Hector and Helena Haori. Five-two, and one hundred and twenty five pounds. Favorite foods include cheese dip, Asian fusion, and a lot of baked goods." I followed her as a giant glass screen stood on the other side of the room, she moved her fingers across it and in some cases in the air. Other times she made clicking noises. Finally a giant picture of me appeared on the screen. Along with what appeared to be health stats that changed every minute. I was in awe to say the least. "There is a a nano device implanted into your tissue. It gives us real time stats on your bodies health and equilibrium." Mental status: Alert Tissue integrity: 87% Hunger: 50% Fluid status: 60%-Moderate dehydration O2 Level: 98% Respiratory Function: Normal Brain capacity: N/A Muscle contractibility: Average Other stats continued downwards, it even had my mood listed as tired, agitated, suspicious, and listed at the side was high flight risk. The room was white clean and mostly empty. I eyed the glass doors that stood in the way of me and freedom. As she''s scrolling through the screen I began looking around. I had very little to work with, but I had to use what I had. I grabbed a wooden broom from the corner and took it over to the pod and applied pressure until it broke in half. "Don''t move. All I want to do is get out of here. If you do not let me out of here this instant you will regret the day you were born," I say, quoting from one of my favorite movies. I was such a liar. You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. "Now calm down Mrs. Haori, everything will be explained in due time." I watched as her hand pressed against the screen, then flashing red lights appeared. A siren began wailing and I was not prepared for this type of action. As my Dad would always say follow through. I leaped from the table, and grabbed the nurse or whatever she was. I held the stick to her neck just as men in black appeared in the room. Their faces were hidden by masks, and they stood in formation in front of the door. I maneuvered to the side of the room careful not to put myself into a corner. "Let me out of the room this instant, or I promise you I will do it." "Miss Haori, put down the weapon or we will be forced to use whatever force or means necessary." One of the men said, in a voice that sounded soothing and almost melodic. "I won''t ask again." I said, pricking the nurses neck where a trickle of very dark blood began to fall. For a moment I was distracted by the fact that her blood was almost a violet hue, and in one swift motion one of the men was grasping my arm. This made me extremely angry. Here I was being held against my will. Somebody put me in a dark cave, I didn''t know where I was or what was happening. I was the sappy girl who sat in and watched movies and didn''t get invited to parties. Maybe the they thought I was weak and they could just take advantage of me and they could do whatever they wished. I would show them. In one swift motion I swung my elbow back, and I heard a sickening crunch as my elbow connected with his nose through the mask. The good girl was no longer there. He let''s go of my arm, and I lunge at the nearest guard. I hop on his back, and bite down into his shoulder. He yells out, and I''m flung to the ground. I kick, elbow, and push for what seems like forever until I''m finally at the door, Nora in tow. "Open the door." She doesn''t budge. "Open it now!" I say, twisting her arm. She takes her hand and presses it against the glass. The doors slide open. I look left and right, and I let her go. Sure I could make this a hostage situation, but that would only slow me down if she refused to cooperate. I run towards the right, there was room after room just like mine. Only you couldn''t see directly into them unless you made contact with the glass. Almost like a technological version of a curtain. It peeled back momentarily, only to slap back in place once you were no longer making contact. "No let me go! I want to go home!" I heard a tiny voice say. I paused, already regretting my decision to do so. But I couldn''t just leave some innocent child who likely had no chance of getting out of here. So I did the stupidest thing ever. I knocked on the glass, and made my voice as deep as I could. I balled up my fist. "We need you in the next room." The door slid back, and a male version of what I assumed to be a nurse stepped out. I swung with all of my might, and the nurse flew backwards onto the floor clutching his face. I quickly scanned the room, spotting a little girl in the corner. She was now backed into the corner uncertainty written on her face. I waved at her to come on. She hesitated still uncertain about what to do. "I''m not going to hurt you. Hurry up we have to get out of here. Before the bad people come." Her light green eyes looked back at me intently. Her long jet black hair swung a little as she peered down at the nurse. Then she quietly stepped over him, grasping onto my gown. I bent down towards her and smiled. She looked at me under her lashes, clearly still afraid. "I''m going to pick you up now. It will help us go faster. I have to figure out how to get out of here. We need to be fast. Is that okay?" She nodded, and I picked her up in one swift motion and began sprinting up the hall. The only weapon I had was some kind of grenade I had pulled off of one of the guards. I hoped I wouldn''t have to use it, I wasn''t the violent type. But clearly strange situations had a way of changing you instantly. I turned and turned and not a guard was in sight. Which I found strange. Finally after what seemed like hours, my arms were aching, my lungs were burning, and I had clicked and clicked buttons along the way, went in what seemed like circles, and beginning to lose hope when I finally reached a giant metal door. I finally eased her down to the floor. I bent down to talk to her once again. "Okay this is our exit, I have to get the door open. I''m going to take you back the way I came. I''ll put you in a closet and you have to cover your ears