Ch 10- Den of liars
A packed stadium awaited the Lab 5 trainees at the end of the red carpet, and the outside of the arena was already drowning in a sea of clicks and clanks. A cacophony of metallic sounds, heard from kilometers away, from the hundreds of cybernetics and prosthetics, shoving and pushing into one another to get a first-row view of the participants.
Colored glares reflecting from the surfaces of parts were all the rage as well, making it appear like the biggest outdoor rave party in the County’s history;
-” Finally, something I can get behind. We throw all kinds of parties back home, evo-disco is back in the trends baby!”, mentioned Angie in passing, at which her little robot companion quickly sent her a message.
-“Subject Angelina, more information is required for your biography…And company participant page. How many people attended those parties? Where are they kept? Were you using appropriate amounts of recreational?”
-” Agiluf, pal, buddy bot…remember the last seven times I asked you to stop acting like a sec-droid? Or a grandpa. Because of all of that, you’ve upset me, so I will tell you zilch”, she answered, raising her head to mimic an uppity damsel.
-” Huh. Hey Angie, do you want to trade partners for a few minutes? I feel you and Vivar could get along, with the whole not wanting to answer questions and stuff”, chimed in Siete, trying to lighten up the mood.
Angie -” Sure, I wouldn’t mind. But since you and Agiluf would just ask each other questions, who will be left to answer them?”. A conundrum that they didn’t expect and once it nestled in, it made the clopy sulk with disappointment.
The little interaction broke a bit of the ice that was still hanging between them. The lunches helped with getting a bit more comfortable, but as Siete noticed, the lack of any history on their part made them feel that staying at outside of an arms length felt like the normal approach. Marcos was still a bit shy with the two and felt similarly, but Angie made a crack in it the moment she started to joke about D’zin hauling him in her hand.
Marcos -“ I don’t really want to be carried around so much, but she insists on it and, to be honest, she has some good points about it.”
-” Well I’m curious now, like what exactly?”, asked the miner.
Marcos -” I don’t get tired from walking, while you guys do. Makes sense to me”.
-” That is correct. I’ve been monitoring your vitals since we left- Siete’s heartbeats have increased over the normal, and is almost out of breath.” mentioned, as if prompted, D’zin in a caring but filtered through a growly, feminine voice; ”and while Angie is…error…in top-shape, her breathalyzer necessity will become a hindrance in the future.”
After that report, Siete raised her hands towards Vivar, mimicking a toddler who demanded to be raised and carried. Angie followed their example but towards D’zin, and not her partner. In response, it quickly messaged that he could carry her on top of him.
Angie -“ I know Agiluf, it’s just…I would look downright silly entering the arena like that. Sorry.”
At the entrance of the arena, signs of impending mayhem could be seen all over the place, which meant that the interior was even more tumultuous than expected. More than a few hundred thousand were waiting, eager for the show to finally start.
In the middle of the arena were 24 pillars, three for each Brand, and half of them had a person or something similar on top of them. The first four numbers stayed in facilities that were closer to the arena than the last ones, so it didn’t take them as much time to be first on stage, and to take reins of the show’s atmosphere. Each was given some type of jumpsuit, modified with the main colors of the Brand, logo, and any special modifications the users wanted. Extra pouches, and decorations, also depended on what the benefactor thought of it.
Right as the representatives for 8, 7, 6, and 5 entered, the number one CEO profile took up all the screens in the arena. His rubbery face hogged all the space it could, rumors saying it’s a side effect from overusing the physique-changing drugs. His cheeks had carved deep lines in them, which made him look very thin, while his body was blown out of proportion. Whatever particles of hair he once had, were long gone, and the best he could do were implanted eyebrows. But, in the end, his appearance or his demeanor didn’t matter, everyone had only one option: hear him, for his Brand had number 1 in the title.
-” Salu’. I am Samuel, but many of you know me simply as Boss. Finally, finally, our last-minute guests make their appearances. Traffic, am I right?”, he asked with an elderly chuckle. “Well, let’s at least give them a round of applause for trying, shouldn’t we?”, to which the entire stadium did as demanded. The rest of the CEOs also gave him a few stink eyes, especially the owners of the mocked Brands, but of the three of them, only Priya barked back.
