Chapter 4: CHAPTER 4

I set up my computers to search any trace of this XR and there was nothing on this guy he was untraceable but basing off that we only had his nickname and random information dumps on him I should have known as wouldn't go far. Immediately I located all the nearby universities in Paradise city and high schools to start planning all the viable ways I can find XR among all these students. Miranda set up a separate station where she could still communicate with her intel and keep a close eye on Gendwall.

I decided to set up an algorithm to search for all computer science students and related studies in technology.

"Cy, what exactly have you set to look for?"Miranda said looking up to me suspiciously. She linked the computers so she could also see what I was doing.

"All the students doing related studies on computers and technology."

"Cy having people work for you has thrown you off your game. We all know that drug dealers are in those degree programs. In a society where it's only a small percentage of the people who actually study what they are passionate about, finding them like that actually works which reduces our probability of finding them. Another option is that he/she would rather prefer to study something unrelated to what they already spend hours of the day on."

"Yeah, I get your point, so I can change it to anyone who has access to a device and that's every single student .But not everyone takes a great deal of time in actual meaningful activities on their devices .Most of them are just tiring away with their overdue assignments and going through their social media accounts, so I can search their analog and search statistics and screen times more than 10 hours which does not include social media . The use of proxy serves constant change in their phone's location or any other device.VPNs are common but are not used all the time by regular people"I said aloud.

"Exactly. Cy, I was always your oxygen. Maybe you haven't lost your touch after all," she said smirking and getting back to her work.

"You still call yourself oxygen."I smirked,"It hasn't changed like your heigh...."

She kicked me on my calf "Hey, no short jokes when working."

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"It's all your fault ." A voice murmured in a empty room.

"What is all my fault ?"I asked confused

"All is ."

"You know what you did, "the voice said again in a harsh tone that threw me off I felt my heart beating out of the chest and felt the heaviness on my body as if gravity took a physical form and started pushing me down.Suddenly the force stopped.I looked up and nothing was there. Completely nothing. I was in a huge room and the walls were so far that I could barely see them.there were voices I was hearing, murmurs they were creepy smooth and soft and at the same time raspy and cruel.Suddenly I could feel my airways blocked and I struggled to breathe...I started taking huge deep breathes as I attempted to control myself. I held my chest and the voices started getting louder.

"Cy, Cy" Miranda called out shaking me.

I woke up and I saw Miranda standing on the side of my bed a bit worried

"You okay seemed like you had a nightmare," she said taking a step back.

"Yeah it happens," I said reaching out for the medicine I kept next to me in my pants pocket

I took a pill and swallowed it as I took some water

"It's an antidepressant ."Miranda said looking at the container worried.

I just nodded slowly . She looked at me almost in pity and proceeded to hug me. I wanted to cry at that very moment not because of the nightmares I constantly got ,but just having someone comfort me that knew what I had gone through felt like some pent up feelings were released. It took some time for my heartbeat to go back to normal.

"Thank you for caring, Cy."She said when she noticed that I had relaxed a bit,"How are you feeling?"

"I am just glad that I did not lead you to your death."

"Idiot, we are a team you did nothing wrong. Plus I made the choice on my own."

It was quiet for a few minutes and the heaviness of the situation started sinking in once again.

"Cy."

"Yeah."

"Your going to be late for work."

"What?!"

I looked at the clock and it was already seven in the morning and I knew today I could not afford missing out at Digicliff. Setting up the algrothims took a long amount of time . I knew a day of missed work can be a huge problem and I jumped out of bed immediately.

After taking a shower and getting ready in my business casual attire which was just a shirt and jeans ,I found Miranda dressed as Jen Blue once again at the exit.

"Jen needs a job."She said not knowing if she treats her hologram as a second being or herself.

"You said you needed access to the best technology. Digicliff can offer at least that.I can employ you."I said

" Don't you think that's a bit suspicious that out of nowhere that you will employ me," she asked raising her eyebrow

" I will just make up a story ."

"Okay, at least I won't waste time going over to another company.Make sure to remember the lie. You were always a terrible liar."

"I changed"

"Really?"She asked staring through my weak white soul.

"No," I said ashamed for even trying.

"You couldn't even make it through a minute. Anyway just twist te truth I know you are good at that."

We were about to go outside when once again Glenn made a dramatic entrance to ruin my life once again.

"Cy!!!!"Glenn called out as he burst into the room at a volume louder than what was necessary.

"I forgot to give you....."He said then stopped and looked at me and Miranda. In his hand was Miranda's memorial service taping on a hard drive. With the title Miranda's fifth memorial in the biggest letters ever.

He always got a recording for me saying that he knew that I would watch them anyway and it was important to have them. It had to be mortifying for Miranda to even see them in person.

At this point in time, I could tell what Glenn was going to tell me about getting to close with a random stranger. As much as he seemed like the sleek and chilled guy he was cautious and I getting close to another human being like that might have aroused his curiosity especially after a night of Miranda's memorial.

"Ummmmm Cy I will meet you later ...let me go," Miranda said walking out past Glenn.

I cupped my face in my hands in obvious fatigue with Glenn giving me a harsh look

"Okay I know, I know, it looks bad but…."

