"Jie-," Mei tries to right the situation.
"You're right. You're an adult now. I have no right to interfere anymore. If this is what you want, go ahead but you will never have my blessings for your marriage," Yuna says with little as no energy in her voice before leaving the house.
Two weeks later, Yuna is on a flight to Australia, leaving Mei back in Malaysia to marry the man of her dreams. She met John once but never saw Mei marry off and they never spoke again. Yen, Mei's best friend became their middle man for news and updates between the sisters.
Chapter 4
India: Thursday, 13th November 5:16 a.m.
"Station 359 requesting confirmation of lifegrid approval for randomer T164," Ada says into the silver mouthpiece of her headphone after hitting the red button on screen that immediately connects her to her supervisor’s office.
Immediately a voice comes into reply, "Lifegrid approval for randomer T164 confirmed." It is the same Russian man.
"Station 359 requesting initiation of randomer T164," Ada proceeds to request.
"Permission to initiate randomer T164 granted," the Russian man replies into her earphone.
Ada rejoices in her heart at the smooth granting of initiation, but she maintains a cool, unemotional composure on her face.
Ada's fingers dance smoothly on the wide screen before her, activating programs and initiating systems to put her new lifegrid online. As she finalizes the procedure to merge her lifegrid into their main action plan, a text box pops up onto the screen prompting for a final password. Ada's fingers key into the box a secret combination of alphanumericals only she knew and hit the enter button.
“Requesting confirmation of bio-metrics,” a computerized female voice says into her earphone.
Ada lowers her head to stare into a rectangular device at the bottom of the curved screen. The device shoots a horizontal green beam that screens from just above Ada's eyes down towards the top her cheeks.
“Bio-metrics confirmed,” the digital voice announces into her earphone. It is this high level of security and personalization that makes the ghost a master of her own platform. No one else in the Hive can access the platform to alter the pattern of lifegrids or affect the system. The system has proved to maintain order of performance for as long as the Hive has been established.
Ada's screen transforms into an extensively detailed and narrowly knit pipe work of a flowchart.
This time based flow chart generated by the supercomputer is called MAP short for 'Main Action Plan'. It is made up by linking and mapping out all online lifegrids composed by every ghost. A blue line boxed the area where Ada's lifegrid now occupies the MAP.
"Yes!" Ada celebrates in her head, "Let's just hope baiting proceeds smoothly."
Once online, the ghost's job becomes simpler - monitoring the autopilot cruise her lifegrid into action. Unless something unexpected happens like in Mei's case then only would the ghost need to interfere manually.
Ada swipes the screen and the MAP minimizes to occupy only the far left section of her long screen. She searches into her scheduled folder for the virus embedded messages and files that she had earlier set to run automatically. The messages and files are clocked to be sent out based on a preset timetable to the three unlucky ones, the most unlucky being Zach.
Ada reaches for the cold metal drawer on the left of her desk and pulls it open. The drawer is empty except for a silver, oval bangle placed on top of some blank papers. Ada always wonders what the papers are for as the Hive is an almost paperless facility with everything fully computerized. She has never written once since she became a part of the Hive six years ago.
Ada pulls her attention back to the bangle and removes it from above the papers. The rigid but surprisingly light bangle with an open end felt similarly cold in her hands. Ada wedges her left wrist through the curved edges of bangle's open gap and adjusts it to fit around her wrist comfortably. The silver bangle's body is about an inch in width with a smooth and plain matte surface. It has nothing all over the surface, not even the slightest pattern.
Ada proceeds to place her right thumb on where the face of a watch would be if the bangle was a wrist watch and the surface beneath her thumb glows a light blue. The bangle gently vibrates to signal its owner that it is up and running. It is not just any bangle, what Ada is wearing is a remote control device called a leech and it will allow her to operate her supercomputer from anywhere within the Hive.
Detecting the leech online and synchronized, Ada's mega screen at her workstation blanks out. All progress and updates will now be sent directly to Ada's leech.
Ada pushes her ergonomic swivel chair back and removes her earphone from her right ear. She puts it into the drawer on top of the blank papers and shuts the drawer close. Ada gets up from her station and massages the back of her neck with one hand while stretching her neck backwards. Finally it's time to go back to her crib, her resting unit for a good sleep.
Chapter 5
Canada: Wednesday, 12th November 8:15 p.m.
The sound of gurgling bubbles signals an incoming message on the pink smartphone as it vibrates on the bedside table, among the clutter of empty beer bottles and an over filling ash tray. The dimly lit cheap motel room smells of cigarette smoke and mold but that doesn't matter. All that mattered is the sex. Both man and woman are having too much fun to care about their surroundings. They don't know each other. It's just another one night stand for all they care. The thirty something woman is obviously older than the young man, who is probably only in his mid twenties. The woman, with her well maintained skin, body and looks could most of the time pass as a woman in her late twenties.