can you do that for me?" She nodded, and I quickly ushered her down the hall and I didn''t stop until I felt like it was safe. In reality I knew being that I had to be the one to take the pin out of the grenade I wouldn''t make it. But at least all my fighting wouldn''t have been for nothing if the little girl had gotten away. I took the pin out of the grenade, and threw it against the door. I ran as fast I could, seconds seem liked forever and no time at all. I jumped over one of the desks just as I heard the explosion. My ears rang, I was disoriented, I staggered up after the debris began to settle. And I peered at the door. It was crushed in like a beer can with a small opening. I rejoiced for about five seconds. Until the door was ripped away by an unknown force. I watched as a man in an all black suit stepped through the door. Compared to the other guards he was huge. His muscles rippled in his arms and legs as he confidently glided past the threshold. I was exhausted. No I was beyond exhausted. I had spent what felt like forever fighting guards, running up halls, and looking for a way out. Now this, and not only that but the little girl was here so I had to get her out as well. Man I had shitty luck. I once again was starting to get weak. No food, water, or anything had been consumed since I wasn''t sure when. Finally I ran at him with all of my speed and slamming into him was like hitting a brick wall. He didn''t make a sound. He grasped my arm with inhuman strength, and began to pull them behind my back. I struggled and struggled losing strength with every second that passed. I gasped in horror as the little girl appeared around the corner. "Let her go! We haven''t done anything!" She screeched. For a second the man seemed stunned for some odd reason. I took the opportunity to snatch my arms away, and I took the palm of my hand slamming it into his nose. He simply tensed up, and then with inhuman speed he kicked me. I felt one of my ribs break as I flew back into one of the desks. I couldn''t breathe, and the world was going dark once again. Inside I was throwing a fit. And I reached for the little girl who was now leaning over me and crying. I held her hand and realized I was covered in blood. The desk had broken, and part of it had impaled itself into my abdomen. The last thing I remembered was the man bent down towards me. He had removed his mask. Panic covered his face, and I remember thinking how beautiful he was. Strong and beautiful inhuman features, silky long almost floor-length black hair, full lips, high cheekbones, and the strangest thing was his eyes. They were jet black and slanted upwards. They were larger than normal. Surprisingly this did not scare me at all. I reached out for his face before blacking out. Hi guys! This chapter was sort of rushed! I just wanted to get it done because I''m busy during the week, and I might not have time to write again until the weekend. I really do need your votes! Please comment as well to tell me your thoughts, and add it to your library as well. Your feedback is important to me. Tell me what your favorite part about chapter one was and let''s find out where exactly Rue has ended up in chapter two. Chapter Two I am in and out of consciousness. There are moments where I think that I see the stranger looking down at me. It seems like he is talking to people huddled around me, and it is as if I am listening to them speak through water. I catch bits and pieces of what they are saying, only to lose a grip on them seconds later. Each time I fell back into the darkness behind my lids only to rise back to the surface again. Bright lights burned my eyes, and in some cases I feel hot searing pain all over only to fall back into the inky blackness. Time passes by so slowly that even if I could, I probably wouldn''t have been able to keep up. Finally, I am able to keep my eyes open. I raise up in the pod, this time all I feel is a dull ache in my side. I look around me, the room seemed to be much more advanced than the one I previously recalled. Dark panels sat against the walls, large cabinets stood with what appeared to be fingerprint scanners on the sides, and I watched as a nurse pressed her hand against the panel. Bits of green light spread apart as her hand pulled something from the cabinet, once she had acquired what she needed it became solid again falling back into place like disturbed Christmas lights. She turned to me smiling gingerly, and to my surprise, it was Nora once again. I expected her to be angry, upset, maybe even a little agitated. Instead, she greeted me with the hugest smile yet. I smiled back awkwardly, mostly ashamed at what I had done. I lowered my eyes to the floor. "According to our system, you are currently experiencing sadness and deep regret," she said softly. "Do you wish to share what your sadness is about? Although I already know what it is you regret. You do not have to be sorry for it." She plops down next to me in the pod. I paused momentarily, then I sigh. "I miss my family. I should probably be scared right now, but I''m fed up with being scared. If you were going to kill me I would be dead already. Right?" She smiles wholeheartedly. "You are correct," She giggles. "If you were supposed to be dead you would be. But everything will be explained once I give you a clean bill of health. Here take these." She says, handing me two metal objects. She makes a noise I can only compare to a cat purring, and a small beam of light appears at the end of both. She points the light at me and presses down. The beam is pointed at a clear patch on my abdomen. "That is a nerve patch. It is connected directly to your nerve pathway." She pulls out a thin piece of glass, it looked like a modern-day tablet. Only paper-thin and completely made of glass. She pulls up a projection, and it floats from the screen. "Those hair-like spots on the patch are so small, that a new unit of measurement was used to describe them. But that is pointless to mention here as you will learn more soon. They connect