The Disparate One

Fier and Ray stared at the locked door. Ray was about to speak after he found Chap had hung up. Fier inched further into the banging door. The chains on the side swayed on every hit.

He looked at Ray who shook his head No, but it didn’t pull him, instead, it made him move closer. It was when the knocking stopped. Fier kept his rifle on his other hand when his right hand hovered on the knob. It jiggled for a moment. His eyes widened, darting at Ray. The shaking sent shivers down their spine.

Ray tried contacting Chap but to no avail.

Fier stared at the knob, figuring that someone outside was picking the lock. He aimed the barrel on the door, shoulder level. His index finger rested on the trigger. Ray was shuffling around, pulling his hair when the call finally connected. His phone began to ring.

Then another phone rang. It came from the door.

The two were frozen in place as they carefully listened. The phone on the outer side rang again in sync with Oxford’s. It took a few more seconds for Ray to process what was happening. Eventually, he murmured something as he stomped over to the door, unlocked it, and swung it open, revealing a familiar person in a lab gown.

“Oh! Right… forgot that… he is sick,” said Chap, putting his pick locker back into his pockets, “For a second there, I was really worried when the door didn’t open despite doing our secret knock.”

Ray gently placed his hand on Fier’s rifle, lowering it before letting Chap in. He led him to Oxford’s bedroom where Chap was lost for words. He moved closer while asking if he still had any pulse. The two nodded. Chap gulped. He began having ideas on who was behind this.

“Alright,” Chap huffed, “Let’s bring him back to the facility,” he then gestured to the two to give a hand.

The robot was about to get the holographic device in his bedroom but Chap insisted not to. Ray and Fier didn’t know why or how they were going to bring him back to the facility. But since Chap was here, they figured there must be a way.

Fier slid his rifle behind his back before he and Ray lifted Oxford by his shoulders. The three now looked like they were assisting their drunk friend. Chap grabbed the tablet and his colleague’s phone before waving at them to the elevator.

Chap closed the front door of the penthouse before boarding the lift. He brought out his own keycard and pressed it on the scanner. The door closed and they began their descent. During their ride, Chap explained that they will be arriving at the lower basement where he parked the facility’s ambulance. He gave Fier a simple instruction, which was to return to the penthouse immediately once they got Oxford into the ambulance. This made the two glance at each other.

“...Ray, you’re coming with me. It’s protocol,” said Chap, turning and handing Oxford’s residence keycard and phone to Fier.

Ray looked down, disappointed that he would be leaving his buddy, hopefully for a while. He assured Fier that he would return once everything was over. Fier even promised to not leave the penthouse and wander around the city alone. Chap furrowed on their conversation.

“I-it’s a long story,” stated Ray when the elevator doors slid open.

Chap brought out a tiny flashlight when they stepped out into the dark, concrete corridors surrounded with leaky pipes, tiny streams of steam jetted.

Their grunts of carrying Oxford, or dragging, echoed in the empty corridors. Minutes later, they took their last turn where at the end was a pair of harsh lights. It was an ambulance, parked at the entrance of a tunnel. Chap opened the back where they placed Oxford onto the stretcher. They closed the door and locked it.

“I suggest that the two of you say goodbye to each other,” Chap patted their backs before hopping into the driver’s side. The engine roared to life.

Ray cleared his throat before he raised his hand between them. Fier stared at it when they shook hands, hoping this wouldn’t be their last. If it were, then Fier might as well cherish this last moment, which he did.

Ray didn’t know what to say when he was suddenly pulled into a tight hug, feeling the warmth from the metal body.

“I’ll return, I promise,” said Ray with determination.

Chap was observing the two on the side mirror before Ray separated himself from his friend and jumped into the passenger side.

“You know your way back? Just follow the map on the phone, don’t worry, I removed Oxford’s biometrics,” Chap said when he lowered the window. Fier nodded before standing at the raised platform back to the dark corridor, behind the ambulance, taking one last glance of Oxford.

Ray kept his eyes on Fier on the mirror as the ambulance began to move, the distance between them grew farther and farther until Fier vanished into the darkness. Ray lifted his chin while blinking numerous times, clearing his throat.

