Franks walk to work was just as uneventfull as always, though he was more than just a little happy with that, not even slightly inclined to experiece any of the 'suprise encounters' that a city such as Arganza could offer, even less so in the times he was alive. Some few decades back in time, he might have actually hoped for some sort of a chance encounter or the likes, but now, with the amount of street gangs popping up and getting destroyed, as well as the power and arrogance of the corpo mercs and executives offspirng, it was much better for ones longjevity and health of the nerves to have a mundane and boring trip from ones home to their place of work.
Once in office, Frank did just as he would any other monday- took his seat at his own desk, checked if any important e-mails had been sent his way. Then, if so, he would figure out the nature of whatever task he would have to do, then quickly calculate the time frame that would be neccesary for the average employee to finish it and then set out to be just barely better than said estimate. Sure, he could make mistakes in the estimation, but in general, he had a rather good track record regarding the estimation, placing him in the position he was in.
Since he saw no such urgent tasks forwarded towards him, he could proceed with the other parts of his routine. Since he had no tasks left to continiue from last week, he 'focused' on some of the long term goals and tasks the employees in his position where tasked with. They, as a group, where given a concept that was stuck in its programming stages, a few of the goals for the project contradicting one another to a certain level. It was their task to try and solve the issue at hand. What said solution did look like was, more often than not, puretheoretical ideas, that were eventually trown out, or set aside, once other contradicting issues popped up after attempting to implement said offered changes.
Frank had more than a single possible solution for the issue at hand, his mind having churned them out quite some time ago, even before aquiring "The Book", though he knew better than to just offer said possible solutions to the company. First, it would make him stand out way too much, something he was too uncomfortable with, his high intelegence prioritizing safety, hiding among the average and mundane. Secondly, the company would no doubt take full credit for the end product, leaving him no better off. He ould not even recieve any sort of a bonus for his tremendous contribution to the project. So, he did what any sane person would, and acted as if he had nothing, besides some half cooked, though with a sensible reasoning, ideas, that ended up sidelined or iced because of some conflicting parts of the code.
Frank did hear his colleagues talking about the new manager arriving sometime after lunch, as well as some more half hearted condolences of pity dirrected towards him. No doubt everyone expected the new manager to take out some of his frustration from schoold days on Frank, who happened to share his family name with the nickname of a schoolmate of his, who overshadowed and eclipsed the new manager in each and every hobby and sport both took interest in. Couple said school experience with the temper of a spoiled youngster, place both in a position of power over someone who merely reminds them of something out of their controll and influence, then note said subordinate is of a lesser class and enjoy the powertrip said rich kid would most likely embark on, making the others life a misery in more ways than one.
Luckaly for Frank, he was quite tough mentaly, his mind before being honed quite a bit, though now, he might as well be considered a wall when it comes to dealing with insults and other petty word squabbles. He was quite well prepeared for all manner of actions from the new manager, though he did not quite expect the result he got, which he had to admit, was both extremely childish and quite mature at the same time.
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Rick James Fjord was the youngest child of Jeremy Fjord, C.E.O. of Fjord diagnostics, a company specializing in analysis, diagnostics and improvement of all manner of codes and technology, using their patented diagnostic tools to find redundancies and all other manner inefficiencies in the products of ther companies. And while that was the very beggining of the company, they now had quite a few other branch companies that performed all manner of other services and tasks. Ranging from cargo delivery and transportation services, all the way to cosmetics and fashion.
While Rick's grandfather was the man who founded the company, it was under the management of his father, Jeremy, when the company started its incredible growth, assisted by the two older children of the man- Aron and Anna Fjords. The eldest, Aron, was cold and calculative, just like his father, and was hailed as quite the business genius, having joined his father at the age of fourteen in growing and expanding their company. These days he was in charge of one of the most succesfull barnches of the corporation- military technology research and developement.
Then there was Anna, who, similarily to Aron, was hailed as quite the bright mind, though unlike her older sibbling, she had set her sights on fashion and cosmetics. Having inherited quite the interest in said subject from her mother- Iveta, who was rather well known developer cologne. Whatever the case, much like Aron, she too had earned quite the name for herself in the corpo circles, being hailed as 'ice queen' or 'crystal viper'. Cold, calculative and ruthless, when it came to business, though at the same time she had a rather large fan base among the less fortunate parts of the society, as she would donate to various charities on a rather regular bases. Little did others know just how much of a bitch she actuall was.
