The gentle swaying of the long train car was the only reminder that Aella was speeding toward the Game Center.

The Arctic Circle was a strange place to stick a capital. But the clean energy from the volcanoes below the ice did well enough to keep the biospheres and life support working to create a warmer climate with abundant plant life. Only the high-speed bullet trains could traverse the high tracks above the snow and ice surrounding the city, ensuring intruders had a hard time gaining access. And it did make the Capital look pretentious, sitting alone at the top of the world.

The Game Center was in its own biosphere several deca miles outside of the main Capitol biosphere, and would be her home for the duration of the Beta Game. She would arrive in the center's media hall to allow the media and camera crews to gain pictures and video interviews of the players before they entered the Game Center's restricted area.

She leaned her head against the metal-paned glass window, watching the glittering diamonds of glaciers and black shadows of caverns of the ice below the speeding train, stretching far into the dusty horizon. The sunlight reflected off of the craggy needles and sloping frozen waves in prisms, sending shards of light flashing across her line of sight. It had been the same view for three hours, only occasionally interrupted by penguins or a polar bear. Sometimes the ice had broken to reveal navy water below the glaciers. Here and there fuzzy seals were lounging in the summer sun, glad for the little warmth they could receive.

She sat in the back corner, where it was quieter from the hustle and bustle of the other thirty players who were eating their meals. Her own bowl of soup and crusty slice of bread steamed in front of her, the smell enticing her to eat. Once she reached the Game Center, she would have to eat to keep her strength up, but until then she could go without.

Her hand aimlessly wandered over the dress she was wearing. She didn't like this one. She wanted the easy, flowing dress she had worn to the celebration last night. This one was confining and though the color, vivid red, looked good on her, she felt like she couldn't breathe. Chloe would be mingling with all of the other players, learning all about them. Chloe had loved it all—the game, the Capital, the Founder. This is who I am now. But it feels wrong, as if I'm watching someone else walk around in my own skin.

She turned back to survey the car. There were fourteen cars in all—twelve of them were filled with up to twenty-five players, followed by a dining car and a control car at the front. She sighed as Fox walked up to her, carrying a plate and glass. He sat down on the booth across from her, and grinned as he arranged his food.

She stared at him, her eyebrow raised. "May I help you?"

He shook his head. "You're sitting all by yourself."

"That was the general idea."

"Hey," a girl's voice piped up.

Aella glanced above Fox's head to see Seashell sticking her head over the booth so her chin rested on the scarlet plush fabric.

Fox drummed his fingers on the table, drawing Aella's attention back to him. She leaned back in her seat and watched as he glanced around the dining car before turning back to her.

"So, are you excited?" Seashell said.

"Excited for what?" Aella answered, looking up at her.

"The game, of course. What do you think of Bringer of Death and Prince becoming the Legend at the same time? I didn't think it was possible. The High Council was formed to make sure the situation doesn't happen again."

Aella hung her head, seeing the blue crystal glow of her necklace glow against her skin in the early morning light. The girl was so cheerful it made her want to cry.

"I, for one, am not excited," Fox stated. "I don't think this game is going to be much different than the first, nor will it be much of a challenge. It will be easy compared to the Facility."

Aella looked up at him. "You were part of the Facility? Who was your commanding staff member?"

Fox raised an eyebrow at her. "General Compen. Do you know anyone else attending the Beta game?"

Aella shook her head, turning her attention back to the window. "Other than you two, I haven't met many other people."

The other Apprentices were silent for a moment.

Aella glanced over Fox, taking in his confident manner, his swagger, and the self-assured tone of his voice. He 's confident, almost arrogant. He was lean too—built like a runner, thanks to Facility training.

Seashell, on the other hand, was shorter, only an inch or two shorter than Aella. Her bubbly tone portrayed her as sweet and charming, but there was something about her, a wildness, that spoke of her athletic nature and keen ability to catch her prey. They would be challenging opponents if she were to face them in battle.

"We're here," Fox stated when the train began to shake, slowing down.

Aella glanced out of the window as the train exited the hyperspeed tube, her breath catching as she caught sight of the Game Center. The car grew quiet as players moved to see out the windows, their eyes wide as they took in the sight of their new home.

Reaching far over the city was a glittering gold and silver dome made of glass and insulating carbon, shining in the dawn's light. The buildings inside reflected the light from the surrounding ice as if their surfaces were made of diamonds. But what caught her eye the most was the vibrant green trees that wove in and out of the buildings. Just like home, but there are so many.

