- Inside the barely-illuminated room with neon lightings stretching around the cube-like room with four spotlessly clean, high-tech walls, a distant hum originating from an invisible machine made its way from the ventilation system and into the room, where three individuals were present, one was fiddling with a large, camera equipped with a ton of modifications, glowing buttons while mounted on a bunch metallic legs pointing towards a young man with his wrists and ankles strapped onto a chair using semi-circular bands, he had a blank expression while another man, this time a tall stern-looking one with a blue tuxedo stood beside him quietly.
- The Stern-looking individual, Lemuel Garnison lifted his eyelids revealing a pair of sharp silvery eyes, he then stepped forward and placed his palm atop the young man's shoulder causing him to flinch before Lemuel lowered his head to stare down at the young Jean with his cold, towering eyes with a small glint. Jean's breathing became ragged as he locked eyes with the man, his left shoulder fidgeting uncontrollably.
"I will ask again." - Lemuel uttered in a loud yet whispering-like manner.
"Why were you cheating?" - He then leaned in on the young man, staring down at him with slightly glowing eyes as Jean trembled slightly, before he opened his mouth a wave of electricity shot up his body originating from his spine that quickly spreaded itself all throughout his nerves, causing a throbbing pain that almost caused his veins to explode.
"Ghk..!!" - Jean's eyes widened in response as his green veins slowly became more apparent on his skin, with some near his back even transitioning into a more-crimson like color.
"Speak Properly This time. That pain is excruciating isn't it?"
- He smiled softly before instantly reverting back into his usual stoic expression. Jean instinctively lowered his head while desperately trying to catch his breath and bathing in his own sweat.
"Speak." - Lemuel glared at the young man.
"Hey."
- Lemuel then proceeded to grip the young man's hair before lifting it and locking eyes with the him once more.
"Just Admit you cheated in front of this machine and you shall be released. Simple eh? Simple enough to the point a brain-dead Gamma Dweller like you would comprehend." - He shook his head and released an exasperated sigh before forcefully letting go of the young man's hair then pulling out a small handkerchief to wipe his gloves with.
Jyn's laboured breathing continued to resonate around the room as the other two individuals waited. The employee behind the camera seeing it all unfold gulped as he pondered inside his head.
(this is wrong....but)
From behind the camera, he shot the stern-looking Lemuel with a glance before looking back down to his nametag which was imprinted on his left chest while a faint memory played itself automatically inside his head.
(i'm sorry my fellow.. I can't..) - With a troubled expression, he closed his eyes and lowered his head.
"Hey." - Lemuel flailed his palm in the air before it collided with the young man's skull. "Not gonna speak?" - He then proceeded to assault the bowing young man's cheek with repetitive slaps. "Do you want to get eletrocuted again?"
After a few moments, Jean attempted to lift his head up, causing Lemuel to raise an eyebrow before shortly retracting his hand away. Jean's head trembled as it tried to raise itself back up, eventually giving up half-way causing it to hung again, He gulped after spitting out a small drop of a crimson-colored substance.
(Disgusting.) Lemuel Thought.
"..Like I said.. I didn't—!!!!!" Another surge of unforgiving electricity radiated from the chair and into his spinal cord, spreading itself evenly throughout his nerves, causing them to slightly expand before reverting back to their original size, with some even beginning to change color. Jean gritted his reddish teeth as his lower eyelid rose near his eye. He groaned audibly as he found his posture straightening itself only being allowed to fall back again after the session ended.
"Oh no, Sorry I didn't quite catch that." — Lemuel sighed. "Now. Can you please repeat yourself..?" — He forcefully gripped the young man's shoulder, causing it to become numb. Lemuel then softly scoffed before positioning himself in front of the young man, he then gripped Jean's unkept hair tightly and raised his face to lock eyes with him. "I perfectly get that we all have our own versions of the truth.. But you see.. The Only truth that matters here..." - Lemuel closed in and stared down at the young man with a glare that resembled a warrior facing a the most depraved being known to man. And with a soft, chilly whisper that drove shivers down the young bloke's spine like a cheese rubbed to a grater, the man spoke. "Is the truth that we want to hear. Understood?"
The employee glanced at the two in horror, his sweat proliferating on his face as his mouth remained agape, he then gulped once more before shaking his head and slightly furrowing his brows.
