Chapter 2: What Friends Are For
“That comes up ta seventeen thirty-seven,” the store worker at my most frequented little quickie mart drawled on, drumming his fingers along with it. Staring at me with all the passionate customer service passion of a recently dead fish, he continued “Will that be cash or card?”
“Cash,” I said slipping him a twenty while inside I was cursing the day and moment the prices on the things had jumped up again. I couldn't blame the guy for sounding dead inside, the AC in the store must have been shot to hell considering it felt as hot inside as it did outside.
“Would ya like to donate to the local high-school today with your change? It goes to books and extra curricular activities to keep the youth proactive and away from drugs and violence.”
Feeling extra guilty, I shook my head no as I grabbed my change and the pack of smokes I’d purchased before heading out onto the semi busy downtown street. Popping one into my mouth, I took a drag as began walking and filling my lungs with the poison. Hmmmm, sweet sweet poison.
I had chickened out. One week later and the sibs still didn’t know I was unemployed. The worst part of it was finding ways to spend time out of the apartment. Job searching took up some of the time, but the bigger issue was how few places there were nearby that I both qualified for and that payed enough for the multitude of bills that I knew was coming. Working out of the city was technically an option, but the cost of travel was higher than ever and my car ate gas like a bear in a field of honey and salmon.
Not paying much attention to the immediacy of my surrounds, I walked listlessly while looking at postings on my phone and for any help wanted signs for several hours without any real luck. I applied to a few but most either wanted someone younger, more fit, or a degree or training I had little to no experience with. Not a single posting for coding within my area.
The entire time walked I felt my blood and body thumping, decidedly unhappy with the treatment it was getting and the years of smoking and doing desk work that required very little physical commitment to maintain. I had sometimes worked out but usually I couldn’t be bothered, the commitment to doing other things seeming far more important than making sure I was semi in shape. Besides, I’d long since given up on dating and according to most people I still did look good enough. Still, the reminder that youth fled or died while you forgot to look out for it was being driven into me with every step.
It was mid way to three by the time I was decidedly done looking for the day and the sun had been bearing down with all the gentleness of sandpaper on skin. Feeling red, tired, and more than a little dejected from it all, I set off on my way home and found myself half way when suddenly I heard someone oddly familiar.
“Chris?”
Startled, I pulled my gaze from the phone and the video I’d started just minutes before to see, coming from a bar and grill that looked to be holding some event, was a man who had once been as important and close to me as my own brother and sister. James Haverdeen.
“Chris mother f-ing Shah. It is you!”
Coming in hot, the man rushed over to me with the biggest grin stretched across his face. My own face was probably somewhere between astonishment, happiness, sadness, and worry. Looks he noticed and the shift from genuine excited joy to consternation was swift.
“Chris… hey look, I’ve been thinking about what to say to you for years about.. you know. I’m sorry man. I only heard about what happened after you left school. I should have been here for you. Jessica wasn’t worth it then and -.”
Years of hurt, regret, and wondering how it could have been different flashed through my head. Jessica. That was a name I hadn’t thought of in a long while. I had thought that it wouldn’t hurt again if I stopped letting it bother me and put the situation from my mind. Oh, was I ever wrong.
“James,” I started, holding up my hands to interrupt him, “don’t. You, Jessica, me, it was years ago. Far in the past. She didn’t make any promises and you don’t owed me more answers than the ones I got. It wasn’t even serious for her. You don’t ha-”
Now it was James who interrupted me.
“I do and you know I do. What I did was dirty, you were my best friend man. I know you two were seeing each other. It was… absolutely the most terrible thing I’ve ever done. So I do have to apologize. I owe it to you, more than anything I’ve ever done I owe it to you because that was me being a terrible person to someone I love like family. I should have been here for you after. I should have and I want my best friend back and to tell him I was a stupid, terrible, worthless excuse of a friend and if he let’s me I’ll be trying to make that up to him. Forever.”
