[Closed matrix no.03 mission:
Condition of success: re-open the old company Vessel with containment rate required H.]
That was all what the system showed me the moment I stepped in front of the computer.
I was already feeling bad, panic surged through every vein in me and my heart thumped like a drum in the silent room.
The system was making me open a Vessel with an H rank—
"reject it, reject it. I'm rejecting it."
That diabolical thing before my eyes began to flicker as if it had glitched. It went on like that for thirty seconds before red error panels started flashing across my vision.
[Error: matrix process can't be stopped]
[Error: rejecting the mission is not possible.]
The computer turned on by itself— without any power source— making me feel as if the room was shrinking with every passing second.
I have to get out of here.
But what would happen if I escape this?
Think Nathan, think.
Think.
If the mission wasn't going to be rejected then I would be involved in it whether I love it or not.
How to make sure that nothing will happen?
"Wait—"
I glanced at the computer through the flashing error panels—fifty percent already.
"There must be something to do about it, anything."
I looked around, but nothing seemed useful. So I hurried to the lab door and flung it open. A red fire extinguisher caught my eye… and that's when a stupid idea struck me.
Hurry,
Hurry—
After I yanked the fire extinguisher from its holder, I rushed back into the lab, gripping it in one hand.
"Silas!" With the other hand I pressed the earpiece he gave me. "Do you hear me, Silas!?"
"Yes, I hear you, what's going on?"
"To the elevator, wait for me in the hall's elevator!"
"Should I come to help you?"
"No! just wait there!"
He must have been overwhelmed with the sudden crash sound, but I didn't repeat myself. Instead, I kept smashing the computer with all my strength, again and again. It let out loud, horrifying noises, but I didn't stop.
The lights flickered as the whole place warped by the second—yet I kept going.
I only stopped when it finally lay completely shattered on the floor, not a single light left glowing… and then, with everything I had, I ran.
I ran like there was no tomorrow,
Toward the elevator in the hall.
On my way there, all the anomalies started to chase me, the lights were strobing in a crazy way as the place was losing its shape… It was a pure miracle that I reached Silas in the elevator with only a sprained foot.
"Hurry, hurry" I stumbled my way into the elevator then lifted my hand, letting Silas take the elevator key from me. "use it."
Silas did that, at the last minute when three hands were already in the elevator.
He kicked it, the door closed, then the elevator started to move. I lost the very last energy I had and just stayed there, laying on the floor like a dead body… even after the door had opened to a familiar Victorian fashioned living room.
"Seriously, what did you do?"
"I just crashed the project they work on."
"Crashed it?"
"Into small pieces—" I tried to sit as a proper human being, and I barely made it. "Can you call Adeline to know what happened to that Vessel?"
"...okay."
He inhaled before doing it. And three minutes after we were sure that the Vessel suddenly spiked in its rating. And just moments ago, it had risen to an extremely dangerous level before everything stopped.
It was secured.
Or rather… it no longer existed.
"Absolute chaos." I couldn't even laugh so it got out more like a caught. "I hate this job, from the very bottom of my heart."
Now after getting out of here they are going to interrogate me, and that alone was a lot.
"So this is the forest house Vessel?"
"Yes, they gave me the key." I didn't even imagine that using it would save my life. "I think that we can use it again to return to the company's elevator."
Silas wasn't curious about the place at all, I on the other hand remembered that Hero really wanted to come but, with all my apologies, ignored it and decided to come in another time.
Making Silas see Hero wouldn't be a good idea. Plus, I have to make sure that there's no recording tools there.
"Let's return then." With a swipe of the key over its place in the elevator, the door closed. When it opened we, once again, found ourselves standing before the cursed research department.
The one I intended to go to in the first place.
"Oh man, I really hate this company."
"Just cope as long as you can."
"Easier said than done."
That green-demon woman was there, waiting for us… as if she knew that we would get out of the elevator somehow.
