Don’t forget to check out the playlist for songs to link with the chapters:
Church doors open to reveal two lines of people waiting outside, and a casket is being carried out of the church. Behind the coffin, a single man in a suit, his hair long and in a ponytail, walks out, his head down, looking sullen. The people bow their heads; some are crying, while others are just being respectful. The rain is not hitting hard, though it is wet enough that people's umbrellas are covered in drops.
The procession walks to a waiting hearse, and the casket is placed inside. Behind it, a limo waits. A young man with blonde hair opens the door and nods to the person getting inside. Beside him is a woman with a look of sadness and concern on her face. Inside, Thomas leans his head back and closes his eyes. He was recalling the last few months of his life. The sudden call from his father's doctor informing him of the condition and that he had a month left to live, the conversations he had with his father about the company, and how he would have help in the transition. Tony is starting to go over how security should go on moving forward for him. He should just trust his instincts, and that his father was confident he was leaving him with all he needed to take on the responsibility. Also, he recalls his father’s guilt that he had to ask so much of a son so young. It all weighed on him like a skyscraper being attached to your back. He was not sure even how to begin to process what the hell he had to do.
As he was lost in his thoughts, he felt a hand on his shoulder. "Thomas," his eyes opened, hearing Tam’s voice, the young Indian woman and someone he considered like family, said to him as he came back to the world, "We're here."
Tony McCoy, his head of security, another he considered a brother, suddenly appeared like a ninja and opened the door. Tam extended her umbrella to cover them from the rain. He declined this and walked past both of them to the burial site with the other mourners. The rain did not bother him, and it was not a downpour. As he walked over, people parted like a boat entering port, the waves going away from him. He finally got to the front and stood. Bowing his head, everyone stared at him. He looked around and saw the priest, cameras, and the entire world; it felt like taking video and photos of him, all waiting for his permission to start. Still not used to the new authority, he nodded to begin.
Tam and Tony stood beside him; to everyone around them, The Walker Company was the largest in the chain post-war, and to many, the last shining beacon of hope that things could improve and just not get worse. But with the loss of his father, the world now held its breath waiting to see if the son would be the dawn of the new age they worked so hard for, or the twilight of the world as it descended into decay. The irony of everyone looked at him when he felt the responsibility on him, but also some was passed to the two people beside him.
He stood with the others as the body was laid to rest. He walked over, grabbed a handful of dirt, looked down one more time, and then to the tombstone that read "Here lies Franklin Walker, a man who helped the world," with his date of birth and death. After a pause and holding back tears, he threw the dirt and then walked away, putting his other hand in his pocket, walking away in haste, trying to conceal the loss he was still trying to wrap his head around.
The ride to the wake was hard. Tam sat with him, as did Tony this time. Thomas tried to hold back his pain, but sometimes he would break. Both of them took turns and, at times, together helped him regain his composure, the loss and shock causing him to have small but frequent panic attacks; he did not realize how bad they were until Tam pointed them out to him. Tony sent a text to the motorcade carrying his father's body to slow down a bit. A gesture for him to allow his friend some time to collect himself once more and endure this hellish day. He knew it was coming to an end, but he had no idea it was going to be this hard or that every step felt like he had been awake for a year straight. The limo finally pulled up to the location, and the driver looked back, unsure of how to respond to the situation. Eventually, the driver spoke through the intercom.
"Excuse me, Mr. Walker," he said, unsure of his action. "We've arrived, sir." The young man looked up and smiled.
"Thank you," his voice polite and calm, he opened the door. Tony got out first to assess the area. Tam followed and opened her umbrella. he still stepped into the rain once more. He walked inside and saw that the place was empty. This was not unexpected; he hoped this would happen. This was the last part of the day, this ritual; then he could finally rest a little and begin to wrap his head around the future.
Tony walked up, putting his hands in the pockets of his pants, his eyes, as always, scanning. "Bit of a convenient traffic jam behind us, we got about maybe fifteen minutes before people arrive." He casually told his friend and boss.
