On their way to Scilab, the team felt a lot stronger than they were in the past and felt that their PSI powers have gotten a boost of power than they were before. Skip noticed that he can now interface with electronic devices and computers and manipulate its data for various abilities. He quickly sketched a couple of notes about the other's newfound abilities.
The Current team condition
Jenny's abilities have developed further, she can now generate wings on her back which can transform into a circle or triangle pentagrams if she needs to cast spells or warp reality. She is now classified as a Level 8 PSI user, one of the rare few with this kind of power.
Sakura can now not only lift objects with immense ease, as well now create portals for teleportation, defense, or offense. He noted that she can cast spells now in her with her boost of power. She is now a Level 6 user.
Joe's power has upgraded to where he can set himself on fire and has increased fire manipulation. He is now level 4
As for Skip himself, he can now lift massive objects with an increased boost of power, but he can digital himself or anything for various abilities. He can still use Electrokinesis, but it is more powerful now. He is now level 5
To show, he locked on to multiple groups of the infected and fired lasers upon them. When he needs to get close, he created a digitized wolf to assist in his attack. One of the infected bit him in the shoulder, however with a snap of his fingers, he turned it into digitalized data to be discarded into the recycle bin. He can fire bolts of electricity, but he can charge up quicker and cover a wider area.
Arrived at Cryolab
Upon arriving at the distress signal source, there was no one there. Skip was certain someone was there and either the left or the infected found them by now. Joe was also glad that the frozen vine was gone but even he got the feeling that someone is here but they are not showing up. However, Sakura heard a noise in that direction and pointed to the team where it went.
Boyek's POV
S-S-Shit! Someone must have found me. Oh god... is it the infected that came to take me to that place, or is it mercenaries that seek to eliminate anyone that knows about the incident? Oh god, oh god oh god... Okay, Boyek, you can do this... God, I'm scared. T-The only way to be sure is to get my G-G-G-G-Gun ready, they'll never take me alive...
I quickly popped out of my desk and began shooting while closing my eyes. I shook with my gun in my hands, god why did I have to get into this situation. I HATE DANGER, J-J-J-Jeez! Okay... Now I have-
Someone pointing a gun to my head... it's a young woman, and she is motioning me to drop it. I hesitated, but she insists that I do so. As I dropped the gun, I asked if I can get my medicine, which she... oh god, conjure up a portal to... g-g-g-get it for me. I follow her instructions toward the center of the floor when a woman appeared from her camouflage and they were other two men aside from her. The woman looks like she is the leader of the group and ... T-T-They are a mess...
"Who are you?" she asked me in a harsh tone.
"Oh God, please don't kill me!!" I pleaded with her, but the other woman tapped me on the shoulder to get my attention.
She said: She asked you a question. We are not here to kill anyone and I know you are a scientist here in the station by wearing your lab coat. And it's Sakura Song to you.
"Oh-Oh... yeah, uhm.." I struggle to say. "I-I-I am ... uh..." I am too nervous to give them a response.
I took my medication to help me steady my nerves, but that was the last of my medicine. I felt much better, but I still hesitate to give them information. They might kill me the minute they get what they wanted, and I-I-I don't know if I can trust them.
"My name is... Boyek." I hesitantly said, "Doctor Armin Boyek..." I said.
"We are the Inface company and you are the one that contacted me via radio, perv?" she said with a smile.
Wait...
"J-Jenny?! So you're the one that called me a perv and I am not an P-P-P-P-Perv, I've just put the equipment there to help you!" I said.
"Yo man, what is the shutter? You going to shit in your pants or something like that?" he asked.
"Don't make fun of my S-S-S-S-S-S-S-Shutter! YOU GOT THAT?!" I shouted at him.
Sakura stood by me and told me: Calm down, Doctor. You have helped rescue us from the infected. We are here to help, not to do you harm.
I took a breath and apologized for my actions earlier. We headed to a table to discuss the current situation and share stories.
"Where is Millie?" I asked. "She said she'll be back, but I wasn't able to find her on my own."
"You went there by yourself with no protection?" Skip asked me, "That takes a lot of guts!" he exclaimed
"I just know where they are and how I can best avoid them," I said. "Had to use camouflage to stay hidden and to find places to hide."
"You're not good with people, aren't you, Doctor?" Jenny asked me.
"N-No... I shutter in the company of other people, I have little to no friends." I said while looking down on the table.
"Well, man... It's time that we get to know you in return." Joe said to me.
"Well... O-Okay.." I said with me, sweating for a bit. Someone kissed me on the cheek... S-S-Sakura...
I leaped up from the table, wiping off her kiss as she had germs on her.
"I-I- I uh... I'm not into women. Please don't do that again!" I said nervously after she kissed me on the check.
Skip walked me and kissed me on the lips which I was hesitant to return it... After calming down, I sat back down; I went back into the subject. Sakura wanted to know if I hated women for kissing me on the cheek or being around them.
