Virtual Heaven

Kole 2CHAPTER ONEAlex Cutler spent most of his days stooped over the latest monitor, his black hairaying against his smooth jaw line as he rocked in sync with the rhythmic clicks of thekeyboardS co-worker, Sean, knocked on the open door with long thinning hair and anflated belly, he reminded Alex of an alcoholic skater from the early two thousands whoold radically different storiesut that ended his career Even nelung one decision from stardom Like the thing where you doubled a penny everydaymonth, him posting a daily shot of his eclectic T-shirts would compound millions offollowers in no time Today's shirt, black with dominant white letters, read: 99,9%CHIMPANZEEIf alex received thesed he would consider hiringSean as a wardrobe ceor at least bribe him for his method of procurement Untilthen, he dressed similar to today: slim, not skinny jeans, a snug V-neck under a loosefitting flannel, and shoes with fat lacesoday's the big day?eans grin relaxed Alex I guess we'll see Come in Over the past few days, heworried his decision to leave Vision Tech had irked his buddy Despite never meetingoutside of the office

alex consideredKnock that off Sean said "You don t work here anymoreing fast typing increased as he neared his intendedbreaking point, Sean ploppedchair across from himew stapled pages on theesk, and grabbed the lone knick-knack--two metallic stick figures on a seesaw-beforeeaning backAanndd there " Alex said a few clicks followy a series of musical notesand he shut down hiputer for the final timeemembering deserting his coworker claimed a spot on the day's itinerary; his eyesdarted from Seans as he gathered the random flash drives left in his desk, and placedYkeep that, Alex nodded to the object Sean toyed with Once given ap, the seesaw rocked for an exorbitant length Every time someone activated it, heought of his childhood--of happy times gone forever " Something to remember me byf I,'m never seen again He spoke in jest, but as the words slipped out, he accepted hisous might have summoned them as a warning to the alert self BeyondBroumgard Group remained a mystery His grasp of the companys purpose could bsomewhere in the northwestern United States, the exact geographical location fo

Kole llffectively silenced the rowdy room and brought order, aledoubted if a choreographer, given a month to rehearse, could have done it fasterhis is Alex Cutler He will be leading you nomads once he completesorientation If anyone has any questions before we head over, now is the timeAlex raised his hand and noticed another man -a thin albino with white hairreddish eyes and large freckles--doing the sameTara sighed "Does anyone who has worked here more than a few days have anystared playfully at Alex until he lowered his arm As you two can see,everyone here is wearing name tags, for today onlyctag read, Carl W The ghost-likenough to drink alcolips and wide nose gave him African features, Wereere African albinos? Either way, Carls bewildered look comforted Alex, for itded hisOkay everyone lets head over to the elevators Tara ara school bell had sounded, the chatter resumed and everyone stood A fewemployees gathered around Alex, inspecting himked his dimAlex's However, in a society that demanded perfection, Kole's quarter of an inch off therehead, eyes two millimeters larger, and slightly longer nose took Alexs seven toKole’ shineAlex shrugged held play whatever, once he figured out the controlsw about this

Kole saida hot shot or a team playAlex answered honestly Team playerThats good We have too many hot shots on this team, Denise, a black, fiveoot-one, bulldozer of a woman, said The plastic beads on the ends of her hair rattledagainst her shoulders as she moved The"e"at the end of her name trailed off anddragged around the tag providing a border, complete with thorns and leavesIf you need anything, " she placed her hand seductiveAlex,s forearmanything at all, you come see me She glided her fingers across his arm as she turned toeave Once near the door, she high-fived another female on their way outKole patted alex,s shoulder " What's it gonna be then bud, offendefense?I havent played footbght, he said groggily as hefrom the come-on " But I can hold my own at MaddenThe orange-haired Asian jumped on a chair and formed his arms into variouDeelHis display earned numerous chuckles, applause, and cheers of support from thehe thing is, Kole said drawing Alexs attention, this is no video game It'sfull-contact, take-no-prisoners footbWope the guards play touch, Ala dry laughackle, a wiry woman in he early twenties said as she passed, ""sodont try and snakeA female left tackle that weighed a hundred and thirty pounddeobe theyboland thuld bee futureall where gravity didn 't matter and propulsion amplified their movements Highelocity contacts would create iarring sounds as loud as head-on collisions If so, the

