Arguments usually break out when we clash over opinions, harbor old personal grudges, or simply stumble into petty misunderstandings. If these sparks are not quelled in time, there is a possibility they will lead to unstable situations.
I knew this, of course, yet I stood frozen, unsure how to intervene between the two people bickering in front of me. More than anything, I feared getting caught in the crossfire.
It seemed they had a history and acted as if they shared a long-standing feud, jumping from one grievance to the next.
"Do you really think you are better than me? Just remember that I outscored you on every single theory exam" the girl snapped, her voice dropping from a shout to a sharp, irritated hiss directed at the young man.
"You should show me some respect, you emotionless husk"
"And I have higher practical scores than you" the man replied with leisurely indifference.
"Why don't you show me some respect? Who do you think you are? Your practical marks weren't even that impressive. I suggest you take a long look in the mirror before speaking"
"You... fine! I am done arguing with you. Dammit, why do you always have to be so infuriating?" With a huff, the girl closed her eyes and turned her face away.
I actually felt a pang of sympathy for her. If someone were constantly refuting my every word with such a blank, stoic expression, I would be losing my mind too. Fortunately, they finally stopped. Perhaps the theory that third party intervention is always necessary isn't quite right after all.
Just then, a hand clamped onto my shoulder, nearly making me jump out of my skin.
"Allow me to apologize on behalf of these two for that display" the man said, having appeared beside me unnoticed.
"They have known each other since their training days. They were in the same cohort, but for some reason, they can't help but needle each other every time they meet. I hope you can overlook it"
Before apologizing for them, he should have apologized for nearly giving me a heart attack. How did he move so silently that I didn't sense him at all?
"All right, you two. Focus on the matter at hand" the man said, clapping his hands lightly.
The girl turned toward me, grumbling. "You had better listen closely to what the department head says" I thought that she should be the one staying quiet and listening instead of picking fights.
Not that I wanted to hear his lecture either, all I wanted was to find an exit and vanish. For now, I had to play the part of the attentive listener. The man returned to his seat, pulled out his phone, and pointed to it.
"Before we discuss the work, I want everyone to open their phones" he instructed. "You will find an application installed by the foundation. It is the most vital tool every employee must possess"
I checked my phone, and sure enough, an app had appeared out of nowhere.
The logo was bizarre. It was a magnifying glass encircling an eye bound tightly by two crisscrossing chains, set in a stark black and white palette. It looked like the logo from that website I had seen, and it was just as unsettling now as it was then.
When I tapped the icon, the interface was shockingly crude, and it was almost offensive to someone with my sensibilities. It consisted of a vertical list of folders, each labeled with tiny, barely legible text.
Clicking one folder only revealed dozens more. The sheer visual clutter was enough to make me want to cough up blood. How could they master hypnosis and build impossible elevators, yet design an app and a website this primitive?
The man held his phone up, demonstrating the app. "This application contains the foundation's fundamental information, such as specific departmental duties, employee guidelines, and general data on anomalies"
He added. "It also features a thought sensing mechanism. For instance, if I want information on the Investigation Department, it appears instantly"
As he spoke, the screen filled with dense blocks of text. I knew they were capable of strange things, but mind controlled software was a new level of shock. Why weren't they using this technology to help society instead of founding a cult?
"First, I want you to read the duties of this department" he commanded.
I tried to focus my thoughts on the department info, though I briefly forgot which department it was. Oh, right, the Investigation Department. Immediately, the app displayed the information.
Anomaly Investigation Department
Track and identify: Determine if suspicious locations flagged by the foundation contain anomalies.
Cancellation: If no anomaly is found, the mission may be aborted.
Discovery Protocol: If an anomaly is confirmed, follow these steps:
Report to the foundation.
Investigate all aspects, prioritizing anomalous properties.
Report all findings to the foundation.
Request containment and seek mission completion approval.
For detailed reporting procedures, refer to the General Information on Anomalies.
The foundation requires employees to master all operational guidelines.
Good luck working for the foundation.
The text was cramped, but the brevity made it readable. Curiosity, or perhaps a desire to see just how delusional these people were, led me to the next section. The app responded to my intent.
