PAST

2-Into Asect

"SO, YOU'RE SAYING THAT IN TWO WEEKS, OR LESS, I WILL BE GOING TO PAST EARTH?" I ask, bemused.

"Yes." Alvin looks forward as we walk through Asect. He's wearing a serious expression. "So, Stephen, what have they told you back at Mars? What did they say about Earth?"

My stomach tightens. "That...Earth was getting too crowded. So thats why we live on Mars. Why exactly are you asking me?"

Alvin tears his gaze away from the end of the hall and looks at me with soften eyes. We take a right, and before us, two elevators. "In two weeks, you'll know the real story."

Before I could ask any more questions, Alvin presses a button, causing a elevator to split open. We step in, and it is eerie quiet. The air is thick and warm.

Alvin cracks the silence. "You may be wondering what I was talking about when I said 'the real story', but don't lose sleep over it."

There is a loud ding! and the doors split once again. "Follow me." Alvin walks out of the elevator and into a lobby of some sort. I follow and he smiles at some of his friends.

But a smile never formed on my face. I wouldn't allow it. I had no idea where I was...or why I was here. Unless, I was really chosen be sent in the past Earth in two weeks from now. That was nonsense. Or was it?

We take a left, and before us were two doors reading: "Food Court." I frown. I really don't have any appetite. Especially now.

Alvin takes one look at me and smiles warmly. "If you're not hungry, you don't have to eat. I'm not going to eat either. I just want you to meet a great friend of mine." He pulls open the doors and I look around. At least 50 people were jammed into the small room, all talking loudly.

Following Alvin, I sit down at a wooden table with only two others waiting. I noted that they didn't have food neither.

"Alvin!" The more burly man said. "Are you assigned to take care of the new comer? That's cool!"

Alvin smiled at me and pointed to the more burly man. "That's Lucas Cannon. Probably the most friendly person you'll ever meet." Then he pointed at me. "Lucas, that's Stephen. Hope you like each other."

Lucas smiled warmly. "Most likely. This dude beside me is W.O."

The person named W.O. waved, strangely never talking. There was a secret lurking in his eyes; something that did not calm my already rattling nerves.

Alvin cleared his throat and stood up, gesturing for me to stand up. When I did, he patted my shoulder. "Sorry about the short stay, but I need to show Stephen to the training rooms."

Lucas nodded his head, agreeing. "Yes. The sooner, the better. How long does Stephen have before he is sent to the past? Two months? Three?"

"Actually, he has two weeks. So we should get started now." Alvin nodded his head and said a whispered goodbye. Then we walked to the training rooms in silent, and strange excitement.

After we pushed out the food court's doors, we continued walking to the other end of the lobby. Taking a series of turns, we arrived in a hall with many doors.

"Our training room is #74. Got that?" Alvin stopped when we reached our training room and pulled out a key. The door swung open seconds later.