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The Gardner Project; A Short Story that isn't Finished
Topic Started: Oct 25 2008, 04:33 PM (183 Views)
Max
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Seen a Few Episodes
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This is just a short story that I have been working on. Any relation to anything in real life is purely coincdental. If a lot of people like it, hey, I might pick it up again, but right now it is on hiatus ;).
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The Gardner Project

The sun was bright, illuminating the awakening city in a flourish of brilliance. Seagulls flew aimlessly over the sea, the Atlantic glittering beneath the rays beaming down from that precious and unalterable resource. They were trying, of course, to harvest the sunlight, to turn it into a form of power native only to the United States of America. The country was thriving again, rising to the top once again in this year of 2078, after the horrendous stock market crash of '67. Hovercars were back in production and it was as if they'd never really failed, as if the universal system had always been flawless. New York had gone back to the capital of business and of power despite Chicago's repeated attempts to take over the hovercar industry. T-985's were blossoming again and the newer version, T-990's, had just reached the public. Those dreaded T-850's were mercifully burned down to be recycled again and the city was boasting a set of shiny T-940's as the public transportation. Subway was an ancient word, and buses had long since been forgotten.
 
The Gardner project was also thriving. The underwater headquarters had jet to open, but it was teeming with life and anticipation beneath the surface. Today was the final step in the interviewing process and 500 of the 1000 applicants were preparing to take the 'plunge'. The Tunnels were operating flawlessly and no one had even used the simulators to keep from being sick. Maggie Evans was determined not to be the first. She was tough, so tough, tough enough to be applicant 564! Nothing was tougher than a Gardner employee! Gulping for air, she promised herself this as she descended the stairs from the T-940 loading dock, heading down into the busy street, hastily avoiding teenagers leaping from the moving sidewalks in a hasty rush to get to class. When she'd been in C., she'd at least had the decency to stay to the left. "Damn!" She hissed as a blonde youth nearly knocked her over as he exited the sidewalk. What color was his hair, anyway? Completely blonde? Was that the newest fad? To be completely honest, Maggie had never paid much attention to the fashion statements of her time. Sighing, she headed down into The Catacombs, the escalator rocketing downward at an uncomfortable speed.
 
She flashed her oh-so-privileged ID at the scanner, and the little robot didn't even click at her this time. It unlocked the doors and she joined the group waiting for the Tunneler to arrive. God, how long was it going to take? "Time," She murmured, and her glasses-cam flashed a large blue 7:14 at her. Sighing again, Maggie flipped her glasses upward onto her head and her blue eyes scanned the crowd. Someone was wearing those awful mirrored lenses. That was definitely a fad that needed to fade, because every time she saw someone wearing them, she also saw herself. Maggie Evans was not unpleasant looking. She had very long, straight brown hair, the vivid emerald green streaks fading out into smaller sections towards the ends. It was such a common color, though, that she felt plain in comparison to the pink-haired woman standing beside her. Basic hair colors of the early 21st century had been brown, red, black, and blonde. That, of course, had been much too plain as time progressed, and colored hair was no longer a rebellious trend. It was the norm. The best part was it never needed to be re-done, as hair color had been back in it's practically medieval stages. No, it just needed to be re-programmed.
 
Her nose was a bit too long, the freckles spattering over her cheeks not the cute, fading ones that school-age children possessed. No, instead, they'd grown darker over time, and they made it next to impossible for people to take her seriously. Her lips were full, regularly pouty, her jawline defined and almost too strong for her dainty features. She was tall, 5'8" without her plain black heels, her legs long and almost always ungainly beneath her black skirt. It was silver, too, at just the right light. She'd had the old thing for years- it was an old model. Nonetheless, when paired with her favorite blue sweater, it made her feel confident. The bright smile she displayed was supposed to make her look confident- apparently the execs at Gardner Enterprises were looking for such people.
 
The project was simply thrilling. It was going to revolutionize the purification systems in America and then in the world. Maggie was thrilled to be a potential employee at such a prestigious company. Gregory Gardner, the front man and the brain behind the project, was actually going to be at the seminar today. Hands crammed down into her pockets, she actually gave a little whoop of excitement. Maybe he'd catch sight of her ponytail and her simple blue sweater and he'd just know she was serious, that she was meant to be on the job. Maybe.
 
