Chapter 1 - Promotion
I wake five minutes before the alarm goes off and slam my first on it. Why is it that the alarms are annoying no matter what model you get, or what galaxy it comes from?
No matter, I smile. Nothing can ruin this day!
I jump out of bed and begin the tedious process of getting ready for the day. Except, today is a special day, so the process demands special treatment.
I shower, trim my eyebrows, pluck my nose hairs, brush my teeth, brush them again for extra measure, settle for the red tie, tuck the bottom into my pants, throw on a Hyperion issue jacket, polish my shoes, pull on my lucky socks, slip into my finest shoes with a half-inch heel, comb and wax my hair, and shine my ID.
One last thing to do before I head out. I sit at my desk and lay my robotic arm down. My left arm is cybernetic all the way up to my shoulder. Don't be fooled by the skin on my face. My skull is a light-steel alloy on the left side and the biggest clue is the cybernetic eye and port on my temple.
My arm is state of the art. Took the majority of my income, and some less than savory deals that play on my conscious, to make it advanced, but it was worth it. It comes with the ability to hack and plant viruses of my own creation and to act as a portable computer. It also has compartments for extra modules as well, which brings me back to what I'm doing.
"Okay, which modules to use today." I murmur to myself.
The more modules I have in my arm, the heavier it is. Basic logic when it comes to installing hardware. Also the more power needed to run it, a higher processor, and more memory, and better ventilation. (In this case, liquid cooling.) All of which comes down to weight, money, and bulk. At first it doesn't sound like a big deal, but it gets kinda awkward when you feel one arm is heavier than the other.
I settle for the strength module. It acts like a muscle, allowing the arm to not feel as heavy and be less awkward. With what is going on today, I'll want to look professional and not have an awkward dip in my step.
I turn off my arm and it drops onto the table with a thud. I put tools in my mouth and with my right hand pry a plate open and begin working. I've done this hundreds of times. Having to do maintenance on your own arm teaches you things and lets you practice your skills. It doesn't take long for me to install the module into my cybernetic arm. I also check the Neuropozyne vial inside.
Funny thing… Cybernetics and mechanical augmentation. They are not natural to the body, so the body rejects them… and the process is very very VERY painful, mentally and physically. It literally screws with your nerves and body tissue. I've had hangovers before. Imagine a hangover while being unable to breathe, you have an constant heart attack, and your entire body is screaming in pain while tearing itself apart. So far as I hear, it might be the one thing worse than pregnancy depending on how much of your body is augmented. If the only thing augmented is a hand, it's not bad. In my case, its half my entire body.
So yeah, the same process that saved my life is also slowly killing me.
"Bullshit." Lilith blurts out. She looks angry. "Don't try to get sympathy here, tha-"
"No, no its actually real." Mordecai replies.
Lilith pauses and looks back at the hunter.
"Seriously." Mordecai says. "It's very real. He's telling the truth."
"No shit?" She asks. She glances at Rhys and shakes her head. "Whatever, it doesn't matter. Lots of people live with augmentation. Keep going."
Where was I… oh yes!
Neuropozyne is a drug that forcibly halts the rejection and acts as a painkiller. The higher-end drugs also give you a buzz, but I would rather keep my head in the game, thank you! They aren't cheap either.
The vial is down to a tenth… so a day? Something like that. A full vial lasts me about two weeks. I muse with myself, "Best go ahead and replace it. Don't want to have to run out tonight."
I pull out a vial from the fridge and replace the nearly-empty vial with a fresh one.
Content with the arm, I snap it back in place in my shoulder socket and hit the switch. The arm snaps around for a moment stiffly before slowly relaxing and moving in tandem with my thoughts like my real arm. I flex the fingers and smirk.
I stand and look in the mirror. I throw myself a gun-salute. "You, Rhys, look like a million bucks."
There is a knock on the door, and its exactly 0630 hours. I open the door and Vaughn stands at the door. "Right on time, Bro." We bump fists.
"I try. So, you ready for this?" Vaughn asks.
"Ready as I'll ever be." I step out of my apartment and lock the door. We begin the long walk to sweet sweet victory.
Brick asks in between mouthfuls of popcorn, "Who's this guy? He looks like a dweeb."
Vaughn is my bro, my best friend, my man, my buddy, friend, broski. If there is any possible word that depicts a friendship or brother without being part of the actual family, it would describe us. He is also freakishly smarter than me when it comes to numbers. I couldn't have gotten myself to where I am now without him, and the same could be said in reverse. I helped get him where he is as well.
Long story short, I'm an opportunity shark and a programmer. I also have computer/cybernetics engineering degree, hacking skills beyond the norm, and connections; but I hide it. Best to not look too good. Looking too good causes you to get mobbed, and it's always good to have a few aces up your sleeve.
