We are both tense, though I suspect our reasons for that tension are not quite the same.
SALT
Even though there is not much to look at, I still scan the harbor carefully. A single small building sits by the water, with someone inside who probably considers himself the harbor master, and aside from that there are only a few shipping containers along the shoreline, wooden crates, stacked pallets, and a medium-sized crane.
Thankfully, there are no guards in sight. The path down to the beach cuts through rocky ground, dotted with boulders that would be easy to duck behind if it came to that.
As we step off the ferry ramp, an open vehicle comes toward us along the gravel road leading in from deeper on the island, something like an oversized quad.
A beta with snow-white hair sits behind the wheel, wearing a wide, friendly smile. He introduces himself as Miller, the deputy facility manager, while Gomez says his goodbyes and explains that he is heading back to the mainland on the ferry.
Miller seems to strangely ignore him, and they do not even exchange a handshake, which strikes me as odd.
He comes straight up to us, eyes on our faces, and runs through a set of official welcome lines, repeating some of what Mr. Gomez already told us. At one point, he apologizes for the poor phone reception on the island.
I notice Eliano again picking up my suitcase along with his backpack, but I have enough of this, so I deliberately reach out to take it from him, lifting my chin in defiance. I am not about to let him treat me like some helpless omega.
But Eliano turns out to be far more stubborn than I expected from someone so young. Was Storm right about him?
The alpha shifts his body just enough that taking the suitcase from him would require wrestling for it. I try to do it, just to prove the point, and quickly find out that I can’t move the suitcase even one fucking millimeter, and Eliano watches my attempts with an amused expression.
Yeah, fucking alphas and their strength.
To keep my dignity, instead of continuing to flail uselessly against his rock-hard grip, I make an offended face and turn toward Mr. Miller, who is now explaining the island’s supply situation, mentioning both the clothing shop and the food store.
He hands us two magnetic cards that open our residential module. They also function as some kind of points card, though he does not explain what the points are for, and as a payment card as well.
Miller also gives each of us a wristband, similar to a smartwatch, explaining that it only displays meal and recreation times, as well as messages from the administration.
We climb into the quad, and head deeper into the island.
From what I can see, the path runs along the crest of a long, gentle ridge, with the sector fence on one side and a slope falling away on the other, down to the beach below. On the fence mesh, I spot a small letter G.
I try to map everything in my head based on what Mr. Gomez showed us earlier, and I already know that our destination sector is still some distance away.
The road peels away from the fence and winds through grassy, rocky plateaus.
The views are not especially impressive, beyond the sea visible down the slopes, there are some bushes and a great many erratic boulders that could provide decent cover if I ever needed to move through this area unseen.
For now, I know I need more information about the island’s security measures. Fortunately, I do not spot any cameras mounted on poles along the fence.
As we ride, I keep scanning our surroundings while Eliano talks with Mr. Miller.
They discuss nothing of interest to me. Eliano asks about government funding, the long-term outlook for the program, and whether it is currently considered successful or facing trouble. Miller assures him that everything is running smoothly and says public support for the program is gradually increasing, despite strong opposition from the Beta Empowerment movement.
None of that matters to me. I have never cared much about politics. I was fighting to survive and worrying about how to pay my bills and afford food, so those things naturally fell to the bottom of the list.
Eventually, the ride comes to an end. I estimate we have traveled about one mile.
We enter a peninsula marked by a large stone pillar with a bold letter C carved into it. The quad stops at a fence with a barely visible mesh gate. I definitely could climb over it by pulling myself up with my arms.
Mr. Miller opens it remotely, and we drive inside.
Here, the gravel road gives way to concrete slabs, though the surroundings do not change much. We crest a gentle hill, and for the first time I see the entire residential area of Sector C from above.
By my estimate, there are around a hundred residential units. According to Mr. Gomez, only forty couples live here,so most of them stand empty. Still, it shows the much larger potential of this facility, not yet fully utilized.
I glance at Eliano, who is studying the long rows of modules below us on the slope.
