11-16-2009, 09:33 AM
The host smoothed back his hair one final time, sucking in a deep breath. The conference room around him stood empty, each black chair accompanying the long, polished oak table sitting without occupation. Damon punched in a few numbers on the keypad embedded near the executive chair on the end of the table, and one by one, a hologram of men and women in business suits materialized into the previously vacant chairs. At the farthest seat on the end, the one reserved for chairman of the board, sat Josh Drake, in all of his slouched attire. Upon seeing Damon, he waved energetically like a kid seeing an old friend. Dukes gave him a polite nod, his expression completely masked by his typical poker face.
“Ladies and gentlemen of the board, it is a privilege to have you here this evening. I am greatly humbled by the assembly of our most honored managerial body,” Damon greeted warmly. He clasped his hands together. “I trust that everyone enjoyed that first round of combat?”
“Quite the technical display, Dukes,” one of them said. “I trust it doesn’t require too much manipulation?”
Damon smiled, shrugging off the verbal barb with a wave of his hand. “A mere demonstration of the program’s capabilities. As you can see, my associate and I are in complete control at all times.”
“Tell me something, Damon, why didn’t you have any of the previous contestants return this year? They were wildly successful, ruthlessly powerful, and we made billions of zeni in marketing and merchandising alone off of their image,” another pondered.
“An excellent question. As the dynamics of the program were different this year, we needed a control group who were not familiar with the nature of the tournament. I handpicked each and every one of the players within the game after careful and thorough research. The group is comprised of a delicate balance of combat ability, personality, and psychological behavior. In order to “get the ball rolling,” so to speak, some of them came with prior knowledge, but no prior experience, of Dante’s Abyss, in order to more readily illuminate the gravity of the situation to others, whether by verbal communication or physical force. As far as marketing, while that may not be my department, I do believe that refreshing one’s products on a regular basis is an effective sales tactic.”
“Your proposed budget is…interesting. These numbers seem almost too good to be true, but we’re a little concerned with where you’re funneling the money.”
Damon opened his palms so they faced the ceiling. “My program is incredibly efficient. I had accounting crunch the numbers, and I oversaw every little detail myself.”
“I’ve looked over the portfolio,” Josh interrupted, his posture suddenly that of an authority figure. “By using a virtual simulator, we cut the cost of: terra-forming the island each year, maintaining the grounds, the equipment and materials required for complete genetic reconstruction of our competitors, purchasing weapons and supplies, networking the cameras, and the tracking system. We also cut payroll for all of the employees we typically send out to man a sign-up booth. Everything is neatly synchronized in one package, and we have complete and total cooperation from Capsule Corporation, who generously provides teleportation in return for a few simple product placements. Mr. Dukes’ program is very thorough; I’ve had an independent technology unit inspect every last inch.”
Damon could scarcely hide the look of surprise that flashed in his eyes; he’d had no idea anyone had been near the system except for those with the highest level of security clearance. Then again, that was one of the reasons why Josh Drakes was chairman of the board—nothing went unattended without careful and meticulous probing.
“Yes, however, the portfolio neglects to mention the rather astronomical cost of the lavish comforts you provided them prior to entrance into the program; it’s nearly double what we paid last year. This is a company, not the Waldorf Astoria.”
“Studies have shown in multiple aspects of life that those who are well-cared for perform better at whatever task they are required to meet. Workers who are given medical benefits, for example, are generally healthier people and are therefore more productive. By giving the competitors the absolute best before they are about to participate, they may rise to a higher standard,” Damon explained smoothly. “For each individual, the need is different. Some need a stiff drink, some need pleasurable company, and others require mental or physical preparation. Since I have arranged a diverse group, I need to provide them all, as concluded by their profiles.”
“And what about these independent contractors you outsourced?”
“Cheaper labor, and by contracting out, it ensures a greater sense of privacy for construction,” the host replied. “If you’ll just look at the reports I’ve compiled for all of you, you can see that my program will still be in the black…”
“…it’s not just about money,” a woman interrupted. “It’s about our company’s reputation. Even with the previous incarnations of Dante’s Abyss, our competitors have always had their free will. They signed up freely, knowing exactly what they were in for. You, however, circumvent that very important factor with your backdoor contracts and deceptive invitations. And with this…simulation…you become nothing more than a puppet-master with strings. What makes you any different than any other competition currently on the market?”
Dukes paused a moment. “For those who are…resistant…I have employed methods to ensure their compliance, yes. However, if you review the program protocols, there is an exit, which allows them to leave at any time of their choosing, regardless of whatever encouragement I presume to use. I merely use a ‘prod,’ whilst others use a ‘chain.’ For every minute each player is in the game, it is because they have allowed themselves to continue.”
“And that’s your grand justification? We have Kajin Ralan authorities looking into this competition! In case you haven’t noticed, Dukes, we’re a corporate entity; Dante doesn’t run on a military standard like those other planets that hold people against their wills!”
