The Disparate One

“S-sir… I honestly don’t know what you are talking about,” said Ray, keeping his eyes locked on Cal’s.

Cal stood tall and remained that way as he pressed on. He looked at Ray as if he could see right through him.

“Don’t lie to me, Ray. I know someone’s a liar when I see one. It always takes one to know one,” said the robot, now circling with his hands behind his back, keeping the wine steady.

Ray spoke about Oxford telling him about the facility such as its history and rules. The rules which he realized he might have already broken dozens of times in front of the head management. He tried covering it up with a blanket of praises to the size and design of the facility and Cal’s leadership. But it flew over the robot’s head.

“Let’s take a walk, shall we?” Cal invited when he let go of his cane and placed his hand over Ray’s shoulder. The cane floated and followed when Cal calmly pushed Ray out of the dome.

Ray remained vigilant when they walked past the guards who only nodded at the gold robot’s appearance. The silver robot joined them in their walk upon arriving back at the lobby. The atmosphere inside the elevator was somewhat suffocating. They went to the Manufacturing Section of the facility where, as usual, everyone was covered with sweat.

Though, unlike his first visit with Oxford, they ended up in a different type of pathway which he saw at the very top long ago, it oversaw the entire endless sight. The glass in front of him separated the boiling air from the outside and the freezing temps wrapping around him. Cal’s figure appeared as a reflection, standing behind him. The silver robot behind Cal.

“You see, as the head management, my job is to protect these people. Not just ‘these people’ but also the people above us,” Cal began.

“Chaos will erupt from all over the world if someone from above discovered this place and the secrets it holds. Imagine fighting over which was real and not. Imagine two civilizations with different ideologies on the course of destroying each other. However, even though I am confident we would win due to technical advantages, the number of lives that’ll be lost cannot be ignored,” Cal stepped forward and glanced at Ray.

“Do you want blood in our hands?”

Ray didn’t answer. He glued his eyes on the helmets moving around like ants. Labored to build advanced technologies only for what?

“I guess you’re more humane than I’ve thought,” commented Cal, moving his gaze away.

“Then I hope you now understand why I’m asking about Oxford. There are certain rules that everyone must play by,” he added, “Hopefully you’re smart enough to make a wise decision.”

Ray stood silently still in front of him. He thought about the moments he had with Oxford. His family. Fier. Everything he had built outside of the facility. Oxford acted like a robot on their first meeting, but as time went on, like Fier, he became more human. He recalled what Oxford wrote on his document.

He simply didn’t want to put anyone’s life at risk, despite Oxford already in jeopardy.

“Don’t worry Oxford, I promise no harm will touch anyone”, Ray’s own voice echoed in his mind.

Ray remained silent, hoping he would be sent back to his cell instead. Cal huffed with disappointment, shaking his head at him.

“You leave me no choice but to make an offer,” murmured the robot, grabbing and pushing him back to the elevator.

They traveled to the infirmary where Ray could see a hazy memory of Oxford bring rushed through the hall. They silently walked through the bright corridors. Nurses, doctors, and other employees made way for the gold robot. They stopped at a particular wooden door which had a window next to it. Ray’s heart stopped as soon as he saw Oxford’s name on the door.

Cal positioned him in the middle of the window. Ray’s shadow stretched through the dark room where Oxford laid peacefully on the bed. A heart monitor beeped next to it. Ray was relieved to see his Guardian still in good condition.

A doctor walked behind them. Cal asked about Oxford’s current state of health. Ray stared at the gloomy room when his ears picked up the word “critical”. He gulped. His heart dropped. He thought bringing him here would save him. Chap’s willingness to rush Oxford back to the facility gave him hope. He even left Fier just for his life.

There was a minute of silence between the two. Unlike Ray, Cal showed no emotions despite witnessing the slow death of Oxford. Cal figured that indulging Ray into this scene would make him pick the right choice.

“This is my offer,” Cal spoke. Ray didn’t look at him.

“You either tell me what he’s hiding or get an invitation from his funeral. And yours. As if someone would visit yours,” stated Cal.

