Vain
It
was just another day for me, Bonum Geras, waking up, sticking a breakfast
sticker under my jaw, kissing a picture of my wife. We couldn’t live without
each other and that remained true until the day she died, I learnt to move on.
Every day I wish she was here but that drunkard had to swerve the wrong way at
the wrong time. I kiss her picture just to remind myself what she would want me
to do, to move on and I do every morning. I work in the most successful company
in the world, Magna which is located in the center of San Jose, California.
Magna made the breakfast sticker, an artificial body part for all body parts, a
perpetual motion machine, and the cure for any disease in one pill. I didn’t
know how they made these things, it was always the other division or a secret
project. Only this morning I realized that I didn’t know what I did in the
company, I could not recall a single project I worked on.
The
bus pulls in and I get on and sit next to my best friend and work buddy. I asked
him “so, Cadre, what do you do exactly at Magna?”
“Are you serious man, we have known each other for
almost two years and you don’t know what I do,” Cadre said almost spitting out
the words.
“Just refreshing my memory,” I replied defensively. “I
am getting old you know, if you count thirty-five as old.”
“I’m the chief of advertisement.” I could hear the
disappointment in his voice
“But what exactly have you done in the past week, can
you recall anything specific?” I farther asked.
Clearly disappointed in his best friend he replied,” I
advertised the company, but come to think of it I don’t really remember
anything specific, except advertising.”
“Same here, I don’t know what I did other than the actual
job programing for the network, I can’t even recall basic office routine,” I
sit in silence thinking and so does Cadre.
Something is horribly
wrong, how is it possible that I go to work every day and not remember what I
did a week or even the day before. Today I’ll photograph it all and look at the
pictures back home. I took out camera phone and started taking pictures of the
bus ride. Moments later the bus squeaked to a stop right in front of the Magna
building. I got out and stared at the building, even after two years this
building never ceases to amaze me. The sheer size of the building is phenomenal
in itself but the shining golden with fountains in the front and a height that
ranks with the tallest of buildings, above the clouds just seems like overkill
to me. Nevertheless it is a spectacular sight.
I walk into Magna up to
security, there I pass the security DNA test. To keep people safe and from
waiting the company installed a system in which the person brushes the back of
their hand against a rough surface, the skin cells left on the surface and then
instantly scanned for a DNA match with a company worker. The light turns green
signifying that I passed the security check and I walk into the elevator and
punched the floor fourteen button. In the elevator I met my boss Anton and
greet him politely.
“Say Anton, I can’t
remember what I have done at work, it’s like when I go home I have memory loss
and I’ve talked to other workers and even they are having the same problem.
Would it be okay if I take break to go to the hospital, get a checkup?”
“Sure” Anton replies
alarmed. He then takes out his phone almost immediately after replying and
starts dialing.
I enter the hospital’s
revolving doors and follow the signs plastered on the wall to a checkup room.
The silent room is empty except for a bed and a large computer interface. There
are no humans but myself in the room no bigger than a bathroom with space grey
walls. I fill out a payment form as instructed by the interface and lie down on
the bed. A loud whirring sound fills the room and bright lights shine upon my
face, I squint to control the light level. Seconds later the room is dead
silent again, I get up and a paper prints out of the computer. To my surprise
the paper says I’m perfectly fine cognitively, so I go back to work to repay for
the wasted hospital expenses.
I
return to Magna only to be denied security clearance, the light started
flashing red rapidly which meant this wasn’t a simple denial of security. Two
security guards come and grab my arms taking me somewhere else, I struggle and
flail wildly to break free. Once in a more isolated place one of the men holds
me back and the last thing I see is the other guard’s fist.
Bright
lights blind me as I open my eyes, the room is small with plain white walls and
a camera in the far corner. I see Cadre pleading for forgiveness. Confused I
ask Cadre, “what’s going on?”
“I’m sorry man, I really am” Cadre frantically
repeated again, his face covered in agitation.
“Why are you sorry, what happened?” I replied almost
yelling.
“Anton has given me instructions to interrogate you,
he said you are leaking the programming information to other companies for
money, the rest is classified.
I
tried telling him that I didn’t do this that I am being framed but that didn’t
stop him. Cadre began asking all sorts of questions about how and which
companies. I denied all the claims against me and did not answer a single
question because why should when I am innocent. Cadre took out a piece of paper
and scribbled something down making sure he came in between the camera and I,
showing it to me it read:
I know you’re innocent. I
heard Anton saying that you are to blame because you were questioning others
about memory.
He continued asking questions as if nothing happened
so continued answering assuming that the room was bugged. He began writing
again his hands drenched in sweat and shaking in fear. He showed it to me:
The
door is unlocked, hit me hard knocking me out and run. This is your only
chance.
I glace up and see his look of approval. I shove Cadre
as hard as I possibly can and bolt for the door, the world seems to blur around
me. I instantly recognize where I am, a room on the far corner of the ground
floor. I can see the street bathed in the light of the sunset, I must have been
in the interrogation room for hours waiting and stalling. I can also see the
main computer on the floor, the one connected to the main database with all the
info on the company. My hands start itching to get the information that might
put Anton in jail for a long time. I hear the alarms go off and I know I have
to make a decision. If my login details have been deleted I get caught for sure
but if they aren’t I can hack the program and find out everything, after all
I’m the one that programmed it.
I dash to the computer
and thank the gods my login worked. I start bypassing the network securities
and there everything I need to know pops up, but all I can think about is
getting the hell out of here. The alarms ring seemingly louder and louder, a
bead of sweat rolls the side of my face. I pull out the camera phone just as
security finds me. Pumped with adrenaline I hastily take pictures and sprint to
the exit, the sound of hurried footsteps closing on me. I keep running till I
notice that they are not stopping, they intend to catch me and they won’t stop
till they do. My legs burning I decided to give them the slip, but how? An
alley is in the distance and I know that this is my chance, looking back I make
sure a couple of people are between security and me. Diving into the alley I
stick to the walls making sure to be obscured by darkness. I try to take deep
breaths to calm down but it’s no use the adrenaline is bracing myself for the
possibility that the saw me dive, the possibility that it all ends here. A good
five minutes later and I know I’m good, I’m safe. The police is the only
option, I mean where else can I go? I make my way to the police station just as
the sun set and twilight filled the sky. I walked in and went to the counter.
“What can I help you with, sir?” the officer inquired
politely.
Taking out my phone I replied “I have hard evidence
that can…”
“Sir, you have evidence that can what” the officer
impatiently said.
“What am I doing here?” I wondered