Peter and Ariana walked out of the moon laboratory together – Peter holding the door open for Ariana. As soon as they crossed the threshold their spacesuits disappeared. Peter was back in his suit and Ariana was back in her white lab coat. Peter expected to see Hezekiah and Unity outside and wondered where they were. He figured they must be waiting for them downstairs.
Peter regarded Ariana as they walked, “I hope you’re right. I hope what you did to yourself was worth it because it’s shocking how little humanity has progressed with rocket science. It’s basically just better versions of the tech we had before I left. Where is the faster than light travel?”
Ariana nodded, “I think it is the right approach. Once we started limiting AI development, this became our only means of thinking beyond our evolved capability. It’s just taken us a while to get here.”
“But why do you think that is? Why did humanity suddenly accept a non-exponential rate of technological improvement.”
“Well first. In here, in the metaverse tech has continued to grow exponentially. Miniaturisation of matrixes. The things you can do in here. The worlds. They’ve all gotten better. Out in the real world though. It’s not unusual for technological progress to stop and start. Just think about the AI winter of the nineteen seventies and eighties. That delayed humanities progress for quite a while.” She looked at Peter. “I think the bigger question is, why has humanity stopped looking outwards. Why the obsession with what’s inside the metaverse?” She paused for a moment, almost looking left and right as she spoke. “I think someone, or something is pushing us into the metaverse.”
Before Peter could respond he received a message from Hezekiah.
Evidently Ariana received a similar message as she spoke first. “The CEO, Yaya Rutherford is here I think you better leave. Pretend like you just missed him.”
Peter looked at her confused. “Why is everyone so afraid of this man. If he’s here to speak with me, then I should probably speak with him.”
“Well, I’m not going to be here then. I don’t want to be here when he shuts down my department.” She looked at Peter. It was the first time he saw a glimpse of the old Ari. The kind and warm Ari. Peter smiled thinking back to those days. “I know you’re leaving. That’s why you recruited us again. I’m coming with you. Unity and I are coming. Give us twenty-four hours. We’ll bring everything we showed you today and some other things. My matrix is on the moon because it’s easier to get this research done, but we can transfer me back at any time. Give me some time to get everything sorted. Then we’re coming with you.” Then without so much as a goodbye, Ariana turned around and walked off. Her walk was quick and efficient.
Peter nodded, because he had always planned on bringing her – if she wanted to come. At least now he knew.
He began his walk in the opposite direction. He rounded a corner when to his surprise right in front of him was Yaya Rutherford. The CEO found him. That was probably why Ari had left so quickly. He was a large man with a huge head – both physically and metaphorically if Peter remembered correctly. He had a dark navy suit and a pale red tie. He was flanked by two people he hadn’t met before, but having done his research he knew who they were. Al Robert was the head of operations and Zinnia Tracy was one of the top lawyers within his company.
“Peter, what’s this I hear about you creating a division to research physics in the betaverse?”
Peter admired his direct approach. No pleasantries, just straight to the point. If Peter was young that approach would have worked too. Posing an accusatory question and skipping the social niceties was a good way of getting someone on the backfoot. It put you in control of the situation.
Yaya continued his tirade. “I think we need to have a bigger conversation about your role here. There’s a lot you don’t understand. This company has changed while you were in prison.”
Yaya placed special emphasis on the word prison and Peter could tell he was using that word to again reduce Peters status in the confrontation. To frame Peter as a criminal and not the owner of this company.
The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.
“Look –” Peter said putting his hand on the CEOs shoulder then pausing. Peter decided to restart the conversation and ignore Yaya’s accusations. He focused his eyes on the other two and while keeping one hand on Yaya’s shoulder he stretched his other hand out offering a handshake. “Hi, I don’t believe we’ve met. I’m Peter Atreus.”
“We know who you are Sir,” Zinnia, the head of operations said.
Noticing his opportunity Peter asked. “And who am I?”
