The Intern

“ - Kelly Gerbrook with Channel 6, standing in front of the former headquarters for VaniCorp Technology –”

Click.

“ – Eric Lowry reporting live with BCN. You can see in the distance the ruins of VaniCorp, whose headquarters were destroyed by what critics are calling the ‘TerrorBot’ –”

Click.

“ – a massive robot approximately 60 stories tall moving through Antara was captured by reporters from KY5 –”

Click.

“ – only minor injuries, largely due to the interference of the beloved superhero –”

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“ – Jessica Brown from ATZ News Now, reporting live from where Captain Hollow heroically stopped the TerrorBot at Vanicorp earlier this morning. The pair's brief, twenty-minute battle resulted in nearly 1.2 billion dollars of prop–quick, there he is! Captain! Jessica Brown with ATZ, can you tell us anything about the TerrorBot attack this morning?”

Captain Hollow’s brilliant smile dominated the screen. A metal cylinder shaped like a TerrorBot finger was casually slung over his shoulder. “Well, Jessica, it was a tough one. A giant robot is an unusual brand of miscreant.” The reporter laughed. “Further details are probably best obtained from the excellent investigators at the APD. I’m just here to lend my super strength to the clean-up before the dozers arrive.”

He winked at the camera.

Jessica flashed a dazzling smile and playfully touched his shoulder. “Fair enough, Captain, but the people deserve to know more if there is any hope of finding peace. How can we be certain that the danger has passed?”

“Don’t you worry.” Captain Hollow tapped the metal cylinder on his shoulder, which was roughly the same size and length of a freshly chopped tree log. “I can personally guarantee that the TerrorBot is officially out of commission.”

“Excellent. Once again, the city is in your debt.” Jessica turned to grin at the camera while people continued shuffling debris in the background. “You heard it folks; from Captain Hollow himself, the inhabitants of this city have nothing to fear from the malicious malcontents behind this morning’s attack. Tune in later today to watch ATZ interview survivors from VaniCorp, who claim to have escaped just moments before –”

Click. The screen went dark.

A tall, brown-haired Inspector placed a TV remote onto the metallic table that separated him from the small, hunched figure of a girl. Her black hair was hastily pulled into a messy bun, and an oversized, dirty sweater hung loosely across her shoulders. The girl’s feet tapped restlessly as she tugged at her sleeves. Dark, brown eyes glistened through furrowed brows as she watched the Inspector turn his attention to the file in his hands.

“It says here that you’ve only been employed by VaniCorp for three weeks. Is that correct, Ms. Mead?”

“Yes. Uh, sir. Inspector. Um, I’m actually – or I was actually – not an employee there, just an intern. Unpaid intern. Otherwise I’d be an employee. Which you probably already know, sorry. I wasn’t trying to imply you don’t know how internships work –”

“And you were there this morning, when the building was destroyed by a large and hostile robot?”

“Y-yes, sir.” Lara Mead nodded and clasped her hands tightly on her lap. The Inspector casually unbuttoned the jacket of his suit and sat on the chair across from her while gently placing the file between them.

“Why don't we just start at the beginning?” He smiled. “Tell me again what you told my Detective this morning.”

Lara shivered as sweat rolled down her back. The bright light from an overhead lamp promised warmth, but did little to dispel the chill seeping into her skin. Her clammy palms moved up and down her pants leg as she recounted what she experienced several hours prior to being escorted into the precinct.

“Okay…so, I had gotten to work a little late because I kept snoozing my alarm, and usually I have to grab coffees for everyone in the office. I was already feeling stressed because, well, I mean, it’s a lot of drinks. There’s like, twelve people in our department, maybe? In the office, I mean – more work remotely.” She waved her hands in front of her, as if attempting to swirl the air.

“Never mind. Sorry. So, I had to get all these coffees, which made me kind of late getting to the office, and happened to see – not when I first arrived – but, afterward, I saw the robot through the windows just…wrecking things and stuff. So I ran into the office a–wait, sorry. Let me backtrack.” Lara closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose, pausing for only a second before continuing.

“I was interning in, like, the research department of VaniCorp. My boss is – er, was? – the manager for the development team. The office they work out of just has like this massive console that they usually use to test prototypes and stuff. So…when I rushed into the room too…I dunno. Shout or warn everybody I guess. I was carrying all these coffees and–well, actually, I’m getting ahead of myself…Sorry.”

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Her hands paused their rapid movements about the air, which made the trembling of her fingertips more apparent. The Inspector blinked slowly as he waited for her to continue.

“So. The coffee. Um. I walked in the building and the place was kind of…deserted? There was nobody in the lobby or anything. When I got off the elevator on the tenth floor, that’s when I saw the robot through the windows, on my way into the office with the coffees. So I ran to warn everyone but…there was, like, no one there. Just my boss and a couple of guys working the console, which was strange because there were no prototypes in the box, erm, the thing in the center of the room where robots and stuff are usually tested. Anyways, my boss and those guys, I’m terrible with names sorry, looked super surprised to see me. My boss – that’s Mr. Henry Dale, I don’t know if you already know that – was like, ‘What are you doing here? You’re not supposed to be here!’

