I was led back into the reception area. Amongst the small array of bustling staff and patients, three figures stood still in front of the desk.
As we approached, the figure in the middle of the trio, a man with short black hair and a light grey suit, turned towards me, with his companions following in tow. The other two were wearing black uniforms similar to the ones I saw outside. The one on the left was a good foot taller than the rest, with a narrow head and short trimmed black hair. The one on the right had wide shoulders and a square head with a "squashed" face like a pug dog. Up close, I could see their kevlar vests and pistol holsters hanging by their hips. Police, maybe? I was beginning to feel nervous. If they were here for me, what were they going to do?
Dr. Acharya gestured for me to stop a few steps ahead of him as he walked up to the trio. I stood next to Eric as I listened in on their conversation.
"Mr. Taschen, just before you make any judgements, let me explain-"
"Doctor." Said the suited man, cutting Dr. Acharya off.
"When I'm awoken at three in the morning and hear the words "hospital" and "explosion" in the same sentence, it does not paint a pretty picture. So this better be a damn good explanation." He said with clear irritation.
Dr. Acharya gave a short sigh and brushed his hand through his hair before responding.
"Well, first of all there was no explosion-"
"Then what was that?" Mr. Taschen interrupted, pointing to the ceiling, his anger not faltering.
My fears had been confirmed. I knew last night's "outburst" would have gained the attention of those outside the hospital, leading to much more serious repercussions.
"It was a psionic burst, sir. But-"
"Psionic?!" Mr. Taschen yelled, interrupting Dr. Acharya yet again.
Mr. Taschen looked at me, then looked to the uniformed man on his right and snapped his fingers.
"Bring him here, I want to see if he's tagged."
The square-headed man began to march towards me, but Eric quickly got in front of me and lifted my right arm by grabbing my inhibitor.
"No need for that, Sir. He has already been tagged." Said Eric with a calm and professional manner, ignoring the large man in front of us, clearly annoyed by his manoeuvre.
Mr. Taschen gave a quick grunt of irritation.
"Then you bring him to me, I want to make sure he's got that on properly."
Eric then looked to Dr. Acharya, who gave a reluctant nod to Mr. Taschen's direction.
Eric sighed and let go of my arm. He looked at me and gave a similar nod before we both walked towards the suited man, the stout guard walking back to his side.
"The inhibitor, let me see it." He said as soon as we were in front of him. He gestured for me to lift my arm, not really looking in my direction.
I did has instructed, he quickly grabbed the device with his left hand while he fumbled for something in his pocket with his right. He then then pulled out a small tablet, similar to what Dr. Acharya had and waved it over my inhibitor. A beeping noise was heard from the tablet and he stared at it for a minute, not letting go of my inhibitor.
I got an uncomfortably close look at his face while he did this. His face appeared wrinkled and layered, but his skin was smooth and sweaty looking. His hair was thick, but it looked greasy in parts. All these features made him look a lot older than he probably was, and only added to his stressed out demeanour, but that wasn't the only thing. I noticed an offensively thick smell radiating from him as he stood in front of me. I tried my best not to look sick.
Thankfully, he let go of me and straightened himself. Giving one last look at his tablet before turning back to Dr. Acharya.
"And he's had no further mishaps since?"
"No, sir. He had caused us no trouble and, as you can see, the inhibitor functions as normal."
"Is he in need of further medical treatment?"
"Well, uh, actually, um-"
"Yes or no, Doctor?"
"Well, no sir, but-"
"Then he shall be housed in the Psi-Safe unit in Sector A. Well, I'm glad we-"
"Sir!" Said Dr. Acharya, raising his voice slightly.
"With all due respect, I do not believe that is wise right now. I can understand him being dismissed from the hospital, but with the nature of his arrival, I think we should take more consideration into where he stays, he might become a target of unwanted attention. Also, there is the matter of his displacement."
Dr. Acharya took a few steps closer to Mr. Taschen.
"You are aware he was found in a stasis pod, correct?" He said in a hushed tone.
"Oh, yes. I saw the footage."
"He claims his last known location was in the United Kingdom, in twenty fifteen."
Mr. Taschen's eyes widened for a spilt second before responding.
"And you believe him?"
"I was there when he was removed from the stasis pod. He has given me no reason to think he is lying or confused. I just don't think it's wise for him to be pushed out there when he hasn't even been given the chance to contact his family, just to give him some sense of stability."
Mr. Taschen looked at Dr. Acharya with sheer disdain for a split second before he suddenly pulled a wide smile across his face.
"We cannot allow for overdue stays, Doctor, not with things beings as they are. As for his displacement, he will be put on the comms rota like everyone else."
"Also, we have to be realistic." He said in a low voice. "It's best he get used to it now. Don't leave him clinging."
Dr. Acharya took a few steps back away from Mr. Taschen, looking at the ground.
"Rest assured," Mr. Taschen raised his voice.
"I'll be sure that, um…" He looked at Dr. Acharya pensively.
"George?" I said, meekly.
