Chapter 3: Virgo

On the way to Virgo, I thought of whatever was following me last night. What if they're a murderer waiting for the time I close my eyes until they jump in to kill me? What if it's a robber who wants to break into my house? I mean, the only thing valuable in my apartment is my high school certificate and medals for being a nerd, and maybe a really cool-looking lamp. I'm not the right person when it comes to money. Education is expensive, even though it shouldn't be. At this point, people are not even paying to learn. We're just paying to get a degree. Some people have college degrees who don't know shit, and people who have the potential to win a Nobel Peace Prize but can't pursue a legitimate career because they cannot afford it. It is a privilege to be able to go to school. If it wasn't for my job as an assistant at Virgo and the bit of financial aid I receive, I wouldn't be able to continue my path of becoming a scientist. 

Virgo is nothing compared to NASA, but it's a pretty large research center located in such a small town. I've been working here for a year and a half now, and it's been everything I've wanted and more. Most people I've met are nice and respectful, though there will always be a few rude and stuck-up ones. My team, which consists of four members, are thankfully all amazing and I love all of them very much.

"Here's your coffee, Cat Daddy." 

Orion looked away from whatever he was tinkering with. "I told you never to call me that ever again." 

"Sorry. Father of Cats." I corrected, sitting on his messy desk. "Whatcha doing?"

"A machine that goes 'DING' every time something evil comes near it." He held up the small device the size of his hand. It's just a transparent box full of wires. Its antenna pointed towards me and the box let out a 'Ding!' afterward. "Oh, it definitely works." 

I rolled my eyes and smacked his shoulder with a rolled-up comic book that had Doctor Strange, Scarlet Witch, and Loki on the cover. "You're welcome for the coffee." I skipped over to my desk, not far from him. We are in our team's main office, which consists of one big white desk that has a massive desktop computer, three smaller desks for Orion, myself, and a chemist named Sharlene Miko. Our team leader and boss, Ava Nox, has her own office in a private room located next door. 

I sat on my spinning chair and opened the red laptop on it. It's not my laptop, but one provided by Virgo. It contains pure projects that our team has ever done, as well as notes, records, charts and tables, and other important documents. At that moment, Nox and Miko entered the office, both holding some documents.

"Good afternoon." Nox greeted me, handing me a folder. "Astoria, please put this on our to-do list. We've been asked to research about that new drug going around." 

Orion snapped his fingers. "Oh, I heard about that. I think people are calling it Horcrux." 

"Like the Harry Potter thing?" Miko frowned, her bob-styled blue hair swishing as she tilted her head to the side. "How do you know?" She narrows her brown eyes at him suspiciously. She's a lot like Rosa from Brooklyn Nine-Nine. 

"I didn't take it." Orion replies quickly. "If that's what you're thinking. But if you're not, then that's cool." Orion is more like Terry. Tall and muscular, but a big softy at heart. He was a football player in high school and was planning to be in law enforcement afterward, but he decided to go after what he truly liked rather than what his parents wanted him to do, and so here he is in Virgo.

"I heard about that too." I shared, taking the attention from the father of cats. "We were talking about it in my chem class today before a lecture. People say that it supposedly is like an anti-aging drug. Not only is it supposed to help with appearance, it also prevents you from looking older, but also biologically. Like, it keeps your body from changing the way they do when humans get older, or some shit like that. My professor said it's not possible and it's all just words to promote the drug."

Nox responded, "That's what we're here to learn about." Miko handed Orion a paper. "That's a list of equipment that we will be using for our tests and experiments, please prepare them for us. Astoria, start our report outline. We will start working on it tomorrow. Right now, find out what you can about the drug online." 

Miko nodded at Orion, fixing her round-framed glasses. "This is your best look so far, Rowley." 

"Why thank you." 

The poor man has a scratch on his left jawline. Loki really doesn't like Orion, does he? 

***

After starting the outline for Project Horcrux, I went through the internet to see what people are saying about the drug. It's mostly older people taking the drug, between 40 and 75 years old. According to several people, it's as if they're immortal. Their bodies have never felt so great and look its best. The drug doesn't make them look younger, but it keeps them from getting older. Supposedly. The drug started in Asia and blew it up there, then it traveled through word of mouth and the drug made it all the way here. 

It's like magic, they said. 

After reading that, I've decided to take a break. By now, Orion has disappeared elsewhere. Miko and Nox are finishing the last assignment, so I'm by myself. I then decided to stretch my legs, so I left the room and wandered through the halls of Virgo. Usually, when I walk pass labs and offices, I just see people slacking off, doing paperwork and discussing their projects. However, today is just a weird day.

There's a laboratory next to the bathroom. Right when I was about to go in, I saw a woman with red eyes. 

Red eyes.

The door was not fully closed, so I was able to see a little bit of the room inside. As quietly as possible, I hid behind the door and watched what was happening. Two scientists wearing lab coats are studying a woman whose eyes are wide open. Her irises are red, but everything else about her appears to be normal. However, she isn't blinking and her chest isn't heaving, so it doesn't look like she's breathing either. It just looks like she's frozen with her eyes open. She looks like a statue. 

The two scientists were speaking in different languages, so I am unable to understand them because I can only understand English, basic Tagalog, and basic Spanish. Also, Japanese bad words because I have cousins in Japan. I think the scientists may be Russian. 

I'm pretty sure the sight in front of me is top classified information, but I just can't let this go. What if this woman was the one following me? They both have red eyes. Her eyes aren't glowing right now, unlike the red eyes I caught last night in the dark, but who knows? Maybe it glows brighter when it's dark. 

