2 - NTANIS
"Sir…! Sir!" The man called out frantically as if it was a tragedy.
His sporadic movements, his cries for help. It felt as though he cared.
"It feels warm. I don't know how, but I'm still conscious. What...is that noise around me..? I can hardly hear it, but it feels genuine."
The mix of the panicking man and the nostalgic sound of the moving city fleured Liam's senses as the piercing whispers worked against it.
"This isn't right. Where the hell am I? This doesn't feel real. I feel like I can sense each blood cell in my body trying to burst."
--
"They're saying something...I can't understand…"
"--Blue…"
Liam took a look at the man's shining aura. He stood close, feeling Liams heartbeat alone as the sole protection to his being.
--
"--Huh…?" Liam gasped.
Within twenty seconds of it starting, the sensation had ceased. It was as if it was a snap of a finger -- everything that pained Liam had left him instantaneously.
"Sir! Can you speak?" The man asked.
Liam blinked, averting his eyes toward the man in front of him, kneeling.
"--I...what happened?" Liam replied.
"You passed out."
The man's eyes were wide and filled with a horrible look of a deadly unease. His mouth trembled as he spoke. His cheeks were moist with the sweat dripping from his pores.
"Are...you alright?" Liam asked, viewing the man's appearance.
"T...that is what I should ask. Shit man, you just collapsed and caused a scene."
Liam peered at the man's bodily movements as he spoke. He shakenly waved his arms as if filled with unending anxiety.
'Did he...feel responsibility…for me?'
Liam thought to himself in the silence between them. In the current way of life, it was uncommon for someone to intervene with another. The world had become much colder.
"Just...take this, and please stand if you can." The man spoke.
"Oh, I see. Thank-you."
The man handed Liam a small bottle of water and a granola bar. It was something from his own pockets that looked to be his only food.
"Damn. You sure…?"
"I can eat at my workplace, but you look like you really need this, and I'd never forgive myself if I sat here and let you die like that."
'I...cant. I wasn't in any danger. This was in vain.'
Liam thought. It was the only thing on his mind, but to say it would make him out to be an asshole, especially with the goodwill of the man who 'saved' him directly in his hands.
Liam stood, not wobbling or showing any sign of weakness.
"I'll be headed out now. Please get yourself home safely, man."
--
'Good. He's still blue.' Liam said to himself as the man walked off.
--
'What the hell is going on with me..?"
As Liam began walking once more, he did not listen to the man who had just spoken to him. He certainly wanted to walk home, but it wouldn't be good for him to just ignore responsibility.
'The feeling...it's not normal. I can't even see a doctor about it because it's almost like something out of a damn dream.'
A doctor was the last thing Liam wanted to see. His bad memories of doctor's offices made him reject the idea of ever setting foot in one.
--
"Blue. Green. Blue."
It was a symbol of beauty as much as it was a symbol of identity. A grey world was boring to Liam, but the lights of people made it feel alive.
With each color on the spectrum having such history and meaning, Liam couldn't help but feel attached to them in a way. It wasn't normal. It wasn't how other people viewed the world, and that made Liam feel surprisingly indifferent.
If not for him not having an aura, he'd probably be perfectly fine with his condition. The small piece of beauty was perfectly enough for his eyes, and more almost felt like it'd be too much.
-----
'Here.'
After his agonizing twenty minutes, Liam had arrived at the address that was given to him.
The building itself looked like any other, obviously not trying to stand out in design. It was mid-size, and the only way to tell that the building was NTANIS was the company logo on the steel door.
Liam was sweating. His lack of any contact in such a while left him a husk of any sociable person. Even with the events of today, though, he still managed to show up. That, if anything, felt like a sign to him.
All of his feelings were instantly thrown to the back of his head when his entire body had approached the doors.
'It feels so different...being here as an employee rather than an applicant.'
Liam was shaking. It was hard for him to tell, but anyone looking at him could tell he was anxious about going in.
Within seconds, taking a huge gulp, Liam pulled out his ID card. The letter hadn't been the only thing in the mail when it had arrived. A card with all of Liam's information was beside it when he had seen the acceptance.
With a quick swipe, Liam inserted his card into the sensor next to the door.
"Verifying.".
--
"Accepted."
'The doors talk now. What a world.' Liam said to himself, chucking, though still with doubt and sweat running down his back.
With an agonizingly slow turn, the steel doors of NTANIS had opened.
-----------------
"Heh. First day jitters, it seems."
As Liam entered, the immediate atmosphere of the building infatuated his senses.
The entire room smelled like it had been sanitized. Giving a strong clean scent that could burn Liam's nose. The absolutely clear, sci-fi look of curvy edges and white metal made the room look like a utopia.
Even with Liam's fantasies, the room wasn't a utopia, but simply a main lobby.
The girl talking to him was a girl he could actually recognize. Her hair was long and flowing, with a ponytail on her right side. Her eyes looked tired, though somewhat inviting.
Her appearance was about the same as Liam's. A lab coat with dark jeans -- the company uniform that Liam was sent prior to joining the team.
'Jeez. How long has it been, Yvette?' Liam thought to himself.
It had been two weeks since the acceptance letter in the mail, and even longer since he had seen the girl for himself.
A girl who Liam had met when applying here, Yvette and Liam hit it off really well. Throughout the time they spent there, it was as if they had known each other in the past. Even now, it felt bizarre for her to be so friendly immediately.
"Oh. Yeah I guess so." Liam replied.
"Well, don't get that timid look and attitude as if you're already down and ready to quit." Yvette said with a smirk.
With Liam's nervous state of mind, seeing someone like her smile genuinely, even if it was small, felt good to see in the new setting he was in.
Her yellow aura shined. It was a beautiful, rare color that somehow looked like it suited her.
"So...You're the receptionist now? Makes sense." Liam added.
"Bite that tongue if you want to keep it. I'm only working here to welcome new members."
"--Ah, I see. Must be nice being trusted with such a thing."
Yvette looked at Liam with a hint of displeasure. Her pause in speech made Liam slightly flustered.
"Trusted to sit on my ass and greet everyone, sure. If you hadn't arrived, everyone would just be a nameless face with no expression."
"Nameless? Expressionless? The hell? And why wouldn't I be one?"
"You sound like you want to be with that. You'll find out soon enough but I can't say now. Consider it the small bond we have from the time we chatted, or something." Yvette said, almost in a monotone voice.
"It doesn't sound way too convincing."
"None of the shit I say would until you get to see the President, and really get started here. You've been here for something like three minutes, so I don't expect you to."
Liam paused for a moment, looking Yvette in the eyes.
--
"Can you show me how to see the President?"
The President was always so interesting to Liam. His bright red aura made it almost difficult to look him directly in the eye -- Liam had never seen something so bright.
He spoke with intent, sternly, yet so calmly telling Liam everything he needed to know during his interview with him on that day.
He found it possibly odd that the President himself wanted an interview, but Liam wasn't about to question the company before even joining.
"I mean, sure. Though, you should probably get into your duties first. It was a direct order from the President to show you around." Yvette replied.
"I see. Sure, I'd be glad to have you accompany me."
With a short blush, Yvette pointed toward the left hallway on the side of the main lobby.
"It's weird though." Yvette said. "I've never seen the President take such interest in someone so new…"
With a confused look, Liam followed Yvette's path down the halls of NTANIS.