Lottery
Chapter 14
By Mark J. Silva Jr
“This will be your lab, Mark,” Heather explained while Mark walked around the room.
The lab was five sided with one wall being a solid window where a 'Controller' would be seated on the other side. Her job would be to supervise who would enter the lab and whatever else Mark needed during the day, from drinks to food. It would be the controller's responsibility to make sure Mark did not work himself to death.
Lisa had hammered out the whole deal, Mark would work six days straight, spend a day traveling, then have six days off, at home. During the six days of work, Mark would be provided a VIP apartment and have full access to their factory labs, so he could learn what would be required of the new AI.
Lisa and Heather talked in the controller's booth while Mark did some basic set up. As they talked Heather noticed Mark was dancing behind the console.
“What's he doing?”
Lisa looked up from what she was reading and saw Mark dancing.
She smiled and said, “Just watch.”
Heather's eyes widened as the first levels of a new matrix danced around Mark, like butterflies. As he moved the pieces would flow and ebb with him. Little by little, new layers built up. A wave of a hand or a twist of his wrist, and the matrix moved. The flow of information was tremendous. Even with her own wetware, Heather couldn't understand where it started or ended.
“How does he do that?”
“No one really knows. He just sees and reads coding on a different level than we do,” Lisa said as she typed a command into the console and peeked into the chat room Mark was also visiting.
“What is he doing in there?”
“Right now, he checking out a dress a friend of his has suggested,” answered Lisa as she also checked out the 'little black dress.'
Heather just couldn't believe he was checking out dresses while dancing and coding.
“Is he always like this?”
“Worse, at times. He can get so engaged that he even forgets to eat. That's why I insisted you have someone supervise him while he works.”
Mark jumped up on the console, and started messing with a piece of coding, up high. Heather still couldn't believe how he played with the code matrix as she might play with spaghetti on a dinner plate. Then Mark did a full back flip off the console, almost giving her a heart attack in the process. Mark landed squarely on his feet, and went back to dancing. After watching Mark for a few more minutes Heather tapped the control console in front of her to cut off the feeds.
Mark stopped. He stared at her with a look that could kill.
“Your not making friends with him by doing that,” Lisa said from behind her.
“Well, I can't stand here watching over him, right now. In a day or so I will find suitable staff members, who can supervise him properly.”
* * * *
Kelly couldn't believe it, she was so looking forward to a promotion from all her hard work, and now she was to babysit some tech who couldn't properly take care of himself.
“I don't understand at all! Why in the world are we babysitting someone else's boy toy?”
Heather sat back in her large leather office chair. Kelly had been working for HY-Design Freighters' shipyards for over six years. She was an excellent project director, but she'd had a bad few runs, and it was time to give her a break from the stress.
“First off, Kelly, Mr. Howland is far from a simple boy-toy. Mark is a high functioning savant. Some may say he has attention deficit disorder, or even has attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder; but you put him on a matrix builder, and he can do things with wetware that no one else had ever done before. The fact is, we need him to build us a new AI.”
Kelly sat there, fuming. She wanted to scream. She wanted to stomp out of the room. Heather slid over a data chip.
“Before you decide, you should review this.”
Kelly took the chip, and slid it into the reader on the tabletop. As it came to life Kelly realized it was the project profile. It came with a healthy bonus and extra benefits. Then she read the penalty clauses.
If Mr. Howland was injured… or worse, kidnapped… the fines levied would bankrupt the corporation.
“How could you agree to any of this?” Kelly asked.
“Well, the chances are very very low of anything actually happening to him, here. He will have security always watching him, and as his supervisor, you can take what ever extra steps you deem necessary in protecting him. The thing is, the payoff for this project will put us on top of all freighter builders in the galaxy!”
Kelly paged through the file and then almost shit herself when Mark's image appeared in the file. It was the 'pretty boy' from the park.
* * * *
“Do you have to leave?” Mark asked Lisa once more.
Lisa brushed Mark's hair out of his eyes.
“Now, now, blue eyes. I have my wife waiting at home for me. Trust me, she has waited a long time for me to come home, and stay home. As for you, I will see you when you come home in a few days. Then we can have some fun together.”