So I said something like, ‘I have the coffees, I bring the coffees, sir.’

Then he shouted, ‘Do you not see what’s going on right now!’

At this point, I kind of forgot about the robot because…well...I was confused, and Mr. Dale’s angry with me for doing my job, and…Anyways. Um.

Mr. Dale looks at me and goes, ‘You need to get out of here right now!’

So…I got pretty nervous.”

Lara glanced down at her bouncing legs and tried to still them with pressure from her hands.

“Like, more than usual. When he yelled, I stumbled backwards, tripped, and sent the coffees flying out of my arms and onto the console, which started throwing sparks. Then I heard them freaking out and shouting things like ‘You idiot!’ and ‘We need to get out of here before that thing gets here!’ and ‘What are we gonna do?!’

…So, my head was hurting because it hit the ground a little bit, and I didn’t have time for breakfast since I also woke up late, so I was a little out of it when the building kind of started shaking and I heard, like, loud noises outside which I assumed were coming from the robot –”

The Inspector silenced her with a raised hand. “Ms. Mead, please try to focus on describing the chain of events.”

“Right, sorry.” She nodded her head and scooted back into the chair while rubbing her palms on her pants leg. “Um…so, basically, my boss and those guys were gone by the time I started getting up. I was going to run when I realized I was alone in the console room, but I happened to glance at the screens and saw something that kind of looked like…I don’t know. A virtual reality game? A first-person-shooter-type thing?

Through that I recognized the VaniCorp building and realized that, um, maybe they were somehow controlling the giant robot? So, I rushed over to try and stop it before someone gets hurt but it was sparking and covered in coffee so I just started button smashing everything which probably wasn’t the best tactic –”

“Ms. Mead.”

“Sorry. Um, long story short, something must’ve worked because these big red letters popped up, a countdown started, and I guess the robot began shutting down because it stopped in front of VaniCorp. Though, it wasn’t, like, completely enough, I guess, because it crashed into the building. That’s when Captain Hollow came bursting through a wall – he probably heard me screaming with his super hearing or something – and flew me out before the whole building collapsed. I thought maybe I should tell someone what happened so I found a police officer to talk to and tried to tell him as much as possible before I forgot. My head was still hurting a little then. It still hurts now, but I’m feeling much better. But, basically, I think, maybe, VaniCorp was controlling the robot.”

Lara finally remembered to breathe after proposing this conclusion. She rapidly bounced her legs while awaiting the Inspector’s response. Her palms opened and closed on her lap as she struggled to discern his blank expression. Several moments passed before he spoke.

“Can anyone corroborate your story?”

“Umm…no. Can-can we maybe get the security footage for the building? Do you think that would’ve survived the collapse?”

The Inspector sighed. “So you expect me to believe that you accidentally were in the building at the precise moment that employees of VaniCorp were engaging in criminal activity, managed to neutralize a highly sophisticated technological threat, and miraculously survived a catastrophic building collapse with hardly a scratch on you?”

“Ye-yes, sir. Sorry.” Lara’s hands were clammy again. She crossed one shaky leg over the other, then switched them, then placed both feet back on the floor.

“I’m sorry Ms. Mead, but without substantial evidence that your involvement today was as innocent as you claim, you’re considered a suspect in the investigation."

“Oh.” Lara’s eyes welled with tears as she struggled to keep her breathing even. Now her whole body was rocking back and forth as the emotions she was trying to contain threatened to escape. “I understand, I’m sorry. Is there anything I can do to help? Not that you need my help, I mean, you’re an Inspector, I’m just…sorry, I don’t mean to cry” – she wiped her nose – “it’s just, it’s been a really long day and I’m a little stressed because I don’t really know what to do and I could’ve died and I’ve had a headache since this morning and it’s making it really hard t-to-to think –”

“Ms. Mead –”

“ – sorry, I know, I’m sorry, m-my stomach keeps grumbling, I haven’t eaten since last night –”

“Ms. Mead –”

“ – that’s m-my fault, sorry.” Lara viciously rubbed her eyes with her sleeves as she attempted to regain composure. Her breaths were riddled with hiccups as her sobs filled the room. The Inspector stood from his chair and bridged the gap between them to pat Lara’s back while she attempted deep, shaky breaths.

“Ms. Mead…calm down. This is standard procedure. If your testimony is true, then you’ve nothing to fear from an investigation. My Detective will escort you to the hospital for evaluation. You’re probably experiencing some shock.”

Lara nodded vigorously as she was guided out of the interview room and into the hallway, where the Inspector handed her off to a waiting Detective. He watched her trembling shoulders disappear around a corner before collecting the documents from the interrogation room to bring them to his office. The day was a flurry of urgent phone calls, questions, and media dodging as the department struggled to contain the TerrorBot threat and apprehend the person responsible for its chaos and destruction.