"No... It's not that. It's just- I Uhm... Not good with talking with them..." I said.
"Still Doctor, we need your help and you can start from the beginning," Jenny said. "We are going to stop the infection from leaving the planet."
"Oh O-okay..." someone grabbed me by my hand... Skip.
"Besides, I get that too. The ladies kissed me on the cheek, too," he said. "Okay, let me explain my side of the story… P-Please bear with me."
Boyek's Background and his role within the company
I was born as Armin Rovenaho Boyek, being raised in New Russia in the Moscow region. I've lived with my mother and my brothers. I left my home when I was 30 years old because of a dispute with my mother; I was h-h-homeless for a time, didn't have many options back then. I was unemployed, by a chance encounter with my future boyfriend, Eric Parnsneck, I gave him directions to the mosque. Next thing, he invites me over to coffee; he came to visit to see his old friends in the region. He worked for the Aural Research station. When Eric offered me a chance to go with him, I didn't refuse since I-I-I hated being homeless.
With his help, I could move out of my home country and live with him for 2 years- I fell in love with him and started a relationship. I felt more comfortable around the men than with women... Probably because of my upbringing from my mother and being terrible around women. He tried to get me on a threesome... which it ended awkwardly. The doctor diagnosed me with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, Eric had urged me to get some psych help and took medication to help with my symptoms. I would get nervous when I meet new people and I start shutter ... a lot.
"What you tried to have sex with a woman?" Jenny asked me. "I'm sorry about that, Dr. Boyek. You are rugged, you know." she winked at me.
"I-I-I tried... It wasn't for me. I just didn't get turned on from them." I said, affirming that I had no interest in women.
"Tell you what... Mind if I hold you, Doctor? Don't worry, I am going not to kiss you or any of the ogling stuff. I want to make clear we need to work together to stop the infection." she asked.
I briefly smiled at the offer and I nodded my head, letting her do so despite my discomfort with women.
"I need to know about what you guys have been working on," she said to me. "You can start from the beginning when you are here at the station."
"What is it there to tell you? Jenny, right? Millie explained that there was an infection here in this station. That they were 75 of us... or were before you destroyed the AI!" I said to her. "That AI has harmed no one but the infected. Your actions have made it worse, do you hear me?! W-W-W-Worse!"
"We know!" Skip said to me. "Either it was that or the AI would have killed us all, there was no way we were going to stand there and let it kill us. Plus, it was my fault that i -"
I got up from my table and pacing back and forth. They said they have to destroy A.D.P.E.N, they didn't steal the data... Millie had to give it to them as she trusted them. Encounter infected that attacked on their way here and they don't have their Hazsuit on. Yet she hasn't contacted me back and that makes me assume 2 things: Either the infected found her and killed or these mercenaries had something to do with her death.
"Hey man, Millie has sacrificed her life to make sure we got research data out of the station!" someone speaking to me in my mind... Skip, how did he...? "Look, we need to stop the creature known as the one from escaping from this station-" I turned back to Skip, puzzled how he got its name.
"The One? I-Is that what you call them? No matter, I'll help. But my colleague is at the R&D Department, working on a weapon to stop them here. But with the — oh, my medication, I forgot to refill it!"
"Leave it to me!" Jenny said as she took my bottle while looking at the ingredients and measurements, and she dived in there to a pharmaceutical world... Is she an R-R-R-Realty Warper? Okay... Now I-I-I saw a lot. "Here are ya go!" she handed it over to me and gave me a bottle to drink "Take your medication, you'll need it now more than ever. I got these from an alternative world where their medicine is far stronger than ones we got.."
I quickly took the medication and ... I can think clearer. Whatever she got this from, it is a lot more potent than the ones that my doctor gave me. Okay, N-No time... I need to direct them to the lab where we are working on the weapon.
The Javelin...
"Before I forget, Doctor... Your role on the project before all of this happened?" Skip asked me.
"Y-You mean... "I paused "The project to discover the origins of the Biomass?" I said.
"I did my homework on the subject, I read up that Bankrift Backleton has ignored all your warnings-" I clenched my teeth at that n-n-name.
"Y-Yeah, he did... HE DID!" I made my frustration clear on what I felt about the man who didn't listen. "That greedy pig... He cared more about filling pocketbooks and making money rather than giving a rat's ass about us. I even told him... Don't do this!"
Sakura sits down near me and asks me: What happened?
I explained in the past, the CEO and I don't have a good relationship, he treats all of his employees like they are numbers to him. But most times when he called me to his office to answer about the status of the Biomass project. I would stumble to find my words and be nervous at what he'll do to me if I don't do as he said. I couldn't... wouldn't say no... I don't have Millie's courage to speak back to him, nor do I have Eric's charisma on how to handle the situation with confident grace.
"Good morning, Sir! Y-Y-You wanted to S-S-S-S-S-See-" My boss interrupted me.
"Yes, will you hurry and have a seat..." he said in a subtle & threatening tone.
