Handler XX: Stock Maestro-Chapter 30: X, Y, Z

"Xander Ferte?"

Trent turned to her, "You know him?"

Xander raised a brow but offered a handshake.

"Xander Ferte. Pleasure."

Theo looked at Angela— Never seen her this surprised.

"How do you know him? And you should take his hands— they’re hanging"

"Ah" she snapped out of her shock, "Angela Reynolds— pleasure to meet you too" she shook his hands.

Xander smiled, glancing at Trent. Angela Reynolds? How familiar.

"Let’s head into the study— Xander, bring us a drink, and an extra glass for yourself" He grabbed Xander’s shoulder, smiling.

"Yes, Sir"

_______

"You looked so shocked. How did you know him?" Theo asked, as she busied herself looking at the books.

"I was surprised— I haven’t even asked him his last name" Trent chuckled, taking his seat.

"Seren Rotschen..." She murmured, "This house belongs to the Professor, yeah?"

She walked back, holding one of the books and took her seat.

"Yeah— Seren Rotschen’s kids sold it to me"

"Those bastards..." she muttered, "he always complained about them"

"Wait— You spoke with Rotschen when he was alive?" Trent shifted forward.

"That’s amazing" Theo turned to her, eyes scanning the book she held.

Immediately, Xander walked into the study with Mia. He held a tray— a bottle of whiskey and some glasses.

Mia carried a tray too.

"What’s this" his eyes scanned Mia’s tray as she dropped it, trailing to her face.

"Snacks— Caviar on blinis, Sir"

Caviar topping cookies. A first.

"Thank you"

"My pleasure, Sir" she smiled, turned and walked away.

Xander poured the whiskey into the glasses, "Damore— the Senator’s favorite"

"The good life..." Theo sniffled, jokingly. Trent intercepted his hand as he reached for the tray of snacks.

"Rich people and their stinginess" he clicked his tongue, folding his arms.

"Not now" Trent chuckled, "Let’s talk" he turned to Xander, signaling him to take his seat.

"Now— how do you know him?"

She met Xander’s eyes, then sighed. "X765—" she paused, nodding at him.

"...Z321" Xander muttered.

What was that? Trent’s eyes trailed both of them. Theo reached out for the tray again and took one.

"What’s that?"

"Pardon me, Sir. I didn’t mean to hide it from you" Xander stood up and bowed immediately.

"Hide what?"

"Rotschen told me about him— his student, Xander Ferte"

"I’m sorry for acting surprised, Miss Reynolds— I needed to be sure" he turned to her.

Wait— Acting? He acted that look of confusion on his face?

Trent picked one of the glasses and leaned back on the couch.

"What’s happening, Xander"

"I—"

"It’s better I tell you" Angela interrupted.

"Alright... What’s happening, and how do you know Serene Rotschen?"

Theo passed Xander one of the cookies with a smile as he sat down— they nodded at each other.

She cleared her throat, glancing at Xander before continuing,

"I started learning under Mr. Rotschen two years ago— he reached out. Tracked me, when I thought I was untraceable" she chuckled

"He said he’ll teach me more— about everything. And I accepted because it seemed interesting" she glanced at Theo.

"No wonder you idolized him so much" Theo said as their eyes met,

"Y–Yeah" she turned her face away, clearing her throat once more.

"He told me about Xander— another student who he’d been training a few weeks before he found me"

"That room..." Trent turned to Xander— his tone cold. "Do you know what’s inside?"

"No, Sir..." Xander replied, "That was his personal lab— I wasn’t allowed in"

"Personal lab?" Angela asked sharply, excited.

"Do his kids know about the lab?"

"No— They didn’t take an interest in his hobbies"

"What’s this about a personal lab? Where is it?"

Trent exhaled, "Was that the reason you pleaded to continue working here?"

"N–No, Sir. He’d told me to continue with whomever got the house and protect them"

Protect, huh? Was he thinking that one of his kids will inherit the house?

"Wait— he complained about his kids?" He turned to Angela

"Yeah— on some occasions. He even doubted that he’d fathered them— but the DNA tests always proved him wrong" she laughed softly.

"Tests" Theo asked,

"Yeah— he’d gone to different hospitals secretly"

That’s one hell of a Man. Trent chuckled.

"Were you planning to take the lab for yourself?" He glanced at Xander.

"After a year of no activity, absorb and destroy everything— that was his command"

"Abosrb and destroy" Trent murmured.

"Sounds like dangerous stuff— should we talk more about pay?" Theo scoffed, taking a glass.

"Let’s head there" Trent exhaled, dropping his glass.

