Chapter 1: Gambling With a God
Stapling a stack of papers I take the time to organize my desk making sure that all my loose papers are taken account of and all the pencils and pens are neatly put back in their proper holders, taking one last gaze at the neatness of my desk making sure that nothing is out of place I straighten my pure obsidian tie gazing out my office window admiring the beauty of the city; pressing the speed dial on my phone I quickly hear the beep knowing that it's been connected to another line.
"Is there something I can get you Mr.Adler?" The smooth voice of my secretary comes through the speaker putting a smile on my face as I prepare myself for what's to come.
"You know what Vanessa yes yes there is you see I've gotten word from a lower branch manager that we have a worker that is turning in work that's not up to par with company standards and we both know that that is unacceptable so please send up Jim Richrds I must terminate this one before he taints the others with his trash." The smile on my face dims slightly before quickly going back up as I casually pick up my rubik's cube quickly getting to work trying to finish the almost completed cube leaning back in my chair putting my feet up on my desk.
"As you wish Mr.Adler I will send up Mr.Richards now."
"Thank you Vanessa and if you can please get me another rubik's cube I have finished this one." I say while sitting up, setting down the now completed rubik's cube.
"As you wish."
It doesn't take long for Vanessa to come to the door politely knocking twice before entering wearing her typical all black dress that goes just below the knees her black hair straightened and her fair face as blank as ever as she quickly walks to my desk dropping off my rubix cube that's already been mixed up. As Vanessa leaves my office I focus my attention on the sole other person who entered the room and the reason for my mild annoyance, looking at Jim my attention is immediately drawn to his suit… it's cheap, partially untucked, and baggy on his thin body. Hiding my scowl I take a moment to look at Jim's physical appearance. He's young early thirties if his files are correct but his messy appearance makes him look older, his unshaven face and messy hair doing little to help him look younger.
"What are you doing standing there like a fool boy come and sit."
"Ye-yes sir." My stern voice seems to shake him from whatever daze he was in as he quickly comes to sit in one of the cushioned red chairs that I directed him to.
"Now that you're settled do you have any idea why I've called you here Mr.Richards?" I ask, never losing my small smile.
"No sir I don't have a clue." From his tone it really does seem like he doesn't have a clue but the slight worry in his voice I'm sure he's beginning to catch on.
"Well then please allow me to enlighten you Mr.Richards you see every week the branch managers are assigned to tally how many sales each of the employees make and would you like to know what those tallies show they show that you haven't been getting enough of them."
"Sir I understand that I haven't been turning in work that's up to company standard but there's a logical explanation to this please allow me to explain." feeling my curiosity peak I nod allowing my employee a chance to explain himself.
"It's my daughter sir sh-she's sick it's bad… The medical bills are starting to add up and I don't know what to do. We've reached out to organizations but none are willing to help us and I haven't been able to focus on my work." Holding up my hand I stop Jim from finishing his explanation.
"It's ok Jim you don't have to finish. I believe I understand the story you're trying to tell and it's a sad story but allow me to shed some light on the world you're in. This is a world where the strong survive and the weak die do you think I got to where I am today by taking pity on everyone who came to me with a sob story like yours, no I didn't I got to the place I am today because I was ruthless taking down anyone who even had the smallest potential of defeating me this world can't be looked at normally you have to look at this world like the rule of the jungle because only the strong will survive." Staring at Jim the smile on my face long having disappeared I take a moment to bask in the look of utter shock and desperation on his face.
"Pl-please sir, I need this job. I won't be able to pay for my daughter's medical bills!" Jim stumbles to take out his wallet quickly opening it showing me a picture of his daughter, she's young maybe four at least three a pity.
"Jim we might have helped you if you were a rising star in the company but you're not you are at the bottom of the totem and like I told you before if you aren't able to adapt to become stronger should you really even have a child you're only going to spread your weakness to her no wonder she got sick being the child of someone who can't even pay for her medical bills." Jim's face is priceless as it pales as the realization sets in that he won't have this job much longer. "Go pack up your things, actually no we'll have your things shipped to you now get out of my office Jim." Turning my chair around I gaze out at the beautiful city with the sun setting on the opposite side of the lake.
