Chapter 3
On October 2, 2045, exactly a week after her interview with Mr. Sanders, she received a phone call.
“Congratulations Ms. Miller, you got the job. Your first day is Monday. Someone will show you your cubicle and give you a tour when you arrive. Don’t be late.” Before she could respond, he hung up. She sighed in relief, hugging her phone to her chest. Thank goodness. Now I won’t have to move back to Arizona to work for dad. I can be a full, responsible adult.
--
“So, this is your cubicle. It’s basically where you’ll be spending most of your time, besides visiting the coffee machine and going to long meetings.” The man cracked a smile.
The man’s name was Samuel Adams. He was relatively handsome, with dark curly black hair, light brown eyes and perfect caramel skin. She assumed he was about 25, though he seemed to have plenty of experience in the office. She walked in, setting a small cardboard box full of houseplants and personal belongings on the desk.
“I never thought I’d work an office job.” She breathed softly.
“Well, settle in I guess. Actually, a few coworkers and I were going to go out to lunch together. Wanna join?” He asked casually, grinning.
“Sure. I’m always hungry.” She smiled politely.
“Let’s go then, shall we?” She nodded, following him down the hallway.
--
The four coworkers sat in a small booth at the nearby sandwich place. The small woman across from her, who looked to be about 40, looked at her.
“So, you’re the new IT person? You’re pretty young to give up on your dreams and settle at an office for the rest of your life.” Sadie shifted in her seat.
“Well, it’s a way to get lots of money I guess.” She sipped her water, looking directly into the glass to avoid eye contact.
“Sarah, don’t give her a hard time. She could end up like James, ya know.” The man at the end of the booth grinned teasingly.
“Who’s James?” She asked, trying to engage in conversation.
“Who’s James? You don’t know?” He exaggeratedly raised his eyebrows.
“Colby, stop being a child. It’s nothing to joke about.” Samuel said with a warning in his tone. He glared so hard at Colby, Sadie wouldn’t have been surprised if he burned two holes right through his head.
“Chill out, Sam,” He turned back to Sadie, leaning over the table with a grin.
“James was the old manager here. He got so stressed out with work, he shot himself in the head in the middle of the office one night. And there were no tapes.” Samuel slammed his hand on the table.
“Would you shut up, Colby? That happened before she was probably even born!” He readjusted himself, taking a long sip of his tea. Sadie gripped the side of the table nervously.
--
When she reentered the apartment, she closed it tightly and plopped down on the couch. Suddenly she got a terrible headache.
“Ughhh,” she groaned, getting up to find some Tylenol. Before making it to the cabinet, she collapsed.
“You don’t have to do this. This is just how business works. Please, please, I’ll do anything!” The young man’s voice cracked. He was crying. “Maybe you shouldn’t have ruined my future. Maybe this’ll teach you.” She said, though her voice seemed scratchier and deeper. A shot rang through the room. The gun dropped to the floor.
Her eyes shot open. She gasped for breath, laying her hand on the cold tile firmly. She picked herself up slowly, realization pouring over her. The office now looked so familiar.
She needed more information.
Chapter 4
When Alex comes home, she’ll think I’ve gone mad. Madder. She was sitting long ways on the couch, a stack of papers next to her. She typed away madly on her keyboard. She was looking for a murder, committed 24 years ago, two weeks before she was born.
“So, you’ve… gone mad?” Sadie looked up quickly from her laptop to see Alex standing over her. She sat down in front of her on the coffee table.
“I didn’t hear you come in.” she said nervously. She looked down, closing her laptop slowly.
“What’re you working on?” She asked, casually jumping up and skip-walking into the kitchen. Sadie thought about lying for a second, but thought better of it. She already thinks I’m crazy. Maybe my room at the mental institute will be nice.
“Looking up information about the company I’m working for. Did you know there’s a man who supposedly committed suicide inside the building about 24 years ago? His name was James Wilson and he was the manager of the company.” She summed up, trying to sound as professional and not-insane as possible. Alex walked back to the kitchen with a bag of chips and shooed Sadie’s legs so that she could sit next to her.
“And you’re looking up this stuff… why? Is this a new obsession, or quirk? Internet stalking?” Her eyebrow raised. Sadie’s lying instinct kicked in.
“It doesn’t count as internet stalking if he’s dead,” Sadie retorted.