Mark had a nervous look about him. This would be the first time he'd be without a real caretaker, or Marines about, watching over him. No matter how many times he complained about having babysitters, he had always felt safe with one around.
“What if something happens?”
Lisa sat back down on Mark's bed.
“First off, nothing should happen. This is a corporation, not some military base that might come under attack. Second, they build freighters here, not high end luxury cruisers, or warships. Lastly, I am only thirty minutes away by jumper.”
Penny curled up beside Mark as he sat in the middle of the bed, and he started running his hand absentminded down her back.
“I'm scared!” There, he'd said it. For the first time this morning, he said it out loud.
Lisa looked at Mark, carefully. “This is the first time for you, not having someone familiar close by, isn't it?”
Lisa been expecting this for some time. Mark was smart. He was a true savant. But being a savant, also meant he had other mental disabilities. In Mark's case, it was his emotional maturity. While he was physically nineteen years old, and smarter than anyone she'd ever met; emotionally, he was a thirteen-year-old. That would never change, either. He would always see the world as a thirteen-year-old child.
Mark looked back at her, and nodded his head in agreement. Lisa scooted over closer to Mark and touched his cheek.
“It's hard, growing up; but I want you to remember, I can be here if you need me. If you get overwhelmed, Tina will let me know, and I will come for you.”
“But what if…”
“No 'what ifs'! If you need help, just ask Tina. She's here for you, no matter what. So is Penny. These two girls will do anything you request of them, Mark, and you should use them. I know you've been reluctant to rely on Penny, but I can assure you there is nothing she cannot do for you. Now, I have to catch my ride. You be on your best behavior. On Sunday we can get some ice-cream floats, and do whatever you want to do.”
* * * *
Mark was back after his third week off, and Kelly could really see how immature he was, at times. This morning Mark had taken a fit over some soda he liked. Kelly had been picking up a couple cans for him, before work, each day. This morning she had bought the diet version, at Lisa's request.
Mark acted like some spoiled preteen, and took a temper-tat when Kelly said it was the diet soda, or water. When he started to head out of the lab, Kelly stood in his way, and ordered Mark back to work. It was then she first heard him start swearing up and down at her.
For almost twenty minutes they went back and forth in a yelling and swearing match, that finally reached the point where Kelly threatened to whip his ass if he didn't shut up and get to work.
Mark had stopped swearing but was not getting back to work. Mark had set his mind into going back to his room, and no one was going to change that.
“If you don't get that little ass of your back in the lab and working in ten minutes I will personally get a whip, and beat some respect into you!” Kelly said one more time.
Mark crossed his arms in defiance, and stood his ground.
That was it, Kelly grabbed Mark and started to lift him up when he suddenly started clawing at her and then bit her forearm. Mark sank his teeth in deeply, and drew blood. Kelly whipped her arm around and tossed Mark off. He smacked into a wall with a thud that sent the air out of him, leaving him gasping.
Kelly held her bleeding arm, “You mother fucking bitch!"
Kelly wanted to beat the tar out of Mark; but that damned contract meant that if she did, she would not only lose her job, she would properly end up as a slave for costing the board of trustees to lose the whole corporation. Kelly glared at Mark as he gasped for air. Mark's pet, Penny, had taken a guard position. Kelly couldn't even get close to him, now. Kelly decided it would be best just to let him go to his room; while she went to talk to Heather about what had just happened… well, maybe after getting her armed checked.
Later, in Heather's office, Heather had just finished listening to Kelly for the third time and still was shocked. “So, he bit you?”
“Like a god damned little child! And he drew blood! I can't deal with him if he going to keep acting like this,” said Kelly as she showed Heather her arm once more.
“I see. I understand he is back in his room. Let's go and see what he has to say for himself.”
* * * *
Heather stood in Mark's room and wasn't to happy. Mark was now bundled up in bed, and couldn't stop shivering. Kelly had been asked to wait outside the room, but now Heather was wondering what really had happened.
