"Bee-dee-dee-deep! Bee-dee-dee-deep!"

The familiar sound of an alarm, ever so annoying for anyone who was within its area of effect. Even if I was the one who set it up last night, I couldn't help but furrow my brows in frustration as I wanted to continue with my slumber.

“Where is it?.. where is it…?”

Wishing to put a stop on it as soon as possible, I searched for it frantically. Without the aid of my eyesight, I tried to locate the source using my hands. Blindlessly touching the ground where I am currently lying down as I was certain that it was nearby. But it seemed that my assumption was wrong as I found nothing after repeating the same course actions twice. Soon enough my patience was spent up as I lifted my head abruptly.

“Bang!”

My head hit something hard, extremely hard, but the expected stimuli from my body didn't quite follow. Maybe it was due to the fact that I was sleep deprived these past few days, the condition of my body was deteriorating.

“Ouc--!..”

There it was, a good wake up call, more efficient than an alarm. Nevertheless, the drawback was that my head experienced an excruciating amount of pain that I inadvertently bit my own tongue. The pair of emerald eyes that was previously shut tight opened immediately, a bit of tears welling up from the side.

What I saw was the bottom of a machine. Various wirings and contraptions tightly packed within this confined space. A nightmare for an electronic engineer as all components were clumsily arranged, not even considering the fact that if this thing was broken, the chances repairing it were slim, almost nil.

But I couldn't do anything about it, after all i'm only an apprentice and my knowledge about this field was only from books, imagining how it works and not really particular as to how it looks.

Not too long after that, all of my senses were woken up at last. Adding to the previous pain I received, my whole body ached. My sleeping posture wasn’t that bad and I had no habits of excessive movement during sleep. The only thing that could cause this was the fact that I was sleeping on nothing but hard, cold pavement.

“Auu… Damn it!”

I complained to myself as I crawled out of this hell hole, enduring the muscles that were screaming in pain.

It felt like I was a soldier trainee who was crawling under those barbed wire obstacles seen in military training.

Heck who am I kidding im too weak for that! Maybe I need to exercise more, stretching only I mean. I just want to continue with this project without a care about anything at all.

“Sigh at last…”

I heaved a sigh of relief as soon as I saw the light. Experiencing such things first thing in the morning made me a bit more delusional compared to usual and the only thing that was in my mind was the comfortable sensation of lying on top of a luxurious bed.

However, even before I managed to stood up from this awkward position, another annoying sound reached through my ears.

“Attention! Professor Sanders presentation about his latest project will commence within 2 hours. All researchers please proceed to the conference room as soon as possible.”

Numerous full-range speakers were installed throughout strategic points within the premises of the island, usually placed inside a member’s designated workplace in order to convey announcements with much more ease.

And unfortunately, my planned rest day was interrupted by this sudden announcement which came from one of those speakers. It felt like my body ,that was already feeling heavy, carried another 10 kilogram load of laziness.

After starting the day in such a bad way it was only natural for me to feel this way. But still, work was still work. It would be bad for my mentor when other members found out that his one and only apprentice was slacking off from his duties.

“Haaa…”

As I lifted my body up completely, a large yawn that sounded like a sigh escaped from my mouth that opened subconsciously. The dimly lit room which reeked of the smell of rubber and metal came into view. Filled with various kinds of machines, this warehouse served as the storage for all the island’s surplus machinery and equipment. Some dating back to the technology used in the cold war and some of the latest approved ones were also present here. Industrial machineries, automated instruments used in medicine and even some discarded weapons used in warfare were lying here and there.

But it seemed that only a small percentage of them still works, as they were just left there to rot. If these machines were alive, they would surely be sad since their creators had forgotten them completely.

“Such a waste..”

I muttered to myself as I surveyed the whole place once again. Almost all of them filled with dust and some rusted too badly.

One would surely not imagine that this place would be a research laboratory, but yes it was true.

For one to be accepted in the Order of the Phantom, a doctorate degree was the most important requirement. And me, who only learned through a certain professor and not even managed to attend either highschool or college, was the first exemption to this rule.

Simply put, I was scouted by the Order itself.