“And some guy brought it up at lunch today. I was just curious.” She muttered, avoiding eye contact.
“Sadie Miller, I know you. You’re never just curious. There’s always something in it for you. Also, whenever you lie you avoid eye contact at all costs.” Alex remarked, eating another chip.
“But-” she protested, only to be interrupted by Alex again.
“Just tell me why you’re suddenly obsessed with this dead guy all of a sudden.” She rolled her eyes, reaching into the chip bag again. Sadie sighed, sticking her hand into the chip bag and taking four chips.
“All right. But, you’re going to think I’m crazy.” Alex snickered.
“Sades, I already know you’re crazy.” She punched her in the arm lightly. Sadie ignored her.
“I think that’s the guy I killed. In the flashback. And the office looked so familiar, and I don’t know what to do.” She broke, tears welling up. Alex sat up, putting down the chips. She put her hand on her shoulder comfortingly.
“You’re crazy,” She blurted.
“But, I’ll help you figure out more info about this guy if it’ll help you understand that you didn’t kill anyone.”
--
Her head was swimming. She had just off the phone with her mother, trying to learn more about the human trials from when she was a child.
“Well, I found the records from the trials. The FMD. Try googling them.” Her mother said, shuffling the papers.
“I’ll google it too.” She said.
“I found them. Keep looking through those files, mom.” She said, holding the phone to her ear with her shoulder.
“I still can’t find the scientists who did yours.” Her voice trailed off.
“Mom? What’s wrong?” She asked slowly.
“All of them. They all left town two years later. They haven’t been heard from since.” She said numbly.
“Mom?” Sadie put her laptop down.
“Sadie, it’s all my fault,” She half sobbed.
“They seemed so legitimate. They offered us big money, Sades. Big, big, money. They said they’d get it to us in a few years after they did the trial. That money was going to get us out of here, so that we could start our business.” She sniffled.
--
“Hey Sadie, I think I found something,” Alex called from the kitchen. She got up, walking out into the kitchen. Alex turned toward her curiously, then continued.
“The guy who did the trial with you. He must’ve been the murderer, right? It adds up. And he’s still alive, living in New York.”
On October 2, 2045, exactly a week after her interview with Mr. Sanders, she received a phone call.
“Congratulations Ms. Miller, you got the job. Your first day is Monday. Someone will show you your cubicle and give you a tour when you arrive. Don’t be late.” Before she could respond, he hung up. She sighed in relief, hugging her phone to her chest. Thank goodness. Now I won’t have to move back to Arizona to work for dad. I can be a full, responsible adult.
--
“So, this is your cubicle. It’s basically where you’ll be spending most of your time, besides visiting the coffee machine and going to long meetings.” The man cracked a smile.
The man’s name was Samuel Adams. He was relatively handsome, with dark curly black hair, light brown eyes and perfect caramel skin. She assumed he was about 25, though he seemed to have plenty of experience in the office. She walked in, setting a small cardboard box full of houseplants and personal belongings on the desk.
“I never thought I’d work an office job.” She breathed softly.
“Well, settle in I guess. Actually, a few coworkers and I were going to go out to lunch together. Wanna join?” He asked casually, grinning.
“Sure. I’m always hungry.” She smiled politely.
“Let’s go then, shall we?” She nodded, following him down the hallway.
--
The four coworkers sat in a small booth at the nearby sandwich place. The small woman across from her, who looked to be about 40, looked at her.
“So, you’re the new IT person? You’re pretty young to give up on your dreams and settle at an office for the rest of your life.” Sadie shifted in her seat.
“Well, it’s a way to get lots of money I guess.” She sipped her water, looking directly into the glass to avoid eye contact.
“Sarah, don’t give her a hard time. She could end up like James, ya know.” The man at the end of the booth grinned teasingly.
“Who’s James?” She asked, trying to engage in conversation.
“Who’s James? You don’t know?” He exaggeratedly raised his eyebrows.
“Colby, stop being a child. It’s nothing to joke about.” Samuel said with a warning in his tone. He glared so hard at Colby, Sadie wouldn’t have been surprised if he burned two holes right through his head.
“Chill out, Sam,” He turned back to Sadie, leaning over the table with a grin.
