Tales of the Wastelander Ch. 01

"Ben, this has been great, and I hope that there will be many more nights and mornings like this?" she inquired hopefully, as they arrived, walking in the front door.

"Count on it," he told her smoothly, the lie rolling off his tongue with ease. She hugged him then, fooled that she would be seeing him again soon. Samara kissed him, letting him know just how much fun she had on their date. She finally broke away from him as she went inside to get dressed in her scrubs before leaving for work.

Ben headed down to the parkade to retrieve his car. Once he got in, he sat there for a few minutes before starting it and leaving. His heart ached to have to lie to Samara the way he did, but as far as he was concerned, this was the best option. He didn't want to drag her down with him, with what little he had to offer her. He was a sinking ship at the moment and refused to let her doom herself.

Putting the car into gear, Ben pulled out of the parkade and was on his way home. As he was navigating the highway, he figured that he should probably head to his place of work and collect his tools. Even though it was a Saturday, there were several guys who came in to work on weekends.

Ben often wondered why people would so willingly trade their free days for more time at work. They often said it was because the extra money was always good. Ben didn't believe their words, not for a single moment. He believed that it was because many of these men, who put in overtime, considered it a badge of honor. They came from a generation where there wasn't much in the manner of things to do and were instilled with the belief that the job mattered more than anything.

Ben, like many others in his age bracket, believed that working so damned much wasn't just bad for you physically, but mentally. He'd heard of the things they'd all gone through and shuddered at the thought of it all. Ben could tell that working like they did had leached all the fire and lust for life out of them long ago. He would be damned if he would be a drained and empty husk, like many of them were.

After getting onto the 401, it didn't take him long to get to the off ramp to the industrial sector. Finding his way to the shop in short order, Ben pulled in and parked his vehicle before heading inside. A good deal of the shop crew was at home during the weekend, but some guys still showed up. There were still enough people who showed up for the weekends to justify keeping the lights on and the machines running.

Ben made his way over to his workstation and quickly located his toolbox. It was a short plastic thing on rollers, but he didn't care about the box itself. It was the tools he kept inside it that mattered most to him. He'd brought a reusable bag with him to collect and contain his tools, while leaving the box behind. It didn't matter to him in the least, and his co-worker, Tony, would have more use for it than he would.

"Hey Ben! I never see you here on a Saturday!" Tony said as he ambled up behind him.

Ben turned around and smiled at his Italian co-worker. Tony had worked at the shop for some years now, longer than Ben had, and it showed. His face was worn, but still handsome enough that women looked on favorably. Something that his wife, Maria, knew of, considering she was protective of her husband to where it bordered on jealousy.

"Just here to collect my tools, man. I'm done with this place, because I caught the break of a lifetime!" Ben said to him.

"You won the Lotto/Max?" Tony asked incredulously.

"Nah, but something that's just as good and even cooler!"

Ben then launched into an explanation of the letter he'd received and took the time to go over everything. He detailed that he'd go under for ten years and come out with enough coin to afford himself a fresh start. As he finished telling him about it, Tony's eyes were as wide as saucers.

"Damn man! That's one hell of a fresh start you're getting! And you stay just like you are for ten years? No getting older or anything?" the older man asked.

"Nope! I can finally say goodbye to this place and start a new life in the future!" Ben exulted; his enthusiasm apparent.

"Future? What future? Your future is here and best you not forget it!" came a snarky and snively voice from behind him.

Inwardly, Ben groaned as he turned around and looked upon Robert Nowak, the vice president of the company and the owner's son. Since the day he started at the shop, Ben always knew that he'd butt heads with Robert, or 'Little Robbie' as he called him. He had the typical looks and frame that was associated with most European men, but he lacked the charm or the grace.

The way Little Robbie threw his weight around in the shop had generated a serious dislike for the man. There was also the fact that because he was the owner's son, he could do or say whatever he wanted, and his father would always believe him over anyone. This was something that Ben had a hard time swallowing but because most machine shop jobs rarely employed manual machinists these days. Ben simply had to roll with the punches and deal with it.

