by Paul Ormond
“You’ll find all of the necessary amenities within this space sir,” Allan said, trying to sound Graceful. “In the next room there is a bed built into the wall and everything can be accessed via MindHIve’s Untouch technology.”
“I’ll have it rigged with inReal in no time. Now Allan, if you don’t mind I’d like to get out of this sweat box without you gawking at me,” Robert said while he turned away.
“Of course, sir,” I’ll be outside when you need me.
Robert emerged from his quarters in a few minutes in full CEO mode. His expertly tailored suit had been freshly pressed and his hair was flawless as usual.
“That was fast, sir,” Allan said as he jumped up and stuffed his phone into his pocket.
“I hope I’m not interrupting your gaming schedule, Allan. What level is your DeathWorld character at now?” Roberts said with a knowing grin.
“I’m only at 57, but I started a new character. I’m trying a mage build this time,” Allan responded.
“I don’t give a damn what level you are. I’ve got an inspection to do. I’m heading down to engineering. It’s off limits to unauthorized personnel so I won’t be needing you. And Allan, nobody ever respects a Mage build. Go for Ranger or maybe Orc. That might suit you better,” Robert said as he strode out of the office. “Tell Gerald that I’m on the way and clear my schedule for the afternoon. I’ve got work to do.”
A doorway stood to the left of the main entrance to the MindHIve employee dome. Two security guards were posted at the door and they jumped to attention as Robert approached.
“At ease boys. I hope you guys are ready for practice tonight because I’ve got a few surprises scheduled,” Robert said as the door slid open for him.
“Sounds good, sir,” one officer said as he stepped aside for Robert to pass.
“Looking forward to it,” the other guard said as Robert stepped past.
“Don’t stiffen up guarding this door. Stay loose and I’ll be seeing you soon,” Robert said as the door slid shut behind him. He walked down another short hall and came to a closed door. He scanned his pass and stepped through the open door and into a steel cage. The door shut behind him and he pressed a button on a control panel to the right of the door and the cage began to descend. Through the steel cage, he could see solid rock walls and the marks where the drill had bored through the granite. After a few moments, the elevator stopped and the steel cage opened. “Welcome to the basement, sir. Did you have a pleasant trip?” Gerald said as Robert stepped off of the elevator.
“Very funny, it’s freezing down here,” Robert said as he and his security adviser strode down a tunnel made of rock. A light up ahead signaled that they were approaching some type of opening and Robert had to cover his eyes as they neared.
“I suggest you put these on,” Gerald said, handing Robert a pair of dark industrial eye goggles as they neared the opening. “It’s a little bright up ahead.”
“I can see that,” Robert said slipping on the goggles.
The tunnel led to an observation deck that stood on the edge of a vast cavern. In the center of the cavern was a pillar of blue and white light that seemed to be flowing upward and out of the cavern into the rock above.
“The engineering department has followed the specs provided with incredible attention to detail. We were able to bore through the surface crust with relative ease, using the technology developed by MindHIve’s space exploration department and the energy converter apparatus was inserted with only a few hiccups. Power is flowing directly to the main dome and the generator is being tested for any stability issues,” Gerald said as he stood beside Robert.
“Excellent work Gerald. We’ll be putting that generator to the test in the next few days, the first being the opening ceremony of our little convention tomorrow,” Robert said as he watched several engineers use their inReal devices to maneuver some large scaffolding into place near the column of light. “Then we’ll see what this stuff can really do.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
SoHee was absolutely exhausted. She had flown internationally before but she had never crossed the Pacific. The jet lag coupled with the grueling travel had left her in a hopeless state. On top of all that, her mother, who had accompanied her for the journey, was driving her up the wall. She couldn’t speak English, so SoHee had to communicate everything for her. She was also horribly picky about any of the food they encountered and she complained about everything from the bathrooms to the smell of the air. Why did she even come, SoHee thought to herself but she knew that she couldn’t keep her mother away from something as important as the MindHIve convention.