directly to your nerve pathway delivering medication directly to the nervous system." This was far beyond what I had known to exist. I simply sat stunned, both surprised and annoyed by this declaration. She gave me a once over, delivered some more medication, some were oral. Finally, she made a satisfied noise. I sat quietly as she made notes on what I assumed to be a tablet, and then finally she pressed her hand to her wrist. Instantly it lit up. I watched as she dialed numbers and waited. Instantly a dialing noise was heard, and finally she began to speak. "Miss Haori is ready, I have given her a clean bill of health. You can send your team to retrieve her now. I expect that you will take good care of her. Or else." At that moment I realized that just as kind as Nora was, she was capable of things far more sinister. And for some odd reason, she had taken a liking to me. Now back to her bubbly self she turned to me looking extremely sad. Her lip trembled slightly, and she let out a sigh. Finally, she stood next to me, more serious than she had been since I had known her. Which was all of a few conscious days. "Be strong Yarua. The things you will face over the time that you are here will be tough. But I see it in you. You have the Star qualities. I am not at liberty to disclose what you will come to know, or what goes on here. You will figure it out in due time. I''ll be here if you ever need me." With that, she shuffled out of the room, and I almost thought I heard a sniff. I began pondering everything she said. I rolled it around in my head, all the while wondering where I was, who I was with, where my family was. Surprisingly I wasn''t afraid, not even looking at the beautiful yet strange face of the stranger and seeing his eyes. Suddenly I became angry, as my mind cleared the realization that he was the one who had injured me dawned upon me. The next time I saw him I would have let him have it. Finally, the glass doors slid back, and more of the muscular men stood in the doorway. "Miss Haori come with us. You will not be harmed. You have missed out on orientation and the beginning of training, we must complete this task by the day''s end. Accompanying us will be some very important officials. Please keep your craziness to a minimum." I was shocked by what I was hearing, but then I recognized the voice of one of the men I had taken down earlier. "Training? Orientation? For what exactly?" I asked curiously. "It will all be explained before the day''s end. Please just try to keep up." I glare at one of the guards who tries to touch me and he backs off. I follow beyond him, and then I am amazed at what I see. The ceiling expands so far upwards that the lights appear to look like tiny stars. Around me people were laughing, walking, talking, visiting shops. I see children running back and forth. Only based upon what I could feel around me we were not outside, and we weren''t on the ground either I don''t know how I knew. But I just did. Ever since my dive in the pink body of water I hadn''t felt the same. I followed the guards taking in everything around me. It was built just like a city only confined in whatever it is we were in. The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. "Inside this ship, we use mirrors to simulate the day. Light from the sun comes through the windows. This is where all of our shops are. There are also what you on Earth would call restaurants, hair salons, and more. This is what we call the entertainment ship. It''s one of the largest, depending on the use of the ship." He says, placing his hand on a panel. "This is a transport pod. Usually, we use ships, but today is one of our holidays to celebrate our transition of season. On earth you have four seasons, here we have six. Four of them are the same as yours, the other two are blends of these seasons. It will be further explained later on." I was still in shock by everything that was happening so fast. He motioned for me to step on the pod, and so I did. The rest of them followed suit. The glass door closed. I nervously looked around. "This thing has oxygen, right? What about the glass? Won''t it break from pressure or speed or something?" He chuckled. "No worries, our glass as you call it is very special. A lot of our elements and minerals have extra properties more so of that than your home planet." Wait a fucking minute. Ships? Elements? Home planet? I had accidentally eaten one of my older sisters weed brownies again. That was the only logical explanation. "That''s it! I''m asleep, this is all a dream. I should have known." "I assure you that you aren''t dreaming. I suppose if that is how you choose to cope I can''t stop you." The pod lurched forward, and then suddenly we were shot out into space. I was in awe as the scenery sped past me. Stars, dust, the sun. I would cringe as floating rocks and debris banged slightly against the pod. I watched as one of the men placed his hand on two panels, his face was a demonstration of focus, and I assumed he was flying the pod somehow. It seemed like only mere seconds had passed, out of the glass I watched as a large ship loomed in the distance. It was massive contraption of metal and components I could only dream of. There was no end to it as far as I could see. My breath was taken away. The pod slowly descended into the inner depths of the ship. As we arrived the pod opened, and it lined up behind other pods which must have arrived before us. One of the men stepped onto a platform and reached out his hand. A familiar tattoo of swirls and symbols marred his wrist. I recognized it from when I had attacked the men earlier. I hesitated, but then grabbed his hand and he gently pulled me on the platform. The other men followed right behind us. He walked up to what vaguely reminded me of a speaker and pressed a glowing button. Finally, something that was familiar. "This is Sargeant Jax, we have Miss Haori in tow. Requesting access into the command ship." There was a slight pause, then the massive doors began to open. Again the ceiling