Chasing a Familiar Shadow

by Aman Gupta

  “Olivia?” said Jay.

  She kept walking.

  “I’m going away,” said Jay. “Forever.”

  “Going away? Where? Why?” said Olivia.

  “I’m not. See, you still care,” smiled Jay as the elevator closed.

  “Jerk,” said Olivia. She saw the elevator stopped on the 80th floor, realizing that Jay now worked out of Gary Odine’s office.

  She was smiling when she entered Lab 7. She saw someone sitting in her office at the end of the lab. She entered her office after tying her hair and putting on her lab coat.

  “Excuse me, can I help you?” asked Olivia.

  The person got up from the chair and turned around.

  “Yes, you can,” said Anthony Arnold.

  “Sorry, sir, I didn’t expect you to be here,” said Olivia. “Pleasure to meet you.”

  “Likewise,” said Anthony.

  “Is something wrong?” asked Olivia. “Am I being fired?”

  “No. Rather, I was reading the progress report you submitted to Dr. Rachel Trimer. Impressive work,” said Anthony.

  “Yeah, it is preliminary work in a controlled environment. We still haven’t been able to reproduce it in a habitable environment,” said Olivia. “I need access to a high quantity of Aglum, Oskium, and Aslaidian, but they’re locked in custody. Dr. Trimer won’t release them.”

  “It takes two tons of Drodian rock to extract a kilogram of each of them. As you know, we have a limited supply left,” said Anthony.

  “Drodian is useless. All it did was kill a few sharks, and cause a small tsunami. Our work...My work is giving it some value,” said Olivia.

  “I’m aware. I would like to take the research from here, if you don’t mind,” said Anthony.

  “Sir, with due respect, I would like to complete it myself. I have worked so hard for it for the last 12 months,” said Olivia.

  “I think you misunderstood. When I mean take it from here, I mean take over the department from Dr. Trimer. You would be handling it, of course,” said Anthony.

  “I’m afraid I don’t understand,” said Olivia.

  “You just got promoted by several ranks,” said Anthony.

  Olivia smiled. She was ecstatic, but reigned in her emotions.

  “Congratulations,” said Anthony. “Pick a number. 74 or 75?”

  “75,” said Olivia.

  “Your new office and a private lab await you. Someone would be here to escort you shortly,” said Anthony.

  He got up, shook hands with Olivia, and started to leave before stopping at the door. “You forgot about Weflium, by the way.”

  “I don’t care what the report says, but there’s no way Weflium liquid originated from Drodian rock,” said Olivia. “It’s like finding blood in a stone.”

  “If anyone asks why you got a promotion, tell them what you just told me,” smirked Anthony, and left.

  She saw him walk out of the lab. She immediately picked her phone and dialed Jay’s phone number. She thought of hitting the dial button but decided against it.

  Half an hour later, she was escorted to her new office on the 75th floor.

  Chapter 10: Grief

  After getting out of the elevator, Jay sat in his office on the 80th floor, working on his laptop. He was preparing an action plan for the updates and protocols that he needed to implement in Josh’s brain. He was cautious of implementing Phase 2 as it would act as the stepping stone for Phase 3 and 4 which were going to define Josh’s future and the world’s. An hour later, he went to meet Josh.

  “Josh?” said Jay.

  The hologram turned on.

  “Hi, Jay,” said Josh.

  “Nice trick with the phone,” said Jay.

  “Something told me you cared about her,” said Josh.

  “Something did?” asked Jay.

  “Yeah, while I was analyzing the archives. You and her have always been in close proximity whenever you’ve been in the town, and sometimes, even in the building,” said Josh.

  “But how did you conclude that I cared about her?” asked Jay.

  “I don’t know. I just did,” said Josh. “Do you not?”

  “I do,” said Jay.

  “Do people not always care about each other?” asked Josh.

  “No,” said Jay.

  “That would explain the destruction outside these walls where I live,” said Josh.

  “Yes, it does,” said Jay, sitting in front of the primary console.

