With the help of the booklet Frank had recieved, it was rather easy to navigate to the building A-5, with signs and markers placed at regular intervals to make it near impossible to lose ones way. The building in question was like most others he had passed by. A rather simple and gray exterior, with quite simple and ordinary window design. Even the doors look simple, no fancy decorations or anything else of a similar nature. Even the signs were just as boring and monotone, though Frank never expeced it to be anything else. Thruth to be told, Frank found such simplicity and focus on utility pleasant, the mindset of the individual who made said choices was shining through. Utility and simplicity. That is what Frank read from all he had seen so far.
The interior did not change much in style, still with minimalistic decorations, though inside was mostly focused on warm and positive colors, such as light yellow or orange. There were also rooms with mostly white interiors, most likely used for meetings with corpos or other similarily powerfull people, if they held any such meetings in this building. Besides the five or so minutes that Frank spent looking around the building, not making any special detours to do so, it took him only a couple more to reach the room he was told to go to. He knocked a few times, waiting for an answer and invite to enter, yet when none came even after several knocks, he slowly opened the door, and entered.
"Hellos there." he spoke calmly, but with loud enough voice that he should be heard were there anyone inside, though as he looked over the room, he noticed that it was empty. Asuming that the people interviewing him would soon arive, he found the only chair that looked apart from the rest and sat down, awaiting his evaluators, He did not have to wait long, when aproximately five minutes after the appointed time the door opened once more, with multiple people entering the room Frank was waiting in. Obviously Frank noted the lack of punctuality on the side of his examiners. As much as he would be evaluated, he was doing the same, noting the ability and reliability of the personell that his first partner could attract and keep in their employment.
Frank did notice a couple of familiar faces within the group. Namely Jack, the gatekeeper and Peter, the 'clerk' Jack had taken him to choose and recieve the free item he was gifted as one of the things Jack used to do every now and then. It became crystal clear to Frank that neither Jack nor Peter were ordinary employees of The Junkyard, though the exact nature of their duties in said group eluded him. At least for now that is.
"We meet again kid." spoke Jack as he smiled amiably, though there was what Frank would call a mischievous glint in the older mans eyes.
"Indeed sir, we do. And I have to say that neither did I expect it to happen quite so soon. How the world turns." Frank responded, a very small smile gracing his facial features as well, though it did not look anywhere as good or natural as the one adorning Jack's face. Still, the intent did not go unnoticed, a slightly more relaxed expressions creeping upon the faces of the remaining group besides Jack.
"Lets get down to business, shall we." spoke the dark skinned lady "We all have loads of things to do, and they sure as hell will not do themselves."
"Of course. Please, ask away." replied Frank, his voice calm and collected, though the people opposite Frank could see he was extremely focused and attentive towards every movement their bodies made, as well as the expressions on their faces. While yoyng, the man in front of them was extremely cautios and must be rather capable in reading peoples body language. Understanding the situation, Jack took the lead in asking the questions that were the more pressing at the moment. Eventually, they reached the more sensetive topics, no longer related to Franks skillset and qualifications.
"By the way, our engineers cooked up the thing you gave us plans for. While no revolutionary tech, it has its niche place and will provide low, but stable income over the years, resulting in quite the warchest over the duration of its lifespan. And since we noticed it was not patented, we did so under our companies name."
"That was the plan, so do not worry regarding that." Replied Frank, a smile once again creeping up on his face. "Go ahead, ask what you had been wanting to this whole interview."
"Then lets get to the core of the matter." spoke the dark skinned lady Laura "What we want to know is whether there is more up your sleeve?"
"There very well might be. The more important question would be this: 'What is it that you are willing to offer me for more and better things?' By now we are all aware that this meeting here is not about a possible position that I applied for. We are all aiming higher. And while my capabilities have already been proven, to an extent of course, I have yet to see how this benefits me."
"A point well made. Very well then." replied Laura. What followed was a couple of hours of rather boring technical talk, regarding the machinery Frank would like to get set up in a workshop of his own, as well as a list of different materials he would eventually like to get his hands on, once he has provided enough merit of course. They also negotiated a rather massive salary he would recieve, as well as a position for his mother to fill, to ensure she would not have to leave the safety of the companies territory. Frank also agreed to sign over the patents he would provide for them to make, ensuring the stability and base of the companies growth. At the same time he would not be monitored and would be free to cook whatever he so wanted in the workshop he would be provided with.
