In the center of the known inhabited multiverse, there is a place known as Point Zero. There is the headquarters of the Protectorate of the Multiverse, codename: The Beacon.
It has a complex, non-euclidean structure, that is impossible to define by the basic rules of three-dimensional geometry. On the outside, it looks like thousands of Sydney theatres and similar structures placed side by side. Inside, it's an infinite complex of corridors, offices, laboratories and more. All of it is almost totally white, with scarce exceptions.
Elliot, Tina and Lunafreya are walking down one of the many corridors, guided by a highly muscular, pitch-black-scaled humanoid reptile called Raligh. He wears a Protectorate uniform with a high-ranking insignia. He is one of the heads of the Living Resources department. With a sculptural physique and more than two meters high, his presence is imposing, which highlights his relaxed and pleasant attitude.
- So you already have a pilot's license. - Says Raligh to Elliot. - Well, that's gonna save us some work. But you'll still have to pass other tests if you want to become a captain. 'ight?
- Sure.
- Good. Next I have to say, since your registration is of some interest, I have to assign you a coach who also has the authority to handle External Affairs. With those filters, unfortunately my only option at the moment is...
Raligh is interrupted by a high-pitched male voice, which could be heard screaming in a bad mood.
- Rosome, I told you had to submit that written report five minutes ago! Garcia, get me my coffee! Rhophys, I want the files from the last incident on my desk by the day before yesterday, and that means now!
Elliot saw it. The subject in question was a gryphon, nearly five feet tall, with a pompous uniform full of decorations and bloodstains that were never washed off, and a patch over his left eye. He's screaming into a microphone on his suit collar.
- Ten hut! - He screams when he gets a glimpse of Elliot and the others. They do the military salute, except for Lunafreya. - Let me make one thing clear. Any mistakes made in front of me will not be overlooked. And what the supremes think is totally out of my business. My decision is final, very final, utterly final. I will not have some snot-nosed kid making captain of any of my ships. Understood?!
- Yes, sir!
- It's Lieutenant Colonel Talion Skygale. - It says Raligh. - He likes to do things the old-fashioned way, including insulting newcomers. But he has his good side, once you get to know him.
- Don't disrespect me, Lieutenant! All right, which one of you two is Leslie Onion? - He says looking at Tina and Lunafreya.
With his pride visibly wounded, Elliot steps forward. - It's me, sir, Leslie's my middle name.
Tina and Raligh look surprised, then along with Talion they try to contain their laughter.
- Squaaaahahaha it's fine, newbie! Squaaaahaha, I'll let you... Squaaaahahaha, make yourself comfortable! Squaaaahahaha!
Talion is starting to move away in the same direction he came in, laughing out loud.
- Well, that was weird. - Raligh says. - Hey, you want to get to your room?
- One more thing. - Talion says, turning around with an air of mystery. - I hope you get a good night's rest, because starting tomorrow, your butt is going to be my property.
- My... butt? - Elliot says.
- Figuratively speaking. - Talion clarifies.
- It means he's going to be rough with you. - Raligh says. - Okay, Miss Lunafreya, young Tina, down the hall from here to the left you'll come to the food court, go there and wait for me. I'm going to take Elliot to the cabins. If you want to say goodbye, now's the time. You won't see him again for three months
Tina hugs Elliot all of a sudden. - I'm gonna miss you, Dad.
- Dad? Don't you call me Father? - Elliot asks before he smiles and hugs back with one arm and strokes her head with the other.
- I'll be waiting for the day you walk out that door as a captain. - Says Lunafreya looking at the two of you.
- Luna... Take good care of Tina in my absence
- I promise. - She answers.
- Well, we don't have all day. The rest of your buddies are just getting settled in. - Interrupt Raligh, touching Elliot's shoulder.
- Tina, come on, let's go to the food court. Do you want anything special? - Ask Lunafreya.
Tina looks at Elliot. - Take care of yourself, Dad. - She says before she turns around and follows the dragon lady.
- I will. - She says before she starts to walk away from both of them. They take the corridor they've been shown and he's guided by Raligh to another place.
Elliot wipes the tears from his eyes as he walks down a long corridor, indistinguishable from the many others he had already walked to get there. It would be the first time he would be separated from Tina for so long. He had never realized all the feelings he had placed in her until then. This feeling reminded him of what he had lost, and led him to recall the worst day of his life.
The day he was widowed.
He remembered the somber look of the man who had taken the life of his beloved. The inert body of his pregnant wife lying on the ground. The murderer fled after a fragrance was found by Elliot himself, leaving two creatures about to be born alive.
Elliot blinks and returns to reality. He's in a different hallway now. The walls are the same white that gets old quick, but rows of numbered doors stand out, and on the other side is a wall with thousands, no, millions or maybe billions of named pictures. Some more famous than others. Elliot recognizes some important lightlings on that wall, and realizes that they all had something in common.
- They're graduate captains of the protectorate. - He says out loud.
- Not just captains, some went even higher. Being a captain is one of the first two steps one can take to begin in here. - Raligh answers.
- And what's the other?
- Being part of a crew, of course. Those are the two ways to start out in this world. Anyway, here we are.
Elliot sees a door numbered with a one followed by six zeros.
- Great, if I see one more hallway I think I'm gonna freak out.
