KATIKA-Treason is never far away (Part.1)

Chapter 1 | The entry to Success

Please, note that in the world of fiction, imagination reigns supreme, and reality can't be applied to the universe of Katika, which remains a parallel world to ours, a part of the multiverse.

Never would anyone have imagined two such different young men becoming friends, and yet no friendship seemed as deep and sincere as theirs.

On one hand, a tall, brown giant with an IQ of 143 (according to evaluations by a psychologist consulted when he was 15) and from a very disadvantaged background. Mikhail had left Chechnya with his parents when he was only three years old, an episode of his life he had no memory of, but with a strong cultural attachment to the Chechen community living in the United-States.

On the other hand, a charming young man with a relaxed demeanor and a touch of dandyism named John, intelligent but within the range of average human intelligence. A detail that did not cause him any inferiority complex compared to his best friend.

On the contrary, and for a good reason : he was the only son of the founder and owner of Katika Company, the global leader in pharmaceutical production.

However, their differences mattered very little to them, and even less on this crucial day in their lives, as both were about to begin their careers in the world of business and management.

After brilliant studies at Yale, the two inseparable friends had been hired by John's father's company, now retired, based on his recommendation, of course.

Although naturally showy, John was a bit nervous. His future depended on his performance at Katika over the next few years, and although his initial contractual salary was more than enviable ($10 000 per month plus a company car as a bonus), he wanted more than anything to carry on his father's legacy and make him proud.

His nervousness didn't escape his friend, sitting beside him in a taxi that was taking them to the Katika Tower, a San Francisco skyscraper nearly 120 meters tall and the headquarters of the multinational company.

In this giant defying the sky, their future awaited them, watching for their arrival like the forty centuries contemplating Napoleon and his soldiers from the top of the pyramids.

"Hey, buddy, you look all tensed up, relax !" he said to him.

Far from calming the tension within him, these words had the effect of bringing him out of his silence.

"I know, but it's a first, and I'm afraid of messing it all up," he replied. "Can you imagine? The global leader in pharmaceuticals! And they're hiring us in the sales department, as executives, no less! How can you stay so calm?"

His friend smiled. He had never seen his wealthy friend in such a state, and he couldn't help but laugh.

"After twenty five years of existence on this planet, is it now that you realize the immensity of your old man's empire?"

Mikhail would reminisce about the moments they had experienced intense emotions together : during their final exams, on result day, during the graduation ceremony... He had always known John with his grand gestures and compulsive flirtatious attitude. It must be said that he knew him well, they had grown up together, done everything together, they had met at the age of 8, and his friend's happiness was as important to him as his own.

Not understanding the humorous nature of this sentence, John continued to talk about the company in order to better prepare for it, almost to obtain from his friend's mouth the serenity he needed at this crucial moment in his life.

"The CEO is a friend of my father, he was his assistant for nearly 20 years. He's kind of like an uncle to me, you know, and I know he's really cool. He's not one of those heartless bosses who would fire you over a 1% decrease in stock value."