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zg_shadows2008-09-29 08:12 pm
richardiii.livejournal.com) wrote in zg_shadows2008-09-29 08:12 pm
Lysander Fic - Find A Way
Just a little something more to set the character of Lysander now he's a little firmer in my head. Consider this to have happened a little time before the game yesterday a couple of weeks I guess.
Find A Way
Ray Williams was never someone who had questioned the value of his own life, he had never wondered thoughts about whether there was more to the world than his senses disclosed to him, nor had he ever tried to search for anything greater than him or his everyday existence.
Then came the day he met Lysander. On that day everything changed.
Ray had been one of the top programmers for Babylon Industries for the last five years, he had a wife who he hardly spoke to anymore, and a nice little suburban house in Horley from which he commuted into London from every day. His main concern with Babylon for the last few months had been creating a reasonably boring program, one that was able to monitor and record the movements of lab rats in an experiment being conducted in UCL. That was until his boss, Mr. Stone, had called him up to his offices telling him that they're small company had been given the opportunity of a generation.
When he entered Mr. Stone's offices, his boss was sitting in his chair behind his desk, his weathered thinning hair looking positively sparkling as if some inner joy was spurring the wispy strands into renewed vigour. In the chair opposite his boss, with his back to Ray, there seemed to be a blond haired man with an exceptionally pleasing voice telling him, of some fantastic invention.
“I really don't know how it came to me,” The man said. “Sometimes... ideas just come into my head, I don't know how, I don't know where from, but I seem to pick up abilities very fast sometimes, and they have a way of forming together into something incredible.” His voice seemed familiar to Ray, he was sure he must have heard it somewhere before. On television perhaps? He didn't watch much TV mind, just the news and the occasional drama. Oh and the reruns of that Magic show Channel 4 kept showing, presumably now the magician was a film star, he wouldn't be doing any more shows.
“But it's just incredible. Its a miracle. It truly is. The code is just perfect, it blows my mind. Every other such program has always been vague at best, but this, this is completely perfect.” Mr. Stone was saying, his face beaming partly at the discovery but mostly at the large piles of money he could see already flowing into company accounts and his own pockets. He turned his head up to Ray standing in the doorway and with a beckoning motion said. “Ray, fantastic, do come in.” Then turning to the blond haired man with the slightly lopsided smile that caused just one too many wrinkles on the left side of his face continued. “Lysander, please meet Ray Williams, one of our top programmers who I'm recommending to lead the project. Ray, this is Lysander Via-Isaac.”
The blond haired man swivelled in his chair and got up to shake Ray's hand. Ray recognised him finally when he saw the man's face, the haunting green glint in his eyes, it was unmistakable. He was a European politician who'd appeared on several debates recently. The one who had been in the British police force and now was The Conservative Parties best man in Europe.
“Its a pleasure,” Lysander said. “Mr. Stone's has spoken so highly of you, I feel sure there is nobody better to handle the job.”
“Oh thank you, sir.” Ray said slightly put off by the man's effortless charm. It wasn't the sort of strange overly slick fake charm that you expected from a normal politician or a used car salesman, there was a genuineness to it that caught ray by surprise.
“Oh please, there's no need for that.” Lysander said brushing away the 'sir' effortlessly. “I'd say 'call me Lysander' but that moniker was rather ruined by a fellow politician a while ago.”
Ray couldn't help but laugh, it was odd, he felt like he could trust Lysander from the word go, something about the way he spoke just made him comfortable around him. “Your too kind.” Ray said, still feeling he had to be slightly humble in some way. “May I ask what the project is.”
“The project.” Lysander said stepping away slightly and facing out to the large glass window behind them that looked out over Old Queen Street. “Is something I honestly believe may one day see us in a time of pure peace. I know I know.” He said turning back with his hands up. “Such notions are the foolish dreams of hippies and pagans, not politicians, but still I believe there is a way for the human raise to put aside their differences, and far fetched as it sounds, live as one people. It is not a solution to perpetual happiness or anything like that, but a solution to war, or at least one way to make war more unlikely, I think I may just be able to claim that of it.” Lysander walked back to his seat and sat down earnestly, leaning forward on the chair with the eager expression of a father singing the praises of his eldest boy. “To put it simply, Project White Horse is a universal translator, but so much more than that – it is as it were, humanities answer to The Tower Of Babel, if you believe such myths. With White Horse enabled, people will never again be separated by means of language, ceaseless, perfect dialog will ensue, bringing about an age of information and communication unlike anything mankind has ever dreamed before.”
“Seriously Ray,” Mr. Stone said interjecting. “You have to see this to believe it. Its incredible.”
