External (Book 1&2)

4|Group of Eight

The walk up the stairs is quiet, no one has said a single word. My legs are aching by the time we reach the first floor and my confusion had only increased.

Two guards and I walk through the entrance doors of the first floor. The area had an open concept with a large table in the middle. Chairs surround it where others are already sitting. I recognize the woman from the screen standing on one end of the table and more than a dozen others sit around it.

"Oh finally we are all here. Let's begin." The woman from the screen speaks clearly and confidently. I make my way over to the table and take a seat near the end. "My name is Charlotte and I am the level one leader. The people sitting across from you in the seven chairs are the other leaders from each floor."

I look across from me to see men and woman with ones on their necks. They are the leaders of the facility. Turning my head, I look at the people beside me. They seem to do the same as I catch the eyes of a few. These are the people I will be going to the surface with.

"As you guys can already tell, this means the people next to you are your comrades for this mission. I don't say mission lightly because this is going to be hard. Let's just get straight down to business, no one has ever been to the surface before. At least not in the last one hundred and fifty years." She pauses and turns around to look at the screen, images appearing on it. It shows rusted buildings and cars with wildlife taking over. "These images are what cameras have caught from the surface above. Absolutely nothing."

"I would also like to point out that the air quality has been tested and it's completely safe." A male leader in front of me speaks, probably representing the Air Quality Supply floor.

"Okay you're telling me you want us to step onto the surface. That's fine anyone can do that. But what is it that you really want." I turn my head to a kid with short brown hair. He turns his head to look at all of us, revealing his large seven. Who knew a waste management guy would speak up first.

"We need you to figure out what's up there. If there's life or if it's safe for us to settle." Another one of the leaders speaks in a soft voice. I place my head in my hand, suddenly feeling very tired. It isn't until now that I realize how much stress today has brought me.

"Are we boring you Alejandra?" Everyone's eyes turn to me as Charlotte questions me.

"Why is she here anyways. She's a level eight and a criminal. She won't care about the mission, she'll probably run off first chance she gets." A man with dark chocolate skin and shining white teeth sneers at me. The giant five tattooed on his neck let's me know he is a guard. I look around seeing everyone staring at me and waiting for a response, but I honestly can't care less of what these people think of me.

"Listen, I don't want to be here. So I will gladly go back to my 'scum floor' and attend the funeral of my best friend who was murdered just minutes before I was pulled up here. So please, let me go." I throw my hands up as I stand to my feet, pushing my chair to the floor before walking to the exit. Before I am able to make it anywhere, guards step in front of me.

"Listen Alejandra. All eight of you are required for this mission. You might not understand now but we have been over this and over this. It can only work if you all use your skills combined and together." I want to roll my eyes with her 'let's love everyone and work together' response.

"And what exactly are our skills?" An older Asian man speaks up, his weary look looks strange on his mature face.

"You each have a natural skill set that you were raised in. We could waste time telling you all what you are good at or we could move on." One of the leaders says, getting annoyed.