CHAPTER 2 : THE MYSTERY

Agatha had reached the year 2022, but instead of her hometown, she found herself in a jungle that appeared to have been recently set on fire. The smell of burnt bodies filled the air, and Agatha noticed the remains of various animals, including some rare species. As she explored the area, she heard footsteps as if someone was running. Curious, she followed the sound and discovered a small creature hiding behind an oak tree. It was a frightened Pembroke, a type of animal with black fur and a petite frame. Agatha approached it gently, speaking softly, "Hey, come on, little buddy. I won't hurt you."

When Agatha reached out to touch the Pembroke, it stepped back and quickly ran away, disappearing into a giant hole nearby. Agatha chased after the creature and realized that the hole was large enough for humans to pass through. She continued to call out to the Pembroke until she stepped on a round rock that caught her attention. The rock emitted a rainbow-like luminescence, so Agatha wiped it clean with her sleeve. To her amazement, the rock transformed into silver dust, which fell onto the same spot where the rock had been. As a result, the ground cracked open, revealing a hidden door. Despite her usual thoughtfulness and caution, Agatha felt compelled to open this door.

As she tried to open it, she realized there were engravings on the door that read "VON-RESTORFF," accompanied by circular figures rotating in specific directions. Agatha tried to make sense of these engravings, asking herself, "What does VON-RESTORFF mean? Why does this word sound familiar?" Finally, a memory from her work on Gestalt's perceptual equations surfaced. She remembered that she always looked for the odd one out. Excitedly, Agatha exclaimed, "Aha, that's it! VON-RESTORFF means I have to find the odd one among these circular figures."

To her surprise, all the circular figures appeared identical. Agatha knew she had to examine them closely, searching for subtle differences. Eventually, she noticed that while they were all rings, only one of them was a Benzene Ring, alternating between single and double bonds in a True Kekule structure. This was the third figure in the sequence. As she successfully identified the odd one, the door opened, revealing a tunnel surrounded by metal walls. Agatha cautiously proceeded forward.

Suddenly, alarms blared, and water sprinkled all over her body, leaving her puzzled and agitated. "Hey, what the hell is going on?" she shouted. A computerized voice responded, "We are cleaning up. Now you are all clear to proceed. Welcome to the Red Zone of Mandroff Lab." The mention of "Mandroff" triggered Agatha's curiosity. "But that's my last name," she wondered. At that moment, an ID card emerged from a machine embedded in one of the walls. It resembled a fax machine and displayed numerous buttons with numbers, alerting "ID through." Agatha picked up the ID card, still perplexed by the unfolding events. The card bore her full name, "Agatha Mandroff," along with her residence and her position in Mandroff Lab as "Senior Scientist II." This revelation marked the beginning of "THE MYSTERY" that needed to be unraveled.