Just incase anyone was wondering, text that looks like *this* are either emphasized words or the silent thoughts of someone.
Cost You Dearly
Coming in to work a few minutes early, Naomi was able to sneak into the room where all the file cabinets were. She slipped the lists she had taken into the drawer labeled 'Confidential'. One benefit of her position was that she held keys to the files and the room in which they were held.
Naomi was now sitting in her office. It was now around midday, and no one seemed to have missed the files. Naomi figured that she was safe.
Though it was only her second day as personal assistant, she was finding that most of the requirements were not much different from her old job. The only difference was that she was dealing with international decisions, not financial reports.
Naomi was brainstorming on how she could get news of the raids out to other believers, when the buzz of the intercom interrupted her thoughts. Carpathia's voice came through the speaker on her desk.
"Miss Mecha, could I have a word with you in my office, please?"
"I'll be right there, sir."
Had he found out about the files? She hoped not. Maybe he just wanted to tell her about a meeting.
To be safe, Naomi tapped the door twice before entering.
"Enter. Ah, Miss Mecha."
"Was there something you wanted, sir?"
At that moment, a door opened at the other end of the room, and a chef came in, pushing a cart covered in various platters of food.
"I was just wondering if you would like to have lunch," he said, motioning to the cart of food. "You may go," he added to the chef, who left.
*Ok. This is getting a bit stupid.*
"Actually, I was just working on something very important. But thank you. It was…thoughtful."
"Miss Mecha, you work too hard. I insist that we have lunch."
"With all due respect, sir, *I* insist that I get back to my work, which is not at all too hard."
*Big mistake*, Naomi thought.
Nicolae's tone sharpened slightly. "Miss Mecha, you are being entirely ungrateful. Most people would give anything for five minutes of my time. Here I am, offering lunch, and you do not accept."
"I, unlike most people, do not *want* to have lunch. I am not hungry, and I will go back to my office now, if you do not mind."
*Another big mistake.*
With that, Naomi turned her back and left. Her heart was racing. Now she had done it.
*God forgive me, my temper can get away with things sometimes.*
She reached her office and quickly sat down. She quickly scattered papers all over her desk and brought up multiple documents on her computer screen, to create the effect that she was too busy for lunch, if Carpathia decided to follow her. He did.
Naomi pounded away at her keyboard, trying to look like she was concentrating. But really, she was watching the reflection on her screen. Any moment, she expected her door to fling open. It did.
Carpathia strode in angrily. He seized the back of Naomi's chair and spun her around to face him.
"You do not turn your back on me!"
Naomi so very much wanted to point out that she just had, but figured that her words had done enough damage.
"You are being entirely ungrateful, and that attitude could cost you your job." Bits of spit flecked the computer screen, creating magnified blue, red, and green dots on "Overview of Industrial Trade with New Babylon".
"Perhaps my job isn't worth that much to me. Perhaps I don't like working for you," Naomi said calmly, rising from her chair.
"I could fire you right now."
Naomi had had enough. "Well, sir, I will spare you. You may consider this my resignation." She turned towards the exit, grabbing her bag on the way.
"This will cost you dearly. That is the second time you have turned your back on me today!"
"I'm going back to my old job, so you need not worry about it happening again."
And so she left.
(Two years after that incident)
Naomi not longer dreamed of some high-up position. Frankly, she was quite happy, if you could call it that, with her job in Finances. She was quite amazed that Carpathia had not prevented her from keeping this job.
However, she would not be here for long. The dead and now resurrected Carpathia had started demanding everyone to wear a mark of loyalty. The Mark of the Beast. David Hassid, Mac McCullum, and Abdullah Smith, all employees of the GC, were planning to fly out of New Babylon on a "business trip". Of course, halfway through, they would land and use a computer controlled flight to fake a crash into the ocean. They would be assumed dead. Then, they would get on a different plane and leave for good.
Hannah, along with the other three, had reasonable jobs that would allow them reason for being on the flight. But Naomi had no reason to be on the flight. After all, why would a financial secretary go on a flight to deliver guillotines? She would go anyways, but, unlike the others, she was not booked for the flight. In the eyes of the GC, she would have simply disappeared. Besides, it was too dangerous for her to be on the same flight as Hannah. Carpathia already knew that she and Hannah knew each other. If he suspected something, he might see a connection between the two and their sudden "deaths".
Naomi did not show up for work that morning. Mollet reported it to his executive, and the news made its way up the line. Carpathia ordered guards to search her apartment. They kicked the door in and found no one. Completely searching the place, they found nothing of importance; until they scoured the furniture. Under the cushions of one of the couches, there were three copies of a Confidential list. Naomi had completely forgotten about them. And so, Naomi Mecha became known as a fugitive and traitor of the One World Government.
***(end of flashback)***
More time passed, as it was now 4:00 am. The jeep suddenly pulled into a side road, where it continued on its journey for another five minutes. Looming out of the darkness, Naomi could barely make out the shape of a two story brick building.
