“How do we get through?” I wondered curiously.
“From their systems, I managed to create a fake profile,” he said, holding up a programmed access card. “But I must warn you that it may take more than one attempt.”
“What do you mean more than one attempt?”
“We still know very little about their security systems. It may take several attempts before we can actually break into their building.”
We strolled out of the alley, entering a large street, now walking among many civilians, most of them with umbrellas. Gazing around, I admired many of the buildings, bearing unique and modern designs – futuristic structures to me.
Cars rolled by us, with modern engines producing nothing more than faint hissing sounds, with complex aerodynamic designs. Pulling my gaze upwards, I saw multileveled roads, stretching extremely high, among numerous holographic ads from high above as much as close by.
Strolling further on the sidewalk, I avoided eye contact with some people, seeming not so friendly. Some of them were poorly clothed, passing by and imposing their gaze at us. Flinching and giving us dagger eyes.
Scary!
Thomas simply kept walking, suddenly staring back at the menacing man close by, actually causing a few of them to draw back.
“Don’t worry about that, Derek. You’ll get the hang of it,” he said. “Actually, you’re the one who taught me … everything.”
“Glad I did,” I said.
“We’re here,” he stated.
We stood in front of the tall building. There was a large paved span before the numerous all-glass entrance doors.
“Just wait for my cue before anything. All right?” Thomas planned.
“What’s the cue?” I asked.
“You’ll know.”
We pushed through the heavy glass doors, entering a chic entrance hall, all gray marble, with shiny steel doors and ramps, from several floors up, above the main floor.
There was a large reception counter at the very center. Far behind the counter, were eight elevator doors, with four robot guards standing at the four corners of the entrance hall – similar robots from the ones I first saw at shopping center and Transit Terminal. They carried a slightly different design accentuating their intimidating appearance: black heads with red glowing eyes.
We remained by the entrance doors as the robots immediately began to walk toward us.
“This isn’t good!” Thomas whispered.
The robots’ fists transformed into massive guns, ready to shoot us.
“Let’s get out of here!” Thomas hissed.
We were lucky enough to push ourselves out the main doors, before the security system could have locked them. We managed to vanish quickly, hurrying past the glass doors.
CHAPTER 43
“How do we get in?” Thomas asked Shelby, standing by his cell.
Shelby started laughing, rubbing his eyes and shaking his head. “Unbelievable you guys!”
“Since you’re likely to be in there for a very long time, might as well tell us, Shelby,” Thomas demanded.
Shelby held up a grin, while rolling his eyes. “Like I told little Derek, here,” he began, pointing me. “The building is protected against any of you, with a good high-tech security system. The only way in, is by letting yourself get captured, being taken into our custody.”
“From the entrance, I was testing to transmit elsewhere and it didn’t work,” Thomas explained.
“I thought we were able to transmit anywhere in the building once inside,” I said.
“Not from within the main entrance,” Shelby replied. “Not until recently. Our security systems are constantly improving.”
Thomas brought a hand to his mouth and dimmed his eyes, falling into his thoughts.
“Don’t think to hard, Thomas, there isn’t any other way,” Shelby said.
“How about you, Shelby, letting us in? You walk with us into the building, being our prisoner, but you let us in with you, acting as though we are your prisoners.”
“Would you really want me to?” Shelby cackled.
“What am I thinking?” Thomas shook his head, wiping his latest thought.
“That’s a terrible idea,” I told Thomas. “He can’t be trusted.”
Simply looking at him, he seemed tired. Completely out of options or ideas, his mind scrambled by exhaustion.
He then turned to me. “Don’t do anything, until we come up with a better plan. And we will.”
“Tell me, Thomas,” Shelby called. “When was the last time you had a good night sleep?” He smiled diabolically.
“A locked up bag of crap such as yourself, should shut the hell up!” Thomas snarled.
Thomas and I walked away.
Shelby replied, rising his voice as we drew further. “I’m telling you Thomas, you won’t be able to do anything without my help. I can get you in.”
“The last time I had a good night sleep was the day before my brother disappeared,” he whispered to me as we both entered the elevator.
CHAPTER 44
A moment later, at the facility, I sat in my office, viewing the Elite building hologram, rotating on my desk. Holding my gaze to it and trying hard to find the proper solution. But nothing quite positive was coming to my mind. Even the exterior ventilation grills were extremely hard to get to. They were highly watched and fixed with a tangled incinerating system for outside intruders.
There must be a way, I kept telling myself.