"No, I can't accept this! I work sixteen hour days every day with no days off and you're firing me? I can't accept this I WON'T!" Spinning back around my chair I stare at Jim who has tears running down his face and a face filled with rage subtly putting my hands I press the silent alarm requesting for security as I stand up looking down at Jim putting on a blank face.
"Well you'll have to Jim because if you don't you will wallow in self pity and despair while your daughter slowly dies because her father can't accept the simple fact that he failed."
"Failed?! No I didn't fail you failed I did everything right it's your fault for not noticing it!"
Audibly laughing, I watch as security quickly rushes the room grabbing Jim caring him away as he shouts all types of slurs at me. "This world has no room for weaklings Jim, you either adapt to the changes life throws at you or you crack under them it's your fault for not adapting!" I call out as Jim gets dragged through the office as I turn back around staring at the beautiful sunset, that's why people fail in this world not because they don't have skill but because they fail to adapt with the changes causing all their skill to go to waste which is why the company has thrived so well under my control. I'll admit it was not easy with the mess my brother made of it but it wasn't anything that couldn't be fixed after his unfortunate 'accident' even father would be turning in his grave if he saw what was being made of his company by that simpleton I had to step in it was ruining the family name.
"They came in faster than I thought they would." Turning I stare at Vanessa who is standing by the door wearing the same blank face holding a clipboard.
"I've worked here long enough to know to warn security in advance whenever the branch managers send their seasonal reports on the workers, is there anything else you need sir?"
"No that will be all Vanessa you can call it a night if you would like I am planning to stay like these papers are not going to sign themselves after all."
"Thank you sir, have a good night."
"You as well Vanessa." Watching Vanessa exit the office I open up my filing cabinet taking out a stack of papers that all need to be signed and reviewed, working late into the night I eventually finish my work packing my things taking the elevator down to the company garage taking my car and going home.
As the months pass the company only got better with the stock increasing and the sales at an all time high I begin the lonely walk back to my car taking note that there's still another car in the garage which is odd considering the fact that it's three in the morning and today isn't the day that the building gets cleaned, ignoring it for now I continue my walk to the car making a mental note to tell Vanessa to make a call to the service people to fix the flickering lights. Unlocking the car I open the back door first to put my briefcase in first before closing the door and opening the drivers door to begin the drive to get home. About to climb in the car I pause feeling something be pressed against my back.
"Freeze, don't move." The voice is a harsh whisper and has an odd sense of familiarity as if I had heard it before, raising my hands I stand completely still.
"No worries I'm unarmed if it's money you'd like in my back pocket you'll find my wallet you can have it but I wouldn't suggest taking my car or briefcase, the brief case only has…"
"SHUT UP! It's not money I want, it's justice!" Pausing in confusion I turn around and stare the barrel of a magnum revolver, looking past the barrel I stare at an oddly familiar face as if I had seen him before but forgot his face, there's tears but most importantly there's pain on this mans face as if he has lost a piece of himself.
"Who are you?" I am genuinely curious about this man's identity, I've been robbed before this is the city after all but I've never been through anything like this before and this man seems to be holding a grudge against me personally.
"Hah you don't even remember me that's priceless!" Watching him cock the gun I wave my hands in front of me.
"Wow wow wow let's not do anything you're going to regret if you kill me here there's cameras everywhere you'll be caught within the day!" Looking frantically around me I try to find anything that'll help me escape this lunatic, I won't try to pretend that I'm an angel I'm far from it actually I'm sure I've been the indirect and direct cause of many people's deaths and frankly I could care less. In this world the strong survive and the weak die that's how things work and I've just been fortunate enough to being one of the strong, but I do NOT plan on dying at the hands of a maniac with a gun I made my empire to ensure that I die peacefully in my sleep knowing that one of my descendants will take over the business and continue the empire.
"It doesn't matter." The whisper was almost inaudible but I still heard it under his breath.
"Yes, yes it does matter! Don't you have someone who is waiting for you at home, a mom or a dad, a son or a daughter or even a wife?!" My voice is frantic and filled with worry, I'm powerless, with how much work and wisdom I have in the business world I'm powerless to a hooligan with a gun, it's pathetic.
