[Host, that was close,] Shelly's voice chimed in his mind, worried
Neville's jaw tightened.
'And whose fault was that?' he shot back internally, rubbing the tense spot between his brows.
Shelly went quiet, sulking in a corner of his consciousness.
He'd deal with her later. Right now, he was barely hanging on.
As the last minutes of his lunch break ticked away, Neville pushed himself up from his chair.
The afternoon sun cast a warm, deceptively calm glow through the large windows of the Maxwell Corporation as Neville settled back at his desk. He felt a presence approach and looked up.
It was Ethan.
He offered a small, easy-going smile and slid a nutrient solution onto Neville's desk.
"You missed the lunch window," he said, his voice low and friendly. "Figured you could make do with this."
Neville eyed the nutrient solution, then at Ethan.
He was wary of kindness on the first day; it usually came with strings attached. But Ethan's expression seemed genuine.
"Thanks," Neville managed, the word feeling rough in his dry throat.
It was the cheap berry-flavored kind, not the one he preferred.
Still, free was free.
He opened the nutrient solution and took a long sip. The cool liquid was a relief.
He had to focus. First day. No more distractions.
As if on cue, a senior employee, followed by two others, approached his desk with files in their arms. "We've got a few urgent schedules that need prepping for the morning brief." The files landed on his desk with a heavy thud.
Neville stared at the mountain of work, a sigh catching in his chest.
So much for a quiet afternoon.
From the corner of his eye, he saw Ethan glance over in sympathy. He then gave a small, encouraging smile. He silently mouthed the word, "Fighting!" before turning back to his own work.
...
Neville looked up and saw Iris rounding the corner. Her arms were also full of files. She was heading straight for him.
She caught his eye and gave a brisk, professional nod. "Mr. Hope."
The files landed on the corner of his desk with a neat thump. "These need to be indexed and cross-referenced by the end of the day."
"How are you settling in?"
"It's going well, thank you," Neville replied, his smile a little tight as he remembered something.
Before Iris could turn to leave, he spoke up. "Actually… I was hoping I could discuss something with you."
Iris stared at him, curious. "What is it?"
Neville took a quiet breath. "I know this is highly unusual, but I was wondering if it would be possible to take some time off tomorrow?"
Iris looked up, her eyebrows raised in surprise. "Time off? On your second day?"
Her tone wasn't angry, just flat and factual, which was somehow more intimidating.
Neville felt something stuck on his throat, his palms sweating as he forced himself to meet her gaze.
"Yes. I... I have just graduated, and the law requires the orphanage to have the children move out after graduation. I also need to secure a place to stay near the office..." His voice trailed off, suddenly worried he was asking for too much.
A long moment of silence stretched between them.
Iris simply stared at him, tapping a single, manicured nail against her light brain. Her gaze was so intense that Neville felt like a specimen under a microscope.
Just as he was about to apologize and retract the request, her expression shifted.
"Orphanage," she murmured, more to herself than to him. She pulled up a holographic screen from her device. "Finding stable housing is a priority. An unfocused employee is an inefficient employee."
She swiped through a few times, fast and efficient. "Maxwell Corporation offers housing assistance for new hires. There's a company dormitory three blocks from here. It's subsidized. I'm forwarding you the application."
Neville was floored. He'd braced himself for a lecture, for a reluctant 'no'. This was a lifeline. "I... I'm at a loss for words. Ms. Ackley, thank you."
Iris just nodded in understanding.
"Don't thank me," she said, her voice still cool but no longer sharp. "Consider it a thank you for doing extra work."
Neville felt a massive weight lifted from his shoulders.
She showed a small, rare smile. "No need to look so nervous. We're not tyrants here."
"Yes, ma'am!" Neville said, and this time, his grin was wide and sincere.
...
Rolling up his sleeves, Neville dug into the pile of files. He quickly fell into a rhythm, his mind sharp, his eyes scanning, and his hands moving on autopilot.
Expense reports, project updates, personnel files—it was fairly routine.
Click.
One glance at the file, and Neville knew it was an unusual file.
No labels. No codes.
Frowning, Neville opened it. Outwardly, he was acting naturally, but inwardly, he was beyond confused.
The screen of his quantum computer was filled with dense diagrams and blocks of technical jargon that were clearly leagues above his pay grade.
He felt a familiar itch of curiosity, the desire to look closely into it.
Just as Neville was about to investigate further, a glowing prompt suddenly filled his vision:
[Favorability: +0.5%.
Suspicion Level: +1%.
Risk Level: Low.
Recommendation: Stop reading the file. Immediately call someone to take it off your hands and call it a day.]
Neville's blood ran cold. He snapped the file's digital view shut, his heart pounding against his ribs as he realized the gravity of the situation.
This wasn't just sensitive; this was dangerous.
His mind quickly rolled around to figure out his next move.
A shadow fell over his desk.
"Making progress, Hope?"
Bryan leaned over his desk, looking at the desktop view of Neville's screen. His expression was unreadable.
Although he was nervous, Neville was someone who survived that black hell hole of learning. One of the requirements was maintaining a professional smile, being unfazed by whatever situation he was in, and effectively solving any situation.
Neville looked up and plastered a smile on his face.
He said, "Yes, sir. Getting the hang of it." Highlighting the files that he has already finished.
"I'm just working through these documents..." Neville said cheerfully, as if trying to show his progress. His voice trailed off as his pointer hovered on the screen.
Then, he paused as if he had just noticed something. He tapped the blank named file next to the one he just finished.
He deliberately widened his eyes, a perfect picture of entry-level confusion and a frown when he glanced at the screen.
"What..." He acted as if he was just reading it for the first time and angled his screen slightly towards Bryan. "...I think this one may have been mixed in by accident."
"The formatting is…" Neville continued, confused. "—weird."
Bryan's friendly expression didn't change, but his eyes sharpened. He leaned in, his gaze sweeping over the closed file's metadata on Neville's screen.
"Open it," Bryan said, his voice casual. Too casual.
Neville complied, his hand steady even though it was slightly wet from sweat.
The complex diagrams reappeared.
Bryan stared at the screen for a solid ten seconds. His friendly demeanor vanished, replaced by a chilling focus. With a few quick taps on his own device, he initiated a secure, encrypted transfer.
The file disappeared from Neville's terminal.
"You were right," Bryan said, his voice low and serious.
"This is not for you." He straightened up, his eyes scanning Neville's face intently. "You didn't read any of it?"
"I just saw the diagrams when you asked me to open it. I think the contents must be above my pay grade," Neville replied, ducking his head in a show of humility. "It didn't have the same format as the others I've handled. If you did not come, I would probably get Ms. Ackley to check on it. It's always better to ask someone first than make a mistake."
A flicker of approval crossed Bryan's face. "Good call. In a place like this, knowing what not to touch is more important than knowing what to do."
"Of course." Neville humbly replied.
Bryan turned, his gaze landing on a nervous-looking employee standing nearby.
Bryan's voice dropped, becoming hard as steel. "You. My office. Now."
The employee flinched and scurried after him.
As the rest of the department quickly buried their heads in their work, Neville let out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding.
It's hard to believe that that smiling face can actually have such a grim look.
Like boss, like employee.
He glanced across the office and met Iris's eyes.
She didn't smile, but she gave him a single, deliberate nod of approval before turning back to her screen.
...
Grayson stood at his window, his gaze fixed on the small, retreating figure of Neville.
Beep.
An email notification glowed on his screen, dragging his attention away. He turned, his eyes scanning, slightly surprised.
A slow, grim smile spread across his face.