"-George will be safe in Sector A. I'll notify the peacekeepers of the new arrival and tell them to keep an eye on him once you send me his profile. We can discuss the cost of repairs later."
"Yes, sir." Weakly responded Dr. Acharya.
"Can I ask something?" I said, raising my finger.
Mr. Taschen then turned to me.
"Yes? What is it, son?"
"What's a psi-safe unit?"
"Oh, it's an area with wide-range inhibitor so you don't have to wear that clunky thing all the time." He said, pointing at my wrist.
"Don't you worry, George. Sector A is a safe and friendly community, I'm sure you'll be happy there once you're settled in."
Mr. Taschen, looking pleased with himself, then turned to Dr. Acharya.
"I understand your concerns Doctor, but I think this is the best course of action. It will certainly be better that you won't have to worry about unwanted onlookers invading your hospital to see George or risk having another unwanted psi-outbreak. He'll certainly be safer there where the peacekeepers are on patrol and the wide-range inhibitor can keep his abilities under control."
The Doctor sighed.
"I assume. I'm trusting you'll notify the peacekeepers as soon as possible? And, please, keep his the nature of his displacement between us?"
"Do not worry, Doctor. I am as concerned for our new citizen's safety just as much as I want your hospital to be able to help the public as much as it can." He said with an air of pride.
"And the boys here will certainly know to keep their lips sealed about the details of our little friend here, correct?" He said sternly, looking at the men on either side of him
"Yes, sir." They both said in unison.
"Well, it looks like we're done here, I'll-"
"Um, sir?" Said the tall man on Taschen's right.
"There's still the matter of how the patient was apprehended after the incident last night. I think it is in your best interest to know exactly what happened, for the sake of security."
"Oh, um, yes! Care to enlighten us, Doctor?"
I suddenly remembered the promise I made to Adam, I decided to speak up.
"I'd rather say this myself…" I feigned a look of embarrassment.
"I was… frightened by my surroundings and attempted to defend myself. In doing so I only managed to hurt myself and knock myself out after I cause that blast. When I woke up I had the inhibitor attached to me."
Mr. Taschen then looked to Dr. Acharya again, this time with a stern face.
"Is this true?"
I face Dr. Acharya look at me with confusion for second, before his eyes widened and he turned back to Mr. Taschen.
"Yes, that's the gist of it. Eric, you were there, weren't you?"
"Huh? Oh, yeah! I saw him on the ground and then Adam pulled him up and sent him to me. Psionic fatigue, good thing he didn't suffer an aneurysm." He said, nudging me in the shoulder.
"You said you were "frightened."" Said the tall man, looking down at me with beady eyes.
"What of, exactly?"
"Well, I had never seen a Viper or a Sectoid before. So I reacted rather emotionally."
"Doctor, are you sure he is right mental state for life outside, especially in Sector A? That area has a high population of extra-terrestrials." Said the tall man.
"Well, He's already been properly introduced to Mary and Adam, the aliens in question. And he seems to have adjusted to them exceptionally well, far better than some who have been with aliens for years. I even saw him have lunch with Adam earlier today. But it is ultimately up to him whether he feels like he can acclimate to, um, his new environment."
The tall man then turned to me, a look of doubt on his narrow face.
"And would you be capable of "adjusting" to living among a plethora of extra-terrestrials?"
I paused for a second, considering the fact that I may, no. will encounter beings I might being shocking or unimaginable. But this was the world I lived in now. I had to swallow my discomfort, anything was better than being cooped up in here."
"Yes. I am certainly more mature now. I promise that I will not behave inappropriately to my fellow residents."
I knew what I said sounded a bit plastic, but I was sincere in my reasoning. After a moment of silence, Mr. Taschen turned towards Dr. Acharya yet again.
"Well then, I guess that's that."
I suddenly heard someone give a faint shout in the back, but I couldn't see past the trio.
"I hope you'll give me George's profile later today…"
I then heard the sound of something large and heavy being pushed along the ground, coming closer to us.
"…And I'll have the arrangements set up tomorrow morning."
It was then a colossal shape loomed upwards from behind Mr. Taschen. I looked up to see the face of a snake, with white scales on the face and piercing red eyes.
The trio then turned around to face the creature, Taschen made a surprised "oh" sound, with no real sense of urgency behind it, while his guards pushed him behind them with their hands on their holsters.
"Oh, no, there's no need for that." He said, looking at each of his guards, causing them to ease up.
"You really shouldn't sneak up on people like that, miss. It can led to misunderstandings." Any false charm in his voice dissipated with his last sentence, bordering on threatening.
"Sorry." The giant snake said flatly, with a long, prolonged "S".
This Viper not only appeared much taller than Mary by at least a metre and a half, her scales consisted of a clear white on her face and down her body, whilst the sides were a slightly dark yellow. She appeared to wearing some sort of black shirt with various pouches attached and what looked like a tool belt hanging just below her shirt.
"We're here to meet him." She said, pointing one of black talons directly at me.