“Right now.” Lysander continued. “Its just a very rough program that needs the right computer know how to work properly, but with work, it could be a integrated fully into society, to translate not just text but speech.”
“It seems... far too good to be true.” Ray said, “You'll have to forgive my lack of faith in asking for a demonstration.”
Lysander and Ray's boss smiled at him and ten minutes later Rays mouth dropped open as his witnessed it with his own eyes, and was convinced.
“You still looked rather stunned, Ray.” a pleasant voice in his left ear said as Ray turned away from the bathroom mirror he's been looking at himself in to see Lysander standing behind him.
“Oh. Yes... it's its ok, it's just... well, your invention is incredible. It's miraculous in fact, and I just...”
“Have always had trouble believing in such things?” Lysander suggested a warm smile on his face. Ray simply nodded in response. “It's always difficult at first, accepting such things. I was just the same until I became living proof of such things myself” Lysander reached his hands up and began unbuttoning his shirt. Ray backed off slightly suddenly finding himself very uncomfortable and in a position he really would not like any of his co-workers to catch him in. Lysander stopped halfway and opened up the right side of his shirt to reveal the scar over his heart where the bullet had gone in.
“That was where you were shot?” Ray said still nervously.
“Yes, it still amazes me sometimes that I'm still alive. The doctors all agreed it was nothing short of a miracle.” He button the shirt up again and put his hand on Rays shoulder. “You seem to be a very unhappy man Ray, you look like somebody who plays the part of a content man very well but is hiding a deep sadness inside him.”
Ray didn't know why he trusted the politican so much, but against his usual will when asked such a question he found himself nodding his head slightly. “My wife and I... things, arn't so good.”
Lysander nodded. “I understand. Its very easy in today's society to get over obsessed with meaningless things. Our jobs, our income, our colleagues, we tend to forget what's really important. But I have faith you, even if you do not yet have faith in me.” He smiled and patted him on the shoulder. “You can find a way to fall back into love with her.”
Ray found himself smiling as well and left the offices that day feeling more content than he had in a long time. Lysander's words had touched him in a way he couldn't fathom, but made him think there was a glimmer of hope in his life. Maybe he could save his marriage, maybe this program of Lysander's could change the world, and he could be a part of it.
Walking back towards the station, he stopped for a moment outside Westminster Cathedral. And thought to himself for a moment about what he'd seen today. He looked at the church. Lysander had talked of miracles and faith all day.
Ray walked in through the doors. What harm could ten minutes do.
“My heart is seeking after you right now.
I'm reaching...”
-Article A
Find A Way
Ray Williams was never someone who had questioned the value of his own life, he had never wondered thoughts about whether there was more to the world than his senses disclosed to him, nor had he ever tried to search for anything greater than him or his everyday existence.
Then came the day he met Lysander. On that day everything changed.
Ray had been one of the top programmers for Babylon Industries for the last five years, he had a wife who he hardly spoke to anymore, and a nice little suburban house in Horley from which he commuted into London from every day. His main concern with Babylon for the last few months had been creating a reasonably boring program, one that was able to monitor and record the movements of lab rats in an experiment being conducted in UCL. That was until his boss, Mr. Stone, had called him up to his offices telling him that they're small company had been given the opportunity of a generation.
When he entered Mr. Stone's offices, his boss was sitting in his chair behind his desk, his weathered thinning hair looking positively sparkling as if some inner joy was spurring the wispy strands into renewed vigour. In the chair opposite his boss, with his back to Ray, there seemed to be a blond haired man with an exceptionally pleasing voice telling him, of some fantastic invention.
“I really don't know how it came to me,” The man said. “Sometimes... ideas just come into my head, I don't know how, I don't know where from, but I seem to pick up abilities very fast sometimes, and they have a way of forming together into something incredible.” His voice seemed familiar to Ray, he was sure he must have heard it somewhere before. On television perhaps? He didn't watch much TV mind, just the news and the occasional drama. Oh and the reruns of that Magic show Channel 4 kept showing, presumably now the magician was a film star, he wouldn't be doing any more shows.
“But it's just incredible. Its a miracle. It truly is. The code is just perfect, it blows my mind. Every other such program has always been vague at best, but this, this is completely perfect.” Mr. Stone was saying, his face beaming partly at the discovery but mostly at the large piles of money he could see already flowing into company accounts and his own pockets. He turned his head up to Ray standing in the doorway and with a beckoning motion said. “Ray, fantastic, do come in.” Then turning to the blond haired man with the slightly lopsided smile that caused just one too many wrinkles on the left side of his face continued. “Lysander, please meet Ray Williams, one of our top programmers who I'm recommending to lead the project. Ray, this is Lysander Via-Isaac.”
