(REWRITING) The Skylar Experiment : Coveting

Chapter Twenty-Five - Freecore Tech

RILEY

I SLEPT THE WHOLE DRIVE through. I must have been more tired than I thought. Luc woke me in an underground parking lot. 

"We're here."

I stretched my arms as far as possible while coming to my senses. "Finally."

I smoothed my hair down and got out of the Rover, legs feeling like Jell-O. The underground parking lot was huge and dimly lit, expanding in a sea of vehicles. Luc gestured to follow him, and we made our way down the alley until we encountered a heavy metal door and a spiral staircase. The higher we went, the more light seeped through until we surfaced to the ground floor.

Two agents guarded the entrance, hands clasped behind their backs and faces hidden by caps. They stood beside a detector in front of revolving doors. I could see workers bustling beyond my viewpoint.

"It's all right," Luc said in my ear. "You go first."

I walked through the detector nervously and emerged on the other side. Luc passed and caught up. I was confronted to an immense plexiglass building with clear floors and doors. Concrete white walls were scarce, giving the place an infinite impression. The first floor was busy and chattery. More security agents roamed the main hall.

"Michael is somewhere in here?" 

Endless corridors stretched across and it was as stunning as it was whirling. Everyone dressed in suits, blouses and pencil skirts. Luc and I appeared like punks in comparison. 

"This is Freecore Tech," Luc told me as if he read my mind. "The head office, more precisely. Everybody you see here outside of HR is an engineer, a programmer, a hacker or a manager of some sorts. Michael works here."

Being inside was like being transported to another world. The structure was squeaky clean without a single fingerprint on the glass or speck of dust in the air. Like the rest of the world, I was distantly aware of this tech giant. I couldn't believe I strolled these grounds. 

"This is nuts..."

"We don't have much time for sightseeing, unfortunately," he said and started to the left. "Another time."

I tailed Luc until he registered at a front desk. The elder woman peered up from her screen and gaped. I had a feeling she wasn't... particular—a simple secretary. 

"Lucas? My, I haven't seen you in a long time!"

He smiled sheepishly. "Hey. I'm here to see Micheal and I called earlier. Is he in his office?"

She reached for the phone under the ledge. She explained to someone on the other line that Luc was here. After hanging up, she smiled at him. 

"He's ready for you and happy to know you're visiting." The woman seized me behind Luc trying to be invisible. "Oh, you brought a friend?"

Luc nodded, angling his body to walk off already. "You could say that. It was nice seeing you, Janice." 

We reached the nearest elevator. My body squeezed between the occupants to stay at Luc's side. I craned my neck to soak in the space, fascinated. The transparent shaft moved up and the people underneath shrank like ants.

"What kind of employee is he?" I asked, engrossed at the void beneath our feet when we exited the elevator. 

Imagine walking through this building drunk or high.