The day of April’s departure for Philadelphia came. We said goodbye the evening prior. I couldn’t imagine how I’d survive without having April at my side. After finishing high school, she’d become my lifeline. And now I had nothing. It was like stepping into a void, with no reason to go on. No classes, no job, and no April. I got home that evening and found Sergei waiting for me.
“Bro, you got this thing right here. Delivered by DHL.” He handed me a package and gave me a curious stare.
“What is that?” I accepted the package and flipped it over in my hands. There was no return address, only something that looked like a seal with two snakes intertwining.
“Open it.” Sergei urged. I’d considered going to my room to do so, but my brother was hovering over my shoulder, so I ripped the package open, taking care to not damage the seal. It looked interesting, like something I’d like to cut out and put on my wall. A folder fell out.
“A folder? That’s it?” Sergei exclaimed. We were both staring at a black, fancy-looking folder. The same seal was on its cover, but this one was emblazoned in gold.
“Wow, it looks like something out of Batman.” My mouth gaped open. Hands trembling, I opened it and took out the cover letter.
“Dear Mr. Likharev,” the letter read.
“We’re pleased to offer you the position of Tester at the Experimental Lab. You start day is September 5, 2008. Should you accept this offer of employment, pease notify us immediately by dropping a signed copy of the employment at our Office Location at 5252 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh PA. Your monthly salary will be 5500 per month, net of taxes.”
“What’s this?”
“I guess I got a job.” I jumped up. “Not so useless after all.”
“Tester? What are you gonna be testing for that kinda money? Illegal weapons?”
“I’m not entirely sure.” I shrugged. “I guess they liked my essay.”
“Essay? What the hell? Bro, is this even legal?”
“Of course it is. April’s dad hooked me up.” I said, glowing on the inside. “I gotta tell her.”
“Wait, Rodion, what’s going on?” Sergei narrowed his eyes. “Are you sure this is legit? Like, are you one hundred percent sure there’s nothing weird going on?”
“What, you think I’m not good enough for something cool to happen to me? Maybe this is my big break.” I pulled my arm out of his grip and reached for my phone.
I texted April in all CAPs, not caring if my message looked crazy.
I GOT THE JOB!!!! THANKS!
The very next day I went to hand in my application.
The place was nothing like I expected. What I thought would be something straight out of the future. Like a research lab from the movies. White walls, bright lights, a futuristic-looking building with white lines and clean, open spaces. I expected professorial-looking types running around in white coats, test tubes in and programmers with focused expressions on their faces, slouching in front of computers. Maybe a couple of robots standing in the hallway. How I’d fit in with that crowd didn’t bother me, but it remained a question.
Instead, the Lab was located in a mansion on Forbes Avenue, right across from Carnegie Mellon University Campus. I’d passed it lots of times on my way to Oakland, and it looked like just another house.
I’d located the building right away, but then circled the block several times to make sure I didn’t make a mistake. I opened the folder, re-read the offer letter, verified the address, and then finally entered the building. It was painted burgundy and had a cobblestone driveway, characteristics that made it look even more residential. I climbed up the five steps and stood on the porch, about to knock. Unexpectedly, the door flew open and a guy with fiery red hair appeared.
“Hi, can I help you?” He asked.
“Hey, I’m here to drop off this.” I handed him the folder. Immediately, his eyes lit up.
“You must be Rodion Likharev. Come in!” He opened the door wide, revealing a living room set up. I followed him in and he turned, extending his hand. “I’m Ben. I work here. One of the researchers. Nice to meet you.”
He sat down on the couch and offered me a seat on an armchair across from him. The furniture was beige leather and reminded me of Vlada’s living room. She considered it the epitome of good taste and got a white leather set from Ikea, often mentioning her dream of replacing it with high-end white leather couches one day. I was no expert, but the couches in the Lab looked expensive. The leather felt buttery, and I brushed my fingers on it, feeling the surface of the couch.