  “Maybe if I could get out of these walls, I could show them the right way,” said Josh.

  Jay turned around and looked at the hologram. It was looking at the monitors across the room.

  “If I didn’t know any better, I think you’re about to cry,” said Jay.

  “I was reading on the internet and had conflicting accounts about crying. Some say those who cry are weak, while others say crying shows courage. Both sides make good arguments with historical proof. I don’t know what to think,” said Josh.

  “That…is our next phase,” said Jay.

  “Next phase?” asked Josh.

  “Yes. Finding the objective truth that helps you come to a reasonable conclusion,” said Jay.

  “Do you need me to shut down while you can apply the patch?” asked Josh.

  “No. For this, I need you to stay active. Remember, don’t start processing everything. Wait for my instructions, okay?” said Jay.

  “Okay, friend,” said Josh, and winked.

  “Where did you learn that?” asked Jay.

  “Your wife winked at you in the morning today,” said Josh. “It’s a sign of trust.”

  “My wife?” said Jay.

  “Yeah. Sarah Daulton. Heir to Verati as per the documents registered in the system,” said Josh.

  “How did you know? Just because we live in the same building?” asked Jay.

  “No, I checked the records,” said Josh.

  “No, there aren’t any. I made sure of that. There are no online records of our marriage,” said Jay.

  “Not on the file. But several old footages. There is a footage of you buying a wedding ring, and her buying one too a few days later. The ring that she bought is the same one you’re wearing. And she is wearing the one you bought. Might I point out that you both are wearing them incorrectly? The internet suggests you wear them in the 2nd finger, next to the smallest finger in your left hand,” said Josh.

  Jay was slightly shocked.

  “Where did you learn to…connect the dots?” asked Jay.

  “The internet. I couldn’t resist. I upgraded my old software patches for facial recognition and pattern matching. I read millions of novels by thousands of acclaimed writers and also research papers written by behavioral scientists employed by a certain organization called FBI?” said Josh.

  “You hacked into the FBI?” asked Jay.

  “I taught myself how to utilize the vulnerabilities in any system. The internet is a wonderful place. Especially the dark one,” said Josh.

  “Josh, I like how you’re responding to everything...but...” said Jay.

  “But what?” asked Josh.

  “Maybe, it’s time to take it back a notch. There are some things that I need to teach you if you’re to...” said Jay.

  “Serve my purpose?” asked Josh.

  “Yes,” said Jay.

  “What is my purpose? They say every human has a purpose in life that their spirit or God gives them, and they realize it later. But I haven’t realized it, and you’re my God. What’s my purpose, Jay?” asked Josh.

  Jay didn’t know how to answer it. Even Jay didn’t know the purpose of Josh. He knew Victor wanted Josh for something. Before that, he had to teach Josh a lot of things.

  “When the time comes, you’ll realize it. You’re too young right now,” said Jay.

  “I suppose I am,” said Josh. “So shall we start with phase 2?”

  “Yes,” said Jay.

  Jay spent the rest of the day reviewing the old software patches
that Josh had downloaded. He took it as a positive sign when he saw that Josh had only downloaded the digital factory blueprints of the technology without any custom patches applied by Gary Odine on the earlier version of Josh.

  He created a new module called ‘Behavioral Technology’ and wrote over ten thousand lines of code, before calling it a day.

  “That’s it for today. It’s not ready yet for our first test, so don’t run it, okay?” asked Jay.

  “Okay,” said Josh. “What should I do tonight?”

  “My advice – take it easy,” said Jay.

  “Okay. I’ll just be on standby,” said Josh.

  “You know I’m only doing it for you, right? I don’t want to take a wrong step either by your hands or mine,” said Jay.

  “Yes, I understand,” said Josh.

  “See you tomorrow,” said Jay.

  “Bye,” said Josh.

  Jay returned to his office. It was 7 PM. He checked his phone and saw he had several missed calls from Sarah, and a text message asking if he would be coming home today.