There was no way that Elite bastards from the prison level could have been trusted, anyway.
I lay my elbows to my desk, running my fingers through my hair, still thinking and searching for a bright solution to the awful situation. But I suddenly collapsed, laying back in my chair, my arms behind my head. I released a long exhaustive sigh.
The only idea that suddenly popped into my mind, was just walking into the building, letting Elites get hold of me. Then once inside, if I’m still strong enough, I’d try to find a way to bring down the system, allowing me and the others to transmit back to our facility.
Pretty crazy! I know.
But that was my plan … in fact, knowing that Thomas would be totally against it.
I took off my watch and left it on my desk.
I transmitted myself back to Los Angeles, this time alone. No armored suit, just plain casual clothes.
Strolling the streets, the sky had turned darker, slowly headed toward dusk. I kept walking with my gaze aimed far in front of me.
Soon I came face with the tall Elite building. The evening’s obscurity progressed, seeing every window and entrance doors brightly lit.
But suddenly I felt something pinch into my neck. Definitely a micro emitter chip. Then I saw an Elite coming around me, holding my arm. A man with dark hair, wearing a long black coat.
Damn! Not quite the way I planned!
We pushed through the heavy glass doors, entering entrance hall and directing our steps to the reception counter. There, a woman sat, her gaze already aimed directly at me. I listened without turning my head around, to the clamping steps drawing closer to me – the robots approaching.
The model-like brunette, attired in a black office outfit, glanced with malicious eyes that dropped down to her mild grin.
The robots made their stop right behind me, blocking the entrance.
“Well, who have we here?” the woman asked.
“I believe you already know who I am,” I replied.
The man stood a few inches from me, aiming a gun at my head.
“Yes, Mr. Derek Trevor. We all know who you are,” the woman said.
“Then do what you have to do,” I said.
She stared into my placid gaze. “It’s quite sad for you that you finally came with the decision of simply delivering yourself to us … just like that?”
I gave her a nod. “Just like that. All by myself. No catch, no surprises.”
“Very well!” she forced out a laugh. “The Master will be here in a m
inute.”
“Very well,” I said, then hearing the wrenching sound of the guns from the robots behind me.
With so many guns pointed at me, a micro emitter chip into my neck and the so-called Master soon to arrive, the party was just about to begin.
At that moment, I figured that I could proceed with my next move.
Suddenly, within the silent lobby, an elevator bell was heard.
The Master’s here!
But before the doors opened, I had already managed to disappear into … a red flash of light.
CHAPTER 45
I appeared somewhere within the Elite building, stumbling across an office chair and hitting the floor, not knowing where I was, exactly.
It looked like a conference room.
I stood up from the black marble floor, with a grip from the massive wooden table. The place seemed empty, seeing no one in sight.
Knowing that they would probably pinpoint my precise location with the emitter chip in my neck, I pulled out a metal stick from my pocket. Obviously, I thought of carrying one, just in case.
Pressing the device against my neck to the spot where the man shot me, I hit the stick’s upper button with my thumb, feeling the little chip being sucked out of my skin. I wiped the tiny drop of blood with my finger.
Then I glanced at the watch from my wrist – Shelby’s watch. I had found it from our facility, a room where all the prisoners’ belongings were gathered. I quickly learned how the device worked from the information I’d collected from our computer system.
Actually very simple. I was still transmitting myself with my mind, but the watch activated the signals instead: acting in the place of my genetic capability. I was able to transmit myself, using the watch even though having the emitter chip in my neck – both Elite devices were obviously designed to prevent any conflict to one another.
I noticed that the Elite transmitter watch didn’t activate as fast as if I were transmitting by myself. But being inside that building, I was now depending on the device.
Hearing sudden echoes of high heels, venturing closer, I activated the watch, pressing two buttons from the sides with my index and thumb.
And I was gone.
Stumbling into darkness, I quickly looked around, remaining alert. Once again, there was no one. I appeared into the location I hoped for – somewhere in the second underground level. It was a large concrete hallway, very poorly lit, with a few lights flickering from the long string of industrial lamps from the ceiling.
The other Derek must be somewhere near here!
The area smelled of mild humidity, projecting a dark and creepy atmosphere, along with the obscurity. I hurried forward, toward the shorter end of the hallway, seeing a steel door with a tiny window.
