Knavery

His eyes were still closed but he can already hear voices from afar. He heard footsteps coming in his direction but he's too tired to face that way. He tried to feel his body, it hurts. His chest is hurting that he would not like to move an inch from where he is lying. He slowly opened his eyes and he saw a blanket of stars. He's stunned. Awed of the magnificent beauty of the black midnight sky. He felt the cold breeze of the night air with the scent of grass dews. Crickets chirp from somewhere and owls coo from a treetop.

"Am I in heaven?" He managed to give a sigh of relief. "That would be great." He said in a coarse voice. He felt the things weighing him slowly dissipate in thin air.

The footsteps became louder and suddenly, then it stopped. He turned his head in the direction of the footsteps and the door opened.

"Ohh, you're awake. Thank goodness." Said the man who opened the door, approaching him.

His eyes closed to adjust from the sudden light from outside the door.

"Who are---" he replied when he suddenly realized that the moment the door was opened the scenery turned into something else, like a computer waking up from a screen saver.

He saw an unfamiliar ceiling with dim lights and apparatuses stood beside his bed. He raised his arm and saw his left hand with a bandage and dextrose attached. He touched his head and felt it was bandaged as well and he has an oxygen tube on his nose.

The man entered his room, carrying a fruit basket. "How do you feel?" asked the man.

The man wore a Hawaiian polo with a white undershirt and a familiar scent reminded him of the first time he met the man.

...

Reiko found an orphan in an internet café on the outskirts of town when he is having a holiday in that part of the city. As Reiko was taking a walk, he saw a child getting bullied for being so smart and able to beat the older players on that internet shop. He stopped the act and approached the kid.

"Are you alright?" Reiko asked. He gave him a piece of cookie.

"Ahh,, they do that a lot. You don't have to worry. I'm fine. Thanks." The kid said lowering his head trying to hide his tears.

"I see,, that's great...sa,," Reiko nodded and left the cookie next to the kid. "So, why are you being bullied?" he asked.

"I always won the game and they don't like it." the kid muttered. "That's why they chose violence over 1v1 because they knew they can win that way against me."

"But that's uncalled for." Reiko complained. "I might as well report it to the police."

"No need old man." the kid glared. "They'll just keep on doing it when adults intervene."

"But--"

"I appreciate your concern but I don't want you sticking your nose on my business."

Reiko stared at the kid. He baffled by the kid's words and realized he was in the wrong.

"I'm sorry to but in." he apologized. "Then, can you tell me where do you live? Where are your parents? I should bring you home."

"It's farther that way...you don't have to bring me there, ol' man." the kid replied.

"But, if they come at you again, what will you do?"

"Fight back..."

"Hhh,, you're a hopeless kid... ja, where're your parents? Aren't they gonna get mad at you with all those bruises?"

"I don't have any..."

Reiko was taken aback. He felt guilty of asking something he shouldn't have asked.

"Besides, I don't need one." the kid continued.

"You're living alone?"

"Hai..."

"How about the living expenses?"

"I'm working part-time there at the cafe."

"Ahh, so...That's the reason why you can win more than those kids who bullied you?"

"Saa,, told you they're just mad being defeated on the Com. Games..."

"Com Games, you mean... Computer games?"

"You don't know that, ol' man? Well, you're quite left behind. Do you like computers?"

"You can say so... they're my life.."

"You mean you're making money out of them?"

"Ma...na... I mean,, yeah... I create programs and sell them."

"That's nice,,... you can play all you want. I want to create programs, too. I want to be like my dad."

"He's a programmer, as well?"

"Ahh... he raised me through that. I was there at the internet shop fixing their system. I know the owner and he knows I can fix it so, he called me."

"Ohh,,, then... do you want to work for me?"

"You don't look rich, ol' man" he laughed under his breath "...I don't think you can pay me for my services. I'm pretty good you know."

"I can pay you well,,, I mean... I can also send you to school where you will really learn how to do these kinds of stuff about computers."

"Really?" the kid gave him a hesitant stare "But why are you being so kind to me?" he asked. "You don't even know me."

"Uhhmmm, let's see... maybe it's because of your... hair...I guess" Reiko looked up and gave a deep sigh.

"Hair? That's weird..." the kid giggled. "That won't convince me to trust you old man."

"Ahh, no.. no.. no... it's just... I want to see where your big dreams will bring you. Besides, skills can be learned, honed." Reiko said. "And don't call me old man, I'm still a young adult."

"Is that for real?" the kid stared at Reiko in shock. "Who the hell are you?"

"That determination of yours will lead you somewhere, kid. I don't want to waste that, it's something I can use to improve better. Maybe, our meeting is such a coincidence but I believe, it's fate. Just try to sail along with the wave and see a brighter horizon. I'm setting up your sails, you better grab it. You might find a brighter future beyond this line. Ma, I don't need an immediate answer. But, think about it. And when you do, call me." He gave the kid his calling card

Ginsei Reiko

ORION comp.

President

0609-848-1423

"Ahh, is this for REAL?! You, ol' man???" the kid exclaimed and turned to the way where Reiko went and saw him not that far.