  “Hey, sorry, I didn’t check the phone. I will be home soon,” he dropped a voice message when his call didn’t go through.

  He forgot to press the ‘Let Through’ icon on the digital screen after scanning his access card inside the elevator. The elevator stopped at 75th floor, which surprised him, and he realized his mistake. The door opened, and Olivia was on the other side.

  She entered without saying a word. He didn’t say anything either. He didn’t consider himself at fault, though he realized their breakup was more intense than he believed. They would catch each other looking at the other person through the corner of their eyes. They got off the elevator on the 5th floor and headed to the parking lot. Olivia’s car was parked on the other side, and she departed for her car, while Jay left for his.

  After a minute, he heard some footsteps. He turned around to see if anyone was following him, but couldn’t see anyone. He hurtled towards his car. The footsteps grew louder. He caught a glimpse of someone following him through the mirror of one of the cars, but when he turned around, he couldn’t see anyone. The pillars placed every few meters apart, and parked cars didn’t help him either. He kept walking. But he didn’t hear the footsteps anymore. He cursed himself for feeling paranoid and losing his mind. He got in his car and sped away.

  Josh didn’t try to contact Jay this time when Jay was parking his car in the basement of his building. Sarah, Jay and Katie planned a getaway for the coming weekend while having their dinner.

  The next day, Jay saw a new convertible parked in his unofficial parking spot when he arrived at Verati. He parked his car in a nearby vacant spot opposite the convertible. He hadn’t had breakfast, so he went to the cafeteria.

  Sitting alone in the corner, Jay was minding his own business when someone tripped on Jay’s bag next to his chair.

  The guy was furious and confronted Jay, throwing his plate and turning over the table.

  “What just happened?” said Jay.

  “You’re about to get your ass kicked. That’s what’s about to happen,” said the guy. Couple of others joined him.

  “I didn’t ask what’s about to happen. I asked what just happened,” said Jay.

  “I threw away your food. That’s what happened,” said the guy.

  “See, was that so difficult the first time?” said Jay.

  “I’ll beat you to hell. Then get you fired,” said the guy.

  “You’re cute. Do you model for fashion brands when you aren’t making a fool of yourself?” said Jay, mocking him.

  “They just hire retards nowadays, don’t they?” said the guy, laughing with his friends.

  “Remember the face,” said Jay.

  “What?” said the guy.

  “Remember my face,” said Jay.

  “Oh, I’ll never forget it,” said the guy.

  “True,” said Jay, getting up.

  A worker on the floor had already alerted the security, who came a few seconds later.

  “What’s going on here?” asked the security guard to the crowd.

  “See this,” said the guy to his friend.

  The guy walked over to the security guard and said, “That guy over there is creating a nuisance. Book him.”

  The guard looked at Jay and came over. The guy came with him and put his hands on Jay’s shoulder.

  “Go ahead. Tell him what really happened,” said the guy.

  “Sir, is this guy bothering you?” asked the guard.

  “Yes, he is,” said the guy.

  “I wasn’t talking to you,” said the guard.

  “No, he’s alright,” said Jay.

  “No, I want him booked,” said the guy.

  “You know the procedure. His supervisor must attest to it,” said the guard.

  “Okay, take me to his supervisor,” said the guy.

  “Are you sure?” asked the guard.

  “I’m the Vice President of Human Resources. Yes, I’m sure. I demand his supervisor to come here,” said the guy. “I want to meet the loser who has this loser working for him.”

  Jay just smiled.

  The security guard radioed another guard, who came over. He asked the crowd to disappear and evacuate the floor.

  “What is happening?” asked the guy.

  “Today’s your lucky day,” said Jay. “You’re about to meet my boss.”

  Jay removed the guy’s hand from his shoulder and sat on the chair.

  “He will be right here,” said the guard.

  The guy laughed with his friends as they bumped fists. Jay looked like easy prey, a story worth bragging about in the Verati internal diaries.

  “I’m about to take their asses,” he joked with his pals.

  A couple of minutes later, Victor Daulton got off the elevator.

