Chapter 3: Late For Work!
The hoot of the alarm clock was the first thing Gene could sense when he woke from his alcohol ridden sleep. His eyes slowly came into focus as he tried to find the alarm clock. He leaned up and became aware that his pillow was stuck to his face as he was drooling in the night. He groaned as he pushed the pillow off salivating mouth. His eyes were forced into focus and he saw he was still dressed in some clothes he was wearing last night, apparently his drunk self had decided it was good to sleep fully clothed. He leaned towards the alarm clock, hit it then promptly fell out of bed, head first.
He hit the floor with a thud and his head was already pounding as it was. Now he was going to have a bruise as well. He had a full hour before he had to leave and he was going to have to use it to get ready for work.
He slowly stood up uneasy on his feet, he wasn't going to be sick, he'd done that last night. Nothing left to vomit up. He stumbled into the living room area of his humble flat. He looked over the room, it was untouched he hadn't invited anyone back with him from work. It was still clean, well sort of. He reached onto the one sofa and pick up the TV remote and turned it on. The news came on and he threw the remote back to where it was. With a yawn he wondered into the small kitchen and put some coffee on. Then headed towards the bathroom and began to strip down flinging his clothes anywhere.
He turned on the shower and pulled a towel off the rack onto the floor ready. He got in the shower and let the hot water cascade over him. Leaning his head against the wall the warm sensation dripping down his back was relaxing. He leaned back and let the water splash into his face and after a few moments shook the water from his eyes and began to clean himself with soap, knowing full well he must reek of beer.
He finished off and then got out of the shower. He walked over to his seat and began to shave his face. He was almost finished when his vidphone, started bleeping. The noise shocked him and he startled cutting himself.
"Ow Fuck! This better be bloody important." He said slammed the razor into the sink and stormed out into the living room and slammed on the vidphone. The small screen beamed to life, revealing Alive Gene's co-worker.
"Alice?" he said confused, "I'm not late am I? I've still got a few hours to be in surely?"
"No…not yet but you clearly haven't watched the news yet this morning." She replied showing some concern.
He turned to he tv and saw the small letters panning about the bottom of the screen. Something about an asteroid hitting in London somewhere.
"What's going on?" he replied looking back to her.
Alice was blushing slightly her checks were going pink and she was averting her eyes from him.
"What?" he asked annoyed as he wiped some of the blood of his chin.
"You're naked." She replied
"Oh don't be naïve I have a towel on, it's not like you haven't seen a man's chest before, probably not one this amazing though." He said joking.
"Oh you're so full of yourself." She said smiling.
"Look I'll move closer so you can only see me face" he said whilst moving closer to the wall where the vidphone was stationed.
"What's going on then?" he then said.
"Look I don't know completely but some meteor has hit near earl's court knocking out the under ground there."
"What!?" he said, "A meteor, I thought that would have wiped us out, isn't that what killed the dinosaurs?"
"It wasn't that big you idiot, look it's knocked out the underground there so I know you're going to be late if you haven't left already."
"Too right I am it's four buses in now, unless I drive. Shit! I did not need this with a hangover." He said,
"How sensitive for those who lost their lives in it" Alice smirked.
"People are dead?" he asked shocked, "When did it hit?"
"Around 1:00 last night, I'm surprised it didn't wake you to be honest, it's not too far from where you are, it woke me up and I live in the north, and around fifty dead, although reports are sketchy at the moment, police and paramedics are having trouble getting there." She said
"Jesus, it missed me by fifteen minutes, I got in and went straight to sleep I'd drunk enough to kill a horse."
"Yes I saw how much you drunk,"
"Were you there last night?" he asked not remembering much from the night before.
"Ah…yes…it must have been enough to make you forget what happened last night. Look just get dressed and get in, you know Maxwell has it in for you anyway." She said looking around the office.
"Fuck, guess even Maxwell wont even accept this an excuse to be late." Ben sighed.
"Just get you and your perfectly formed chest in here." She mocked.
"You leave me chest alone woman!" he chided.
"Later" she hung up.
With that Gene rushed into the kitchen made some toast and guzzled down some orange juice. Eating his toast as he got changed into some clothes. He slammed on some boots, jeans and his leather jacket. Then deciding what to do next. He weighed up how bad he felt and whether he was legal to drive.
He decided buses were not going to help and he dived into his closet and pulled out his helmet and a rucksack. Then collecting his keys, wallet, phone and other small items dashed out into the hallway. Leaving hurriedly he rushed to the lift and hammered the button several times.
"Fucking meteor asteroid thing!" he grumbled to himself. Eventually the lift bleeped onto his floor and he pushed the button for the ground floor. He was there in a matter of seconds, as no one else below him called the lift. Leaving the block of flats quickly he entered the parking area and hopped onto his motorcycle. Putting his satchel on and his helmet he then started the bike. It purred to life. Then slamming the throttle down he accelerated out of the carpark.
A few minutes later he was speeding past the traffic going past what was left of Earl's Court station. He drove past as quick as he could, but he couldn't help but look. The whole place had been caved in, the metal roof was burnt from the intense heat of the impact, several flats and shops around the station had been levelled. It looked like London had undergone another blitz. Keeping his wits about him he pressed on towards the goliath that was the Weyland-Yutani building looming over the Thames like a giant alter.
It took him the best part of an hour to navigate his way through the traffic now backing up because of the incident. He eventually turned into the final street and zoomed past the guard post, going round the barrier instead of checking in. He and the security guard were on first name bases so he wouldn't mind. He slipped of the bike in his assigned parking space. Then hurried into the building.
Rushing into marble floored lobby. It was a big giant as lobbies went, huge columns holding up the building started here, there were huge and covered in dark marble, the floor was white and always sparkled no matter when. There were barriers where all employers were supposed to scan in an out. Not even bothering to look for his key-card as he knew he would have forgotten it. He vaulted the barriers causing some disgruntled moans from the suits around him. He took his helmet off and tossed a casual smile to the security guard who was clearly amused by his antics and he rushed passed the reception desk to the escalators.
"Morning Becky." He said
"Late again Mr Stryfe?" she asked.
"Oh Becky what can I say, a meteor hit square in London and well, it just held me up."
"Did it steal your key-card before it hit Earl's Court then?" She said with a raised eyebrow.
"Oh Becky we both know that's retarded, no I just couldn't be arsed to find it." He chuckled to the flirting recetionist.
He joined the queue for the lift and got in it as soon as it arrived, he was only on the twentyith floor so it did not take him long to get up. The doors opened with a bling and he stepped out into the human resources office. He breathed in deeply and then sighed.
"Good morning everyone and isn't a perfect morning to manage people through the medium of e-mails." He announced.
His friends chuckled, but the one voice he dreaded was the only that replied.
"Mr. Stryfe late again I see?" it said.
He span round to see his grumpy boss in his usual slate grey suite, still with his very prominent balding patch and his small eyes.
"Mr. Maxwell sir! Sorry but there was this asteroid that hit the earth and-"
"Save it Gene, there's nothing you could have done…this time….but next time you better hope a tsunami hit us."
"Yes sir of course sir." He said and Maxwell walked towards his glass framed office that always had the blinds pulled across. Gene watched him leave and then breathed a sigh of relief and then with a laugh he turned to his friends who were all standing up in their qubeicls.
"Did you guys just see that, Maxwell let me off." He said laughing as he approached the group leaning on Alice's wall.
"He must be getting soft in his old age." She agreed.
"I find that hard to believe, but guys I'm going to need you guys and gals to conjure up a tidal wave so we can be late tomorrow." They all laughed.