《Lesser Evil》 Chapter 1 Audry Kingson Basenji Forge, to many people, was the quintessential person that the world needed. He was the right man for any job. A social magnate with a true understanding about the way the cookie crumbled. To others he was a liar. Nothing more than a misogynistic monster and elitist dog who was capable of deceiving every person he came across. But like any person in power, he had an image to uphold. CosmiCon had grown exponentially when he unveiled it five years prior. It was his shot at gathering great minds and world leaders in one place each year for business ventures. His reasoning was simple; a symposium where all of the moguls, entrepreneurs, and world superstars came together. The property had become riddled with thousands of people from every corner of the world trying to get a piece of the business legacy. Those most concerned with Audry and his latest endeavors had gathered in the theater complex. It was supposed to be the company¡¯s greatest showcase since it¡¯s conception. The auditorium lights dimmed until there was sheer darkness. A woman¡¯s voice spoke through the intercom: ¡°On the eve of the Rion Accord¡¯s birth, every annual period, here in Everhills Rest, we are proud to reveal CosmiCon Year 5.¡± The grandiose screen presented a panorama of the company¡¯s headquarters, followed by a collage of the company¡¯s timeline in pictures and short clips. ¡°At the Rion Accord our goal is to understand the unknown and create cohesion within the modern world.¡± Historic footage flashed between images of current events. Music, compassionate and rhythmic, echoed throughout the room. A handful of 20th and early 21st-Century speech excerpts followed, spoken by their respective authors. ¡°With over 500 installations and dozens of projects across the world we¡¯re paving the way for a more hopeful future.¡± Rion Accord buildings in countries sped through the showcase. The logo, an black anvil with an embedded sword on a field of red, etched on trucks and crates in less fortunate corners of the globe made an appearance. ¡°A future of promise and clarity, rather than one of missed opportunity and falsehood.¡± The showcase began to fade and the music began to drift away softly to the ears. ¡°Here tonight, the Rion Accord will take you on a journey. We are very excited to reveal our latest plans. So without further ado, CEO of the Rion Accord and founder of Project Skorpio: Mr. Audry Forge!¡± A spotlight beamed down onto the centerstage podium. Triumphant music blared through the panned speakers. The crowd cheered and clapped in a cacophony. But Audry Forge was nowhere to be seen. Little did they know, Audry Forge had fallen asleep a few miles north in his plateau house with a glass of burgundy in his hand and a broad in his bed¡­ . . . . The room was trashed. ¡°Mr. Forge,¡± a disembodied voice called to him. ¡°Mr. Forge I warned you to be ready hours ago.¡± The unseen home stereo blared Kelly Rowland, bass filling the room, as the television advertised the CosmiCon gathering with live footage. Audry remained slumped against his headboard as the sleeping guest rolled off of him. A pillow hit the floor where their clothes had been tossed. ¡°Mr. Forge, you need to wake up.¡± Nothing budged him. The faint smell of tequila and spilled mixed drinks created a strong aroma next to the cinnamon-scented aerator. The news outlet on the television began scrambling to understand his absence. ¡°Mr. Forge, it¡¯s the 5th annual CosmiCon. The stage is empty and the audience is expecting to see you,¡± the voice said once more. ¡°Hm?¡± Audry said, coming to. He raised his brow, eyes still closed. ¡°CosmiCon is tonight.¡± ¡°No,¡± he whispered. ¡°Sir, get up. You are late for your own event.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s late?¡± ¡°You are. Get up Mr. Forge.¡± The glass of wine fell from his fingers, spilling all over his leg. Audry jolted awake as if he had just seen a ghost. He peered around the room trying to make sense of things. The TV was enough to paint the picture for him: He was a no-show at his own showcase. ¡°CosmiCon is now?¡± he asked. ¡°Quinn, why didn¡¯t you wake me up earlier?¡± ¡°With all due respect, sir, you told me to go into sleep mode for a few hours.¡± ¡°A few? How many hours is a few to you?¡± ¡°Five hours, sir¡­ Six on weekends.¡± ¡°How long ago did I tell you?¡± ¡°Six hours ago.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve got to be kidding me. I thought this thing was next Friday?¡± Audry tossed aside his burgundy covered bed sheets, launching himself out of bed to get dressed. ¡°No sir, it¡¯s tonight,¡± Quinn said with irritation. ¡°Alright let me throw something on. Contact the organizer and tell them I¡¯ve run into some problems getting there.¡± ¡°She¡¯s in your bed, sir.¡± Audry looked over to the strawberry blonde sleeping under his sheets. He sighed, hating himself. ¡°How much did I drink?¡± ¡°More than the usual. And it seems your lady friend is definitely a bit of a vamp,¡± Quinn responded. ¡°I¡¯ll be letting Mr. Conroy know you won¡¯t be there for another 30 minutes, give or take. Depending on how fast you can get ready.¡± Audry cocked his head back in disbelief. ¡°Thanks.¡± He moved into his bathroom, turned on the faucet and splashed water on his face. The man in the reflection looked sickly and exhausted. His hair was a mess and if anybody didn¡¯t know he was a multimillionaire they¡¯d think he was homeless. Which was perfect. ¡°Hey, Quinn. Let me send a direct video message to the auditorium.¡± ¡°Mr. Hadden is already arranging plans for a¡ª¡± ¡°Just do what I asked, please,¡± Audry demanded. ¡°And turn the music down.¡± He quickly searched his room for his robe. Quinn was not exactly understanding of Audry¡¯s way of thinking but all the man needed was for Quinn to do what was told of him. Freewill programming aside. ¡°You¡¯re not exactly looking your best sir. Are you sure?¡± Quinn asked. Audry ran into the next room across the hall. ¡°Relax. Pull me up a live feed at my desk.¡± He sat down, preparing himself, fixing his hair slightly. The computer turned on, booting up to the lock screen. A holographic nebula was scattered across the ceiling, a little thing Audry implemented to feel more at home while at home. ¡°Dim the hologram. How¡¯s my voice sound?¡± ¡°A bit slurred,¡± Quinn noted. Audry cleared his throat and cracked his neck, loosening his shoulders. He scooted over to fill one of the cardboard cups with his water dispenser. ¡°How about now?¡± he said, taking a few sips and adding more pristineness to his voice. ¡°Here, let me test it out: Hi, nice to meet you ladies and gentlemen.¡± ¡°That should do, sir.¡± ¡°Alright, thanks. Make sure to remind me about making a call to my provider and to take my meds just as I¡¯m finishing my speech.¡±The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°Sir?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t ¡®sir¡¯ me.¡± Quinn sifted through the application on the computer, pulling up the camera. Within seconds he was contacted by the operation director, Hugh Conroy. He would have rather jumped right into the live video but he¡¯d first have to be scrutinized by Mr. Conroy for his ineptitude. Rightfully so. But when do the egotistical ever admit they are wrong? The call rang with a small icon pulsating to the tone. Audry¡¯s veins pulsed too. The stress was beginning to get to him. In a moment of quick thinking he snorted the rest of the water in his cup. He coughed violently, cursing under his breath. Then the sneezes from nose irritation added the cherry on top. That would do. He answered and suddenly the old man appeared on the screen. ¡°Mr. Forge,¡± Mr. Conroy said. ¡°The night is not going very well.¡± Audry¡¯s uncontrollable coughing carried on until he could hardly catch his breath. Meanwhile Mr. Conroy looked unsurprised on the other side. ¡°And I¡¯m sorry. I should¡¯ve told you beforehand but I¡¯ve come down with the flu,¡± Audry replied, wiping his nose. ¡°Did you now?¡± ¡°I did. And Quinn has my medical records to prove it.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need to see your medical records. I¡¯d rather you make up for spoiling the convention.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to message the crowd directly. Are they still there?¡± ¡°Of course they¡¯re still here. Where else would they be going?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. Home?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be a fool, Mr. Forge. I¡¯m navigating you to the auditorium screen now.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Audry said, growling up phlegm in his throat. ¡°Don¡¯t say anything irresponsible,¡± Mr. Conroy said. The screen turned black. In a few mere seconds Audry¡¯s heart sank as he saw, in high definition, a crowded room where he should have been minutes ago. Audry sniffled, hesitantly leaning up to his desk. ¡°Hello and good evening everyone? Looks like we ran into some technical issues when trying to start this message¡­ I¡¯m Audry Forge, developer behind the new Shibboleth mobile assault armor under Project Skorpio and founder of the Rion Accord. I regret to inform you that I¡¯ve come down with a little bug. So, I¡¯m houseridden for a few days until then. I¡¯m sure many of you would have liked to speak with me face to face but due to these circumstances I¡¯ll be on bedrest for another two days.¡± A moment of silence passed. Audry realized he couldn¡¯t do everything halfway. He had some convincing to do. ¡°Excuses aside. I¡¯m not one to just let a little flu kick my ass,¡± he said a bit more passionately. ¡°Nothing can stop me from reaching the goals that I hope to achieve. Most of you watching right now know that is my work ethic. I have been to hundreds of countries around the world. I have been off-world. I have worked in some of the most dangerous conditions and met some of the most dangerous people. But none of that stopped me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m the son of a man who never backed down. If it¡¯s one good quality I received from him, it¡¯s my perseverance. My missions to Mars, the Moon and Jupiter¡¯s moons have been a critical success because of this. The unification of resources and people I have managed to acclimate is by-far my greatest life achievement. I¡¯m not here to brag and boast. I¡¯m not perfect. But I am doing what no other person has ever done for the human race.¡± ¡°Together we will reach the stars. There is no need to find the heart of the universe. Because we are the heart of the universe.¡± A chime echoed in his room. It was Quinn. ¡°Mr. Forge, I do not mean to interrupt you but you need to speak with Dr. Helem. Oh and my apologies sir but it¡¯s almost time to take your medication as well.¡± ¡°Thank you, Quinn,¡± Audry replied. ¡°Ladies and gents, it was an honor speaking with you,¡± he said smiling and sniffling into the camera. ¡°Once again I apologize for the technical difficulties. I look forward to showing you more. Thank you and good night. ¡± Audry ended the call and let out a sigh of relief. The call switched over to Mr. Conroy¡¯s chat where he nodded in approval. Albeit still somehow slightly unapproving. ¡°Mr. Forge, how did you manage to get sick?¡± he asked. Audry had begun to grow annoyed by Hugh Conroy¡¯s sentiments towards him. Lying or not, the man would never give Audry the light of day. ¡°I¡¯m a businessman Mr. Conroy. I come in contact with a lot of people. Now if you¡¯ll excuse me, I have a phone call to make.¡± ¡°Very well. And for the record¡ª¡± ¡°Goodbye,¡± Aubry said, taking the privilege of ending the call himself. The room was silent. ¡°And that, my dear Quinn, is how you fix something at the last second,¡± he said, kicking his feet up. ¡°How can you be sure they won¡¯t be upset over you not appearing at the gathering?¡± Quinn asked. ¡°I don¡¯t mind it,¡± Audry said. ¡°You can never appease everyone in this business.