A few minutes later, Doctor Ava stepped into the room, with her nurse. Rachelle, the nurse, placed a heavy medical case on a table, and started opening it up. Dr. Ava used a basic medical scanner, and started checking Mark over. Mark's temperature was taken, and blood was drawn. After about forty minutes of double checking everything, Dr. Ava was sure of her diagnosis. Rachelle took a moistened rag, and wiped Mark forehead, cooling him off a bit.
“I can say that this is not injury related; but I do believe it is what led up to him biting Kelly. It is also what caused him to take a fit, earlier. Remember, I will not know for a fact until I get his blood work back from the lab, but I am nearly certain he has Kartanion Flu, and a severe case of it.”
Kartanion Flu was rare and all but wiped out, with modern wetware. It attacked the nervous system and brought primal instinct to the surface. Untreated, it was fifty percent mortal. The treatment was long, taking up to six weeks. It involved antivirals and steroids, with lots of hands-on care; with the chance that he may bite, or worse, until his fever broke. It was also highly contagious to anyone who wasn't already protected from it.
“Excuse me,” Tina said.
Heather looked over at the pet bunnygirl. Over the weeks, she learned Tina had a lot of freedom, and was in constant contact with Mark's owner. To Heather's surprise, she had even administered a punishment to Mark once, on Lisa's direct order, for back-talking to Heather.
“Yes, Tina?”
“Mistress is aware, and is going to come and retrieve Mark. She apologizes for his health, and asks if Dr. Ada could sedate Mark heavily for the flight home?”
Dr. Ada looked over at Mark, “He sleeping on his own, I don't see why sedating him would be useful.”
“Doctor, Mark has a major fear of flying. If he awakened while in transit, it would turn out very bad for everyone. Can you please help us?”
“Sorry, I can't. He's sick, and I fear that sedating him would only make things worse. It could lead to him having pneumonia. So, I'm sorry, I can not sedate him. I will inform the rest of the medical staff so you will not find any doctor here that will,” Dr. Ada said as she closed her medical scanner.
“Understood, Doctor,” Tina respond.
“Momma,” Mark moaned softly in his sleep.
The lab was five sided with one wall being a solid window where a 'Controller' would be seated on the other side. Her job would be to supervise who would enter the lab and whatever else Mark needed during the day, from drinks to food. It would be the controller's responsibility to make sure Mark did not work himself to death.
Lisa had hammered out the whole deal, Mark would work six days straight, spend a day traveling, then have six days off, at home. During the six days of work, Mark would be provided a VIP apartment and have full access to their factory labs, so he could learn what would be required of the new AI.
Lisa and Heather talked in the controller's booth while Mark did some basic set up. As they talked Heather noticed Mark was dancing behind the console.
“What's he doing?”
Lisa looked up from what she was reading and saw Mark dancing.
She smiled and said, “Just watch.”
Heather's eyes widened as the first levels of a new matrix danced around Mark, like butterflies. As he moved the pieces would flow and ebb with him. Little by little, new layers built up. A wave of a hand or a twist of his wrist, and the matrix moved. The flow of information was tremendous. Even with her own wetware, Heather couldn't understand where it started or ended.
“How does he do that?”
“No one really knows. He just sees and reads coding on a different level than we do,” Lisa said as she typed a command into the console and peeked into the chat room Mark was also visiting.
“What is he doing in there?”
“Right now, he checking out a dress a friend of his has suggested,” answered Lisa as she also checked out the 'little black dress.'
Heather just couldn't believe he was checking out dresses while dancing and coding.
“Is he always like this?”
“Worse, at times. He can get so engaged that he even forgets to eat. That's why I insisted you have someone supervise him while he works.”
Mark jumped up on the console, and started messing with a piece of coding, up high. Heather still couldn't believe how he played with the code matrix as she might play with spaghetti on a dinner plate. Then Mark did a full back flip off the console, almost giving her a heart attack in the process. Mark landed squarely on his feet, and went back to dancing. After watching Mark for a few more minutes Heather tapped the control console in front of her to cut off the feeds.
Mark stopped. He stared at her with a look that could kill.
