An Insecure Security

Chapter 3 - Jeremiah

Fortunately, I was able to get plenty of sleep, from about 12:00 to 5:00. I entertained myself by doing push-ups, running up and down the stairwell, and solving Sudoku puzzles. However, my stomach was rumbling loudly, so I needed to get a bite to eat. I was getting pretty good at the puzzles, and the numbers weren't as confusing anymore. Soon I upgraded to larger and more difficult versions of the game. I also found out a few things about my new home, Greenland, and about my new job.

Greenland is governed by Denmark, and most citizens speak both Danish and English, so I was able to communicate fairly easily with different people. However, Eskimo-Aleut, the dialect of the Danish people in Greenland, was remarkably hard to follow. The population of Nuuk was around 15,000, but felt much smaller. Like most of the world at that time, Nuuk was doing terribly financially, with the exception of a few extremely wealthy people from the CSA.

In fact, the world's economy as a whole was horrific. The poor kept getting poorer and the rich, richer, leaving almost no middle class. Credit cards couldn't be trusted, as identify theft was as common as a shop break in. The world's state was in shambles, and the CSA was becoming more and more powerful each day, as they were continually being relied upon above all else.

As I speculated about the world, I explored my eating options downtown. I quickly realized I would have to get used to seafood. Since seafood was so insanely expensive back home, I had rarely ever eaten any. I loved it though, and it wasn't very expensive. The flounder was really good, and the shrimp even better. I gobbled down my dinner very quickly since I had worked up a pretty good appetite running the stairwell. As I scraped the last bits of flounder into my mouth, I felt my mobile vibrate in my pocket.

"Hello, this is Jeremiah Ellison speaking."

"Yes, good evening, Mr. Ellison. My name is Nicholas Elliot and I will be arriving at your apartment shortly. Good day," he said, and abruptly hung up on me.

Mr. Elliot was a tall man wearing a dark suit and sunglasses that hid his eyes. He had a deep, intimidating, distinctly American, voice and a muscular body to back it up.

"So, Mr. Ellison, I'm sure you are wondering why I am here," he said.

"Yes, you see I've applied for the force, looking for a bit of a change from a boring lifestyle."

"Good." He seemed uninterested in small talk. "As I was saying, I am sure you are wondering why I am here. Let me explain. Each and every pupil that applies for a job must meet our very high intellectual standards, as well as some of our more minor physical ones, to be accepted into training. You have done this and more. We hope that you will pass through our special training we have put in place for you and two others looking for a job as the personal bodyguard of Mr. Culvert. If accepted, you three will form a team and will work night in and night out to ensure his protection. But first you must pass our rigorous testing. A few other men and myself will you tomorrow, seeing as you pass the examination tonight." I felt a sudden nervousness begin to boil up inside me. "We will be working to ensure you meet our most high standards. Tonight you will be tested by me in the first phase of your training; the mental phase." He gestured towards a large booth in the dining area. "Come, let us sit." I followed him to the booth. I already felt a sense of power and leadership coming from this mysterious gentleman. "I have several pages of material to ensure that you are well prepared for your job." He unhooked his black briefcase, and to my utmost surprise, pulled out an expert level Sudoku puzzle. There were instructions on how to play, and at the bottom it said to turn over when complete. It also warned that turning over before you were completely finished would not help in the least, and was certainly not allowed. Mr. Elliot cleared his throat and began to speak. "I will be sitting here until you finish. Just follow all the instructions and you will be fine."