what had really happened. “Thank you gentlemen.
You can be on your way.” Behind him, he could already sense the other man
leaving, and he knew it would only arouse suspicion if he did not walk away
with the same level of annoyance that he had so perfectly demonstrated as this
situation began. Swiping a final palm stroke down his sharp black suit and
straightening his tie he turned to walk away. He caught a final look at the
eyes of the boy, whose age he had probably overestimated as he saw him now in
daylight and without the hood or headphones. He felt the same guilt as only
moments before rising up. The kid’s venial face pleaded with him for help, for
him to tell the truth, but instead Ben bowed his head and turned to walk away.
Feeling
repentant, Ben walked towards the entrance and out into the daylight. He
needed to breathe. He could hear the boy’s feeble protest as he left the
station, and it wrenched at his otherwise empty gut. He absolved his
responsibility by reminding himself of the utmost importance of his attendance
at work today, and the impact that his work would have for all mankind. He
wondered if his thoughts were self indulgent, but after very little
consideration concluded them to be reasonable in the grand scheme of the day,
and certainly easier to deal with than guilt.
As he
stepped onto the pavement he noticed that there was less wind here in the
centre of the city, the gusts kept at bay by the height of the towering skyline
and he was grateful for the respite. The road was heaving with cars and buses
and he could no more see his office from here than he would have been heard
across the street if he had shouted as loud as he could. He dodged the
oncoming traffic as it glided past him. It would take days of early summer
sunshine to dry out the roads after last night’s storm, and he skipped past the
puddles, anxious not to ruin another pair of expensive leather soled shoes. He
didn’t want to spend the day with wet trouser cuffs again. Bionics
Laboratories was on the first floor above another shop that sold sandwiches and
salads. The first of the lunchtime traffic rush was already appearing, and
there was a queue forming outside the shop door. Ben had eaten from here
hundreds of times over the last four years, and he understood why people would
wait in a queue that snaked outside the shop, wasting precious moments of their
lunchtime just to get one of these sandwiches. It was the best pastrami
mustard combo he had ever tasted, and he didn’t know if it was physical hunger
putting thoughts in his brain, but he was certain that he could taste the
peppered steak slices already.
He
pushed the door that sat to the side of the sandwich shop and that functioned
as the entrance to the laboratory, expecting it to glide open as usual. He was
surprised to be met by resistance. He pushed the door a little harder, and put
his weight behind it. Still nothing. He dug around in his pockets and found
the set of keys that had both his home and office keys attached. He fingered
through the keys, finding the correct one and slid it into the lock. It was
unusual for the door to be locked at this time, and on any other day it would
have given him reasonable cause for anger that he couldn’t get into his own
laboratory with the ease he wanted, but he figured on a day when he was
arriving four hours late, boss or not, any direction of his anger at those
already at work would be unlikely to be well received. The door was heavy, and
with today’s headache it felt doubly difficult, but he shoved the door open
with the weight of his body behind it. Leaving his irritation at the foot of
the stairs, he took the steps one at a time, his head still pounding as he
placed his feet, his eyes still heavy and sleepy. He needed water, and
coffee. Not necessarily in that order. Maybe Ami would offer to make it for
him. Maybe Ami? MaybeAmi. Maybeami. Good
You can be on your way.” Behind him, he could already sense the other man
leaving, and he knew it would only arouse suspicion if he did not walk away
with the same level of annoyance that he had so perfectly demonstrated as this
situation began. Swiping a final palm stroke down his sharp black suit and
straightening his tie he turned to walk away. He caught a final look at the
eyes of the boy, whose age he had probably overestimated as he saw him now in
daylight and without the hood or headphones. He felt the same guilt as only
moments before rising up. The kid’s venial face pleaded with him for help, for
him to tell the truth, but instead Ben bowed his head and turned to walk away.
Feeling
repentant, Ben walked towards the entrance and out into the daylight. He
needed to breathe. He could hear the boy’s feeble protest as he left the
station, and it wrenched at his otherwise empty gut. He absolved his
responsibility by reminding himself of the utmost importance of his attendance
at work today, and the impact that his work would have for all mankind. He
wondered if his thoughts were self indulgent, but after very little
consideration concluded them to be reasonable in the grand scheme of the day,
and certainly easier to deal with than guilt.
As he
stepped onto the pavement he noticed that there was less wind here in the
centre of the city, the gusts kept at bay by the height of the towering skyline
and he was grateful for the respite. The road was heaving with cars and buses
and he could no more see his office from here than he would have been heard
across the street if he had shouted as loud as he could. He dodged the
oncoming traffic as it glided past him. It would take days of early summer
sunshine to dry out the roads after last night’s storm, and he skipped past the
puddles, anxious not to ruin another pair of expensive leather soled shoes. He
didn’t want to spend the day with wet trouser cuffs again. Bionics
Laboratories was on the first floor above another shop that sold sandwiches and
salads. The first of the lunchtime traffic rush was already appearing, and
there was a queue forming outside the shop door. Ben had eaten from here
hundreds of times over the last four years, and he understood why people would
wait in a queue that snaked outside the shop, wasting precious moments of their
lunchtime just to get one of these sandwiches. It was the best pastrami
mustard combo he had ever tasted, and he didn’t know if it was physical hunger
putting thoughts in his brain, but he was certain that he could taste the
peppered steak slices already.
He
pushed the door that sat to the side of the sandwich shop and that functioned
as the entrance to the laboratory, expecting it to glide open as usual. He was
surprised to be met by resistance. He pushed the door a little harder, and put
his weight behind it. Still nothing. He dug around in his pockets and found
the set of keys that had both his home and office keys attached. He fingered
through the keys, finding the correct one and slid it into the lock. It was
unusual for the door to be locked at this time, and on any other day it would
have given him reasonable cause for anger that he couldn’t get into his own
laboratory with the ease he wanted, but he figured on a day when he was
arriving four hours late, boss or not, any direction of his anger at those
already at work would be unlikely to be well received. The door was heavy, and
with today’s headache it felt doubly difficult, but he shoved the door open
with the weight of his body behind it. Leaving his irritation at the foot of
the stairs, he took the steps one at a time, his head still pounding as he
placed his feet, his eyes still heavy and sleepy. He needed water, and
coffee. Not necessarily in that order. Maybe Ami would offer to make it for
him. Maybe Ami? MaybeAmi. Maybeami. Good
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