The "Freeola Customer Forum" forum, which includes Retro Game Reviews, has been archived and is now read-only. You cannot post here or create a new thread or review on this forum.
The first chapter has now been completed. You might have to wait a little longer for the third part. I understand its a strain on the eyes and i apologize for the inconveince.
Chapter 1: Testing times
The test of success is not what you do when you are on top. Success is how high you bounce when you hit bottom. George S. Patton
NUUK, Iceland / London/
95 years later
“Gentleman I behold to you the newest advancements of CHIP technology ever gazed upon by Human eyes!” Vissik announced with great pride and unveiled an unspeakably strange device that few words could be used to describe it. The other scientists stared at the device with mixed feelings to what to expect of the machine.
“THIS is it?” one of the scientists said in slight shock
“Quiet! Let him talk us through it” said another
“Well, Vissik, your new chip technology idea looks like another doomed invention to me” Spoke the balding blue eyed scientist. “Where in the world did you find the idea that this, this despicable machine you’ve created would actually work?”
“Chodak, trust me, I’ve done lot of theory work into this machine and I can guarantee that the concept is perfectly sound, I’m quite confident that-“
Chodak cut him off and walked to the front of the group of scientists that stood at the strange device. “So you’re basing your confidence with theory and not practical testing? Do you not understand the possibility of what could happen between Theory and practice? Have you actually thought of the implications if it went wrong? I would have thought that with your years of experience that you would do the obvious thing to test it out” he sneered. “we could be going against Eurocorp’s law!”
“ I know its going to work!” He walked forward towards Chodak “When have I ever been wrong?”
“Vissik, you can’t seem to grasp the simplest idea that sometimes people can be WRONG. You COULD be wrong in this event. You’ve played with death before and survived, yes, I accept that part. But dammit, it was ALL LUCK. Thinking it could work and it working at all is 2 different things. With mind control even the simplest of slip-ups in any of our inventions could cost not only the inventors lives but also the worlds. I for one do not wish to see my life being mentally handicapped or even worse, dead, because someone didn’t even have the common sense to test it!”
“ What about the enhancements to electrical weapons? What about the forward in technology we have created?” Vissik paused “I have never been wrong, besides, All ten of us, including you Chodak, worked on it together and you as well as the others worked on the theory behind it and the possible designs for change. Surely you don’t doubt your own work?”
“Even at times I feel that before you make your leap of faith over what could be a gorge of uncertainty in life, I should place a safety net over it in case it all goes to hell!” he waited for a reply. Knowing he was going to get it his own way. “ We all may have worked on the theory and produced our own concept ideas into seeing how this would actually work, but dammit Vissik, you’ve just went it alone and created a machine that’s based on what could be flawed theory from all of us!”
Vissik grew impatient and slightly agitated by the conversation, he needed the support of the other scientists, and he wasn’t going to let no renegade or ignorant believer in chances to ruin what he had so badly worked for. “Very well, we will test the device...On ourselves”.
How the mighty have fallen thought Robert Branding, His family name use to be loved and liked by everyone in the company, now no one even knows the significance of the Branding family name anymore. From owning the Top managing executive jobs to now living through the years as lowly security guard, it was not only humiliating but also painful. How the mighty have fallen indeed.
Everything that they worked so hard in almost a century was gone. With no family members to help him, he knew that would have to now to reclaim his families lost glory alone and it annoyed Branding. Everything now lies squarely on MY shoulders, damn it, where did it all go wrong? He frowned and grew even more nervous, too much was at stake already. If he failed here and now the family legacy would be shattered and the once glorious history of their family would have fallen into obscurity forever, Condemning Branding’s life and family heritage as a security guard. It was another humiliating prospect for Branding to behold. He needed this job and he needed this job bad. But he wasn’t going to get it that simple, the men and women who waited outside in the corridor with him had probably revised and practised the theory numerous times. And they weren’t going to give up the prospect of having a better life to branding that easily. This job wasn’t something you could get everyday. No, this job was only once in a life time and it might only be Branding’s only chance in his boring, mundane life to turn it around to something better. Something worthwhile and maybe reclaim the life that he so rightly deserved.
He stared at the face of his watch, the lighting of the watch seemed just as bright as the neon signs that illuminated the polluted sky outside of the building. It made his tired deprived of sleep eyes sting and burn just staring at it. He rubbed his eyes to make the feeling go away.
9.05. Just another 15 minutes before the doors would open and the test of his life was about to begin.
Branding had felt like a loner or an alien as he stared around among the other candidates. They all wore business suits or dressed formally, wearing fantastic golden jewellery and sporting the latest fashionable (yet formal) hair styles. Whilst he wore what was his causal clothes and working uniform. In his armour, green uniform and his ballistic helmet, he knew that the other candidates were whispering about him or despised him because of his clothes he wore. It made Branding feel embarrassed and made him look down on his own clothes and questioned whether he had even a chance to even walk into the exam room alone.
The door opened and everyone turned. The speaker on the door buzzed to life. There was a tense silence in the air that made even Branding's hair on the end of his neck to raise up. His mouth suddenly felt dry and his heart rate went up. There was a sinking feeling and made him constantly fidget.
“Ladies and gentlemen, please make your way to the table with your name on it. The tables with be placed in alphabetical order, starting with A on the top left hand corner of the room. When you find your table, please insert your Id card into the slot provided as to register and inform UTOPIA AI that you are present at the Exam, those without ID cards WILL NOT be allowed to enter and consequently will not be allowed to enter the exam hall. I repeat, those without ID cards will not be allowed into the exam hall” There was a pause and an agent wearing a trench coat and mask stood at the door way of the hall. “To ensure that process is done quickly, please line up outside the doorway and have your ID card in your hands and show the Agent your card and he’ll let you in”. Everyone complied and started to form a line outside the door and pulled out his or her ID cards as to show the Agent. Slowly the line began moving, so slow it felt like a slow walk into an execution chamber and the Agent standing outside the door reminded Branding of a farmer herding his cattle into a slaughterhouse to be made into mince meat. The agent grabbed at each person’s arm to raise their ID cards into his eye view and shoved them into the room if he was convinced they were real.
Halfway down the line Branding stared at the front of the line only to see Another person pleading to the agent to be allowed in, the person was thrown out the line and not into the room. His body fell heavily onto the floor and the person stood up upset with his treatment. Quietly, he left clearly blubbering. His pleas had fallen on deaf ears as the Agent was clearly not listening and none of the candidates pitied with the person. After all, one less candidate to compete against for that dream job wasn’t it? Branding couldn’t agree more. Already 6 of the candidates had failed without even touching the paper or writing their name yet. Branding didn’t think there could have been anymore people foolish enough to attempt to enter the room without an ID card.
He was wrong, the woman in front of him couldn’t show any ID and made pathetic pleas all heard before “My ID was stolen” and “Be generous I’ll make it worth while” were said. Branding moaned and soon the line came to a halt, complaints could be heard numerous “Move it! come on!” shouts could be heard. The Agent wasted no time in treating the woman the same as those before her who failed to produce an ID card-Badly.
She was thrown aside and there was a scream as she fell. The women looked up, she was panicking, pleading, she looked desperate and like she was going nuts, her straight pony tail hair had spilled over the front of her face, and one of her high heels had broke from the fall. Things made a turn for the worst when Branding was about to show the Agent his ID card, but before he could, the dejected women made a bolt for the exam room, the agent turned and pulled out what looked like an UZI. Branding looked on horrified and his jaw dropped. The agent aimed at the women’s head as she charged towards the door.