The more immediate request of Franks, a bugfree PC, would be delivered to him within days. Right on time for his arrival into the personal home that would be alloted for his and Glorias use. Frank, being the nice guy that he is, withdrew a stack of paper sheets from his small briefcase and handed it over to Jack.
"I came prepeared." He spoke as he handed the stack over. "You will find something much more interesting within these pages. Much more proffitable as well, should you decide to sell it on the market. Now, if you will excuse me, I would like to go home, prepeare for my mothers arrival and start packing. I dont have much time for it after all."
"Do you need a guide to find your way back?" Jack asked as he handed the stack of papers to the remaining guys.
"No need. It was quite easy to find this place with the small map. Should be just as easy to find my way out of here."
"Hmm. Then we shall meet after your move. I will personally arrive to bring you over to your 'work place'."
"To a long and prosperous partnership." Frank bowed slightly and quietly left the room, leaving the group immersed in the plans he had left them. What he had drawn on the pages was a blueprint for subdermal armor for hands. covering the entirety of ones hands, up to the elbow. Once crafted and implantyed, it would allow the owner to smash through concrete walls without even scratching said armor. Of course there were commentaries that one woul need muscle implants to allow for the neccessary muscle exertion to attain enough force to achieve such feats. Muscle implants that did not exist just yet, though Frank had added a mcomment that he might come up with something relevant in the near future. He after all had a couple of ideas where he could take said project.
Franks road home was rather calm and relaxed, having achieved everything that he wanted. With this he could achieve everything he needed to start his own preperations and modifications, earning enough strenght to start changing the world for the better. Yet as he was calmly returning home, the room with the members of The Junkyard was anything but. The engineers, as well as the programmers just stared at the plans before their very eyes, their mouths agape with the complexity and alien concepts behind quite a few of the parts.
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"Is he an alien? Just how messed up must ones mind be to come up with something like this?"
"Look at the programming, as well as the tie together with the nervous systems. That would require a neuroscientist with decades of knowledge, or so I would think."
Clap! A loud clap earned Jack the attention of the now lost techies. "So, have we struck gold?"
"Gold? Are you on drugs old man? If this thing works, and Frank eventually comes up with the muscle implants of the same level, as well as some other stuff, we have the key to the worlds mineral, gas, petrol, guns and porn source that no one else has. This is the shit that governments would nuke 3rd world countries for. We have to create a prototype this instant. I dont even care how or where it was birthed." replied Laura, an unrecognized zeal in her voice.
"So, place our best protectors on Frank."
"10x!" was the only respone that came from the techies, as they frantickally contacted their teams to prepeare for the making of a prototype.
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Frank reached his home without any accidents, though he did notice quite the activity in the side streets. The recent purge of the gangs, performed by the police and special forces after the incident Frank had the misfortune of being in the middle of, had left quite the power vacuum. Not an aspect of the underworld that existed for an extended period of time within the city, thus there were already multiple new contenders emerging from the groups of thugs and lowlifes. The coming few months will be quite bloody, though with the recent purge still fresh in their minds, said bloodshed should be kept to the deepest and darkest alleys that no decent folk ever walk through. All the more reason for Frank to convince his mother to take the job he had secured for her in The junkyard, and move their home to the place prepeared for them.
Since he returned home much earlier than expected, he used his time productively and bussied himself with prepearing the supper for the family. As he did so, Frank went over multiple possible ways to bring up the subject, as well as quite a few variations of the more undesired dirrections said conversation could go into, prepearing quitea few different contingency plans for each of the possible bad dirrections. no matter what the conversation is, it can always move into a rather unpleasant and damaging dirrection.
Frank was about an hour and half into preperations, having just taken the main dish off fire, when his phone rang. Unexpected, to say the least, since he did not have people who would bother to call him, even less so now that he was no longer an employee of his last job. Even further furrowing of his brow was caused by the fact that it was an unknown number. Regardless, Frank quickly wiped his hands and picked up the phone.
"Hello, how may I help you?" he spoke as soon as he picked up the phone, and moments later he recieved a response.
"Hello, have I reached Frank Wraith?" a rather soft and feminine voice spoke from the other side of the line.
"Yes, how may I help you?"
"I am calling you from Arganza market district hospital. We have just hospitalized Gloria Wraith. She is in the surgery right now, and this number was listed as her emergency contact."