The host cleared his throat. “It is still early yet in the tournament. Allow me to lay all of your fears to rest. If this program is not to an acceptable level of satisfaction, I will terminate it myself.”
“Be careful, Damon. Those are words to live or die by.”
With that, the holograms vanished, and the conference concluded. Damon swallowed hard and loosened his collar.
-----
The aspiring Syntex employee stormed into the control room, slumping into his chair with barely repressed fury. All of his hard work, completely torn asunder.
“Oh good, you’re here,” Audric commented. “Yoouuu…look like shit. But never fear, because I’m about to make your day a whole lot worse.”
“What…happened?” Damon asked slowly.
“Uhhh, welllll, the collar clocks just expired again, and guess who was on the dusting list?” the supervisor replied with mock enthusiasm.
-----
Orion lay sprawled out on the mountainside, still completely unconscious from Hollywood’s fierce kick. He couldn’t hear his collar as it started beeping, slowly at first, until it rose in pitch and frequency. Finally, it let out a long droning beep before the saiyan’s body disintegrated into nothing. The Eliminator had done his job all too well.
-----
Somewhere unconscious on the forest floor, Piper Juunanagou experienced a similar fate. After the stasis field disengaged, Sophia was teleported away, unable to help her fallen comrade. Piper’s bold effort to spare them both fell short, and alas, the medic was only able to spare one in the end. No one was there to see her body reduced to molecules as the collar timer expired.
-----
Xenia walked along the forest, head held high. She was among the victors that day, and it brought her one step closer to bringing down that low-leveled wretch of a saiyan. Unfortunately, she forgot one little thing on her quest for reclamation of pride, and that was to locate a bunker in time to deactivate the charges ringed tightly around her neck. As the fatal beep began to sound, Xenia looked around for the familiar building, her body less poised, her face less composed.
“Aw, sh—”
And then it was over.
-----
Shou chuckled to himself, looting through the supplies of the Mountain Sector Bunker. He’d taken down the robot, being far too clever than it to lose, and had stumbled upon another competitor. Of course, Vad owed his life to Shou, now. He contemplated how he could possibly make the saiyan useful to him, as either a partner, or a fall-guy. That was when his collar started beeping. At first, Shou shrugged it off; he was safe, he had already deactivated it. But the collar was persistent, seemingly unaware of the fact that it had been switched off and reset. Slowly, Shou’s confusion gave way to panic.
“No fucking way, I entered a bunker,” he said aloud, as if to verbally reassure himself. The collar did not listen. “C’mon, I entered a bunker. I deactivated it. I DEACTIVATED IT!”
He couldn’t even let off a scream as his body evaporated into thin air.
“Ladies and gentlemen of the board, it is a privilege to have you here this evening. I am greatly humbled by the assembly of our most honored managerial body,” Damon greeted warmly. He clasped his hands together. “I trust that everyone enjoyed that first round of combat?”
“Quite the technical display, Dukes,” one of them said. “I trust it doesn’t require too much manipulation?”
Damon smiled, shrugging off the verbal barb with a wave of his hand. “A mere demonstration of the program’s capabilities. As you can see, my associate and I are in complete control at all times.”
“Tell me something, Damon, why didn’t you have any of the previous contestants return this year? They were wildly successful, ruthlessly powerful, and we made billions of zeni in marketing and merchandising alone off of their image,” another pondered.
“An excellent question. As the dynamics of the program were different this year, we needed a control group who were not familiar with the nature of the tournament. I handpicked each and every one of the players within the game after careful and thorough research. The group is comprised of a delicate balance of combat ability, personality, and psychological behavior. In order to “get the ball rolling,” so to speak, some of them came with prior knowledge, but no prior experience, of Dante’s Abyss, in order to more readily illuminate the gravity of the situation to others, whether by verbal communication or physical force. As far as marketing, while that may not be my department, I do believe that refreshing one’s products on a regular basis is an effective sales tactic.”
“Your proposed budget is…interesting. These numbers seem almost too good to be true, but we’re a little concerned with where you’re funneling the money.”
Damon opened his palms so they faced the ceiling. “My program is incredibly efficient. I had accounting crunch the numbers, and I oversaw every little detail myself.”
“I’ve looked over the portfolio,” Josh interrupted, his posture suddenly that of an authority figure. “By using a virtual simulator, we cut the cost of: terra-forming the island each year, maintaining the grounds, the equipment and materials required for complete genetic reconstruction of our competitors, purchasing weapons and supplies, networking the cameras, and the tracking system. We also cut payroll for all of the employees we typically send out to man a sign-up booth. Everything is neatly synchronized in one package, and we have complete and total cooperation from Capsule Corporation, who generously provides teleportation in return for a few simple product placements. Mr. Dukes’ program is very thorough; I’ve had an independent technology unit inspect every last inch.”
