We enter the conference room early to get good seats. It quickly fills up. Members of the Bureau welcome the newcomers and point them to free spots. After a few minutes of waiting, the presentation begins. Ethan, the head of the Bureau, makes the introduction. I remember Ethan well; he was already well-liked at our school, good at sports, and the Student office’s head. He explains the purpose of this conference. They’d like to share some pieces of information they found. After that, other members of the Bureau speak to the audience. They talk about the different areas of the station that they explored. They say of the knowledge they found in the library and how they’ve been searching for clues. The only thing I learn is that the information in the books is also on the computers. They also talk about the girl that disappeared (Harper). They ask if anyone has seen her or has any more info about what happened. At that moment, Lilly encourages me to speak up. I respond with a big no from the head; I hate being in the spotlight. They finish the presentation by telling us to come to see them if we need help. This is quite honorable, but I wonder if they will live up to their word.

I leave my friend after the presentation. I kindly decline their offer to chill outside because I want to check on the library. There are a few people inside. I sit at a free computer spot, and my wrist allows me to log in. On the screen, I have access to most of the apps that I already have on my wrist, plus a few others. Of course, there is no internet, but some intranet with a vast database. The search engine here turns out to be quite helpful; instead of going through the books, you just have to type your question to view all the related results. But as I enjoy that tool, someone interrupts me.

“Joshua, right ?” it is Chloe from the Bureau. Lilly told them about my story, and they want to know more. “Would you mind coming with me ?”. I am bothered that she interrupted me, but I agree to follow her. I had a few classes with her; Chloe is friendly with everyone, and I do not want to be rude.

She leads me to some open space that the Bureau use as its headquarters. There are documents on the tables, and I can see tones of notes on a large whiteboard; they have been putting out the work. She directs me to an isolated glass office, where someone is waiting to receive me. That is Derek. Chloe invites me to sit before joining the other side of the desk.

To put things into context: Derek is a worse version of Ethan. His popularity made him contemptuous, or maybe it is the other way around. I’ve met the guy multiple times, and he does not like me for some obscure reason.

He gives me a fake smile as I sit: “Hey man, how are you doing?”. We exchange a few words before starting the interview. I explain what happened to me and that the girl they are looking for should be back in a few hours. As expected, they are having trouble believing me. During the discussion, a girl enters to put some papers on Derek’s desk. “Ethan wants you to look at that.” That is Ashley, a girl I had a crush on in college. She doesn’t even look at me as expected and exits the room. As I reflect on how much this girl is out of my league, Chloe interrupts me: “That teleporter, could you show us how it works?”. I reply that I’d rather stay away from it since I couldn’t find a way back last time. After that, they thank me for my time and let me go.

I exit the open space and head to the gym. It is full of guys this time. I find a spot on one of the machines and try to empty my mind. I reflect on this Bureau association; they act as if they were concerned by us, but this is more of a grapple for power. I think about the automatons and that things could have gone wrong if they weren’t here. I think about these wolves and that black knight. That life-threatening experience kind of motivates my workout. If I ever get fit, could I defeat them?

After my workout, I take a shower and change myself. I then proceed to the cafeteria for dinner; I eat alone. After that, I return to my room and put myself to bed.