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Author's Note: Here's Ch.10, I'm happy to report that I'm schedule with things now too, halfway through Ch.11 as I write this. I'm also happy to report that this story is finally getting into the heart of things. The chapters leading up to this one have been a set up, after this one the story should start to pick up a lot so thanks for bearing with me :) I'd like to thank djkauf for the editing.

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10.

After walking a short corridor, I found myself in some place rather surprising---a spacious lobby.

It was the last thing I expected.

I mean this was a government building that didn’t get too many visitors and here it had a lavish lobby complete with a comfortable looking reception area. It was a pretty good size too; one could get a strained neck looking up at the ceiling. I only looked up for a second, concentrating quickly on the rest of the details. I liked to know a place well, especially if I was going to be spending a lot of time in it. I quickly took note of the exits---there were four and how the architectural design from outside seemed to make its way inside as well.

Here I saw the same blue steel.

The same glass.

Even the column work here was very similar to the two columns I forgot to make note of flanking the main entrance. The difference here was the floor; it was made of polished white marble. It looked pretty impressive, too. It was well kept, making me wonder how often this place was cleaned. I mean everything around me looked sterile and seemed to shine. I could even see myself in some of the surfaces. I couldn’t help but smile at that.

“Can I help you, Miss?” asked a man directly to my left.

Turning I noticed him.

Tall---but not quite Alpha tall---he was wearing the standard white Sentinel uniform; the green bars on his shoulder told me he was a Corporal.

Ok quick rundown on Sentinel rank.

At the bottom, you had the Cadets and Probates. You could always tell them apart from the rest because they didn’t get the fancy white outfits. They usually wore gray tees and cargo pants. Above them were the Corporals like the guy to my left, they were noticeable due to the green bars on their shoulders. Next in rank were the Sergeants, like Phillips. He had three bars on his right shoulder: green blue green. Then there was the Lieutenants with their red stars, usually displayed on their left or right breast. Above them were the Captains. They had gold Stars. You could always tell a Captain because they were usually older, having been with the Sentinels for a long time. There were only six of them as well, one for each Zone. They were in complete control of most of the aspects of their respected Zones as well, only answering to one individual, The Sentinel Major---the highest ranking officer in the Sentinels.

I’m not sure what kind of symbol he wore because I’d never actually seen the man.

All I knew about him was that he had an office somewhere in the Center.

I turned to the Corporal.

“Probate Carson sir” I said, saluting with my fist.

He returned the gesture.

“Sergeant Phillips said to be expecting you,” he said, his eyes roaming me for the briefest of seconds. “I’m Corporal Townes; I’m to give you a quick tour before escorting you to the Rec.”

Like most Sentinels, Townes had his hair buzzed.

I was glad it was only a requirement for men.

And yes, before you think it, there were female Sentinels. Ok, so not as many as the men but they were there. Unlike the men though, they were allowed to keep their hair at shoulder length. Also unlike the men, they actually had a separate Barracks. I didn’t have to worry about all that yet though. Probates were usually still students and weren’t required to live in the Barracks until after they graduated from school.

“Follow me please,” said Townes, leading me out of the lobby.

We went through one of the nearest exits and down a corridor.

It didn’t take me long to realize this place was a lot of corridors.

Townes wasn’t a very adept tour guide though. As we passed a room, he’d point it out and move on. A lot of places we passed were offices. It was kind of disappointing. I was hoping to see something exciting. All I ended up seeing were corridors and doors.

“Mostly empty rooms now I’m afraid,” he finally admitted at my sour look. “This place used to be a lot more active.”

“What happened?”

“Guardians”

I couldn’t help but groan.

The Guardians were starting to be one of those contented topics these days. It was hard not for them to pop up on the vids every other day. It was the Guardians this or the Guardians that. It didn’t help that they had full backing of the government either. They were after all the government’s answer to the Sentinels. Unlike the Sentinels who were their own organization, the Guardians answered directly to the core government. They were more a military branch than the Sentinels too, allowed to carry actual guns and wore advanced power suits that made them easily able to contend with any threat, including the Alphas.

