Far From Home

Chapter Four

“My home? You can’t be serious; this place doesn’t look suitable for rats to live in!” I said in disbelief, Tanner laughed as if he thought I was joking “darling you haven’t been given the chip yet!” He turned to one of the guards, pointed at me and gave a short whistle. The guard who had been nicer to me in the car came up to me and produced what looked like a tracker gun. He gave me an apologetic smile “sorry, it’ll only hurt for a little bit.” The guard didn’t say how much it would hurt; he swiftly stuck it to the back of my neck and clicked it. I felt a sharp ice cold pain take over my whole head; I couldn’t help but yell a few obscenities. I doubled over and held my balance by placing my hands on my knees. The pain started washing over my head with hot and cold waves, but as quick as it had started, the pain weakened and was then gone.

As I looked up I would’ve looked at the guard’s sheepish grin but instead the building that I had seen before was now as beautiful and streamlined as it’s’ surroundings, as well as being two times the size of the old one. “Wait, Tanner what happened? What was that?” I asked, severely confused. He looked at me and chuckled, it wasn’t helpful and now knowing him a little more personally I was seriously beginning to despise him. “You had a neuro-clearer chip inserted inside you darl. What it does is it has the code you’re brain needs to be able to see this building as it actually is. It’s small but it stays for life.” Tanner said. I gaped at the thought of having a piece of technology so expensive and advanced inside me. Also the fact that this place had force fields that coined the human mind into seeing something entirely different and believing it. “Hey uh Tanner I know you pitched in with this but how many other billionaires did too?” Tanner started to move towards the building in a swagger with the guards moving in order behind him “how about you go count how many Cassiacks are in the parking lot later?” he said.

I was still getting used to the new vision of the building and every detail of it when I noticed scaffolding on the far side of the building. “Hey Tanner what are they building on the other side of here?” I asked,                                                                         “Hmm?” Tanner said turning to face me, I pointed up to the sky towards the scaffolding with what I was sure was a devious smile, he gave me a flat look with a glint of smugness in his eyes “that’s for me to know and you to find out later princess. End of conversation on that right now.” Tanner said, turning around and continuing walking towards the building. As we just reached the stairs to the entrance a door opened and a tall dark woman opened the door, she was strikingly beautiful and I had to admire her slender frame. “Mr Marx it is good to see you again.” She said in a deep accent. He nodded, walked up to her and kissed each cheek “Culan sweet cheeks how’ve you been? It’s good to see you.” The woman gave him a look of disgust, her hospitable appearance changing after Tanner kissed her. She looked straight at me, relief on her face as well as curiosity. “Hello Adira, I’ve only just heard about you” she said with her hand held out towards me, I grasped it and she moved in her head right next to my ear “sorry you had to go for a whole car ride with that asshole, I’d of run by now.” I could hear her smile in her voice, she pulled away and I smiled back, she turned back to Tanner with a stern face “if you’d like to follow me up to the conference room we can get Ms Zhou’s initiation underway.” She headed back into the building and I followed after her.

Once we entered the building it looked like any other office building waiting room, we walked straight past it down a hall which had windows on either side of it. I looked through the windows to see countless people working on things, welding, typing. It all looked to be in a warehouse of sorts, somehow the inside of the building was bigger on the inside. “Hey how does this all fit into the exterior of the building?” I asked, Culan smiled “your chip does not allow you to see everything Adira; certain people are licensed to see parts of the building. It just makes it easier on your brain.” I nodded, the thought of it kind of gave me a headache but I understood enough that I didn’t have to go through with it anymore. Culan led us to an elevator, stopping to press the button and give us way to the open doors. With the two guards, Tanner, Culan and I it was crowded. I stood in the back corner and watched with disgust as Tanner played off the crowded space as an excuse to get close to Culan, I decided I’d get Culan’s attention so she wouldn’t have to put up with him. “Culan how tall is the building then? How much am I able to see?” I asked, she turned around with a relieved look on her face “well the building has 50 floors, most of the tallest ones are for the roc-” Culan was cut off by Tanner clearing his throat loudly “this isn’t the time for that yet! Got it darling?” Tanner said with a vexed look on his face. Culan looked like she was about to snap right back at him when the elevator dinged, her face relaxed into one of stone coldness “follow me please” Culan said and walked out of the elevator making a huge space between us. After about three doors Culan stopped, “if you can wait here the others will soon be here to meet.” We all entered and I gave a grateful smile to her. Culan looked at me blankly, I left her too it and walked into the room. The room featured a long table surrounded by chairs and with one wall being taken up by windows. “I will come with refreshments later” Culan said shutting the door, “Now what?” I asked Tanner, he shrugged and gave a fed up look “I suppose now we wait.” I sat down staring down an oblivious Tanner.