January 1st, 2014 (10:17 am)

“So, where’re we goin’?” Zack asked Carlos. Carlos was driving the car and Zack was sitting beside him. They were going through a thoroughfare with cars moving smoothly on the sunny day.

“I’m takin’ ya to the Secret Base of SAI, or to be more precise, SAI’s Headquarters,” Carlos replied, observing the road as he drove.

“Oh. So, what qualifications are required?” Zack asked.

“Y’are above eighteen and that’s enough.”

“Okay… so, do you work for the English government?” Zack asked again.

“Nah, we’re a private agency.”

“So, how do you earn?”

“We, as spies, earn by completing missions given to us.”

“Which third-party gives these missions?”

“We’ve two types of missions- Self-Missions and Third-Party Missions. Third-Party Missions are provided by individuals or companies who are willing to hire a detective, investigator or a spy to obtain a specific piece of information and all that. Self-Missions are designed by the agency itself so that we the agency may catch criminals and sell them to the government. Sometimes, governments of some countries also provide some Third-Party Missions.”

“Whoa! That’s great,” Zack spoke in awe, eager to find more about this agency. “Do you have some kinda ranking system?”

“Oh, sure we do!” Carlos enthusiastically said. “Spies are divided in Grades- Grade ‘C’, the temporary Grade where one can be kicked out if he/she don’t increase his/her grade in two years; Grade ‘B’, who are permanent ones here and don’t get so life-threatening missions; and at last, Grade ‘A’, the best of the best. Each grade is further divided into classes- Class ‘1’, ‘2’ and ‘3’. I’m a Grade A-1 spy.”

“Ooh! You’re one of the greatest spies of the agency!” Zack said in awe. He was no longer nervous and was feeling like family with Carlos.

“Ooh, now ya got it!” Carlos said.

“But, you tagged ‘Temporary Grade’ to Grade ‘C’. Why?” Zack asked.

“Well,” Carlos turned his head here and there, trying to change the topic somehow.

“What happened?”

“Uh,” He, at last, sighed and said, “Okay, so listen. Actually, C-Grade Spies are fired from the job if they are unable to promote to B-Grade in two years.”

“And, why’s that?”

“You know, we take in many spies every year, so to make room. And, the person is referred to as ‘garbage’ if he/she is unable to promote, because, actually, C-Grade Missions just give one a certain experience, and SAI is not made for such missions actually. They are present so that a person can take a glimpse of being a spy without being killed. If the person itself doesn’t quit the job, and two year term ends, so he/she is fired.”

“So, can you really convince the Director to give me such an uncertain job?” Zack shyly asked. He was now afraid of being fired like that.

“Who said I’ma provide ya the job?”

“Whaddya mean?”

“What I mean is that…” Carlos looked towards him and continued, “You’re gonna earn it yourself!”

“I still can’t get it. How am I gonna get the job?”

“So, listen to me carefully.” Carlos turned his face back towards the road and explained, “See, you’ve got three months where you will be trained by many trainers the essentials and basics of being a spy. You’ll learn how to walk on floor with making any sound, how to shoot with a gun, how to swim, and many more things.”

“Oh, looks interesting and frightening at the same time. The spies kill thugs and do much more thrilling and frightening stuff. Will I be able to imitate them?” Zack asked worriedly. “What if I am killed in the line of duty or—”

“Wait,” Carlos cut his line. “Think positive. All one need is training to master something. No one is born being a spy or a writer. Everyone just practices with faith in them. And, those negative thoughts are where the game ends.” Both were silent for a few seconds when Carlos spoke again, “You think those actors, cricketers, footballers, or even business-men were great in their fields from right when they were born?”

“O-Okay, I got it,” Zack replied. “All ya wanna say is that I can, if I practice, right?”

“Yup, but never lose faith in yourself. ‘Kay?”

“Sure,” Zack replied responsibly.

“That’s my boy!” Carlos cheered while patting his shoulders.

The car turned left as Zack saw outside the window. The structures were not so high now, just a floor or two long. The buildings were not pained in years, and the torn off paint, revealing the bricks inside, was a proof. It was an under-developed area with garbage lying around everywhere and it looked more of a dump-yard. “Where are we?” Zack asked disgustedly.

“We’re in an under-developed area, can’t ya see?”

“But, why’re we here?” Zack asked, pinching his nose so that the smell of garbage may not enter his nose.

“Ever thought a grand investigation private agency planning to set up the under-ground base here?”

“What?!” Zack cried in shock. “N-No. It’s not here. Tell me it’s not here!”

“Nah, it is here, son. Ya needa come here every-day to practice.”

“NO! Why me?!” Zack mourned.

“By the way, open your nose. Nothing unpleasant can be smelt here,” Carlos ordered as Zack followed suit. After opening his nose, he was shocked to observe that no foul-smell can be smelt here. He looked at Carlos, who was smiling at his innocence.

“How?” Zack asked in awe, referring to no foul-smell even after so much garbage lay around.

“We’ve done many experiments and found tons of technology which is kept secret to the world,” Carlos proudly announced.

“Wow!” Zack said in awe. He was getting a feeling that he was gonna find out the biggest secrets of the world.

Carlos took a left turn towards a narrow street. It was so narrow that just one car at a time can be parked inside. The houses were small and large bags of garbage were lying around. Parking the car at the end of the road, Carlos commanded, “Follow me,” and got off the car. Zack followed suit and saw Carlos standing at the front of a house. Luckily, there was enough space for the two to stand freely. Carlos told Zack, “Come, open this door.”

