The Captive
Chapter 2: Reminiscing
I could smell freshly baked chocolate chip cookies as I ran through my house. It was a Christmas like any other, I could hear the TV playing the news when I stumbled into the living room. Christmas was always an exciting morning, the intrigue to see the gifts was like a rush of adrenaline when I was a kid. I was 9 years old and I was about to discover the gift of a life time. There it was; my eyes brightened as I stood there staring at the box, my first PC. Technically it was the family PC but it felt like it was mine. It looked so majestic, it was like the world stopped for a moment. It was a Compaq Presario SR1620NX, with a DX9 graphic Card, a PCIe x16 expansion slot, and 7 USB ports. It was such a beauty.
I woke up. It was a dream of an old memory. The Christmas morning that I received the gift that would shape my personality. It’s funny how small things can change your life completely. Things that you barely give a thought to, can turn the direction of your life in radical ways. I guess I say this because a series of small events shaped the person I am today and gave my life direction. Laying in this dungeon-like room made me look back to the past and why I am here.
The first times I used the PC it was super fun, even though I barely knew what I was doing. I mostly doodled in MS Paint, as any 9 year old would, but as I grew accustomed to the usability of the computer I started to do more things with it and I got my first computer game. Age of Empires 2, it was a real time strategy game or RTS where you picked a civilization and advanced through the ages to create a military and conquer the world. This is important because this is the game that got me interested in computer games. My passion for computer games led me to explore the art of coding; people I met online through World of Warcraft helped me learn a lot about coding, this added to reading books on the topic made me an expert coder by the time I was 13. My gaming passion started because of the game called League of Legends that was released when I was 11 and a friend of mine told me about. Another small event that changed my life. Making the decision to check the game out was so innocent, and yet doing this led to an urge to become a master in everything computer related and improve the PC I had already built. There was a need to improve the usability experience, and it led to learning and understanding software programming.
The door to the room opened. A man came in the room. I could only see his shadow, he was really tall and strong. He had a trey in his hands.
“I brought some food for you” the man said calmly. His voice was deep, and slow. He had an Eastern European accent. “You have to eat before you can work.”
“Work?” I was confused and I got a bit agitated. “What do you mean work?”
“Don’t raise your voice!” he said angrily as he untied my hands, “You have to eat and rest, the boss will tell you about your work later.”
“But…”
“Shut the fuck up kid!” he interrupted as he slammed the door and left.
I started having some thoughts, “What work do they want me to do? And what the fuck does he mean by work? Who is ‘the Boss’?” all these questions were circling my mind. I was too hungry to think of the answers right now. I started eating, but I couldn’t see the food so it wasn’t easy. It tasted okay. It was a small piece of chicken with green peas on the side and some mashed potatoes. It was kind of insipid but I was starving so I wasn’t about to complain.
After finishing my meal I reflected on my life so as to find answers on why was this happening to me. He had said something about working for them. “Does this have something to do with my algorithm?” I thought, “Perhaps.” But how would they even know about my algorithm and why would they want it. This made me remember how I created my algorithm.
I put down my book and adjusted my glasses, I looked at the computer with the console open. I knew how to write the code, but I was trying to find a purpose for the code that I wanted to write.
“What can I code?” I said out loud talking to myself.
“You should code something about online security, Herman,” my dad replied as he entered the room, “I am implementing a new system in the company and I need data encryption.”
“Dad,” I said surprised, “What are you doing here?”
“Isn’t this my house?” He almost cracked in laughter. I always hated his dad jokes, but reminiscing now I kind of miss them. I miss him.
“Yes, but I mean here in the room”
“Well I heard you are talking to yourself and I don’t want you to go crazy or something” He said jokingly.
“Dad you know I’m not crazy,” I was intrigued by his previous suggestion so I went back to the topic, “What exactly did you say about data encryption concerns in the company?”
“Oh,” his face looked like he had to remember, “Yeah, nothing serious, we just need a new algorithm for the GPS system that is going to track and save the routes of our buses and the people using them”
“Mr. Wolf,” the maid came in, “you have a call”
“I have to go, son”
My dad was a busy business man. He owned a transportation company, so we did alright. He was very noble and always wanted to do the right thing, he always tried to give me everything I needed and supported me to achieve my goals.
I guess being kidnapped in a dark room makes you appreciate what was good in your life before. As they say, life is a like a Ferris wheel, sometimes you’re at the top and sometimes you’re at the bottom. Indeed I was at the bottom. The door opened again. This time a smaller man entered the room, even though he was smaller I could sense power in him, maybe it was the way he stood up, his presence filled the room; his chest out and his head held up, he came closer to me. I couldn’t see his face because of the absence of light in the room; the only light came from the opened door. He grabbed my chair by the handles with both hands, and slowly moved his head towards my face. With an intimidating tone he said, “So, you are the famous Herman Wolf, huh?”
To be continued…
A new Chapter released every Wednesday.