General Information on Anomalies
Anomalies possess traits that defy conventional knowledge. They can manifest as organisms, locations, objects, or other forms. They are classified by danger and containment requirements:
Daimon: Extremely dangerous; requires extensive containment conditions.
Avlavis: Harmless; easily contained.
Elpis: Beneficial; used for research or countering other anomalies.
Cryptid: Poorly understood; difficult to contain.
Thanatos: No longer in existence.
Apokalypsis: Capable of causing a human extinction event; nearly impossible to contain.
Anomalies discovered by the Investigation Department are secured by the Containment Department and studied by Researchers. This research improves containment, aids humanity, or assists in combatting other threats.
Good luck working for the foundation.
My eyes ached. Why did they keep wishing me "good luck"? Despite the reading, I still didn't know what these "anomalies" actually were. Perhaps it was just a coded term for people they disliked, which would provide a way to justify elimination under a cultist ideology.
I noticed a section on "Guidelines" I intended to skim it, but when the page loaded, my heart sank. It was ten times longer than the previous sections, so I decided to skip it immediately.
"You look like you are resisting, yet you read the whole thing. Believe us now?"
The girl was suddenly beside me, a mischievous smirk on her face as she poked me in the ribs. I wondered if everyone here loved scaring people.
"Yeah, sure, I believe you. Happy?" I replied quickly, recoiling slightly to put some distance between us.
The man's voice rang out. "By the way, David, could you please say: 'I, David, accept all terms of the foundation'?"
Hoping to get it over with, I complied. "I, David, accept all terms of the foundation. There, happy? Did anything happen?"
The screen flashed: Contract signed successfully. Cancellation possible only after one week
Dammit. He baited me. How could I be so stupid? Now I was stuck for a week. I clung to the hope that it was a fake contract, as I had not signed any actual papers. I glared at the old man, who wore a look of smug triumph. Despite the consequences, I desperately wanted to punch that look off his face.
"The other two already understand, but now David is up to speed as well" the man said. He held up his phone, showing an image of an ordinary looking circus.
"This is your first target. The foundation suspects it is an anomaly due to surrounding events. Since its arrival near a certain town, people have been vanishing daily"
He continued. "The person who took this photo is the only one who sensed something was wrong. He tried to tell the police and his neighbors, but no one believed him"
"It seems only he was able to see the truth, while everyone else has had their perception altered by the anomaly's properties. You know what to do. You start tonight. Lynee and Vin, take David to get his equipment and show him around the foundation"
"Understood" the two replied.
It sounded like the plot of a horror movie. But with this cult, who knew? I wondered what that circus had done to get on their bad side.
"Hey. You. Follow" the young man said, his voice monotone and halting, like a child learning to speak. He pointed toward the door. Wait, hadn't he been perfectly fluent when arguing earlier? Did he find me intimidating, or was he just acting like a child?
A heavy, weary sigh came from beside me. "I see you haven't improved at all" the girl lamented, looking at the young man with disappointment.
"Fine, I will be the one to lead him"
Clearly, the guy had some issues. The girl turned back to the boss as a thought struck her. "Department head, he hasn't had any training. Are you trying to get him killed on his first mission?"
The man smiled. "These are orders from above. They want him in the field immediately. Don't worry. the higher ups are never wrong. I believe he will do just fine"
"Hmph. If it is an order from the top, there is no arguing" she muttered before turning to me. "Shall we?"
I nodded and followed them out. I went along only because I needed to scout for an escape route, as I had been too dazed when I arrived to notice anything. Outside, we entered a long, wide corridor. The white paint was peeling, revealing the concrete beneath, yet the floors were impeccably clean. Lights were installed so frequently it seemed they were terrified of the dark.
Armed guards stood at the door in full combat gear. If I had tried to bolt earlier, I likely would have been filled with lead. We walked for a long time until we reached a steel door with a smart lock. The girl opened it, revealing a massive, bustling lobby. How had I been dragged through here without noticing?
We wove through the crowd to another iron door, which led to an even larger hall. Just how big was this place? The walls were steel, and the room was filled with equipment I didn't recognize. People in lab coats were everywhere, huddled in discussion or tinkering with devices.
"This is the Equipment Research Lab" the girl explained.
