Of Minds and Masters

by Paul Ormond

  The problem was the process was far too slow. She needed to find a way to accelerate the process. Although it was possible for the bacteria to consume electronic components, it would take millions of years for the process to have any impact on the environment. The major obstacle to any further development in her research had to do with the relative size of the microbes and the immense amount of trash that occupied the earth. Although she felt that she hadn’t made any substantial breakthrough, she published the findings in several journals.

  Her paper entitled “Microbes of the future” found an international audience almost immediately and her post about the microbes that devoured the microchip had received millions of likes. Headlines around the world read: “Girl in Korea creates miracle bacteria;” and “Whiz kid solves world trash problem;” and on and on. It was beyond overwhelming, but she couldn’t deny the fact that she had discovered something. It was difficult to say if the bacteria she had created could change the world or destroy it and she was terrified that her discovery, as promising as it was, wasn’t the miracle solution people were hoping for.

  This fear and apprehension wrestled in her gut as she listened to her mother speaking on the phone in the next room. Her mother was just finishing up a call with SoHee’s newly hired agent. Her mother was good at handling some things, but at this point they were being overwhelmed by the attention. They needed to hire outside help. Her mother said goodbye to the agent and hung up the phone. SoHee stood motionless in the living room.

  “I just spoke with your agent and we have a full slate of interviews scheduled for tomorrow. We’re also setting up everything now for our trip to America. Isn’t it all so exciting?” her Mother asked. SoHee didn’t say anything. It was moments like this that caused her to seize up.

  “Oh Sohee, what’s the matter?” Her mother asked.

  “I don’t want to go,” She said through clenched teeth.

  “Don’t be ridiculous,” her mother said. “Just think about how good this will look on your university application.”

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  When Mitch returned to the computer lab in the afternoon, Drak wasn’t there. The last few hours had passed by feverishly fast. He got to history class a couple minutes late, but Mr. Horowitz decided to only give Mitch a look rather than report him to Mr. O’Hare. Considering the general state of affairs, Mitch could be granted a little bit of leeway. Everybody wanted to talk about what had happened to him and what he could expect at the tech convention. The students and teachers were all incredibly excited that MindHIve was coming to Kingsford. He tried to smile while everybody poured attention upon him but he knew that there was a more sinister motive underlying MindHIve’s decision. Whether or not Drak was telling the truth of his origins, the massive corporation had certainly caught wind of the strange young man’s whereabouts and Mitch knew that he was inescapably caught up in this web of mystery and deception.

  His current predicament was made more complicated by the impact everything was having on his social life. He had passed Sage in the hall and his former friend had glared at him as he passed by. Sage didn’t dare say anything. He knew that he needed to continue playing the victim if he wanted to stay off the hook with the hockey team. Sage wanted Mitch to be humiliated at the meeting that evening. If he acted the part of the aggressor again, he would be exposed. Mitch, for his part, had no intention to draw any more attention to the situation. He planned to humbly apologize to the team and get the whole thing over with. There were far more important things for Mitch to worry about than making an insincere apology. As he was lost in thought, Mr. O’Hare popped his head in the door.

  “You working hard or hardly working, Mitch?” Mr. O’hare chuckled.

  “Working hard, sir,” Mitch said while forcing himself to smile.

  “You hang in there, Mr. Mythic. Things are looking up for you. Once you change your attitude, that changes everything,” Mr. O’Hare continued. “Drak isn’t here? That’s strange. If you see him, let him know that I need him to look at the computer in my office. Some Chinese website keeps popping up on my desktop and I can’t get rid of it,” he said as he shut the door.

  “Will do, sir,” Mitch said as Mr. O’Hare left the room.

