Episode 05 | Alexander
Alexander knows two things for sure: everyone loves a dedicated, nerdy scientist who burns the midnight oil, and when you start digging, you’re bound to uncover things you’d rather not know.
This morning, Zoe played it cool, deflecting with her usual humor, but he wasn’t fooled. Patience is one of his better qualities; he can wait for answers. But his curiosity won’t allow him to let this go. He’ll find out what’s in her file, and if he has to piece the whole story together himself, so be it. He lets out a deep sigh. *Shit—I’m becoming more like my father every day.*
His father, a Nobel Prize-winning humanitarian, had once stood for truth and integrity so fiercely that he ended up on multiple hit lists. He was assassinated when Alexander was studying in Tokyo. But behind the public image, his father suffered from severe borderline personality disorder, a secret the family kept guarded all his life. Alexander admired his father’s uncompromising search for truth but also understood the torment that came with it. *Maybe that’s why I became a physicist,* he muses. *In science, truth may be elusive, but it’s not hidden for long.*
With a sense of resigned determination, Alexander heads to the records office, where files on staff are quietly stored. He spots Joseph, the data security specialist, typing away at his station. Perfect.
“Hey, Joseph, buddy,” Alexander says casually. “My system’s updating, but I’m deep into this research and might be here all night. Mind if I use one of the spare stations? Looks like everyone’s gone home already.”
Joseph grins, giving him a thumbs-up. “Go for it, Alex. Can’t say no to a professor pulling an all-nighter, especially unpaid.” Alexander flinches slightly at “Alex”—he’s never liked the nickname, especially from people who don’t really know him.
Settling down, he watches Joseph out of the corner of his eye. A quick glance at his desktop confirms where Zoe’s file would be stored. *Humans,* he thinks, shaking his head. The ones who can’t spell your name right usually take the easiest path in everything else, too.
Within five minutes, he’s located the folder, and in another fifteen, he’s gained access—all while sharing a truly revolting tuna salad sandwich with Joseph. He has to suppress a grimace. *The truth is slippery and, in this case, tasteless.*
The file begins with Zoe as a toddler. *What the hell?* he thinks, taken aback. As he reads, he realizes the file spans Zoe’s entire life, documenting abilities, medical histories, and unexplainable incidents.
The hours blur together, and by the time he’s finished, dawn is beginning to break. What he’s uncovered feels like a dangerous secret, something he wishes he hadn’t read. So, the file states that there is some sort of plan or revolution against the concept of money and consumerism and that somehow Zoe is or holds the key to all that. Holding the blueprint or plan, but nothing is clear or in the open yet- and that the investigation is ongoing. He knows he has to talk to Zoe, but after all he’s learned, he’s not sure if either of them will walk away unscathed. *Maybe I should just forget it all,* he thinks. *But I am my father’s son.*
Thank God it’s the weekend. Enough time, he hopes, to sort through this mess and decide on a plan, maybe even consult Toni, who’s always good for a reality check, in his own feline way. And who knows? Maybe he’ll wake up on Sunday and this whole ordeal will seem like a bad dream.
But he knows, deep down, that’s unlikely.
Episode 6 will be released on December 15th, 2024!
You may also like
Episode 08 | Wild Horses
Alexander and Zoe parking the truck. He did not lie, the drive was no longer than 20min, now they h
Episode 16 | Rebel without a Cause
Alexander does as Pan told him, and the Escalade has a real party bumping and pushing his truck hard
Episode 14 | Panic
Alexander and Zoe are sitting in Alexander’s truck in front of the diner/cafe waiting for Mia and
