THE NEW LIFE, THE NEW ME - an Apple Loving Individual Thriller

Chapter 18 - Scrutinizing the Firm

Chapter 18 – Scrutinizing the Firm

Thursday, May 24, 2046
9:41 AM
Jake's kitchen

So, staying the night somewhere else proved more comfortable than mi casa. But now it was time to get to it. Me and Jake, began to investigate this place further. It was unbelievable at first, but encountering those people on the road, and reading the first article we found online, in contact to these disappearances at Galnac VR, told us this was real.

"Two more disappearances since last night." Jake said as he read another article. "I hope we didn't make a mistake applying here for work."

"I hope so too!" I exclaimed. "Why, I just started too."

"The question is, where are these people?"

"You don't think they're..."

"Nah, if they were murdered, it'd be worse. In today's day and age, you definitely can't get away with it."

"Tell me about it, they'd find out one way or another."

"Kinda reminds me of Minority Report, the really old movie, with Tom Cruise."

"Yeah, but this seems twisted."

"Last week, four people were missing."

"Came to notice that myself."

"This week, the number went up by six more."

"First off, I'm curious to know who this Ajay Malhotra guy is."

S.A.L.M.A heard me say his name.

"Ajay Malhotra, born in 2010, in Austin, TX is a former US Army officer." S.A.L.M.A explained. "Enlisted in the army at the age of seventeen, became a commissioned officer after three years. Retired after reaching the rank of lieutenant colonel in 2040. Got a job at Galnac VR two years ago but quit his jobs a few months ago, after noticing people who've worked here have disappeared."

"Apparently, he knew he'd be next." Jake said. "Where is he nowadays?"

"Last anyone heard, he moved to Mars just after he published that article online, and found a job at the Martian US DoD outpost."

I was amazed. "Wasn't the company's plan to create jobs for everyone here the goal? So later, we can move to Mars?"

"Perhaps, they should've fixed problems on Earth, first!"

"Hoo-ah!"

Now, I didn't come from a military background, but I needed to say that.