Inside the office of the CEO of The Walker Company, a young man looks around, it looked like something you would expect from the head of a company office, pictures of people he worked with or met that had some significance to them, some items on a desk that hold personal value above the papers that would normally be scattered around. Also, his HD was at the desk, a larger one if needed for more telecommunication than anything. As he observed the room he still found himself taken back by being in here even after years of visits lost in the moment he heard the door to the office close. A man with a darker hue of skin than the man he approached. He was in his late sixties maybe a bit older, with a close crop of gray hair covering his head along with a body that in younger days could be described as strong but time's march began to reveal the frailty of man. He was about as tall as the young man in the room with him and smiled a gentle caring smile towards him as he walked down the stairs of the entrance.
"Getting used to the room?" he asked plainly, not with an accusation of taking advantage or that he was not deserving of the room either.
Thomas sighed as he walked over "No Mr. Bettis, just...I guess reflecting."
Emmett Bettis was the right hand of Walker, though history would probably not realize the value of his employment at the company. When he was younger, he saw what was happening in the time after the war when the country was perhaps on the verge of ending. He took a hard line and spoke to Thomas's father about how the company should be an example of what good can come from companies. He also persuaded him to not take the company to CNY and instead help to rebuild the chain back into a country, that was thirty-some-odd years ago.
He was about Thomas's age when these ideas came to light. While Walker stayed and helped it proved also to be a shrewd tactic of business. Many people on the chain began to support Walker more than the other companies who left. While they had an office in CNY, roughly in what used to be the Bronx, The Walker Company kept its headquarters in Chicago firmly in the chain.
While Thomas's father kept the company moving forward with tech, Emmett would run the PR angles more and point out just what they were doing to help The Chain, he was the man behind the scenes even when Thomas was young, his father said one of the best choices he made was making Emmett an executive, and the choice after that was making him his Vice President. His help and actions were even seen outside the chain, and have been allowing The Walker Company to begin expansion outside of The Chain. While the rest of the world is not in the best of shape, Walker's assistance and also its practices in a post-war world have put it into the position it is in. While the world may be run by corporations, the long-term endgame, at least from Walker was to eventually divest itself of aiding The Chain and focus back on the people in a private way.
Lost in thought but snapped back once more Emmett commented on the formality of things. "While I know you were always expected to address me that way, I think at this point Emmett is a bit more appropriate, Mister Walker..." He countered as he looked over the wall at the various photos.
Thomas walked over to him "I think Thomas will still do...Emmett" This made the older man nod and smile a little. "There is a lot of history on this wall, and honestly it is a shame no one outside the board will probably know. Since you seem to have zero interest in doing an autobiography."
Emmett chuckled "There isn't a need, my time hasn't expired yet even. I have you to look after." That made Thomas step back a little, not realizing what he said it took the action by surprise for a moment "Sorry, I didn't mean it to."
"It's all right, you are right anyway" Thomas answered and slowly stepped back beside him. "This is a lot." He admitted
Emmett patted him on the back "I can only really go off the experience of losing my father, the pain of that was hard, now inheriting a company that could very well hold the fate of a country in its decisions, well that is a little out of my experience." Emmett admitted "But, I have a feeling you are going to rise to the challenge, right now you don't need to do much."
Thomas looked at the photos, he saw a younger version of himself around ten years old, him and his father posing with some superhero. His thoughts of how cool it was to see him would later be diminished by the fact he would learn a few years later the hero was just an actor. He paused for a moment and looked at the picture "Why is this photo here?" He asked him as he took it off the wall.
"You never really looked that close here have you?" Emmett asked him, Thomas seemed to look at him confused. "Sir, there are pictures with presidents and dignitaries and other things, but he also has a lot of pictures of you and your mother here. Of course at big events. I still remember when that picture came in. He told me how you asked him all the questions you could think of and the person playing the character just trying to keep up with the answers and hoping he got them right so it didn't break the illusion." He explained.
Thomas laughed a little "Yeah, I guess that obsession with comics turned into an obsession with music." He answered as he began to return the picture where he found it. A little above that he saw one of his father and mother, they were young it was not a wedding picture, but looked to be a night out at a fancy event.
Emmett took the picture out of his hand and hung it back up "I'm sure your mother would want to be here for you now, it's a pity the cancer cure didn't come till about ten years after her passing. That one tore you both up bad." He lamented to him.
Thomas nodded and walked over to the desk again, he ran his fingers over it. "It's not something you ever get over, if anything all you do is add to the burden." He explained
Emmett nodded "A lot of men your age would never understand that, hell a lot of people in their fifties wouldn't. I have to ask though, why did you come here anyway sir? I mean your father is in the medical area."
"I just...needed air, I mean he was asleep the doctors said he was comfortable for the moment so I just... wanted to see my inheritance, I mean I've known this place for years. I guess it is just taking a different view of things since we found out." Thomas answered
Emmett nodded in understanding "That makes sense, while I am still in charge of day-to-day things until he passes, if it helps and his health is in a stable condition, perhaps you would like to attend some meetings, meet some people you'll be in charge of" Emmett offered
Thomas thought for a moment "Maybe, I mean I was in charge of the tech area, well more just learning what the hell they did...might be good to know our other areas."
