Purgatech: Aaron's Terrible Realization

Chapter 7

"Oh crap," said Sparks, "the damn program crashed again. I'll have to let Turner know it's still doing that sometimes."

"Let's get him back. I want to know what he was about to say."

"Well, we didn't have him long enough to establish a concrete connection. Finding him specifically again in the sea of orbs in this room would be like finding a needle in a hay stack."

"I don't mind if we have to try a few times. It seems like he was about to say something important. Who is giving rules to ghosts?"

"Sorry Aaron, no time. I'm very busy and need to get back to work. You can see yourself out."

Apparently my training session with Sparks was over. I got up and walked to the door, a little confused about what had just happened.

"Hey," Sparks called, as I was about to exit the room. "Don't forget. You do not have permission to run that app without a trained Purgatech employee on hand."

"Why not?"

"You ask a lot of questions, don't you?" She sounded annoyed. "Your safety is most important here. That means..."

"My safety? You guys told me this stuff was completely safe?"

"It is, if you follow our instructions. Part of those instructions are to make sure you are accompanied by an expert until you understand the communication and interaction procedures well enough to be released on your own. Is that clear?"

"Yes, ma'am." I left the room, a bit confused.

When I reached the bunkroom door, it was locked. Great. How was I supposed to get my stuff?

"Hey, over here." Omri had poked his head out from a room across the hall. "This is your new room."

I walked over and followed him in. It was a little disorienting to find this new room identical to the one I was in the night before. Same bunk beds, same credenza, bathroom and closet doors in the same places. Omri laughed, probably at the look on my face.

"I know right, isn't it weird?"

"Yeah, definitely. You going to let me back into the other room to get my stuff?"

"I've moved it all for you. You're clothes are in the dresser and your bag is in the closet."

"You went through my stuff?"

Omri looked at the floor and began shuffling his feet. "No. I didn't go through it. I just moved it like Mr. Turner said."

"Oh." Turner was the one calling the shots, of course. I should have known better than to blame Omri. Poor kid.

Omri must have heard in my voice that I wasn't angry with him. "I did see that picture of you and a girl that was in the front of your bag."

"I thought you said your weren't snooping, Omri!" He winced at this last, like a puppy that's used to catching a slap across the face.

"I'm sorry. I wasn't snooping, honest. The zipper was open and it fell out. She's very pretty. Is she your girlfriend?"

I was walking over to the closet to make sure the picture of me and Katie was where it belonged. I couldn't really stand the idea of it going missing.

"Yes. Well, no, I guess she isn't my girl anymore. She was."

"Oh, I'm sorry man, that sucks." He shrugged his shoulders and started to leave.

I'd just gotten my hands in the picture and was replacing it in my bag when I saw another backpack, a small leather one with a drawstring top, next to mine in the closet.

"What is this?" I asked.

Omri stopped at the door. Oh, that's Jada's bag. You guys had your own rooms but now you'll be sharing."

"Who the hell is Jada?"

"She's the other tester. You guys are the only ones that made it through the interviews. Turner didn't tell you about her?"

"No." It was starting to seem like Turner wasn't the most forthcoming of employers.

"Yeah, she's actually training now. I think they are giving her the goggles."

"Whatever." I threw myself into the bed, annoyed. "Omri, can you tell me why I had to come to this room?"

He didn't say anything. Instead, Omri seemed intensely interested in a paint chip on the doorframe. He began picking at it.

"Hey, man," I said, "I kind of thought we were buddies."

Omri perked up a bit. A smile played at the corners of his mouth. "You really think so?"

I didn't have the heart to tell him I thought he was just a weird kid with a shitty boss. "For sure, we've spent enough time together to be friends." Untrue, but the guy didn't seem to know better and I needed information.

"Come on over and sit with me for a minute." I patted the bed next to me and he shyly took me up on my offer.

"Okay, I'll hang out for a minute. But I really can't say anything about anything."

"Well of course you can, Omri. You're a smart guy. You told me all about music and you know every player on like seven soccer teams. That's way more than I know."

"That stuff is easy. No one said I can't talk about it."

"Oh, so you are worried about getting in trouble?"

Omri nodded his head.

"Do I even need to ask who told you to keep quiet?"

Omri said nothing.

"It was Turner, wasn't it?"

He raised his head, slowly, and dropped it, one time. His way of saying yes without really saying anything.

"I feel you, man. It sucks when the boss makes up rules that don't really make sense."

"They make sense," he said, still not making eye contact.

"Why is that?"

He shook his head.

"Omri, I'm just trying to figure out why Turner wouldn't want you to talk to your friend."

