Chapter 3 Mission Red

• It all appeared in a blue transparent screen before his eyes, outwardly. He could see it all and at the same time, view his external environment as at when it all popped up. Nothing that was shown to Ethan was of interest to him except his financial status, which prompted him to ask,
• "Is there anything about me you do not know, Terra? For crying out loud, that's my bank account balance right there. F*ck this system is real. Tell me, Terra, what do I do to have more cash? Bring up the task already!" Ethan exclaimed with an inaudible rattling voice and a shrugging gesture feeling impatient already.
• Ding!!! ...Task list opens...)
• - Steal a diamond necklace from the auction holding in San Diago hub at 9:30 a.m. today without being caught.
• - Kill Mr. Stankovic with just one bullet and leave with a brown briefcase in his golden locker, room 32 pyramid castle, and leave without a fight.
• ...Dong! Task list closes..)
• "No way! I don't steal and there's no way I am killing anybody." Ethan whined and shook his head a couple of times.
• Terranova: "if you can't accomplish little task, how are you going to be able to accomplish big ones? Besides the item was stolen and the other guy is a killer. You are doing the right thing. Trust me. Make quick decisions, time is not on your side, Ethan."
• Scuffs*
• "As much as I need the money, there's no way I'm killing anybody. Besides, pyramid castle is highly secured. It's mission impossible. Is there no other task options, Terra?" He asked again after muttering words to himself, thinking critically.
• System: "Not until you finish this. Time is not on your side. You have barely 15 minutes to be on your way."
• "F*ck!" Ethan exclaimed and got up immediately, knowing he had no choice but to do whatever it takes to get some cash in his bank account. Stealing was at least better of than killing, though he has not done any at any point in time.
• He brushed his hair all back immediately after taking a shower. Then pulled his black jean trousers to his waist before putting on the only neat blue polo he had in his small wardrobe and with a pair of black sneakers. He dashed out of his apartment, slamming hard his door without turning the keys... Who is going to steal from a poor 23 years old anyways?...
• Phwwwwwwhhtt*
• Ethan let out a whistling sound, calling a taxi to stop by the minute he left Sharon apartment. The neighbors who were hanging around wondered why he was so much in a hurry, and chattering, they concluded he was trying to run away as well.
• "San Diago hub, please." Ethan declared the minute he entered the yellow taxi.
• "$1, sir." The driver said before driving out.
• Ethan partly frowned, muttering quietly to himself, "I hope this pays me because $4 is going to be what's left..."
• The taxi driver observed he was talking to himself after glancing at him through the rearview mirror and so ignored him — people were used to seeing people talk to themselves nowadays due to hardship.
• "San Diago hub you say. We're here." The driver reminded him in ten minutes times because it seemed like he was lost in thought.
• "Oh.. yeah. Thanks." He exclaimed and quickly transferred $1 to the taxi driver because getting cash out of the bank was difficult.
• "Seen." The drivers said before unlocking the door for Ethan to alight.
• Ethan's first glance at the hub while still standing across the street made him nervous he lacked courage to take a step until Terranova spoke to him saying,
• "Have no fear, Ethan, I'm here to help you. You just have to get going on it so we would be out in time."
• Ethan was motivated by those words at the moment he mumbled, "ho-yeah, I'm doing this. I've got nothing to loose."
• He proceeded to the entrance of the hub, a very large building that looks like an intercontinental hotel having six stories and glass walls for its design. No security guard checked him upon approaching the doorways because he was physically unarmed and it was a business environment; besides an auction was about to commence in fifteen minutes time and clients from all districts in Lysbia are welcomed, excluding people in the capitol hill who are believed to never show up.
• "Terra, can you hear me. What do I do now?" Ethan asked with mutterings the minute he walked into the main auditorium to see a lot of people both seated and loitering while waiting for the market to open.
• Terranova: "Standby. I am scanning the entire building to find the exact room where it is... Found it! Ethan, proceed to the elevator by your left. There's an ID card on a desk in fifth floor belonging to an official, it is your pass into room T8 where the package is kept."
