So the journey begins
[6/17/21: Minor update]
Michael followed Master Ishu and the two officers through a series of skywalks and elevators to enter into the most technologically advanced building he had seen. The tablet in his hand vibrated.
Every man and woman who passed them greeted Master Ishu. They all had badges that said systems engineer level I, II, or III. It was the kind of world that Michael wanted to live in when he first went to University to study engineering. But after graduating and working for that god-awful company for four long years, all he had was regrets and regrets.
"This is a new building, Michael. You would not recognize it even if you had all your memories intact." Ishu explained.
Michael swept a glance. Sofas, lounge chairs, coffee tables, giant tv screen hanging from the enormous walls, and small groups of employees huddled together chatting or brainstorming; it looked like a dream workplace. Soon the four of them arrived at what Master Ishu introduced as his workspace. Unlike the rest of the building, it was a regular-sized room, with six or seven computers beeping and piles of gadgets strewn around everywhere. A giant computer screen was mounted on one of the walls.
"Seat yourself wherever you can find a place."
"Master Ishu," General Heron spoke up. "Me and Colonel Chauve must excuse ourselves. We have safely delivered Mikael De Besches to your care, and now, we must attend to other duties."
"Ah, I will not keep you from carrying out your intergalactic chores, General Heron." Ishu, then, walked up to Kalina and kissed her softly on the lips. "See you later, honey."
"See you."
General Heron held out a gadget in front of him, and suddenly the wall split apart, and in its place, a portal appeared. Michael was numb after all the shocks he had throughout that day, but it still startled him to see the gossamer portal. He glimpsed the other side and found a federation-like building before the portal closed behind the two officers.
"You must clean up," Ishu's mellow voice brought Michael out of his trance. "You work for United Systems Verse now, and you must look as such."
"Did not think United Systems Verse cared much for wardrobe."
Ishu walked over to the switchboard on a wall and pressed one of the buttons. A panel in the mauve-colored wall of this workspace opened up. "Use my suite for now. Next time you are here, your living quarter will be ready for you."
Master Ishu's suite was minimalistic but practical. Other than a sofa bed, there was only one small television and a dresser. The attached shower was small but clean, equipped only with the necessities. After a quick hot shower, he stood in front of the foggy mirror and wiped away the moisture to find his own reflection staring back at him. He looked exactly the same as he did two days ago, tall, pale, and skinny, chiseled face with blue eyes and slightly overgrown blonde and curly hair. The only change he noticed was the faint scar mark on his head, where the nozzle of the gun was held.
Once back in the suite's living area, the cool blast of the air condition reminded Michael to put on some fresh clothes. He walked towards Ishu's dresser, unsure if he would find anything that did not look like a middle-earth sorcerer outfit. Fortunately, he found a dress shirt and a pair of jeans that fit his tall frame perfectly, thanks to Ishu's height.
When Michael came out of the suite, he found Ishu standing in front of the giant computer screen mounted on the wall and walked over to him.
"As I was saying, we found a glitch, or you can call a bug in earth's physical system. A week ago, we discovered birds were escaping earth's atmosphere, flying out into the space." Ishu moved his fingers, and the display on the computer screen showed the images of the incidents. "In last month, several aerial objects were escaping the earth's atmosphere. Then, yesterday, there was a major incident. A Chinese satellite that was orbiting around the earth deserted its route and floated into space."
"I never heard that in the news. I am just arriving from the earth," Michael said suspiciously.
"You were incapacitated for twenty-four hours."
Michael's hand instinctively touched his forehead, where the bullet had entered him.
"As we informed you, Michael, we never shot you."
Michael gave Ishu a wary look. "Pardon me for being skeptical. My world has turned upside down."
Ishu chortled. "Metaphorical, I presume. Imagine if it does turn upside down in reality."
Michael remained silent, so Ishu continued. "We suspect these incidents may herald something far more threatening to mankind if we do not fix the earth's physical system immediately."
"What do you need from me?"
"Fix-the-system. Isn't that what Systems engineers do?"
"I would be more than happy to fix it, Master Ishu, if I was a magician. Unfortunately, what you described here is beyond the scope and responsibilities of a systems engineer." Michael was incredulous.
"And yet, I believe in you. You will have your tablet for guidance and instructions. And if you need more help, press the red button of this bracelet." Ishu held out a purple bracelet. Michael stared at him for a moment and then, reluctantly, accepted the bracelet.
"How do I teleport to earth?" Michael remembered the portal that had opened up earlier to the two officers and wondered if that would be the case.
"Press the green button, and a portal will open wherever you need to go."
"And where does the location go in the bracelet?"
"Nowhere." Ishu pressed his lips together, trying to suppress a smile. "It has a sensor that connects to your brain. Think about the place, and it will appear. Go ahead, try."
Michael looked at Ishu with slight doubt and then, inhaling deeply, pressed the green button. Soon enough, a portal appeared, and he saw his room on the other side. So close, only an arm's length away. Yet, a mysterious fear froze Michael on the spot. To his surprise, a pair of hands pushed Michael through the portal, and when he turned around, he found it was Ishu.
"I expect daily reports," Ishu shouted from the other side as the portal rapidly closed between them.
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