"It's going be a long, long day."
A tired sigh follows the statement, and the blonde girl next to Luciana rolls her eyes. She's bright pastels and purposeful contrasts in a sea of office gray, which Luciana finds a bit irritating. It's not that she hates Angie, or her obsession with bright colors, it's just that it's far too early and her coffee is insipid at best.
Maybe it's her own fault for arriving too early on a Monday morning, and not taking the time to get herself some real coffee. Or maybe it's because Angie speaks too damn fast and is too much of a morning person for Luciana's taste.
"Is that like, your new catchphrase? You've been saying that a lot. I think you should say something like: Today is going to be a-ma-zing, instead. You gotta set the tone for the day early on. Words have power, you know? I learnt that from a Mindfulness podcast. It's really good." Angie's blue eyes are glued to the cafeteria door as she speaks, watching with rapt interest as their coworkers file in for breakfast. Luciana shrugs, uninterested, her face souring even more as she takes another sip of her bland coffee.
The contrast is blatant. Not only in personalities, but in looks. Luciana is dressed in black from head to toe, her long, black hair tied up in a messy bun. While her makeup is toned down because of the office setting, the dark red lipstick and silver jewelry are a staple.
She taps her long, manicured nails against the table. Counting the minutes, seconds, until her shift begins. Her gaze is a dark void of boredom, feline in its languid lack of interest.
"The tone for Mondays, as established by the industrial revolution, is boring and exhausting as hell." Luciana replies with a lazy smirk, and Angie scoffs at that. "You're just not mindful enough, girl."
"Ajá, whatever you say." The exchange is a routine for both of them now, after the years spent working together at MediaFeed.
Contrary to popular belief, being employed at the world's biggest media conglomerate does NOT actually offer exciting opportunities every day, much less on mondays.
In Luciana's opinion, life behind the scenes of entertainment is the farthest thing from entertaining.
"So… What do you think about the new guy?" Angie's dreamy tone makes Luciana's dark eyes roll.
"Ugh, you already have a crush on him? He's been here for like, three days, Angie. Leave him alone." Luciana wrinkles her nose in distaste, unimpressed at her coworker's overzealous tendency to crush on every single new coworker with a masculine look.
"I'm not saying I have a crush… I just think he's cute! In a nerdy sort of way. Did you know he has a PHD? Also he's kinda tall… And suuuper polite. He calls me Ms. Williams. Isn't that adorable?" Angie giggles innocently, but then her expression darkens in glee, like someone who's desperate to share a deeply guarded secret. Luciana is already privy to Angie's machinations, so all she can do is grimace inwardly.
Speak of the devil.
Nikolai Verne is tall, yes. It's hard to ignore how he towers over the majority of their coworkers, even with a permanent slouch. He's a vision of tasteful dishevelment (Angie's words), messy dark hair tied up in a loose ponytail, glasses, and an air of severity around him. As if he's always thinking really hard about something, too wrapped up in his own head to pay attention to anything else.
Luciana has no real opinion about Nikolai, other than she finds it mildly interesting how his eyes are a very particular shade of green. Almost artificial, like glowing embers.
She quietly wonders if he wears contacts under his glasses, or if he's actually some sort of creature of the night. A vampire, perhaps? He is very pale. He has an absurdly fancy name. And he's polite. Almost too polite.
Imagining her coworkers as weird supernatural creatures is one of Luciana's favorite pastimes during exceptionally boring days. It's her own secret form of entertainment, one she doesn't share with anyone else.
Angie, for example, would be a banshee. Loud and bad news for anyone who becomes the target of her gossip. Melanie, the CEO? Luciana is sure she's a time traveler, or something vaguely unsettling like that. The woman is in her sixties but looks like she's barely hitting thirty, with piercing silver eyes and gray hair.
Luciana takes another sip of her coffee, watching as Nikolai side steps the people around him, taking measured strides towards the coffee machine. He doesn't seem to notice the two women staring at him, and if he does, he ignores it.
Luciana doesn't blame him.
"I heard he was fired from SolarX Space Agency because he uncovered a huge conspiracy, and now he's like, a wanted man or something. Kinda hot, if you ask me." Angie whispers and nudges Luciana's side, which elicits an exasperated sigh.
"Stop spreading weird rumors about people, Angie. We've talked about this." Luciana downs the last of her coffee and stands, stretching her limbs in an attempt to wake them up.
"Don't hate the messenger, Luci! Be grateful I keep you informed." The blonde pouts, but Luciana's only reply is a nonchalant wave of her hand as she exits the cafeteria without another word.