"We'll start tomorrow, we have a board meeting, I was thinking maybe you should come and learn the beats of the business, you don't need to make decisions or anything, just listen and take it in. Anything you have questions on I'll answer after it's over."
Thomas nodded he felt himself being a little more confident "Yeah, yeah that is a good idea, I think on that though, I should go see what is going on in...my department."
Emmett stepped aside "As you wish" Thomas walked past and when he got to the door heard "Mr. Walker" Thomas stopped and turned back "Make sure you wear a suit, and put that hair in a ponytail...and be there at nine." Thomas nodded and walked out the door. Emmett looked back over at the wall he saw the various pictures, and he also walked over to the desk. "He'll do fine, he's more ready than he thinks he is....he just needs to realize it." He said to himself.
Thomas walked out of an elevator and ran his PD by a scanner and the door approved allowing him access to the jewel in Walker Company's crown: Research and Development, established roughly twenty years ago it did not have much of a place outside of advancing ideas already common to the world, it advanced technology for holographic visuals, worked on chips to shrink the size of items that would eventually become the now common Personal Device. They also had made breakthroughs in Nano-technology, something that few companies were allowed to even experiment or sell. While they had implemented it in medical, and also outsourced some of the product to other companies such as ReignOrg, the next step in the plans was to use it to accelerate the rebuilding of the chain and eventually outsource to the rest of the world trying to rebuild after the war. This was the long-term plans of both Walker and The Chain, the world seemed to be advancing slowly with rebuilding and advancing their societies. Things had seemed to leave the United States behind after the collapse. Diplomatic relations continued, and though the stature of the country has largely diminished many are still skittish about the now-named Chain since much of the problems started from the strife in the country. However, having The Walker Company endorse the current government did help things along.
Thomas walked over to his actual office and walked in, His desk was rather sparse compared to the one in the CEO's office, with some papers and a tablet on a table by a window, a few pictures of him and associates, but unlike his father, it was just pictures of him and Tony, and or a few other friends no mega celebrities or people of substance. A soft almost unnoticeable knock happened at the door. At first, Thomas sort of thought he heard something odd but then heard it again. He sighed and walked over to his desk to allow access into his office, a young woman who cowered a bit and gently closed the door appeared, she was of Indian descent, and her glasses lowered down her face when she realized she pressed them back with her finger.
"Tam!" Thomas said with a bit of joy in his voice. "You need to stop knocking like that, be a bit more assertive."
She nodded to him, as she walked over her posture changed a little and the tension in her seemed to fade with each step as well. "Sorry, just..."
Thomas nodded walked over to his chair and sat back "You'll get there, but honestly knock don't do the little taps, I mean remember that one time you stood out there for like twenty minutes?"
Tam sunk back at that one "Would it kill you to not blast that music? Maybe you'd hear me knock then?" She threw back at him he leaned back in the chair as the barb landed.
Tam, or as she was known Doctor Tamsin Jones, was headhunted by Thomas, when he was in college barely passing his classes he heard of a wonder kid who at the age of seventeen was going to graduate with honors and was said to be the next big brain in nano-technology. Thomas soon found the young woman sitting by herself in a library, he introduced himself and also asked for help in understanding the science and well help in studies in general. When they graduated, he was in the middle of the class rankings thanks to her, she naturally was the valedictorian. He found out she was an orphan who had no one. He introduced her to his father and soon after she was put in the R&D division of tech at Walker. Soon, he came to depend on her for all things tech. in a symbiotic way, she came to depend on him for social graces, something he was not exactly sure he could be said he had skills in. Tony however also kept an eye on her and helped more than he could. Many consider them to secretly be in a relationship, to the both of them the thought of that entering their brain was enough to make them sick. They considered themselves more brother and sister than anything.
The conversation did inevitably turn serious, "So, how is he doing?' Tam finally asked him
Thomas lowered his head a little "He's stable but it is only a matter of when, he has had a few good days and he has had a few very bad days also." He told her "He's strong but we both knew that."
Tam nodded and in a move he did not see that often from her, looked him in the eyes, hers were of sympathy and grief but more the first than the second "Can I do anything?"
Thomas simply shook his head "Can you cure nano rejection?"
Tam looked startled "What? No, you're kidding; that's what he has?" The small nod from him confirmed it and she sat back in the chair "Oh god, that is like one in....a million"
"One in nine point five million." Thomas corrected her "And want to hear the best part?"
Tam thought for a moment and looked even more defeated "It's hereditary, I read about it...have you?'
Thomas leaned back in his chair holding his arms up in the air "Yep, I mean I know to avoid the stuff, and well it is kind of selfish to be thinking of myself..."
She shook her head at him "It's not, it is normal, and I am sure he was worried more about that than himself."
As they talked Thomas's PD began to alarm, it was Tony, Tam and he stopped their conversation. Thomas touched his PD pulled his arm back and took a shoot like he was throwing a basket ball and an Image suddenly appeared behind Tam a Holo Display of Tony who looked annoyed.
"Everything Okay?" Thomas asked him leaning up on his desk
Tony took a moment and seemed to be picking the right words in his head before uttering them "She's here..."
