1 It is GREAT to be a systems engineer!!!

Michael looked at his desk phone that was ringing for the last ten seconds. The phone screen showed the extension number of the company's Chief Executive Officer. He sighed and picked it up.

"Michael, why is my zoom function not working?" A man's voice yelled on the other side of the phone.

"Sir, are you on your laptop or phone?"

"What do you think, idiot? You messed up my laptop yesterday, so I cannot use it now, can I?" CEO Kensley's voice blasted through the ear piece of the phone.

"I will be there in a minute." Michael's words were dryer than his throat.

"You better be." Mr. Kinsley slammed down the phone on the other end.

Michael replaced the receiver, too, and walked out of his three foot by four foot cubicle with a folded piece of paper secured in his pocket. Saturday morning meant the entire suite was empty, other than him, the extremely busy and foul-mouthed CEO of the company, and the cleaners. He strode along the zigzag passage of the cubicles. Then, he exited the main office suite and turned left towards the C-suite, where Mr. Kensley was waiting for him.

Michael walked through the open doors into the c-suite and stepped across the room. Mr. Kensley was sitting on his couch, with a bathing robe on, leaning over a stack of papers littered on the coffee table. As soon as Michael entered the room, Kensley took out his phone and threw it at him.

"Take this piece of trash and fix it. Don't expect a job here if you make me look like a loser again in front of the Board of Directors!"

Michael stared at the two pieces of the smartphone lying on the floor for a few moments and looked at the open window behind the couch where Kensley was sitting. It was big enough to allow someone to jump from it.

"What is it?" Kensley's voice was grating. His eyes had followed Michael's gaze. "Don't even think about it! Not from my window!"

Michael fumbled inside his breast pocket and brought out the piece of paper that he had so carefully filled out the previous day.

"I quit," Michael said calmly. He had been planning this for weeks, his voice always trembling when he practiced in front of the mirror. But now, he felt more at peace than ever.

"Oh, you quit, do you? FINE! Go!" Kensley huffed. "In this job market, mister wants to quit." He murmured not too softly and went back to perusing his document.

When Michael came out of the building, he felt free. A gorgeous day was waiting for him outside. The fresh spring air washed his face, and the sun was shining brightly over the busy city of Chicago. He checked out his digital watch:

[11 AM Saturday, March 13, 2021]

His twenty sixth birthday and he felt like he was born again. The universe had granted him a new life on this very day again. He would cross the street, catch a cab, gather all his belongings, and leave for a world tour that he had always planned to do since he was a child.

The signal turned green for the pedestrians, and Michael began to cross the street. Suddenly, a Ferrari came speeding down the road, and just as Michael thought he would not get out of the way in time, it screeched to a halt. Other pedestrians standing on the sidewalks hurled insults at the Ferrari driver, who did not bother to apologize to Michael. With his heart still pounding out of his chest, Michael quickly crossed the rest of the street and arrived at the sidewalk.

"Mr. Michael Best?" A deep voice called out Michael's name. He turned to see a man, a good hand taller than him and broader too, dressed in clothes too warm for the spring weather.

"Yes."

"Good."

The man brought out a pistol and placed its cool nozzle to Michael's head.

BAAM.