(..This is just..immoral..!) - He thought to himself
He attempted to stand up from the Camera's control module but was abruptly halted by Lemuel's cold voice caressing his eardrums. "Hey." - He stopped and froze, a simple word was enough to send shivers down his spine and cause his instincts to protest against his idea, previously, everytime Lemuel spoke, the employee did not feel an ounce of terror only if his attention was on the young fellow. "You." - Lemuel glanced at the employee, the only thing separating..no protecting the individual from Lemuel was the 4 meter tall machinery called; camera with a black opaque lense.
"Reconsider your Decision if you want to keep your occupation. Remember. You have a small mouth to feed."
- The employee lowered his head and responded in a soft, meek tone.
"Ye..yes sir."
-Jean slightly tilted his head upwards to glance at the fidgeting employee, but as soon as they locked eyes, the employee saw Jean's bloodshot, half-opened eyelid, alongside his messy laboured breaths and a face changing color due to the sweat. The employee quickly averted his eyes away and looked elsewhere before slowly bowing his head and going back behind the camera. Upon seeing the employee return to the module, Jean closed his eye and surrendered his resistance that was on his neck, causing his head to hung itself even lower.
Lemuel then glanced back at the half-dead Jean, before heaving a long, exasperated sigh. He closed his eyes and emitted a small, distinct smirk before kneeling in front of the young man.
"..Young Varsiniev."
- Lemuel shifted into a more, comforting approach yet coldness was still prevalent on his tone.
"You have a Father that is a humble town Mechanic right?"
- He smiled softly before putting his hand above the young man's shoulder.
- Upon registering his words, Jean opened his eye and faced the kneeling Lemuel with a half-opened eyelid, still breathing laborously. Confusion filled his brain as he saw the previously stoic Cybersecurity Head smiling reassuringly at him.
"Amazing feat. I commend your Father for running a repair shop despite not knowing how to read."
- Jyn's eyes widened, a small faint memory of a familliar man playing itself inside his head. Lemuel then shook his head after releasing a small sigh as he uttered.
"Would really be unfortunate if by some chance, a couple of agents stopped by and made him sign a rather complicated contract under the guise that his son needed some financial backing, but was actually—!?"
- A loud clang echoed inside the room, before Jean lowered his wrists again from the semi-circular bands enveloping it, a searing pain burnt the skin causing a semi-circular line to darken around his wrist and a white smoke to seep out of the damaged area. "Oh? Trying to break free? But see... You aren't leav—"
"YOU FUCKER." - For the first time ever, Jean willingly locked eyes with Lemuel, but instead of a look ridden with horror, it was blazing with anger. Causing Lemuel to completely abandon his mischievous persona, widen his eyes and freeze for a second as he found himself being absorbed at the singular glare of the young man boring a deep hole into his psyche. A sense of urgency ran through his spine as he found his arms subconsciously paralyzed at their locations.
"BRING MY FATHER INTO THIS AND I WILL—!! ACK!!" - Lemuel quickly stood up before another wave of electricity assaulted the nervous system of the young man again, this time, the session was more excruciating than all of the previous shocks combined and even lasted longer than all of them.
After it was over, a faint white smoke rose up from the young man's body as his breathing grew fainter and fainter, his eye slowly going into a blur while a black smog narrowed his gaze, Jean's head leaned and rested itself backwards a small amount of foam forming above his mouth.
Lemuel froze with a widened glare fixated on the young man, entering a dazed-like state for a few moments before glaring at the young fellow again and grabbing his hair to straighten his face. Lemuel then pushed his arm backwards and formed a fist as he uttered. "You fucking..!"
He released the fist, charging straight at the young man's messed up face with an expression of utter anger mixed in with something else.
"SIR WAIT..!!!"
The employee exited the control module and screamed towards Lemuel, the fist stopped a few centimeters away from Jean's cheek before Lemuel directed his glare at the employee, causing the poor bloke to straighten his posture and lower his gaze.
"What!? Speak up!!"
Lemuel yelled, devoid of any solemnity he previously had.
The employee fidgeted around, tapping his index fingers to one another before he shook his head and faced the Cybersecurity Head with slightly furrowed brows and a determined expression.