“You’re the founder and owner of this company?” Al replied slightly confused.
“That’s correct.” Peter said turning back to Yaya. “Now would you rather I continue doing what I’m doing with you as CEO, or would you rather I fire you and hire someone else who let’s me do with my company as I need to.” He paused letting the idea of being fired sink in. He wanted it to feel like a realistic threat. “I think you’re a great CEO, you actually grew my wealth more than I expected. Some people in your position probably would have lined their back pockets. But you honestly grew the pie. And I’m very grateful and I want you to keep doing this job for me.” Peter made sure to place emphasis on the words ‘for me’.
“A lot of people in your position would probably quit,” Peter continued. “But I know you, I’ve met others like you before, you won’t quit. You won’t quit because there’s no where else you could go to get this level of power—let alone money.
Scoffing Yaya replied. “I can name ten places that would happily take me today.”
Peter looked at the other two. It was one thing to give a dressing down to a CEO. It was another to do it in front of his subordinates. He knew if too much of this conversation spread through the organisation it would be too much for a man with a bruised ego to handle. Peter nodded and gestured at the other two to leave. They turned around and made haste in the opposite direction.
Once the other two were firmly out of earshot Peter continued. “I’m sure you could name a hundred places that would take you right now. With your CV I’m sure there isn’t a shortage of companies offering you jobs every day. But in terms of a step up from what you have now. There’s only one other company. And their CEO is just as capable as you. I don’t think she’d have the balls to come at me like you did now. But still, that’s the only option you have. And I know for a fact, if their current CEO found out you were even remotely interviewing for a job, she’d be all over you. There’s no way she’d allow you to take her job, let alone attempt to take it. Are you really sure you want to take that risk. Fighting her, even if you did take it. Everyone loyal to her would make sure you didn’t succeed.”
“Why are you telling me all this? If it’s a fight you want. I can give you one.” Yaya replied and Peter noticed a hint of dejectedness in his voice.
“I’m telling you this so you understand. You’ve been the big big boss of one of the largest organisations in the world. Barring some US president wanting to look good in front of his constituents, you’ve probably never been spoken to like this before.” Peter paused once more before continuing. “Now you can continue to be the ruler of this chiefdom, just know I’m the bigger boss, and I’m allocating some resources to something bigger than both you or I.”
“Maybe I’m ready to retire.”
“Let me tell you why you don’t want to go.” Peter said getting ready to offer the carrot after only showing the stick.
Yaya gestured for him to continue, but the slight twinkle in his eye betrayed his intrigue in what Peter was about to share.
“Because there’s only one thing more powerful than running the biggest private company in the world.”
“I’ll bite.” Yaya said. “And what’s that?”
“Controlling an entire solar system.”
“Not in the current legislative environment. The betaverse is off bounds.”
“It’s only off bounds because we haven’t put our lobbying team to work on that. With the right leader, someone like you, we can start with public perception. Use games and TV series to open up the publics imagination again to the idea of travelling the betaverse. Then we start funding politicians who support exploration. Depending on how long it takes to change public opinion we might be able to get there in a century.”
“Planning something like this is against your parole. What’s stopping me from telling them and getting you locked up. It won’t matter if you owned the company then.
“I’m guessing the idea of controlling sections of the Milky Way is appealing to you?”
Yaya nodded.
“Then that’s what’s stopping you.”
There was no response to that.
Peter nodded and began to walk away.
Then Yaya did something odd. He turned around and handed a piece of paper to Peter. Peter took hold of it and continued walking away. He knew telling Yaya his plan was potentially risky. It gave him something he could use to get Peter locked up once more, but if he guessed right, and he hoped he was right, then Yaya would start moving humanity towards his end goal. If Yaya did work with him, then humanity would be ready to embrace space exploration by the time Peter returned.
When Peter rounded the corner, he opened the piece of paper.
‘You are in danger. Someone or something is after you.’