“Your not making friends with him by doing that,” Lisa said from behind her.
“Well, I can't stand here watching over him, right now. In a day or so I will find suitable staff members, who can supervise him properly.”
* * * *
Kelly couldn't believe it, she was so looking forward to a promotion from all her hard work, and now she was to babysit some tech who couldn't properly take care of himself.
“I don't understand at all! Why in the world are we babysitting someone else's boy toy?”
Heather sat back in her large leather office chair. Kelly had been working for HY-Design Freighters' shipyards for over six years. She was an excellent project director, but she'd had a bad few runs, and it was time to give her a break from the stress.
“First off, Kelly, Mr. Howland is far from a simple boy-toy. Mark is a high functioning savant. Some may say he has attention deficit disorder, or even has attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder; but you put him on a matrix builder, and he can do things with wetware that no one else had ever done before. The fact is, we need him to build us a new AI.”
Kelly sat there, fuming. She wanted to scream. She wanted to stomp out of the room. Heather slid over a data chip.
“Before you decide, you should review this.”
Kelly took the chip, and slid it into the reader on the tabletop. As it came to life Kelly realized it was the project profile. It came with a healthy bonus and extra benefits. Then she read the penalty clauses.
If Mr. Howland was injured… or worse, kidnapped… the fines levied would bankrupt the corporation.
“How could you agree to any of this?” Kelly asked.
“Well, the chances are very very low of anything actually happening to him, here. He will have security always watching him, and as his supervisor, you can take what ever extra steps you deem necessary in protecting him. The thing is, the payoff for this project will put us on top of all freighter builders in the galaxy!”
Kelly paged through the file and then almost shit herself when Mark's image appeared in the file. It was the 'pretty boy' from the park.
* * * *
“Do you have to leave?” Mark asked Lisa once more.
Lisa brushed Mark's hair out of his eyes.
“Now, now, blue eyes. I have my wife waiting at home for me. Trust me, she has waited a long time for me to come home, and stay home. As for you, I will see you when you come home in a few days. Then we can have some fun together.”
Mark had a nervous look about him. This would be the first time he'd be without a real caretaker, or Marines about, watching over him. No matter how many times he complained about having babysitters, he had always felt safe with one around.
“What if something happens?”
Lisa sat back down on Mark's bed.
“First off, nothing should happen. This is a corporation, not some military base that might come under attack. Second, they build freighters here, not high end luxury cruisers, or warships. Lastly, I am only thirty minutes away by jumper.”
Penny curled up beside Mark as he sat in the middle of the bed, and he started running his hand absentminded down her back.
“I'm scared!” There, he'd said it. For the first time this morning, he said it out loud.
Lisa looked at Mark, carefully. “This is the first time for you, not having someone familiar close by, isn't it?”
Lisa been expecting this for some time. Mark was smart. He was a true savant. But being a savant, also meant he had other mental disabilities. In Mark's case, it was his emotional maturity. While he was physically nineteen years old, and smarter than anyone she'd ever met; emotionally, he was a thirteen-year-old. That would never change, either. He would always see the world as a thirteen-year-old child.
Mark looked back at her, and nodded his head in agreement. Lisa scooted over closer to Mark and touched his cheek.
“It's hard, growing up; but I want you to remember, I can be here if you need me. If you get overwhelmed, Tina will let me know, and I will come for you.”
“But what if…”
“No 'what ifs'! If you need help, just ask Tina. She's here for you, no matter what. So is Penny. These two girls will do anything you request of them, Mark, and you should use them. I know you've been reluctant to rely on Penny, but I can assure you there is nothing she cannot do for you. Now, I have to catch my ride. You be on your best behavior. On Sunday we can get some ice-cream floats, and do whatever you want to do.”
* * * *
Mark was back after his third week off, and Kelly could really see how immature he was, at times. This morning Mark had taken a fit over some soda he liked. Kelly had been picking up a couple cans for him, before work, each day. This morning she had bought the diet version, at Lisa's request.
