Chapter 8: Just Another Day At The Office

CHAPTER 8:     JUST ANOTHER DAY AT THE OFFICE


                It was around 04:30 am when Chase got home from Dr. Peters birthday party. He moved into a small apartment in San Francisco less than a week ago. He felt unusually tired due to some feelings of depression and loneliness from not winning Samantha's heart. after getting undressed and getting into bed, his phone rang. It was Garfield Powers on the other line telling him that they were both ordered to report to Treasure Island in San Francisco this morning at 6 am sharp. Not getting any sleep for 48 to 72 hours was no big deal for Chase and Garfield. Being in the special forces, they were used to not sleeping for even up to four days during top secret missions. Chase took a quick shower then got dressed in his Navy brown khaki uniform, then headed on his way to Treasure Island which was about a 30 minute drive from San Francisco.

              Reaching Treasure Island, he drove into the parking lot of  Macrostrength Industries main office, the building was three stories high and about six blocks long  in length. He saw Garfield's car and parked right beside it. Security personnel stationed on the main entrance checked his identification card before letting him enter the building. Reaching the lobby, he approached the reception desk and told the office executive assistant that he has a 6 am appointment with the CEO of Macrostrength, John Layer. Ever since he was selected as the pilot for the, "Protector Exo-system", he still had not met the owner of the company who had invented the suit. All Chase knew was that he was a very wealthy man in his fifties and that he owned a cigarette company called, "Relax Cigarettes". A tobacco company which was started by his great-great grandfather and was passed along through the generations of their family until it was John Layer's turn to be in-charge. A savvy and shrewd businessman, John Layer branched out into weapons manufacturing for the military. Their latest and most proud creation was the creation of the, "Protector Exo skeletal System Suit".

             The executive assistant made a quick phone call to inform the CEO that Captain Brassman had arrived. After hanging up the phone, Chase was given directions to the CEO's office. Upon reaching the office, another security guard checked his ID card once more before opening the door. As he stepped in the office, he was quickly greeted by Garfield who was wearing his Army camouflage uniform and Major General Philip Moris, who was the military liaison to Macrostrength industries. General Moris introduced Chase to John Layer and his top scientist and physicist Dr. Nathaniel Spain together with two other project managers of the company.

             "Have a seat...everyone...", John Layer announced as he twirled a cigarette between his fingers. He wanted to smoke but he knew that Major Powers and Captain Brassman were both non smokers and would protest if he lit up his cigarette, being well aware that smoking or even having a cigarette was illegal in California. Wanting to have a good impression, John Layer held back on lighting up his cigarette. Mr. Layer started speaking saying, "I know that everybody likes sleeping in on a Sunday....but for us at Macrostrength industries.....we can't afford such luxuries.....We have a great responsibility to serve and provide the means to protect and preserve liberty and freedom in this country by being the leader in high tech weapons development, research and manufacturing.....We, gentlemen are the tip of the sword....". Mr. Layer then glanced at General Moris as the general began speaking saying, " Today,...you....Captain Brassman and Major Powers will be trained to use the new and enhanced Type B....Protector Exo-system suit....Unlike the Type A, which was used in rescuing miss Price from the terrorists in the Philippines, this type B is far more advanced.....And you Captain Brassman will learn how to use it....while Major Powers will learn to understand the intricacies of this complex system.....And tomorrow, you will be tested....so prepare well today....Dr. Spain, who is Macrostrength's top scientist and physicist together with other project managers will teach you this new technology....So go have your breakfast and at 0700 hours, we'll all meet a hangar bay 1 which is at the east side of this island...dismissed....".

             As everybody left the office, Chase and Garfield started walking towards the cafeteria as Chase asked," So, what do you know about this company, Macrostrength industries?....". Garfield felt a slight chill in the air as he zipped up his military jacket as he responded saying, "Well, it's mission statement is to provide the military with state of the art weaponry....just like the Protector Exo-system suit.....to create a super soldier......but I heard that this guy Layer eventually wants the government to create an army of this type of super soldiers which I think would be unrealistic given the cost of each suit is around 50 million dollars.....I think their back up plan is to promote you in that Protector suit and introduce you as America's first superhero.....once the public accepts this, each state and Federal government can buy a few units and use it in crime prevention and anti-terrorism.....but in order to do this, state and federal taxes will have to be increased.....So you my friend will soon be advertised to the public as America's first real superhero.... and an instant celebrity, who knows.....you might even get to act in Hollywood once your gladiator days are over.....". They both laughed as they entered the cafeteria.

