Felt Wrong

One hundred scientists were gathered inside this two thousand square meters facility with two upper floors. TechNew Labco. always took my breath away as I entered the ground floor, there are machines everywhere, people in white walking with either glasses on their face or clipboards on their hands. 

I drifted my gaze towards the grand cafeteria on my right where people dined in with their partners and talked a lot about the art of science craft and engineering new technologies for the next years.

When I look up, these holograms never fail to amaze me. Who wouldn't be amazed at how this three-dimensional image of our CEO Labrian O'Drey defeated that old machine called Television? Though I have been working here for almost one year, I am still captivated by their inventions!

Their cerebrums must be so fat from extreme eating of full observation about how the natural world works and applying their scientific knowledge into developing a realistic invention that could help the world become a better place to live.

I lowered my head and saw a woman's back with a blonde pixie haircut and wearing black long sleeves and a long denim skirt. She is sitting alone in a chair while playing with a tiny robot on the table. "Awesome!" I screamed that caught her attention, "Is that a robot?"

When she looked at me, her brows are pulled together and her eyes are narrowing at me. "Ah... Who are you?" she asked, raising her left brow.

"Oh!" I forgot that made me blink my eyes rapidly before answering, "I am Albert."

"Einstein?"

"Haha, that's a good one! That's my name on a game!" I dragged a chair out of her table and kept laughing as I sat on it.

When I am done laughing, I placed my right hand on top of the table and sighed. I smiled at her but she wasn't amused by me.

"Ahem," I cleared my throat and gulped for courage then let out a serious answer, "I am Albert Unston, and you?"

Her face calmed down and resumed what she was doing before I was not disturbing her. I just noticed that her lashes are thick and long. "Theora," she mumbled.

"Cool!" I exclaimed and made me smile, "It sounds like the origin of the word 'Theory', don't you think?"

Theora glanced at me for a short moment then shrugged. "Eh..." she disagreed.

"Not a talker..." I whispered and thought that she won't hear it but she raised her brow at me and smirked. Alright, let's take that smirk a smile.

I kept watching her programming the tiny robot by using her laptop. She looked above my head that made me turned around. 

"Mister Unston, glad you made it."

"Sir Tristan! I was --"

"You are three minutes late! Shall I escort you outside or to your station?"

"I am sorry, Sir." 

Sir Tristan is my fat, strict boss. I am working here as a cook, serving in the cafeteria. I am not a scientist, I am just a boring individual who flips meat with a spatula.

OK! I won't lie anymore, I am just a dishwasher. Sighs, I hate my job.

"Miss Carter," he faced Theora and greeted, "Welcome to TechNew Labco., shall I escort you to your desk?"

"Thank you, Sir Tristan," Theora stood and smiled at him. Theora placed her laptop, wires, and robot in a bag and bid goodbye to me by giving me a slight smile.

Theora and Sir Tristan left me at the table wondering when will be the time that the big bosses will let me go to the upper floor of the great wizards in our world?

Nevermind, it's no use dreaming the impossible. I left the table and jumped into the dirty kitchen. Let me sing a song for you — plates in the sink, gloves on my hand, scrub the sponge and wash it clean then dry it 'til it's done!

After that was two in the afternoon and that's the time where scientists and technologists are extremely busy. I went outside the kitchen and went to a table on the corner of the cafeteria to nap. 

I let out an annoyed groaned when I can't shut my brain to sleep. So, I withdrew my Sony PSP from my pocket and played an RPG — role-playing game — called The Robot Invaders. I have been playing with this for one month and I will be defeating a boss named Robust ROB.

This RPG has the best gameplay world that was developed so far! Countless quests and awesome characters. The graphics are great and the story is well thought.

I loaded the game and successfully log me in. I roamed around the place called Gears and bought weapons for I, Einstein, will be defeating Robust ROB. 

When I am done buying weapons, I selected the world Abandoned ROB and teleported directly to the place. I looked for the gate to Robust ROB's prison and opened it with the key I got from my previous mission.

My eyes widened and parted my lips when the gate opened, a bright light filled in all over my PSP's screen and... glitched?

"What the heck?" I mumbled and keep pressing the exit button. "This PSP is trying to annoy me," I complained and throw the PSP on the table.

When it landed on the table, a white light streaked out of its screen and something is glitching outside the screen. It's like a hologram.

"What the..."

It's like a three-dimensional image of... a character from the game. Huge form, rustic design...

"Oh shit!" I moved away from the table and the hologram slowly showed Robust ROB moving towards me.

"Fuck..." I whispered and went behind a wall.

"Einstein..." Robust just called me! His deep raspy voice sends a cold sensation to my nerves and making the hairs of my arms and legs stand up from fear. I gulped and couldn't shut my wide eyes from panic. 

I ran towards the exit door and I did not mind him seeing me. I am trembling from fear! I don't know what to do.

"There you are..." Robust said and chased me with his heavy and creaking steps.

Robust ROB is made from metallic scraps but the toughest boss I have never defeated. He was programmed to kill humans but was imprisoned by his inventor when he became greedy and self-aware.

"I wish I did not open the gate!" I cried and tried to open the door to get out of this place.

"Come here!" Robust yelled and picked me up. His huge rustic hand grabbed me and lifted me, leveling me to his red eyes. 

"You thought you could defeat me?" he said and tighten his grip on my lower body.

I tried to pull my arms out of his hand but he is too strong. "Put me down!" I begged and kept struggling.

"Wake up, Einstein!" Robust laughed and his red eyes glowed brighter, "You're gonna die."

He opened his mouth and slowly move my body towards it. "No, please..."

"Bye-bye..."

He has these sharp steel teeth and he has no tongue. As he slowly put me inside, I felt a warm temperature wrapping around my body. I am sweating, huge sweats rolling over my body!

"No... No!" I screamed and closed my eyes. 

"Hey!" a familiar voice.

"Einstein..." a gentle voice of a woman.

"Wake up!"

It's Theora!

"What!" I yelled and rattled.

I was just dreaming?

"Haha!" Theora laughed.

I looked at Theora who is laughing non-stop. I am still catching my breath and couldn't calm my nerves.

I thought something real happened but, sighs, I felt wrong.

"By the way, since you know a lot about science. I told my father about you. Maybe you can help me program my tiny robot called Tiny AIs."

I blinked once and twice before giving her an answer. "Yeah? Father? Who?"

"Oh! I am Theora O'Drey, daughter of Labrian O'Drey."

"Oh..." I whispered and tried to understand what she just said, "What!?"

Something is wrong with this day! Am I still dreaming!? Or... am I in heaven?