"The place we need is through that steel door in the corner"
We passed through an even larger door into a room lined with smaller chambers. We stopped at one.
"This is our department's locker. Behind that door over there is the testing range if you want to try anything out" she said. I nodded, though I hadn't asked.
The room was filled with suitcases neatly arranged on shelves, looking very much like a warehouse. She handed me a case and signaled for me to open it. Inside was a small arsenal: two vials of unknown liquids, a black suit, a baton, flashbangs, smoke grenades, frag grenades, a taser, and a pistol with several magazines.
I wondered if I was going to a war zone.
She began her explanation. "The blue capped vial is an amnesiac, which is used to wipe the memories of civilians who see anomalies. The red capped one is a sedative"
So that was how they stayed hidden. With tech like this, they could probably control the world, yet they chose to hide in shadows.
"This suit is our uniform" she continued, handing it to me.
"It can withstand at least two close range blasts and is designed for maximum mobility. It also has a special feature. To wear it, you just have to think about wearing it"
More mind controlled tech? Why didn't they just put that on the doors? I focused on the thought of wearing the suit. Instantly, the fabric dissolved into microscopic threads that swirled around me, reassembling into a perfect suit.
"Handy, right? It is my favorite" she chirped, her face brightening.
"It can shrink down into a ring for easy carrying, and it can mimic any clothing style you want so you can stay safe and inconspicuous"
She caught herself, turning a bit red, and cleared her throat. "Ahem. Sorry. I got a bit carried away. Let's move on"
"It's fine, please continue" I said with a fake smile.
"The grenades, baton, and taser are for self defense and escape" she said, her tone turning somber.
"Or for suicide, if necessary. Trust me, if you find yourself in a situation where you can't get out, you will regret it if you don't use them"
Suicide? What kind of situation would require that?
"Want to go to the range and test them?" she asked.
I shook my head. "No need. I know how to use them" Based on my experience playing action games, I figured I could manage. Besides, I intended to use them to escape these people, not help them.
She looked skeptical but quickly brightened again. "Alright! Instead of a tour, why don't we go to the cafeteria of the foundation to get to know each other? It will make working together easier"
"Sure" I agreed. I had to keep up the friendly act because if they suspected my true intentions, I was finished.
At the cafeteria, I ordered a black coffee, the girl got orange juice, and the quiet young man ordered a latte. We sat at a table to talk.
The girl introduced herself first. Her parents were famous researchers for the foundation, and she wanted to follow in their footsteps. She had been disappointed when she was assigned to this department, but she had accepted her work. She comforted herself with the idea that she was still serving the same cause. It was tragic, really, as she was fighting to live out a delusion created by her parents.
The young man spoke while looking away, seemingly intimidated by me, though his face remained a mask of indifference. He told us he had a happy childhood until an anomaly slaughtered his entire community. The foundation had arrived just in time to save him and contain the creature. Now, he was driven by a desire to protect others from his tragedy. It was a sad story, but I was certain the foundation had simply rewritten his memories.
When it was my turn, I gave them only trivial details about my life.
Time slipped away as we ate and talked, and before I knew it, night had fallen. The food was actually delicious, and if they weren't a cult, this would be a great company. We returned to that horrific elevator. The young man entered a code, and the ascent began. It felt like we were being launched into orbit.
When the doors opened, the young man looked at me and said simply. "You will get used to it"
No "are you okay?" or anything. They all looked so calm, which only made me feel more alone in my terror. It seemed the elevator could take them anywhere in the world.
None of that mattered. We were outside now. I just had to run and find help. Where were the police? I had called them this morning. Fine, I would save myself.
As I prepared to bolt, the girl spoke. "Vin, I think you should hold David's hand"
I wondered why.
"Why me? You should do it" the man questioned.
"Because you are stronger than me. And you need to get used to him since we are teammates now" she countered.
My heart hammered. Did she know I was planning to run?
"Fine" the man relented. He gripped my hand with a strength that made it feel like my arm was bolted to him. I tried to move, but I was pinned.
Lucky for her, they didn't start another argument. Unlucky for me, because that was my only chance to slip away. My plan was in ruins.
I thought that my life was over and I was doomed.