by Mike Essex
“Thank you for talking with us Frazier. I’ll let you get cleaned up so you can meet the rest of the media outside,” said March.
“Thanks March,” said Frazier, “and thank you Ms Young. I hope you write a great article.”
I smiled at Frazier and felt guilty that there would be no article. I needn’t have worried. Every media outlet in the world was lined up outside to interview him and he would be the talk of the world for weeks. He would get fame and glory even if I was not the person to provide it.
“Ms Young, it’s time for you to meet with Tobias,” said March, dangling the carrot of answers in front of my face again.
I couldn’t resist it. As afraid as I was of meeting Tobias, I had already crossed the threshold into this building and so far it hadn’t given me the answers I sought. If anything it had raised more questions and had given me even more reason to wonder what had happened that night.
“Ok,” I replied.
“Excellent,” said March as he handed me a light blue sealed plastic folder. Inside here you’ll find everything you need to meet with him. It has the signed NDA inside, which means he’ll be able to answer any question you have. Within reason of course,” he laughed and I found myself doing the same. I felt March found the corporate politics of NDA’s as silly as I did but he was probably just doing his job.
“It is vital you keep the folder with you at all times. You’ll need to go to the 56th floor and Tobias will meet you there,” said March.
“Are you going with me?” I asked. March had made me feel safe so far. An unlikely ally in this big tower of science.
“I’ll walk you to the elevator and then it’s straight up to Tobias. Don’t worry, as long as you have that folder you’ll have everything you need.”
I picked up the folder and we walked briskly together to the elevator. Walking in heels made my feet hurt but I was thankful for the quick pace if it meant getting past the heat filled corridor in half the time.
“So how are things at the BBC?” asked March.
“They’re good; it’s difficult to cover every piece of key news in one day,” I lied.
“That’s true. Especially with Tobias’ attempted kidnapping.”
I looked at March unsure if this was some kind of test. He seemed serious so I nodded along, curious as to who would want to kidnap Tobias and whether I wasn’t the only one with a grudge against TethTech.
“It was awful really. The whole company was worried for him. Without Tobias I’m not entirely sure what we’d all do every day. He’s pretty much the reason we work so hard,” March seemed to have genuine feelings for the man.
As I boarded the elevator that thought gave me some sense of safety. If March liked Tobias then how scary could he be and yet if people wanted to kidnap him there was definitely something about him worth discovering.
As the pink elevator began to rise again March pointed to the folder I was holding as if the NDA was the most important piece of paper in the world. “Yes, I know. Keep the folder,” I replied.
My next stop would be Tobias Zen.
NINETEEN
Emmie Keyes
The elevator doors opened with a ‘ping’ sound. ‘Floor 56’. The top floor of TethTech and the office of Tobias Zen.
I stepped out of the elevator onto a walkway suspended in the air. The walkway itself was comprised of orange metal struts that zig-zagged in the same double helix pattern that I had seen on the side of the tower. Large grey metal poles went vertically upwards holding the walkway in place. It looked secure so I began to take tentative steps towards a pillar at the centre of the walkway.
As I walked forward I made the mistake of looking downwards and saw through the metal struts that the next floor was twenty feet or so below me. I wouldn’t survive a fall if it came to that. The elevator behind me began to whir into life and start to descend; there was only one way to go now.
I took off my heels and left them by the elevator door as they looked like they would easily get stuck in the struts. Walking bare foot made me feel exposed and the cold feeling of metal on my feet sent a shiver all over my body. It was a refreshing feeling after the intense heat of the previously tight corridors of the last floor.
As I arrived at the central pillar the walkways radiated around it in a circle and the floor changed to a white hard plastic coating. It gave my feet a moment to recover from the hard steel helixes and I felt the blood rush back into my feet as they recovered from the cold.
The central pillar reached my waist and then stopped rather than continuing to the top of the building. Whilst I rubbed one of my feet I could see that the central pillar was wide open at the top and through it I could see a long fall down to the bottom of the building.
Intriguingly there were several thin slits in the side of it, no wider than the size of a chocolate bar. Letting curiosity get the better of me I leant forward towards one of the holes and could see that the pillar itself was lined with mirrors that looked like they snaked down the entire tower. Each mirror showed a vision of a different room in the building and I worked my way around the different holes taking in glimpses of the world of TethTech.
What I saw amazed me. I saw rooms filled with plant life that sprawled across every surface, their vibrant colours of green, purple and red creating an intense burst of colour. One room was covered in plastic sheeting and contained a giant tank of water with dolphins in it who playfully splashed around. Another room was nothing but white space with a single pillar in the middle that gave off sparks of electricity. In one room I’m sure I saw a man walk through one wall and emerge through another on the opposite site of the room.
This was truly a house of science and it was fascinating.
Yet one of the rooms was one that filled me with horror. This room was filled with cells that contained animals, probably for testing. Cats, dogs, monkeys, rabbits and so much more all sat on the floors of their cells waiting for their next experiment. I felt sick. It was the first sign that there was more to TethTech than I had first thought.
