11-01-2009, 09:40 AM
Time quickly ticked down, until finally the buzz of chaos eventually dissipated as the preparations were completed. The guards lining the hallways all froze in place as a single, solitary figure walked along the complex, scrutinizing every last inch with cold gray eyes. He held his body perfectly erect, poised and balanced. Even the lumbering juggernauts that security was comprised of shot furtive, nervous glances in the man’s direction. Eventually, the man came to a large door. Without even the need for him to make a motion, it automatically opened with a receptive hiss.
“Is everything going according to plan, Audric?” the man asked coolly, assuming a position in a comfortable chair at the center of a large screen display.
Audric spun around in a swivel chair located in front of an expansive control console. He was a small man, and not even a man, really. His hair spiked up from his head in flaming red spokes, barely hiding the pointed ears jutting from his skull. A blue computer visor covered his emerald green eyes, tapering down into wrap-around headgear ending in a microphone. Audric was as “hooked up” as you could get.
“Repairs are nearly completed. All that’s left is a live test,” Audric confirmed.
“And will we be ready in time?”
Audric paused a moment, mulling over his answer, and nodded. “Yeah, we should be. I mean, we’re basically as ready as we’re going to be.”
“You’re absolutely sure?” The tone, this time, carried a subtle yet dangerous undercurrent. “Nothing must go wrong.”
“I’ve got it under control. Trust me. It’s why you pay me the big zeni, remember?” Audric chuckled, having grown immune to threats by now.
The nameless man reached out his left hand towards a small table next to the chair. A small, square piece of paper sat waiting within reach. He gingerly touched the surface, fingers grazing gently along the smoothness of the pulp, feeling the gold embossing and slowly tracing each letter formation.
“Send out the invitations,” came the order softly.
“You got it,” Audric grinned mischievously. He spun around, summoning one of his dormant terminals from sleep mode. After a few lightning-quick keystrokes, the technical supervisor pulled up a profile program. His middle finger jammed over a single key as he scrolled through the various collections of pictures and data. He skimmed through them, the features blurring together as a he ensured with cursory glances that each one was present and accounted for: a man with blond hair, a girl with pink hair, a saiyan here, a saiyan there, a ferocious-looking namekian, a boy with orange hair…he stopped being able to tell the difference. After all, they were only being used for one thing anyway.
Once the addresses loaded, another sequence of keystrokes commenced, and the invitations were green-lit. All were engraved on paper, a bit old-fashioned in today’s technological age, and each one carried a handwritten signature. The nameless man felt that his choice of style added a more personal touch. Not all of them said the same thing, of course. Each was individualized to its recipient, allowing for more…persuasion.
The man raised his hand and snapped his fingers. As if by magic, an attendant entered the room with a bottle of chilled red wine and a clean burgundy glass. The wine was poured and the glass set carefully into the man’s awaiting hand. He swirled it around nonchalantly before taking a sip, allowing it to direct onto the tip of his tongue.
“Let them come,” he whispered.
Content to simply observe the display screen before him, he set the wine glass down on the table next to the invitation. It read:
“You are cordially invited to the 2009 tournament of Dante’s Abyss. You have been selected out of thousands of potentials to participate in this reputable annual event, sponsored by the Syntex Corporation. This challenging yet exciting opportunity will afford you a chance at honor, glory, and wealth. Enclosed within this envelop is a special chip, which when taken to any nearby Capsule Corporation, will grant you free passage in a teleportation device to our planet of Dante. The finest amenities and provisions will be provided prior to the start of the event. We truly hope to have you as our most honored guest for this momentous occasion.
“Is everything going according to plan, Audric?” the man asked coolly, assuming a position in a comfortable chair at the center of a large screen display.
Audric spun around in a swivel chair located in front of an expansive control console. He was a small man, and not even a man, really. His hair spiked up from his head in flaming red spokes, barely hiding the pointed ears jutting from his skull. A blue computer visor covered his emerald green eyes, tapering down into wrap-around headgear ending in a microphone. Audric was as “hooked up” as you could get.
“Repairs are nearly completed. All that’s left is a live test,” Audric confirmed.
“And will we be ready in time?”
Audric paused a moment, mulling over his answer, and nodded. “Yeah, we should be. I mean, we’re basically as ready as we’re going to be.”
“You’re absolutely sure?” The tone, this time, carried a subtle yet dangerous undercurrent. “Nothing must go wrong.”
“I’ve got it under control. Trust me. It’s why you pay me the big zeni, remember?” Audric chuckled, having grown immune to threats by now.
The nameless man reached out his left hand towards a small table next to the chair. A small, square piece of paper sat waiting within reach. He gingerly touched the surface, fingers grazing gently along the smoothness of the pulp, feeling the gold embossing and slowly tracing each letter formation.
“Send out the invitations,” came the order softly.
“You got it,” Audric grinned mischievously. He spun around, summoning one of his dormant terminals from sleep mode. After a few lightning-quick keystrokes, the technical supervisor pulled up a profile program. His middle finger jammed over a single key as he scrolled through the various collections of pictures and data. He skimmed through them, the features blurring together as a he ensured with cursory glances that each one was present and accounted for: a man with blond hair, a girl with pink hair, a saiyan here, a saiyan there, a ferocious-looking namekian, a boy with orange hair…he stopped being able to tell the difference. After all, they were only being used for one thing anyway.
Once the addresses loaded, another sequence of keystrokes commenced, and the invitations were green-lit. All were engraved on paper, a bit old-fashioned in today’s technological age, and each one carried a handwritten signature. The nameless man felt that his choice of style added a more personal touch. Not all of them said the same thing, of course. Each was individualized to its recipient, allowing for more…persuasion.
The man raised his hand and snapped his fingers. As if by magic, an attendant entered the room with a bottle of chilled red wine and a clean burgundy glass. The wine was poured and the glass set carefully into the man’s awaiting hand. He swirled it around nonchalantly before taking a sip, allowing it to direct onto the tip of his tongue.
“Let them come,” he whispered.
Content to simply observe the display screen before him, he set the wine glass down on the table next to the invitation. It read:
“You are cordially invited to the 2009 tournament of Dante’s Abyss. You have been selected out of thousands of potentials to participate in this reputable annual event, sponsored by the Syntex Corporation. This challenging yet exciting opportunity will afford you a chance at honor, glory, and wealth. Enclosed within this envelop is a special chip, which when taken to any nearby Capsule Corporation, will grant you free passage in a teleportation device to our planet of Dante. The finest amenities and provisions will be provided prior to the start of the event. We truly hope to have you as our most honored guest for this momentous occasion.
Sincerely yours, your Host,
Damon Dukes”
Damon Dukes”