Thomas looked confused for a moment and Tam's face went from soft to angry like someone flipped a switch in her "Fuck, you let her through?"
Tony saw the woman's anger and turned to her "I didn't know until a few minutes ago, and for that matter, the idiots upfront bought a bullshit story of they reconciled...you didn't right?" He asked Thomas, Tam turned back her face asking the same thing. This was leaving Thomas confused, he was lost in everything and not even aware of what they were worried about. That was until a blonde-haired woman in something not quite goth and not quite newish fashion walked into the room. She sized everyone in up and smirked.
"Oh..." Thomas finally connected the dots "Hello Cassie, how did you get to this floor exactly?"
The young woman was Cassie Danger, she was an up-and-coming movie star who Thomas dated for a few years until her career no longer needed to be attached to him and dropped him like a piece of jewelry in the trash. Tony did not like her after that, Tam did not like her from the moment she met her. Thomas was, he thought in love.
"Oh, well you know how people are, being starstruck and everything you can get away with a lot with a picture or showing off a few spots of your body in jussst the right way." She explained as she closed the door behind her
Tony looked back at Thomas and put his finger to his ear "Security to R&D, the bitch is back..." He said as the Holo cut out.
Cassie just sighed "So how are you doing honey?" She asked Thomas, she walked right past Tam not even registering her in the room.
"Well, bad...and you being here I think that bumps it up to worse." He explained
"I was honestly going to ask if I could talk to your father...I know he isn't doing well and some little birds told me he wasn't too long for this world, I wanted to pay my respects." She sat on the edge of his desk focused on him. "I mean we didn't part on the best of terms but, maybe we were rash in ending things?" She continued as Thomas crossed his arms "I just want you to know, I'm here for you Tommy..."
"Is this because your last movie tanked and now you need a bump in the image?" Tam called from the front of the room. The young starlet's eyes zeroed in on her
"Dr. Jones, I wasn't aware you were here...how have you been?"
"Watching your performance since you got here, I give it a Razzie," She said and then blew a raspberry at her. This did make Thomas giggle a little bit, and when Cassie turned to face him Tam gave her a finger, to which the blonde responded in kind without looking.
"So, have you two finally fucked? I mean, you weren't bad in bed...but I also had better..."
Saying this they both winced and Cassie knew what buttons to push. "My father is sleeping right now, I'll send your regards, but I would like to ask you to leave, you can do so alone or with the guards, Tony has come to take you out anyway.
Cassie read the room and quickly learned her stunt was not going to get her back into Thomas's good graces and slid off the desk walking past Tam, a little shove to her to make her go back a bit "I wanted to see how you'd measure to the yardstick." She replied
Thomas looked at her confused "I'm sorry, what?"
She turned back to him "You are the next in line...I don't think you're gonna make it either Tommy, I think this company is going to go into the ground, ReignOrg is gonna be passing you soon enough, and when it all comes down...you'll be a failure, so I was comparing you to the heights for father got to,
the yardstick." The door opened with a very angry Tony and two guards behind him and he pointed at her "And you fall far short...bye Thomas...." They grabbed her and walked her out of the office
"Make sure you take her the backway out...and check for cameras before that..." He shouted to the guards and looked over at Thomas "Sorry man, this is on me...I'll make sure it is handled personally." He closed the door behind him and Tam looked back at him, he did not say anything, but he heard all the words, the prophecy, the thoughts on him...everything.
"Don't listen to her, she just knew she was not going to get the attention when your father..." She stopped before she continued "Sorry, she just."
"I don't know if she's wrong Tam." Thomas finally said, "I mean, what if I can't reach that height?"
Tam closed her eyes and sighed knowing the bitch got into his head, knowing he was now going to be in even more pain "Just...ignore her, focus on spending time with him. Before it's too-"
His PD went off again and it read "Emergency" Thomas answered it privately nodded then shut it off and leaned forward on the desk. "He's...he's in a coma...."
Tam's heart sank and she ran over and hugged him. "I'm coming with you."
Thomas shook his head "Tam, I"
"You're not facing this alone, and I'm not taking no for an answer on this one." Her eyes were focused Thomas seeing this relented and slowly got up and grabbed his coat. He walked over to the door and opened it allowing Tam to go first.
"You know, if you were this assertive, you would not have been standing outside for twenty minutes," Thomas replied trying to change his mind for a moment.
"Still need to turn the music down, respect for your coworkers?"
He closed the door behind him and they walked to the private medical area of Walker, when they arrived Emmett was waiting, he nodded to them. Thomas asked if he could step in and he stepped aside allowing him into the room. As the door closed Emmett looked over to her.
"This is gonna be a long night, sure you are ready?"
Tam looked at him and nodded "You know he would be doing the same."
He walked past her and she turned back. "Cassie get into his head?"
She sighed and confirmed it, "Hit him with some what-ifs and fears of not measuring up."
Emmett chuckled "That's it?"
"He still believes it!" She countered
"He thinks he does, give him time he will understand." He continued to walk away
"How can you be so confident about it?"
"Experience Dr. Jones." Was all he answered with.