That’s of course where the controversy came in.

Many Alpha officials viewed them as too much.

Of course, the Sentinels hated them for a completely different reason.

They were stealing our jobs.

Ninety percent of the Sentinel recruits who washed out were easily snatched up by the Guardians. They were also tapping into the Sentinels potentials even before they could get to them. To say the Guardians were a real threat to the Sentinels was an understatement. In another few years, they would render the Sentinels completely obsolete.

It was a very scary thought.

“They’re not trying to muscle their way in here yet are they?”

Townes shook his head. “Unfortunately no but I’ve been hearing some rumblings coming from a colleague in Metro One, it doesn’t sound good.”

Metro One was our capital city, the seat of the core government and the current home of the Guardians. We here at Metro 656 were small fry in comparison but the fact that we were now the only Metro out there that still actively used the Sentinels had put us on the radar and into the direct crosshairs of the Guardians. To say we were a threat to them was an understatement. Conflict was coming and coming fast. It was one of the apprehensions my mother had about me becoming a Sentinel.

Of course, now she could add the whole “First Alpha Sentinel” to her growing list.

I tried not to think about it though.

The tour continued down another corridor.

As soon as we turned the corner, however things seemed different. It was still the same bland gray walls as before but now there seemed to be posters lining them. When we passed by one, I noticed the Sentinel symbol emblazoned on it one: a red shield with two crossed swords. It was the very same patch that appeared on the uniforms. There was a poster every ten feet or so.

It was a really long corridor.

At the end of which I noticed a large opening.

At first, I thought we were coming upon another lobby until I saw the stairs.

It was actually a foyer, very similar in design to the lobby actually but with two staircases on either side, winding up to a floor above it. Hanging from the floor above were large banners with the same Sentinel symbols. In-between the two staircases was a reception desk with a rather bored looking female officer behind it. Unlike the lobby, there were several Sentinels moving about. Some going up the stairs, others disappearing into doors and other corridors.

It was almost as if everything I’d seen so far had been a façade.

“Welcome to the Hub” said Townes with some pride.”The true center of this place”

“And before?”

“That was for the public. It’s an oversight committee thing or something. Its where the brass entertain and whatnot. It’s good for the Vids, it keeps people happy.”

I think I understood.

It made sense.

If I was in charge of this place, I wouldn’t want people seeing where the real work was done.

So The Hub.

This is where the real heart of The Center truly lied. It’s also where the real tour began.

“Up those stairs is the conference and interrogation rooms”

Townes didn’t need to point but he did anyway.

“Over there…” he said pointing but I interrupted.

“Interrogation?”

He nodded, lowering his arm. “Every once in a while we get a disgruntled citizen that needs to be arrested. It’s not as common as it used to be, especially on the other side of the Wall’.

“The Wall?”

“Its we call this place around here” he said, “The Center wraps around the whole of the base of the Cube. Kinda like a wall, that separates it from the rest of the Metro."

“Oh I get it.”

He continued with the tour. He wanted to take me to each of the rooms as he told me about them but there would be time for that later. Instead, he walked and talked again. There were four central corridors leading out of The Hub. Standing near the reception desk enabled you to see them all. The ones to the left and right led to Armory and Evidence rooms respectively. The one behind me of course led back to the way we’d came from. The one in front of me---directly behind the desk---led to Rec.

“Not much of a tour” he finally admitted “but there’s really not much to see, not anymore anyway.”

“Where are the Barracks?”

“Down the Rec hall, I’ll have someone show them to you later”

I nodded as he led the way to our destination.

“Sergeant Phillips will give you a brief orientation when we get to the Rec then assign you an FTO to further your training.”

FTO.

Field Training Officer.

Wow, this was really happening.

I was really a Sentinel now.

I could barely contain my excitement.