The Uzi exploded into life as bullets began to fire out at an alarming rate that blew the women’s face to bits. The agent didn’t even flinch or even recoil when he fired round after round from the UZI into the defenceless women. Screams could be heard, people ducked and dived for the floor, some rolled up into a ball and Idiot business men tried to hide behind their brief cases, whilst women held onto people. One woman was holding onto the now stunned frozen body of Branding. Fragments of bone and brain of the women splattered onto the back wall and all over Branding’s armour and the agents’ trench coat. In seconds it was over. The woman was dead bleeding, blood seeped into the red carpet and slowly flowed towards branding and the agent’s feet. The problem finally resolved, the Agent continued his job even before anyone was ready, Branding snapped out of the hypnotised state created by the whole incident and walked in. The incident Shook Branding, he never felt that this incident would occur let alone be caused by a woman! It seemed almost surreal to happen in a place like this!
With that thought he sat down on his desk and inserted the ID card and the monitor in front of him switched on the words “Work unit ready” blazing across the screen. He hoped that the incident didn’t shake him too much that it would affect his concentration and his exam progress.
“ I can’t believe I’m hearing this from any of you! I’m glad that you’re willing to test it finally, but what I resent is that we’re going to test it on our selves!” Chodak shouted in hysteria. He turned and stared hard at the security camera in the top left-hand corner of the room. The red light flicked on and off acknowledging that the whole c3 conference was being monitored and all evidence of success or failure recorded.
“Chodak, its too risky to use anyone on this site as not one outside this room can be trusted. They could be spies for other departments waiting to take OUR glory””
“This is pointless, You can all go to hell as far as I’m concerned! Good day gentlemen.”
“Chodak! Listen to me!” shouted Vissik. Chodak began to head for the door to leave. “Chodak, stand STILL!” He complied
“Chodak, look around you, all your friends have seen the light and all understand the possibilities, they had the choice to leave or stay, they chose to stay and take part. Including me, there is 9 of the 10 in this room willing to test it out. Surely that isn’t enough to convince that this is going to work and your life is not going to be sacrificed for nothing?”
“You’ve already got test subjects in the form of my friends, the security camera will record the progress and testing, why do you need me?” Chodak replied misery clearly in his face.
Vissik was not impressed and he could see that Chodak was having a hard time rejecting his best friend and his other friends to an uncertain fate. He knew he was about to crack. Now was the time to use some reverse psychology “Chodak, you’re the one who pressured me and the others into this, are you telling me you’re changing your mind?” Vissik looked at him hard. “ Do YOU even know what the Eurocorp law states? Remember article 21.7? They state that all project members must run the test and ensure that it works! If even one wavers and leaves, their project is doomed. You’re the only one wavering, Its YOU who is to sabotage the project and its YOU who will send us all to a bleak future.” Vissik leaned forward close enough that they both could feel each other’s breathing. “We have no choice, this time will come sooner or later so lets do it NOW! Whilst we have time! Forget safety! We could be ahead of anyone else!”
“But, this can wait, I know it can wait” Chodak pleaded
“You cannot conceive of the immense pressure we’re under! We hear reports that Eurocorp are thinking of drafting us to other departments to work on other projects. Those other departments are competing against each other as well as us, if we don’t stay one step ahead of the game we could lose everything. The homes we live in, the money we earn and the life style we now hold, our reputation, destroyed because of YOU. So what is it friend?”
Chodak stared at the gazing eyes of everyone seated and hooked up to the machine that was going to be tested. Each one showed nervousness, excitement, sadness and pity towards Chodak. He couldn’t stand the aftermath. Vissik was right, he brought this on himself, whatever option, he knew could end horribly. Even more so for himself
He had no choice he had to comply
“Very well, I’ll comply. I’ll test it. Tell me what I have to do...”
“Times up, please put your pens down” the Agent announced.
Nuts, 2 hours was up and Branding didn’t finish the paper to his required taste. He frowned but complied by putting his pen down on the table like the other candidates. He didn’t want to upset the agent like the unfortunate woman outside in the corridor.
When the echoing sounds of pens dropping to the table seized, the Agent continued “When you leave, please hand over the paper. May you now have a productive day”
There was a shuffle of chairs and each candidate walked out the room, handing their written work made in 2 hours to the Agent. Branding walked out and went to the fizzy drink vending machine and bought a soft drink. The plastic bottle rolled out of the bottom and he pressed it against his throbbing head, before he opened the bottle to drink it. The drink wasn’t too bad, it didn’t have a chemical aftertaste he found in water or the taste of rotting fruit found in any juice drinks. Rather, the sweet fizzy contents produced a burning sensation in his throat, which was normal in some drinks. He leaned back onto the vending machine and drank whilst He stared around the Video wall paintings and eventually in the direction where the corpse of the woman once lay. All that was left of her was the congealed areas of blood on the carpet, which resembled as if someone had urinated or stained with some sort of greasy meal. The back wall that was decorated with the woman’s brain and blood was washed off completely. Branding sighed, she brought it on herself, but on the other hand, the agent was a little heavy handed.
Time passed and soon Branding was now alone in the yellow brightly-lit corridor, a calm silence fell upon the corridor that was soon broken by echoing footsteps. Branding ignored it and continued to slowly drink his carbonated beverage that he savoured. As the figure walking down the corridor saw Branding, he stopped and turned. It was a stereotypical businessman, dark blue suit, shinny leather shoes and carry a brief case in one hand. Branding straightened up and eye balled him. It was his once good friend Richard Broker.
“If it isn’t the late son of Patrick Branding! I see that you’re coping well after your families shameful actions, if not in a dignified manner”
“ You make it seem like it was our fault, don’t forget It was your families dirty dealings that condemned our family to working as dogs!” Branding sneered
“Someone’s feeling cantankerous today aren’t they?” he said with a sinister smile, but Brokers emotions soon turned serious “Well you should be you little runt, you’re nothing to Eurocorp or me. You don’t even deserve to live or have that status of security personnel!” Broker shouted back in reply. He continued “The fact that we, I, out classed you in every way and the fact you’re not even a former shadow of your fathers previous job shows evidence of this!”
“Yeah sure, we don’t deserve to live apart from the fact that WE were the ones who founded Eurocorp and the WE made you what you are now, isn’t that proof of our right to exist on this very planet?” Branding replied.
“Enough of this, why are you here?” Broker demanded
“You know very damn well why I’m here”
“Ah, I see you wanting to reclaim what was “rightfully” yours and return to your families original status. Tell me Robert, what made you turn around and make a feeble attempt at becoming an executive? Has your life suddenly become uneventful?”
Branding took a sip of his drink “ What have you seen that could have possibly been more eventful than seeing a woman been shot today?”
Broker paused before replying “I’ve seen Eurocorp turned against its own creators that was the Branding family... Tearing them apart and sending them right to the gutter of life...” Broker smiled, as Branding clearly looked agitated annoyed by the insulting comment. “Don’t forget, the agent was doing his job. Drastic situations need Drastic measures” Broker said it said in such a way that it could have been as if he said she deserved it and was obvious to the world except to Branding. “You should be appreciative that she was eliminated, she could have made the difference between you passing and you failing”
“Oh? And how would you know?”
“I don’t. All I know is that everyone in there had a better chance of getting the executive job than you would in a million years...” Broker smirked “Regardless, I wish you luck, not that it’ll help you now. See you around”
“Don’t worry, we will meet one day. Either in hell or in several months time”
“I doubt it in both cases, unless, I was seeing you in hell from heaven!” With those words Broker strolled down the corridor and disappeared from view as he turned the corner. He was gone. It reminded branding that he too had places to go and he had to return to duty. He wasted no time in consuming the soft drink and placing it in a waste bin. Before he went round the corner, he took one last look at where the woman’s body once lay and left.