At the corner of his eyes, Chap could see Ray sinking in his seat while staring at the dark window. He wanted to step on the brakes and put the gears into reverse, but he couldn’t. He kept his foot on the gas and his hands on the wheel as they drove under the city, one of the facility’s secret passageways.

Soon, Chap slowed down when a giant door appeared in the distance. At the top corner of the door frame was the blinking light of the CCTV. The door hummed open and the ambulance pushed through, finally arriving at the terminal under the Grand Central Terminal.

Ray noticed that they drove past the passenger cars of the stationed locomotive. Chap lined the ambulance to one of the queues to the ramps to the car where vehicles could be parked. Once the locks had been inserted on the vehicle’s wheels, they walked through the side of the long cars until they got to the passenger cars.

Ray silently followed behind Chap as they moved through the sight of employees. He eyed some of them, thinking if they were also artificially made in the facility. His eyes eventually focused on Chap.

They found themselves a private space. Ray dropped onto the seat nearest to the window, resting his head on his hand, staring at the glass. A silhouette of Fier formed in the distance as the train departed from the station.

Chap placed Oxford’s tablet on the table between them when a staff member appeared on their door. They gave their orders, though Ray only asked for a mango milkshake and a cupcake.

Chap looked at Ray with a curious look. He didn’t bother staring at the window or reading the test subject’s document. Ray awkwardly looked back, keeping his legs closed.

“How long has he been like that?” Chap broke the silence.

“T-three days… I- we thought he is going to be alright like he always says. He even urged me to not call nor bring him to any hospital. I figured because of his identity, hence I decided to call you,” Ray looked down.

Chap raised a brow when Ray brought Oxford’s identity. How long had it been and what happened that he wasn’t apparently aware of? Chap assumed a lot had happened in order for Oxford to speak about himself. His eyes narrowed at Ray.

“Of course he would say that, he always does,” Chap disappointingly shook his head, “What was the last thing he ate and drank?” he began his investigation.

However, he gained nothing from it. His thought of the management being the one behind this cause persisted. Chap still couldn’t erase how pale Oxford was, he was as pale as Sion.

As they began their approach to the facility, Chap advised Ray to not tell anyone about this, only between the two of them.

They retrieved the ambulance from the car and onto another short journey. Chap drove to the infirmary’s emergency room. Quickly, nurses poured from the door, transferring Oxford’s life to their safe hands.

Ray stood next to Chap as he watched them put an oxygen mask on Oxford before dragging him away. He stared at Chap who talked to one of the doctors, hoping at least to hear some good news.

“Follow me,” gestured Chap, walking away.

Ray walked alongside Chap to his laboratory. He was ordered to take a seat while Chap went over to his desk where he took off his coat and dragged another stool towards Ray, the screeching sounds nearly shattered his ears.

“Look straight at me,” said Chap with a serious tone, “Did he tell you something?”

Ray swallowed as he searched his mind for answers. He honestly didn’t know what to say. He told Chap about Sion’s passing and Oxford’s past, figuring it would be those until Chap gave a doubtful look.

“And?” he asked.

Ray hesitatingly lifted his shoulders. But the looks of Chap’s eyes, he could tell he wasn’t free yet. Especially when he squinted and tapped his fingers on Oxford’s tablet.

“Alright... well... since your guardian is... recovering, you are required to return to your cell until further notice,” Chap stood up.

Ray’s eyes frowned and his body slouched. He nodded softly. It felt like he was carrying the burden of Oxford’s health. He was confident Fier had the same feeling. He hoped Fier would be alright for a very long time.

Chap walked Ray back to his cell, returning to the dreadful sight of boring, echoey halls. He kept his gaze down, remembering the time when Oxford opened up to him. Chap opened the steel door to Ray’s quarter. He looked at Ray when he passed by and stopped.

Ray turned around to Chap and asked

“Is it really true?”

Chap scanned both ends of the hall before staring at Ray.

“What did he tell you?” he repeated, showing signs that this would be the last.

“He told me everything,” Ray moved to the square sofa.