was high, but this time it was higher than I was able to visualize. I watched as people in all sorts of uniforms jogged or walked past. There were people in lab coats talking a mile per minute as they walked past. Others in black uniforms that resembled the one''s the men surrounding me wore walked quickly past a man in tow. Some of the people walking past wore typical clothing like shorts and tees, and then there were things I had not seen. Jet pack like devices, glowing dresses, color-changing shirts, and it was way too much trying to take in all of the things before me at once. The thing that stood out to me the most were those wearing various colored uniforms, only they appeared to be completely normal, just like me. The only difference was upon their uniforms a colored light flashed repeatedly. They seemed to be in a hurry, stumbling past each other in the same direction. I watched as they got into various lines, colored lights flashed in their wake. I scream in happiness, fear, and frustration as I see a familiar face. My oldest sister Farren was walking past in a completely black uniform, a red light flashed on her chest. She was the epitome of sass and badass. We had different mothers, her skin was olive and light but still brown undertones came through. Her silky black braid swung as she ran towards me Freckles lined her nose, her pink lips spread wide and her bright smile beamed. Her green eyes were filled with worry, concern, and some other mysterious thing that I could not decipher. Her muscular but curvy body looked exceedingly well in the suit she wore. I was only inches away from being five feet tall, but her 5''6 frame I had always adored. Finally, she ran up to me and wrapped me up in a tight hug, and she refused to let go. "Rue where have you been? I was so scared. There is so much to talk about. Whenever I woke up I freaked out. I didn''t know where you were. Where I was..." she trailed off, looking into the distance and the look on her face told me that whatever she had been through would haunt her forever. "Once I made it out and started training, I was devastated not finding you there, and everyone I asked wouldn''t give me answers. Then word spread fast about the star girl. I was like Rue? No way! Not the nerdy little girl that reads books, and barely talks unless spoken to. Blowing up buildings? Taking nurses hostage?" We both began to laugh. "Hey let''s get moving, we can have reunion time later," Jax says. "Where exactly are you taking her? Shouldn''t she be with the rest of us?" She says, crossing her arms and glaring at him. For a moment I see his eyes beneath the mask and they get softer, then they harden once again. "That''s none of your business. You should be headed to the assembly cadet. That''s an order, don''t make me repeat myself twice." She walked up to him and stood only inches from his face. "If I don''t see my sister by the day''s end. I will have your head on a metal spear. I will end all of you," She glanced at the entire group then back to Jax. "If even one hair is missing from her head, I will personally hunt you down and make you wish you were never born." For a moment they looked directly at one another, and finally Jax nodded. My sister gave me one final hug before turning away and walking towards a massive set of doors along with the rest of the people in uniforms. Before she got too far away, she glared at all of the men one last time then walked through the set of doors. I could hear Jax muttering under his breath that we were obviously related, and he called her a hothead. I pretended as if I didn''t hear him, but I knew I had a large grin on my face. Farren had that effect on people. "So here is how this is going to go. I will explain as much as I can before we see the elders. Whatever else you will have to learn on your own. Keep up, and when we are there only speak when you are spoken to. Try to keep the questions to a minimum." I nod, but then I quietly make a request. "Tell me how and why I am here and what''s going on." I follow him, and his comrades follow closely behind. "That you will have to learn at the assembly in a couple of hours. For now, let''s stick to a need to know basis. We turn around a corner, and he stops. He places his hand on a panel and a diagram of the ships appears. "We are on the command ship. This is usually where our warriors are trained. It has been customized for those of you on earth to learn. It is divided into subsections. Based upon your abilities, level, skill, you will be placed in something similar to your earth dorms. There is a great hall for dining, announcements, ceremonies, and much more." He pulls something else upon the screen. "At the very heart of the ship is the command center, and where those of high social status reside. Training grounds, classrooms, common rooms, and more are around the ship. Some training grounds may be on other ships, and the rest you will find out for yourselves. You can access a map at any time on the consoles, and you will get to know more. About various technologies during your stay here." We walked further into the ship where we found another elevator. We climbed on, and I was in awe as I looked out. Through the glass I watched floor after floor pass by. On some floors I could see some people practicing something similar to martial arts, on other floors I saw gigantic rooms filled with what appeared to be gardens, storage rooms, classrooms, simulation rooms, ships came and went on certain floors. Finally after what seemed to be forever we reached one of the highest floors. I stepped off hesitantly, then followed them forward. We stopped outside of a room where two hooded figures stood. Without a word, they moved their hands outward as if to say move forward. "Those are reapers, and trust me you don''t want to see them with their hoods off. They are some of the fiercest competitors as you will come to see in the days to come. Now when we are in here be on your best behavior, and remember what I have told you." We walk in, and