The Rec was a room a lot similar to the gymnasium at school, except with no glass divider wall and much smaller. It also had one of those rubberized floors like in the weight room. Unlike the gym at school though, it was pretty vacant right now. It reminded me a bit of the weight room at school as well, what with all the equipment. I couldn’t help but smile as I looked at the free weight rack, remembering fondly my time at the Q during the tests. As we entered, Townes explained that most of the guys were either on patrol, in the Barracks or in the case of my fellow probates, out running laps.

“You have a track?”

“No, they run the halls”

I guess that made sense.

The room wasn’t completely empty though.

Standing at attention in the center of the room were Sergeant Phillips and a Corporal who didn’t look much older than me. I sized Phillips up, seeing him for the first time in the flesh. Mid forties, well build and chiseled. The hologram didn’t do him justice. I should have been surprised he was in such good condition for his age but I knew better. He was a Sentinel after all. Most were pretty well fit though that did have something to do with their strict regimen and diet. Some also had some help along the way. Though not strictly illegal with Sentinels, it was definitely frowned upon. It didn’t stop some of the older ones though. As I mentioned with Deena, genetic manipulation was seen as an edge.

The Corporal on the other hand…

My heart skipped a beat.

Shit.

Young, very well fit and gorgeous.

Ok forget that last part.

I tried too.

Unfortunately my eyes found themselves giving him a complete once over anyway. I found myself comparing him to John as well. John was the prime specimen of manhood for kids my age, this guy however made John look like a boy. His bulging muscles strained against the gray tee he wore and with the buzzed head and chiseled looks, he was a prime candidate of human everything.

There was a term for guys like him.

Betas.

Men and women so good looking that they could be Alpha but weren’t.

Some of the girls at school referred to John as a Beta.

If only the girls could see this one.

“Probate Daniels, I’d like to introduce you to your FTO, this is Corporal Phillips” said the Sergeant, gesturing proudly to the Beta.

Phillips?

I looked from the older man to the younger one, suddenly seeing the resemblance. It was clear now that the two were definitely father and son.

If I was a father, I’d be proud to have him as a son too.

“Pleasure to meet you sir” I said, giving him the standard fist.

The corporal returned the gesture.

“Ryan, I’ll leave you to it then,” said the Sergeant.

Salutes were exchanged, Townes excused himself with Phillips and now I was alone in Betaville.

My heart skipped another beat.

Corporal Phillips let out a little sigh. He also relaxed his rigid posture a little. It was clear that he was trying to make a good first impression. It was also clear that most of it was for his father’s sake. I couldn’t help but smile at that. When he noticed it was as if he turned to stone. He went right back to the rigid statue he was a moment before.

“Amused Probate?”

“No sir”

“Good” he said, taking a step forward.

Even when he walked, there was an air of statue about him. It was a rigid, military like walk. He circled me a few times, looked me over once or twice. When he was done, he ended up in front of me. I’m proud to say that like John, he was only an inch or so shorter. I couldn’t help but wonder if maybe Betas were a thing too. Maybe someone decided that they couldn’t make Alphas but Betas---hell they were easy. I mean it was kind of funny that both he and John were considered Betas and both were the same height.

Hey conspiracy time.

I couldn’t help but smirk.

“Something funny now?”

“No sir”

“If you think this is a joke Probate then you’re wasting my time,” said Phillips, leaning in. “I know what and who you are and frankly I’m not impressed. You might be an Alpha outside these walls but here you’re just like everyone else. Do I make myself clear?”

“Yes sir, I wouldn’t have it any other way sir”

“Good” he said with a nod. “Now how about you show me what you’re made of”

And so it began.

First, it was the pushups then sit-ups. After that, we moved onto chin-ups, squats and jumping jacks. None of which seemed to wind me much. Even after he made me do a hundred of each. After that, he had me hit the weights. We started on the free weights---there weren’t as many as there was in the Q. I went through their whole set, causing him to raise an eyebrow. He didn’t skip a beat, moving me onto the bench press. He spotted me through the first hundred pounds or so. When I got to two hundred and fifty or so, he had to stop.

