Chapter 33 - Erudite
Tobias
The car to go to Erudite going to pick us up in a few minutes. It's like a thirty to forty minute ride now a days because of it not only being on the other side of the city, but more people drive so there's more cars on the roads.
I did learn how to drive a car many years ago, but I never liked it nor do I ever have a reason to drive anywhere so I have no reason to own a car.
There's a few more than ten of us going. Two of us being leaders and the rest are people from the control room. I think there ended up being eleven or twelve people going last minute from the control room.
Two dark blue middle sized cars pull up outside the second entrance to the Dauntless HQ. Greg and I (well more like I) decided that we will have a leader in each car. I really just didn't want to be stuck in a car with him for that long.
The car itself is already to small for a claustrophobic person like me. He won't make it much better.
"SHOTGUN!" Zeke yells.
"We have leaders in shotgun Zeke! We already talked about this!" Ron slaps the back of his head.
"But I called it!"
They continue arguing for who knows how long and by that time we all are already loaded in the cars. I'm in the passengers seat and there's five people already in the car. One more person can fit in each car. Of course, Zeke gets in the same one as me because he probably has no clue what he even signed up for.
He just wanted to come along on a field trip.
It's a pretty good sized car and could seat up to seven not counting the driver.
The question I was waiting for had finally come.
"So, could someone explain to me what we are needed to do in Erudite?"
Zeke.
It's going to be a long car ride...
* * *
We pull up to Erudite headquarters around nine thirty am. I think that we made it here pretty quickly. The roads weren't to busy, so I can understand why we made it here so fast.
I recognize their leader, Mark walking toward us.
"Good morning everyone. Thanks for coming out." He says putting his hand out for me to shake and I do.
"I'm Four."
"Mark. Nice to meet you." He nods his head.
"You too."
"Let's get you all settled in your living quarters, then we can show you around a little for where you will be working during your time here, hopefully we can leave you and who ever you need from our faction to get to work right away. We cannot waste any time so follow me."
He goes on and on about the faction's history and the different jobs, initiation stuff, if we know who we will be with in our "living quarters" etc. I tune him out for most of it until we reach a hall full of doors. It's kind of like the hallways of apartments in Dauntless, but much brighter and cleaner.
He takes out a clipboard and lists off various names that I don't even know and what apartment they're in.
I have one thought:
Please still have me roomed with Zeke. Not with Greg.
"Four and Zeke apartment thirty three."
Thank goodness!
He scans Zeke's ID tag that's hanging around his neck from his lanyard.
"Do you have your ID?" He asks me.
"Oh, yeah."
I forgot to put it on when I left this morning. Good thing I always keep it in my pocket.
"Here." I hold it out toward him with the barcode on the back facing up.
He scans it with some high tech red light and removes it when it beeps.
"Now you can use it as your room key." He says.
"Thank you."
I jog down the hallway to catch up with Zeke who's already heading down the hallway looking at doors. I notice that odd numbers are to my left and evens are to my right.
I catch up to Zeke and we walk looking on the left for room with a number 33 on it.
43
41
39
37
35
There it is; room thirty three.
Zeke looks at the door for a minute holding his ID.
"How are you suppose to do this?" He asks.
I look at the doorknob closely. It's not like the ones we have back in Dauntless. This one is a square/ rectangle shape that glows a little in the center of it.
It glows just like the red light that they scaned our IDs with. A glowing red strip.
"Here. Let me try." I move toward the door.
First I try putting the barcode of my ID to the red light line.
Nothing happens.
I try the side without the barcode.
Nothing.
I try it from a distance.
Still nothing.
I look at it closer.
There's a little; very little space in the middle of it. Cautiously I put my ID in it barcode facing up.
I hear a click.
"Try to open it." Zeke says.
Sure enough I push open the door and it opens.
Inside is a living room with a couch and a kitchen. Pretty good sized. There's two bedrooms as well, both with their own bathroom off of them. There's also a washer/dryer in the living room corner.
Great place for a temporary stay.
* * *
After we unpacked we got a tour of a good section of Erudite. Mainly the places that we will be working at for how ever long we are here. Now we are in their as they call it "Technology Room."
It's basically like our control room except it's got more computers, different computers and just about everything is higher tech than our Control Room. There's three long tables with at least twenty computers on each side, each computer has its own nice chair with it as well. There's also other tables along the walls and in random spots that have various kinds of technology that I don't recognize on them. Except for us the room is almost empty, there's like maybe ten people using the computers and two people messing with some kind of computer to the back left of the room. It's extremely quiet.
"These people were and still are part of the same project before Caleb passed. They've been continuing the best they could until we could a hold of you. They make up 2836."
I remember learning that Erudite groups their jobs by numbers. I remember Josh had wanted to start something like that in Dauntless. I think it's a great idea. We would need to be with the Erudite to decide that though because we wouldn't want to have the same numbers if we ever were working together.
"Anyone who is working on this project will have their number end in 36. The first two numbers will differ on what action they have in The group. In this case, the number 28 is always used for our computer room people, and 36 is the number for this project, so they are 2836. A person can be part of more than one group and have more than one number. Our groups are always named by two or four numbers that have been put together; that's just always how we've done it. Now correct me if I'm wrong but Josh mentioned that you all wanted some investigation work done?"
"That is right." I say. "Doesn't it seem kind of suspicious that both Caleb and his wife, Cara died from different causes in different buildings but almost at the same time? That may tie into this building that is outside the fence, and if it does, then we are in some deep trouble."
I notice that it's got really quiet and the room; well quieter than it was before. I turn to see that everyone who had been focused on their computers or messing with something in the back has stopped and was looking at me.
"He's right. I didn't even think about that. I don't think any of us did. We need our investigation group, Mark." I middle aged woman withher dark hair in a braid stands up and pushes up her glasses walking toward us.
"I'll make a new group then to add onto this team. 1236." He pulls out his phone and soon enough whatever he just said into his phone is coming over a loud speaker in the room. I'm guessing that it will also go to every room in the compound.
Could we have every person in group 12 report to the Technology Room now. I repeat. If you are part of group 12 go to the Technology Room now. Thank you.
"Our top detectives make up group 12. There is nine people part of it. They are the best of the best."
People; from group 12 I'm assuming, start coming into the room and stand over by Mark. I count nine of them, so they must all be here.
"Okay everyone." Mark starts. "Thanks for coming on such short notice. Today two leaders from Dauntless along with people from their as they call it -Control Room- came here to work with 2836. We need 12 to also become part of 36 if you are willing."
"What can 12 do to help with this project?" A bald man in blue asks.
"We need you to investigate the deaths of Caleb and Cara Prior."
They all kind of have a mini meeting for like ten seconds and then the bald man turns around and says what I was hoping for.
"We are in."
A/N-
Hi humans! So I'm finally on break! (Yesterday was my last day of school) I kept trying to write this chap, but then had no clue what to write! I got a huge writers block for Tobias POV and was stuck. I finally got through it though and hopefully this will be the last boring, dialogue filled chapter for a while.
If I don't update later today,
(If you celebrate it) I wish you a Merry Christmas! I don't remember when Hanakkah started, but Happy Hanakkah! (if you celebrate it)
Thank you to everyone who gave me wonderful birthday wishes either on my wall, through messages, or by commenting on the last chap! (My birthday was the 20th of December) and I did have a wonderful birthday!
3.45k reads! <4
Until next time!
Stay amazing!
Thanks for reading!
VOTE!
AND
COMMENT!
AND
BE BRAVE <4