Kole 12uncomfortability, wishing he'd had the balls to say no thank you Spent ila Well,moretechnology might be safe enoughryone present, but Alex wouldlikely, he would want to pass, but suit up and play, the entire timele two newbies, Alex and Carl, were the last to enter the rowdy hallway Agestion of more than two-dozen security officers and programmers shuffled as one, alloting and trash-talkingCarl, Alex, you guys stay with the group, Tara said " They'll get you where youeed to go "She made sure they heard her and then knifed toward the front of the crowdMost ofty offilike uniforms while a fecollege jerseys The two-way heckling frothed--a bass versus tenor showdownThe confident demeanor of the programmerse to soothe Carl, who kept ae X-box showdown or something like in that movie surrogatescontrolled an avataAlex trailed a six -foot six-inch tall black man whose XxxXL University ofMichirsey might as well have been made ofhose bthickey could have stored Alexs thighs As if sensing Alexs inspection, he turned to facehim His smile appeared normal enoughle giant pointed at his own nametag to communicate above the ruclAlex checked himself for his nametag, intending to point, but Dalton waved awayhis efforthe knew all about Alex Cutler He imparted a dual thumbsEmployees gathered around a set of ivory-accented chrome elevators The moretime he spent loitering around the excited combatants, the more his tension abatedegardless of their destination, people were eager to arriveThe elevator opened for the third time, and he boarded at the end of the loadlimbed with each centimeter rise in elevation

He found himself wishing moms g oA mix of security jocks and programming nerds filled the car Alex's anticipatialready passed and he was integrated into the amiable atmosphere The conversationsdediplomacy A pinch of jest Who are you guys starting atquarterback?'This year we wirIMABEASTto stop jason?Jason? Thought Alex If they referenced the one he knew in the super tight labcoat, they only needed to toss a Baby ruth on the ground Boom, problem solveheavy green curtains stretched back as far as he could see Aere pulled shutStaffteracted with holographic charts floating two fefficiency of the design The nurses shouted names Individuals stepped forwardreceived terse directions, then merged into the rows of chairs He watched a man enterthe fifthand walk down five statie an attendantd for him as the mansat, the nurse guided the army green privacy curtain around them

Kole 13ra clutched his arm Her eyes coursed with excitement Are you readyfor the greatest experience on the planet?What is it? Are we playing football on a vR screen or something?Something like that Words cant describe it Just remember that you will betotally safe Tara pulled him toward the woman, who inspected himHe noddedAlex allowed himself to be led deep into the second row His mind processed thepossibilities; virtual reality, a virtual screen, deep hypnosis, sensory deprivation, toxicnduced hallucinations All of these had an appeal to him, some more than others Heply wishedbackOn his approach, he spotted Carl nestling into a chair Two security officers stoodbusinesslike to either side of him Carl,s face displayed his anxiety

Before he noticedAlex--who waited to give him a comforting nod--an officer shucked the durable curtainlosedid as she motioned to a chair "Takearea was elsquare A control panel that resembled an electronic lectern rested inle corner Alex eased into the comfortable black leather seat Underneath him a block-shaped apparatus flickered with lights Once settled, he detected the slight vibrations ofhardware with hardware present, he could eliminate toxic induced hallucinations, biSit back, Alex Relax, Tara coaxed as she gently assisted himThe chair reminded him of a top-of-the-line dental seat Flat and strong at theoulders curved to hug his lower back alex tingled with his first bite of excitemenThe chair inflated near his ankle, the space behind his knees, near his armpits, effectivelyreducing theTwo uniformed guards entered, and stood sentry, replacing Alexs excitemenokav,” Tara said“ The officfirst time jitters Shecompact plastic case from her pocket and withdrew a small metallic pistol with glass vialIng aboutToxic induced hallucinations were back onOne look at the pair of beefcakes helped to evaluate hiing to give you a mild sedative She stood theding the deviceI guess I'm going to have to, huh? he said with a half-smile and a bit of spiteThis was life in a nutshell Limitless possibilities around you, but only one actual choice,usually decided by another persorIt's a very small needle, she said as she extended her armHe closed his eyes and braced for the puncture, but it never cameTara described it correctly, a ssmmaallblack

