Mahingga

Chapter 19: The Facility

Everything inside the building was white. The floor, the ceiling, the walls—even the lights were white. It was like walking in the clouds. He blinked a few times as his eyes adjusted.

Professor Naliksi shuffled along ahead of them. "We do all kinds of research here, with what resources we have." Several windows on either side of the hallway showed the rooms beyond. Many of them looked vacant, with machines lying dormant on white tables. Only one room had been occupied by a single woman in a gray overcoat, large goggles covering her eyes as she was stirring something in a vial.

"Kiem had been around well before the Energy War. It's almost as old as I am." Professor Naliksi chuckled, drawing Ako's attention back. "Research isn't the same these days. We used to do a lot of medical studies. Loads of other research has been put on halt. It's all down to increasing mechanical efficiency and expanding the use of alternative energy. I suppose you know something about that, eh?" He stopped at a door and raised his eyebrows at Ako. No windows showed what was beyond the door.

Ako merely shrugged in response. He was having a little more trouble understanding Naliksi's wheezing voice.

Professor Naliksi grunted and waved something across a sensor beside the door. There was an audible clicking sound, and then he opened the door. The room beyond was massive. It was like a giant warehouse that expanded up to the fourth floor. Metal walkways lined the walls all the way to the top, and three bridges spanned the middle of the room from the third floor. Three large bay doors led to the outside. Much of the light was let in, either through the open bay doors, or from the gigantic, triangular windows that lined the fourth-floor walls. There was no effort to maintain the whitewashed look that the rest of the building had. Everything was either slate gray concrete or metal, much like the ugly buildings that lined the city streets.

One of Yevan's Night Ravens was halfway under construction in one of the bays. All the pieces of it were being assembled by a few automated machines. The rest of the space was filled with a various array of machines and several Pawids running about their business.

Ako couldn't help but notice that a large portion of the room at the far end was dedicated to the assemblage of more guns. Since most of the technology was unknown to him, he wondered how much more of it was used for war. In fact, the walkways were under constant patrol by armed soldiers.

"This way, young ones," Professor Naliksi said.

Ako hadn't realized that he'd come to a complete stop as he stared at the facility's activity. Kita had done the same, a heavy frown wrinkling her brow.

"Wonderful stuff, wouldn't you say?" Professor Naliksi said. He was fanning them over towards a side room. "It's a shame though. Used to do a lot more than build machines and weaponry.

Ako and Kita followed Professor Naliksi to the side room where a young man in a gray overcoat sat behind a metal desk. He was busy tapping buttons on a flat board in front of one of those "computer" things.

"Professor Hambog, these are the two who Yevan informed us about," Professor Naliksi said.

Professor Hambog stopped his tapping long enough to dissect Ako and Kita with his narrowed, bright gray eyes. "Very well, let's see it then, boy," he said tersely.

Ako gritted his teeth. He didn't like being called a boy from a man who was probably only in his early twenties. "See what?" Ako asked.

Professor Hambog clicked his tongue in annoyance as he folded his arms. "The device on your arm, of course. That's why you were brought here, isn't it? I thought Yevan said this kid was brilliant, didn't he Naliksi?"

Professor Naliksi shrugged and patted at his wild hair again.

Ako wanted to punch Professor Hambog in his smart mouth.