After the reply to his email, it took them no more than 5 hours to reply. The conditions were easy, they would pay for a plane ticket for Thursday to Iceland, where their offices seemed to be, and the rest of the work issues would be dealt with there. Expenses paid, trip to Iceland... well, if he wasn't interested, it wouldn't be a bad holiday after all, Ikky had never been to Iceland, and at the rate the volcanoes were becoming active he doubted he would have a chance to visit the island again in the future...
Although he wasn't very fond of travelling, at least not to the usual places, because of his work and his hobbies he had learned to pack quickly.
Most companies preferred to meet him in person, which meant quick round-trip flights, little luggage and lots of mobility, it wasn't the first time he went knowing that he wasn't interested in the conditions just for the pleasure of going on an express trip, buying a souvenir in a geeky shop and going home.
She didn't have more than five days' worth of clothes in her luggage; if she needed more, she would buy them there. She never had many ties, she didn't even have to answer for anything, she loved her family of course, but after they reluctantly accepted her alternative lifestyle they let her go on her own, the only one who perhaps worried a little more was her mother, who took less than 24 hours to send her a package with scarves, gloves and warm clothes. Deep down, like any mother, she couldn't let her little chick freeze.
The trip was complicated, accompanied by some clumsiness and a bit of bad luck. She got lost at the boarding gate at the first stop of her trip, the airport in Seville. Luckily, shortly after another plane left for Madrid, and she had to pay for a new ticket at a golden price, so to speak. To top it off, she lost her suitcase when she arrived in Madrid, and it took her more than an hour to be able to file a claim.
For many, this beginning would have been a sign of bad omen, of bad luck for the trip. For him, it was the normal thing that could happen to him, that was his life and that was his luck. Ikky had long since gotten used to the fact that if something bad could happen, it would happen.
When he arrived at the boarding gate for the flight to Iceland, it was about to close, and he was able to get on by pure miracle after begging and pleading with the flight attendants to let him get on the plane.
The flight was turbulent and he arrived tired and feeling bad; however, at the airport itself a driver and a black car were waiting for him, it was one of those typical SUVs with tinted windows, more typical of those that appear in movies to escort celebrities than to transport a simple video game player.
The pick-up was quick, although he could see that another twenty people were picked up from the same plane and taken to different cars. He had to give that company credit for the impressive display.
Ikky tried to talk to the driver during the ride, he tried French, English, and every language he knew how to speak, but this guy just stood there driving and ignored him.
This guy either had very strict orders or these Icelanders were really rude. That's what Ikky thought as he looked out the window at the landscape.
A two-hour drive through the Icelandic countryside brought him to a fenced facility; it was nothing suspicious or military, but rather a private, commercial or industrial site, with a 9-story building, wider than it was tall, and with a large garden at the entrance. And there was a huge parking lot, with several black cars already parked.
Other buildings, more like an apartment hotel than offices, could be seen behind the main complex. It was something curious or out of place. Neither the logo nor any information about the company was anywhere to be seen. It was a silly detail, but it caught his attention, it was not what was customary in companies in the sector.
Ikky got out in his long black coat, his best shirt, and his appearance, which was a mix between a scruffy geek and an old bohemian.
He was led to the lobby, where a receptionist, with a Spanish accent that left a bit to be desired, led him to an office on the third floor.
It was a normal office, computers, workers, and a certain geeky atmosphere typical of a video game company... However, he still had to walk through that work area until he entered a large glass office.
On the other side of the office table was a woman, a strange beauty, blonde, pale, thin, delicate, a build typical of these Nordic countries, but who gave off a cold, strange, palpable aura... She was wearing a grey suit, with a thin silk shirt underneath, which showed the white skin of her neck, just the right mix between elegance and the preservation of a woman's attractiveness.
"Mr. Ikky, I presume?" she said, extending a hand politely towards the boy. She looked at him with her blue eyes without expressing the slightest emotion.
"Call me, Leon; Ikky is just my online nickname." She smiled, and shook his hand.
"I'm Nasha Mintsk, hiring manager at Athair Games & Projects. Nice to meet you, Leon."
Although her Spanish still sounded like that of a foreigner from the Costa del Sol, she couldn't say it was bad at all.
"It's a nice business complex, but a bit out of the way for me. Gusto. Isn't it awkward running a video game company from here?" She wanted to start a more casual conversation and was intrigued by all the secrecy surrounding the company.
"Well, Leon, we are more than just a video game company, but yes, the choice of location is not a mere coincidence. In Iceland, in the middle of the countryside, we can guarantee the privacy of our entire project…" She was patient, you could tell she was a more direct person, who didn't like to waste time with beating around the bush, but Ikky was in the mood for an indirect approach, there were too many mysteries and everything was too cold.
Going straight into the terms of the offer wouldn't give him any information, at least not the one that intrigued him the most. Who was behind this whole project? Somehow, it all had a certain aftertaste of a government project.
"If the project is worth it, taking measures as a city, privacy is always a good option, what are the apartment blocks behind the building for?" The woman began to get a little impatient, although if it were professional gamers, her attitude should have been one of the lightest he had encountered in these interviews.
"I see that you are very observant... "She didn't say it in a bad way, she had a frank smile on her face, but she didn't give him any more information. This woman was tough and hadn't taken the bait yet.
"It's part of my job, to observe and find peculiarities, and there are many here." He was a little boastful, but what man doesn't like to show off in front of a pretty Nordic woman?
"I thank you for being here and I hope that our agreement will be fruitful for both parties. In order not to waste your time, I will tell you about our project." The good impression had not fallen for any of her tricks... no, she was just a cute Nordic woman, blonde, who spoke to him politely, she also seemed like an intelligent person who knew what she was doing.
However, it seemed that the Nordic woman had cut him off cold, flirting was out of the question even if it was just for sport, it was clear that a guy like him would never be of interest to a woman like her, but she had been dry and cutting enough for Ikky to understand that he should really start talking business and leave his curiosity for later.