Felicio

Inside the Fortress

Peter

It was a stroke of luck that Steph had an in with the Shaw corporation. I had been looking into them a lot but found out nothing substantial, only a lot of hearsay and rumors. There was plenty of speculation that they were involved in clandestine projects for the army and the FBI. At first I was shocked and appalled that this kind of thing could have been happening so close to home. Then I read rumors that the Shaw corporation were involved in the creation of Felicio. It was then I realized that nobody really knew anything. Shaw didn't have anything to do with Felicio. That was something unique and ethereal, something that still gives me chills whenever I think about it. What I remember most was the searing pain that lanced through my body. I thought for sure I was going to die, when in fact I was being reborn.

As it was happening my life did not flash before my eyes. Nor did I see a bright, white light beckoning me forth. The only things I could think of were the things I had not done with my life. All my regrets piled up and filled my heart with remorse. Then I survived and I vowed to be a better person. Felicio was my rebirth and I was going to make sure my life meant something.

It wasn't so for Emma. Her life had ended. Everything she had ever been and everything she was ever going to be had been torn from the universe, ripped from the fabric of life. A life could end so easily and for what? There was no noble sacrifice, no fighting to the last moment...there was just a grim, futile acceptance of the inevitability of death. I'd been thinking about death a lot even before I became Felicio. Sometimes I wondered about the point of being born. I saw my whole life stretching out before me and didn't think there would be anything but monotony. Was there any point in living if you didn't at least try to be great? I had always struggled with figuring out the meaning of life and how to fulfill your existential purpose. Felicio had given me a key to seeing mine but without Felicio I was nothing. Sometimes I thought I was the only one to struggle with these problems but Emma evidently had. I wouldn't have thought she would be the type though. After all, she was rich and came from a prestigious family and she must have had the luxury of knowing some of the secrets of the Shaw corporation. Yet I barely knew anything about her. The police hadn't released any further information, although I was sure Detective Lang had made some progress. He didn't seem the type to be deterred by anything.

Emma was a mysterious girl. Maybe that was part of the allure. Maybe I had it all wrong and Stephanie was right, she was just troubled and didn't want to live anymore. But there had to be something. Why else would the cops be looking into it? Why would my gut be telling me that something was wrong? It had not failed me yet. I guess there was a first time for everything...no. I had to trust myself and my instincts. Peter wouldn't be able to handle this but Felicio could. All I had to do was wait for Stephanie to report back to me about what she saw. Maybe she'd be able to find a way in for me.

I smiled a little as I thought about mystery. That was the only reason Vicky had reacted the way she did. She must have thought I was some kind of handsome, heroic man underneath this mask, not an average looking teenager. I could never let something like that happen. If she ever saw who was underneath this mask the entire mystique of Felicio would be destroyed. No criminal anywhere would be afraid of suffering the wrath of a young kid. It didn't matter anyway. I'd probably never see her again. Yet part of me was intrigued by the possibility. As Peter I wasn't at all good with girls. The only one I found it comfortable to talk with was Steph and that was because we'd known each other our entire lives. She was like a sister to me. Felicio on the other hand, he could be anything anyone wanted. He could be charming and unafraid.

He was everything I wasn't. He was better. The more I was Felicio the more alive I felt, the more a part of the world I felt. The more I was Felicio the more I wanted to stay Felicio. I didn't know what the future held for either me or Felicio but I could imagine doing greater things as Felicio than ever could as Peter.

Stephanie

I had never done an internship before so I was filled with nerves anyway, least of all because it was for the Shaw corporation. Everyone was aware of them yet nobody really knew anything that went on in that dark tower, and now I was being given a glimpse beyond the veil. I was beginning to regret promising Peter that I would supply him with information but I had made the promise and could do nothing about it now. When I decided to help him in his quest to be Felicio he told me that he would always be there to protect me and would never let anything bad happen to me. At the time I believed him but I wasn't naive enough to believe that he could keep that promise. Sometimes there things out of his control, and no matter how strong or fast he was he could not take on the Shaw corporation. I'd heard about what they had done to some of the people who had come out with stories. Their ruthless legal force was notorious and many of the people who had threatened to reveal the truth had not been heard from again after the initial blitz of publicity.

