Dear All,
Sorry for the time I took to update the last chapter. Here's a quick update to make up for it. Do let me know your opinions about the way the story is heading for and especially if you think the plot is moving too slowly.
chris37: Thanks so much for your comments and suggestion! I especially appreciate your support because it does motivate me to keep writing. Hence, this faster update! Tuskushi as an agent? That's a thought. Currently my plans are for Shizuka to be the other agent as has been revealed in the past chapters! I have a more "angsty" plan for Tsukushi. Perhaps you could let me know again how you feel about the next chapter ;)
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Chapter 7 – My Double Life
*Flashback Continued*
I finally stopped typing furiously and clicked on the send button. Almost instantaneously, there was a soft rumble as the printer at the far end of the room flickered to life and the huge monstrosity started spewing paper. I stood up and stretched, easing the cramp in my back from sitting in the same position for hours.
"Three hours fourteen minutes and twelve seconds." I lifted my head to see Prof scanning the first printout from the top of the small heap. "Hmm … … one hour forty three minutes to decipher the message, thirty seven minutes to code that passage, with the remaining time taken to come up with a new code. Not bad, let's take a look at your actual answers … …"
Behind my calm exterior, my heart was pounding as I waited nervously for him to peruse through the rest of the printouts. This was my most important hurdle – if I got through this "examine", I would have "graduated" and broken all existing records to become the youngest agent to have completed his training in the shortest time. After about an hour (it seemed like eternity to me), he lifted his head and I saw a kind of pride shining in the light blue eyes as they met mine.
"Not bad at all. You've decoded the message without a single error and coded the paragraph perfectly – although I must say that I expected nothing less from you. And even though you provided the exact three languages and the principles underlying three codes that you used in creating your new codes, I haven't been able to crack your code as yet … … Well done agent!"
"Yes," I said softly before taking the hand that he held out
to me and shaking it vigorously. He
cocked an eyebrow in amusement, knowing that my mild reaction was equivalent to
an explosion of delight from any other person.
We had gotten to know each other pretty well over the past year and many
sleepless nights when he taught me all he knew about languages and codes.
"How can you learn to run even before you learn to walk?" Had been his somewhat cliché but extremely appropriate analogy when I questioned his attempts to provide me with a firm grounding in many different languages, being impatient to be introduced to the world of intrigue and mystique. How raw I had been then!
"Rui," my eyes snapped back to Prof who looked at me expectantly.
"Sorry Prof, my attention wandered. What were you saying?" I muttered a trifle embarrassed.
He chuckled good-naturedly, "well I won't give you extra homework for once! There's someone to see you in the library." I nodded obediently and left the room. Just as I expected, I saw the familiar figure of J waiting sitting behind the desk.
"Congratulations, Rui, for not only holding the record for taking the shortest time to complete your training, but also scoring the highest mark ever." He was beaming at me in his usual deceptively benevolent manner. Perhaps I was just paranoid and he was really being kind, but let's just say that I have my doubts about the man heading one of the most important (if not the most important) Intelligence branch being one big pussy cat. My suspicions were justified as a soon-to-be familiar glint appeared in his eyes, "now for your first task, Rui … …"
I spent another two hours translating a very important letter in five different languages, cursing him fluently in my head as I did so. I was ready to drop from exhaustion when I finished. I had just undergone a three-odd hour grueling examination and that unsympathetic being had to "break " me in immediately. There was nothing special about the letter that no ordinary linguist would have been unable to handle. I guess it was simply his way to show me right from the start who was the controlling party in our relationship. Even after "handing" in my assignment, he sat me down for another hour. We ironed out many important details relating to the different methods of contacting me and vice versa, the places where I could work depending on the nature of the assignment, the ways for me to submit completed projects, how to handle several types of scenarios, the rules involved and so on. By the time he was done with me, it was close to dawn and I was so tired that I barely had the energy to drag myself onto my bed before going out like a light. That was how I celebrated my "graduation" – sleeping until late afternoon. Fortunately, by then Rui's "abnormal" sleeping habits were already widely known, so no alarm was raised … …
I adjusted quickly to my double life, working with all those special tutors hired by my father (not that they could teach me much especially during those language lessons), playing my musical instruments (especially the violin) and composing my own songs, "hanging" out with the only four friends I had when our parents deemed our progress was satisfactory, and attending the rare functions that etiquette required during my supposedly "waking hours".