The blond haired man swivelled in his chair and got up to shake Ray's hand. Ray recognised him finally when he saw the man's face, the haunting green glint in his eyes, it was unmistakable. He was a European politician who'd appeared on several debates recently. The one who had been in the British police force and now was The Conservative Parties best man in Europe.
“Its a pleasure,” Lysander said. “Mr. Stone's has spoken so highly of you, I feel sure there is nobody better to handle the job.”
“Oh thank you, sir.” Ray said slightly put off by the man's effortless charm. It wasn't the sort of strange overly slick fake charm that you expected from a normal politician or a used car salesman, there was a genuineness to it that caught ray by surprise.
“Oh please, there's no need for that.” Lysander said brushing away the 'sir' effortlessly. “I'd say 'call me Lysander' but that moniker was rather ruined by a fellow politician a while ago.”
Ray couldn't help but laugh, it was odd, he felt like he could trust Lysander from the word go, something about the way he spoke just made him comfortable around him. “Your too kind.” Ray said, still feeling he had to be slightly humble in some way. “May I ask what the project is.”
“The project.” Lysander said stepping away slightly and facing out to the large glass window behind them that looked out over Old Queen Street. “Is something I honestly believe may one day see us in a time of pure peace. I know I know.” He said turning back with his hands up. “Such notions are the foolish dreams of hippies and pagans, not politicians, but still I believe there is a way for the human raise to put aside their differences, and far fetched as it sounds, live as one people. It is not a solution to perpetual happiness or anything like that, but a solution to war, or at least one way to make war more unlikely, I think I may just be able to claim that of it.” Lysander walked back to his seat and sat down earnestly, leaning forward on the chair with the eager expression of a father singing the praises of his eldest boy. “To put it simply, Project White Horse is a universal translator, but so much more than that – it is as it were, humanities answer to The Tower Of Babel, if you believe such myths. With White Horse enabled, people will never again be separated by means of language, ceaseless, perfect dialog will ensue, bringing about an age of information and communication unlike anything mankind has ever dreamed before.”
“Seriously Ray,” Mr. Stone said interjecting. “You have to see this to believe it. Its incredible.”
“Right now.” Lysander continued. “Its just a very rough program that needs the right computer know how to work properly, but with work, it could be a integrated fully into society, to translate not just text but speech.”
“It seems... far too good to be true.” Ray said, “You'll have to forgive my lack of faith in asking for a demonstration.”
Lysander and Ray's boss smiled at him and ten minutes later Rays mouth dropped open as his witnessed it with his own eyes, and was convinced.
“You still looked rather stunned, Ray.” a pleasant voice in his left ear said as Ray turned away from the bathroom mirror he's been looking at himself in to see Lysander standing behind him.
“Oh. Yes... it's its ok, it's just... well, your invention is incredible. It's miraculous in fact, and I just...”
“Have always had trouble believing in such things?” Lysander suggested a warm smile on his face. Ray simply nodded in response. “It's always difficult at first, accepting such things. I was just the same until I became living proof of such things myself” Lysander reached his hands up and began unbuttoning his shirt. Ray backed off slightly suddenly finding himself very uncomfortable and in a position he really would not like any of his co-workers to catch him in. Lysander stopped halfway and opened up the right side of his shirt to reveal the scar over his heart where the bullet had gone in.
“That was where you were shot?” Ray said still nervously.
“Yes, it still amazes me sometimes that I'm still alive. The doctors all agreed it was nothing short of a miracle.” He button the shirt up again and put his hand on Rays shoulder. “You seem to be a very unhappy man Ray, you look like somebody who plays the part of a content man very well but is hiding a deep sadness inside him.”
Ray didn't know why he trusted the politican so much, but against his usual will when asked such a question he found himself nodding his head slightly. “My wife and I... things, arn't so good.”
Lysander nodded. “I understand. Its very easy in today's society to get over obsessed with meaningless things. Our jobs, our income, our colleagues, we tend to forget what's really important. But I have faith you, even if you do not yet have faith in me.” He smiled and patted him on the shoulder. “You can find a way to fall back into love with her.”
Ray found himself smiling as well and left the offices that day feeling more content than he had in a long time. Lysander's words had touched him in a way he couldn't fathom, but made him think there was a glimmer of hope in his life. Maybe he could save his marriage, maybe this program of Lysander's could change the world, and he could be a part of it.
Walking back towards the station, he stopped for a moment outside Westminster Cathedral. And thought to himself for a moment about what he'd seen today. He looked at the church. Lysander had talked of miracles and faith all day.
Ray walked in through the doors. What harm could ten minutes do.
“My heart is seeking after you right now.
I'm reaching...”
-Article A