Thomas nodded as he stood looking at the memorial built for his father. "I'm guessing that was your doing? Tam came back over with a drink for her and one for Tony, who nodded to her.
"Maybe it was, maybe it's a dog crossing the street, and the driver doesn't want to hurt it, what do I know?" Tony answered back.
Tam looked at Thomas. "You are going to be fine, Thomas, and if you need to take a minute, just excuse yourself; I can handle people."
Tony chuckled "They think you're an item anyway" he added, the eyes of the Indian woman turned to him with a fire he knew every time he said something like that was about to release, he put his hands up to calm things down "Hey, hey just saying, right now it may be a saving grace, but she's right you start feeling overwhelmed take a step back."
Tam calmed herself, focusing her attention back on Thomas. "Have you had food today, and I don't mean just coffee?"
Thomas thought for a moment. "I'm not sure..." was all he could get out.
"And that is the best answer we will be getting from him on that," Tony said, patting Thomas on the back. "Try and sneak a few club sandwiches; they actually taste good."
After some time, people began to arrive, and the next few hours went by like a bullet train. Shaking hands, taking condolences, and sharing stories of his father and others telling him memories they had of him. But it always ended the same; the same phrase was said every time.
"I'm so sorry for your loss." This drove him insane; he knew it was a reaction, and people cannot really process what to say, and it is always awkward about how to explain all the feelings you have about the situation. Most people just do not know how to, or how they feel about what you are going through after losing someone. So, it comes out as a socially painful response that even the person saying it knows is just a shitty phrase.
But he took it in stride and said thank you, and they moved along. After the wake and everything was done, Thomas retired to the hotel where he was staying the last few days instead of the mansion his family owned. It was, of course, one of the best hotels in the world, and having had enough of the mansion that came packaged with stress and emptiness thought maybe a change of scenery would mentally do him good. No one in his group talked him out of the idea either. This is where most people in his shoes would probably be living it up or inviting a young beauty to his room to show off just how much money he had and perhaps spend a night with them.
For Thomas, this was instead finding himself at the hotel bar, unsure of what to do and not having a plan. Tony offered to stay with him, but Thomas just was kind of tired of everyone hovering over him; his friend understood and told him to call him if he changed his mind. Now, staring down a short glass of whiskey like the answer was there. He knew it was not, but for the moment, it seemed to be about the best plan he could come up with as to how to spend the last night in Chicago before going out to L.A. for a bit of a retreat from everything. Then, the eventual takeover of the family business.
He did gulp it down, but did not feel any better about anything, also thinking the answer was not at the bottom of another glass. Though he did think briefly about trying again. He asked if they had any coffee, and as always, it was too hot and also more bitter than he liked. He stared down at the cup of steaming liquid, wondering just what his next steps were going to be. Suddenly, he heard a loud young man behind him, which got his attention. He prepared to put on his reassuring smile to tell the world he was okay. Instead, he got someone he did not want to see.
"Thomas!" a man in an outlandish suit and hair with creeping gray at the sides yelled out. "Hey man, how are you doing?" The response was of a face painted with a 'really' look. Confused, Stephen thought for a moment before he blinked a little, "Oh, right, I guess that's a bad choice of words."
The annoying person in question was Stephen Reign; he was the son of a wealthy man, much like Thomas. Stephen was older than Thomas, about ten years older, and his man bun and ironic style made it even more apparent that he was trying very hard to be young. Also, the gray hairs did not do him any favors.
"It's all right, I am...getting by, I suppose," he responded, noticing a young Asian woman in a red dress beside him with a smile that looked just as smug as Stephen's. "Who's your friend?" he asked him.
Stephen was checking his PD display on his pinky ring and looked up, saw her, and looked like he was hesitating for a moment. "Well, she is…"
"His girlfriend," an old voice said as Thomas and Stephen turned around and saw Stephen's father, Richard, the head of ReignOrg, a company that only comes in second to Thomas's own company. A man who, for his age, looked well, but Thomas noticed him presenting more of a front than normal. His distinguished hair was close to his head but full, and his eyes showed a mind still very much aware and active. The woman who walked beside him wore a dress that showed off her cleavage and legs. The elder Reign extended his hand, and Thomas shook it. "We spoke in the assembly line at the funeral, but I am sure you don't remember everyone, so once more it's a terrible loss."
