“So, are you ready?” Micah asked.

I nod my head and turn around, “I'm about as ready as I can be.” I make my way towards the door on my left, grasp the handle and throw it open in some dramatic sense. I enter a small square room. It's strangely constricting and I feel a little claustrophobic. In the center of the small room I see a pod that looks somewhat similar to the cocoon-like machines that Jack used to irradiate those kids. Beside it is a small basin with some sort of strange light in it.

"It's time to start the fun," I hear Micah call from the main room.

"I guess so," I said to myself quietly.

"When you're ready, I need you to just stare into that basin from the top, okay? Just do what you did the last time to make the visions come to you and I'll handle the rest.”

I walk over and glance down at the pod, stopping when I see a face through the glass window on the front. It takes me a moment to recognize Kate inside of the pod. She's older, but I can see the seventeen year old self in her face. She looks to be in her thirties. Below the window is her name engraved on a plaque, “Katherine Radica”.

I walk to the basin full of lights and look over and into it. The colors are glowing vibrantly and intensely. I'm staring at them for a few moments and then I start feeling light headed. The colors begin melding together and then I'm shifting back and forth. I hear a mechanical hum behind me and I assume it comes from ICARUS. It's another moment and then my vision begins fading. The colors are all one and I'm falling into them as if I were atop a great skyscraper. I'm falling and I can't stop.

I close my eyes and like before the scenery is all different when I open them back up. I blink twice and then notice that I’m lying under a brush of leaves. The sun shines brightly in my eyes. I look up and I see towering skyscrapers in the distance. I’m sitting against a large oak tree overlooking the city below from a hill that seems to be out on the outskirts. I stand up. I feel a cool breeze pass by my face. It isn’t cold enough to be winter, but not warm enough to be summer.

Just when is it? I don't have that instinctual feeling anymore that let me in on that kind of information. I think it might be because I was viewing it from the outside and not in.

I begin walking down the hill. My pace begins to pick up and I almost fall several times. It's been so long since I've ran, especially down a hill to where the wind picked up through my hair and I smiled. I reach the bottom look back up at the top.

Exhileration.

That's what I felt, and I hadn't felt it in such a long time without also feeling fear. The edge of the city is closer than I'd imagined from the top of the hill than I had seen it atop of the hill. I see a large city sign to my right and it reads DENVER in big white letters. Something then catches my notice about the sign. It is phasing in and out of existence. Everything around me is doing it now and I don't understand what's going on. The whole world is literally freaking out.

"...ey....an you hea....e?" I turn around, nobody is there. Then I hear it again. "Hey! Are you there?! Answer!" I realize it's coming from my head. I then hear the solemn yet stern voice of Micah. I don't know how to answer him. I try to think my response back.

"What the hell is happening? Everything is screwed up around here."

"Good, you made it. I was scared for a few minutes there that it didn’t work."

“Why would that be a concern?”

“You can’t blame me for worrying. Anything could have happened and we’d both be screwed.”

"How are you even talking to me?"

"Now that your power is beginning to develop, you can begin to see you can do a lot of things you couldn’t do before, like this for instance. Once you learn to control it you will be able to link up telepathically with others, although only those like you would be able to respond back.”

“Yeah, I understand. I don’t quite understand why I’m in Denver, though,”

“Denver? You remember that is the place where you were first brought, right? Also this is where the research on Radical-9 was handled. Head to that building, the Republic Plaza. I think you’ll find Kate in there,” he said.

“If it must be done…”

“It does. Now, I have to go. The only way I could link up with you is if I halted the memory, so you’re going to be back to yourself in a few moments. Good luck out there.”

“Thanks.”

I see the sign start to return to normal. The land around me does the same. I sigh and look up into the sky. It has returned to its normal state as well. I decide to walk into the city bounds, might as well start somewhere, right?

I begin walking down the road that leads into the city’s heart. The last time I remember hearing about the Republic Plaza before being stuck inside of it was that it was really only empty office space and a host of some charity. The air that hangs around the city itself seems...strained.

It is as if it is holding its breath in suspense. I don’t see anybody in the streets as I walk by.

Cars are parked along the side of the road and I see many colorful umbrellas line tabletops on the pavilion. Nobody is around to sit at the tables. I look up once more at the sky and see a towering hunk of metal.

It is the Republic Plaza, it even said it right on the face of the building. It stretches high into the sky, as if it wants to give the heavens a little poke. An existential touch as if to challenge a higher deity.

It's odd to see it from ground level after seeing it from the very top first. I walk up the steps beside the pavilion and look again at the large building. I step closer towards the building and reach the electronic double doors. I see a button to the right of the doors which controls them. I take a deep breath and click the button. The doors open with a mechanical WHING.

I step inside and take a look around. There are some couches and chairs to my right. They’re all a matching black. The walls of the room are painted white and so is the floor. I feel like I’m in the middle of some chess game where the white team is severely outwitting the black.

I see a figure in the corner behind the help desk reading a newspaper. They’re holding it up so I can’t see the face behind the paper. I walk up to the desk and place my hands on it rather hard. I see the figure behind the paper almost jump out of their seat. She slams the paper down and looks up at me. My hands sting from slapping the table, but I try my best to not show it.

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

“What the hell do you want?!” The woman asked. She looks to be in her mid twenties, her golden-brown hair is propped up in a bun which seems to reflect off her blue eyes.

“Uh, yes, I was sent here on the request of President Valhart to meet up here with whoever is in charge.”

I don't know when this is, I didn't want to risk saying Jack if it isn't that time yet.

She stares at me for a solid minute, unblinking, “Do you have any identification on you?”

“No,” I said.