They needed to make several connections in order to get to the city of Lonsdale, which was the closest city to Kingsford with an airport. After that they still needed to take a 2 hour bus ride to get to the event. Even though SoHee was exhausted, she stared out of the window in awe as the bus wound its way past towering mountain peaks lit up by the afternoon sun. There were plenty of mountains in Korea, but she had never seen anything like she saw out of that window. The giant rocky peaks were still capped with snow and there were deep green forests that seemed to go on forever. As they rounded a bend, SoHee saw a valley spread out before her. At the base of the valley was a winding river and in the distance she could make out the beginning of a community. A large sign on the Highway said: “Welcome to Kingsford, the Home of the Crushers.” She wondered who these Crushers were and what they crushed.
Kingsford was fully buzzing with excitement and activity the day before the convention was to start. SoHee looked around in disbelief. There were crowds of people on the sidewalks and the street was jammed with traffic. As she and her mother stepped off of the bus, she felt like she was back in Seoul at rush hour, if not for all the western faces that she saw. She suddenly realized at that moment just how far she was from home and how strange and foreign-looking the town appeared.
Every single hotel and motel had their no vacancy signs lit up. Luckily, SoHee’s mother had booked her room weeks in advance through her agent, so SoHee didn’t have to worry about finding her mother a room. She had booked a room in the Evergreen Motel, which was a short distance from the fairground, but it certainly wasn’t the five star accommodation her mother was looking for. The motel had certainly seen better days, brown paint was peeling off of the walls and the outdoor pool looked like it hadn’t been filled in years. The office was located on the first floor of the two story building. SoHee could barely keep her eyes open as they walked up to the reception desk. She laid her head down on the counter and rang the bell. From a back room, a heavy set middle-aged woman appeared holding a fly swatter. “We’re all booked up. No rooms available,” the lady said as she sat herself down in a chair at the desk.
“We have a reservation. Here is the booking information,” SoHee said as she handed over the paper with her mother’s information.
“Ah yes, here you are. Song DooAhk, that’s a heck of a name. Where are you two from?” The receptionist asked.
“We’re from Korea,” SoHee replied.
“Well, Konichiwa to you then,” the lady said with a smile.
“Actually, that is Japanese. In Korea we say ‘Annyeonghaseyo’,” SoHee said.
“Anyong-howyadoing and welcome to Kingsford. Follow me, I’ll show you to your room. There’s only one bed. How are you two gonna fit in there?” the lady asked.
“Only my mother will be staying here. I’ll be attending the convention and they have provided lodgings,” SoHee said while trying to keep it together.
“Oh, I see. You must be pretty smart, getting invited to this big hullabaloo. You speak English pretty good too,” The lady said as they walked along a concrete sidewalk past several numbered doors..
“This is the room here,” the lady said. “And here is the key. If you need anything else, just holler at me. I’ll be in the office and Anyongeeyo to you both again.”
The room wasn’t as run down as the outside of the hotel. The bed w
as neatly made and the bathroom was clean enough. Her mother placed her bags on the ground and sat on the bed. The clock beside the bed said 7:07 pm. According to the itinerary, SoHee had to be checked in by 8 or should would have to go through intake tomorrow morning. She had to hurry if she wanted to make it on time and she didn’t want to have to spend another night with her mother. “Mom, I’ve got to get going if I want to make it on time. Text me if you need anything,” she said.
“Just go,” her mother said. “I’m going to sleep, this whole ordeal has been so exhausting,” She said as she laid her head on the bed. “This room smells like dog piss.”
“Ok Mom, I’m going. Just text me ok?” SoHee said as she gathered her bags and closed the door.
She stepped outside into the evening air. The room did smell like dog piss, she thought. Although she was exhausted, she was so relieved to be rid of her mother. It was the first time she had been alone for almost 36 hours. It was bewildering to be in another country but the June weather in Kingsford was sunny and arid. It was a refreshing change from the stifling humidity of Seoul. According to the map on her phone, she was quite close to the fair ground and as she looked up, she could see several white domes rising above the treetops not too far away. She dragged her tote bag behind her and it made clicking sounds on the patterned sidewalk.
