by Aman Gupta
“Why?” asked Vik.
“35th is closed, today,” said the other guard.
“Then how do they want me to access it?” asked Vik. “Could you make an exception? I just got L2 and I don’t want to go back to L1. I didn’t even want to be here, but clearly Mr. Dotwight did.”
They thought about it for a minute and said, “Fine.”
“But my partner would go with you, and stand outside. Hope the server is on this floor. The floors above are closed,” said the guard, showing Vik the closed transparent door in front of a staircase, behind the guards.
Vik nodded and went with the guard to the server room on the left. The guard scanned his eye and entered the room with Vik. He asked Vik to put his bag outside but Vik told him that he would keep it by the door inside as he might need some of his stuff. Vik looked around for a workstation but saw hundreds of server racks, leaking a tremendous noise. He went around each of the server racks which were labelled according to the department that used them.
‘Accounting. Sales. Archives. Backup. Surveillance,’ were the commonly used ones.
The guard followed Vik wherever he went.
“Only that staircase at the entrance to access the above floors. That’s just poor building planning, don’t you think?” said Vik. “What if it’s an emergency, right?”
“That’s what ducts are for. One for emergency escape, rest of them for fire control,” said the guard.
“Where is the escape duct?” asked Vik.
“Mind your business,” said the guard. He couldn’t help but see the access panel to the duct. Vik noticed that.
He looked at his watch and realized he had nearly two hours left, before he lost the good hours of Celaret Larvam. Vik grabbed a KVM modular console and pretended to access a server in the lower shelf. He asked the guard to hold the server so that he could connect the wires. The guard put his gun aside and bent down to help Vik, only to get slammed on the face with the console. The guard managed to grab his gun. A fight for the control of the gun ensued but Vik managed to press the trigger when the gun was pointed at the guard’s chest. The guard died instantly. Vik cleared the prints off the gun and hid it in the room, underneath a server.
He ran and picked his bag across the room and went to the access panel. He took out a screwdriver from his bag and unscrewed the panel in front of him. There were hundreds of such panels around the room, however the guard knew the right one that connected the floors.
He entered the panel and saw a vertical duct that went upwards. He extended his arms to stick them on both sides of the duct and climbed up slowly. He got to the next floor after few minutes of climb. He leaned back against the duct wall, placed his feet on either side of the panel and unscrewed it from the inside using a miniature wrench behind the screwdriver.
He entered the room hoping to find the servers used by Research facilities, and more. With their data destroyed, Atlantis would be crippled, Vik thought. It was his primary motive for invading Atlantis – destroy the people and their ambitions, who conspired against his family more than three years ago.
He found the server racks but ran into the problem when they weren’t marked anymore. With another six levels of servers to go, he knew he couldn’t destroy them all without raising alarms. He noticed this room wasn’t as wide as the one below. He saw a glass door on the side of the room. He tried to see through the thick film but couldn’t see much. The four inch door was locked without any means to open it. He realized it must have been where the staircase was. He grabbed a rod and started smashing the door. The glass began developing cracks but nothing more.
He returned and climbed up the server rack and attempted to destroy the cooling system above. As soon as he struck the first blow, a red light flashed across the entire room. A cold steam of air came out of the pipe behind Vik, and he dropped down on the floor. He landed on his bag which provided a cushion.
Suddenly, the temperature of the room dropped to freezing, as it overcompensated for a minor damage to one of the liquid pipes. Cold water starting coming out of small openings on the floor, while Vik lied on the ground, trying to regain his balance. Within few minutes, he was soaking wet, shivering and in pain. Unable to feel one of his arms and losing sensation in his legs, he put on his bag and crawled to the cracked glass door again. He started smashing it using the rod, hoping that it would break under the sudden drop in temperature. He was out of breath and strength. The body was going into shock as he stuck the final blow. The glass shattered, and Vik got out of the room. With only stairs going up and down, he felt trapped. He sat down against the wall by the stairs. The wall moved a little. He realized it was one of the pressure walls that his team used in their own datacenters. He pushed the wall and got out, on the 36th floor corridor.