Chap was surprised by hearing these things from a test subject. He knew Oxford was a secretive, mysterious person, but he must’ve seen something in Ray to open up all of the sudden. Chap listened intently as Ray, from his memory, told everything he did with Oxford from the moment they left the facility. Chap followed along by reading the notes written by Oxford in Ray’s document, making sure what comes out of Ray’s mouth was similar to the ones written.

An hour later, he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket when Ray was about to mention the part where Oxford told Sion’s claim between him and the staff.

Chap raised his hand straight, stopping Ray.

“I have some things to take care of. We’ll resume this conversation when I get back. In the meantime, here. Read this,” Chap stepped closer and handed the tablet to Ray before leaving.

Ray slid his fingers across the glossy, glass surface. Reading every detail they wrote about him, most of it was written by Oxford. He laid himself painfully flat on the sofa, noticing the sudden transition of Oxford’s style of writing from the first moment they met, which was simple and straightforward, to the moment where he caught him donating clothes to Fier, which had become longer and detailed. He even wrote his opinions about it.

A tiny smile formed on his face when he found out that Oxford was glad to have him as his test subject.

He hastily returned to sitting position when he heard footsteps getting closer to the metal door. He could tell it wasn’t Chap due to how heavy it sounded. It must be the guards. Did he do something wrong? Broke a rule? Suddenly the moment he witnessed a girl being beaten up flashed back to his eyes.

The lock clicked and the door swung open. He was right. It wasn’t Chap. It was someone else. A robot. A guard to be specific.

“You are needed by the management,” the deep, raspy voice of the guard sent energy down Ray’s spine.

His knees became weak when he got up and trailed behind the guard. He left the tablet on the sofa. The guard was two feet taller, the tallest robot he had ever seen so far. He could imagine Fier standing next to it being small, like a kid.

Keeping his mouth shut, they went into the elevator and rode up without the guard speaking. He didn’t know which floor they arrived at, there wasn’t anything displayed in this particular elevator.

As he thought about it, he didn’t notice that the robot had turned around for some apparent reason. He hesitated to copy him until he heard the ding. He expected the side he was facing on to open but the reflection told him otherwise.

Another door opened behind him where the guard was facing. Ray quickly caught up to the robot as he glanced around the new area. They arrived at what resembled to be a lobby, a wide front desk, and some sofas placed throughout. Behind the front desk was a silver robot typing.

Passing the lobby, they moved to the hall that was made out of glass, separating them from the immense pressure of the ocean. He smiled a little bit when he saw aquatic animals swimming around. He followed an unknown group of fishes when his eyes landed on the glowing glass dome nearby. The hall led them directly to it.

He really wanted to ask the menacingly-looking guard stomping its way, but he knew it would be better to keep his mouth shut, especially when they turned, arriving at the two large golden doors decorated with frosted patterns.

There were rows of guards stationed before it, all were armed. As if the military swooped down to protect the white house. He eyed their armors, their weapons, and the design of their frames. Sharp and clean. He assumed these were newer models.

He based his thoughts by comparing them to Fier’s design.

The guard stopped, Ray nearly bumped to it, when sounds of heavy thuds and clunks boomed through the fragile corridor. The doors hissed as they began to open. Ray could hear the individual teeth of the gears turning somewhere nearby.

Ray was dumbstruck when he walked into the dome, seeing the 360-degree view of the ocean around them. Golden finishes decorated the floor, together with rows of podiums on either side that shaped along the curvature, pointing at the largest podium in the middle.

Ray’s shadow stretched towards it, just hitting the base when he was told to stop. He looked around, seeing no one except them. It was eerily quiet as well.

Even though he was in the middle of the glass dome, under the weight of the ocean, and surrounded by artificial bodies that could outpower him, he remained in his somewhat calmed state. He straightened his back while awaiting something to happen.

He remained standing in the middle of the floor. He was staring intensely at the podium before him, it was too large to exist.

Are there giants here? Ray thought.

“So, this is him?”

Ray’s eyes jumped all over the place, searching for the source of the voice. He found someone walking towards behind him with a glass of wine. His appearance looks similar. Was he the robot in the image was scattered around the facility?

