Sunwoo led Nick down the stairs. “There not much left to do. Just help me tidy up the laboratory a bit.” He showed him which items were stored in which cabinet and sometimes nodded at something and mumbled: “Don’t touch that.” For the next 90 minutes, they worked in silence. Nick couldn't bring himself to ask any questions. Just putting a few things away and sorting them was not hard labor. There would be nothing to complain about as long he could do stuff like that. “We only need to mop the floor and check if everything is shut down correctly. Since you are not familiar with the systems here, why don’t you clean, and I go around checking?” Nick nodded. “Yeah, sounds good.” The mop appeared seemingly out of nowhere in Sunwoo’s hands. “You can pour the water down the drain over there when you're done.”
While Nick mopped the pretty, clean-looking floor, he started to look around a bit more carefully. Everything seemed neat. Only two tables seemed actually used. The door at the end of the room seemed pretty robust. It made sense to have a safe room for hazardous substances. But what exactly did this research facility research? New cleaning products, probably. But didn’t this company actually prioritize organic products? Wasn’t that their greatest selling point? Whatever. Nick had no idea about cleaning supplies or chemistry in any way. As he poured the water down the drainage, he started to notice a weird smell for the first time. Kind of rotten but also a little sweet. For a moment, he thought he had to puke. As soon as he got further away from there, it stopped. Drains do smell really foul sometimes.
After finishing everything up, Sunwoo seemed a little more relaxed. “So,” he said while looking over the big hall on the ground floor. How do you like this job?” Nick followed his gaze. It’s good. It's definitely doable.” The other guy turned his hand to him. “If you say so.” It didn’t sound mean or annoyed. Nick couldn't really make out what it sounded like. “Just work here for a few months. And then go.” “Okay.” Nick sneered. “I’ll do my best.” “Here.” Sunwoo handed him a little card. “Our business card.” I didn’t have a name on it, only “Research facility No.4” and a phone number. “If you call this number, someone here will answer.” He sounded pretty sure about that. “Then, see you on Monday.”
“Suspicious.” “Not so much. Just a little weird.” Nick leaned back at the bench where he and Sailom sat. “There were only two people at a run-down building that should be a research facility for a rather big company, and the way you got this job was because a barkeeper -who you only met once at that point- recommended you to one of the board members of that very company. And then, not to forget, this dubious business card. “ Research facility No.4”. No names, no address, no e-mail, just a phone number.” He narrowed his eyes as he studied the card in his hands. “Straight out of a movie. But not a pleasant one.”
Nick snatched the card back from his friend. “What can I do? I didn’t see an operation table there. The organ thing is still not very likely.” “But didn’t you say they didn’t seem very happy to have you there?” “Yeah, exactly. It’s not like they examined me with crazy eyes like the perfect prey. It seemed more like I would be a nuance. But that’s something I can live with.” Sailom’s facial expression became even more skeptical. “Because you're unqualified for the job?” “Yeah, that’s what I thought at first, too. Or they don’t like that I could do it through connections - if you can call it that. But that didn’t seem to be the problem. The head manager also knew the Director through the university. I think they were more concerned that I was an outsider.” “Maybe they think you would leak information to competitors.” “Unlikely. I even got a confidentiality agreement sent with my contract. I would lose pretty much everything if I talked to anyone about what they are doing there-” He stopped mid-sentence. “Maybe I shouldn’t even talk with you about all of this.” His friend sighed. “You don’t even know what exactly they’re doing there. And this is about your own safety.” “I think they just don’t want me to be in their way. With this kind of pay, I already expected them to be in some kind of shady business. But as long as I don’t notice something, I don’t care. And even if I do,” Nick felt his fights slightly clenching, “I wouldn’t do anything about it. I need that money. A normal part-time job won’t cut it anymore. And I really don’t want to give up studying. Also,” Selfish. “It’s really just a normal job.” “And you’re going to die on that hill, huh?”
It didn’t really matter. He needed it. Clinging to a life that once belonged to him. But everything in him bristled at the mere thought of giving up and accepting his fate. He couldn’t do it. Not even for his brother. So, this had to stay a normal part-time job, even if it was just his own delusion.
“Isn’t it boring to always be so uptight?” “Sure.” Sailom kept a straight face. He knew customers like this too well. You will meet many of them at a special delivery service. You not only get paid to make sure the item that’s requested arrives but to keep your mouth shut, no matter what you’ll find at your destination. But this work paid better than the part-time job at the cafe. This gig was primarily for the free food he could take home. The working hours here were flexible, and Sailom wasn’t the type of person who would get startled easily. He thought about introducing Nick to this work, but he wasn’t really cut out for it. He was too easily provoked. Most of the time, the customers he met were normal. A little strange, maybe, but harmless. But this specific group of friends was exactly what made it a pain. Rich, arrogant, egocentric, and with an annoying hobby of playing with people they looked down on, which was pretty much everyone that did not belong to their friend group. Many of his colleagues complained about old geezers or drunken bastards who started fights with them, but these kinds of people couldn’t faze him. His father was exactly like that until he died. People around his age were way worse. He never really reacted to them and fought they would lose interest soon, but in the last weeks, Sailom had the uncanny feeling that his gigs led him more and more often precisely to them.
