Going Up

Aaron quickly retrieved his bag whose contents had been logged and scanned for poison, biological agents, or anything else harmful or illegal while he was fixing The Espresso Machine.

Crossing The Lobby to the elevators, Aaron was acutely aware of The Trees and Plants on either side of the lobby subtly following his movements and leaning slightly towards him. This unusual flora was actually synthetic. Aaron was actually the one who created it. They were part of an endeavor by Aaron's newly established company to restore both plant and animal species that were lost during the nuclear holocaust that turned the planet into a desert. The planet had since recovered thanks to advancements in the field of environmental restoration technology using stored Seeds and DNA to reproduce what was lost but sadly many species were now extinct because of the gene-scrambling radiation that destroyed nearly 60% of stored samples. One of Aaron's projects involved the creation of a software algorithm capable of decoding the damaged sections of DNA and restoring them to their original functional state. The algorithm was incredibly complex and just these few species alone took more than a year to restore. Aaron choose plants as his first test since they are less complex than animals and because he hoped to reduce the planet's dependency on the less reliable Oxygen Regeneration Factories that replaced the once lush expanse of Rain Forests across The Planet.

Of course, Aaron altered his creation with Omen in mind. The Synthetic Plant Life he had created not only generate Fresh Air but act as another Layer of Security. In their Passive State, They release a Mild Sedative into The Air that subtly influences those who breathe it increasing their calm. In its Active State, The Plants were capable of flooding The Lobby with Anestizine Gas, rendering everyone **** within seconds.

Pressing the elevator call button Aaron waited patiently for the elevator to arrive. Outwardly Aaron could easily be mistaken for a statue as he didn't move or twitch, A person would have to look closely to tell be has even breathing and with the exception of blinking there were no other visible signs of life. While outwardly calm, Inside Aaron was irritated but it wasn't like there was anything he could do about it. It was just the way things were. Being the intelligent young Man that he was Aaron knew the hows and whys of the situation... A Virulent Disease had decimated Mankind shortly after a Nuclear War had ravaged the planet and **** what was left of Humanity to construct huge environmental enclosures to safeguard what was left of a dwindling race. The Disease turned the whole social order on it's ear within a matter of decades replacing Men with Women as The Dominant Gender and knocking Caucasians off The Ruling Throne at least temporarily though Caucasians are still a Minority in parts of The World particularly in The Union.

Aaron sometimes wondered if it was some sort of punishment for the wars, genocides, and degradations carried out by the Men that came before him all those centuries ago when they were in charge... wielding their power and influence with impunity, with no regard to who they hurt or how many lives they destroyed.

Aaron wasn't about to argue the point because every where he looked he could see just how much better things were now that Women were the ones calling the shots. Don't misunderstand, There were still problems... Nothing could prevent that but it was a time of unparalleled peace and advancement, and unlike when Men were in charge there wasn't a War every couple of years that cost millions of innocent lives in addition to those of the enemy. It was a better world, Aaron just wished sometimes that Women had learned more from Men about the **** of power.

[Ding]

The sound of the elevator doors opening brought Aaron out of his philosophical musings.

Stepping onto The Elevator but instead of pressing the button for Sub-Floor 12, The R&D Section where he worked Aaron pressed the button for His Boss, Ms, Sinclair's office. She had contacted him via E-Mail the night before and asked him to meet her in her office before reporting to his section.

Before The Elevator Doors closed two technicians got on. After a brief hello, The three were on their way to their respective floors. Aaron listened to The Elevator hum as it moved silently along the shaft to deliver its cargo to the designated floors while the two technicians spoke amongst themselves.

"Did you hear?"

"Hear what?"

"There was a Tear in Boston"

"Really?"

"Apparently they had to resort to using The Amber."

Aaron cringed at the thought of The Amber because he knew that contrary to what the general public was told, those poor unfortunate souls caught in The Amber when it expanded to seal a dimensional breach were not instantly killed but trapped in stasis, Some of them may even still be aware but trapped with no way to escape since The Government wouldn't risk compromising The Amber and making a potential breach even worse.

Their conversation went on but while Aaron was unavoidably taking in everything they said he was also debugging lines of code in his head and writing new software while coordinating with Gog through their link.

