April-2012.
"Mr...Gould is it?...Mister Vidic will see you now."
Dylan stood up and followed the secretary into the small hallway that lead up to Vidic's office. His heart was beating a little too fast for his liking, but he couldn't help it. This interview could make or break his future.
Abstergo industries was the leader in technological advancements over the last decade, beating out Apple, Microsoft, and pretty much any company you could think of. Over the last year though, Abstergo had broken into video games, the same way Microsoft had with the popular gaming devices, the Xbox and Xbox-360, and released the 'Animus.0', a revolutionary gaming device that generated entire worlds so immersive that the player truely believed they were inside the game.
Dylan himself was a game tester, one with only four years experience, but who was very popular with game developers for his opinions and creative ideas. So much so, that Warren Vidic, head of development at Abstergo, had contacted him himself with an offer for a permanent position as Abstergo's head game tester, provided he met some certain requirements. Dylan was certain he would get the job though, in his few years as a tester, he'd worked with every company from Ubisoft to Bethesda, Rockstar to Rocksteady, and had such a diverse resume he could work for any company in the world.
The secretary lead him to the end of the hall and took a left, ascending a small staircase and heading into Vidic's office. Dylan couldn't help but be impressed by the room, it was the entire fifty-third floor of Abstero's New York office, entire walls made of fifteen foot high windows, and floored with marble tiles.
At the back of the room, directly opposite the entrance, Vidic stood upon a raised platform looking out one of the many windows. Between them, a futuristic looking desk and next to a chair with a steel headboard, and a computer console inlayed into the right arm rest stood.
"Mister Vidic?," the secretary spoke as they approached him, her voice echoing of the windowed walls. "May I present...Dylan Go-"
"Mister Gould!," Vidic cut in, turning around and smiling. "Warren Vidic, a pleasure," the man offered Dylan his hand, which he took, and shook it vigorously. "Thank you for coming." The secretary handed Vidic a file, and bowed before leaving, which Dylan found odd.
"Mister Vidic, i just wanted to thank you for the opportunity to-"
"Warren, call me Warren,Dylan" he cut in. "May I call you Dylan?" Dylan nodded. "Good. Now, I believe you know why you are here?," Vidic opened the file and began surveying it's contents.
"For the head tester position?."
Vidic looked up and smiled. "Precisely."
"Well, here's my resume," Dylan handed Vidic his five page resume, which the man took and slipped into his file. "I think everything should be to your liking."
Vidic closed the file and looked Dylan in the eyes. "Dylan, this position isn't just testing any game, and I won't require and creative feedback, I just need you to help me work it."
Dylan was a little taken aback. "Well, mister Vid...Warren, excuse if this comes off as rude, but why hire a video game tester if you don't want any games tested?"
"Because, Dylan...this new version of the Animus is built to work with a very specific type of gamer...one that I believe you yourself fit perfectly." Vidic gestured for Dylan to sit in the computer recliner. "I'd like you to take it for a test run, to see if my assumptions are in fact, correct."
"Is it dangerous?,"
"I assume you've played Animus.o?" Dylan nodded. "This is just like that, it just runs on a faster drive." Vidic placed his hand on Dylan's back, as if pushing him towards the machine. "You have my word, if this works, you will have a position at Abstergo for life, and if you do it well, a seven figure contract to go with it."
'Seven figures?,' Dylan thought. 'There's no way I can turn that down.' he let his hesitance fade away, and sat down in the chair. A lime green computer screen slid over his face from the steel arm protruding from the headboard. Vidic placed a white tab on his forearm, from which a series of wires protruded from, and stood back.
"Just relax," he said. "I will be monitoring your vitals and progress from my computer, so there's no chance you may be harmed." Dylan nodded and turned his eyes to the screen. "Now, I'm going to to turn on the activation nodes, you will feel a sting, but it won't last long."
Dylan nodded again, then winced as a barb pierced his arm. "Sorry, Dylan...But it is necessary."
He took the pain as best he could, and tried his hardest to put his attention on the monitor. Within moments, the pain had faded away, and Dylan could feel himself drifting off. "That's it, Mister Gould...relax, let sleep take you..."
"I'm sorry Yuri...But you brought this upon yourself."
He felt the blade slip across his throat, and his blood begin to trickle down his chest, but Yuri Noregdov refused to believe it. He refused to accept the fact that he was dying, here, in this moment. This wasn't how he thought he would die. He always pictured himself passing in his sleep, with her by his side, holding his hand as he drifted away.
He felt his killer's hand leave his shoulder, and he fell to his knees, grasping helplessly at his throat as ruby tears slipped through his fingers and pooled in the snow beneath him.
Losing energy quickly, he fell forward, and in a last ditch effort, braced himself on his elbow. 'Lords above,' he thought, each breath getting slower and slower. 'I have failed you...please...I beg your mercy...help me through this so that I may kill the non-believer and put an end to this miserable wa-'
He didn't have time to finish the thought. His strength gave way on him, and he collapsed face first into the snow as the last light of life faded from his eyes.
"Woah!..." Dylan shot up in the Animus chair, his breathing heavy. "What the hell was that?"
Vidic stood up from his desk and walked over to Dylan, who was sweating in his chair. "It's a bit much to take in straight away, isn't it?" Dylan nodded, his breathing heavy. "There is good news to it though!..." Dylan eyed him, as if to say 'How?'. "It proves that you're the perfect candidate for the new Animus project!"
Dylan had to agree. That was good news.
"Well, welcome to Abstergo, Dylan Gould." Vidic smacked him gently on the shoulder. "Now, I think we should get you back in there. I'll have to put you in an earlier 'level' to get you used to the Animus' new features."
Dylan nodded, clearly a little reluctant. He didn't want to go back in straight away, but he had the feeling Vidic might have changed his mind about the Dylan if he didn't go along with it.
Vidic walked back to his desk and sat down. "Now...let's begin shall we?"
Another prick sent a pain up Dylan's arm, and once again, he began to drift away into rest.
