Delving Deeper
Chapter 1
I have been assigned once more, and this time I must not fail. I am an agent for a company that protects many important people in the higher ups. My latest assignment has sent me to the Roxon laboratory where I have been ordered to protect a specific scientist. Her name is Mindy though I have no idea as to what she looks like and who she really is. All that I am aware of is that she is working on a scientific project that will in theory benefit all of man kind. From the reports this laboratory is one which does human experiments. From the images in my file it appears as some sort of manor. The walls are made of solid gray brick with red tapestries hanging under every window. Many towers lined the ground and according to the file there are many security guards assigned to watch the area. If so many are all ready there I wondered why my services would be needed. I decided not to worry about it and sat down in my tan leather seat in my office. I turned on my computer and began to print off the rest of the information about this place of witch I would be visiting shortly. The printer began to light up and made a loud roar as the papers began coming out. Many people asked me why I use such old and out dated technology as an HP printer and a Windows XP computer. I told them that though it may be older, it was far more efficient in its processing of documents and containing of information. I also told them that it was much easier to access then using the new Windows HGS. The HGS stands for Hologram System. Basically it consists of a single camera that projects an image that appears as a computer monitor. In front of that image are projections of a keyboard and even a hologram mouse. I find it to be annoying due to the fact that while typing and using the mouse you can't actually feel anything beneath your hands making it somewhat difficult to know if you are even grabbing onto the mouse or not. After the papers finished printing my assistant came in through my office door without a single knock.
"You know my rule." Immediately she stepped out knocked three times and then waited. "You may come in." Once again she entered slowly. She was an older woman in about her sixty's wearing a white woven jacket, black shirt, and a black skirt. She seemed kind of flustered and began to speak. I was unable to understand her however due to the stutter that she was muttering up. "Slow down and try to speak clearly." I instructed her hoping that she would take my advice.
"They have come." I grabbed my suit coat and put it on over my white shirt and red tie. I then put on my black shoes and placed the bottom of my black pants over the top folding it in so that I would avoid stepping on the pant leg. I got them from my assistant this past month as a Christmas present however she did not know what size I wore and ended up getting a pair one size to large. I took hold of the papers that I had just printed and placed them within the file of the Roxon laboratory.
"It is time." I gave my assistant a warm goodbye assuring her that she will end up working for me again. However I did not know of what was to occur and that I would never return. I took one last glance into my office. The coat rack made out of solid mahogany stood silently without a single coat to grace its presence. My bookshelf had now been relieved of all its contents and now appeared bare. Nothing was left, not even the picture of an ocean setting which used to hang on the back wall behind my chair. Finally after a short yet long moment I closed the door and began walking down the hall toward the elevator. I pressed the down button and waited a few moments. While waiting I began fiddling with the file in my hands. This was to be my second time of doing field work and I feared that I would make a mistake like the first time that I took on such a job. Suddenly the elevator door opened and I saw my neighboring coworker Mr. Zink.
"Well, didn't expect to see you there, please join me for the ride down." I reluctantly entered the elevator and the doors closed behind me. "So I hear that you are leaving to your field assignment." I nodded silently trying to avoid eye contact. "Must be difficult on you after what happened last time." That was the bate that lured me in. I looked up at him and began to speak,
"Yeah, it's been difficult." He looked at me and I knew that I would be convinced into doing some sort of favor for him. At first there was nothing but silence for a few more moments, but then it finally came.
"Before you go, can you do something for me?" I nod reluctantly and wait for what it would be that I would be required to do. I was just hoping that it wouldn't have something to do with trash, or cleaning out a bathroom stall like the last time! "Take this, I no longer need it." He handed me a voice recorder. It ran on batteries and recorded to a MD. An MD is the short term for Media Disk.
"I don't know if I should take this." He smiled and then forced it into my suit coat pocket.
"I insist, use it as frequently as possible to update your work. I used that every day the first time that I was assigned to field work. Our boss Mr. Valdamier gave it to me on the first day of work saying that he knew that I had some promise in me." He then looked at me seriously. "You have some promise in you, and that is why I am giving it to you." Shocked at this remark I tried to take a step back however I was already leaning against the side of the elevator.
"All this time I thought that you either hated me, or would use me in order to avoid doing any dirty work." He laughed hysterically and then the elevator door opened.
"Bottom floor, this is your stop. Good luck." I stepped out and the elevator began going back up with Mr. Zink inside. While walking through the lobby many people in suit coats and dresses said goodbye to me solemnly. The ladies at the information desk greeted me as they gave me my official field work badge. I nodded to them and thanked them properly and then headed through the large rotating glass doors. Once outside I found many people running back and forth throughout the streets. Cars were passing by at an alarming rate however it was going smoothly which meant that there would be no traffic jams today. After a few moments of dodging other people upon the sidewalk I finally came to our company's private parking lot. Suddenly a small black car pulled up next to me and the back door swung open. A lady by the name of Sally Shimerda greeted me and then offered me a ride to my new work site. She had blond hair and a red sparkling dress on, however she appeared to be pale due to the fact that she over did it with her makeup. Everyone in our building called her the Woman of the century; however I just found her annoying. She has been trying to get to me for years, but I would never fall for someone like her. I nodded respectfully and then took my seat in the back next to her. She waved at the driver and he began to turn into traffic.
"Excited or nervous for your first day?" She questioned me. I didn't feel like answering but, being the polite person that I am went ahead and responded anyways.
"It's sort of heart stomping to tell the truth." She laughed and then smiled at me.
"Don't worry about it, you can handle anything." She smiled and I fell back into my shell of fear. "If you want you can handle me sometime." I shook my head almost as soon as she said it.
"Sorry, but I have a lot of work to do." Good excuse if I do say so myself.
"I see, sorry that you feel that way." The rest of the ride was complete and total awkward silence. Finally we pulled up to a large gate. The driver brought down his car window and a voice came through a speaker.
"Is this Mr. Vince?" I responded from the back seat letting him know that it was me. The man on the other side then told us to continue forward. We waited for a few moments and then the gate swung open. We drove forward and I watched out my window to get an idea of the site that I would be working at. There were large grass fields with some flowers here and there. What I found highly interesting however was that there was only one tree in the entire area. It stood on top of the highest hill just a short ways from the back of the manor. It was very large and had a lot of greenery near the top. No branches extended from it until you got about half way up the trunk. Suddenly the car stopped and I let myself out.
"If you ever change your mind, please tell me!" She winked at me and then told her driver to go. The car pulled out slowly, turned around and then went on its way. I turned back to face the manor. It looked exactly like the photo. The grey walls stood high above me and steps lead up to the door. The door appeared to be cut from the same stone as the bricks and seemed to be quite heavy. I knocked a few times and then waited. Shortly the door swung open. A butler stood in the door way and then gestured for me to come in. I stepped forward and entered the main hall.