Kole 14CHAPTER THREEAlex detected muffled voices in the distanceed to clarify untilecognized them as the playful banter of the security officers and programmers Thegrogginess swarming his facilities abated more abruptly than a full nights sleepa woveseat in an all white room white as if the entireorld had beend, leaving the backdrop of Gods reality Carl shared the sofa withstaring into the distance, his back stiff, his white hair camouflaged, his handsclasped between his legs as if awaiting a busA man with a cross-fit body and shaved head occupied another love seat to theirHis physique indicated security officer Shock intruded his senses; they all woreroumgard shirts, blue jeans, and low-top sneakers Had they been stripped and redressedsince the iniectionNext to him, the officers right knee bounced; he smeared his palms across thetops of his thighs; his head swiveled asThe rest of the employees gathered in the center of whiteness Lacking objects tocompare and contrast--trees, cars, desks-the distance became difficult to judge Theycould be twenty yards, or two hundred yards from him?Tara stood in front of the three men with her hands behind her back She woresnug skirt, a light pink business blazer with black piping Her shirt, unbuttoned to midavage then he would have thought her capable of gatherinWelcome, gentlemen " She spread her arms as if about to start an open houseed at Carl "Are you okay, Mr

Wright?Carl lifted his head His red eyes glossy, as if medicatedAre youTara stepped toward h"Umm Carl cleared his throat "erri think sowhat kind of shit is this? " The man with the shaved head barked and stoodWhere the hell did you take me? And what kind of freaky drugs were in that needlealm down Mr Robertson You are in the lobby our main attraction here atridu If you would please take your seat, I will lay out a brief explanation and thenanswer any questions you may haveI ain't sittin'shit, lady He horse-kicked the love seat, knocking it a few inchesacross the indefinable whiteAlex inhaled sharply and looked to Carl, who stared ahead, perhaps oblivious tothe mood changeI didnt sign up for no freaky shit Wherever the hell you took me, it was againstmy will and I want to leave Now He stepped closer to her

Kole 15le volume of the crowd decreased heads turned in their directiolex stared at the employees would no one come to Taras aid? If this muscularan got physical, would Carl just sit there? Which left Alex, and similar options PerhapsAlex could ask the guy to take it easy before being grabbed in an expert judo movefeeling his arm breakMr Robertson, you need to calm down and let me explainExplain my ass "He stepped within a yard of her and pointed I fought for thicountry Did shit for you you'll never knowIn the midst of his rant, Tara casually said, "Employee command, Tara Capaldalt Mr robertson, lower volume thirty percentThe man’ s voice dimmedNoticing it, he hesitated before he continued "Halt? I dont think so In fact, I,'mtta here He pivoted to go but as his foot extended, it met with an invbarrier andent back to the ground He shoved his arms out in a pushing motion They connectedTara paced around the angry man as he kicked and tried all directions, findinghimself encased Meanwhile she scooted the love seat backLook lack, Tara snapped Then to the air, she said, "Manual move, MrRobertson She placed her hand on the outside of thsible cage and effortlesslyguided the box containing the livid man until it butted against the love seatYou can either sit down and take some deep breaths or you can stand here for theourself hoarse

Those are your optionsMr Robertson tested his new surroundings, and, discovering his mobility limitedswallowed, swiped his palms across his face With a clearer demeanor, he said, I meanjust feel I'm entitled to know where I am He kicked at the invisible barrier one moree, much of his venom dissipated That last one appearedof a verification kickHow is this happeningAll I need is your word you will relax, have a seat, and give me a chance toNodding Mr Robertson lickedRemove halt of mr Robertson Tara motioned for him to sitThe man nodded bent and slid his hands across his wide thighs as he eased ontoe cusTara allowed a few secondsthe chatter of the crowd returned and thelshe spoke, Monitor, orientation video On her right side, a rectangle, the size of alaying card, appeared With one swift movement, it expanded to a seventy-inch monitord displayed the company logodisah Boomul assembled the broumgard group Tara begawandanborn americandered by many to be the first true hacker Roughly twenty-five yearago, he wrote a program for ghost bots, commonly known as botnets, inadvertentlyspawning a class of cyber rebelslex had heard rumors of a godfather to hacking, but he didn't involve himselcking That was a destructive tool, black hatter stuff Alex liked to build, expand,create Neverthelessew botnets were tpopularservers that allowed websites to function a hacker would send out a wave of e-mails of

