12

"Tell you what, how about I get you and your new friend here a special mission! It might be a little challenging, but the pay-off would be likewise huge. What do you say, John?" said Mr. Gudo. John appeared hesitant; he wasn't sure if it would be a good idea to take up a massive mission at the start. Similarly, Ashley also seemed to be hesitant from the look on her face. But what her reasons were, nobody knew, especially John.

"Mr. Gudo," she began, "I think John and I would like to start with a smaller mission first. I don't think he is ready for the special ones."

"Oh, come on, Ashley," said Mr. Gudo, smiling charmingly, "The gentleman here was awarded three points upon registration! Surely, he deserves special tasks that reflect his abilities. These missions on the board are not worth it! Tell you what you can come with me to the VIP room. We can have a little chat about the mission I have in mind for you two. It wouldn't hurt to listen, would it?"

Finally, giving in to the insistence of Mr. Gudo, they agreed to listen to the details of this high-reward mission.

"Excellent! John, Ashley, follow me," said a pleased Mr. Gudo.

Ashley told John about the various VIP rooms in the black-market building. Some of them were on the first floor, but they were mostly located on higher floors. She also told him that the VIP rooms on higher floors were more prominent and much fancier. Mr. Gudo led them to a private room on the first floor. As John walked in, his jaw fell.

If this is less grand, I wonder how fancy the VIP rooms on the upper floors would be, he thought.

It was perhaps the most lavishly decorated room that John had ever been in. Right in the middle was a rectangular conference table made of oak. Its surface was sparkling as if it was polished every hour. The ceiling was reflected on the table surface, with circular lights scattered over a black marble carving, also rectangular. The table was reflected by the top, too. John knew that the marble used on the ceiling was of the best quality. The ground was matted with spotless purple carpet, and John wanted to take off his shoes and feel the soft surface on his feet' soles. Crunchy and smooth leather chairs were arranged around the conference table, without so much as a blemish on them. The walls were painted grey and decorated with gorgeous paintings. Plants of all kinds dotted the area, with containers colored differently. Every inch of the room spoke of luxury. There was also a draped window, with velvet curtains, that overlooked the outside pavement. Finally, John saw the monitor up on the wall. So, this room was a highly luxurious conference room of sorts.

Only one other person was present when they had entered, a maid watering one of the plants. She looked up as the door closed behind them. Mr. Gudo made a gesture, which must have meant that the maid was to leave them alone. Immediately, she walked out without so much as a glance in their direction.

"I am sorry, would you like something to drink or eat perhaps?" asked Mr. Gudo as they seated themselves on the head of the conference table. John thought it strange that he would ask this after dismissing the maid. He guessed that this offer for a drink was just a formality.

"No thanks," said Ashley, "now, what is this special mission you wanted to tell us about, Mr. Gudo?"

"This special mission, my dear friends, is about a special administrator by the name of Colvo," Mr. Gudo told John and Ashley.

"What is so special about this administrator?" asked Ashley.

"Well, my dear friends, as you may know, there are many administrators that dwell within the Tower. They were the original residents of this strange and wonderful world. They are not like us in many ways, and yet they resemble us in many others. For instance, most of these creatures are what you would say 'happy with their lives', which is not necessarily true for us humans. But this Colvo is an exception, an anomaly of the lot you can almost say."

"But what is so different about this Colvo, Mr. Gudo, please tell us! And what does this weird administrator have to with this special mission?" said Ashley, with a tone of impatience. Mr. Gudo laughed his high-pitched laugh, revealing his sparkling teeth before answering.

"Impatient as always, my young accomplice!" he said, looking at John and giving him a wink. John smiled back awkwardly, not knowing how to respond.

"Just wait till you get to know this one better, my new friend," he said to John as he placed his hand on Ashley's shoulder, who rolled her purple eyes at him.

"Okay, I promise not to digress and beat around the bush if that makes you happy, Ashley. Here is the fact of the matter in a nugget: Colvo, unlike most of his kind, is a depressed mask!"

"What!" exclaimed Ashley, as if this was the most surprising thing she had ever heard.

"Yes, you heard me right, my friends. A tragedy befell Colvo about a year ago. Ever since, the poor creature has been down and out, depressed and broody. This terrible emotional state has rendered it incapable of performing any work. Now, I know you are new here, John," said Mr. Gudo, turning his face to look at John, with a sympathetic look on his face.

