Outside The Box

Part Two Chapter Eight: Uncertainty

May 22nd, 2090- 18:30 PM.
Joss Coles.

       Ainz and I waited around the corner until we watched my father enter his office. We then burst into his office with the VHS tape in my hand as I waved it in front of his face. He didn't say anything for a moment until he let out a sigh and sat back in his chair.

       "So that's where that went," He said, "I noticed my things were searched through earlier, so I went out to search for the tape once I learned it was missing. Glad it was only you." He gave both of us a glare. "It was only you two, right?"

       Ainz and I glanced at each other, and my father noticed as he sighed again. "Let me guess: Regina, Bex, Jan, and Leah know too?" We nodded. He waved his hand at two chairs in front of his desk. "Have a seat."

       We obeyed and sat in chairs identical to the ones in Regina's office- my father snatching the tape out of my hand as I did so. "Everything you heard on it from Jocelyn is all true: the bunker, The Infected... You," He pointed at me for that last part, "it's all true. The bunker is still there, too- it just needs someone to go reactivate it."

       "Why am I needed then? Couldn't you have done it yourself?" I asked.

       "That's the thing. Due to the radiation from inside the bunker it is impossible to get to the controls without a suit. Even then, whoever designed that hunk of metal did not consider that gloved hands would need to access it, but without the radiation suit, whoever touches anything in that bunker would turn into an Infected," He explained, standing up and slowly walking over to the filing cabinets beside him. "Of course, someone who was already exposed to said radiation would not be affected by it." This time, he looked at him.

       "Wouldn't I turn into an Infected then?" I asked again.

       My father shook his head as he opened a drawer in the cabinet and stored the tape away. "If that were the case, you would have become one the same time your mother did."

       I glared at him. "You mean my mom was one? Since when?"

       He sat back down in his chair. "The day I had to kill her. You had to admit, she was acting strangely. I promised I wouldn't kill her, but I had no other choice."

       I balled my hands into fists, but I didn't broach the subject anymore.

       "I would have done it years ago, but the higher ups wouldn't let me. Once some of them caught wind of what I had been doing in Renfew, some decided to use that as blackmail: that if I went back to Renfrew, they'll not only let the country know that I am a spy, but they'll also kill my entire family. Something to do with ruining all the money from investors during the war."

       "Well, you have nothing to worry about now since I am all you got left." I said with a grumble. I looked over at Ainz, who sat quietly in his chair up until now with his fingernails dug into the arms of his chair.

       "You ordered my family to be assassinated!" He yelled.

       My father brought his attention to Ainz. "I am not proud of that, but if I didn't do it then somebody else would have." He reached into his breast pocket and produced a packet of cigarettes. Since when did he smoke?

       Ainz was left flabbergasted with his mouth hanging open, but he too, didn't say any more about it.

       "You all better get packing since we are all expected at a banquet in Banes Point with the mayor in a few days. We can discuss this matter later now that Regina's squad is wrapped up in all this now." My father told us before standing up with an unlit cigarette between his teeth.