I was worried about putting a foot wrong. I already felt guilty, like I was some sort of spy as I went there on my first day. They sent a car to pick me and another student up. Her name was Gina. We were the only two from the college. The rest of the interns must have been coming from other colleges, maybe some high schools as well if they were bright enough. I'd always had an affinity for science but I'd never thought of myself as extraordinarily smart. It all just made sense to me and came naturally. I asked Gina what she thought about this and she said she was nervous too, but excited. Of course she would be. She wasn't going to be a spy for her superhero friend.

A sleek black car with tinted windows pulled up. I could hear the whispers of those around us as me and Gina got into the car. The seats were leather. There was a window separating the back from the driver. The whole way there I never saw his face and he never spoke to us. Everything was quiet. The only thing I could feel was my heart beating. We drove through the city and it was strange knowing that I could see everyone but nobody could see me. It wasn't long before we reached the outskirts of the city. The shadow of the Shaw building loomed over us, swallowing up everything in the dark shade. The large 'S' was spread over the top of the building. Underneath were rows and rows of tinted windows just like those in the car. Automatic gates scraped against the ground as they slid open. There were a few checkpoints at which we had to stop. I heard the muffled sounds of conversation and the arm of the driver extended from the car, flashing an ID card.

The guard waved us through. Eventually we made it to the front.

“It's all very hush hush around here isn't it,” Gina said.

“What did you expect? You've heard the stories.”

“Yes but they're just stories. I didn't think it would be like this in reality. Do you think we'll be involved in anything important?”

“I highly doubt it. We're only interns. Frankly I'm surprised they do anything like this at all. I wouldn't have thought they'd want random students wandering around the place. Then again, maybe they're just doing it for appearances' sake.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, maybe they're just doing this so they can look like they're normal. We might be shunted off to a lower floor and work on some random projects that don't actually mean anything.”

“That sounds a little paranoid to me,” Gina said. Maybe she was right. Maybe Peter is rubbing off on me. “I reckon this is how they recruit new people. They're probably going to watch us and the best of us will get a job here.”

“Is that what you want?”

“Wouldn't you want to work in a place like this? They must be working on some cutting edge stuff and it's the only way we'd ever know what's really going on here.”

Before I got a chance to reply the door was opened for us and we stepped out. Stony faced guards were all around us, making sure that we didn't deviate from our path. The building was even taller now that I was standing right underneath it. I had to crane my neck back to actually take in the full height.

We were escorted into the lobby. The doors slid behind us, shutting out the outside world. There was no natural air or light in this place. I wondered how people could stand working here hours at a time without being able to see the sun properly. The lobby was sparse, with only a reception desk and some chairs. A corridor led off from beside the reception desk to a group of elevators. There was nothing on the walls. It seemed as though the secretive nature of the Shaw corporation extended to the inside of the building as well as the outside.

I looked at the other ten people who had been chosen for the internship. They were quiet, a mixture of boys and girls and we all seemed to be around the same age. I smiled politely at some of them but they looked away. The receptionist came over with lanyards that had our pictures on them. I had no idea where they got our pictures from. I assumed that it had been passed onto them with the rest of my information. It made me wonder what else they knew about me. Probably more than they needed.

“These lanyards allow you to travel freely through this facility. When you come to a new area you simply place your card against the scanner next to the door and it will either open or remain closed. If it remains closed you know it is not an area you should enter. Keep your lanyards on you at all times. If you are ever found without a lanyard you will be escorted off the premises and your internship will be terminated. The same applies if you lose your lanyard. You will now be taken to your initiation where you will sign a non-disclosure agreement. If you do not think you can maintain absolute silence about what you see and do here, even to your parents or your best friends, you should turn around and you will be taken home.” She waited a moment for anyone who wanted to leave. We all looked uncertainly at each other but nobody left. My throat ran dry and I hoped she didn't notice the beads of sweat that formed on my temple. She took us to the elevator and soon we were ascending through the building.

I was in.