The Neo Creadds Are Born (Ch.14a) : Remus

 Marta and Gallanol In The Modern Age

 

      Ch. 14 : The Neo Creadds Are Born (New Discussion Group)

Ch.14a : Remus

 

    Janus could feel the danger signs starting to happen as loneliness and segregation began to drive him towards depression. He was experienced and intelligent enough to know what was happening to him, and what he should do to restore some level of balance in life. If he had been working this might have been more difficult to achieve, but then he would not have become so withdrawn from his fellow men and women. In his position of freedom from work he was able to begin recontacting old friends, going out more often, and developing a social life. He partly regretted the interruption to his thoughts and his work, but he realised this was needed to restore a sense of balance, and to continue to collect new ideas and remain in touch with the world. After a while he began to realise the contacts he was making were as important as the solitary work he had been doing. A new movement was a part of his long term plan. He began to realise the plan need not be as long term as he had thought. There were people out there in the city, and the world, waiting for catalysts such as himself to help them into bringing about change.

      Janus entered a new phase in his life. Continuing his writing and the art work he treated as both relaxation and self expression, he restricted them to parts of his day. His new project was to re-engage himself into society by contacting old friends and making new ones. The new project was necessary because without more human contact he would become too far removed from reality, losing the ability to mix with his fellow humans. He did not want to become dependent on his occasional contacts with Xiomondis, or to allow his occasional lonely forays into the streets, bars and network to observe humanity, to distract from his human need for real contact with people.

 

     Without contact he was becoming bored and lazy, and his work suffered. He knew now that a life of pure artistic and intellectual specialisation was both impossible and undesirable. As a human being he was capable of more. He needed to enjoy other aspects of life, and he needed to attempt to turn his own vision into practice. Ideas and books alone would not change anyone’s world.

 

      He brought up his own personal database on screen. It contained more than two hundred names, addresses and vague job descriptions of nearly all the people he had known in the past and considered may be of any future use to him. He was quite proud of the number it contained. That reflected his muddled career path and the many courses he had attended. He was quite sure that many people could not boast such a large number of contacts. Many of the names were unfamiliar to him now. He had to look closely at addresses and particularly job descriptions or courses they had been on when he met them, to remind himself who they were and how well he had known them. Many of them, perhaps more than half he had hardly known at all. They were people he had met who had perhaps desired to top up their databases with contacts for future possible use in case they became friends, or perhaps Janus had desired their details. At the start of a job or course frequently addresses would be exchanged with people he never saw much of again, or later found out you had little in common with. Some of the names were of teachers or managers. Everyone collected the details of potential job referees in case they needed to move workplace. With some of these Janus had had good relationships and he could consider them to be friends.

 

     Janus sorted his database into an A list for people he knew as friends or worthy of potential future contact, and a B list for those he had little intention of ever contacting again, many of whom he could not even remember. Still, you never know when you might wish to use them. Janus thought that if his intention to form a group, an inner society as a platform to an improved world, came towards fruition, he may wish to find previous contacts, however flimsy, to spread membership.

 

 

     He spent some time thinking about where to start. The plan was he would contact a few every day, and try to arrange meetings. He would see how it went. Decision made, he typed the first number into the net. There was no need to do more. The net terminal would ring at the other end of the line, and his details – name and address – would automatically appear at the other end. If the receiver was not present or did not wish to receive the call he could leave an audio-verbal or a typed message if he chose, or the fact of his call and address would be recorded on the message file at the other end.

 

    There was no response, then a programmed reply appeared on screen. “Vornan is not in at present. Please try later – or leave a message. If you seek the previous owner Remus you may contact him on 456831 449 943 768 091 MC24.” That told him all he needed to know. It was luck that the owner had thought to attach Remus’ new number to his message. Vornan must have received some calls for Remus and decided to avoid them in the future. Remus was not the type to bother leaving messages with all his ‘friends’ if he moved apartments. Janus had not bothered in the past when he moved. When a person moved jobs he or she had to make new friends at work. If you had any sort of outside social life with other friends, which was worth keeping and was reasonably close to your new apartment you would inform them. Otherwise it might not be worth it. They could always trace you through the new occupier, as Janus was doing now, if they wanted you.

