isolation [On Hold]

4. New Zurich, Switzerland 2094

            The room was dark when she arrived. Ari walked through the door and two long low side lights came on, controlled by invisible motion and heat sensors. The place was empty. She walked to the kitchen, looking for signs of Micel, or even better, signs of Calen. There was none. Guess he wasn't home yet or maybe he didn't hear me come in, she thought to herself as she continued searching. Just as she was about to walk up the stairs to go look for them, the front door suddenly burst open.

            "Ah Ari, you're here already!" Micel cried, tossing his jacket and shoes carelessly into the closet chute, "I am so sorry, we got hung up at the checking center, they wouldn't let Calen through the gates since he didn't have his tracker on him at the time. So I guess its just you and me. Calen said that he would Holoscreen us, so we just have to wait till he calls." He walked up to Ari and gave her a hug, "I've missed you these past months, it's been lonely without you," he whined into her shoulder. With years of practice, Ari deftly twisted out from his arms.

            "What are you saying? We've talked and seen each other almost everyday," she said, ignoring the most obvious part.

            "You mean we've seen each other from on a screen," he corrected, shooting her a mock crushed look, "that doesn't count."

            She chose to ignore that, and changed the subject, "So how'd you even get Calen to agree to all of this," she asked headed for the reclinable sofa.

            "Funny you should ask. You know how I was supposed to go to the Iridis to get my job at the regulation enforcement section of ARES? Well when I got there, they were closed down for a screening so I ended up getting a bite to eat and while I was there we somehow met." Micel thew himself down onto the sofa opposite of Ari, "And then we got talking, and I sorta--not on purpose, I swear--but I happened to mention you, and when he asked about what you wanted with the Omegas, I told him, and he offered to help right then and there." He shifted in his spot and leaned back against the back rest.

            "So he knows about the screening process to get into ARES and the nomination to become an Omega?" she asked, crossing her legs.

            "Well I did forget to mention one thing," he stated, "Calen Dane just so happens to know a member of the ARES executive board for out of border excursions, and that guy just so happens to be the managing director."

            Ari wanted to jump for joy, this was perfect, she could get in through the backdoor and no one would know the difference. Finally, her dream of getting to become an Omega was turning into a reality, "So you're saying that that guy can get me in, no conditions attached?"

            Micel hesitated, "Well, there is one thing I forgot to mention. When you get in, he wants you to nominate him as your Beta. In other words, he wants you to choose him as your trainer."

            She groaned, she had forgotten about the IAI's policy; each and every Omega needed to have their own private Beta, mostly for liability with the UA if something happened to the Omega while out, but also, Betas were the ones who trained the Omega for the Dermaskins, the molecule tight, atmosphere proof skin suits that the Omegas wore when leaving the safety of New Zurich. Did this Calen Dane even know anything about Omega training? Ari had wanted to get her training from an actual Omega, but now it looks like she couldn't do that. But in all honesty, she couldn't care less.

            "Sure, why not?" She shrugged, looking at an unsurprised Micel, "In exchange for getting me in, I'll choose him as my Beta."

            As if on cue, the Holoscreen in between the both of them, a horizontal flat black screen that sat on the table, turned on with the Light company's jingle. Micel jumped up, "Here he is." He leaned over and tapped accept.