Purgatech: Adrian's Ghost-hunting Angst

Chapter Seven: Rainbirds

Adrian knew that it was wrong. He knew that he was being paid by Purgatech to move directly into his own homebound tests, and yet, he still chose to go to work the very next day. He had his holiday time but he knew that it would be better spent on something else, something with and for Julia. Why waste time now, when he could later?

And after all, how bad could the tests be? They were just experimental, so he could do it in his free time and on weekends. That would do just fine. It was only a couple hours a night that he’d need to put towards the Purgatech experiments, and they would yield the same results over six months, he assumed.

How couldn’t they?

And now he was making double the salary. More money could always do better, right? Who wouldn’t want to make more money?

He sat at his desk, going over his excel spreadsheets, trying to figure out why the numbers didn’t add up. There was fifty thousand dollars’ worth missing, and if he couldn’t figure out what happened to it, some criminal would get away with it all.

Adrian knew he didn’t have the most glamorous job. It paid okay, but it meant long hours slaving away for a company he didn’t care all too much about. Today was just another day, of course. He had to pump out the numbers and he had to show his company that his worth was great. It was just the way the tides turned.

But at the back of his mind, the ever impending thoughts crossed, of the Purgatech experiment. It must have been a hoax, right? Then why did everything seem so real? He stood there, but that was an easy target if it was a sham. Alex was killed there and everyone knew it. It could have been any one of the children that were killed that could have been used. The population would flock to and accept because if it’s in the haunted room, it must be true, right?

Adrian didn’t take this opportunity for its feasibility. He took it because he knew that if there was even a chance it was real, then he would be able to get some answers as to who the old witch was, who Tommy was, and maybe, just maybe, he could live out his childhood fantasy of being a Ghostbuster.

It was a few minutes to lunchtime, and his mind raced with possibilities. He wondered about everything and nothing, his job, his friends, the cosmos, the inifinte black he would be sent to upon his death but it all returned to Purgatech. Every narrow alley that his mind turned to peace from the experiment, pulled him straight back into it.

Thinking about work: Purgatech paid six months wages in advance.

He thought about his friends: What would they say, knowing he was part of this experiment?

He thought about the cosmos: With the infinite spectrum of time and reality, he could have landed up at any point in the universes existence, yet here he sat with Purgatech’s gadget sitting in a box in his home.

He thought about death: And this one upset Adrian, if only a little, knowing that if this was all true, someday he would form part of an undead horde, waiting for their time to shine again.

Time’s clock forever marched on.

When Adrian took the time to look at his watch, twenty minutes had gone by. Twenty minutes of daydreaming, the way he did when he was a child. It was pleasant, fun even and it gave him some much needed alone time.

Closing his laptop, checking his phone for any messages; none showed apart from one that Eliza had sent shortly after he left the house, have a good day at work. I love you, finally getting to the reply before heading out for lunch.

The long hallways were busy, with bodies moving from door to door, offering their services wherever they could. Often times, Adrian found their lack of habit unpleasant. They took no breaks, many only eating when they got home that night, meaning they definitely did not meet their nutritional guidelines. Worst of all, Adrian couldn’t understand why this made its way into his daily thoughts. There was nothing behind it but cold, petty judgement that made no sense towards his actual goals. He only considered this because of his own low self-esteem issues that spurred towards a belly he didn’t much care to get rid of. Judgmental behaviour was seldom something that Adrian found himself partaking in, but sometimes he knew that it was the only way to get through his own issues. Issues that he’d been dealing with since his teens; puberty. The loss of his imagination and grand dreams of someday writing the next great American novel, washed away to the endless tides of despair. He needed to find a new way to get through problems and he did it the only way his mother could teach him how.

Passive aggressiveness, with a healthy dose of scathing remarks. It didn’t stop Adrian from greeting the passers-by with a joyous smile and a welcoming handshake. Or sharing kind words with them as they went on their way, often extending into a short conversation about where he was off to or where this or that was, so that they could continue with their own work.

Yes, the narrow halls of his building gave him great elation.

But he was on a mission to find Martin. He needed to speak with his oldest friend in the office, and there was a chance, had Adrian calculated it, that Martin was his oldest remaining friend. Those from school either moved or faded into the background. Many tried to escape Evergreen because of its negative connotations. His schoolyear’s grew harder and harder with parents pulling their children from school, so that they could assure their child’s safety somewhere else.

It made sense to Adrian. Fear was a strong tool against anyone, and with a parents over-reaction towards something that had to have a logical explanation, this divine intervention would always succeed.

Adrian entered the cafeteria in a desperate, uncomfortable fit of searching for his man. His lack of social etiquette meant that if Martin wasn’t here, he would have sat alone, eating his meal with an uneasiness of those around him watching; judging.

