We left Dr. Jones at the inn, hoping that no TSA agent would actually come looking for him. Once again, it seems that they don't need to search for him anymore, as they already have the information.
It was the next day, to be precise, it was the end of the week. I found myself mysteriously transported to the school, which came as no surprise to anyone. However, something felt off and uncomfortable. I acknowledge that I have a unique perspective on the mission or something similar.
Or perhaps the truth about the mission ahead of us that we needed to stop them from obtaining the Armonk. Nevertheless, in any scenario, that would have been an incredibly challenging mission. I wasn't expecting that.
I walked into the school, observing the students as they moved through the hallways, climbed the stairs, and chatted with each other.
I began to regret ever trying to do this.
I began to casually walk towards and ascend the steps, effortlessly navigating through the crowd of students. I decided to visit my go-to place, Mr. Robbs.
As I was about to enter, I noticed Malachi exiting the class, and he happened to run into me. "Oh, my apologies," I said. Now Malachi and I, to some extent, are friends, but he could still go wild on me at any moment.
"No, you're perfectly fine," he assured.
Out of nowhere, a young lady with very luxurious light hair took a gander at me and said, "You know him?"
"Yes, I certainly do..." I responded, directing my gaze towards Malachi. "Wow, that's absolutely crazy!" she exclaimed. She looked at him and smiled with excitement before walking away. I could tell that Malachi was completely uncomfortable from that.
"So, why are we going out?" I asked.
"Oh my, it seems he didn't inform you," Malachi remarked. "He mentioned that he wanted to have a discussion with us prior to our classes," he stated. "I had very little knowledge of it until September informed me."
I agreed, as we turned and proceeded down the steps before eventually making our way into the workplace.
We sat down with the others and settled into our seats. Nikki glanced in our direction and quickly waved, mirroring my own gesture.
Mr. Drails glanced at us confidently and said, "Now that we've figured out the location of the Armonk, it's likely that they're eager to obtain it. We don't know how, but I'll make sure that another team takes care of this."
"Another group?" Malachi asked, feeling a sense of being completely overwhelmed.
"Yes, it is true that you are still banned and unable to participate in any missions for the next four months. You should consider yourself fortunate that I didn't dismiss you for your actions," he stated.
"Your meaning could be a little more obvious. I informed the group that we successfully determined the directions and located the destination," I stated.
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"That doesn't matter," he said, shaking his head. "You are currently facing a blacklist."
I was filled with a surge of anger that propelled me to quickly stand up and lock eyes with Mr. Drails. "After everything we accomplished, you're telling me that we're being blacklisted?" I exclaimed.
"You all managed to escape when it was clearly not appropriate, so take this as your punishment," he stated.
"Alright, tune in!" I shouted suddenly, feeling embarrassed afterwards, as the others descended calmly. I glanced at Mr. Drails, who seemed unfazed by my unexpected disagreement.
"Listen, I understand that we rebelled and I acknowledge that, and I'm asking you to please consider giving us another chance," I said. "We didn't make any mistakes with this one."
"You got caught," he remarked.
"In any case, we were discovered and located the researcher at that same base," I added. "Now we have discovered the location of the Armonk."
Mr. Drails reclined and mumbled, deep in contemplation. We all glanced at each other, and then at him, although some of us exchanged glances for a moment.
"Fine, now go," he said.
We departed from the workplace with a sense of liberation permeating our minds. "So, when do you think we'll be heading out?" Malachi asked. September casually replied, "Probably tomorrow or around that time."
After a few hours or so, I realized that I had spent most of my time just relaxing in my room, completely unaware of how much time had passed. Suddenly, there was a loud knock on my door, causing me to jump and my hands to tingle with a slight jolt.
I rose from my bed and opened the door, only to find Tisiah standing there. "Well, well, well — look who it is," I said with a sarcastic chuckle. He waved with a hint of sarcasm. "Mr. Drails needs to show us something."
I nodded, and I promptly made my way to my bed, ensuring it was neat and tidy.
"I'm sorry if I scared you in any way," Tisiah said. I suspect he noticed my energetic activities while I was fixing my bed. It's hard to fathom the level of fear that consumes me.
"No, no, no, you're fine," I said, wending my direction towards the entryway.
We ventured through the corridors, but then found ourselves veering off into an entirely unfamiliar path that caught me by surprise this time.
We arrived at a corner near Mr. Drails' office, and then Tisiah exerted pressure on the wall, causing it to unexpectedly detach from the rest and move aside, granting us passage.
As we made our way down the corridor, surrounded by walls painted in a warm orange hue, we found ourselves in the midst of a bustling workspace filled with computers, screens, and a multitude of skilled individuals, I presume.
"What is this?" I asked.
The others were already there, and I began to find it somewhat bothersome. Why were they always kept in the loop before me? Am I not the one with the advantage they are specifically trying to eliminate? I should be the first to know!
"Alright, do you have any clue why we're waiting here?" I asked. Nikki nonchalantly shrugged. "Not exactly sure, but I'm definitely intrigued."
Then, suddenly, Mr. Drails appeared after excusing himself from the room that was apparently there. "Sure, come on in," he said. We entered a room that was incredibly intriguing. The room had a cool blue hue, likely illuminated by the Drove lights. There was a large, imposing table with twelve seats and a massive screen that was integrated with the table.
"Sit down," he said. We all sat down next to each other respectfully, as a feeling of curiosity began to stir within me.
"Usually, I don't engage in this practice as the information is already contained within the folders typically provided during your mission," he stated. "Given the limited time we have, it's crucial that we act swiftly."
"So, what brings you here to share with us?" September asked. Mr. Drails rose from his seat and then pressed a concealed button beneath the table.
Suddenly, the screen came to life, displaying a diagram or map of a particular structure. "This is the WFS Central command. It's on a plain island they called Port Manuel, that is around 500 miles from Florida," he said.
"Why measure from Florida?" I asked.
"In any case, this location is the epitome of secrecy, housing a highly valuable invention for the US government," he remarked. "The Armonk."