Vaughn is an corporate shark like me, only when it comes to numbers. He can look at a page full of gibberish and numbers and point out the flow of cash through it all, find strengths and weaknesses in a budget or company, and stuff like that.
It was his insight into numbers and where money flows that caught on to an eridium mine, my connections and epic skills that landed a mining contract, and our teamwork that has earned me my promotion that we are now walking towards like champions. He is a bit squeamish when it comes to backstabbing people, so we can say that the 'shark' mentality comes more from me than him. Vaughn is more of a follower anyway.
I let Vaughn continue talking as we walk. I grunt and acknowledge him at times, and just let him talk. He likes to brainstorm constantly, to the point of excess. "What is the first thing you want to do with the money?" Vaughn asks me in excitement.
Honestly, I don't know. I shrug.
"Come on, there must be something you want to do with it! The promotion is going to be big! I've seen the numbers, if it is even a fraction of what I've seen, we won't know what to do with it all!"
"Hmm. I think I'll start with lunch." I really don't know what to do with the money. I've thought about it, but I haven't come up with anything concrete, just some basic ideas.
He looks a bit down that I'm thinking so small, but he doesn't let it get him down. "Then we are buying the most expensive things on the menu with cocktail chasers!"
"For lunch?"
"Yeah, bro. If I am not throwing up five-hundred dollars' worth of food by tonight, we are doing something wrong!"
I chuckle. "Sounds good, bro. But actually, I'm thinking the money should be used as an investment."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, it was our skills that got us this promotion. You knew where to look to find the hole in the system, I filled the hole with people and got the deal going, we backstabbed a few jerks and after earning ourselves a tiny bit of profit got me a huge promotion! All of that with very little money involved. It was pure skill."
"Yeah." He smiles. He doesn't often take the time to acknowledge his many strengths. I have to remind him how awesome he is or he go all pessimistic on me. I know he also appreciates hearing it from me.
"Now, take that skill, that epicness, and add a lot of money to the mix. The power that comes with money."
Vaughn's eyes slowly widen and I can see the gears spinning in his head. I smirk and finger-gun him. "You get what I'm saying now?"
"Ooohh yeah! I'm liking where your thought is going!"
"Right! So, here is what I'm thinkin'. Buy lunch, get ourselves so drunk we forget about dinner, wake up with the worst hangover of all time and fill a day on painkillers and shooter games-"
"Space Ninja Monkeys 2?"
"Whatever you want, bro. Just spend the whole day doing that. Then we pay our bills, our debts, and use the rest of the profit as a jumping board to work toward a bigger promotion."
Vaughn adjusts his glasses and mumbles something to himself. "If my numbers are right, then we would still have at least eighty-five percent left over when we are done."
Damn, the number must be big then.
"Then getting to the next one will be all the easier." We stop in front of Henderson's office. "Just think. In a few months at the rate we are going, we could replace the guy."
"You. You will replace the guy." He corrects me.
"Vaughn…" I hate it when he puts himself down. I rub my temples. "We are a team! You earned the promotion as much as I did."
"We are a team, but you know which guy in a band is known most? The guy who sings. And I'm cool with that!" He smiles.
I see what he means now. Knowing him, he is more comfortable in the background doing the drums anyway. "I may be getting promoted, but this is a win for both of us. You know why I know that?"
"Okay, why do you know that Mr. Know-It-All?" He dares me.
"Because when I get in the chair, I won't forget the little guys." I raise my cybernetic hand. Just like Handsome Jack didn't forget kids like me…
Vaughn smiles. "Yeah, I know you won't." He coughs into his hand and turns serious. "Okay, let's put the game face on. You ready for this?"
"OhhhHHhhh yeah!"
"Are you a winner?" He pep-talks me like some kind of coach.
"Damn right! I'm a winner."
"You sound like an idiot." Mordecai chuckles.
Lilith groans. "I think I'm going to throw up…" The bro-mance was excessive to her.
Brick holds his bowl out to her. "Want some popcorn?"
Vaughn opens the door for me and ushers me to go in. "Then go, winner!" He follows it up with a whisper, "I'll be here when you're done."
I go in, and for a moment I feel like those football players that steps onto the field at the roar of a crowd. 'Whooo! Go Rhys' they would yell! The trophy is in front of my eyes, and my eyes are on the prize! My eyes are on the chair!
The guy in the chair… is not Henderson.
Its Vasguez.
Good feeling's gone.
"Did he say 'Assquez'?" Brick asks.
"Vasquez." Mordecai replies.
"Assquez sounds better."
"You want me to call him Assquez instead?" Rhys asks.
"No. Continue please." Lilith glares at her friends and they shut up.
His obnoxious voice fills the office. "Good morning, Ryhs. Nice of you to walk in without so much as knocking. That's very rude you know."
I stare at him in numb, gaping, shock.
