Tick-Tock Falls Down

Tick-Tock, Tick-Tock, Tick-Tock

“God, help us!” middle aged woman among three men whispers, in the elevator. They all are quavering in fear and stressed in hopelessness as they are holding tight on the handrail of the elevator, that they are stuck in. The flickering light seems to show malfunction on the elevator. It takes no time for their panting to alter into shrieks as it drops rapidly.

It’s quiet, too quiet; until the ‘boom’ resonant sound fills the entire A3 basement parking lot that’s fully packed with expensive cars; it’s a parking lot for the skyscraper building, of ‘Gorgio’s AI Enterprise’.

Gorgio’s AI Enterprise. Hotshot of the era company that’s more known on the development of artificial intelligence and many sophisticated technological programming, among other giant projects that are phasing our world’s technological and biological equipment advancement to a whole new level. An enterprise that will soon shoot up, the first in our world, literally giant space base, peace by peace, that will hover on top of our world, which will practice on ameliorating projects to build effective flying objects, to fly to and land in other plants further in the space. Also, to create spaceships for more effective search of life on other planets that might exist many light years away from ours.

The silence in the basement parking lot didn’t maintain for long; two securities in white shirt are leading the run for other five peoples behind them. They are all racing to the elevator; all of them disturbed, timid and shocked. The cladded elevator doors are convexly bent in the center, as of something from within hits it just around there.

Both the securities are already trying to force the elevator doors open; sticking their fingers into the crack of the door, around what the convex shape formed because of the falling, in an attempt to pry them apart. The attempt keeps failing since the convex shape keep hitting the edge and closes back again and the opening process keep failing just like that and against their persistency.

“Move away from the door,” another two peoples rush down to join them all in the parking lot to the elevator but they come with material they help each other with, holding it in collaboration. The others rush to them and help them deliver it in a reasonable distance away from the elevator door.

“You can start now,” a young lady utters hoarsely breathing as they all fix their gaze on the door, but after they gaze at her sadly. One of the men who brought the material presses a button as the other holds what the red razor light is coming out from, navigating it in circular motion to cut the convex part out. As soon as the process ends the lady presses another button and the material slides closer to the elevator and attaches the convex part by a magnetic flat material and carry detaches it and moves away from it.

The securities once again rush to it and their attempt to open the door finally works, but to a horrifying scenery they wish didn’t happen. The interior of the elevator is torn apart; lights flickering disturbingly, ruined wires weaving as it flicks an electric current, the top bands detached and hanging, the ceiling asymmetrically hanging, handrail and panel stained with blood and the floor with the pile of lifeless bodies of three female and two males.

One of the security presses on his lips, but then he throws out turning away and in shock.

***

“I don... I... I can’t say what went wrong,” Rose is trying to explain the situation to the detective interrogating her in the too white room that is provided by the enterprise. She keeps massaging her scalp under her curly afro; she seems agitated, uneasy and confused to the why any of them have to be interrogated thoroughly. “We thought everything was under control,” she whispers lost in thought and her gaze fixed on the table she is leaning on.

“Until it wasn’t anymore,” Detective Brown utters. He is young and his evaluative gaze is disturbing her emotionally. “I’ve heard everyone’s opinion. After all, this is an enterprise known for its absolute reputation.”

“What are you suggesting?” she deepen her furrow lines in shock. “It’s a malfunction and it can happen. It... it is an accident, is it not?”

“Is it? Can it be?” he leans on the table as he presses a smile that isn’t touching his sky-blue eyes. She gasps slightly parting her heart-shaped lips. “I’m informed, the elevator system is new and reliable on the cubes that opens and closes as they control the gravitational pull; based on the programing feed from the computer. The zero gravitational system may be new but is reliable,” he exhales long as he sits back.

“And so, we thought,” she whispers as she crosses her arms on her chest. She’s still uneasy. “Are you suggesting it might not be an accident?” she shakes her head as she shrugs. “I lost my best, best friend in there.”

“Well,” he smiles amazed as he leans back on the table. “True, but she is also your rival at work and everyone’s story support you were against the prank Tick-tock down, because of her,” she gasps but he holds his right hand up stopping her from proceeding. “I’m here to hear the entire story, so do tell me form the start,” he deepens his smile on his leap. “After all, Doctor Gorgio, owner of this enterprise, has contributed much to our world. It is in the best interest of the NYPD and the enterprise to know the whole truth,” he adds as he sits back relaxing, to hear her side of the story.

