Life Inc.
Chapter 15
"Life Incorporated was founded in 1995 - "
"Wait, that can't be right," Louis interrupted Liam, frowning. "I was born in 94, so that's not possible."
"No, you were born in 2294," Liam corrected. "Life Inc has been lying to the world about the date since the chipping started. We don’t know why, we personally don’t see the point. But their morality says mind control’s okay so god knows what their logic’s like.
As I was saying, Life Incorporated was founded in 1995 by a man called Dr Andrews. Originally they set out to save the world, finding renewable, sustainable sources of energy. Then, secretly, they began to develop more sinister things; ways of extending life in definitely and controlling organisms through computer chips and a computer program known as LEO.
By 2012, the world was kinda beginning to go to hell. There was war, poverty, a celebrity culture that was killing people - "
"We still have those things now," Louis pointed out, interrupting again. Niall hid a smile behind his hand as Liam rolled his eyes.
"But now they are executed and controlled by the company for a specific purpose, which I'm getting to."
"Okay, sorry."
"Where was I?" Liam frowned, asking the blond.
"World going to hell," Niall chuckled.
"Right, cheers. And the worst part was the demography. And that is why the chipping started.”
"Demography?"
"There were a number of factors; women had independence finally and wanted careers, there was a recession and people couldn't afford kids, divorce was more common. Basically, people weren't having enough kids. The population was declining so severely that the human race was going to die out within two hundred years or so if something wasn't done. The United Nations approached Life Inc for their help, and that's why the chipping started, to get couples to have at least the two children required to maintain the population. By the time anyone realised their mistake, it was too late. Eventually the unchipped people died and the world has been under Life Inc's control for just under three hundred years."
"So if people are programmed by employees, then who programmes the programmers?"
"No one. Remember I said about them extending life indefinitely? Everyone who works for Life Inc - programmers, operatives, everyone - are the original employees."
"Including Dr Howard," Niall smiled sadly. Liam glanced worriedly at him but Niall had looked away.
"So these people are three hundred years old? Why do they stay loyal?"
"It's that or death," Liam shrugged.
“And what about all the war and stuff? You said it had a purpose?”
“It creates jobs. Lots and lots of jobs,” Niall sighed. “As does crime, the celebrity culture, illness, everything.”
"Liam, house guest says he wants to talk to 'the boss man'," Zayn informed them, popping his head round the door. Liam nodded and stood up.
"Louis, Niall will show you to a room. Get a good sleep; we'll start training in the morning and it will be tough. But the sooner you're ready, the sooner we can shut down the company and all this will be over."
***
"You wanted to see me?" Liam asked, letting himself into Harry's temporary prison. The boy was lying on his bed and sat up as Liam shut the door.
"I feel like you haven't given him much of a choice in this."
"He should know that we're not forcing him to do anything. He's welcome to back out, he just has to say."
"I admit that I haven't known for as long as you did, but he's changed a lot since you knew him. In those eight years alone he's found demons you can't begin to imagine. Trust me, he doesn't know how to refuse," Harry sighed, hands fidgeting worriedly.
"Well then I'll talk to him about it tomorrow."
"He's here because I brought him, but now with me like this he’s your responsibility and if he gets hurt, I'm going to kill you." Liam studied Harry and the look in his eyes and knew that he was deadly serious.
"He won't get hurt, I swear. Don't make the mistake of thinking you're the only one here who cares about Louis, okay? He was our big brother, the one who cared for us when Doctor Howard was gone for months. Christ, most of the time when he was here as well. We all had to grow up too fast but no one more than Louis. He acted twice his age and made sure that was had as much of a childhood as was humanly possible. So I'm not going to let him get hurt."
"He's...fragile. More than you can know."
"I can imagine. I know what I'm doing here, we all do."
"I just...he's saved my life and...I don't know what I'd do without him."
"I understand." Harry wanted to argue and say that Liam couldn't possibly understand the fire that Louis had ignited inside of him, or how it physically ached to be away from him. "Get some sleep," Liam suggested before leaving him alone.
***
"You look stressed already." Liam smiled as Niall's soft voice graced his ears and a steady arm wrapped around his chest from behind.
"It's just come out of nowhere. One minute things are normal and the next...this means the mission's started. All our lives have led up to this point."
"Don't fret Li, we can do this."
"I know." Gentle lips pressed against his neck and he leant back into the familiar embrace.
"Are you going to sleep tonight?"
"Of course."
"Liar," Niall smiled. "Your mind is racing, you're thinking of a million things at once and you need to make sure you're rested enough to start training Louis."
"It's frustrating sometimes how well you know me," Liam chuckled as he pulled himself out of his chair and a hand curled around his.
"Bed," Niall laughed the order, pulling Liam away from his desk. "And I'll be using my usual magnificent means to distract you," he winked.
"I think I can live with that."
***
"Haz, you awake?"
"Louis? What are you doing here?" Harry asked, sitting up and squinting through the darkness.
"Couldn't sleep."
"Did you have a nightmare?" Harry asked quietly as he felt the bed sink towards his feet. There was a pause.
"Yeah, and I was worried about you. I'm not happy about this." Harry leant forward until his hand met the soft skin of Louis' arm, then he tugged the smaller boy back until he was sat between his legs, resting back on his chest with Harry's arms wrapped reassuringly around his waist.
"Stay with me, I'll fight the demons off so you can sleep." Louis smiled and let his eyes drift closed, even his hyper-awareness of his contact with Harry couldn't stave off the fast approaching sleep. His smile grew as he chose not to question what felt like a kiss to the top of his head.
"G'night Harry," Louis mumured, voice thick.
"Night Lou," Harry smiled, struggling to contain that fire raging inside of him, fuelled by the now-sleeping boy in his arms.