Chapter 1: Testing times
The test of success is not what you do when you are on top. Success is how high you bounce when you hit bottom. George S. Patton
NUUK, Iceland / London/
95 years later
“Gentleman I behold to you the newest advancements of CHIP technology ever gazed upon by Human eyes!” Vissik announced with great pride and unveiled an unspeakably strange device that few words could be used to describe it. The other scientists stared at the device with mixed feelings to what to expect of the machine.
“THIS is it?” one of the scientists said in slight shock
“Quiet! Let him talk us through it” said another
“Well, Vissik, your new chip technology idea looks like another doomed invention to me” Spoke the balding blue eyed scientist. “Where in the world did you find the idea that this, this despicable machine you’ve created would actually work?”
“Chodak, trust me, I’ve done lot of theory work into this machine and I can guarantee that the concept is perfectly sound, I’m quite confident that-“
Chodak cut him off and walked to the front of the group of scientists that stood at the strange device. “So you’re basing your confidence with theory and not practical testing? Do you not understand the possibility of what could happen between Theory and practice? Have you actually thought of the implications if it went wrong? I would have thought that with your years of experience that you would do the obvious thing to test it out” he sneered. “we could be going against Eurocorp’s law!”
“ I know its going to work!” He walked forward towards Chodak “When have I ever been wrong?”
“Vissik, you can’t seem to grasp the simplest idea that sometimes people can be WRONG. You COULD be wrong in this event. You’ve played with death before and survived, yes, I accept that part. But dammit, it was ALL LUCK. Thinking it could work and it working at all is 2 different things. With mind control even the simplest of slip-ups in any of our inventions could cost not only the inventors lives but also the worlds. I for one do not wish to see my life being mentally handicapped or even worse, dead, because someone didn’t even have the common sense to test it!”
“ What about the enhancements to electrical weapons? What about the forward in technology we have created?” Vissik paused “I have never been wrong, besides, All ten of us, including you Chodak, worked on it together and you as well as the others worked on the theory behind it and the possible designs for change. Surely you don’t doubt your own work?”
“Even at times I feel that before you make your leap of faith over what could be a gorge of uncertainty in life, I should place a safety net over it in case it all goes to hell!” he waited for a reply. Knowing he was going to get it his own way. “ We all may have worked on the theory and produced our own concept ideas into seeing how this would actually work, but dammit Vissik, you’ve just went it alone and created a machine that’s based on what could be flawed theory from all of us!”
Vissik grew impatient and slightly agitated by the conversation, he needed the support of the other scientists, and he wasn’t going to let no renegade or ignorant believer in chances to ruin what he had so badly worked for. “Very well, we will test the device...On ourselves”.
How the mighty have fallen thought Robert Branding, His family name use to be loved and liked by everyone in the company, now no one even knows the significance of the Branding family name anymore. From owning the Top managing executive jobs to now living through the years as lowly security guard, it was not only humiliating but also painful. How the mighty have fallen indeed.
Everything that they worked so hard in almost a century was gone. With no family members to help him, he knew that would have to now to reclaim his families lost glory alone and it annoyed Branding. Everything now lies squarely on MY shoulders, damn it, where did it all go wrong? He frowned and grew even more nervous, too much was at stake already. If he failed here and now the family legacy would be shattered and the once glorious history of their family would have fallen into obscurity forever, Condemning Branding’s life and family heritage as a security guard. It was another humiliating prospect for Branding to behold. He needed this job and he needed this job bad. But he wasn’t going to get it that simple, the men and women who waited outside in the corridor with him had probably revised and practised the theory numerous times. And they weren’t going to give up the prospect of having a better life to branding that easily. This job wasn’t something you could get everyday. No, this job was only once in a life time and it might only be Branding’s only chance in his boring, mundane life to turn it around to something better. Something worthwhile and maybe reclaim the life that he so rightly deserved.
He stared at the face of his watch, the lighting of the watch seemed just as bright as the neon signs that illuminated the polluted sky outside of the building. It made his tired deprived of sleep eyes sting and burn just staring at it. He rubbed his eyes to make the feeling go away.
9.05. Just another 15 minutes before the doors would open and the test of his life was about to begin.
Branding had felt like a loner or an alien as he stared around among the other candidates. They all wore business suits or dressed formally, wearing fantastic golden jewellery and sporting the latest fashionable (yet formal) hair styles. Whilst he wore what was his causal clothes and working uniform. In his armour, green uniform and his ballistic helmet, he knew that the other candidates were whispering about him or despised him because of his clothes he wore. It made Branding feel embarrassed and made him look down on his own clothes and questioned whether he had even a chance to even walk into the exam room alone.
The door opened and everyone turned. The speaker on the door buzzed to life. There was a tense silence in the air that made even Branding's hair on the end of his neck to raise up. His mouth suddenly felt dry and his heart rate went up. There was a sinking feeling and made him constantly fidget.
“Ladies and gentlemen, please make your way to the table with your name on it. The tables with be placed in alphabetical order, starting with A on the top left hand corner of the room. When you find your table, please insert your Id card into the slot provided as to register and inform UTOPIA AI that you are present at the Exam, those without ID cards WILL NOT be allowed to enter and consequently will not be allowed to enter the exam hall. I repeat, those without ID cards will not be allowed into the exam hall” There was a pause and an agent wearing a trench coat and mask stood at the door way of the hall. “To ensure that process is done quickly, please line up outside the doorway and have your ID card in your hands and show the Agent your card and he’ll let you in”. Everyone complied and started to form a line outside the door and pulled out his or her ID cards as to show the Agent. Slowly the line began moving, so slow it felt like a slow walk into an execution chamber and the Agent standing outside the door reminded Branding of a farmer herding his cattle into a slaughterhouse to be made into mince meat. The agent grabbed at each person’s arm to raise their ID cards into his eye view and shoved them into the room if he was convinced they were real.
Halfway down the line Branding stared at the front of the line only to see Another person pleading to the agent to be allowed in, the person was thrown out the line and not into the room. His body fell heavily onto the floor and the person stood up upset with his treatment. Quietly, he left clearly blubbering. His pleas had fallen on deaf ears as the Agent was clearly not listening and none of the candidates pitied with the person. After all, one less candidate to compete against for that dream job wasn’t it? Branding couldn’t agree more. Already 6 of the candidates had failed without even touching the paper or writing their name yet. Branding didn’t think there could have been anymore people foolish enough to attempt to enter the room without an ID card.
He was wrong, the woman in front of him couldn’t show any ID and made pathetic pleas all heard before “My ID was stolen” and “Be generous I’ll make it worth while” were said. Branding moaned and soon the line came to a halt, complaints could be heard numerous “Move it! come on!” shouts could be heard. The Agent wasted no time in treating the woman the same as those before her who failed to produce an ID card-Badly.
She was thrown aside and there was a scream as she fell. The women looked up, she was panicking, pleading, she looked desperate and like she was going nuts, her straight pony tail hair had spilled over the front of her face, and one of her high heels had broke from the fall. Things made a turn for the worst when Branding was about to show the Agent his ID card, but before he could, the dejected women made a bolt for the exam room, the agent turned and pulled out what looked like an UZI. Branding looked on horrified and his jaw dropped. The agent aimed at the women’s head as she charged towards the door.
The Uzi exploded into life as bullets began to fire out at an alarming rate that blew the women’s face to bits. The agent didn’t even flinch or even recoil when he fired round after round from the UZI into the defenceless women. Screams could be heard, people ducked and dived for the floor, some rolled up into a ball and Idiot business men tried to hide behind their brief cases, whilst women held onto people. One woman was holding onto the now stunned frozen body of Branding. Fragments of bone and brain of the women splattered onto the back wall and all over Branding’s armour and the agents’ trench coat. In seconds it was over. The woman was dead bleeding, blood seeped into the red carpet and slowly flowed towards branding and the agent’s feet. The problem finally resolved, the Agent continued his job even before anyone was ready, Branding snapped out of the hypnotised state created by the whole incident and walked in. The incident Shook Branding, he never felt that this incident would occur let alone be caused by a woman! It seemed almost surreal to happen in a place like this!