 

      It appeared that Remus had moved to the northside of the City, many miles away from the MC code. Janus had known him as another Trainee Investment Manager when he worked for Luvis Riandon Securities. He had been a good friend at that time.. He was surprised to find he had moved in only 9 months, but Remus had been a ‘fast track’ trainee, destined for higher management if he continued to work hard. Maybe he had been given a post in the North Marta City branch – there was one there.

 

       Janus typed in the new number and felt again that nervous anticipation he always felt when contacting people he had not seen for a while. 9 months did not seem long. It seemed only yesterday that he had handed in his notice at Luvis-Riandon and begun his desperate rebellion. But he had achieved much in that time, and when he remembered that it justified the time he had spent. There was a delay, rather a long one, which suggested the receiver was in residence, but had either not been able to come to the screen yet, or was debating whether to answer. Remus had always been reluctant to spend time with his colleagues after work, although there had been quite a few occasions which had suggested he enjoyed company, but his work discipline enforced limitations upon the freedoms he allowed himself. Finally there was a reply in audio-verbal. “Hello Janus, this is Remus,” he stated, quick and businesslike, waiting for his to state what he wanted. Almost instantaneously a visual contact was made on screen, and Janus saw his friend’s face emerge on screen, 9 months older than he remembered it. Yes he looked a little older, hair mildly receding, a bit less than when he last saw him, but not much changed. The face was careworn and concentrated, strong, as he remembered him. Janus pressed a button. His own visual instantly sped through the Net so Remus could see him also.

 

      “Remus! It’s good to see you. I am trying to contact some of my old friends and you were the first one on the list!” He turned on as much charm as he could muster after a 9 month segregation from the wider humanity.

 

     Remus seemed lost for words, but he probably had not been expecting anyone to contact him after work and was not mentally prepared. “That is very good of you Janus. Thank you.”

 

    Janus was reminded instantly of how polite his friend was. Remus would never anger anyone unless it was necessary for work. He, like so many hardworking people, presented an outward face, which always sought to agree with everyone he came into contact with if at all possible.

 

     “How are you doing Remus? I see you have moved. Is it a promotion or are you working for someone else?” asked Janus.

 

     “I am still with Luvis-Riandon in the North Marta Branch, as you might expect. The Director in the Short Term Stocks section decided to promote me when he realised my Recruiting Agents had caught the interest of another Investment Broking multinational. They had offered me an interview. That concentrated my boss’s mind. He invited me for an informal chat to see what sort of career direction I was interested in. I said I wanted to work my way up in Investment Management and was hoping for a change in position, something a bit higher up the ladder. I could see he was panicked. If I moved out would he be able to replace me quickly with someone as effective. He said he would see what he could do, and would call me soon. In the meantime he suggested I didn’t make and hasty decisions. He came back within 48 hours with a couple of opportunities in other sections. He said I could choose if I was interested in either of them and he would have my name put forward for interview or I could stay in my present job until an opportunity higher in his department came up, but he could not guarantee it in the immediate future. In the longer term he could guarantee promotion in his section.”

 

     Janus listened patiently. He detected his career question was much to Remus’s liking. He had hit upon the very subject Remus wished to tell him about. Remus confirmed the impression Janus had of him as a very.motivated person, relatively successful at his studies, quick to pick up the systems and concepts, legal, numerical and ideological, of his work. He was an intelligent man, rewarded by the feelings of success and confident in the confirmation of his powers.

 

     “Did you go to the interview with the other House?” asked Janus.

 

     “No, I didn’t bother in the end. I liked the sound of this job which I have now, in particular. I got the interview in only two weeks. They wanted me straight away and I wanted the job, so I didn’t bother with the external interview. I did also attend the other interview in  Luvis-Riandon, which was in the block across the street where the Investment Customer Portfolios are gathered. That would have been a good job too, quite a promotion, but a little less independent, less scope for the future and not as well paid.”

