Demo Day

(Sorry for the lack of a chapter last night. I was way too tired.)

*Click*

I snapped the clasp of my watch band shut, tightening it around my wrist. This was my last step in getting dressed for today.

Turning, I walked over to the floor to ceiling mirror that was adjacent to my closet door. I just had to admire my good looks. I really cleaned up well.

I got a haircut yesterday. In fact, Mark was the one that gave it to me. I got a nice fade on the sides and went for a messy look on the top, not too unlike a mop.

My outfit was the best part though. I was wearing a gray suit jacket, black crewneck sweater, and khakis. With my black suede loafers, I really looked nice. My glasses definitely complemented the look.

I walked out of my bedroom and down the stairs. Once down the two flights, I was greeted by the sight of my wife making breakfast while Mark was sipping a glass of ice water. "Lana, you're supposed to be taking it easy."

Lana lifted the tongs she was holding and spun around, completing a throwing motion. I quickly noticed an object flying towards me, so I raised my hand in front of my face, catching it. "Oh, you caught it."

I rolled my eyes, noticing it was a piece of perfectly cooked bacon. I waved it in the air and spoke. "Did you really have to do that? You could have gotten grease on my clothes." I then took a bite of the bacon, chewing into it with a crunch

She shrugged, going back to flipping the bacon. "Mark, would you mind making some coffee?" She then glared at me. "James would probably yell at me if I did it."

I sunk into a chair at the table, not knowing what I did to deserve this. Was making sure my pregnant wife got proper rest a crime?

After an unpleasant breakfast, which tasted quite good despite my annoyed wife, Mark and I were off to work. The subway was only a few blocks away from my house. One of the lines that stops there goes all the way to the station that is just a block from the Southrop building. Although the subway takes longer than the bus, there was something nice about taking the subway in the morning. I wouldn't say it was comfortable but it was soothing. The crowds of people, the shaking of the train cars, the old technology. It was probably the oldest part of the infrastructure in all of New York City. The last time the MTA replaced the train cars was in 2220, over 50 years ago now.

Approximately 45 minutes later, Mark and I were walking up the stairs, exiting the subway station. The smells of the city in this area were quite nice actually. The streets were remarkably clean nowadays, no garbage in sight. What really brought it home were the food carts that marked every other corner.

One of my favorite lunch spots was over here. There was a halal cart that was right outside of the building I worked in. The food was really amazing and the chef was very friendly, always giving me a free piece of falafel. It kind of makes sense he does this though.

A few years ago, I was looking for a lunch spot and was in the mood for something with rice. I decided I would go for a walk and see if there was anything nearby. Sometimes it is nice to just go on an adventure to see what the world may show you, rather than searching for your destination before leaving.

Reaching the bottom floor, I noticed a bit of a commotion out front. My curiosity got the best of me so I approached the area. Apparently, there was a food cart that had set up about 10 feet down the sidewalk from the entrance of the building. Southrop security was trying to get the cart to move away as it was a "security risk". The justification kind of makes sense since we are a military contractor and weapons manufacturer.

Still curious, I approached the food cart and noticed that it was halal. Upon smelling the meat being cooked, my stomach rumbled, saliva filling my mouth. It was at this moment that I decided that I was going to use my VP position for something good.

I stepped in, ignoring the security guards and talking directly to the cart owner. "What do you recommend? I have never had halal before?"

The guards angrily looked towards me before immediately taking a step back. One of them was an android and the other a human. Regardless, it was part of their job to know the upper management and executives of the company. "Good morning Dr. Mittdermit."

I turned towards them, wearing a blank smile that stated nothing. "Good morning."

The man grimaced, tugging on the shirt of the android and nodding his head towards the building. Clearly they had given up on this effort.

What I had done was quite simple but it worked. Every morning, I address them both by name when I arrive and then every evening I do the same when I leave. Now, I didn't even say their name.

The cart owner didn't end up charging me for my food that day and I had been getting a free falafel piece ever since. The chicken over rice is really good.

Speaking of the halal cart, the guy was already out and setting up. Ever since that day, he started cooking the food early in the morning right next to our building. I was never able to figure out if it was to stick it to those guards or if he just wanted to bait people in with the smell.

I waved to him. "Good morning, Samir."

Samir looked up from the grill and smiled when he saw me. "Good morning, Mr. Mittdermit, Mark." Mark nodded his head in reply.

