THE OMEGA RECRUIT

A deafening silence swallowed the room, the moment the gateman left the office. 

The barracks chief, composed and expressionless, lowered himself into the office chair with mechanical precision. 

Across from him, Scott exhaled, the weight of reality pressing down on his shoulders as he sat back.

He was in. Somehow, impossibly, he'd been admitted into PROTOCOL.

"This is the first time, something like this has happened," the chief muttered, tilting his head. 

"I've never heard of this before…"

Scott stared straight at the man, trying to read him like a puzzle. He stood about six feet tall, his posture upright with military exactness.

His voice was deep and commanding, the kind that echoed even in silence. 

Brown hair combed cleanly back. Red eyes, sharp like lasers. Average-looking, maybe even forgettable, but his presence? UNSHAKABLE. 

A gleaming metal prosthetic arm rested on the desk, light glinting off its edges like a quiet warning.

As Scott's eyes scanned the room, his instincts kicked in; he needed a way out. 

There was no way this was real. The letter was a mistake. It had to be.

The room was made of the same cold, obsidian metallic alloy as the city, only here it shimmered in industrial green.

 The door to the right likely led to a bathroom, and his desk, cluttered but organized.

On it was a photo of a girl, rows of medals lined up like trophies of war and a few heavy-bound books. 

The only real exit was the door behind Scott and all Scott could think about was,"Could I outrun him?"

Before he could plot further, the chief's voice cut through his thoughts like a knife.

"Don't even try what you're thinking kid" the chief said, a grin forming on his lips.

Scott's spine straightened, caught, but he kept his cool. 

"What do you think I'm trying to do, sir?" he asked flatly.

"Oh, you're good" the chief said, amused. "But I can read you like a book."

 "Comes with age..., experience. As they call it."

He leaned back, fingers laced behind his head."You're trying to run, right?"

Scott didn't flinch. "No, sir. I would never do that."

The chief laughed, a deep chesty sound. This time, his smile revealed teeth.

"Good. Very good. With that kind of smarts, you do belong here." He raised a boot, planting it on the desk and swung it lazily. 

"When I saw you earlier, you looked like a kid caught in a thunderstorm. But now..? Your eyes they're like a tiger waiting to pounce."

Scott said nothing.

Not a twitch, nor a flinch.

He stared at Maximus' blanked face.

The chief's smile widened. "Name's Maximus Highways," he said extending a hand.

Scott took it with a firm grip. "Scott Saw McKnight."

"Follow me."

They walked through the sliding door into a long, echoing hallway, a corridor of flickering lights and humming machines. 

The air smelled like steel, oil, and electricity. 

As they passed, glass walls gave a view into the rooms.

Where scientists in white lab coats ran simulations, examined exosuits, and tested implants on digital mannequins. 

The scent of ozone and burnt circuitry filled the air.

"This is where the real brains work." Maximus said. 

"You'd like this place. You look like a smart guy, Scott. Are you a smart guy?"

Scott replied evenly. "You've looked at my records, sir. You tell me."

Maximus let out a short chuckle. "You've got me there."

He glanced sideways, eyes narrowing with interest. 

"Top of your school. Top of your planet. One of the best in the galaxy. But there seems to be someone you could never break free of .. Your brother's legacy."

Scott's jaw twitched.

Maximus didn't miss it.

 "For a whole year, you never stepped outside. I tracked the purchases made to your home, mostly junk food, games, and processed food."

He stopped walking and turned to Scott.

"Is it because you failed the honors exams?"

Those words hit Scott like a punch to the chest. His stomach dropped, but he kept his voice calm.

"Yes..."

Maximus raised a brow. "Then surely that proves the call-up letter is a mistake, right?"

Scott seized the opportunity. "Exactly. It proves it was fake."

"A little," Maximus admitted, a voice dipped in sarcasm. "But you were still there. So that means something."

He turned toward the hallway's end, his steps steady. Scott trailed behind in silence.

"Funny, isn't it? Most of the students you coached passed. Even the ones ranked below you. That must've hurt."

Scott's lips parted slightly. He said nothing, but the tightness in his shoulders betrayed him.

"Your brother passed. Your rivals from other schools passed even some of your juniors passed. Do you know why?"

Scott blinked. No one had ever asked him that before.

"No..." he said, wary but intrigued.

They reached the end of the corridor. A set of doors hissed open, revealing a vast command deck overlooking the spaceport.

Revealing the blur of ships docking and lifting off into the cold void of space, a panoramic view of the stars, the void, the future.

Maximus turned to face him. His eyes were sharp, cold, but somehow warm too, like flame behind steel. And said.

"Because.. it's not your destiny."

Those words snapped something inside Scott. The pain, the frustration, the years of comparison, came flooding out.

"Destiny?" Scott's voice cracked. "Did you just say destiny?"

 "My whole life it's been: 'Be like Zach.' 'Act like Zach.' 'In this house, we're scholars.'"

His fists trembled at his side.

"I knew I wasn't enough. So I worked. I killed myself trying."

"Nights without sleep. Coaching everyone else. And when it mattered, they passed. I failed."

"And you know what I got? Laughter. Scott the know-it-all failed."

His face reddened, and tears welled up in his eyes like glass about to crack.

"And now you tell me it's destiny? Then destiny can go to hell!"

I earned this; I gave everything. And I still… failed."

Maximus, wordlessly, reached into his coat and pulled out a white handkerchief, offering it without judgment.

Scott took it, face burning, trying to collect himself.

Maximus's voice softened.

"I heard every word, Scott. But you left something out." 

He gestured a small circle with his fingers.

"You never said you loved being a scholar. Never said it was your dream."

Scott looked up, confused.

"What do you want, Scott?" Maximus stepped closer.

"Say it's ten years from now, what are you doing? Not for your mom. Not for your brother not for anyone. But for you."

Maximus leaned in, voice a near whisper.

"What makes you happy, Scott? Because it seems like, even if you passed the exams... you still wouldn't be."

He pulled back, letting the weight of his words settle.

"Sure..., your mom would be proud. But would you?"

A long silence hung in the air between them, not empty, but heavy with choice.

"Scott you have to make a choice."