With that thought he sat down on his desk and inserted the ID card and the monitor in front of him switched on the words “Work unit ready” blazing across the screen. He hoped that the incident didn’t shake him too much that it would affect his concentration and his exam progress.
“ I can’t believe I’m hearing this from any of you! I’m glad that you’re willing to test it finally, but what I resent is that we’re going to test it on our selves!” Chodak shouted in hysteria. He turned and stared hard at the security camera in the top left-hand corner of the room. The red light flicked on and off acknowledging that the whole c3 conference was being monitored and all evidence of success or failure recorded.
“Chodak, its too risky to use anyone on this site as not one outside this room can be trusted. They could be spies for other departments waiting to take OUR glory””
“This is pointless, You can all go to hell as far as I’m concerned! Good day gentlemen.”
“Chodak! Listen to me!” shouted Vissik. Chodak began to head for the door to leave. “Chodak, stand STILL!” He complied
“Chodak, look around you, all your friends have seen the light and all understand the possibilities, they had the choice to leave or stay, they chose to stay and take part. Including me, there is 9 of the 10 in this room willing to test it out. Surely that isn’t enough to convince that this is going to work and your life is not going to be sacrificed for nothing?”
“You’ve already got test subjects in the form of my friends, the security camera will record the progress and testing, why do you need me?” Chodak replied misery clearly in his face.
Vissik was not impressed and he could see that Chodak was having a hard time rejecting his best friend and his other friends to an uncertain fate. He knew he was about to crack. Now was the time to use some reverse psychology “Chodak, you’re the one who pressured me and the others into this, are you telling me you’re changing your mind?” Vissik looked at him hard. “ Do YOU even know what the Eurocorp law states? Remember article 21.7? They state that all project members must run the test and ensure that it works! If even one wavers and leaves, their project is doomed. You’re the only one wavering, Its YOU who is to sabotage the project and its YOU who will send us all to a bleak future.” Vissik leaned forward close enough that they both could feel each other’s breathing. “We have no choice, this time will come sooner or later so lets do it NOW! Whilst we have time! Forget safety! We could be ahead of anyone else!”
“But, this can wait, I know it can wait” Chodak pleaded
“You cannot conceive of the immense pressure we’re under! We hear reports that Eurocorp are thinking of drafting us to other departments to work on other projects. Those other departments are competing against each other as well as us, if we don’t stay one step ahead of the game we could lose everything. The homes we live in, the money we earn and the life style we now hold, our reputation, destroyed because of YOU. So what is it friend?”
Chodak stared at the gazing eyes of everyone seated and hooked up to the machine that was going to be tested. Each one showed nervousness, excitement, sadness and pity towards Chodak. He couldn’t stand the aftermath. Vissik was right, he brought this on himself, whatever option, he knew could end horribly. Even more so for himself
He had no choice he had to comply
“Very well, I’ll comply. I’ll test it. Tell me what I have to do...”
“Times up, please put your pens down” the Agent announced.
Nuts, 2 hours was up and Branding didn’t finish the paper to his required taste. He frowned but complied by putting his pen down on the table like the other candidates. He didn’t want to upset the agent like the unfortunate woman outside in the corridor.
When the echoing sounds of pens dropping to the table seized, the Agent continued “When you leave, please hand over the paper. May you now have a productive day”
There was a shuffle of chairs and each candidate walked out the room, handing their written work made in 2 hours to the Agent. Branding walked out and went to the fizzy drink vending machine and bought a soft drink. The plastic bottle rolled out of the bottom and he pressed it against his throbbing head, before he opened the bottle to drink it. The drink wasn’t too bad, it didn’t have a chemical aftertaste he found in water or the taste of rotting fruit found in any juice drinks. Rather, the sweet fizzy contents produced a burning sensation in his throat, which was normal in some drinks. He leaned back onto the vending machine and drank whilst He stared around the Video wall paintings and eventually in the direction where the corpse of the woman once lay. All that was left of her was the congealed areas of blood on the carpet, which resembled as if someone had urinated or stained with some sort of greasy meal. The back wall that was decorated with the woman’s brain and blood was washed off completely. Branding sighed, she brought it on herself, but on the other hand, the agent was a little heavy handed.
Time passed and soon Branding was now alone in the yellow brightly-lit corridor, a calm silence fell upon the corridor that was soon broken by echoing footsteps. Branding ignored it and continued to slowly drink his carbonated beverage that he savoured. As the figure walking down the corridor saw Branding, he stopped and turned. It was a stereotypical businessman, dark blue suit, shinny leather shoes and carry a brief case in one hand. Branding straightened up and eye balled him. It was his once good friend Richard Broker.
“If it isn’t the late son of Patrick Branding! I see that you’re coping well after your families shameful actions, if not in a dignified manner”
“ You make it seem like it was our fault, don’t forget It was your families dirty dealings that condemned our family to working as dogs!” Branding sneered
“Someone’s feeling cantankerous today aren’t they?” he said with a sinister smile, but Brokers emotions soon turned serious “Well you should be you little runt, you’re nothing to Eurocorp or me. You don’t even deserve to live or have that status of security personnel!” Broker shouted back in reply. He continued “The fact that we, I, out classed you in every way and the fact you’re not even a former shadow of your fathers previous job shows evidence of this!”
“Yeah sure, we don’t deserve to live apart from the fact that WE were the ones who founded Eurocorp and the WE made you what you are now, isn’t that proof of our right to exist on this very planet?” Branding replied.
“Enough of this, why are you here?” Broker demanded
“You know very damn well why I’m here”
“Ah, I see you wanting to reclaim what was “rightfully” yours and return to your families original status. Tell me Robert, what made you turn around and make a feeble attempt at becoming an executive? Has your life suddenly become uneventful?”
Branding took a sip of his drink “ What have you seen that could have possibly been more eventful than seeing a woman been shot today?”
Broker paused before replying “I’ve seen Eurocorp turned against its own creators that was the Branding family... Tearing them apart and sending them right to the gutter of life...” Broker smiled, as Branding clearly looked agitated annoyed by the insulting comment. “Don’t forget, the agent was doing his job. Drastic situations need Drastic measures” Broker said it said in such a way that it could have been as if he said she deserved it and was obvious to the world except to Branding. “You should be appreciative that she was eliminated, she could have made the difference between you passing and you failing”
“Oh? And how would you know?”
“I don’t. All I know is that everyone in there had a better chance of getting the executive job than you would in a million years...” Broker smirked “Regardless, I wish you luck, not that it’ll help you now. See you around”
“Don’t worry, we will meet one day. Either in hell or in several months time”
“I doubt it in both cases, unless, I was seeing you in hell from heaven!” With those words Broker strolled down the corridor and disappeared from view as he turned the corner. He was gone. It reminded branding that he too had places to go and he had to return to duty. He wasted no time in consuming the soft drink and placing it in a waste bin. Before he went round the corner, he took one last look at where the woman’s body once lay and left.
".... very, very, very long. You don't say!"
I know, i could have broken it down into 2 parts, but, hey, you brake most of the story up. Don't forget if you haven't seen the prologue yet, have a look around. The 2nd chapter will take a little time as i'm sorting out the next 3 chapters out. The ideas of chapter 2 are ready and i'm pretty sure it won't be this long.
