Mr. Null swiped his hand over a black screen that popped out from one of the white walls, revealing a hidden passage that led to the briefing room. He gained all the research data from 001's Soul Analysis.
And honestly, his confidence was shaken. The Seat of Kings and Queens wanted him to release all suppressants above Tier 3, possibly elevating 001's strength to the mythical Tier 11. He wasn't having any of that.
Realistically, Tier 9 was the most he was going to allow, and if possible, he would much prefer if 001 completed the mission while restricted to Tier 7. That equated to a thousand years' worth of memories.
Could 001 handle that?
Alec walked through the door. This particular door wasn't new to him, only the path. And that was something he came to accept as a security feature built into the place.
Mr. Null's office had minimal furniture. A solid black cube was placed in the corner, with a desk and a small wiring stool behind it. To the left was a bookshelf, purely for decorative purposes. Alec had once heard from Zero-One-Four (014) that bookshelves used to hold large pieces of paper bound together with some sticky substance, leather, and possibly buckram. They called them books in the old days, long before the Digital Revolution.
Mr. Null brushed past him and sat on his stool after pressing a glowing button on the edge of the cube. The space opposite him spewed gray smoke, and another stool rose from the ground. Mr. Null gestured for Alec to sit down.
Alec sat.
"Zero-Zero-One, your next mission is starting in two days. You won't have time to mingle with your brothers and sisters this time," Mr. Null said. "I'm sorry to say that."
A pang struck Alec. Time spent with the rest of the subjects was always an experience he enjoyed. Those were people he had known since the day he was born, and their bond had grown stronger with each passing decade. Most of all, he was looking forward to spending time with 014. But he would have to scrap that idea.
"You have some time to say your last goodbyes. Your next assignment will last a few decades minimum, and possibly a full century or more, depending on how quickly you can infiltrate," Mr. Null slid his hand over his desk.
A bright orange screen popped up before them. Using his fingers, he glided over the hologram, snatching a few important files and tossing them over to Alec. Alec didn't need to do much, as all the data was captured by a dull iron wristband on his left hand.
"Read those files once you get a chance. And remember, that information is confidential," Mr. Null said.
"And Alec," Mr. Null forewent the formalities and called Alec by his name, "Be safe out there. Anything can happen."
As quickly as the strands of concern reached Mr. Null, they disappeared, reverting to his cold as an ice statue demeanor.
Alec nodded and walked out of Mr. Null's office. On cue, the path they took no longer existed, replaced by a brand-new path. His live feed remained on, and he followed the general directions to the common area.
His next mission weighed heavily on his mind, realizing that he wouldn't get to see anyone in the facility for another ten years at minimum. The three-month mission in the central district of Stardust City was a chore to go through. And now, ten years minimum? At least it was the last.
After everyone had been briefed by their instructors, they gathered in the common room for some leisure time. Since their primary job was to blend in with the world outside, part of their training involved engaging in chats and mimicking what would be considered normal social behavior. Most importantly, they were allowed to use their 'real' names during this time.
"Alec! Come. We've been waiting for you," Andrea, also known as Zero-One-Four (014), waved at him, a gorgeous smile hanging on her lips.
Falling into his persona as Alec Voldman, a bright smile blossomed on his lips as he returned the wave.
Andrea chose a neat spot in the common room, where she sat around with a few close friends near the fireplace, the only mahogany wall in the room. Two giant burnt orange chairs sat opposite each other, with a white table at the center, carrying the weight of a few snacks.
Andrea sat on one of the chairs, her long black hair making a statement as it glowed with subtle orange hues cast by the flame. She placed her head on Alec's shoulder once he sat down and feathered his muscled arm with her soft touch.
"John over there was telling us about the crazy things he went through on his last mission," she whispered into his ear.
The John in question had the small section of the common room under the spell of the beautiful story he crafted. One of his legs rested upon a stool, his posture leaning forward for ultimate engagement. For some reason, every word that came out of his mouth was accompanied by frantic hand movements.
"Alec, you should have been there. This girl, Emily, tossed Ervorium in her brother's meal after setting him up for an assassination, just so she could gain the upper hand in next year's elections for Prime Magus. But I noticed it with my enhanced senses and quickly switched up the meals, with her none the wiser..." John didn't miss a beat and quickly thrust Alec into the situation, eliminating the few seconds of awkwardness they would have gone through just to get him on track.
The next hour went on like that, with ears glued to John recounting the events of his previous mission in disturbing detail. Laughs were exchanged, and a warmth and comfort that exceeded that of the fire next to them pervaded the atmosphere. At times, Alec lost track of John's narrations in favor of listening to Andrea speak her mind about random topics he didn't have any business knowing.
At some point, it got annoying, but he sucked it up with a smile on his face. He didn't want to spend the last time together dwelling on pointless sad emotions.
Andrea gazed at him with an inquisitive look, noticing his abnormality. Alec rarely sat through her ramblings without cutting her straight to the point. And most of all, she noticed the melancholy in his smile.
"What's wrong?" she asked.
Alec froze at her question. "She noticed," he thought. He broke away from the ape-like hold she had on his shoulders and stood up. Grabbing a glass of wine by the stem, he flicked the glass with his nail, sending a high-pitched 'ting' throughout the common room.
The room quieted down, and everyone cast their attention towards him. Sighing, Alec spoke, "I've just been notified that this may very well be my last night here. I'm onto my last mission this coming Wednesday. And as most of you know, that is my last mission before being allowed to enjoy life outside."
"I most likely won't be coming back here once that mission is complete. Standard procedure means that I won't remember all of you and this place after that fact. I didn't want to ruin the good mood we have here, but unfortunately I must."
Somberness spread throughout the common room. The ride was coming to an end for most of them, and Alec would be the first among them to go.
"Let's not throw away the last night we have together," John grabbed his own wine glass and raised it up. "I propose a toast. A toast to brotherhood. A toast to forever having each other's backs."
One by one, the others lifted their wine glasses as well.
"A toast to the immortal bond we all share. Comradery, and most of all, to enjoying your brand new life beyond the facility," voices chimed in one after the other.
Andrea's facial expression went through the five stages of grieving in an instant. She churned down the anger, sadness, and frustration growing within her and picked up her wine glass, raising it up.
A doll-like smile plastered across her face, she said, "Thanks a lot for the company, Alec. Aside from being one of the most amazing people I've come to know, we've shared so many beautiful moments here. And I'll miss that. But new doors, right? So I hope the mission goes well, and you gain that muchneeded freedom. I'm following after you."
The rest of the day was spent with everyone acting happy for Alec, not wanting to draw too much attention to the burning anger, sadness, disappointment, or even jealousy building within themselves. At some points, Alec was their leader, and at others, he was their friend and most of the time their rival. Their relationship had grown beyond what one would expect from lab experiments, and one of them was leaving. They knew this day would eventually come, but none of them expected it so soon.
Alec went back to his room at around ten pm and just watched the ceiling. He gazed at his wristband and chose to finally read over the contents of his mission. He had ignored it for most of the day, but now he needed to see.
Tapping on it, information shot towards his mind.
[Next Mission:
Operation: 21105
Code Name: GodKiller]