The woman lying on her stomach with the man over her back tries to reach for her phone, which has started gurgling for a third time, reminding her repetitively every minute of the unchecked message. She could have ignored it but somehow it feels annoying and distracting this time.
The young man having forgotten her name, tries to pull her hand back.
"Leave it," he says, not wanting her to loose focus.
"Let me shut it. It's so annoying," she utters and reaches for the phone.
With only her left hand, she swipes the screen with her delicate fingers of beautifully manicured nails and sees the unchecked message icon at the top left corner of the screen. She taps on the notification bar and the message opens. Her face turns pale as she stares with horror - It looks like a picture of her in bed with her gym instructor.
The thumbnail is rather tiny but her orange wavy long hair is unmistakable. She automatically taps it with her thumb, downloading it to see clearer. The first virus embedded message sent out by Ada successfully downloads onto her first sub-randomer's phone. She is the first of the two sub-randomers Ada has targeted to use in baiting Zach.
Oblivious to the fact that she has fallen prey to Ada's trap, the woman has confirmed her status as sub-randomer 1 for T164 and Ada will now be able to remotely control her phone to pull off the stunt she does best - maneuver.
"Come on Babe," the young man reaches to pull the phone away from her hand.
"Get off me!" she barks back at him as she reaches her right hand back to push the hot hunk of a man off her. He rolls over onto the bed confused.
"Hey lady!" he grunts disapprovingly of her rude end to their spicy affair.
The woman quickly gets out of bed and picks her clothes up from the old floorboard. She puts on her lacy undergarments immediately.
"You're not thinking of walking out on me in the middle of fucking are you?" the young man protests as the woman pulls her designer jeans up her hips.
The woman rolls her blue eyes in annoyance. Without zipping, she bends over to pick her clutch bag up from the floor and removes a hundred dollar note from it.
"Shut the fuck up," she snaps as she throws the bill at the young man. He happily picks the note from the bed and quietly watches the woman zip up.
She looks pretty even when she's being a total bitch, he thinks to himse
lf. The woman wriggles her way into her brown body hugging turtle neck and sweeps her black leather jacket off the chair.
Then she slips her arms into the sleeves of her jacket and shrugs it up her shoulders. She pulls her hair out from under her collar before hastily slipping her slender legs into her knee length leather boots.
The woman is about to go out the door when the young man shouts after her from the bed.
"Forgetting something?" he calls as he sways her phone up in the air.
The woman dashes over and grabs the phone from the young man's grasp.
She looks at the young man and utters, "Thank you."
"Don't mention it. I'm still hoping to see you again," he smirks at the woman.
"If you are lucky," she says and slams the door close behind her.
"What a beauty," the young man says to himself watching her leave.
Inside a white limited edition sports car of the newest model, parked just out front of the motel, the woman starts the car engine by the push of a button. The car glides smoothly off the gravel and back onto the tar road before speeding back to the city.
The beautiful woman on the wheel is Samantha Wilde. She is the mistress of the rich and famous businessman, Edward Blade. She cannot risk having pictures like that circulate and ruin her relationship with Edward. Everything she owns now - the credit cards she splurges with, the sports car she's driving, the luxury condominium she lives in and the designer clothing on her back are all given to her by Edward. She doesn't want to go back to the massage parlor and be a nobody. So she must find out who is trying to blackmail her with that picture. The first one on her mind is her gym instructor, Tim himself.
She voice dials for Tim but there is no answer. She heads straight to his apartment and from downstairs she can see that the lights in his second floor apartment are on. He is at home. Samantha notices an old woman making her way up towards the gate of the building's main entrance with some groceries in her hands. Seeing her chance she immediately exits her car and rushes over to the old lady.
"Let me help you," she offers the old lady to carry her groceries.
"Why thank you," the little old lady says and passes her two bags to Samantha.
"Do you live here?" she asks Samantha.
"No, I'm Tim's cousin. Came here to pay him a surprise visit. Haven't seen him in years," Samantha smiles.
"You mean Tim from the second floor?" the old lady asks as she chuckles.
Samantha nods as the old lady reaches her wrinkly fingers up to the keypad and enters the building's security code. The metal gate pops open and they enter.
"Which floor are you from?" Samantha asks as they enter the elevator.
"Fourth floor. You can give me those. I'll be fine on my own," the old lady says and Samantha gladly gives the bags bag to her.
The elevator stops at the second floor. Samantha bids the old lady goodbye and hurriedly exits. Her face changes from sweet and smiley to red with anguish. She strides down the hall and rings the doorbell impatiently. Nobody comes to answer it. She starts banging the door with her fists.
"Open the door Tim. I know you're in there! Open it right this second!" she shouts and continues to bang the door.