I know, i could have broken it down into 2 parts, but, hey, you brake most of the story up. Don't forget if you haven't seen the prologue yet, have a look around. The 2nd chapter will take a little time as i'm sorting out the next 3 chapters out. The ideas of chapter 2 are ready and i'm pretty sure it won't be this long.
That was pretty intruiging -
Part 2, please.
Part 2, please.
I'm a spastic looney -
WOOAAAUHARGHARGHARGH
WOOAAAUHARGHARGHARGH
Wakka wrote:
> That was very very very very very very long.
.... very, very, very long. You don't say!
> That was very very very very very very long.
.... very, very, very long. You don't say!
That was very very very very very very long.
The first chapter has now been completed. You might have to wait a little longer for the third part. I understand its a strain on the eyes and i apologize for the inconveince.
Chapter 1: Testing times
The test of success is not what you do when you are on top. Success is how high you bounce when you hit bottom. George S. Patton
NUUK, Iceland / London/
95 years later
“Gentleman I behold to you the newest advancements of CHIP technology ever gazed upon by Human eyes!” Vissik announced with great pride and unveiled an unspeakably strange device that few words could be used to describe it. The other scientists stared at the device with mixed feelings to what to expect of the machine.
“THIS is it?” one of the scientists said in slight shock
“Quiet! Let him talk us through it” said another
“Well, Vissik, your new chip technology idea looks like another doomed invention to me” Spoke the balding blue eyed scientist. “Where in the world did you find the idea that this, this despicable machine you’ve created would actually work?”
“Chodak, trust me, I’ve done lot of theory work into this machine and I can guarantee that the concept is perfectly sound, I’m quite confident that-“
Chodak cut him off and walked to the front of the group of scientists that stood at the strange device. “So you’re basing your confidence with theory and not practical testing? Do you not understand the possibility of what could happen between Theory and practice? Have you actually thought of the implications if it went wrong? I would have thought that with your years of experience that you would do the obvious thing to test it out” he sneered. “we could be going against Eurocorp’s law!”
“ I know its going to work!” He walked forward towards Chodak “When have I ever been wrong?”
“Vissik, you can’t seem to grasp the simplest idea that sometimes people can be WRONG. You COULD be wrong in this event. You’ve played with death before and survived, yes, I accept that part. But dammit, it was ALL LUCK. Thinking it could work and it working at all is 2 different things. With mind control even the simplest of slip-ups in any of our inventions could cost not only the inventors lives but also the worlds. I for one do not wish to see my life being mentally handicapped or even worse, dead, because someone didn’t even have the common sense to test it!”
“ What about the enhancements to electrical weapons? What about the forward in technology we have created?” Vissik paused “I have never been wrong, besides, All ten of us, including you Chodak, worked on it together and you as well as the others worked on the theory behind it and the possible designs for change. Surely you don’t doubt your own work?”
“Even at times I feel that before you make your leap of faith over what could be a gorge of uncertainty in life, I should place a safety net over it in case it all goes to hell!” he waited for a reply. Knowing he was going to get it his own way. “ We all may have worked on the theory and produced our own concept ideas into seeing how this would actually work, but dammit Vissik, you’ve just went it alone and created a machine that’s based on what could be flawed theory from all of us!”
Vissik grew impatient and slightly agitated by the conversation, he needed the support of the other scientists, and he wasn’t going to let no renegade or ignorant believer in chances to ruin what he had so badly worked for. “Very well, we will test the device...On ourselves”.
How the mighty have fallen thought Robert Branding, His family name use to be loved and liked by everyone in the company, now no one even knows the significance of the Branding family name anymore. From owning the Top managing executive jobs to now living through the years as lowly security guard, it was not only humiliating but also painful. How the mighty have fallen indeed.
Everything that they worked so hard in almost a century was gone. With no family members to help him, he knew that would have to now to reclaim his families lost glory alone and it annoyed Branding. Everything now lies squarely on MY shoulders, damn it, where did it all go wrong? He frowned and grew even more nervous, too much was at stake already. If he failed here and now the family legacy would be shattered and the once glorious history of their family would have fallen into obscurity forever, Condemning Branding’s life and family heritage as a security guard. It was another humiliating prospect for Branding to behold. He needed this job and he needed this job bad. But he wasn’t going to get it that simple, the men and women who waited outside in the corridor with him had probably revised and practised the theory numerous times. And they weren’t going to give up the prospect of having a better life to branding that easily. This job wasn’t something you could get everyday. No, this job was only once in a life time and it might only be Branding’s only chance in his boring, mundane life to turn it around to something better. Something worthwhile and maybe reclaim the life that he so rightly deserved.
He stared at the face of his watch, the lighting of the watch seemed just as bright as the neon signs that illuminated the polluted sky outside of the building. It made his tired deprived of sleep eyes sting and burn just staring at it. He rubbed his eyes to make the feeling go away.
9.05. Just another 15 minutes before the doors would open and the test of his life was about to begin.
Branding had felt like a loner or an alien as he stared around among the other candidates. They all wore business suits or dressed formally, wearing fantastic golden jewellery and sporting the latest fashionable (yet formal) hair styles. Whilst he wore what was his causal clothes and working uniform. In his armour, green uniform and his ballistic helmet, he knew that the other candidates were whispering about him or despised him because of his clothes he wore. It made Branding feel embarrassed and made him look down on his own clothes and questioned whether he had even a chance to even walk into the exam room alone.
The door opened and everyone turned. The speaker on the door buzzed to life. There was a tense silence in the air that made even Branding's hair on the end of his neck to raise up. His mouth suddenly felt dry and his heart rate went up. There was a sinking feeling and made him constantly fidget.
“Ladies and gentlemen, please make your way to the table with your name on it. The tables with be placed in alphabetical order, starting with A on the top left hand corner of the room. When you find your table, please insert your Id card into the slot provided as to register and inform UTOPIA AI that you are present at the Exam, those without ID cards WILL NOT be allowed to enter and consequently will not be allowed to enter the exam hall. I repeat, those without ID cards will not be allowed into the exam hall” There was a pause and an agent wearing a trench coat and mask stood at the door way of the hall. “To ensure that process is done quickly, please line up outside the doorway and have your ID card in your hands and show the Agent your card and he’ll let you in”. Everyone complied and started to form a line outside the door and pulled out his or her ID cards as to show the Agent. Slowly the line began moving, so slow it felt like a slow walk into an execution chamber and the Agent standing outside the door reminded Branding of a farmer herding his cattle into a slaughterhouse to be made into mince meat. The agent grabbed at each person’s arm to raise their ID cards into his eye view and shoved them into the room if he was convinced they were real.
Halfway down the line Branding stared at the front of the line only to see Another person pleading to the agent to be allowed in, the person was thrown out the line and not into the room. His body fell heavily onto the floor and the person stood up upset with his treatment. Quietly, he left clearly blubbering. His pleas had fallen on deaf ears as the Agent was clearly not listening and none of the candidates pitied with the person. After all, one less candidate to compete against for that dream job wasn’t it? Branding couldn’t agree more. Already 6 of the candidates had failed without even touching the paper or writing their name yet. Branding didn’t think there could have been anymore people foolish enough to attempt to enter the room without an ID card.
He was wrong, the woman in front of him couldn’t show any ID and made pathetic pleas all heard before “My ID was stolen” and “Be generous I’ll make it worth while” were said. Branding moaned and soon the line came to a halt, complaints could be heard numerous “Move it! come on!” shouts could be heard. The Agent wasted no time in treating the woman the same as those before her who failed to produce an ID card-Badly.