           After they got their food and found a table, Chase asked once more, "Why do I feel as if they're rushing us into developing this thing....I mean, one day to completely learn the new Protector system then we move on to field testing tomorrow?.....Isn't that a little abrupt?....". Garfield took a bite of his pancacke then looked at Chase as he whispered, "Ok, you never heard this from me.....", Garfield says as he lowers the volume of his voice, "I've heard that the ultimate goal of Macrostrength industries is to create exo skeletal systems which will help paralyzed victims move again....Even those who are paralyzed from the neck down....it's supposed to get them close to being normal again...even give them the ability to work again...But the problem is, is that they have competition.....I've heard of this scientist who's inventing a serum that when it is injected to a paralyzed person, will enhance that person's psychic ability.....and in doing so, this person will be able to use his psychic ability to create  some kind'a phantom nerve that will be a bridge between the two severed nerves of the Central Nervous System thereby causing full motor and sensory functions.....I think the scientist's name is Dr. John Kane who everyone calls Dr. Kinesis....I read this in the magazine, "Scientists Today".....So I think it's a race between John Layer and this scientist, Dr. Kinesis on who can first develop a treatment for permanent paralysis.....They are both competing for a government contract, and whoever gets that contract will be filthy rich....". Chase looked at his wrist watch then announced, "We better get going....It's close to 0700 hours....". After getting rid of their food trays, they headed out to hangar bay 1 which was about six blocks away.

                 Upon entering hangar bay 1, they saw a small group of scientists wearing white lab coats as they gathered in the middle of the massive enclosed space. In the middle of the group was a metallic box which looked like a seven foot tall refrigerator, upon reaching the group, they all sat on metal folding chairs as everyone focused their attention on Dr. Nathaniel Spain, who was the top scientist and physicist. Dr. Spain scanned the area as he started speaking, "Good morning everyone....specially to our two guests....Captain Brassman, who'll be piloting the Protector Exo-system suit....and Major Powers who will be assisting him in control command.....We are here to teach you both about the new enhancements to the Protector Exo-system suit type B....The type B is far more advanced than the original Protector suit which Captain Brassman has been using in his military top secret missions.....The type B has an advanced flight technology, weapons and defense systems that are built in place.". Dr. Spain grabbed a small electronic gadget that looked like a car alarm remote control and clicked on it. Suddenly the door to the seven foot refrigerator like metal compartment started opening slowly as white steam escaped from within the compartment. After a few seconds, everybody was staring at a new Protector system suit which was at a standing position. It was six feet and seven inches in height which was close to Captain Brassman's height. It had a shiny red helmet and a green colored aviator's flight suit. Captain Brassman stared at what looked like red-colored ski boots. Dr. Spain pressed another button from the remote as the suit started walking out of it's compartment, just like a giant remote controlled robot. Major Powers was surprised to see what appeared to be wings folded on it's back at a 90 degree angle with a bulky jet pack connected to the wings.

                     Dr. Spain started to explain it's new technology starting with it's red boots. "Let me begin with the Protector's new rocket boosters that I know looks like ski-boots.....Since we're pressed for time, ....I won't get into much of it's specification,....but let me tell you what you need to know.....First, we designed it's specifications as close to the F22 Raptor's speed, controls, agility and maneuverability which you, Captain Brassman are already familiar with since you've been flying the F22 Raptor for awhile now....You're rocket boosters are activated by voice command....It will only recognize your voice and Major Powers voice.....Once you activate the rocket boosters, each boot will part in the middle so that you can insert your foot with or without shoes inside the booster.....once it senses that your feet are in place, each boot will enclose around your foot.