Kole 17machine? The orlike it in the world? " He motioned to alex carl and himseAnd if we go down there with them, we will enter a football stadium?ara waited a beat“Yes”And my knee?""Mr Robertson lifted his knee and clasped it with both handsfrom college will be totally healed?Yes, all physical ailments are removed as soon as you enter the lobby In biHitters'Ball, your entire physical makeup will be alteredMr Robertson stepped closer to Tara, still holding his hands up in the gestureomission“wellapped them together, thats all I need to hear, Ms CapaldiHe cautiously crept toward the group of people as he neared tara, he asked, " Thatokay, right? I can be done hereYes, thats fine, she said nodding past her, Go aheadHe jogged down thedor toward thetheheAt Mr Robertsons approach, the crowd erupted into applause and catcallsara turned her attention back to Alex and Carl, Any questions? " The screen nether flashed amarkCarl raised his hand slowly, as if assisted with helium Where are we, physicaPhysically, you are sitting in your access station on the upper level of theAtriWhat about, has anyone ever died or gone crazy after entering? Are there otherw are we connectedGreat set of questions, Mr Wright The answer to the firstever died I am happy to tell you we have not had so much as a headache reportedecond, creating worlds is a debilitating task All of your work as programmers will be tothat end

Currently,ffer three worlds: big hitters balle will visit todayPleasure house 101 and our most interactive world san francisco 1968, where clientscan spendrs each day enjoying the sunshine and atmosphere of the bay area ast was in 1968dered thecations The particulars aside, theto operateomplex machines, like an F-22 Raptor fighteruired millions of lines of codeWhat exactly would it take to populate a world? The five senses? Even something astrivial as the physics and texture of a blade of grass could devour terabytes of RAMAndow we connect, Tid to carl then to the airshe added "Monitor run adle screen flipped through classroom images: employees in lab coats; posters oInitially, the entire staff of the Broumgard Group focused on connectivity Sinceur inception, a team of biologists, physiologists, and many others, headed by Drradley Finder, worked around the clock, postulating and testing a multitude of theoriesAfter forty-two months the team designed the ad-11, which is commonly referred to asThe markeThe shape of the object on the screen reminded Alex of an anvil He edgedorward His face creased in concentration

Kole 3ed in one line: Broumgard provides solace for the suffering and leThanks, Bro Sean inspected the knick-knack Now, if you save the world orsomething, I'll auction this off on eBay for a couple thou Apparently satisfied, hethe desk andIye dothe broumgardGroup " His voice grew somber as he nodded to the stapled pages The gesture ignitedfire under Alexs skin, until he noticed Sean's mouth twitch as he struggled to suppress asmile "Youre not going to like what i discoveredEven with the knowledge of some impending gag, Seans words gave Alex pausHe scoured the Internet, yet still knew nothing about his future employer What companyavoided search enginesean placed his fingers on the stapled pages and rotatedr AlexSatanYgoing to be working for the devil Likes friend nodded for him to peruse the documents "I'm serious It's total mindfellatio Obviously, you're going to be working on a computer He pointed at theprintout Computers are here to usher in the antichristAlex focused on the apparent farewell joke a simple bar graph constructed thelack header accentuated with orange flames, Youplaywiththedevil com He appreciathe gesture, butIt starts breaking down Revelations

Sean scooted to the edge of his chairHow the first communibetween artificial Ia sign of end tiabomination, accomplis1969 when computers from cal and ucla spoke to oneanother And how their mascots, the bear and the tiger, match the bible's prophecmean,did you know the first Macintosh personal computer, the Apple one, retailed forhundred and sixty-six dollarsAlex located that notation and frownedready to bathebut six hundred sixty-six dollars seemed an odd price point, and he would have thoughterrible marketing strategy, but Apple thrived Alex read a recent article claiming applemetered on the brink of becoming the first trillion-dollar companyNoticing hiernation Sean hummed a satisfied ""Mmm-HmmDespite the strange subject matter, Alex warmed with nostalgia Part of himwanted to stay at Vision Tech Keep life simple He knew this world and would missSeans antics, but something else pulled him forward, toward a grander fateheld little sway He had been headhunted befoduring his freshman year in college He tossed their information packet in the trash aespecially after the success of his program, Plow Straight, universally adapted softwafor writers of code The secrecy meant less The NSa extended him an offer to appNothing could induce him to disregard the masses in favor of politicians No, he chosethector at a firm close to his vexing mother but the broumgardGroup offered riches, secrecy, and a project of benevolence-who could resist thatThats not all, "Sean leaned forward and flattened the stapled edge beforetapping halfway down the paper If you take the word computer, and assign each letter anumerical valuedalphabeticallike A equals one, b equalsCetcetera, add up the letters, then times that by six, the word computer equsix hundred sixty-six He paused for effect " He's rubbing it in our faces, my man

