swipe - chapter 0 (prologue)

Chapter 0 - An Execution And A Funeral


November 1, 2010
There is an old saying that goes: “Be very careful with what you wish for or it will come to pass.”
Tonight my wish is about to come true – I am about to witness the execution of people I never stopped hating in all my years as an employee at Solutions International. I know some bosses can be bad but I never thought these people would be bad enough to receive capital punishment.
As the clock ticks, the audience around me waits anxiously for the big gas chamber to be occupied by tonight's convicts. Many of them are excited... though some of them cannot overcome their grief for even the death of tonight's murderers cannot bring back what was taken away.
“I wish time would fly fast,” the man beside me says. “I want to watch them die now!”
“There's only thirty minutes left,” I say to him.
“Believe me, Son. Once those fools die, I will finally be at peace.”
“Trust me. Everyone here wants it more than anything else tonight.”
I don't know his story but the man beside me is likely to have lost a loved one or two at the hands of tonight's convicts. In fact, all the spectators at today's execution have lost loved ones at the hands of tonight's convicts. And they are here to watch them die.

When the waiting time finally ends, the audience finally goes quiet at their seats.
A dozen handcuffed inmates – men and women, former employees, team leaders, bosses and managers – are brought to the chamber, escorted by soldiers armed with M4 assault rifles loaded with heavy-duty fifty-caliber rounds. The entrance to the chamber closes after the last member of the convicted group steps in. The lights in the chamber are currently green. When they turn red, their final suffering begins.

This gas chamber here has taken many unholy lives ever since it was built in the 1960s. Most of those who died in it were wanted criminals who spent the remainder of their lives running and hiding from the authorities for their hideous crimes. Other means of capital punishment were later implemented around the world, namely the electric chair. But in this town nothing satisfies a sadist more than the good old gas chamber.

Tonight is actually my first time to witness an execution.
I look at the chamber's handcuffed occupants one-by-one, recalling the many times they let me down after all the hard work I have done for them. Since I worked for them, I start to wonder if I should be in that chamber as well.
The lights in the chamber finally turn red and toxic gas is released within. Mixed emotions fill the atmosphere as the chamber's occupants struggle for breath. Some members of the audience cheer while others close their eyes and pray. After seeing enough of them struggling hopelessly, I close my eyes and wait for it all to end. A few minutes later, all is quiet and I open my eyes. The lights in the chamber are green again. This time all the occupants within are no longer moving. Is it over? Are they dead? As the spectators leave, I watch as the staff of this prison, Hell's Bedroom, check each body for faint pulses. The soldiers aim their rifles at the bodies... just in case. It's over. All of them are pronounced dead. They are later taken out of the chamber in black body bags. Before leaving my seat, I close my eyes and kiss the painful memories with them goodbye. It's time to move on and face a brighter tomorrow.


When the authorities found him, it was too late. He was already dying from overwork as a secret prisoner of Solutions International.
He worked so hard when he was still fully alive. When he realized that all his hardships never paid off, he attempted to resign from the job.
But instead of allowing him to leave, the bosses in the company secretly captured him and made him work as their secret slave. He was regarded as the most crucial asset in the company and they didn't want his departure to cause problems or financial losses. They wanted business to run smoothly forever. They wanted the profits to keep on growing. So they deprived him of his freedom to live.

November 3, 2010
Today he is about to be laid to rest. Not at the cemetery but at the bottom of the ocean.
People who knew him say he used to dream of lying down at the ocean floor, watching the sun and the sky from underwater. He used to love the feeling of being underwater because it felt to peaceful to him. And he was a big fan of dolphins and killer whales.
Only close friends and relatives are aboard this boat that is taking him to his final destination. Once in a while they get up from their seat to see him in his open casket.
Although it's a depressing sight, it lightens my heart to see him wearing clothes he always preferred to wear. In his casket, he is wearing a white long-sleeve T-shirt, white track pants and white All Star sneakers with blue laces. He never liked wearing formal clothes in all his life so his loved ones took that into consideration before today.
The boat stops in the middle of nowhere as the sun slowly brightens the night sky. All those present today rise from their seats as Father Miguel proceeds with the 6:00AM mass. After all that, people volunteer to come forward and share their memories with him.
At 7:30AM, it's time to bid him farewell. All the mourners let out excess tears as they watch his casket being dipped into the water. As it sinks, the day gets brighter. The sun is up. It's time for those he left behind to face a new life and a new day.
Before leaving, dozens of flowers are tossed into the spot where the casket was released.
“Goodbye, Nate,” each of them say, weeping.
And his name was 'Nate Paul'.


November 10, 2010
It's my final day at Solutions International.
The time is 7:30PM. All my personal belongings have been loaded into my black backpack. My user ID in the company's data processing system, Fusion, has been purged and my ID card can no longer open the doors in the building. A security guard is waiting for me outside the data processing room as I look back at my whole life in this company.

Everything happened so fast. When I first joined the company, it took weeks for me to get used to the harsh lifestyle. I had to sacrifice extra hours inputting data into a system with a user-unfriendly interface. I worked so hard that my arms started aching to the point of damaging my whole nervous system. And then things changed somewhere along the way.
I was able to improve the way I handle my job. In doing so, heavy workloads became a snap and I became an irreplaceable asset to the company. However, I never expected to fall victim to my own success.
As the company gained big profits, the bosses became ambitious and greedy and I became their pawn. A lot of insane things happened before it finally came to an end.