• Ethan responded promptly, taking the elevator and doing as told. He entered T8 in less than six minutes and was like,
• "Which one is it?"
• Terranova: "the glass box tinted gold. Pull the lid, take it out, replace with another necklace in the drawer of the shelf to your right. Hurry up, the lady who owns the access card (ID...) is on her way back."
• Ethan got snappy in action without questioning the resurgent system because he knew it was right about everything it says was going on in the environment beyond what he himself could perceive with his senses. The diamond necklace could fit in his jean trousers pocket considering its size and Ethan quickly dashed out of T8 after swapping the necklace...
• The minute the elevator he ran into, closed, the lady who owns the ID card showed up: she was in a restroom all the while. Ethan who saw her before the elevator closed, had his heart throb for fear, feeling lucky he was not caught and when he walked out of the elevator, he became guilt-sick, he had to bow his head while making his way to the exit of the auditorium.
• "Ladies and gentlemen, the auction for the diamond necklace...."
• That was the last thing he heard from a shrill and piercing voice of a lady which faded the minute he exited the building and the door closed behind him.
• Though he was not the only one leaving the vicinity at the moment as there were many pedestrians, both incoming and outgoing, still, he hastened because he was unnerved by the act of stealing. His suspicious behavior almost brought him to the attention of the security guards but he entered a taxi and left before they started talking about him.
• Terranova: "congratulations, Ethan! You succeeded without being caught. Now drive to No. 03 Bourne Suit, New Stanford. Leave the necklace inside the letterbox you would find just outside the house. Ensure it is in an envelope and addressed to Mrs. Finn."
• ...the system instructed just about the time Ethan was going to ask the driver to take him home to Sharon apartment.
• "What? I thought we were going to sell it and make money from it!" Ethan exclaimed and frawned his eyebrows to a fold the taxi driver had to stare at him angrily and with a wondering eye, thinking Ethan must be an insane person to be talking to himself.
• "...sorry, I'm on a call. Actually using an earpod bluetooth." Ethan asserted to make him stop staring.
• "Then keep your voice down, man. Where are you even going?" The taxi man asked while driving without having any exact direction yet.
• "Sorry, No. 03 Bourne Suit, New Stanford." Ethan replied and forced a smile to look alright knowing he must have thought he was insane.
• The taxi man ignored him after that and never said a word to him again until he alighted at the location Ethan gave...
• "It's $2 dollar man."
• "$2 do... F*ck!" Ethan exclaimed, biting his lips hard before making the transfer knowing he was totally broke and have not even had any meal for the day.
• It was really difficult for him to let go of the diamond necklace as he stood in front of the letterbox and contemplating whether or not to drop it because he knew the worth of it and it was really beautiful each time he looked at it. When he dropped it, his countenance also dropped and he started walking down the street looking very sad until the resurgent system spoke again.
• Terranova: "why are you sad, Ethan?"
• "Leave me alone. You know why."
• Terranova: "it is really hard to do the right thing. I understand how you feel."
• "No you don't! You do not understand at all. You ain't human..." Ethan rumbled.
• Terranova: "I thought you were never going to steal? Now you feel entitled to the diamond necklace. By the way, you actually returned it to the rightful owner. Look, she's waving at you."
• Ethan quickly turned to see a fat lady waving at him from where he left the enveloped necklace, her face filled with ecstasy. He waved back, not intentionally, he felt he had to. Then he turned around and kept walking.
• "That must be Mrs Finn I guess."
• Terranova: "Yes, she saw you through her window when you dropped it."
• The minute Terranova was done talking, Etans status dialog appeared again.
• — Status Table —
• Full Name: Ethan Hills
• Tenacity: 3
• Speed: 7
• Intelligence: 15
• Skill: stealthy
• Responsiveness: 5
• Strength: 3
• Funds: $3002
• Inventory: empty
• Virtue: Amity, malevolent.