My life as an agent started usually late at night and I would work sometimes to the early hours of the morning, depending on the size and nature of my assignments. In contrast to the little charade that I put on in front of my mostly clueless family and friends (excepting Shizuka and her mother), I have the ability to survive for long periods of time with extremely little sleep. In fact, three or four hours of sleep each day is all I require to keep me going, and allow me to think clearly enough to crack the most difficult codes nightly for a monthly period. However, my lifestyle really aided my deception because during the day I would shut down my mental activities to a bare minimum and zone out. Thus my constant silences, vacuous expressions and moments of dozing off are by no means faked … …
*End of Flashback*
I spent the rest of the afternoon in my music room, letting the soothing music wash my troubles away. I lost myself in the beautiful pieces until my stepmother sent the servants to summon me to dinner. With a regretful sigh, I placed my violin back into the case with great care. I had outgrown the violin that I received at five of course, but my father had given me another of my mother's violins. When I try hard enough, I can picture my mother as a little girl, growing up and playing her violins pretty much the same way as me. However, my emotional scars from her early demise are starting to fade and I must confess that there are times when I find it a bit tough sticking to my emotionless mask. Fortunately, my friends and family believe that I am starting to emerge from my "shell", thanks to my beautiful fellow agent.
Dinner was a quiet affair as per normal with my father being tied up at his office and my monosyllabic replies to an occasional question from my stepmother. I can't deny that she tries but I have not forgiven her for replacing my mother so soon. I have wondered why she has not provided my father with another heir as yet, just in case any mishap should befall me. I mean I am the only one in our gang that does not have any siblings. However, I decided subsequently that it was none of my business especially since I am not particularly concerned about my inheritance … …
My thoughts were suddenly disturbed as I received a now familiar electric jolt through my left arm, leaving a tingling feeling behind. Immediately a frown ceased my brow – I had been looking forward to a decent sleep. I surreptitiously snuck a glance at my multi-purpose watch and confirmed that the indicator was on. Although the watch I wore is a perfect replica of the one that I was given on my seventh birthday, it had been given to me by J (as per the rest of the multi-purpose watches that I outgrew) and had been designed and manufactured using the latest and most advanced technology. Besides the normal functions of a watch and including the replacement of alarms/vibrators with the mild jolt of electricity in order to avoid unwanted attention, this watch also acts as a miniature computer and communication device amongst other things. My natural curiosity won out and I excused myself from the table very soon. I made my way rapidly to my bedroom and locked myself in the toilet. Once alone, I pressed a button on my watch and scanned that the short message that appeared.
"Stein, special request for your performance by distinguish guest at usual time and place … …" I was irritated but intrigued at the same time. Over the past year or so, very few of my assignments reached the level of secrecy that required me to actually return to my "schoolroom". Most of the other assignments could be performed on my computer at home, although I had to take the usual precautions to ascertain that I was alone and subsequently destroy all evidence of my work.
However, the rare "schoolroom"
assignments were the most challenging, and I recalled one that strained my
capacities to the limit where Prof and I had slogged on it every night for two
weeks. When we finally completed the
decoding of the message, we both turned pale at the enormity of the
message. Prof got in touch with J
immediately and I went home only to end up having nightmares for a week, waking
up in bed every night screaming my head off.
My father and stepmother were extremely worried as they suspected that I
was suffering a relapse and wanted to send me to a group of psychiatrists. In the end, I took strong sleeping pills on
the sly to knock myself out on the nights that I did not have to work. However, these nightmares finally stopped
when the active agents were able to foil the terrorist attempt because of the
information we provided. This happened
barely six months ago and now I am "called" for another assignment. I can only hope that our findings will not
prove as ominous as the previous one.
Oh and between, Stein is my code name.
J selected it as an acronym for "Einstein" to reflect my mental
capabilities – I must say that I was rather flattered at his explanation even
though I knew it was simply an indication of his ability to manipulate people.
I flushed the toilet and set my watch alarm, deciding to take a nap to "recharge" my batteries in preparation of the long nights that awaited me. The familiar electric jolt woke me up at midnight and I turned off the alarm, glancing at the bedside electronic clock to double check the time. After a quick visit to the toilet, I felt more refreshed and changed into my "night-prowler" clothes that consisted of a pair of dark jeans and an equally dark jumper. I stepped out onto my balcony and climbed swiftly and silently down the wall, my hands and sneakers automatically finding the metal rungs that had been cleverly camouflaged by the abundant growth of ivy covering the walls. Landing lightly on my feet, I quickly slunk into the shadows and stayed there for a moment, ensuring that no one was any the wiser that I had left my bed. Taking a deep breath, I let the cold night air clear my head before straightening from my crouched position and quietly sneaking out, still keeping to the shadows. I recall the normal adrenaline rush and feeling ready to take on the world. However, now I can only wonder at the naivety of my ten-year old self - nothing could have prepared me for what was to come … …