¡± Quinn pondered on it. ¡°That is some thoughtful judgement,¡± he said. The nebula display above Audry blossomed into an array of systems and dead space in-between. Audry closed out his desktop, trying to clear his mind. Another glass of burgundy wouldn''t do so he made his way to the hallway. ¡°When did I program five hours as being a ¡®few hours¡¯ to you?¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t sir,¡± Quinn said. ¡°Exactly. I¡¯d never do something so stupid,¡± Audry laughed, opening up the elevator at the end of the hall. ¡°You have done some pretty questionable things before, Mr. Forge.¡± ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Audry asked. The white interior and darkness of it all felt void-like. The elevator door hissed, the lights glew dimly in patterns of warm colors. ¡°I¡¯m not calling you dumb. But tonight was pretty witless of you.¡± ¡°Quinn¡­ You just called me dumb with a different word.¡± ¡°I get my humor from my maker afterall.¡± The ride down to the first floor was over in the blink of an eye. Stepping out into the kaleidoscope of rooms and brutalist-retrofuture furnishings, he walked past the living room where he had once used it for familial purposes instead of partying and sleeping around. The kitchen, connected with a long countertop paralleled by an island in the midst of the kitchen appliances, had liquor bottles and drug paraphernalia that he struggled to recall if he took any or not. The TV mounted above the doorway before entering the dining room played an episode of Fresh Prince. ¡°Let¡¯s play a game,¡± Audry said, making his way to the other side of the living room where the garden room resided. ¡°You ask me a question and I ask you a question. You¡¯re first.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it hard being the center of the universe?¡± Quinn asked. ¡°It can be.¡± ¡°I was being sarcastic sir.¡± ¡°Remind me to program you better sarcasm,¡± he said, feeling fresh air hitting his face upon opening the door. UV light rods stretched up from the ground next to the small basins filled with plants, sediment, and flowery. Audry stopped and took a breath in. ¡°Any signals yet from the good ol¡¯ great beyond?¡± ¡°Not quite yet, sir. It¡¯s a bit of a Rare Earth situation, so I have come to the conclusion it will be some time, if at all, that we ever get a message,¡± Quinn said. Audry took a stroll through his indoor garden, feeling the cool midsummer breeze flowing down from the atrium. He laughed at himself for screwing up one of his largest business ventures. He hoped he saved grace by pulling the sick card. His business partners wouldn¡¯t be happy about his absence. But the revival of the Forge exposition was underway to surprise the world by the end of the season. ¡°Sir, why haven¡¯t you designed me a body?¡± Quinn asked. ¡°Well. You never asked and it wasn¡¯t on my to-do list.¡± ¡°You could make me a little box with wheels or an elaborate holographic image or a full-fledged android.¡± ¡°Tell you what¡­ You come up with the entire schematic and I¡¯ll do it for you? Okay?¡± ¡°Not a problem, Mr. Forge,¡± Quinn replied. ¡°By the way your excuse a moment ago was lackluster.¡± ¡°Remind me to program less call-outs.¡± ¡°Was it something I said?¡± the A.I. joked. Audry ran his fingers gently along the rows of flowers. Something about the nature of something so elegant and eye-catching filled him with comfort. ¡°No. It¡¯s fine,¡± he said, moving his attention away from the conversation. It was a beautiful night. Staring through the one-way glass revealed hills and lakes for miles on end. There was something about the outer country that made him feel most comfortable. Big city life was daunting. The basin landmark a few hundred yards down in the valley, from which the indoor garden overlooked, managed to catch his eye just like it always had. Every night the moon would reach a point in the sky where it¡¯s reflection would ripple from the water¡¯s surface. It was as if a small ball of light had fallen to Earth in the dark of night trying to hide itself only to give itself away. He was like that little ball of light. He had nowhere to run. He had nowhere else to go. Despite his attempts, he always found himself back inside his own cycle of deprivation. It was the life of man. Not the life that he was destined to have. He didn¡¯t want to have faults. But there he was getting drunk every morning just to sleep it away in the evening. There he was bringing in a new girl every time he felt lonely. There he was contemplating ending his life at the smallest inconveniences. There he was. A little ball of light, dimming itself until one day there would be nothing left shining. The moon equally casted white beams down through the atrium onto the flowers and plants below. Orchids, lotus¡¯s, and magnolias tinted the air of that side of the room. African daisies, chrysanthemums, and dahlias on the other. Rich soil filled his lungs and the cooled cobblestone path felt natural beneath his feet. His grandfather had been a gardener and builder who enjoyed the simplicity of nature and all of it¡¯s infinite possibilities. ¡°Quinn,¡± he said looking away from the basin. ¡°Sir?¡± Audry sat down on the mahogany bench nearest the walkway rubbing his eyes, trying to figure things out without overthinking. ¡°I need to start being more responsible for my actions.¡± Quinn laughed. ¡°You¡¯ve said that before though, sir. The last program I set up for you hardly seemed to work.¡± Audry looked up half-smiling at the disembodied voice. ¡°That was a psychiatric study you reapplied into an 8-step program, Quinn. That¡¯s like making a cancer treatment plan with something you saw on WebMD.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. In those regards I could definitely perform better,¡± Quinn apologized, chuckling. ¡°I¡¯d say ¡®I¡¯m only human¡¯, but I¡¯m not.¡± ¡°So, yeah, the human condition doesn¡¯t apply to you,¡± Audry replied. ¡°Shit, it barely does for me at this point.¡± Quinn chuckled to himself. ¡°Well Mr. Forge, after all, you¡¯re hardly human either.¡± Audry smiled. ¡°Touch¨¦.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll prepare you a bowl of cereal and a glass of Barolo, freshly opened?¡± Quinn offered. Audry stood up, yawning and stretching. The living room couch was calling out to him. ¡°No thank you, man. I¡¯m gonna get some sleep.¡± A mediocre deep sleep and meditation track began playing over the unseen stereo throughout the home. ¡°I¡¯ll see you in the morning Mr. Forge,¡± Quinn said, comforting his creator. ¡°Sleep well.¡± Chapter 2 Audry had started his morning by tripping over his own feet, landing head first onto the edge of his coffee table. The fall easily split open his eyebrow, swole his eye, and gave him a severe headache. Quinn delivered Audry antibiotic ointment, gauze, and sealant via the air service provided by Pathfinder, the subsidiary delivery service of the Rion Accord. He hardly seemed to remember the evening prior. It could have been his subconscious telling him something. Or maybe the small amount of brain damage it felt like he had for being clumsy. ¡°You sure you¡¯ll be fine, sir?¡± asked Quinn. ¡°I could call Dr. Helem if your headache persists?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be alright. I¡¯m just gonna sleep it off,¡± Audry said. If Quinn had a physical appearance his face would most certainly have been flabbergasted. ¡°But Mr. Forge, you just woke up not even thirty minutes ago.¡± Audry was positive he was fine, but not so positive about getting the ball rolling for the day like Quinn had wanted him to. The mess of the event showcase had hopefully been quelled for that one instance. Somehow, though, he sensed that there would still be repercussions amongst the people who had full awareness of him not even being there. Whether it would be Mr. Conroy or the woman who stayed over. It dawned on him now with full sobriety that the woman was still at his house. ¡°Oh shit.¡± Audry said, ¡°I slept with the damn event organizer.¡± ¡°Sir, I already made sure she was up and ready to take her leave,¡± Quinn replied. Audry cupped his hands over his face. A groan and a sigh later he muttered annoyances for his conscious decision to have even brought her over in the first place. He had told himself that he wouldn¡¯t do it again after ruining everything he had with the last girl for the same actions. He lived and learned, but never truly acted out what he said he wouldn¡¯t do. A strawberry blonde with ¡®Domina Mortem¡¯ tattooed across her breasts stood in the doorway, partially undressed, partially concerned. ¡°We missed the convention,¡± she stammered. ¡°I got it covered,¡± he said, attempting a smile, holding an ice pack to his head. ¡°Thank you. I apologize.¡± ¡°For what?¡± ¡°For making you miss it,¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s all good. We still hit our target for the evening.¡± Quinn interjected humbly, ¡°Ms. Shaw, would you like breakfast?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll eat when I get home, thanks,¡± she replied. Erica was her first name. Audry couldn¡¯t quite remember that either. She moved in closer, still visibly experiencing the after effects of their prior escapade. ¡°You know. I didn¡¯t take you for the fun type I guess, but you drank like a mad dog,¡± she told him. His smile faded away, turning into something a little more disappointed. ¡°I hardly remember it.¡± ¡°Fucked like one too,¡± she whispered. ¡°I promise I¡¯m not too proud of what I¡¯m doing here,¡± he said, trying to laugh away the inner turmoil. ¡°Ease up. You¡¯re on top of everything Forge,¡± she assured him. Ease up. That was the first time in a while any of his business associates had told him to relax. Most of them were pushing ideas or their own plans for his life¡¯s work down his throat. ¡°Thanks.¡± Ms. Shaw slipped the rest of her clothes on, shouldered her purse, and pulled out her car keys. Stopping by him on her way to the front door she looked at him intently. ¡°Let me know when you need a little company.¡± Audry opened the door for her attempting to get her to leave as soon as possible. ¡°Sure thing. Drive safe,¡± he said. The two a goodbye wave before finally he closed the door. Yet another mistake on his part for trying to quit his old ways. ¡°Now that she¡¯s gone, would you like me to play your ambient relaxation suite?¡± Quinn offered. ¡°Yeah, throw on some Kelly Rowland,¡± Audry replied. ¡°Motivation?¡± ¡°Mhm. And can you start the shower upstairs? Open up the shudders and get me a cup of hot chocolate boiling, please. Thanks.¡± ¡°Will do, sir.¡± Audry threw off his robe, humming along to the song, and made his way to the elevator. It was Saturday now and his goal was to rest easy and maybe go out for some lunch. ¡°Sir. You have a new guest arriving.¡± Maybe not. Audry sighed. ¡°God, it¡¯s probably a dumbass reporter.¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s not,¡± Quinn said. ¡°There¡¯s no meet ups on the itinerary, right? Who is it?¡± ¡°A black hatchback. I.T. decals on the top of the windshield. A hula dancer on the dash.¡± ¡°Shit,¡± Audry muttered, peeking through the windows. ¡°It¡¯s your e¡ª¡± ¡°Yes. I know that. What in the actual hell is she doing here?¡± ¡°She¡¯s exiting her vehicle now. Facial analysis tells me she¡¯s not in a particularly bad mood. She is a bit cautious though sir,¡± Quinn noted. ¡°I supposed there is no need to amplify security measures. Unless she¡¯s good at hiding homicidal expressions.¡± Audry stared up to the ceiling in actual disbelief. ¡°You¡¯re not helping my situation.¡± He was not afraid of her. She was not the primadonna that her attitude made her out to be. But she was still the one person he thought he didn¡¯t want to see the most. He pulled over his robe back just as the doorbell rang. Quinn could be heard addressing the lady on the outside that she was free to enter, completely shattering Audry¡¯s moment to think and then act. The door creaked open and there she stood. ¡°Hey,¡± he said, trying to catch his breath. ¡°Hey.