THE DOMINANCE GAMES

CHAPTER 2

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ENTRY NO. 2
1605 HOURS
C-6 JADE SECTOR: ASHTON HEIGHTS
OUR APARTMENT: No. 24
35'C INDOORS
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I know something is wrong the instant Officer Xarien, one of the soldiers in River's troop, shows up at our door two hours later.

The lights in all the residential buildings have gone off for some reason, probably just a simple power cut, and nothing but dim sunshine lights the apartment. Tibbs (River's annoying cat who I wish to shove out of a really high window) is meowing up a storm.

Perhaps it's because I am dressed in my track uniform - a black and red vest, matching spandex leggings with my boots laced and my hair tied back in a tight ponytail.

For a brief moment, I am actually glad that River isn't the one I see when I open the door. He would give one look to my getup and know that I’m headed out to the junkyard. To meet Pointer. Thus, defying him again. Twice.

The moment passes when I open the door and Officer Xarien smiles nervously at the surprised look on my face. I raise my eyebrows as he touches the edge of his cap politely. Since when has he been so formal?

“Afternoon, Ms. Ryesnmier,” he greets. His voice is shaky. A sign that something is definetly wrong.

I take a deep breath and push my glasses up. “Afternoon, officer Xarien. Er, did River send you to check on me?”

He ignores my question and akwardly holds his arm out. “Commander Mirrors has requested your presense at the Carniege  as soon as possible.” He hesitates for a second before adding, “It’s more of an order than a request.”

My chest suddenly feels hollow.

Commander Mirrors - Head of  Capital 6's security affairs, has ordered my presense. At the Carniege. She's even sent me a soldier escort.  Why? Oh no, did she maybe find out that I was the one who scaled the skyscrapper?

“If it's that important, then why didn’t she just give me a call?” I question. "She's the head of security. She has access to my Beeper codes."

“She- er, she prefers for me to escort you.”

“Why?” My voice starts to rise.

He takes a deep breath and I already know what he’s going to say. The pledge. “It is against the law to tell you.” 

I study his face for a second. He obviously just came from an attack (whether his troop were the attacker's or whether they got attacked is still un clear to me) because disrupter grease stains his sweaty uniform and a partially loaded Zx-12s4 sniper is loosely fastened around his waist.

It isn't until notice a black owl pin on his breast pocket that It clicks; He's an assigned night owl.  River is assigned as a night owl.

Alarm bells ring in my head. I can see that Officer Xarien is still speaking, gesturing with his hands for me to follow him.

I lock the door and stuff the key into my pocket and let him guide us through the dimness of the stuffy stairwell. He’s talking the whole time, about safety pins or something, but I'm not listening. I stare straight ahead at the reflective metal decorations lining the stairwell, at the distorted reflections of me.

I can’t make out the expression on my face. I'm not sure I have one. It's a mixture of shock and confusion, and fear for some reason.

We reach the bottom floor of the building and climb into a waiting hovercraft.

Hovercrafts, Only used in the most extreme military situations. Officer Xarien sits in the driver’s seat and makes sure my seat belt is buckled. Such a small, stupid thing.