This is my blog where I will be writing a story called Concealed Conspiracy.
I will try to update my story at least once a week preferably on Saturdays, so please check frequently and you are welcome to comment.
Readers are reminded that the chapters have been organised in order as links under the category “Concealed Conspiracy”. You can find it on the sidebar to your right.
New readers are encouraged to begin the read from the Prologue. Click here.
My story is about a schoolboy, 17, who believes that the world is in harmony and in perfect peace. He’s soon to discover that the world isn’t all that he think it is meant to be…
After the assembly and another boring period of school lesson, the school was dismissed, and I quickly paced myself towards the train station to head home. The day had been quite a taxing one and I was eager to return to my sanctuary to rest. An afternoon nap sounded appealing.
When I arrived home, I saw a black convertible parked before the house. Having never seen that vehicle before, my curiosity was aroused. I hastily rushed towards our front door to ask my mother.
My mother noticed me then from the window and beckoned me in. Before I entered, she whispered to me:
“Try to act pleasant. This man is a prominent member at your dad’s work.”
I noticed father in a deep conversation with another man, whose vehicle I have just seen. In a second glance, I recognised him as Dilawar Perez, the right-hand man of Christian Exalski. He also saw me looking at him and gave me a friendly nod.
“Ah, you must be James Gradshore? I have heard a great deal about you from your parents. They seem to be very proud you. Seeing you, however, I am not surprised.”
I quickly noticed that this man was full of flattering words, none of which came from his sincere heart.
“Why don’t you excuse us while we discuss something confidential? I am sure it’ll only be a moment.”
Knowing that it will take more than a “moment”, I still headed towards my room. For some reason, a part of me wanted to avoid this man. Something about him seemed dangerous.
Whilst I stayed inside the confines of my room, I kept my ear close to the door to take in snippets of their conversation.
“…yes, yes, Mr. Perez but surely you must realise that – “
“This is one of your downsides, Thomas, why must you always question the motives? The only thing that should be in your mind is that I am F1, you are A3, thus you are obliged to follow my orders unquestioningly.”
“But how, how could I arrange such a thing?”
“Here’s the details of what I have arranged. This will happen as soon as possible.”
“When would that be?”
“Mr. Exalski and I will see to that.”
“I see…but I still cannot see why he wants such arrangements?”
“There is no need for you to know that. Just follow my instructions.”
His voice was cold and stern. Somehow, his voice sounded like another man’s. It did not resemble the voice that I have heard before I entered my room. Suddenly, there was a sound of ringtone on someone’s cell phone.
“Yes sir? You require my presence now? Yes? Okay, I will proceed to that right away.”
Perez made a small cough before addressing my father.
“I have something to do, so I must be going. This will be the last time I will talk about that. I am now expecting that you will do as you are told. Adieu.”
He cleared away into his convertible and started the engine.
As the vehicle went along the road, I noticed something strange. It was leaning a little too much to the right.
He couldn’t weight that much, I thought, before turning away.
Then I felt a vibrating shockwave hit my back immediately followed by a loud sound of explosion that temporarily deafened my ears.
When I recovered from the shock, I turned around to see what had happened.
The convertible was no more. Now, it only existed as shreds of its former glory. I predicted that the same fate had been for the man behind the wheel.
During Lunchtimes, I usually didn’t do much but hang around in the library. I didn’t find any interest in physical activities, and today was like the others.
I entered the library, casually exploring the non-fiction section of the bookshelves. Unlike the last time where I could not find any books to grasp my attention, I suddenly came across a title named United States: an over-rated nation by R.K.Stevenson. As an avid United States supporter, I immediately reached out my hand to discover about what he had to say.
Oxymoronically, the modern world has its biggest weakness in its strongest nation, he wrote, The United States have been, for quite a long time, the leader of the globe. Only a few stop to think what this may mean for the world. As you may have noticed from the Global Economic Crisis of 2008, where we only narrowly missed a recession, the world have become too reliant on this single country for far too long. Although many argue that having a focal point is important to direct the world towards a single united future, I refute this by stating the obvious: it is not safe to invest all your hopes and security in one place. Also, it needs to be pointed out that the US is not morally correct in many of its doings, it is fundamentally a nation, and it only works in the interests of its own people. To cite some examples…
The story went on. As with many stories of such nature, it was not without opposition. The most vehement adversary to Stevenson’s comments was a liberal-democratic political activist, Andrea Clerk. She became famous with her open remarks about the need to have the U.S taking a more prominent role in the functioning of the world.
