Plutonian

Chapter 45

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.