The doors opened and Maggie swallowed hard as she followed the people onto the cylindrical tube, situated on its side, the interior lined with plush blue seats. She found one, hopefully by herself, and curled against the side of the Tunneler. Black goggles sat in small holders just behind every seat, directly in front of Maggie, and she gulped. No, she was not going to need to use those. No way. She could handle plunging deep into the ocean at lightning speeds, watching sharks and... fish... and who knows what else swimming past... Oh, holy shit. Biting her lip, she closed her eyes, resting her head against the headrest and crossing her fingers. She barely even noticed when someone sat beside her.

*****

The isolation, the pain, the loneliness. Common words in the English vernacular, but still having so much meaning behind them that they carried an almost uncanny ability to strike fear in the hearts of the very people that they classified. Ivan Reffin was one of those people. The isolation from his family after the Invasion, the pain that came from losing all one had resting on stocks promised to uplift the steadily declining Market, but instead cutting off the only legs it had left to stand on. The loneliness of losing a wife to the poverty that had stricken so many households. All forms of torture to a man's soul. All torturing this man's soul.

Any day prior to the year 2067 was always a happy day for the young professional, known to many as Ivan Reffin. He always wore the goofy smile of a man who was serious when times called for it, yet still whimsical when the mood needed a boost to the lighter side. His unnaturally ability for solving medical conundrums that stumped the best of the best, along with his fun-loving and likable personality, gave him a free ride into Gaffigan's, the most prestigious medical school in the country, most likely the world. At the young age of 19 he had become one of the world's top brain surgeons. 

Everything was perfect, he was on the rise even further, thanks in part to smart investing in some up-and-coming businesses that dealt with the science of the CAT scan. His family was loving and supportive and his wife didn't look half bad herself. There was only one problem in his elegant grand scheme. The alcohol controlled. 

Wasn't it a doctor's order to help patience overcome the dreadful drink? How had he fallen into the addiction? More importantly, how much could Ivan's life be thrown off course? The answer was quite clear, when it came the spring of 2067. The painful memories of losing his fortune, the screams he heard the night of his wife's death, the wall formed between him and his parents. All he had left in his life to come home to was the drink. The drink of calmness. The drink of wholeness. The drink of disparity. The memories pained his heart so much that the man, now 30 years old, had to come back to present day and carry on the mission he now had. It was time to cover up the past, and look for the future. 

Thankfully the future was here today. How he found himself in the starting point he was in today still amazed him, a story that he had never really told a soul. A story that probably needed to remain a secret. Shaming himself for dabbling so much in the past, he made a slight growl deep within his throat, coming to glass corridor he was now walking through. Suspended above sea level, the view took his breath away. The Tunnels had only just become operational, and this corridor had just opened for him, Applicant 565. Stunned by the sight before him, Ivan couldn't help but marvel at the glistening, blue waves of the Atlantic Ocean. Tossing against each other as they made their collision course for the shoreline in the distance, the water seemed in no rush to get to its destination. The man had to agree with it, who wanted to be in a hurry to their ultimate demise?

The line in front of him surged forward, the locks having been lifted from the security-enabled sliding doors. The doors to the Catacombs. The marvelous elevators that were supposedly the fastest ever made. Thrill-seekers be warned, as the G's pushed were much greater than those of any cheap, theme park amusement. It was said to be like rocketing into space, except you were going to the wrong way. Or so it was said. 

As people began to swipe their cards on the door, letting themselves into the Tunneler's seating chamber, Ivan couldn't help but to feel out of place. He wasn't physically different then anyone, his height a controlled 5'11'' and his weight was that of your every day joe. His hair color was a deep black, complete with two parallel, orange stripes that gave him the appearance of a motorcyclist wearing a helmet. Despite heading into his thirties, Ivan's head was still populated by many hairs, all unruly and usually next to impossible to control. His nose and ears were also normal. No, physical appearance was not a problem for Ivan Reffin. 