Mark acted like some spoiled preteen, and took a temper-tat when Kelly said it was the diet soda, or water. When he started to head out of the lab, Kelly stood in his way, and ordered Mark back to work. It was then she first heard him start swearing up and down at her.
For almost twenty minutes they went back and forth in a yelling and swearing match, that finally reached the point where Kelly threatened to whip his ass if he didn't shut up and get to work.
Mark had stopped swearing but was not getting back to work. Mark had set his mind into going back to his room, and no one was going to change that.
“If you don't get that little ass of your back in the lab and working in ten minutes I will personally get a whip, and beat some respect into you!” Kelly said one more time.
Mark crossed his arms in defiance, and stood his ground.
That was it, Kelly grabbed Mark and started to lift him up when he suddenly started clawing at her and then bit her forearm. Mark sank his teeth in deeply, and drew blood. Kelly whipped her arm around and tossed Mark off. He smacked into a wall with a thud that sent the air out of him, leaving him gasping.
Kelly held her bleeding arm, “You mother fucking bitch!"
Kelly wanted to beat the tar out of Mark; but that damned contract meant that if she did, she would not only lose her job, she would properly end up as a slave for costing the board of trustees to lose the whole corporation. Kelly glared at Mark as he gasped for air. Mark's pet, Penny, had taken a guard position. Kelly couldn't even get close to him, now. Kelly decided it would be best just to let him go to his room; while she went to talk to Heather about what had just happened… well, maybe after getting her armed checked.
Later, in Heather's office, Heather had just finished listening to Kelly for the third time and still was shocked. “So, he bit you?”
“Like a god damned little child! And he drew blood! I can't deal with him if he going to keep acting like this,” said Kelly as she showed Heather her arm once more.
“I see. I understand he is back in his room. Let's go and see what he has to say for himself.”
* * * *
Heather stood in Mark's room and wasn't to happy. Mark was now bundled up in bed, and couldn't stop shivering. Kelly had been asked to wait outside the room, but now Heather was wondering what really had happened.
A few minutes later, Doctor Ava stepped into the room, with her nurse. Rachelle, the nurse, placed a heavy medical case on a table, and started opening it up. Dr. Ava used a basic medical scanner, and started checking Mark over. Mark's temperature was taken, and blood was drawn. After about forty minutes of double checking everything, Dr. Ava was sure of her diagnosis. Rachelle took a moistened rag, and wiped Mark forehead, cooling him off a bit.
“I can say that this is not injury related; but I do believe it is what led up to him biting Kelly. It is also what caused him to take a fit, earlier. Remember, I will not know for a fact until I get his blood work back from the lab, but I am nearly certain he has Kartanion Flu, and a severe case of it.”
Kartanion Flu was rare and all but wiped out, with modern wetware. It attacked the nervous system and brought primal instinct to the surface. Untreated, it was fifty percent mortal. The treatment was long, taking up to six weeks. It involved antivirals and steroids, with lots of hands-on care; with the chance that he may bite, or worse, until his fever broke. It was also highly contagious to anyone who wasn't already protected from it.
“Excuse me,” Tina said.
Heather looked over at the pet bunnygirl. Over the weeks, she learned Tina had a lot of freedom, and was in constant contact with Mark's owner. To Heather's surprise, she had even administered a punishment to Mark once, on Lisa's direct order, for back-talking to Heather.
“Yes, Tina?”
“Mistress is aware, and is going to come and retrieve Mark. She apologizes for his health, and asks if Dr. Ada could sedate Mark heavily for the flight home?”
Dr. Ada looked over at Mark, “He sleeping on his own, I don't see why sedating him would be useful.”
“Doctor, Mark has a major fear of flying. If he awakened while in transit, it would turn out very bad for everyone. Can you please help us?”
“Sorry, I can't. He's sick, and I fear that sedating him would only make things worse. It could lead to him having pneumonia. So, I'm sorry, I can not sedate him. I will inform the rest of the medical staff so you will not find any doctor here that will,” Dr. Ada said as she closed her medical scanner.
“Understood, Doctor,” Tina respond.
“Momma,” Mark moaned softly in his sleep.