Along with her belongings, she carried the only thing in the world that truly mattered to her. The bacteria sample was strapped to the top of her suitcase in a special containment unit and it bore a yellow biohazard mark that had been stamped in red with words “cleared inspection” across the top of the container. It had been a giant hassle getting the bacteria sample through customs. Fortunately, DH had an army of corporate lawyers capable of handling the massive load of paper work in Korea to ready the sample and, MindHIve had taken care of American customs. But when they arrived at the international airport in Los Angeles, they were quickly hustled into quarantine and several phone calls had to be made in order to get all of the paper work approved. SoHee knew she needed to remain calm, but the stress was unbelievable. She tried her best not to cry, but it was almost impossible to hold back the tears.
The way she felt walking along that sidewalk alone was a new sensation to her. It was her first time in a western country and everything felt new and exciting to her. Although she was beyond exhausted, she felt a sense of relief and rejuvenation just by arriving at her destination. As she turned the corner and entered the massive fair grounds, she was astounded by size of the massive complex. The giant domes seemed like alien structures from another planet. Before them, stood a massive gate emblazoned with the MindHIve logo, which loomed above a crowd of people clamoring before the entrance. SoHee could see television cameras and reporters standing beside vans that boasted network logos that were unfamiliar to her. There were thousands of people milling about the front gate, some of whom were wearing blue collared shirts with the MindHIve logo stenciled across the front and back. She approached a young woman in a blue shirt that seemed friendly.
“I need to get inside. Where do I go?” she asked while trying to smile.
“Nobody’s getting in there unless you’ve got a pass,” the woman said.
“I have a pass,” SoHee said as she brought out the participant pass she had received in the mail a week before she arrived.
“Well, then you should come with me,” the woman said as her scowl turned into a smile. “This place is an absolute nuthouse right now. I’ve never seen anything like it. Let’s get you inside, Miss Moon SoHee,” the woman said as she glanced at SoHee’s badge.
SoHee followed her escort through the crowd of people. There were all walks of life outside of the gates. Some people were holding up signs of protest and others seemed to be from religious cults. There were prayer circles and drummers everywhere. It felt like a strange festival. Along with the wild cavalcade of people there was a heavy security presence. Armed guards in black uniforms were standing before the gates. There were several feet of no man’s land between the guards and the swell of people. Anyone who approached without the right credentials was quickly sent back into the mass of people. The woman in the blue shirt pushed her way through the crowd and SoHee did her best to keep up, all the while pulling her tote bag with her bacteria sample.
“I’ve got a participant coming through,” the young woman said as she approached one of the guards. The guard scowled.
“Let’s see your pass,” he said to SoHee.
As SoHee was about to take her pass out of her pocket, a young man wearing ski goggles and a black bandana over his face ran at the security guards and threw an egg into the face of one of the guards.
“inReal is a Nazi scam,” he screamed as several guards rushed out to corral the boy. One guard deployed a taser and the boy went down screaming and foaming at the mouth a few feet from Sohee.
“Well, it looks like you’re clear. Take these documents to the reception area,” the guard said as a medical team came in to take the tasered boy away. “And don’t do anything stupid while you’re here, or you’ll wind up like him,” he said as SoHee watched the boy go past her in a stretcher. She could see the foam still bubbling on his lips, although he had clearly lost consciousness.
“Let’s go before a riot breaks out,” the girl in the blue shirt said. SoHee didn’t need to be asked twice. She quickly followed the girl through a metal gate and into a long corridor that was walled with chain-link fences. She could hear screaming and shouting behind her but she didn’t dare to look back. The long corridor made several abrupt turns and it appeared that it had been arranged to accommodate a large influx of people. After SoHee and the young woman had rounded a maze of corners, they came to a large open area where several kiosks had been set up. Above each kiosk was a MindHIve logo. The girl led SoHee to a kiosk where she was greeted by a young man wearing the same blue shirt.
