Chapter 2
"And I want to hold some Hunger Games! Yeah, I've seen the movie, but not read the books. Ha, take that you losers! Also, I will tax people with loud babies," Nevel was going through his latest list of ridiculous laws, "And more miniskirts! Hot chicks ought to show more leg!"
Victoria Justice rolled her eyes. She was organizing the broadcast. In a few years, Nevel was planning on taking over the planet. Of course, he was reluctant to take on Europe; he claimed they were "too hoity-toity" whatever that meant. Apparently, he found them arrogant and crass, ironic if anything ever was.
Tori walked to the elevator, and hit the 'down' button. Once the lift activated, she let out a breath of relief. It had been difficult to work under that creep Nevel. But now she had to see something heart-rending.
The door dinged open ten stories below the massive towers. Tori activated the flashlight on her watch. It illuminated the cavernous tunnels. She took a step off, and shivered.
The Latina knew her way through the winding areas. Into and out of tunnels the woman walked. After a few minutes of walking, she came into a darkened lair. Scrap metal lined the area. Lines of pipes bringing in necessary supplies sat like spiders' webs against the wall. A few dim bulbs illuminated their corners. Buttons flashed and lit up. A single corner exploded with photons as someone used a high-powered laser.
Tori strutted in, high heels clicking, miniskirt swaying with sass. The figure with the laser did not even register the intruder's presence. It was only when she hugged him sending human warmth into his bones did he set his tools down.
They sat together in silence, "Freddie, I brought your lunch."
He nodded mutely. Fred Benson did not say much anymore, unless talking about his latest designs. The inventor, one of the most powerful men on earth, sat humbly at his visitor's feet. She stayed to make sure he ate all his food. Fresh fruits and vegetables, grown from technology owned by the company, fresh bread and a bit of meat were set on a clean platter. Tori made sure Freddie washed his hands before eating.
His shoulders had hunched in the years since losing Carly.
"Oh sweetie, how is she?" Tori knew it was a horrible subject to bring up, but at least he would react. He motioned towards the middle of the floor, a clear grid, and, coincidently, the only clear place in the room.
Tori pressed a button, and the world filled with light. A hologram exploded to life. She found herself in a garden, flowers were blossoming everywhere. The picture was fuzzy; the presence of a human body in the middle of it warped the image. Her hips twisted the light in a rainbow; her shoes tapped a pulse out on the floor. Freddie stared like a starved man. A third figure fazed into the room, oblivious to the other two.
This new figure was stunning. Her long dressed spun without disrupting the light. Her hair was in curls, spun with silver jewelry. Her make-up was impeccable, quite an achievement considering she was the last businesswoman in America to stand against Nevel. She smiled as a butterfly landed on her nose.
"Everything loves her, everyone loves her," Freddie was moving again. Carly started picking flowers for a delivery. A button press banished the intruding light. Tori blinked her eyes and peered around. It was then that she found her boss in a corner dropping a goop into his hands. She knew what it was.
Tori snatched the vial out of his hands. Freddie broke down. The chemicals in the mixture enhanced his emotional state. Tears streamed down his face. His chest could not get enough air in to cry out. Tori just watched as he broke down, unable to help him. She stayed down there for the rest of the work day, unsure of whether she was more miserable on the surface with Nevel.