Concluding in the era of the internet a person could find data to support anyargument, Alex exhaled, " Pretty compelling stuff He then resumed his packing,owing, despite the absurdity of computers as the chariot for Satans son, he wouldcheck the math at a later timeGrabbing the cardboard top to his box, he paused at the sight of a plasticprotected copy of Computer World magazine sitting atop the items a younger version ofm adorned its cover--an eighteen-year-old misfit wanting nothing but to escape themadness of Roger's Park, his lower-class neighborhoodThe photographer had given him a Vision Tech sweatshirtphRecalling the ratty conditthe gray, coffee stained V-neck underneath, he grinnedIn the six years since that photograph, Alexs ability to visually encompass anidea, aggregate its many possibilities, and transform them into lines of codes, sequenceslds, had grown byfarther dowthe eyes of that smiling young man lay an inner confusion, an uncertainty to the point ofallreasingly frequent bouts of anxiety focused on the possibility he wasregressing; that he used each day to avoid thinking about the final one Perhaps thated then he accepted Broumgard's offer? To dilld help him identify his purpose Maybe, if their definition ofSean stretched his neck to see what held Alexs attention " I kept a copy of thattoo His tone adopted a seriousness that caught Alex off-guard when their eyes metSean bobbed his head "Always knew you were special, Bro

For realAlex shimmied the box lid on tight, leaned over, and stopped the rocking meno what's next?" Sean lifted the knick-knack as he roseGood question "Well, Im all packed and my stuff has been picked up I'm gonnastop by the condo for a final inspection and then that' s it for me and Chi-townwow said it all Alex breathed deeply The banter had soothed his nerves, bie approached the point of no return, the trill crept back Hefting the box, he rounded thedesk, where Sean stood stiff, chewing on his bottom lip, his face furrowed inUnfamiliar with seeing his friend ill at ease, Alex said, "I'll stay in touchThat’ s fine,” Sean said with the wave of his hand,“ But i want to ask a faHe locked eyes with Alex " No, a pledgeIt might be unethicalf you find outAlex thought about that for a second He had considered bionic prostitutes; textmessaging God (or aliens ) and, programming robotic dolphins that could spin attremendous velocities allowing them to sink multiple enemy vessels He hadnFinding Seans expectant face watching his, Alex noddedeans gaze lingered, possibly gauging Alex's sincerity Once accepted, hecracked a sly smile, they bumped fists, and Sean trotted away

Kole 5s boss and founder of Vision Tech, robert Stetson waited halfway downle center aisle that split the cubicles

He was the only person on the floor who dressedformal The sight of the dapper man saddened AlexWith a queasiness that mounted with each step, Alex reached him, balanced theLe, p, and they shook handshis hgoing to miss you something fierce here at VT, Robert saidA few employees gathered around to share in the farewell speeclWe all wish you the best of luck whereverAs robert spoke abhaving a job here if his new employment failed, andthem being family, things Alex appreciated and agreed with, he retreated internallyefore completely cocooning himself, he caught sight of a screensaver behind roberThe green mask from Jim Carrey's movie The Mask, floated across a black monitordominatingsized teeth a dobone structure The periodic animationthe green face bursting into a cackle recalled his earlier conversation about computersA thought chilled Alex If he somehow discovered computers were harbingersnd tirld that knowledge be enough for him, or anyone in society, to forsake thebeloved device