It certainly sounded like I am special. A teenage kid from an orphanage, possessing superior intelligence even among geniuses. Indeed it was true, however not everyone agreed with the idea of me joining the order.

Its time for work again huh..

I thought as I dusted off my laboratory coat while wearing a bit of a tired expression.

The sound of the alarm that was drowned with that unexpected annunciation of one of the renowned scientist of the Order, Dr. William Sanders, presenting his work that was praised even among the senior researchers.

A fully functional anti-matter weapon system which boasted the destructive power of about 1,000 thermonuclear bombs.

Such a weapon ,a hypothetical device that used an antimatter as a power source, finally entered its approval stage.

As far as I know, antimatter could only be produced using particle accelerators. Enormous devices that uses electromagnetic fields to propel charged particles to high speeds and to contain them in well-defined beams. Moreover, obtaining a significant amount of antimatter was unimaginably difficult that all particle physicists who observed his project were left with their mouths agape.

Even so, for him to achieve this breakthrough, Dr. Sanders spent about half a century in trying to find out this new way of utilizing the laws of physics in developing a weapon that could undoubtedly change the definition of the words ‘mass destruction’.

The Order certainly lives up to its reputation of being the most advanced research institute in the world, with its prestigious line up of geniuses that stood at the pinnacle of Science itself.

Simply amazing…

Both my hands were subconsciously balled into fists, feeling proud of myself that I managed to enter this institution at such a young age.

"Bee-dee-dee-deep! Bee-dee-dee-deep!"

After being immersed in such an overwhelming feeling, I eventually regained my senses. The annoying electronic sound of the alarm beeping, once again irritated my ear drums.

It seemed that I’ve been distracted by that announcement too much that I forgot my first objective.

Without further ado, I walked towards the wall in an irritated manner. The familiar electronic clock that was attached to the silver colored wall, blinking lights as if it were christmas lights. The numbers telling that it was currently 9:45 in the morning, emphasized as the lights continued to flash.

I stretched my arms immediately and pressed the off button with a brisk movement of the hand.

*Click*

With that as a cue, the wailing of the clock instantly halted, allowing the ear shattering silence to reclaim its rightful place. Desolation ,befitting for a setting of a horror movie, that would certainly make one’s hair stand on end. Nevertheless, I stood with my back ramrod straight. Unperturbed as I was already used to this kind of environment.

Still unmoving from my current position, I was in a daze. My line of sight, focused on the machine which I crawled out of.

A device straight out of a movie as it exuded a futuristic aura. Supported by a metal frame on its bottom, an invention which resembled an oval mirror frame. There was no mirror attached of course but peculiar wirings were visible even from afar and a computer terminal was attached to one of its sides. The base ,which supports the whole machine, was especially thick. Enclosing the main power supply and the main system that made the whole thing functional.

Someday, I too will obtain success.

I promised to myself while looking at my opened hands. Covered with grease and oil it was dirty. The skin which softness was once comparable to that of a girl, was now full of callouses.

After working non stop from mornings until midnight, my current project has entered its testing phase.

Based on the theory of relativity of Mr. Einstein, this machine was supposedly a machine which creates miniaturized wormholes. Simply put, it was a teleportation machine. Forming bridges to connect two points in space time, theoretically creating a shortcut that could reduce travel time and distance.

For me ,who was only taught quantum physics for roughly five years, achieving this certainly looked like a pipe dream only. Building it from scratch, using salvaged parts found inside the warehouse and materials sent by mentor. Liters of blood and sweat were spent but still this project was far from being completed, not even at the middle.

The main problem was the power source. For it to create a functional wormhole, a colossal amount of electrical energy was needed. Not one, two or even three cold fusion reactors could supply its minimum energy requirement that I had no idea on how to get this machine operational. Even if I use the island’s main power grid it would only lead to a serious power shut down and that would certainly get me into trouble.

Even so I persevered, searching through every nook and cranny for a possible alternative. But right now, what I needed to do was obvious.

Take a nice and thorough bath as my current appearance would only cause commotion if I go there right now. Furthermore, my mentor who was outrageously obsessed when it comes to tidiness would surely be present there and being scolded right in front of my other colleagues would certainly be embarrassing for me.