Well, that is a different way of saying 'sorry for your loss.’ Thomas took everyone in front of him and noticed that both girls had a barcode on their arms. "I assume your two friends know one another, or is the tattoo they share just a coincidence?" This made both Reigns flinch a little, and that surprised him. The Reigns held themselves in high esteem. He always knew Stephen was rather spoiled and did not have to raise a finger in his life, but his father usually had an answer for everything. Why suddenly show a chink in the armor, particularly to him?
"That…is a complicated question to answer,” Richard replied, but then a warm smile formed at the corner of his face. “But it may also be something that can help you through your pain.” He explained, “ I can't tell you about it here. Maybe it would be better if we talked in a more private place?"
"You make it sound ominous," Thomas responded, taking a sip of his coffee. Richard’s smile was now both a mask and meant to reassure.
"It is just that we don't talk about it much in public; it's for...people with means such as yourself, Mr. Walker. Also, it beats sitting by yourself at the bar." Richard extended his arm to the elevator.
Thomas took a moment to understand the situation. Here is the family that, at this point, are his rivals, and also have in the past shown signs of wanting to take the company and my own family down. On the other hand, it was also one of the highest buyers of nanotechnology from Walker, so it could simply be that they want to keep the relationship healthy. The thing that did make him get up, however, was that Mr. Reign was right about there being nothing else to do. He also did not want to fall asleep, not wanting another attack or nightmare to greet him when he did. So, he nodded and followed them to the lift. As they began to walk, he saw Richard was having trouble walking and leaned a little in order to offer support. Something the silver-haired woman did not expect, but he could not tell if she was mad, he offered help, or was grateful to him for it.
Stephen paid no mind to the matter, and Thomas simply walked close but at a respectful distance to the older man and the clearly defensive woman in case help was needed. They arrived at a floor higher in the hotel and retired to a private room that was elegant and stately. Thomas looked around for a moment before he sat down in a nice armchair, and Richard sat across from him. His son Stephen stood by his father's chair with his girlfriend to his right, the older man's girlfriend to his left.
As Richard sat down looking at Thomas, he looked as if he was sizing him up, wondering if he could handle the next thing that he was about to tell him. He then adjusted in his seat.
"So, you like whiskey, Thomas?"
Thomas blinked for a moment, surprised by the question. "Um, I just...kind of tried it tonight...I never really drank." The response made the old man laugh.
"Well. Maybe you'll want a second try in a moment," Richard said and pulled out what appeared to be a small notepad, no bigger than a cellphone. He flipped it open and hit a few buttons. The room went dark a little, and suddenly, between them, a Holo Display started. Thomas noted the small, discreet PD and was impressed by it.
"ReignOrg has always thought that the people who helped shape the world we live in deserve a thank you from those of us at the top of the mountain.” He began
Thomas raised an eyebrow. "You mean after the last war?" Richard nodded. "So you mean like how you staged a hostile takeover of Yusei and bought it for the stuff it owned, then for any real good for the world? But, hey, now you can pay other rich people back, correct?"
Richard's face soured a little at the jab. "Before you go throwing stones, I suggest you make sure your house isn't made of glass, son." While he knew his family did not exactly have the cleanest hands, Walker thought the two houses- his house was probably a little cleaner.
"Ok, so why the Holo then, Mr. Reign?" The younger man asked, wanting to forget the topic of the moment. Richard took the hint and continued with his explanation.
"With the thought I started with in mind, I decided to create something like attendants for the elite." He said as two people appeared in the hologram. "Through genetic engineering and unique psychological programming. ReignOrg produces what I call Servants. Created for all manner of tasks, from the simple cleaning of a house to well...intimate service."