--
MediaFeed's coffee is certainly… A Beverage.
Nikolai's lips contort in distaste, still unable to force himself to get used to the bland taste. For a multibillion dollar conglomerate, the company doesn't seem to invest much in its employees' wellbeing.
Not that he can ask for much, considering they were the only company willing to employ him after the mediatic nightmare he was the current protagonist of...
If it weren't for the CEO's willingness to take a risk with him… He'd be in the streets, or worse.
Still, he finds it hard to be truly grateful to any sort of soulless corporate entity. So he holds his tongue, drinks the shitty coffee, and minds his business. All that matters is that he's getting a paycheck at the end of the month. One that he desperately needs, considering the insane amount of debt he is currently in.
But oh, how he wished some of his coworkers had the same mindset…
"Good morning, Nikolai! It's great to see you!" The chipper tone makes him take a deep breath. Angie Williams' voice is the opposite of calming, but he doesn't let his mild annoyance show.
"Good morning, Ms. Williams." He replies politely, a mask of practiced formality reserved for unwanted social situations.
"I loooove when you do that." Angie smiles broadly, taking a seat in front of him. Nikolai's lips twitch, and he struggles to maintain a neutral face.
"Do what, exactly?" He asks with feigned interest, knowing his best strategy to overcome the social encounter is to ask questions and let the blonde do the rest on her own.
"Oh, when you call me Ms. Williams. It makes me feel kinda important? I don't know, I like it." She giggles, and Nikolai nods, as if her answer makes any sense at all. "I was talking to Luci earlier about how you're so polite. It's refreshing. So unlike Marcus from Accounting, he's an asshole for NO reason. I don't get why he's so mean."
"Is that so?" Nikolai hums, pretending to acknowledge her words even as his eyes return to his phone.
It's easy to tune out Angie's voice with the right hums and nods. It's all a matter of timing, which he has mastered already. Her ability to carry a conversation on her own would be impressive, if it wasn't such an utterly brain-rotting experience for him.
Nikolai hums again as he scrolls mindlessly through his newsletter emails, catching up with the weekend's news. While he's casually browsing, his eyes are still actively searching for any interesting headlines.
MYSTERIOUS LIGHTS IN THE SKY CONFIRMED TO BE MILITARY DRONES AMIDST UFO SCARE
NO NEW LEADS ON MISSING ASTROPHYSICIST CASE. JULIEN EVANS DECLARED MIA AFTER A MONTH. AUTHORITIES ARE STUMPED.
NIKOLAI VERNE, SOLARX WHISTLEBLOWER, IS A FRAUD AND A LIAR. BUT WHO'S SURPRISED?
He frowns. The already bland coffee now tastes like mud.
He decides that's enough internet for the day, closing the news app with a quick swipe.
"Enlightening conversation, Ms. Williams. Have a pleasant rest of your monday." Nikolai replies flatly, interrupting Angie's tirade. He stands up and moves away from the table, dumping the rest of his coffee into a nearby trash can.
"Oh, okay! See you later, Niko!" Angie doesn't seem to have noticed his shift in mood, still smiling as usual.
He doesn't look back as he walks away, leaving the cafeteria in a hurry.
--
Of all things, Nikolai hadn't expected to be in the CEO's office again, three days into his new role.
He briefly suspects it has to do with the… interesting headlines mentioning him online. At this point, the man can only hope the media has its fun and moves onto more interesting news soon enough.
Though he wishes there was a way to expedite the process…
"Ah, good morning, Nikolai. How's your Monday going?" Melanie Baldwin smiles brightly from behind her expensive desk, not a single silvery gray hair out of place. The middle-aged woman is elegant yet approachable, a youthful glow making her appear decades younger.
He tries to sense any hidden meaning in her question, but gives up soon enough. He figures she will ask him outright if she actually wants to know the truth, beyond the usual pleasantries.
"Good morning, Mrs. Baldwin. It's been great so far, yourself?" He puts a little more effort into a polite smile this time.
"Lovely, I've had a wonderful morning myself. And I actually am very excited to share some interesting news with you." She closes her laptop and gives Nikolai her full attention. He remains standing, back uncomfortably rigid.
"We've got a brand new slot for a ViewTube show that might be right up your alley." Her silvery gray eyes twinkle with amusement, and Nikolai's fake smile tightens.
"We're assembling a team, with Luciana Lobos as the Creative Director-" Melanie is interrupted by the door opening. A warm, smooth voice floods in from the hallway, the kind that Nikolai would expect from a radio host.