"Well, we were just leaving anyway." Said Taschen, having reverted to his more cheerful demeanour almost instantly. He and his guards walked over to the glass doors at the end of the hall.
"I expect that profile by tonight, Doctor!" He said as he left the hospital.
The Viper then turned back towards me, her mouth slightly open in what looked like a smile. She slowly closed in on me, craning her head down to my face. I could she what looked like a pair of goggles atop her head, just above her eyes. I side-stepped towards Eric, touching his arm with my shoulder.
"So, this is sleeping beauty." She said in a teasing tone.
It was then Dr. Acharya calmly walked up to the Viper and looked up at her.
"Miss." He said, causing the Viper to turn her head away from me and towards him.
"You are making my patient uncomfortable. Please give him space and use inside postures." He said with a hint of authority behind his words.
"Oh, um, sorry." She said, sounding embarrassed.
She then slithered a few metres away from me and shifted her body downwards so that more of her tail was on the floor and made her seem slightly shorter.
So much for not being afraid. I would've held Eric's hand if the Doctor didn't pitch in that moment. I moved away from him, embarrassed, and I saw him give me a similar unamused look.
It was then the glass doors at the front of the hall opened again, with two figures rushing in, one falling with his hands on his knees.
"Shakti!" He said between pants.
"You have to stop doing that." He continued as he rose up and walked towards us with the other figure in tow. I could see that they were both wearing grey jumpsuits with black vests similar to the one the Viper wore.
The tired-looking man wore a black beanie and had a light stubble on his face. The man across from him sported a large brown beard and a red bandana over his head. He twirled a key in his fingers as walked.
"You should learn to keep up!" The Viper said, her jokey tone returning.
"Give him a break, we can't slither like you can." Said the bearded man.
"Hey, doc. I see the tadpole's got his legs." He said as he approached us.
"Good afternoon, Kacper." Dr. Acharya replied with a weary voice.
"Hey, mate." He said, looking at me. "How're you holding up?"
I struggled to form a response, with all that had happened in the short space of time. I just looked between The Viper and Kacper for a moment, causing him to give a short chuckle.
"Shakti! You didn't freak him out, did you?" He said, obviously amused.
The Viper held her hands together and looked down.
"I was a bit… uh, overeager."
She then looked over to me.
"Sorry about that. It's just that when I saw you just standing up there in that crowd I wanted to get a closer look. I'm Shakti, by the way. That's Kacper and David." She said, gesturing to the two men by her side.
"What's your name?" She asked.
"George." I said, finally getting a hold of myself. "You said you were here to see me?"
"We're with the Clean-Up Crew." Said David, wiping sweat from his brow.
"Ol' Shakti's the one who fished you out of that lake." Said Kacper, pointing his thumb at Shakti, who appeared to be smiling.
"We came to see if you managed to control your temper after that little show you put on last night." Shakti said, looking up at the ceiling.
"Wait, how did you know it was me?" I said.
"Your stasis pod had a built in psionic inhibitor, we only found out recently. And with the explosion last night, we came to see if we didn't accidently unleash something we shouldn't have." Said David.
I was a bit off put by his words, making me sound like some kind of monster.
"A bit late now, don't you think?" Said Dr. Acharya, unimpressed.
"You could've in the morning if you were that worried."
"Like I said, I didn't find the inhibitor in the pod until just a half-hour ago. I was dissecting the machine when I found it and when I heard about an "explosion in Sector B", I started putting the pieces together."
"Wait, stop." I said.
"Do you still have the pod?"
"Um, yes?" Responded David.
"Can you take me to it?"
"After what happened last night?" Said David, impetuously. "I'm not letting you near my workshop."
"David, chill out. He's tagged, see?" Said Kacper.
"But then why did it happen?"
"Look, let me explain." I proceeded to tell them the story of my awakening, including the lie about Adam.
"Oh, is that why you were scared when I came in?" Asked Shakti, timidly.
"Your, um, entrance was a bit sudden. But I'm fine now, don't worry."
There was a pause for a moment. I sighed and gathered my thoughts. I looked at the rest of the Crew.
"Look, I'm just… lost right now. Maybe if I see the pod for myself, I'll get some answers. Maybe jog my memory. Please, just let me see it."
The Crew, along with the Doctor looked about each other before Kacper responded.
"I see no harm in it. I think he's entitled to a look-see."
"If you're going to take him into the city then I think Eric should accompany-"
"Doctor." I interrupted. "That isn't necessary, I can take care of myself."
"You- you're right. I understand."
"Well? Can you take me to it?" I asked the Crew.
David looked hesitant.
"Fine, just don't touch anything unless I say otherwise when we get to the workshop."
"Well then, let's get a move on!" Said Kacper with a big smile on his face.
"Come on, kid!" He said as walked towards the entrance twirling his keys again.
The rest of the crew followed, with Shakti dragging her long yellow tail across the floor. I began to follow them.
"Stay safe, alright?" Shouted Dr. Acharya as I made my way through the glass doors and onto the street for the very first time.