“We have a participant here who is ready to be admitted into the facilities. She has the proper paperwork,” the young woman said.
“Excellent,” the young man replied. “May I see your pass and your ID please?”
SoHee handed over her passport and her ID to the young man, who looked at her picture and read her name. “Wow, are you Miss Science? I’ve been following you for years. It’s amazing what you’ve done,” the young man said. SoHee blushed at being recognized. She always got flustered when people called her “Miss Science.” Even though it was a name she had gone by for years, it still sounded strange to her.
“Thank you,” she managed to say as the boy handed her back her ID and pass.
“Please head through those gates there,” the boy said, indicating another set of chain-link gates. On the other side, you will receive your greeting package and gift basket, and then a MindHIve host will show you to your quarters. Welcome to the MindHIve tech convention Miss Science. Before you go, can we take a picture?” he asked as he pulled out his phone. He quickly snapped a photo of the two of them together and SoHee tried her best to make a happy face, as bewildered as she was.
She was whisked through the gate and another young woman wearing a blue shirt handed her a large package of papers and a gift basket wrapped in cellophane. “Follow me,” she said as she pressed the button on a large metallic gate. As the doors slid open, they revealed a massive dome that was busting with activity. There were huge company banners displayed above elaborate booths and people hustled about, setting up strange and intricate equipment.
“The participant quarters are in the next dome,” the new young woman said as she strode forward. “This place is a zoo right now. Stick close or I’ll lose you in this mess.” SoHee did her best to keep up, but she had to continually dodge all types of people and obstacles that were being moved around her. They reached a metal archway that opened to a long white hall way. People were coming and going in both directions and SoHee had to continue weaving between people. Just like Hongik station at rush hour, she thought to herself as she tried to keep up with her guide.
/> The next dome was a completely different world from the one she first entered. There were all types of strange looking furniture set on a patchwork of terraced work stations. Mood Walls with shifting pictures wove between the terraces. Beyond the strange looking work stations were stacks of dark blue sleeping capsules that reached all the way up to the top of the dome. There were several columns of capsules and each column was equipped with a series of platforms that gave access to the capsules. Elevators and winding staircases connected to each floor. Soft blue light emanated from the portal windows of the coffins.
“So you are in W-927,” the young woman said. “That’s this way towards the back.” SoHee followed along behind the woman and she stared up in awe at the stacks of capsules. There were thousands of them. SoHee saw a large glowing “W” above an elevator and she knew that she had finally arrived. She was asked to show her credentials to another young man in a blue shirt who scanned her pass with a clear device. It flashed green and SoHee was admitted into a simple metallic elevator. The young woman accompanied her into the tight quarters and pressed “9” on a panel beside them. The elevator quickly whisked them up to the ninth floor and they both spilled out of the tight space and onto a narrow walkway. It was a dizzying height from the ninth floor. Below her, SoHee could see people ambling about along similar walkways and down the corridors between the columns of capsules. Each capsule that lined the walk way displayed a glowing number and SoHee counted the numbers until they finally arrived at 927.
“Here we are,” the young lady said. “Scan your pass here and the door should open.”
SoHee took out her pass and pressed it onto a translucent pad to the left of the door.There was an audible bing and the door popped open to reveal a narrow bed and a small storage area.
“This is where I leave you. You’ll find all of the information that you need is in the orientation package that you received at reception. There is a lot of information to go over, but, I’m sure that you must be exhausted. Orientation will begin tomorrow morning, but you’ll need to go over your orientation package beforehand. The bathroom and showers are located at the end of the walkway. I’d love to show you more but I’ve really got to get going. I just got an alert saying that there is a malfunction at the front gate,” the young woman said as she jogged to the exit at the end of the walkway.