Mark and I then headed into the lobby. The lobby of the Southrop Martin building was absolutely gorgeous. There were historical artifacts of fighter jets from the 21st century, 22nd century active camouflage bombers, and a few display cases with some of the consumer grade weaponry such as rifles and pistols. We don't actually manufacture firearms but it was more of a museum. The current CEO, Bobby Silver did a fantastic job directing the redecoration.

The floors were made of marble and so were all of the tables and furniture. Opposite the entrance was a reception desk with 3 workers. Two of them were androids and one human. They wore earpieces and were busy typing away on double monitor workstations. As the front line of our company, they were constantly at work.

Looking around, I noticed the security presence was slightly elevated compared to yesterday. I was convinced that this had something to do with Arthur. One thing, however, was out of place.

At one of the coffee tables in the lobby, there were four men sitting on the couches. Each of them were just as strong as the next, their bodies rippling with muscle. I felt that I was in danger just looking at them. Almost as if the four of them could sense it, they all looked at me in unison, staring straight into my eyes.

I subconsciously gulped. "Mark, any idea who they are?"

Mark turned towards them and his eyes flashed. "I believe that they are the professionals that Arthur spoke of."

I immediately relaxed. "Oh, I was worried for nothing then. Let's go greet them."

Mark tilted his head slightly. "Arthur must be having them wait for a reason."

I chuckled, starting to walk over. "Oh please, it's just a power play. That's how these guys work. It creates a feeling of subordination having to wait for someone." I then held up my hand, making a zero. "This is how many fucks I give about such things."

Mark shrugged, not bothering to argue with me. Being around me so much, his limited emotional capacity made him more willing to follow my instructions than anyone else including the executives such as Arthur.

I made my way over, to the table, noticing that one of the men was sizing me up. He was probably the most intimidating one of the four. His long black hair was tied into a bun and he had bushy eyebrows that didn't lose out to his sideburns. He was wearing joggers and a gray t-shirt with sneakers on his feet. Quite comfortable clothing if I say so myself.

He raised his brow, continuing to scan me. "Arthur, I presume?"

I shook my head, chuckling. "Nope. I may not be an executive but I am the one running the show today."

He nodded. "Then Dr. Mittdermit it is." He stood up, immediately towering over me. He extended his meaty hand towards me for a handshake. "My name is Tim, a former MMA fighter."

I smiled, returning the handshake. I then nodded my head towards the other three men. "Quite the talkative bunch, eh?"

Tim chuckled, nodding in agreement. "Well, Fukido over there doesn't speak English. The other two are just shy."

The other three men were a diverse bunch. Tim was the only white guy in the group. Two of them were asian and the other middle eastern. The first asian guy, Fukido, had long black hair wrapped into a ponytail. He was cleanly shaven and well groomed unlike Tim. He was wearing a karategi, or karate gi, which is the traditional uniform used by Karate practitioners. His footwear was a pair of sandals, I presumed he'd take them off then he fought.

The second asian man, who's name I didn't know yet, was wearing an outfit that was starkly different to Fukido's. It almost looked like a sheet draped over a track suit. This turned out to be a wushu uniform. Thus, he practiced kung fu. He was bald and had a completely white fu manchu around his mouth and hanging off his chin. If I had to rank them in terms of bulk, he was the skinniest while Tim was the biggest. This was considering that he was still more muscular than me.

The last man, the middle eastern man, was dressed in olive colored military garb. I presumed he was from the Israeli military and thus, a practitioner of krav maga. He was currently holding an e cigarette in his mouth, occasionally releasing small puffs of smoke. He had a buzz cut of dark brown hair that barely stood out from his dark brown skin. He must have come from the Isreali embassy.

I nodded, turning towards Mark. "Can you request a translator for Fukido?"

Mark nodded, his eyes flashing. "She will meet us in the reception hall."

The second asian man seemed to snap his head towards Mark after hearing him speak. "This is the android?"

I nodded. "His name is Mark."

He stood up from the couch, stroking the strip of hair hanging off of his chin as he wore an inquisitive look. His eyes swept up and down Mark's body. "Interesting. This… Mark does not move like an android."

I smiled, gesturing towards the security gate to access the elevators. "That's not the only way he's different. Shall we head to the reception hall?"

He nodded. "Lead the way. I am Sun Lu, it is a pleasure to meet you, doctor."