¡± He switched the ice pack with one hand and held the other one out, ¡°Didn¡¯t expect to see you.¡± ¡°I kinda didn¡¯t expect to see you either,¡± she replied shaking his hand. ¡°That was shade, I¡¯m pretty sure,¡± he joked. She didn¡¯t look unhappy, maybe a bit disappointed. ¡°Oh shut up, Audry,¡± the lady said, putting aside his small talk. ¡°That speech you gave was pretty good. How¡¯d you think of something like that so fast?¡± Audry thought for a moment. ¡°Highschool debate helped.¡± ¡°Maybe you can do a ¡®Reach the Stars¡¯ ad campaign or something now? Sounds catchy,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind¡­ But, why¡¯re you here?¡± ¡°Well, I heard you were sick. Thought I¡¯d stop by. To see how you were doing.¡± ¡°I¡¯m doing good.¡±If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. He showed her the swollen gash on his eyebrow shrugging away the sight of it. ¡°Seems that other girl is doing good too,¡± she said, paying his accident no attention. ¡°What other girl?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t play dumb Audry, she was leaving just as I drove in.¡± ¡°She was just showing me the schematics for the new Project Skorpio user interface on a module we¡¯re producing,¡± he said, trying to hold his bearing. She rolled her eyes, crossed her arms, and sighed. ¡°She was probably showing you a few other things too. God, Audry you¡¯ll never change.¡± Audry looked at her in silence. His heart pounded in his ears, sweat covered his hands. He knew he somehow messed up again. But he figured that he had already lost her, so there was nothing left to lose. ¡°See, you think that if you leave for a few months you¡¯ll come back and everything will be different. That¡¯s your problem.¡± A scowl took over her face. ¡°No. My problem is you¡¯re a compulsive liar.¡± ¡°You think that.¡± ¡°I know that,¡± she snapped back. He started laughing. Laughing in perplexity. ¡°Did you just come here to berate me? To call me a lying piece of shit? To tell me that I fucked up some more?¡± ¡°I had some business to take care of. Decided to hit up your convention while in town. Maybe check up to talk to you on a personal level,¡± she told him, lowering her voice. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because.¡± ¡°Yeah, because why Katherine?¡± As though she cracked under some kind of her own pressure she looked him directly in the eyes. ¡°I just wanted to see how Mr. Centennial is doing. Mr. I-Got-Everything-I-Need and his little dynasty. Mr. Wrong at his finest,¡± she told him. ¡°Is there something wrong with that?¡± ¡°Ma¡¯am. You¡¯re free to come inside,¡± Quinn offered. He had already begun to send the service drone around the home to gather the hot chocolate. The two quietly made their way over to the kitchen counter and sat on the silver spinning chairs. It felt like his home had suddenly become a place that he wasn¡¯t comfortable in. ¡°You didn¡¯t come to take me back I¡¯m guessing,¡± he spoke rhetorically. ¡°I never said that, now did I?¡± she asked. ¡°You don¡¯t have to say anything.¡± ¡°You act like I¡¯m the only woman you¡¯ve slept with. Like I¡¯m the only one you understand.¡± ¡°And somehow, on a emotional level, you are,¡± ¡°That¡¯s sob story stuff right there, boy.¡± ¡°Ginger ale for your conversation?¡± Quinn asked as a bot scooted up to them, with two glasses and a bottle on it¡¯s tray. She promptly denied the offer as Audry grabbed the bottle, fidgeted with the corkscrew, and poured himself some. ¡°Wait, Quinn. Where¡¯s the hot chocolate?¡± ¡°Can we go to lunch sometime next week?¡± she interrupted. ¡°What?¡± ¡°I just want to know if it¡¯s a yes or no,¡± she asked. ¡°Just don¡¯t ask questions.¡± ¡°So it¡¯s a date?¡± ¡°Hell no.¡± ¡°Indecisive as usual.¡± ¡°Oh okay, really?¡± she scoffed. ¡°C¡¯mon, Kat. I didn¡¯t mean it,¡± he said. ¡°Get the hell out of my face, you bastard,¡± she laughed. ¡°But the answer is yeah. Wednesday is good for me,¡± he said. She did not regret informing him that it was still not a date. Though for a second he saw her smile and thought about the times he had made her laugh. He was just holding onto memories. ¡°If we were going on a make-up date the world would literally be ending,¡± she joked. To Audry it would be like a fairytale romance. ¡°No one in the real world apologizes for these types of issues and suddenly everything goes back the way they were,¡± he thought out loud. She smiled at him. ¡°I know that. I¡¯m not giving you another chance. I just want to know that everything we had together wasn¡¯t in vain?¡± That hit him in the gut. ¡°No, of course it wasn¡¯t,¡± he muttered. ¡°Why do you act like it was, Audry?¡± ¡°I dunno,¡± he said. ¡°I mean, I think I know.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not rocket science. I just want you to understand that me leaving had nothing to do with you as a person. You¡¯ve got the wildest passions, the greatest intentions, and arguably the most earthly results in every single thing that you do. I left because the good in you doesn¡¯t show as much as it should. I knew a man who had grown into being a boss and international superstar. A savior amongst modern man of sorts. But there¡¯s something about your exterior and something just behind it that made me hate you in every way possible sometimes.¡± What emotion could possibly be responsible for what he was feeling at that moment? There was a feeling of immense regret. The memories flooded his mind. Those long nights of fighting just to watch her leave and not return. The nights where he drank himself to sleep. The times where she said he was worthless yet still stayed to suffer the abusiveness. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡± ¡°Because I never knew how to express those feelings when I was with you,¡± she said. ¡°And it was still all my fault.¡± ¡°No. It wasn¡¯t just on you Audry. It was on the both of us. You just so happened to be the biggest perpetrator. Make no mistake, I was pretty wrong a lot of times. But you were just on another level and you know it.¡± ¡°So why can¡¯t you take me back?¡± ¡°Did you even stop drinking? Did you stop talking to other girls? Did you stop with the mental abuse of everyone around you? I¡¯m serious, did you stop the jokes that weren¡¯t jokes? Or the self-centeredness? Or the constant changes in mood? Boy, you still have a lot to learn. And I¡¯m sorry but I won¡¯t, and can¡¯t, be the one to teach you.¡± He looked down in silence knowing the answers to those questions. At that very moment he couldn¡¯t find any words to formulate how he was feeling. There was nothing that could be said or done. He knew he was in the wrong. He finished up his glass of ginger ale, catched up on her life out of the city, and she left. She left and he became a crying mess of emotions in the bathroom. . . . . Quinn chimed and Audry jolted awake. ¡°How¡¯s your head, sir?¡± Audry realized he was fast asleep in the bathtub, all but his face had submerged. The afternoon sun peeked through the skylight, casting angelic beams down into the dim room. Small motes of dust trickled by like tiny feathers. ¡°You have a few missed calls,¡± Quinn informed him. Audry reached for his phone and scrolled through his notifications: Frankie. 1 new message. Mom. 2 new messages. Esther Demenkavich. 2 missed calls. Lean Mean Bean¡¯s Manager. 4 new messages. Lyle Kaneda. 1 new voicemail. Kat. 1 new voicemail. Big T. 17 new messages. Alto Robot Guy. 1 missed call. He pondered on responding to any of the messages. He didn¡¯t even want to check his email notifications. Quinn urged him to reduce his latest procrastinations and call. Audry knew he was right. He dialed up the first contact and waited to hear Frankie pick up on the other end. In a moment¡¯s notice he heard the bombastic, loud-mouthed voice of Frankie, a mid-20s overachiever in the realm of technology. Audry couldn¡¯t help but perk up trying to understand the verbage coming from the man¡¯s mouth. His Southern Wealas accent did not help very much either. Frankie¡¯s one and only reason for having contacted Audry to begin with was to propose a cooperative work agreement. Audry had experience in the past with such business plans. ¡°My friend Micah is a TV show host. It¡¯s called On Air, Any Night.¡± Audry slumped his shoulders. Not a single drop of pleading or money could get him to budge. Frankie was a persistent person, however. ¡°I already have enough talks with show hosts this month,¡± Audry reminded him. As said, Frankie was a persistent person. ¡°But he¡¯s not just any regular show host. He¡¯s got a pretty powerful vision for the future of entertainment,¡± Audry inhaled deeply through his nose as he gathered himself. ¡°Is he the next Rod Serling?¡± he asked. Frankie paused on the other end. ¡°No. I mean¡­ Hopefully he is. But, yeah. I suppose. Whoever Rod Serling is. No?¡± ¡°Then I don¡¯t want to meet him.¡± ¡°C¡¯mon. Just do it for me. He¡¯s a really good friend of mine and I want to see him gain a little success.¡± ¡°Success is earned. Failure is learned.¡± ¡°Since when did you follow that mantra? Because your pops helped you out quite a bit last I checked,¡± Frankie chuckled. Audry leaned forward, shifting the water like a tempest. ¡°My dad didn¡¯t do shit for my business. It was all me, Frankie. Don¡¯t belittle any of my accomplishments just because you love misunderstanding everything I did to get here.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not. I¡¯m just saying you have had countless chances to get on board with stellar people but you never take them.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t control where I go with my life, pal. I¡¯m having a pretty rough day and you aren¡¯t helping,¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to ruin your day. But I think you need some more guidance. You haven¡¯t been making the wisest choices lately.¡± Audry looked at his phone screen as though he was looking Frankie in the face, soured and angry. An urge went through him to throw the phone across the room but he stopped himself. ¡°I¡¯m not about to sit here and let you talk to me like that,¡± he yelled. ¡°Hold on, you know what? You and your TV show friend can go fuck yourselves.¡± ¡°Mr. Forge, it¡¯s not that serious,¡± Frankie told him. Audry hung up the phone, sat it to the side, and sunk into the water. He had not even left the house and he was already tired of everything life was throwing at him. Life with no boundaries afforded him the opportunity to do things others couldn¡¯t, to see things others would never see in their lifetimes, and to create history. But never did he understand how the seemingly disproportionate lifestyle he dreamt up managed to be tainted by the problems the average person faced. He wanted to escape that. He inspired escapism in everything he did. But yet there he was. Hurt by himself and the people he was around. ¡°Let us not forget that you¡¯ve got your interview tomorrow at 12PM,¡± Quinn said. Audry leaned his head to the side of the bathtub, ¡°I¡¯m tracking on that actually.¡± ¡°Very well. So are you going to be getting out of the bath or what?¡± ¡°I think we both know the answer.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll connect to the television,¡± Quinn said. A panel in the corner of the room flickered on. Shortly after that Eclipse Dawn by the late director R. J. Rhymes appeared. ¡°If you want to stay inside today, there¡¯s a few new releases that I haven¡¯t heard you talk about.¡± Audry stood up from the bathtub, stepping out cautiously. His body felt stiff and shriveled like a raisin. ¡°You know what? That sounds like a good idea. Let¡¯s clean the house up first.¡± ¡°You want to help clean?¡± Quinn wondered. Audry smiled. ¡°The house is a mess.¡± ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re okay?¡± ¡°Hell no,¡± Audry laughed. ¡°I just wanted to feel productive.