“Oh my gosh.” Francis said, breathing with excitement. “I can’t believe we’re actually going to a tour in Stellar Inc.”
The next day at 8.00 a.m., Columbia University students who are going to the tour had gathered outside the university main gate entrance. Most of them are breathing with excitement.
“Now, students.” Mr. Howard tried to call the class to order, “We’re here on a tour to the Stellar Inc. so I would like to advise you not to touch any machinery products and equipments in the company, and that includes taking photos.” Some students exchange dissapointed looks. “The company like to keep to themselves so I suggest that those of you who bring cameras will please bring up your camera to me. I will not consficate it and I assure you will get your camera back when we return back here. And that includes cellphones with camera as well. ” He added this with a warning glance at Francis who was about to open his mouth to protest.
Majority students sadly deposited their cameras and cellphones into a small plastic bucket that Mr. Howard held out to them and they stick their name with a Stick It label so that they could tell which phone is which and save a lot of awkward troubles. Some hid their cellphone inside their blazer while some muttered darkly under their breath that they shouldn’t have come to this trip at all. Glenn, however, sneakily slipped his phone into his pocket and wrapped it with some crumpled up paper so that no one will notice. Even Francis was muttering, “No way their gonna stop me from bringing my phone along,” and he tucked it inside his blazer’s inner pocket.
Mr. Howard put the bucket into a small compartment inside the bus and asked, “Did everybody bring their Metro Card?”
All the students raised their hands in reply.
“Good. Then we don’t have to worry about paying the bus fee. Alright, let’s go.” Mr. Howard led the way to the bus.
**********
“Here you go, sir. One hotdog topped with mashed potato, barbecue sauce, mustard, mayonnaise and shredded chili just like you asked.” The 1901 hotdog vendor handed Lloyd his hotdog in a box and handed him some tissues.
Lloyd murmured thanks and leaned against a stone wall, opening the box and started munching his hotdog, watching Stellar Inc. from the opposite side of the street. It’s a tall building with glass paned wall and windows. The company logo is in the middle, the logo of a half-sun with the words STELLAR written across it.
Maybe I should have just volunteered for chaperone, Lloyd thought. He had arrived 30 minutes early just in time to see the Columbia University bus arrived and several students, including Glenn, went inside the company for the tour. So much for spending the day alone, he thought as he was about to finish the bit of his hotdog when he saw a young girl around 16 in a white gown and blue flat platform shoes emerging out of the company, looking left and right of the street. Her hair is pale blue with one of her bangs on her shoulder whereas the other one was in front of it.
As Lloyd saw her, he dropped the bit of sausage he is holding and went, “Serenity???”
********
A woman with shoulder-length black hair in a buisness suit greeted the Columbia students with a warm welcome.
“Students, this is Miss Erica Giovanni. The Head of the Stellar Inc. Miss Giovanni, thank you so much for granting us permission for a tour in your company.” Mr. Howard said, shaking her hand.
“Why, you hardly have to ask, Mr. Howard.” Erica said with a smile. “We are happy to open tours for bright students like these to show them the world of buisness. It might give them some bright ideas in the future.”
Suddenly, her cellphone rang. Erica flipped it open and said, “What is it?”
She listened for a few minutes, and frowned at what she is hearing. She covered the phone and turned to Mr. Howard with an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry I can’t be your tour guide for the tour, my assistant, Joe Grant, shall replace me for the tour. I have some paperwork that requires my signature and approvement. ”
Joe, a tall dark-skinned man with dark glasses, wearing a black buisness suit, grunted, “If you all will please follow me, I will show you our exporting department.”
As they left, Erica hissed into her phone in fury. “What do you mean, she’s gone?!!!!!”
“I don’t know how she managed to get out.” Lou squeaked into the phone. “I locked everything before I left, but then the security guard then told me that V.V. broke out of her cell with her hands.”
“What do you mean, hands?” Erica shouted. “Don’t you mean her hair?”
“Come to the security control room and I’ll show you what I mean.” Lou said urgently.