She was thrown aside and there was a scream as she fell. The women looked up, she was panicking, pleading, she looked desperate and like she was going nuts, her straight pony tail hair had spilled over the front of her face, and one of her high heels had broke from the fall. Things made a turn for the worst when Branding was about to show the Agent his ID card, but before he could, the dejected women made a bolt for the exam room, the agent turned and pulled out what looked like an UZI. Branding looked on horrified and his jaw dropped. The agent aimed at the women’s head as she charged towards the door.
The Uzi exploded into life as bullets began to fire out at an alarming rate that blew the women’s face to bits. The agent didn’t even flinch or even recoil when he fired round after round from the UZI into the defenceless women. Screams could be heard, people ducked and dived for the floor, some rolled up into a ball and Idiot business men tried to hide behind their brief cases, whilst women held onto people. One woman was holding onto the now stunned frozen body of Branding. Fragments of bone and brain of the women splattered onto the back wall and all over Branding’s armour and the agents’ trench coat. In seconds it was over. The woman was dead bleeding, blood seeped into the red carpet and slowly flowed towards branding and the agent’s feet. The problem finally resolved, the Agent continued his job even before anyone was ready, Branding snapped out of the hypnotised state created by the whole incident and walked in. The incident Shook Branding, he never felt that this incident would occur let alone be caused by a woman! It seemed almost surreal to happen in a place like this!
With that thought he sat down on his desk and inserted the ID card and the monitor in front of him switched on the words “Work unit ready” blazing across the screen. He hoped that the incident didn’t shake him too much that it would affect his concentration and his exam progress.
“ I can’t believe I’m hearing this from any of you! I’m glad that you’re willing to test it finally, but what I resent is that we’re going to test it on our selves!” Chodak shouted in hysteria. He turned and stared hard at the security camera in the top left-hand corner of the room. The red light flicked on and off acknowledging that the whole c3 conference was being monitored and all evidence of success or failure recorded.
“Chodak, its too risky to use anyone on this site as not one outside this room can be trusted. They could be spies for other departments waiting to take OUR glory””
“This is pointless, You can all go to hell as far as I’m concerned! Good day gentlemen.”
“Chodak! Listen to me!” shouted Vissik. Chodak began to head for the door to leave. “Chodak, stand STILL!” He complied
“Chodak, look around you, all your friends have seen the light and all understand the possibilities, they had the choice to leave or stay, they chose to stay and take part. Including me, there is 9 of the 10 in this room willing to test it out. Surely that isn’t enough to convince that this is going to work and your life is not going to be sacrificed for nothing?”
“You’ve already got test subjects in the form of my friends, the security camera will record the progress and testing, why do you need me?” Chodak replied misery clearly in his face.
Vissik was not impressed and he could see that Chodak was having a hard time rejecting his best friend and his other friends to an uncertain fate. He knew he was about to crack. Now was the time to use some reverse psychology “Chodak, you’re the one who pressured me and the others into this, are you telling me you’re changing your mind?” Vissik looked at him hard. “ Do YOU even know what the Eurocorp law states? Remember article 21.7? They state that all project members must run the test and ensure that it works! If even one wavers and leaves, their project is doomed. You’re the only one wavering, Its YOU who is to sabotage the project and its YOU who will send us all to a bleak future.” Vissik leaned forward close enough that they both could feel each other’s breathing. “We have no choice, this time will come sooner or later so lets do it NOW! Whilst we have time! Forget safety! We could be ahead of anyone else!”
“But, this can wait, I know it can wait” Chodak pleaded
“You cannot conceive of the immense pressure we’re under! We hear reports that Eurocorp are thinking of drafting us to other departments to work on other projects. Those other departments are competing against each other as well as us, if we don’t stay one step ahead of the game we could lose everything. The homes we live in, the money we earn and the life style we now hold, our reputation, destroyed because of YOU. So what is it friend?”
Chodak stared at the gazing eyes of everyone seated and hooked up to the machine that was going to be tested. Each one showed nervousness, excitement, sadness and pity towards Chodak. He couldn’t stand the aftermath. Vissik was right, he brought this on himself, whatever option, he knew could end horribly. Even more so for himself
He had no choice he had to comply
“Very well, I’ll comply. I’ll test it. Tell me what I have to do...”
“Times up, please put your pens down” the Agent announced.
Nuts, 2 hours was up and Branding didn’t finish the paper to his required taste. He frowned but complied by putting his pen down on the table like the other candidates. He didn’t want to upset the agent like the unfortunate woman outside in the corridor.
When the echoing sounds of pens dropping to the table seized, the Agent continued “When you leave, please hand over the paper. May you now have a productive day”
There was a shuffle of chairs and each candidate walked out the room, handing their written work made in 2 hours to the Agent. Branding walked out and went to the fizzy drink vending machine and bought a soft drink. The plastic bottle rolled out of the bottom and he pressed it against his throbbing head, before he opened the bottle to drink it. The drink wasn’t too bad, it didn’t have a chemical aftertaste he found in water or the taste of rotting fruit found in any juice drinks. Rather, the sweet fizzy contents produced a burning sensation in his throat, which was normal in some drinks. He leaned back onto the vending machine and drank whilst He stared around the Video wall paintings and eventually in the direction where the corpse of the woman once lay. All that was left of her was the congealed areas of blood on the carpet, which resembled as if someone had urinated or stained with some sort of greasy meal. The back wall that was decorated with the woman’s brain and blood was washed off completely. Branding sighed, she brought it on herself, but on the other hand, the agent was a little heavy handed.
Time passed and soon Branding was now alone in the yellow brightly-lit corridor, a calm silence fell upon the corridor that was soon broken by echoing footsteps. Branding ignored it and continued to slowly drink his carbonated beverage that he savoured. As the figure walking down the corridor saw Branding, he stopped and turned. It was a stereotypical businessman, dark blue suit, shinny leather shoes and carry a brief case in one hand. Branding straightened up and eye balled him. It was his once good friend Richard Broker.
“If it isn’t the late son of Patrick Branding! I see that you’re coping well after your families shameful actions, if not in a dignified manner”
“ You make it seem like it was our fault, don’t forget It was your families dirty dealings that condemned our family to working as dogs!” Branding sneered
“Someone’s feeling cantankerous today aren’t they?” he said with a sinister smile, but Brokers emotions soon turned serious “Well you should be you little runt, you’re nothing to Eurocorp or me. You don’t even deserve to live or have that status of security personnel!” Broker shouted back in reply. He continued “The fact that we, I, out classed you in every way and the fact you’re not even a former shadow of your fathers previous job shows evidence of this!”
“Yeah sure, we don’t deserve to live apart from the fact that WE were the ones who founded Eurocorp and the WE made you what you are now, isn’t that proof of our right to exist on this very planet?” Branding replied.
“Enough of this, why are you here?” Broker demanded
“You know very damn well why I’m here”
“Ah, I see you wanting to reclaim what was “rightfully” yours and return to your families original status. Tell me Robert, what made you turn around and make a feeble attempt at becoming an executive? Has your life suddenly become uneventful?”
Branding took a sip of his drink “ What have you seen that could have possibly been more eventful than seeing a woman been shot today?”
Broker paused before replying “I’ve seen Eurocorp turned against its own creators that was the Branding family... Tearing them apart and sending them right to the gutter of life...” Broker smiled, as Branding clearly looked agitated annoyed by the insulting comment. “Don’t forget, the agent was doing his job. Drastic situations need Drastic measures” Broker said it said in such a way that it could have been as if he said she deserved it and was obvious to the world except to Branding. “You should be appreciative that she was eliminated, she could have made the difference between you passing and you failing”
“Oh? And how would you know?”