Thomas looked at the holograms, perplexed. "How do you...even...like do you take people and turn them into this or what?"
Richard smiled, "Well, we don't take people and force them into service by any means, but do you ask what is in the secret sauce?"
“Genetic Engineering is usually a layman’s term for eugenics.” Thomas reminded him.
"Thinking for a moment, Richard understood the meaning. “We have collected Genetic data of many people; they are created in a lab and bred for service. They are not people, just Servants.”
"So, what about her?" He pointed to the silver-haired woman next to him, and she nodded at him.
"Yes, she is a Servant, one of the first ever made; she serves me, and quite well also," he explained.
Thomas looked to Stephen, with what he now assumed was his servant; her dress was a bit wrinkled, and a smile was on her face, as was Stephen's.
"So, you made slaves?" Thomas finally wound up saying, which made Stephen laugh.
"Dude, it's like having a Barbie doll you can fuck." Thomas looked at him, not sure if his face showed shock or repulsion at that idea. The girl winked at him, and Stephen spanked her, making her jump a bit.
"Enough!" the older Reign said to his son and the girl. Both looked startled and stood normally once more. Richard looked annoyed and embarrassed, pausing for a moment with a small sigh before turning back to his guest. "You must excuse Stephen, Mr. Walker." He said
"Thomas will do just fine." The response gave the elder permission and respect to use a first-name basis.
Richard nodded. "Then excuse me, Thomas, forgive my son and his plaything; he still does not understand the world doesn't revolve around his whims." Stephen shot a glance at him. Thomas wanted to point out the fact that Richard is probably the reason for that. However, his psyche probably couldn't handle the addition of a corporate war to his massive pile of responsibility.
"All of us in this room have made choices that impact this planet, and we are well-known, so why shouldn't the world revolve around us?" Stephen raised his voice to him. His father's eyes slowly focused on him like a missile being given coordinates to its target.
"No, not all of us have to. My knowledge any time I have given you a responsibility, you managed to not only screw it up but also made the situation worse!" he shouted at him. "Thomas has yet to be tested, so if anyone has made a choice here, it is me and me alone. So do something smart for a moment and shut your damn mouth!" Stephen shrank back and held the girl close to him. Richard sighed again and turned back to Thomas.
"I'm sorry. I meant no disrespect to you; you have so much to comprehend and process, and grieving as well. I see much of Frank in you and have little doubt you'll rise to the situation. Unlike my own, which I seem to have molded into an Achilles heel instead of an asset."
Thomas took a look at the room, seeing his son cower and the girl beside him not even blinking, which said volumes about the power dynamic in the family. "I did not take any offense, honestly; you're on point with your assessment. Perhaps, we could work together much like Dad, and you did before your son and I were born?" Extending an olive branch.
Richard looked impressed at that gesture. "You know your history, son, but I feel you need some space before we talk about cooperation." He replied, not really batting away the branch, moving it aside for the moment. "With your recent loss and what is being asked of you, that would overwhelm anyone. I would like you to consider this a gift in good faith."
Thomas looked nervous at that. "How do I know you're not setting me up?" He started before being cut off by the senior Reign.
"I don't expect you to accept it now; however, I would like to invite you to our compound, where we have the Servants stored. See with your own eyes, ask anything you wish to ask, come take a look and see what we can offer. I'd give you a freebie, but well…"
"It wouldn't be fair, and also I think I can afford it," Thomas interjected, to which the old man nodded.
"Take some time to think it over, Thomas. I know it is the bottom of a long list, so we'll be patient."
"Yes, Mr. Reign," Thomas said, looking at him.
"Richard." He said as he rose slowly and began to walk Thomas to the door. "I know you are being respectful of my status. Allow me to return the favor...since you are now the head of your family and company." He said, his eyes turned toward his son, whose eyes looked down in defeat.
Thomas nodded his head. "Thank you...Richard." He said, still a little stunned by the turn of respect. Thomas walked out. Richard turned back to his family and shook his head.