“Well, then I can’t let you in,” she said and sits back down. I sigh and think for a second.

I get an idea and then get close enough to whisper, “Okay, okay. So I'm not a scientist, but I need you to stay real calm-like, okay? I've got word from my boss that there's illegal activity being performed here in this building, so I was sent here to investigate. If you don't want to lose your job, you'll let me through.”

I have a smaller amount of trust in my words after I said them. It sounds ridiculous.

“Do you know Bryan?” She asked, a sudden interest in her eyes.

“Uh...yeah. He's uh, the one that reached out to me!” I said, playing along.

“I told him I didn't need back up here, I'm not in any danger. The guys who used to work here split,” she said.

“I uh, don't believe Bryan filled me in exactly on your mission, per se, do you mind?” I ask.

I cannot believe this is working. Someone else here for intel?

“That sounds like Bryan, what didn't he tell you?”

“Uh, well, he pretty much just looked me up because of my renowned undercover work.”

Idiot. If undercover work was renowned it wouldn't be undercover anymore.

She nods her head, “Okay, so nothing, then. That's just great. Alright, so here's the deal. This place is like a minefield with bad news. There was some sort of weapons testing here last year by the army, the whole place almost burnt down.”

“Burnt down?”

“Yeah, there was a big story here about a girl who died in the fire, she was the daughter of a local lawyer.”

So that must have been the skeleton both Jack and I found inside of the incinerator room. But I think she's a bit wrong on the fact that the place almost burnt down considering the room she died in was meant to dispense fire.

“That part isn't so much important compared to this next one, anyway. So, after, these new guys come in. They're not army at all, but they seem to be just as secretive. You don't understand the stacks of documents I had to forge to get my position here,” she said. I'm going to be honest, she's extremely gullible. I wouldn't be surprised if this Bryan guy wasn't the one that did all that work and just sent her on her way. “Well, if you wouldn't mind paging one of them down and keeping our guise up,” I said, nodding my head towards the phone situated on the wall behind the desk.

“Right, right. I'll see if I can't have you sent up. What was your name again?”

“Uh, Nathan.”

“Alright Nathan, I'm Jeanne, good to know I have backup here,” she said, picking up the receiver and pressing a few buttons into the keypad. “Yes, I have word that Mr. Valhart has sent an extra pair of hands from the branch in New York...Okay, yes, he'll be down here waiting for you.”

She hangs up.

“Mason Radica, one of the scientists in here will be down in just a moment.”

“Yes, thank you,” I said.

That thank you was more subtly for Micah. Thanks for the absolute zero guidance in this whole shebang. I don't even know how I managed to fool this Jeanne chick with absolutely no proof. Can I expect to do similar with the scientists? I'm going to have to at least try.

The elevator doors at the end of the room swing open and I see Mason step out, he looks the same as he did when I saw him first in 2007, not like how I saw him at the end, crazed and spasming.

“Mr. Radica, this is the new pair of hands,” Jeanne said.

Mason walks over, he's taller than me by quite a bit. It's something different to be seeing him here instead of from the memories themselves. It feels different.

“Really now? You look a little young to be in this kind of work, boy,” Mason said, looking at me.

“I’ve been told I look young for my age,” I said. “But I can assure you I've got quality work. The name's Nathan Denning,” I said, outstretching my hand.

Probably overdid it. I definitely need to work on my improv skills if I’m going to keep from blowing whatever cover I have.

“Well, okay then. Is his paperwork all filled out, Ms. Armando?” He doesn't shake my hand. I let it fall awkwardly to my side.

“Yes, I have it all taken care of. It was a matter of transferring his work over,” she said.

He nods and gives a sort of smirk, “Perfect.” Inside I’m feeling more relieved than I try to let on. Nervously I give off a laugh and scratch the back of my head. He regards me with a smile and nods. “Well, come on. Let me show you the place.”

“Okay.”

We begin walking towards the elevator. Mason turns to me, “So, you come in for the paycheck as well?”

“Something like that, the majority of the reason is family,” I said. “Got to make sure they’re properly supported. Although I’d be lying if I said the curiosity out of the unknown didn’t attract me.”

“That’s a good thing to have,” Mason said. “Curiosity drives us all in the end—but don’t let it consume you here.”

“Oh, trust me, I’ve learned steadfast not to let the work consume me. Happened with my parents.”

“Oh?”

“Both of them worked in the field.” I tell him.

“Were?” The elevator doors swing open. We step inside and he presses a button for the desired floor.

“Yeah, overworked and definitely let their curiosity get the better of them.”

“Oh, I'm sorry.”

“It's okay, always trying to do better than the previous generation, right?”

“Yeah, I guess you can said that,” he nods.

The elevator rings and the doors open up.

“Now, there are fifty-six floors to this building. I'm not going to walk through the entire thing, we’re going to take this elevator up to the sixth floor residential suites.. I’ll introduce you to my daughter and she’ll show you the ropes around here.”

"Daughter?"

Kate.

“Yes, she's the one who looks after the rest of the other's kids since they can't leave 'em home alone. She's a really smart girl, so she'll have no trouble showing you around. I have important matters to attend to with the others so I’ll have her show you around until you're ready to come and join us on the thirtieth floor,” Mason said.

The elevator stops and he motions me out of the elevator.

“All right, I guess. See you up there.”

He nods his head and the elevator doors close. I can hear it rising once more. I can honestly said, I didn't expect to make it this far, a newborn courage rises within me. I turn around and look at the room I am in now. This suite is a three room space with chairs and a loveseat in the main room. It looks more like the interior to a hotel than anything else. Looks like I'm going to need to keep this charade up a little longer.