                    Your helmet's micro computer or artificial intelligence now has a window for flight control which can be activated via voice command which is similar to the Protector type A.....To lift off, start at 20% launch power, your wings will automatically unfold and extend outwards and the use of your flaps will be automatically be controlled by your computer.....Once you're hovering at a vertical altitude of 30 feet above the ground, just lean forward and the suit will position itself at a horizontal plane....your GPS will be always be on....Just announce where you wanna go and it will automatically fly you there....Just like the F22 Raptor, it has a top speed of Mach 2 or about 1,522 miles per hour (mph) at sea level on a 59 degree fahrenheit day.....If one of your rocket boosters is damaged.....of course your speed decreases by half.....If both your rocket boosters are damaged or you run out of power, your jet pack automatically turns on....Your jet pack which is made from carbon fiber composite, is your secondary flight system but is used more for emergency use....It has a top speed of only 380 miles per hour or about Mach 0.50 speed.....It's powered by a jet turbine and is lithium battery powered, it has about four hours of use before the battery is totally drained....It will just give you enough time to find a safe landing site, and because it uses the same batteries as an electric car, all you have to do is walk to the nearest electric car charging station and plug it in to re-charge.....You might wanna bring a magazine or something so you won't get bored waiting, since it takes about an hour to fully recharge the batteries....". Everybody smiled as they they found what they heard amusing. Dr. Spain then continued his briefing as he said, " This Type B has a variable sweep wing.... when not in use,  standing straight or walking, it folds just like an angel's wings at a 90 degree angle....But when you're in flight and you wanna go supersonic, in order to reach your maximum speed, it sweeps back to a 75 degree angle, but when flying low or when you're conserving your energy, or carrying a heavy payload, your wings will be at a 45 degree angle....We patterned it's wing configuration exactly with the F14 Tomcat fighter jet....The neat thing about this is that you don't have to press any buttons, your micro computer does it all for you.....During hand to hand combat, you may dis- engage your wings and your rocket boosters to help decrease your weight, and to help you move better.....".

                Dr. Spain cleared his throat briefly then took a drink of water as he continued saying, "Next is your new weapon system which is called the Laser Pen or Laser Cannon which is old technology from the year 2011 which was when the Navy first tested this weapon.....The Laser pen is really a smaller version of the laser cannon which is attached to your right forearm....To fire, just make a fist and point to your target.....All you have to do is say, "Fire laser.....", and it will follow your voice command and fire the weapon.....You can choose between continuous fire versus intermittent fire.....It is radar guided, can also be used with electro-optical tracking and radio frequency sensors to provide range data to the Protector's computer weapon's system....Using intermittent fire is when the laser bullet's firing capacity is designed to hit different parts of a target, it uses less energy and is best used for slower targets and when your energy level is low.....Continuous laser fire or Solid state laser is when you want to use a solid stream of laser beam that simultaneously focuses and locks on a target to weaken and break it's structural integrity....Best used for targets that are quick and are hard to lock on....".

            Dr. Spain took a quick drink of water as he continued his briefing, "With regards to defense, we have created the Roman Shield which are your secondary shield, since the Protector cannot fire it's weapons when your primary shields are on, you can now activate the Roman shield which is a transparent shield that looks just like a Roman centurion's shield which will appear on your left arm, thus keeping  your right arm free to fire your laser cannon.....the downside to this is that your back is exposed and vulnerable to gun fire.....Next is your eye tracking technology...Using optical control in flying the Protector, the computer tracks the pilot's eye movement and when the pilot looks left, the Protector will automatically bank left and when you look right, it turns right instantaneously.....Using the eye tracking technology will increase  the Protector's quickness by 75% faster  than a conventional pilot piloting a fighter jet.....". Dr. Spain smiled as he said, "And finally, your Protector has it's storage compartment when not in use....We can place it in your garage or inside your living room.....So even if you're miles away, and you're in trouble, just press your remote control to activate it, The suit will come out of it's case and using it's GPS will fly to your exact location....When getting into the suit, just hold out the palm of your hand in front of it's visor and once it scans your hand for proper identification the front zipper of the flight suit will automatically unzip, the exoskeletal system's abdominal and chest cavity will expand to make it easier for you to get into it. Once you're in the suit, sensors will pick up your measurements and the exoskeletal system will contract to your exact size. It takes about ten seconds for the suit to adjust to your exact size once you get into it.....".

