"No, I'm…" Sang's words trailed off. "After everything we did for them… they're going to disavow us? We…" her voice went hoarse, "we saved the world."
"Yeah, but this is how it goes when you handle clandestine stuff," O'Hara said. "Sometimes we hit something that's gotta be covered up."
"This isn't fair!" Sang said. "Not in the least!"
"Really?" Neil asked. "What in the hell are you going to do after all of this anyway? Go back to your regular job and work like a jerk? Work 40 hours a week, 60 during a crisis, and shuffle along in a meaningless existence? Maybe you can get another empty apartment that has nothing in it but a shotgun and terrible booze."
"I love my job," Sang replied.
"Sure you do," O'Hara said. "You loved it enough to risk it all for your partner several months ago. You loved it enough to go rogue and risk a ton of prison time to steal government property and commit espionage without a license."
"Let's face it, Sang," Neil said. "You're the kind of person who craves adventure. The CIA is gonna hold you back. This isn't a curse, but a blessing."
"I have no idea what to do with my life!" Sang said. "I… I…" her words trailed off as she shook her head. "I feel exactly how Van feels right now."
"Ha, that's gotta suck on so many levels," Neil said. "Well, if you're interested in some international adventure and relaxation, let me know. Fredrick Yuri's gonna be here in a few hours to give us our walking papers."
"I can't believe you two are okay with this," Sang said. "I can't believe it."
Neil shrugged. "Eh, I've been disappeared from two other governments before this one, and let me tell you, this method is a lot nicer than the other two's preferences."
Sang shoved past them both and headed toward one of the rooms. She didn't know where Van was, but she didn't want to be around the two callous agents.
"If you're looking for Van, go the other way," O'Hara called after her. Sang took a sharp breath and turned around, trying not to glare at them as she walked past them again. She walked into another one of the rooms where she found a mass of silver pods. There were dozens of them, and Sang could see that they were all open, except for one. It was only slightly cracked open, and she could see that someone was in there.
Sang walked over to the pod and knocked on it. "Anyone home?" she asked as she slowly opened it.
Van was laying on his back, just staring upwards. He glanced at her and sighed heavily. "Hi."
"You know, for someone who just saved the entire universe from a terrible threat, you seem pretty upset," Sang said as she sat on the edge of the pod and looked down at him.
"I had to say goodbye to my entire life," Van replied. "I don't know what grief is supposed to feel like, but I’m pretty sure that I’m experiencing it."
"I get it," Sang said as she nodded. "I'm sorry for your loss."
"There's not a hint of sarcasm or irony in your voice when you say that," Van said. "Neil told me he'd buy me a Pac-Man arcade machine to make up for my loss."
"Neil is one of the worst human beings on the planet," Sang said. "I was in that world with you. Not nearly as long as you have been, but… I know what are going through. Maybe I don't feel it as intensely as you do, but in some ways, I'm gonna miss that place, too."
"There was so much wonder and excitement," Van said. "So much joy and happiness. I mean, before you and the CIA came along, I knew exactly how my life was going to turn out. I was going to be happy and I was going to live the kind of life that I've always wanted to live. Then it all changed and I did the right thing. At the end of the day, I did the right thing and I sacrificed everything so selflessly…"
"You really did," Sang said.
"So why do I feel so terrible? You know, when you watch the movies or read the books, whenever the hero does something heroic, he's smiling at the end of the adventure. He doesn't really lose anything. He gets the girl back, he fights the bad guy, he wins respect, and his life is better. But now… now I have nothing. And Neil told me that he might have to smuggle me out of the country in a fruit truck if the CIA considers me to be a security leak."
"I'm pretty sure Neil was joking about that," Sang offered, hoping she was right. "But there's more to a happy ending than just being better off positionally. I mean, sure the stereotypical hero has a better life, but that's not the point of the story. The point of the story is what kind of person that hero becomes after the adventure."
"And what kind of person am I?" Van asked. "Just some loser without a job."
"Is that what defines you? Your job? If that's the case, then I'm in just as much trouble as you are."
"You're being fired?"
"According to Neil and O'Hara, we're all being retired because we know too much. And if Neil can be believed, the outcome will involve getting paid a ton of money to be quiet."
"That sounds nice," Van said. "I'm not getting a dime for any of this."
Sang sighed heavily. "My entire career is gone now. Everything that I fought so hard for in my life is vanishing before my eyes, and for what? For the fact that I did a good job. It's all going to be scrubbed clean and no one will even know about these aliens."
"That's why I cheat on my taxes," Van said. "Damn government."
"Damn government," Sang echoed. She leaned her head down and shook it vigorously. "I just wish that things could be different for the both of us. I wish that you didn't have to say goodbye to your home, and that I didn't have to say goodbye to my job."
"Yeah," Van replied. There was a silence in the air. "Are… are we going to have to say goodbye to each other, too?"
"What?" Sang asked. She stood from where she'd been sitting and leaned against one of the other pods.
Van sat up and swung his legs around the edge of the pod, kicking his feet a little. "We're at the end of our big adventure. It looks like you're not going to be sticking around with your job, and me, I have no reason to stick around, either. So I guess this is gonna be the end of us adventuring together."
"I didn't really think much about that," Sang said. "Van, it's been crazy how close we've grown together. Back in that last fight, it was like we were in perfect sync. I knew exactly what you were going to do and you… you trusted me to act on my own in the game. We make the perfect team."
"Yeah, we did," Van said. "But now what? Where do we go from here? I guess we can stay friends on Facebook, but that's gonna be it."
Sang frowned. She really didn't want to lose Van. He was a good ally, a fine friend, and above all else, his heart was truly dedicated to doing good – and that was a rare thing to find in a person. The way things were looking right now, they'd just shake hands and go their separate ways.
"Wait!" Sang said, "What about the Xevov? Jet told us that he'd be storing himself inside of the pod, right? Maybe… maybe we can figure out how to help his race."
Van shook his head. "That's insane, Sang. I know Jet was begging us for help, but what are we going to be able to do without the help of the CIA? They're gonna probably scrap all of these pods and send us far away from this place. I'd love to help him out, but I'm just not seeing the government leaping at the chance to save another race from slavery."
"Yeah," Sang said as she sank down even lower onto the ground. "Well, it was worth a thought. So, then, yeah, I guess we're going to have to say goodbye. I mean, unless you want to be my roommate or something."
Van shrugged at that. "And do what? Just hang out and watch TV until someone gives me a job? I'm qualified for literally nothing."
"Maybe we can get Neil to forge you some credentials, make you look like some kind of bigwig. You can go work as a business consultant or something."
"Oh yeah, that's definitely how I want to spend the rest of my life, inside of some office instead of fighting against hordes of barbarians with an axe."
"Look, I'm at least trying to be constructive," Sang said. "You're the one who's determined to be miserable here."