“You
should be at the shop with the others, planning.” Kari grumbled as she worked,
still trying to re-code the last few files on the system, glad for the N.O.A.
virtual security network that she had backed up most of her department’s files
onto. It had taken a couple of days to get back into it and the virtual avatar
for the system had been making snide comments about the head of the company
(which was probably why the other Department Heads hadn’t used it) but it had
saved her months and months of work and allowed them to bring the system back
up just this morning.
“I’m
not leaving you unattended.” Ombre disagreed from her place on the sofa bed
Kari had had installed behind the office door, where she was playing on an old handheld
console to keep herself occupied. “And even if I would, Kaiba’s made it clear
that I’m supposed to be your bodyguard. He’s paying me, remember? He seems to
be worried about your safety.”
“He
only loves me because I saved his hide.” Kari smirked slightly as she finished her
program and compiled it, hoping to run it and check that it worked. “Without
the N.O.A. backups, we would have lost everything and they were my idea. He
wasn’t even aware it was in his system until I showed him. I do wonder why I
couldn’t get the avatar working around him though.”
“Art
of public demonstration, remember?” Ombre asked, “It’ll go right every time
until you try and show someone. You go on about it often enough when you and
Hermione are talking about school and presentations. You even prepare for it
when you’re dealing with your boss.”
“Point.”
Kari allowed, frowning slightly as the program refused to compile. “Damn it,
where am I missing something?” She grumbled, turning her gaze back to the
screen, “Are we all packed for tonight?”
Ombre
nodded, then remembered that her hikari wasn’t really paying attention to her
and spoke up, “Yes. I didn’t think Kaiba would let you go after all of this.”
“I
think it’s just so he has an inside eye on what his competitors are up to.”
Kari shrugged, still scowling at the screen, “If this VirtualNet thing works
like they say it does, then Kaiba Corp could be in huge trouble and considering
the hit we just took...”
Ombre
sighed. Kari was right. The company was in huge trouble because they had had to
shut down the worldwide duelling network for a couple of days. Stock prices had
dropped, investors bailed and now with the rumours of a virtual system that
didn’t rely on holographic projectors that were carried around by the Duellist
using them, they were in even more trouble.
Not
that she cared. The only difference it made to her was in how hard it meant her
hikari was pushing herself. Kari was ridiculously loyal to the company, and the
Kaiba brothers who ran it, and she was pretty certain she had had more sleep
than her lighter self over the last three days.
She
came around to look at the code on screen and frowned. She didn’t understand
most of what Kari called ‘C++’ but she did remember enough of what she had read
in the books Kari still had from her courses, to know something rather important.
“You
do realise that code is gobbledygook, right?” Ombre asked, causing Kari to
glare at her. “No, seriously. I can’t make heads or tails of it.”
“You
can’t read code.” Kari pointed out, “So...”
“Kari.”
Ombre’s sharp tone made her pull up short, “Stop, rub your eyes and look
properly. You’re so ‘code blind’ you’re writing yourself in circles.”
Kari
paused, took a deep breath and did as Ombre had suggested. Once she had she
flinched. “Oh...oh wow. No wonder it wouldn’t compile.”
“I
think it might be time for you to go home and sleep.” Ombre suggested, trying
to pull Kari away from the computer.
“I
don’t need sleep. I just need more coffee.” Kari tried.
“I...”
Ombre let out an exasperated noise and threw her hands up, “That’s it. If you
don’t leave with me, willingly, I’m going to get Kaiba to send you home.”
“I’m
fine.” Kari objected, “I just...” She trailed off when Ombre glowered at her, “Haven’t
slept in about thirty-something hours...”
“Then
go home.” Kari started at the sound of a male voice in her doorway. She looked
over to find Seto Kaiba was stood in the doorway to her office and didn’t look
amused. “Sleep is an inefficient waste of time, but working on a lack of sleep
is even worse because it forces you to redo work. Give me the files you’re
working on then go home. I don’t expect to see you until after the DimSoft beta.”
“But
sir...” Kari tried.
“Home.
Ironhide. Now.” Kaiba growled at her.
“Yes,
sir.” Kari sighed, copying her program onto a disc and passing it to her boss
on the way out, feeling a bit dejected.
“Ironhide...”
She paused halfway down the corridor at the sound of Kaiba’s call, “Good work.”
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