A robot. A shiny one. His body was literally made out of gold. He was taller than the one next to him. He wore a gold cape that glided on the floor. He held a gold cane in his left hand. Ray gulped when the robot stopped a few feet away, examining him like some sort of a product.

“You must be Oxford’s test subject, correct?”

Ray nodded nervously.

“Hmm... They weren’t kidding about your appearance...” the robot’s eyes cascaded, landing on the metal anklet. He shot his eyes back to Ray’s, “How’s the outside world?”

“I-It was... fine,” Ray managed to speak.

“Of course...“, the robot paused, swirling his glass around, “Ah! Forgive me,” he inched closer to Ray, extending his hand out, “My name is Cal, the head management of this facility.”

Ray shook his hand, feeling the cold and grippy surface. He tried pulling it back, but the robot protested; he was even pulled closer, inches away from his face. His heartbeat quickened.

“I’ll take care of it, Ray,” stated Cal, the guard left the two alone.

Ray’s hand underneath the robot’s was receiving some sort of pressure. He tried to remain calm but the longer he kept his eyes on the robot, the more powerful his urge to snatch his hand back and run away.

“I heard about your Guardian’s current state of health, I honestly feel sorry for you,” said the robot.

Ray was about to say his thanks when Cal interrupted.

“Now. Do you want to be labeled as safe?” Cal asked with his head slightly tilted.

Ray gently jerked his head, his eyes narrowed, trying to pin what the robot was saying.

Cal explained that test subjects, after under numerous tests and observations, could either be labeled as safe or dangerous only by their respective guardians or anyone above. Being labeled safe means they could gain their freedom and live the rest of their life as they wanted, or labeled as dangerous which means they would be killed--either on the spot or scheduled execution.

With that said, Ray nodded to Cal’s question earlier.

“Of course you would... Since I am the head management of this place, I have the authority to conclude our research regarding you,” the robot began.

A smile started to grow on Ray’s face, he was excited to rush back to the penthouse, but it vanished in just a snap.

“Only if you tell me what Oxford has been hiding,” Cal smirked.

Ray’s heart stopped. He thought critically about it. If Cal didn’t introduce himself, he would’ve told him everything about it now. He stuttered. His breathing deepened, remembering Oxford’s defense of being secretive. His reason to hate the facility and its management.

Cal finally set his hand free, but that was only the hand.

“What would it be, Ray?”

Chap just got back from his session with his other colleagues in the laboratory. He was heading back to Ray’s cell when he got a call from the infirmary. He stopped in his tracks, making sure he wouldn’t mishear anything. When he hung up, he snapped his fingers while saying:

“I fucking knew it!”

He was already on his way to Ray’s cell when he met a pair of guards from the management. He passed them like it was nothing until his mind clicked. His feet stopped. He swiftly turned around just as the guards turned to the elevators. He blinked many times, even pinched himself.

Why are they here? Chap thought.

He resumed his walk when he found the cell door wide open. At first, he thought Ray escaped, but he was just sitting on the sofa. Looking oddly concerned. Ray was rubbing his forearms. Even though Chap stepped in, Ray didn’t dare to look at him. He was staring down at the floor. Like something was there that Chap couldn’t see.

Seconds later, he finally gazed at him.

“S-sorry... I was just...”

“Let me talk first,” Chap interrupted, he sat next to him, placing his hand on his shoulder.

“Oxford has been poisoned!” Chap whispered, “I knew I was right! I can literally tell just at first glance! Someone is targeting us! Sion and Oxford must’ve found something. Whatever you do, DO NOT TALK WITH THE MANAGEMENT.”

Chap stared at Ray’s white irides which were shaking in fear.

“I just did,” he stated.

Chap blinked, glancing at the door.

“I met Cal.”

Chap swallowed before calmly asking what they discussed. Ray explained that Cal would label him safe if he willingly decided to tell what Oxford had been hiding. He didn’t know what he meant, but it did put him under a lot of stress for some reason.

“W-well? Did you?”

Ray’s lips were sucked in. His eyes suddenly watered. He nodded.