Curtis didn't wait for Ilene's approval before going to her office. Ilene had company at the moment, but when she was informed of Curtis's arrival, she temporarily dismissed the meeting.
Ilene didn't bother to hide the unpleasantness in her voice,
"Curtis, what was so important that you couldn't wait to share with me? For your sake, it better be worth it or I'll make you pay for interrupting my…"
"It's about Johan…"
The name 'Johan' seemed to spark a light of curiosity in Ilene.
"What's wrong with him?"
"I think his memories are returning... his memories of the day he got his powers."
Ilene furrowed her brows,
"Have you confirmed this?"
"More or less. They're returning as nightmares, maybe due to the trauma he suffered. If left to run their course, they'll become more than nightmares and will occur frequently."
The incident involving Johan fifteen years ago caused a huge commotion in the institute. On President Ilene's orders, every record of that incident was erased, and those who witnessed it were not allowed to say anything about it.
Ilene paced around her office in deep contemplation.
"Does his memories returning only apply to that day or does it go beyond it?"
Curtis shrugged,
"Memories are somewhat fluid…. you can't control what you can and cannot remember. Once something jumpstarts your memories, they start to flow naturally. So to answer your question, he may remember beyond that day if we do nothing about it."
Ilene paused and looked at Curtis,
"If there's the slightest chance that it could happen, then make sure it doesn't…"
She then sat down, sighing,
"His ability possesses so much potential. I scolded him for not putting effort into his training… that might have been a bad idea too."
"Johan isn't lazy… he trains more than his peers. His academic records suck in some parts but not his physical training."
"I know, I know… I was hoping he could clear the fog in his head with a little push, I was wrong."
"We don't know that yet. Maybe he needs something more dynamic… something else to focus on…"
Ilene drummed on her desk before speaking up,
"I might have just the thing…"
She said.
The screen behind her lit up and the image of a man appeared on the screen.
"Isn't that…?"
Curtis looked at the familiar picture on the screen.
Ilene nodded,
"Yeah, it's him. The famous Professor of Biomechanics and Neurophysiology, Samuel Reid… my mentor…"
Curtis furrowed his brows,
"Where's your usual excitement when you talk about him?"
"It's gone… it died the day he refused my collaboration and blacklisted my work. Now all I feel is absolute hatred for him…which pans out well for what I'm about to do to him."
Curtis's frown deepened,
"What is it?" he asked.
"One of our relay agents at the university reported that Samuel has been working on something big with the university's support, and from the looks of it, it could affect what we're doing here."
"That shouldn't be. How did he get information about our research… you didn't tell him, did you?"
Ilene shook her head,
"Of course, I did not... I know him too well. I only proposed the idea to spark his curiosity."
"You," Curtis was puzzled.
"You sly fox," he smiled.
"You always knew he would disagree with you, yet you did it anyway."
"The man is one of the greatest minds in the field. Even a sample construct from him could go a long way for us. We need to have whatever he has been working on, and you're going to help me get it."
"Me? No, no, no, I don't want to get between you and your mentor…"
"I'm the last person he wants to see, and I don't want to see him either. Plus, we need someone who can speak his language… who else is a better candidate?"
Curtis frowned but didn't say anything. He had met Samuel several times during conferences, and though they were acquainted, he was indifferent toward the latter. Whereas, Curtis always admired Samuel's work. He had been present on several occasions where Samuel elucidated his research, and Curtis had to admit that Samuel's explanation helped him improve in some areas of his research. It was through Samuel that Curtis got to know Ilene, and at the time, Ilene was Samuel's student and partner, until they drifted apart.
"It is a tempting offer. I'm sure whatever he's working on will be insightful… I'm in."
Ilene smiled,
"I'm not surprised."
"But he knows how close we are. If he sees me he'll want to get information about you."
"Don't worry about that. You won't be going as Dr. Curtis Payne, but as a foreign exchange supervisor, and you'll be leading a team of young promising college students to collaborate with one of the best minds in Biomechanics and Neurophysiology. I'll send you a briefing later."
"Young promising students? You mean…"
"The distraction he needs, right? Maybe focusing on covert missions alone isn't the best… we need something more challenging for them."
Curtis nodded.
"The Nightfall Unit is more suitable for the assignment, they'll be dispatched."
Curtis agreed, however,
"I'd like to make some adjustments to the team."
Ilene shrugged,
"You're in charge of the mission… you pick your team, as long as it's for the success of the assignment."
"That's no problem at all." Curtis agreed.