"Patrick told me that he sat in for your meetings yesterday, For a workaholic like you that's unlikely ."

"Yeah, I was busy with other stuff, "I said trying to find a way to save myself.

"You know what, Cy I got classes in an hour and I can't miss them so we talk in the evening in your office. And don't lie, you're a terrible liar."He said making me ashamed at my status as a 'Terrible liar'

He walked out and I just felt sudden guilt eating away on my soul. I always tell Glenn everything and I mean literally everything and now that Miranda is back and I couldn't tell him I was in a hard place. I never told him about the first incident and now a second thing I could not tell him.

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I rushed into Digicliff making my usual rounds around all the departments making sure that everything was in place and the employees were in their best performance. It was just some extra effort to build their trust and ensure that it runs smoothly. Honestly, it was also one of the only things I created that was that successful. Miranda arrived earlier than me claiming that it would cause a huge problem if we walked in together .

I let her in the office and I was waiting to see if she was impressed by it but she just gave a dull expression. While I thought that it was the sight of pure beauty with marble and glass.She was difficult to impress.

"Are those next year's plans?" she said pointing at project folders with joy in her eyes.

She must have already seen the plan outlines on my tablet.

"You just couldn't pace yourself," I said looking at her still in a childish joy.

"I need a challenge once in a while. I am not here to lazy around ."She said smiling.

" Then I will assign you to project management since it seems that are excited for it .Patrick will take you round the office and....."

"Oh, no need I already went through the floor plans and videos I can find my way around."She said leaving.

It seemed like she was planning to get this job from the start or she just tricked me it giving her something she already wanted to do.

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"Sir, how comes you hired someone new for project management,"Patrick asked at the end of an extremely long and strenous day at the office.

"It's just Cyrus ,Ms.jennifer Blue spiked my interest on the day of the launch of the transport tubes and I believed she will be a vital team player for the future success of Digicliff in the future. "I said trying my best to bend the truth.

In reality we did meet on the day of the transport tube and I did think she would bring success to Digicliff. It was Miranda after all she was always highly effective in her tasks. I was glad that even if I put Miranda in such a position she would actually work and at least she was smart so there was no suspicion on her abilities.

"Why do you ask?" I asked Patrick

"No rarely hire new employees yourself,but from the information it seems like she is an important person to the company now."

"Yes but kindly treat her like any other employee."

I did not want to raise any further suspicions at work.I looked at Patrick now smilking and immediately I sensed something off with him. Usually when something is off with Patrick it was only one person's fault.

"Did Glenn....."

"Sir, Glenn has arrived." The secretary informed me through the intercom.

"Send him up as usual."

"I think that is my cue to leave," Patrick said clearly trying to escape from my question.

After that, I had to think about how I would convince Glenn that Miranda or rather Jen Blue was not a threat and why I had grown close to her so quickly.

"Cy, I brought your favorites iced coffee with almond milk and jelly-filled donuts ."He said sitting at his special bean bag chair that he kept for himself as 'his seat'.

I took a deep breath in and I knew what he wanted me to tell him everything . If he brought me iced coffee and donuts it was truly his way of saying "You better tell me the truth" Glenn may have taken food too seriously.

When we first sat down to eat I knew what he was doing. He was trying to ease me into the conversation by not mentioning Miranda for the first few minutes. The second step was to make me laugh by saying the dumbest things imaginable and the last thing he did was to say "remember when" and bring up our childhood. That's when he finally asked.

"Okay Cy, let's be for real who is this Jennifer Blue? "

" I met her on the day of the launch of the transport tubes and she just piqued my interest "

"And how did she manage to get to that little lifeless heart of yours?"

"To be honest I just think that she reminds me of you know who.I haven't met someone like her in a long while. "

Glenn looked at me more worried than before.

"I hope you are not trying to replace her with Miranda off the bat."

"I could never do that to myself ,you know that."

"Says the person who never ate for weeks on end."

"It's different now, I trust her."

"I hope your are telling me the whole truth."

"Of course I can never lie to you." I said the best way I could to convince him

"Well I trust you."

I was a bit surprised that it was so easy to convince him until he had to utter the dreadful words,

"Oh and Cry when you lie you never usually look at me in the eye, then your eye twitches your voice slightly raises a pitch, and when you smiled a minute ago it was not genuine, arrange a dinner with me and this Jen lady tomorrow night. I already know you don't have plans I checked .see you later I have a group discussion in an hour . Plus I do trust you even when you lie to me but I can't trust a random person I have never met before."He said walking out the door.

I just lied back in my chair and smiled. No one could match Glenn in my life .He was the most extraordinary human being I've ever met in my life .He was extremely talented and had a high intellectual capacity . He was a genius in all things to do with mannerisms psychology and generally could sense danger. He was different goofy most of the time but could probably make to be as detective and succeed if he wanted. He decided to go to theatre arts since detective work was just not his style.

There were even some several failed attempts to get him to be one of the heads at Digicliff as my Chief Strategic Officer . Things never passed him easily but I could not get in the way of him and his dream. I did all my best and now it was between him and Miranda to see if they could battle it out in a game of deception and wits. I could already tell who will be the winner and I could finally just act like a spectator.