“Excellent. Welcome to Neurovance, Milo. I’m sure you’ll fit right in.”
The N-car drove slowly down the black asphalt roads that wound through what appeared to be a small city-like campus.
Employees whizzed by on Neurovance-branded hoverboards and scooters, looking curiously at the N-car as we made our way deeper into campus.
“Neurovance is divided into four neighborhoods,” Sebastian explained as we drove. “There’s NeuroComms, which is where I head up all our communications and marketing efforts, and there’s NeurWell, which is now your main area of responsibility. That’s where all the memory therapy research is conducted. Then there’s The Cortex and NLQ, which stands for Neurovance Living Quarters.”
“The living quarters?” I asked, staring out the window curiously and taking in the lush green manicured lawns that stood out in contrast to the sleek white modern buildings that lined the pitch-black roads.
“Yes. A few years ago, we all lived in NLQ regardless of rank, but my father recently decided that C-level employees will live in the Cortex, in the same building he does. We’ll get you set up in a condo close to me so I’m nearby if you needanything.”
“Oh-oh-kay,” I stuttered, feeling my face flush at the thought of living anywherecloseto the golden-haired god of a man that was lounging next to me with so much confidence and ease.
Sebastian grinned at me as we passed a massive contemporary art piece that doubled as a fountain. I stared up at it as we slowly rolled by, amazed by the moving chrome sculpture that depicted the human brain. Water flowed over the smooth, fleshy ripples as the brain morphed and rearranged before us like a Rubik’s Cube, showing how all the different pieces of the human psyche could be rearranged and moulded to fit a new purpose.
A man dressed in business casual attire stood next to the fountain, speaking animatedly to a group of similarly dressed people who listened raptly.
“Orientation,” Sebastian explained when I glanced back at him quizzically. “Normally, new hires go through group orientation. They meet at that sculpture before getting an MTR demonstration and being assigned housing. But my father—I’m sure you’ve heard of him—Luke Stevens? He’s too eager for you to get started. He said since you won’t be living in NLQ anyway, orientation can wait. He would prefer it if, for the time being, you went directly from your condo to NeuroWell… at least until the project is back on track.”
“Yeah, I mean, I don’t see why that would be a problem…” I trailed off, feeling like I was missing something.
“Great!” Sebastian said easily, sliding out of the car and jerking his head to me, indicating I should follow him.
Why didn’t they want me to wander campus?
Why was it such a rush to get started on this project?
The Forgotten’s words floated across my mind as the car pulled up to a shiny, sleek building with a sign that read‘NeuroWell’.
“Once you’re situated, Sebastian will get you set up in a lab that C-level Neurovance employees refer to as ‘The Cave.’ That’s where they’ll have you begin work on what they’re calling the NeuroManipulator 1.5. You are not to make any progress on that device. I don’t give a shit what bullshit story you need to feed management, but do not finish that project.”
Sebastian’s attempt to seem relaxed about my getting started was at odds with the fact that they didn’t even want me to go through proper orientation before starting this job.
He’d made me sign the employee contract in the car, for cripes’ sake.
Despite my extremely low sense of self-worth, Ididknow I was smart. Sometimes too smart for my own good, and right now my mind was whirling a mile a minute, trying to put together the pieces of some dangerous puzzle I had no interest in actually solving.
None of this was any of my business. I just wanted my mother back.
I would get into that cave place, stick the little device in the main stack as instructed to appease my mother’s kidnapper.
Then, I would put my head down and work on the NeuroManipulator to appease Sebastian. Doing what both of those powerful men wanted seemed like the easiest way to stay alive and out of trouble…
But still.
I couldn’t help but ask.
“So… I’m sorry… I don’t mean to be difficult, but… am I… am I expected to startimmediately? I could really use a shower and maybe some rest. I’ve been up since that man… since that manmurderedMelanie. Everything is moving a bit quickly here…” My throat grew tight again at the thought of the violent way my friend had been killed directly in front of me.
I hadn’t even had a chance to properly process her death.
Sebastian froze before the pristine glass sliding doors that led into the bright-white high-rise towering before us.
Was it weird that he didn’t seem more upset that his COO had been shot—execution style—mere hours prior? Was that a red flag?
I may be tired, but I wasn’tthattired. Yes. Yes, it was a red flag.
What the hell was going on here?
