iDENTITY Page 6

  “Vera, calm down. Get this wrapped up nice and neat before the competitors snatch this blog. MJ is talented and I don’t want her to walk away because we have not given her literary freedom. Work with MJ to edit this blog into a book, while marketing figures out how to sell and promote it. MJ, I’m looking forward to working with you,” George said, eyes locked on MJ’s.

  “George, I have great ideas for a sequel and other books. They will captivate the hearts and minds of your readers for generations to come.”

  Vera looked skeptically at her new boss, opened her mouth to comment, but shut it as George secured the deal with his positive affirmations. She knew better than to object or be forced to look for another job.

  It took an hour of sweat, persuasion, and half a bottle of wine to clinch the deal. Maggie ended the call with relief, satisfied yet nervous about moving forward. Her thoughts raced over that call, reliving the details, moment by moment.

  It was so refreshing to watch her, like looking through a different lens, knowing that she knows who I am, but can’t place me. My secret life as MJ Moore, as long as these pills last, Maggie thought.

  She quickly brushed away the doubts, imagining herself at the top: young, successful, and unencumbered by her past relationship with Seth. His rejection due to another woman and the loss of everything—marriage, house, security and job devastated her. Sleepless nights, drunken stupors and crying binges--she longed to forget those painful days. Her stomach churned and her head ached— side effects of drinking too much wine and the long, stressful day.

  At midnight, an exhausted Maggie laid her head on the pillow, about to fall into dreamland. Then Seth’s hologram flashed before her.

  “Hey baby, how’s it going? Just broke up with my girlfriend. Want to see u.”

  She deleted the message and stared at the ceiling, now wide awake.

  Lena

  “Still working? Getting late.”

  The security guard jolted Lena out of her computer trance, surprised that someone was still toiling away at this ungodly hour.

  “Just give me a few minutes to finish up,” said Lena. She stared at the computer screen of trades. Having clocked in eighty hours the first week, Lena patted herself on the back for tripling the investments of ten new clients.

  Glancing at her watch, she noted it was 10 p.m. Not wanting to go back to the shelter, she spent the first night at the office, sleeping at her desk and showering on the floor below before anyone entered the building. Having this job gave Lena a whole new lease on life and she wanted to use every minute productively. So much time previously spent looking for food, a place to sleep, and an escape from the druggies had plagued her. Now she could spend all of time focusing on making money, which surprised the new CEO, who realized he had hired a bunch of slackers. She finished up quickly, which didn’t go unnoticed. She was rewarded with additional projects, while her coworkers still sipped their coffee. Now into the second week, the small corner cubicle became her new home. Lena decided to take a break and grab a sandwich with the leftover money Optimal provided. Not enough for a down payment and rent on an apartment, but it would allow her to eat and buy an extra set of clothes until payday.

  “Thanks, Sam, see you later. Taking a break for food,” said Lena and gave the security guard a twenty-dollar bill. Sam knew she spent the night and slipped her the code to a back entrance. Lena slid down the glassed-in exterior slide to the ground below in a minute flat. It gave her a jolt, but she laughed as she opened the door to the outside.

  Lena breathed in the clean night air, but looked carefully in all directions, having learned caution from her stint on the streets. A shadow passed beside her and then a hand brushed her shoulder. She tensed up and grabbed her pocket knife, ready for any attacks. Even if you have lived on the streets, you can never be too careful, Lena reasoned.

  “Lena, is that you? Why, I’ll be damned. All cleaned up and nowhere to go?” asked a familiar voice.

  Lena turned, not wanting to acknowledge for fear of edging back into her old life. Having a job as a professional had already changed her. She lived to make money, get out of her rut, and avoid her old life at any cost. She shrugged off the man’s hand and headed in the opposite direction.

  “I know it’s you, Lena. Now don’t back away. We’re still friends, ain’t we? Don’t go all snooty on me. I heard you got some fancy job, but you need to remember your old buddies,” said an old man with a long beard, raggedy clothes, and high-top sneakers.