Ben was absorbed in the paperwork, and I surreptitiously examined him. He was wearing a gray t-shirt with the Carnegie Mellon logo on it and I noticed his bulging muscles. Red freckles populated his face. Ben did not look like a geeky programmer who led a sedentary lifestyle.
“Alright, we’re all set.” Ben flashed me a smile. “Thanks for accepting our offer.” The tone of his voice sounded like he was saying it as a mere formality, and I nodded in silent agreement. He rose and walked to the door, inviting me to follow him.
“See you next week. The day after Labor Day. Oh, by the way, our hours are from noon to 8pm. It’s mostly because of California time. We start later, when it’s morning over there. Three-hour difference, you know.” I didn’t, but nodded again.
I wanted Ben to like me.
***
The rest of the week passed in a blur, as I waited for my first day at The Lab. I thought of the wonderful turn of events in my life, the cool job, the amazing offer, and the money. The incredible salary I was about to earn, all thanks to April. She was my guardian angel and my heart filled with gratitude each time I thought of her.
On my first day, I woke up early. Though I didn’t have to report to the Lab until noon, I was too wired and jumped out of bed at six that morning. Sergei was still asleep, and I made my way downstairs, trying to make as little noise as possible. I paused in the living room. Submerged in semi-darkness, our tiny place looked even smaller than normal. My life is about to change. I thought, plopping down on the couch. I looked to my left and saw Mama’s urn on the shelf, in the usual space.
“Mama, I’ll make you proud.” I mouthed and flicked on the console, deciding it was the best way to spend the next few hours. Even after having breakfast with Sergei and gaming, I had ample time, so I walked through Schenley Park to get to the office. It was a sunny September morning, and, unusually for Pittsburgh, it hadn’t rained in over a week. Walking on the streets of Greenfield, I thought of the first time I saw them. With Mama by my side. I remembered taking the school bus and cutting school. My melancholy mood hit me, as I thought of my life in America, the strange turn of events that brought me there. I wish we never left Russia. I thought, and, as usual, felt seething anger at Papa. All his fault. It was all his fault. I clenched my fists in an effort to stay calm. I knew this job would bring me one step closer to avenging Mama. Which was my purpose in life. The only thing that mattered.
I knocked on the front door of The Lab at exactly 12pm, expecting Ben to answer. I’d prepared to greet him with a high-five and even plastered an eager grin on my face in anticipation. But instead, a young woman answered the door. She had a blonde bob haircut, small blue eyes, a button nose. Her arched eye-brows gave her face a look of perpetual condescension. As soon as she opened the door, she checked her watch and nodded in satisfaction.
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“Great, you’re on time.”
I cleared my throat and, dignified, said,
“Rodion Likharev. It’s my first day.”
“And I’m Kate.” She didn’t give a last name, as if that didn’t matter one bit.
“Nice to meet you.” I was about to extend my hand, but she didn’t offer hers. Instead, she scrunched up her face and deep lines crossed her forehead.
“Let me show you around.” She led me into the same space I’d been to on my first visit, and once more I was surprised by how it looked. This was nothing like a research space in my understanding. I followed her, gaping, taking everything in. The white leather couch, the matching armchairs, the table with magazines. A white piano stood in the corner. Then Kate made her way into the dining room, where a large oak table sat, complete with eight dining room chairs.
We got to the kitchen, and Kate turned to me.
“Here, we have snacks, meals, whatever you need.”
“Aha.” My mouth started salivating right away. I was always hungry and the prospect of free meals sounded great. I was making a mental note of how much money I’d be saving, but Kate interrupted my thoughts.
“And of course, the way to where you’ll be spending your day is right through here.” Kate pointed to a white painted door with a lock code. “You’ll need a code to open it. It’s important the door stays locked at all times.”
I swallowed hard. Suddenly, the space didn’t seem so cute and harmless. My heart beat fast and I bit my lip to stay calm. Kate deftly punched in the code, not even trying to hide it, and I wondered whether she did it on purpose or out of carelessness. I noted the numbers. It was 0808. The date of my birthday. Easy to remember regardless.
