The Undergrad

by Mela NoLeuca

CHAPTER TWENTY ONE

  Ethan's POV

  "Duuude, you should totally ask her out, man, you know?" One guard kept leaning back each time he articulated his words.

  The taller one kept shaking his head, despite the big full-faced racing-like helmets they wore, anyone could tell he was blushing. He was fiddling the strap of his rifle as he spoke, "I dunno man, I mean, I'm just new here and stuff, I bet she doesn't even know me,"

  "Nonsense man," the other one chuckled, "I mean, you signed up for this place, your life is always on the line, might as well live it to the fullest and shit,"

  "Nah," the other shifted his weight on another foot, "I didn't really have a choice you know, hey gimme a sec dude, gotta take a leak"

  "Dude just pee on the wall," suggested his partner.

  "Naw man, that's like totally rude and stuff," the taller one chuckled as he walked away from his partner's field of vision.

  "Don't go too far man," hollered his buddy.

  "Yep," he responded as he positioned himself behind a big old tree with angry bushes clumped together. He swung his rifle to his back and began fiddling for the zipper.

  "Hmm," crooned a sweet voice, "he's a pretty big boy, isn't he?"

  The guard jerked his head up as he feebly began stuffing his manhood in his pants, wetting himself a bit.

  "Great, I'm definitely not wearing that suit," said the voice of the woman.

  The guard raised his rifle aimlessly for the branches and then twirled around blindly thinking as if the voice came from behind the trees. He decided it was time for back up, but just as he was about to make a sound I slipped my hand under his helmet and clamped his mouth shut with one hand and locked him in place with my other arm, feeling his fear reverberate against my hold.

  "Shh," I whispered to his ear hoping to help him relax. But who was I kidding, this kid was smart enough to know where this was going. I smoothly grabbed his rifle and disarmed him, at least five more guns fell to the ground, "I'm going to release you, if you want to live listen carefully,"

  It took us a little over three minutes of impressive cooperation to have the two guards tied to a thick tree in their boxers. The taller of the two was around his early twenties and reminded me of a surfer guy with his long blonde hair tied to a ponytail, his partner was a hispanic bald man with an impressive buff body as if going to the gym was his hobby. Both of them were gagged and knocked unconscious.

  It took us another two to get dressed in black, oversized thick-padded uniform and arm ourselves.

  "See, there's a reason why we need to do this at night," I commented as I leaned against the other side of the tree trunk our hostages were at. Judging by the way the sun was angled in the sky, it was almost midday.

  "Mhm," Emily smiled as she connected the two helmets to her bug-eyed shades with some cable, at this point she began tuning the frequencies of the helmet so that our conversations were limited to the two of us.

  "You sure that's safe?" I asked, mildly wondering if ERA's technicians could hack into our frequency.

  "Yep, its foolproof, but just keep your shades just in case," she handed me my helmet as I wore my shades. I cringed at the horrible sweaty smell and shuddered at the feel of damp paddings pressing against my cheek bones and around my face.

  "Ew," Emily's voice came out clear in my helmet.

  "Tell me about it," I said, "shall we?"

  "I told you we should have just gone without the costumes," she muttered as we made our way to the entrance.

  "You know I was never one for theatrics,"

  She shrugged, "well maybe you should, the grand finale is coming soon after all,"

  Towering before us was a huge chrome double door with some moss blanketing its surface. I've always marveled our firm's architecture--I meant my former firm-- it was so camouflaged with its surroundings that from afar the doors could pass off for a large boulder blocking an entrance to a cave found at the foot of a hill.

  The moment Emily swiped her victim's ID in a hidden card slot the lower part of the boulder-like door began parting vertically from each other so that the top half remained still. As it did, it had some sort of negative air pressure sucking everything in like a vacuum; quickly we made our way in before the door closed on us.

  Stepping into the tall chrome halls bathed me in a sense of nostalgia, but after having everything learned recently, this place was just as foreign as another country to me. The ceiling and floors were white and the walls were black, lights emanated from the junction in between.

