Barriers

chapter 1

Narrator's pov*

"I can't believe we're finally going to be assigned today!" Purple chimed up, beyond excited. "Seems like only yesterday we became Elites and began training,"

"Mhm. I heard you the first dozen times, Pur," Red replied, tired. He loved his comrade's company, but Pur had been practically jumping off the walls for eleven night cycles.

Eleven. Night. Cycles. Dear Irk...

"Aren't you excited at all? We get to find out what skills they've been tracking and find us best suited for," Purple went on, trying to get some reaction from his partner. After all, if Red was in a bad mood, Purple would most likely be the one that had to deal with it, being roomed with the other.

Red shrugged. "It's...okay. Personally I just want to be Tallest. And if the first actual step to it is going through with all of this," he spanned his gloved hands out in gesture to the large hall where all the Elites were gathered, "then so be it,"

Everyone was down on the lower level, looking up at the stage, upon which there were several door ways: Medic, Pilot, Tech, Scientist, and Drone. Any minute now, Tallest Miyuki would arrive with her gaurds and the top instructors for each feild and would call the name of each Irken until everyone was put through their doorway and led to their new studies and given their new uniforms. The only thing that would remain the same were the room assignments.

This brought only one thing to mind to Red. "This is going to take forever,"

Finally the lights dimmed and a hush filled the large auditorium. Lights focused on the stage and the instuctors strode confidently out, standing to attention, a silent request that all the Elites were to do the same. The collective sound of boots being shuffled filled the air for a brief second before once again, silence. Then the ceiling broke up above the stage and light flooded in. Cheers broke out as everyone wiggled their antenea in salute to the form on the lowering platform who was waving to them all: Tallest Miyuki. When the platform settled, Red's curiousity was peaked. Miyuki was accompanied by not only her gaurds, but another tall Irken.

Miyuki raised both arms, silencing the crowd. Smiling, she stepped closer to the edge of the platform, though not dangerously so. "Hello, my dear Elite Irkens! To all of you standing before me, I say congradulations. Your presense here is reassurance that you survived our extensive training. As you know, you will all be sorted to be further educated as seen fit. Those of you with high scores in aiding your fellow Irkens will be Medics. Those of you that can take charge and manuver large machinary, you will be Pilots. If you gained high scores in repairing machinary and building, you will be trained as Techs. For those we trust to research and help design military equipment, you will Scientists. As for those that we cannot place, I am sorry to say that you will be Drones. Meaning you will be sent back to Irk. Hopefully, we will not have many of those." Staying quiet for a moment to be sure there were no misunderstandings, Miyuki moved closer to the unidentified figure dressed in a yellow robe with black pants. What appalled Red the most was his robe was sleeveless and he wore no gloves! What the hell kind of Irken was that? And that yellow robe was cut to a low v...Miyuki smiled beside this male and placed a blue gloved shoulder on him. "This year, I will not be announcing your next position. That honor will go to this Irken. This is Spork and he is next in line to be Tallest. I am training him to take over for me, as I was trained by the Tallest before me. Please show him the same respect you give me,"

"Oh my..." Purple gasped quietly. "Do you think Tallest Miyuki is sick?"

Red frowned. "There must be something wrong with her to appoint a Tallest so improperly dressed!" Purple said nothing in return, but did make a point to smack Red in the arm for the disrespectful commet. "For real, Pur. He may be tall, but looking like that...He's supposed to be the next Tallest and he looks like...like a whore,"