2 Chapter 2: An Introvert

I usually spend my time alone when I am not working. I would stay at my room that was alloted. Stellar X is like this huge metallic buildings connected to the others via small bridges. We can't breathe the air outside. It's toxic with fumes of sulphur dioxide. Here one solar year equals 480 days.

Days are longer and nights are shorter here during the end of the year. Rest of the year its almost equal.

We have grown plantations within these buildings. This planet had got its own resources. Aluminium, nickel, copper, platinum, gold etc. It's from these, the buildings were built.

I always felt pity about how our ancestors forgot about the animals that were left back on earth. I mean does they torture those poor little creatures?

That's when I decided to hack into our satellite and tried to retrieve some quality images or videos about their existence. I was glad when I found that they left animals on their own fate. But they were still not safe.

You might be wondering how I know about all of these. I love to read things about Earth. I wanted to know how it was all back then until all the chaos came running over.

I really wish to live there and be free.

Apparently all I could do is sit and hope.

"Scar?? Are you not coming?", I turned myself away from the computer to see my gorgeous friend Neon.

She is a clever girl and my trustworthy friend. She is a trainee and loves to annoy me all the time.

And yeah my name is Scarlett Clark. People call me SCAR.

"Yeah I am coming. Just wait a second. I gotta logout.", before even I could complete the sentence Neon came glanced over my shoulder to see what I was doing.

Her eyes rolled over to me when she realised what I was doing.

"Don't tell me that you hacked it again? Why don't you show it to them? They could use this software to hack directly into those robotic heads.", she complimented me. She's such a wing woman for my ever pathetic stupid decisions.

"My software doesn't do that. It just looks over old files they deleted. I just find it interesting.", I said as I logged out and unplugged my hologram-screen.

"Yeah right blah blah. I don't want my ass to be slaughtered by my head because of you. Come on now lazy pants.", she growled at me standing by the door. I put on my uniform as fast as I could and grabbed a hair band as I left my room with Neon.

"So what's the news today? Anything majestic?", I asked Neon as I tied my hair into a ponytail.

"Nope, we are still planning for the war next week. That's what I heard from my uncle. Guess I am leading the second squad there. HELLO TO LEADER NEON.", she said with full excitement. Wow, my best friend has been promoted to the war. She's all ready. I couldn't get a hold of the thoughts that came rushing in.

"That's such a wonderful news.", I hugged her. She was really glad about it. She used to say that she was tired waiting here. She wanted some action in real.

"Does that mean you are going to Earth?", that's when my mind struck. She is really going to risk everything for now. Besides being happy for her, I couldn't help the thought of never seeing her again.

"Of course. Don't start to weep.", she hit me on the shoulder. That really hurt me. She is stronger with all the workout she's been getting these days.

"You have still got Patrick here. He can satisfy your every needs.", she began the story of the great serious guy from our team who is now the head of ADM combat leader. Even though he was a coder he was 99% the best martial arts and heavy combat role model.

The way he carries those plasma guns and shooting the mimics during his practice always made every girls here drool.

It made me drool as well but I still saw the coder in him. He may seem arrogant and aggressive with his enemies and us colleagues as well but he is a guy who is committed with his responsibilities.

That was really something sexy. His platinum blonde shaggy hair, those piercing hazel eyes and a well exercised body with tattoos of some abstract paintings on his left arm is always going to be attractive. He is not the macho type with heavy beard or something, he shaved his face and kept it clean.

He is a disciplined man. He is an year older than me.

I always used to look at him when I was not coding during my work. I have never seen him turning his face away from the screen. And now that same guy has been to at least two combats since he got recruited.

That's when his true colours came out. Something about Earth changed him. If that's the case, I would also like to go to Earth and see what is going to happen to me.

Will I be more braver than the others here? That's so judgemental. What if I become a mini version of my mom? That would make me so happy.

Suddenly Neon snapped her fingers over my eyes.

"Are you enjoying the intimate moments with Patrick?", she joked.

"No, I wasn't. I was thinking about something else.", I said as I noticed that I reached my section as I saw my workmates entering the pod that would take us to our work.

"Ok bye. Gotta go.", I said to her as I ran towards the pod. The door opened and I entered into the pod along with the others.

Neon waved me goodbye. I smiled and waved her back.

Here it goes. Another day at the same place again. The pod moved faster away from the platform it stood and I saw Neon walking to her pod.