The sniveling little shit loved lording this over Ben, as they had almost come to blows on more than one occasion. If Ben hadn't been so even-tempered, Little Robbie would have much more than harsh words to remember him by. He stood up, towering over the reedy man by several inches, and looked down at him.

"Not anymore. I am leaving this place and taking everything that is mine and you can't say shit about it," Ben stated firmly.

"Where will you go? You won't find work that pays as well as we do, not for your measly skill set! You are going to stay here because we pay you better than anyone else!" the smaller man sneered.

"If that's what you think will keep people in line, Little Robbie, then you've got another thing coming. I'm leaving and if you want to stop me, you are going to have to bodily put me down. And I'd like to see you try!" Ben said with an edge of malice in his voice, letting the daddy's boy know that he wasn't playing around.

"My name is Robert!" he shouted, angered that Ben had taken a verbal jab at him. "And if you do anything, I'll let the boss know and he won't take kindly to you doing anything to me! You will not leave because you'll be leaving us shorthanded! No one leaves us shorthanded!"

"Little Robbie, you need to understand this fact of life; people are not your slaves or servants to do your bidding," Ben growled, his voice rising to match the burning anger within him. "My life is my own to live, my own to decide! I will not have it dictated to me by some arrogant little daddy's boy, who thinks he's better than everyone else because he was born to money!"

"You are little more than a sad weakling of a man who needs daddy's support to prop him up! To make him feel like he's important enough to spit on everyone without consequence and act like his shit doesn't stink! Newsflash boy: it does, and you stink worse than a horse's ass! I'm done with you and your bullshit! Now get out of my way before I crush you beneath my boots!" Ben raged, his voice echoing across the shop.

Robert shrank away from the furious man, fear replacing the arrogance that had just painted his face. Ben took a step and Robert took several, backing away from him in a hurry. Smiling, Ben hefted his bag of tools and slung them over his shoulder, before he turned to address Tony.

"Tell Graham that he can have my toolbox. I won't be needing it anymore. Have yourself a good one, Tony, and say hi to Maria for me!"

"Will do, buddy! Good luck!" Tony told him, shaking his hand.

Ben shook his coworker's hand and had an eerie feeling running through him at that moment. Even though he was going under for ten years, he felt as though this would be the last time he'd ever see him again. Shaking away the weird feeling, Ben walked out of the shop, feeling like a new man. The sun was out and shining brightly, which he took as a good sign.

After he got in his car, Ben made his way home, feeling like a million bucks. He'd always wanted to tell that little shit off, but doing so without repercussions would have been an impossibility. Now, with his life changed, there was nothing that would stop him from doing what he wanted, when he wanted. He had no fear of the future and what it would hold, as it was his now, with a fresh start waiting for him.

He pulled up to his apartment and walked on upstairs, taking his list off the table from where he had left it. Ben went over it and saw that there were a fair amount of things to get in order. Figuring there was no time like the present, Ben got to work with organizing and dismantling anything he was taking with him. As he predicted, it all fit into his car snugly and he double checked to make sure he had everything.

Once he'd gone over the list three times, he then cataloged everything that was being left behind. Most of it was furniture and some larger items that wouldn't fit in his car. Not like he wanted to take any of it anyway, since it held no sentimental value to him. Ben wondered what he would do with it, but most of all, what his landlord would do.

Then he knew that his landlord, who was a miserly and greedy old bastard, would likely sell everything there. Not that it mattered to Ben at all, since everything that held any real monetary value was already in his car. He sat down and composed a note to his landlord, telling him he was done with renting and that everything there could be sold off. Ben knew that the old bastard would be excited at the prospect of easy money.

Finishing the note, he left it on the kitchen table to tack it to the front door when he left the following day. After that, he called up Domino's pizza and ordered a small Hawaiian pizza for himself. As he waited for the pizza, Ben went over the apartment one last time before being satisfied that he hadn't missed anything. The pizza arrived quickly, and Ben tipped the delivery guy generously.