"Now you must understand that life in the Tower revolves around points. Both humans and administrators need to work and strive to earn points. And let me tell you, they are not easy to make. Sure, you may not go hungry without them since food can be bought with worldly cash, and modest shelter could be accessed as well. But to truly live the life that this extraordinary world has to offer, one needs points. As simple as that. And you won't get them without some serious work! Now you understand this, don't you, John?" asked Mr. Gudo.

"Yes," replied John, nodding his head.

"Good, you have to appreciate how precious points are in this world," continued Mr. Gudo, "Anyway, like I was saying, Colvo is rendered incapable of work because of his depression. It just roams around all day or sits in one place for hours, thinking about its life. What's worse, Colvo spreads unhappiness and depression wherever he goes. People around this administrator begin to develop the same feelings."

"But whatever happened to put Colvo in this state, Mr. Gudo?" it was John who had voiced this question.

"I am afraid I do not know. People say different things, but in all honesty, no one knows what really happened to put Colvo in his miserable state," said Mr. Gudo with a grim expression on his face.

"Now, I don't want to be wasting any of your precious time, John. I am sure you are eager to get earning. So, here is what I want from the two of you. Colvo is currently brooding away its life in some of the public places of the Tower. I need you two to convince Colvo to do me a favor."

John was confused, so he looked around at Ashley to see if she had understood what Mr. Gudo had asked for. But she was also bemused, as a deep furrow lingered on her face.

"What kind of favor, Mr. Gudo?" she asked. This question unnerved him as he shifted in his leather chair.

"I think you need not worry about that. Your focus should be on convincing Calvo to do me a service. Also, I believe it won't be that hard either, considering the state this administrator is in," said Mr. Gudo as a smile spread across his face. Ashley was still unsure about this bizarre mission, but she thought it wise to smile back and nod her head. John looked from one face to another, feeling like a spectator in a psychological game.

"Alright, Mr. Gudo. I assume you will remain good to your word about compensating us well if we successfully convince Colvo to come with us and meet you?" asked Ashley. To this, Mr. Gudo winked at her.

"Have I ever not honored my word to you, sweet Ashley?" he asked, quite playfully so.

"Of course not, Mr. Gudo. But do tell us how we are to find this administrator? I mean, the Tower is so big and all, he could be anywhere!"

"As a matter of fact, it is not so hard to find Colvo. It is known to be in the paradise garden at all times, for obvious reasons. Being an elemental field, I am sure the grand park helps Colvo cope somewhat with his melancholia. Anyway, I cannot stress this enough. It is very, very important that you convince Colvo to…"

Just then, there was a loud knock on the door, making Mr. Gudo stop in mid-sentence and called out, "come in." In walked one of the guards in the tuxedo, wearing the black-tinted sunglasses. He entered the VIP room and came close to Mr. Gudo. Lowering his head, he brought his face close to his ear and whispered something. Mr. Gudo looked up at him and nodded.

"Well, Ashley," he said, standing up and kissing Ashley's hand, "Pleasure as always. John, it was delightful to have made your acquaintance, but I am afraid there is some urgent business that needs to be tended to. Please feel free to dine in at the restaurant before you leave for the park. Consider the meal as a thank you for accepting this vital mission."

With that, Mr. Gudo smiled and left the VIP room, with the guard right behind him. John was confused about why Mr. Gudo hadn't told them what favor he needed from Calvo, the depressed administrator. A torrent of confusion assaulted his mind. How on earth were he and Ashley supposed to convince this depressed administrator to do Mr. Gudo a favor? Why had he chosen him and Ashley for the job when he clearly had access to many resources and people? What was an elemental field? Where was the paradise garden, and what was so special about it? He could have posed all these questions to Ashley, but there was a slim chance that she would be responsive.

They also walked out of the VIP room and headed towards the restaurant on the first floor. With all the distance they had covered since breakfast, John felt hungry once more and wanted a nice, square meal before going to this paradise garden.

"You do know where this park is, don't you, Ashley?" he asked.

"Yes, yes. It's not that far away from here, that's for sure. Let's just have our free meal and head-off to work."

"Why is it called paradise park?" he asked, burning with curiosity.

"Oh, you will know why when we get there," was all she said in return. Knowing the futility of pressing on, John shrugged his shoulders and dropped the subject.

As they walked, John thought about all the strange things that had happened so far. He thought about the black dog, the cult people, the wet dream, the fact that he had been awarded an unprecedented number of points upon registration, and how Mr. Gudo and Ashley thought that he had enormous potential. He also considered this strangely depressed administrator. His head spun as they entered the restaurant. John reprimanded himself for overthinking and instead decided to remain focused on the free food he and Ashley were about to dine on.