Priya -“ Thank graciously Samuel, thank you. But sorry to remind you number 1, I guess that happens with age, please remember that this isn’t one of your long-lasting galas speeches. The thought is appreciated, though.”
Samuel -” Ah, sure, sure, I guess it’s the age thing you mentioned, lets me get away with rambling more than decades ago. But before we move on, I have a surprise for you all, a last-minute change in the rankings. A weird and funny timing as our beloved and gun-ho youngster CEO, Priya, just an hour ago, gained enough points to pass the current numbers 5 and 4-”
Priya- “ Tenth meetings where yesterday people, don’t blame me if you ignored them!” she added as a quick defense for whatever her fellow overlords might explode about.
Samuel-” Right”, the old man huffed-” so her brand was raised on the leaderboard by two ranks. This means, Patient 6- Angie, is now Patient 4. And since she is in the top four, Priya also has gained the ability to choose her drop point as well. For the last ones, it will still be at random. Sorry Alvara.“
Surprises are always a given in their games, but no one expected something like this to occur right before the start. Samuel moved away from the camera and motioned for a technical error pause to be broadcast instead.
Either because of his age or just that’s how he was, the CEO could no longer keep a straight face and burst into laughter at the sight of his colleagues. Rage, stupefaction, indifference, a boiling pot of feelings was brewing among them, but only one was enraged enough to react to the mischievous nature of the announcement. A truly furious and bewildered Robert glitched his holographic body, teleporting it right next to Samuel, and unleashed his verbal barrage.
Robert -“ I know that you enjoy your little pranks and tricks and such, but what the hell is this? Right before the race even begins, you just…fucking hell! Goddammit you geriatric rubber, why do you always ruin everything?!”.
His tantrum managed to surpass the previous curveball in intensity, shifting the attention and suspicion onto himself, especially since his Brand, the third one, wasn’t affected or suffered from the change in the leaderboard. So what did enrage Robert in such a manner? Everyone quickly assumed that he was either upset for the former 4, or that a wrench was thrown in his plans.
Alvara, former 4 and now owner of the fifth Brand could be seen mumbling to herself, but before she could say anything, number 2 quickly intervened. An epitome of a typical senior, she was among a few that wanted age to be visible and didn’t use any mods of youthful reinvigoration for herself. This always made her stand apart from the rest, as the perceived “wisest” of the group. A short-haired, short-stature, hunched-back old woman, who inherited her brand and remained its CEO for over two centuries.
Milla, in a very sweet and rugged tone took him by surprise with how easily she imparted poison with her words -“Always so impatient, aren’t you little Robert? Did someone do something to upset you? Are your little plans not working out? Don’t worry, your bootlickers will heal those wounds in no time, right and you can then return to play the role of a big man shortly after. Until then, take your seat, dress back in your daddy’s suit, and stuff your mouth shut with a puff.” For everyone else she had the patience of a saint, but it was clear that she harbored no such fortitude for his outburst.
-” Thank you Milla, but it’s not an issue”, slyly intervened Samuel. “As you pointed out, the boy is just a bit antsy and needs to let his feelings run wild. Oh, and a small piece of advice Robert, if you want your plans not to be thwarted, how about you don’t make it so obvious? I mean, the unemployed siblings are selected by two, maybe former lovers, CEOs from the top four spots? And those two CTD’s? Not a bad plan to handle my C.T.D…but I’m not taking that risk. Learn more about cloaks and daggers, less about screaming swords.”
-” So you left the scoring open until the last moment, so you can use my rising to spite Robert or Alvara? Impressed, what can I say, but beware that I will take full advantage of this opportunity.” Priya had a devilish smile on her, but her gaze was set on the competitors and no longer on her peers.
Samuel -” Why wouldn’t I? This turned out even funnier than expected, especially after his tantrum. Sure, do whatever plots you have cooked, but even if Vivar and your C.T.D work together, they still aren’t a match for Billy. You can scratch D’zin off as back-up, right Ekapol?”
Ekapol- “ Yap. Boy and his C.T.D are loyal, can vouch for that.”
-”What”, squeaked a surprised Elina, staring at Priya and Samuel, but the two were now in their own clash of angry vs amused stares.