¡± Chapter 3 Audry¡¯s all blacked out Rolls-Royce Wraith haunted down the highway blaring Hail Mary by Tupac Shakur. He bobbed his head, windows rolled down. He wore his gold-rimmed shades to block the glaring sun from the afternoon horizon. And after checking his watch to make sure he wouldn¡¯t be late for his next outing, Audry sang along to the music, pressing his foot to the gas. ¡°Quinn, what¡¯s the likelihood of me dying in a car accident at this speed?¡± Quinn took a moment to respond before laying out the gruesome statistics: ¡°You are eligible to be one in 12 out of 100,000 people that are killed in car crashes per year. Along with the general consensus of 54% being involved in a single vehicular accident, 45% of accidents nationwide tend to happen in rural areas such as this. With the percentage being higher in this specific region based on local stats. So, in layman¡¯s terms, I think you¡¯re going to have a fairly reasonable chance of meeting your maker if you crash at this speed, sir.¡± Audry processed the information, scowling and nodding in approval. ¡°Yeah, so, you think this new impact system will work?¡± ¡°Mr. Forge, I¡¯ve said it before that I don¡¯t think testing out your products on yourself is the best idea. There¡¯s people who get paid for those types of things.¡± ¡°If my things work then I get paid regardless,¡± Audry said. ¡°True, but¡ª¡± Audry cut him off with a belligerent shrug, ¡°I¡¯ve got nothing to prove and nothing to lose buddy.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve got a deathwish,¡± Quinn argued. ¡°At times,¡± Audry said, thinking deeply to himself. ¡°Do you think this interview¡¯s gonna go well?¡± Quinn seemed to be thinking to himself as well. ¡°If you make it there, then yes. I believe so. You¡¯ve been mentally preparing so you should do perfectly fine.¡± Audry clicked on the windshield wipers responding with a sarcastic, ¡°Aw, thanks.¡± He grew into his role as a worldwide individual yet at the end of the end it was not his forte. Social stagnation was real and he could feel it everywhere he went. The talk show hosts were fake, the celebrities they paired him with were idealized, the company men he dealt with were sharks. Every last person breathed lies and loved every moment of it. He didn¡¯t know if he¡¯d ever be able to change that. For a few miles he drove at unnecessary speeds on the lonely road. He wasn¡¯t late for his interview, he simply wanted to feel some excitement. Eventually, he found himself cruising through the outskirts. Blocks of residential neighborhoods sprouted in the hills. The slums and remnants of society developed closer to the city¡¯s borders, leeching off of the inner network. The urban sprawl itself stood in the stormy horizon. From where he could see all of the land, the sun crept up from behind the dark clouds casting light glares across the windshield. He saw the Armani-Grant megaplex standing tall above the other buildings along the skyline. Westward was Sholto McKarl¡¯s personal tower and all of it¡¯s brutalist design. And so was his statue sitting at the very top, melded with the architecture. It was as if he was the deity of the city with its outward appearance calling for attention. It was true that some worshipped him. But he was no god. He was just a man. The Indigo Platform stood northbound while the city hall and all of the various municipalities surrounded it. Point Blank Film Studios, responsible for filming the first three Takeover films and the renowned Upper Earth series, stood just east. That was where he was headed. The city had been under a complete overhaul since the beginning of the last century, but stagnant markets and a fluctuating economy prevented it from looking like the so-called ¡®City of Today¡¯s Tomorrow¡¯ that it had promised long ago. No matter what they tried to do, the city was going to crumble before the war was over. If it didn¡¯t crumble beneath its own foundation it would have been because of the war. If things continued to escalate it wouldn¡¯t just be a war in Eurasia, it¡¯d be war all over the globe. And he knew something was coming. A call came through the bluetoothed surround system in the car by a name that he had not seen in ages: Ethan Gatling. ¡°Oh man, hey Quinn, autopilot for me real quick,¡± Audry said. ¡°Sure thing,¡± Quinn replied. An icon appeared on the dashboard indicating he had taken over. It was the first of the brand to have been outfitted with autonomous driving. Audry had left behind the human touch aspect and chose to give Quinn the necessary tools to act as his chauffeur. Audry took the call. The youthful tone on the other end was none other than one of his closest friends. ¡°Is this who I think it is?¡± ¡°Yo how¡¯s it going man? You haven¡¯t called in a while,¡± Audry chuckled. It was good hearing a friend¡¯s voice. ¡°Nah I think it¡¯s the other way around. But I know how busy you can get.¡± ¡°And I know how busy you get,¡± Audry retorted. He leaned his seat back and Quinn steered them through the main boulevard. ¡°Hah, yeah. Hey brother. I was just calling to let you know what¡¯s going on over here in the winter wonderland. We got rocket attacked a few hours ago. A guy lost his thumb. They say he¡¯ll make a full recovery though.¡± Ethan had been deployed to Muntachia in response to the country¡¯s national outcry to prevent the Wildfires from taking over. ¡°Damn man. You know how much I miss that shit,¡± Audry said, scratching his head, instantly reminiscing about the days he had spent with his old unit. ¡°I don¡¯t know how I keep going but I guess it¡¯s the excitement,¡± Ethan said. ¡°If you want to, I bet you could. Dude you hardly have to worry about anything. You could fly over here right now in one of those fancy jets you got and start popping ¡®em left and right. You¡¯ve got the entire arsenal of the Rion Accord under your belt.¡± ¡°I kind of already do.¡± ¡°Ooh, secret operations. How cool," Ethan said. Audry could see him making a goofy face without even seeing it. ¡°That close protection contract shit¡¯s gotta get boring though.¡± ¡°It sure is. I don¡¯t like half these fuckers either. But I¡¯m still getting paid.¡± ¡°Has Alyssa come around yet? Or is she still mad?¡± ¡°Yeah, man, she doesn¡¯t really complain about it anymore. She¡¯s probably just in it for the money but you know how things go. I¡¯ll keep her around cause she¡¯s good in bed and at making eggs.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s like that, good for you. Just keep her happy and you won¡¯t have to worry about any divorces.¡± He could slightly hear Ethan scoff. ¡°Fuck a prenup. I¡¯m not marrying her.¡± ¡°Ah, you don¡¯t know that.¡± ¡°Oh I know. Like, how the fuck can I believe you are gonna marry Kat?¡± ¡°I would¡¯ve if we were still together.¡± ¡°Bullshit bro. Wait, wait, wait. Hold up, you¡¯re telling me you two aren¡¯t together anymore?¡± ¡°No. She left.¡± ¡°For another guy?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Another girl?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Well shit, alright. I don¡¯t know what else she¡¯d leave you for. You¡¯re one helluva good person. So forget the bitch, man.¡± ¡°She wasn¡¯t a bitch,¡± Audry did not want to sound defensive at his friend¡¯s remarks. ¡°I think I just wasn¡¯t good enough.¡± ¡°Hey keep your head up, now you have the freedom to get as much ass that you want ¡± ¡°Well, you know that Erica girl?¡± ¡°Everhills Erica?¡± ¡°Yep.¡± ¡°Aw no way? You tapped that?¡± ¡°Sure did.¡± ¡°Hey, if I wasn¡¯t with Alyssa or surrounded by fucking snow 24/7 with a bunch of guys in the middle of nowhere I would¡¯ve hit her up long ago,¡±Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! ¡°When are you coming home man?¡± ¡°Got 6 months left on the dot. Been counting down the days,¡± ¡°It¡¯ll go by fast. Then when you get back you¡¯re gonna be wishing you were back with the guys.¡± ¡°I highly doubt that. I¡¯ve had enough with the dumb shit. Getting shot at is cool and all but I¡¯m trying to get high and drink till I¡¯m in a coma.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll give it a week after you get back. You¡¯ll be right back to the recruiting office,¡± ¡°I¡¯m good.¡± ¡°But hey. I¡¯m just gonna let you know, these Widowmaker rifles are top-fucking-notch. It¡¯ll pop a bitch from a few hundreds yards if you got good aim. Low recoil. Perfect handling. Mobile. Doesn¡¯t jam ever.¡± ¡°We put a lot of work into it. I really appreciate the review bud.¡± ¡°Yeah. Although, if there¡¯s one thing I wish it had would be more modules over this way. The armory here sucks. All of the dude¡¯s a country away are already getting the Shibboleth shit.¡± Allocation of resources was tough. A complete haul was scheduled to drop into Muntachia within that week if production went as planned. ¡°You¡¯ll be getting some. So keep it on the low.¡± Ethan wanted to be in the war his father fought since they both attended middle school in Gunhaven.¡°Yeah, I know how it goes. But hot damn. Send it, brother. I¡¯m trying to get my hands on that assault suit.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll impress you just as much as the rifle.¡± Ethan would not get to fight his father¡¯s war. In this age he was off fighting what had been a proxy war which was now turning into something else entirely. The Wildfires were not only the most dangerous enemies the country had battled, but some believed they were responsible for the outbreak of the deadly Firepox virus. ¡°These test tube babies ripped straight through the FOB a few miles north. When I mean there was nothing left, we only saw a pile of rubble and bodies. Only reason why they didn¡¯t come down our way was because the AA guns pack some major heat.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t think the bad guys would send their boys in that part of the country,¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t, up until they did¡­ When¡¯s the last time you got a confirmed kill on one?¡± ¡°On my own?¡± ¡°I forget, you¡¯ve got people to do the dirty work,¡± Ethan said, taking a stab at just how war oriented the Accord was. It was true however that Audry had people under him very talented at wet working. ¡®Liquidators¡¯ is what some called them ¡°Well all I can say is we¡¯ve been racking up tallies since I took over as CEO. It¡¯s in the hundreds now.¡± ¡°If you need a gun, hire me when I get out.¡± ¡°Of course, of course.¡± ¡°Well it really was good shooting the shit with you brother. I¡¯m about to catch some sleep. They said we¡¯re pushing into Gravettia in less than two weeks. I¡¯ll try to give you a call when all¡¯s said and done.¡± ¡°Best of luck, stay safe alright? That place is an absolute killzone,¡± Audry said. ¡°I¡¯ll be here if you need someone to talk to though.¡± ¡°You too, man.¡± The call ended and Audry laughed to himself. ¡°Hear that Quinn? The Widowmakers are a success.¡± ¡°I wonder about the Shibboleth suits?¡± He wondered as well. A part of him felt responsible for his friend¡¯s eventual death. An attack on Gravettia even with all of the Accord¡¯s resources would end in a bloodbath. No armor or weapons would stop the Wildfires from shredding through the assault. Gravettia was one of the epicenters after all. He tried to take his mind off of it. Quinn turned the Rolls-Royce down the street of Point Blank Film Studios. Rows of facilities and buildings specifically dedicated to various means of film production littered both sides of the street. At the end of the road was an intricately designed ¡®PB¡¯ logo on the face of the large wall. ¡°Reports say a new mutation has popped up in Western Eurasia. I thought you should know,¡± Quinn said. Audry put away his wallet, shades, and phone into his three-piece suit. ¡°So we¡¯ll keep upgrading.