"I will be there in thirty." Frank replied hastily, clear worry and distress in his voice as he dropped everything, dressed with speed like never before and left their apartment mere minutes later, barely locking the doors behind himself. Since it was the middle of the day, it was near impossible to get anywhere without spending at least a couple of hours in a trafic jam, so he did not even think twice as he started to run in quite the pace towards his destination. And while normally he would slow donw and calculate the best possible plan of action, for the first time in his life, his mothers life was at risk here, limiting his ability to think calmly and rationally. His system was flooded with adrenaline, as he pushed his body to the limit, rushing towarsd the hospital.
Cewe's effect was already showing, since he only needed twenty five minutes to reach the hospital in question, he was rather sweaty when he almost sprinted inside, moving towards one of the reception desks in just a blink of an eye, spending just as little time to regain his breath as he adressed the lady sitting on the other side.
"G-Gloria Wraith. She was brought in after an accident." Frank squeezed pu the words as he was gasping for air, his rather frantic pace and breathing during his run evident. The nurse at the counter quickly checked something in her computer, then picked up her phone and called someone. After explaining what little she could to Frank, she asked him to wait for a moment and then, soon after he was lead to a waiting room near one of the surgery rooms, while being explained that his mother would soon be out. All Frank could do at this point was sit, pray and wait, hoping that his mom would come out fine.
However, now that he no longer had any other avenue, his mind started racing, considering any possible causes of the supposed accident. Eventually his mind reached a conclusion that Gloria had expirienced no accident, but most likely was targeted and hurt by someone. That was the only explanation, since she would have been on her way home at the time he was informed, making the possibility of him being right grow more with each passing moment.
By the time someone came out of the door he was sitting by, Frank had already decided to find the one responsible for this and ensure that said offender does not enjoye his life for much longer. Never before had Frank experienced such fear, anger and bloodlust at the same time. A feeling he realised he did not like, not one bit, and he would have to ensure such situations would never happen again.
"Mister Wraith." the doctopr spoke, clearly exausted after a hard day at work, though there was a slight smile of relief on his face as he adressed Frank. "The worst part is over, and your mother should make a full recovery, though I have to warn that it could take quite a long while. The stabbing had damaged quite a few arteries and muscles."
"Thank you doctor." Frank spoke with relief washing over him as he slumped back in the chair that he had unknowingly risen from.
"Who do I have to ask for more details regarding the incident?" he then asked, his mind already calling for preperations to avenge the injustice his family has suffered.
"I am afraid there is little I can helpo you in that regard sir. You would have to aske either the lady herself, once she wakes up, or the police officers working on the case, if there are any." the last part of the sentence was spoken in barely audible voice, more of a gripe of the doctor than anything meant for Franks ears.
"When can I expect her to wake up, and when could I hope to visit her?" Frank asked , clear worry still filling his voice, though this was nowhere near the level he was at before the doctor informed him of the results of the surgery.
"While we cant allow her to be disturbed today, she should wake tommorow morning. That is when I would suggest you come visit as well. A night of sleep would do you both good. Though with how you are, I am guessing it might be difficult to leave her alone right now. There are a few rooms set up for similar purpose. When the next of kin are too worried to leave the side of their loved ones, hoping for a way to spend the night near the hospitalized person."
"Thank you doctor. I will do just that then." Frank replied, making small bows towards the man, commiting the doctors name that was on a name plate on his coat, as well as the mans facial features. He would repay good with many times more good, once he would climb the world ladder. He pulled out another phone, that had started ringing just moment ago. This phone he had just recieved from Jack before he left The Junkyard. It was clean and linked with the network of their companies upper echealons. He picked up the phone and hear d the voice of Jack.
"We heard about your mother. We will do everything we can to ensure she pulls through, coming out even better than she was before, once it is all over."
"Thank you. Could you do me a foavour?"
"Sure what is it kid?"
"Can you track down whoever is responsible for it? I need the info."
"It is possible. Laura is already working on it, truth be told, though there is little you can do at the moment. These are different worlds you live in."
"Hrrrr, I know. All the same, I need the details to prepeare. It will not be long till said diferences will not matter at all. Also, can we speed up that workshops creation. The sooner I can start tinkering, the sooner you will bet those muscle implants."
"Wait, you already have a plans for a possible prototype?" Jack questioned with wide eyes, though Frank could not see them at this moment.
"You could say that. Also, the move is happening. No way am I allowing my mother to ever have the chance of a repeat 'accident'."
"Dont worry kid, I'll have it all aranged and carried out."
"Thanks old man."
"Dont sweat it kid. Thats what partners are for."