                 After the briefing was over, Captain Brassman quickly suited up and within an hour was flying through the skies wearing the Type B Protector Exo-system suit, while Major Powers was going through it's manual and computer teaching programs as he was studying how the Protector works and how to fix problems that may arise with the Protector suit. The training lasted for a full twelve hours, and after they were done, Major General Moris dismissed them and told them to return the next day at 0800 for the air to air combat training  exercise against some of the best fighter pilots of the U.S. military.

MONDAY MORNING STRESS

               It was around 0645 Monday morning, as Samantha honked her car's horn twice once again. Parked in front of her friend Betsy's house, she knew that if they don't leave in the next five minutes that they'll get stuck in traffic once more. Every morning for the past twelve years, Sam and Betsy always carpooled together, although it was always Samantha who drove Betsy to work. Betsy never drove due to a fear of driving. After a few minutes, the front door to Betsy's home opened as Betsy came out then quickly yelled inside saying, "Goodbye mom!....bye dad!.....don't forget to feed the dog!....".

              Betsy and Samantha were of the same age and had been best of friends ever since grade school. Samantha hired Betsy three years ago and made her her senior executive secretary after her Cure corporation was established. Samantha had four executive secretaries helping her with the demands of her everyday workload and responsibilities. Betsy was her fifth and most trusted employee. As Betsy got in the car, "What took you so long?!....". Sam asked with an irritated tone to her voice. "Oh!, I still had to clean the turtle's tank.....I think Speedy is sick, he's moving really slow this morning...". Betsy responded with a worried tone as she fumbled around with her handbag. "He's supposed to move slow, he's a turtle you know....", Sam quipped with a sarcastic look on her face, ". Betsy stared at her accusingly for a few moments then asked, "Ok, miss pissy pants, what's bothering you this morning?.....". Sam tried not to glance at Betsy as she tried hiding  her disappointment at her friend, "It's about what we talked on the phone last night", says Samantha, ".....Will you please re-consider....I really, really need your help Betsy....". Samantha pleaded as she kept her eyes on the road, Betsy looked away as she responded, "I told you, I am not the right person for the job.....Look at me, ....do you really see anyone taking me seriously by my appearance?....I have these thick glasses, I trip over phone lines in the office, I'm color blind and can't even color coordinate what to wear without your help....I stutter when I get nervous, and I'm as thin as a telephone pole....At 30 years old, what I should be doing is finding my first boyfriend so I may lose my virginity, and not having more responsibilities and less play time....". As their car entered the freeway, they were met with bumper to bumper traffic jam. Samantha blew a sigh of frustration as she said, "That's it!...now were gonna be 45 minutes late for work in this traffic jam....". Samantha then took the opportunity to focus on encouraging Betsy to take her place as president and CEO of her company.

                 As their car slowed down to a complete stop, Sam stared intently at her best friend as she begged and pleaded saying, "I really need your help Betsy, please!.....I told Grey I'd spend more time with him....you're the only one I can trust, Bets....Please....". Still unwavering, Betsy crossed her arms over her chest saying, "It ain't that simple you know, It's not like I'll be running a candy store where I'm counting pennies, nickels and dimes!....". Samantha glances at her as she says, "But it's the same principle!....You're just adding seven to ten more zero's at the end of your balance sheets....". Samantha honked her car's horn twice, feeling as if  she's about to  loose her patience from being  stuck in traffic. Betsy looked down at her feet as she confessed saying, "It's not just that, I just don't want to run a business anymore, specially after what I did to my father's flower shop twelve years ago....". Samantha glanced at Betsy then back on the road as she asked, "Was that the flower shop business your dad sold because he got tired of selling flowers?....". Betsy looked away as she debated whether to tell Samantha the real reason why they lost their flower shop business. After a few seconds of silence, Betsy spoke up saying, "I lied when I told you that my father sold the business because he was tired of selling flowers....The real reason was that we lost customers because I kept sending the wrong types of flowers to the wrong occasions and customers,... and sometimes I'd send them on the wrong date, sometimes it was the wrong address.....". Betsy looked defeated as she stared into space hoping that Samantha would understand. Samantha kept silent for the next five minutes as traffic started easing up, and after another ten minutes had passed, Samantha glanced at her wrist watch as it read, "0715 AM", exiting the freeway, she turned right at a street that took them straight to her newly constructed corporate building which was 120 stories high. At the front of the building was a big marble sign with big gold letters which read, "CURE CORP".

