An abrupt slam woke Janus up from his slumber. He darted his head up and scanned his surroundings. He was now grounded and the vehicle he was riding in had come to a complete halt inside a dingy white parking garage. In the space adjacent to him was a large and bulky white carrier. Painted in bright red letters was the word “MEDICAL” on the side. He saw Ringa tap on his window, giving him a friendly wave before opening the door for him.

“How was the ride?” she asked. Janus got out of the carrier and into the vast lot. Only a few vehicles filled up the numerous slots of the garage, giving it a vacant feel. He took a step and heard a long echo go throughout the desolate area.

“I apologize. Seems that I dozed off for most of it.”

“Yeah,” Ringa said as she stretched her arms above her head and let out a long yawn. “That ride was longer than I had expected.”

“So this is the Medical Center you were talking about?” Janus asked as his eyes gravitated towards the further ends of the garage. The ends were like tunnels, showing a glimpse of the city’s flying traffic just beyond their view.

“Obviously,” Brielle retorted.

“LMC 68. Twenty-second floor. One of the few places that can give you an Implant,” Ringa said as she walked towards one of the doors along the wall. Brielle and Janus followed. The detective held the door open for both, letting her partner go through first and then Janus. He gave the woman a thankful bow before pausing in the door frame.

A strong chemical scent stunned him in his tracks. He closed eyes and scrunched his face muscles upon being bombarded with what smelt like industrial disinfectant. Waving his hands in front of his nostrils wasn’t enough to diffuse the intense aroma.

“I don’t want to know what kind of operation some poor fellow must have had for them to use the heavy stuff to clean up,” Ringa remarked as she shook her head. Janus started to breath through his mouth so he wouldn’t have to wince from the intense scent. His eyes opened wide as he took in his surroundings; for a medical center, the area looked unkempt. Scraps of paper and lint scattered across the edge of the halls. The paint that covered the bricks of the walls were beginning to chip. The black and white tiles on the floor had stains of brown and red. Janus took a step back and froze in the middle of the entryway once again.

“Are you alright, Janus?” Ringa asked. “Or are you one of those people with a phobia of medical centers?”

“No, not at all,” Janus replied with a shake of his head. “My mother is a doctor. But back in… Oregon… medical centers are usually more…”

“Clean?” Brielle said.

“You said it, not me,” Janus replied.

Brielle opened her mouth, ready to say something until a mechanical whirring silenced her. Everyone turned towards the direction of the noise. Despite it coming from behind a wall, the distinct sound of metal grinding upon metal was clear enough to send chills throughout Janus’ body.

“What was that?” he asked with a flinch. “Please tell me that there is some kind of construction going on.”

Brielle shook her head. “You really haven’t been in an LMC, huh?”

“They’re just performing some kind of operation, Jay.” Ringa placed a hand on Janus’ shoulder and guided him through the entryway as gently as she could but while still forcing him through. “It’s a medical center, after all. It’s not like whatever they’re doing in that room is for you.”

“A-alright.”

“We’re heading this way,” Ringa pointed towards her left. “Very last door.” She led the formation while Janus walked behind her, and Brielle trailed in the very back. They moved in a single file formation, walking close to the right side of the hall so that a doctor pushing a patient on a stretcher could get by. He wore dark green scrubs and a tight blue mask along with a pair of goggles and a tight cap, completely obscuring his face. On the stretcher was someone covered from head to neck in an old, tattered blanket.

“Evening officers,” the doctor said in a muffled voice, bowing his head as he walked by.

“What happened to that guy?” Ringa said, her eye raising upon seeing the patient. His face was red and swollen while his eyes remained closed. Despite the bruised and bloodied skin, Janus could make out that he looked somewhat young. He noticed the victim’s head was twitching a bit while the doctor stopped to look at the detective.

“Another novice Exterminator got in over his head,” the doctor said in frustration. “This is the only one that survived a nearby Ogre attack.”

“Goodness…” Ringa said with a gasp.

“This is getting ridiculous. We’d get an Ogre victim once every few years. But now it’s becoming a monthly occurrence. Not to mention the influx of other Essencima attacks we’ve been getting.”

“Is he going to make it?” Ringa asked.

“Yeah. But he’s going to need be in rehabilitation for a while.”

“Best of luck to both of you,” Brielle remarked.

“Likewise.” The doctor and the patient continued down the hallway while Ringa moved on with the walk.

“Poor guy,” Janus said in a soft voice as he turned his head back to watch the doctor continue down the hallway. “The only survivor?”

“We’ve been having a lot of fatalities with Essencima attacks lately,” Brielle replied coldly.

“And why is that?”

“Labrisson is short-handed when it comes to Exterminators,” Brielle said.

“I can see why.”

“But it’s not just because it’s dangerous,” Ringa started. “It’s because a good portion of the city’s Exterminators have gone missing.”

“What!?” Janus exclaimed. “What happened?”

“If only it were that easy to answer, huh Maulkin?” Brielle asked in a condescending manner.

“That’s what we’ve been trying to figure out ourselves, Jay. Normally we’d track them by homing in on their Implants. Even if they were dead, we’d still be able to home in on their location. Implants still work for a day or so after someone is deceased. But all the Exterminators that have gone missing have nothing to trace.” Ringa’s friendly mannerisms soon turned resolute as she continued to think about the missing people. “Doesn’t help that the number of Essencima that have been spawning has skyrocketed these past few months, either. Between dealing with attacks and getting an influx of missing persons reports, we don’t have much time to do any searching.”

“And we’ve been dealing with a bunch of rookies trying to get in on the Exterminating business now that there isn’t as much competition,” Brielle said. “A lot of them are young and are so desperate for Tokens they’ll take on something like an Ogre without a second thought. And it never ends well.”

“It took Gurk, Itzel and Enidri just to take out one!” Janus replied.

“Exactly. And the fact that Labrisson is paying more per Essencima kill isn’t making matters easier,” Brielle continued.

“Not to mention all of the civilians that get caught up in all of this Essencima insanity. Sometimes it seems like Labrisson is approaching its breaking point,” Ringa said as she stopped by the last door of the hallway. She paused to shake her head. With a quick glance she looked at the number on the sign adjacent to the door to make sure it was the correct one. “Sorry about all the doom and gloom, Jay. I know it might not be what you want to hear when you’re in an LMC.”

Janus rubbed his forehead with one hand before taking in a deep breath through his mouth. “No, it’s fine.” He then exhaled. “I need to know what I’m getting myself into.”