What the hell is Vasguez doing in Henderon's chair?
Why is there a nametag for Hugo Vasguez on the desk?
The man gloats in clear victory. "Oh, if only you could see the look on your stupid little face right now. Priceless. Considering how Henderson treated you like a little golden egg, I am willing to forgive your oversight of not even bothering to knock, but in the future," he puts his feet up on the desk. "Let's not have any more mishaps shall we? We wouldn't want our relationship as employer and employee to become… uncomfortable."
"W-wh-where is Henderson?" I stutter.
"This is what I'm talking about, Rhys. A complete lack of social graces. No 'Hello Mr. Vasguez', no 'Are you busy, Mr. Vasguez?', not even a 'May I shine your shoes for you, Mr. Vasguez?' I mean, hell, the least you could do is say Good morning."
"… Hello, Vasguez…" I growl.
"See, now was that so hard?" He smirks in victory.
"Now what is going on?" I ask.
"You are confused. I can see that. You probably came in here expecting a promotion, a boss that would tell you how awesome you are, and a big golden plack detailing to management how you secured an iridium mine with no cost to the company budget. Am I right?"
My stare turns to a glare. He got it perfectly.
He continues. He gets out of his chair and walks around the room. "Personally, I would have gone for a golden toilet lid. Gives my shit a royal send off, you know? Life is all about those nice little touches. But let me lay it out for you, Ryhs." He opens the blind to the window and right outside the window is Henderson.
Henderson is in space right outside the window. Damn… The man was incompetent, but at least he was an easy manager to work for! Also was an easy goal to replace.
Vasquez monologues, "Henderson is gone. Replaced. He had no vision and got in the way of men with vision."
"Men like you?" I accuse.
Vasguez sighs. "I understand if you have… animosity towards me. We've always been dogging each other, and a rivalry like that is so hard to lose." He sniffles like we're breaking up "I know it's hard. But everything will be okay!"
"Don't get ahead of yourself…" I whisper.
"You probably hate me, and that's fair. No harm no foul. Your thoughts are your own. I won't deny my thoughts toward you are… not as bright myself. But I think something that would be good for both of us is if we came to a simple understanding and put it all behind us."
Right… he only says that because he won. He only wants me to stop dogging him so he can have an easier time! He wouldn't be acting all high and mighty if I had gotten my promotion a day earlier!
Still, I push down my anger and try, truly try, to be reasonable. If he really IS my new boss… then it would be best if I gave him the impression I was accepting defeat. We've been rivals since the day we met, and both of us were aiming for the chair HE now has. "Fine. You win. You got the office first. Does that make you feel better?"
"Oh, it does. It really, really, really, REALLY makes me feel good to hear you say those words, Ryhs." He breathes in through his nose deeply and sighs like he is getting a breath of fresh air. Or having a nice cigar. "In fact, I think your promotion is still on the table."
Wait, what? I blink in surprise. Is he seriously being reasonable?
No. No. Something is wrong. He is a scheming jackass. Reasonable and jackass do not belong in a sentence together! There has to be a catch.
"You see, Rhys. Henderson needed a lesson in humility, and I think this experience will go a long way toward teaching you that as well. That's good. That's REALLY good." Vasquez sits back in his chair. "But there are still many lessons for you to learn."
Oh, for the love of… stop being such a high-handed little-
His terminal dings. He growls in frustration, clearly enjoying the moment with me, and clicks a button. "I'm in the middle of something! So you better have a good explanation for-"
"Yo, it's me, August! I'm calling about the Vaul-"
"August! Hold on!" Vasquez jumps up in surprise and brings the call to his ear. The speaker turns off and is transferred to his earpiece. "Yes, I was on speaker!... No, I'm not on speaker anymore… Well, I'm sorry, but I wasn't expecting a call while in the middle of a meeting! I'm a bit busy too you know! Yeah… yeah…" As I had been standing there the entire time, he points to the chair in front of his desk. I sit down. Sounds like it might be a while.
Vasquez continues talking to the August guy and sits at his desk to work on the computer. "Yeah… I'm in front of a computer. Getting the files now… Give me a moment… Are you sure about her credentials, this is a lot of money we are sitting on here!... Fine fine, if you trust the missus, then- No I'm not."
I can't see what is on the computer, but Vasquez reads the files and nods to himself before standing up and walking around the room. "Wait, since when has the deal jumped to ten-million dollars!... You cut her in?! Damnit! Look, I'm a bit short right now. If you're going to be jumping prices all over the map on me, I'm going to need another hour or two! Millions don't run like toilet paper you know."
Ten million dollars?! What kind of deal is Vasquez involved in?
Mordecai whistles. "That's a fair bit of money."
Like a shark, I smell opportunity.
