The X Pathogen

Chapter 1

    At exactly five a.m., Ash Dantier was woken up to the loud buzzing of their alarm clock. They started to reach for the snooze button, but with a muffled sigh hit the off button. They sat up and looked around their room for the last time; or at least they hoped it was the last time. If today's exams went well Ash would move into the cadet's barracks.
    It was the day of the entrance exams for the Galactic Security Agency, or GSA. Anyone between the ages of fifteen and eighteen could apply, and Ash was finally old enough to take their shot at one of the five hundred spots available in the agency's cadet program.
    After grabbing their toothbrush, Ash walked down the hallway to the communal washrooms. They'd lived in a GSA facility since they were thirteen as part of the agency's sanctuary services, which provided almost anyone with a safe place to live and free education up to the age of eighteen. Over the past two years, they'd gotten used to fighting through a mob of people to get a shower in the morning, but today there was hardly anyone there. Only a few of the teenagers in the sanctuary facility actually planned to take the exam. Most of them had chosen other careers.
    Ash pressed the button for warm water and quickly got undressed. The soap dispensers squirted out generic, chemical smelling soap and shampoo, which Ash hated. Still, they figured it was better than nothing. A few minutes later, Ash hopped out of the shower, dried off, and pulled on their school uniform. Technically the applicants could wear whatever they wanted, but Ash hadn't been able to decide what to wear. The simple gray shirt felt like an easy solution to the dilemma.
    As they brushed their teeth, Ash glanced at their reflection in the mirror. They quickly ran a brush through their short, greenish blue hair, taking note of the light brown roots peeking through. They'd have to redye it soon.
    The bathroom door swung open, Ash flinched as another resident walked in.
    "Oh- uh- sorry, I didn't realize anyone else was awake," the boy stuttered.
    "It's cool. Good luck today," Ash replied, grabbing the last of their things to head back to their room.
    "Thanks! You too."
    Ash hurried back to the safety of their room as quickly as they could. Most of the other residents thought Ash was anti-social, or just shy. The truth was that people always wanted to know why they were in the sanctuary program. Ash wasn't really big on sharing that information, and had decided a while back that it was easier not to get too close with anyone; a policy their counselor had informed them many times was counterproductive.
    Ash grabbed their reampad and stylus, then gave the polypede plushie they got on their first day a quick hug for luck. With that, they were out the door on their way to the first stage of exams, the objective written test.
    At the very least, Ash knew they could pass that part, since GSA offered tutoring for any students interested in taking the exams. And, unlike most students, Ash had spent every free second studying to make sure they would pass the objective portion easily.
    The lift slowly descended from the fifteenth floor down to the testing center beneath the building. At the ground floor, the door slid open and a avritian boy around their age stepped inside. He had curly black hair, with golden and yellow eyes glaring through the dark strands. A feathered wing extended from his right shoulder blade. Upon closer inspection, Ash noticed the stub of another wing that had once been attached to the left. They considered asking what had happened, but decided against it. If Ash didn't like people asking about their past, surely this boy wouldn't either.
    "Just so you know, I don't need your fancy GSA training to pass this exam," he grumbled.
    "Huh?" Ash hadn't expected him to speak.
    "You GSA brats think you're gonna do better than us just because you go to school here?"
    "Uuuum... no? Most of us come from pretty bad situations, we're not a bunch of spoiled brats."
    "Sure, little girl."
    Ash's fists tightened. "I'm not a girl!"
    He looked them up and down, then gave a casual shrug, "sure look like one," he muttered.
    Ash took a deep breath, "look whatever your problem is with me-"
    The doors opened, and the boy stepped out, "I'm gonna beat you today."
    "What-" Ash stared at him in utter disbelief and shock as he walked away. 'What is this guy's problem!?' Ash wondered as they forced themself to walk down the hallway to their testing room.