Outside his window, the warm, late afternoon light faded to a cold blue then back into soft, early morning yellows as the Inspector worked overtime to resolve the case quickly. The sight of nosy reporters camped outside the precinct kept his muscles tense. Sifting through hundreds of papers, taking late phone calls, and conducting last minute interviews with suspects apprehended by the APD passed the hours quickly. Several cups of coffee and a short power nap later, he was interrupted by a knock at his door.

“Come in.” The blonde-haired Detective who had taken Lara’s statement, and escorted her to the hospital yesterday, cheerfully entered. He held a thick folder and grinned widely as he approached the Inspector’s desk.

“We got ‘em, sir. Henry Dale’s full confession. One of our guys apprehended him this morning when he walked into the police station holding his hands above his head. Apparently, Dale was extremely concerned about the fate of Lara Mead after ATZ News Now published a story of her being admitted to the hospital. Some nurse must’ve spilled the beans about her being at VaniCorp when it collapsed. Anyway, Dale corroborated Mead’s testimony. Claims he was under some pressure from investors to land a security contract with the city, after previously being denied due to ‘a lack of necessity for the services VaniCorp intended to provide.’ The TerrorBot was a desperate attempt to increase demand. According to him, at least.”

The Inspector slouched into his soft leather chair as he rubbed the fatigue from his eyes. “And what of Ms. Mead? The lack of people in the building at the time of the incident?”

Nodding, the Detective sat in the chair in front of the Inspector’s desk. “A company wide email was sent out that gave employees the day off, owing to some fabricated story about a building power outage. Dale admitted that the plan was to wreak some havoc, then use the robot to destroy the VaniCorp building after he and his accomplices fled, to prevent any traceback to the company. Only, Mead wasn’t on the email list because she had just begun her internship and wasn’t fully in the system yet. He didn’t even remember she worked there until she showed up with the coffees.”

“So…Dale forgot about the intern, fled in panic when she appeared, then tried to appease his guilt afterward by turning himself in when he discovered she survived being left for dead?”

The Detective pressed his lips into a thin line and nodded.

“What of his two accomplices? Any word on their whereabouts after Mead identified them last night in that ATZ interview?”

“No word yet, sir, though it shouldn’t be long before they’re found since Dale is fully cooperating.”

The Inspector slowly rocked his chair as he considered these developments. Pulling an all-nighter began taking its toll on his mental clarity, and he found it increasingly difficult to sort through the swirl of thoughts in his mind. A dull ache settled into his temples. From their position on the sixth floor of the precinct, the window had a pretty clear view of the rubble and smoke left in the wake of the TerrorBot’s attack over twenty-four hours ago. The city was still reeling from the damage.

“Someone ought to reprieve Ms. Mead of her nerves by informing her she’s been acquitted by Henry Dale’s confession.”

A rapid knock interrupted their conversation. The Inspector’s secretary opened the door and popped her head in the room. “Sorry to interrupt, gentlemen. Inspector, you should probably turn the news on.”

“Which channel?” He asked, while reaching for the remote stored in the bottom right drawer of his desk.

“Any,” she replied, before rushing out. A commotion could be heard just outside the room. He clicked his TV on.

“ – Brown with ATZ News Now, joined by Captain Hollow in the studio today. Captain, thank you for being here.”

“It’s my pleasure, Jessica.” The two exchanged grins.

“Have you heard of the recent reports that an intern identified as Lara Mead was responsible for the neutralization of the TerrorBot yesterday morning?”

“Ah – yes. I actually carried Ms. Mead out of VaniCorp’s building. She was trapped in a computer room when –”

“Speaking of VaniCorp, is it true you’re being sued for destruction of property? They say you unnecessarily pushed the robot into the building after it was already deactivated by Ms. Mead.”

“Um.” Captain Hollow forced a laugh through a stiff smile. “I was midflight when Ms. Mead was hacking into its software, nobody was aware the robot was shut down until investigators uncovered –”

“What do you know about Lara Mead? A smart, twenty-something-year-old girl with a natural proclivity for self-sacrifice, and a clear technological prowess. Folks are calling her the true hero of yesterday’s attack. Would you agree with that characterization?”

“Well…Ms. Mead’s actions were certainly admirable. Having stopped countless villains myself, I can attest to the difficulties of –”

“Have you heard the rumors that the Mayor of Antara has considered presenting Ms. Mead with the key to the city as a gesture of gratitude?”

“I – what?!”

Click.

“Kelly Gerbrook here with Channel 6, standing outside the residence of Lara Mead –”

Click.

“ – BCN’s own, Eric Lowry, pushing through the crowd where Lara Mead was last sighted –”

Click.

“ – pictures captured of Lara Mead tripping over a curb while attempting to avoid our reporters at KY5 –”

Click.

The men were silent as they stared at the blank screen. A minute passed before the Detective chuckled softly and shook his head.

“Mead’s life will be very interesting these next few months. What would you like me to do, sir?”

A deep sigh escaped the Inspector. “Better bring her in as soon as possible so I can brief her on what to expect. Maybe provide general safety measures to implement into her routine.”

The Detective stood. “On it, sir. Think she can handle the spotlight?”

“Not likely.”