Ethan could not believe how closely his character had been placed next to Eldon. Whitehead planned to take over the world, and he was a part of it. He was number two to the most powerful man on earth! Soon to be the most powerful. He was in the thick of things, where he always wanted to be. Right there, fighting day after day to rise to the very top. It was a heady experience, especially in light of the luxury surrounding him.
He was excited. The gravity of the power drew him in. He often wondered what he would do with this kind of power. Of course, he was still number two, but that could change when it was just him and Whitehead facing the rest of the world. Maybe, this was what he came to do? Defeat Whitehead at his own game. Pit his skills against the greatest mind of all.
Ethan liked the idea. He always felt the need to be in the arena, and his surroundings encouraged the warrior. It was rich, sparse, and sterile. A disciplined environment. He allowed himself to think like a conqueror. He adopted a stance, manner and perspective equal to his task. He would be there every step with Whitehead, and when the dust settled and it was just him and Eldon, they would face-off. Ethan knew this was what he came to do. He knew it to the core. Being immersed in the quest brought home to him something about himself he had not been allowed to let surface for many years. The desire and need to be on top.
Ethan and Eldon were exactly the same age. 50 years old. Not that anyone would notice it was Ethan’s birthday too.
It was the morning of their birthdays, and as he was preparing for work, he took a closer look at himself. The simulation had changed his appearance. His character didn’t look much like him at all. Physically he looked 50. His hair was darker, almost black, with white sprinkles throughout. The most noticeable difference was his facial features. They were sharper than his. So sharp they almost stood out disproportionately. Everything was almost too much, and that took away from his attractiveness. The ridge along his eyebrows protruded, casting a shadow on his eyes. They looked sharper too.
The overall effect was he looked much more cunning, albeit less trustworthy. Just seeing his face might be a warning to others, but it didn’t disappoint Ethan. He liked the brutishness of it.
He liked the life he found himself in. It was raw and untamed, and here he was living in an apartment overlooking the rest of the world. He was in control of StarForce. Whitehead had never tied anyone so close to him before. Strategically, Ethan couldn’t ask for better positioning. He didn’t mind the prestige it brought either. Every door would be open and people would whisper about him as he passed.
Of course Whitehead expected expertise in the execution of the project. Any outside attention would be a disappointment to him, and costly to Ethan. Eldon’s expectations didn’t shake Ethan a bit. His backstory was starting to fit him like a second skin. He could recall his character’s past just like another memory. It felt a part of Ethan and fueled him. It had become very natural.
With these thoughts filling his head his focus shifted from admiring his new look, to getting to work. He took his private elevator to the floor below, where he had a bit of a war room himself. He had limited but more access to Eldon’s AI than most. His was set up like Eldon’s war room, except with fewer workstations and they were all vacant. Other than himself and Dawn, AI carried the load.
As always, according to the backstory, Dawn was already there when Ethan arrived. He knew they didn’t talk a lot, but were still comfortable with each other. They both had very separate things to do. Ethan initiating projects, AI carried them out, and Dawn following up with any human support AI required. When they did communicate, it was usually done through messaging. They had little cause to speak to each other, and when they did, they kept it brief.
‘Morning’, Ethan said upon entering. ‘ Coming to the party tonight?’
‘Good morning, and no. Not invited, as if you didn’t know.’
‘Well, don’t worry. I wish I didn’t have to go either,’ Ethan replied.
That statement caused Dawn to take a little more interest in the conversation. ‘You? You love parties. Always working the room. Getting the right people to do this and that for you. I thought parties were your thing.’
Ethan reflected for a moment. The truth was, he didn’t recall ever going to a party. Any memories of partying came from his character’s back story.‘Yeah, I guess I do like that part of it. I do know how to work a party, don’t I’.
‘Well, if I’m to believe all the bragging’.
‘Hmph!’ Ethan thought when he got inside his office. ‘That’s what I do. Mingle with a purpose. A shark in a pool of minnows. He recalled past party’s. Saw himself working the room. Recalled past socializing with leaders and people of influence who he would see again later that evening. He’d have to make sure he knew exactly what he wanted from them before he got to the party.
It was a great feeling. He was living in a kill or be killed world, and he instinctively felt he thrived in this world. He was alert and pacing like a tiger ready to spring. His whole chemistry seemed to have changed and charged him. He loved it. He loved the feeling. Even knowing this world might kill him, added thrill to his quest.
‘Computer,’ he said. ‘Update me on StarForce’s current status. Identify possible conflict regarding upcoming reactor placement. Identify key players and any dirt you can find on them. If anyone comes up clean, determine the best possible way to dirty them up’.
Eldon’s birthday party was a regal gala. It started at 7:00 PM sharp, and everyone was on time. There were upwards of 500 people milling around on Eldon’s entertainment floor, which was right above the top floor of Ethan’s suite. All were in elegant formal wear. All were there to pay homage to Eldon who sat on a dais in a chair that looked remarkably like a throne.
Shortly after seven, Eldon began opening his presents. They were stacked around him, almost making him look diminutive. Every guest brought him a gift.
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Ethan made his way to the front of the crowd.
‘There’s so many gifts,’ Eldon laughed. ‘Perhaps we’ll just open a few. We’ll be here all night if I have to open all of them’.
Everyone laughed.
The first gift he was handed was in a small gift box. When he opened it, he found a set of keys.
‘Why Daniel,’ he joked. ‘You’re giving me your car?’
Daniel ran Eldon’s hydrogen car subsidiary. ‘Oh no’, he exclaimed happily. I’m giving you the keys to your new 1929 Rolls Royce Phantom II replica. The workers down at the shop made it especially for you. They did it on their own time I might add’, he quipped.