Ray’s hand turned to fists. He should’ve disobeyed Oxford and brought him to a hospital instead, or anywhere else but this facility. And he was absolutely sure someone would attend his funeral! He gritted his teeth when he took deep breaths, eyes closed.

“Will you save him?”

Cal raised an ear for a second. Finally, He got through him.

“Only if you tell me,” he said nonchalantly.

“Y-you promise that you won’t hurt anyone who knows Oxford?”

Cal showed an evil, growing smirk. He nodded. Ray sighed and courageously looked at the robot.

“He told me everything about his past,” he began, trying to keep a calm face while Cal showed a dominating satisfaction.

They stayed in the infirmary as Ray continued to talk. They gradually moved away from Oxford’s room when he started to have a feeling that he was being watched by Oxford’s furious consciousness. His voice became brittle when he got to the part where Oxford cried.

Minutes later, they were in one of the lobbies when Cal finally had the information he needed on his hands.

“Thank you for your cooperation, now if you excuse me, I have no choice but to deal with ‘those people’,” said Cal, walking away.

Ray took a moment to process what he meant. Oxford’s colleagues, his family, and Fier flashed before his eyes. He ran up to him from behind, stopping the robot in his tracks.

“You promised! P-please! You’ve got what you wanted, please don’t hurt him, or anyone!” Ray begged, “Save him!”

Cal crossed his arms and gave a menacing look as he leaned down to his height.

“Sorry, but everything he did was completely against our rules. I’ve already let his actions slide many times in the past. Enough’s enough,” said Cal, pushing Ray away.

Ray’s heart quickened when he imagined the guards beating Oxford’s friends and family. The amount of sudden stress, guilt, and betrayal pressured him to say something to deter Cal’s harm, or at least change his mind.

“N-no… please…” he uttered, “I’ll do anything!”

Cal stopped as the silver robot called for the elevator. He kept his back facing the test subject despite the sudden proposal. He gazed over his shoulder to Ray.

“How heroic of you. But as I’ve said, rules are rules,” Cal’s cape swayed, “You are no longer needed. The guards will walk you back to your cell.”

Ray begged once more. His voice echoed through the halls, causing a lot of attention to everyone around them. This unruly action irritated Cal. The robot stomped over to Ray. Everyone, even the silver robot, squinted at what they guessed would happen next.

“What made you so protective about this particular person? He is just an ordinary man.”

“Oxford is not just an ‘ordinary man’,” Ray declared, “He is a man with a heart! Something you don’t have!”

Everyone was preparing to hide behind the desk and into the rooms. Few rushed past them, hoping to not get involved. Despite the elevator arriving, the silver robot stayed and stared with wide eyes.

Literally, everyone was shocked to hear those words from a test subject. It was even astonishing for someone for the first time to shout at Cal. Everyone stood in utter silence. Their interaction quickly spread throughout the facility like a virus.

Cal on the other hand was fighting his urge to slap the life out Ray in front of everyone, to teach him a lesson. But he had something worse in mind. Something which he planned ever since he remembered Micro.

“Anything that I want?” Cal tilted his head. Ray bravely nodded.

“What did he tell you?” Chap asked as he leaned against the wall. He had been listening to Ray’s encounter with the head management. Even he himself refused to believe that Ray shouted at Cal.

Chap had been here longer than Ray, and yet he still hadn’t interacted with any members of the management. He was somehow slightly jealous of it. Of course, scared as well now that he found out they were abusing their power in the middle of a person’s suffering.

Ray quietly rubbed his knuckles. Chap repeated the question, making sure this time it would land on his head. Ray jerked up, looking at him, eyes shaking. Chap’s body tensed up.

“He said he would save Oxford only if I choose to work for him.”

Chap frowned and looked away in disgust. Not only because of Ray but also because of how the management had been treating them these decades. He returned his gaze to Ray, the test subject who began to cause a lot of trouble and the only test subject to do so.

“I guess you’re one of us now, huh?” he said when heavy footsteps emerged.

Both of them straightened their backs as soon as they knew those familiar sounds and soon enough, they were correct. Cal’s body shimmered in the quarter like a disco ball, nearly blinding the two. A pair of guards followed behind him, one of them carrying a familiar briefcase.

