The Protogen Generation

Preflight

Hello! I'm the author of this novel. Before I start with the story, I'll point out I'm new to writing. This is a republished series, so some alterations have been made. Thank you for taking the time to read this

LUCAS'S P.O.V.

I'm suddenly awoken by my alarm, jolting me from my sleep. Clumsily, I reach over to stop the alarm. I almost turn it off, but before my hand can find the alarm clock, I start to fall out of bed.

Crash

Ouch! I lay on the floor for a few moments while I gathered my bearings. Now incredibly annoyed, I lift myself up and turn on the light. Finally, I stopped the buzzing alarm.

I make my bed one last time, making sure it's free of imperfections. Satisfied with my bed, I grab my phone and head downstairs.

Looking over at the wall clock by the bottom of the stairs, I noticed the time.

It's 5:05.

It quickly dawns upon me that I won't have much time to get ready before I'm driven to the Carlin Launch Complex, where I will be piloting a new spacecraft, the EX-5. It will be flown to a nearby planet to conduct a manned biological research mission.

My good friend Michael Carlin will also be among the EX-5's crew, as one of the mission specialists. Interestingly, his father is the founder of the Carlin space agency.

Oh shoot! Michael! I gotta call him.

Bzzzzt... Bzzzzt... Bzzz-

"Hello?" Somebody answers

"Hey! It's lucas," Then I recognize the voice, its my friend Kyle Raymond "wait is that you, Kyle?" "Y-yes," Kyle stutters, "Do you want me to get Michael?" "Why do you have his phone?" I ask, waiting for a response. "I'm at his house," Kyle sheepishly admits, "I uh stayed the night."

Dumbfounded from the answer, I silently hung up the phone. As much as Michael and Kyle like each other, it really isn't the best time to have a sleepover. This is an incredibly important event for the 3 of us, including Kyle, because he is a part of Mission Control.

Annoyance aside, I grab my freshly cleaned jumpsuit and head to the bathroom. Upon entering, I undressed myself and opened the shower door. Making sure I don't fall, as I did a couple of minutes ago, I shut the door and turned on the shower.

I'm immediately hit with a high-pressure stream of water. The water stings as it hits my fur and visor, but I quickly get used to the feeling. I grab the soap container and start to message soap through my fur. It's unscented soap, mainly because the agency doesn't want you to use any scented form of soap.

Now that I've been fully covered in soap, I begin to wash it off. It takes a minute, but eventually, I'm spotless.

I enjoy the warm water beating against my fur for a couple of moments before shutting off the water.

I step out of the shower and use a machine to dry off. I stand under a special vent, and after pressing a button, I'm quickly blown by hot air, drying out my soggy fur.

Once I'm fully dry, I put on my undergarments and slip my legs through my jumpsuit, and begin to button it up. It's annoying to put on, but at least it's comfy. The jumpsuit itself is light grey, with my last name, Burke, plastered across the back.

Putting on my boots, I stand up and take a good look into the mirror. My somewhat fluffy blue fur fills the mirror, with my visor and expression looking back at me.

I double-checked the bags I had packed the previous day. Everything was there, extra clothes, some pictures, my toothbrush, and some other small items. Looking back at the clock, it's only been 35 minutes.