The loser’s sitting alone again, Adrian was sure they claimed.

Not that any of them had. This was no longer high school, and they none here cared for the childishness of a man eating alone. Adrian knew it, deeper down, but it was a fear that stemmed from his youth that he struggled to shake. More often than not, individuals sat comfortable at their own table, feeding on whatever they chose or were served for that day, considering their work, reading a book or playing on their cell phones. Adrian was in no way special to them, nor would he ever be apart from his role in the work he did. Without him reaching out to his fellow employees, none would even consider him a moment longer than they had to.

This was the cruelty of a working office.

To Adrian’s luck, he spotted Martin fairly quick. He stood in line with a few items on his tray. Adrian grabbed a tray of his own, getting in line a few people behind Martin. Martin noticed him, and he Martin and they gestured to meet after they collected their food. Adrian picked up a burger, a pot of jelly and custard and an orange. He knew he wasn’t going to eat the orange, but the guilty stare, that he wasn’t receiving but believed to be getting, forced him to pick it up.

He waited to get to the end of the line so he could pay up, fidgeting nervously, his foot tapping heavily against the ground as those before him took too long to make a decision between the beef stew or the turkey sandwich on a whole-wheat bun. Martin already found their place, chomping away at whatever he picked up, from where Adrian stood he believed it to be a salad, with a dry piece of brisket on the side.

“Hey Buzz,” Someone shouted, and the man in line turned to face him.

“Mister Fledderjohn, nice to see you again.” Buzz said, taking Fldderjohn’s hand.

“Can I squeeze past you?” Adrian cut off the conversation wherever it was heading before it could continue. He was in a rush to get to his man; worst of all was he had no idea why.

“Sure, man. All you had to do was ask.” Buzz replied, and Adrian squeezed by him. His ass touching Buzz’s crotch for an uncomfortably long period, while he tried to navigate his way through the thin isle.

“God damn it.” Adrian murmured under his breathe, paying the four dollars for his meal and headed towards the table, slamming it down in front of Martin.

“Adrian, how are you doing buddy?” Martin asked, the smile on his face grew from ear to ear, “Missed you yesterday. Were you just too busy to make it to lunch?” He asked.

“Nope. Took a personal day but that’s what I wanna talk to you about.” Adrian replied, fidgeting with the orange on his place, “Why did I even take this?”

“It’s Lucy’s lazy eye. It’s impossible to resist her temptations,” Martin replied, both turning to face the elderly cook that dished out food to those who took from the hot meals. Her silver hair tied into a tight bun, the wrinkles on her face accentuating her scowling lips, one eye looking to her customer, the other facing off in the direction of where Adrian and Martin stared, “Oh Christ, she’s watching us.”

Adrian couldn’t help but burst into laughter. It was those kind of dark jokes that he found the funniest, not that he was any good at making them himself. His repertoire extended somewhere between dad jokes and poorly constructed situational humour.

“That’s some funny stuff.” He said in between laughter, trying to compose himself from Martin’s joke and when he finally did, his mind returned to the topic he wanted to discuss with Martin.

Adrian knew it was wrong, coming to his friend and discussing the Purgatech products. He signed his non-disclosure and knew that the discussion that followed was very much illegal, but that was a risk he knew wouldn’t have any backing and one he was willing to take.

“So I went to the old house where Alex Fulton died yesterday.” Adrian said.

“Oh, right. I saw they were doing some stuff up there. What’s it all about? You take Eliza for a getaway during the week, so that it wasn’t too busy?” Martin asked.

“No, it’s actually a facility now. The whole program is called Purgatech. It’s all hush-hush and under the table, so I don’t really know what to say about it, but from what they showed me, it’s got something to do with the dead. They’re testing products that allow communication with the dead. I don’t know what for, I’m just part of the test pool now and I’m supposed to be at it today, until the end of the week.” Adrian said, thinking that he could have been off now, doing whatever he wanted to, occasionally testing the products, sitting around lazily on the couch in his boxers.

“Sounds like an interesting experiment. Is it bullshit?” Martin asked, slicing into the dry brisket.

“I don’t know. I haven’t really tested it much apart from what they showed me at the place. So I’m thinking yes.” Adrian replied, lifting the burger to his mouth. Both chewed, Martin swallowing first.

“Right, if I can give you one piece of advice, don’t look at this too lightly. It’s probably just bull, but there’s a chance it’s not. The dead are not a game.” Martin started. Adrian forgot his friend was such a paranormal enthusiast, “Take it slow and make sure you’re not getting yourself into anything too deep here, and you know, let me know how it goes.”

Adrian nodded, not really thinking the conversation held anymore. He returned to the jokes about Lucy, her lazy eye and all the other’s that had uncomfortable deformities that the pair could have fun with.