X Campus
Prologue
Earth. North America. Canada. Toronto. Orville University. Most people hear that and start thinking about all the news articles attached to the name. It had built a reputation for being involved in a lot of high-profile cases over the last few years. It was, after all, in the middle of downtown Toronto. Me? Every time I hear that name I think, just another day on the job. I am the supervisor for the day shift security guard team on what we learned to call "Rotation 1".
Fridays are good days for me. Usually, I have all of my administrative work done before my team comes back from Tim Horton's coffee for morning briefing. Our manager, Marcus Furlong, goes home earlier than usual too. It usually means we can have long drawn out discussions in the office to pass the time. I'm not too particular about things, I have trustworthy staff that make my job very tolerable.
My ever faithful crew has just received a new addition from "Rotation 2" and I'm still sorting out a way to put some training time into the rookie dispatcher, Tamara. Tamara was a field guard on the night shift team for about a year before she decided to take up the art of dispatching. There was a pay raise involved that, I'm sure, had no influence in her decision. She's been working with us for about a month now.
Aaron is my senior guard having worked with him since I got my supervisor designation just over a year and a half ago now. Kobin and Cael are the medic units, both with over a year of experience as medical service providers and more than three in security. Ronny is the youngest staff member in the whole department and was the first guard I hired just after becoming a supervisor. Call it a leap of faith but he shows great promise.
I've been working with Orville University security for just over two years. When I was first hired I was the youngest guard they had ever had in the department at 22 years old. They later told me that the only reason they hired me is because I carried myself like and older man. It was a good joke to throw around the office for a while. I went on to become the youngest supervisor they had ever had in the department.
I was thinking about all of this in my office looking around at the handful of awards and pictures I had hanging on the walls. The eight-feet by ten-feet drywall cage had managed to stay pretty barren containing just my DIY desk, departmental computer and leather office chair. The chair looked really out-of-place as it had previously been owned by Marcus. I'm sure it was the most expensive item in the office.
Beep, beep, beep. My G-shock watch broke my contemplative state warning me that my break was over. I wrapped up the remains of my Subway sandwich and returned it to the elongated bag before tossing in away in the bin behind my chair. I stood up and wiped down the desk with a Lysol wet nap. I folded the wet nap over and use the rest of the clean side to wipe down the front of my bullet-proof vest. I switched off the lights before opening the door to my office to see a contractor dropping off keys in the key drop box next to the half-door leading to the dispatch desk and reporting office.
I walked over to see Tamara on the phone behind the dispatch desk. The dispatch office is a giant L-shaped room that housed four large high-definition screens that displayed about 800 different cameras all over campus and a smaller computer screen to monitor various alarms in all of the 32 buildings that made up the university campus. All of this is spread out over just five city blocks. This is the brain of the security department and, possibly, the whole university. Just around the corner from that was the long side of the "L" are four desks each with computers capable of accessing our reporting system. For every major incident on campus the primary guard involved is required to write a detailed report on the incident as well as resources used and suggestions for future incidents. It was a well oiled machine on a good day and a poorly coördinated circus act at its worst.
I wave to Tamara from the door despite the short distance between us.
"Yes, ma'am, I am aware" she said with a slight edge to her words, "Ok, just a moment and I'll transfer your call." She hangs up the phone and looks at me.
"How are you holding up?" I say trying to gauge her mood.
"It's an adjustment. I can't just tell people to call my dispatcher when they get annoying anymore." she said rubbing her temples for a few seconds.
"For whatever its worth, you're doing great so far." I tell her in an effort to cheer her up.
"You're my supervisor, it's pretty much the best thing I've heard all day." she said looking up from the computer screen.
"Where's everybody else?" I reply with a crooked smile.
"Should I roll call?" She asked enthusiastically.
"No, no. Just thought I'd ask." I said waving a hand to dismiss the question.
"Hold that thought." she said as the phone rang. "Orville security."
"I'm heading out to patrol." I whispered pointing my left thumb over my shoulder.
Tamara held up her pointer finger.
"Ok, on the second floor of the business building? What is he doing?" Tamara says into the handset.
I leaned on the half-door waiting for more details. I reach to the right side of my duty belt to turn my radio off so the dispatch microphone doesn't catch the feedback. My left hand touches the top of my expandable baton on the left side of my belt.
"Thank you, please hold while I dispatch units to the area." she hits the 'hold' button on the phone and pushes down on the dispatch microphone, "Can I have a couple of units make their way over to the second floor of bravo twelve for a report of a white male subject yelling at a group of students in room two dash three oh one."
"Serious or drama?" I ask as I put my shades on.
"Sounds serious." Tamara said before picking up the handset again.
I start walking out of the building before noticing I don't have my hat on. I jog over to my office and find my hat. The black 'Orville Security and Emergency Services' trucker-style hat was hanging off my computer screen. I lean over my desk and grab it before heading out the door. I walk through the foyer and brushed off the front crest of my hat before putting it on.
I walk outside and instinctively start walking down to the end of the street. 'Bravo-12' was radio code for Building 12. The Business building. Most of the students in the business courses were very serious about their schooling. I guess you could say they meant business. Ha. It was about a two blocks away from the office, just west of the Eaton Centre mall. It was a little removed from the rest of the campus and had a track record for having the most amount of unreported incidents.
"Command, Panda and Bear are en route." said Kobin into his radio with his heavy Russian accent.
