Pandora's Box

Chapter 30

Alexander’s Point of View

“You probably heard something,” she told me and my eyes are twitching right now because she frightened me more about that sound. What is her name anyway?

I don’t know.

“I- I h- heard it,” I can’t stop stuttering because I am still panicking over that little shock that she gave me.

“Dude!” she exclaimed. She is too loud, for a person that we rarely see. Her hair is messy and she has black lipstick on and her shirt is just plain black and wearing jeans.

She kinda reminds me of teenage emo back in the days. The only things missing are the ear piercings because those people have those and oh yeah! Tattoos.

“I was wondering why are you still awake,” she said and she lowered down her tone. Which is very good? I guess. I mean the people here are all asleep and I don’t plan to wake them up.

“So, you are the one doing those clicks?” I awkwardly asked her.

“What?!” she exclaimed again and I put my pointing finger in between my lips. She is too loud and I don’t want that. “No,” I sighed in relief when she listened to me.

“Then there is something making that noise outside?” I asked her, but I paused and looked at her, probably she is three or more years older than me, but for me, she does not mind if I am not showing respect that an adult should get.

“I was investigating until I saw you, and it came from outside so I did not suspect you just like what you did to me, dumbass,” she told me, and that last word hurt me. I forgot that people like her are too insensitive about others’ feelings.

“I am sorry, if I suspected you,” I told her.

“That’s okay,” she told me.

“Then how are we supposed to know who or what is doing that noise?” I asked her.

“There are surveillance cameras scattered outside so don’t worry,” she answered my question.

“Can I come?” I asked her again. She turned to me.

“Even if I say no, it seems like you are the type that will still follow me,” she remarks. Ouch? My whole system is full of life right now because of the curiosity that managed to find its way inside my mind.

“Well, I guess you are correct with that,” I answered her awkwardly smiling. She continues to walk, and I know that she is going straight towards the surveillance room, where she mentioned where we can view all the cameras.

There are so many that are scattered outside just like what she said, so I am hoping that there is a high chance that my paranoia can be lifted when my question is answered.

Moments later, we reached a room where it is filled with bright monitors. These are live feeds of the camera from outside.

I was amazed, because if there is too much power consumption that is demanded in this place and they cut off its connection on the surface, how they can run this place with such high power demand?

I am so amazed.

“How can you run this place?” I asked her. “I mean if this place is a secret, then consuming power from outside can be detected by the authorities too,” I said and I am geeking out right now. To be honest, biology is not the field I am interested in the most. I took it because I wanted to be with my sister and I pursue it more seriously when I met Jen.

I am more interested in technological science.

My intellect can handle that so it is no problem for me.

I am just reading biology books when I have free time but seriously, I am reading a ton of books about technological advancement. I mean isn’t it wonderful to create such miracles just behind numbers? Codes?

The wonders of the human mind and how can it make the lives of the much better.

“That is wonderful enough for me,” I whispered to myself.

“Are you saying something?” this woman told me and I realized immediately that I am starting to talk to myself again.

I mean I am so enamored by my thoughts sometimes, so there is a high chance of me spacing out for most of the time.

“Nothing,” I told her.

“In case that you are not listening, this place is powered by geothermal energy, and it just happens that the perfect spot for that was just underneath us because of the heat that this place emits with all the technological advancements that we created for the betterment of this country,” she told me.

My jaw dropped after hearing all of them. Utilizing all the opportunities. That is way beyond impressive.

I mean this is a haven.

I just watch her scan through every feed that has a view on the rooftop, and I didn’t even know that this place has an attic and there are cameras there.

Also, every part of the house is monitored except for the rooms. I didn’t see any cameras.

“This is just a little secret,” she said. “Only you, your sister, and I know about this,” she told me. Oh, I see. That’s why we cannot see the cameras.

“Sorry?”

“What for?”

“For barging in,” I told her the reason why I am sorry.

“Don’t be,” she told me. “I decide to let you come in the first place,” she told me. I smiled because she is not putting all the blame on me. I guess I thought ill of her.  

“By the way what’s your name?” I asked her.

“Just call me Echo,” she stated. Okay, Echo. “I think I found it,” she said.

Then she displayed the live feed of the monitor but I did not say anything in the feed.

“I can see some marks on the roof. Meaning that there is something that is trying to get in here,” she speculated, I mean she is partly right. Then she pressed some controls and rewinded the feed so we can see what happened there earlier.

We can see a spider-like creature using its pointed feet, to barge in. It’s not that big but slightly bigger than our heads’ size.

“The big question is, how did the system did not detect the creature,” she stated seriously scratching her chin.

Oh yea, I remember that sis mentioned something about this place’s protection system. I mean that is something that should keep us safe and if anything or anyone tried to get in without authority, the defense system will activate.

Then how?

The same question pops inside my mind just like her. I also don’t know what she is talking about but I am sure that this is a terraformer because I haven’t seen a creature like that before. Terra formers have so many specimens right now so I can’t exactly pinpoint its name.

But for some reason, I have seen its image before. It’s familiar in short.

“Then how it can do that? It’s even damaging the place,” I told them and she looks at me.

“If I could answer your question, I have answered that already I promise you,” she told me. I am not asking her but I remained quiet, because I am the understanding one, between us so I don’t have any grudges on her.

We take a good look at it until we shifted the feed, hoping that we can see something that it did to bypass the system.

But an hour and a half have passed but we didn’t see anything. We gave up. I looked at my wristwatch and saw that it’s already four in the morning. We looked at each other.

“What do you think?” she asked me.

“We got to tell them obviously,”  I told her.

“Are you kidding me?” she asked me in disbelief and I am so confused right now because that is the most reasonable thing to do.

“Huh?”

“Haven’t you watched any horror movies?” she asked me.

“I watched some,” I answered her but I am not that fond of the horror movies that she is talking about.

“Every time if a character tells everyone what’s wrong it will only make the situation worse because of the panic and for some reason, the people become dumb, so the monster or the killer can easily kill them,” my jaw dropped when I heard her reasoning.

I did not think that she will take that question seriously, but for the sake of understanding.

“But not telling them made the situation much worse because there is no cooperation in times of emergency,” I told her. I think we are not reaching an agreement here.  

“Dude.”

“We need to tell them,” I insisted. “People here are not dumb as you thought and lastly, this is not a movie and our actions are not scripted on a paper,” I added and I am trying my best to reason out with her.