"Hey, Mister Reiko!!" he shouted "...I am, Louige Rosenwald!!! Someday,,, I will fulfill my dreams and become the best programmer to work for you!!" he waved his hand holding the calling card that Reiko handed him. "Wait for me and I will surely repay what you've done for me for the rest of my life."

...

Louige lowered his head, tried to hide, burying it under his pillow. "I'm all fine now. I felt so ashamed. I can't even face you now that I have done that thing. I'm so sorry, I have---"

"It's alright." The man reached his hand to Louige's face. "The important thing is you're alive, same as Markus." He added.

"But, I betrayed him. I betrayed you, Reiko-sama." He cried. "You who gave me new life and gave me everything I have now. I even promised to serve you til the rest of my life but now--"

"No. You did what you think is right." Reiko dragged a seat from a stool near Louige's bed and sat. "But, I want to hear the whole story," he said with a straight face.

"Hai, I understand. I will tell you what happened, Reiko-sama."

...

Louige Rosenwald is the adopted son of the Orion President. He works as Reiko's assistant and a good son from the time he entered the scholarship that Reiko offered him during his high school years. He did his job outstandingly, making the ORION known from where it is now. He contributed a lot to its success. Now that the real son was found, he chose to act in the shadows and become Markus' big brother not only because Reiko asked him to but also because he wanted to. As a Hacker, he found a talent in Markus Lockwood, also known as Ginsei Hachiro in their office. Unfortunately, that backfired on him.

One night when he was doing overtime work at the ORION, inside the Hera specifically, he found malicious software lurking in their system.

"What can this be?" he asked himself. "Is this another type of Markus' prank? That kid always has something new that surprises us even this late at night." he continued scrolling to stop the software's activity. "That kid doesn't really know when to stop. I should give him a---" then he saw an unsightly activity.

The virus he found was a no threat to ORION's system, but it was something he can't decipher at the very moment.

"What is this?!" he opened another computer to trace the virus but he can't find it.

"Damn it, it seems like it's evading from me or something!" he exclaimed.

He was part of the elite society in the programming world, the Masons. Most of its members are working at the ORION and were raised by Orion. They were trained by innovative strategies concerning the technology exploited by the meteor.

"That Markus!" he thought, but he was wrong. It came to the point where he cannot stop the virus attack since the way it moves in the system is out of his knowledge.

The command prompt ran and it opened a voice message.

"Hello, Louige Rosenwald." The voice said in a coarse voice. "It was a nice evening, isn't it?"

"Damn you, who are you!" Louige exclaimed. "If this is you, Markus Lockwood, I will definitely tell your mom bout this."

"No, no, Mr. Louige this is not that kid. It is someone who knows you." The voice replied.

He opened the third computer to scan where the sender came from.

"Don't even try to find me, because you can't." the voice replied.

"How does he know that I am tracing him." Louige thought. "What do you want?!" Louige asked.

"Destruction of ORION and you will help me do it." the voice replied.

"What??!! Are you insane?" he continued the search. "And why would I do that?" he replied.

"Because I know something that you wanted to protect."

"Are you threatening me? Well, that won't work! I have nothing to lose." Louige said.

"Oh well, you have one."

"Saa, tell me."

"Markus Lockwood."

He felt his sweat freezing on his temple. The cold air from the air conditioner felt so cold in his neck and his fingers stopped hitting the keyboard. He stared blankly at the monitor showing the video message icon.

"What do you mean?" he hesitantly replied in a distant voice.

"He'll die if you won't help me. I have connections, you see."

"I don't believe you. Stop this nonsense." Louige's eyes glared with fury.

"This is not nonsense, and you will definitely hear me out." the voice said.

"Again, why would I do that? Reiko-sama can protect Markus for all we know."

"I know, that is why you will do it. Because not only Markus is my card, I have ORION as well."

"What does ORION has to do with this?"

"It will fall the same way your father has."

"You're lying. This is just a prank."

"Well, I guess you won't listen if it's just like this. Now, stand from where you are seated and open the camera from sector 11."

"Sector 11? That is the.."

"Yes, that is the second main power source of the city controlled by ORION located in between Zone 20 and 21 in South Aurum."

"What are you gonna do?" he leaned towards the monitor and stared at the screen depicting the area in Sector 11.

"See for yourself."

He can't believe what he's seeing. Four drones firing at each other and other three more are firing to the big transformer connected with big wires and cables to the source.

"How can you do this?! Stop this farce now!" he exclaimed. He tried to overwrite and remotely control the drones from the HERA but it was too late.

The drones had caused damage to the transformer and it suddenly burst into flames. The visual from the camera blurred and later the connection was cut off. A blackout hit the surrounding Zones of Sector 11, and a slight loss of electricity happened in ORION.

"Did you like it?" with a laugh under his breath.

"How did---"

"I do it? Well, that is simple, I told you I have connections better than you do. So now, think Louige. I can instantly do that to Markus and cause havoc at ORION that will ruin its reputation and Reiko's name." he said boastfully.. "You don't want that to happen, right?"

Losing hope of an escape, he lowered his head and managed to say, "Then, what will I have to do?"