“You’re really no fun.” The guy who just said that laughed way too amused for it to mean it. “You always decline when we invite you to play.” Sailom showed him no reaction. The gaze in his eyes always stayed the same: uninterested. The guy lowered his voice. “Even though I thought you might have a knack for gambling.” Their eyes met for the first time. “I don’t.” He smiled the fakest smile he could show. “The delivery was successful. Please sign.” A laugh again. Sailom had a hard time suppressing a sigh. “Only if you join next time.” Henry Basol, 25, is a student at a private university studying business and is a fiance in his master’s degree. Heir to an investment company. He had a little knack for drugs. Not that he was a junkie, but he seemingly needed them to have fun. Or to endure the company of his friends. “That’s not allowed. I have another delivery waiting, so I would appreciate it if you could sign the confirmation, dear customer.” The dear customer needed a few seconds to think about it, and then he finally gave in. “Okay, okay. Thank you for your service then.” He jokingly saluted. A fake smile again, and then he shut the door.
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While people like Henry were annoying, he was not the one Sailom was most uncomfortable with in this group. He had met these people several times before, and he noticed that the core group consisted of Henry, Damian Shelby, Clarissa Fitz-Bermount, and a blonde guy who had never introduced himself. He also couldn’t find anything about him on the internet. Of course, he had searched for them after the second time he made his delivery. He noticed right away that they were rich kids from influential families, and it was too best to be prepared when it came to people like that. The others were children of influantial businesses and a famous couple from the entertainment industry, their photos circulated on the World Wide Web, and some of them had their own social media accounts. Not that he wanted to know much about their lives, he just needed to know who their parents were to be sure how much he could fend for himself if their teasing would ever go to far. The answer was not far at all, not a centimeter. If that would actually happen one day, he would have to quit. But in the whole process of research, the blonde guy barely showed up. And he couldn’t find his name or his parents. But the most unpleasant part was that Mister No-name was, without a doubt, the leader of this group. It showed in various interactions with them, even though Sailom had only spent minutes with them on their encounters. And he never said a word to him. He only observed. Sailom had the eery feeling that the day this guy opened his mouth and spoke to him directly was the day he had to join his friend at the suspicious research facility of Doom. Even though he never wanted to get involved in something illegal, the hourly pay seemed really tempting. Not that he could be sure that whatever his friend was doing there was illegal; it was just way too odd and looked a little too good to be true. And Sailom’s biggest concern with jobs like that was always that they would use him to take the blame. Since he had no one to back him up, he was an easy target for schemes like this. But Nick said that the employees there were rather unhappy to see him. And that didn’t really point to anything like an elaborate plan to throw him under the wagon. Maybe they really just needed people who could keep their mouths shut. And if Sailom was good at something, then it was to pretend like he didn’t notice anything around him.
“Glanz is actually a pretty big company. I think they have annual revenue in the hundreds of millions.” “Wow, you’re a business major now?” “No, I’m just informed.” Charlotte took a bite out of her sandwich. “I mean, they’re not in a top position on a global scale, but around here...” She took another bite. “Yeah, I’ve seen their products at the supermarket before. They are actually what’s called a medium-sized company.” “Your connections are sure impressive.” That sounded a little sarcastic. “Yeah, he has a talent for meeting weird people.” Nick threw his friend a death stare. “I mean, the offer does seem kinda shady.” Charlotte didn’t seem to be bothered by Sailom’s and Nick’s remarks and rather talked to herself. “But the job is actually pretty basic. He's the facility manager, and you’re something like a janitor. For the hard work, you know?” Nick shrugged his shoulders. “I’m only helping out for a while. I guess they do have a real janitor who can actually fix stuff.” “Maybe that guy took a liking to you, and they pay you more than this job would actually pay.” “Like in a romantic movieß?” Sailom grimaced. “More like in a charity project.” Charlotte laid her sandwich down and examined her two friends. “Nick's family is victims of a big catastrophe, one that was actually happening in this region, which is quite rare. Maybe it's their image as an ‘ecological, family-based’ company that makes him help out people in situations like this. In the end, they give you one of those extra-large checks, and you have to pose with a CEO in front of reporters.” She looked as if she was quite convinced by the idea herself. “Why wouldn’t they just tell him? Or donate.” “Because he would have refused.”, said their friend in a theatralic voice. “He doesn’t want handouts. He wants to work and make it on his own.” Nick examined her. “You’re quite optimistic about this situation. That’s a nice change.” Sailom sighed, but they both ignored him. “I mean, like I said, it’s actually a pretty big company. The work is a real job where you really do something, and if anything shady happens,” a wide grin appears on her face. “You do know a police officer to turn to.” Nick raised his eyebrows. “You're still a trainee.” “I didn’t mean me. I meant the whole station here.”
Charlotte was right. She had known some of these officers since she was a child, and they visited her quite often here. Just thinking about it instantly made him a little more relaxed. But on the other hand, even if something strange was going on there, what could he do? The workers there may have been a little annoyed, but they didn’t seem afraid. Even if there were an illegal, inhumane experiment going on in the basement, he wouldn’t be the first to see it. And all the other workers didn’t leak any information about anything that was going on there. So maybe they were pretty powerful at blocking news about them from spreading. Or the person was blocked from leaving with the information. He gulped. This was not a horror film. This company probably had about 1000 employees, and it was as if they needed to pull something creepy to get their profits. Sailom just made him nervous. Doing some illegal stuff was one thing, but doing something obliviously terrifying a whole other chapter. He knew his friends were just concerned and also wanted to tease him a little, but the feeling of this job being too good to be true didn’t leave him. But he accepted the job and, therefore, the consequences, so he had to stand by it. Just a few months. If things really became bad, he’d quit.