Ray and Chap remained silent when Cal gestured his head to one of his guards. The guard with the briefcase walked over to Ray, kneeled, and calmly removed the metal anklet. Ray felt lighter. He rubbed his right ankle when Cal spoke.

“You’re a free man now, Ray.”

The guard returned to his post with the briefcase when Cal invited Ray to join him for a quick tour of the facility from a different perspective. But before that, he turned to Chap.

“I suggest you go back to your designated area,” he said.

Chap glanced at Ray before hesitantly nodding. He walked out of the room nonchalantly without saying a word. Ray had his head down. He didn’t know what he should feel now that he sold himself to Cal. He couldn’t believe he would be experiencing what it was like to be them.

The shiny robot gestured to Ray. He followed and when they walked out of the cell, he noticed that Chap had already disappeared. He scanned both directions, scratching the back of his head. He didn’t know Chap was a fast walker. It could also explain how he quickly got to the penthouse in a short time.

Ray felt like he was being treated like a VIP. The guards were in sort of a formation, protecting the two assets. After a short ride in the elevator, they arrived at an oddly familiar endless hall. It now felt like he just went back in time. He gazed at the labels on each door as they moved through the empty hall. Eventually, they stopped at one.

B14. It had Ray’s name below it. The only door to have one.

“Your office,” stated Cal when the door slid open.

There was only a wide glass desk, some armchairs, and empty shelves on either side. On the desk was Ray’s nameplate. Ray felt uncomfortable entering the room which he knew belonged to Oxford. Where were his belongings? He could still picture the folders overflowing the shelves where he got his name.

Despite all these thoughts, he remained neutral in front of Cal. After some glances, they moved to another new location where Cal gave him his brand new smartphone and wallet packed with cash. The phone looked exactly like Oxford’s. During their stroll, Ray was waiting for Cal to give him his black suit. They were in the elevator, heading to another place when he caught Cal slightly leaning away from him as if someone invisible was talking to him.

“I do apologize Ray, but it seems I won’t be able to guide you around this place any further, for now. I still have some duties to take care of,” said Cal. Ray only replied with a nod.

Their elevator suddenly stopped going down and started moving up without saying a word. When their elevator returned to Cal’s domain, he reminded Ray about his own duties and rules to follow. He even assured that if Ray somehow made a mistake, then he would consider it only as his first warning.

Ray quietly watched him leave along with his guards, emptying the space around him for him to finally breathe unconstrained. As soon as the doors closed, he huffed and his body lost posture. He rubbed his face, then combed his hair. He quickly regretted opening his mouth in the first place, but if this was what it would take for Oxford to be saved and to leave his friends and family unharmed, then fine by him. He would get used to these in no time. Hopefully.

He noticed the elevator’s lack of movement. At first, he thought he was stuck. Or Cal decided to trap him here. There were no buttons to press. It was only then when he stepped back, he remembered Oxford speaking to the elevator.

“M-my office? Ray awkwardly smiled at his reflection when the elevator jolted.

Odd how his voice was quickly recognized by the elevator even though it had only been less than an hour since he became a member. He figured they must work that fast for seamless integration.

He returned to his private room where he sat behind his empty desk. His fingers tapped on the glass surface as he whistled. He stared blankly. Still thinking if this was indeed Oxford’s office. If so, where and what did they do to his belongings? His mind continued to think about Oxford until he remembered about his health.

Upon stepping out of the elevator to the infirmary, he felt his chest tightened and his breathing shortened when he stumbled past some guards. He shook his head when they got far enough from him. He had forgotten that he was no longer a test subject. Or was he? What if this was one of their tests? What if Cal was his new Guardian?

The infirmary had gotten a lot less crowded since the last time he remembered it. Maybe most of them were having their lunch break. Oxford’s room was unfortunately locked, but gladly he could still see through the window where he whispered to his Guardian.

“You’ll have your own life, Oxford. Trust me.”

Since he barely knew the entire facility, he decided to visit Chap, hopefully, he would explain what they do for a living. When he walked out of the lift, he found the entire Laboratory Section deserted. The glass walls of each laboratory showed no living life moving around. Somehow this place became a ghost town. Lunchtime as well perhaps?