everything seems relatively normal. A group of twelve people who I assumed to be the elders sat around a table. They were all hooded, but in some cases I could see a nose or the outline of a mouth. Like the man I had seen earlier, they all seemed to have angelic like features from what I could tell. Everyone around me made a saluting motion, and the elders silently turned towards me. I nervously raised a hand. "Hi, I''m rue." Next to me I felt Jax tense, and I could hear a slight growl. One of the elders stood up, and circled me then began laughing. "This girl? With star qualities? She has human tendencies, her first impression is disastrous. Speaking without being spoken to. Have you all gone absolutely mad?" He flips his hood off and he is equally as beautiful as the man I had seen. His cheekbones were angular, his pouty lips were full, he had a pointed nose that was not too pointy, long lashes hooded his eyes, and black hair reached his neck. He circled me once more, lifting my arms, poking, prodding, gasping in horror. Finally, I snatched my arm away and the room grew silent. A woman began to chuckle, it sounded both very young and very old at the same time. A beautiful blonde lifted away from her hood. She looked no more than in her twenties, her hair was a silvery blonde, but her eyes looked very old. Her soft angelic features and bright white smile put me in a daze. She looked like some kind of queen from all the medieval shows I used to watch. "Have a seat Delemir. You are likely scaring the poor child. With your ranting and temper tantrums. You would think you needed a tampon." She winked at me. Finally he angrily and noisily took a seat. She turned to me, seriousness in her eyes. "Your earth is in trouble. It appears those of you who have been chosen may be the only hope. You are here on starship Pegasus, and you are in orbit of one of our greatest planets. A planet called Ghazada." Chapter Three I stood in silence for approximately five minutes. Before bursting out into a fit of laughter. It wasn''t necessarily a hearty laugh, but a dry, frustrated, and weary laugh. When I was done Delemir sat with his nose raised in disgust while everyone else watched me in silence. Finally I speak without abandon. "Clearly you people are mad. I just want to go home, watch reality TV, and scroll through Instagram wishing I looked like half the plastic surgery altered bimbos on there, or the fitness addicts who grow a nice butt." I pause thinking about my next words. "I am nobody important, at least not where I''m from. So unfortunately you have the wrong girl, and clearly all you people have gone mad. So I''m just going to go now." "Wait, I have something you''ll want to see." The beautiful woman said. A piece of glass began floating in the air. I watched as images pulled up on the screen. "It appears to be growing dark here. The government has issued a curfew, and all citizens are to stays in doors." I watched as a news anchor churned out instructions, most likely from a monitor. The lights on the set began to flicker, the news anchor glancing upwards. The room began to shake, lights began crashing downward and people on set began to panic. "NASA has been watching these objects closely, but we still don''t know much about them. They speculate that they are space debris, but they are still uncertain." A woman says, nervously playing with the collar of her suit. Next the screen shows images of people running, blazing balls of fire flashing through the sky. Entire cities burning, people screaming, and one of the last pieces of footage made my blood run cold. Darkness descended over a beach in California. People began screaming and running, and just before the screen cut off I heard deafening screams and bones cracking. The footage ended. "So what are we doing here?" I ask quietly. The woman smiles weakly and stands from her seat. "There is a deep evil that exists. All will become clear in time, but as it seems you all may be the last hope for us both." I had no idea what was going to happen, but anything seemed better than returning to earth right now. Not only that, I had to wonder if I had family left on the ground. The only hope I had was to figure out what in the world was going on here, and how I would get back home. For a short while I contemplated it. "I''m in." ***** Awhile later I was escorted back to the large doors I had seen my sister go through. Walking in it seemed to be a giant modern version of a collosiuum with a podium in the middle. Here I could have guessed I seen a hundred thousand other people of my age group. We all wore the same skin tight suit and a badge. Some looked scared, some indifferent, some sad, others confused. I''m sure I looked all of those things. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. I got one of the spots closest to the podium, standing on either side of me were two guys my age. One appeared to be Native American, he had tribal tattoos snaking up his hands. He appeared to be 6''1, and I could see his ripped frame through the suit. His long dark hair sat in a bun. He looked stern, but upon seeing me stare at him he looked curious and amused. Far to my right stood a Caucasian guy, he had messy Ash blonde hair, a blazing white smile, and stood about 6''0 his ripped, but slim frame riplling through the suit. He gave a slight wink, and I scowled at him turning forward. The Native American guy seemed to be chuckling now, it sounded like a deep rumble building in his chest. I glanced at him, although stoic, I could see that he almost wanted to grin. Hushed whispers echoed around me, and we all waited in anticipation. If it was possible, I was more nervous than others. I could feel something coming someone and I knew it was him. As if somehow we were tuned in to the same frequency. Sure enough, he walked in with guards on either side of him. He seemed to have the air of being super important. It was impossible to tell for sure, but just for a second he appeared to stiffen as he drew near me. But within seconds, he appeared