The gray corridors of the underground complex were cyclically flooded with a crimson glow from countless lamps. Any person finding themselves in this place for the first time would think some terrifyingly secret experiments were being conducted here—things no ordinary mortal should know about.
That's exactly what a young man named Lloyd had thought on his first day working on the gateway maintenance crew about two years ago.
"...Khh... Achoo!" The young man, dressed in a dark blue work overall with gray trim, sneezed and, without removing his gloves, began rubbing his nose.
'It's so dusty in here...' - flashed through the guy's mind.
Lloyd was a 17-year-old boy of average height, with pale skin and a slightly skinny build. His face was unremarkable: a nose with a barely noticeable bump and thin lips. A quick glance might suggest his eyes were black, but upon closer inspection, they were a dark green—reminiscent of a swamp.
If there was one thing that set him apart from others, it was his hair—a very light blond. But right now, it was hidden under a blue baseball cap, its peak turned backwards.
After drifting in his thoughts for a moment, the young man continued his path down the corridor. But before he had covered even ten meters, his right pants pocket vibrated.
Stopping, Lloyd pulled a datificator from his pocket with two fingers and stared at its screen. As his eyes darted across the surface, his eyebrows drew closer and closer together, almost touching.
Then, glancing at the top left corner of the screen, he checked the time.
'Twenty minutes left... Damn it...' - Lloyd thought melancholically.
"Ah, you old joker. Don't value your own time—but at least respect someone else's."
Muttering a few rather strong words under his breath, the guy spun on his heels and strode back in the direction he had come from.
His steps were loud, for he understood that his remaining twenty minutes of work had just turned into at least an hour more.
Passing through a network of grim, gray corridors, he stopped before huge gates large enough for bulky freight and technical vehicles to pass through. Off to the side was a small double door—specifically for the convenience of the staff.
Not wanting to delay any further, Lloyd immediately slipped through it.
He looked around, searching for a specific figure—an elderly man. The old-timer was leaning against a wall, tired, and shaking his head as he counted the recently delivered boxes.
Approaching him, Lloyd hid his fatigue behind a smile and called out to the old man.
"Old man Laurence!"
Startling slightly, Laurence looked up and saw the dark-eyed youth before him. He looked him over from head to toe.
"Lloyd! Long time no see!" - the old man said, smiling sincerely.
Lloyd's smile twitched nervously.
"Yeah, old man. About an hour."
"Ahaha, sorry, boy. Your shift is about to end..." - Changing his smile to an awkward one, the old man squinted.
"For extra pay, anything is possible!" - Lloyd declared confidently, but it wasn't about the money. He simply enjoyed helping Laurence. The only person at the headquarters he respected.
The old man's face turned neutral, and then...
"Ahaha, of course, I'll make sure your shift today is counted as double." - the old man agreed, not offended in the least, understanding that no one wanted to breathe dust for even a minute longer than necessary.
Already knowing what to do, Lloyd picked up one of the boxes and headed for the exit.
Old man Laurence watched his back with an anticipatory gaze.
"He's definitely in for an eventful life..." - the old man whispered.
At that very moment, stepping over the doorstep, Lloyd tripped over his own feet and crashed onto the concrete floor. The contents of the box clattered and scattered around him.
The old man and several other workers stared in surprise at the source of the noise.
"Hey, hey, boy! For work like this, you'll be the one paying extra!"