The “technical intermission” ended, and Samuel went back to address the public. He continued to talk about the tradition and importance of the games for their way of life, rambling on for another few minutes. After that, he invited every single CEO to make a brief presentation of their teams. First off was Elina, who tried to sell off the duo as the “duet of experiences”, but not many were convinced by her attempt. Not even Siete, who just slowly clapped, for some small support. “Ugh, poor thing, reminds me of a newbie who just got picked on. At least she’s giving her best”.
Zude, CEO number 7, a multi-colored mechanized man, with a suit made from metallic fibers, didn’t even try to hype his team at all and came off even more defeated than Robert:
– “Patient Allan Dumeris, representative of the Coupling Society, and his C.T.D Medusa will try their best. Thank you.”
The rest were more rejuvenating for the spectators, and some even got excited when they heard the sale pitches for the competitors, at least until it came time for number two.
Instead of the firm old lady, another face addressed the audience: that of her candidate. She stared at her CEO for a few seconds, as if asking for approval, which she received, then turned toward Robert and Alvara with a deadly gaze. Her red-colored iris made the implied threat even scarier, but the two were mostly confused by the attempt at a threat.
??? -” Sorry for my sudden intrusion, I just want to make a few public announcements. My name is Syna Ru’Dev, and to start, I am an estranged daughter of those two”, she said while pointing towards the holographic avatars of Robert and Alvara. The CEOs were shocked and bewildered by the confession, same with the public. Before the wave of rumors could travel, though, Syna’s voice reverberated once more:
Syna -” To keep this short, I plan on taking one, or both of them down and this contest is just my stepping stone for that. You know how they behave, what deals they do behind everyone’s backs, how they cheat and manipulate everyone…how they tarnish the title of CEO! I plan on cleaning it up, proving that only the worthy deserve it!” With each word, her white-gloved hands fluttered and waved around, as if she tried to act as a public speaker. The people were first surprised, then interested, and finally intrigued:
Syna -“…And, just so you know that I am of good faith and always trustworthy, I simply ask you this- why do the ‘gifts’ imparted during each round aren’t on the market? Hmmm? And I thought that they don’t work together- if you’ve a left arm from Brand 4, you’ll need a right arm from the same supplier.”
Whispers and questions started to spread around the coliseum, a topic that whispered and kept hushed, but never disappeared from the collective gossip- where are the winners of previous R.O.C? What happened to the silver, bronze and lower places?
“ Why is management so shady about their whereabouts, huh?” she asked, turning her head around, swinging her red, waist-long hair with each move. “I know you have thought about it, and I promise you this- I’ll be one to find out!”- afterward she switched the broadcast back to Milla and simply enjoyed the rattle she caused in the arena.
A few of the CEOs were starting to sweat a little bit, unsure how the hacker got her hands on the info she implied. Except for three of them. Priya, Milla, and Samuel, with the latter two locked in a discussion ever since Syna took center stage, while the first was following the hacker with interest.
Priya- “This definitely must be Samuel’s and Milla’s play to spice up the contest a bit. Drawing a bit of the curtain? And they used that young girl for that? Question is, does the kid know that or can I….”, pondered the bejeweled CEO.
Nobody knew how to react until Samuel slowly clapped and congratulated her on her initiative and bold, risk-taking move. He then agreed with the questions, that it was peculiar that all the previous participants dropped out of the public eye and that he, with the help of Ekapol’s and Alvara’s security forces, will investigate the matter. Samuel then moved on as swiftly as he could to introduce the final competitor.
Samuel – “A fine young lad, I met during one of my many tours of my factories. His name is Billy, a hard-working boy, who just wants to help out his family. Why, when I saw the dedication and discipline he entailed, how couldn’t I ask him to become my representative? In turn, I offered him the best partner someone like him could ask for- Serviceman, one of the classics on which we improved bit by bit. “ The crowd exploded now into massive roars at the sight of the titan, the all-time favorite C.T.D of the County.
A mechanical copy of a biological boxer, the bot was the second largest of the C.T.Ds, and oldest, having fought in more contests than Vivar or number 7’s C.T.D. Sporting a painted white skull over his head area, the robot simply lifted his right arm and shot a single fire. He, unofficially, gave the start.