And then there was Rick. He was the youngest of the children and the one that was quite neglected by the parents. His father would focus on Aron, his genius and knack for business having surfaced early in the older boys teens, and his mother, Iveta, would spend most of her time with Anna, who had inherited the older womans love and enthusiasm for cologne and fashion. Who then, could Rick confide in, his parents and sibblings always bussy with their own things, and the age gap of almost ten years did not make it any better. Add to it all the way Anna would treat him, like her own personal anger relief tool, and you have the perfect set up to create the young master who was angry at the world.
And to put a cherry of top of it all, unlike his sibblings, Rick did not show any superior tallents or skills during his childhood, being even more ostracized and often times scolded by the strict father, further pushing him in the dirrection of an angry and lashing out kid. Though, as if hoping to right all the wrongs that Rick was experiencing, the heavens did reward him for the suffering he was going through. At the age of sixteen, when he first sat at the wheel of a car, he finally learned of his own special tallents and skills. As it turned out, Rick was more than just a bit impressive when it came to racing, some would even say he was a genious.
He would then spend most of his time in the race track, sometimes taking part in special street race events as well, scoring incredibly well in said events, all against experienced and professional drivers. And yet, it seemed the gods, or devils, or whatever else was in controll of the world, had decided that Rick had not gone through enough of a suffering. When he joined a college, he was once again showed down to the ground and forgotten, not only by his family, but now even his peers. For whatever reason, Yuto Toshinori, the youngest son of the C.E.O. of the Toshinori Cybernetics, joined the same school as Rick. And while Rick was considered a genious racer, Yuto earned the title of prodigy in the same category, going so far as to be dubbed "The wraith" for his seemingly inhuman reflexes and precision behind the wheel. No matter how hard Rick worked, it all seemed to come to Yuto without any effort. What was even worse, Yuto seemed to have choseb Rick as the but of his jokes, joining whatever else Rick had tried his hand at, always beating him, always being better. 'Wraith' was always breathing down his neck.
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Two years of torture, even more unbearable than his own familiy's dissapointed and almost detesting gazes towards him. And yet, he had endured. Sure, he had become quite the short tempered man, finding his own possies to unload on, though never had he stooped so low as to pick on the ones life was already stepping on. No, sir, he was chosing his targets from among the other corpo families, all of them lower on the pecking order than him, of course, and each of his targets being quite the asholes themselves. He did his dues, he could never target someone in the same situation as him, he was too well aware of the pain, having lived throught it all himself. Nevertheless, his pain and suffering had to go somewhere, and so it had been dirrected.
And now, here Rick was, sent off to one of the lesser branches of his fathers corporation, placed as the manager in hopes that he was not an absolute failiure. He had gritted his teeth, swallowed what anger and hatred he had towards his own family, and accepted the order of the family head. It was the only way he could earn enough money to secure a life for himself, away from Fjord family, since he never had felt as one of them, and then, maybee one day, he could make them feel all the pain and suffering he had gone through his whole life.
Life however, was not content with his suffering, not yet anyhows, since as he looked at the employee list of the branch, one Frank Luminous WRAITH, immediatly jumped out of the list, delivering a gut wrenching punch to his being. What an irony. Just as he had finally escaped the shadow and constant torture of one wraith, yet another appeared before his eyes. Still, he had gone through hell and more, and he was well aware that the man, whose name was before his eyes, had nothing to do with his suffering. Regardless, Rick was perfectly well aware that he could not maintain his sanity should the man be constantly before his eyes. Having no better alternatives, he chose the only rational decision he could come to and acted upon it.
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The quick introduction of the new manager, Rick Fjord, was just that- a quick introduction. In the largest conference room, where all the employees of the branch where gathered, he stood in front, introduced himself, mentioned a small change in a few of the general policies the branch had, and ended the meeting, sending all of the people back to their work stations. Once Frank was at his desk, however, he recieved a summons from the new branch manager.
'Here it goes.' Though Frank as he rose from his workplace and walked towards the managers office.
A short while later, he was in the managers office, Rick sitting in his own seat behind the oak wood table, his eyes were somewhat glazed over, clearly something occupying his mind. Though unlike what Frank expected to see, now that he was alone in a closed room with the young man, only a couple of years younger than him though, and without the younger of the two to trying to appear calm and composed, he saw a man, tortured and haunted, not the young, brash and arrogant child of a C.E.O.
