Chapter 1: Zero Day
Jake Turner had no idea that he would be dead in less than
twenty four hours. Neither did the rest
of the city.
It was early, well before Jake usually got up, but today was
different. He finally had a lead on a
job. It had been over a year since he had
obtained his degree in Computer Science.
Had he known before he went to college that everyone and their brother
was getting CS degrees he would have went for something else. Thanks
a lot high school counselor .
Like the average bachelor pad, a mountain of laundry was
piled on the couch. Black gaming
controllers were scattered across the magazine laden coffee table. The walls were blank other than a Mickey
Mouse clock and a poster advertising the 1980s movie “The Thing.” The faint odor of unwashed dishes and rotting
garbage lingered in the air.
His roommate, Brent, yelled from the back room, “What are
you doing man? It’s way too early.”
“I have an interview downtown in a couple hours.”
“They won’t hire you.”
“Thanks.”
“Well hold it down, my head is pounding.”
“Take a couple aspirin.”
Jake knew he had barely made a sound since he got up and
took a shower. He now stood in front of
the bathroom mirror and looked over the suit he had found at the local thrift
shop. It seemed like overkill for an
entry level tech job, but he was sick of getting rejected and wanted to mix
things up. The suit was a little too
small. He held his arms straight out
toward the mirror, revealing several inches of white shirt. After a few tries at relaxing his shoulders
and tugging at the sleeves he gave up, coming to the realization that he should
not have bought the first suit he found just because it was only fifteen bucks.
“You look like an ignoranus.” Brent said as he staggered past the open
bathroom door.
Jake dropped his arms.
“That’s not a real word.”
“Whatever.”
There was a loud banging at the front door.
“Stop it!” Brent
yelled from the kitchen.
Jake was a bit surprised by the rage in his voice. Brent was usually a fairly laid back
guy. He took one final look in the
mirror and shouted, “I got it.”
Before Jake could get to the door it flew open and a man and
a woman came barging into the living room.
“What’s up girls?”
The man, wearing a white Portland Trailblazers jersey, said.
Not waiting for a response he stepped over to
the couch and shoved the mound of laundry to one side, spilling items to the
floor.
“Ahhh, come on Nate, those are clean.”
Jake said.
Nate looked up at Jake and said, “What are you, a vacuum
salesman?”
Jake hesitated briefly, not getting the jab for a
second. “Business people wear suits, and
it’s for a job interview.
“What? Abby and I
came over to hang out…play some video games.”
He looked up at Abby and then back over at Jake.
“You won’t get the job anyway.”
“Thanks, not sure why I call any of you friends.
He looked over at Abby. “Except you Abby.
How’s your mom…still up at the hospital?”
“You’re so sweet.
She’s still struggling, but she has a lot of fight left.
They moved her up to Harborview in Seattle.”
Jake was about to respond when a loud groan from the kitchen
caused all of them to turn.
“You keeping a bear in there?”
Nate said with a confused look on his face.
“Brent…he’s super grumpy.”
Jake took a step toward the kitchen.
“You okay Brent?”
Nate Shouted, “Hey Brent, you wanna play some Xbox with Abby
and I?” When there was no response he turned
back around on the couch, patted the cushion next to him, and said, “Abby, come
play with me.”
“You better be talking Xbox.”
Abby responded with a smile.
She bounced across the room and plopped down
next to Nate, grabbing a controller off the coffee table in the process.
She looked up at Jake and said, “When’s your
interview?”
“Not for about an…”
Jake started to respond, but was cut short by
a loud growl
Jake Turner had no idea that he would be dead in less than
twenty four hours. Neither did the rest
of the city.
It was early, well before Jake usually got up, but today was
different. He finally had a lead on a
job. It had been over a year since he had
obtained his degree in Computer Science.
Had he known before he went to college that everyone and their brother
was getting CS degrees he would have went for something else. Thanks
a lot high school counselor .
Like the average bachelor pad, a mountain of laundry was
piled on the couch. Black gaming
controllers were scattered across the magazine laden coffee table. The walls were blank other than a Mickey
Mouse clock and a poster advertising the 1980s movie “The Thing.” The faint odor of unwashed dishes and rotting
garbage lingered in the air.
His roommate, Brent, yelled from the back room, “What are
you doing man? It’s way too early.”
“I have an interview downtown in a couple hours.”
“They won’t hire you.”
“Thanks.”
“Well hold it down, my head is pounding.”
“Take a couple aspirin.”
Jake knew he had barely made a sound since he got up and
took a shower. He now stood in front of
the bathroom mirror and looked over the suit he had found at the local thrift
shop. It seemed like overkill for an
entry level tech job, but he was sick of getting rejected and wanted to mix
things up. The suit was a little too
small. He held his arms straight out
toward the mirror, revealing several inches of white shirt. After a few tries at relaxing his shoulders
and tugging at the sleeves he gave up, coming to the realization that he should
not have bought the first suit he found just because it was only fifteen bucks.
“You look like an ignoranus.” Brent said as he staggered past the open
bathroom door.
Jake dropped his arms.
“That’s not a real word.”
“Whatever.”
There was a loud banging at the front door.
“Stop it!” Brent
yelled from the kitchen.
Jake was a bit surprised by the rage in his voice. Brent was usually a fairly laid back
guy. He took one final look in the
mirror and shouted, “I got it.”
Before Jake could get to the door it flew open and a man and
a woman came barging into the living room.
“What’s up girls?”
The man, wearing a white Portland Trailblazers jersey, said.
Not waiting for a response he stepped over to
the couch and shoved the mound of laundry to one side, spilling items to the
floor.
“Ahhh, come on Nate, those are clean.”
Jake said.
Nate looked up at Jake and said, “What are you, a vacuum
salesman?”
Jake hesitated briefly, not getting the jab for a
second. “Business people wear suits, and
it’s for a job interview.
“What? Abby and I
came over to hang out…play some video games.”
He looked up at Abby and then back over at Jake.
“You won’t get the job anyway.”
“Thanks, not sure why I call any of you friends.
He looked over at Abby. “Except you Abby.
How’s your mom…still up at the hospital?”
“You’re so sweet.
She’s still struggling, but she has a lot of fight left.
They moved her up to Harborview in Seattle.”
Jake was about to respond when a loud groan from the kitchen
caused all of them to turn.
“You keeping a bear in there?”
Nate said with a confused look on his face.
“Brent…he’s super grumpy.”
Jake took a step toward the kitchen.
“You okay Brent?”
Nate Shouted, “Hey Brent, you wanna play some Xbox with Abby
and I?” When there was no response he turned
back around on the couch, patted the cushion next to him, and said, “Abby, come
play with me.”
“You better be talking Xbox.”
Abby responded with a smile.
She bounced across the room and plopped down
next to Nate, grabbing a controller off the coffee table in the process.
She looked up at Jake and said, “When’s your
interview?”
“Not for about an…”
Jake started to respond, but was cut short by
a loud growl
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