“Well, I just knew the flight would be cancelled,” said Leonov, as if expressing my own thoughts. “Terrorists blew up the ship, right?”
“It’s not what you think,” our guide informed.
“Then what?” Finn asked.
“Listen,” Sheila replied, “you'll find out soon enough, but not from me. So for now, just follow me.”
She led us down a concrete corridor lit with halogen lamps or something of the sort. Two separate lines of bundled wires – electrical and optical cables— were laid along the wall. A metal staircase led us to a lower floor. I noticed that the doors were sealed with massive airtight gates coming out of the walls.
The lower floor featured an identical corridor, although this one had doors along the right wall. These were compartments, rooms. However, they rather reminded me of prison cells. Dr. Hill showed each of us to our own room.
“Have a rest, I'll come for you in two hours.”
The tall beefy blond with the gun stationed himself in the corridor, further supporting my associations with prison. Sheila caught my eye.
“That's Werner. Should you need anything, just ask him.”
I nodded, although Werner seemed useful for only two purposes: moving something heavy or sending someone to a better world.
Having entered my compartment, I kicked off my shoes and dropped to the bed. I didn't feel well after the conservation. There was nothing special about the room: a bed, a table, two chairs, a shower and a toilet. According to my estimates, the room measured roughly ten square feet.
Well, it seems that our mission failed for some reason. Now we are probably at a military base. Though, it doesn’t really look like a boot camp. I wonder if the flight has been postponed or completely canceled. What happened? Julia will be happy, I thought, recalling my girlfriend's face. Although I made it clear to her that my goal was to fly.
On my last visit to Washington, we met at a café on Massachusetts Avenue. I had to get my paperwork done, and she already knew I was leaving. I couldn't even stay the night with her, as my orders required getting back to Houston in the evening. She shed some tears. It was our last date.
“Max, why won't you change your mind? My parents are willing to give us their second house. With your outstanding education, you can find a job anywhere. You know, you could work as my father's deputy.”