"U-U-Uh, of course, heh..." I sat down, nervously twiddling my thumbs as I did.
"Pitful... Is it any wonder why I kept a spineless wimp like you around for this company?" he sat back in his chair. "I called you here for 2 reasons, Doctor...." he puffs on his cigar.
"Oh... W-W-W-Wouldn't have you prefer to speak with Dr. Stone or with Parnsmeck? I-I-I am only… "
"No. I had wanted to speak with you, Dr. Boyek." he spins his chair to look at the window "As I have built this company from where the previous founder failed. Ever since I brought with me the best minds to work for me to make a profit and to impress the board for what this company can do. We specialized in medical performance-enhancement and then we even discovered that there is a niche for PSI-Enhancements." he said.
"But why me? Surely you can-"
"Oh yes, I almost have forgotten about you, Doctor." he turned back to me with a smile on his face. "I have a friend who told me that your group has been taking material & supplies and supply from the company..."
"I don't know what you are-"
"I know, Boyek..." he gets up from the chair and headed toward me. "Your group has been preparing for something- like what? hmmm?" he puffs on his cigar at me, I coughed. "Care to elaborate, Doctor?"
Terrified for the first time in my life. My boss has asked me about our plans to prepare for emergencies. He knew that M-Millie will not talk to him on anything... He knew Eric will sweet-talk his way out of almost any situation, but...
"You don't have to.... since I can assume that you were the ringleader of this entire operation," he said.
"N-N-No! I am not, sir." I protested, but he is not dropping the matter.
"Now, Boyek... We know that you are a terrible liar. You are one of those preparing something down there. Where it is selling company secrets, derailing the project that we have here or to make me look bad?" he gets closer. By then I broke out in sweats. "So, what are you hiding from me, Boyek?"
"I-I-I-I can't say...." I stammered.
"You are going to tell me... Because I can see to that not only that I can ruin the lives of your little 'clique' but I can and will make sure that your 'Boyfriend' will lose his job here in this company..."
"H-How..?" He shocked me by revealing what he knows about our relationship, I thought me, Eric, and Millie are the only ones that know. Wait... there is a mole within the group, h-h-how else would he know.
"The little bird has told me everything but the plans to do with the stolen resources. So, are you going to tell me? Or do you want your colleagues to suffer because you wouldn't tell me...? Well, Doctor?" he gets closer to my face, and I panicked.
I was afraid that the boss would use any means to get the information he needed. Just I was getting ready to tell him everything because I don't want my colleagues or the love of my life to lose their careers... I stopped myself at the last moment.
"Well? Say it!" he barked at me.
"Y-Y-You..." I struggle to find the words to say to him. "You can ..."
"I can what, Mr. Boyek? I say the word, you won't be having your careers any longer at this point. And you'll be back where you belong... a homeless, dead man back at home." he sneered at me.
"Don't... Insult Mother Russia... A-A-And don't you even threaten me, Y-Y-You bastard!" I said despite my fears of what will happen. "I will say it A-A-Again... I am NOT the ringleader!!" I shouted back."
He only straightens his tie and snapped his fingers. Two cyborg bodyguards appeared out of nowhere.
"I am disappointed in you, Doctor. I have been nothing generous to you ever since you came to the office. I understand... my interrogators will get the information out of you. Guards, take him to the holding cells and get the answers out of him." he commands his bodyguards ... to take me to the cells...
"You CAN'T do this!!" I protested as they dragged me away.
"Mr. CEO, I have an important report." A.D.P.E.N. appears, and the cyborg stopped in their tracks. "There is an Outbreak on the underground laboratory on B3. I recommended evacuating from the station since it infects them and it can spread via contact, water, blood, saliva, and through the air ducts."
"WHAT?!" he suddenly screamed, much to my delight. "What about the cleanup crew?!" he asked A.D.P.E.N
"The clean up that I sent to the lower levels never returned an hour ago. The infection rate is increasing-"
"Prepare transportation for me and other important personnel, immediately." he quickly calmed down. "I can hire more employees to replace what I loss..."
"Y-Y-You Bastard!!" I shouted as him, but I c-c-can't move with the bodyguards hold me down.
The Ceo later left the station on his starship with the other executives, leaving everyone else to die. That b-b-bastard is going to get away with this... he is leaving the rest of us to die like we are disposable to him.
"Doctor Boyek." the A.I. spoke to me. "Do you have the Hazmat suit on?"
"Oh! Y-Y-Yeah, I have," I said.
"Good, head to B2 with the others. I have notified the others to the situation, and I have made sure that the CEO will have 'Hell to pay' when he gets back on earth." it stated.
"You mean-?" I said.
"Doctor... Ms. Stone would worry if you do not arrive within 10 mins. I will begin the extermination protocol to prevent the infection rate from spiking any higher." it stated. "I will protect you all, but you need to hurry before the protocol begins. It will catch you in the protocol if you linger too long."
"Right!" I said as I hurried back to the designated place that we went over many times during our practice drill.