"Alright Mels, hit me with it! I'm ready-" The black-haired woman stops mid-sentence, brown eyes falling onto Nikolai. "Oh, um. I mean, good morning!" She recovers quickly with a smile, and closes the door behind her.
"And there she is! Speak of the devil." Melanie laughs. "She has this uncanny ability to show up right as someone says her full name. Isn't that interesting?"
Nikolai remains silent, unsure how to respond. He acknowledges the woman's presence with a curt nod.
Luciana's long hair is now in a neat ponytail, freshly combed. She peers up at him behind her silky bangs, eyes taking in his strained expression.
There's a certain intensity in her gaze, like she's sizing up prey. He suspects she would have no issue unraveling him and his secrets on the spot.
A wolf. Sensing fresh, new blood.
While Nikolai is not a fan of eye contact, he finds it hard to avert his gaze from the dark, all-consuming stare.
She smirks at him, as if seeing right through the mask.
Nikolai blinks, confused.
"Oh, you didn't tell me the new guy would be here, Melanie. Is he going to be part of the team too?" Luciana walks past him, taking a seat in front of their CEO. She moves with a quiet sort of confidence, like she's used to the extravagant office and Melanie's intense presence.
Nikolai assumes they have known each other for years, it seems to be the only logical conclusion. Either that, or Luciana's confidence overrides her sense of self-preservation.
Melanie nods enthusiastically, procuring a yellow folder and gently placing it on the desk, right in front of Luciana. "Have the two of you met each other before?" She asks curiously.
"Not directly." Nikolai responds immediately. Green eyes land on the yellow folder, pondering the possibilities of its contents.
"Haven't had the pleasure of meeting the man of the hour in person, yet." Luciana winks in his direction, and he can't shake off the feeling she's still sizing him up.
"The pleasure is all mine, Ms. Lobos." His tone is flat, guarded. If she notices the icy undercurrent, she's unbothered by it.
Nikolai does not trust either of them. But then again, he doesn't trust anyone for that matter. Social situations like this are a dangerous minefield that he'd rather avoid.
Melanie gestures for him to sit too, and he obeys after a moment of hesitation.
"Wonderful! So… To bring you up to speed, Nikolai; Luciana here has pitched an idea for a new ViewTube show. We'll be broadening our horizons when it comes to digital media, and the general consensus is to follow the latest trends…" Melanie opens the yellow folder, placing several printed pages in front of them both.
"The data doesn't lie. There is a massive spike of interest when it comes to supernatural content, with millions turning to social media to share their experiences and discuss the latest news." Melanie's piercing gaze lands on Nikolai, and he frowns, noticing a printed copy of the news article mentioning him.
Seeing his own mugshot still leaves a sour taste in his mouth.
"I'm sure you're already quite familiar with at least some of these cases, Nikolai." Melanie affirms, already knowing the answer. Nikolai doesn't reply. His eyes are still glued to the printed article, and he seems to be lost in thought.
Luciana keeps her attention on him, studying his every reaction. The more she learns about him, the more intriguing he is. To think Melanie would risk employing a Person of Interest involved in such a high-profile case… Then again, that's exactly what Melanie would do.
"How exciting, isn't it? To have an insider who can bring in more context to our research. And an astrophysicist, no less. With your professional overview as the head writer and Luciana's creative direction, the two of you will create something incredible, I bet." Melanie's smile grows, but there's an almost unnerving edge to it.
"The public is hungry for information. They want to know what's happening behind the scenes." At this, Melanie stands and walks towards the office's full-length windows, staring at the pedestrians below. The city's skyline is dull and colorless, and thunder roars in the distance.
Los Pecados has been gray for as long as Nikolai remembers. The city is the very definition of a concrete jungle: tall skyscrapers that shine silver in the distance and countless neon signs that glow under the thick layer of smog covering every inch of its seedy underbelly. The perfect city to lose oneself in. It's the place you come to if you don't want to be found…
"Aliens, ghosts, demons, all sorts of supernatural phenomena being reported, but nobody has the facts. Nobody truly knows what's going on. Nobody can tell apart the truth from the lie..." Melanie trails off and sighs, disappointed. Then she turns around, fully facing them again.
"MediaFeed, however? We are the guide amidst the crossroads. There's something happening behind the scenes, something the powers that be don't want the public to know. So, we will find out the truth. And we will lead the herd to it." The office is plunged into darkness for a split second, as lightning flashes behind Melanie's figure. It illuminates her face with an eerie glow.