He smiled wider at hearing that word again. "Sometimes secrets have to be kept. Even from friends."

It took everything I had not to become frustrated. "Secrets are special things, no doubt about it. But do you know who you share secrets with?" He shook his head again. "You share them with your friends. That's just a plain, old fashion rule of secrets."

Omri looked over and c****d his head.

"Look at it this way," I said. "You have a secret with Turner. I know he is your boss but he isn't your friend. I am your friend, though." Omri was fidgeting with his hands. "So, since the rule is that you only share secrets with your friends, doesn't it make sense that you would tell me what's going on?"

"I can't," Omri said. "I just can't do it. If you knew about Mary..." He immediately clapped both hands over his mouth, eyes wide. He jumped up from the bed.

"Mary? Who is Mary?"

"I'm sorry. I can't. I have to go get food for you guys now."

"Wait a minute, buddy."

He stopped in the doorframe and turned to look at me. His eyes were still wide but he made no sound. Instead he put one finger over his mouth.

"What?" I asked.

Omri was behaving very strangely, shaking his finger at me and rocking back and forth. It was the sort of thing that a little kid would do when he was frustrated. "I said, 'Would you rather have plain chips or barbecue?'" He looked at me very pointedly and again gestured with his fingers for me to notice it over his lips.

I realized then, he wanted me to be quiet. I put my own finger over my lips and nodded. He looked relieved.

Omri pointed to the credenza. Then he pointed through the door, in the direction of downstairs. Then to his ear and back to the credenza.

I was totally confused.

Omri repeated the entire process. First the piece of furniture, then downstairs, then to his ear, then back to the credenza. All the while he stared at me, no hint of amusement on his face.

"Alright," he said, "I'll be right back with food." He turned and left without another word.

What. The. Hell.

I went over to the credenza to see if I could figure out his message. Whatever was going on, it seemed very important to him.

There was nothing amiss on the front of the drawers or on the top. I opened them, one by one, and rooted around but still nothing.

I found all of my clothes in the left three drawers, just like they had been in the other room. The kid was at least accurate when he'd moved me. I appreciated the consideration.

The middle set was completely empty. I pulled out the top drawer of the right side and immediately slammed it back shut. It was full of lady’s underwear. My ears burned and I silently apologized to a woman I'd yet to meet. I decided to leave the rest of the drawers alone.

Frustrated by Omri’s vague communication, I leaned across the top of the dresser and placed my forehead on the cool wall behind it. It felt good and my temper mellowed out.

When I opened my eyes and looked down, into the crack between furniture and wall, I found what Omri had been trying to point to.

There was a small box stuck to the back of the credenza. I reached down and grabbed it but it was fixed firmly in place.

Rather than tug on the thing, I decided to have a better look at it. I went to the side of the dresser and pulled it from the wall. It was heavy as hell but I got it out far enough that I could look behind.

The box had a few tiny holes in it and the word "Purgaphone" written in blue letters.

I was outraged. A microphone? These people were spying on me. What right did they have?

I stood up and marched through the door, hell bent on giving Turner a piece of my mind.

Halfway to the stairs, I saw Omri. He was reaching the top step with a huge tray in one hand. He must have seen the anger on my face.

"What the hell?" I yelled.

"What's for dinner?" he said, a little too loudly. "I told you man, it's a surprise." He laughed a little with no smile on his face and grabbed my arm.

Surprised at his continued, odd behavior, I allowed myself to be steered back into the bunkroom.

"Omri, I want to know..."

He cut me off. "I know that you want to know what's for dinner." His finger was again waving wildly in front of his face. "I told you. You have to SHUT UP and wait for Jada." He pointed again to his ear and then downstairs, pleading with his eyes.

I decided to let it go. Whatever was going on, Omri was really upset. I sat on the bed, unsure of what to do.

Omri looked relieved when he realized I wasn't going to push it. He walked over to the credenza and said, "Man, you must have really bumped into this thing." Then he slid it back into place and walked out of the room, leaving the food tray behind.

My mind was going crazy. Why were they listening in? Did it have to do with the secrets that Omri was hinting at? Clearly he was very uncomfortable around Turner. You might even say scared.

That made me think that Turner must be the one behind the microphone. What could be so important that he would have to listen in to make sure it wasn't spoken of? I'd been assured that this position was safe but I was starting to feel very much in the dark. I almost felt like reconsidering my employment.

Before I could give the idea anymore thought, there was a knock at the door.

"Come in," I said, expecting Omri with some forgotten dinner accompaniment.

The door opened and a young woman walked in. A young woman with long black hair. She was beautiful. She smiled at me and I almost screamed.

She was the girl from my dream. The red eyed girl from the closet.