"NO YOU TOOK THEM FROM ME!"
"I DON'T KNOW YOU!" I shout back my own rage beginning to seep through, if I'm going to die here I will not die begging to live on my knees I will die fighting! The man looks away reaching into his pocket with his free hand. Taking advantage of his distraction I lunge forward tackling the man to the ground, knocking the gun out of his hand as we wrestle each other trying to gain the upper hand on one another. Feeling a blow to my face I'm forced to roll on my back as the man jumps on top of me wailing blow after blow on my face, opening my eyes after the barrage of punches stopped I stare at an open wallet revealing a little girl who's at least three years old. Realization dawning on me I smile weakly pointing a finger at the man.
"You're Jim Richards aren't you." I say with a small smile while trying to catch my breath, normally I wouldn't recognize someone after so long but there was something about him that made me remember him.
"Ha, so you do remember me well at least you'll know your executioner." Jim lunges forward again wrapping his hands against my throat squeezing my windpipe shut. I've never been afraid of death, it's a natural thing and will eventually come for everyone what always frightened me was the road of how I would meet death, would it be painful or peaceful, would I die fast or would I die slow, the whole premise of arriving at deaths door always worried me but never meeting him. Out of all the ways I've imagined my death I would've never imagined myself getting choked out in my work garage by a former employee.
Looking at Jim's face all I can see is his immeasurable amount of rage painted onto his face, clawing at Jim's hands do little to remove any of the pressure on my throat, the lack of oxygen sending a burning pain down my throat and a sharp pain pulsing through my head. I'm dying, my last moments on this earth are going to be spent in fear, reaching up with the last of my strength I scratch at Jim's eyes doing nothing to loosen Jim's grip on my throat.
My arms drop to my sides, losing the last of their strength as my vision begins to blur. I close my eyes deciding to do a preemptive strike on death welcoming the cold embrace of darkness, I'm not ready for death and frankly I don't believe anyone truly is ready for death I wasn't religious so I don't believe in heaven or hell but I would often ponder about what would happen once you died but I didn't live long enough for me to come up with a definitive answer, it seems the answer will find me before I find it. I lived life by the rule of the jungle believing that the strong will strive and the weak will die, it was how I was raised and I believed myself to be at the top of that jungle I was wrong and I assure you I WILL NOT MAKE THAT MISTAKE AGAIN!
Losing the last of the air in my body I drift into the cold comfort of unconsciousness fully prepared to never wake up again.
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Opening my eyes I'm surprised to see myself in an actual room, no this isn't a room at all it's more of a large glass cylinder filled with a thick green liquid, strangely reminiscent to what I remember Luke being in in Star Wars when he was injured. Raising my arm with an immense amount of effort to try and touch the glass I'm greeted with yet another surprise, I'm young, my arm looks nothing like it should on a thirty year old male in healthy shape it looks as if it should belong to a child attending elementary school. Squinting my eyes to try and see my reflection in the glass I'm greeted with yet another horrific sight, I am young again but this isn't my young body this is someone else's! Looking around as fast as the thick green liquid allows me too I stare out the translucent glass staring at multiple other cylindrical glass tubes filled to the brim with green liquid with a child floating in the middle a black tube surrounding their mouth and nose floating to the top of the chamber. Looking up I stare at a similar black tube which is pumping me full of oxygen trying to find any way to escape, not finding any I do the one thing I can do: float. Not being able to tell time I assume it was about an hour before anything changed, that change being a young man in an all white lab coat coming into view with a clipboard observing each of the children writing notes about them then tinkering with a control panel in front of each of our chambers. As the man gets closer I'm able to get a better look at him. He's young, early twenties at most with long obsidian hair with matching eyes framed by glasses with a black frame.
When the doctor gets to my chamber we stare at each other for a brief moment, him giving me a small smile immediately walking towards my control panel shortly after he steps away and immediately begins to write notes on his clipboard. A sweet smelling aroma begins to fill my nose as I quickly grow tired shutting my eyes unwillingly as they grow increasingly heavy.
"Do not worry my child you'll be awake soon." Before I fully fall asleep I hear the smooth voice of who I presume to be the man echo through the tube before I fall back into a heavy sleep.
