Chapter 1: Interview
"ALEX, pick up the phone" My answering machine blared as I lay in bed, snoring ever so slightly.
"Alex, it's your cousin" Max's voice rang out as I fell out of bed onto the dirty floor. I slowly sauntered over to the phone, brushing past the desk with all of the job applications.
"Hello" my tired voice answered as I cleared my throat.
"It's Max, your cousin"
"Yeah, I know who you are" I chuckled as I scratched my head, "What's up?"
"Well, your mom called me" he said sighing.
"Okay, goodbye Max" I started to put the phone down.
"WAIT, Alex?"
"As much as I appreciate you calling from your corner office to check on the cousin your family doesn't know you have, I would also appreciate if you would leave me alone." I yelled into the phone.
"Come on Alex, don't give me that." He said "Look, I spoke your mom, she said you'd been having trouble landing a job after your tour."
"Nope" I said as I grabbed one of the job applications, MacDonald's. "I'm doing just fine here actually."
"Really, your finding a lot of contentment from working a job in the fast food industry." He was good, I'd give him that. I set down the paper.
"I'm on a hunt okay, I'm about to come into something." I sat down in the chair.
"I spoke to my boss too" Max said as he did something that sounded like he was opening a drawer. "He wants to meet you."
"Max, I'm a former soldier without a college degree, I'm not exactly qualified for work at a huge pharmaceutical company."
"Look Alex" Max said "Pharmaceuticals is the main division of the company for sure, but we have so many different branches, Archeology, Astronomy, Entertainment, R and D."
"All of which I know nothing about."
"Yes, but there is a division where you could be of use"
"And where would that be?" I sat back into my chair.
"Abstergo hires plenty of people for security, private and corporate. Huge investors hire Abstergo agents as bodyguards. The head of a huge project has been asking for a professional to guard him."
"Why would a scientist need a bodyguard?" I asked.
"Who knows, who cares. The point is they want you." Max said "I talked to the head myself and assured him that you were the best for the job."
"I don't know" I rolled back and forth in my chair
"What other choice do you have?" Max asked "Look, the interview is in town at the Philadelphia office. I'll drive you there myself."
"I guess" I said, knowing that I had no other options.
"I'll pick you up at seven thirty tomorrow." Max said reassuringly, "And wear a suit"
Seven thirty tomorrow came faster than I had thought. I stood outside my building with my resume in hand. The light manila folder that held the single paper. I didn't have very much to put in the large page besides my military career. I felt uncomfortable in my old black suit. The red tie felt very restrictive on my neck, and the crisp white shirt seemed odd and misplaced no matter where it was tucked.
Max pulled up in his Mercedes, a sleek black car that was as ostentatious as it's owner. My cousin was dressed in a white business suit with a black shirt along with a thin white tie. "Alex? That you?"
"Yeah" I said as I pulled the door of the Mercedes open, placing myself down in its fine leather seat.
"God, you look great, the army really kept you in shape huh?" he punched me lightly on the shoulder
"I suppose so" I said as he pulled left at the corner. "Do you have any idea what this job pays?"
"No idea, but you defiantly won't be roughing it from now on."
Max was a lead scientist in the Pharmaceutical department of Abstergo Industries. His job mostly entailed of telling other people to pour things into beakers, yet he still pulled out a $150,000 salary. He turned right at an intersection and we were confronted with a view of Abstergo's Philadelphia office. It was a large glass building, with huge reflective windows blocking the public's view from the inner secrets of the world's largest Pharmaceutical Company. The company's name was set in the top of the wall, shining light out into the rest of the square. Max pulled into the underground parking garage, and we got out of his car.
"Into the elevator." He said, directing me to the steel doors.
We walked into the main lobby and already I felt lost, even with Max with me. People were bustling about on their own business. Several people entering information into tablets or smartphones. Security guards walked the halls looking for any kind of disturbance. The front desk was occupied by a secretary, feverishly typing away at her laptop.
"Hello Stacy" Max addressed her as he shuffled past with me in tow.
"Hello Dr. Riley." She smiled as she looked up at us, then back down to her typing, fixated on her computer.
"Is it like this every day?" I asked as I struggled to keep up with all of the commotion around me.
"Pretty much, this is a slow day" Max laughed as we walked into another elevator.
"Lots of elevators on the way to the office huh?"
He chuckled and pressed a button labeled six. I got to enjoy a view of the main lobby from above as the small metal room ascended to the sixth floor. The elevator dinged as the doors opened, and an electronic woman's voice called out as we exited "Floor six, Section three, Animus Initiative"
"This way" Max pointed down the hall. Another office, another secretary.
Max walked up to the secretary's desk "Hello Cheryl."
"Good morning Dr. Riley, the doctor will be just a minute."
And true to her word, a man emerged from the office shortly after. White lab coat, thinning white hair and a white beard to boot. He was the model of sterile. "Dr. Riley" he nodded to Max, "And this is?" he turned to face me.
"Oh, this is my cousin, Alex" he pushed me towards the man, who held his hand out.
"Hello sir" I said to him, standing as straight as possible as I took his hand.
"Mr. Riley, I've been waiting some time to meet you. Your cousin speaks highly of you." He motioned for me to join him in his office. "I'm Dr. Warren Vidic. Please step inside."
I said goodbye to Max, who went off to his own department on floor three. The office was finely furnished, with large leather armchairs sitting in front of a wooden desk. "Very nice office" I said as I sat down in the armchair.
"It's not mine." He said as he took a seat at the desk, "I borrowed it from Dr. Jameson while I'm in Philadelphia."
I handed him my resume, he opened the folder and looked over the contents. "Sometimes it's little that says a lot Mr. Riley." He chuckled, setting the paper down. "Former Green Beret. Wounded in Afghanistan, and rewarded with a Distinguished Service Cross for valor. Very impressive indeed."
"No offense Doctor, but why did you want to see me?" I asked.
"Well, you see Alex, here at Abstergo there are several divisions, all of them important." Vidic rolled around in the chair as he peeked at my resume. "I'm currently the head of a project called the Animus Initiative. All of the reasurch that we do is highly classified and requires protection, that's where our security division comes in."
"So, your going to hire me as a security guard?"
The doctor chuckled, "No mere guard, Mr. Riley. The security hired by the head of the security department are often incompetent and lacking experience. When your brother approached me with the idea of hiring a decorated soldier as my personal guard, well I couldn't pass up an opportunity like that. If you were to accept my offer, you would be in a joint position with me, and also with our Operations Division."
"Operations Division?" I asked, suddenly interested.
"Yes, several men and women of similar talents, going out into the world, traveling to different countries with our research teams. These are places that are typically dangerous, and missions involve protecting our teams out in the field."
"So, mercenary work?"
"In a sense, yes, Abstergo takes the odd contract every once and a while to raise extra revenue. But most of your work will be with me."
"It sounds like a great deal and all Dr. Vidic…"
"But?" The doctor's brow furrowed.
"But I'm not sure if I'm cut out for work in a huge company like Abstergo." I said. "I have a high school degree and a military career, that's all."
"And that's all you need," the doctor said. "We need more men like you to help our teams and make the world a better place. That's what we're all about here at Abstergo, making the world a better place."
I thought this over, would it be worth it to put a weapon in my hands and risk my life again. This time, not for my country, but for a company. Then again, it was better than MacDonald's.
"I'm in" I said, sealing the deal.
"Good, pack your things Alex, we're heading to my office in Rome."