"Si—Sir.. The individual's vital signs are waning.. One more damaging impact could potentially kill him.." - He uttered, a small sweat sliding down his cheek. Lemuel glared at him before directing his attention towards the half-dead young man again. "Oh that? I can just cover it up and there shall be no mishaps." - Lemuel retracted his arm and formed another fist, aiming towards the young man once more. The employee's eyes widened as Lemuel charged up another punch. "Begone."
"Sir."
- The balding employee spoke up once more, halting Lemuel's attack.
"If, Mister Varsiniev were to suddenly disappear without trace, the Omega Irae will have a hard time proving their accusations, thus causing the public to turn their favour against them."
"I can just fabricate evidence." - Lemuel Retorted, with a shaky tone yet dominant tone.
- The employee squinted his eyes as another drop of sweat slid down his chin.
"That is..improbable sir. Evidence will surely guarantee success but the days that shall precede afterwards, everyone will wonder where Mister Varsiniev went. And thanks to the recent conspiracies, public opinion has not thought lightly of us."
"I can just erase the name Varsiniev, I have accomplices in the media, I have connections in the Virtual Enterprises.. I can—"
"Sir.. Mister Varsiniev's name is popular and therefore widespread, people would not cease to talk about it and if they find out that the name; Varsiniev was never mentioned again without further elaboration, the public will surely scrutinize us even more."
"..."
- Lemuel closed his eyes and gritted his teeth before releasing a loud groan, and forcefully throwing the young man's head away, causing it to collide with the chair and release a faint clang to which the young man didn't utter a single shriek. Lemuel then pocketed his hands and began walking towards the door, flashing the employee one final glare as they neared each other. "I will remember this." - Lemuel Whispered before the door shot upwards allowing him to leave, the door then descended again quickly as a small shiver shot up the employee's spine, his mind going in an overdrive, thinking about possible scenarios that might occur in the days that will precede after this one. He angered the Cybersecurity Head; The Boss of his own Boss, someone with enough power to completely wipe anyone off the face of the earth while making it look like an accident or worse.. a suicide.
A small memory with the silhouette of a young girl flashed inside his head before he closed his eyes and gulped, releasing a large exhale as his back muscles softened. His legs felt like wet noodles as they trembled unable to support his weight anymore, before he collapsed on the floor, breathing raggedly while focusing his gaze on the motionless young man.
"Phew.. what did i got myself into..?" - He uttered.
______________
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!!
- Loud constant knocks could be heard originating from a metallic door leading outside, a middle-aged man with a broad stature, bearded-face, brown hair, and wrinkled white skin worked on a piece of machine before he glanced at the door, slowly making his way towards it, with a raised eyebrow and a wrench still inside his grip.
- He grasped the doorknob and pulled it aside, causing the bright afternoon sunlight to hit his eyes. He instinctively placed an arm over his irises before blinking to make out the two silhouettes of men standing in front of his doorway.
- "Good Afternoon." - One of the men, dressed in finely-ironed suits spoke up with a pleasant, yet monotonous tone of voice.
- The middle-aged man blinked a few more times before retracting his arm and stretching his lower backside, he then released a soft moan before smiling towards the two individuals.
"Afternoon. Are you here to inquire about a broken machine, a virtual suit, an unresponsive virtual pod... Name anything and I can fix it." - The middle-aged man smiled.
(These two seem rich. Maybe I can welcome Jean later on tonight with an expensive meal to celebrate his win.) - The middle-aged man thought to himself.
The two men paused for a few moments before responding; "..Hm. Actually we are here to inquire about.." One of them pulled out a small egg-shaped like device and laid it atop his palm, before it released a holographic piece of headline in front of the middle-aged man. "um.." - The man squinted and leaned forward. "Wait for a moment." The middle aged man went towards the house and came back fixing a pair of rimless glasses atop his nose and a sweat sliding down on his cheek. "Okay.." - The two men stared down at the middle-aged man with slightly glowing irises hiding behind a pair of plain looking sunglasses.
"Hmm.." - The middle aged man analyzed the holographic headline. "This should be important.." - The middle-aged man spoke while his eyes scanned the words present inside the holographic figure "I don't have much time so..—!!!"
He froze as his eyes landed on a familliar term on the headline, accompanied by a 2 by 2 picture above it.
"Jean..? Varsiniev?"
------ Chapter 3 End ------