“James was the old manager here. He got so stressed out with work, he shot himself in the head in the middle of the office one night. And there were no tapes.” Samuel slammed his hand on the table.
“Would you shut up, Colby? That happened before she was probably even born!” He readjusted himself, taking a long sip of his tea. Sadie gripped the side of the table nervously.
--
When she reentered the apartment, she closed it tightly and plopped down on the couch. Suddenly she got a terrible headache.
“Ughhh,” she groaned, getting up to find some Tylenol. Before making it to the cabinet, she collapsed.
“You don’t have to do this. This is just how business works. Please, please, I’ll do anything!” The young man’s voice cracked. He was crying. “Maybe you shouldn’t have ruined my future. Maybe this’ll teach you.” She said, though her voice seemed scratchier and deeper. A shot rang through the room. The gun dropped to the floor.
Her eyes shot open. She gasped for breath, laying her hand on the cold tile firmly. She picked herself up slowly, realization pouring over her. The office now looked so familiar.
She needed more information.
Chapter 4
When Alex comes home, she’ll think I’ve gone mad. Madder. She was sitting long ways on the couch, a stack of papers next to her. She typed away madly on her keyboard. She was looking for a murder, committed 24 years ago, two weeks before she was born.
“So, you’ve… gone mad?” Sadie looked up quickly from her laptop to see Alex standing over her. She sat down in front of her on the coffee table.
“I didn’t hear you come in.” she said nervously. She looked down, closing her laptop slowly.
“What’re you working on?” She asked, casually jumping up and skip-walking into the kitchen. Sadie thought about lying for a second, but thought better of it. She already thinks I’m crazy. Maybe my room at the mental institute will be nice.
“Looking up information about the company I’m working for. Did you know there’s a man who supposedly committed suicide inside the building about 24 years ago? His name was James Wilson and he was the manager of the company.” She summed up, trying to sound as professional and not-insane as possible. Alex walked back to the kitchen with a bag of chips and shooed Sadie’s legs so that she could sit next to her.
“And you’re looking up this stuff… why? Is this a new obsession, or quirk? Internet stalking?” Her eyebrow raised. Sadie’s lying instinct kicked in.
“It doesn’t count as internet stalking if he’s dead,” Sadie retorted.
“And some guy brought it up at lunch today. I was just curious.” She muttered, avoiding eye contact.
“Sadie Miller, I know you. You’re never just curious. There’s always something in it for you. Also, whenever you lie you avoid eye contact at all costs.” Alex remarked, eating another chip.
“But-” she protested, only to be interrupted by Alex again.
“Just tell me why you’re suddenly obsessed with this dead guy all of a sudden.” She rolled her eyes, reaching into the chip bag again. Sadie sighed, sticking her hand into the chip bag and taking four chips.
“All right. But, you’re going to think I’m crazy.” Alex snickered.
“Sades, I already know you’re crazy.” She punched her in the arm lightly. Sadie ignored her.
“I think that’s the guy I killed. In the flashback. And the office looked so familiar, and I don’t know what to do.” She broke, tears welling up. Alex sat up, putting down the chips. She put her hand on her shoulder comfortingly.
“You’re crazy,” She blurted.
“But, I’ll help you figure out more info about this guy if it’ll help you understand that you didn’t kill anyone.”
--
Her head was swimming. She had just off the phone with her mother, trying to learn more about the human trials from when she was a child.
“Well, I found the records from the trials. The FMD. Try googling them.” Her mother said, shuffling the papers.
“I’ll google it too.” She said.
“I found them. Keep looking through those files, mom.” She said, holding the phone to her ear with her shoulder.
“I still can’t find the scientists who did yours.” Her voice trailed off.
“Mom? What’s wrong?” She asked slowly.
“All of them. They all left town two years later. They haven’t been heard from since.” She said numbly.
“Mom?” Sadie put her laptop down.
“Sadie, it’s all my fault,” She half sobbed.
“They seemed so legitimate. They offered us big money, Sades. Big, big, money. They said they’d get it to us in a few years after they did the trial. That money was going to get us out of here, so that we could start our business.” She sniffled.
--
“Hey Sadie, I think I found something,” Alex called from the kitchen. She got up, walking out into the kitchen. Alex turned toward her curiously, then continued.
“The guy who did the trial with you. He must’ve been the murderer, right? It adds up. And he’s still alive, living in New York.”