  Where was Drak, he wondered to himself. Mitch got up from his chair and walked to the back of the lab. He opened the door and peered out into the hallway. The fluorescent overhead lights flicked sporadically, but the hallway was vacant. He went down the forlorn looking stairwell and tried the door. It was locked shut. He tried it again but no luck. He pounded on the door a couple of times to see if Drak was holed up inside but after a few moments there was no response. He shrugged and returned to the computer lab. It was only 3:30. He had another 90 minutes to kill before Mr. O’Hare released him.

  He sat down in the chair again and picked up his phone. There was a text message from his mom. “Be at the arena at 7:00 pm sharp. We won’t be home. We’re making some arrangements for the meeting. Congratulations! We’re so proud of you,” it read.

  He half-laughed and half-sighed to himself. “This is going to be a strange meeting,” he said aloud. He knew his mother was busily arranging chairs and tables in the large meeting room that sat beyond the bleachers of the arena. They were probably ordering pizza and pop. There would be an old aluminum coffee maker that would be making awful coffee. Mitch realized then that he hadn’t eaten all day. His stomach began to growl mercilessly. He found his lunch in his bag and wolfed it down without hesitation.

  As he chomped into his apple, he realized that this was the first time that he been alone the entire day. He threw his apple core into the trashcan and stood in the center of the room. He raised his arms over his head and stretched toward the ceiling. He brought his hands down and interlocked his fingers over the back of his head. He could hear the whirring of the computer fans. Outside, the soccer team was practicing on the field. He could hear feet kicking balls and the coach blowing into his whistle. He couldn’t believe how simple his life had been before all of this had happened and he couldn’t think of any way to make his life go back to normal. The whole town was making a huge fuss out of the tech convention and if he refused to go he would be letting everybody down. But after seeing what Drak was capable of and hearing the story he told, Mitch knew that he was entering into a dangerous world with implications that went far beyond Kingsford. He was caught in such a difficult position. If he told Drak to get lost, there was no knowing what he would do next. He might go and blow the whole thing sky high. If he called the cops, he would be fully exposed and he would have to explain to them what Drak had told him. They would probably think he was nuts and lock him up instead. He had no choice but to keep his mouth shut and ride it out.

  “Everything’s going to be okay,” he said out loud, knowing full well that it wasn’t true. If MindHIve was on to Drak, they had figured out who Mitch was and they were, most likely, profiling him as he sat alone in the computer room. The only thing he could do was convince Drak to call the whole thing off and get out of town while he still could. But if Mitch did that, they would think it was him who was the perpetrator. He sighed and sat down in the chair. The entire situation was hopeless. He knew there was no escape. Why had all of this happened to him, he wondered. What kind of cruel god was playing tricks on him? Or was it some kind of karma thing? Had he done something in another life to deserve this strange fate? He sat there grappling with his thoughts and emotions while watching the time tick by until he was released. He was too terrified to go online. He knew that his account was continuing to blow up. It had probably been on fire since he was mentioned during the news conference that morning. He was living every single kid’s internet dream of going viral, but the dream was rapidly turning into a nightmare and Mitch didn’t know if he could wake himself up.

  Mr. O’Hare popped his head in the door again. “Hey Mitch, it’s been a pretty crazy day. You can take off early. I know you’ve got that meeting tonight,” he said.

  “T
hank you, sir,” Mitch said while he reached for his backpack. It was already 4:45. It’s not like he was really letting him go early. But Mitch didn’t complain. He wanted to get out of there fast. He needed some fresh air to clear his head.

  It was a beautiful spring evening in Kingsford. Mitch walked at a brisk pace. He wanted to get home without being noticed but his new found fame was difficult to escape. People honked their horns as they drove by and recognized him. Kingsford wasn’t a super small town but it was small enough that everybody kind of knew each other. Prior to the current state of affairs, Mitch had enjoyed semi-celebrity status because of his role on the hockey team. But in the few hours that had passed since the MindHIve announcement, he had become a full blown celebrity. He waved as politely as he could, but he couldn’t help but shake his head. His new found fame was going to take some getting used to, if it lasted that long. It was hard enough being the laughing stock of town, but now they had made him a hero for it. He couldn’t imagine what would happen if they found out the truth. Mitch wasn’t so sure of the truth himself, but he knew whatever it was it wasn’t going to be good.

