The Disparate One

Chapter 11

Oxford spun around his seat with his feet when he heard his phone vibrate and rang on his desk. He braked and looked over with heartbroken eyes. Chap's number reminded him of where he was and what he was.

Oxford shook himself awake while fixing his appearance. He grabbed the towel and dried his hair before answering the call, putting him on speaker as usual. Chap's voice echoed through the office.

"Where were you? I was looking for you just an hour ago."

Oxford rubbed his face with the semi-wet towel before placing it by the side of the desk.

"I left the facility to do something," he replied calmly.

"Well... anyways... put me in a hologram. I need to show you something," requested Chap who was in his laboratory, standing near a giant flat screen with some images he captured from his microscope while conducting some experiments.

Oxford did as he requested, sliding his phone towards another device that produced a hologram nearby. Chap had the same device in his office, as well as everyone in the facility. Chap first appeared with a color blue, then the rest of the colors followed, completing his image of Chap standing next to the screen.

In Chap's office, Oxford appeared sitting on his desk, next to Chap's. Once they reached full clarity, Chap began pointing and explaining his two discoveries. The first was, Ray was indeed full, or probably made out of microbots. Chap still needed more samples from the test subject, different this time. His second discovery was that each microbot was made out of the same unknown material and had something engraved.

Oxford leaned towards Chap's hologram who presented an image from one of his microscopes which had a "DPSN" etched onto one microbot. Chap then presented another image, the same, but with more microbots, all of which hosted the same four-letter word.

"So... we didn't make him?" Oxford slightly jerked his head.

Chap still showed an unsure look when their phone rang in harmony. The rest of Oxford's colleagues were calling. What a coincidence, Oxford was thinking of calling the others as well, hoping he could get something from them.

Tria's hologram appeared, showcasing her magnificent black gown and her hypnotic smile. Ony was next to show up, he was in his cubicle, wearing his manufacturing uniform with a soda in his hand. He had his hard hat on, just in case. Then Sion, who insisted on not being put in a hologram. For the first time.

Oxford let Chap do all the explaining to the others so that they know what they would discuss next. The three intently listened. Oxford's attention, on the other hand, wandered about Soothsayer. He thought about the odd, simple prophecy. "If you don't stop, then you'll eventually get what you finally desire."

What do I desire? asked Oxford himself, keeping his eyes on the holograms to pretend he was listening.

Freedom was the first that came to his mind. For his entire life, he had never had a single day that didn't involve his job. Unlike the people who lived on the surface, they had their own lives to live. This must be the cost of being a member of this organization. Vengeance came second.

"...earth to Oxford," Chap's voice burrowed through Oxford's thoughts.

Oxford blinked several times when he found all his colleagues staring at him with a questioning look.

"Can I just say? I have never seen you this stressed in my entire life," Chap commented, stepping away from Oxford's desk. "W-well... I admit... even I have never seen myself this interested in my entire life..." he added.

"Any thoughts?" asked Tria with a concerned look.

Oxford wasn't looking back at their eyes. He was still separating himself from his thoughts and his moment with Soothsayer. Now, he worried about whose blood the prophecy was thirsty for. Oxford shamefully shook his head No to his friends. All 47 test subjects he had had never made it this far, let alone caused some issues to a few of them.