The Holo Earth

Chapter 17

Liam gripped the handrail, his sweaty palms slipping against the cool metal as he hoisted himself up the stairs of the office building. Today wasn't just another day at the office; not only was Ray back after his unplanned vacation, it was the day that could change everything. In just two hours, he'd be interviewing for a coveted position in the coding department. As far as he was concerned, it would be a big step up from tester, if he got it.

As he made his way down the cold, sterile hallway, the harsh LED lights casting an unflattering glow on the drab, corporate surroundings. He tugged nervously at the collar of his pressed, button-down shirt. He had paired it with his nicest pair of slacks, even polishing his dress shoes that morning in a last-ditch effort to make a good impression.

The sounds of keyboards clicking and notifications ringing echoed around him. Ray's office door was open, and Imad was hanging out in the entryway. "I'd love to, but I've got another appointment with the bank," Ray said, his normally demanding tone now tinged with stress as he paced the cramped, cluttered confines of his cubicle. "Still trying to sort out this identity theft mess."

Liam paused, his steps faltering as he caught sight of a familiar figure. Ray was back. After a week of Calvin's incompetent rule and another week of Imad's intelligent benevolence, the office tyrant had returned. But something was off. Liam's brow furrowed as he took in Ray's transformed appearance.

The man who had left the office looking like his usual greasy, corpulence now seemed a shadow of his former self. Ray's clothes hung loosely on his frame, suggesting a considerable weight loss. Most striking was his hair—or lack thereof. The thinning patches Liam remembered had expanded dramatically, leaving Ray looking older and more haggard than ever.

"Identity theft?" Liam echoed, unable to mask his shock. A twinge of guilt twisted in his gut as he recalled his offhand wish to Zolok. Had this been the price of his "vacation" from Ray?

Ray shot him a withering glare, running a trembling hand through what remained of his hair. "What are you, the office parrot? Yeah, it's serious. Two weeks of hell. My accounts were emptied, everything's locked or canceled. I couldn't even get a ride to work."

Zolok arranged for Ray to take a 'vacation'? Actually, he said he would give Liam a vacation from Ray, hadn't he? Liam couldn't help but wonder if Ray's family back in Algeria had anything to do with this identity theft mess. With the civil war going on back there, if Ray was sending money home to support his relatives, this disaster could have consequences for them.

"I... I'm sorry to hear that," Liam managed, his voice thick with conflicting emotions. Part of him wanted to confess, to somehow make amends, but what could he possibly say? Sorry, I asked a non-corporeal entity to give me a break from you, and it ruined your life? The absurdity of it all left him speechless.

Ray continued to rant about his misfortunes, Liam wondered if this was this really his fault. Zolok was the one who made the offer in the first place, so if there were any negative consequences, that was on Zolok. He was simply taking advantage of an opportunity presented to him.

Liam swallowed hard, watching Ray's trembling hand run through what remained of his thinning hair. The normally demanding man looked utterly defeated, and Liam couldn't help but feel responsible, even if just in a small way.

"Unless you can magically restore my credit score, get your nose out of my business and back to work." Ray sneered, wiping sweat from his brow with a shaky hand. "And yeah, I didn't put in a word for you with Jon." Ray added with a smirk as he settled down into his oversize executive chair.

Liam walked down the aisle and settled into his cramped cubicle and began to review his notes one last time. The interview opportunity had just come along a couple of days ago. He would have spent weeks preparing for this interview, studying coding concepts late into the night and on weekends. With only two nights to prepare, doubt nagged at him. Was he really qualified for this position?