¡± Audry had seen the world change in drastic ways for years. When the bill that announced independency-inclined rights arrived from the central power, many of the regions, territories, cities, and towns all took to their own devices and separated themselves from the state and the country. The de-unification created a rift that never closed but created a land where the government took a step back. A laissez-faire mentality that had ultimately worked. Leaders came and went, but all had a single vision for Liberation City. The city bred free values and allowed most people to do as they pleased as long as it was within reasonable limits. But working did not always mean functional. Recreational drugs had spread throughout the city. It was quickly masked by the recent influx of neurological stimulants that was put down with force by private military corporations due to the increased rate of Firepox volatility. Adult entertainment had made its way into mainstream media. It was hardly uncommon to not see promotional billboards, street signs, and big screens on the sides of buildings. Unconventional activities and beliefs that went against social norms were all provided a rite of passage. Those were the pieties of the current age. Heathenry to some, freedom to others. But at the end of the day, those freedoms would not prevent the City of Today¡¯s Tomorrow from crumbling. Audry tried to care for the general population by giving back but there was only so much he could do. Events like CosmiCon were just another way to gain positive public opinion and to raise funds. He¡¯d been taught to give and receive little in return even despite his status in the current day. The vehicle pulled into a drive where a sentry stood in a basic security detail uniform. Audry rolled down the window, revealing his ID. The guard had been a hire from private military Op-4, who¡¯s reach had touched the eastern seaboard and were widely found in some of the world¡¯s hotspots. If anything, they were going to be another enemy to Audry in time. A decent body search and a farewell away, the sentry waved him through and the Rolls-Royce entered a small tunnel passing just beneath the studio logo. A pale blue illuminated the tunnel for what felt like minutes. It wasn¡¯t until Audry asked for Quinn to hand over controls of the Wraith that they approached the end. Exiting the tunnel brought them into a gargantuan atrium. He was directed to pull to the side of the curb by another sentry. ¡°Good afternoon sir,¡± he said. ¡°Good afternoon.¡± ¡°Welcome to the headquarters. You¡¯re somewhat of a V.I.P. here Mr. Forge. You¡¯ll make your way through the center down the path over there into the production building. You¡¯ll be seated in the waiting room. I¡¯ll let them know you are arriving. We¡¯ll take care of your vehicle and bring it to the preserved lot for you.¡± Audry thought it odd but wouldn¡¯t ask pointless questions. He obliged and exited the car. A glass half-globe formed above as the rain plastered against it making crystalline sounds as if shards were falling. A young man in a modern livery uniform approached the vehicle and took the key fob. The suicide door swung open and the young man expressed that he¡¯d be careful with it. The atrium looked to be somewhat of a large lounging area. An artificial parterre of non-indigenous plants, trees, and flowers sprouted around the glossed granite path. He was slightly jealous but enjoyed the simplicity of his home¡¯s indoor hydroculture room. Security guards patrolled in just about every other pathway that he could see. Some human, some android. It wasn¡¯t very long until people commuting the atrium began to approach him. The entrance of the studio was growing closer but the closer he got the more people surrounded him. The general populace appearing before him on his walk down the path were his age or older but the most striking individual was a young girl who looked to be 10 or so. ¡°Mr. Forge! I went to CosmiCon. It was literally amazing. My name¡¯s Gracy,¡± she said with a grin full of missing teeth. Audry looked up to see a lady¡ªwho he assumed to be her mother¡ªsmiling with a quiet demeanor. ¡°You enjoyed it?¡± he asked the young girl. ¡°Absolutely. I¡¯m going next year, definitely. My mom said I could too!¡± She jumped a few times trying to contain her excitement and handed him a permanent marker and picture of her standing next to the Rion Accord HQ sign. ¡°Just wait. There¡¯s more where that came from.¡± ¡°Oh my gosh, for real? Oh no, should I tell my friends? Should I keep it a secret?¡± ¡°Keep it under wraps. Tell them you knew all along,¡± he whispered to her as he scribbled his autograph onto the picture. ¡°That¡¯s my personal signature. Don¡¯t lose it, okay?¡± She hugged the photo with intensity. ¡°If you flip the photo over there is a special code to get 50% off on all Rion Accord merch for the entire month,¡± he smiled. If the sun didn¡¯t shine, the girl¡¯s face could take its place. ¡°No way. No way, are you serious?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± he laughed. The lady in the background rolled her eyes smiling back at him. ¡°Thank you very much Mr. Forge. I¡¯ll remember this day forever.¡± ¡°No problem. And remember to keep it a secret,¡± ¡°I will, Mr. Forge.¡± The little girl instantly about-faced and ran to the woman who mouthed a ¡®thank you¡¯ and the two left on their way. ¡°Well that was kind of you sir,¡± Quinn said into Audry¡¯s inconspicuous earpiece. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say it was kind. I¡¯d say I just made another business sale,¡± he chuckled. ¡°Oh so that¡¯s what you were doing?¡± Quinn asked. ¡°No. I¡¯m joking, I was actually being nice to her.¡± ¡°My apologies. It¡¯s hard to tell when you¡¯re being genuine sometimes,¡± Quinn said as Audry passed through the crowds, completely ignoring them. ¡°What''s with everyone talking down on me lately?¡± ¡°I was not talking bad about you. I was just letting you know that you¡¯ve always been this way. Ever since my conception.¡± ¡°Well I¡¯m tired of hearing it. So just keep it to yourself,¡± Audry growled, irritated. Through the double doors was a lonely off-white room and a lonely oakwood door on the opposite side. Black leather seats surrounded a granite coffee table that looked like it had been carved straight out of the ground itself. He sat down trying to keep his composure. ¡°Certain speech paths are unavoidable for me though sir.¡± ¡°Better program yourself to stop being like all of these other assholes then,¡± Audry commanded. ¡°I understand,¡± Quinn said lowly. Audry could see the people looking in through the tinted door windows nearby. If they wanted to come in and nag him on they could. Maybe it was the pair of security guards coming in to escort them away that was preventing it. ¡°Quinn. I know I¡¯m getting defensive but you try being in my shoes for a day. I have a company to run. I have installations not just worldwide, but all across the system. I have many responsibilities. I act careless but I do it because I refuse to be tied down by how unsympathetic life is. I¡¯m here for this long. Might as well make use with what I¡¯ve made for myself.¡± ¡°Absolutely. But Mr. Forge have you not sacrificed enough?¡± Quinn asked him. ¡°What do you mean? Yeah, I¡¯ve sacrificed a lot.¡± ¡°But you¡¯ve lost so much in the process. The destination is to make existence easier for all living things. But the journey you¡¯ve taken has hurt you as a person. Months ago you used to get up and work out. You used to eat healthier. You were drinking less. You were involved in your work. Now you¡¯ve receded as an individual. I¡¯m beginning to think you truly are depressed.¡± ¡°So? How will that affect the company? The company¡¯s goal is set. It won¡¯t stop until the mission is done.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not just about the company. It¡¯s about you.¡± ¡°What about me? You think I can¡¯t function anymore on my own or something?¡± Audry asked. ¡°You hardly do when others are around you. I want you to take a step back one day and really see who you¡¯ve become in the past year or so.¡± A dark-haired lady appeared from behind the room¡¯s door with two Op-4 guard¡¯s. ¡°Mr. Forge, we¡¯re ready.¡± Audry forced a smile and rose from his chair. ¡°We¡¯ll finish this later Quinn.¡± ¡°Yessir.¡± Audry heard Quinn chime away in his head and he entered into the next hall. He immediately began to find himself aware of the amount of security detail the studio had. It was not uncommon for corporations to employ them but not in such large quantities. He was also aware that he had been fighting with an AI inside of an earpiece. He was fighting his creation. He was being questioned by something that did not truly understand him no matter how intelligent it became. The situation would have been poetic in centuries past or a warning if it were a biblical story. In reality it was simply agitating. Chapter 4 The backstage entrance felt cramped and claustrophobic and a sense of momentum filled the room. Packed with studio engineers and stage crew members it was like a network of ants. The liaison had guided Audry through a maze of workers to another backroom where she passed him off to a somewhat familiar face. A woman with a bob cut and suit stood there waiting. It was Bradley Bean¡¯s manager. He still hadn¡¯t responded to her messages. Since they had never formally introduced each other she introduced herself as Janice and offered him a bottle of water. When she returned he chugged it down, satiated and slightly nervous. It was not the first nor the last time he¡¯d find himself on a stage in front of people, the simple reason was that the atmosphere was pressing. There was something he could not quite put his finger on that brought him unease. Janice left once again, this time bringing back a balding man with a headset and a touchpad. He had begun his introduction by giving Audry a runthrough of the show process. Audry put the man off track with a clearing of his throat and a slight chuckle. ¡°I know the deal,¡± he said as if he was reading from a list. ¡°Don¡¯t say anything stupid, don¡¯t do anything detrimental to the show, NDA stuff with a sprinkle of preplanned scripting.¡± ¡°Mr. Forge, I¡¯m going to need you to let me do my job,¡± the man said, a vein popping from his forehead. ¡°Did I accidentally interrupt you?¡± Audry replied. ¡°Mr. Forge, I¡¯m only here to ask you questions. We just need a general idea of what we are going to be talking about.¡± Audry spent what was half an hour just going over the details of the criteria the show was meeting. In the end he was escorted out of the backroom into a hall that felt like the city streets. People bustling up and down the halls, each hall intersecting each other like blocks. Pictures and plaques lined the walls next to doors where the people would disappear to. Janice the liaison looked back and with a whispered voice told him, ¡°Mr. Forge, I think you came across as a bit brash. Maybe you could have eased up on the rushiness.¡± Audry passed a pair of gentlemen wearing swim trunks. Was there a swimming pool somewhere in the building? He thought. He raised an eyebrow noticing a bloody faced man in a dark suit walking down the intersecting end sporting a large grin. If only for a moment he had forgotten that they were in a film studio. ¡°You look a little confused Mr. Forge,¡± Janice said. ¡°The studio¡¯s going to really benefit from your appearance,¡± interjected the producer. It was just what a company like Point Blank Films would want Audry had thought. If they were not showing big names and important faces they¡¯d go under water. Suddenly, the sense of strangeness he felt had begun to click. At the hall¡¯s end they stood at two doors. ¡°Is this it, on the other side?