I make my way through the maze of cubicles, eyes darting from one face to another, searching for Bartholomew. He's always hunched over, buried deep in his work. Perfect. I need him preoccupied.
There he is. Just as expected. I approach cautiously, trying to mask my intentions with a casual air. "Hey, Bart," I greet, hoping my voice doesn't reveal my intentions.
He glances up, his brow furrowing slightly before smoothing into a polite smile. "Hey there. What's up?"
I lean in, lowering my voice as if we were the closest of friends. "Listen, I know it's against protocol and all, but I couldn't help but notice all the chatter about your collector score. It's pretty impressive."
Truthfully, there is no chatter. No one's talking about anything today. I'm hoping he takes the bait.
His smile widens, a hint of pride flickering in his eyes. "Oh, thanks. Yeah, it's climbing steadily."
I bet it is. "Mind if I ask what it's at now?"
Bartholomew hesitates for a moment, his gaze flickering around the room as if to ensure no one was listening. "Sure, why not? It's... well, it's higher than you might think."
My heart races with anticipation. This is it, my chance to see where I actually stand on this floor. "Really? That's amazing. Mine's been lagging behind lately?" I say hoping to give one final decisive push before he blurts out his score.
He leans back in his chair, crossing his arms, looking smug. "Well, it's all about finding the right data streams to tap into. Look for patterns, anticipate what the mainframe wants. And of course, consistency is key."
I nod along, feigning interest. "Thanks, Bart. I'll keep that in mind."
He lifts his hand up to show me his collector. The long olive green string of numbers against the pitch black glass immediately ruins my day.
Unreal...
YOU ARE READING
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Science FictionA 23 year old's rise to the top at the most elite and prestigious workplace of the future. Follow his dramatic transformation from a quirky nerd into an alpha billionaire and manipulator extraordinaire.
