The Industrialist

Chapter 60: T.O.R.

The Government established the Governing Laws Department (GLD) in which its managing committee will impose City Ordinances and Corporation Orders for the public good.

However, as the Corporation grew to power generations before, the Government compelled to authorize the Corporation as a co-creator partnering with the GLD’s law impositions and establishments.

With the new City Ordinance, the Corporation now has full control in identifying the factories that would produce or fabricate the new inventions. Moreover, the Corporation had also the authority to choose a promising Scientist overseeing such production.

They called the person Toll Operations Representative [TOR].

TORs were sub-assignments granted by the Corporation’s Science Awards Committee (SAC), partnered with GLD Extension Units (GLD – EU) within the sectoral boundaries based on the factory’s location, to make a production a success.

In return, the TOR would receive Incentives from the profits of the produced product.

But a TOR should possess technical knowledge in Manufacturing Management. To know more about the courses offered for business management that cover Factory Operations is available in SARS building.

Science Academia - Surviving City Economics course lectures

***

Victorious, Lance Berkley settled himself into a long bench to which nobody had sat for the time being, situated alongside the SACers Hall. He neglected the wide cavernous halls, filled with historical plaques with famous quotes embossed in metal slabs and framed in between foundations.

The ceiling held low-hanging chandeliers lined up along the hall’s stretch. There were various digital posters of Levi Menks heaved the walls, even so, he decided not to ponder upon them.

He regained his normal heartbeat rate and steadied his breathing. He closed his eyes, his back bent forward with both elbows on his thighs.

The war ended with a flash of optimistic promises. The defense process for his project made a great analogy for a war – Lance Berkley against the people of Axe Central City.

It felt like war. Battered with questions, so similar to personal attacks, however, the lowly inventor managed to succumb to negative emotions that would cloud his answers.

Victory had exhausted his energy.

His mind just laser-focused on the goal of making a patent and augmenting oneself to a higher rank, hence, making it personal the seemingly personal attacks would result to failure.

His knees were numbed momentarily. The announcement had not sink in yet. He should be happy, more than happy.

Despite the applauses, dissatisfaction still loomed in his heart. Those were his enemies back there, except for Jaqi, of course.

Beside to where he sat were the large metallic doors that connected to the defense room where the panelists readying for the next presenter.

That was a five-hour defense and he had not eaten since morning, not even a glass of water, his palms shaking uncontrollably.

The large opened and the bright light sneaked through the gap between the ajar doors. Then what came through that gap was an angel.

With her silky light green dress that grazed the floor as she walked, also, emphasized the curves of her body, her hair clasped with those trending headbands laced with luminous threads, defined an angel. She had light makeup, still, emphasizing her white skin complexion, her smoky eyes were enhanced with contact lenses, the one that pierced through one’s soul.

"I haven’t congratulated, yet, Mechanic Lance Berkley. Welcome to the good life!" Jaqi extended a palm for a handshake.

Lance stood up, so sheepishly. His shaking had increased and his knees succumbed to a defeated state. He shook her hand.

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"Thank you. That was intense in there," Lance said.

"You’ve done good. You are good. Tell me, what is your secret?"

"Just the Archives."

"Get outta here! Really! I took courses, a lot, you know. And it seems that you have pre-Masters degree course already in waste management engineering."

"Yeah, every week I visited the Archives. Call me a nerd but it is my passion. Well, for the courses, I don’t have that kind of money to enroll."

"I am a Mech Tier 3 but it seems that you are way more knowledgeable than I am. I can’t even answer most of the questions if they were thrown at me. Especially from Doctor Gregs." She scoffed at the idea.

"It is rare for your age to become a Mech Tier 3. Usually, one could achieve that position in their mid-thirties."

"I know, right? Well, just lucky, I guess. But hey, you too! It is a good decision, accepting Mech 1. Even though it came with a price. It is very rare to jump three levels in one project!"

He only smiled.

"How did you manage to be one of the SACers?"

"Suckers?" Her eyes quickened towards Lance bearing a hint of insult.

"Ah..sorry. S.A.C." He held a teasing smile. She probably understood the humor or not, but despite it, she smiled back.

"I wanted to try to become a true member of the society. One that can make a difference, you know. Adult stuff. Training, they say."

"Training?"

Now, little by little, statement by statement, her mystery unfolds.

"Yeah, training. I took out Political Science course a few months back. It was boring though, but I found it to be noble. I guess my teenage years are over now."

"You probably had too many parties that you decided to quit a good life."

"Nah. But yeah, I’ve been to a lot of parties. But my family wanted me to do more. To become something that they will be proud of. I don’t know, but somehow, my parents were disappointed in me before," she hesitated.

The way their topic goes somewhat creates an air of distance. She felt awkward or embarrassed at some point that her arms folded to her chest and the direction of her feet now veered to her left, away from Lance.

"Parents, right? I am an orphan, now…so… I really don’t have parental experience growing up. My parents died before I was 13 years old. So to me, you are lucky."

"I am sorry to hear that, Lance," Her hand landed softly on Lance’s shoulder.

"Nah, don’t be. For me, it’s a long time ago. You know our world, right? Death almost comes natural to us. It was hard before when the memories were still fresh but it strengthened me somehow. Time heals, I suppose."

She had an authentic expression of empathy on him, inexplicable but it was obvious.

"Emotions..too much.." she smiled embarrassingly. A little specks of tears welled up on the sides of her contacts. She adjusted the lenses and wiped small tear away. "I suppose you’re right. Well, to ease the tension, there is one thing I would like to share. Doctor Zee and the others wanted you to oversee the production of RoFlo.

If you like."

"What’s in it for me?"

"Units of course, and control. If you like that kinda thing. Call it a co-TOR. Of course, it could be Doctor Zee would head the operations but he wanted you to be his assistant."

A man passed by them, with a cart that held something covered with cloth. He stopped by at the large metallic doors and he went in. He seemed to be a mid-classer, somehow a Mechanical Tier level or an Electrical Tier.

"Oh… That’s my cue. I have to go. it’s nice chatting with yah!" She said while turning towards the door back to the defense room.

Lance waved, then he said, "You haven’t answered my question."

"About what?"

"About how one can qualify to become one of the SACers?"

"Oh… Let’s talk someday. If you want to know more about it, then come to Skycorp this weekend," she headed for the door, her palms now ready to push on inside.

"Really? Maybe the guards will prohibit me from entering…"

"No worries. Just look for me. And besides, you are a mid-classer now. You can enter Inland Sectors easily," her smile glowed, much brighter than the welcoming illumination inside the defense room. "Congratulations once again!" She went inside.

Her expression and the way she talked about the Corporation clearly portrayed passion. Born to be a high-classer would blind one with the sinister plots discreet from public ears, feeding the bellies of the wretched pigs secretly.

Would she be an obstruction to his plans? Who is she?