Mutation Abyss-Chapter 44: AMSO’s Structured Class System

The next morning... frёewebnoѵēl.com

It was already past eleven when Theo, Aries, and Calix finally made it to the dining table for a late brunch. Theo rubbed the sleep from his eyes, yawning as he slumped into his seat. He had skipped his usual morning exercises, planning to do them later in the afternoon instead.

Aunt Brenda was already at work in the kitchen, setting plates and refilling juice glasses. Aries yawned again, earning a light chuckle from Theo.

"I told you not to stay up so late," he said, reaching eagerly for the food. "Now you’re paying for it."

It was past three in the morning when they finally got home. Theo was just glad he had managed to slip out before the AMSO unit arrived at the scene.

"No regrets," Aries mumbled, still half-asleep.

Calix grabbed the remote and flipped on the television, hoping to catch the morning headlines as he buttered his toast. But the moment the news anchor spoke, his hand froze mid-air.

"-incredible efforts from AMSO’s special operations unit successfully swept Red Zone H3 in the Agro Province, rescuing forty-three survivors believed to be lost following last week’s breach. The unit was praised for their swift action and coordination, arriving just in time to clear out the remaining Infectees and guide the survivors to safety-"

Calix’s jaw dropped. "Are you serious right now?!"

Theo blinked. "What?"

"They’re crediting AMSO for the sweep." Calix turned to them, eyes wide in disbelief. "When it was you who cleared that zone, Theo! You’re the one who saved those people!"

Aries frowned, sitting up straighter. "Wait, what? Theo finished the sweep and got the last group out before the AMSO team even arrived."

"It’s fine," Theo said with a shrug, though a quiet sigh slipped out. "The survivors made it out, that’s what really matters. It only becomes a problem if they find out about me. Remember, any AMS who doesn’t cooperate with AMSO and is found to have dangerous abilities, or is seen as a threat to public safety, can be put under surveillance... or even detained. It’s safer if they don’t know I was there."

Calix nodded in agreement, pushing his plate away. "Theo’s right. Keeping your head down is the smart move. If AMSO even suspects you were there... things could get messy fast."

Theo gave him a grateful glance before taking another bite of his food. He had just started chewing when Aries leaned her elbows on the table, a mischievous glint in her eyes.

"But you know what I’m curious about..." she said, dragging out her words with a sly smile. "What was it like seeing Beatrice again, hmm?"

Theo choked slightly on his food and had to take a quick sip of water.

Aries laughed. "Relax, she didn’t see you. You ducked into the car so fast I thought you teleported." She tilted her head, mock-innocent. "But still, you saw her. So? Did your heart go thump-thump?"

"Aries," Theo warned flatly, though a hint of pink colored his ears.

"Alright, alright," Aries said, clearly enjoying herself as she leaned back in her chair. "But should I give her your new number? She asked me about it, you know. Said she couldn’t reach you."

"No," Theo replied quickly, wiping his mouth with a napkin. "She’s part of AMSO, Aries. It’s better if you don’t give her too many details, especially not about our new home."

His tone was firm, but not harsh. Theo meant every word, especially now that the world was more chaotic than ever. The threat wasn’t just the Infectees anymore, it was also people desperate enough to cause even more trouble.

Calix raised an eyebrow, curious. "You’re really set on keeping our place off the map, huh?"

Theo nodded without hesitation. "Absolutely. The fewer people who know where we are, the better. This estate is our safe zone. If word gets out, it won’t stay peaceful for long."

Aries raised her hands in mock surrender. "Fine, fine. No contact, no visits. I get it. But still... that’s Beatrice we’re talking about. She’s like family, right? She’s been good to you, to Mom, to me before everything changed."

Theo paused for a moment, then shook his head. "She was. And I’m not saying I don’t care. But she’s still part of AMSO. You know I’m not ready to be involved with that group... not yet." He looked at both of them, his voice steady. "I still don’t trust the government. Not fully. There’s too much we don’t know... and too much they’re not telling us."

*****

AMSO Headquarters - Briefing Room

More AMS recruits moved through clean, gray halls reinforced with energy-conductive alloy. Monitors lined the walls, showing live feeds from surveillance drones inside the towering glass-panelled command center.

In the main briefing room, President George Grey sat with several cabinet members and military generals around a sleek, oval table. A large digital screen lit up at the front of the room as Marlon Pitt, Supreme Commander of Scientific Advancement & Power Development, adjusted his glasses and stepped forward. Beside him stood Hayden Carlton, Supreme Commander of Operations & Tactical Command.

Marlon cleared his throat. "Thank you all for coming. We’ll begin the status update on AMSO’s current hierarchy, operations, and progress in the field."

He clicked a button on his device, and five uniform designs appeared on the screen, arranged from bottom to top.

"Let’s start with the basics," Marlon began.

"AMSO currently operates with a structured class system for all registered AMS. With the recent spike in Rift activity and MB Infectee mutations, we’ve ramped up recruitment. As of this week, we have over 1,200 active AMS members across all classes."

Hayden Carlton stepped forward next. "Class 5 is the entry-level rank. These are mostly untrained AMS, but with potential. They wear slate gray uniforms with light blue accents. Think of them as scouts, cleanup crew, and the ones we send on patrols in relatively low-risk zones."

The screen showed footage of Class 5 members training in open fields, some struggling to control bursts of fire, wind, or telekinesis.