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

Chapter 1 | The entry to Success

Mikhail was happy to know that everything was working out for them and blessed the day he had met John, he whose life had been a constant struggle to survive with his family. So many memories came back to his mind until the gigantic tower appeared in the taxi window.

That was it, they were both on the threshold of their new life, and the entrance to their careers.
However, one detail caught Mikhail's attention : a familiar-looking man seemed to be waiting for them, the CEO of Katika, the one John described as "kind of like his uncle.".

Miles Woodford was a square jaw, short brown hair and a gaze that exuded a sense of power and benevolence.

Once they got out of the taxi, the man vigorously shook their hands like an old friend.

"John! So, not too anxious about entering the workforce?" he asked. "And this tall young man must be the famous Mikhail? Nice to meet you! John has talked about you so much that I feel like I know you as my own son".

Surprised by such a warm welcome from a CEO with a pronounced Texan accent, Mikhail couldn't help but adopt a pleasant and professional attitude right from the start.

"Pleased to meet you too, Mr. Woodford !" he replied with an almost convincing smile.

Their new boss let go of his hand and clapped his hands together.

"Well, follow me, both of you. I'll take you to my office so that we can discuss the details of your positions,", he said.

Mikhail and John didn't need to be asked twice and followed him. They walked through the building's vast hall, teeming with men and women dressed in such conventional attire, with their black or gray suit jackets, their tailored suits, and their polished and gleaming shoes clicking on the sparkling black tiled floor. It almost seemed like a world built on the artificiality of appearances.

John vaguely observed them, nothing a sense of unease that they were trying to hide behind polite smiles and confident strides. It was a common behavior, one that ordinary people could observe every day in every individual in public spaces : everyone tried to mask their true personalities to some extent and adopted a neutral attitude to avoid being confronted with the fraternity that binds humans together.

Children of the Earth who seemed to forget their peers more and more each day and acted in the most brazen individualistic nonchalance possible, having reached the abyssal stage long ago.

Surprised by his uninviting thoughts, John quickly brushed them aside and continued walking through the hall until they reached a very modern elevator that emitted a faint scent of cleaning product. Miles Woodford pressed the last button, the one that led to the 158th floor. The doors closed, and Woodford immediately engaged in conversation.

"The building may seem intimidating when you first discover it, but you'll see : it's quite friendly, and the employees are like one big family."

John couldn't help but think that no place seemed less likely to give that impression than this one. But before responding as cordially as possible, he interjected,

"You know, Miles, Katika is probably the least liked family in the world, if you know what I mean..."

Some scandals had indeed shaken the international reputation of the group, such as vaccines that were found to be potentially carcinogenic in certain cases, unbridled extraction of water in Kashmir, and corruption of political figures.

Woodford burst into laughter but didn't say anything. The elevator opened to a corridor with a gloomy floor, covered in dull grey and drab carpet, contrasting with the black tiles of the hall, which, while equally gloomy, concealed its shabby appearance with dazzling cleanliness. At the end of the corridor, there was a metal door with a golden plate on which was inscribed in large letters: