Golden Ticket

It was Friday afternoon, I was tired but I wanted to stay in the laboratory to work on my research. My coffee mug was empty and I was tired, couldn’t get enough sleep cause of the work.

I did not want to go back to my room, spending time with a bunch of boring kids that mock me because I don’t party with them. I was looking at my computer screen and talking to myself:" Why life is so boring? what am I doing here? I want to get out of here ."

grabbed my coat and put on my cap. closed my backpack and headed out of the university lab and saw a big van in the parking lot.

I grabbed a coffee from the cafe, down the library and walked out of the building.

it was snowy and my roommates were walking to residences. I could still see the van in the parking lot.

I saw the professor with a bagel in his mouth, opening the car door.

I was walking up the hill and no one was there. Suddenly I saw the van started moving. I took out my phone checking the emails and I could hear the car getting closer and closer.

I stopped to put my phone in my bag and then suddenly I saw a big guy in a grey coat and a suitcase in his hand, walking behind me. he smiled at me and I smiled back.

I started walking faster and I could hear his steps too. Suddenly, I saw another guy the same size as the other, same coat, walking to me.

For some seconds I started thinking these are a nice outfit for security, but after a while, I realized what if they are going to kidnap me.

Suddenly I felt a hand on my arm. the guy behind me grabbed my arm and suddenly I saw the other guy who was in front of me grabbed my hand. I stepped back, but there where no place to go or run.

I could not say anything or I could not shout for help. They were big guys and my little knowledge of martial arts would not help. one of them caught my hands and put on the cuffs on me and said: “You should come with us, Lady”.

I was shocked and started stopping them by yelling " I have done nothing let me go”.

" You already know what you have done, keep your words for the boss,” the other guy said.

he grabbed me and put me in the back of the van. I could see there was a guy under a hoodie, in handcuffs. he was unconscious.

I was terrified and I could not find a reason that I was in handcuffs. My whole life was passing in front of my eyes. I came up with everything just to explain what just happened. Back of my head was burning my eyes started seeing sparkles, and my ears were buzzing.

I could not see anything from outside, where we were going or what’s going on. but I could hear the sound of machines near the mines. it was probably somewhere outside of the town where the chrome mines were.

after some minutes the van stopped and the guy opened the door and took off my handcuffs and woke up the other guy.

" Are we free to go back home? Did you make a mistake? " I started asking constantly.

" Stop it, Liza! " The guy took off his hoodie and said with a loud voice.

every one stopped.

" Luca! What are you doing here? " I yelled

" You are a Yeller," the big guy said

" No I’m not a Yeller, I’m just panicked, you idiot " I replied

" Hey listen, you two stop talking we have no time to lose here, we should get you on that plane right now, move it or I move for you," the other big guy said with throbbing voice.

" Plane? what plane? " Luca asked

" Okay Grab them both we need to be on the plane " Big guy said and pointed at us.

The other big grabbed both of us like pick up a t-shirt and ran to the plane while we both hitting him to put us down.

At last, we both found ourselves on a plane heading to some kind of secret place.

" We are heading north California, " Luca said to the guy sitting at the back of the plane gazing at us.

Luca continued “I know, that tie is not for you, that belongs to the other guy. you just don’t like ties, do you ?”.

" Shut up whip-smart” he answered and kept gazing.

“You should wait till she talks, she’s going to ruin your life in some minutes,” Luca said and laughed.

" Stop it, Luca, that is not funny. What is going on? shouldn’t you be in New York? who are these guys? why we are going to north-west California? " I asked.

Luca turned to the big guy and said: " I told you she is good at it.”

I hit him in his arm and said madly " You talk to me, I can’t imagine what is going on "

" can you remember that circuit we designed for the competition in Berlin?” he looked at me and asked, nodding his head and continued, " I think there is something about it, also you left the university for that research in Canada and I was far away from home doing that nuclear project "

I looked at him and said " we are normal students "

" We may think that, but we made that chip. Now we are here in the hand of a secret society which wanna force us to make them more to make … make a weapon to destroy the whole world " he said and giggled.

" I will punch you now," I said.