He still came to Chap’s laboratory where he found everything still in its places. Nothing unusual. He placed himself on one of the stools nearby and looked through one of the odd microscopes and other machines while he waited for Chap’s return.

He distracted himself with the sight of tiny robots ripping a cell apart like paper. It was strange but fascinating at the same time. He moved on to other machines, finding one particular that had the capability to define which liquid was in its cylinder.

Half an hour later, Ray was moving around the lab when he brought out his phone and checked his contacts. He was surprised to see everyone’s name on his palm, even Cal himself. He scrolled down through the unknown names until his eyes met Ony’s. He tapped and raised his phone to his ear. It rang for the first few seconds until a recorded message took over.

Ray sighed when he contacted Tria’s number, same result. He contacted Chap’s number, he found his phone vibrating in one of the drawers near his desk.

He started to feel anxious. Was there an event that he wasn’t aware of? He left the three a message, hoping they would reply soon if they got back from wherever they were. But, just to be sure, he decided to look for both Ony and Tria.

He first headed to the Manufacturing Section where he expected to see a lot of people the first time he visited. Walking into the locker room, he grabbed himself the same-looking ear protection and turned the dial. Every channel was blank. He refused to believe that he was alone in this facility even though he stood before Ony’s empty cubicle. Strangely, all the cubicles he passed were abandoned. He threw the ear protection away as he moved to the Entertainment Section.

He breathed heavily when the elevator dinged. He made a checklist in his mind when he closed his eyes and stepped out. His nose picked up the familiar scent of alcohol and drugs in the air. Check. His skin felt the humid air. Check. His ears picked up… silence.

He opened his eyes and there, in the middle of the area where he suspected it to be crowded, he found no one. No flashing lights. No banging music. Just him breathing.

He stepped back into the elevator as he thought about their sudden disappearance. As if him finding Chap’s phone unattended wasn’t mysterious already. He tapped his feet as he searched his mind for someone who knew Oxford, even extending beyond the facility.

He snapped his fingers.

“Aha!”

Ray arrived at the terminal, which he expected to be desolated as well, which was later proven to be true, and boarded one of the locomotives waiting which was strangely still in operation. The entire length of the train was, of course, empty. The train departed on time as usual. Ray was in a private space, reading what was on the menu. He waited for someone to come until he recalled that he was the only one here.

He arrived at the other end of the line. He ignored the emptiness of the station where his train parked and headed straight to the elevator. Seconds later, his ears started to pick up noises. Finally! He pushed the metal door away and was delighted to see different faces walking around the Grand Central Terminal.

At first, he thought literally everyone in the world disappeared. Though, it still worried him now that he knew everyone in the facility vanished. He continued to strongly believe that this was a part of their tests.

The same polluted air and the warm sunlight greeted him when he walked out of the building. He missed this city. He gazed at the flashing lights strapped on top of the vehicles zooming through the traffic with their roaring engine and deafening sirens. He found them heading straight to the pillar of black smoke in the distance.

He decided to get back to the penthouse by foot after assuming he didn’t have a chauffeur waiting for him. He grabbed a burger from a nearby stand and munched on it while waiting for his mango-flavored, cold beverage. As he waited, he thought about what he would say to Fier.

A few more blocks later, he looked up when tiny ashes began to snow down. The smell of his burger was overpowered by the scent of flames. People nearby began running down the street. His eyes furrowed at their behavior while he remained in his calm state. Though, it gradually started to fade away when he got closer to the smoke ruining the blue sky.

Approaching the final block, more sirens and flashing lights bounced off from the buildings. His munching slowed to a halt when he turned the corner. His eyes widened, baffled by the sight of the building in blaze. Thick jets of water plagued the area. He could feel the warmth just dozens of meters away.

Through the blaring noises, he could hear people crying and shouting in agony. Paramedics ran around with their first aid kits and stretchers. Police surrounded the place with their barriers.

Ray stood still, his body stiffened as a rock. his half-eaten burger rolled off from his grasp and shattered into pieces on the ground followed by his drink. He couldn’t believe what he was witnessing. He just couldn’t believe it!

He couldn’t accept the reality flashing before his very eyes that the building where the penthouse was was burning.