answers.”
A New Lead
Inside the facility, Flynn and Lisa wandered the sterile white halls filled with desks covered in disorganized laboratory equipment and once again were able to navigate their surroundings in complete anonymity; Flynn didn’t know whether to feel happy or insulted that the scientists wouldn’t even bother to address the visitors for fear of wasting precious research time.
After a few minutes of searching, they found the experiment involving the planet’s crust that Flynn saw the first time. Sitting with his eyes glued to a lens was the familiar face he sought.
“Doctor Radovan.” Flynn carried a confident smile, glad to see the light of his white coat.
“What, what, what?!” He planted a hand on his forehead in disdain. “What is it this time?!”
“Good to see you, too, Radovan.”
Radovan turned around and stood fully upright, stretching his chest and filling it with air while he clenched most of his muscles to inflate them with blood; he was big, even for a Subterranean.
“Did you not bother me enough the first time, human?” He shifted his eyes to Lisa. “And you brought your friend. Wonderful! Will you not let me work in peace?!”
“Hey, whoa, calm down, Radovan.” He took a step back, afraid he might actually harm him. “I just have some questions.”
“Yes, of course, I wonder if there is anything else you can offer me besides more inane questions!” His frustrated voice sounded far more booming than his normal scientific detachment.
“I have a question about Tural.”
“Congratulations.”
“Please, Radovan, I know you want to figure out what he’s hiding as much as I do.”
“Be silent! Have you no sense of discretion?!” He suddenly noticed the other scientists staring at him, and then he sighed deeply, dropping his utensils on the table. Interlacing his fingers, he leaned back and spoke in a cool and collected voice. “Alright, human… What is it?”
“Has Tural told you about what happened on the surface?”
“I read the reports.”
“Reports?” Flynn scratched his head; they were more organized than he thought. “That was fast.”
“Yes, yes, what of it?”
“Some strange things happened up there… Overseer Vale seemed determined to get her hands on something specific from my ship. Something for Tural, I think.” He drifted off to introspection for a moment. “Do you know what it could be?”
His voice thickened with annoyance. “If I knew that, human, I would have told you by now.”
Flynn crossed his arms. “I think I know someone who can tell us.”
“If you mean Tural, then no, he will not tell you.”
Flynn turned to leave, beckoning Lisa to follow. “Well, I won’t know unless I try.”
Radovan clenched his fists; he knew he was being manipulated. The last thing he wanted was Flynn spouting his name to Tural, especially since he’s been known to question Tural’s decisions long before Flynn ever visited the planet.
“Human! Wait!” Flynn kept walking. “…Flynn!” He called out desperately.
He stopped in his tracks and turned around. “Yes?”
“Before you make things worse, I have an idea.” He was tempted to clobber Flynn’s smug face as he and Lisa returned.
“What might that be?”
He weighed the consequences of his next words rapidly in his head. From this point on, he knew there was no turning back… but he wasn’t sure he had a choice.
“There is a restricted area near the old storage hangars.” He said calmly. “Being someone of relative importance in this society, I have full access to every area in the city; every area except for that one location.” He sat down in his chair and leaned back. “On several occasions, I have seen only two others gain access to that area. Upon questioning them, they revealed no information. Therefore, I questioned Tural to observe his response.”
Flynn hung on his pause, practically groveling for the second piece of the puzzle.
A New Lead
Inside the facility, Flynn and Lisa wandered the sterile white halls filled with desks covered in disorganized laboratory equipment and once again were able to navigate their surroundings in complete anonymity; Flynn didn’t know whether to feel happy or insulted that the scientists wouldn’t even bother to address the visitors for fear of wasting precious research time.
After a few minutes of searching, they found the experiment involving the planet’s crust that Flynn saw the first time. Sitting with his eyes glued to a lens was the familiar face he sought.
“Doctor Radovan.” Flynn carried a confident smile, glad to see the light of his white coat.
“What, what, what?!” He planted a hand on his forehead in disdain. “What is it this time?!”
“Good to see you, too, Radovan.”
Radovan turned around and stood fully upright, stretching his chest and filling it with air while he clenched most of his muscles to inflate them with blood; he was big, even for a Subterranean.
“Did you not bother me enough the first time, human?” He shifted his eyes to Lisa. “And you brought your friend. Wonderful! Will you not let me work in peace?!”
“Hey, whoa, calm down, Radovan.” He took a step back, afraid he might actually harm him. “I just have some questions.”
“Yes, of course, I wonder if there is anything else you can offer me besides more inane questions!” His frustrated voice sounded far more booming than his normal scientific detachment.
“I have a question about Tural.”
“Congratulations.”
“Please, Radovan, I know you want to figure out what he’s hiding as much as I do.”
“Be silent! Have you no sense of discretion?!” He suddenly noticed the other scientists staring at him, and then he sighed deeply, dropping his utensils on the table. Interlacing his fingers, he leaned back and spoke in a cool and collected voice. “Alright, human… What is it?”
“Has Tural told you about what happened on the surface?”
“I read the reports.”
“Reports?” Flynn scratched his head; they were more organized than he thought. “That was fast.”
“Yes, yes, what of it?”
“Some strange things happened up there… Overseer Vale seemed determined to get her hands on something specific from my ship. Something for Tural, I think.” He drifted off to introspection for a moment. “Do you know what it could be?”
His voice thickened with annoyance. “If I knew that, human, I would have told you by now.”
Flynn crossed his arms. “I think I know someone who can tell us.”
“If you mean Tural, then no, he will not tell you.”
Flynn turned to leave, beckoning Lisa to follow. “Well, I won’t know unless I try.”
Radovan clenched his fists; he knew he was being manipulated. The last thing he wanted was Flynn spouting his name to Tural, especially since he’s been known to question Tural’s decisions long before Flynn ever visited the planet.
“Human! Wait!” Flynn kept walking. “…Flynn!” He called out desperately.
He stopped in his tracks and turned around. “Yes?”
“Before you make things worse, I have an idea.” He was tempted to clobber Flynn’s smug face as he and Lisa returned.
“What might that be?”
He weighed the consequences of his next words rapidly in his head. From this point on, he knew there was no turning back… but he wasn’t sure he had a choice.
“There is a restricted area near the old storage hangars.” He said calmly. “Being someone of relative importance in this society, I have full access to every area in the city; every area except for that one location.” He sat down in his chair and leaned back. “On several occasions, I have seen only two others gain access to that area. Upon questioning them, they revealed no information. Therefore, I questioned Tural to observe his response.”
Flynn hung on his pause, practically groveling for the second piece of the puzzle.
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