What happened in the end was a mess of complexity. The best way to explain it would be to go down the line on how everyone's story ended.
Aiden's testimony about the stealing of the CIA technology almost landed him a sentence of life imprisonment; but his cooperation with the police landed him on a good side of the judge, and the jury was mostly focused towards Rudolph. Aiden was found not guilty for all felony charges. However, Aiden was charged with sexual assault, because of his actions towards the woman at the museum. The prosecutor tried to label Aiden as a sexual predator, but a testimony from Sasha discredited that concept; her testimony saved Aiden's public reputation. Aiden, a changed man, lived the rest of his life happy, and famous. Despite his attention from the public, Aiden never let the fame get to him, because his Chester The Singing Cloud watch continued to remind him of who he wanted to be.
Rudolph, despite his riches, could not fight off the sheer hatred that the trial had for him. To a sense, it wasn't a fair trial; the Jury was composed of many people who would have been negatively impacted by the release of The Formula; an actor, a writer, a programmer, and a video game programmer among them. However, Rudolph tried to play himself as a hero, antagonizing the government for keeping helpful technology out of public hands. This didn't go well, but it did raise a political debate that lasted for months and months in the media. Rudolph was released a few years after his sentence; buying his way out of his crimes. But without the Formula, Rudolphs hopes and dreams had been destroyed. Rudolph spent the remaining majority of his life trying to create The Formula again, but because his research had been confiscated by the government, he never succeeded in his efforts. The last few years of Rudolph's were spent in a wooden cottage in the mountains; where he would regularly take walks in the woods. Seeing the natural beauty of the world, Rudolph let go of his dream of making The Formula, and embraced a new one, a new dream that focused on finding his inner satisfaction with the natural world. When Rudolph passed away, he died a happy man. Rudolphs tombstone reads "When a man has a dream that he cannot reach in reality, he must forget it, and dream another dream."
Sasha became a best selling author, writing about her job at Virgil incorporated, and her story involving Aiden. She and Aiden continued to be friends, but they never became romantically involved.
Max quit his job at Virgil Incorporated. He didn't testify at any of the court cases. Max started a new life as a manager of a hotel. When he read Sasha's novel, he was shocked at how positive her opinion was of him. Later Sasha and Max met and had dinner, the two became very good friends in their later years. Max got married to a woman he met at the hotel bar, and they lived a long happy life together.
Carlson disappeared without a trace. Nobody knows what his backstory was, or where he went afterwards. His whereabouts continued to be shrouded in mystery. Rudolph had hired Carlson having been informed that Carlson specialized in security, but he knew nothing of Carlson's past life.
The girls from the gym published their interview with Aiden in their school newspaper and it raised an insane buzz. The girls received many awards for their efforts, and some landed in some important jobs in journalism. However, when Sasha's novel was released, it hurt their reputations. What at first was seen in public eyes as a group of 7 girls who went a long way to get a good story, was suddenly seen as a group of 7 thugs who tried their hardest to beat answers out of someone, and got lucky in the end. This was the intended result that Sasha wanted.
The Formula was confiscated as government property. The technology was never released to the public, because it was labeled as "too dangerous." After Sasha's book was published, the debate about The Formula resurfaced, but the CIA later told the public that The Formula had been destroyed, whether that statement was true or not continued to be debated by conspiracy theorists for years to come.
What do you think, do you think that The Formula should have been released? Who do you think was in the right in this story? Whose story did you care about the most?
Contrary to Rudolph's beliefs, not all stories are sad, nor are they all supposed to teach a message. Some stories are written to ask questions, and to spark interest. This was one such story, and I hope you've all enjoyed it.