to be striding up to the podium as if nothing happened. Behind him his silky black hair swished in one long braid, his muscular frame moving effortlessly, he appeared to be extremely tall, but not unnaturally so, the only strange thing about him is that one moment he seemed lighter, while in other moments he seemed bronzy. His eyes looked normal in this moment, but to me they still looked slightly strange. I was almost certain every female in the room was swooning. Finally he made it to the podium, crossed his hands slightly, and took a deep breath. "Good evening," he said. I heard gasps as his voice sounded both soothing, and rough at the same time. It was probably the voice every woman dreamed of hearing when she woke up in the morning. It seemed even the males were enchanted by his voice, most of them eyeing him now out of curiosity and silently beating their chests to prove their manhood. "My name is Dominic Kallastia or in other terms Kallisto." He said, seeming to make eye contact with everyone but me. "In this moment, our world''s collide. I''m sure all of you have been wondering, but have not said it out loud. We are a different race, in a different galaxy. Yet we are much like you." He walks away from the podium guards following. "I''m sure you are all curious about how you got here and why. Your memory for the last several months have been erased." I heard gasps come from the crowd. "Something in your DNA is unique. It can be easily manipulated and put back together, which may become necessary as your time here progresses. So you were chosen to be taken on our ships to safety." He pauses now looking at me, but the same time looking through me. "It was your passion that lead you here to this moment. Your drive, your determination, your uniqueness," Finally, he looks away. "I would be a liar if I wasn''t up front with you. You all were tested in different ways and many of you died. Many of you lost friends or family members. You have every right to be angry, but I can ensure you of one thing. Had they not died there, they would have died soon enough." A girl steps forward from the crowd her face reddened in anger. She has choppy honey blonde brown hair, bronzed skin like she spent most of the time in the sun, and an athletic stature. Although rough around the edges she was still beautiful. "What about my sister? She was 13 years old she didn''t deserve any of this!" Dominic stares at her momentarily, an emotionless look on his face. Then he walks to stand right in front of her. "You remind me of someone I once knew. Tough as nails on the outside, but inside she was probably one of the most human people I knew." He walked around her slowly looking her up and down. Her jaw tightened, and finally he stood in front of her once more. "If we had left your sister on earth she would have died. Her cancer left her too weak. And only the heavens know what she may have faced." "You don''t know that!" She yelled in his face spittle flying. One of the men stepped forward. He raised his hand, and the man froze in place. "Zalia?" We all turned in the direction of the voice. We all gasped looking towards a humanoid looking creature. It was beautiful yet foreign. Tall, graceful, curvy body. It camouflaged with the environment, and in some instances seemed invisible or made of light. It stood in front of her, tall and long eyes unblinking. Around it floated what appeared to be hair, yet it had a life of it''s own. "Brooke? What is this? Why do you sound so old?" "I share a consciousness with Aria now. I''m in her body. I can''t discuss it right now, but for now this is what has to be done. You will train with her instead, and I''ll be in the background learning." Whispers filled the crowd as Zalia was taken away to be debriefed I assume. Wa a Dominic returned the podium. And with a final clasp of his hands, he began telling us everything we needed to know. Chapters Four "Today we will be showing you where you will sleep. This is where you will sleep for the remainder of your stay here. You will have one other roommate. Some of you will no longer have a roommate as time goes on. Each individual is for now randomly put into a group. Later you will be divided based on ability and other factors." "Today you will follow each of my soldiers, based on your last names. Keep in mind male and female counterparts are separated. There will be no fraternizing, you will be banned. Take this seriously." He paused at the podium once more. "You will be divided into classes. There will be a more thorough explanation as time goes on. Part of your day here will be spent educating yourself, and learning hand to hand combat." At that I could see the crowd begin to murmur. As I peered around some faces looked elated, some grimaced in horror, and some had no expression at all. When I turned back I could have sworn he had been staring at me once again, but it was too fast for me to know if I was right. "The next few months here will be trying. It will test every single part of you, so that the best of the best will come forth. I will not lie to you about anything. Unfortunately, I have pressing matters to attend. Over the next couple of days you will learn everything you need to know. Good luck to you all." ****** It was a couple of hours later when my group was finally called. Part of the H group was with Jax. Including me and Farren. It was nice knowing that I would be with my sister for at least a little while. Still I was being nagged by the thoughts swirling in my head. Why hadn''t they told us exactly what was going on yet? Where were my parents? How exactly did we get here? Who exactly was Dominic and what the hell was going on? It wasn''t until I bumped into a girl in front of me that I realized I hadn''t been paying attention. She looked at me. Her blue eyes turning ice-cold, and her blonde hair shining in the light. She sneered at me, staring into my eyes before finally continuing as the line moved. I sucked in air, I didn''t know this girl but it seemed as if she already had it out