A few minutes into the elevator ride the technicians got off and Aaron continued up to Ms. Sinclair's office. There was a slight pause before the doors opened as an internal high-intensity scanner made sure Aaron hadn't snuck anything past security.

Aaron looked at his hand as the wide area beam moved over his body, making his skin tingle as it penetrated his clothing.

As soon as the elevator doors opened and Aaron stepped out he saw Sheryl, Ms. Sinclair's Secretary smiling up at him from his desk.

"That was sweet of you Aaron to help out The Receptionists with the coffee machine... Again.," The Brunette offered before Aaron could even say hello.

"Hello to you to Ms. Green. I see news travels fast.," Aaron smiled back.

"You should know by now Aaron we know everything.," The Brunette said with an eerie smirk.

Aaron felt a slight chill travel up his spine but he showed no outward sign of it and continued with the conversation., "How is the Nutrient Supplement working out for you?"

Sheryl's expression instantly brightened., "Great! The Doctor says I've never been healthier and I can honestly say I've never felt better... Well outside of Sex anyway."

Aaron smiled awkwardly and rubbed the back of his head., "That's good. Being sick for so long I've done plenty of research on All-Natural Compressed Nutrients. I take something similar so I'm glad that it helped. Also I have a surprise for you."

"Ooooh What Is It, What Is It, What Is It?," Sheryl squealed in Sheer Delight, holding out her hands.

Aaron couldn't help but smile, now this was the Sheryl Green he was familiar with... All bubbly and full of excitement just like a child. He'd missed this side of her. Aaron reached into the bag he was holding in his arms and pulled out 2 Raspberry Cream Danishes. Sheryl's eyes lit up like she had just won the lottery.

She immediately grabbed one of the Danishes as soon as it was close enough and bit into it, squealing in delight., "Mmmm Raspberry... My Favorite!"

"I was getting a few things and I saw those two Danishes and I remembered that Raspberry is your favorite so I thought why not."

"Mmmm Bless You. You're A Prince.," Sheryl squealed, finished scarfing down her Danish, licked her lips and greedily reached for the second one.

Aaron playfully pulled it out of her reach but then he smiled and handed it to her when she gave him those sad eyes. She didn't waste any time once the Danish was in her hands.

"Wow and here I thought I could put it away.," Aaron stated absently then reached into the bag and produced a sealed cup of orange juice.

"Mark my words I'm going to marry you some day!," Sheryl chirped excitedly, grabbing the OJ and gulping it down.

A buzzing sound issued from the intercom to Sheryl's left, Pressing a button she heard the voice of Vivyan Sinclair, The current CEO of Omen Enterprises., "Please Be A Dear and Send In Mr. Cross, Won't You Sheryl?"

Without even thinking, Sheryl responded., "Of Course, Ms. Sinclair. Right Away!"

Sheryl nervously looked up at Aaron., "You heard The Boss!"

Aaron nodded and stepped around Sheryl's desk and headed for Ms. Sinclair's office. He gently knocked and from inside her could hear Ms. Sinclair say., "Please Come In."

Aaron quietly entered and closed the door behind him.

Aaron was calm, respectful, and unemotional as he spoke., "You wanted to see me Ms. Sinclair."

"Indeed, Mr. Cross we have a few things to discuss. Please have a seat."

Aaron did as he was instructed and sat down in one of the chairs in front of his Boss's desk.

Across from Aaron sat Vivyan Sinclair, The current CEO of Omen Enterprises. She was dressed in her usual white blouse, short black skirt, and glasses. With her petite frame, Angelic smile, soulful green eyes, and shoulder-length black hair few would suspect that Vivyan was much older than she appeared but she took good care of herself... balanced diet, regular exercise, and the latest in rejuvenation therapy allowed her to maintain her beauty but having said that she was at home in the company life, swimming along with the rest of the sharks and even eating a few on her way up the corporate ladder.

Vivyan Sinclair was definitely more dangerous than she looked and Aaron knew it, Like all the people he was in contact with on a regular basis Aaron had studied Ms. Sinclair and it was evident from the way she moved and the way she carried herself that she wasn't as care free and laid back as she sometimes appeared. Aaron observed that on the surface she appeared relaxed and non-threatening but he sensed that she was a coiled spring ready to respond to any threat with lethal ****, in fact he was sure that her office had a number of weapons hidden in the furniture, bookcases, and naturally her desk.

