War: A Business

Chapter 32: The Truth

     The Ultranium gates opened. The armed robots scanned us first.We drove slowly inside.

     Beyond the gate is the dark-blue headquarters building amongst the garden, with lush vegetation, sakura trees, bushes and grass. A cobblestone path paved the way to the entrance, which looks like a part of the headquarters building's wall.

    The entrance opened automatically. In the building is a wide reception area. The walls and tiles are snow white.

    Employees bustled around with their bags, going to the floating elevator, checking their security clearance, going to the break room, etc. Holograms were floating around the spacious reception area.

    The lounges are fancier than most of the company's headquarters in other countries. A silver and gold statue of the DNA is displayed at the center of the lounges.

     I walked to the counter, only a female synthetic, wearing the company's official employee uniform, a brown straight blouse, manned the counter covered with floating holograms, showing different data.

   Then, she looked at me with her obviously robotic glowing eyes on her human-like face.

"Hello, may can I help you sir?" she asked, her rubber lips moving as she spoke, in a pre-recorded voice.

"I have a appointment to Dr. Reinhardt." I answered.

"Security clearance card, please. It must be clearance level 5." she added.

   I shove my hands desperately in the pockets of my khaki pants, then I felt a thin card in my back pocket. I found it.

  I let out a sigh of relief.That was close.

    I gave it to the synthetic receptionist. He placed it on the counter, the counter scanned it automatically. The synthetic gave it to me after the counter scanned it

"You may pass."

   I walked to one of the floating elevators. I got inside, and the glass doors closed automatically. I simply tapped the surface of the button "B20" of the touchscreen interface of the floating elevator.

   The elevator has no need for machinery or magnets to function it. It only has a fluctuating large electrostatic generator beneath the elevator which reduces the elevators weight.

  A hole opened beneath the floating elevator.

    We slowly descended to the subterranean floors. The only light that I have is the light from the elevator.

   Minutes later, I arrived at the 20th floor of the basement. The elevator doors opened silently and smoothly.

   I walked amongst the dim-lighted hallways.

   People were walking in and out of the doors, doing their business. I passed mercenaries with a type of prototype combat gear on, and a scientist pushing a cart with a large plastic box.

   I arrived at the glass door of Dr. Reinhardt's office. It automatically opened with a audible hiss.

   Then I saw the old man looking sweaty and his eyes twitching, even if the room is cold,sitting on his office chair, his table full of scrambled
paperwork.

"Are you ready?" he asked in a coarse voice.

"For what?" I questioned.

"For the truth."

"What truth?"

"The truth about why you are working here."

"What?"