for me. Farren began eyeing her, but I shook my head and she let it go. We were lead through several corridors, though much of the ship looked the same. Finally, we were lead to our room, I was with Farren and two other girls. One I recognized was the girl from the assembly, the other a quiet Asian girl. She looked quite timid, but even I knew looks could be deceiving. I mean look at me I was the star girl. I expected to see a room that was white-washed and bare, instead it was cozy and offered a variety of things to explore. It was about the size of a small apartment, and even had what appeared to be a mini kitchen. There were stands with what appeared to be hair tools with light emanating from them, the time was suspended in the air from a small cube. I let out a small gasp as a smile image leaped from it. What appeared to be playing was some kind of newsreel. The beds were suspended in the air with lights beneath them. Soon a small woman walked in smiling. "Hello, I am Jadora. I''ll be your section guide, in other words your supervisor of sorts when it comes to your living quarters." She pointed behind us at four different panels on the wall. She walked up to one and it scanned her hand, opening a decent sized closet already filled with clothes. "This is where you will put your belongings during your stay here. However for Mrs. Rue here yours has the gold panel. Our commander has informed us that this is your closet." I placed my hand on the panel, and unlike the others, lavish and bright outfits lined the closets. All of the girls raised their brow at me, and my cheeks burned with embarrassment and confusion. She began to explain how we would use our ID badges to access different places, based on our clearance level. She explained our schedules, free time, minor expectancies, and finally walked us to the dining hall. We all took in a breath at its beauty. It was the only thing that didn''t look futuristic or modernized. Rows of gigantic banquet tables sat in the middle of the humongous hall. Intricate chairs were in every direction. Beautiful chandelier like objects hung from the vaulted ceiling. Other people milled around, talking, laughing, and acting as if this was commonplace. Me, Farren, and the other two girls stuck together. There were giant tubes that acted like vending machines, there was an area for fresh baked goods and pleasant aromas wafted in the air. We stopped at a table, and there were some things we recognized, and others we didn''t. Some of them shimmered, some appeared to move, some were colors we haven''t even named yet. Some of them oozed, others looked extremely dry. I paused at what I could only describe as a stuffed cookie with a green substance oozing out of it. A lady smiled, nodding her heard and we each took a treat. I bit into it and my eyes widened. The best way to describe it would be caramel apple pie, with a hint of pear and something else. The cookie was soft but dense and tasted like cake. "Wow, this is so good!" Farren says. The other two girls nod, expressions of pleasure and delight on their faces. The woman laughs, wiping her hands on her apron. She walks from behind what appears to be a mini kitchen, and then finally reaches out her hand. She smiled at me warmly her eyes sparkling. Something about her seemed familiar, but I shrugged off the feeling and smiled back warmly. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. "I''m Gartha, it''s nice to meet you Rue. And this is Farren, Rebekka, and Xiao," she said bowing to the Asian girl. "Wow that was really good, what exactly is it?" I ask. "Why it''s a cookie," she says laughing. "It''s made with something we call a parigoa, I guess you could say it''s something like a cross between an earth apple and pear. We use pure sugar grown on our planet, plus other ingredients. But you will learn about all of that in your agricultural studies." We all nod, we stay to chat a bit longer and she waves us off. We see all manners of technology. Instant noodle bowls, foods and concoctions we had never seen, drinks we could have never dreamed of. Finally Jadora gathered us up to take us to thr classrooms. We walked down a hall, each room connected, but yet it seemed the moved from place to place instantly without explanation. Instead of doors shimmering curtains were at each entrance, and again she explained the concept of clearance. We saw rooms that were filled with art that came to life, chemistry, herbal potions and medicine, and there was even a classroom with an entire garden with desks made of vines. Virtual reality headsets lay in some rooms, as she explained some of our time would be spent doing virtual exercises. Finally we got to one of the gyms. It was organized military style, there were mud pits, sparing areas, and rooms leading off from the main area. Racks of equipment including swords, bows and arrows, mallets, and more lined the walls. Mats lined the floor, and something that looked remotely like a surfboard except black and matte was lined in racks. It looked like we were in one of the last groups of the day. We watched as two suited figures clashed and clanged swords. My hairs stood on end electricity in the air. They moved with inhuman like speed, majestic and graceful yet deadly. I could feel the malicious intent from the other sparrer, and it was then that I felt a sense of urgency. My vision zoomed in, it was as if I could see every movement. I saw their muscles twitch, and before I knew it I had run into the middle of the fray and caught the blade with my hand. The two sparrers removed their gear, I saw that one was Dominic and the other someone I didn''t recognize. He was almost as beautiful with similar dark short hair, but there was hate in his eyes. Just as quickly as the malice was there it was replaced by shock and concern. "Are you alright?" He says, running over. Dominic was still for a moment, but hesitantly he graceful walked over. "Are you hurt?" He asked, his voice cold but soft. "What exactly were you doing?" The other guy asked. "I''m