Then in the last cell I saw a person lying on the floor. He was wearing an army uniform that had been torn. His hands were bound and his mouth gagged. I could see his face and his dark black hair and stubble but I’d never seen this man before. I thought about crying out to him but he seemed to be located at the base of the tower in the lowest level I could see. He’d never hear me and I wasn’t sure how I could reach him.
“Ms Young,” came a booming voice from right behind me. It startled me forwards and I felt my feet slip, sending me heading towards the pillar. The owner of the voice grabbed my jacket and pulled me backwards.
I regained my footing and turned to face the voice.
“Careful Ms Young. I wouldn’t want you to fall down there at least until we have had a little chat,” he said.
“Thank you,” I said not sure if falling down the pillar may have been a better option.
“I’m Tobias Zen. Thank you for coming today, we are always happy to hear from the BBC. This way please,” he motioned towards a path at the end of the walkway which branched off in three directions. I felt the tingle of cold as my bare feet stepped off the plastic and touched the orange steel again. We continued to walk forwards towards an ornate dark brown door marked “The Tea Boy.”
“That’s a little joke we have around here. I like to feel that each employee here is the boss and that I make the tea for everyone. I simply allow them to realise their dreams and they deliver amazing products. It’s key to the way we do things,” said Tobias, clearly the captain of an efficient ship.
“And then you watch them through the pillar?” I asked.
“It’s my little way of checking in on people. Frankly it’s more curiosity on my part, than wanting to control my employees. I like to see what world changing things they are making and the pillar lets me get a constant stream of activity in minutes. Did you like what you saw?”
“Yes,” I lied and then unable to contain my frustration I asked. “But why ar
e you experimenting on animals?”
He seemed taken aback by this question. I wasn’t sure if he was shocked by the question or the fact I had seen the basement room.
“Ah, yes. The bottom floor. We recently started a service where we allow employees to bring their animals to work. Some of our team are really attached to their pets and they don’t like to leave them alone for long hours whilst they are at work. So we let them bring them here. One of our trainers then walks them and looks after them during the day and employees can see them whenever they want.”
His reply was clever and calculated but it had to be a lie. Even if someone had a monkey for a pet, there’s no way a human would be a pet. The ‘haves’ had extravagant excesses but slavery was not one of them I hoped. There was something about the basement that I didn’t like and I vowed to find a way into there no matter what happened next.
I didn’t feel I could confront Tobias about it any further. He had all the power and this was his home. Talking about it wouldn’t change anything. I’d have to sneak into there later. For now we walked into his office as I took one look back at the pillar wondering what other secrets it held.
--<><>--
Grace Wilkerson
There were three things that Grace hated. Marshmallows, Tobias Zen and waiting. For the past thirty minutes she had watched a display on her phone that showed a blue dot that symbolised Emmie move around the TethTech building and she was starting to become concerned. The waiting was getting to her. So much so that she’d be prepared to eat a marshmallow served by Tobias Zen, if the waiting would stop.
Grace’s mobile showed Emmie’s small blue dot move vertically up the tower. Where is she going? wondered Grace.
She had sworn to protect Emmie and each moment she stood outside felt like she wasn’t fulfilling this oath. As she watched Emmie’s dot head towards the top of the building she couldn’t wait any longer.
If anything happens to Emmie and I’m just stood here waiting I won’t be able to forgive myself, she thought.
Grace walked around the central dome towards the back of the tower, hoping she could somehow sneak in via a grate. As she made her way out of the view of the crowds she heard a loud crash come from directly in front of her.
“Emmie!” she though as she dashed towards the source of the noise, entering a large transportation area filled with trucks and large gates that teased entry into the building.
The noise hadn’t come from Emmie but was one of the competition winners. Tom? thought Grace, remembering him from the earlier ceremony.
Tom was kicking crates that were stacked around the back of the building and shouting incoherently. “Bastards!” he shouted, as he started to remove boxes marked ‘Medical Waste, Do Not Touch’ from a large crate.
“Ok,” said Grace. “Put the box down crazy boy.”
“And who are you?” asked Tom. “Another of Tobias’ fanboys? Get out of here!” he held the box of medical waste over his head and threw it at Grace’s feet. Needles filled with mysterious chemicals and other people’s blood tumbled outwards, narrowly missing her.
“Woah. Calm down. I’m no fan of Tobias; I just want to help my friend,”
“I hate Tobias Zen. One day I will make him pay. He killed my Mum and Dad and I hate him,” Tom’s words suddenly intrigued Grace.
Grace was shocked. “How did he kill them?” she asked.
“They died on the last day of the 20 Day Siege. If he had been quicker creating a solution he could have saved them!”
“If you hate Tobias, I know someone you should talk to. Tell them Grace sent you,” she handed Tom a card that had a playing card back and a phone number on the front. “They’ll help you.”
Tom tossed the card on the ground. “Yeah, right. What are you, some sort of police officer? You’re gonna lock me up, as soon as I ring that number and say that I want to kill Tobias.”
“Look at the card again.”