Raligh smiles and opens the door, revealing a narrow hallway with eight doors.
- Well... It's only eight doors. - He says he's surprised to see another hallway.
- Your cabin's on door eight. - He says Raligh before giving him the keys to his room. - Everything Lunafreya sent is already inside, you just have to unpack. You also have the basics for the three months' training. You better take care of your seven changes of clothes and your personal hygiene, there is a community laundry if you need to clean something bigger than dirty dishes. Otherwise, you're on your own. I hope you get along with your teammates.
- Thanks for the advice.
- It's nothing, I say the same to all the newbies. Make yourself comfortable. - He says before he turns around and leaves.
It only takes Elliot a few seconds to unpack and set up. After that, he goes out into the community hall to try to meet the others. After a while, he sees a tall, pale blue-skinned man come out of door number two. He was wearing heavy black armor with gold trim. Elliot approaches him, but he ignores him and goes out through the main entrance.
- Don't worry about Lyon, he's usually like that with people he doesn't know. - Says a female voice, somewhat childlike, coming from behind Elliot. He turns around and sees a lightling healer with iridescent blue and green wings. With blond hair and a thin but mature complexion. - I'm Amity, Amity Apfel. - She says, extending her hand in greeting.
- Nice to meet you. I'm Elliot Onion. - She says returning the greeting.
Amity gets visibly nervous.
- No... It can't... Be... You're my hero! - She screams with excitement. Elliot takes a step back, and Amity flies straight to room 1, where a prolonged scream is heard. The other five classmates come out one by one when they hear the commotion.
First, from room 5 comes a large snake with an upper body similar to that of a human in morphology. It is dressed in a yellowish-orange chitin suit matching its scales, with a black plastic around its chest area and an emblem with the letters TP in red, crossed out with white paint on the left side, near where the heart should be.
- There's the last one. - The snake says to itself before approaching some distance from Elliot. And she proceeds to stare at him inappropriately. Then she hears Amity's scream again from her room. - Wow, so you're a jerk. - Says the snake to Elliot.
- I'm... I don't know what I did to make her like that. - Elliot tries to excuse herself. The snake crosses her arms.
The next to appear on the scene, leaving room 3, is a young, light-haired defender, with a dull, melancholic vibe, missing his right wing. He just approaches Elliot, tries to punch him, but Elliot stops him with his hand easily.
- That was incredibly slow even though I didn't see it coming. - Says Elliot, still holding the other guy's fist. - Who are you and why did you want to do that?
- Name's Ikaro Gail. - He says in response. - And I'm hitting you because I know who you are, Mr. Chocolate.
- Again with the chocolate. - Elliot complains. - It was an accident!
- It's the coward's excuse. - He says Ikaro before throwing another punch, which Elliot stops just as easily.
- I'd say you lack training, brat, but that doesn't explain how your moves are so incredibly slow by our species' standards.
- It looked like a perfectly normal punch to me - says the snake.
From Gate 6 comes a human-looking man, stocky and covered in an armor of purple nanofiber plates. And from Gate 7, a woman in camouflage clothing and dyed pink hair.
- Gail. Stop that! - Scream the muscle.
- Mind your own business, Geiss!
- The last thing we want - says the woman with the thick Russian accent - is to get Infinia's attention before we've even started training.
- I agree with Miss Makarova. - Says a short human in glasses and lab coat coming out of room 4. - Ideally, we should reserve our energies for the training ahead. And in any case, the last thing you would expect from two people wanting to join a law enforcement body is pointless conflict.
- Well, fine for me, but, I'd like to know your names. - Elliot says, smiling and turning his back on Gail. - I'm Elliot Onion, nice to meet you.
- Paul Theodore Geiss. - Says the muscle man. - You can call me Paul, or Geiss. Whatever you prefer. And the woman with the pink hair is named Svetlana Makarova.
- Thank you for respecting my private information, Geiss. - Says Makarova reproaching him.
The snake approaches her to shake her hand. - Visa Hilss - It just says.
And the human in the lab coat, without coming close, looks down and says. - My name is... Delma de Sanguine. I hope we can all get along.
Then Lyon arrives, papyrus rolls in his hand, he olympically passes ignoring the scene and enters his room. The others, realizing that they were watching him without doing anything, look at each other, stunned, until an announcement resounds all over the place, pulling them out of their trance.
- Kind regards, aspiring captains. I am Infinia Lisythea, founder and leader of the Protectorate. I'd like your attention for a moment, as I'm going to give you a few words of introduction. First of all, thank you for your selflessness. I know it is difficult to stay here, away from your loved ones, even if only for a short time. This class is certainly a golden generation of Protectorate captains. Your potential is well above the average we have maintained for at least the last two hundred years. So I am certain that even those who fail will achieve great things in the future. Even if they are not at the level of the superstars we have had in the past, and still have, with time and experience some of you can surely match them and even surpass them. I look forward to seeing you all face to face in the final exam. That's it. Go back to your business and remember that you start training early tomorrow, so get a good night's sleep.
- Who does she think she is, my mother? - Paul asks, lowly. Some people laughs.
- I heard that. Very good joke. I like that attitude. Keep that sense of humor, Geiss. - Infinia says from who knows where. - Okay. See you in three months, good luck to you all.