The problem lied in his peripherals, or lack thereof. Everyone else had probably driven here in their fancy hovercars, or at least the newest model. What did Ivan had to bring to the parking lot? A rugged piece of crap known as a Ford Explorer. How much more obsolete could he get! Still, he wasn't complaining, it moved, it got him from one place to another. He had exchanged the engine for a complete battery, complying with the all-electric laws that were enforced now-a-days to help clean up the mess humanity had caused on the earth. Since he didn't leave his apartment on the island off the coast of Florida, St. George, very much, he wouldn't need anything beautiful. 

Another gadget he lacked one of the new ShadeComs everyone was wearing. Voice-activated computers was one thing, but being able to speak to your eyewear was both insane and amazing. People looked so stupid using them, but still the experience had to be amazing. An experience Ivan could feel when he was using the test models at the Wal-Mart. His peripherals included only the likes of an old-fashioned Rolex, one of the prizes from his former life, and a cell-phone that could only pick up signals fifty-percent of the time. 

Not letting envy get a hold of him, Ivan noticed it was his turn at the door. Stepping forward, his footsteps letting of a soft tink with each step, he revealed his ID badge. Acknowledging his presence, the computer opened the doors, waited for him to pass the sensor, then quickly closed. Guess they didn't want anyone to come in uninvited. He was now in a room with a few other people, all of them seeming excited and a little nervous at the same time, much like himself. With a quick grunt, he leaned against a wall. His button down, striped shirt must have been a sight from the shoreline, if they could see him at all, but still the shirt matched his old jeans quite well. Tapping his sneakers on the ground, he waited for the a while until a beep could be heard, quite clearly. 

The doors opening, he followed the crowd as they all gathered in the new space that had arrived. There would be no standing space, as blue, plush seats surrounded the outside ring of the Tunneler that had arrived. No one would want to be standing anyway. One of the last ones on, Ivan decided to take his seat, next to a woman who appeared to be gearing up for the force of the ride down. Allowing his legs to bend and his body to form to the very soft seat, he slowly leaned over to the woman. He didn't know why, but in a hushed whisper he said "Do you think this will be exciting? Or are we all in for a barf-round?" His boyish humor was still very much there, and he hoped that the joke had strummed a chord with the woman. If not, he prepared his eyes in case he got maced. 

*****

Oh, god.
 
Maggie was reciting the principles of modern genetics when her thoughts were interrupted by someone close, too close for comfort, actually, and nearly whispered in her ear. It took a moment for her to respond, but when she did, it was with an odd sort of jerky twitch that made her ShadeComs fall down over her eyes and her body to shift even closer to the cold steel panel. "O-oh," She murmured, a bit breathlessly, her hair falling down around her face as she shoved her glasses back up onto her head. Maybe it was this sort of social awkwardness that made her so prone to accidents and contusions.
 
"Um... barf... what?" The joking comment went, quite literally, right over her head. Then it clicked and her freckled face contorted into a grimace, and she leaned back and closed her eyes again. "Oh, please don't remind me." Why couldn't they take a regular old watervator down to the premises of Gardner Enterprises? Why did they have to use this horrible old.... torture device? Her eyes opened after a moment and she turned a bit to the man beside her, her hands trembling as she shoved them into the pockets of her sweater. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you. I'm just not looking forward to this... experience."
 
It wasn't like Maggie to be negative. She was, in fact, an extremely optimistic young woman. Her 26 years had always been spent drifting from one stage of happiness to the next. Of course, the 'incident' had sapped the majority of her love for life, but she was managing. Living alone, completely alone, wasn't a terribly hard feat to accomplish, but it was something Maggie struggled every day to overcome. It was also this exact reason that propelled her forward to the Gardner Project. She was ready to try something new.
 
Offering a wary smile to the man beside her, she felt a sudden rush of apprehension. Her serious lack of social skills made it next to impossible for relationships of any kind to be established. Children were one thing- grown, distinguished-looking men were another altogether. Gulping, she turned an odd shade of green and sank back into her chair.

*****

His wry smile quickly turned to a blank expression as he waited for the woman to understand his little joke. The reaction that he received from the woman was a little unnerving. A little? It was completely the opposite of what he expected. Instead of a slight smile and a small giggle, he was met with a jolt and her ShadeComs fell over her eyes, obviously something that wasn't suppose to happen.

