'-should be ready now. You can get up now, Harold.' Harold looked around. He was in the memory recording room. It was used to make a perfect navi, but after many tests it was found that true power didn't lie in brute force, but in emotions as well. So Elixir thought that it was a good idea to use the emotions from some the workers in the navis by downloading them to the navis. There was one problem, though.
'Is 1 still stable?' Harold asked.
'Yes, it's still stable.' The technician replied. He, Harold remembered. The program had been drafted out of Harold's emotions, but back then he had lost his family in a terrorist attack. When the navi had first been built, it was configured with a huge amount of guilt, anger and vengeance. Guilt at not having been there to help, anger for not helping, and vengeance towards the fledgling company, NetCity, for being the reason for the attack. The guilt in 1 had diminished through time. But anger and vengeance never go, they just build. The reason Harold was in here now was to record new emotions for 1.
'Is Elixir up yet?' Harold said. Yes, Elixir was firm of mind, and was as stable as a rock. Elixir himself oversaw the creation of 2. Elixir, however, was extremely tired of late.
'Not yet sir. He's in his office, apparently sleeping.' Another technician answered.
'DING DONG Will Harold Waterman please come to the conference room.' A voice said over the loudspeaker. Harold walked out of the room, and passed Elixir's office. He looked in. Elixir looked up for a second, then got back to sleeping. Damn, Harold thought, I'm going to have to start the unveiling myself.
'Thank you for being here, ladies and gentlemen.' Harold said. A few minutes ago, Elixir had called him, saying sorry for being so tired. Harold knew the man needed the sleep, he had been working overdrive for the last few months. 'Today, I am here to unveil a new type of navi, one is being produced by SciLab, yes, but we have it here first! A navi who is programmed, not by normal numbers, oh no. But by actual emotions!' An audible gasp ran through the crowd. Harold was flying now. 'Yes, ladies and gentlemen, we have found a way of changing emotions into data and transferring them into the navis themselves! On our website, we are now posting emotion patches for all navis, so that people from around the globe may experience this superb new program! Several of our-' Suddenly the lights went out. 'What on-' The sprinklers went off. The crowd was screaming now, shoving for the exits. 'I assure you, ladies and gentlemen, that this is not part of the presentation! Please make your way quickly towards the exits!' Harold shouted. His phone rang. Harold answered it. 'Yes, what is it now?'
'Hello, Harold.' The voice was menacing, and even that didn't fit the bill. It was angry, certainly, but what about? 'It's me, Harold.' Harold took the phone away from his ear and looked at the screen. There was only one thing on it. The number 1.
'Number…1?' Harold said, quivering.
'Your really are smart! Well, you aren't getting out of here, Harold, you made me. You tried to contain me.' The voice replied.
'You were a danger to you and everyone around you! We had to contain you, otherwise you would have caused massive amounts of damage!'
'You had no right to contain me. You shall pay the price. Good day.' The phone rang dead. Harold stared at the speaker in shock, as if expecting it at any moment to explode. Then numbers appeared. A countdown. 10 minutes. Harold didn't hesitate. He dropped the phone and ran out of the room.
'Urm…hello?' Harold looked around. Nothing. Even his torch didn't make a dent in the darkness. Something had turned off the power. But what? He thought. He eventually found the fire escape. He ran down it, taking steps three or even four at a time. He got into the parking lot. Harold saw his car, and ran towards it. He got in, turned the key, and a voice went 'Good evening and goodbye, Harold my old chum. Ha!'. Then the car started and shot straight through the wall, and down the five storeys on the other side…
'Is 1 still stable?' Harold asked.
'Yes, it's still stable.' The technician replied. He, Harold remembered. The program had been drafted out of Harold's emotions, but back then he had lost his family in a terrorist attack. When the navi had first been built, it was configured with a huge amount of guilt, anger and vengeance. Guilt at not having been there to help, anger for not helping, and vengeance towards the fledgling company, NetCity, for being the reason for the attack. The guilt in 1 had diminished through time. But anger and vengeance never go, they just build. The reason Harold was in here now was to record new emotions for 1.
'Is Elixir up yet?' Harold said. Yes, Elixir was firm of mind, and was as stable as a rock. Elixir himself oversaw the creation of 2. Elixir, however, was extremely tired of late.
'Not yet sir. He's in his office, apparently sleeping.' Another technician answered.
'DING DONG Will Harold Waterman please come to the conference room.' A voice said over the loudspeaker. Harold walked out of the room, and passed Elixir's office. He looked in. Elixir looked up for a second, then got back to sleeping. Damn, Harold thought, I'm going to have to start the unveiling myself.
'Thank you for being here, ladies and gentlemen.' Harold said. A few minutes ago, Elixir had called him, saying sorry for being so tired. Harold knew the man needed the sleep, he had been working overdrive for the last few months. 'Today, I am here to unveil a new type of navi, one is being produced by SciLab, yes, but we have it here first! A navi who is programmed, not by normal numbers, oh no. But by actual emotions!' An audible gasp ran through the crowd. Harold was flying now. 'Yes, ladies and gentlemen, we have found a way of changing emotions into data and transferring them into the navis themselves! On our website, we are now posting emotion patches for all navis, so that people from around the globe may experience this superb new program! Several of our-' Suddenly the lights went out. 'What on-' The sprinklers went off. The crowd was screaming now, shoving for the exits. 'I assure you, ladies and gentlemen, that this is not part of the presentation! Please make your way quickly towards the exits!' Harold shouted. His phone rang. Harold answered it. 'Yes, what is it now?'
'Hello, Harold.' The voice was menacing, and even that didn't fit the bill. It was angry, certainly, but what about? 'It's me, Harold.' Harold took the phone away from his ear and looked at the screen. There was only one thing on it. The number 1.
'Number…1?' Harold said, quivering.
'Your really are smart! Well, you aren't getting out of here, Harold, you made me. You tried to contain me.' The voice replied.
'You were a danger to you and everyone around you! We had to contain you, otherwise you would have caused massive amounts of damage!'
'You had no right to contain me. You shall pay the price. Good day.' The phone rang dead. Harold stared at the speaker in shock, as if expecting it at any moment to explode. Then numbers appeared. A countdown. 10 minutes. Harold didn't hesitate. He dropped the phone and ran out of the room.
'Urm…hello?' Harold looked around. Nothing. Even his torch didn't make a dent in the darkness. Something had turned off the power. But what? He thought. He eventually found the fire escape. He ran down it, taking steps three or even four at a time. He got into the parking lot. Harold saw his car, and ran towards it. He got in, turned the key, and a voice went 'Good evening and goodbye, Harold my old chum. Ha!'. Then the car started and shot straight through the wall, and down the five storeys on the other side…