Kole 7Her shoulder-length black hair was tied behind her Her loose fitting scrubsaccentuated shapely hips and a healthy chest Her casual morning countenance sparkedte, as if a profound thought surfaced She turned in Alexs direction and met his stareod, Caught peeping, he pressed his lips together, brought his hand flush to his chest,dA small raise of the hand and she looked away, but Alex had an inclinatpiqued her curiosityShortly after, employees boarded the tram she added evidence to his suspicionsby looking at him a final time before entering a car three ahead of his He consideredng to join her, but found himself alone on the platform, so he darted into the rear caell-spaced sanguine-colored booths lined the intetelevision in betweenthe windows displayed the morning news, which recounted yet another strain of avianbird fluat scientists feared would soon mutate and decimate the humanoff, but an acrylic screen protector denied access to the controlHe avoided the news as if it carried the contagion If ever a day arrived when hefound himself one of the throngs of people salivating for the national news, he would fillbath and pull the teith him, ending the madnessBefore he queried victor about at least changing the channel, a stainless steel cartgrabbed his attention Trays were filled with fruits, yogurts, protein bars

Alex selectedEvian from the ice Was he the only person who found it interesting that one of the firstajor water companies chose to invert the word naive, and market a previously freeductFinally, and only in the land of Oz, a quaint condiment section offered binspills representing every color, size, and shapeAlex peered closer Cognitex/cognitive function, Glucosamine Sulfate/jointealth, GlycolCam/improved artery efficacyWhat's up with the pills, victor? He asked as he traced his fingers overshVitamins and minerals, sirAlex grabbed two for brain function and heart health and one for intestinaitegrity, then said, "When in Rome, "before washing down his handful with a gulp fromthe bottle of water whekedThe tram rode exceptionally smooth--not a screech sounded as it glided to itsfirst stop near the security section a half-dozen men in gray and black uniforms enteredled his cabin, adding disappointment This was his biday He wantedbout it he wantedlimate heted tocarlep, the hotel La berce, where the vast majority of the passengers exitedd a few boardedysteryed goodbyeon theam and sought out the back car(which caused his heart to flutter), before she followedAs the doors started to shut, an obese man with greasy hair barged past AlexAlmost as round astall, the man wore a white lab coat over a dangerously tightTCU football jersey The baffling contrast stole Alexs desire to initiate conversation

Kole sle man carried his briefcase with two meaty handsshuffled to the boothd situated the suitcase on his lap He unclasped the locks, retrieved Doctor Sleep byen King, opened it to his bookmarked page, and, while keeping his eyes in his book,said, "Youre one of the new guysAlex considered sitting across from him butMyname’ s AlexI'm Jason He flipped a page ""You're the one taking over the CsDComprehensive Software Design People who worked with computers werealways altering their titles, as if the glof what they did increased witmoniker Programmers referred to themselves as software engineers networkers wenterface specialists, and animators were graphic designers Presumably, Alex would beed in programming and overseeing the other Maybe he should ask to becalled a technological maestro?Instead, he asked, " Are you a programmer?Of coursehandle side pocket of his lab coat and delicately removed aking-size Snickers With two fingers, a thumb, and deft precision, he exposed a portion ole chocolate bar arinto itlex wondered if this guy knew how tight his faded jersey fit It clung likeidle and had to be obstructing circulation, definitely respiration Packing even one extraFlashing colors drew him to the muted television Breaking news Some guy shotsome people He turned away, disgusted

Evidence existed to support airing these storiesperpetuated them, yet in America, ratings trumped moralityBeyond the screen, the mountain scenery captivated him a beauty behind mansbeast Snow still coated their tops Alex wondered about the temperature at thoselevations? Sunny and comfortable? Could he wear shorts asHewasnt sure He had never been near a mountain, but if the opportunity presented itself,e intended to find outInertia gently pitched him forward as the tram slowed tdeserted parking lot in front of the glass building residents called the AtriumAlex waited by the door as the tram crawled to a stop Taking a deep breath,adjusted his hair and tapped his foot Today he learned the big secret A technologaled by anythithe plaich of a reader but bookshelves lined hisshed the majority of a novel the previous night Some sci-finder that dealt with wormhole travel The possibility he would be gating off to otherds kept him awake past midnightNeed my help getting anywhere?n asked from behind himO, thanks I've got Victor with me He tapped his ear as he exitedWho? Oh, yeah Alright, man See you down there "When the doors openedason stepped past him and joi