Cost You Dearly
Coming in to work a few minutes early, Naomi was able to sneak into the room where all the file cabinets were. She slipped the lists she had taken into the drawer labeled 'Confidential'. One benefit of her position was that she held keys to the files and the room in which they were held.
Naomi was now sitting in her office. It was now around midday, and no one seemed to have missed the files. Naomi figured that she was safe.
Though it was only her second day as personal assistant, she was finding that most of the requirements were not much different from her old job. The only difference was that she was dealing with international decisions, not financial reports.
Naomi was brainstorming on how she could get news of the raids out to other believers, when the buzz of the intercom interrupted her thoughts. Carpathia's voice came through the speaker on her desk.
"Miss Mecha, could I have a word with you in my office, please?"
"I'll be right there, sir."
Had he found out about the files? She hoped not. Maybe he just wanted to tell her about a meeting.
To be safe, Naomi tapped the door twice before entering.
"Enter. Ah, Miss Mecha."
"Was there something you wanted, sir?"
At that moment, a door opened at the other end of the room, and a chef came in, pushing a cart covered in various platters of food.
"I was just wondering if you would like to have lunch," he said, motioning to the cart of food. "You may go," he added to the chef, who left.
*Ok. This is getting a bit stupid.*
"Actually, I was just working on something very important. But thank you. It was…thoughtful."
"Miss Mecha, you work too hard. I insist that we have lunch."
"With all due respect, sir, *I* insist that I get back to my work, which is not at all too hard."
*Big mistake*, Naomi thought.
Nicolae's tone sharpened slightly. "Miss Mecha, you are being entirely ungrateful. Most people would give anything for five minutes of my time. Here I am, offering lunch, and you do not accept."
"I, unlike most people, do not *want* to have lunch. I am not hungry, and I will go back to my office now, if you do not mind."
*Another big mistake.*
With that, Naomi turned her back and left. Her heart was racing. Now she had done it.
*God forgive me, my temper can get away with things sometimes.*
She reached her office and quickly sat down. She quickly scattered papers all over her desk and brought up multiple documents on her computer screen, to create the effect that she was too busy for lunch, if Carpathia decided to follow her. He did.
Naomi pounded away at her keyboard, trying to look like she was concentrating. But really, she was watching the reflection on her screen. Any moment, she expected her door to fling open. It did.
Carpathia strode in angrily. He seized the back of Naomi's chair and spun her around to face him.
"You do not turn your back on me!"
Naomi so very much wanted to point out that she just had, but figured that her words had done enough damage.
"You are being entirely ungrateful, and that attitude could cost you your job." Bits of spit flecked the computer screen, creating magnified blue, red, and green dots on "Overview of Industrial Trade with New Babylon".
"Perhaps my job isn't worth that much to me. Perhaps I don't like working for you," Naomi said calmly, rising from her chair.
"I could fire you right now."
Naomi had had enough. "Well, sir, I will spare you. You may consider this my resignation." She turned towards the exit, grabbing her bag on the way.
"This will cost you dearly. That is the second time you have turned your back on me today!"
"I'm going back to my old job, so you need not worry about it happening again."
And so she left.
(Two years after that incident)
Naomi not longer dreamed of some high-up position. Frankly, she was quite happy, if you could call it that, with her job in Finances. She was quite amazed that Carpathia had not prevented her from keeping this job.
However, she would not be here for long. The dead and now resurrected Carpathia had started demanding everyone to wear a mark of loyalty. The Mark of the Beast. David Hassid, Mac McCullum, and Abdullah Smith, all employees of the GC, were planning to fly out of New Babylon on a "business trip". Of course, halfway through, they would land and use a computer controlled flight to fake a crash into the ocean. They would be assumed dead. Then, they would get on a different plane and leave for good.
Hannah, along with the other three, had reasonable jobs that would allow them reason for being on the flight. But Naomi had no reason to be on the flight. After all, why would a financial secretary go on a flight to deliver guillotines? She would go anyways, but, unlike the others, she was not booked for the flight. In the eyes of the GC, she would have simply disappeared. Besides, it was too dangerous for her to be on the same flight as Hannah. Carpathia already knew that she and Hannah knew each other. If he suspected something, he might see a connection between the two and their sudden "deaths".
Naomi did not show up for work that morning. Mollet reported it to his executive, and the news made its way up the line. Carpathia ordered guards to search her apartment. They kicked the door in and found no one. Completely searching the place, they found nothing of importance; until they scoured the furniture. Under the cushions of one of the couches, there were three copies of a Confidential list. Naomi had completely forgotten about them. And so, Naomi Mecha became known as a fugitive and traitor of the One World Government.
***(end of flashback)***
More time passed, as it was now 4:00 am. The jeep suddenly pulled into a side road, where it continued on its journey for another five minutes. Looming out of the darkness, Naomi could barely make out the shape of a two story brick building.