While he was munching on the hot pie, Ben went over how he would tell Samara. He knew that telling her outright was a dicey option, as she'd convince him to not go. Though his mind was made up to go under, it wrenched him to leave Samara behind. He thought the matter over more, before hitting up on the idea to write her a letter, explaining himself.

He sat down over the kitchen table once again and started composing his letter to Samara. Ben went through several drafts, iterations, and mistakes before he put one together that was worthwhile. He checked it over several times before he rewrote it, with no mistakes or issues. After he was done, he picked up an envelope and wrote her address on it, then sealed the letter inside it.

Ben decided that he'd mail the letter in the morning, after he'd left. It would take a few days to reach to her, but by then, he would be well into his long sleep, away from the world. He left the envelope on the table before he went back and finished the pizza he ordered. When he was done, he was getting a bit bleary-eyed, the events of the day having taxed his energy.

Stretching, Ben dragged his ass off to bed. As he entered his room, it seemed bare, with all the major items he normally kept in it, now sitting in his car. Cracking his joints, Ben crawled under the covers and dug into the bed. Killing the bedside light, he soon nodded off and was fast asleep.

******************************

Ben woke up nearly nine hours later, to sunlight streaming into his room. Blinking against the bright light, he sat up and rubbed away the sleep in his eyes. Stretching, he worked the kinks and knots out of his joints before standing up. He padded off to the bathroom to do his morning business, then came on out and looked over at the kitchen. He thought about prepping himself some breakfast, but decided against it.

Since this would be his last waking day on Earth for the next ten years, he was going to go out to eat. He mulled over a few choices before settling on Wimpy's Diner, which was down on Royal Windsor drive. He knew that the food was good, and the price was better than most places.

Setting himself, Ben got dressed in the clothes he had prepared the night before, while taking his old ones and tucked them in a plastic bag. Giving the apartment a final once over, Ben took in the memories of the place before he turned to the table to pick up the note and the letter. Bidding a final farewell to the place that had been his home, he walked down the stairs. Ben taped the note to the door before locking it and placing the keys in the mailbox.

Ben then moved along to the mailboxes that were nearby and deposited Samara's letter in the local one. Having done that, he went back to his car, got in, and took Lakeshore Road to Royal Windsor. He arrived at Wimpy's and secured a parking spot, as they were usually busy on Sunday mornings.

Killing the engine, he walked in, was assigned a table and ordered a coffee and an orange juice before looking over the menu. He picked up an admiring glance from the server, to which he smiled back. After going over his options, he settled on the Wimpy's Scrambler. When the server came back with his drinks, he placed his order and waited.

Ben took in the diner's décor, which hearkened back to an older time, well before his. Old metal posters and paintings of pop culture icons adorned the walls, and the color scheme left him feeling happy. There weren't many places left like this anymore, and it made Ben sad that so much was being converted to the new, instead of letting the old stay in this world. The server was back fifteen minutes later with his food, and he dug in.

The bacon, eggs, mushrooms, peppers, and home fries filled the hole in his middle nicely, leaving him feeling full. Ben took a few minutes to just be sitting and enjoying his coffee. He flagged down the server as he finished his drink and settled the bill. Once he paid and left her a twenty percent tip, he was back in his car and on his way. He'd input the address of the facility before he left, making sure that he was headed the right way.

The facility was located about ten kilometers south of Creemore, which Ben found odd, but went with it anyway. He supposed that a company that wanted their tech to remain away from prying eyes had little choice but to set up shop out of the city. He took the route to the highway 400 north until he came to the highway 89 exit. Once he was on that road, he continued until highway 18 showed up on the signposts and turned right, going north once more.

He went through the town of Mulmur, heading further north, until he eventually came up on his destination to the left. As he pulled in, he saw that there was an old farmhouse that was on the property, and a rickety old barn. Ben pulled up to the farmhouse and got out of his car, looking around, confused. This was the address that was imprinted on the letter, and he thought he'd made a mistake.