Everyone laughed again, including Eldon. The vehicle appeared on huge monitors throughout the floor, and everyone clapped. ‘My favorite car. I will value this gift. Thank you Daniel. And thank the boys down at the shop too’. Daniel bowed in respect.
The next gift was Ethan’s. He recognized the box, and backed up subconsciously. He didn’t see how an egg could compete with a Rolls Royce.
They handed Eldon his gift, and Ethan looked down at the floor. That was the best way he could figure out to escape notice.
‘Ah, something from Ethan,’ Eldon said, looking around. ‘Ethan? Where are you?’
Ethan inched forward, put on a brave face and waved.
‘Another box,’ Eldon said. Ethan’s was a bigger, rectangular box; much more ornate than the one Daniel presented the keys in. ‘This looks interesting. Ethan has just taken over operation of StarForce, the jewel crown of my operations, by the way.’
Everyone applauded.
‘If it’s anything like Daniel’s gift,’ Eldon joked. There’s probably a satellite in here’.
Everyone laughed.
Eldon opened the lid that was attached to the box. ‘Oh my,’ he exclaimed. For a full minute he sat staring at what was in the box. It was like no one else was in the room. ’The Imperial Coronation,’ he said finally. ‘The one they said I would never get’.
He looked over to Ethan. ‘How?’
Ethan just smiled and shrugged his shoulders. He had no idea.
Eldon set down the box, and gestured to someone at the back of the room. A very capable looking man approached, listened, nodded, and turning, gestured to someone else at the back of the room. Immediately the guests found themselves being parted by Eldon’s security. The man Eldon had spoken to, then picked up the box and with two armed guards in front of him, and two behind, made his way out of the party.
The guests were impressed by the show of significance the gift produced and cheered and applauded as the man with the box left the room. They all felt this was an exciting start to the party.
‘Well,’ Eldon said, rising. ‘It’s going to be hard to top Ethan’s gift, so we might as well eat,’ he said, waving to a banquet setup across from him. ‘Please be seated. I think I hear a few belly’s rumbling’. He gestured for Ethan to come to him. ‘I want you to sit to the right of me’.
From there on, things took a magical turn for Ethan. People almost groveled at his feet. Eldon’s right hand man. No question about it. He loved it. He schmoozed, sometimes with veiled threats, and worked the room. It wasn’t long into the party, before he had accomplished all of his goals for the evening. Then he turned his attention to having fun.
For some reason Ethan drank that night. It started with the wine during dinner, and went on from there. This was completely out of character. Ethan didn’t drink. He didn’t like the taste, and didn’t like giving up his clarity of mind to alcohol. Maybe it was the macho work hard, party hard feel to the evening, or maybe it was Ethan releasing the tension he felt around entering the quest. Whatever. He let loose. At the time, it felt good.
It wasn’t long before Ethan could no longer differentiate between his own memories and those of his backstory. They had become one. In fact his backstory dictated a good amount of his behavior, because it was more familiar with those surroundings. His memory of partying was all backstory.
Feeling fairly content, Ethan stood, with a big grin on his face, watching people dance. He didn’t notice the man who had sidled up to him. ‘Ethan,’ the man said. ‘Could you possibly get your nose any further up Eldon’s ass’?
Ethan looked over, and saw a man dressed in a Hawaiian shirt, shorts and flip flops. He was holding a drink with an umbrella in his hand. Jimmy Wang. He appeared a lot in the peripherals of Ethan’s backstories. He was wondering when Jimmy was going to show up.
‘Jimmy, you old sleazebag,’ Ethan exclaimed, clapping Jimmy on the back. Just the right man to have by your side at a party. ‘What’s up’?
‘I don’t know. What’s going on with you? How did you manage to get StarForce?’
‘I got it,’ Ethan replied smugly, ‘because I am the only man capable of running StarForce’.
‘Riiiight’ Jimmy drew out his response, like that couldn’t possibly be the reason.
Moving into a more aggressive stage of his drunkenness, Ethan took immediate offense to Jimmy’s reply. ‘You know Jimmy. I shouldn’t even be talking to you right now considering the distance between our stations in life. I’d hate for Eldon to see this. Perhaps you and your party drink should find somewhere else to be.
‘Fine,’ Jimmy replied, and turned to leave, farting on the turn.
Ethan didn’t hear it, but he certainly smelt it.
‘My God!’ he thought. ‘That man is sick. There’s got to be something wrong with him. The fart not only lingered there, it outwards. People began giving Ethan sideways glances as if he was the farter.
‘That dick!’ he thought, as he moved to another section of the party.
At abruptly 10:00 PM the guests left the party. Not because they were tired and wanted to go home, but because they were told to leave. The moment they were gone, the entire mood of the party changed with new lighting and more hip music. Dozens of women, some very young and none looking much past their teens started making their way into the room.
‘Now the real party begins,’ Jimmy said, sidling up to Ethan again. He was looking excitedly at all the young women. There were about 20 other guys there. They were all people high up the ladder. All men Ethan knew, and friendly with some. This was his vibe. These were his people.
He felt a hand on his shoulder. It was Eldon. ‘You didn’t think I’d forget it was your birthday too, did you?’ he said, smiling at Ethan. ‘This is for you my friend. Happy birthday’. With that and a slap on the ass, Eldon turned and left the room.
Ethan looked over the scene. Jimmy was already trying to build a human pyramid. He smiled. ‘How appropriate,’ he thought. ‘The spoils of war’. His backstory filled in all the details of Eldon’s famous orgies and how much he enjoyed them. Ethan started looking the girls over. He spotted one hiding in a corner wearing a see through teddy. She was trying to cover herself with her hands and forearms, and looked vulnerable. Just what he liked, if he recalled correctly.