***

It was no secret that me and Clare were on bad terms of our friendship. I wish it was different and I would start with better line. I wish I don’t have to speak ill of our relationship... perhaps, a wedding speech in would have been better.

“What happened?” The handsome detective asks me and I swallow hard. But it is clear for me that I am ought to explain everything.

“I can’t say the why, but it all started after we joined, the special selection for a project. We grew up together and do everything, always together.” I smile as I lick my lower lip wet. “We were both great in our own ways and there are matters we don’t agree on, and that’s ever since we are transferred to the project, she was...” I take moments thinking about our last conversation and she was speaking in attitude. “Different and not in a good way but in a negatively competitive manner.” I lean on the table and press my lips to what crosses my mind, “She once mentioned concern about herself, health matter. So, I convinced her and we went together to see a doctor.”

“Tumor,” he answers and I fill my chest with air as I realize that they already have cleared everything for themselves before entering this room to interrogate me.

“You know, even though I was there for her, she didn’t want me to find out. I had to hack into the hospital’s security system to know about it,” I sit back and shake my head slowly. I don’t know why I have to say it all if he already knew about everything. “All I ever wanted was her wellbeing. I really cared for her, I was worried, for real.”

“You feel betrayed?” he asks with a ghost like appearing partial smile on his lip.

“No, not then. I mean, I was trying to be at my best for her, but the sky project became a success, it was assured that it will be launched by the end of this week, Friday,” I breath a smile delighted to the memory. “I was privileged to announce the project on TV with Dr. Gorgio.”

“Everyone remembers,” he elevates his eyebrows. “It was good news for science freaks and bad news for religious peoples. It is a day that keeps us all busy.”

“Yes, we were busy and I was ecstatic. There was quite a lot of effort put in this particular project and I had given my entire self to it; I don’t leave early, I hardly sleep, I hardly eat, I have less social interaction... when she or the others have to go out and date and leave their life, I was the one, the only, one staying behind and working my ass off,” I project my voice at him. We take the moment of silence as I think and as he waits for more.

“So, it disappoints to know she has life and you’re stuck with work?”

“Hardly that,” I burst in laughter. “I love my work and I am willing to do anything to see it succeed. You see when I was privileged to be the first face of the project I was supposed to ask, why. But I didn’t.”

“Meaning?”

“It was only one of us who can make it to the station in space. One of us was supposed to monitor from down here. Two faces for a project; one from earth and the other broadcasting from the space base. And the space is mine, I worked hard enough to earn it.”

His phone ringing takes our attention and he shakes his head as he looks at me in disappointment, after taking his time conversing. “...sure, he may enter.” He utters and we both waits in silence as we stare at each other. I don’t know what the phone call was about but I can tell it isn’t something comforting for him.

The door slides open and man in his mid-forties walked into the room. Broad shoulders and graceful, rare gray hair, tall and bright smile. He seems to know what he is here for and why.

“Along with other necessity to be provided, the working contract that Miss Rose and all the other collogues signed on, obliged them to agree that Gorgio’s AI Enterprise’s best attorney to represent them at any time needed,” he utters to him as he hands him a paper and the detective stands up after he reads it.

“But there is an issue that isn’t cleared and a police matter.”

“Correction,” the man holds his index finger to him. “There was an uncleared issue. We just gave all the necessary information pointing the situation was an unfortunate malfunction, that leads to a great lose,” I jump stand up confused and relived, but as I try to hide my astonishment to the unconvinced detective.

“I am not done with her...”

“But I was telling you, it was an accident.” God, I almost give out unnecessary information.

“And nothing more than that,” the man defends me. “It’s unorthodox to interrogate this sad soul, who have lost her best friend, with the absence of her lawyer. Don’t you agree?” the man smiles to him and the detective shakes his head.

“Malfunction,” the Detective thinks out loud. “I’ll go over the material you gave for my college.

“And they are by the corridor,” he smiles to him and the Detective he walks out. We simply stand in silence as I look at him quizzically. “You can call me shadow as the others does,” he turns to me and I slowly nod.

“Are you really... what is going on?” I ask blunt.

“My work is done here,” he utters and left the room, but Dr. Gorgio walks in and I stay back.

“That was brilliant, almost,” he utters with that fixed smile on his thin lips and I load my chest with air. “Almost only because the new micro cams caught your actions,” I gasp bulging my eyes wide. “Yes, they are launched, it’s about three weeks now and are functioning fully active,” he widens his smile. “You are the third person to know about them and will stay like that. We should head to the roof top, we shall discuss your stay on space base and what will be expected from you,” he simply utters to me and opens the door.