Ben checked the letter once again and compared the address to what he had input on his phone. Seeing how he didn't make a mistake, he stood there wondering where the facility was. He almost thought this was an elaborate prank that was pulled on him until he heard a noise. The noise in question was the door to the farmhouse opening and a man wearing a lab coat and casual attire beneath it stepped out of it.

"Hello, sir. Are you lost?" the well-groomed man inquired.

"I might be. I received a letter from CryoTek Industries. It stated that they selected me to take part in their sociological and scientific experiment?" Ben asked haltingly.

"May I ask your name, sir?" the blond man asked, now curious.

"Benjamin Piotr Lopez. I was selected for the Gold Standard of the program."

"Ah! Yes, here you are, sir!" the man stated excitedly as he went over a tablet in his hand. "My name is Simon, and if you will drive your car into the barn, we can get you situated in your pod, sir! Before we can begin, I will require you to shut down and turn over your phone, if you please."

Mentally shrugging, Ben handed over his phone, got back into his car and turned over the engine, while Simon jogged over to the barn and opened the doors. He drove the car into the now open barn and obeyed Simon's gestures, guiding it in until he was told to stop. Ben then got out and walked over to Simon, a question on his lips. That question died when suddenly, the floor moved, sinking into the earth. The motion startled Ben, who glanced around fearfully while Simon smiled.

"The facility is below ground. A decision which was made to keep the overly inquisitive from just walking into any of our facilities," the man told him.

Ben nodded as they continued to descend, as floodlights turned on, bathing the entire shaft in luminescence. The hole that was above them closed via a sliding steel door, hidden beneath the dirt of the surface. They continued down the circular shaft, descending nearly ten stories before it stopped. Built into the walls was a security checkpoint and several security personnel walked over with various equipment in their hands.

"Your name, sir?" one officer asked politely.

"Benjamin Piotr Lopez," Ben answered.

A series of questions followed, which ranged from where he was born to the way he liked his steak. He'd answered these questions and more when he took the questionnaire before he submitted to the testing. Once they were done, they took a quick blood sample and retina scan from him. After they heard and saw that everything checked out, they then retreated to their post and activated the elevator once more.

"Apologies for that surprise inspection there. Anyone who wishes to go into the facility must submit to such tests, so we know that they are who they say they are. Corporate espionage is at an all-time high these days, and many companies are desperate to get their hands on our technology. The gains they would see from it would be... astronomical," Simon explained to him.

"That makes sense. I wouldn't want that to happen or allow certain idiots, or populist politicians, to get their hands on this tech," Ben said. Simon then laughed at that, chuckling richly as they descended the rest of the way in silence. They went down another twenty stories before the elevator came to a stop. The area before them looked like a parkade and Ben looked over to Simon.

"As a Gold Standard member, you are allowed to keep your vehicle and anything you possess in it. It will be kept safe while you are asleep, sir," Simon told him.

Hearing that, Ben got into his car and drove in, with Simon following behind on a Segway. He went down a few levels before finding a nice little corner to tuck his car into. Once he'd done that, Ben rolled up the windows and locked his car. As he walked away from it, translucent partitions dropped from the ceiling, obscuring his vehicle from view. Then, the partitions merged to form a solid barrier.

"A measure of security that we give to all of our volunteers. The things they bring are important to them, so we make sure they stay untouched," Simon said with a smile.

Nodding, Ben followed him to a nearby elevator where Simon dismounted from his Segway and produced a keycard. There was no button on the panel to call the elevator, but instead, there was a slot which Simon's keycard fit into. After inserting it on the panel, the elevator opened and both Simon and Ben walked into it.

"Your keycard, please," Simon asked him.

Ben fished around in his jacket pocket until he found it. Giving it to Simon, the man inserted it into the slot on a panel inside the elevator. The blank screen above the slot lit up with Ben's picture and all the pertinent information displayed. It was highlighted by green lines, which were of an accept prompt, which then activated the elevator, sending them down.

"How far down are we going?" Ben wondered.