Timeless Creations

8. Work

Chris decided to watch Jean work. He was fiddling with lenses. Noticing a confused glance Jean explained something to Chris that Chris will never forget in his life.
"So basically in the camera we have two layers of lenses. The first adjusts for zoom and the second focuses as it happens in most cameras.
But these lenses are totally different. I have invented a substance that captures the light if the surroundings in more megapixels than the human eye. So the photograph will have a clarity greater than the clarity of something we can see."

At Chris's dumbfounded look Jean smiled. "My other feature I'm famous for I guess is my cameras ability to focus. That's where the second lense comes in."

Jean had a genuine smile on his face. Not the kind that Chris had been wearing for a few days. Not a forced one. Not one that had been born out of a grimace. A genuine sign of happiness. A look of longing replaced it soon thereafter.

"My wife thinks I'm dead Chris. Marcus faked an explosion at the complex where I worked. He paid newspapers to publish the story of my "death". He then took me away and forced me to work. But I refused to. He then blackmailed my wife. He was going to kill her! An innocent woman!"

Jean's hands were shaking with rage. His face now overcome with pure hatred. His eyes betrayed a look of loathing.

"So he made me a deal. If I compelted this work for him he would set me free. I would be able to see my wife again. Start my life over."
As he said this Chris expected the anger to subside from Jean. Jean could go free. Shouldn't he be happy? But it didn't.

"So I worked. Pefected my all terrain camera that could withstand a jackhammer powering on it. As I presented my creation to Marcus he smiled and congratulated me. Then he told me that another camera was needed! I wasn't going free.

I attacked him but he was too fast. Quickly he had pinned me down and threatened my wife again. I had to comply with that snake!
So now I am forced to work here for as long as I live."

Tears had replaced the anger in Jean's face. Chris felt horrible. "We will get out. I'm sure of it!" Chris said to comfort Jean. But even as the words had uttered his lips a sense of uncertainty had settled in his stomach.

**********

The next day Chris decided to talk to Nick. He had been quiet even after the whole episode Jean had.

"Hey Chris! Uh Leela and I are going to test out my new wheels for my rover. You wanna come with?" shouted Nick as Chris passed the workshop.

"Sure" said Chris. He didn't have anything else to do.

So the three of them walked to the back of the mansion. It had a massive lawn. A large square section of grass that could've hosted two soccer fields if it wasn't for the 4m high fountain spewing water from it's top sitting smack bang in the middle of the whole garden.

As Chris helped Nick unload the rover from it's carriage he noticed that Nick's hands were shaking uncontrollably. "You good?" asked Chris. Embarrassed Nick mumbled a "yeah" sheepishly.

Nick took the controller, fiddled with a few controls and took a deep breath. "Here goes" he said excitedly.

It was like nothing Chris had seen before. The wheels gripped the grass and wouldn't let go. As the rover twisted and turned Marcus's lawn was completely destroyed. A look of satisfaction creeped on his face.

Chris wasn't sure if it was because Nick's rover had been utterly amazing. Or because his captor's beautiful grass was now destroyed. Either way it was a good feeling to have.

Back at the lab Chris began talking to Nick about his past. About how he got here. It seemed the same. He was blackmailed into working for Marcus.

But Nick was the guy that probably loathed Marcus the least. He was young so no family was needing a constant supply of food. He was orphaned from birth. The only leverage Marcus had was his older brother.

Jean came and joined the conversation. Eventually they started fantasising about what they were going to do once they got out of this hell-hole. "If only. If only." sighed Jean with a look of longing.

But the seed had been planted. All of them wanted to escape Marcus's clutches. The only question was how.