The Industrialist

"Uh, hi?" Lance awkwardly asked, almost as softly that the intended receiver did not hear.

"Mari, this guy is a newly promoted Scientist!" the girl said to the Assessor, ignoring Lance’s greetings, as she ambled close to them. "improve your tonality!"

"Ah..yes..yes.. I am sori Ms. Jaqi," the assessor stuttered. She had the immense respect for Lance’s fellow aspirant. She seemed to be the same age as him, 16 years of age, but surprisingly, she managed to reprimand a mid-classer Desker.

"Congratulations, Lance Berkley, of Steelpoint," Mari adjusted her voice, "for being promoted as Scrapper 2. Your efforts as a Scientist are well appreciated. We are here to assist you in any way of our offered programs to help you in cultivating your creative mind. Your Cloud Archive will also show your perks of being a Scrapper 2. Hope to see you soon!" Mari’s voice was cheerful now.

It was almost scripted. But it seemed authentic or practiced.

’Who is this girl?’ Lance thought. ’She may be the manager here?’

"That’s more like it. That’s an assessor I expect within the walls of SARS!" the girl mused and turned towards Lance and ambled close.

Her scent was addictively inviting and it grew more pronounced as she moved closer to him.

Lance felt numerous defining emotions, overwhelming for a mortal like him. He was not sure if it’s his promotion that made him freeze or the angel that stood in front of him.

"Congratulations, Lance. Hope to see you here soon!" she extended an open palm.

Her hand hung for a few precious seconds but her eyes never left his. As he realized the air of awkwardness, as if a sudden jolt of sanity had awoken him, he shook the girl’s hand.

Her fingers were soft like they were delicate enough that they could break. But surprisingly, it clasped hard back.

"I am Jaqi, an Electrical Tier Aspirant. J-A-Q-I, Jaqi! I have heard from Mari’s congratulatory statement that you are now a Scrapper 2."

She said like being a scrapper 2 was already a high-ranking Scientist.

"Yeah, I guess I am," Lance meekly replied.

"We have programs here in SARS if you wanna enroll in courses better than the free courses. It comes with a discount fee, ya know. Limited time offer only."

She speaks always with delight. Her pony-tailed hair moved, jumping at the back, as her head moved as she spoke. It was enticing that Lance could hardly respond.

"I..I..am not looking for other courses, right now," Lance said.

He was way too busy to enroll in a three-month course. He had his businesses going and he knew that other courses had corresponding fees to avail them. Such endeavor was too much of a luxury for him.

"Really? Are you sure? It’s already a mandate that in order for one Scientist to become an Electrical Tier, one should enroll in these courses. Come! Let me show ya!" She grasped Lance’s arm and dragged him at the adjacent wall with a mounted digital monitor. The monitor revealed an advertisement of the courses available offered by the Corporation.

A group of high-echelon girls passed by them as Lance and Jaqi walked side-by-side and greeted the latter.

"Hi Jaqi! Let’s ride sometime!" one girl said and as she stared toward Lance, his eyes darted with immense hostility, with her forehead frowned and her eyes rolled.

"Yeah, next week. Later, girls," Jaqi responded.

Then another group of mid-classers smiled unto her and waved their hands for a cheerful greeting. Jaqi waved her hand too.

Lance was dumbfounded to walk together with a seemingly famous girl. Even the Assessors, one of the regulations groups of the Corporation, feared a young Aspirant girl.

"Here!" Jaqi pointed at the screen. "I am enrolling this. Next school year."

She pointed at the ’Masterwork level Electronic Components Course’. It was expensive, for 6 months one had to pay for 3,000 units.

"I am really busy right now. I can’t even spare a day just to relax," Lance responded.

"Woah, busy bee, aren’t ya!" Jaqi responded. She had this stare that one would be hypnotized and would distract any rational thought you recently had.

’Respond you idiot!’ Lance forced the thought.

"What’s that?" He was throwing the questions now, pointing to the hoverboard. His identity should be masked by any other citizens for that matter as he was now involved in illegal business exploits, such as Zelkian Trading. He was working with the Mafia now. Hence, talking about himself was the worst idea. He should maintain his mystery background as well.