As he spoke, the glint of tears in his eyes grew and grew until he looked like he was holding back floods. Still, he kept staring straight at me and into my eyes like the liquid fire building in his own hadn’t brought the same to mine.
This was new. I didn’t usually get apologies from people without them either getting bent over the metaphorical barrel due to pressure and obligation or they wanted something. This though? This was genuine regret. Actual sorrow. The novelty was a bit nice but the honesty was enough to make me choke back a sudden influx of emotions.
“Can I maybe get you a drink and some food? Hash things out, catch up? We’re just celebrating and the whole place is rented out.”
It was a tempting offer, but I wasn’t quite sold on being anywhere but the comfort and safety of home right then.
“I’m not sure James,” seeing his mouth open, I rushed out more, “it isn’t the Jessica thing or being upset. I forgave you already for that man. That was just a messy time and situation and life hasn’t been exactly allowed me free time in years. But I have to get home before seven or the sibs will worry…”
“It’s only four!”
“I’m walking.”
“I have a car.”
The offer was tempting. No walking, free food and booze, and a chance to reconnect with him. Plus the pleading look on his face was fairly convincing too, but the real thing that sealed the deal was the subtle anxiety that rolled off him as he waited for me to say no.
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
“… one drink and some food. And I get to choose the music in the car. Your tastes still probably suck.”
The follow up hug and crying on both our parts probably made us look a little silly to anyone stuck up nearby but I couldn’t find the care to give them. I had one of my family returned to me. That was a blessing I couldn’t give up after everything else in life.
____________________________
“THEY FUCKIN WHAT!??”
James’ loud voice brought the attention of several of his coworker’s gazes, along with the bar tender’s, but they just shrugged and continued with their conversations.
“Calm down, I’m the one who got fired. But yeah, from the sounds of it they had it planned for a while. Hire on a bunch of semi trained people, get them to do a lot of the actual coding and hands on work, have them design it so they aren’t needed anymore, then fire them by claiming that company standards have shifted and lacking full degree-age is now a problem. I didn’t even know it was happening until after. Not even a rumor of firings. No one did except for the owners and shareholders.”
“Wow man that freaking sucks. Is there anything you can do?”
“Claim my severance package for the foreseeable future and look for somewhere else, I guess. I just need enough to cover the bills and the treatments for my sis. Honestly, it wasn't the worst since I still get the package."
"You're too understanding," he replied before polishing off the remenants of his drink.
We’d had more than one drink each at this point and speaking of her brought my attention back to the present moment.
“Crap I should go, I can’t show up drunk at home. They’d know I wasn’t at work.”
“You haven’t told them?”
“Well I was hoping to have it handled well and before then so they wouldn’t have to worry. But if it goes on much longer I’ll have to.”
James stood up and motioned over to the bartender to close out the tab.
“We should head out then.”
“But you’ve been drinking.”
Now James smiled and started walking towards the door. He waved at his coworkers he was leaving behind and gave a flirty wink to the bar tender he'd casually hit on during their drinking before stepping out and pulling out his keys.
“Oh, I have been. Come on, I think you’re going to like this.”
Following him out to his car, I couldn’t help but to give him and it a whistle in appreciation. The vehicle looked like it came out a car magazine for sports cars, with a glossy black paint job and tinted windows. The front of it read “NMB1GMR” and the doors both popped open with a button on his keys to reveal a plush leather interior fitted with LED lights around the trim.
“Swanky ride. I haven’t asked yet but how the hell did you afford this thing? What do you do now, sell drugs or something? Also, you were drinking too. I think I’ll take the bus.
“Ha no. Actually…” James motioned for me to get in as he sat himself down, “I think I might be able to help you. You remember how we both went into uni for computer technologies right? Also the car is self driving. Don’t even have to do more than touch it and put in directions if I don’t feel like it.”
I climbed into the passenger seat, lost in the niceness of the interior as I did so.
“Uh yeah. I mean I was in for coding and software with a focus on security and you were… in for computing hardware and entertainment media right? And really? Don’t these things cost like 2 mil?”