One of the scientists had poked the frozen woman's torso, which was covered in a sports bra. No movement. The other scientist ran a gloved-covered finger on her legs. No movement either. Her skin looks flawless but pale as if lacking blood circulation. She doesn't have scars, cuts, and bruises. That is so strange. 

It's even more strange that her eyes are looking normal and she isn't tearing up despite her not blinking. Her eyes do not look dry. It's actually still a bit glossy as if she had been crying. Those tears never left her eyes though. It's like frozen in her eyes just like the rest of her body. I wonder if she's conscious right now. Is her brain awake? 

A sudden vibration from my pocket scared the life out of me and I immediately went in the bathroom as fast as I could. I'm pretty sure the scientists heard me because my sneakers made that squealing noise when I ran, but they never went after me. I did hear that they shut the door, along with a string of harsh-sounding noises. 

'Hey, Astoria. It's Roman.' Says the message on my phone. 

Thanks for blowing up my cover, Roman. 

Another message arrived. 

'Sorry if I seemed weird today. I don't want to creep you out or anything. I'm not very good at meeting new people.'

Well, that'll explain the staring. I did find it weird, but I'm pretty sure he's not the only one who does that. I replied to him, 'No worries. I understand!' and then shoved the phone in my pocket. Taking a deep breath, I walked out of the bathroom as casually and calmly as I could. I did my best to not look at the lab that contained a red-eyed woman, though my mind won't be able to stop thinking about that. 

I made my way back to the office, still shaken up.

"You look like you just saw a ghost."

"Shut up Cat Daddy." 

***

I've decided not to tell Orion about what I saw just yet. I'm not even sure what I saw. It could just me nothing. For all I know, that woman could be a robot. It's the only explanation I can think of right now. Either that, or it's a Black Mirror episode coming to life. I haven't told him about the thing following me last night either because it could just be nothing and I'll only sound crazy. 

Right now, we are on the road to our apartment building at night, quietly listening to Orion's jazz music. Jupiter is a small town that does not have a lot of cars and big fancy modern looking buildings. The roads are usually empty by now, and there aren't a lot of lights either. Now, animals crossing the roads are not unusual. It happens from time to time, since Jupiter has a massive woods surrounding it. There's been a few deer, cats, and birds.

Wolves? Not at all.

So imagine my surprise when a huge one appeared in the middle of the road. Orion has never screamed so loud, just as loud as the noises my tires were making when I hit the brakes. 

A freaking wolf. It was crossing the road and it didn't even flinch when I almost hit it. 

As soon as we arrived, Orion and I freaked out in his apartment room. I rested on his couch, feeling my head spinning, while Orion rambled on and on about the animal. 

"Since when are there wolves in Jupiter? I haven't been here for a long time, but long enough to know that wolves don't live around this place. I mean, yes they probably migrated but Jupiter's location doesn't seem like the type of area that wolves would like to be in. That wolf was a huge one too! Do you think it would have eaten us if we got out? It didn't even look at us!" 

Meanwhile, I remained silent on the couch, with one cat resting on my stomach and another hissing by my feet. My eyes are glued to the ceiling that has a pretty chandelier, just replying the strange long day. It all started last night. The figure with red eyes. Then the women with red eyes. Meeting Roman isn't weird, but I am getting a strange vibe from him. Though that could just be the normal anxious feeling I get every time I meet someone pretty. As for the wolf, there are stranger things out there. Like red eyed people. I'm more shaken up at the fight that I almost hit it. I don't want to hit big puppies. They are cute and deserve better. Earth's global climate is changing so animals are bound to move around to places that are best suited for them. The humans fucked up the planet and animals are suffering.

" -- and don't even get me started on werewolves! There's been pictures and some videos going around the internet of people spotting creatures that look like wolves but humans at the same time! How would - " I can't tell if Orion is excited or scared. Maybe both. Now he's going on about werewolves. For Merlin's sake. Werewolves. Did we somehow got put in the fantasy novel? If so, who the fuck is responsible for writing me and why have they been so shitty? 

While deep in my silly thoughts, I felt something wet on my left cheek. I then realized that Loki had found my face and thought it would be cute to lick me. Then, he buried himself on my neck, purring loudly. I couldn't help but giggle as the cat hit a ticklish spot. 

Orion stopped talking to see what was happening.

"Oh." He scoffs. "So Astoria gets purring and nuzzling while I get hissing and scratching?" He's speaking to Loki like a jealous partner, making me laugh even more. "Alright, that's it. Astoria. Get out."

I sat up, causing Loki to land on my lap. "What? Me? I'm not even doing anything!" 

"Out." 

Snickering, I gave Loki a goodbye kiss on his forehead and stuck my tongue out at Hermione. The black cat's eyes widened and pretty much froze on his spot. 

Orion opened his door and tapped his feet impatiently. "Goodnight, Father of Cats." I patted his cheeks before entering my own apartment. 

I scolded myself loudly when I saw that I left my balcony door again. Every fucking time. I really thought I closed it this morning, but I guess I did not. Entering my room, the first thing I see is another strange thing. A perfect way to end this damn day, really. I threw my stuff on the floor and dropped to my bed, picking up a lavender rose that was resting by the end of my bed. 

A lavender rose. 

I don't think I've ever seen one in real life. It's beautiful and it smells amazing. 

Where this had come from and how it got here, I have no clue. I need everything to have a logical explanation, but right now my brain is failing to come up with one. I'm a hundred percent sure this rose was not here this morning. That means someone entered my bedroom and put it here. Unless of course, the wind brought it in through the balcony and perfectly set it on my bed but bringing nothing else in. For my brain's sake, I'm going to say it's the wind. Deep down, I know it's not.