¡± asked Audry. A large digital clock pinned to the wall up high read 15:30, each second passing was a countdown. He assumed that was how long they had until the show began. He¡¯d been notified that the show was not live for all eyes to see. Only for those who were attending in the rows. This was a good thing. The release form he signed was less structured than any he had seen in the past. But under careful eyes he made sure he was not signing his rights away. Even taking a screenshot with his phone. Janice went through the doors and returned a few moments later to bring in Audry. Quinn had remained mostly silent through the walk along. He usually would have inserted a statement or concern but he had gone internal. Audry too had gone quiet the moment he stepped on the other side of those doors. The side stage was dark and moody, the bright center shined from behind the curtains. The exit sign glowed a vivid red and another clock flashed the countdown off to the side. Cords and cord covers snaked across the floor leading further back. Audio engineers, filmographers, and other specified producers disappeared to and fro the darkness. A man with a tout smile hurried down the steps from centerstage. ¡°Just the guy I want to see.¡± He unabashedly walked up and stuck his hand out. Audry shook his hand and the two began to talk. The man¡¯s eyes were luminescent in the dark. ¡°Hello, I¡¯m sure you know who I am.¡± Janice and the producer had told Audry it was important to make a fast, meaningful introduction with the host. Bradley Bean, host of Spoken Daily, was dressed in a dapper glen plaid suit, with golden buttons, a matching patek philippe wristwatch, and a stylish combover fade. The look of a snake in the grass. He took the producer¡¯s touchpad and skim-read the questions and responses Audry had answered. Quickly they piled onto the stage leaving behind Audry to watch and wait for the show to begin. He¡¯d been notified to enter when given the signal by the producer. The three talked amongst themselves. Janice gave a glance to Audry and everything began to fall into place. Bradley stood in front of his chair, the lights dimmed, and Audry watched the final minute countdown to zero. The curtains opened with a classic Outkast song playing in the backdrop. The lights brightened upon Bradley who waved and gestured to the audience, all the while Audry was preparing himself. Janice told him the night would be revitalizing. If this appearance made a difference then he¡¯d be doing a good thing for his image. ¡°Hello everybody, ladies and gents here in Liberation City, I¡¯m your host Bradley Bean for the Independent States¡¯s best talk show: Spoken Daily. Today we¡¯ve got a world renowned man in the room with us. He¡¯s contributed to not just humanitarian work in the reaches of our world but he¡¯s also propelled¡ªpun intended¡ªspace travel to the reaches of our solar system. A veteran, a CEO, and a brilliant innovator, I¡¯d like to introduce you all to Mr. Audry Forge.¡± The crowd erupted in applause, standing up like a wave rising from the ocean. Audry entered onto the stage waving. His first thought was to remain humble. His second was to give Bradley Bean and his people meaningful responses. He had to make up for any suspicions regarding his event. The show was just the time to do it. He seated himself on the sofa to Bradley¡¯s right. ¡°Thanks for having me here today Bradley.¡± ¡°Oh, no please, call me Brad.¡± Audry wanted to laugh at the host. ¡°Sure thing, Brad.¡± The suit leaned to one arm with a cup of coffee in the other. ¡°In light of your debut enfranchisement, Project Skorpio, I wanted to ask you a few questions.¡± ¡°Sure thing,¡± Audry said, adjusting his suit on the sofa. It was better to get comfortable than to look on edge the entire time. Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! ¡°So first and foremost, I want to say you¡¯re CosmiCon Year 5 absence was disheartening but we are all very glad to see you¡¯re healthy and active again. With your illness we had begun to grow worried here at the studio. We never know if the chance of interviewing someone like you will happen. So we¡¯re blessed. Did the process go well?¡± Audry smiled, tilting his head for a second¡¯s thought. ¡°I made a fairly fast recovery, yes. But as you can see, I¡¯m trying to be a little cautious. Move a little slower. Be a little bit healthier.¡± ¡°Absolutely. Today¡¯s medicine is good but the Accord¡¯s medicinal branch is revolutionary.¡± Bradley seemed to be over promoting things. To which Audry was already growing weary of. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say revolutionary. There¡¯s still things we¡¯re trying to figure out but research can only go so far until you have to start thinking outside of the box.¡± Bradley looked at the little piece of paper on the stand next to him. ¡°Thinking outside the box, eh? That relates to the next question: What was your thought process when creating Project Skorpio? Did you do it only because you had a legacy to uphold or was it out of your own freewill?¡± Audry was taken aback that those words could even leave such a person''s mouth. Regardless, he became more intrigued with the question rather than who it was coming from. ¡°I¡¯d say it¡¯s a little bit of both. There¡¯s always two sides to every story, right? So the story for me is both a personal one and one of ambition. I just want to let those watching that I¡¯ve dedicated my life to doing the right thing with my father¡¯s legacy. It¡¯s not just his anymore. It¡¯s mine. And in some respects, it¡¯s yours as well.¡± He leaned forward, feeling mentally winded as if he had just ran for his life. ¡°Fascinating. So have you found the recent news of the war in Eurasia a problem since it¡¯s encroaching on our future or do you think you may be able to play a part in quelling it before it spreads any more?¡± Bradley furrowed his brow, taking a sip of his coffee, adding sugar cubes in moderation. ¡°Brad, I think my company will only be able to win the war through traditional means. The Wildfires are not just hitting us on the frontline. So we¡¯ve got to figure something out. Together. If not, I do believe the end of civilization will come and I¡¯m just one man. I can¡¯t stop that.¡± ¡°That¡¯s pretty haunting but we are all hoping you succeed in the Eurasia conflict. Aside from that, with all of the humanitarian missions you dabble in do you ever think there¡¯s more you could do?¡± Audry had never been asked so many serious questions in a row during an interview. He did not recall it being on the producer¡¯s questionnaire either. ¡°If I think I¡¯ve done all that I could I guess that means the world¡¯s a better place. So far, it¡¯s not. If that answers your question.¡± ¡°Your contributions to the War on Transhumanism have made you one of the posterchilds for warfare innovated by technology. Your father was not exactly the most war centric. Did you do that in spite of him?¡± ¡°I just wanted to do my part. Before I even earned CEO I applied what I learned from his technology, repurposed them, and helped win the war.¡± Bradley pulled out large cards in a woven basket from beneath his chair. ¡°Ready for some rapid fire questions?¡± He asked, taking a gleeful glance at the crowd who had remained strictly silent through the first half. Suddenly an uproar echoed through the stage; clapping and whoo¡¯s, cheering and excitement. ¡°I hope,¡± Audry chuckled. Bradley scooted to the edge of his chair, patting Audry on the knee. ¡°You don¡¯t sound too sure. Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s strictly movie-based. Your job is to answer each with the movie of your choosing.¡± The crowd chattered amongst themselves as the host stared at the first card. ¡°You¡¯re a movie watcher aren¡¯t you?¡± Audry nodded. ¡°Of course, of course.¡± A screen between and behind the two of them flickered on. An animated alarm clock popped up, the crowd grew anxious then. ¡°Alright. Ready?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Bradley cleared his throat, Audry cleared his mind. ¡°Favorite science fiction film?¡± ¡°1986¡¯s Aliens.¡± ¡°Favorite anime movie?¡± ¡°Akira.¡± Favorite apocalypse film? ¡°The Road.¡± Favorite creature feature? ¡°Super 8.¡± Favorite horror movie? SAW. Favorite fantasy movie? ¡°Lord of the Rings. All three of them.¡± The animated clock pinged and ringed through the surround system. Confetti blew up from behind the screen, Bradley clapped along with the audience. Grandiose music played as if Audry had just triumphed. Yet, he was simply answering questions. ¡°Outstanding. I think you¡¯ve got some pretty solid opinions.¡± ¡°I appreciate it,¡± Audry said. ¡°Well that¡¯s that, folks. You heard it hear first. Mr. Audry Forge¡¯s favorite movies. So what¡¯s some stuff you do for fun? Are you too preoccupied for fun?¡± Audry relaxed, his heart still pumping at unnecessary speeds. He was beginning to enjoy the questions. It was as if he had been challenged. He fixed his posture and thought of his answer. ¡°Well as many can attest, I truly love get togethers. Celebrations, parties, ceremonies. It just gets me closer to more people. Living the lonely life isn¡¯t really my cup of tea.¡± ¡°Do you consider yourself a nerd?¡± asked Bradley. ¡°I like reading. Not sure if that counts.¡± ¡°Have you ever wanted to do something different with your life? Like, just drop everything and start over?¡± ¡°Most of us do. I think we all wish we could choose different paths at some point.¡± Bradley seemed to be bored of asking the more personal questions and began to pair him with the Rion Accord¡¯s intentions. ¡°Your company isn¡¯t just a part of the arms industry, it¡¯s an integral piece to the travel into the depths of space. Is there anything you can tell us about that? Have you found any connection between the Wildfires and extraterrestrial discovery?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a lot I cannot say out loud. The company is very secretive and cautious about what information comes and goes. We examine things we find though. The Wildfires were theorized to be alien but if we ever find the truth we¡¯ll let the world know.¡± Bradley seemed half-contempt with the answer even while the crow applauded. He looked down at his paper and a more serious look crossed his face. ¡°There is an article by the Morning Sun Post about the supposed issue between you and Alto Robotics. It says that you did not receive any pay for your iteration of the up and coming Shibboleth assault armor. So you decided to depart from them last week. The general conception was that you did not want anything from it anyways. The article says Alto Robotics is now looking for ways to take back what was theirs because of an agreement the two company¡¯s made. If you can tell us that.¡± The general conception? Audry knew his veins were popping at everything that left Bradley¡¯s mouth. Keeping himself under control would be the next goal when finding an answer to such a question. ¡°I did get paid. I¡¯m not a cash-mongerer. I know what it¡¯s like being poor and well off. But I won¡¯t lie and say I didn¡¯t get anything from it. I demanded it. I got my pay in the end because I¡¯m not letting some conglomerate push me around. There¡¯s a lot of monopolization going on and everyone is turning a blind eye. I don¡¯t know what you wanted me to say and I¡¯m betting you¡¯ll edit this to twist my words but that¡¯s what I did.¡± Audry fixated his ruby cufflinks and reached to his stand for his glass of water. Bradley gave him a dead stare with a dead smile. ¡°Well everybody that just about wraps things up. But before we go Spoken Daily has been given special access from the Rion Accord.¡± Audry looked him in the eyes and felt the room get colder. Bradley broke eye contact and gave the audience his full attention. Audry looked to the side stages as if he was looking for an answer. ¡°Ladies and gentlemen,¡± Bradley looked at the crowd with a smirk. ¡°I present to you the moment of truth...¡± The screen behind them played footage of a very important place Audry had not intended others remembering nor seeing. A large black anvil logo carved and painted into a marble sculpture stood in the middle of a courtyard filled with hundreds of people. Fireworks blistered the dark skies, popping in the air like flares. A large sign revealing the event¡¯s name planted itself right at the momentous gates across the courtyard. ¡°It was 20 years ago that the Rion Accord had tucked away a special event from it¡¯s co-founder¡¯s history, the One Step Forward exhibition.