“Only if I got it with the free wifi and tvs in the back. Only cost about 1.2 after all was said and done. You still have as good of a memory as I remember. Yeah, I was and after graduation, I got hired on by an up and coming in the field to help design a special type of computer.”
I couldn’t help but stare at him, wondering were he was going with this. He paused as he started and had me put in the address before we started on our way.
“So this special computer, it is a type of quantum computer meant for general consumer use. Or at least it was. What we really ended up creating was a fully immersive computing device that can be used to place a person inside. One that can handle the complex interactions between how an individual receives incoming stimuli and sends them out. All without needing a connective interface of any kind. And with the potential for the higher speeds of processing power that a quantum computer has to reach. The machine is called the Cradle.”
Understanding hit me harder than any truck and I gaped at him in awe.
“Wait! You made the Cradle? As in Endless Online, the Cradle to new life? The biggest thing to happen to gaming and computers since the damned inception of both!”
His grin was undeniably smug and understandably. I’d probably undersold just how massive of a change the world had seen since the announcement of the technology, with countries all over beginning to fight over the usage and rights to the machines. Even without the possibility of the most massive and freeform rpg ever conceived, the idea and sheer magnitude of the advancement had sent fires across the virtual landscape as so many began wondering how incredibly useful such a device was.
“Yeah. Well I didn’t make it. I helped make it, that’s for damned sure. But the ideas and fundamentals of it all were the work of the big shots running the place. I had a hand in the physical assembly, desired appearance, and designs for the placement of parts but the actual coding and the hows of it are still out of my league. But I didn’t tell you this to brag about that. No, I’m telling you this because I have a proposition for you.”
“I mean I’m flattered but…”
He snorted at that one and pushed ahead.
“Funny, wise guy. No, I’m offering you a job.”
“Doing?”
He grinned widely.
“What do you think, smart guy. Do you want to work for us and get paid to test, report, and play Endless Online and get a free Cradle to boot?”
Stunned was the only word I could feel fitting at that moment. In all my life, I’d not often gotten lucky in the ways that would actually help my situation.
Usually, getting kicked once or twice when I was down wasn’t all that uncommon. This kind of opportunity was reserved for the well off and the fictional and I was neither from what I always knew.
“I… what?”
He laughed hard.
“Yeah, when you started telling me about your situation I got an idea. I have ten of them left for specifically getting gamers, coders, and industry relevant individuals to act as beta testers and data sources for the entire thing. You’ll get it two months early, if you agree, and can get started right off as soon as it is installed. Plus you get to keep any character progress when the full servers start, but the in game world will be restarted at the same time and so will any progress made with NPCs or environmental changes.”
My head had been swirling with excitement since his first sentence about it and only grew as he spoke. A job. And not just any job, but the greatest sounding job in existence since I first learned about computers and booted up my copy of Hot Cars Racing.
“So?”
I realized I’d been sitting and staring at him in silence for a solid minute by then and caught the fact that we’d just pulled up into my neighborhood.
“Sorry, what?”
“I said so. As in, so are you in? Don’t keep me in suspense man, give me an answer!”
“I mean yeah! Hell yeah, if your serious. But I… this isn’t because of before, is it? I’m not going to take the offer if you’re only giving it out of guilt.”
He looked me dead in the eyes and the happiness faded, replaced by a serious face.
“Chris, I swear to you on my life. As much as that time will haunt me always, I wouldn’t offer this to you if I ever thought you weren’t qualified. Degree or no, my bosses only care if it gets done and done well and if I say you are solid then you are. Fuck Jessica man, we both know she was lovely but this isn't about her. This is about you and your needs and those kids needs. This is about giving my friend who has always been too damned smart and extra damned unlucky and giving him a chance to use one while kicking the other’s butt. So, last time. You in?”
He extended his hand out for me.
I took it and shook it firmly.
“I am ridiculously in.”