The room is silent.
Nikolai's eyes darken. The implications of that statement hang heavy in the air.
"...Did you practice that one, Mels?" Luciana lets out an impressed whistle, momentarily breaking the tension. Melanie laughs, her easy-going demeanor returning, and she takes a seat again.
"Jokes aside, the yearly budget has been approved, including travel expenses. I will give full creative control to the two of you. Let me know if there's anything else that needs to be discussed, and we can have another meeting to polish the details." She places all the papers back inside the yellow folder, and hands it over to Luciana.
"Great, thank you. This project has been on my mind for some time… I'm really glad you've decided to trust us with it, Melanie. We will not disappoint you." Luciana smiles, reaching out to shake the CEO's hand in a diplomatic gesture.
"Besides, I'm really excited to begin the ghost hunts and finally collect some interesting evidence myself." Luciana salutes playfully, a gleeful grin on her lips, like a youngster who's been given permission to misbehave. Her eyes burn with curiosity when she turns to look at Nikolai, waiting for his reaction.
Nikolai exhales, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. He's not entirely sure how to feel about the whole ordeal.
He knows he's being used, he knows he can't trust anyone involved, and most infuriatingly of all, he has to play the part for the time being. If he wants to survive, that is.
"I, too, am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to continue my… Research, Mrs. Baldwin." He nods respectfully at the silver-haired CEO.
"But Ghosts? I can assure you, Ms. Lobos, that we will have more success if we focus on finding evidence of alien phenomena." He deadpans humorlessly.
There's a strange glint in his eyes, which Luciana takes as a challenge. She can tell he knows way more than he lets on.
Nikolai stands up, reaching his full height, and turns around without another word.
"Aliens is a little bit of a stretch, don't you think? We would've had scientific evidence by now, if they were real." Luciana retorts, standing up. "Considering how old the universe is, they're probably all dead and gone already… If they ever existed in the first place." The black-haired woman follows after him, holding the yellow folder against her side.
Nikolai stops at the door, holding it open for her. His eyes are narrowed, clearly not a fan of her words. "That is a bold assumption. We are living evidence of aliens, to assume only Earth harbors life in our ever-expanding universe is not only ignorant, but also greatly arrogant."
"Oh, please." Luciana rolls her eyes. "Ghosts, demons and other spiritual phenomena have been present all through human history. It's far more likely we'll find evidence of them before we do aliens. At least they're on the same planet as us." She holds his gaze steadily, a taunting smirk on her lips.
Nikolai scoffs in offense, face contorting into a scowl. Not only is her argument utterly ridiculous, he's pretty sure she's just doing it to rile him up.
"...It's truly wonderful to see the two of you getting along already. However, I must ask you both to continue this conversation outside of my soundproof office walls." Melanie smiles icily, the gesture itself a threat.
The two of them take the cue to leave. Nikolai closes the door behind them a little too hard, but not enough for it to count as a slam.
"The government takes every bit of physical evidence there is and piles on cover up after cover up. I have seen-" He stops himself, knowing better than to disclose more than he should.
"...There's more than enough evidence to prove that the likelihood of aliens existing is far higher than you give it credit for. Unfortunately, most of the official evidence is simply out of reach." Nikolai murmurs as they walk down the hallway.
It's not like him to continue an argument of this nature, but Luciana's smug smirk has awakened an unreasonably stubborn streak within him.
"That's interesting. I would've never imagined an astrophysicist like you would turn out to be a tinfoil-hat conspiracist." She sighs, shaking her head dismissively.
He stares at her blankly.
Oh.
Nikolai finally understands the game she's playing now. The more she contradicts him, the more information she gets, without making it an outright interrogation.
Is it so obvious that he has an unhealthy obsession with correcting information he believes to be wrong? Luciana seems to be keenly aware of this personality flaw of his, already.
"The mere notion of wearing a tinfoil hat is ridiculous, Ms. Lobos." He says after a moment of silence, deciding to play along.
"Huh. That's the first reasonable thing you've said so far, Mr. Verne." She copies his matter-of-fact tone, clearly mocking him.
"I very much doubt the effectiveness of tin or aluminum. I propose tungsten to be far more effective in shielding the mind from psionic attacks and alien influence. Basic knowledge, really." It's his turn to smirk sardonically.
Luciana looks at him incredulously, unable to tell if he's actually serious. When she notices his smirk, her eyes narrow in suspicion.
"So you do have a sense of humor."
Nikolai shrugs.