" We are going to land now, stay still, " the big guy said .. still gazing.

" I wanna go back to my room and sleep," I said with a sad face, looking outside of the window.

The plane landed and we got out of the plane, got into a car and heading to a laboratory. It was not a long time we were in the car and having the conversation about how the car can be fixed, we saw a big area full of tents.

We started betting on what kind of dreadful scientific stuff they were working on and how we are going to end dead.

We got out of the car and walked into the nearest tent.

" Look at this baby over here, Liza. this is the coolest telescope on planet earth” Luca said and hugged the telescope.

" you should check this out! I see it in my dreams to have a printer like this. Oh, father of technology, I am blessed! " I said.

" You two ! don’t touch the machines, walk with us and don’t say another word,” the big guy said angrily.

" Spoilsport” Luca said and looked away.

" I can Punch you easily," I said

" Do you want the handcuffs again ?" the big guy said.

" No, no .. " We said and continued walking.

we walked into a new tent where there was a secret door opening to a building. The big guy took out a card with his name on it.

" James! Oh, your name is James, big guy number one” I said and smiled.

He looked at me and said:" I really like your short hair "

I looked back at him and surprised.

We walked along straightway to reach a big door made out of iron. James opened the door with his card and we all went in.

There was a big room, and there was a tall man, short dark brown hair, and in a lab coat, standing in front of the big bookshelf reading a book and writing down something out of the book.

" Hey Sir, we have the kids for you here," James told the tall man.

He pointed out with his pencil and replied " I’ll be there in a minute, thanks”

" This is a cool place," Luca said

The man put back the book on the shelf and walk to us.

" Hello Guys, Welcome to my house,” he said and shook our hands.

" Hello, may I ask Who the hell you are? we flew all the way here, we were in handcuffs and we were dying to understand why we were arrested by these two new versions of Hercules " Luca yelled

" You are yelling now," I said silently.

" Sorry, I’m just so angry, sorry about that. You have a cool house " Luca said

" they put you in handcuffs? " He asked and looked at James.

" I’m sorry about whatever they did to you. these are big guys doing bold things. I really needed to meet you both in person " he said and continued:" I’m Alex by the way. and I didn’t want you in handcuffs " turned to James and said angrily.

" Okay, what is this that so important you needed to meet us," I said and ….

he looked at me said " About that, I am doing research on medical engineering and I need professionals. I have met too many people but none of them is like you two. I have read your articles Liza, and your work on microchips is fantastic, also you both were medical students”.

" What should we do for you now? " Luca asked

" Tell me how you made your circuit and stay here do more scientific research with me "

“ I think it was worth it being in handcuffs,” Luca said

He passed us a contract with lots of things in it.

I was looking at the papers and they were so confusing, so I throw them on the table and said: " This is ridiculous, we flew all the way here. you could easily email us. we have phones. you could give us a call ."

Alex was drinking his coffee and replied:" I am working for myself, no university, no organization. Also you two have some stuff in your profiles, secret agents !.’

Luca and I looked at each other and suddenly James came into the room and said: " We need to go, Doctor”.

“So you two, you can stay here to think about all the conditions. I need to fly to somewhere for my conference” Alex said.

He took off his lab coat and wore his jacket walked to me and gave me a hug and suddenly said:" I kind of like your hair, Liza! see you later.”

Luca giggled and sat on the couch.

It was midnight and we were both thinkings if we are going to accept the offer.

Luca was trying that telescope on the balcony and I was thinking about what happened in the past.

" We have been in handcuffs before, aren’t we? I asked and supped up my tea.

Luca walked into the room and sat on the table and told " Look, Liza, I think we should take the offer. Yes, we have been in the cuffs before, several times. We did all that scientific dangerous adventures and we can’t escape it. look where we are now. It's our chance to ditch all those boring things.”

I took a deep breath and looked down.

" I think you are right, we are science freaks, this a golden ticket," I told him and he took my hand.

Two months later we both were in white coats working in the laboratories and burly guys were serving us coffee and cinnamon rolls.

" You fixed that fume hood ?" Luca asked.

" That’s fixed, Doc!” I answered.

… and days were passing ….