  “Here he comes,” said the guy, before he looked at Victor Daulton.

  His face went pale when Victor entered his line of sight.

  “Ah..my boss is here,” said Jay.

  “What is happening?” asked the guy.

  Jay came closer and whispered, “You and your couple of friends just called Victor Daulton a loser. What do you think is about to happen?”

  “No, wait. I didn’t know he reported directly to Mr. Daulton,” said the guy to the guard.

  “Hi, Jay,” said Victor.

  “Hi, Mr. Daulton,” said Jay.

  “You can call me Victor. I’ve told you before. We’re friends,” said Victor.

  “We are?” said Jay, turning around to look at the guy’s expressions. He was flabbergasted.

  “And who are you?” asked Victor.

  “I…I…I’m Aaron Blunt. I work in HR. I’m the Vice President,” said the guy.

  “Remind me, Aaron. How many VPs do we have in our conglomerate?” said Victor.

  “Around 200,” said Aaron.

  “And how many of them dare to summon me?” asked Victor, rolling his coat cuffs for effect.

  Aaron gulped. One of his friends fainted on the floor.

  “I...I..,” said Aaron.

  “I would need a number,” said Victor.

  The guard tried to wake up the guy who had fainted.

  “Leave him be. If the world’s any kinder, he better die before he wakes up,” said Victor.

  The other friend was sweating profusely.

  “While Aaron is thinking of the number, why don’t you introduce yourself before you pick up the mop to wipe the sweat off my floor,” said Victor.

  “I...I…I’m Billy. I’m an intern,” said Billy.

  “And your dead friend?” asked Victor.

  “He is Justin. He works in Accounts,” said Billy.

  “What a wonderful story for me to have for my next meeting with the President of this country. A VP, an account and an intern summoned me in my own building in my city,” said Victor.

  Jay was just enjoying the view.

  “Zero,” said Aaron. “The number.”

  �
��Wrong,” said Jay.

  “How?” asked Victor.

  “Technically, he has already summoned you. So the answer has to be at least 1,” said Jay.

  “Yeah, that sounds about right,” said Victor.

  “I..I..,” said Aaron.

  “Get me his file, would you?” said Victor to the guard.

  “I can get it to you,” said Aaron.

  “Not that file,” said Victor. “Mine’s a bit more personal.”

  The guard came back a minute later, with a file in his hand.

  “So, let’s see. Aaron Blunt. Divorced dad. Left his wife after hooking up with his secretary. Currently browses child pornography in his free time. How do you pronounce your drug dealer’s name? Is that Wiley or Willy?” said Victor.

  “I...I..,” said Aaron.

  Victor came up to Aaron’s face, looking down at him with his fierce eyes. Aaron had probably run out of spit with all that gulping, Jay thought.

  “Do I look like the kind of guy that likes to be summoned?” asked Victor.

  Aaron shook his head.

  “You see that pillar behind you? Go ahead and smash your head on it. If it bleeds, I won’t report you for child pornography. If it doesn’t, well..,” said Victor.

  “I’m sorry,” said Aaron.

  “I don’t care. Jay, count to 10, would you?” said Victor.

  “Okay. 1...2...3...4,” said Jay, in less than a second.

  Aaron ran towards the pillar and smashed his head as hard as he could.

  “He’s not bleeding,” said Victor.

  Aaron’s head was spinning, and he fell on the floor.

  “Call the cops,” said Victor to the guard.

  Victor looked at Billy.

  Billy ran to the pillar and smashed his head.

  “I was actually going to ask him to take his friends to the medic,” said Victor.

  Jay smiled.

  “Let’s go,” said Victor as he stepped on the ankle of Justin. Jay could feel the ankle being crushed.

  Jay walked with Victor. They went to Victor’s office, where Victor poured him a drink.

  “I don’t drink,” said Jay, after sitting on the chair.

  “I know. I got a pink file for you too,” said Victor.

  “What does it say?” asked Jay.

  “Just that,” said Victor. “And you live in the same building as my daughter.”