Even though the joke was pretty bad, the lady soon recovered and flashed him a smile, he was still worried about her comment about the 'experience'. He had been slightly nervous about the experience, who wasn't? But the fact that the woman reinforced it made him uneasy. The drop would be soon. And would it be thrilling like The Tower of Terror in Disney World, or would it be more of a sickness that had not been known to man, that is until you plunged into the abyss below.

Trying to shake those thoughts, Ivan said "I'm with you there. Ivan Reffin, by the way. Applicant 565, as they've told me." Smiling at the little joke he had thrown into the conversation, Ivan continued on. "I'm going to be working in R&D, more specifically the Horizontal Corridor department. What about you?" He felt a little over bearing, but he would do anything to overcome the nausea that was plaguing him at the moment. People were still filing in, so that was a good sign they had a few precious more seconds until the drop.

*****

Maggie straightened in her seat, crossing her ankles beneath her chair and preparing herself for the descent. She wasn't sure just how much preparation would suffice, but chances were she was already very much out of time. Despite her apprehension, she did manage to keep the smile in place when she looked back at him. "I'm Maggie Evans. I'm Applicant 564. What a coincidence. We'll be seated near each other for the hearing, I suppose." She hid the jolt of wariness that struck her at that realization.
 
It really was something she needed to get over. Men were simply that- men. And it wasn't just the attractive ones that made her nervous; really, they all did. Evan a whiff of masculinity and she was a wreck, unable to speak coherently and efficiently. However, it usually didn't last long. Even now Ivan's presence was becoming less and less of an oddity. "I'm supposed to be in the Department of Interior Efficiencies. We're sort of like... overseers. I'm not sure why they think I'm qualified for such a position, but here I am." Her tone was mild, her voice still awed. The odd happiness in her eyes made it clear how very pleased she was to even have been considered in the first place.
 
"I used to be a Child Development Specialist," She clarified. "I got the letter about six weeks ago, and I must admit, I am thrilled." Gregory Gardner and his immediate staff had carefully chosen each and every applicant, though none of them knew much about that. They were from all sorts of backgrounds and professions. Maggie had a PhD in children's studies. The lack of children in her life was always salt in her wounds, and she didn't continue discussing them. She really wasn't sure why she was being so honest with Ivan, but she always had trouble thinking before she spoke. "I'm terrified of this, though." She patted the armrest between them and gave a little laugh out of nervousness. "I know the technology is supposed to be flawless, but I can't help but be nervous." 

*****

Hearing her refer yet again to the sudden drop that was about to befall them, Ivan tried to muster up a smile of encouragement, but came up short. Quite short, actually, as the look he gave was one more of pain than anything else. He admitted, he was completely afraid as well. 

Nervously, his voice quivering and jumping from octave to octave, the man began to speak, this time in shorter bursts. "Mr. Gardner is ... amazing and I'm... so glad... he found me." Realizing that telling to story of his employment into the Gardner Project was a road he didn't want to take he quickly changed the subject. "Anyways, I'm nervous as well, but it should be alright." He definitely was kidding himself, but as long as he looked macho and strong, he still might have the chance to keep his pride. Well, somewhat.

The words that came from Mr. Reffin where the last ones that would be spoken before the doors closed. An alarm sounded, not one of panic or alert, but a caution beeping, that was more annoying than anything, to signal the metal doors coming to a close. They met in the middle of their predetermined track with a loud clunk and two words were seen flashing above the only exit. The words 'SIT DOWN' blinked in a rather bright red on the LCD, an obvious signal. All the strangers there for the first time all sat down, a few began to shake nervously. It was about time for the Tunneler to do what it did best. But the only questions remaining was when.

*****

His expression was almost comical. Was he grimacing? The people around them were filing in and rapidly taking their seats. Maggie felt a rush of unease as the doors closed and that awful beeping began. Someone in front of them was giggling happily. "Isn't this exciting? Isn't this so great? I've been waiting to ride this thing for weeks! I can't wait to get started!" Clutching the armrest, Maggie readied herself, pressing her head back onto the headrest.
 
It began slowly, and she gasped, as if she'd been expecting a huge drop and a clamor. But no, this was oddly gentle, and very smooth. It began to accelerate and the pressure on her body increased, not rising much beyond simply uncomfortable. Then it grew stronger and Maggie felt breathless, like she was being shoved back into her seat by some odd invisible force. The pressure increased dramatically for a moment and then it relaxed as the huge vehicle came to a slow, steady halt. She was in one piece! Someone yelled, "Hooray for modern mechanics," And a few people cheered. Maggie was simply excited that she hadn't thrown up.
 