 

     Janus showed his interest. He wanted to find out how Remus was doing. Had he changed? Was the new position, and the sense of obvious confidence which went with it, changing him? Remus was quite willing to explain everything in some detail for a while. Janus found out about both interviews, and how the new job had more than fulfilled expectations.

 

     Remus was getting closer to fulfilling his own ambitions. The mountain of study and training which towered above every worker at the start of any career had been partially climbed. Remus found himself valued by his House, in a responsible position, even with a degree of what he called independence. The financial and social rewards seemed to be adequate to his self esteem.

 

     Janus was growing a trifle bored by the unending drive of the conversation towards his old colleague’s career progression, but it was clear that the world of Remus was full of little else at the moment, as it had been a year ago, when Janus had been closer to him. The differences between them were more pronounced now, not surprisingly given their opposite paths in the months since. While the path of Remus had been straight and upwards, Janus’s had been reckless and foolish in conventional terms, although he had seen some success, if only minimally, in the financial sense. After Janus had asked him about some of the other people he had known at Luvis-Riandon, the conversation finally moved to why he should wish to meet old friends whom he had seen only 6 months before at Luvis-Riandon.

 

     “I intend to contact others from my previous jobs,” explained Janus. “I wish to bring acquaintances together, and any new ones I can attract, to develop a social and discussion group.”

 

      “Quaint idea, Janus. But why? You have never done this before. Nobody has. What’s the point. It isn’t so long since I saw everyone at the old branch. I am not so sure I really want to meet many of them again socially. We used to see so much of them at work,” said Remus.

 

     “But when you were working you could not get to know them properly,” explained Janus. “How do you develop conversations or participate in leisure activities together when you are at work. At work it is not possible! That is why I want people to get to know each other, to develop a social life outside work.”

 

     “We sometimes went for a drink on the way home from work, a few of us sometimes,” Remus reminded him cleverly.

 

     “Yes, but only once every three months, and not everyone came. We were all so busy.”

 

     “Why do you want this? Why do you need it Janus?” asked Remus, revealing his opposition.

 

     “Well, I told you about my new life – the books I have written. I now realise what has been wrong with our lives. Not enough social life! Some people have social lives, why not people like us? It is the way to become more balanced human beings. I want to start a group to provide that and maybe other things as well.”

 

     “I find it hard to understand why you want to do this. You need an occupation Janus. Do you realise your money will run out unless you can make your writing pay, which I doubt. Social groups are not what you need to restore your career. Some socialising is fine if you need it. You are right it will give you some balance, but why organise a social group. Unless you intend to charge members for the privilege I do not see why you should want to,” said Remus.

 

     “So you don’t want to come along, not even for one or two meetings?” Janus asked.

 

     “It is good to talk to you again,” said Remus. “We should keep in touch. It would even be nice to meet you again. I would like even to have a drink with you again sometime, preferably soon, but why would I want to join a social group. I don’t have the time for that sort of thing. What would we do in it anyway? Talk – about what? Maybe if you could put together some interesting leisure activities for it I might occasionally come over when I have the time. But I really do not see what it achieves. I have new friends at North M.C., I enjoy my work. I work hard, and I don’t have much time. I have to study. What else do I need.?

 

      “I am too busy to see you this week, but if you contact me in a couple of weeks I will try to find some time, and we can meet for an hour or so in a bar. I will have to go now. See you soon Janus.”

 

      Remus had delivered his final word on the subject, and without giving Janus a chance to say more he cut off. He was not surprised. He had expected this sort of response, and particularly after hearing about Remus’ change of position and sensing his motivation. Remus remained one of his best friends. He did not have many and he was grateful for those who wished to retain a link with him. At least Remus wished to meet him again. Characters like Remus might one day come round to the idea of joining a social group. Until that time he would endeavour at least to remain in contact. Forming any sort of group might prove more difficult than he hoped. Even if Remus had come along to a group which had no existence as yet, he would have been uninterested in the discussions Janus wished to promote. Remus would only have attempted to sabotage whatever Janus tried to construct.

 

     It was better that Remus did not wish to join a group. His logical work orientated approach was not conducive to the debates and action Janus wished to promote.