Damon could scarcely hide the look of surprise that flashed in his eyes; he’d had no idea anyone had been near the system except for those with the highest level of security clearance. Then again, that was one of the reasons why Josh Drakes was chairman of the board—nothing went unattended without careful and meticulous probing.
“Yes, however, the portfolio neglects to mention the rather astronomical cost of the lavish comforts you provided them prior to entrance into the program; it’s nearly double what we paid last year. This is a company, not the Waldorf Astoria.”
“Studies have shown in multiple aspects of life that those who are well-cared for perform better at whatever task they are required to meet. Workers who are given medical benefits, for example, are generally healthier people and are therefore more productive. By giving the competitors the absolute best before they are about to participate, they may rise to a higher standard,” Damon explained smoothly. “For each individual, the need is different. Some need a stiff drink, some need pleasurable company, and others require mental or physical preparation. Since I have arranged a diverse group, I need to provide them all, as concluded by their profiles.”
“And what about these independent contractors you outsourced?”
“Cheaper labor, and by contracting out, it ensures a greater sense of privacy for construction,” the host replied. “If you’ll just look at the reports I’ve compiled for all of you, you can see that my program will still be in the black…”
“…it’s not just about money,” a woman interrupted. “It’s about our company’s reputation. Even with the previous incarnations of Dante’s Abyss, our competitors have always had their free will. They signed up freely, knowing exactly what they were in for. You, however, circumvent that very important factor with your backdoor contracts and deceptive invitations. And with this…simulation…you become nothing more than a puppet-master with strings. What makes you any different than any other competition currently on the market?”
Dukes paused a moment. “For those who are…resistant…I have employed methods to ensure their compliance, yes. However, if you review the program protocols, there is an exit, which allows them to leave at any time of their choosing, regardless of whatever encouragement I presume to use. I merely use a ‘prod,’ whilst others use a ‘chain.’ For every minute each player is in the game, it is because they have allowed themselves to continue.”
“And that’s your grand justification? We have Kajin Ralan authorities looking into this competition! In case you haven’t noticed, Dukes, we’re a corporate entity; Dante doesn’t run on a military standard like those other planets that hold people against their wills!”
The host cleared his throat. “It is still early yet in the tournament. Allow me to lay all of your fears to rest. If this program is not to an acceptable level of satisfaction, I will terminate it myself.”
“Be careful, Damon. Those are words to live or die by.”
With that, the holograms vanished, and the conference concluded. Damon swallowed hard and loosened his collar.
-----
The aspiring Syntex employee stormed into the control room, slumping into his chair with barely repressed fury. All of his hard work, completely torn asunder.
“Oh good, you’re here,” Audric commented. “Yoouuu…look like shit. But never fear, because I’m about to make your day a whole lot worse.”
“What…happened?” Damon asked slowly.
“Uhhh, welllll, the collar clocks just expired again, and guess who was on the dusting list?” the supervisor replied with mock enthusiasm.
-----
Orion lay sprawled out on the mountainside, still completely unconscious from Hollywood’s fierce kick. He couldn’t hear his collar as it started beeping, slowly at first, until it rose in pitch and frequency. Finally, it let out a long droning beep before the saiyan’s body disintegrated into nothing. The Eliminator had done his job all too well.
-----
Somewhere unconscious on the forest floor, Piper Juunanagou experienced a similar fate. After the stasis field disengaged, Sophia was teleported away, unable to help her fallen comrade. Piper’s bold effort to spare them both fell short, and alas, the medic was only able to spare one in the end. No one was there to see her body reduced to molecules as the collar timer expired.
-----
Xenia walked along the forest, head held high. She was among the victors that day, and it brought her one step closer to bringing down that low-leveled wretch of a saiyan. Unfortunately, she forgot one little thing on her quest for reclamation of pride, and that was to locate a bunker in time to deactivate the charges ringed tightly around her neck. As the fatal beep began to sound, Xenia looked around for the familiar building, her body less poised, her face less composed.
“Aw, sh—”
And then it was over.
-----
Shou chuckled to himself, looting through the supplies of the Mountain Sector Bunker. He’d taken down the robot, being far too clever than it to lose, and had stumbled upon another competitor. Of course, Vad owed his life to Shou, now. He contemplated how he could possibly make the saiyan useful to him, as either a partner, or a fall-guy. That was when his collar started beeping. At first, Shou shrugged it off; he was safe, he had already deactivated it. But the collar was persistent, seemingly unaware of the fact that it had been switched off and reset. Slowly, Shou’s confusion gave way to panic.
“No fucking way, I entered a bunker,” he said aloud, as if to verbally reassure himself. The collar did not listen. “C’mon, I entered a bunker. I deactivated it. I DEACTIVATED IT!”
He couldn’t even let off a scream as his body evaporated into thin air.
![[Image: 3nyxortbSM.jpg]](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v234/waffuru/3nyxortbSM.jpg)