“O-Okay,” Zack replied and walked towards him. He had a strong feeling that Carlos was trying to teach him something. He stood beside him and touched the traditional handle. The handle was an old one which was just made of iron and painted brown so it may not rust. Zack touched it and shouted, “Aah!” He felt electric current passing through his body. He took his hands back and held them tightly in pain. “It was too much, man!”

“Ha!” Carlos laughed. “Even I was made to feel it when I first arrived here. Actually…” Carlos opened the door without feeling any current and continued, “It’s a biometric lock. Whenever they feel the hand-prints of an outsider, the person is electrocuted. But, if it’s mine, or any other spy’s hand, then it automatically opens the lock. Now, come inside.”

“O-Okay,” Zack replied. He was now afraid as to how much traps will come his way. But instead, it was just a one-room house whose wardrobe was opened by Carlos. The wardrobe was very dark from inside, like there was no end.

“See how dark it is,” Zack commented. “Does it have an end or not?”

“Well, you can try going in, isn’t it?” Carlos said, waving his hand towards the door.

“Uh…” Zack looked at Carlos, and then at the open wardrobe. “I must say, this place is full of mysteries!” Zack laughed at his own joke to convince himself that nothing will go wrong.

“What happened?” Carlos asked, raising his eyebrows. He’d seen his fear inside his laugh and expressions. At last, he was a Grade A-1 Spy.

Zack looked inside and sank his whole face inside. “Does it have enough space that I can go further?” Carlos didn’t answer and thus Zack sank deeper into the black.

Seeing his hesitation, Carlos squeezed his shoulders and pushed him inside. “It has a stairway, okay?” Zack gave a thumbs-up, but it was unable to be seen due to the darkness. Carlos even closed the wardrobe’s entrance from inside. “Ya know what; the stairway is coated with a layer of a special substance which can absorb over ninety-nine percent of light. Ever read about it in the newspaper?”

“Maybe,” Zack replied, carefully walking at the stairway where not even the stairs can be seen through mortal eyes.

“Ah, it’s the end!” Zack said with a smile on his face. But, his eyes grew wide open in shock of seeing Carlos opening the door. “Weren’t ya behind me?” Zack asked shockingly.

Carlos chuckled and while waving his hands over Zack’s face, he replied with a smile, “MAGIC!” He turned right and continued walking.

“B-But how? At least reply me this much!” Zack sighed and after focusing watching him go, he ran towards him, waving a hand in the midair and shouting, “Wait for me!”

Walking on the right of Carlos, he turned right and saw a glass wall. On the other side, there were many men and women practicing, some on the boxing-ring, some running, some walking carefully on different types of floors specially made for the purpose of training, some were shooting a pistol, and many more new stuff Zack never experienced. The corridor was raised above the practice ground and so it acted like first-floor. With his mouth wide open awe, he uttered “Whoa!”

Smiling at the awe of Zack like a father of a little child, he said, “So, y’are gonna come here. Excited, right?”

“Obviously I am. I’ve never seen these things ever before in my life. I mean, the guns, specially made floors so that someone can be trained how to walk without making noise, and all this! There’s no reason left not to be excited, isn’t it?!” Zack said in awe.

Suddenly, a man bumped on Carlos’ left shoulder. He was an old-looking man wearing a black coat-suit and white shirt. He looked in his fifties and had standing black hair with a pair of spectacles. He muttered, “Sorry,” and after looking at Carlos, he hugged him and said, “Hey, Carlos!”

“Hey!” Carlos shouted back.

After loosening them from each-other’s friendly hug, the man asked, “So, is everything fine?”

“Oh, yeah. Always has been!” Carlos replied back.

Catching a glimpse of a young man looking towards the trainees at great interest, he asked, “Who’s this young lad? Another suggestion?”

Scratching his head in shyness, he replied, “Yeah. He’s Zack Will.”

Nodding his head, the man replied, “Ook (pronounced ou-ke)” and continued on his way.

Looking back towards him, Zack asked, “Who’s he?”

“He’s the Director, Mr. Johnny Johnson.”

“Oh, really? He almost behaved like a friend to you.”

“Yeah, he acts like a friend to everybody, is down-to-earth and treats everyone equally.”

“Lucky to have a Director like him, else newspapers nowadays are full of the exploitation by the Directors and Presidents of various companies.”

“Yeah,” Carlos agreed.

It was the end of the corridor and the second-last room was marked ‘Assistant Director’s Office’. “Here we are!” Carlos said as he opened the door and shouted with a wide grin, “KONICHIWA!”

“How many time I must tell ya that I’m not Japanese?! I’m KOREAN!” The lady inside the room shouted back.

“You don’t know, Ms. Kei Cho, but y’are Japanese!” Carlos joked while entering the room. Zack also entered from behind and saw a slim old woman, with a very white skin-tone and a pink pair of spectacles. She had a knee-long frock on with dark-colored lotuses on it.

Glaring at Zack, she asked, “So, is this another of your suggestion?”

“Yup,” Carlos replied with a smile.

“Okay,” she said and sat on her chair once again. “So, what’s his name?”

“Zack Will, age twenty-four, right?”

“Yeah,” Zack shyly replied.

“Okay, he can surely come at training drills from tomorrow,” Kei Cho replied.

“Arigatou!” Carlos said with a wide grin as he dashed back towards the door.

“OOF!” She screamed in anger.