not sure I was just watching, and then I got this strange feeling, and I just reacted," I said, nearly rambling. They both looked at one another, a mysterious look passing between them. "Let me see your hand." It was then that I looked down, noticing a fresh clean cut in the middle of my palm. Only then did it begin to sting, and water began to well up at the corner of my eyes. I sucked in a breath, confused by my own actions. Blood dripped to the floor, and Farren dashed across the room roommates in tow. "I should kick your ass right now." She said to the dark-haired stranger. "My name is Demetrius, and I wouldn''t advise such a thing." "Why I ought to--" "Enough. She is injured which is the most pressing matter at hand." "Like you care. You''re the one who injured me the first time." I practically hissed, my emotions running rampant. For a moment he looked surprised, then quickly he regained his cold demeanor. "See that she gets to the infirmary." He said pointing to each of my roommates, and he strides away sweat glistening on his chiseled back. "Let''s get you fixed up." The girl who I assumed to be Rebekka said, taking my other hand. The Asian girl nodded, eyeing Demetrius warily and skeptically. Jadora had a strange look in her eyes, but her smile genuinely. She dropped us off at the infirmary, and told us to meet her in the dining hall when we were finished to receive our schedules, gear, and to finalize the day''s activities. "You young lady I better not see anytime soon after this time." Nora scolded me, almost pouting. "But--" she raised her brow, and I sighed as Nanobots stitched my hand together with organic silk. Or at least that is what I was told. Nora ordered me to stick around a little to see if I felt light-headed. We all sat in chairs chatting, even Xiao joined in. "Hey thanks for coming with me. You honestly didn''t have to." "What are big sisters for." "I needed a break anyways," Rebekka said. Xiao just shrugged and smiled. Peering into these girls faces, I knew I could count on them. I don''t know how, but I knew. They each looked fierce as they sat before me and my heart flushed with warmth for the first time since I had been away from my parents. Later Nora let me go with a look, and we used the maps to head down to the banquet hall. There it was loud, as thousands of voices mingled together but not too loud. We spotted Jadora by the south wall and walked over. "Good you guys are here. Here take these." She handed us all five bodysuits, also known as our uniforms. We all got a mini bag of hygiene products, or at least it''s what I assumed they were. Finally as things died down schedules were handed out. Finally I got mine, and I glanced over it. Class 1 - Study of the ancient people Class 2 - Space Science and Physics Class 3 - Mechanics and Engineering Class 4 - Art and Self-expression Class 5 - Herbal potions and Medicine Class 6 - Technologies Class 7 - Combat and battle strategies On two days out of the week however I had two additional classes one called Gifted and the other Piloting. We compared schedules and it wasn''t long before I realized all of our schedules were the same. I wasn''t sure if it was a coincidence, but internally I gave a sigh of relief. My heart throbbed thinking about the days in high school where a new year would begin, and I didn''t know who would be there, where I would sit, or how things would go. "We got the same schedule!" Farren said excitedly. Each class was approximately thirty mins to an hour and a half long. Some days we had only four hours of classes. Others we had around eight. Jadora explained it was to encourage independent learning. With that, she wished us well, and handed us a flyer for some kind of ceremony that would take place tomorrow. We sat at a table enjoying dinner, laughing, and stuffing our faces with exotic foods. Soon we were heading back. "I wonder what tomorrow would be all about?" Rebekka said, her mouth twisting into a grimace. "Yeah me too," Xiao said. Still surprised when she talked we all stared then we all burst out laughing. We all went to our separate showers, and I was glad to wash away the day. Although I was taking everything in stride I was still no closer to the answers that we sought than I was from the beginning. The showers were automatic, and massaging jets shot from the wall. I rubbed in soap that smelled like honey, rose, and sweet lavender. After rinsing my hair I stepped out, dried, and put on a pair of satin pajamas. The girls were all up talking to one another, and I sat on the edge of my bed. "We still have no idea what we are doing here, or what happened to the people we cared about. And that test...." Farren said, trailing off. "I woke up in a room that was almost 451 degrees by the time I was out. The temperature started at 80 and worked it''s way up slowly. I became dehydrated, disoriented, but eventually I found a way out. I was covered in burns, and I woke up not long before Rue." Xiao looked on in horror and grimaced. "I was in a room full of blades, and they kept slicing at my skin. Eventually I made it out, but the only way was to stab two sharp objects protruding through the wall through my legs and then use all of my weight to move downwards." We all gasped. "Let''s just say we''ll save my story for another time," Farren said, and I knew from the tone in her voice that she was serious. "And of course we heard all about you star girl. Escaping a maze, blowing up buildings, saving little girls, and surviving sky caves." Xiao said. "Was that what it was? I don''t know. I just woke up in a dark place. Next thing I know I thought I was in an infirmary, but it wasn''t and then that guy Dominic was there it was crazy." We all agreed that something strange was going on, and we had slightly changed since that first day here. Climbing in bed, we all prepared ourselves for tomorrow and for what was to come. It wasn''t long before I fell off to sleep, the day had been draining to say the least. With one final glimpse of the room, I descended into darkness.