_______

"Holy—" Theo gasped as the floor opened to the stairs.

"Just like him to have a secret passage" Xander muttered, chuckling.

"He loved secrets" Angela muttered.

"Damn..." Xander gasped as he entered the room, "...So many"

Angela walked to the shelf immediately and flipped through as many that she could.

"Fuck" Theo walked to the Computer set-up, "Man’s got style— look at this"

"This is why we’re here" Trent knocked on the table.

He turned the computer on and entered the codes they said, "X765Z321"

Access denied— Self destruct in 2 minutes.

Fuck.

"The codes" he looked up at them— they were too focused on admiring the lab.

Wait— 765, 321... X and Z. What about Y?

He typed again, "X765Y4Z321"

WELCOME, MR. ROTSCHEN.

They walked to him as soon as they heard the automated voice.

"How did you turn it on?" Xander looked at him,

"The codes— how were you going to turn it on without the other part? You didn’t seem to know her part?" Trent asked.

"He said he’d left a final test on hacking" he murmured. He looked up at Trent. freeweɓnovel-cøm

"There’s always a backdoor—"

"...to every tiny corner of the system" Angela completed the statement, "That’s what he said to me on our last conversation"

"Wait—" Trent thought for a while, "Your codes—"

He turned to Xander, "When did he tell you this?"

"... The day he died— he called me to the study and said this after telling me about the test"

What?

"How weird..." Theo turned to them, "The last lecture and the day he died— did he know he’d die?"

"There’s always a backdoor to every tiny corner of the system" Trent murmured.

"always... every. tiny. system— Y4" he gasped.

"Amazing" Angela said, "You’re more interesting than I thought"

"It’s incomplete without the first or last part though" Theo looked around, "How did he expect you guys to meet?"

"The Clementine awards— six months time. He told me to attend no matter what... Anastasia"

"What? He told me the same thing" Angela gasped.

"Who’s Anastasia?" Trent asked, confused.

"A system he’d designed— he said to load it on my PC and go there"

"Anastasia will lead you to the key" Angela muttered. They looked at each other.

Keys, huh? That genius old Man.

"Crazy..." Theo muttered, "He’s such a scary crazy old Man— I see why you idolize him" he chuckled, "Monsters"

She stared at him for a while, "I’ve told him about you" she muttered,

"What?"

"N–Nothing"

"Why did he get involved with Politics if he was such a genius? He could’ve had everything" Trent huffed.

"He had everything, Cap— Clementine’s means $20 million a year, and $5 million to your family for 20 years after you die."

"Greed" Xander cut in, "He wanted to study the greed of world movers up close"

"World movers?"

"Yeah... The politicians, Monarchs and rulers— he wanted to know more about their greed"

"Wait— something popped up" Theo pointed at the screen.

HELLO, XANDER. ADMINISTRATOR ACCESS WILL BE PASSED DOWN IN A FEW MINUTES.

"What?" Xander leaned in as the automated voice ended.

"A keyword and voice recognition, huh?" Angela chuckled.

"... What are you?"

I AM MUSK— MR. ROTSCHEN’S PERSONAL ASSISTANT. NOW YOUR ASSISTANT, UNTIL YOU APPOINT SOMEONE ELSE.

"Musk?— Another system. What can you do?"

ANYTHING— I CAN DO ANYTHING AS IT’S ON A SERVER.

"Wow" Theo turned to Trent, "This is badass"

"Ask if it can recognize our voices" Trent touched Xander’s shoulder.

He nodded, "Musk, find the identities of the voices in this room"

UNDERSTOOD. RUNNING ANALYSIS.

"I’ll be damned that it knows my voice— I have no Internet presence whatsoever"

COMPLETE— THEO ARKOV, ANGELA REYNOLDS AND TRENT ACKERMAN.

"How?" Theo shifted backwards.

"How did you find them, Musk?"

CALLS, VOICE MESSAGES AND POSTS ON THE INTERNET.

"Damn" Xander turned to Trent, "This is insane, Sir"

"Yeah— if it can do anything, it’ll be dangerous" Trent turned his back and walked towards the beginner book section.

How fascinating...

"New mission initializing..." Ave’s voice cut through his thoughts.

"Sign in to Reeve’s technologies"

A company? He turned to them, "Do you know any Reeve’s Technologies?"

"That’s one of Mr. Rotschen’s companies" Xander turned to him, "Named it after the Reeve’s model— his award winning work"

"What about Anastasia?"

"That’s a model we made together— not released. Why do you ask, Sir?"

"I might need to visit the place" he muttered, running his hand through his hair.

He clenched his fist— what was Ave up to now?