I was half way through getting ready with the three hundred pound weights when he stopped me.

“You can’t lift that?”

“Yes I can”

He shook his head. “Someone your size and weight…”

“Have you seen my physical results from the Q sir?”

He shook his head.

“Then watch and learn”

So I pressed the three hundred. Then four hundred. I would have gone more because I was barely breaking a sweat but we ran out of weights again.

“That’s impossible” I heard him mumble under his breath.

I couldn’t help but smile.

“That’s an Alpha sir,” I said, making sure I let him know I’d heard him.

He looked genuinely surprised.

My next words threw him for a loop.

“So can I try that treadmill over there next?”

I pointed to the series of treadmills over in the corner. The look on his face was priceless. All he could do was nod like an idiot. Ok so I was showing off a bit but he deserved it for being a jerk. I knew it was his job to ride me but I wanted him to realize what it was going to be like to be with an Alpha. It also kinda wanted him to see what I could really do. I’m not sure why I thought it mattered so much but it did, it really did.

I really wanted to impress this guy.

I was on the treadmill for twenty minutes before he finally stopped me.

“Ok, ok you’ve humbled me.”

“I’m not sure I follow sir?”

I stepped off the treadmill, taking the towel he offered. I wiped my face and the area above my breast. I was just starting to glisten slightly.

“I thought maybe my father was pulling a prank on me or something but you’re serious about this?”

“Yes sir. I’ve wanted to be a Sentinel for as long as I could remember, I’m not going to let a little change in gender and societal status stop me from that.”

This time he smiled.

I stopped myself from asking if he found something amusing.

“So is there anything else Corporal?”

“Ryan” he said.

“I’m not sure I follow sir”

“No sir or Corporal when we’re alone Probate. I like to keep things casual when I’m training. So call me Ryan please”

“Yes sir…I mean Ryan”

Wow, that was a great name.

“Good” he said then took on a more professional tone as he continued. “I think that’s enough for today. I just wanted to see where you and I needed to go from here. It’s safe to say that you can meet the physical prowess of this job. Next weekend, you and I will be back in here, I need to see how well you can defend yourself.”

I was kind of surprised we were done.

“That’s it?”

He laughed.

God he had a great laugh.

Shit.

“I’m not used to probates being able to do that much. Usually I run them through the paces a bit more, weed out those who need more work than the others. I also usually do this as a group but seeing your circumstances, the rest of your peers have moved on. So we’ll be one on one for a few weekends until I think you’re ready. Seeing how you are though, it might be sooner than later.”

I impressed him.

That made me feel all warm and gooey inside.

Oh God.

Gag.

What the hell was wrong with me?

“Thank you sir, I mean Ryan”

“You’re impressive Probate,” he said, smiling.

He dismissed me after that.

He agreed to show me my way out but I was able to manage. Something else cool about being me now, I memorized the route. Not that I did it intentionally or anything. It was just one of those freaky Alpha things I guess. I meandered my way through, finding the entrance lobby without a problem. This time the man at the door saluted me as I left. As soon as I stepped out, Mom piped.

She must have been monitoring me or something.

Parents.

“Hey Mom, what’s up?”

“Honey I’m sorry to do this but do you think you could walk home today. Something’s come up at work.”

Of course, it has.

“Sure thing Mom”

She didn’t even say bye before terminating the connection.

Sighing heavily, I stepped away from The Center.

I knew what I was supposed to do but I knew what I wanted to do as well. I couldn’t help but smile as I took off in a nice jog first then broke into a run.

Ok, so the park wasn’t exactly home but for a reason it’s where my feet took me.

Hey I was dressed for a nice run anyway.

I was on my third lap around the bike path when I caught something out of the corner of my eye. At first, I thought I was just being paranoid; after all, there are a lot of silver cars like that. On my fifth lap around though, I couldn’t help but notice it was still there. I kept it in the corner of my after that, watching. It didn’t move. I knew it didn’t belong there either or else it wouldn’t have bolted after John and his buddies went toward it last time.