  Lena eyed the transient with fear and disgust. When she lived on the streets, Chester dogged her day and night. Before she moved into the shelter, he would steal her cigarettes and food. She woke one night to feel him staring at her and rubbing her leg. At this realization, she screamed and scared him away.

  At first, Lena thought the wiry old man wanted to protect her so she befriended him. She stayed near his camp, met his group that knew how to live in the fringes and stayed out of trouble. But after a while Chester attached himself to her, too close that it became uncomfortable, especially after he chugged from the bottle. He grew attracted to her.

  “You’re not like those beat-up old women; you’re special,” he would say. Seeing Chester brought back those lewd memories which repulsed her.

  “Mister, leave me alone. I left the streets behind and I’m never going back. Get out of my way,” said Lena. She shoved the old man into a large dumpster in a corner alley. The old man bounced off and fell to the ground, moaning. The narrow alley protected them from any onlookers.

  “Don’t you ever come near me again. You do not know me. Stay away from me, you piece of garbage,” said Lena as she kicked him in the crotch and punched him in the head. Blood ran from his nose, his face battered and bruised. Lena loathed the sight of him, walked swiftly out of the alley and headed for the all-night coffee shop.

  The strobe lights from the Twenty-Four-Hour Eatery welcomed her. Smells of coffee, sweet pies, and hot soup greeted her as she entered. About a dozen diners chatted and consumed their food, neglecting to see the new guest find her place at the counter.

  “MENU? COFFEE?” said the robot.

  “Burger and black coffee,” Lena said as she punched her choices into the computerized menu in front of her. As she waited, Lena brushed off the dirt from her tailored black suit. A spot of blood lingered on the tip of her black heel. She refreshed her lipstick and took in deep breaths.

  The counter swiveled around to drop off the food and coffee from the appropriate stations and robots as they mechanically filled her cup and assembled the bun, burger, tomato, and mustard. Lena gritted her teeth, then ate her meal silently, reflecting on her sudden brush with the unsavory past. Looking over her shoulder, she walked back to the office. Lena collapsed into her chair and fell sound asleep.

  She dreamed about the old Infinity, the men in slick suits with two phones attached to their ears, cutting their deals, plush offices with leather couches where she spent some nights after working a long day, and the rich food and strong drinks enjoyed after celebrating a big deal.

  Always a light sleeper, she awakened immediately to the first rays of dawn. She stretched and hurried to clean up and refresh her makeup before the others arrived. Then Lena made a fresh batch of coffee before settling in front of her computer.

  “Well, first in and last to leave. It’s nice to see someone around here has a work ethic. Not too much of that these days.”

  Lena looked up, having worked at her computer for several hours, to see John Whitaker standing at the door of her office with two briefcases in tow.

  “Good morning Mr. Whitaker. Let me get you some coffee. Plus, I’d like to go over some new strategies,” said Lena, taking the opportunity to meet with the vice president.

  “Sure, You’re the new girl. Come on in. Let’s discuss your ideas before my meeting at 8:30,” said John. He reviewed Lena’s ideas carefully, analyzing the cost-to-profit ratios, the data on the latest funds, and possible investments. He looked directly a
t Lena, his glasses perched on his nose, his arms folded, his face devoid of emotion.

  “I’d like to invite you to come to my meeting with me. Listen, then present these ideas. Are you available?” said John.

  “Available for what? What’s going on?” said JD, as she arrived at 8:25 a.m. and frowned at this unfamiliar scene.

  “JD, Lena has some great ideas we need to implement. I’ve invited her to present at our 8:30 meeting. Any objections? Lena must have been working into the night on these ideas— very sound, very progressive. Glad you hired her,” said John.

  “Uhh, no objections at all. Nice work, Lena,” said JD.

  Lena took the time to secretly pop another green pill before heading to the meeting. Feeling good hearing that old Chambers, the previous CEO had passed away, she focused on impressing the new boss. Her previous knowledge, adrenaline, and new right brain capabilities now enhanced by the green pills gave her a boost. She presented her ideas to the other partners, backed with charts and spreadsheets, never wavering from their tough questions.

