Offbeats

Mission

I sit on my mattress, legs pulled to my chest, resuming a popular position of mine.

I need to do something. Something to make the hours in the day pass quicker. To keep myself out of the mess that is my thoughts.

I shoot up from my mattress, the springs squeaking with relief at the sudden loss of my weight. I head out through my door and walk as quickly as possible out of the dorm room and down the far hall.

I'm not sure where the Captain spends his time but I'm sure he won't be hard to find.

I head to his office first, at the end of the hall. I knock firmly three times.

Nothing.

I knock again and announce it's me.

Still nothing.

I move on, turning right down a new, shorter hall. It holds only three doors, and the first two are locked and answer with only silence when I knock.

I turn to the third and come close enough to knock when I hear voices on the other side.

"-isn't working, and we need this to work." One voice, that sounds a lot like the Captain, says.

"I can't just up the dosage, it's dangerous-" Another voice replies, female, though I can't quite place it.

"Do it." The Captain interrupts firmly.

There is only silence from the woman. Then footsteps nearing the door in front of me. I quickly dart back around the corner and press my back against the solid cinder blocks.

The Captain continues to walk the length of the larger hall, not noticing me in the shadows of a smaller one leading off it, and stops to unlock the door to his office.

Dosage? Wonder what that was about?

I decide to wait in the shadows a few minutes before going up to the Captains door and knocking. When I do, he tells me to come in gruffly. The moment he sees my face, his disposition changes.

"Ah! Ali, what a lovely surprise. To what do I owe the pleasure?" He says, voice lighter and friendly. His hair looks greasy, as though he just had a shower in his own sweat.

I smile halfheartedly, slightly grossed-out. "Uh, I was just wondering if there was something I could do while I wait for Janson all day, a job perhaps?" I lace my fingers together in an attempt to stop fiddling. His cold-eyed stare is extremely intimidating, even when he's being nice.

"A job?" He considers it for a moment, as if weighing the cost and benefit. "Yes." He decides firmly. "I believe, you could be most valuable on field missions."

I scrunch my eyebrows at him. "Field missions?"

"Going out there."- he flicks his head to the world run by Offbeats above- "You'll be put with a strong group, they'll have experience. They can show you the ropes and then, considering you cope well, I think you would be very useful on a new mission I'm planning."

I stand frozen.

Outside? "Outside?"

"Yes." He leans forward, resting his forearms on the edge of his oak desk. "I know going out there might seem terrifying, but you did manage to stay unnoticed for six months. That's the longest we've not noticed a human hiding among them. I think you'd be able to tell which are human out there better than anyone we already have." He pauses. "You'd be saving lives, both ours and those of us out there."