Like an oversize hamster tunnel the tram tower connected to the atrium bthree-hundred-and-sixty-degree glass skywalk He waited for the employees to passthrough the two sets of double-doors and then, once alone, asked, Okay, victor, whiclYour destinate Once you enter the Atrium,option of taking the elevators to your left or the stairs directly in front of yoAlex searched the ceiling for a set of cameras, assuming Victor must be linkedwith them to know his location Finding none, he concluded the earpiece used GPStrackingWhen you arrive at the main floor, speak with one of theesk clerkAlex pushed through the double-doors and paused, a glass rail encompassed thehird floor He eased to its edge and peered over the main lobbyMght slanted through the glass front and reflected off of thedlored floor tiles, illuminating the open entrance, Chrome letters, as dominant asanners,tiled vertically down the west wall: ' B G Two arching reception desks waitedneath them with generous halls to either side a half-dozen security officers busiedthemselves behind the desks; some watching monitors; a few jotting notations; otheotting Broumgard's director of personnel, Tara Capaldi, brought back imagesof their first meeting at the airport Tan business skirt hugging athletic thighs and hipsdesigner watch and pumps; blond hair high-lighted with brown streaks and pulled back inponytail She had been the prettiest woman Alex ever touched Though in her latetwenties, something in her hazel eyes seemed aged, cold, and repelled any notion ofattraction She was a professional destined for bigger things

Alex respected herknowledge and organizational skills Beyond that, he simply appreciated her ability ton with a few wordsShe worked behinsest counter bent at the waist, observing a monitorwith one of the security officers(Victors idea of front desk clerks) The elevator chimeds arrival behind him turning he saw the final stragglers from the tram boarding and heurried over to join themAs the glass elevator descended, he stared at the only familiar face in the crowdTara laughed at something a security officer said Everyone near her turned to catch aMaking eye contact with Alex, she beamed; waved him overRemoving his earpiece as he exited, he placed it in his flannel pockeEridu resembledNfL linebackers in theirhe others weiglchampions from rikers islandvell so Good morning, Mr Cutler, "Tara said as they shook hands "Is everything goingMorning, and I cant imagine things going any betteror him to follow her down one of the two main hallwayA mammoth security guard watched Alex as he trailed her The gaze stayed firmbut non-threatening Good morning, Mr CutlerAlex replied as he scratched his neck unsettled that a man of thosedimensions knew his name prior to introduction

I'll take you to meet your team, " Tara said There are twenty-six full-timeprogrammers here Without guidance, they lack the type of synergy you instilled atVision teclmight have been a by-product of the superiority complex it initially provided derieg more than Plow Straight Camhe stopped in front of a door marked, Work Area One, and grabbed the knobHearing excited chatter coming from the room, he looked at Tara to reply, but sheopened the door The noise inside drowned out his intended wordDesks of average size filled the room Most occupied by talkative people dresseen casual attire High ceilings; walls decorated with pin-up posters of comic books andsci-fi movies; and an elevated platform, with a dominant desk, that faced the rest of theA few women dotted the room of predominantly male, middle-aged, computergeek types Two men wore VR headsets By the way their fingers strummed the air, theyinteracted with private worlds A foursome of Asians had their desks pushed togetherthe far wall They focused on a small man with brighthair, engagednimated tale in a foreign dialectAlex spotted his rotund tram companion, Jason, in the rear, feet propped on adesk His back faced the rest of the room as he read his novel and mined Whoppers fromhe annual hiring day is a big one for us, Tara said

a day where we open oures and allow special individuals, like yourself, to become part of the familyHere at Broumgard, we offer a multitude of entertaining events for our clientsm sure you ve heard about many amenities offered at hotel La berce, but I want tontroduce you to our real attraction: the lobbyAlex turned back toward the lobls if he had missed something and backto Tara, who watched him with a conspicuous smileDo you like football, Alex? We play a game each year: security personnel versusprogrammersThe basic rules of football eluded Alex He wasnt sure if a touchdownseven, or eight points; but as her words settled, he surveyed the room Most of the menand women were either small overweight or brittleHe recalled the security officers mulling behind the service counters behind Taraglanced around at his teammated then relaxed, followed by the bite off football waolved along with programmers, this whole hypedolved around a super video game Secretly, he had been hoping for the alitechnology or maybe the noah's ark thing -god knew the world needed anothecleansingVideo gaming bummed him out He didnt play video games as much as his peersand despite having a knack for them, enjoyed them less He could spend an afternoonbehind a controller, but once finished and looking back he wondered where the time hadgone, and regretted the waste One hour into his first day and he was thinking he mightbuck tm and become the first person to quit the broumgard groupThe orange-haired man stopped abruptly, hopped down, and sat