Reaching the end, I quickly peeked into the little window, seeing nothing else than a concrete block wall, with a faint glow from above. I turned the handle and pushed the heavy door, squeezing myself through, letting the door clench itself back. Then I turned back to the tiny window, cautiously gazing through at an angle, careful not to be seen if anyone, or anything might have been watching. But for a second, I thought I saw a faint shadow, a silhouette of a man heading forward, but I wasn’t sure.
I took no chance. I moved on.
From the door, there was indeed a small light bulb hung right above. To the right was the only opening to a narrow corridor with an opened door to the left end – a brightly-lit room.
Looking behind me, at times, I strolled quietly toward the room. Then I gazed around as the place appeared to be well furnished: many counters, shelves, computers, so many complex equipment and devices. It was a laboratory. But no one seemed to be in it. My eyes only began to get used to the sudden brightness in contrast to the dark hallways.
I carefully ventured further, lowering myself at the level of the counters. The place was so quiet … in fact too quiet. I kept myself low with my back against the white-painted concrete wall.
“Hey there, fella!” a man called.
Slowly rising myself above a counter, I saw a man, smiling cheerfully – blue eyes, overweight, long white beard and hair, wearing a long white coat. A Santa Clause dressed as a scientist.
“Oh my God!” the man added. “How are you doing old friend?”
“Old friend?” I said. “You must be mistaking. I’m –”
“You’re Derek Trevor,” the man cut in. “It’s me, Derek. Your old friend Jeffrey!”
CHAPTER 46
My eyes widened, suddenly recognizing him. It was, indeed, Jeffrey!
“I worked for the X-Agency project, until Elites captured me, six months ago,” he explained to me.
“You’re the scientist Thomas spoke about …” I stated.
Jeffrey nodded. He then drew closer, grabbing my wrist. “You have one of their watches.” He pushed a few buttons, deactivating it.
“Hey! What are you doing?” I asked.
“Trust me, Derek. Better to turn this off, or they’ll keep on locating you,” he explained, taking the device off my wrist. He then held it up and frowned at me. “Where did you get this watch?”
“From Shelby … he’s being held at our facility,” I replied.
Suddenly the door from the other end of the narrow corridor creaked.
“They’re here!” Jeffrey whispered. “Quick … hide! Far behind the rows of shelves. Go, now!” he pointed.
Steps were heard echoing from the corridor, soon entering the laboratory.
I hid behind a far row of shelves, filled with old machinery, with all kinds of wires hanging everywhere. I stared through a tiny opening, between to old computers. It was the same man who shot the emitter chip in my neck, outside the building.
“Have you seen anything unusual, Mr. Molder?” the man asked Jeffrey.
“Nothing out of the usual boredom from this crap hole,” he replied.
The man uttered a laugh. “You haven’t seen a kid run by?”
“Listen, I haven’t seen any decent human being for six months, except you pricks running around here and keeping me from doing my work,” Jeffrey spat.
The man directed his gaze to several corners. “We’ve been tracking a signal, which ended right here.”
“Oh! You mean this?” Jeffrey said, holding up Shelby’s watch. “I’ve been simply running a test on this new prototype. I labeled it with a profile from the Elite system.”
“The kid we’re looking for is wearing one of our watches,” the man stated.
“Well, I haven’t seen him. If he’s running around, he surely didn’t come through here,” Jeffrey affirmed.
“I have my eye on you Jeffrey,” the man said.
“Oh, I bet you do … Now get outta here and let me do my work. I’d appreciate if you ignorant hicks would quit bothering me. Damn it!”
The man nodded, being annoyed with Jeffrey’s attitude. He then exited the laboratory and stepped out the door from the other end of the corridor, hearing the door clench.
I slowly emerged out from the shelves, keeping my eyes at the doorway.
“Come on out, coast is clear,” Jeffrey assured. “Don’t worry they won’t be back. At least, not for now. Believe me, some of them aren’t so bright.”
Jeffrey grabbed a tiny black stick from his desk, then gesture for me to come closer.
“Let me have a look at you, Derek,” he said.
I shunned a few steps back as he began to point the little stick at me.
“Just relax,” he cackled, switching it on. “Just a little blue light … See?”
He flashed the tiny beam of light into each one of my eyes, while viewing the readings from his computer screen.
“There! All done,” he said, smiling and putting the little black stick back onto his desk. “It’s really you, Derek!”
“You were confirming my identity?” I asked astoundingly.
He nodded.
“Why?”
“I don’t mean to insult your intelligence, I was just making sure y
ou weren’t a clone, or entirely somebody else. Now I can see that it’s really you, but how can it be?”
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