There was something else different about things this time though.

The park was empty.

It was strange because it was a Saturday afternoon.

Even stranger though was that I wasn’t alone.

There was a lone man sitting on one of the benches. He was reading a paper. It kind of struck me as odd because no one read newspapers any more. Sure they were still available but most people got the news on their Bios or vid screens. I lost interest in the car and kept him in my sights instead. He didn’t seem to be watching me but it was kind of odd. On my seventh lap, I decided that I was going to see if he spooked as easily as the driver. I made it look like I was winded, which I kind of was. I timed it so I stopped fairly close to the bench.

Huffing slightly, I wandered slowly over.

“Tiring” I said, in hopes that I was convincing enough.

I wasn’t.

The man gently folded his paper and I got a better look at him. Slicked back hair, mid-thirties, nice crisp gray suit.

“Now we both know you don’t get winded that easily Miss Daniels”

Shit.

“How do you know my name?”

I went on the defensive.

He chuckled then reached into his suit, pulling out a thin business card. “My name is Rossen, I work for the Administration”

Ok so he didn’t say it was a capital A but it sure felt like that’s how he meant it.

“Which one?” I asked, looking at the card.

Looking but not taking.

“Does it matter?”

“It depends on what you’re here for”

He smiled thinly. “Very good” He stood, straightened the front of his suit. “I’m not here for anything sinister. I was asked to monitor you for a while, keep an eye on things. My colleagues fouled things up last week. I apologize for that”

When he said “colleagues”, he looked over at the car.

So they had been watching me.

“Why am I so interesting?”

“Come now, we both know the answer to that. I mean it’s not every day that an Alpha chooses to forsake the Cube for life with us lowly humans.”

So that’s it.

They were afraid I was a liability too.

Typical.

“I’m not a danger to anyone. I just want to live my life like before.”

“We both know how difficult that could be. The Cube is there to protect your kind, to keep you safe. We don’t want anyone to do anything to you or heaven forbid you do something harmful to others now do we?”

The threat was subtle but it was there. He didn’t come out and say it but I could read between the lines. They were waiting for me to fuck up and as soon as I did, they were going to “deport” me to where I belonged. After all these people didn’t want the Big Bad Dangerous Alphas to be living in their neighbors, threatening their way of life.

“I’m not dangerous and I’ll be careful”

“See that you do” he said, setting the card on the bench. “I wouldn’t want anything bad to happen. If you have any problems, give us a call. You have a good day now”
He nodded curtly then headed toward the car.

I stood and watched as he got inside. I didn’t stop watching until the car was gone out of sight. As soon as he was gone, I picked up the card. There were only two lines on it, Nathaniel Rossen and directly below that, a number to call. Nothing more, nothing less. I thought about ripping it up and throwing it away but I quickly realized that it didn’t matter. Throwing it away wouldn’t get rid of him. Rossen was going to be keeping his eye on me whether I ignored it or not.

Shit, just what I needed.

Sighing heavily, I felt a little sick to my stomach now. Why is it that dickheads always seemed to know how to ruin your day? Now I was in no mood to continue running so I guess it was time to go home. I stuck the card in my back pocket and started walking. I got about ten feet from the bench when my Bio pipped.

More of those stupid numbers.

44 6f 20 6e 6f 74 20 74 72 75 73 74 20

What the hell was with these numbers? I couldn’t help but groan again. I was getting sick and tired of this crap. At first, they were an annoyance but now they were pissing me off. I think I figured them out though and the sender. Now all I had to do was confront him and figure out what the hell his problem was.

Damn it Joe.

Either he was responsible or he could tell me who was.

I was going to find out either way.

Author’s note: As I’m sure all of you know, comments are life blood to an author. I’m not begging or demanding, but I certainly would appreciate anything you have to say (or ask). It doesn’t have to be long and involved, just give me your reaction to the story. Thanks in advance...EOF