Tom picked up the card and flipped it over. He saw the playing card back and when he turned around Grace took the Queen of Diamonds playing card from out of her top and showed it to him.
“You’re The Deck!” he said, as the reality sank in. The news reports had gone viral and it was well known that The Deck had tried to kidnap Tobias. “You do hate him as much as I do.”
“Exactly. Now are you going to help me get in the building or not?”
Tom looked back at the building and motioned to the perfect entry point. Grace dashed off and thanked Tom. “Call the number,” she said and she really hoped that he would. For his sake.
TWENTY
Tobias Zen
Tobias motioned to a plush chair, even fancier than the one I had sat on in first class on the train. His office was a giant room, with a curved glass top and wall that let him see the city skyline. From outside you could see the towers of the three richest families.
The room itself seemed like an extension of the lab I had seen downstairs and aside from a large mahogany desk, two seats and a glass cabinet that held drinks it seemed nothing like a typical office. The floor was a pristine white colour and hundreds of mathematical equations were written over it in an orange pen. It looked like the floor of a mad man and not a prestigious CEO.
In another corner there was a pile of hundreds of unboxed DualCam’s stacked in a pile with one of them projecting a still image of a beautiful lake and a forest covered in trees on to the wall.
“Please take a seat Ms Young,” said Tobias as he turned off the camera and I sat on a small wooden chair that seemed out of place with the rest of the room.
“Would you like a drink?” he asked. I refused, highly suspicious that he would be drugging me in some way. I really hoped my disguise was still working.
He sat down in his chair. It was slightly raised and angled towards me, giving the impression that he was higher up and looking down on me. This was amplified by the poor quality of my chair and the plushness of his. It felt like being in school again with a fearsome headmaster standing over me.
“You are very lucky. Ms Young. I’ve never invited a journalist into my office before.”
“Then why me?” I asked. “You have thousands of journalists outside but why did you choose me?”
“Serendipity. I believe that you should grab any chance life throws at you. Don’t you?”
“I guess.”
“Exactly!” he said, not really caring what I said. “When I saw that a journalist had won our competition I knew it was meant to be. We’ve always wanted to show a journalist what we do here and yet can’t afford to have everyone looking around at our secrets. Today you helped me break that privacy. You are a sign of things to come Jessica Young.”
“Thank you?” I said, phrased more like a question than a statement. I wasn’t entirely sure what to make of his words. “So exactly what is it you want to show me?”
“Actually I’d rather ask you. What did you think of our demonstration earlier?” he was clearly searching for compliments.
“Frankly, I was horrified. I thought you had killed that man.”
“Perfect, that’s exactly what I wanted people to think!” he exclaimed, clearly proud that I’d said exactly what he wanted me to say. “But, what about the technology? Can you see how it has the power to change the world?”
As much as I liked his technology, I’d already witnessed it do horrible things in the killing of Will. “It’s interesting… but doesn’t it promote the idea that our country should be at war? Isn’t peace more important?”
“Unfortunately, that’s not the way the world works,” said Tobias. “The world is broken and my technology will fix it. Our country is one of the richest in the world. It will be attacked and war is inevitable. I’m just trying to make the world better.”
“So you’re essentially waiting on a war before you can use the technology? Isn’t that pessimistic or downright sadistic?” I asked.
“It never hurts to be prepared. Showing off the technology now helps us get the
investment we need to make the world better later.”
“And yet, if we do go to war, won’t TethTech profit massively?” I could see I was getting to him. He’d probably had this discussion a thousand times and each time would be another burden on him. However it also meant he was an expert at dodging questions.
“That’s why we’re using the technology in other ways. For example if someone got a life threatening disease, their twin could take over their body and help them live until we find a cure,” he said.
It was both a fascinating and horrific thought. That someone could live even when they had been sentenced to death by illness. What kind of a life would that be? I thought to myself. Being paraded around like a puppet. It sounded horrible and yet you couldn’t argue with the desire to save lives.
“Of course the body could also be held at rest,” said Tobias as if reading my thoughts. “The healthy twin could link to the ill twin and put them in a state of sleep. Like a coma but without any detrimental effects to the body in the meantime. The healthy twin then lives their life whilst we find a cure.”
“And if a cure isn’t found in the twin’s lifetime?”
“Then sadly that’s where the science ends, at least for today. Who knows what we’ll be able to achieve in fifty, thirty, maybe even ten years. We’re just dipping our toes into the pool of possibilities. There’s so much we don’t yet understand about Tethers but we will. In fact what we showed today was only a small part of the real discovery we have made. There’s a lot more secrets to be revealed very soon.”
--<><>--
Rex T Jules
A tall muscular man stood in the corner of Emmie’s room as Rex tried to plan his next move. The man hadn’t seen him yet but he could clearly take Rex in a fight.
What worried Rex most of all, was the set of knives the man had attached to a leather belt around his waist. Some of them were definitely stained, with what, he did not want to know. Rex could also make out scarring on the side of the man’s face. This was no houseguest that much he was sure of.