13 What a bliss

Alastor waited for a few seconds without a word and observed the senseless decoding of the system as the binary codes flashed back forth over in the screen as Cid decrypts it, until the entry blinked green and there came a faint groan and began to open. He focused, not dividing his attention with his senseless thoughts, and concealed himself in the shadow waiting and avoiding the white hue as he jogs across the platform.

He could see behind the building, the large edifice that serves as a place of their experiments. At the end of the narrow alleyway at the side of the building, there he saw the emerging presence of someone he knew. Linda can be seen, as she emerged from hiding in the dark, wearing a red tight jacket, closed zippers that emphasize the bust fullness. Her red lipsticks highlight as the light makes way to her milky skin.

“Where is your mask?”

“Right, I forgot, sorry.” She pulled out her mask and covered it on her face. She turns back and sneaks in.

He follows her and enters the downward side of the building, until the following leads him to an open concrete way, “Hey, where are we going next?” Asked Alastor.

Linda pointed out the stairs behind the parking lot, “Once we reached the twentieth floor there will be a ventilator that is connected to the panel bridge.”

Alastor questioned, “Bridge?”

Cid explained it again, “Yes kid. The bridge that connects to the Experiment Sector that is inside of that gigantic industrial furnace, it requires two keycards that need to be simultaneously entered. The panel is at the same level, you just have to look around the office.”

Linda raised her brow. She couldn’t get the gist on how Cid knows this, “I thought you had no idea about the place?” She questioned.

“I said ‘There’s no way I could get an actual blueprint of the place.”

“Then how did you know this?” She instigates.

“I have a Uhm…” He stuttered.

“Let me guess. You hit one of their staff, didn’t ya?” Ken asked.

“I wouldn’t say ‘hit’. I prefer the words ‘infiltrating with perks.” Cid explained with enthusiasm.

“I guess you’re the only Spy who could do that.” Tin snorted.

“Hey!” Cid growled.

The heavy breathes produced by the tired lungs softly echoes at the stairways that they’re taking. Finally reaching the ventilation, Linda snatches out a lapel from her pocket, she presses the button of the flower head figure and its shape turns into a screwdriver, “What is that?” Alastor asked.

“This is a tool for thieving.” She huffed as he reached the bolts of the ventilation filter.

Upon opening the ventilation filter, Linda was surprised how wide the duct is, “Well this is convenient.” Alastor followed her lead as Cid guided their way to the level. He keeps changing the direction of his gaze as the plumpness of her stock slowly shoving as they take the right turn.

Linda can feel the gaze of the young man, “What’re you looking at?” He already altered the attention of his gaze for the last second, but still, she could feel the inconspicuous gaze coming from her back.

“It’s nothing.” His poker face seems rather convincing; she let out a sigh and proceeded without saying any words.

In the cause of boredom, Ken breaks the silence.

“Hey Cid, this is where you hit the lady, aren’t ya?”

“For the love of God, Ken will you shut your mouth?” She sheepishly said.

“Dude, there’s no ‘hit’ happening that time.” Cid protested.

“I doubt that.”

The air inside the duct is unpleasant and irritating to breathe, the clouds of dust falling over their faces and shrill mechanical sound are produced from the propeller rotating ahead of them.

Some of them are useless and are not working. After a few routes, they had found themselves cornered.

“Crap,” Linda muttered.

“Let’s get out of here.” Alastor leaned back and proceeded at the left side, disarraying with a quick pull of the shaft, creating a metallic sound that is carefully held.

Linda had followed him and the two of them found themselves in the promenade part of the building.

“Where are we, Cid?”

“You’re on the eighteenth floor. Lemme check the population of the next floor.”

Cid continued tapping on his laptop, creating a rhythm coinciding at the tapping of Linda’s foot, groaning in waiting. Alastor eyes narrowed, grunting. He scoured the surrounding, waiting also for the confirmation of Cid.

“Lucky for you guys, apparently there is no personnel at the thirteenth to the nineteenth floor. So, its best safe to use the stairs.”

“Stairs? we can’t use elevators?” Linda grunted.

“No, company’s policy. They’re using a card reader in every corner of the office in this building.”

“We’ll be damned.” Alastor hissed.

“Don’t worry, I know how the system of the building works. Going to the next ladder and finding another ventilation duct is the best option we have right now.” Just as Cid said those words, an alarm begins to siren, flashing in red lights.

“You were saying?” Alastor scoffed.

“Heh-heh. Sorry.”

The two of them hurriedly jog at the dark entry underneath the ascending floor to the elevator. As they roam, there’s a bleep entry from the elevator.

They emerge at the dark enclosure, halting their motion and slowly walk through their way. The patrolmen came down laughing, unaware of the duo hiding in the darkness. They could hear them talking about their fellow patrolman’s rattled reaction at the false alarm. The two glanced back at each other, nodding and silently proceeded.

They had found the ventilation and without a flinch, they scourged inside of it. Taking a few routes, until they found the exit of the ventilation they sought. They hid and observed down from the ventilation shaft as the dozen’s footsteps drew closer. Once they saw the individual who was casually walking at the platform with a bunch of bodyguards, they already knew it’s an important person. They couldn’t see its face as the hooligans surrounded him, but he could hear the angry voice echoing in the marble pavement of the edifice. The voice is deep, hoarse in distressedness.

“Now I want you to redo it! This is the fifth time that it fails! Mister Theo wouldn’t be pleased if he found another failure again! Look I am being considerate here because I am kind, but these failures are getting on my nerves. So, chop-chop, make the salary worth it.”

They entered the elevator and the scientist that was scolded turned his way around. They could see through the transcended window the two guards entering the keycards, disconnecting the bridge.

“What the hell is happening here?”