¡± The very blueprints and diagram of the renovated expo showed on the screen and the crowd went into a frenzy. Audry¡¯s heart sank into the bottom of his stomach. He could not fathom what he was witnessing. Quinn chimed in to tell him to stop the show but it was just background noise to him. ¡°Hey. No, stop.¡± Bradley stood up from his seat holding his arms out to the people as if he was giving a hug to them all. ¡°Mr. Forge is bringing it back next month! You heard it here folks. I¡¯m your host Bradley Bean of Spoken Daily. Goodnight and goodbye.¡± The show¡¯s outro music blared on the hidden speakers, drowning out the rows of clapping onlookers. Curtains began to close in that instance. Bradley diverted his attention to Audry with a sly stare. ¡°I know we didn¡¯t tell you about this segment but it was all for the viewership.¡± Audry darted towards Bradley. He was quickly interrupted by backstage personnel. ¡°Where¡¯d you get that information?¡± ¡°You were going to reveal it anyways.¡± ¡°You¡¯re cashing in on something nobody was supposed to know about. Who the fuck told you?¡± Bradley grinned. ¡°We were given permission. I don¡¯t see the issue.¡± ¡°Who told you? I¡¯m not asking again.¡± Audry slipped through the others and pushed Bradley onto the floor. ¡°Can somebody remove him from the building please? He¡¯s causing a scene,¡± Bradley cried out. Op-4 sprung from the backstage, hooking around him and pulled him along. Audry slung a guard from his arm. Another collided with him and put him in a rear lock. ¡°No, get the hell off. I¡¯m not causing anything. That wasn¡¯t meant to get shown yet. That was special to me. You fucking idiots. Get off me. Get off of me right now!¡± Bradley chuckled, combing his hair back and gathering himself. ¡°The world¡¯s most quintessential man is having a fit.¡± ¡°What? Fuck you, man. Fuck you!¡± Audry glanced to Janice who was holding a different release form than he had originally signed. She pointed at his forged signature and passed it off to one of her personnel. ¡°Sir, this is where things go south,¡± Quinn stated as Audry was drug away. ¡°We should¡¯ve known.¡± Chapter 5 Audry sat in the conference room of the Everhills Rest complex clicking his pen on the table. ¡°I¡¯m not happy about this. I always speak the damn truth. I¡¯d rather come across as pretentious, than a liar,¡± he said to the operations officer, Claire Johannes who was sitting adjacent to him. He turned his chair around to stare out across the open world. He could just barely see the basin, shaded with crystal blue compared to the evening sepia sky. ¡°Look, boss man. I¡¯m already on it. I¡¯ll do the talking from here on out. No more interviews, no nothing.¡± Audry took the blunt of everything much easier than everyone else. The thought of backing down didn¡¯t cross his mind. The reality though was much more daunting. He had never expected he¡¯d be outmaneuvered and exposed like he had been. Especially by a company who was hardly on the map. And maybe that¡¯s why they did it, he thought. ¡°Someone that we¡¯re supposed to trust gave secret information so that they could make some cash for being the first to know about the expo. They aired it live without me knowing. Just said it¡¯d be an segment that would be edited later.¡± ¡°I should¡¯ve known it was fishy,¡± Claire said. She had been notified of his interview while in the country of Dominicus. Not only would she have been there to coach him for his interview, she would have taken care of the legal work as well. Audry had never felt more insulted or ignorant in his life. ¡°Everyone involved should¡¯ve paid more attention.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll get to the bottom of it. I¡¯ll do my damnedest,¡± she said. Little by little the ranks of the company began to pour in. Audry brooded at the end of the round table, the pieces were just not fitting together. He had thought of the possibilities but could not pinpoint anyone who could have leaked the information. After the seats were filled and accountability was taken he sat in silence if not for only a moment. All eyes were on him. ¡°Most of you may be aware that on the Spoken Daily show, Bradley Bean decided that he would leak very important information on the exhibition my father created. If you¡¯re not aware, then I guess you are now. The fact though is that for them to get that information there had to have been a whistleblower.¡± Claire didn¡¯t give a second for anyone to ponder on the news before she inserted her own comment. ¡°Whistleblower isn¡¯t the right word. The right word is betrayer.¡± ¡°Excuse me. Pardon me for being blunt but the expo¡¯s not that big of a deal Mr. Forge. I¡¯m not really tracking on what the issue is,¡± said the company¡¯s financial officer, John Brennan, a middle aged man with a pair of eyes that never seemed to blink. Audry was not especially fond of Mr. Brennan at times. ¡°You may not know anything but you also might had been the one,¡± Audry said. ¡°Please don¡¯t put the blame on me. I¡¯m not even aware of the expo¡¯s meaning. You might have some hidden feelings about it that I¡¯m just not seeing.¡± What was there not to know? Audry thought. The exhibition had been brought up in many of the company¡¯s brainstorming projects. The company¡¯s history was deep and full of controversy but the One Step Forward expo was known. ¡°I¡¯m not giving you a sob story. I¡¯m not trying to overreact either but that expo was important to me, okay? You should know what it is,¡± Audry told him. ¡°So you¡¯re suggesting somebody in this conference room is at fault?¡± administration officer Obi Emeka asked. Audry could not hide his anger or his disappointment with a room full of people he was meant to trust. However, the truth was the truth. ¡°Depending on how i feel about said person, the consequences might be severe.¡± The looks on their faces changed. Those who knew he had lost faith in them tried to remain stoic. Others looked guilt ridden. ¡°Now listen, Mr. Forge, it¡¯s not a game of favoritism,¡± Mr. Brennan said, taking off his glasses. Audry rubbed his temples, avoiding his eyebrow cut, with a long drawn sigh. It sounded childish and made him feel childish having to respond to such a statement. ¡°None of you are my favorite. I have tried seeing you all as equals. But the higher ups might not see it that way.¡± ¡°The Board of Directors wouldn¡¯t be very happy with a mutiny in our company now would they?¡± Claire stared at each person in the room. ¡°The Chairman himself would be appalled by your actions.¡±If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Mr. Conroy stared into nothingness from his side of the room. He would have scolded Audry by now. ¡°Mr. Conroy. You¡¯re not talking very much today,¡± Claire said. ¡°What¡¯s there to talk about? The deed is done. His father¡¯s prized expo is leaked. It¡¯s better if you just roll with the punches,¡± Mr. Conroy muttered. ¡°Mr. Conroy. You must be trying to make yourself sound like the culprit,¡± Claire said. An attitude rose in her voice. Audry¡¯s first reaction would had been to rebel against Hugh Conroy but the man was right. ¡°He¡¯s just blunt,¡± Audry muttered. ¡°We¡¯ve been around each other long enough to know this.¡± ¡°So you should know I wouldn¡¯t do it,¡± Mr. Conroy crossed his arms. He looked at him in disbelief. ¡°Well we¡¯re not leaving this room until we find out who it was. Things will be getting pretty stupid here shortly,¡± Audry said tossing his pen on the table. It bounced across the surface until it landed in the center. ¡°I¡¯m not trying to jump up the chain here or anything but Mrs. Johannes doesn¡¯t seem entirely faithful to the company either,¡± Mr. Brennan claimed. Claire crossed her arms. ¡°After all that I¡¯ve done for it?¡± ¡°You and Polruszechia seem to be having a pretty friendly relationship. It goes against all of our policies,¡± Mr. Brennan said. ¡°I¡¯m the company¡¯s ambassador for a reason. If you want to live the rest of your life on the streets, asking for spare change I suggest you cut the bullshit. You¡¯re messing with the wrong woman.¡± The debate abruptly ended when the Chairman himself walked through the frosted glass doors. Mr. Emeka had been the first to greet the Chairman. Ms. Lilith Dolores averted her attention away. It was as if the presence of the man in the room created fear. But surely it was respect. ¡°I know you¡¯re not too fond of that Frankie fella over in Checagou. What about him?¡± Mr. Brennan asked. His very demeanor was aimed at Audry. ¡°I don¡¯t let Frankie know anything,¡± Audry spat back. ¡°It¡¯s not Frankie.¡± ¡°I¡¯d agree,¡± Claire said. The Chairman looked around. His eyes seemed off even if there was nothing particularly noticeable about them. ¡°It¡¯s the receptionist, Meredith.¡± ¡°Meredith? Mr. Chairman that¡¯s a little far fetched isn¡¯t it?¡± Mr. Brennan questioned. Questioning the Chairman was something not many people did. Audry had done it before but his situation was different. Mr. Brennan¡¯s life was far more disposable. ¡°Meredith is your hire Mr. Brennan. Yet she was the one who managed to maintain a large portion of documentation regarding Mr. Forge¡¯s Project Skorpio. It seems to me she was fed the information. Which is precisely what happened. I¡¯m not stupid John.¡± Mr. Brennan grew pale as the walls. If he was any more scared he would have passed as a ghost. Even then, death wasn¡¯t very far from his doorstep for his mutiny. ¡°See me in my office John.¡± ¡°Mr. Chairman I¡¯m not sure this is fair. It¡¯s not my fault,¡± Mr. Brennan argued even as he was slowly getting up from his seat. The elusive man in the room left just as quickly as he entered. Audry knew that Mr. John Brennan would never sit in that room again. Furthermore, his name would be forgotten. It was just the prize for playing the unbeatable game. The game that Audry had been winning at for a very long time. . . . . It was the next morning when Audry sat at his kitchen table eating a bowl of maple and brown sugar flavored oatmeal with a tall glass of water. The news played on the overhead television taking complete advantage of the exhibition¡¯s leak. Audry had already come to grips that it was already out there. The faint smell of cinnamon lingered in the air. It reminded him of his grandmother¡¯s cinnamon rolls. ¡°Sir.¡± Quinn said. ¡°What?¡± ¡°About the other day. I had given it some thought and decided to apologize.¡± Audry had only exchanged a few words with his AI companion. It was strange hearing that from him. ¡°Since when do you apologize? The damage with the leak has been done,¡± Audry told him. ¡°I recall the argument not being about the event.¡± ¡°Well I¡¯m not particularly in the right mood or head space to be thinking about it.¡± ¡°It was about how you¡¯ve changed. How you are difficult to read. How you¡¯ve lost functionality and what really makes you who you are, Mr. Forge.¡± Audry shook his head, tapping the spoon against the bowl like a nervous tic. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s it right there.¡± ¡°I seemed to have blamed you for things you had lost control over long ago. I¡¯m wrong for my words.¡± Quinn¡¯s apology could make a grown man wince and grind his teeth. But Audry understood it. ¡°A lot of people are Quinn. Don¡¯t even think too hard on it. We¡¯ll be back in an argument about what¡¯s wrong with me if you think too hard.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure how I could think softer sir. But I could try.¡± ¡°Is that a joke?¡± ¡°Not that I¡¯m self-aware of,¡± Quinn said. ¡°Then half of what I just said went right over your head.¡± Quinn joked. ¡°If I had a head, that is.¡± ¡°Yeah about that. I¡¯m nearly done with the beta testing of your new shell. You might not benefit from it entirely but I¡¯m leaving it open for upgrades. Just don¡¯t go giving yourself a horse-sized dick or something stupid like that,¡± Audry said, eating a spoonful of oatmeal. His eyebrow still throbbed as he laughed at the voice from above. ¡°My humor isn''t that bad sir.