  “After doing some research and running some stats, I discovered these companies should be part of our clients’ portfolios due their growth potential and high yields. Some of our competitors have shied away, but I think we should definitely consider due to the recent trends...,” said Lena. She surprised herself by answering all their scenarios from every possible angle.

  “Lena, this is excellent information, but let’s go to lunch and discuss the third option for clarity. Does La Fleur sound good to you?” said Merle, one of the partners.

  Lena quickly glanced at JD, who glowered at her from across the table. Ignoring her glares, she nodded and grabbed her purse and followed Merle to the restaurant. Lena laughed to herself, knowing that JD hated the competition. Soon she would surpass her and gain her position back.

  She used to hang around the back entrance, going through their garbage for scraps. The smells, ambience, and classy waiters took her breath away. She wanted to eat everything in sight, but settled for the shrimp salad. She surprised Merle with her wit, charm, and knowledge of the brokerage industry.

  “Is everything okay? Is the staff treating you well? I like to get together with new hires to hear their ideas. I hope you like the food; it’s not one of the top ten restaurants, but the service is good and it’s near the office,” said Merle.

  Lena nodded.

  “Really like working at Infinity, enjoy the stimulation,” she said. She gobbled down her food like it was her last meal.

  She returned two hours later and slipped past JD’s door. Merle thanked her, entered John’s office, and closed the door. The office bustled with humming fax machines, ringing phones, and small group meetings. JD buzzed her.

  “What were you thinking? You should have come to me first! Are you trying to make me look bad?” JD whispered in an icy tone.

  Before she could answer, the robot receptionist announced, “JOHN AND MERLE WANT TO MEET WITH YOU NOW.”

  “Got to go— important meeting with John and Merle,” Lena said. She hastily hung up on JD, who fumed on the other end. She passed JD’s office, where she was having an intense conversation on the phone and got up to close the door when she saw her.

  Randall

  Randall was dumbfounded and unable to speak in his current state. His anger ceased and he slowly shifted back into his human form. He stood eye-to-eye with the spunky snake.

  “I was dumped in here, just like you. I’m trying to survive,” he said.

  “The mighty mountain lion speaks. How can we be sure that you’re not one of them?” the snake said.

  “You mean Optimal? I just bit the doc, almost sliced off his arm. Then they threw me in here. They’ve experimented on me just like you, except I’m not….”

  “Just say it-- a freak!”

  “Who are you?”

  “My name is Samantha. They took us from the streets and offered us a new life. Many of us were homeless with nowhere to go. But when we got there, we knew we didn’t fit in with their fancy white gloves and spotless floors.”

  “When did you turn?”

  “First, they gave us our own rooms. Then Doc and Arno drugged us and made us drink the green liquid, night and day. Knocked us out and the next thing I know…”

  “When did you realize something was wrong?”

  “Being the suspicious one, I wandered around. I knew it was too good to be true. I discovered the basement and heard the howling. I didn’t wake up like this. Drinking that green stuff-- I saw my skin changing before my eyes. Scales with weird patterns. Then I knew. We were doomed. But it took several weeks and I landed in here with everyone else. I screamed, cried, and realized this is my fate. Lucky for me I haven’t been eaten. Not yet. What’s your story?”

  “Answered an ad and went to work as a lab assistant. I was desperate and they took advantage of me, drinking that green liquid and being analyzed. They told me I was helping them create this special drug. Revolutionary, change the world! At night I began to dream. Dreams of being powerful and strong. Then I shifted into this mountain lion and everyone feared me. But only then I became angry. Just like now when I realized how they created this mess, how Optimal is hurting others. We’ve got to stop this madness.”

  But the others only wanted to eat and surrounded Samantha and Randall, ready to attack. At that point, Randall rose on his hind legs, his teeth bared and his claws protracted. Samantha now stood ready to strike, her poison keeping the others from harming the two.