Losing feelings in both of his legs, he dragged himself to the elevator.
“Come on,” he uttered, waiting for the elevator.
He crawled into the elevator and pressed the ‘parking’ button. Few seconds later, he passed out. The elevator stopped on the 32nd floor with Vanessa on the other side. She saw Vik passed out, trembling and soaking wet. She got in the elevator, and pressed the emergency button. The elevator skipped all floors and went to the basement parking lot within fifteen seconds. She dragged Vik to her car nearby and put him in the front seat. She removed his bag and clothes, and turned on the heating. Feeling a pulse, she quickly drove out of Locus and headed towards her apartment building.
Vik woke up few hours later from a nightmare. He had unlocked a suppressed memory. He saw Katie’s face and recollected letting go of her hand. He remembered her tears, as he saw Victor Daulton asking his men to take her away. Her golden hair turned brown as he was imagining the memory. He tried hard to observe the surroundings. This time, it wasn’t just a building anymore. He remembered it being a hospital.
When he woke up, he was lying in the bed, naked. He turned around and saw Vanessa sleeping on the other side. He uncovered their shared blanket a little and pulled it back again.
“Yeah, she’s naked. Please god, don’t tell me the last two days were a dream and I did go on the date,” uttered Vik.
He sat up. Vanessa moved a little and opened her eyes.
“Nice ass,” said Vanessa.
He laid back down.
“How am I here and why’re you naked?” asked Vik.
“You passed out on the elevators, freezing. I brought you to my home,” said Vanessa.
“Oh…Thanks. But that still doesn’t explain why you are naked!” said Vik.
“I tried cuddling with my clothes on, but wasn’t working,” smiled Vanessa.
“Next time you want to cuddle, wake me up, so that I can put on my clothes,” said Vik.
“You used me, I used you, so we’re even,” said Vanessa.
“I used you?” asked Vik.
Vanessa rolled over on top of Vik and said, “Yes. You accessed the surveillance server and the central server with my login. And you didn’t show up for the date either.”
“Oh. That. Sorry, my bad,” said Vik.
“I thought about leaving you in the elevator. But decided that maybe you would want to explain your actions,” said Vanessa.
“Sorry, I was just trying to help my friends, and stopping the evil machine that is Atlantis,” said Vik.
“Does that make me evil too since I work here?” said Vanessa.
“Well, you helped me. That qualifies as angelic behavior, I’m guessing,” said Vik.
She kissed him and asked, “So tell me, Vik, why I shouldn’t hand you over to the security. One good reason.”
“How about an 11 year old?” asked Vik.
“Your daughter?” asked Vanessa.
“No, a friend’s daughter. Currently a Guinea pig here,” said Vik.
Vanessa laughed and said, “Are you serious?”
Vik rolled her over, turn to his right, looking at her and told her the entire story about the kidnappings. The important parts.
“And you and her mother, both have hazel eyes. In fact, she kind of looks like you. You’re a bit taller though,” said Vik.
“I have no maternal instincts if that’s what you are going with,” said Vanessa.
“Why? Even I have some, and I’m not a mother,” joked Vik.
Vanessa told Vik about her abusive relationship with her ex, as well as her traumatic childhood.
“After that, I drowned myself with wrong men who were only interested in me for my looks. You could see on their face, you know. As soon as they looked at me, there was this lust on their face. For a time, I didn’t care. After that, I drowned myself again, this time in my work. Haven’t even dated or slept with anyone for quite some time,” said Vanessa.
“Oh please, you were flirting with me the moment you saw me,” said Vik.
Vanessa laughed. “No, that was different. I looked into your eyes. There wasn’t any lust. You couldn’t wait for me to leave. That attracted me more.”
“Oh, well, you’re welcome, then,” said Vik.
They both laughed for a few minutes, while staring at the ceiling.
“What are you going to do now?” asked Vanessa.