“Got it.” I responded, keeping the tone of my voice casual, and followed her down the steps. They stairs led us to a large basement. Finally, a space that looked like an actual lab.
A large long desk stood in the middle of the basement, with three computer screens sitting next to each other. In front of each, there was a chair, and the screen in the middle was connected to what seemed like a myriad of other machines, all buzzing, clicking, and beeping. I stared at this set-up in awe. I was about to be a tester at this high-tech establishment! My heart leaped at the idea. All my doubts were washed away in a matter of seconds. I wanted to run up to the screen and start right away, but Kate, as if sensing my eagerness, stopped me.
“Now, we’ve got to get you hooked up first. Make sure the set-up is correct.”
“Yeah.”
“This is where you’ll be working.” Kate said, pointing to one of the chairs. “Have a seat and we’ll test out the equipment.”
I did as told, and she proceeded to adjust the chair and the desk, maneuvering them up and down and asking me to bend my arms and legs. She then took a few measurements and ordered,
“Alright, try it out now. Comfortable?”
I fidgeted in the chair and nodded. Kate furrowed her brow, inspecting me.
“Alright, Rodion. Ready for the ride? Let’s get you organized, alright?” She didn’t wait for me to answer, and produced a camera. “I’m just gonna take a few photos of you, just like that. Here, go stand over there.” She then took a few photos of me, mumbling to herself as she did so. “Very good, very good. Now, I think you can get started.”
She pointed to the chair, and I sat down, obediently looking at the computer. I expected Kate to give me instructions, but she bit her lip, flipping through a pile of papers.
“Listen, umm, Rodion, you dropped your papers off, right?” She furrowed her brow, a look of concern on her face.
“Yeah.” I nodded. “I brought them over last week.”
“This is kinda strange. I don’t see the full packet here. There are several consent forms. And the non-disclosure agreement.” Kate mumbled. “Hey, let’s just go upstairs for a second. I can’t leave you alone here if you haven’t signed them.”
She turned and walked to the steps.
I rose, and with a feeling of regret, followed her. I wanted to stay downstairs. It was clean, well organized and had a pull on me. I could tell whatever was about to happen there, whatever testing I was about to do, would be nothing like anyone had ever done before.
Kate’s heels clicked on the steps. Mine made no noise. I saw her punch in the code again, 0808, as we exited, and wondered what the deal was with that. Why did she even mention the code?
“Wait right here,” Kate ordered curtly, and pointed to a stool in the kitchen.
I found myself sitting next to a tray of croissant sandwiches. It wasn’t there when Kate had taken me down to the basement. I eyed the food, salivating, as I waited for Kate to reappear. I couldn’t hear a thing and guessed that the walls of the kitchen must have been sound-proofed. I considered taking a sandwich but decided against it after I noticed a blinking dot of a camera on the ceiling.
It reminded me of the cameras in “Resident Evil” and I shuddered, remembering “Resident Evil.” For a second, my mind wandered and I thought of paralyzing gas being released. I steeled myself for a long wait, but Kate reappeared just a few minutes later, followed by Ben. At the sight of him, I felt relief, as if an old friend had reappeared.
“Hey!” Ben extended his hand to me and flashed a smile. He was wearing the same Carnegie Mellon t-shirt, and I wondered whether he ever changed clothes or if he had a whole set.
“What’s going on? Why didn’t you follow the protocol?” Kate chastised him.
“It was first day back after vacation. Gimme a break.” Ben huffed. “I have his stuff right here.”
He shoved a folder to Kate, who gave him a side-eye.
“The consent forms should have been in the file. And I don’t see the NDA. And did you even scan these?”
“Scan these?”
“Yes! Everything has to be in electronic format!” Kate shrieked. “I don’t get why I’m doing all the secretarial work around here.”
“Relax, it’s gonna be fine.” Ben shrugged.
“Why didn’t you go over this with him last week? I thought you’d done the orientation!”
They continued to bicker like that for several minutes until Kate turned to me.