“Mr. R.K.Stevenson has only ever provided us with half the details in his new book United States: an over-rated nation,” she said on 60 Minutes, “It is obvious that unfavourable details have been omitted in a deliberate bid for his audience to believe him. However, any who have done some basic research into the political system of the United States would realise that it has the most ideal and efficient system in the world. I would want to ask his readers if they agree with me that it is perfectly safe to rely on the U.S. He does mention some events where U.S have made political mistakes in the past, all I ask for him is to consider the status quo and not to dwell too much into what happened before. The U.S have learnt from its errors and the U.S you know now is different from the U.S years ago.”
She also had some comments to make about Stevenson’s other views.
“Many who have read Mr. Stevenson’s A Crime does not justify another Crime would remember his antagonistic views on capital punishment. I would like to take this opportunity to recall a recent event where a notorious convicted serial rapist and murderer George Singer have broken out of his prison cell and now poses a great threat to the society. Had he been executed when arrested, the witnesses and policemen involved his capture would not be shivering in fear right now.”
The two were constantly debating over every thing that each other did. It was very interesting to see one making a statement and the other immediately making an opposing comment.
At this moment in my chain of thoughts, the bell signaled the end of Lunch and the beginning of School Assembly.
***
The assembly was quite interesting. At every assembly, we would have a guest speaker come and speak to us about a topic that he is enthusiastic about. Today, a Princeton University academic named Christian Exalski spoke to us about his role in the Green Enterprises.
“I have an important role as the Principal Researcher in Genetics Department of the Green Enterprises,” he said with an aura of knowledge surrounding him. “I do get paid quite a bit”, he added, which was followed by laughter, “but that is not the real reason that I am working there. I would like to talk to you, the future leaders of our community, about the need for a change in the way we treat ourselves.
“Currently, it is politically incorrect to voice the must of a new revolutionary system of education and employment tailored to suit the individual needs. I am not talking about eugenics – there is quite a stigma in this word due to its use during the Nazi regime in World War 2. However, I am talking about the benefits to be gained in increasing our efficiency by distributing our resources according to what is best for all. Mentally handicapped people should be given education according to what is the best return, and not be forced to learn beyond their capabilities.
“Suppose $100,000 can get a person with IQ of 30 to learn how to read so that he or she can get a decent job at a supermarket. Compare this with investing the same amount to a person with an IQ of 130 who will go on to discover the cure to cancer. Which is more efficient?
“Of course, I recognise that not all people with an IQ of 130 are going to be successful and not all with IQ of 30 will be less useful to the society. Nevertheless, in overall, let’s say from a sample of a thousand candidates – you’ll agree with me that those with IQ of 130 will yield better results than those of 30. I should emphasise that it would be a much greater return.”
His voice echoed throughout the hall, filling the students with this surprising insight into our world.
“My son-in-law,” he continued, making a hand gesture towards a dark Latin-American looking man sitting on the stage. “is an example of this efficiency. I found Dilawar Perez in the war-torn nation of Afghanistan when I was visiting the country. Born of a Spanish soldier father and an Afghan mother, who both died during the war, he had exceedingly high mental capabilities. I noticed this when I asked him for direction and heard him speak very fluently in both Spanish and English. He was ten back then. Later, I took him in and gave him the best education possible, and since then he had made significant contributions to the medical field.
“Just for your information, he is happily wed to my daughter, Mercedes Hershin-Exalski Perez, who is also renowned for her role in discovering 90% fuel-efficient methods of burning fuel.
“My personal experiences should be enough to exemplify my point. What if I spent the same money I spent on those two to two other people who are mentally handicapped? They would only have ended up marginally better than if I had just left them alone. They wouldn’t have contributed much to science, and their life would end as aimlessly as it started.”
***
Mr. Exalski’s talk, how outrageous its contents were, still received applause from the audience as part of the ritual of any guest speakers. He did make his mark, and many of the teachers and students were left dumb-founded. As for me, I heard but didn’t take too much notice. What would one fanatic be able to do, I thought.
I was yet to realise how significant his position at the Green Enterprises was…
I walked into my Methods class and was frankly unsurprised to see my teacher become angry at my late arrival. He was an irascible character, and he wasn’t about to go easy on me in a moment.
“WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?”, he blurted out.
While I was pondering whether or not this was a rhetorical question, he continued his interrogation.
“I wonder where our Mr. Gradshore has been all this time. Maybe he thought I was going to go easy on him just because his father happens to work at Green Enterprises?”
