Steel: The Transformation

Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Cleo POV

"So how do you feel?" Rose gently pulled the needle out of my arm, after collecting the blood samples that she needed.

"I'm okay I guess," I stared down at my green satin dress. 

I didn't know why Rose was in such a hurry to deliver these blood samples to Central. I didn't see why she had to leave tonight.

"Good," she lifted the little vials into a small cooling box. 

I suddenly felt like a child again, it was strange since this time I was staying and the people around me were leaving.

"Is everything okay?" Rose's voice sounded concerned.

"I just don't understand why you have to rush to Central now? Why can't you just stay for a little while?"

She smiled weakly, "Well, my job was only really to make sure that the first steps of the Mentor process went smoothly. Now that the bonding ceremony is done, I really have to prioritise other things." 

Her mention of the ceremony involuntarily sent shivers down my back.

"So for how long will you be gone?"

She reached over and gave me a hug, "Hopefully not for long. But it might be for a few weeks... maybe a month." 

At her last words I heard myself let out a huff of disappointment. I was really starting to act like a child. It was certainly time to pull myself together.

"Alec will be looking after you when I'm gone. He's your Mentor and you can trust him. He will be able to protect you against anything," her voice was soft and reassuring.

"What do you mean with he will be able to protect me against anything?"

"Alec is a Fighter Basati. His main job at Central has been to protect people," she looked at me softly and added, "Not everyone in the world likes us Cleo. There are always dangers out there. But you can feel safe with Alec." 

She turned away from me, adjusting the small shoulder strap of the cooling box and swung it over her shoulder. She brushed her hair away from her face, composed, and turned to me.

"I'll always be just a phone call away," she reached out a silver high tech little box.

"What's that?" I looked at the little square box that she had placed in my hand.

"It's a hologram phone. Alec can show you all the details. But basically what you do it press this button," she pointed to one of the small buttons on the side of the box, "and say my name. It will call my device for you."

"But nothing like this is even available on the market?" I looked stunned at this futuristic piece of technology.

"Central has a lot of technology that is not available on the market. We like to keep that to ourselves too. So keep it hidden and don't show it to anyone."

I nodded and continued to marvel at the little silver box in my hand, its stainless steel cover was flawless.

"I have to go now. But you can call me whenever," she reached down and gave me another big hug, before promptly turning around and walking out of my front door.

I hid the little silver box in one of my nightstand drawers before letting the green dress fall off my shoulders and land in a pile around my feet. I swiftly stepped out of it and crawled underneath the covers of my bed.