“Five minutes, five fucking minutes, all you had to do was shut up for five minutes, and you can’t even do that!” Richard chastised Stephen. He walked back over to his chair and sat down. Stephen and his Servant stepped back. As he was trying to find words to counter his response. Richard raised his hand.
“It doesn’t matter; sometimes the best way to get someone addicted is to give them a freebie.”
Thomas headed for his room. When he arrived, he noticed it was not nearly as well decorated as the Reign's room was. It was nice, nevertheless. The Walker family was never really known for showing off how much money they had. They lived in nice spaces, but they never threw it in your face. Thomas surveyed the room and felt more at home here. Also, a lot less dirty; he felt like he could use a shower.
Inside the shower, he leaned against the wall and tried to combat another rush of dread. Feeling the walls closing around him, he sank a bit into the shower. He told his PD to play some music so he could distract himself. He focused on the shower to distract from the thoughts of the moment. After a time, he walked out, grabbed his towel, and linked his Personal Device to the HD. Coverage of the funeral was on air, and he just disabled it as fast, not wanting to deal with it. He sat in silence, knowing that while he was going to have to deal with it tonight, tomorrow would be tomorrow, but tonight he just needed to unplug from everything; he wanted to ignore the pain. He went over to the little fridge and saw a plate with a note.
'You probably didn't eat, so I hid this here when you checked in -Tam.
Thomas pulled the plate out and realized it was food from the funeral. He looked at it and stuck it in the small microwave in the room. Biting into it, he realized it was one of the sandwiches Tony mentioned. He was right; they were not bad.
The little moment of peace would pass, and he remembered how the day was long, and with all that had to be done, he still, to his surprise, had not found time to mourn his father's passing. Emotions and Thomas Walker did not go together; many past relationships would say he was not very good at expressing any emotion. Smart, hell yes; funny, he could be, but when someone needed a pep talk, you were better off talking to the ceiling.
Cassie more or less confirmed that to him when they broke up. He tried his best to be good to her. But soon, stories of her seeing other men were becoming common. He confronted her about it and explained a lot of reasons why, but what stuck out more was that he just was not there for her emotionally. He then quietly sold the ring he had planned to give her. That was about a year ago, and he still was coming to terms with how that hurt. That was dwarfed now, but still, it was like another bag of trash in a monster landfill.
A knock at the door caught him off guard, and he looked at the clock. Not even realize he had been lost in thought. He slipped into a robe to be a little presentable before answering the door. He was expecting Tam to be there to check on him, but instead found the Silver-haired woman from earlier at the door in a fur coat.
"Hello, Mr. Walker." She said to him, her arms crossed under her chest, as Thomas took a look at her.
"Hello...you have to forgive me; I did not catch your name earlier." He answered back.
"My name is Silver; most people call me Miss Silver, but you can call me just Silver. Can I come in, sir?"
Thomas sort of hesitated, then opened the door fully. She smiled and walked in. "Forgive me for being rude, but your boss is he…"
Silver shook her head, reassuring. "He is fine; he sent me here, in fact, per his orders."
Thomas shut the door and turned to her and breathed out a sigh, "Oh, good, I was hoping it wouldn't be more bad news."
Silver turned around fully, and Thomas could not help but appreciate the beautiful woman in his room and find his eyes exploring her. "No, I wouldn't do that, and also, I wanted to say thank you for helping him earlier. I'm not used to receiving help from others."
Thomas walked by her and sat down on the couch. "Just trying to be helpful, so to what do I owe the pleasure of your company?"
Silver walked up to him and leaned forward a bit, showing off her chest. "Well, I thought maybe I'd show you the benefits of having a Servant…"
Next Chapter: The Offer part one
Talk about the latest chapter of the story:
Want to know more about the world? Check out the HoloNet Archive available to all subscribers:
Not a subscriber yet? Subscribe here to get the newest chapters as they come out:
Share the project with others:
If you are in a position to do so, donate to the project at our Ko-Fi; any support is greatly appreciated.