What to do, what to do…
No, what would anybody do if this exact situation happened to them?
Pass out?
That would be easy.
"I think that I know…"
Calling someone was the best answer, but who would I call?
Sials?
I wasn't sure that he could help much in such situations.
But who do I know here beside him and the other three?
"The team's leader!"
I got out of team A's office quietly, making sure no one was around, and when I was far enough I picked up my phone and called my team leader.
One time, two times, three, seven—
He didn't answer.
"The meeting was supposed to end at two. Ah."
It wasn't two yet.
So I have to do it alone?
"You know what? I'm heading back."
Johan here, or there, was face. So what? Could I do anything about it? No. Could I tell anyone about it? No, either… I was here by a pure coincidence when nobody was allowed to.
So, pretending nothing happened was the best solution available.
"And it's their fault if they didn't know that an anomaly was walking in the company between them."
With such a nice detected decision, I walked out of the floor, using the stairs. When I reached the ground floor two familiar beings interrupted my way.
"Isn't it too early to leave?"
"No." I answered Drew's question while clocking my exit. "It's the usual."
"How lucky." The two of them did the same as me. Making me feel confused. "You are out too?"
"Our team got a nice bad crazy accident so we finished the work."
"Oh…"
"You don't know?"
"I do know, somehow." We walked together outside the building, and for some reasons they didn't seem to be going to the dormitory so I asked, typically unaware of any consequences. "Where do you two live?"
"In our family house? It is not that far away."
Ah…
I forgot that not everyone here was transferred from a different city overnight.
"And your family members know that you are working here?"
"Just one? Adrian is the only. And technically, even if someone else among us was working here… we wouldn't know. You'll have a sudden electricity shake if you try to say things that harm the company in any aspect. And you may know but not everyone could even remember the company's name."
Yeah. That crazy topic again.
Should it be a good or bad thing? I had no idea. All I knew was that the first thing to get rid off when I reach my room was the company's watch.
If they didn't want anyone to take it off then why didn't it stick or something?
"Where are you going?"
Dean asked, and I looked at him as if that was the question that I've never imagined to hear.
"Where else? To my room."
I was tired, as every working day… and today wasn't better than every other day.
"Do you have any plans for tomorrow, or today?"
"Yes."
Today was for resting and the other was to go out with Hero.
I wonder what luxury restaurant he'll choose this time…
"Fine, free yourself next weekend. We will go somewhere."
"Alright… take care."
"You too."
That next weekend was never supposed to be a part of any plan but I said yes anyway.
They'll know when they know. Or casually I'll bring this up one time.
"They may forget as well?" Maybe? Or they would lie and tell them that I've died in a Vessel or something.
Shivers ran over my spine when I remembered the bodies I saw before.
Seeing death was never new, but maybe the situation made it worse this time, and adding their expressions to the equation didn't help at all.
They, for sure, didn't get a peaceful death.
Just what kind of things could be given to someone to trade his life with it?
Gems?
That was an issue by itself but I wasn't even about to go and find out what it could do. Not before, not today, not after… knowing things I would regret knowing will for sure make my life miserable.
"There's tons of other things like this…"
All the things I've heard once and clicked as if it opened a new dead door in my head, all the tricks and hints here and there…
There were so many things that thinking about would be my biggest fault, so I simply did not think about it.
"At least here was a room to stay in."
I opened the door, then closed it after. Changing my clothes didn't take more than five minutes, and I skipped lunch and just lay down on the bed… looking at the ceiling.
"Life is hard these days…"
Three days in a row to memorize every specialization everyone in the department had. Although no one told me to memorize it, somehow I couldn't do the report without taking notes and trying to put puzzle-like information together.
And Johan…
What was his specialization again?
Something about contro–
Oh!
I couldn't even gather my thoughts when my phone rang loud, making me jump in surprise.
The team leader…
"Hello?"
"Hello, Sir." I answered awkwardly while I scratched the back of my neck. "I've called you for an issue."
"And what was it?"
"Johan." Words didn't come out so easily. "I think that he got into an accident while working with team A."
"..." he hummed, thinking maybe. "There's information you can't talk about. Fine, let's talk about it next workday."
"But what if something happened before it?"
"What could happen? If it's something related to the company then they have to deal with their issues themselves. Don't act out of loyalty when it doesn't serve you anything."
"That's right…"
What loyalty will do to me?
Nothing.
That's right, just let it to whoever is responsible for it.
"See you after two days then. Take care of yourself."
"You too."
The call ended that simple and I stayed looking at the wall for long minutes after.
Loyalty.
Something felt so wrong about this.
"Just forget, what's the point?"
This topic too got kicked to the back of my mind, as everything else. And shortly after, I found myself sleeping.
I didn't wake up until it hit seven, with a headache, and a growling stomach, as always.
Fortunately, I have got some ingredients from the day before so I cook something, and while cooking I choose a calm piano melody to play in the background.
Perfect settings.
Except for the fact that after two minutes from starting, the door opened and Silas's zombie version walked in.
He looked at me as if I killed his father for a very long time.
"Ah, some people get out at seven and some do nothing but to chill."
"Privilege goes to those who don't ask for it."
"Yeah, Nepotism, nepotism." If looks could kill someone, I'd have been dead. "Make mine a double portion or I'll eat yours."
Then he went to his room and came out as a human being again after half an hour, when the food was ready.
"So, what happened on the team A's floor?"
"You are asking me about this?" I didn't expect the question at all. "I'm the last one to know anything in the whole company."
"But you went there?"
"It was a coincidence. And nothing was there to know."
"How did you get there, so to speak? The floor was blocked from the elevator list."
Blocked?
Really?
"I just got there and the door opened casually?"
"..."
"There were corpses."
"...?"
"And one of them was someone I left behind in my team office just before that by three minutes or so."
"..?Ha?" His reaction was different. Too expressive.
I wonder if I look like this when I hear something crazy or irresponsible…
"And you say this with a casual expression? That's crazy."
"Yeah, it is crazy."
"I mean your reaction!"
"Yeah, that's too." I was so focused on putting my side sandwich in a perfect shape and completely played the conversation in the back of my mind. "Can you give me the ketchup?"
"...?" He gave it to me. "You crazy."
"Tell me what I must do in this case? Go and say to them that there's an anomaly on the team? Acting like the man who took his face? If they didn't know then it's their fault."
"... right. What even made me think that you'll stand for help?"
"I'm not caring simply because I'm leaving next week."
"...?"
"What's up with this expression again?"
"You? Leaving this company?"
"So what?"
"Nothing." He was clearly laughing at the idea. "That was a fun thing to hear. From you."
"...?"
I didn't understand his reaction, and something made me ignore it even if it was so suspicious and weird.
"Right—" the door opened again, in the most horrible way ever,
And Alex was there, panting, and seeming as someone who hot out of a dusty forest…
"... What you two are doing here?"
"What are we supposed to do?"
"it is an evacuation situation!" He ran to his room without further explanation. And we two looked at each other for a second before rushing each to his room too.
I didn't know what was happening,
But at least I know that I had to take my important things with me before getting out.
And whatever happened after that,
It was all sort of dream.