"Here you go Gentlemen, this is your section for tonight" said the hospitality bot as she showed the raucous group from Vortex Capital to their VIP area on the mezzanine above the empty dance floor. From there they got a great sense of the Georgian dance hall the venue had once been with it's high vaulted ceiling and stucco corniches edging the walls. All had been tastefully renovated prior to the garish addition of lights, bars, and an illuminated dance floor. Electronic dance music pounded from invisible speakers.
Savage Garden had pioneered the RoboBar scene nearly a decade ago but the place was now looking its age. Its twelve Robot Bartenders still whizzed around on rails behind its central circular bar, mixing cocktails and pulling pints at a rate that was once seen as unbelievable but now was just industry standard. A recent attempt to upgrade the software, and introduce new cocktails to the menu had resulted in a small fire when one Bots' wood-smoking attachment ignited during the mix of a Smoked Negroni. The place had to shut for three weeks and be refurbished, while the upgrade was quietly reverted.
The Bartender Bots were the first of their kind; retrofitted industrial units used in car plants and factories. They'd been adapted by adding multiple serving arms and slimming down their bases to be less barrel-like and more cylindrical to fit behind the bar. Each Bot was able to serve four drinks at a time and mix a Margherita in under thirty seconds, but their mad, jittery movements gave them an erratic and uncontrolled presence like demented squid. This unnerved patrons, especially when one accidentally scalped a woman on a Hen-Do. A few years later the first Android Bartender Bots were released and the place soon developed a retro feel. Nonetheless it could still pack out midweek, given its location and it had kept with the times by introducing Android Bots to serve in the VIP section and on the floor. Brembrum loved coming here.
"Thank you," said Sebastian walking behind the velvet rope. He looked into the Android's eyes as he passed and got the typical dead-eyed stare of the cheaper models. This unit was made up to look like a pretty young woman, perhaps mid twenties with long blonde hair in a high pony tail. She wore a tight catsuit with a neckline that plunged to her waist in an aggressive V. It just covered her breasts enough to maintain modesty while still exposing an adequate amount of side boob to titillate. Sebastian noted her breasts. They looked like after market parts. Two round hemispheres that jutted from her chest like mixing bowls placed so far apart, there was enough space for a third one.
Brembrum, already tipsy, herded his team into the space and they started to break into the bottles of vodka and cans of mixers protruding from ice mounds in large black lacquer troughs on the tables. Sebastian checked his watch, 18:38. He would stay for a couple of hours, maybe an hour and a half if he could get away with it, not drink too much and then quietly slip away to his appointment. By then most of them should be paralytic or off their faces on synthetics that no one would notice or care he'd gone. He needed to be out of there at 20:30 at the latest.
"Come on in everyone, please help yourselves, help yourselves," Brembrum was getting ready to make a toast, "Please just quickly sit down, I just want to say a couple of quick things before the party really starts to get out of hand," whoops and yells emanated from the already half baked crowd, "We did an amazing thing today everyone well done. I know it took a lot of hard work to get Avanti over the line and that many, many of you went above and beyond over the past few days, working late and preparing for the call today, so on behalf of myself, senior leadership team, the Chelsea Range Rover dealership and my wife's estate agent," some muted laughs from the congregation, "A big, big thank you. Well done kids!" Now it was Sebastian's turn to lead the applause as everyone celebrated finally being left alone to party as hard as possible in the next six to eight hours.
Brembrum picked up a flute and handed it to Sebastian, "This is the beginning old boy, you just wait and see, Avanti is our gateway into bigger and better things you mark my words."
"I certainly hope so," replied Sebastian sipping his champagne as Brembrum poured his down his neck as if he didn't want to taste it.
"No seriously, there are some things in the pipeline now that are going to take us places," Sebastian's ears were now pricked.
"More Champagne?" asked Sebastian, pouring Brembrum a very full glass before he could answer. Brembrum loosened his tie and unbuttoned his collar, "Do you have something in mind?" Sebastian finally asked.
"Yes but all very hush hush at the moment old boy, you know, need to know and all that," he then pulled a strange face at Sebastian, presumably inferring subterfuge. Sebastian opened his mouth to dig a little deeper but was interrupted.
