Chapter 2

HIRO

Hiro was waiting for the second elevator to come down after he pressed the call button.

He knew why Barney, his boss, wanted to see him. It was the same reason for which he wanted to see him every day he came to work for three weeks now. After the man said 'my office', he stepped into the elevator which promptly slid close behind him.

He glanced at the noticeboard that was at his right, his eyes falling on the medium sized flyer that was pinned to the middle of it.

Planet Z Project.

They had been recruiting scientists from different medical research institutes for three months. According to the flyer, they needed forty five scientists, ten engineers, ten mechanics and five doctors. By now, they had most of the people they needed.

The project was about the new planet, Planet Z, which had been picked up by a satellite six years ago. When it was detected, the Aeronautics and Space Management, ASM, sent a satellite to orbit the new planet in order to collect more information about it.

It was just like Earth.

They were overjoyed. It was a chance at survival for humanity. They had started making plans and building a spaceship that would orbit the new planet. The scientists would then be sent to the spaceship so they could collect samples from the planet and deem if it was fit for human habitation.

That was why his boss wanted to see him.

Barney wanted Hiro to represent the Falone Institute of Medical Research by joining the program. There were other people that wanted to go but Barney was set on Hiro being the one to join instead.

The elevator finally dinged open and he stepped into it before pressing the button for the last floor. The institute had ten floors and Barney's office was on the last floor. When the elevator got to the fourth floor, Hiro took off his full face gas mask and kept it in his back pack.

He never took off his gas mask on the ground floor because he had heard a lot of stories about the decontamination chambers of medical research institutes failing at times which led to the airborne particles in the air getting into the building. Of course, the moment the chambers became faulty, they began to flash a red light to signal the people that were in the lobby to put on their gas masks but Hiro didn't like taking risks.

The elevator doors slid open when it got to the last floor and Hiro walked out.

He nodded at the female secretary who was on a call and sitting behind her desk. She gave him a quick wave as he made his way to the translucent doors of Barney's office.

"Come in," the man announced from inside after Hiro knocked on the door and he entered the office.

The office was painted grey and the tiles were white. It used to have floor to ceiling windows that faced the road but after an accident that resulted in one of the windows breaking, they had been replaced with brick walls.

Two huge windows were in one side of the room but they had curtains drawn over them. They also had a screen that could be activated to slide over them in case of an emergency.

There was a small table surrounded by chairs in one corner of the room and a bookshelf bursting with books in another.

On the black desk in the middle of the room sat a laptop, a huge book lying open and a stack of papers sitting under a paperweight. A few pens were lying on the desk but some were on the floor.

Barney Smith was sitting behind the desk in the middle of the office and scribbling furiously on a paper.

The man had high cheekbones, a symmetrical face, deep brown eyes and tanned skin. He had laughter lines around his eyes but in this moment, he looked deadly serious.

"Sit down, Hiro," he said without looking up and Hiro sat in one of the chairs opposite the man at the desk, placing his back pack on the other.

The room became silent again and Hiro dropped his gaze down to where his fingers were fiddling in his lap.

"Project Earth is being scrapped by the government," Barney stated suddenly and Hiro's head jerked up to see the man had stopped writing.

"What?" he muttered.

He felt like a hammer had been dropped on him.

Project Earth was the plan to fix planet Earth's air. He and nine other scientists had been working on it for two years. They had slaved away for hours in the lab for Project Earth and now it was being scrapped.

"Budget cuts. They're diverting funds to the Planet Z Project."

Hiro let out a scoff. He couldn't believe the government was actually doing this. They had said there was a possibility they would do this but he still couldn't believe it.

"That's bullshit," he said as he felt anger bubbling within him.

"I don't call the shots."

It was too risky. He understood the reason for which they were diverting funds to the Planet Z Project. Hell, he wanted to support the project because he knew time was running out for humans on Earth. But what happens when the scientists that are sent deem the planet unfit for human habitation.

What would they do then?

Of course they could divert all the funds to Project Earth but what if it's too late by then?

Barney placed both of his hands on the table. "You're a good person, Hiro."

'Here we go again,' Hiro thought.

"I understand you want to save people and you can still do that. You can join the Planet Z Project."

Hiro stared at the man for a couple of seconds before he pressed his lips together. "No, thanks."

He got up from the chair and snatched his bag from the other chair before heading toward the doors.

"Hiro," Barney said and he stopped, glancing over his shoulders. "Think about it and let me know your answer in three days."