CHAPTER 7

MEETING SHIFFAR

To their left, there was a platform much similar to the one they encountered before but instead of steps that led up wards a higher ground, there was a door that laid in wait just ahead of them.

The team without a moment’s waste of time pressed on beyond the door through the wide corridor that lay ahead of them.

Mirika: When we were in the Artificial Intelligence Transport, you called this place “Center”. Why’s that?

Emmanuel: Kato and Guan didn’t tell you?

Kato: (*Sigh) She was quite busy...

Emmanuel: And that’s why I’m the best at this stuff. I’m guessing you know Shiffar has had somewhat of an awakening, right?!

Mirika: Yes, that much he told me.

Emmanuel: And here I was itching to give you the gist of it. Well, you see, Shiffar’s ability is what you’d call a convenience. It really just came along when we needed it, truly. Erhh… How do I put it?

Would you believe me if I told you we can’t be found on the surface of the planet no matter how hard anyone looked?

Nablon: Erh?!

Mirika: I’m not sure I’m following either.

Emmanuel: Looks like I get to give the details after all. Yes, Shiffar’s ability is convenient but it wasn’t easy to set up everything at first. Upon running some tests and experimenting with it for quite a while, we came to know that it has a range and the range it covers depends on where he’s standing. And as such we had a fun time calculating for the center of where we are. Skipping all the boring details and explanations, we found a particular area and with the help of a little simulation, that area was marked out.

Nablon: So then, that means “Center” is the place where his ability encompasses the entirety of this area. Cool.

Emmanuel: Newbie, you catch on fast.

Walking pass by a couple of doors, they finally made a stop at a particular door; there was nothing special about how it looked or anything of that sort. It was just like any automated door, opened when someone approached and closed as such.

Emmanuel: This is the place.

Arriving at the room that laid beyond the door, a handful of the security agency members were present in the room monitoring the geographical surroundings on screen. A few meters ahead of them, in a secluded room set apart from where they stood; Shiffar was confined in what looked to be an interrogation room. Viewing from the outsides of the glass, Shiffar was suspended in the air as two dense layers of air surrounded his body in a circle form.

Mirika: Is that…

Guan: How long has he been like that?

Emmanuel: It’s been 6 days since his last break.

Kato: [Walks closer to the mirror]

Sorry for putting you through this Shiffar. Does he take breaks at least?

Petra: From time to time. He said to tell you not to worry.

Kato: I said he could do this when the enemy is approaching, but I don’t recall telling him to sit through it like this.

Petra: And that’s why he didn’t want you down here. You worry too much.

He knew you’d pull him out the moment you found out he was doing something so outrageous also one of the reasons he said not to let you in here and only to alert you when there was something serious.

Mirika: Kato… seriously you should know him better than this.

Petra: That’s right. Shiffar puts pride into keeping everyones safety ever since he obtained this ability.

No, even before his awakening, he’s always been working up to the best of his abilities to make sure every one can rest easy. He’s been working even harder since his awakening, honing his skills as much he can to keep everyone safe.

Mirika: That’s right, that’s right, and he’d say something like;

“It’s my duty to make sure we’re safe, otherwise things will get busy for Kato. If I’ll spend my entire life keeping the enemy at bay, I’d gladly do so.”

His pride as head of security is just above him, at this rate Petra won’t have the chance to scold him any more.

Petra: Humph! I’ll go scold him in the after life and drag him back here and scold him some more.

Kato: Seeing as I haven’t been allowed to set foot here since all this started, how is everything been coming along?

Petra: So far so good, we’re holding up. Ever since we started, it was basically a one man job. We just sat back and ensured his needs are met when he came to, and boy does he have a hell of an appetite.

Mirika: One man job?

Petra: Yes. At first that is. He just relayed any vital information from around the “dome” and within to us when he came to.

Nablon: Is something like that even remotely possible?

Petra: Very much. But after observing for a while, I spoke to him about the disadvantages of how everything was and how efficient it would be if he was not the only one on the look out, seeing as we’d be able to respond quickly to outside threats and such.

Mirika: And what is this “dome” you speak of?

Petra: Shiffar’s ability… as he is now when you look at him is like a miniature form of the actual thing.

Nablon: What do you mean?

Petra: I’d like to show you but the actual thing is a bit complicated.

Emmanuel: Think of Shiffar’s ability as a type of a dome with special properties.

Guan: Ah…. The satellite.

Petra: That was what we wanted to rely on but… *sigh*. I think all this is better explained if you see for yourselves.

She walks to one of the computers and enters a set of commands as an image appears on the screen.

Petra: This is a real time view of our location according to the satellite.

Mirika: Real time view? You’re kidding right?

Kato: It’s just as Emmanuel said. I mean I thought it was some sort of defensive ability but this… this is far beyond what I imagined.

Nablon: There’s nothing! We’re not on the map.

Guan: This could come in handy.

Em: Told ya!

Mirika: But I don’t understand. How is he maintaining something of this scale? This area is at least 1,000km²?

Kato: It’s his ability. Learn to listen for once in your lifetime.

Mirika: Just now, what did you say?

Kato: You heard me right!

Mirika: Stupid Kato!

Kato: I don’t know how you got to develop such genes.

Petra: Kato!!!! Mirika!!!!

YOU TWO REALLY WANT SOME GOOD SCOLDING HUHH!!!

I THOUGHT I TOLD YOU NOT TO INTERRUPT WHEN I’M TALKING!

Kato/Mirika: Forgive us Mom. (They both said in a soft manner.)

Petra: Who are you calling mommy, you numb nuts, want me to crush your skull?!

Kato/Mirika: We’re sorry Petra.

Petra: Hmph?! Very well.. If you interrupt me like that again, I’ll definitely crack some skulls. I don’t care who it is but some one is going to go home with a misshaped skull.

This the aerial view using the satellite engineered by Neo with the help of Professor Omega of course.

Mirika: Where are those blue little circles that keeps flashing coming from?

Kato: Can you zoom in a bit more, I’m not sure of what I’m looking at.

Nablon: It’s the dome Emmanuel spoke of.

Mirika: That means that’s us!

A closer view showed a light blue circle mounted on their location (like a glass bowl covering a bunch of candies on a table) and it had a hazy mixture of white and blue energy all around making it hard for one to see through.

Petra: The dome/energy field generated by Shiffar seems to have some type of cloaking ability and as such everything we tried to do wasn’t much help. That satellite could only give us aerial supervision of the area around Shiffars’ dome. For activities that go on inside, we're blind wth the satelite but we have cameras and drones surveying the areas.

Guan: You’ve been rambling on ever since we got here. Just get to the point already.

Not having much for a comeback, Petra pins up her glasses as she sternly stares at Guan. She kept staring on intensely as the environment around them became quite deafening.

Petra: Since some of you seem to be in a hurry, I’ll cut to the chase.

We’ll be safe from now on as long as Shiffars’ dome is active. And don’t worry, no tech can breach it, and even if it can I doubt that’d be possible. So in a nutshell, the situation is under control. What are your orders Kato?

Kato: I’d like to take the fight to them but today… let’s just say today is not the day. Let them look as hard as they can. We can sit back and relax for today.