  We walked by a couple of guards dressed in the same uniform and some scientists bustling about with their white robes and charts as we made our way to the elevator and I hit the button to the top floor.

  The elevator was made of glass walls, allowing you to get a glimpse of the forest the institution was nestled in. But the higher we got, the more we could see the tip of the city's skyline off in the distance.

  We barely spoke a word to each other, as if mutually understanding that maybe we could be heard even if she claimed tuning in our radio frequencies was foolproof. My vision flashed a thin translucent sheet of green with a cursor blinking on the side. It didn't take more than a second to realize that this fancy trick was coming from the shades she gave me earlier. I admit, this was pretty sweet. Words formed saying:

  You okay?

  I looked at Emily and gestured her my reassurance. She nodded and the green sheet disappeared. It wasn't like it blocked my view entirely, but what seemed to gather my interest was how she managed to type in these words without lifting a finger?

  "I bought a camera for my uncle, by the way," I tried to sound casual, what I really meant to say was, did you manage to cover the security cameras.

  Emily nodded nonchalantly, but the green sheet flew into my vision along with words that said:

  Don't worry, I got this place covered.

  I couldn't help but smile a little. She was pretty cool with all the toys she carried; I was actually hoping I get to keep this one.

  You nervous?

  I shook my head. To be honest I wasn't really feeling anything. Maybe I killed so much, I was immune to all feelings prior to executing my task.

  Always remember that sometimes, we become what we do. Tell me, what happens next when this is all over?

  I briefly glanced at Emily, she wasn't looking straight at me, instead she she was tapping her foot impatiently and looking at the elevator floors we were passing. Completely the opposite of what she was trying to tell me. I pondered for a moment, unsure of what to say.

  The momentum of the elevator slightly dragged us down and a low-key bell chimed pleasantly, the doors slid open. We avoided eye contact just to keep things safe even if we couldn't technically see each other from these helmets. It was ridiculous, but somehow it felt so taboo, that if we did dare look at each other bad things were bound to happen.

  We stepped into a grand black and white foyer that completely out of place in the futuristic theme of this institution. It was my first time to officially step into the top floor of the building and unlike the other levels I've been through, this place reminded me of a five-star hotel's lobby not the type that was made for this corporate place.

  This place had a white carpet that seemed to stretch to every corner. The walls were made of black velvet with paintings of abstract art and flowers that entirely contrasted to the mood of this building. You know what this place needed? Windows.

  Right in front of us was an elegant white table manned by a pale, pretty brunette typing away into her fancy computer. She was dressed to match the theme of this place like a stewardess garbed in black and white.

  To her left was a sleek metal double door that had no handles, designed to only be opened through the small touch-screen monitor near the stewardess. Two guards were on duty as they stood like statues on either side of the said door.

  Soon enough our presence was noticed.

  "Excuse me," smiled the receptionist, "but I'm afraid your shift won
't be on for until another hour,"

  "My apologies," I began, but Emily already darted something at the two guards that caused them to grunt and fall limp to the ground.

  The woman's face contorted in horror as she frantically fumbled for something in her desk, but it was too late as she gasped, clutching her throat. Her big brown eyes fixed on us the entire time she collapsed on her desk. She was completely clueless with how her life ended.

  "Is she dead?" I asked.

  "Most likely," Emily shrugged.

  I sighed, rolling my eyes. She didn't have to kill anyone who tried being friendly with us. Walking cautiously towards to the two guards, I surveyed the area before grabbing his rifle. Emily did the same as we both moved the two lifeless bodies to the side.

  "I guess we only have an hour before someone sees this mess," the redhead commented as I positioned a personnel's ID on the card slot.

  "Wait," Emily grabbed my hand, stopping me just in time as she turned to the dead woman's computer.

  "What are you doing?"

  "Killing the security in this area, it'll only take a few minutes, maybe we can also see what we're up against beyond this room,"

  "Should I hide these?" I suggested, pointing at the three corpses.