  He arrived home with enough time to have a shower and get changed. At team meetings players were required to wear a tie and Mitch always kept one pre-tied hanging in closet. He wasn’t very good at tying them so it was easier to keep one at the ready rather than battle with it every time he needed to wear it. He didn’t have much time to get to the arena. It wasn’t that far away but it was a pretty long walk, so he decided to take his bike. He rolled through his neighborhood and the giddiness of the community was evident everywhere. Restaurants and shops had begun placing signs in their windows. “Welcome MindHIve,” was seen everywhere. Clearly everyone thought that this would be a giant blessing for the community.

  Mitch arrived at the Arena before 7pm. He recognized most of the vehicles in the parking lot. Near the front of the lot was his mother’s minivan and his father’s pickup truck. Both vehicles were emblazoned with the “Mythic Sports” logo. He wondered why nobody had bothered to give him a ride. He was only the most famous person in town. He locked his bike outside and made his way into the arena.

  He had always loved the smell of the rink, fresh ice and old sweat. It reminded him of the joy that hockey had brought him. Some of the greatest moments in his life occurred inside those walls, but it was also the beginning of his current predicament. He took a big breath as he made his way up the stairs and past the bleachers. The glow of the ice lit up the entire building. Before games, Mitch would look out on the ice and prepare himself for the game. The open ice was like a page that was yet to be written. All he had to do was skate out there and make it happen.

  The double doors to the meeting room were wide open. It looked like everything had already started. His father stood at the podium and was speaking to the crowd. He looked at Mitch as he slid into a seat near the back while he greeted everyone that had come out.

  “Good to see that everyone could come down on such short notice. Considering everything that has happened in the last 24 hours, I think it’s important that we get together as a team and see where everything stands,” Mike Mythic said as everybody took their seats. Mitch could see his the back of his mother’s head. She was sitting in the front row with Toby, his little brother. She turned back and spotted Mitch. She gestured for him to come up with her. He began to get out of his seat and join her, but his father started to speak again.

  “Now we all know what has happened in the last little while and I think it’s time that we put the past behind us and start thinking about the future. There is a young man here that has been through a lot and he has said that he would like to come up here and say a few words. Mitch, do you wanna come up here now?” His father asked.

  Mitch hesitated for a second and then got out of his seat. The entire room hushed as he walked by. Everyone was looking directly at him as he made his way to the podium. Mitch hadn’t prepared anything to say. He was just going to get up there and blurt out that he was sorry and that he hoped that would be enough. His father patted him on the shoulder as he stepped aside and let Mitch take the podium. He stood before the crowd of people that he knew so well. The faces of his teammates and their families looked back at him. Sage sat near the back and he looked at Mitch defiantly. Mitch refused to make eye contact with him. He took a big breath and began to speak.

  “I know that I let everybody here down. I made a big mistake and I let my emotions get the better of me. I just want to say to everybody that I’m sorry for what happened and it won’t happen again,” he said as he gripped the edge of the podium. His heart was beating in his chest. He could feel the tension in the room.

  “Sage, I’m sorry I hit you. It was wrong for me to do what I did. Please forgive me,” He said through clenched teeth. “In my heart, I want what’s best for the team. Playing hockey with you guys is amazing. I love representing my town and I want people to know that I am a team player. So, once again, I’m sorry,” he said. People slowly began to clap and then everybody stood and cheered. His mother got out of her chair and gave him a big hug.

  “I knew you could do it, Mitch,” she said through teary eyes. From the back of the room, a loud voice came through. It was Gord Curtis, Greg’s father.

