The Disparate One

Chapter 17 - Surface

"Just tell me if you are ready.", said Oxford before he went to the bathroom to rinse his face.

"Ready for what?", Ray questioned.

"I'll tell you once you are ready.", Oxford answered as he walked out of the bathroom with his face already dry.

"How long have I been asleep?", Ray asked the man.

"Thirty minutes, as far as I know.", said Oxford who is now leaning against the concrete wall.

"Wait... have you slept yet?", Ray's head tilted slightly to his left while staring at the man.

"No. Good thing I haven't or else you'll keep on dreaming.", Oxford said before he let out a short yawn.

"Where are we going this time, what section?", Ray was still asking questions.

"Like I just said, I'll tell you once you are ready.", Oxford answered.

Ray was sitting on the bed as he tried you wake himself up. Oxford can hear him breathing heavily nearby. Ray grabbed his white general hat from the cabinet and placed it on his head before he stood up, stretching and yawning. He then went to the bathroom too and rinsed his face.

"You know I haven't eaten for two days straight now.", said Ray while he was still in the bathroom.

"I know that.", Oxford replied as reviewed the pages inside the red folder.

"What's weird is that I'm still alive, talking to you like I've eaten breakfast.", said Ray when he walked out of the bathroom, staring at Oxford who he caught looking at the red folder.

Oxford noticed that Ray was just standing next to him, staring at him, waiting for him to reply. He slowly closed the red folder, cleared his throat and looked back at Ray.

"Read?", he questioned.

"Yes.", answered Ray.

Oxford walked out of the room with Ray behind him. He turned to his right and there he saw the two guards standing straight close to them. Ray was looking around the corridor, making sure that he is not dreaming again.

"Before we start, you need to wear this.", said Oxford to Ray who was stopped by the two guards.

One of the guards pulled out a thick metal bracelet from his pocket and showed it to Ray clearly. Ray was taking a good look at the object when the guard told him to put it on in his right arm. The bracelet slowly shrank, matching the radius of his arm. It then beeped and buzzed right after. He looked at Oxford who was also looking back at him. Ray raised his right arm and showed it to Oxford.

"It's a tracking device, don't be scared.", said Oxford to Ray who was giving quick glances to the guards behind him as he walked closer to Oxford.

"I'll take him from here, thank you.", Oxford said to the guards with a nod as he placed his left hand on Ray's right shoulder when he walked up to him.

The two guards walked away as a response. Oxford and Ray started to walk to the other way, where the elevators are. Ray was walking next to Oxford when he handed him the red folder, he first glanced at him before taking the folder. They were standing, waiting for the elevator when Ray opened the folder. He was expecting that nothing has been changed or added into the folder but he was wrong when he noticed that some items in its first page have been answered and more papers have been added, those are the results from the laboratory, from the testing section, and from the entertainment section.

"Where are we going?", Ray questioned after they stepped into the elevator.

"To the surface.", Oxford answered.

"W-Why?", Ray looked up at the man.

"It's one of the tests.", said Oxford.

It only took ten minutes for them to arrive at Section A-3 with the use of the elevator. Both of Ray's eyes widened as he was greeted by the perfect view of the section. When they stepped out, a lady walked up to Oxford, asking. Oxford answered and told Ray to follow him. Ray was walking next to Oxford while he was admiring the structure and its features.

"Have you seen a hyperloop?", Oxford leaned back and questioned as they fall in line, waiting for the pods.

"Of course.", Ray answered.

"Interesting."', murmured Oxford when a pod arrived and boarded it.

The pod that they boarded was the second generation as a result, the pod didn't get too crowded. The two men sat down in the lounge, Ray was ordered to seat near the window so that he can see how fast and to soon get a glimpse of Oxford's home city.

"Champagne?", Oxford asked the man next to him when a waiter came with beverages.

"I'll have water only.", said Ray to the waiter.

The pod left the station two minutes early before its assigned departure. Ray was looking out the window, seeing the floor of Mariana trench being scoured by robots. He also noticed that they are building glass domes on the floor, he wondered what are they for. He turned around to face Oxford who he saw was about to drink champagne.

"What are those glass domes for?", Ray questioned the man next to him as he refills his glass.

"We don't know yet, but they will be announced soon to us. Maybe an extension for the testing section, I don't know.", Oxford answered, staring at the man next to him.

"Glass dome, on the ocean floor...", Ray squinted as he turned away from Oxford.