"Panda" was his callsign, "Bear" was Cael's. I'm not sure who started the tradition but everyone on the security team had an animal name designated to them for radio transmissions. All supervisors were designated to the callsign of "Overlord". Lou, the night supervisor for this rotation, had told me it came about when they tried to re-arrage the letters in "Orville" to come up with a callsign. I didn't care, I just liked the way it all sounded.
I reach over to my left shoulder, where my radio microphone was clipped to my bullet-proof vest and push the button down.
"Overlord to Bear, you can stand down. Panda and I will respond." I say over the radio with the least amount of urgency I can manage. I find that if I stay calm during a situation, the team responds with the same amount of serenity.
"Copy that, Overlord. Standing down." Cael transmitted with a hint of joy in his voice.
"Overlord, Jaguar can respond." said Aaron zealously.
"10-4, Jaguar disregard. Stay on-air with Bear." I smiled to myself for rhyming on a radio transmission. It's the little things that get you through a twelve-hour shift.
When I get to the entrance of the Business building, Kobin is already on scene talking with a woman who is pointing up the stairs frantically. Students walking by were looking over to her and Kobin with concerned interest.
"Command, were on scene." I near whisper into my radio microphone hoping that Tamara wasn't to busy to hear it.
Kobin turns around and twitches his eyebrows at me.
"What happened?" I ask Kobin.
"I was talking to my friend in the lobby," the woman interrupted almost shouting, "and that asshole walked up and started swearing at us! We didn't even say anything to him! He's crazy!"
"Ok, please remain calm. My partner and I are going to investigate the matter further. Do you mind waiting for us here?" I look over at Kobin and point up the stairs.
"I have to go, I'm running late. You need to get up there and arrest that guy!" she said as she walked out of the building.
"Command, witness refused to provide identification. Proceeding to approach." Kobin said into his radio mic.
We get to the top of the stairs and see a man dressed in a dirty, off-white jacket and ripped jeans with a beer in his hand. He was sitting in the middle of the hallway with his legs stretched out talking to himself. The man's long, scraggly beard had pieces of food clinging to it. I could smell the scent of urine and beer from where I stood at the end of the hallway.
I look over to Kobin. "What's your call?"
"Dispose of beer. Remove from property." he said putting on blue latex gloves.
"Exactly what I was thinking." I say as I take out a pair of my own gloves. I start walking over to the man without any noticeable haste in my step. Kobin followed.
"Aw, shit." said the man quickly hiding the beer behind him.
"Good afternoon, sir. How are you?" I say greeting the man with a smile and wave.
"I didn't do anything, sir." the man said in a hoarse voice.
"I didn't say you did," I said coolly, "you are however consuming alcohol on an unlicensed premise."
"I don't have any alcohol!" he said escalating his tone.
"Sir, I can see it right behind you there." I pointed at the silver can of Laker beer just behind the man.
The man turned to look at the beer, "That was already there when I got here! Check the cameras you fucking goof!"
"Command to Overlord." I hear Tamara call over.
"Stand-by on transmission, Command." said Kobin as he made his way to the right side of the man.
"Sir, I don't appreciate your language," I said keeping my cool tone, "I'm going to have to ask you to vacate the premise, sir."
"You can't tell me to leave! I'm older than you! How old are you, fucking asshole? I'm suing Orville University for your job." he shouted obviously angered by my presence.
"Sir, please leave" I start to notice students poking their heads out from classroom doors, "you're disturbing the classes in the area."
"Go fuck yourse-"
Before he could finish, I lean over, grab his left arm and bring him to his feet. Kobin immediately grabs on the man's right arm. We bring his arms behind him and begin to walk him towards the elevators at the other end of the hallway with surprising ease.
"This is fucking police brutality!" Yelled the man as we walked over to the elevator lobby next to the stairs we used to get to the floor.
"We're not police." said Kobin raising his own voice making his accent very noticeable.
"Fuck you, you communist prick." the man yelled as he turned to look at Kobin.
I turn to look at Kobin, "Hadn't heard that one in a while." I say with a slight smile.
"Happens about every other week." said Kobin nonchalantly.
Ding. The elevator opens up to several confused looking students. The man yelling incoherently made the students realize what was happening.
"Mind if we take elevator?" Kobin asked the bewildered students.
All of the students shuffled out, leaving it to our disposal. We step inside with the man still in our firm grasp. I lean over and hit the "G" button for the ground floor.
"So what's your name, sir?" I ask the man.
"Fuck you!" he replied irritably.
"I don't believe that," said Kobin without missing a beat, "You don't look Asian."
The man looked over to Kobin in complete confusion. Ding. We step out of the elevator and walk the man out the doors to the front of the building before releasing our grips almost simultaneously.
"Ok, Mr. You. You're barred from all properties known as Orville University campus. Don't come back or you will be arrested." I say to the man in my stern voice as he walked away yelling to himself.
I look back at Kobin.
"Sir, always a pleasure." I say returning to my normal voice. "Great work."
"Thanks, I'll get started on the report as soon as I can."
I nod my head as I took off my gloves. Kobin walked back into the building. To dispose of the can of beer the man left, no doubt. Post-incident clean up is his pet peeve. I start walking back down the street towards the office adjusting my grey polo shirt and vest. The white Orville crests on my shoulders are the only things that break up the monotony of the rest of the uniform. Not that I mind monotony on occasion.
"Command, Overlord and Panda are back on-air. The subject was escorted out of the building without incident. Verbally barred." I said into my microphone.
"Oh Toronto the great." I sigh to myself.