************
The girl that Lloyd saw earlier was walking down the street, looking awestruck. Lloyd sneakily followed her. She entered a toy shop and gazed at all the items on display. Lloyd slipped into the shop and pretended to be interested at some dolls on display, but that girl, she looks a lot like his old friend, Serenity Arks. Her face and hair…
The shopkeeper smiled at her. “Do you need anything, little one?”
“No, I’m just looking around. I don’t have money to buy anything.” The girl said, holding a cute Minnie Mouse doll.
“I’ll pay for her.” Lloyd blubbered out of nowhere.
The girl stared at him with puzzlement. But however, the shopkeeper said, “Don’t worry. I can give that doll away for free. ”
The girl was about to put the doll back on display when the shopkeeper said, “It’s alright, little one. You can keep the doll for free.”
As they left the shop, Lloyd then asked her,"Are you Serenity Arks?"
The girl stared at him and murmured, "I'm not... Serenity Arks."
"But you look exactly like her." Lloyd insisted. "Your hair and face... They're like hers."
"My name is V.V." The girl said, blinking at him with her large violet eyes. "Not Serenity."
"V.V.?" Lloyd looked puzzled.
V.V. nodded.
"My mistake. But may I ask why is your name so queer?"
V.V. just stared at the cars running on the road. "Because I don't remember my real name. And that is what those...people call me."
"What people?" Lloyd asked, looking confused.
V.V. pointed at Stellar Inc. with her thumb and said, "Those people who created me."
"WHAT?!!!!" Lloyd looked shocked. Without thinking, he grabbed V.V. and said, "Since when does Stellar Inc. specializes in experimental stuff?"
V.V.'s expression just looked blank as she answered, "Since the end of World War Two. They had been gathering different species and blood to mix in with human."
Lloyd then said, "Follow me," and dragged V.V. to the nearest phone booth and ushered her into the glass-paned booth and squeezed in after her. He then opened his wallet, took out a few quarters, slipped it into the coin slot and dialled Glenn’s number.
************
“And here we have the Robotics Area.” Joe was telling them. “As you can see, we not only use employees but we also use robots to help our steady progress. That is how we won our 5 Merit Awards. ”
Glenn suddenly raised his hand up.
“Yes?” Joe asked.
“What is that area?” Glenn asked, pointing at the door behind him, which is made of steel and was heavily guarded by a security code lock. There was also a large Keep Out sign and beside the door there was a sign that says Top Secret Research Department, Forbidden Area, Certain Staff Only.
Joe inhaled sharply and said sternly, “That is a top secret facility area, nobody is ever allowed in there.”
All students turned towards the with curious interest until Mr. Howard said, “Move along, now.”
As all the students moved to the next area, Glenn’s cellphone ringed.
Dammit! Glenn thought. He quickly silenced his phone when Mr. Howard said sharply, “Who sneak their cellphone in????”
Glenn then quickly said, “Mr. H, I have to go the bathroom.”
Mr. Howard then said rather sternly, “Go ahead. And whoever had brought their cellphones in, you will please hand it out to me right now so that your punishment will be lighter.”
Glenn ran towards the men’s bathroom - It’s a pretty nice in the bathroom, it’s walls, floor and sink counter top are made of beautiful white marble - and locked himself into a stall and whispered into his phone. “Hello?”
“Glenn??? ” A familiar voice said.
Glenn nearly dropped his phone in surprise.
“Lloyd?”
“Yes, it’s me.” Lloyd was still in the phone booth, V.V was right in front of him, blocked from view by the payphone which is right in front of her, playing with a quarter. Earlier she was awed by the quarter that Lloyd used for the payphone and had tried to banged the phone to get the quarter out until Lloyd gave her a quarter of her own to play with.
“ Glenn, do you know anything about Stellar Inc.’s inside?” Lloyd asked.
“What do you mean? And Lloyd….They don’t allow us to bring cellphone and camera inside… They think we’re gonna steal their models and stuff like that-”
“That is not the point.” Lloyd said urgently. “They specializes in supernaturals experimental stuff.”
Glenn nearly dropped his phone again as he whispered slowly. “How do you know all this?”
