Searching for Andromeda 34 The One Who Started It All

"A hollow space that repels a hologram," Berthold exclaims. "From here I couldn't see anything. Just darkness."

Ephraim stares down below, growing anxious at every second. He was starting to have a hunch.

A hunch about ANDROMEDA's research.

"Samuel," says Ephraim. "Can you enumerate the things that could repel?"

"Well, for one, similar electrons just like negative to negative," says Samuel. "Since positive and negative charges attract, and two similar charges repel,"

"But I only see a big hollow space," says Anna. "The glass is the only thing that keeps us from falling here . . . wait,"

Anna leaned to the glass. "This glass is a bit different . . . hold on."

"A bit different?" Esmeralda tilts her head as her reflection stares back at her.

"The atomic particles are somehow . . . different in form. I can't explain how,"

"Aren't they like that because they're sturdier?" Asks Sam as he knocks to the glass. "I don't see anything special with it."

"Except for the design," Ephraim utters to himself.

"The design?" Samuel asks.

"The structure of this place is odd," Ephraim exclaims as he pressed his hand to the glass. "A floor made out of the glass with a hollow abyss beneath. A room with nothing but light and white, shiny walls."

"Now that you mentioned it, I've never seen a room like this before," says Berthold. "I mean . . . we've seen lots of odd designs, but this one, in a laboratory with a peculiar architecture? Bizarre,"

"I think it's for a trial to people who get scared of heights. Or those who are agoraphobic and claustrophobic," Samuel suggests.

"I don't think that's it, Sam . . ." Esmeralda says.

"You have to consider every possibility, Hag." Samuel retorts. "Besides, look at this. I don't think it's possible such glass could endure the gravitational pull—"

"—wait, say that again, Samuel." Ephraim suddenly blurts out.

"Huh?" Samuel scowled. "Esmeralda got to consider every possibility?"

"No," Ephraim says. "Gravitational pull. Esmeralda was repelled, which means underneath this defies the law of gravity itself,"

"HUH?" Samuel laughed loudly. "Did the blood drain from your head, Lame leader? Are you going coo-coo?"

"No, I'm not going coo-coo," Ephraim exclaims, stopping Samuel from laughing loudly.

"Then maybe you should suggest something different. Baseless assumptions make the researcher laugh." Samuel smirks, his cockiness not in place again. Esmeralda had to pinch him to ruin his arrogance. Berthold then faces Ephraim, who was deep in thought, not shaken by Samuel's remarks.

"Raim . . ."

"Anna," Ephraim calls.

Anna, snapping from her analysis, beamed. "Yes?"

"Did you slip past through the electrons of the glass itself?" He asks. "Because I want to consider two factors if we want to come up with a presumption."

"Hm . . . I figured I actually wasn't able to slip past through the glass," Anna exclaims. "The electrons from the glass and the force from beneath repelled me,"

"So it's the glass itself that didn't allow you to pass through—and the force underneath is the one that repelled."

"I can still pass through the glass a bit, but if my soles touch even the slightest of the glass' end, I would be repelled,"

"Have you tried analyzing the components of the glass itself?" Ephraim asks. "You said yourself that they were different,"

"Y-yeah, but only the form. But the composition is almost the same,"

"Science is about the intricacy of details," says Ephraim. "Can you check on it, Anna?"

Anna nodded, and then dissolved towards the glass—decomposing and disseminating herself as she scurried down and mixed with the particles.

"Shouldn't we aiming for a plan to get out of here though?" Says Samuel. "I mean, I think we found ANDROMEDA's research,"

"You mean genetically experimenting on test subjects?" Asks Esmeralda.

"Yeah . . .! I mean, maybe they mixed alien genome to some plants and animals," Samuel exclaims. "It isn't too far from possible because of the things we've seen,"

"Well, you're maybe right . . ." Esmeralda mutters.

"No." Ephraim argues. "I don't think that's it,"

"Berthold, can I borrow your gun?" Ephraim asks as he extends his arm to Berthold, his palm waiting for the gun to be handed to him.

Berthold, although hesitant, gave him the gun.