I reach for the computer to turn it, but snap my robotic hand back just before Vasquez turns to look at me. I just raise an eyebrow at him, and he returns his attention to the conversation, believing he had only seen things.
Well, with him being jumpy like this, I'm going to need to be covert.
My cybernetic arm isn't the only tool in my arsenal. Its only half of it. The other half is much smaller, but just as powerful. My Echo-eye augmentation.
Echo is more or less the modern version of the internet combined with a radio.
I blink in rapid succession and my Echo-eye changes vision from normal to robotic. My field of vision goes orange, and the level of detail is enhanced ten-fold. I can zoom in and scan things into memory. I zoom in on the computer's reflection in the window, turn the picture around so I can see it more clearly, fix the errors created by the glass, and…
Damn, I can't see much. I can tell there are shapes, but I can't make out words. Is that seriously 3-point font? Didn't he know 7-point font is regulation? I turn off my eye and glance in his direction, he is still enthralled in his conversation, but can turn at any moment. So I conceal my cybernetic hand under the desk and hack into his computer. He already has it on, so the hack is as simple as plugging a finger into a port.
A holographic image of an operating system appears in my cybernetic eye's vision. Fancy thing about having an eye implanted directly into your skull. I don't need a computer monitor. I can let my eye see the operating system directly in the world around me like sitting in a holographic computer.
A car. Looks like he is spending his 'promotion' money on a new car.
A beach? Looks like a beach hotel. Thinking you will land some big money and go on vacation for a while? Bastard.
A Vault Key?!
"What?!" Mordecai, Brick, and Lilith ask at the same time.
"Yeah, a vault key." Rhys says coolly. "Kinda. Everything will make sense. I'll get to it."
I gasp and immediately turn it into a cough in my hand to cover it. Vasquez glances at me, but continues to talk in his ear-piece. I give myself a moment to still my beating heart and look over the details within my internal-Echo.
This sniveling, boss-stabbing little excuse for a termite has his hands on a vault key deal?! Some guy named August is fencing it to Hyperion from some archeologist whats-her-face and wants ten mill for it.
Some jerks get all the breaks…
Vasquez ends his conversation and returns back to me. I sit and raise an eyebrow like I've just been sitting here wasting my time.
"Ah… where were we?" Vasquez sits on the corner of his desk, a little confused.
"I think you were trying to lecture me. Something about my need to learn some lessons." By your holier-than-thou hands!
He eyes me skeptically, but turns it into a wide welcoming smile. "… Riiiiight. Anyway, Rhys. As I was trying to say, there is much for you to learn, but you are still a valuable asset and that is something I think is worth grooming. Everyone has their place, and it is only right you be placed in yours."
"Great." I smile. Its fake, but I still do have hope that-
"Which is why I am promoting you to the mailroom as an assistant."
I can practically feel myself turn pale. Did… he just…
No.
No, no, no! That isn't what he just said!
"I know, I know. I'm too generous. Truth be told, it's a step up from janitor, but I am a bit of a sentimentalist. You'll thank me later."
"Y-you. Wh-what, no! N-no you can't!" I exclaim in disbelief. ITS MY CONTRACT! ITS MY PROMOTION! I WORKED MY WAY UP TO WHERE I AM CLAW, TOOTH, AND NAIL!
"Yes, I can. I just did." Vasquez smirks.
"Assquez!" I stand up angrily. Assquez throws a fist, but I evade, spin around, grab his wrist, twist, and send him topling to the ground. I put a boot on his neck and flex my muscles. He cries for his mommy, and I sit in the chair I have just successfully conquered.
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Brick laughs. "You called him Assquez!"
"You didn't actually call him that…" Lilith accuses Rhys.
"Guilty as charged." Rhys admits. "But I think it fits."
"Stick to the truth."
"Can't I at least tweak it?"
"No."
"Fiiiiiiine. Let me fix that."
Here is how it really went: "Vasquez!" I stand up angrily, but Vasquez hits me in the face, and knocks me backwards over the back of the chair onto the floor.
"Lesson Number one. Don't start lesson number one." Vasquez says darkly.
I spit blood out of my mouth, and he stares at the spot where my blood lands. Oh, I'm sorry? Did I just dirty your floor you dirty, shit-for-brains, murderous, scheming, son of a-!
He hits me again. "Lesson number two! Don't get to lesson number three!"
He goes back from angry brute to smiling politician. He fixes his tie that got slightly crooked. "Now, if I were you. I would drop the attitude, put your tail between your legs, and see this as an opportunity. An opportunity to start a new path, to learn lessons you clearly haven't figured out yet…" The welcoming politician façade is replaced by a dark, rumbling threatening whisper. "Such as not having me call security." He motions for me to leave.
At the rate of him swapping personalities I'm going to get whiplash…
I stand and storm out.
"I'll call you if I need a package delivered!" He calls to me from behind as the door slams shut.