“I don’t. All I know is that everyone in there had a better chance of getting the executive job than you would in a million years...” Broker smirked “Regardless, I wish you luck, not that it’ll help you now. See you around”
“Don’t worry, we will meet one day. Either in hell or in several months time”
“I doubt it in both cases, unless, I was seeing you in hell from heaven!” With those words Broker strolled down the corridor and disappeared from view as he turned the corner. He was gone. It reminded branding that he too had places to go and he had to return to duty. He wasted no time in consuming the soft drink and placing it in a waste bin. Before he went round the corner, he took one last look at where the woman’s body once lay and left.
Chapter 1: Testing times
The test of success is not what you do when you are on top. Success is how high you bounce when you hit bottom. George S. Patton
NUUK, Iceland / London/
95 years later
“Gentleman I behold to you the newest advancements of CHIP technology ever gazed upon by Human eyes!” Vissik announced with great pride and unveiled an unspeakably strange device that few words could be used to describe it. The other scientists stared at the device with mixed feelings to what to expect of the machine.
“THIS is it?” one of the scientists said in slight shock
“Quiet! Let him talk us through it” said another
“Well, Vissik, your new chip technology idea looks like another doomed invention to me” Spoke the balding blue eyed scientist. “Where in the world did you find the idea that this, this despicable machine you’ve created would actually work?”
“Chodak, trust me, I’ve done lot of theory work into this machine and I can guarantee that the concept is perfectly sound, I’m quite confident that-“
Chodak cut him off and walked to the front of the group of scientists that stood at the strange device. “So you’re basing your confidence with theory and not practical testing? Do you not understand the possibility of what could happen between Theory and practice? Have you actually thought of the implications if it went wrong? I would have thought that with your years of experience that you would do the obvious thing to test it out” he sneered. “we could be going against Eurocorp’s law!”
“ I know its going to work!” He walked forward towards Chodak “When have I ever been wrong?”
“Vissik, you can’t seem to grasp the simplest idea that sometimes people can be WRONG. You COULD be wrong in this event. You’ve played with death before and survived, yes, I accept that part. But dammit, it was ALL LUCK. Thinking it could work and it working at all is 2 different things. With mind control even the simplest of slip-ups in any of our inventions could cost not only the inventors lives but also the worlds. I for one do not wish to see my life being mentally handicapped or even worse, dead, because someone didn’t even have the common sense to test it!”
“ What about the enhancements to electrical weapons? What about the forward in technology we have created?” Vissik paused “I have never been wrong, besides, All ten of us, including you Chodak, worked on it together and you as well as the others worked on the theory behind it and the possible designs for change. Surely you don’t doubt your own work?”
“Even at times I feel that before you make your leap of faith over what could be a gorge of uncertainty in life, I should place a safety net over it in case it all goes to hell!” he waited for a reply. Knowing he was going to get it his own way. “ We all may have worked on the theory and produced our own concept ideas into seeing how this would actually work, but dammit Vissik, you’ve just went it alone and created a machine that’s based on what could be flawed theory from all of us!”
Vissik grew impatient and slightly agitated by the conversation, he needed the support of the other scientists, and he wasn’t going to let no renegade or ignorant believer in chances to ruin what he had so badly worked for. “Very well, we will test the device...On ourselves”.
How the mighty have fallen thought Robert Branding, His family name use to be loved and liked by everyone in the company, now no one even knows the significance of the Branding family name anymore. From owning the Top managing executive jobs to now living through the years as lowly security guard, it was not only humiliating but also painful. How the mighty have fallen indeed.
Everything that they worked so hard in almost a century was gone. With no family members to help him, he knew that would have to now to reclaim his families lost glory alone and it annoyed Branding. Everything now lies squarely on MY shoulders, damn it, where did it all go wrong? He frowned and grew even more nervous, too much was at stake already. If he failed here and now the family legacy would be shattered and the once glorious history of their family would have fallen into obscurity forever, Condemning Branding’s life and family heritage as a security guard. It was another humiliating prospect for Branding to behold. He needed this job and he needed this job bad. But he wasn’t going to get it that simple, the men and women who waited outside in the corridor with him had probably revised and practised the theory numerous times. And they weren’t going to give up the prospect of having a better life to branding that easily. This job wasn’t something you could get everyday. No, this job was only once in a life time and it might only be Branding’s only chance in his boring, mundane life to turn it around to something better. Something worthwhile and maybe reclaim the life that he so rightly deserved.
He stared at the face of his watch, the lighting of the watch seemed just as bright as the neon signs that illuminated the polluted sky outside of the building. It made his tired deprived of sleep eyes sting and burn just staring at it. He rubbed his eyes to make the feeling go away.
9.05. Just another 15 minutes before the doors would open and the test of his life was about to begin.
Branding had felt like a loner or an alien as he stared around among the other candidates. They all wore business suits or dressed formally, wearing fantastic golden jewellery and sporting the latest fashionable (yet formal) hair styles. Whilst he wore what was his causal clothes and working uniform. In his armour, green uniform and his ballistic helmet, he knew that the other candidates were whispering about him or despised him because of his clothes he wore. It made Branding feel embarrassed and made him look down on his own clothes and questioned whether he had even a chance to even walk into the exam room alone.
The door opened and everyone turned. The speaker on the door buzzed to life. There was a tense silence in the air that made even Branding's hair on the end of his neck to raise up. His mouth suddenly felt dry and his heart rate went up. There was a sinking feeling and made him constantly fidget.
“Ladies and gentlemen, please make your way to the table with your name on it. The tables with be placed in alphabetical order, starting with A on the top left hand corner of the room. When you find your table, please insert your Id card into the slot provided as to register and inform UTOPIA AI that you are present at the Exam, those without ID cards WILL NOT be allowed to enter and consequently will not be allowed to enter the exam hall. I repeat, those without ID cards will not be allowed into the exam hall” There was a pause and an agent wearing a trench coat and mask stood at the door way of the hall. “To ensure that process is done quickly, please line up outside the doorway and have your ID card in your hands and show the Agent your card and he’ll let you in”. Everyone complied and started to form a line outside the door and pulled out his or her ID cards as to show the Agent. Slowly the line began moving, so slow it felt like a slow walk into an execution chamber and the Agent standing outside the door reminded Branding of a farmer herding his cattle into a slaughterhouse to be made into mince meat. The agent grabbed at each person’s arm to raise their ID cards into his eye view and shoved them into the room if he was convinced they were real.
Halfway down the line Branding stared at the front of the line only to see Another person pleading to the agent to be allowed in, the person was thrown out the line and not into the room. His body fell heavily onto the floor and the person stood up upset with his treatment. Quietly, he left clearly blubbering. His pleas had fallen on deaf ears as the Agent was clearly not listening and none of the candidates pitied with the person. After all, one less candidate to compete against for that dream job wasn’t it? Branding couldn’t agree more. Already 6 of the candidates had failed without even touching the paper or writing their name yet. Branding didn’t think there could have been anymore people foolish enough to attempt to enter the room without an ID card.
He was wrong, the woman in front of him couldn’t show any ID and made pathetic pleas all heard before “My ID was stolen” and “Be generous I’ll make it worth while” were said. Branding moaned and soon the line came to a halt, complaints could be heard numerous “Move it! come on!” shouts could be heard. The Agent wasted no time in treating the woman the same as those before her who failed to produce an ID card-Badly.
She was thrown aside and there was a scream as she fell. The women looked up, she was panicking, pleading, she looked desperate and like she was going nuts, her straight pony tail hair had spilled over the front of her face, and one of her high heels had broke from the fall. Things made a turn for the worst when Branding was about to show the Agent his ID card, but before he could, the dejected women made a bolt for the exam room, the agent turned and pulled out what looked like an UZI. Branding looked on horrified and his jaw dropped. The agent aimed at the women’s head as she charged towards the door.