Vivyan put down her electronic pen and faced Aaron, interlacing her fingers., "First off Mr. Cross I would like to offer my Thanks for fixing The Coffee Machine in The Lobby. I know the Girls appreciate it and I want to assure you that it will be replaced with a newer, more reliable model."

"Wow That Was Easy... Wait A Minute What's Going On Here?," Aaron thought. He had asked her six times to replace the machine and he had even offered to replace it out of his own pocket but she adamantly refused each and every time, and now she was just going to replace it out of the blue. Something wasn't right.

"Second, I would like to address your late arrival..."

Before she could continue Aaron spoke up., "I apologize for being late. My Doctor's appointment ran late. I'll try not to let it happen again."

Vivyan held up her hand to stop Aaron., "No need for concern Mr. Cross I'm not about to fire someone of your Intelligence and Talent over something that was beyond your control. Your health is important and both You and Your Family have been through a great ordeal so I think that certain allowances can and should be made for your continued employment. Agreed?"

"Yes, Thank You Ms. Sinclair."

"Now on to other matters. I would like to discuss the altercation at The Convenience Store."

Aaron stiffened momentarily but then relaxed and smiled., "I guess this means what Sheryl said is true... You do know everything."

"Where our employees are concerned we like to keep on top..."

Aaron swallowed hard as he watched Ms. Sinclair bite the end of her pen.

"... Of things. You should know by now Mr. Cross that Omen has Eyes and Ears everywhere. I received the footage from The Convenience Store almost as soon as it was recorded."

Aaron didn't even twitch and his face showed no emotion.

"Do you even know how bad things could've went?," Ms. Sinclair demanded.

Aaron stared directly into Ms. Sinclair's eyes causing her to shiver slightly., "Fire me if you wish but I won't apologize for helping someone.," Aaron countered not breaking eye contact.

"I wouldn't Dream of doing something so foolish but in the future I ask that you be more careful. You are a tremendous asset to this company and one we are not willing to loose over something as trivial as a store robbery."

Aaron's face twitched for a moment then he stood up., "If that's all Ms. Sinclair I will be on my way. I have a rather busy schedule and alot of work to do."

Aaron turned and headed for the door but before he could open it he heard Ms. Sinclair clear her throat., "Not quite Ms. Cross. We haven't discussed the main reason I called this meeting in the first place."

"And that is?"

"I wanted to make sure that you make the time to see Dr. Meridian."

Aaron turned and opened his mouth to speak but Ms. Sinclair held up her hand to stop him., "I know what you're about to say and yes it is necessary. Our employees have access to an incalculable level of sensitive information to say nothing of all The Extra-Planetary Technology we research so we must be absolutely certain of our Employees mental health. The good news is I've already received your Physical Performance Review from Dr. K̷̘̗͑͒̈̎̎̄͐e̴̫̮̠̘̯͙̭̾̉̀͆̔̀͠͠l̸̨̧̗̠̺͍̲̜͘͜s̴̥͖̾ͅê̷̟̜̬̤͇̳̝̏̏̀̍̓y̴̬̞̔͊̍..."

Aaron's eyes immediately widened., "What Did You Just Say?!"

"I said I already have your Physical Performance Review from Dr. Kelsey so there's no need to put you through a Rigorous Physical Evaluation..."

"I Know She Said Elkhurst!," Aaron thought, feeling like the room was closing in on him for a moment.

"... But Company policy requires that each Employment Cycle you undergo a Detailed Psychological Evaluation to Assess your Mental Stability. We simply cannot and will not tolerate any rogue elements in Omen. Those days are gone and we have been struggling to recover ever since. Do you understand Mr. Cross? This is non-negotiable."

Aaron gave a small bow and replied respectfully if a bit robotically., "I understand perfectly Ms. Sinclair. I will see her immediately."

"Very good... You may go."

Aaron walked out of her office, closing the door behind him once more, said hi to Sheryl again and headed for the elevator. Sheryl's eyes were glued to Aaron's ass the whole time and Aaron saw her chewing on her pen as the doors closed and he pressed the button to take him to Dr. Meridian's Office.