Quest to Nowhere

Introduction:
What follows is a short story I was writing based on this idea from a forum I visit on occasion. They posted some drawings, and said write something based on them. Seemed like a neat idea, and figured it would be good practice, so I started working on something. What follows is that, although it is incomplete. It sort of just ends, and I really haven’t gone over editing at all, but wanted to post it anyway.

It’s set in the world of “From 1 to Zombie Apocalypse,” which was a game idea I had (which I used for a couple of classes.) It was a setting I really liked, which I’d like to go back to at some point, so this short story let me sort of dip my toe back in that setting.

Short story:

Ana adjusted the goggles on her forehead as she looked about the locker room. It was all very clean, and futuristic looking. Anything that wasn’t painted white was stainless steel, which made the whole place just feel sterile. Then spotting a mirror that was across the room walked over to it, wanting to see how she looked in her new work clothes.

Looking in the mirror she saw a reflection of herself. Most of her blonde hair was tucked messily under a wool cap, on top of which her goggles were fastened. She flexed at the mirror in various poses deciding that the outfit made her look pretty badass, like she were some sort of special ops soldier or something. Her outfit was covered with all sorts of pockets, and clasps, none of which she knew what it was for or what was in it.

There was a knock at the locker room door as it opened and Rob walked in. He was dressed almost exactly like Ana, but he was covering his eyes with his left hand.

“You decent?” he said stopping just inside the room so the door would shut.

“Yup,” Ana said sounding a little excited, as she quickly returned to a more normal non-flexing pose, “All set to start!”

Rob opened up a slit between his fingers to make sure all was alright before finally taking his hand away from his eyes, “Good, then we should get going. Our boss wants to talk to you before you start.”

Rob motioned for her to follow as he went out the door. Ana hurried to catch up with him, almost skipping with excitement thinking how much better a job this was then making coffee.

***

About 1 week earlier…

Ana wiped her hands on her apron after passing the freshly made cup of coffee to the customer across the counter. The campus coffee place was pretty quiet on Sundays, and today was no different. There were a few regulars who usually just came in to work on their laptops, and occasionally buy something to drink (usually only when they had to to keep their wireless internet connection.)

“Ana Svendova?” she heard someone ask.

Turning to where she heard the voice she saw a brown haired guy, who she judged to probably be a few years older then herself.

“Yes, that’s me,” Ana responded.

“I’m Rob Clay, we met at Stacey’s party the other week,” he said holding up his hand to wave slightly.

“Right,” she said starting to remember him, “you’re a graduate student right?”

“Yeah,” he said.

“So what can I get you?” she asked assuming he was there for some coffee.

“Actually I’m here about a possibly job opportunity for you,” he said, “I had heard you were looking for something that pays more.”

“Yeah I am,” she said feeling a thrown off by his unexpected response.

“Can you take a break so we can talk?” he asked motioning to a free table.

“Yeah… one sec,” she said before clearing up her throat.

“Anyone going to need anything?!” she yelled out to the few of customers in the shop, who all indicated in their own way that they were good.

“Sweet” she said before taking off her apron and hopping over the counter in one leap without disturbing anything.

The two of them found at a table a good ways away from the customers to sit at. “How did you hear I was looking for work?”

“Stacey mentioned you were looking for something to help pay your tuition, and I had told her at some point that my job covers my tuition,” Rob said.

“Really?” she said, “That would be perfect! My parents can’t afford to pay my tuition anymore so I need to find something that will cover it for my last year and a half.”

“I had a similar situation, but with the pay for this it more then covers my tuition,” he said.

Rob noticed Ana’s face changing from being excited to looking rather inquisitive, “Wait… so what is this job exactly anyway?”

“Well…” Rob said trying to decide the best phrasing, “I’m not allowed to say exactly what it is, but basically its security. I can’t say much more then that.”

Ana cocked her head to the side, which Rob could tell meant that wasn’t going to be enough information for her.

“I’m sure they’ll tell you more once you meet with them,” Rob said hoping that would be enough, “They looked at your records and want to meet with you as soon as possible.”

“They looked at my records?!” Ana said sounding a bit concerned.

“The job is basically working for the school, so they have access to all the records the school has on you,” he said, “It’s standard for them to take a look at that sort of thing.”

Ana hummed a bit as she rested her chin on her hand as she thought.

“I’m not really sure, it sounds a little too good to be true,” she said working out her thoughts verbally, “but I guess I can’t really be too choosy right now.”

“So should I set up the interview for you?” Rob asked.

“Yeah, sure,” she said sounding a bit reluctant, “I guess if I don’t like what they have to say I can always say no.”

Ana then stood up noticing someone new walking into the cafe and heading towards the counter.

“I gotta get back to work,” she said starting to make her way behind the counter, “could you set up the interview for tomorrow?”

“Sure,” he said as he stood up from the table as well, “I’ll have Stacey give you the details.”

***

The next day…

Ana stood outside the Landa Arts & Sciences building, which was one of the smaller buildings on campus. This was due to Brick City Tech being a school based mostly around technology based fields (ie: engineering, computer science, etc.) so there were not many liberal arts programs of study.

She looked at her phone again to check the email she had gotten that contained the meeting information. She had arrived a little early, not wanting to be running late to the meeting, but it was now 10:18 am, 18 minutes after the time she was told to be there. Then a door to the Landa building opened and Rob appeared out of it.

“You’re late,” she said in a joking tone before Rob could say anything.

“Sorry about that,” Rob said, “Lost track of time.”

Ana followed Rob into the building, and down a flight of stairs into the first level basement. Which was home to some classrooms but mostly was offices for the Arts & Sciences faculty. He followed him to the eventual end of the hallway which dead ended at some offices and an elevator. Rob pushed the button and the doors opened immediately. Inside the elevator it appeared as if it had been been built in the 70′s, and hadn’t been cleaned since then either.

Rob went to the panel of buttons, and rather then pressing any of them he slid a key into the emergency stop keyhole, and then turned the key. The doors quickly shut, and then the elevator suddenly began moving down.

“I always thought it was weird that this building had an elevator,” Ana noted, “Since it only has three floors.”

“Well that just makes it so it’s less likely to be in use when we need it,” he said.

Ana nodded, seeing as that made sense. “So who are ‘we’ exactly? Or am I going to have to wait for the elevator to reach where we are going?”

Rob looked at her, “You’ll have to wait. You’ll probably have to sign a non-disclosure agreement first.”

“Fun,” she said in a way that Rob couldn’t tell if she was being sarcastic or if she was excited about it.

They stood in an awkward silence for a few moments before the elevator stopped moving, and the doors slide open. The room it opened into was completely white. It was narrow at the end they were on (only as wide as the opening of the elevator,) but then progressively widened making the room sort of triangle shaped.

At the other end of the room was a large reception desk (also white,) that was maybe 200 feet from the elevator. Ana could see someone sitting at the desk, but could not get a clear look at them as they ducked back and forth between various monitors on the reception desk. Rob motioned for Ana to follow him out of the elevator, and she walked with him up to the desk.

As they approached the desk the figure finally stopped, and looked up at them. The receptionist short brownish red hair, and as best Ana could judge was likely in her 30′s. She also noticed that while she wore glasses there wasn’t actually any glass in them.

“Hello Robert,” the receptionist said with a smile, “I assume that this is the new recruit. Alex is waiting for you in the security office.”

“Thanks Rose,” Rob said before turning slightly toward Ana. “Ana this is Rose, Rose this is Ana.”

“Nice to met you,” Ana said with a little wave.

“Like wise,” Rose said with a nod.