Hearing that it is Samantha who is at his door, Tim immediately gets out of bed stark naked, leaving his long time girlfriend alone.
"Shh!! Don't come out. It's the landlord," he shushes his girlfriend, who is now covering herself with the blanket.
Tim, a handsome blonde, swiftly pulls his pants up and walks out to answer the door.
He pulls the white wooden door open promptly, putting on his finest grin at the very important visitor who pays pretty much of his commission, "Hey there Sammy sugar babe, what's the matter?"
"Don't sugar me," Samantha snaps at him.
"Shh... why so mad? What did I do?" Tim asks innocently, as he candidly puts a finger over her lips in order to lower down her voice.
"Don't pretend. Are you trying to blackmail me?" she snaps, shoving her phone at his face.
Tim stares at the screen dumbfounded. His eyes roll wide with disbelief. The shock in his face does not belong to one that is guilty.
"Oh fuck," he curses as he combs his fingers through his hair.
"Don't pretend!" Sam barks.
"Is everything okay Tim?" a soft voice echoes out from the bedroom as his girlfriend's head peeks out from behind the door.
"Yeah, I'm just gonna show her out the door," he answers her and pushes Samantha out the open front door.
"You're pushing me out the door??" Samantha protests with contempt.
"Let's talk outside," he whispers, slipping out the door after her and closing the door behind him.
"Who is she??" Samantha gets distracted by the superiority of the other woman over her that lands her standing outside the door.
"I'm getting married next month with Willow. I don't want her to know about us. Please!" Tim begs Samantha.
"Next month? And I knew nothing about it?" Samantha's eyes widen with ridicule.
"I'm going to be a dad! Please be happy for me," Tim grins at her. The look on his face truly beams with happiness.
Samantha's heart softens at hearing that. She knows the loneliness of being a mistress and sometimes deep down inside she wishes she has a child to keep her company too. But Edward will never allow it. Having a child means giving Samantha a hold on to part of his assets if he decides to ditch her in the future. He is too smart for that.
"Then you should have thought about it before blackmailing me!" she scorns.
"Swear to God Sam, I didn't do it!" Tim's innocent eyes look into Samantha's. He does look genuinely innocent.
"Then who did? If I go down, you are coming with me," Samantha threatens to a bewildered Tim.
"Who owns the number who sent you the picture?" Tim asks. For once, Samantha needs to admit that she is lesser than bright as the thought of checking the number didn't even cross her mind until now. She swipes the screen to view the sender's number but awkwardly, nothing can be displayed. There is no sender. She stares into the phone blinking her eyes confused, wondering what is happening to her phone.
"I dunno," she utters.
"Let me see," Tim says as he takes the pink phone from her hand. There is indeed no sender. The file exists in her picture gallery as though she had downloaded it herself from some other source. Tim looks at the picture again. They were in her bedroom. It was from two days ago. Tim is sure because Monday was the first time he went to her place. Now Tim starts to feel that he is being ridiculed.
"There's no sender. It's taken in your bedroom from two days ago. Did you plan a spy cam and do this? Sam, I don't know how you found out ‘bout Willow but if you're doing all these just out of jealousy, you're being ridiculous!" Sam shoves the phone back to her chest and she clumsily catches it from sliding down.
"Wait, what? I didn't!" she denies.
"Then who did? It's your home!" Tim starts to put the blame back on her. He glares at her with despise in his eyes and turns around to open the door.
"Hey listen up! I didn't!" Samantha defends her innocence.
"Yeah, right," he grunts as he enters his apartment and slams the door close in her face.
"I'm the victim here!" she shouts but she knows it's useless. Tim is right. The pictures were taken from her bedroom. The possibility now narrows down to Edward only!
For three years no man other than Edward has entered her place before and the only time she thinks is fine, she gets caught. Edward must have sent her the photos. But how come he isn't calling. Maybe this is the way he is calling their relationship off - by just sending her the proof of her infidelity.
If so, she must hurry home and pack up all the valuables before he kicks her out.
Samantha rushes home expecting the code number of the digital lock on the front door changed. She takes a deep breath and gingerly presses her finger onto the number pad a four digits password and the lock signals the beautiful sound of grantin
g access.
Samantha, slightly relieved, immediately enters and sees that the place is untouched, just as how she had left it in the morning. She proceeds into her bedroom and examines the angle from where the picture had been taken. The dressing table sits sturdily against the wall with the mirror facing the right side of the bed.
Samantha switches on the light of the bedroom and moves her face so close to the mirror her nose is about to touch it, examining the mirror closely. Before she can find anything, her phone starts to gurgle again. Samantha immediately removes it from her pocket. Before she can swipe her phone to unlock it, her phone unlocks by itself and starts playing an old Japanese video of children singing in some performance.
Randomers Page 3