"Silas Drake and Nathan Vale, you two shall follow me. I have questions for you."
"More investigation about how we entered or how we got out?" Crazy enough, I didn't follow her right away, instead, I checked the time on my phone before continue. "If you'll ask about things you already know then I'm not following."
"Nathan Vale, are you denying the commands right now?"
"Who is denying the commands? I went through my employment contract line by line, along with all the applicable regulations, and there was nothing stating that I had to undergo any form of interrogation if I got accidentally involved in something like the Vessels. I'm a victim here, again… and I suppose that you would at least consider that, and the fact that I'm a weak civilian who needs some peace after the severe psychological trauma he endured, especially considering that some people there were trying to sacrifice him."
That demon didn't say anything for a while (I bit that she was dealing with her anger). And I took it as an opportunity to return to the elevator, aiming for my team's floor.
"Have a nice day, I hope that we will meet in a more formal way after I get enough rest."
With a wave I said goodbye to Silas and that demon. Then headed to the office the moment the elevator stopped on the floor I knew.
It was 4 PM so I know that I won't find anyone there. I just picked my remaining things before stopping when a note caught my attention.
Rest well.
We're happy to see you safe.>
"When did he even write this?"
I was already smiling when I finished reading it.
The team leader probably was here a minute ago but left even before I came out of the elevator.
"And rest day, huh?"
Such a nice thing to do, but I won't decide until tomorrow morning… because it'll completely depend on my ability to get out of bed.
I wrote a note too and put it there before closing the office behind me. When I was about to enter the elevator later I immediately changed my mind and used the stairs.
It was a never-ending walking but at least I wasn't afraid of a sudden moment of pure dread like what happened when the elevator door opened to that research floor.
"Three weeks, stay strong for another three weeks."
If everything went well, and I had ordinary days until the end of the month, I'd genuinely feel bad about losing such a comfortable job (though I'd lose it anyway). But if it happens and I find myself in a Vessel again? I'm going to my old job without looking back.
There was Hero's issue too, but that alone was a headache. I can't force myself to think about it easily.
"When will these stairs end?!"
I checked the number and realized I was on the second floor, so I rushed down toward the ground floor.
For a brief moment, I imagined being trapped on these endless stairs— which made seeing those white blank masks in the main hall a huge relief.
"Drama, it's a pure drama."
I'm sure that by the end of the month I would be as crazy as those people but at least they'll make me lose my memory, that may erase the mental effects as well but even if it didn't… Let it be.
I'm already done with all of this crazy heart-attacking coincidence here.
"Nathan?" "Nathan!"
Two people with white faces came close. I didn't really need to wear my watch to know who they were, but I wore it anyway.
"Yes?"
"Did you hear it? Our team leader is seriously considering sending you to the ethics department! What did you do? You must talk to your team leader so he can do something about it before it's too late!"
"I'm wondering who really deserves to go there... that crazy human being is bringing up things he must never bring to the table."
"...?"
My comment makes them show a very confused feature. As if they didn't imagine that someone could say that.
"Shh— don't say things like this, Nathan! Do you really want to go to the ethics department?!"
"Why say it in such a cold way? At least put on a remorseful expression! Maybe they'll go easy on you since it's your first time!"
They spoke with honest concern, but it all felt pointless to me.
"No, why should I?"
"Why should you?!" Dean looked more like a secondary school student after messing with his hair so violently. "That department is the scariest department ever! Even going there without doing anything wrong may cause a long term mental trauma for you!"
Ah—
Another scary thing here… what a wonderful company.
"Okay, I'm going to text my team leader to see what will happen."
To reassure them, I took my phone out and opened it under their watchful eyes… and it was there, the bright and shiny red envelope with 'open me' on it.
Which, of course, didn't wait for me before opening itself…
"I'm pretty sure now that I've lost my escaping chance..."
That ethics department has already scheduled an appointment for tomorrow morning… eight sharp.
As if my opinion would never be an issue for them.