Moreover, she had a position in the Corporation and an organization that he had been planning to take down.

"Ah, this?" Jaqi responded. "It’s my personal mobile craft,"

"Isn’t illegal to acquire those things? I mean, hovercrafts and hoverboards are regulated by the Government that only those with authority would use."

"Yes, you are absolutely, right," Jaqi answered. "With authority. Well, in my case, I am one of the regulating Committee for the Improper Scrap Use for Inventions. or CISU."

Lance knew there was no such regulating group. It was made up!

"You won’t believe me? Here, see my Identification," Jaqi showed her holographic ID.

’Jaqi Leric, Founding Committee, CISU,’ Lance read in his mind.

He nodded in approval. But Lance knew that such a committee was only a made-up group. The mystery behind the girl piled up more. The Electrical Tiers were supposedly an intimidating bunch and a little bit older. But Jaqi Leric was a teenager.

Questions filled his thoughts. Thus, he questioned.

"Who are you? Are you a celebrity around here?" Lance asked.

"You are a charmer, aren’t you?" Jaqi blushed. "No, I am not a Celebrity. I am just a Scientist just like you."

"How old are you?"

"Turning seventeen, why?"

"You are young for an Electrical Tier," Lance knew some of Electrical Tiers, his clients for his scrap components, one was in Bloomforge but they were in their mid-30’s. Somehow this girl had hacked the system that catapulted her status at a very young age. She must have submitted about 11 patents to arrive where she was then.

She must be a genius of some sort.

She smiled again. That tantalizing smile that would trap to sheer nothingness for one’s admirer.

"Have you heard about the ShowerSmart?" She said, seemed hesitant to share.

"Yeah, are you the inventor who invented it?" Lance asked.

"Yes, I am. That particular project promoted me three times. From Mechanical Tier 4 to Electrical Tier 3."

"Really? Is it possible?"

"Yeah, of course silly. It’s an amended Corporation Order Article 179. The Awards Committee will assess the project’s impact on the City and offer you the highest rank depending on the Committee’s approval."

"Then you are going to pay units for the promotions?" Lance was curious.

"Eventually, yes. I paid them. All 20,000 units," She said it like it was 2000 units. She was, however, an upper-echelon class.

He paid for a thousand units to become a scrapper 2. However, as the rank progressed, the required units increased.

Lance nodded then another hanging awkward silence filled in between them.

’She is out of my league,’ the thought replayed countless times.

"C’mon! Have you tried to ride?" Jaqi asked.

"Ride? What ride?" Lance was surprised.

"The hoverboard, silly!"

What? Riding the Hoverboard that looked like only had one room for riding. It was almost a few inches wider and bigger than a skateboard. How could they fit in one board?

"That looks dangerous," Lance hesitated. "It’s all right, I have something to do. Maybe next time."

Jaqi frowned a bit. A curtly frown. Then she smiled.

"You are a busy bee! Well, then. I am also heading out. If you wanna see me again, come to the Corp Sky in Blooms." Jaqi activated his hoverboard. The board hummed, and then it elevated horizontally with heat jets powering to push against the ground, battling gravity.

It was military grade, as all hover units were. They consumed fuel and battery at the same time. And the use of gasoline was very stringent and needs a lot of approvals.

Another scarce resource.

The rebels had to steal from the Fuel depots just to supply their vehicles.

She stepped on the hoverboard as it adjusted to almost half a meter from the ground. Surprisingly, the craft carried her weight. It was more brilliant up close and admirable.

Then she rode out after a cute wave and an enticing smile gleamed from her face. The board slid past the stairs, effortlessly, and into the large door for an exit.

Lance released a large sigh. It was as if a heavy weight just unloaded his shoulders.

’Corp sky?’ Lance thought. ’Who is she?’

Corp Sky was a Tower Skyrise in Bloomforge where all Electronic and Industrial Scientists lived. Some of its floors accommodated the Corp’s offices and it was considered as the center for the Corporation operations.

He shook his head. Girls should be the least among his priorities. They were distractions to his mission. Then his mind flitted to the thought of his transaction tomorrow.

The first transaction between him and Jonaz Enterprises.

’Game on!’ He clenched his fist and rode out as well, not with a hoverboard, but with his boots.