040

And the days went by in similar ways. He went to school and he went to work. He spent his days meeting new people and strengthening previous bonds.

At work, the car project was taking form. It was getting closer and closer to completion while he didn't have to lift fingers. He began a master at faking but didn't remain complacent. He kept trying to soak in the knowledge of the workers. Even if it was beyond him, he took notes studiously and humbly in order to one day be able to understand.

He did his best to bridge the gap between him and the other students. It forced him to work harder out of school but he never stopped and never complained.

And after six months and some, here he was. He was still incapable at work and still far from reaching the level of knowledge of his elite classmates but he was still standing straight.

The usual group of six was having lunch together. Laila, Vanessa, Nancy, Ivan and Emilia were happily chatting at the same table as him. It was a simple thing, really, but it was enough to bring warmth to his heart every single time. Only someone who fought for it could truly understand the value of such simple things.

As the meal finished, the group separated. This time, he planned to take Laila and Vanessa along to his workplace. It wasn't the first time. It began five months earlier when they expressed interest in his work and he just offered them to come have a look. He didn't expect that it would create an incredible fervor. In the end, it developed in a kind of extracurricular activity approved by the school board for supplementary credits… After all, he was taking them to observe true engineering. Or so they said.

Anyways, the director and managers were all happy about it. Having young engineers come to their company? They welcomed it. And so, after a little non-disclosure contract, Ron began to bring a few students from time to time. His co-workers were very welcoming as the students that came were always willing to help and tried their best to learn. More than anything, they were always very humble about it. It was that attitude that made it become a successful experience.

And so, he would take those two today. They said goodbye to the others who would go to their respective clubs to indulge in their own extracurricular activities of choice.

They arrived at the company hangar and were greeted warmly by the coworkers. After six months, they were closer to Ron and even his group of young engineer friends. They never witnessed the truth about Ron and believed he was a bright, humble and hard-working kid. They liked him. They were happy to work with him. And he was very happy to work with them as well. They were all great people.

Today, as usual, Ron went behind his desk to fake work and instead try to learn some things at his level. The two girls went to one of his co-workers of their choice with the goal to learn something specific. And time flew by.

After an hour so, Ron needed a small break and got up to go check on everyone. First, he went to see Vanessa. She was doing well working on some weird metal contraptions with a seemingly very satisfied middle-aged co-worker of his. That guy was quite lecherous but knew where to drew limits fortunately so, Ron didn't have to worry about anything.

Then, he went to see Laila. She was discussing with another of his co-worker. It was quite high-level mechanisms that they discussed. Since it was this guy… They were chatting about the motor. He was ready to leave but they easily spotted them and forced him to sit to join the conversation. He could only reluctantly agree. It wasn't too hard to make it seem like he was actively taking part in this: "Oh, indeed, this seems like something one should consider" "So, that's what you're thinking? I think a different approach might be interesting to study too" and so on… Making it seem like he followed and understood the topic wasn't too hard. He had mastered such techniques some months ago already. He didn't have a choice, his finances depended on such things for now.

Still, he never got complacent and tried his best to soon be able to work for real, not having to be a fake. After all, he wouldn't be working on this project forever. He needed to pull himself together.

While in the midst of the discussion, they heard a loud noise. Something impossible to describe but impossible to miss.

And then, everything faded to black.

…

"…A week after the incident, the Emperor himself decided to visit the ruins of the city in order to pay homage to the victims of the terrorist attack. The speech he made at that time shook everyone's hearts and provided a lot of relief to the citizens…"

As the screen continued to diffuse images and voices, Ron blankly looked at it. He wasn't focusing on anything. The words of a middle-aged man in a suit next to his bed was what brought him back to reality.

"Mr. Morgensen, I know that this is the worst time possible for this but please bear with me, I don't have much choice in the matter…I come here on behalf of the government to settle your situation"

Ron turned his head towards the man. The fact was that he woke up only a few hours ago. It was only after many doctors came and went into this hospital room of his that he was told what was happening. Or rather, what happened.

A terrorist attacks.

The city was exploded and turned to ruins.

And he miraculously survived as the hangar was quite well-protected and the city safety protocols were rather good too. Well, most of the citizens still died and the whole city got razed to the ground. Even the hangar crumbled on him and the others. He didn't even know if they were alive…

He had yet to come to terms with the reality when this random stranger popped out of nowhere.