Her view was cut off as the train entered a tunnel, a black tunnel meeting her view. Groans filled the air as the players protested the lack of a view, and the air filled with voices as people moved around the cabin, gathering up their belongings.

Aella slid out of her seat after Fox motioned for her to follow him, and she joined the line that was forming to exit the car.

"Please gather your belongings and prepare for exiting the train," the Computer announced, filling the air.

"Ready yourself," Fox whispered.

She glanced up at him, frowning as he squared his shoulders and turned away from her.

The black tunnel turned into light, revealing an elaborate hall decorated in scarlet furnishings and black and white marble. A crowd of people were waiting along the sides of a scarlet carpet behind gold ropes that created a walkway for the players that had already disembarked.

Seashell bounced on her toes, clasping her hands together and giggling.

Aella grinned and shook her head. Someone was a bit too excited.

The door on the side of the car slid upwards with a hiss and the chilled air of the terminal slid into the train. She pulled the fur cloak tighter around her body, taking a deep breath.

She followed behind Fox, stepping down the few stairs to the carpet and smiling as she began to walk toward an arched doorway fifty feet away. Black-uniformed soldiers lined the walkway every ten feet, monitoring the crowd. She lowered her head, observing the shoes of the people she passed.

She frowned as she noticed trash and old food beneath their feet, and the dirt-covered marble the gathered crowd stood on. The biodome was clean, clear; why was this area filthy? She lifted her head and looked at the roof, and took a deep breath. There was no smell denoting that the hall was dirty, in fact, it smelled as if it were brand new.

She hurried forward as she realized she had fallen to the back of the line, and gulped when the soldiers left their places and formed a protective wall behind her as she passed through the doorway. The movement was procedural, a method used in protecting high-security personnel in crowded spaces.

She looked up the massive staircase that led into the first building and her eyes widened. At the top of the staircase was a massive, circular metal door, red light glowing from twisting tubes on its surface. A huge thud filled the air as she turned, watching as a matching door closed behind them, and the soldiers took up positions in front of it.

Most of the players were waiting on a balcony at the top of the steps, and she turned around and hurried to meet the back of the group that waited halfway down the wide marble steps. As she strained to see what was happening, she heard a voice call out and echo in the large area. "Welcome to the Game Center, players. Past this door, you will be considered guests of the Founder and every accommodation will be made as you start your journey as a Beta player. You will be meeting the media on the other side of this door, so prepare yourself in whatever way you need to."

The massive door swung open, revealing a lavish glass and metal lobby, where dozens of well-dressed people were waiting, some with hardware in their hands. Slowly the players wandered into the lobby, trying to smile and remain calm in the face of the cameras that were trained on them.

Immediately upon their appearance, a woman in the center of the media faced the cameras and began to speak, talking about the arrival of the players and rumors about the unveiling of the Beta Game. The first row of players were targeted first, the line of reporters making their way and gathering several players into a cluster.

Aella moved off to the side of the lobby at the back of the room, taking advantage of a reporter turning their back to her to sneak past them and through a smaller door on the side of the lobby.

She pushed it open and slid through, entering a long, empty hallway. Bright light was filtering in from the floor to ceiling glass windows and she walked over, her eyes growing wide. The floor-to-ceiling glass windows showed the Game Center, several massive buildings twisting and curving like dragons from a green sea. The trees stretched from all sides of the biodome, cut only by white streets. Colored banners hung from street lamps, giving the walkways pops of color from between the green. And the flowers--there are so many. Up and down the streets dozens of colors of flowers lined the walkways where people were gathered or walking.

She moved closer, grunting when she ran into a small recycling incinerator in the corner. She glanced down, frowning when she saw crunched paper behind the incinerator. She bent down and picked the small ball up, pulling it open. One corner was marred with dirt, almost obscuring the design on the inside. The design was a globe with three straight lines leading from a point at the bottom and extending up and through the globe. She turned the page in different ways, wondering what it was supposed to be.

She shook her head and dropped the paper into the incinerator, watching it fall to the bottom of the container as the interior began to heat up. The paper caught fire as the top of the container closed, containing the heat.

She turned as a door at the end of the hallway opened. She stiffened as she recognized the man, and noted the security that was stationed around him.

"Aella," he called out, waving a hand as he moved closer.

"Founder," she said, clasping her fist to her chest and bowing.