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Waking up again I immediately try sitting up only to be stopped by with little effort by straps on my wrist across my chest and around my ankles. Frantically trying to get loose I begin to feel my fear begin to rise as I realize the situation I'm in. I'm a child now, a weak boy no older than six kidnapped by a mad scientist I always knew there'd be an afterlife I just didn't know how fucked that afterlife would be transmigration into a child just doesn't seem up to par with some of the other after lifes I've read about. My thoughts get interrupted by a small chuckle by my side, struggling to look over I stare at the same man still in his white lab coat with a look of amusement etched on his face.
"No no I didn't mean for you to stop. I've just always been so fascinated by the way you mortals think, always having to worry about dying and living life to the fullest before it ends. It fascinated me but you're not fully wrong, you did get one thing right this afterlife for you is very special. To start things off no you did not transmigrate you fully reincarnated you merely only gained consciousness now, you see the tube you were in was filled with a liquid that clouded your consciousness and only the people with the strongest minds are able to wake up so congratulations on actually waking up. Another thing that you got wrong is assuming that everyone is lucky enough to come here because they aren't, many people's souls just wander around the abyss aimlessly never to regain consciousness again. Before we get started I always allow my patient three questions so ask away and do be quick. I'm very busy after all." The man's voice comes out clear with zero mistakes sounding like any other person that you'd make small talk to yet the air of superiority is unmistakable and intimidating as if you're talking to the king himself.
Quickly trying to absorb all the information given to me by this man who claims to be an immortal I think of my three questions that I wish to ask.
"What are you planning on doing with me?" My voice comes out raspy and unfamiliar to what I'm used to sounding like the child I am.
"Ahh a good question, well if I am going to be honest I am not quite sure yet you see I usually experiment on the lost souls that find themselves here some I turn into beasts some I turn into masterpieces it all depends on the questions that they ask and what mood I find myself in."
Closing my eyes I immediately change my next two thinking of the best ways to try and capitalize on the situation that I am in.
"For my second question, what do you do with the patient once you are finished with them?"
"Well I release them of course, I don't just view my patients as a patient I view them as my children afterall I change their very being they will no longer be the same after I am finished with them so I release them on the countless worlds out there wishing the best for them."
Nodding my head I become content on what my third question will be.
"Would you like to have a wager?"
���A wager?" He asks curiously with a wide grin on his face. "And what type of wager will this be?"
" A coin flip!" I say quickly without missing a beat. "But you cannot interfere with the results, if it lands on what I call I would like to choose what you change about me if it is what you call then you can do whatever you want with me." I would never dream about trying to beat a god in a game but if this was a fair game based on chance I wouldn't count out my odds.
The god's grin gets wider as he stares into my eyes, his black eyes feeling as though they are staring into my soul.
"I will do your wager but I will not agree to your bets, you will not be able to choose all the things I do to you but you can choose three things that you want changed or three things to stay the same or you can mix them."`
Taking a moment I immediately think of three requests for the god.
"For my first request I would like to maintain the overall appearance of a human for my second request I don't want you to tinker with my mind and for my third request I would like you to give me the potential to become one of your strongest creations."
The god openly starts laughing before looking at me with a toothy smile revealing his sharp pointed teeth.
"Now those are some very good requests and if you do win our wager I will follow them but if you are to become my strongest creation you will have to grow in strength I cannot just snap my fingers and make you god you will have to grow in power is that clear?"
"Yes it is."
The God makes a golden coin appear in his hand and explains to me which side is heads and which side is tails before flipping it in the air catching it on the back of his hand covering it with his free hand before I can see.
"What side do you call?"
"Heads." I say with full confidence in my answer.
The god removes his hand revealing the golden coin with the heads side showing.
"Well then a deal is a deal and you have won fair and square so let me explain to you what happens now you see I will knock you out with my magic I will change whatever it is I want to change then I'll send you to get reborn again in a new world is that clear?"
"I'm getting reborn again?"
"Yes, enough questions let's get started!" The last thing I see is the god snapping his fingers before a sudden tiredness washes over me before I drift off to a heavy sleep.