Sanctuary Isle’s location was a closely guarded secret. The Nexus’s teleportation systems handled virtually all transportation to and from the island. The most the Knights knew of the island’s location was that it was presumably somewhere in the vast expanse of the Pacific Ocean. Somewhere near the equator would account for the year-round warm temperature.

  Tom had often wondered if some of the higher-ranked members of the Quantum Group, like Marcus and Candace, knew the location. Or if they too were kept in the dark. He’d never tried asking them, and they never volunteered that information. His guess was that even they were in the dark.

  The revelation that teleportation technology was not just science fiction was surprising enough for the three recruits. But even that paled compared to what the trio was about to encounter once they stepped into the portal that led to Sanctuary Isle.

  After transporting to the Nexus, Marcus led the group to the roof of the compound. The mountains on the northern side of the island formed the majority of the compound, where it was built. And here was the zenith, providing an expansive view of the surroundings.

  Olivia was the first to step up to the guardrail and lean over to take in as much of the view as she could. Alexa stepped up beside her, and based on her background, Tom assumed she was thinking about all the different activities she could attempt in these surroundings. Ethan seemed the most stoic of all, but Tom noticed even he had a moment of his jaw slackening and his eyes widening.

  The mountain range extended from the north along the ease and west coasts of the island. The mountains curved inwards as their peaks sloped down, providing a massive alcove in the southern part of the island. There was a range of environments there, from a small forested area, a beach, and plains. That was where the Arena was situated.

  “Welcome to Sanctuary Isle, home of the Quantum Group,” said Marcus.

  “It’s beautiful…” whispered Olivia.

  “And if you agree to stay on twenty-four hours from now, this will be your new home,” said Marcus. “Got just about everything you’d need, too. Recreation, exercise facilities, and, of course, your own private quarters. There’s a dining area that’s open around the clock. New meals are only prepared during the day, but there’s always plenty of food on-hand if you get hungry during off-hours. Plus, with the Nexus’s technology, there’s no limit to where on the planet you can go.”

  “I don’t get it,” said Ethan. “If you can teleport, why not just continue on with your normal lives?”

  “Most of the support staff do just that,” said Marcus.

  “Do they know what goes on here?” asked Ethan.

  “Not a clue. They think this is just some sort of military facility. And we have NDAs for them regarding any technology they see here.”

  “How come they can go home, but we have to live here?” asked Olivia.

  “Operational security. We can’t risk suspicion falling on any of the Knights,” said Marcus. “Giving your boss or your family some ridiculous excuse for why you have to run out during a breach could raise uncomfortable questions and cause a delay that might end up being catastrophic. We just can’t take that risk. The job we do here is too important.”

  The doors to the compound opened, and Candace emerged. She walked towards the group and Marcus gestured towards her.

  “This is Dr. Wu. She’s our chief science officer on the island and in charge of your well-being,” said Marcus.

  “Just Candace is fine,” she said and went to each of the three to make a quick introduction. “Now, I’m guessing Agent Kane told you everything you need to know about who we are and what we do. So the next step is to begin the initiation. And for that, we have to visit the Sanctum.”

  If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  “Sanctum? What’s that?” asked Alexa.

  “That’s where the actual power behind this operation resides,” said Rachel. “Or at least where they actually speak to us. Who knows where they really are.”

  Tom felt his stomach drop at Rachel’s caustic remark. He risked a glance at Marcus and saw that the lead agent didn’t seem all that happy with her comment himself.

  “So what is this real power?” asked Olivia. “Who’s in charge of the Quantum Group?”

  “They’re called the Tribunal. We don’t really know much about them. They communicate with us through the Sanctum, but we have no way of knowing where they really are.”

  “You don’t know anything about them?” asked Olivia.

  “No one does,” said Candace.

  “If you know nothing about them, how do you know they’re all on the level?” asked Ethan. “I can understand some degree of secrecy, but this?”

  “We know they’re on the level because we’ve seen what comes through those breaches,” said Marcus.

  They left the balcony and returned to the complex, where they boarded the elevator and descended through the mountains and moving underground. The duration of the trip seemed longer than it should have been. Tom didn’t know how far down the Sanctum was. All he knew for sure was that it was below sea-level.

  Marcus and Candace led the trio into the Sanctum, while Tom and Rachel took up the rear of the group. They still hadn’t spoke, and Tom continued to grow uncomfortable in her presence. Soon, they would have to clear the air. Somehow or another.

  Inside the darkness of the Sanctum, a large beam of light shone down from the ceiling. At Marcus’s direction, Ethan, Olivia, and Alexa stepped into the light. The instant they did, three holographic screens showing the silhouettes of the Quantum Tribunal appeared.

  “Ethan Jackson.”

  “Alexa Monroe.”

  “Olivia Reyes.”

  “Welcome all three of you to Sanctuary Isle.”

  “Who are you?” asked Ethan, trying to study the silhouettes as if he could glean some clue as to their identities.

  “We three represent the leadership of the Quantum Group. We are called simply the Quantum Tribunal.”

  “Okay, but who are you? Or what are you?” asked Ethan.

  “Our identities are unimportant, Recruit Jackson.”

  “We are here to bestow upon you the power of the Omega Force.”

  The transparency on the holographic screens increased, making them almost invisible. Three beams appeared behind the screens, each shining a spotlight on some sort of object.

  “Please step towards the lights and retrieve your Omega Gauntlets.”

  Ethan and Olivia exchanged nervous glances, but Alexa stepped up to the light. She reached for the small object under one spotlight and picked it up, studying it.

  “Looks like some kind of smartwatch?”

  Ethan moved next and examined the second object and he found it was the same as Alexa’s. Olivia was the last, but she eventually joined the others and picked up the final gauntlet.

  “Put them on,” said the Tribunal.

  Alexa brought the object to her wrist and the band tightened around it. The band was a perfect fit, but there seemed to be no latch of any kind. “Wait a sec, how’s this come off?”

  “It responds to your mental commands.”

  Ethan and Olivia each put theirs on as well. And just like with Alexa’s, the bands tightened around their wrists, molding to the size and shape of their respective limbs. The device’s screen glowed for each—Alexa’s had a purple glow, Ethan’s was green, and yellow for Olivia.

  “The Omega Gauntlets connect you to the Omega Force. Through these devices, the Omega Force will flow through you, enabling you to summon your armor, access your weapons and powers, and communicate with your Titan.”

  “Why…are they glowing so much?” asked Ethan.

  In response, nanomachines flowed out from the gauntlets. They swarmed over the three, interlocking with each other and forming the base layers of the armor. The nanomachines flowed out from the gauntlets in response, quickly swarming over the three and interlocking with each other to form the base layers of the armor. It took only a matter of seconds for the nanites to complete the armor, but the three new recruits felt a minor shock that lasted longer than that.

  “The armor protects you from most forms of damage and enhances your abilities, while also giving you access to your weapons and powers. Only when the armor is enabled are you able to utilize the full spectrum of your abilities, which you will learn about in time.”

  “It responds to your thoughts to expand or retract as needed, as will the other abilities you’ll discover in your training.”

  Ethan’s helmet retracted away from his face. “Whoa, they’re right. I just thought that I wanted the helmet off and it was gone.”

  Alexa and Olivia followed suit, their helmets also retracting. Olivia took it a step further by retracting her entire armor, the nanites shrinking back down into the gauntlet.

  “So what happens now?” asked Alexa.

  Marcus stepped forth from the back of the room. When he spoke, the three turned to him.

  “Now, it’s time to meet your Titans,” he said. “Get ready, you’ve only seen the tip of the iceberg.”