Unexpected Verdict: An XDefiant Short Story

"Unexpected Verdict"

(rated Mature for brief, strong language)

June 7, 2021
Ubisoft Building ~ Visitor's Suite
San Francisco, California
3rd Street, near Mission Bay

Mark Rubin, Ubisoft's executive producer of XDefiant, a competitive FPS still in development, gazed out the window of the Ubisoft building's visitor suite and lounge. It was dimly-lit with warm, amber lighting throughout, in contrast to the brilliant view of Mission Bay outside beyond the glass.

Leather sofas sat dormant around a coffee table with black glass. The Visitor's Suite - called "the VIP lounge" by most Ubisoft employees at the office - boasted a coffee bar, a fridge and small kitchen, an air hockey table, ping pong, and even a pool table. Near the rec area was a massive OLED TV with multiple gaming consoles all hooked up and ready to go.

The Lounge had proven to be quite a hit with both clients and Ubisoft's Star Players.

None of this, however, comforted Mark Rubin as he checked his watch for what must have been the nineteenth time. He was expecting someone for an important meeting, and his guest was nearly 10 minutes late. No text, no call, no voice message, not even a fucking email.

He sighed quietly and fired off a text to Erika, his assistant. Anything?

No, sry. Trying to call him again

Mark cursed under his breath and strode to the coffee bar to pour himself a cup. After stirring a teaspoon of sugar and adding cream, he made his way to one of the sofas and sat carefully, savoring the aroma steaming upward from the cup.

The VIP of the day frankly seemed to be the unlikeliest of all people to have shown up late to a meeting. There was a lot riding on today.

Mark shifted his weight where he sat, taking a subtle comfort in the sound of the leather sofa groaning ever-so-softly with his movement, and eyed the glass table in front of him. A 3-ring binder sat patiently near a shiny new MacBook Pro, both primed and ready for the afternoon's presentation to his guest.

As if on cue, Mark's phone dinged and he looked down at it expectantly.

VIP is here! We're coming up

"Thank god," the man breathed, sitting back in the sofa. Any longer and he might have feared a no-show to the meeting.

Not quite a minute passed before the sound of the elevator in the hallway outside the guest suite chimed pleasantly. Moments later there were shadows at the bottom of the doorway. "That's very nice of you," came a woman's muffled, cheery voice, "but I'll get the door. I insist."

The door opened with a soft click, and a young woman wearing jeans and a leather jacket entered swiftly with a wide grin on her face. "Mark, our guest is here," she announced, stepping in and holding the door open. "I know you've already been chatting via email but Mark, this is Sam Fisher. Mr. Fisher, this is Mark Rubin, Executive Producer of XDefiant."

Sam Fisher - the legendary, feared black ops extraordinaire - stepped in and voiced his thanks to the woman. He was wearing a Henley thermal over dark cargo pants, and a watch on his wrist glowed faintly.

Mark got to his feet. "Thank you, Erika. Mr. Fisher, thank you so much for coming. Can we get you anything? Coffee, perhaps?"

"I'm good, thanks," Fisher replied. "And please - just 'Sam.'"

Erika was still beaming. She had never met the espionage icon herself. "I can leave you both to it, then." She stepped back out of the suite and shut the door behind her.