Ruby (Now Completed!)

[Chapter 4]

Len slept uneasily that night. He kept tossing and turning, thinking about the girl he knew as Ruby. He worried that she wouldn't let him save her after all. He worried that she wasn't worth saving.

He got up early the next morning, intending to go visit her. He quickly dressed and combed through his unruly yellow-blonde hair as best he could. He was just about to leave when he received a knock at his door. He answered, not knowing who it was or what they were there for.

He opened the door to see a tall woman with short brown hair and lots of red lipstick. He recognized her as Meiko, the Head's sister, and his right-hand woman. She didn't so much as smile, and immediately started talking.

"Good day Len. The Head and I have been observing your performance, and we believe it is time you were promoted. The Head would like an audience with you in his office right away. Follow me."

She immediately turned around and started walking back down the hallway. Len quickly closed and locked his door and followed her.

After a short walk to the elevator, Meiko ushered Len inside and pressed the very bottom button with her long, red fingernail.

The Head's office was at the very bottom of the Project headquarters, and it was secluded from every other floor. A validated ID card was required to enter, which the Head only gave to his most trusted advisers. Len had not yet gotten to that point, nor was he even close.

After Meiko had scanned her card, two glowing doors slid open, revealing a giant, circular room filled with computers and counters, on top of which were many parts of supernatural creatures, from wings to fangs. Len shuddered at the sight.

In the center of the room sat the Head, in a big, comfortable-looking chair made of dark blue velvet. He gestured to Meiko and Len to come closer.

"Hello, Len," he began when they were at a respectful distance. "I assume Miss Meiko has told you the purpose of this meeting?"

Len only nodded in reply.

"Good, good. I'd like to promote you to an official assistant of Dr. Luka's. I have made note of your diligent note-taking and interest in our studies, therefore I believe you will be up to the task. Do you agree?"

The stone-cold look the Head gave him made him nod even more vigorously than before, even though he wanted to say no. The Head gave a cold smile.

"Very good."

Suddenly, a platform arose under the chair and began to roll in the direction of a large computer screen and keyboard. The Head gestured for them to follow. Once they arrived at the screen, the Head typed the numbers 0401 into the database. Ruby's 3D image popped up, along with her name, age, and the notes about her that Len had written yesterday.

"As you very well know, we have received a new subject by the name of Ruby, number 0401. We could not find any supernatural tendencies about her upon first inspection, but after Dr. Luka's most recent injection of serum into her spinal cord, we are beginning to pick up superhuman thought patterns, such as unrecognizable language and very rapid changes in emotion. This doesn't rule out much, but it's enough for us to infer that Ruby is indeed not completely human. Now the matter is to figure out what exactly she is. To do this, Dr. Luka has been instructed to put her into a series of simulated situations that could possibly trigger her inner abilities. A problem could only arise if her abilities are so well hidden she does not respond to the situations the way we expect her to. This is where you come in."

The Head pulls out of his pocket a small bag, handing it to Len.

"Should she end up not responding, give one of these to her as a 'reward' for cooperating so well with the experiment. These are cookies, but they are infused with a deadly poison. This type of poison also tricks her brain, causing her to tell all of her secrets. Once she does this, give her this." he pulls a small flask from his pocket, inside it a pastel purple liquid. "It is an antidote that will save her. Do you understand your task?"