"Boring day , huh?", someone said. I recognised who it was. It's Sam. No matter how much people behave rudely to him, he never keeps the grudge.

He is the only person who tries to make everyone alive and happy. I love that about him. So yeah, he is one of my other best friend.

"Hmmm...kind of.", I replied and went near him. I saw him carrying some files. He looked at his files when he saw me staring at it. Before even I could ask him, he began the talking.

"Don't tell me you are not aware of the upgrading for the war next week. We are the last one who's still not upgraded to some cooler positions for the combat. I just brought some of my great ideas to impress them.", he smiled as he said it.

Yeah, it's the upgrading day. The ADM'S going to select some best people from each of the categories when they battle such big wars. They need someone to help them there too , right?

I did well at my job I chose. I developed some amazing programmes as my project during my training days. I heard it from my dad that the ADM'S have included some of my programmes.

But there are other people here who has got more passion than me. There are other brilliant people here too. So, I decided to keep my hopes low.

You never know what's going to make you worthy. It's better to be mysterious and face the fate right away.

I reached my destination. Sam and me started walking to our department. We saw some blue uniforms. We got the aware of the fact that the ADM is ready.

That's when we heard the announcement. A large screen appeared infront of the entrance. It's Mariah the announcement lady. She is not real and that's what makes all the guy's here sad. According to them, she is their dream feminine figure.

"Attention, coders. Move towards the progression hall once you enter your department. We welcome you to the Upgrading day. Today some of you will be proved to their talent. We wish you all good luck and keep doing your best.", she talked confidently. She ended her short speech in the end with a smile.

And the screen disappeared. Mariah, sure does give me the creeps. She has given me the idea how the AI looks. She is one of them too. The only difference is that, we only gave her this job.

All the coders began to enter the screening door. It scanned our TELS.

I entered after Sam and as I said, it did really beeped.

When we entered the progression hall, I was surprised to see the huge crowd. It was the first time that I saw all coders at one place.

"Oh my God. That's a tough competition.", said Sam as he tried to absorb the current situation.

"Let's go find our seats.", I patted him on his back. He looked at me with panic and anxiety in his eyes.

"It's ok. You have still got something to impress him.", I complimented him to make him feel confident.

"Of course. You don't have anything.", he replied with satisfaction.

My work is done then. The progression hall is the place where we coders keep our meetings. It can seat about 3000 people. The seats are all well arranged and yeah it gave the hall some Upgrading feeling .

We found some empty seats and took our place. I saw that already some of the ADM employees have already gathered on the stage. I recognised some familiar faces.

First of all my dad, Colonel James who is my dad's friend, Arthur his son and some other unfamiliar ones.

"Here comes the hero.", said Sam poking me. I looked at the man who walked to the stage.

I didn't recognise who it was until he turned his face towards us.

Patrick. He has dyed his hair black. I mean jet black. He looks completely different. My eyes widened.

"Now you have something in common.", said Sam as he rubbed my hair. I tried to dodge but failed.

Every coders were seated and I saw my Dad walking towards the centre of the stage. I saw him looking at me with pride and then he faced to the other audience.

What's that look supposed to mean? I didn't had any clue at all. I could feel my heart beating against my chest.

But even then my eyes were fully over Patrick. He was busy handling the papers or whatever he was holding.

"Welcome coders. It's our utmost honour to stand before the intelligent and smart associates who play a direct influence on the war we all have come to face. On this upgrading day, we will be choosing the best among you to guide us and help us. As you may have known, we are in need of a dire strategy to protect our fellow civilians who are now a prisoner of the AI.", said the voice as it crackled on the last sentence.

I turned my head away from Patrick and looked over at the stage. It was my dad. Being an ADM officer's daughter, he never shared any confidential data. But the news that he shared with us were deafening to my ears. When did we declare a war on them? How did we end up there?

"That means the selected ones are going directly over to Earth. How are we supposed to survive there with no training?", panicked Sam.

"We've been preparing for this our whole life.", I comforted Sam even though my mind was going totally blank.

"Now for the selected coders. Patrick.", my dad nodded to Patrick. He looked convinced and obeyed my dad's orders. He walked forward to the stage as my dad walked past him.

"Please step forward as I call out the aiders.", he then cleared his throat and looked into the distance. Aiders is the term we use to associate anyone who will face an encounter with the AI in the future.

"Scarlett Clark.", he said my name. My senses went heightened. Did I hear my name? How can everything go adrift so soon??