mtmerrick
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Living in the future, today.
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« on: May 12, 2010, 10:27:04 pm » |
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Marik Marks stepped out of the MIT front doors alongside his best friend from school, John Maplen. “Spring vacation. Dad wants me to go home for the whole thing.” he said, obviously disgruntled. John sighed. “'Least your parents want you back. Mine think I should stay here and study. They don't seem to see me, just my grades.” Marik rolled his eyes, and laughed. “your father is research chief of the Google. You know he's just busy. Plus, my dad already invited you over.” John chuckled, and said “yeah, I know.” Marik grabbed his car's door handle, felt the familiar vibration as it scanned his fingers, and opened the door. He hopped in, pressed a button on the dash, and the passenger door opened. “c'mon, lets go.”
* * *
Marik pulled up to his family's estate, and a massive gran spread across his face. He pushed open the car door, and went to embrace his girlfriend, who was there waiting for him. John rolled his eyes and followed after a moment. The smiled at him, and said “your dad wants you guys in the dining room quick. There are guest coming I think.” “Thanks Elaine” Marik said, and went in with his friends.
* * *
“Do you know who's coming?”
The three teens sat at the massive dining room table in silence.
“Do you have the slightest IDEA” Marik's father continued “how big this meeting is?”
The deafening silence continued.
“Of course you don't. The ENTIRE Virgin Board is coming! Either we make a deal here, or we loose millions.” He pointed a finger at Marik. “You have to be here. Your friends don't. If they stay, they shut up, period.”
John and Elaine exchanged glances. They had attended these dinner meetings before, and knew what was expected.
Marik's fathers suit pocket buzzed, and he swore as he pulled out his PD. Marik caught a glimpse of the front security cameras as his father tapped furiously. “Don't they know its fashionably LATE, not EARLY?!?!” he roared, as he walked away. Marik groaned. “Well, I'm gonna go change. If you guys are staying – which I have no idea why you would – I hope you brought a tux or a dress.” With a forlorn look on his face, he headed away. “I'm surprised how much he hates google” John muttered. Elaine shook her head. “he has no problem with Google” she said as she stood up “its corporate business he hates. He'd trade with your dad, sitting in a lab with the cool tech, in a heartbeat.”
“Guess I just don't get it then.” John said and sighed. “I'm gonna go eat in the kitchen. You?” Elaine shook her head. “I'll stay here with Marik.” “Whatever” John said, and headed off.
* * *
“So you're Chris's boy!” said yet another executive. Marik put on his best fake smile, and shook another hand. “yes. And you?”
The exec introduced himself, and then took his seat. Before another old guy in a suit could bother him, he took his seat, and became very interested in the napkin. Elaine slipped into the seat next to him, and smiled. “Ditch this as soon as possible?” Marik asked, and his girlfriend nodded in response. “surprised you came.”
“eh, they're not so bad.” she said, and Marik smiled.
* * *
The waiter cane around and filled up everyone's glasses yet again. Towards the head of the table, a group of execs had roped his father into a rowdy conversation about particle physics, and Marik glanced over to Elaine. At once, they stood up and slipped into the kitchens. No one noticed them. “alright, we're out.” Marik said in relief, pulling at his tie. As they went outside, Marik's pocked vibrated. Marik swore, pulled out his pad, and threw it in a fountain. “I wish all this technology would stop driving me INSANE!”
As if on cue, all the lights in the massive house went off, accompanied by a slight wave of force. . Exchanging panicked looks, Marik grabbed his PD out of the fountain. It was dead. “these things are waterproof!” Marik said “Elaine!” She grabbed her PD, only to find it dead as well. “what's going on?!?!” Marik ran inside and ripped off the front of the nearest terminal. “shorted out... oh god, someone puled an EMP on us!” Elaine's eyes widened even further. “An Electromagnetic Pulse bomb?”
“yeah.” Marik shook his head. “and an freakishly powerful one too, if it took out our pads.... Oh no... the reactor!” “the fuel would be ignited....” Elaine said in shock. “go somewhere, find a working pad, figure out what's happening.” With a nod, she went out the door, and Marik rushed down the stairs into the basement. Halfway down he could feel the heat of the inferno. Turning, he went back up. There was no way to put it out – the fire systems were on the same grid as the rest of the house, and would be shorted out. Running to the other wing of the house, he kicked down the door to the security guard's office, and grabbed a handgun off the rack. Slipping his only defense against whoever planted the bomb into his jacket pocket, he continued back to the dining room. Throwing open the door, Marik let a gasp of horror as he saw his father and most of the rest of the execs – Google's ad Virgin's – hopelessly drunk. Grabbing the arm of the only the sober man who wasn't out of his mind in panic, Marik grabbed his arm and said loudly “there was an bomb, and there's a fire in the basement, and its spreading! Help me get these guys outside!” With incoherent grunt of acknowledgment, the man helped drag out the drunks. As they dragged the fourth man out, they heard screams. “no... “ he muttered. Rushing back in, he found the dining room ablaze. He was about to go in, but a fiery beam fell out of the ceiling, and barred the door. “NO!” he screamed, but the man pulled him back, a look of horror on his face. “other doors?” he suggested, and Marik nodded. “R-r-right. Kitchen.” leading the way, the found the kitchen completely ablaze as well. “No....” he said, and slumped against a wall, completely defeated. “we have to get out of here!” the man shouted! “maybe there are fire trucks coming? Kid, SURVIVE!” Marik pulled himself to his feet “yeah, right.” he muttered, and they stumbled out of the building. One side of the mansion was already ablaze. Minutes later, a car pulled up, and Elaine hopped out. She opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out, as she stared at disbelief at the blaze. The woman who was in the car came out and Took Marik by the shoulder. “your friend saw me coming down the road, flagged me down and told me what happened. Thank goodness the satellites are still working – every Google plant on the planet had something similar done at precisely the same time. The areas around the plants are all dead. I contacted the fire department using the emergency radio waves... I don't... think they'll... make it in time.” Marik couldn't even think straight – the only coherent thought was 'my father was in there'
* * * Two Days Later * * *
Marik sat at a table with several execs, two presidents, a prime minister, and five military commanders. Marik was still in shock, but he was aware that they were discussing possible culprits. The current prerogative was to declare war on Virgin, because they were there at the time and were close enough to remotely detonate without being detected, or possibly Bloom, as they had just been there to service the reactor. Someone had suggested that it could have been a terrorist, but the idea was dismissed. There was virtually no way an average citizen cold have pulled this off. Someone nudged Marik. “Son, I asked, do you know what business deal your father was working on?” Marik shook his head. “no idea. He kept his work to himself, and I didn't press for information.” A general sighed. “the drunks you rescued don't remember, and the sober man is suffering shock. Until then, the entire globe is on maximum alert.” Standing up, Marik asked “Can I go? I don't seem to be needed.” The table exchanged glances, and one of them nodded. “go.”
* * * One Day Later * * *
Marik slammed his fist down on the table. “what do you mean you declared WAR?!??!” Marik screamed into the terminal's screen. “there's not even any proof Bloom did it!” “Marks, all the evidence points to them, a pre-emptive strike is the only way to guarantee global safety! And as your father's second-in-”Marik hit the off button on the screen before the man could finish. “the world just got a lot more dangerous” Marik said to himself. “lets just hope they don't pull out the ICBMs.”
Well? What are you waiting for? Choose a side, and get playing! Anarchy will rule this hemisphere in a week. You have been warned.
oh, and its quite possible Bloom Energy is innocent. well, we'll see i guess. *diabolical laugh*
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