Chapter 4: Silent Approach

Teal and Van exchanged a look with a look like they have been caught.

Debra's suspicion grew more stronger with the way they were reacting but her expression softened. "I know for a fact that my students won't steal anything, at least not from the school."

She moved forward and looked back. "Tell me why did you come to school at this hour, are you supposed to be in the school after 5?"

Van stepped forward just a few inches. "Ms. Shades. We came to meet you."

"Oh? Me? I wonder what you got for me at this hour. Come to my office then." She started walking towards her office which was in the end of two joining hallway.

Van and Teal silently followed to the way to her office.

They entered the office, she walked to her seat and sat down "Please take a seat both of you,"

Van and Teal nodded, looking at each other and sat down opposite to Debra.

"Miss Shades... We wanted to ask and request you something but we don't want anyone else to know about this."

The words uttered by Van gets piques her interest. She leans on her desk, her elbow planted on the desk as she interlocked her fingers resting her chin on it. She looked at them curiously.

"Now I feel I should definitely listen to your story. Go on. Tell me." Her voice dropped to a low sultry, tone as she asked them to proceed.

"You know many things about robotics right?"

"Sure I do," she replied in a confident tone like Van had praised her knowledge.

"So you know people in this field and how much knowledge they have in the field, right?" Van's face had a stern, serious look.

"You sure are enthusiastic. Well i guess you are interested when you are deemed a genius in robotics." She shifts her gaze to Teal who looked silent. 

"Well... the reason I am asking for is different... but can you tell me who do you think is the most advanced in robotics according to you?" The question from Van seemed a bit weird.

"If you ask me.. I would say Arnold Fringer. I mean everyone knows he is a genius among geniuses in this stuff and was considered one of the smartest people on the planet."

Van listened to the answer but the answer wasn't the answer he was expecting. He realizeed the question itself was subtle, leaving out the core details. "I meant to ask, is he a level of genius where he can create robotic arms that can replace the whole arm as a prosthetic?"

Teal looked at Van making it too obvious about his situation.

"Van... what are you even talking about? It's almost impossible to create something like that and you know it too..." She looked confused at the sight of her star student asking such absurd questions, unaware that the things she found absurd was actually implemented.

"Miss Shades... I know you won't believe this but that has been done..."

Debra Shades, The Principal and well known robotics engineer looked stunned. She was going to brush it off as a joke from Van, but the look in his eyes made it difficult to admit he was lying.

The confused expression on her face vanished, replaced by a stern, serious look as she gasped what Van was implying.

"You know what you are saying right? If such thing was possible, that means someone far smarter than Arnold Fringer is on the open. This also means that the world is about to experience some dramatical changes with this kind of technology."

Van flinched for a moment. "Yes I know... I was worried maybe I won't be able to reach the pinnacle of robotics after seeing that, but the problem isn't that. Why I asked for your connection in robotics field was for a whole different reason."

"And what might that be?" She looked curious again by the statement.

Van turned to Teal and nodded at him.

Teal slowly revealed his arm, rolling his sleave up.

Debra was in complete shock. Her hand flew to cover her mouth instantly while the other hand clutched at the edge of the table.

"Oh my God... Teal... what happened to your arm?" Her voice cracker as she brought her hand forward to touch Teal's arm.

"I don't know... I don't remember anything of how this arm came to be." Teal replied with a defeated look on his face.

"Van does that mean...?" Debra asked Van making sure she is witnessing what Van's question was referring to.

"Yes... the technology I was asking. The arm is so well-built that he didn't notice his arm was actually a prosthetic. The material used as the skeleton has the same density as bone, so the sturdiness feels exactly like a real arm."

Debra looked at Van with a doubtful explanation "Are you sure he might not be an android?"

Beside Van, Teal looked a bit taken back.

"No. I checked he is not an android. His arm bled when it had a wound a while ago. I confirmed the other arm is normal. So the possibility that he is an android is zero." Van had an annoyed look. The question made him uneasy.

Looking at the two boys having an annoyed expressions, Debra felt a bit guilty for asking the last question.

"Sorry for asking that..."

Debra looked at the arm curiously ."Show me the arm."

Teal brought the arm forward for her to check.

"Hmmm. Fascinating." She looked at the arm with caution.

"I am surprised such a thing can be built. Teal, when and how did you realize your arm was like this?" Her gaze shifted to his face from the question.

"Yesterday... I started seeing things, like the sky getting a weird pink color, nightmare I can't remember when I wake up and a sharp headache that grew painful with each moment before the skin melted." Teal replied looking vulnerable.

On the other side of the desk Debra leaned back to her chair, her eyes widening like she had seen a ghost up close as she kept staring at a single point of the wall.

"Pink sky... my children..."

Teal and Van exchanged a look confused as she was unresponsive to them.

As they approach to speak, she started screaming, a loud screech from her throat almost deafening.

Her eyes rolled back. The screaming stopped suddenly.

The silence made the two sitting across Debra uneasy.