"That wasn't so bad," She murmured, releasing her hold on the armrest. Her fingers left indentions in the plush fabric. "Hey. I didn't throw up on you!" She was so relieved, she didn't even pause to consider how incredibly stupid that statement was.

*****
Experiences are usually different for everyone who, well, experience them. This could be seen the most in roller coasters and other amusements for the thrill seekers. To bad this was the morning commute to work, and not some Universal Studios ride. It was time, and there it went.

Surprisingly, however, the ride was more calming than exhilarating. The beginning was a lot more docile than Ivan had expected it. Moments before, people at been clamoring about how excited they were for the modern-day Hydrolator to take off, but as soon as the beeping subsided and it was clearly time for departure, the cabin grew deathly quiet, the tension quite evident in every single seat.

However, despite the uneasiness, it slowly began the climb down into the ocean. Slowly was only in the imaginations of the passengers, as the small room was really rocketing down to the depths of the sea. Everything was blurred as the force increased, dramatically at the climax, but then fell back as the brakes were activated. Brakes were always a welcome sign, especially to people who's hearts were beating out of their chests. The whole process took less than a minute, the engineers on this project must have been remarkable. A+ to them, or at least Ivan thought so.

Hearing the statement from Maggie, he turned around and gave her a smile. It wasn't so much as a humorous one, but more so a grin of immense relief. "That wasn't so bad. Just a little thrill to wake you up in the morning. Nothing more than coffee!" His analogy was a little off, but still quite true to the experience.

*****

As her apprehension faded, excitement came back full-force. Her smile was bright and the trembling in her hands subsided. She had an eventful day to look forward to, unmarred by troubling G-forces and subterranean voyages. They were going to meet Gardner himself, and she would know before she left later that afternoon if she'd been accepted for the job. The other people filed out, into the aisle and then off of the Tunnelor. Most faces were shiny with anticipation, and a few people whispered encouragingly to each other.
 
Biting her lip, Maggie grinned excitedly at Ivan, nodding. "Not bad at all. I can't believe I stressed out about it!' She got to her feet, smoothing her skirt as she collected her bag. After sliding it over her shoulder, she clipped on her name tag and slid her ShadeComs into her bag. They wouldn't be necessary here.
 
Maggie waited for Ivan to exit his seat so she wouldn't be rude and step over him. Once the Tunneler had been evacuated, the doors slid shut and the huge structure departed from the station. The station was brightly lit, decorated in greens and blues. One wall was solid glass, and Maggie was thrilled to see a school of silvery fish swim past. People were milling about, chattering to each other, a few gazing upward at the huge 'Gardner Enterprises' sign at the exit. A disembodied voice came over a sort of intercom.
 
'Applicants 501-1000, please exit throught the West doors and follow the tunnel into the Atrium.

*****

Still a bit surprised from all that had happened in such a quick time, Ivan was a little slow to move out of the elevator. But when he did, he practically ran out. It was something to be impressed and not nauseated from the ride, it was another to stay in the Tunneler and run the risk of being shot back to who knows where. He loved the first ride, two consecutive times might be a little much.

After he was safely out of the death machine, formally known as the Tunneler, Ivan shot an embarrassed glance over to Maggie, as he had practically tripped over her shoe on the way out.  Trying to recover from his folly, the man rose a hand to the back of his head, scratched it, and went on to say "Sorry about that..." He was about to say more when a voice came over the intercom, instructing all of the fairly confused applicants where to go. The Atrium, that shouldn't be too hard to find.

Looking back to Maggie, his attention being on the voice that seemed to come from everywhere and no where at the same time, turned back to Maggie. "Seeing as we are next to each other, Applicant-wise, want to walk together? We can be lost together too..." The last statement was another attempt at humor, though Ivan wished they wouldn't get lost at all. That would be some way to show up for a job interview...
This is the space for my signature. Can't think of anything creative right now, so all I have for you are these words of wisdom. Never Eat Frozen Flies. Now go save the world...
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