Working at Green Enterprises were looked upon as prestigious, because the competition to become an employee at the Green Enterprises was extremely intense. Considering the size of the company, the general consensus was that job security will be very secure – and the public were correct to think so – and the pay was enormous along with a range of fringe benefits.
However, the competition was overwhelming. According to the figures, only five were inducted into the company out of over ten thousand applicants during 2008. My father was given his job of Junior Supervising Officer (A3) as part of a deal in selling his highly profitable manufacturing company to the Heavy Industry sector of the Green Enterprises. A3 indicated that his position was the third lowest in the company. The rank system went: A1, A2, A3, A4, A5, B1, B2, B3… and so on. Nobody knew where it ended nor what rank the Chief Executive Officer would be given.
Being the third lowest in his standings within the corporation, one would expect his pay to be low. Nevertheless, his annual salary was nothing less than A$350,000 plus a free mobile phone with bills all paid, free accommodation (namely a rent at Green Apartments that we lived together), access to a company car (a decent one but not luxurious), and so on.
In comparison to my peers, our household was much wealthier and this have attracted jealousy from my classmates. I accepted this as a part of my life but was still not exalted about listening to Mr. Dawls blustering his supercilious remarks like that. I pretended not to hear and proceeded to my seat.
To my dismay, Mr. Dawls was not contented with that.
“Dodging classes again like always? Is that what Green employees connive with each other about?
His insinuating comment suddenly sparked in me a sense of abhorrence towards him.
“There is no conspiracy at the company so don’t share your premature conclusions, Mr. Dawls. Leave my father out of this.”
There was a tense silence between us, and fortunately for me, he lost interest in our argument. He resumed his lesson, teaching us about logarithmic equations.
His dull phraseology soon dried any interest out of the little that the students have ever had in his lecture. I turned to my friend sitting next to me.
“Hey, what happened when I left?”
“Nothing much, Hearings didn’t go much beyond Ohm’s Law, although he did cover some photodiodes. You want my notes?”
“Yeah, later.”
“How about you, did Graham get pretty ticked off?”
“Nah, not really, she told me to go back to class. I went to library though.”
“Serious? Man, you are lucky. I was expecting a detention at the minimum.”
“What, you want me to get a detention.”
“Nah man, chill – I’m just saying that’s what I expected.”
All this talk was not to go unnoticed by Dawls. Being of an amiable character, he said:
“James! and Peter! Knock it off or I’ll personally rip those tongues off you!”
Having been reprimanded, we sulkily terminated our verbal exchanges.
When the 43 minute session ended, I quickly gathered my books and rushed out to lunch break. Only two more periods to go, I thought, thinking desperately optimistically about the rest of the day.
I walked into the library with little plan on what I was going to do there.
I might read a book, I thought. I walked into the fiction section and scanned the bookshelves to find any book covers that may interest me.
I found none.
Having seen little reason to stay here, I sauntered away to the study area. Sitting down, I looked around in search for anything that may draw my attention. There was none there either. I lamented about the boring life I had, which consisted of nothing particularly interesting. Thinking back now, I should have been thankful about the monotonous life I had back then. How foolish I was before but I am wiser now.
I took out my Chemistry textbook and began to read. Questions after questions piled before my eyes like codes in an undercover agent’s letter.
I was only just in pace with the class; if I had been a diligent student, I would have used this time well to prepare for my School Assessment Coursework practical work coming up next week.
However, all that was before me at that time was a jumble of unrecognisable words and symbols. Within five minutes, I was disinterested and reached the point where I closed the book and rested my head on top of it.
With my head in the sideway position that it was in, I noticed a The Age newspaper that somebody had left on the table before I arrived.
I casually scanned the headlines:
“School principals gather for an educational reform meeting at Green Apartments"
“Logos Media’s shares up by 3% overnight as Green Enterprises buys a 15-percent stake”
“Green Enterprises CEO paid an astounding salary of US$150 million (A$216.6m)”
The newspaper seemed to be full with articles about Green Enterprises. Being a company that was founded only last year, – 2008, that is – it had sparked a lot of interest from the media.
It had started as a small office in the Central Business District in Melbourne, and had expanded into over two hundred branches during the first 6 months of its establishment. It was growing very fast to be a conglomerate. Nobody knew where they were sourcing their financial capital from. It had to have a strong cash flow, as it was revealed that it had at least one of its own directors in the boards of many famous global corporations: Microsoft, JPMorgan Chase, Chinal Co, Samsung… the list was endless. It was a major stockholder of the top companies of most industries. Using this stronghold of economic power, the company controlled the trading. The way it made more and more money using its growing monopoly strongly resembled a snowball gaining its size while rolling in the snow.
