"Hello, who is this?"
"It's me , Maureen, it's Casper."
"Who?"
"Casper Rollan, from school?"
"Casper ....that sounds familiar, Oh, the weird nerd. Homeroom..right? Sup Rollan?"
"I'm not weird, just academically inclined."
"Yeah, sure. Whatchu want ,weirdo. My date is coming to pick me up anytime now."
"Your..date?"
"Yeah, my date. What do you want, and how did you get my number?"
"I...I thought I was your date?"
"What! The hell are you talking about? You're a weirdo, who would want you as a date?"
"But, You called me, asking if I could be yours for the prom?"
"When did I....Oh, so that was you? Haha, I was just pranking you. Honestly, I'd already forgotten about it. Don't tell me, you actually got dressed up?"
"I ...did"
"Hahahahaha! Oh you poor fool. Listen to me, I'm Maureen Kings. My father is the owner of a multibillion company which I am the heir to. There is no way, in any universe where I would even consider holding some foster kids hand, got that."
"Why ..Why do this to me? What did I do to you?"
"Nothing. It's just fun messing with no names like you."
"Fun. Messing with people's emotions is fun to you?"
"Not everyone's. Just yours."
"Why?"
"Because, you don't matter.
(Car horn sounds)
"Gotta go nerd. Remember what I said, you're nothing. Repeat it till it sinks in Bye"
( Beep)
______________________________________________
"Sir, just please take a look at my report."
"Sorry...um, what's your name again?"
"It's, Casper sir. Casper Rollan."
"Right, Casper, you're asking me to invest millions of dollars into something that doesn't even make sense."
"Sir, if you would just read my report it will explain everything. It will make sense. Please."
"No, that's a bunch of crap. Tell me, did Johnson Labs send you to my research facility to bring me down?"
"What, no no sir. Just take a look at it, please, I promise it will make sense. I spent a lot of time researching this, I am sure that it will work. It will be Humanity's next step in evolution. The start of a new species"
"Which you've creatively dubbed, the Homo magi, did I pronounce that right?"
"Yeah."
"Right. Homo magi, people who are able to absorb and conduct terrestrial energy."
"Through mutations to their genetic system, we could introduce an absorbing factor, just like how plants absorb sunlight and use it to create energy. Sir, it can work if you just look more into it."
"Listen to me, this is a whole load of bull crap, created by a mad man, who I will not allow to continue working in my company."
"Sir wait-"
"What your talking about will lead to the deaths of very many people. Mutations? Seriously. Guards, get this man out of here."
"No wait, please, stop."
"Don't try to resist man, we'll use force and you're not gonna like it."
"Please sir, please, I've sacrificed so much time and effort, a lot of years have gone into that research sir, please...NO, DON'T SHUT ME OUT PLEASE, I DON'T HAVE ANYWHERE ELSE TO GO! PLEASE!"
"Shut the fuck up. Oi, Joey, taser this guy, will ya."
______________________________________________
"Genetic mutations huh? Have to admit Rollan, you're a genius."
"...."
"Look at you, grinning from ear to ear. How does it feel, seeing the fruits of your labor all ripe and juicy."
"Satisfying sir."
"Enjoy it Casper."
"I am sir. I've sacrificed so much for this , time , energy, relationships."
"Ah, That thing with Diana, fell out huh?"
"Humanity comes first."
"Humanity comes first, wow. We need more people with that kind of conviction."
"Thank you sir. For everything. For giving me a chance, for funding all of this. For making my dreams come true."
"Hey, don't start with all that. You're making me feel guilty."
"Guilty, of what?"
"This."
(gunshot)
"Guh, uuuuh, Aaaaah!"
"Hey, hey don't make those sounds. You, are the father of the Homo magi. You should be making sounds like, Hurrah or Huzzah, those are sounds...right?"
"Nnnrrgh"
"But, the name that will be written , the name that will be remembered, the name that will go down in history, will be Mine, Jonas Kings. "
"W..Why..."
" Why? Well, why not? I've looked into you Casper. You studied in the same school as my daughter. Doesn't it feel right that both our work will be inherited by her. A schoolmate huh, someone familiar....by the face you're making, I can tell you're not psyched about that."
"Maureen Kings. Sh-She's you're da-daught-er ? She t-told me I- I was nothing?"
"Well, she wasn't wrong. A foster kid coming from having been no one to engineering the next step in evolution? That doesn't make any sense. "
"You're - you're all-"
"All what? Monsters? Buddy, we're just business minded. Toodle-oo."
(another gunshot)
______________________________________________