Also note that this is a one-shot introspective. For many of my one-shots, there is usually one person who wants to know what happens next, & asks for it to be continued. As much as I love writing for the mind of Kaiba, this story will never go beyond this piece. Whatever happens to him after can be left up to your own imagination.
COUNTDOWN TO SYSTEM FAILURE
a Seto Kaiba fanstory by Levi
The rain outside beat a steady rhythm on the three wide windows which comprised nearly an entire wall, the occassional flash of lightning briefly illuminating an otherwise darkened room. It was the largest room in the building, Seto Kaiba's personal office on the very top floor of KaibaCorp.
Seto himself sat quietly at the desk, eyes open and staring yet seeing nothing, while fingers drummed absently at the sides of his chair. He hardly noticed when his office door opened and his secretary poked her head in.
"Mr. Kaiba?"
Her voice was noticably heavy with worry, and why not? She had been with the company since Gozaburo's reign, had watched Seto grow up to take over. His manners had changed recently, she knew, and she didn't like it one bit. She reached in and flicked a switch, filling the room with light.
Seto's reaction was sudden, eyes widening before closing and one hand shooting up to cover them. "Turn them off!" he shouted, waving frantically with his free hand.
His secretary quickly shut the lights off and bowed apologetically. "I'm sorry, sir. Uhmm.." She paused before she continued, watching as Seto readjusted to the darkness far easier than he had to light. "It's getting late, sir, and I'll be leaving now. Shall I arrange your transportation before I go?"
Seto shook his head and waved her away impatiently. "I'll be working late tonight," he said. "I'll call for my own ride when I'm finished."
The woman at his door bowed again and departed. Seto listened to the clicking of her heels as they grew fainter.. fainter.. leaving him to the silence. On the edge of his desk, his computer screen kicked into life of its own accord. A digital clock took up the majority of the screen, the numbers counting backwards instead of forward.
He didn't know what it was, nor where it came from. When it had first appeared some weeks ago, he had sworn it was simply a joke. Possibly a virus. But for all his attempts to be rid of it, the clock remained. Uncharacteristically, Seto had eventually given up and, as he sat now, found a sort of comfort in the soft ticking as the numbers changed.
10, 9, 8, 7, 6..
Seto stared out at his office, suddenly disgusted by it. Everything perfectly organized, clean to the point of sterility. No pictures on the walls. Not even on his desk.
5, 4..
As another crash of thunder and lightning lit the room, Seto stood and swiped the papers and books from his desktop, delighting in the sound they made as they hit the floor. He crossed the room and ripped open the file cabinet, pulling out folders and binders and tossing them carelessly away.
3..
The clock ticked patiently from the desk.
2..
Seto collapsed among the mess he had made, a broad grin suited to his lips. He chuckled quietly to himself, watching the remaining scraps of paper flutter through the air.
1..
As Seto settled his racing heart and fell into the grips of a deep sleep, mercifully devoid of dreams, the computer screen gave up the image of the clock. Instead, a single word flashed.
MALFUNCTION. MALFUNCTION.
After several minutes, the screen went blank. Outside, the storm rolled on to other parts.
Within the next few hours, the first rays of morning sunshine broke through the rain stained windows. The computer beeped once and clicked on, the display reading just one sentence.
TOTAL SYSTEM FAILURE. RESETTING.