Linda let out a squeaky noise as Ken surprised her, “For god sake, you scared the shit out of me.”

“What took you so long?” Alastor asked, cowering down as he opened the filter.

“Hey, would you mind if we get out now?” Ken asked, ignoring the question. “Wait, Cid, what’s next?” Linda asked.

“Okay, listen to me. Though it may seem that there’s no guard, they’re together in one room.” Explained Cid.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, I am sure. My hunch never gets wrong.” Cid affirmed.

Alastor nodded, agreeing to what he said, “He’s right. They may be slacking because they thought that the securities of the other levels are enough.”

“Wow, I wonder if their boss knows about this. I mean he didn’t even suspect the quietness of the place.” Ken said.

“Those who get cocky get diss off first,” Alastor said with enthusiasm.

Linda suspiciously gaze at Alastor, “Why gave me that look?” He asked.

“I wonder sometimes how old you are.”

Alastor didn’t get her, “What do you mean ‘old’?”

Sipping the hot coffee, the guard lay off his feet onto the empty part of the panel, unwinding with the music. His partner seems to be a bit off and couldn’t resist the urge.

“Hey, I’m gonna go jingle. Would you mind looking it out for me?” He growled as he hurriedly reached the door.

“Don’t worry, it’s not like someone might be able to hack and break the security systems.” He goes out and doesn't even bother to react to his words. After releasing, he washed and proceeded back to the control panel room as the gang knocked him down.

Even though jazz music echoes in the room, he is still able to hear the loud thump near the room. He decided to go out only to find out the fallen partner. He turns on his walky-talky to call for back-up, but it was too late, Ken delivers a round kick by way of stopping the guard.

“Room secured,” Linda reported.

“Good, now I wanted you to insert a plugin to one of the computers.” Cid requested.

Alastor inserted his hand on his jacket and pulled out a box that has a small antenna and a connector. After inserting it, binaries show up and in a couple of seconds there was an alert, requiring a passcode, “It needed a passcode.” Linda and Ken were watching outside the room, scouting the area, wary of the possibility of patrolling guards

“Okay, how about using the keycard? That might work.” Cid suggested. Alastor inserted the keycard to the hole and the hunch was right. Cid began to decode the system and break down the algorithm, then came the downloading files in the frame.

“What’re you doing Cid?”

“I am copying the files from their previous activities. We might be able to find a use of it.”

The keycards were held by Linda and Ken. They simultaneously slide the keycards and the disconnected bridge created a low hum sound. The engine rumbled faintly as the two separated the channels that connect. After it, there came the rumble of machinery’ and with a faint groan, the door began to part.

Walking in the metallic bridge, Alastor looked above at the main building; the size of it is incomparable to what it looks like outside the industrial furnace. Ken conspicuously looked at Alastor, “I heard that you’re a top learner back in the Glade?”

“Not really, I just got lucky.” Alastor humbly replied.

“Hmm, Linda here is also a top learner too. She was ranked as an A-class mercenary. What about you?” He spat again.

“It doesn’t matter.” He flatly said, dismissively shaking his head.

“It doesn’t matter?’ Dude, having a high remark means the reliant you could be. The more reliant you could be, the more you receive money.” He reasoned.

Alastor turned around to Ken, his eyes reflected disappointment, he began to explain his side, elaborately, “Having a higher remark doesn’t mean we’re incapable of making any mistakes nor anyone couldn’t be able to make progress. Even after the education we received from the Glade, we are still able to learn something and might surpass others even the gap of their rank. It’s a matter of will if someone is prepared to breach the gap. You should change that kind of belief. Under-qualifying someone based on the number of their paper may lead you to some grave mistakes in the future.”

Ken with his discontented expression, protested, “I think you forgot that we live in a society that demands talents, not ideologies. Corporates like Kelby Hives look for people who are capable of doing perfectly and their jobs and look where the road they lead on.”

“Don’t forget, it will all fall to the attitude and living our life. Let’s say you’re capable of doing your job perfectly, but if you don’t have the heart to do it, will you be able to continue doing it for the next few years?”

“Well, maybe no, but there’s no way we can find the right answer to that. I mean, we don’t have a life that we are living for, we are nothing but a group of mercenaries that was sent out across the region. How about you? Are you living your life?”

“I don’t know what I am living for, but as of now I am still finding the reason to what I should live for.”

“See. Even if you don’t know what you’re living for and yet you must still pursue getting a higher degree, you don’t need a reason to have a change in attitude or reasons for your living as long as you have the talent to earn it.”

“You get it wrong, what I’m trying to say is that – I’m living because I want to have a meaning for what I am living for. It’s just that I don’t know what am I living for right now, but I know that my life wouldn’t be an empty shell for long, there is so much for me to see in this world. This moment we are living is but a part of a phase, the future itself is an untold word of pages that you’re the only one who can fill the blank slate. Don’t let the material things take over the mind.”

Linda was silently listening to them and nodded in agreement with Alastor's words.

“I think we can all agree that this argument is getting sideways, so I hate to break it to you guys, but let’s end it here.”

Gary shot Al a sharp look – he took a deep sigh and looked at the ground, his eyes fluttering in disapproval.

“You were right, we should stop, but I won this argument.”

A blank expression written on Al’s face, the gloomy began to spread out. As of now, he couldn’t help but to teeter, he let out a heavy sigh, dispelling, “We are entitled to our opinion.” He quickly turns around and walks away before Gary could react.

Alastor notices that the building is bigger than what he thought it looked like when he was outside. The cylindrical chimney will make it look like a normal chemical factory but if you look at it inside, your perspective may change, the exterior has many quarters, most of them are operational and the others serve as a stockroom or could either be their office's meeting room.