"Sigh." Rick exhaled a heavy sigh, his hand stretching to the table and taking a glass of what appeared to be either whiskey or brandy. Downing a large gulp from the glass, his unfocused and tired gaze turned to Frank.
"No doubt you have heard some talks of me and my character, as well as the past I have with a 'Wraith'. And while I am more than perfectly aware it is in no way, shape and form, a fault of yours, ones mind and consciousness in not quite so understanding. It is for exactly that reason, that I see no other path forward, lest I do something untowards at a later date. It brings me no pleasure to do this, so hate me if you must, but it is the best path forward."
He took another large gulp from the glass, not sure he had ever needed a drink as much as now, and continiued.
"Mister Frank Luminous Wraith, it is with with heavy heart that I have to inform you, our branch will no longer be needing your services. In light of your great performance thus far, you will be paid out all the compensations in accordance to the contract we hired you by, as well as an additional amount, provided by me personally as a way of apology. Is there anything i could do, to somewhat ease your exist from our company?" he was clearly expecting some sort of angry outburst, but he was well prepeared for it. He was after all, quite likely, destroying another young man's stable life.
"A moment to consider please." Came a response that, refocused Rick's attention on the man before him. There was no rage, anger or anything else displayed on his face, only a single, slightly furrowed brow, the mean clearly doing some calculations in his head. A silence descended on the room, untill a couple of minutes later, Frank finally spoke, Rick's entire ttention focused on the man.
"You are nothing like the rumors say. And I can guess, more or less, the reasoning behind your actions. So, if you would be so kind, could you use that name of yours and send out a warning of sorts to other companies of our field, not to hire me, lest their incur your wrath?"
"I beg your pardon?" Rick questioned, not quite understanding the other parties reasoning.
"A 'Wraith' might have been part of the nightmare you have had to experience, if my guess is right, so I see no reason another one could not become the exact opposite in a few years time. Besides, my request would surely reinforce the reputation you have aquired. Surely, you would like to maintain it the same, lest others start to question your change and whatnot."
At those words, Ricks gaze sharpened, whatever buzz he was feeling, quickly supressed, adrenalin flooding his veins. His experiences having shaped and posilshed his own senses and ability to read people quite a lot as well and they screamed at him that the man before him was much more than it seemed.
"I am listening."
"If you would be so kind as to do that little favour for me, I would be in your debt, and once I have my own affairs in order, I could offer you some special assistance in whatever you might need."
"And what would be the nature of this assistance?" Rick asked.
"That depends on what you would need at the time and how my own plans have had come along, but I can assure you, there is nothing for you to lose."
Frank stood there in silence, clearly giving the younger of the two to consider his offer. Rick apreciated the understanding, all the while goining through the pros and cons, should he fulfill the request of Frank. And, the more he though on the matter, the more assured he was growing. Like Frank had stated, his reputation would indeed ensure that the request would go over as entirely Rick, not raising a single eyebrow. Furthermore, if Frank could, at a later time, offer some sort of assistance to further Rick's own goals, it was even better. Trully, it was a pure win- win- win scenario, where Rick would have to make a snigle call with nothing to lose, and possibly everythin to gain. Still, there was a question on his mind.
"I doubt you act in the manner you do here with anyone. Why me?"
"What can I say, those eyes of yours do not belong to a spoiled young master. No, that is the gaze of a hardened man with a plan."
"Heh, guess I still have a long way to go to learn to hide the true me. But sure, I will fulfill that request of yours. As you said, it would be consistent with my character. How would I know when you are ready and willing to help me out, should I need it? Do you need a way to contact me?"
"No, most tech is bugged and unreliable. Once I am ready, you will know."
Rick just shrugged his shoulders, reaching down in one of the drawers of his table, pulling out an envelope and placing it on the table, sliding it towards Frank.
"The bonus I promised." Then he placed the documents of termination on the table. with the same hand inviting Frank to sign them. With the small amount of papers to sign, Frank quickly went them over, covering his bases, and once done, he signed them, everything was as how Rick had said.
'With this, father and my siblings would think that I am trying to act abiding by their warnings, while Franks request shows that I am still as immature as they expect, though properly scared of them, giving them a solid leash on me. Or so they should think.' Rick thought once Frank had left his office and the call was made, ensuring no other company in their line of work would look at Frank as a possible member of their teams. A simple low level IT specialist was simply not worth the troube.