"Wait, that can't be right," Louis interrupted Liam, frowning. "I was born in 94, so that's not possible."
"No, you were born in 2294," Liam corrected. "Life Inc has been lying to the world about the date since the chipping started. We don’t know why, we personally don’t see the point. But their morality says mind control’s okay so god knows what their logic’s like.
As I was saying, Life Incorporated was founded in 1995 by a man called Dr Andrews. Originally they set out to save the world, finding renewable, sustainable sources of energy. Then, secretly, they began to develop more sinister things; ways of extending life in definitely and controlling organisms through computer chips and a computer program known as LEO.
By 2012, the world was kinda beginning to go to hell. There was war, poverty, a celebrity culture that was killing people - "
"We still have those things now," Louis pointed out, interrupting again. Niall hid a smile behind his hand as Liam rolled his eyes.
"But now they are executed and controlled by the company for a specific purpose, which I'm getting to."
"Okay, sorry."
"Where was I?" Liam frowned, asking the blond.
"World going to hell," Niall chuckled.
"Right, cheers. And the worst part was the demography. And that is why the chipping started.”
"Demography?"
"There were a number of factors; women had independence finally and wanted careers, there was a recession and people couldn't afford kids, divorce was more common. Basically, people weren't having enough kids. The population was declining so severely that the human race was going to die out within two hundred years or so if something wasn't done. The United Nations approached Life Inc for their help, and that's why the chipping started, to get couples to have at least the two children required to maintain the population. By the time anyone realised their mistake, it was too late. Eventually the unchipped people died and the world has been under Life Inc's control for just under three hundred years."
"So if people are programmed by employees, then who programmes the programmers?"
"No one. Remember I said about them extending life indefinitely? Everyone who works for Life Inc - programmers, operatives, everyone - are the original employees."
"Including Dr Howard," Niall smiled sadly. Liam glanced worriedly at him but Niall had looked away.
"So these people are three hundred years old? Why do they stay loyal?"
"It's that or death," Liam shrugged.
“And what about all the war and stuff? You said it had a purpose?”
“It creates jobs. Lots and lots of jobs,” Niall sighed. “As does crime, the celebrity culture, illness, everything.”
"Liam, house guest says he wants to talk to 'the boss man'," Zayn informed them, popping his head round the door. Liam nodded and stood up.
"Louis, Niall will show you to a room. Get a good sleep; we'll start training in the morning and it will be tough. But the sooner you're ready, the sooner we can shut down the company and all this will be over."
***
"You wanted to see me?" Liam asked, letting himself into Harry's temporary prison. The boy was lying on his bed and sat up as Liam shut the door.
"I feel like you haven't given him much of a choice in this."
"He should know that we're not forcing him to do anything. He's welcome to back out, he just has to say."
"I admit that I haven't known for as long as you did, but he's changed a lot since you knew him. In those eight years alone he's found demons you can't begin to imagine. Trust me, he doesn't know how to refuse," Harry sighed, hands fidgeting worriedly.
"Well then I'll talk to him about it tomorrow."
"He's here because I brought him, but now with me like this he’s your responsibility and if he gets hurt, I'm going to kill you." Liam studied Harry and the look in his eyes and knew that he was deadly serious.
"He won't get hurt, I swear. Don't make the mistake of thinking you're the only one here who cares about Louis, okay? He was our big brother, the one who cared for us when Doctor Howard was gone for months. Christ, most of the time when he was here as well. We all had to grow up too fast but no one more than Louis. He acted twice his age and made sure that was had as much of a childhood as was humanly possible. So I'm not going to let him get hurt."
"He's...fragile. More than you can know."
"I can imagine. I know what I'm doing here, we all do."
"I just...he's saved my life and...I don't know what I'd do without him."
"I understand." Harry wanted to argue and say that Liam couldn't possibly understand the fire that Louis had ignited inside of him, or how it physically ached to be away from him. "Get some sleep," Liam suggested before leaving him alone.
***
"You look stressed already." Liam smiled as Niall's soft voice graced his ears and a steady arm wrapped around his chest from behind.
"It's just come out of nowhere. One minute things are normal and the next...this means the mission's started. All our lives have led up to this point."
"Don't fret Li, we can do this."
"I know." Gentle lips pressed against his neck and he leant back into the familiar embrace.
"Are you going to sleep tonight?"
"Of course."
"Liar," Niall smiled. "Your mind is racing, you're thinking of a million things at once and you need to make sure you're rested enough to start training Louis."
"It's frustrating sometimes how well you know me," Liam chuckled as he pulled himself out of his chair and a hand curled around his.
"Bed," Niall laughed the order, pulling Liam away from his desk. "And I'll be using my usual magnificent means to distract you," he winked.
"I think I can live with that."
***
"Haz, you awake?"
"Louis? What are you doing here?" Harry asked, sitting up and squinting through the darkness.
"Couldn't sleep."
"Did you have a nightmare?" Harry asked quietly as he felt the bed sink towards his feet. There was a pause.
"Yeah, and I was worried about you. I'm not happy about this." Harry leant forward until his hand met the soft skin of Louis' arm, then he tugged the smaller boy back until he was sat between his legs, resting back on his chest with Harry's arms wrapped reassuringly around his waist.
"Stay with me, I'll fight the demons off so you can sleep." Louis smiled and let his eyes drift closed, even his hyper-awareness of his contact with Harry couldn't stave off the fast approaching sleep. His smile grew as he chose not to question what felt like a kiss to the top of his head.
"G'night Harry," Louis mumured, voice thick.
"Night Lou," Harry smiled, struggling to contain that fire raging inside of him, fuelled by the now-sleeping boy in his arms.