"Woah, you're an eager one, aren't you?" Chris said, looking at Alex appraisingly. "You're what, 16? You'll have to go through this with your parents first, not to mention the fact that we haven't discussed the pay, the risks, or even the details of what you'll be doing!"

"Ah, yeah..." Alex nodded, "Wait, risks?"

"Of course! This is a new technology, so new in fact that there is nothing similar to even compare it to... at least in the public eye, you really never know what is going on in the R&D department of some companies, Midnight included! The... pod - why did I call it that again? - has been rigorously tested, and both the tests and the design principles mean it should be and is safe, at least in the short term. You see, the age of this prototype means that there is little data on the long term effects of these pods, and although the data we do have suggests there are no harmful side effects and that it can, in fact, be beneficial to one's health, the risk is still there."

"Wouldn't somebody have to do it at some point anyway? Besides, I trust Midnight's testing - if nothing has been found yet, even if there is something, it can't be too harmful, right?" Alex pointed out.

"Hopefully that is the case, but you need to discuss it with your parents nonetheless. I will send the details to your personal email."

A brief farewell was given, before Alex was led out of the building to a waiting taxi that had been arranged for him, given that he had lost his means of getting home following the destruction of his bicycle, and he spent the journey home letting his mind wander. What would the game be like? Would it really be as real as Chris had claimed? If it was, then where was all the processing taking place? The sheer number of calculations taking place every fraction of a millisecond... The electricity usage must be enormous - how on earth would this be profitable? And how had Midnight developed such advanced technologies without word spreading to the public - surely they must have had investors?

It was only as Alex lay awake in bed, unable to sleep due to anticipation, that he realised he had never given Chris his email.

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The following day somehow went by very quickly and very slowly at the same time. It turned out Midnight did somehow get his email, the how being a mystery to him given he only used it with friends and family, as he'd found an email from them waiting in his inbox. Following that, he'd had a very long conversation with his parents, having to convince them that the opportunity to work with Midnight, a dream he'd had since his childhood, was worth the risks and that these risks were, in fact, negligible. Not to mention the lengthy contract he'd ended up having to sign (along with his parents considering he was a minor), with a significant portion dedicated to secrecy... Only the thought that he would be a part of groundbreaking research stopped him from ripping the papers in frustration. It wasn't that he didn't like reading - he loved it in fact - but the seemingly endless amounts of convoluted sentences filled with jargon made him want to rip his hair out. If it wasn't for the fact he was very reluctant on spending money, he would have gone to a lawyer - it would have been soo much easier. Actually, could that be the point? Making needlessly complicated contracts would mean more work for them when someone wanted to actually understand one, he mused. Fortunately he'd promptly received an email from Midnight confirming the paperwork was all in order, which was a huge relief; he did not want to go through all that again! Now it was just a matter of waiting until his first day, arranged to be in one week's time.

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The sound of his phone ringing made him jump, having been lost in his thoughts. Actually, he'd been doing a lot of that recently hadn't he?

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"So you're telling me that the reason you didn't call me yesterday was that Christopher Steele hit you in a car? The Christopher Steele?" Mark practically shouted down the phone.

"Yep, sounds about right" Alex replied weakly, moving the phone away from his ear. He liked his hearing how it was, thank you! Maybe he should have expected this, after all, he had known Mark for years and he had always been energetic when it came to something he was passionate about.

"If it were anyone else, I'd think they were just trying to get out of that bet," Mark said suspiciously, "But whilst you're creative when it comes to problem-solving, you just don't have that kind of imagination!"

"Should I take that as a compliment or an insult?" Alex asked with a wry smile.

"Neither! But if you're telling the truth then don't worry about the bet! Though the wager was small, it's a matter of principle! And I have a sense of honour, you know."

"Well, they do say that there is honour amongst thieves..."

"Hey, you!" Mark exclaimed in mock anger, "Anyway, changing topic, will you know what you're allowed to tell me when you start working next week? You've been awfully secretive."

"Maybe... Actually, you know what, I'll see if they have another position available. Would you like that?"

"Thanks! You are a great friend!"