                   After reaching the parking garage, she parked on the executive designated parking space. She did not care about not having her own personal parking spot though the area where she parked was filled with expensive european cars. Her five year old Honda Civic stood out like a sore thumb in between all the luxury cars parked in the executive parking spaces. Getting out of the car, Betsy dusted off some crumbs of turtle feeds that got stuck to her blouse, as she asked Sam, "How do I look?....", as she stretched out her arms to her sides. Sam nodded as she lied saying, "You look good....". Samantha quickly started walking at a brisk pace as Betsy followed her behind. Betsy sped up as she tucked her blouse while saying, "I'm glad I wore my red blouse and blue skirt today...I hope I don't get anymore funny looks and stares today....". As they reached and entered the elevator, Sam faced her with a sour look on her face as she shook her head sideways saying, "You're not wearing red and blue....you're wearing purple and brown.....". Betsy quickly appeared deflated as she answered saying, "Oh!, Gosh!....not again!.....".

                   The underground elevator took them to the lobby of Samantha's building, and as soon as the elevator doors opened, they were met with one of Samantha's executive assistants who had been waiting for them at the lobby. The three of them walked together towards another set of elevators which will take them to the top floor where there offices were, and as they walked, Samantha's executive assistant started updating her with the day's  reminders and hourly appointments. As they entered the elevator, Samantha gave out a long sigh as the elevator doors closed. Her executive assistant started reading hourly appointments from an electronic pad as Sam and Betsy listened. "At 0800 am, you have a 45 minute meeting with drug reps from Oncoloject pharmaceuticals....From 0900 to 11am, the auditing firm of Wallblank and Jones are here as you requested.....You have a Tele-conference with the Cure director of our Paris France facility from 11:00 to 12:00, I've crossed out 12:00 to 12:30 for your lunch break, but then you have to meet with the Vice President of Ford Motor Corp from 12:45 to 2:00 pm,  about your plans of renewing your fleet of car, trucks and vans and changing them into an all electric fleet of vehicles.....From 2:00 pm until 3:30 pm is your meeting with the law firm of Erstwhile and Hung about the contract dispute in your London Cure treatment facility....Then from 3:30 to 4:30 pm, you need to meet with the Vatican envoy, Cardinal James, he's been trying to have this meeting with you for weeks now....He said that he has the blood samples of the Pope which will be needed for the DNA analysis and treatment matching for his stage 3 liver cancer, he also brought the reports of the Pope's tumor biopsy.....".

                     After a few seconds, the elevator doors to the top floor finally opened as they all got out. The three of them proceeded towards Samantha's office suite. Reaching the door, Samantha placed the palm of her hand gently on a security scanner as a bright red light scanned her hand for authorization. The door to her office opened automatically as they all went in. Samantha quickly sat behind her desk as she asked, "Until what time are my appointments today?....". Her executive secretary scrolled down on her electronic pad as she responded saying," Till 09:30 pm Miss Peters....." Samantha closed her eyes as she leaned back at her executive leather chair massaging her temples with her right hand knowing it was going to be another one of those  long work days that she always dreaded. She then, swiveled her seat around to face her glass office window as she started staring at the beautiful sunrise across San Francisco Bay. She stared at the cars moving along the Bay bridge as she started wondering how wonderful it could be if she could drive home instead without a care in the world. "Miss Peters?....", her secretary softly spoke trying to get Samantha's attention. "Huh?!....", Samantha quickly swiveled her seat around to face her secretary, as her chance to day dream was even  abruptly interrupted. "Would you like me to continue with today's schedule and appointments?...". Samantha placed her hands on the table gently as she leaned forward smiling and said, "That's ok for now....just keep me up to date on what's next after each appointment is done....". Her secretary nodded and smiled as she said, "As you wish Miss Peters...". Her secretary turned around and left her office closing the door gently. Samantha then, faced her desk top  computer and after turning it on, she started logging in as she downloaded information and issues she had to tackle for her appointments that day. She wondered where Betsy was but then quickly realized that she was probably out getting coffee.