  “Let’s see you put that fighting spirit of yours to work for next season Mitch. But we all want some of those new gadgets from MindHIve. Why don’t you get us all a team set while you’re at the tech party?” he bellowed and everybody laughed.

  “I’ll see what I can do,” Mitch said as he sat down next to his mother. Mike Mythic got back on the podium and started to speak.

  “We’re all real proud of you, Mitch. What you just did was really brave. It takes a lot of guts to come out and own your mistakes. That’s the mark of a leader,” He paused and everybody clapped.

  “It seems like things are going to be real interesting for you in the next while. You’ve been given a great honor. It’s amazing what you’ve gone and done with your situation. You’ve managed to take a terrible situation and turn it into something positive. Now I don’t know a lot about MindHIve and all this internet stuff, but I know that it’s a great opportunity for you and it looks like it’s going to be a great opportunity for our town,”

  He paused and everybody clapped again. Mike Mythic loved speaking in front of people. Any chance to be in the spotlight he took. It reminded him of his playing days doing press conferences. He loved it when all eyes were on him.

  “We’d like to take this opportunity to further congratulate you, Mitch. I hope you don’t mind, but we had a cake made up at the Kingsford supermarket in your honor. Mike grabbed a large cake that was sitting on a table and held it up for everybody to see. “Congratulations Mitch,” was written at the top of the large rectangular cake. A very creative baker had drawn the exact image of Mitch being catapulted over the net onto the cake. At the bottom was written #epiccrotchshot. Everybody in the room laughed out loud. Mitch laughed along with them. He wanted to strangle his father, but he had no choice but pretend that everything was ok. His mother squeezed his arm.

  “Now, who wants some cake?” His father said and everybody laughed again.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  After everybody ate the #epiccrotchshot cake, there were plenty of people that wanted to speak with Mitch and congratulate him on his invite to the tech convention. There was so much excitement about the upcoming MindHIve event and about what was in store for the community. Mitch’s uneasy feelings hung about the back of his mind as he tried to smile his way through every conversation with different parents and team supporters. The local media had caught wind of the meeting and they lingered outside hoping to catch Mitch for an interview. When he was finally able to leave the meeting, he was thronged by a contingent of reporters who were eager to catch a sound bite. Mitch sighed and forced another fake smile. He had stood in front of a camera before. During the hockey season, he was often interviewed by sports reporters. He had enjoyed it back then
under different circumstances. As these reporters pressed him about his feelings, he found it difficult to hold it together.

  “Were you surprised that MindHIve selected you to attend the convention?” one reporter asked.

  “Of course I was surprised,” he said. “Who wouldn’t be?” he managed to say through gritted teeth.

  “How does it feel to be the subject of a viral video?” another reporter asked.

  “It’s a little overwhelming,” Mitch said, trying his best to seem amicable in spite of the situation.

  “Why do you think MindHIve picked Kingsford over any other town?” a different reporter chimed in.

  “Well, that’s a pretty good question,” Mitch said. An image of Drak floating in the storage room flashed through his mind. “It’s like that CEO guy said, I guess. We’re a small town with a big heart. We’re just lucky to be picked.” The anxiety brewed in his gut while he spoke. The reporters continued to grill him and he did his best to answer their questions. He was relieved when his father stepped in to take some of the heat off of him.

  “Why don’t you leave this kid alone? He’s had a long day,” Mike Mythic said while grinning for the camera. He had his arm around Mitch and he posed like he had just won an award.

  “Mr. Mythic, do you think it’s a blessing or a burden that MindHIve will take over this town for an entire week next month?” a reporter asked.

  “Well, I support any opportunity to promote Kingsford. If one of the biggest companies in the world wants to come to our town, then I would definitely say that we’ve been blessed. I’m certain that our community will not be the same when this is all said and done. I’m excited for the convention and I’m proud of my son for being invited to attend. Now if you’ll excuse us, we’re all a little tired after an eventful day,” Mike Mythic said, sounding like a seasoned TV personality.