  "Don't bother, I've already isolated this floor, no one can get in or out without my command,"

  "Cool, shall we?" I walked to the metal doors, feeling a little giddy.

  “Just in case, the password is ‘Robyn’,” She nodded, "let's"

  I shook my head, dousing the thoughts faster than it registered in my mind. I didn’t want to be sentimental at the moment, because if I ever do… I might lose my game face and everything I prepared myself for might go down the drain.

  Damn, I should stop that. But it was too late as a horrible feeling began clenching my guts.

  The doors slowly hummed open and blinding light spilled into the lobby.

  Actually, I remember now. This wasn't the first time I've been here.

  I remember that very day when I first stepped into this office, I was barely ten. I was so cold, alone and lost.

  The only person who was with me then was Craw; the receptionist in the lobby was actually Emily. How could I have forgotten how the woman stood, smiled and bowed at us as she led the way into this office.

  At that same day, I met a strong man whose presence dominated this very room. Even if he would sit in his high-back, black leathery office chair his superiority tainted the very air I breathed in I could almost suffocate.

  He had a head full of cropped black hair that matching his square-ish mustache making everything else he wore look so angular. The formality in the air was too stern if was as if he was angry at Craw. I would never forget how conscious I felt, as if I needed to prove to him that I was born to be a soldier whenever he acknowledged me.

  He took me in and personally taught me everything he knew from warfare to hand to hand combat. By the time I hit sixteen he handed me my semi-independence with Craw where I was further hardened with years of training.

  I was never taught the meaning of weakness or fear, nor did he teach me of the word mercy or empathy. Exposed to the world of war and murder ripped me off my sense of innocence.

  I was the perfect soldier.

  The second time I've been here, I stood before him, trembling with excitement, hoping that he called me in to be showered with praises that I've longed for. Instead, he gave me even better news.

  "Ethan, my boy," he told me, "you have one more assignment before I deem you an official soldier of ERA."

  And he gave me that briefing with Craw right next to me. Though the Colonel couldn't see it, Craw did. I could barely stand still and I only had enough will power to stop myself from grabbing the classified folder the Colonel had in his hands as he went on with my orienting me about some institution and this piece of technology called the 'Rubrix'.

  By the time he finished reading to me, I barely heard a word he said. He stood up, handed me my folder over his desk and shook hands.

  "The next time we meet in my office Gould," he told me, "you will be the best man I've taken under my tutelage. Congrats my boy, you're almost there."

  Well, six months could only do so much to a person.

  Right before me was that office that had always haunted me. Shelves upon shelves of books lined the walls, a carpeted bear greeted me with a lifeless grimace, to the left of the door was a mini lounge gathered just enough to crowd a 32-inched flat screen television. At the far end of the room was a wide window that took in the sunlight the peaceful afternoon brought with it as it flooded its warmth on a mahogany desk that sat nearby. 

  Complementing that desk was a few piles of folders stacked to one corner opposite a wide monitor. Behind it was a high-backed black-leather office chair, but that was no longer in my line of interest.

  "We meet again, Ethan," said the Colonel calmly, swirling a half-filled wine glass in his hand, "funny to see you here again in such different circumstances. Should I pop another bottle and have a toast to congratulate you?"

  He didn't seem disturbed by the fact that two armed people were in his office ready to kill him with just a pull of a trigger. Instead, he just sat there with a sly smile playing on his lips, patiently waiting for us to just accept his hospitality.

  I scoffed, he might as well just feed me to the bears, glancing towards Emily, I checked in to see if we shared the same sentiment; she cocked her rifle. She obviously had other things in mind. I smiled, took off my helmet and slowly shook my head in mild amusement.

  "Let's skip the formalities, Marduk. We all know why I'm here."

  “To celebrate your graduation?” He mused. 

  “Oh no,” a humorless smile framed my lips, “Right now, I’m afraid I’m overqualified for something as petty as that,”