                     Betsy had her own office adjacent to Samantha's office. Even though Betsy was officially one of her executive secretaries, in reality, she was really her companion. Samantha did not care that Betsy did not carry any responsibilities or did any office work, but to Samantha, Betsy's presence was invaluable, she was her confidant whenever Samantha felt sad or frustrated with her life and her work. Betsy was the one Samantha asked for advice on more personal matters other than Maria. Whenever Samantha got stressed out with her work, she'd go over to Betsy's office to hang out and watch Betsy play video games or listen to music together. Betsy's office looked more like a combination of a video arcade and a disco than an office. With big sound speakers, disco lights, a mirror ball on the ceiling and different game consoles. Samantha didn't mind the set up as long as Betsy kept the noise down when Samantha was working or having an important meeting.

                  After a few minutes, Betsy barged into her office holding two cups of coffee as she asks, "Do you want the caramel or the white chocolate flavor?....". Samantha kept typing in her computer as she abruptly answered saying, "I don't care!....". Betsy took a sip on both cups then placed the coffee she least liked in front of Samantha as she stared at her best friend.  She then  sat opposite her lifting her feet and resting them on top of Samantha's shiny office table to annoy her boss as she slowly sipped her coffee with a distracting slurping sound. After a few seconds, Samantha stopped typing and stared at her intently. "What's wrong with you?....", Betsy asked as she used a finger to push her thick glasses up her face. After a few moments of staring at each other, Betsy stopped sipping her coffee, leaving a  foam of white mustache above her upper lip. Samantha wanted to laugh but she was desperate to get Betsy's help in managing her company. Samantha started pleading once more saying, "C'mon Betsy, don't torture me like this.....don't you like the sound of being called the President of the company and earning $300,000 a year in salary?....", Betsy stretched her arms above her head as she yawned lazily still trying to wake up as she answered, "You know well enough that money does not mean a thing to me.....I'm very happy earning $70,000 a year doing nothing in your company.....But if you can make your high school friend Chase Brassman fall in love with me, then I'll do anything you want, I'll even do your job for you for free....and I'll even work week ends for you....". Betsy giggled as Samantha scoffed at her saying, "You're impossible Bets!....", as she frowned then stared back at her computer monitor and continued typing in disgust. Betsy smiled while she sipped her coffee, this time with a louder, more pronounced slurping sound than the last. Betsy was  delightfully enjoying the emotional turmoil that her boss and best friend was feeling as she started rocking her chair by using  her feet to push off from Samantha's table hoping to annoy her even more.  Suddenly, the phone rang but Samantha ignored it as she pleaded once more, looking back at Betsy and joining her hands together as if she was praying as she said, "C'mon Betsy....please!...pretty please?!.....Ok, I'll pay you one million bucks a year!....". Suddenly, Betsy's chair tipped backwards  as she fell  back  in a reverse somersault with her coffee spilling all over her blouse. She landed on soft carpet as she was stunned in utter shock upon hearing that Samantha just offered to pay her a salary of a million dollars a year. Samantha quickly stood up smiling  and briefly pointed to her as she said, "I'll take that as a yes!....". Betsy was soaked with coffee as she sat on the carpet dumbfounded. As Samantha picked up the phone, her secretary told her that there were senior military officials from the Pentagon who needed to speak to her immediately and that it was a matter of National Security. Samantha hanged up the phone and told Betsy to use her office bathroom to take a quick shower. She then instructed Betsy to pick one of Samantha's executive business suits from her office's walk-in closet and to meet her in their conference room B on the 40th floor. Betsy, stared at her coffee soaked blouse, still dazed by the emotional shock, feeling as if she just won the lottery. After Samantha left the room, Betsy slowly got up and hopped happily towards the office's bathroom to take a shower as she sang, "One million bottles of beer on the wall, one million bottles of beer....If one of the beers happen to fall.....I'll still be filthy rich!.....yes!...yes...!....yes!....", as she pumped her fist in the air. (End of Chapter)