  Trapped for several weeks and shifting into his animal state to survive, Randall could not wait another day. He planned to jump on the window ledge, slide it open, and tear at the screen with his claws. If he could manage to squeeze through the opening as a human and then shift to a lion, he would jump to the ground and be free.

  He worked hard every day, practicing his escape. Willing himself to shift from human to animal and back was the hardest part, but he finally perfected it.

  Later that night, he willed himself to claw up the wall to the window ledge. When he reached the top, the half-snake/half-woman greeted him.

  “Please take me with you; I’m dying in here.”

  Her body curled around his paw.

  “It’s not the right time, let me go. You can’t leave in your current state; the outside world will not accept you as you are. I promise I’ll come back for you.”

  Her snake body tightened her grip on him. He quickly changed back into his lion state, biting her tail and flinging her to the ground. As she slithered up the wall again, he crawled through the open window.

  Outside on the ledge, he shut it tightly and leaped to the ground, his paws landing easily in the wet grass. He shifted again and turned to see her angry face peering down at him from the closed window.

  He became a lion again and ran quietly through the grounds, looking for guards. They probably would be alerted, having seen his escape via the cameras. His keen eyesight helped him to spot the two guards on duty at the front gate, so he double-backed behind the building. When he leaped over the tall, wrought-iron fence without the alarms sounding, he knew he was free.

  Sydney

  “Red wins again on lucky number 13.”

  Sydney spilled her drink in excitement over winning for the third time in a row, now tripling her bet. She jumped up and down, laughing hysterically along with her many new friends. Unable to tear herself away from the roulette wheel, her lively personality engaged everyone, gathering a huge crowd around her.

  “It’s my birthday, so drinks for all my buddies, especially Charlie who picked the last number,” yelled Sydney. She ran her fingers through her spiky hair and planted a kiss on Charlie’s cheek. They had flirted at the bar the night before and she invited him to spend some time with her. There was a connection, even though she knew he worked for Optimal. But it didn’t seem awkward.

  He hovered protectively around her, not letting the crowds get too close. His cap covered his eyes and he slipped his ha
nd into his pocket to catch any incoming calls.

  The crowd pressed up against her— a guy with a gage in his ear and a tattoo decorating his arm. He tapped Sydney on the shoulder, “How do you do it? Just tell me your secret and I’ll buy you a drink.”

  But she turned her attention to Charlie.

  Just a moment before, she snuck another green pill. She had been gambling all day, now on a winning streak. As she collected her winnings, the manager rushed over to her with the keys to a suite and unlimited room and bar service. Sydney knew in her heart that she owed her luck to the little green pill and the fact it was her birthday. Now, if only she could convince Charlie to join her, but his phone was attached tightly to his ear. Probably a message from his girlfriend, Sydney thought.

  “Charlie, just come up for one drink and a late night snack. And the room has a Jacuzzi to help you settle your nerves. Please stay with me; you’re my good luck charm!” said Sydney. Her winnings totaled one million and Charlie was a part of that, advising and cheering her on to success.

  Charlie excused himself from the roulette table, where Sydney was about to make her next move. “Sounds so tempting, but there’s a big problem at work. Emergency, the boss called everyone for a special meeting,” said Charlie. He texted his employer: “Will be there in one hour. Talk to the snake lady.”

  Then he grabbed her hand and ran to the transporters.

  “One drink and then I must go. Plus, I want to check out your special digs,” said Charlie. He kissed her lightly.

  Sydney sucked in her breath as they opened the doors to a lavishly decorated suite, a black and white front room with soft black and white leather couches, surrounding a wall-size TV and bar. She dimmed the lights and walked through the sliding door that led to a closed-in balcony with a kidney-shaped Jacuzzi, with a view of an orange moon, and city lights below. He followed closely behind, his hand on her back.

  “I sense your thoughts; just quit your job and share this with me. I’ve dreamed of this day and now it’s happened. Just the two of us to enjoy these guilty pleasures,” said Sydney in a drunken stupor.