“Dr. Gorgio,” he ceases on his step and frown as he looks at me. “Why, why help me?” I ask.

“I like your ambition and you are alive,” he walks away and I walk out following him. I think it is time for me to learn how to be under his control. He has a thing on me and I think he, technically, threatens me of black mailing. I expect to get my hands dirtier than it already is.

I look past Dr. Gorgio. To the direction he is walking to, by the end of the corridor. The detective is discussing with his collogues. He looks to my direction and takes extended walk towards me. I can see that he knows it in his heart; what exactly happened, though he has no way of proving it.

“They can’t explain how, but the computer program is flowed, and only on this elevator,” he stands as he explains to me.

“Well,” I look to Dr. Gorgio who walks past the detective and stills a glimpse to me in a warning manner. “It can happen,” I press my lips and swallow hard.

“Think about it,” the detective presses a smile. “You were against the pranking game.” Dr. Gorgio stands while speaking with one of our collogue and behind the detective. I can see his ears are with us as his eyes.

“Detective, not everyone enjoys April fool’s day. I’m one of them,” I look over to Dr. Gorgio who smiles satisfied as if saying that I am on the right track. “The tick-tock down was inappropriate in my eyes. Imagine scaring peoples to death and just when they think it’s over you appear before them and scream ‘happy April fool’s day.’ That is stupid and out of the ordinary. Don’t you think?”

“It’s funny that’s immoral until you realize Clare is walking into the elevator,” he smiles and I bite my lower lip. “Here’s what I think; you envied your friend for being chosen as one of the first to bored the space base...”

“She was never chosen, she submitted a latter impersonating me, saying I chose her to be there. She admitted it to me when I confront her, this morning.”

“Then come today, April Fool’s Day. Your collogues came up with, Tick-tock down prank to fool those they are close with. You were against it though they spent half the day laughing as they fool many, following up their selection from the live feed of the Sevillian camera from the lobby. Game was; selected peoples walks in the elevator, the elevator indicates malfunction like turbulence, light flickers and a voice follows ‘confess your sin,’ collects one or two confession and the elevator drops in speed scaring them to death and in the parking lot they would welcome them screaming ‘Happy April Fool’s Day! three times they run successful fooling and on selective few peoples.” he laughs voicelessly, enough to move his shoulders. “While the others went down celebrating the last fooling you saw her in walking to the elevator and you were still mad. You anyways, got enough time tampering with the programing. You agreed to the offer the others offers you to prank your best friend. With your ulterior intention, she then confessed. The others mentioned her confession and I asked as if I don’t know for, I need to see your emotion on the thought,” he utters with satisfied smile and I swallow hard. “It’s a success. Any ways, following any confession... in this case her shocking confession was the sound of Tick-tock then speedy down, but this time around it’s Tick-tock falls down, literally.”

Holly huge F* he got everything on point. I wonder as my lips dry in speed.

“Trust me, most of them are sad, for you. They think it’s difficult on you. ‘What would she mourn?’ that’s what they say to be exact. They think it’s hard for you to mourn both situations at once; your best friend sabotaging your life time career and her death.” He presses his lips as he tucks his hands in his pockets and gets closer to me. “So, tell me. How am I doing on telling what happened?” he arches his forehead at me as he deepens his smile. "The fooling going wrong, but over your hunt for vengeance you took lives."

“Miss Rose, the chopper is ready for us, we should move,” Dr. Gorgio projects his voice as he leads the way down the corridor to an elevator.

“It’s malfunction,” I whisper and takes step to walk past him but he holds my right arm and stops me.

“Is that the bed you will sleep in?” he whispers to me. “She may have sabotaged your life time work, but she didn’t murder you.”

“Nor I her,” I utter through my teeth and snatch my arm away. “You only have theory in your hand.” 

“There’s no way a computer program rewrites itself.”

“Good luck proving that,” I whisper to him and walks past him and join Dr. Gorgio in the elevator.

“Good day Detective, thanks for the help,” Dr. Gorgio nods to him as the elevator closes. “Oh, Miss Rose, there will be a lot we will be working on, more than landing on space base; perhaps a land on planet 55 Cancri, a plant of Diamond,” I gasp quietly as I understand my future role.

“Looking forward to it, sir,” I lift my head up to hide my fear in the courageous facade I just wear.

“Please, it’s Gorge for you, friend.”