Normally, companies would be regulated by the governments of relevant countries. There are also regulations restricting businesses from gaining such monopoly. Even if that didn’t stop them, local governments would usually moderate the level of foreign investment into the local businesses.
However, this company was different. Its nationality, so to describe, had now been diffused over the globe. Officially, its nationality was classified as United Nations. To fight the pedantic nature of Government laws, even its ownership had been diffused into 200 nominal people, who were all from different countries, each holding an entitlement to 0.5% of the company.
When accused of monopoly by some select government officials, the company spokesman replied thus:
“Our company consists of 200 stockholders from every corner of the globe and probably from most industries. There are none who hold more than another. Therefore, our company does not operate according to the interests of a few people. If any decisions are made, the public can be assured that it would most likely reflect the interests of everyone in the globe, or at least the majority.”
What was more surprising was the US President’s response:
“To speak conspiracy about Green Enterprises can be compared with treason towards the world. While we were sliding down into an economic recession, this company emerged out of nowhere to buy out failing companies and have thus presented us with the economic stability that we all currently enjoy.”
***
Lost in thoughts, I had forgotten that the period was over and that it was time for my Mathematical Methods class that had begun six minutes ago.
I have to hurry, I thought. I got up, hastily gathered my books and rushed out of the library. After I exited the place, I saw the same three men again, now heading into the library that I had just left. I only had a chance to take a quick glimpse of them, as I was in a rush.
A glimpse only just enough to notice the initials “G.E” with three eagles sewn onto each of their neckties…
Who am I?
I could tell you my name, James Gradshore, but that doesn’t mean that much to me anymore. I am still named James Gradshore but everything about me have changed since then, I know it.
So, to answer my own question, I was, and will always be, an entity residing in this world for a purpose little more than just filling up yet another gap in the world.
I was also an Australian schoolboy, aged 17, Year 12, going to Melbourne High School, Victoria.
As for what I did, I would wake up every morning, get myself out of bed and eat my breakfast. When that was done, I would just brush my teeth, change, and head out to school. It was a very routine schedule.
At school, I would just sit quietly in my classes, passively listening to my teachers as they droned on.
I always thought that life was about VCE and getting that high ENTER score. How wrong I was.
It was yet one of these days that I found myself in my Physics class hearing – but not listening to – my teacher talk about the Ohm’s Laws. How little did I know that all this will be of no value by the time 2010 arrives.
Suddenly, my friend next to me nudges me.
“Hey, James, wake up!”
“What is the point of listening to Mr. Hearings anyway? It’s not like I will get anything out of it…”
Despite what I said, I still lifted my head, and was surprised to see Mr. Hearings just inches away from me!
“James. That was very rude of you. Please apologize.”
…is what you would expect normal teachers to say.
Instead, what he said was: “WHAT ARE YOU DOING SLEEPING IN MY CLASSROOM FOR? IF YOU THINK MY LESSONS ARE UTTER CRAP, GO AND COMPLAIN IT TO YOUR YEAR-LEVEL COORDINATOR”
With him at his anger max of 100%, I stood no chance to reason, and headed my way to the Year-Level Coordinator’s office.
There was no teachers there – they were probably out for a coffee or something.
A sudden idea sparked into my mind: Why don’t I clear up my records a bit on the computer? I did have some unapproved absences that I desperately needed to be rid of. Luckily, there was a computer still logged on. I seated myself on the leather chair – man, teachers did have it easy – and went on a search for student records. I clicked my name, and made all my absences disappear in an instant. I closed the file and then reverted it back to Desktop.
It was then I noticed something strange.
The Desktop background image was not the same anymore! It was a scenery of New Zealand when I first used the computer but it had become plain green with crude drawings of 3 eagles on it. Something was not right.
While I was pondering about the possibilities, I heard the footsteps of teachers coming back. I got off the seat but Ms. Graham, whose computer was the one I accessed, glimpsed me.
“What were you doing in my seat?”
“…”
“Did you see anything strange?”
“Excuse me?”
“It’s okay then. Go back to class.”
“Umm, I’m meant to talk to you…”
“I said: Go Back To Class.”
Without further ado, I rushed out and headed to the Library. There was no way I was going back to Physics class.
As I entered the Library, I saw three men in black suit all wearing green ties. They looked funny, I thought. I saw nothing to worry about.
How wrong I was…
My life has never been the same since that time I was 17, when I was naive, happy and easy-going. It was about to undergo a big change.
If only I knew about this a bit earlier…
