Empyrean

Chapter 3

Chapter 3-Serena

Outside Zenith-Red Alexandros Headquarters

Sunrise, 20th of Diversa, Year 611

            After standing outside for an hour waiting for our commanding officers to show up, I think it is fair to say that the forty or so of us who were assigned to Red, besides me of course, are getting a little bit chatty. And to add to the noise this was the first time since before our training that we all get to stand next to whomever we wanted, but old habits die hard they say. It’s a little thing but it really does show that we are Alexandros now.

            “See Serena? Pessimism gets you nowhere!” Jacob jests over Lucy from my right. What I wonder now is, how the hell did all of us get assigned to the same Headquarters? I guess Jacob somehow heard us talking yesterday. He is more observant than I give him credit for I guess.

            “Yea!” Lucy says with that ten thousand watt smile of hers. “Not only did we both get assigned to the same building, but Jacob did too!” I don’t know if that comment is really for me or if she’s trying to flirt with Jacob.

            “I’m overflowing with happiness!” Sometimes the only answer to a situation is sarcasm.

            Jacob chuckles and Lucy, though oblivious to my insinuation, joins in for fear of looking ignorant. What she doesn’t realize is that I already know she is ignorant, but love her anyway. If anything will seep that innocence out of her body, the Red sectors will. An older man without an Epoch whom I assume to be a Zenith walks up and reaches for the door of the Alexandros Headquarters that the forty of us are facing in a now sufficiently crooked formation. I decide to walk over and do my duty as an Alexandros. I put my hand on the man’s shoulder and say, “Sorry mister, but you aren’t allowed to be here, this is military property, and therefore off limits.” Even though he is a Zenith he is still my elder and that requires a little bit of respect.

            The man is wearing a cloak hiding his face from me but doesn’t respond and to my surprise pulls out a keycard swiping it in front of the door and pushing it backward. He looks into the blackness a while before saying, “You are very polite, Serena. I’m glad, makes my life a lot easier!” He then pulls off his cloak revealing nothing of vast importance except that he was extremely well built for his—any age. The only older Zenith that I have seen this ripped were slaves from when it was still legal, but this guy is beyond that.

            “So you all are the new ones?” He says walking up to the crooked formation with a confused look on his face. “The Potentius would have a fit with this formation.” Everyone but me stands at attention in the perfect way that we had been taught realizing that this man was way above our pay-grade, but of course there is always a dissident.

            “Why should we listen to a shoddy Zenith?!” John Pena isn’t the smartest but I’d put money on that he got a fifteen hundred on the Body Test. He steps forward to defend his pride. The formation loosens at his words. “Just ‘cause you have a key doesn’t make you our commanding officer!” He takes large steps closing the distance in half a second.

            “You thought I was your commanding officer?” He lets out a hearty chuckle at the statement not realizing the danger everyone else knows he’s in. “I am by no means your new boss!”

            “Then all the more reason to do this!” John pulls his arm back and thrusts it forward at amazing speed, nothing I couldn’t match, but the power behind it was another matter.