Twenty floors below, the Personal Banking Center was opening its doors. People preferred to do their banking in The City. Midas was very proud of the fact that they had never been robbed since they were open. Or so City Records would have you believe.
There’s a first time for everything, Norm thought, adjusting his glasses and hat in a chromed pillar. He waited around the lobby for a cubicle drone, and made a careful catalog of entrances, exits, cameras, and visible security measures. It could be done. He tried not to smirk during the mortgage consultation. It wasn’t easy.
The City: 008: Norm
October 8, 2014
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The City: 007: Emily
October 7, 2014
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The City was the center of the world, and Emily sat on the throne. At least, that is how she considered her desk at Midas Bank. The City, and by extension Midas, had become the world’s clearing house. Every day, billions of Dollars, Euros, Yen, Yuan, Pounds, and every other trading currency flowed through her gates, were converted to credits, passed through a few more hands, and left again. She logged the transactions and sped the bundles on their way. She didn’t know much about international finance law, but that wasn’t her department. She was certain everything was completely legal.
The City: 006: The Buyer
October 6, 2014
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Augustus watched the other man over their glasses. He was still smiling that damned Guy Fawkes grin. He’d never seen it falter, no matter how hard he negotiated. And he was just as good. A world champion poker player. And now the game was over. “So now that you’ve got my stake, what will you do with it?”
He set down his glass. “My backers think like you do. The City is an efficient way of concentrating capital. But I see it as so much more than that. There is so much potential here. I’m going to do wonderful things.”
The City: 005: Laura
October 3, 2014
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Laura was the owner at a very exclusive night club. She had a long, lucrative night, but it was morning now. The dance floor was empty, the chairs had been placed on the tables, and the the rest of the staff had gone home. She should be home, too. But you can get anything at any time in The City. Especially if you’re Augustus Sizemore. So she opened up and brought them a bottle of champagne. She poured herself for the CEO and his guest. She marveled at how prettily it sparkled in the new day’s sunlight. They clinked glasses.
The City: 004: Bob
October 2, 2014
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Bob knew every turn and corner in The City. He could get from The Heights to The Bay inside of ten minutes, in any weather, at any time of day. He’d been a driver for Midas Corp. for five years, and he’d been Augustus Sizemore’s chauffeur for two. Before that, he’d been a Daytripping Gearhead. Once he was the king of the underground street racing circuit. But everybody has to grow up and get a real job sometime. The doors opened and two men got in. One was his boss, the other, he did not know. Bob started the engine.
The City: 003: Gina
October 1, 2014
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Gina watched the jumper on the exterior cameras. Her chute was a cheap model, without any stabilizers. You could get one of those for the credits you’d find lying in the street. The kid was a Daytripper, not a Citizen like her. And she didn’t know how strong the crosswinds blew up here. They buzzed for her in the conference room. They must have finally finished. She wished the kid happy landings, and went in. The signed contract lay on the table. The mysterious gentleman looked happy, but her boss just looked tired. She took it, and left the room.
The City: 002: Augustus
September 30, 2014
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Augustus watched the sunrise from the floor-to-ceiling window of the 97th floor boardroom. They had worked through the night, but the contract was finished. Everyone but he and the client had gone home. He was the fifth-richest men in the world, and this sale would multiply his fortune. But could he really give up his control of Midas Corp? Could he leave The City behind? A rainbow parachute descended past him. A punky girl in black leather dangled from it. She met his eye and gave him the finger. He crossed back to the table and signed.
The City: 001: Dawn
September 29, 2014
The City, Writing 140 Characters, Dawn, Drabble, Fiction, Midas Corp, The City, Writing 21 Comments
Dawn loomed over The City. She stood and watched the rising sun filter through block after block from her vantage on the roof of Midas Corp. Tower. She had climbed up without light, making the perilous trip by memory and relying on a FAQ when the going got tough. There wasn’t anything up here, but it was the best view short of buying your own plane. And who had the credits to waste on something like that? This was her city, and she was its vagabond master. It was a new day, and below her adventure was waiting. She Jumped.
Hugh J. O'Donnell 