“It’s like 2 AM, so nothing now. Tomorrow morning, I got to reach my friends first. Then get back into Locus,” said Vik.
“Why go back?” asked Vanessa.
“Some unfinished business. I might need your help, too,” said Vik.
“Anything,” said Vanessa.
Vik explained his plan to her. She agreed to do her part.
“Like you said, it’s 2 AM. So what do we do now?” said Vanessa.
“Sleep. I’ll take the other bedroom or the couch,” said Vik.
“Or,” said Vanessa.
“Couch, it is,” said Vik.
Vanessa grinned. Vik smiled.
“You have some male clothes?” asked Vik.
“Yeah, I think so. In that wardrobe,” said Vanessa. “Go ahead. Walk there.”
Vik laughed.
Vanessa went to the wardrobe and took out her night gown.
“Which one for you – purple or pink?” said Vanessa, showing her collection of night gowns.
“A T-shirt and some jeans would be lovely,” said Vik.
Vanessa grabbed a shirt and a track pant. After wearing the clothes, Vik got up to leave.
“Stay, please. I promise not to remove your clothes this time,” said Vanessa.
“Only because you said please,” said Vik.
Vanessa laughed.
Early morning, Vik looked outside the window at the park, while Vanessa brought his clothes and bag from her car.
After an hour, he saw Emma and Kate through his binoculars.
“Vanessa, come here. See that redhead near that big tree,” said Vik, handing over the binoculars to her.
“Yeah,” said Vanessa, looking through the binoculars.
“Get her and her friends, please? Say her husband has asked for him. If she doesn’t understand the code, just say my name. Ideally, should be 2 women, 1 man and 1 kid. If you feel you’re being followed, come back,” said Vik.
“Okay, be right back,” said Vanessa.
Vik hopped in the shower quickly and came back out to monitor the situation. He saw Vanessa approach Emma. He followed every step of theirs till their car entered the building.
◆◆◆
Vik left with Emma and Kate towards Locus. Kate and Emma hid in the car, as Vik wanted to use the basement parking structure to enter the building. He used Vanessa’s spare car, which was registered in Locus central system, to avoid trouble with the parking lot guards. He had asked Vanessa to follow their movements from the surveillance center, timely rebooting the security cameras as they went along. Vik wanted to avoid detection before he entered the building. After that, he didn’t care. They reached the parking structure in the basement. As they were heading towards the elevator, an old man was patrolling nearby. They all hid behind the car, but he noticed them and asked them to come forward. Emma went around and ambushed the guard. Kate and Emma tied his hands and mouth with a duct tape. Vik wanted to permanently subdue the man, but Kate and Emma objected. They went to the elevator, and accessed it through Kate’s palm. The guard returned and pointed a gun at them.
“Can’t believe he freed himself. He’s dressed as a parking attendant,” said Emma.
“I know. Who would’ve guessed that!” said Vik, rolling his eyes. He went behind Emma and Kate.
“I’m not dying first because of your stupidity,” said Vik.
The guard attached a silencer to his hand gun.
“Once I kill you, I’ll get to your friends, who wouldn’t even know you died,” said the guard.
“Do I look like someone who could have friends?” said Emma.
“Stop reading my mind,” said Kate.
The guard asked them to shut up and attempted to call for backup by taking out his phone from the holder around his waist. As he looked down for a microsecond, Vik threw a screw driver at the guard, hitting him in the eye. They rushed outside. Emma held him down to tie him again. Vik picked up the gun and shot the guard.
“Why did you do that?” asked Emma.
“There’s no room for second chances,” said Vik.
Vanessa had also given them some radio earpieces for private communication, though it could be monitored by anyone if they were looking for that frequency. Vanessa told them that she would make sure that no one did.
Vik asked Vanessa about any news in the system about the dead guard from yesterday. But she denied any notifications pertaining to that, which Vik found strange. He told Kate and Emma to search every room from the 1st floor to the 20th for Joey and Sam.
