ZER

TWO

A guard—I guess he is a man—comes to my glass door, I cannot tell much about him. He wears a uniform and a dark glass helmet. He is taller than me and has a strong built, I see a weapon looking thing strapped on his back as he walks to my front. He taps a few times on the screen and looks at me.

"Welcome, representative of.." He looks back at the screen, "...E-art-h. We need to get your identity chip installed and you shall be directed to your housing."

"Okay, thank you."

But I guess his translator still loading my language, so he most probably didn't get what I said.

I follow him as we walk around the building. We get inside a room to get outside from another one, get inside an elevator, and take some stairs. Finally, we are arrived in front of a massive double door, it looks like leather but when I touch it, it feels hard like a stone.

The guard knocks the door with the heel of his hand before he pushes them open. Inside was a beautiful light blue color room. A massive writing desk is placed at the middle of the room and on the right side was filled with floor to ceiling bookshelves. The floor was carpeted—or is that leather? There is a tall bench similar to a hospital bed on the left side of the room.

"Good afternoon." A voice greets us. We look to our left and notice an aged male. His skin is wrinkled all over, his round two eyes are slightly sinking to their sockets. His nose is rather wide and long and if I thought Qe has thin lips, then he must be having none.

"Good afternoon, Dr. Rast, we have a new representative." The guard speaks.

"Ah, how wonderful. I haven't met any new species for a very long time. Please sit down while I preparing your identity." Slowly he walks to the hospital bed. His back is slightly hunching and I wonder how old is he, he looks like he's a year over his retirement.

"You can leave now," The doctor dismissed the guard and immediately he turns to leave the room.

I'm standing where I'm and not bothering to move.

"Please come over here. When I install this under your skin you might feel uncomfortable for a few hours but I can assure you, you won't feel anything when you wake up next morning." He said without turning his back away from me.

So I slowly walk towards him, leaving my bag by the door.

"Please sit down, what's your name?"

"Umm, Kate," I reply as I look at his skinny hand holding what looks like a barcode scanner on his arm.

"Ket?" He tries my name on his tongue.

"Close enough, Kate."

He chuckles and shakes his head. "I'm never good with name, but I always remember a face." He says as he reaches for my arm. "Now, I can put in on your wrist, or inside of your elbow, which one would you prefer?"

"Wrist, please."

He freezes. His eyes are on me in instant and his body become still.

"Are you alright?" I look at him, if he's having heart attack then we are in deep trouble. I don't know CPR moves and I'm not sure if human method works for other species.

"Yes," is his only answer after quiet some time.

He presses the scanner on my wrist and I immediately feel a hot sensation. It doesn't hurt, but I'm glad it was brief.

"All done. A guard will direct you to your housing. As far as I know, you will share a house with another female, and after The Choosing you will residence with your chosen one, should you want to share a house with him."

"Understood. Do you know what time the event will be tomorrow?" I ask him as I look at where my identity chip should be, I don't see anything, no bump, no redness, nothing.

"Hm, I'm not sure, but I know you can find out once you arrived at the housing, there will be a few authorities who can answer your questions."

Authorities?

We heard a knock and the door opens. A different guard comes in and I walk towards him. He nods at the doctor once and I follow him out.

"Until next time, Kate from E-art-h," I just reply him with a nod.

This time the guard took me outside to what seems like a parking lot. As we are near the doors from dome-shaped looking vehicle slide open, the vehicle has no wheels instead it hovering on the ground with what seems like a jet engine. The guard gets in on one side and me from the other. The ride was only five minutes or so and I look at the building warily.

It's a bit... spooky.

All black windows, black marbles, black door, and black roof. It's clear to see that the building is older than other buildings around it. It has no garden and standing on the five-story floor.

We get out of the car and the doors close automatically. He knocks on the door and pushes the door open.

Don't they have a doorbell?

The door is opened and comes out a female, the muscular female from my pod—our pod.

"I need to speak to Cha' Tra." My guard says.

She looks at me once and turns around. "You know where to find him." She walkes lazily to the other side of the room.

I have to say, the inside of this building is nothing like the exterior. Everywhere I see all are white, beige, and light grey. All fluffy, comfortable looking love seat, soft rugs, round tables, and beautiful pond inside. I follow the guard walking on the side of the pond.

What strange looking fishes.

The fishes are round like pufferfish, with a beak looking mouth and fins like butterfly wings.

Suddenly we stop in front of a man. Unlike the guard, he wore no protective dark helmet, now I can see the face of a Tzar.

The Tzarian turns his back to face us, he is tall, almost two meters I think, broad shoulders and narrow hip. He has no eyebrow, instead, he has lines of small bumps where his eyebrows should have been. His perfectly round eyes were hooded, with no eyelids or eyelashes. His eyes are the color of sunset, a bit red on the center, but mostly burning orange and slightly yellow at the edges. His nose is rather small and narrow, and thank God, it seems like this Tzarian has proper lips.

His bumpy eyebrows rise slightly at the sight of me.

"A human!" he gasps.