Tonight is the last time I will leave this building.
While in deep thought, my cell phone rings. It's an incoming call from Walter.
“Yes, Walter,” I answer.
“I am waiting for you downstairs, Master Nathaniel.”
“Okay, I'll be there. And Walter? Please address me as Nathan.”
“Very well, Sir.”
The night feels more beautiful than ever as I leave with my backpack. It's time to kiss everything goodbye – my desk, the ninth floor and everything that goes with it.
At the ground floor, a black luxury sedan is waiting with Walter leaving the rear door open for me. I occupy the rear seat after loading my backpack into the trunk. What follows is a warm chat between a driver and his passenger.
“You look so happy, Master Nathan,” Walter says as he drives through the evening traffic.
“It's actually my first time in almost five years to feel so free,” I say. “I feel so refreshed.”
“So perhaps there's no need to drop by a bar for a nice, cold drink?”
I laugh. “That's a good one, Walter.”
“Then I shall take you home. Miss Chloe is waiting for you. And there's a package waiting for you there.”
“A package? Wait! How big is it?!”
“Not very big. They say it's the size of two shoe boxes put together. It hasn't been opened yet.”
“I think we better call the bomb squad. What do you say?”
Walter chuckles. “Master Nathan, that package came from outside the country. If it contained explosive material it would never have reached your house. All packages are carefully inspected these days.”
I let out a sigh of relief. “Then I better start praying before opening that box.”

Upon entering the house an angel welcomes me with open arms – my fiancee, Chloe Warfare.
“How was your last day today?” she asks me.
“It was my best day at work,” I say before kissing her.
A brown, sealed package at the dining table catches my attention.
“Is that the package Walter was talking about?” I ask.
“Yes. I haven't opened it yet.”
“Let's open it together, shall we?”
My heart starts to beat fast as we open the box together. Deep inside I pray for forgiveness for all the wrongdoings Chloe and I have committed in life. After removing the seal, we finally open the lid. Time stands still. Nothing happens. I look inside the box and find something buried under some thick plastic. It's a book entitled “War In The Office”. And its author's name is Nathaniel Pablo.
“Oh, Honey, it's your book!” Chloe says with excitement building up in her.
“Looks like I did it this time,” I say.
“Congratulations, Sweetheart.”

The evening passes by as Chloe and I turn off the lights for a nice candlelight dinner at the living room.


November 18, 2010
On a day like today I would be at the office working my ass off. But with no job to worry about I am currently as free as the wind. Even with no superiors bossing me around I'm still able to earn some money through my book sales.

Ever since my book got published early this month it has been selling quite well. Plus, movie directors have been calling me for permission to make films based on my book. Even though I personally declined their requests, I told them to wait until I change my mind.

During working days, the malls are less crowded. Parking spaces are abundant and it feels great to walk from shop to shop without bumping into people you don't know.
As a fan of sneakers it has always been my habit to drop by the sporting goods stores first. Today's selection of shoes look nice but none of them are able to change my mind from buying what I came for – a pair of white All Stars. After paying for my new shoes, I check other shops for things that interest me.
For lunch, I choose to have a nice salmon steak at the Ocean Blue Restaurant. Let's not forget the dessert from Arctic Delights.

My body starts to grow weary as the hours fly by.
So before going home I finalize my shopping by purchasing a white track suit with blue trims... as a tribute to Nate.

Chloe and I have been together for quite sometime now. As we got to know each other better, the more we learned to trust each other... to the point of letting her have her own key to my house, which doesn't have that many furniture to boast about.
So whenever I come home from work there's usually a high probability that she would be there waiting for me after or while cooking a nice meal.

Tonight it's a little different.
Before entering the house I assume it's empty because the lights are off. As I enter, the lights suddenly turn on and I am greeted by Chloe, her two brothers and their girlfriends, and my close friends.
“Happy Birthday, Nathan!” they all say.
The dining table is filled with goodies. And one of these goodies is a nice, big, vanilla cake with “Happy Birthday, Nathan” written in blue icing.
“Thanks, guys,” I say to them. “Though it isn't my birthday until 12:00AM.”

One of the funny facts about life is that the more you have fun, the faster time flies.
With everyone eating and having a good time, it takes a while to realize it already 11:00PM. One more hour and it's my actual birthday. And fortunately tomorrow is a weekend day so tonight's guests are welcome to stay for as long as they want to.

“So how does it feel to have one of your wildest dreams come true?” Chloe's brother, Sandy, asks.
I'm currently seated at the couch at the center of the living room so all attention is on me.
“I should have started this long back when I was still young,” I answer. “All that work and no play took most of my time away.”
They all laugh.
“Does that scar on your face still hurt?” Chloe's other brother, Forrest, asks.
“Not as bad as the time when it was fresh,” I answer.
They laugh again.
“So like what was your life really like at Solutions International?” my old friend, Patrick, asks. “Was it really that bad?”
I take a deep breath before answering. “Bad at first, better later, worse much later. It's quite a long story though.”
“It's okay,” Sandy says. “We have the whole night to spare. And we're still waiting for our copies of your book.”
A few hours fly by as I tell them everything that happened in those five years at a company infested with criminals.