“Rodion, listen. Can you come back tomorrow? We’ll get everything set up by then. She threw an indignant look at Ben.
“No! Just wait. I’ll get everything done.” Ben shook his head. “Here, I’ll just go and scan this.” He rolled his eyes at Kate.
“We’ll wait right here,” Kate said triumphantly, and folded her arms. Whatever strange power game was going on there, I found it entertaining. I heard my stomach rumble and tried to conceal it by moving the chair, but Kate heard it.
“Here, have something to eat!” She said brightly. “This food is for us, actually.” She handed me a paper plate and placed a sandwich on it. I eagerly bit into it, still mindful of the red blinking camera dot on the ceiling.
“This place is great, actually. Sorry, we’re a bit disorganized today, Rodion. It’s not like that usually.” Kate flipped her hair. I was chewing on the sandwich and didn’t react right away, so Kate continued: “You’ll really like it here. And Ben and I, umm, just ignore us.”
“Okay.” I nodded, taking the last bite of the sandwich.
“Here’s some water.” Kate handed took a bottle out of a pack that I’d recognized from Vlada’s house. Sergei and I had carried these very packs Vlada bought at Costco countless times. That made this space feel familiar and I relaxed. I barely had taken a sip of the water, when Ben appeared.
“All done!” He announced.
“Alright, let’s get started for real then.” Kate shook her head and checked her iPhone. It was a brand new model, the one April wanted. “Forty-five minute delay only because we didn’t get things ready on time.”
Kate punched in the code, and all three of us descended into the basement.
“I already took the baseline photos.” Kate said. Then she turned to me. “Listen, Rodion, remember, you cannot share with anyone what happens here. You signed all the forms, and whatever happens here is bound by the non-disclosure agreement. Ben should have gone over this with you.” She gave Ben a side-eye, and I felt sorry for him. “Do you understand?” She turned to me.
“Yeah.” I nodded. Why is she making a big deal over this?
“Remember Rule Number one of Fight Club?” Ben chuckled.
“You DO NOT talk about Fight Club?” I said, a little too eagerly. But I really liked Ben. He was my ally in this situation. The good cop.
The expression on Ben’s face was severe. A little too severe.
“Exactly. Do NOT talk about Fight Club. The Lab.”
“Ben, I mean, I think it’s pretty clear what a non-disclosure agreement is.” Kate raised her eyebrows. “I think he gets it.”
“I’m just trying to help.” Ben opened his arms wide and rolled his eyes.
“Thanks.”
“This is your desk.” Ben pointed at the computer. “We have to make sure it fits you well.”
“I already set it up for him!” Kate sighed. “See? Here, have a seat, show Ben.” I obeyed. “So, here’s what you’ll be doing. There’s a game that you’ll be playing. It’s kinda like Star Wars, but about Mars. The game isn’t important.” Kate said.
“It’s not?” I turned to Ben for an explanation. “So what do I do?”
“You just play the game, but only for a few days. Then you’ll see.” I saw a smirk on Ben’s face.
“You’re going to confuse him.” Kate let out a breath.
“So, we’re testing AI. Artificial Intelligence.” Ben stared at me intently. “And you.” He pointed at me. “Are our main tester.”
“How’s that?”
“You’ll find out by the end of this week. I promise!” He winked at me.
“Ben, hello? Aren’t we supposed to tell him?” Kate opened her eyes wide.
“Not yet.” Ben shook his head. “But for now, just play the games. Alright? It’ll seem like a regular game to you, nothing special. We’re just taking some baseline measurements.”
“Okay.” I nodded. This didn’t sound so bad.
“We’ll be measuring your blood pressure, hormones, your oxygen levels, brain activity. We have this high-end finger monitor. You gotta wear it at all times. And then we let you play for a few hours. Then you get a break. And then you play again. Got it?”
“Sure. And then what happens?”
“Nothing. You just go home and come back the next day.”
“And that’s it?”
“Yes, that’s it.” A sly smile appeared on Ben’s face. “Ready?”
“Ready.”