¡± ¡°If you were anything like old Quinn you probably would have some. But your robotic ass is just about as dry as they come,¡± Audry chuckled. ¡°Ouch, sir. I had that coming.¡± Audry took a refreshing gulp of water, gently slammed it on the marble table, and smiled. ¡°You sure did.¡± Chapter 6 A dark watercolor portrait loomed over the table at Custode Segreto¡¯s well-known local restaurant embedded with an Vitalian heritage. Audry looked at the production process of Quinn¡¯s shell on his phone. The waitress arrived, greeted herself, and left for the time being. ¡°The roaches keep getting stronger. I think that¡¯s more of an issue than your expo ordeal. That¡¯s all I¡¯m going to say,¡± Andrew Noire said in his thick New Amsterdam accent. He was never one to agree with the Rion Accord¡¯s policies and way of operation but he was a good friend of Audry nonetheless. Audry sympathized with his plight against the Wildfires but there were other things holding his attention. ¡°I¡¯m at the point where the war has taken a backseat. Company development is more important. Without that we¡¯d be nowhere.¡± Andrew Noire took a bite of the bruschetta appetizer, wiping his mouth with his handkerchief. ¡°Yes but I still fail to see why you think a little event is a make or break for the Accord. A true make or break is the Shibboleth armor failing on the frontlines. Or whatever secret little project is going on down in the Basement.¡± ¡°Your track record¡¯s not so impressive for somebody telling me how to run a business that has benefited from my work,¡± Audry joked. Andrew laughed, ¡°Let¡¯s not go there.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t have to. I just want you to know I¡¯ve thought it through.¡± Audry read the Alto Robotics email in regards to Quinn¡¯s new shell. ¡°I want what¡¯s best for all of us. Everyone is the benefactor at the end of the day. Without effort the world would¡¯ve fallen a very, very long time ago my guy.¡± Andrew finished another bruschetta and seemed to be done until the waitress was to return. He, of all people, was Audry¡¯s go-to for introspection. His work with some of the world¡¯s most dangerous criminals shined through. Audry sometimes felt like he was being interrogated even if they were just playing a round of eight-ball on a Saturday night. ¡°I respect that. But who¡¯s to say the Wildfires won¡¯t show up at our doorstep and destroy everything? You know the latest reports are saying they¡¯re getting stronger right? The death toll¡¯s been rising since last December. Now it¡¯s in the millions. The numbers say it all. I hardly feel like there¡¯s truly any progress being made by maintaining a domestic image. We¡¯ve got to be more involved in the world outside. Because soon, whether we like it or not, the world outside will come to us. And I don¡¯t want to see the land I love fall.¡± ¡°Andrew stop worrying. Public opinion matters. It made or breaked military efforts so many times I can¡¯t count it on two hands,¡± he said. It was a bit annoying for Audry to be in such a relaxed setting talking about how the world¡¯s weight was on him. He drank from his glass, sat his phone aside, and took in a deep breath of the atmosphere. A few booths on their side of the room paralleled the open dining floor and bar on the other side, encompassed by dimly lit bulbs fixated high up within the scaffolding. ¡°Still,¡± Andrew replied. Audry chuckled, ¡°I get it. I understand it entirely. I¡¯ve got a plan and I¡¯m going to execute it to the best of my ability. By the time the war is over things will be right.¡± The third member of their party arrived. Claire Johannes walked up to the table, her heels clicking the floor. She had a very simple taste in clothes but never failed to wear only blacks and whites. It was as if her morality bled into her style. Audry smiled and let her into the booth. ¡°How¡¯s your evening going gentlemen?¡± she asked, sitting her purse to the side. ¡°Good. And yours?¡± Andrew asked. ¡°Would have been better if I didn¡¯t have to argue with this chick Dana from PR. Mr. Conroy needs to quit hiring a bunch of assholes,¡± Claire huffed. ¡°What¡¯d she say?¡± ¡°I was just trying to put together something to help your situation with Bradley Bean. But apparently she couldn¡¯t do anything without Con-Boy¡¯s authority. I¡¯ve got the authority over him and all his goons.¡± ¡°I still want some compensation from this. Point Blank Films can go under water for all I care. They may see it as retaliation and sue us but I want them to path. Do whatever you can,¡± Audry told her. ¡°You signed a release form right?¡± she asked him. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°And yet somehow they still claimed you didn¡¯t sign what you were saying.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because they reprinted my signature on another form,¡± Audry tapped his fingers on the table as if he was playing a piano. ¡°Oh, those damn snakes.¡± Claire tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, scowling. ¡°You signed another form? Cause the representative claims you did not.¡± ¡°Bullshit. I¡¯ve got pictures,¡± Audry felt like he had a moment of clarity and sped through his phone. Only a moment later did he show her the original pictures he had signed. ¡°Took it with my glasses. So they wouldn¡¯t had known,¡± he said, feeling like he was a step ahead. ¡°I¡¯m already getting my calls lined up,¡± she told him. ¡°Just let me know when you¡¯ve got something rolling, alright?¡± A little terracotta pot stood in the middle of the table with a small fern sprouting from it. He fiddled with the blades, hearing Andrew go on about how the ¨¹bernationalist Party in the region would cause an uproar and how their employment of Wildfire operatives was a detriment to the peace treaties between the allied countries and the neutral powers.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Andrew laughed to himself, his face glowing with thankfulness once the waitress appeared. She took down their orders and when the trio had been lost in conversation she returned with plates of delicately crafted, freshly cooked Vitalian cuisine. Audry would have never expected being CEO would include so many dinners, venues, meetings, and office time. There he was, in a well-off restaurant at the one of corners of Liberation City¡¯s mainstreet, moving into a discussion about the scheduled meet-up with the Polruszechian head-of-state. It was nothing more than a pipe dream to expect a long time enemy to lay down their arms and give up everything they¡¯ve built in the past few decades. But with Polruszechian loyalist movements occurring in western Old Europe, capitalizing on democracy was Audry¡¯s mission. From Polruszechian relations, to the wedding of Queen Catori Soliloquy, to a pair of OSI spooks Andrew had come into contact with last week, they enjoyed their meals and each other''s company. Andrew excused himself to make a trip to the bathroom after having asked the waitress for their bill. Claire ate a sliver of her tiramis¨´, admiring the taste. ¡°I¡¯ve got to get this more often.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve had better, I¡¯m pretty sure. You ever have strawberry crostata? Or, what¡¯s the name, hazelnut bombolini?¡± he asked. Nothing could beat the plate of crostata he ate in Napoli, though the crostata of Custode Segreto¡¯s was top tier. ¡°Crostata, yes. The other one, no,¡± she pursed her lips. ¡°It¡¯s worth it,¡± he said, taking a big bite out of it. Gesturing for her to try a portion, in which she did. ¡°I might have to get it then,¡± she said. ¡°Yep, do it.¡± She suddenly eyed him as if she had discovered a secret plan. ¡°Oh, I see. You¡¯re just trying to get me fat, boss.¡± ¡°What? No. Not at all,¡± he scoffed, laughing after. ¡°How can I do my job if I can¡¯t walk to the restroom without running out of breath?¡± she asked him. ¡°Remember that Allison chick?¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± She gave him a look of denial. ¡°I¡¯m not looking like that. I won¡¯t. I refuse. I have a booty to maintain.¡± ¡°Sure do,¡± He said, giving her a nudge. It was at that moment he saw four gentlemen in black three piece suits enter the restaurant. ¡°Hm?¡± Audry tried to change the subject for all intents and purposes. ¡°Isn¡¯t it a little chilly today? I thought we were in summer?¡± ¡°You aren¡¯t sly,¡± Claire laughed as Andrew approached the table with a big grin. ¡°You see ¡®em?¡± Audry asked him. Andrew only nodded before taking a seat. It would not take long before Claire caught on. He eyed the lapel pins on the three men. The arrowhead sigil of the Op-4 on the right collar and a black widow on their left. Widowmakers had arrived. Professional and ruthless, the Widowmakers had tried taking Audry¡¯s life before. Another reason why Op-4 operations had to be ended. Audry shot Quinn a message to get the car ready at the front entrance. Andrew kept the conversation going about how he had found a wedding ring in the bathroom. The Widowmakers had been given the booth directly behind theirs. Audry knew the men would have no problem committing murder in cold blood. The public eye was of no relation to them. Audry¡¯s heart pumped like war drums. The relaxing atmosphere grew into an eerie space that he hoped was not conveyed onto his expression. The waitress approached them with the bill, Audry paid and tipped more than needed much to her delight, and the three made their leave as soon as possible. They hadn¡¯t even left the front door before Audry heard someone call his name. Not even his last name, but his first. The audacity, he thought. A lady¡¯s gasp, frantic running, and a head turn later, Audry looked as one of the suits opened fire at the entrance. He dove to the ground as a bullet cracked the air, shattering the glass doors behind him. Three other men opened fire just as Claire stopped them with her kinesis. A gesture of her hand and she clustered the bullets together, launching them at the first man. The sheer impact launched him into one of the tables, mahogany breaking beneath his body. The other two returned rounds, grabbing their fallen comrade. Audry caught a face full of the stone flooring after a bullet kicked up shards. In the blink of an eye the gunfire ceased and the room went silent. Audry felt dazed, rubbing the smooth of his fingers across his face. His eyes burned but he hadn¡¯t the slightest debris in them. Claire grunted, cursing at the Widowmakers who had taken their leave through one of the side doors. They looked around the entrance. The glass panels separating the lot and the interior were shattered. It looked like diamonds had been thrown onto the floor of the Custode Segreto. Andrew groaned on the floor, clutching his abdomen. ¡°Forge, help me.¡± ¡°Shit. Hold on Drew, hold the fuck on.¡± Audry clambered towards his friend, checking his body for injuries. ¡°The piece of shit shot me,¡± Andrew mumbled. ¡°Someone call EMS,¡± Audry yelled into the restaurant. A waiter peaked through the doorway, wide-eyed and shaken, ¡°I¡¯m on it.¡± Audry accessed Andrew¡¯s back for an exit wound. He looked to see that his hand was covered in a crimson coating. ¡°You¡¯ll be fine buddy,¡± he said. ¡°The wound¡¯s not that bad.¡± Andrew stared up to the veranda¡¯s ceiling. ¡°I see the light.¡± ¡°Stop kidding around Andrew.¡± ¡°It does hurt though. I can¡¯t lie,¡± he laughed, coughing and contracting into the fetal position. ¡°You¡¯re not acting like it. Now stop moving so I can keep pressure on it,¡± Audry ordered. ¡°I¡¯m tracking them right now,¡± Claire said, dropping to Andrew¡¯s side. Audry looked her in the eyes, giving her the nod of approval. She slipped out of the restaurant and Audry applied aid to Andrew with tablecloth and the first aid kit from the backspace of Segreto¡¯s. ¡°It¡¯s not much but it¡¯ll have to do. Don¡¯t tense up bud,¡± Audry said, his hands shaking. Andrew laid his head down, trying to relax. ¡°If I die, avenge me.¡± Audry thumped Andrew¡¯s forehead. ¡°Shut the hell up.¡±