Before I knew it, the Rocket Sled ride was over. The vehicle flew into a port by the side of H.Q. and it quickly slowed to a stop. The door flipped upwards, steam spraying out of the vehicle creating a very futuristic look. Zap hopped out of the Rocket Sled, not a bit dizzy or dazed. I, on the other paw, was not feeling very well. My head was spinning and my stomach was churning, but I did my best to climb out of the vehicle without toppling over.
"How did you like the ride, rookie?" Zap grinned at me with a little chuckle. "You don't look too bad. I remember my first ride…" Zap got a far away look on his face but he quickly snapped out of it.
I tried to put a brave face on as I followed Zap up onto a platform in front of a large, titanium door. There was a small pedestal with a computer fixed upon it on the platform and Zap walked up to it.
"Lesson number one. How to get into H.Q. Watch closely." Zap turned to the computer. Displayed on the screen was a blue pawprint that glowed brightly. The words, SCAN HERE, were located under the paw print.
"Greetings Agent Zap." A mechanical voice said. "Scan pawprint now." Zap did as he was told and the same blue light from the dumpster shone across the screen. "Access granted."
The titanium door split into four parts that moved into a slit in the doorway. I swallowed, but when I saw what was behind the door I nearly choked on my own saliva.
It amazing.
This place, Dog World Headquarters, was so much more than I had imagined. I gasped, my eyes going wide and my heart rate increasing. My eyes darted around, picking up everything in front of me.
It was gigantic. The main floor shone like silver, freshly polished. The same golden paw print that I saw on the outside of H.Q. was in the center of the floor. Directly behind the main floor were a few elevators that lead up to the top floors. There was a walkway jutting out from each floor and dogs walked in and out of each door. All of the doors were numbered according the the floor number. On the very top floor, which was the fifth floor, was a single room with a golden door. A smaller version of the logo was engraved on it, and I could just make out the text, Primus Canis.
On the left side of the main floor were three tunnels, labeled Tunnel A, Tunnel B and Tunnel C. There were computer screens near the entrance of the tunnels listing what could be found there. On the right side of the floor were two large sections with glass windows labeled Main Training Floor and Technology and Science Center.
"Pretty awesome, eh?" Zap smiled, stepping down a small bit of stairs.
"Wow…" was the only word I could manage to choke out.
Zap laughed. "Yep. That's D.O.G. World for you. Now c'mon. Shenan is expecting us."
I followed Zap over the main floor. I could barely walk on it. It was so polished that I couldn't help but skid a little. How was Zap walking so perfectly across it? The black dog lead me to one of the elevators, which we promptly clambered onto. Zap pressed the fifth button on the inside wall of the elevator, and the doors slid shut.
The elevator was quite nice. It was shiny, not a smudge on the silver walls. There were golden railings along the side of it, and a red carpet covered the floor.
"Now, for lesson number two." Zap said. "When you see Shenan, you don't just call her Shenan. You call her ma'am, or Alpha Shenan. Just a standard protocol, you know, respecting your superiors."
"Yes… sir." I replied, unsure.
Zap snorted. "Aw, you don't have to call me that. Just Zap. I was never much for the formal stuff."
The elevator made a shrill ringing sound when it reached our floor. The doors slid open and we traversed across the railed balcony. We paused in front of the golden door.
"You know what those words mean?" Zap asked. When I shook my head, he continued. "They're latin. They mean first dog."
"Oh." I said, not knowing what else to do.
"You ready for this?" I was asked. I nodded, taking a deep breath. Zap pushed the buzzer on the side of the wall and the golden door slid open.
The inside of the office was grand. The floor was a reddish hardwood, making for a cozier feel, and the walls were a pale green. There was an open door on the side of the left wall, that I assumed was a bathroom.
In the center of the office was a large, wooden desk. It was covered in picture frames and trinkets of all sorts, and a laptop type computer was placed in the center. A large screen was placed behind the desk and it displayed pictures of different locations around the world and their coordinates. A spinning globe was located in the center of the screen.
On the right side of the office were a few leather sofa pieces and a coffee table. A coffee machine was placed in the center of the table and a nice arrangement of flowers were located near it.
Behind the desk was a small dog. She wasn't tiny, maybe around forty to fifty pounds, but she was much smaller than Zap and I. The dog had a reddish coat color, with deep brown points on her muzzle, ears, back and paws. Her underbelly was a lighter tan. The dog's ears were small triangles and her muzzle was not very long and a bit boxy. She was wearing a light blue bowtie and large, black rimmed glasses. She looked up at us as we entered, revealing her eye color as a deep amber.
"Alpha." Zap said, walking towards the desk to shake her paw.
"Agent." The dog replied, taking his paw and giving it a firm shake. After shaking Zap's paw, she looked past him to see me.
"Ma'am…?" I said nervously with a quick bow of my head.
"Rookie." The dog said, giving me a stern look as she studied me. She must have seen a concerned look on my face because she gave a small smile. "You can come closer. I don't bite. Well, only if I need to."
Both Zap and the dog laughed, and I stepped closer. I would be sweating right now if it was possible. I thought to myself.
"So, Agent in Training Patches, my name is Alpha Shenan and I lead this organisation. You have been tested and the results have proven that you are fit to be an agent here at Dog World Headquarters." Shenan began. "Now, you must understand that the job of an agent is a very difficult and dangerous job. You must be both mentally and physically ready if you want to become a fully fledged agent some day. Your training may seem harsh, but it is going to prepare you for what lies ahead in your future here. From what I have seen, you display important qualities that we look for when choosing new agents. Leadership, loyalty, bravery and strength are things we like to see, and you display all of these traits. Being an agent is a very rewarding job, but it is not easy. The induction ceremony for new agents is being held in three days, so you have these three days to decide if this is really what you want. Personally, I think you will make a great addition to our team, and I hope you decide to stay. But for now, you will be taking part in basic training classes to see what this job is all about. Is this clear?"
"Yes Ma'am." I responded. I took a deep breath, my mind racing. I wanted to be an agent so badly, but Shenan's speech had made me think. Was I really ready to take on this huge responsibility? I was about to find out.