Chapter 34: Do I know you?

Wake Louchette

The guards surrounded me as we walked towards the place where our head wants to see me. I haven't chained after all, and this made me feel safer. It sighed thought, weighing how these people trusted me with not escaping. I fixed my collar, and with confidence, I entered Mr. Steeven's office, adept in standing right in front of him.

The guard spread away and positioned themselves in every corner of this spacious office with only a single table. I faced the head without thinking about the negative things that he will say. Precisely, I knew he was going to mention the punishment.

I stood up straight, looking at his back as he was facing the city through the one-sided transparent glass.

"I did not expect that you would be that stubborn to follow the commands for our security. You were only thinking about yourself, not the companies dignity." He started the conversation with a calm, unimpressed voice. I nodded my head once as a form of recognizing his words. I knew that he would remind me of the mission, obligation, and responsibility we had here in Mystica.

"I just did what I think was right." I refuted. I have nothing to worry about it. I knew that I did nothing wrong in the eyes of justice. Besides, as the company's prime drivers, these people started to become more straightforward with their responsibilities.

He sighed in bitterness. "You're selfish. Do you even think what might the people in the world gossips about us?" He asked while maintaining the pressure of his voice from getting angry and speaking too loud.

I understood what he felt, but I did not think this is reasonable.

I breathed an air deeply as I tried to avoid being disrespectful to him. "To save Sarah is our only way to continue our experimentation to her-"

He passively turned back to face me with his hands in his pockets and cut off my words. "You're saving her for another reason," he sarcastically laughed in a second before he continued, "Don't try to fool me."

I stilled in warm guilt about what he said. It was remotely different from my expectation of him, giving me a more formal approach. I just let out a bit of a sinister smile on my face. I didn't fool him. He was overacting.

"My apologies," I bowed my head for a while, "I didn't mean to offend you." I asserted as I stared back at him.

He smirked. "Oh well, the damage has been done. What's your plan right now? Can you bring back the identity we had?" He referred to those tens of media reports giving negative views to the company. Those were claiming that the company was naive for exposing Sarah to the public without forecasting the consequences.

Damn, this media nowadays doesn't know anything.

I gathered my confidence first before giving my answer. "What identity are you talking about?" I asked without hesitation, neglecting his high-profile status.

"Really, wake?" He asked back, pretending to be shocked. He slightly twisted his body to see the guards around us. "Are you serious?" He added.

"We are supposed to be the one who protects the people by saving the environment, and now you ruined the mission we had. You immediately agreed to that goddam girl's request to go out without even telling me!" At this point, his voice raised while roaming around the room. He was right. It was Sarah who asked to see the outside world.

"She stuck in this place for much time, and I knew how she felt. It's not easy to get isolated." I reasoned while keeping myself away from getting mad.

"So you let her destroy the roads and kill human nature?" He quickly countered in a question. I was caught off guard and wasn't able to answer him back. He had a point. I was careless to know the situation.

When he noticed that I wasn't able to respond, he warned. "Defend yourself, or else you'll fall asleep for three months." I knew exactly that this would happen afterward. They will inject a synthesized chemical that would let the person feel dead for some time. It does stop you from waking up through stopping your heartbeat, but it doesn't kill you at all. After a few months, they will insert something in your nerves that will function your heart again.

I gathered my thoughts first before telling him my perspective. I wasn't afraid of the consequence. Besides, my family doesn't care about it.

I raised my head, and looked at him with conviction. "My conscience is clean. I have done what was supposed to be done. If you think that I did wrong with the company, then be it. I have nothing to regret." I stated.

He grinned while glancing to my teammates who stood beside the door. I saw them looking down, dumbfounded. Hisha looked normal as she stared at me with her cold, cautious eyes. I can't say what she felt that time, but the thing was, she also already knew this would happen. Most likely, she wasn't surprised at all.

-

"Any words to your teammates before you temporarily sleep?" Jarvis, one of the most outstanding doctor in the city, asked as he prepared the syringe. He was wearing his typical medical attire.

I was laying on this elevated bed in the middle of this cold facility while thinking of the things that might happen along the way afterward. My temmates stood beside the metallic table right at the side of the bed. Elaine and Aniela assisted the doctor for arranging the machines needed for exctracting the chemical. They moved like a crawling turtle, pobably wanting to delay the process as they wish me awake for a bit of time. While Alexis and Gabriel stared at me with their tears wanted to fall. Alexis wasn't wearing any make up at this time. Gabriel's hands were shaking as he felt uneasy.

Hisha wasn't around. I have no idea where she was right now. I was hoping that by the time I am not around, she will do her job properly.

When Jarvis was done preparing stuff for my charge, he began to wipe a moist cotton at my pulse area. He pressed the plunger a bit to eject the chemicals. Then, he slowly laid the needle for about fifteen or forty-five degrees.

However, he stopped when we heard a loud footsteps entering the door. They glanced to that person who disrupted the means while I was resting.

It was Christian.

His breathing was heavy that it made his eyes wide opened. He probably ran a while ago.

"What's the matter?" Jarvis asked him. A slight of irritation can be sense to his voice.

Christian managed to catch his breath before he spoke. "We found Sarah."

I was closing my eyes at that time, but when I heard the name of Sarah, I instantly became alive. I looked at him and he spotted me immediately.

Christian didn't say any further words, instead, he moved a step at his right to allow the guards to get in with the person that I was wishing to see before I fell asleep.

When Sarah stepped in, I stared at her. I wanted her to approach me badly, but that doesn't really matter. As I saw her walking towards my spot with the guards holding her arms, I felt more content and filled.

"Excuse us for a while." One of the guards faced Jarvis, instructed him with his gestures to wait outside. Jarvis politely followed. It was also true for my teammates.

When the doors shut, that guard spoke to me. "Mr. Steeven knew that Sarah is important to you. So he told us to let you see Sarah for a moment." He informed. After which, they untied Sarah's chain on her pulses and left, except for that one officer who stood beside the door.

Sarah looked around the room. Her eyes were searching for any information that would give her an idea of where she was.

Such an innocent lady.

I can't help myself from smiling at her as she stood beside me. My face lightened up as I raised my back and sat down in front of her.

I told her the words that I wanted to say, but I felt a pain in my heart when I finally heard her voice when she responded to me. It wasn't the thing that I expected. I wasn't able to think when those words she uttered stabbed me. It was like slowly killing myself. My lips shut in silence, and my eyes can't accept the plain, neutral reaction that she showed. She stared back to my eyes, feeling literally empty about the words I spoke to her. She stood up, questionable and wary towards me.

But, why? This can't be!

What happened to her? Why is she like this?

"Sarah...I-"

"Do I know you?"