The Uzi exploded into life as bullets began to fire out at an alarming rate that blew the women’s face to bits. The agent didn’t even flinch or even recoil when he fired round after round from the UZI into the defenceless women. Screams could be heard, people ducked and dived for the floor, some rolled up into a ball and Idiot business men tried to hide behind their brief cases, whilst women held onto people. One woman was holding onto the now stunned frozen body of Branding. Fragments of bone and brain of the women splattered onto the back wall and all over Branding’s armour and the agents’ trench coat. In seconds it was over. The woman was dead bleeding, blood seeped into the red carpet and slowly flowed towards branding and the agent’s feet. The problem finally resolved, the Agent continued his job even before anyone was ready, Branding snapped out of the hypnotised state created by the whole incident and walked in. The incident Shook Branding, he never felt that this incident would occur let alone be caused by a woman! It seemed almost surreal to happen in a place like this!
With that thought he sat down on his desk and inserted the ID card and the monitor in front of him switched on the words “Work unit ready” blazing across the screen. He hoped that the incident didn’t shake him too much that it would affect his concentration and his exam progress.
“ I can’t believe I’m hearing this from any of you! I’m glad that you’re willing to test it finally, but what I resent is that we’re going to test it on our selves!” Chodak shouted in hysteria. He turned and stared hard at the security camera in the top left-hand corner of the room. The red light flicked on and off acknowledging that the whole c3 conference was being monitored and all evidence of success or failure recorded.
“Chodak, its too risky to use anyone on this site as not one outside this room can be trusted. They could be spies for other departments waiting to take OUR glory””
“This is pointless, You can all go to hell as far as I’m concerned! Good day gentlemen.”
“Chodak! Listen to me!” shouted Vissik. Chodak began to head for the door to leave. “Chodak, stand STILL!” He complied
“Chodak, look around you, all your friends have seen the light and all understand the possibilities, they had the choice to leave or stay, they chose to stay and take part. Including me, there is 9 of the 10 in this room willing to test it out. Surely that isn’t enough to convince that this is going to work and your life is not going to be sacrificed for nothing?”
“You’ve already got test subjects in the form of my friends, the security camera will record the progress and testing, why do you need me?” Chodak replied misery clearly in his face.
Vissik was not impressed and he could see that Chodak was having a hard time rejecting his best friend and his other friends to an uncertain fate. He knew he was about to crack. Now was the time to use some reverse psychology “Chodak, you’re the one who pressured me and the others into this, are you telling me you’re changing your mind?” Vissik looked at him hard. “ Do YOU even know what the Eurocorp law states? Remember article 21.7? They state that all project members must run the test and ensure that it works! If even one wavers and leaves, their project is doomed. You’re the only one wavering, Its YOU who is to sabotage the project and its YOU who will send us all to a bleak future.” Vissik leaned forward close enough that they both could feel each other’s breathing. “We have no choice, this time will come sooner or later so lets do it NOW! Whilst we have time! Forget safety! We could be ahead of anyone else!”
“But, this can wait, I know it can wait” Chodak pleaded
“You cannot conceive of the immense pressure we’re under! We hear reports that Eurocorp are thinking of drafting us to other departments to work on other projects. Those other departments are competing against each other as well as us, if we don’t stay one step ahead of the game we could lose everything. The homes we live in, the money we earn and the life style we now hold, our reputation, destroyed because of YOU. So what is it friend?”
Chodak stared at the gazing eyes of everyone seated and hooked up to the machine that was going to be tested. Each one showed nervousness, excitement, sadness and pity towards Chodak. He couldn’t stand the aftermath. Vissik was right, he brought this on himself, whatever option, he knew could end horribly. Even more so for himself
He had no choice he had to comply
“Very well, I’ll comply. I’ll test it. Tell me what I have to do...”
“Times up, please put your pens down” the Agent announced.
Nuts, 2 hours was up and Branding didn’t finish the paper to his required taste. He frowned but complied by putting his pen down on the table like the other candidates. He didn’t want to upset the agent like the unfortunate woman outside in the corridor.
When the echoing sounds of pens dropping to the table seized, the Agent continued “When you leave, please hand over the paper. May you now have a productive day”
There was a shuffle of chairs and each candidate walked out the room, handing their written work made in 2 hours to the Agent. Branding walked out and went to the fizzy drink vending machine and bought a soft drink. The plastic bottle rolled out of the bottom and he pressed it against his throbbing head, before he opened the bottle to drink it. The drink wasn’t too bad, it didn’t have a chemical aftertaste he found in water or the taste of rotting fruit found in any juice drinks. Rather, the sweet fizzy contents produced a burning sensation in his throat, which was normal in some drinks. He leaned back onto the vending machine and drank whilst He stared around the Video wall paintings and eventually in the direction where the corpse of the woman once lay. All that was left of her was the congealed areas of blood on the carpet, which resembled as if someone had urinated or stained with some sort of greasy meal. The back wall that was decorated with the woman’s brain and blood was washed off completely. Branding sighed, she brought it on herself, but on the other hand, the agent was a little heavy handed.
Time passed and soon Branding was now alone in the yellow brightly-lit corridor, a calm silence fell upon the corridor that was soon broken by echoing footsteps. Branding ignored it and continued to slowly drink his carbonated beverage that he savoured. As the figure walking down the corridor saw Branding, he stopped and turned. It was a stereotypical businessman, dark blue suit, shinny leather shoes and carry a brief case in one hand. Branding straightened up and eye balled him. It was his once good friend Richard Broker.
“If it isn’t the late son of Patrick Branding! I see that you’re coping well after your families shameful actions, if not in a dignified manner”
“ You make it seem like it was our fault, don’t forget It was your families dirty dealings that condemned our family to working as dogs!” Branding sneered
“Someone’s feeling cantankerous today aren’t they?” he said with a sinister smile, but Brokers emotions soon turned serious “Well you should be you little runt, you’re nothing to Eurocorp or me. You don’t even deserve to live or have that status of security personnel!” Broker shouted back in reply. He continued “The fact that we, I, out classed you in every way and the fact you’re not even a former shadow of your fathers previous job shows evidence of this!”
“Yeah sure, we don’t deserve to live apart from the fact that WE were the ones who founded Eurocorp and the WE made you what you are now, isn’t that proof of our right to exist on this very planet?” Branding replied.
“Enough of this, why are you here?” Broker demanded
“You know very damn well why I’m here”
“Ah, I see you wanting to reclaim what was “rightfully” yours and return to your families original status. Tell me Robert, what made you turn around and make a feeble attempt at becoming an executive? Has your life suddenly become uneventful?”
Branding took a sip of his drink “ What have you seen that could have possibly been more eventful than seeing a woman been shot today?”
Broker paused before replying “I’ve seen Eurocorp turned against its own creators that was the Branding family... Tearing them apart and sending them right to the gutter of life...” Broker smiled, as Branding clearly looked agitated annoyed by the insulting comment. “Don’t forget, the agent was doing his job. Drastic situations need Drastic measures” Broker said it said in such a way that it could have been as if he said she deserved it and was obvious to the world except to Branding. “You should be appreciative that she was eliminated, she could have made the difference between you passing and you failing”
“Oh? And how would you know?”
“I don’t. All I know is that everyone in there had a better chance of getting the executive job than you would in a million years...” Broker smirked “Regardless, I wish you luck, not that it’ll help you now. See you around”
“Don’t worry, we will meet one day. Either in hell or in several months time”
“I doubt it in both cases, unless, I was seeing you in hell from heaven!” With those words Broker strolled down the corridor and disappeared from view as he turned the corner. He was gone. It reminded branding that he too had places to go and he had to return to duty. He wasted no time in consuming the soft drink and placing it in a waste bin. Before he went round the corner, he took one last look at where the woman’s body once lay and left.