He went up and down the elevators hoping to meet someone who could get him to 45th floor or beyond. He would get off occasionally to fool the outlier detection algorithm that Vanessa had told him about, during their chat after leaving her apartment. Vik had also updated his face in the system by using the second and final vial of Celaret Larvam.
Vik had used his L2 credentials to track down S3 clearance employees. Two of them were Olivia and Jerry. During their chat, he had asked Vanessa to charm two men named Michael and Howard. Vanessa had told him that Michael had once asked her out, when she had started, so she could try to use that connection to get Vik to the 45th floor.
Vanessa mentioned she was working on it, when Vik asked. Vik got off on the 24th floor and sat in the open dining area, working on his laptop.
Emma was doing the even numbered floors. She ran into an occasional trouble when a supervisor asked for her credentials. Other than that, it went smooth for her. She ran into Kate sometimes in the elevator. They would just look at each other, without saying a word. It took them four hours but they managed to cover all the twenty floors without any major hassle. Vik would hear the occasional voices from Emma’s mic embedded in the earpiece. Not so much from Kate’s.
Kate stepped into the elevator on the 20th floor and turned on her earpiece. She told Emma and Vik about overhearing from one of the guards about more security on the 49th and 50th floors around the cells. Vik asked her for more details, especially whether she overheard something that could confirm whether they were talking about Joey or someone else. But Kate said that she had to get out of there because they were coming towards her.
Vik informed Vanessa through the internal messaging software. He wrote, “She would flirt with him like he was known to her.”
Vik asked Kate and Emma to standby in the lobby. Few minutes later, Vanessa wrote to Vik, “I know. I see him all the time. He be like I’ll see you on the 22nd very soon. Wait for me in E4.”
Vik went down to the 20th floor and asked Emma and Kate to get on the elevator numbered 4, and press 20. He took one of the elevators to go down to the 20th floor and hurtled towards elevator number 4. The elevator stopped on 20, where the last occupants exited. Only Vik, Emma and Kate were on the e
levator. Vik pressed his hand for the 44th and asked Emma and Kate whether they wished to go to the same floor. They said yes squinting at Vik. The elevator door closed and stopped at the 22nd floor where Michael got in. He didn’t press his hand, rather stood at the back of the elevator. The elevator stopped at 32nd where Vanessa got inside. She looked at Vik who pointed at Michael through his eyes.
She went over to Michael and began flirting, starting by telling him he was the hottest 30 year old she had ever seen. He corrected her that he was 40, which turned her on even more. Michael looked at Emma and Kate, wondering if they’ll get off the elevator. Vanessa grabbed his face and moved him away to the other corner, near the door. Grabbing both his palms with hers, she began kissing him. During the kiss, she moved a step to the elevator door, pressing her back against it. She pressed the back of her hand against the door, and then removed her hand in a jiffy. She jumped on him, forcing him to hold on to her with one hand and press the other hand on the elevator door for support. As soon as his hand got registered, she got down and pushed him towards the other side, giving Vik the opportunity to choose 49th floor. As soon as he pressed 49th, he saw that the camera at the top corner of the elevator stopped flashing its usual red light.
Vanessa got off Michael when the elevator stopped at 49th, whose face had turned red with blood rush and lipstick stains. He breathed heavily, and gathered himself. Vik, Kate and Emma had gotten off the elevator when Michael regained his composure. Vik left his bag behind pointing to Vanessa to take it with her.
Emma noticed that there weren’t any visible cameras, which she told Kate and Vik. They walked a few yards and arrived at a T-point in the corridor. A guard was making rounds, coming from the left. Vik gave the slitting throat gesture to Emma. She shook her head. As soon as the guard came over, Emma grabbed his weapon while Vik lifted him and rolled him backwards. Kate kicked him in the nuts, and Emma knocked him out using the back of the assault rifle.
They tied him up and hid him in a janitor closet near the elevator wing. As they returned to the T-point again, they saw two guards heading towards them from the right. After a fight, they somehow managed to knock out both of the guards. They took the knives from all the three guards. Vik went to the left and told Emma and Kate to go to the right.