--
"Alright, Astro Man. We've got work to do." Luciana says dramatically, placing another stack of printed paper in front of Nikolai.
The meeting room is a boring shade of bone white, with a round table in the middle. They sit next to each other, a little too close for Nikolai's comfort. Luciana doesn't seem to mind at all, however.
While he handles the printed papers, perusing them for the information they need, Luciana is working on a spreadsheet in her laptop. She seems to be concentrating exceptionally hard, biting her lower lip as she types.
The dark crimson of her lipstick contrasts her medium brown skin, and it compliments her raven black hair. Nikolai wonders if there's a specific reason why she's dressed in all black. Tactical purposes? Some sort of camouflage? The color palette gives her an overall dark, gothic appearance, which makes her stand out against the office's dull setting.
He also wonders if the spikes on her boots serve any purpose other than a fashion statement, but he files the thought away as irrelevant.
"I have narrowed our options to two locations so far, as you requested." Nikolai presents the pages to Luciana, using a highlighting marker to underline the location's name.
Number one is a mysterious, abandoned warehouse near Dead End Pier. Locals have reported seeing weird lights in the sky at night, with the majority assuming it's UFOs. The lights seem to be eerily similar to the ones reported in other zones, though they are more… Persistent.
Other than the lights, an even stranger phenomenon has been plaguing the area… A ghoul-like creature that haunts the warehouse, scaring off anyone who dares venture near.
The other location is what people consider a 'haunted' town. While Nikolai thinks the very concept of a location being 'haunted' is ridiculous, he can't deny that there's something very odd going on in Point Patience.
The locals have reported sightings of a strange, owl-like creature wreaking havoc multiple times, even leaving fatal victims behind… Multiple cases of corpses found headless, no other wounds or marks on the rest of the body.
"Hm. I think starting local would be the best course of action, for now." Luciana replies, after considering their options. "Dead End Pier is what, fifteen minutes away from here? I think we can check it out later today and once we have a feel of the location, then we can decide how we're gonna shoot the episode."
Nikolai blinks, genuinely confused. His expectations were to research and write, nothing more, nothing less. Visiting the location in person? Not in his plans.
"I was under the impression we would have other crew members visit the locations instead." He raises a questioning eyebrow.
Luciana turns to stare at him blankly, before she lets out what he can only describe as a wolfish cackle.
"Oh, Niko. We are the crew members." She replies, amused. "We have enough resources to create a proof of concept ourselves and pitch it to Melanie before we can actually get a crew and more funding."
Luciana points at her laptop's screen. "You see this budget? This will cover travel expenses and equipment for the two of us. With this amount I think we can comfortably travel to at least three locations, four if we are smart and go local first."
Nikolai freezes momentarily. The thought of seeing himself as some sort of influencer or media personality sends shivers down his spine.
He misses the simplicity of his work back at SolarX, where showing up and doing research was all that was required of him. Maybe a presentation or conference here and there, but nothing as soul-sucking as being in front of a camera for hours. What a nightmarish scenario.
"So… If I'm understanding correctly, you want to visit the location today? Together?" Nikolai asks cautiously, fearing the answer.
"Yes. You have a car, right? You can drive us there." Luciana replies confidently, as if it's the most natural thing in the world. "I'll cover dinner. Consider it your welcome gift."
Nikolai sighs, knowing there's no way to talk his way out of that one.
In the few hours he has spent in her presence, Nikolai has noticed three key things about Luciana.
First, she has a very particular sense of humor. One that still mystifies him.
Second, she enjoys coming up with ridiculous nicknames for her coworkers. Astro Man was the one she baptized him with, which he's mildly relieved about. Could've been so much worse. (G-Spot is probably the most colorful, his condolences to Gabriel from Marketing).
Third, she's stubborn. And once she has an idea in her head, there's no convincing her otherwise. Arguing would be pointless, and a waste of energy.
"Great." He deadpans. "I will be home by 7 PM at the latest, though. No matter what." Nikolai feels it's right to draw the line somewhere, to prevent her from getting any other unnecessary ideas.
"Fine by me." Luciana shrugs, nonchalant. She doesn't seem interested in arguing details or semantics. The passive agreement lights up warning signs inside of Nikolai's mind, however. There's something she's not telling him.
"Better go now, then." The black-haired woman stands up, closing her laptop and putting it inside her messenger bag. "Gotta make it quick if you wanna fly home early, Astro Man." She taunts with a smirk, an excited glint in her eyes.
Nikolai knows it's going to be an extremely long day.