“I can’t tell you now. It’s too complicated. It’s-”
“Hey, it’s her!” A Stellar Inc. guard yelled, pointing at the phone booth.
“Gotta go.” Lloyd said, hanging up the phone, snatching his change and grabbing V.V. “Let’s go!”
They both ran down the crowded street, pushing past people. The Stellar Inc. guards were running after them, weapons loaded.
Lloyd was really lucky that he used a cab to 75th Street instead of his Land Rover or else he wouldn’t have enough insurance to cover his car loss. He dragged V.V. to the nearest cab stop and luckily, a cab had just arrived. He leapt into it with V.V. and said to the driver, “Manhattan midtown apartment.”
“10 dollars, but if you and the girl have a Metro Card then it’s free.” The driver replied.
Suddenly, one of the guards grabbed Lloyd, saying, “Give that girl back!”
WHAM! Lloyd punched him knocking over his comrades and said to the driver, “I’ll give you an extra 5 dollars and a tip if you can get us to midtown within 10 minutes.”
The driver needed no more convincing. He put the pedal to the metal and screeched away before the guards had time to regain councious.
***********
Glenn ran out of the bathroom, just in time to see Francis running towards him. “What took you so long? Mr. H is gonna give you a long lecture when you get back. ”
“Sorry. Bad tummy ache.” Glenn panted, gasping for breath. “Don’t tell Mr. H about my phone beeping, okay?”
“Cross my heart and hope to die.” Francis drew a cross over his heart.
Glenn and Francis ran all the way to the entrance where an annoyed Mr. Howard was glaring at them. “You two are late!!!!”
“Sorry, Mr. H. Bad tummy ache. I think I just drank sour milk this morning for breakfast…” Glenn panted.
“Spare me the stories and get onto the bus. Everyone is waiting.” Mr. Howard ushered them out onto the bus.
As the bus rumbled away, Joe got onto his walkie-talkie and said, “They’re gone, boss.”
“Meet me in the security control room.” Erica replied.
Joe pressed the up button and took the elevator up to the 2nd floor, The Head of Security Department and entered the security control room to find, Gavett, Head of Security and Erica looking at some security screens. Gavett was pressing the rewind button on the video player and Joe was just in time to see the scene where V.V. bust out of her cell.
“As you can see, just like Lou described, the lock was secured and everything, but the weapon broke out of her cell with her hands and hair.” Gavett was explaining.
“But since when can she use her hands as weapons??” Erica was asking with frustration.
“And since when did she know about the outside world???” She then spotted Joe standing at the doorway. “Listen, don’t let words leak out. If Darkmatter finds out, we might be in trouble.”
“Nothing can ever escapes Darkmatter, boss.” Joe said gruffly. “And one of the guards just contacted me. The weapon has escaped with a tall man in black.”
“What?!!!” Erica shrieked. “That’s impossible!!!!”
Suddenly, her phone beeped. She took a look at the caller’s ID and inhaled. Joe then said, “It’s him, is it?”
Erica nodded, her face turning white.
“You better answer it, boss.” Gavett answered nervously, fiddling with his earphones wires. “It’ll be over soon.”
“Not a word.” Erica whispered, then she flipped open her phone. “Hello?”
“Good day to you, Miss Giovanni…” A cold voice said.
“Oh, it’s you, Darkmatter.” Erica said, tying to sound cool and brave at the same time. “What’s the matter, I thought you are coming back tomorrow from France to take care of buisness.”
“I just came back today.” Darkmatter said coolly. “So, is my order ready yet?” He paused and said, “Oh wait, it ran away, did it?”
“We’re trying to get it back now.” Erica said. “Please give me some time. I’m tracking down the person who took her.”
“Her, huh?” Darkmatter paused for a few minutes. Then, he said rather coolly. “Tomorrow by sunset, I want her to be specially ordered to my manor. Or I might personally meet you to discuss our little contract.”
“That’s fine.” Erica quickly said. “In fact, I think we might have a clue.” She then asked, “Have you heard of this little buisness group called S.D.S?”
Good chapter. I liked it.
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