by Mela NoLeuca
*
"Sir, I've received information from my sources that ERA is planning to extract our project," I reported.
There I stood in the middle of a vast office with the logo of our institution imprinted on the marble floor. This was once a white room as well like the rest of the building's theme, the General didn't feel too comfortable about it though so we had it done until it resembled the President's Office.
"How many hours before this happens?" he asked, continuously gazing through the vast window behind his desk. He leaned against its pane and glanced briefly at me.
He also had graying hair and very much resembled the build of the ERA's Colonel. My conscience began haunting me, was I really going to do this? Play the double agent in this company? This guy right here is even my step father and there I was telling him all the lies the enemy wanted me to feed him with.
"Ares, son, is everything fine?" he asked gently this time, like a father would his son. He could tell something was off and my whole chest was just screaming out for him to try and figure it out and if he ever did...my heart sank a little, would he even forgive me?
"Yeah, everything's cool," I felt my face flush in cold sweat, "I just can't believe that my project, the one everyone laughed at, is now something everyone's after. Ironic isn't it?" I let out a little chuckle.
I could mentally stab myself to death right now. But this was just all in for the sake of the peace afterwards. So why was still against it? Why was I still trying to think of a back up plan?
I really couldn't believe all this is happening, it felt like standing in the middle of a rickety bridge that was going to fall off any moments and I had to chose which piece of land I should jump in.
Time was flying too quickly, clearing my throat, "Sir, they arrive in less than eight hours, sir"
Watching the horror fill his face made me uncomfortable standing there alone. He nodded at me before reaching for the phone and began barking orders and summoning his men, after hanging up, he began striding restlessly across his office.
"Um," I began nervously before awkwardly finding my place in the office. Soon enough the people he ordered to come would be filling this place.
"No, son, you stay here," he said firmly, "let the others do this,"
This wasn't going as planned.
"Sir, at least let's use this opportunity to snag us an experiment for my project," I blabbered, they couldn't kill the guy ERA was sending off, it might only cause bigger problems.
Halting in his tracks to ponder for a moment, he sighed, nodding impatiently.
"Then let me do the briefing, sir," I offered again. This time, he must bite the bait. I watched my father narrow his eyes at me, piercing through my very soul.
"I kind of already planned things out before hand," I blabbered in an almost panicking way, "I knew that they might burst through the confines of this institution, so what I did was reposition the Rubrix into a trapped place and if we just placed the men accordingly--"
"You took the Rubrix out?" He restated. Well, now that he said it like that, it sounded like a problem to me.
"Why would you do something like that?" his voice didn't rise, but I could hear him straining to keep a calm composure. That vein popping out of his temple was only an indicator that I was in so much trouble.
"That's why I must--"
"Who did you entrust it to?" he interrupted me, impatiently resting his hands on his hips, "Which agent did you let out without my permission?"
"Sir, if you please just listen and calm down," I knew if I told him the extra cherry to the top, he going to blow off.
Pinching the bridge of his nose, he sighed heavily and forcefully recomposed himself, "fine, what do you have in mind?"
"I let an unsuspecting civilian carry the Rubrix but--"
"What?!"
I grinned. Oh man, with that face, he's never going to listen to me now.