"Thank you," Ephraim says as he places the gun on the holster attached to his belt.

"Leader . . .?" Esmeralda lifts her gaze as Ephraim stood up, his rib bandaged by Berthold. He sauntered towards Hiroaki, who was standing in the corner, leaning his back against the arctic-white wall.

"There is something more important here," says Ephraim. "You know about it, don't you, Agent Night."

Hiroaki slowly opened the lids of his eyes, welcoming Ephraim with a cold stare.

Berthold and the others stared at the two members of the task force, who were looking at each other with piercing, heavy gazes.

"Genetically modified flowers are subjects for something else," Ephraim says, his eyes locked with Hiroaki. "Based on what Anna showed us, it seemed this is not the case where a research had gone awry. It is evident that they have the control over their 'subjects'. This is the work of the Higher-Ups, am I right?" Ephraim asks.

Hiroaki stood in front of Hiroaki with a profound gaze. He was a tad taller than Ephraim and had a wider lean built. He carried the air of an exceptional soldier—like that of a police dog.

"When I asked Anna if this is the first time she encountered people here, she said no." Ephraim says. "No one but the UHE . . . was trying to retrieve something here. The University of the High East—no, the president himself—was continuing the legacy of UHE's founder, who dedicated himself to find something in ANDROMEDA by assigning the graduating students with below-average grades,"

Esmeralda and the others eagerly listened, obviously unaware of this fact. Berthold however, remained in a calm composure and remained his gaze focused on the two.

"That was the tradition, wasn't it? George Denmark discontinued that by assigning a scholar—me," Ephraim fell silent for a moment. "Now I think personally, this job would better fit a scientist. A researcher. Not an archeologist."

Hiroaki stares at him, still with no response.

"The president since day one has been suspicious for me." Ephraim exclaims. "Especially you. You're his agent—former sergeant Hiroaki Mochizuki,"

"The president obviously was sending this team with a plan at hand. I was aware of that," Ephraim exclaims. "ANDROMEDA's research. Tell me. It's more than those genetically-modified flowers or any monster. It's something different,"

Hiroaki stares at Ephraim, "and how do you know that?" he asked with a measured gaze, as if to test.

"One thing an Archeologist would trust," Ephraim says. "Is anything and anyone's connections to the past."

Ephraim then drew Berthold's gun, with his eyes fixated to Hiroaki, who didn't get startled nor move an inch.

"Now, Hiroaki." Ephraim narrows his eyes. "I know you have been a spy of the president. You are his agent tasked to investigate us. In the most dangerously helpless time, you threw the beeper which was meant to save us. You even knew how to reprogram Anna, which I think would require a high-level tech skill," Ephraim chuckles as he tightened his grip around the gun. "Isn't that odd, Hiroaki-san?"

Ephraim mounted the gun by pulling its hammer. "Talk."

"H-hey, we-we're a team, r-remember!" Esmeralda exclaims, trying to brighten things up with her forced positive demeanor. "W-we should communicate without a condescending manner, r-right?"

"Ooh, finally something interesting," Samuel utters with a grin on his face.

Berthold remained silent, observing the two men looking at each other with the same eyes which had a lot to hide.

"What a wonder you are, Ephraim Hughes." Hiroaki says without breaking composure. "No wonder Oswald entrusted you this mission."

Hiroaki stares at Ephraim, and then to the confused team members.

He broke into a small smile.

"Now let me start with the story of a person from thirty years ago," he says. "The man who started the search for the 'object of great importance'—the man who created the practice of letting the students with poor complacency to embark on the mission to retrieve a seemingly impossible 'object' from this desolated laboratory . . ."

"Let me tell you about the man who had appeared in the recordings of the Hologram." Hiroaki paused for a brief silence.

"You mean . . ."

Hiroaki closed his eyes, "That's right. UHE's founder—a man who was also a part of the Messier crew."

Ephraim's eyes widened.

"The engineer scientist who pioneered the greatest university, and had taken part in an important project in his early years," says Hiroaki.

"The president's late father," Hiroaki exclaims. "Roy Denmark."

Chapter end