"Well done Gentlemen, a great day, a great day indeed, congratulazioni," It was Yohan; Sebastian's office nemesis. He offered Marcus his Mojito to cheers and then turned to Sebastian who, managing to control his raging bile duct, and graciously obliged with his glass.
"Thank you Yohan," Bellowed Marcus while Sebastian nodded at the short Italian. Yohan was younger than Sebastian and had worked at Vortex for only a couple of years but had already jumped up a couple of rungs to become a Senior VP of the largest trading team at the company. Sebastian believed that anyone who'd progressed so quickly through diligent hard work and talent was a threat and to be neutralised at the earliest opportunity. That opportunity had not yet come. He had dark hair, a slim build and liked to wear three piece suits without the jackets. Clearly not a fan of leg day his muscular frame seemed to precariously wobble on a pair of skinny legs, that he liked to drape in tight tailored trousers that were always two inches too short. Marcus started to gently rock his shoulders to the rhythm of the blaring music.
"So what now boys, what's the next move after Avanit, this deal will put us on the map, no?" asked Yohan in his thick Neapolitan accent. Sebastian needed to cut this off as he could sense Yohan's mafioso ancestry pushing him to muscle in on his turf.
"It's all on a need to know basis right now," offered Sebastian smugly, "We'll let you know when it's time to make some trades, okay," He looked to Marcus for validation but Marcus was now gyrating his entire upper body ignoring the pair of them. Yohan took Sebastian's barbed words graciously.
"I totally understand," he said; raising his hand and bowing his head. Classic submission pose Sebastian thought, that's right bow your head mother fucker, "If you ever need anything, any kind of support, or just want to bounce some ideas then I'm here for you okay,"
"Oh, Thank you Yohan," Replied Sebastian over the music, considering his previous appraisal. Perhaps he wasn't a total prick. Perhaps he was genuine; had Sebastian been wrong about him?
"But be careful, or I'll be getting your job," he said playfully, making gun signs with his hands and pumping them back and forth at Sebastian's chest. He slid away with a smirk. Son of a bitch, thought Sebastian! His face morphing into that of a pit bull chewing a wasp. Sebastian looked at Marcus, now clumsily dancing with Andrea from accounts. This was good, at this rate he'd be able to slip out sooner than he thought. He took the opportunity to sit down on one of the wrap around couches that bordered the tables, and sip his champagne. If he could style it out here for half an hour he should be able to slide away unnoticed. He had one foot already out the door, this was good.
Another ten minutes Sebastian thought. He'd managed to stay relatively inconspicuous on the coach and watched his colleagues dance manically on the tables, pair off onto the dance floor, or slip away to the bathrooms and return somewhat, "refreshed." He had no idea where Marcus was and that was fine. If he could stay away for a few more minutes Sebastian could leave on time.
"My boy!" Marcus dropped on the couch next to him. Damn, "I need to talk to you about your future," he was now properly drunk. His eyes half closed his hair uncharacteristically askew, slurring his words, "I have a secret plan don't tell anyone, shhhhh," he sleepily put his finger to his lips. Sebastian looked around the room for any eavesdroppers or observers.
"What's the secret Marcus?" Cajoled Sebastian gently.
"I"m going to sell the company…"
"What?" Puzzlement etched onto Sebastian's face, "No you're not Marcus come on."
"I am, I am," Marcus nodded emphatically, "I've even got a buyer and everything, but shhhh…Keep it shtum, yes, don't tell anyone," he brought his hand down hard on Sebastian's shoulder. Sebastian did the calculations quickly in his head. If this wasn't some drunken Marcus hallucination and was real then given the current value of the fund, plus the influx of cash from the Avanti deal, his share options were worth, somewhere north of seventy five million. This was huge. This was his way out, retirement by fifty, fuck you money and then some. He stifled a yelp while Marcus continued continued, "Cryptopix has reached out to garner interest."
"Cryptopix?" Sebastian dredged his memory banks for a few seconds. "The CEO's Simon Dansden?"
"Yep," affirmed Marcus through a shallow burp, "A total cunt. He'll try and shaft us any which way he can, but we won't let him, will we?" He raised a finger into the air for added passion, but ended up slipping off the edge of the couch.
"Are you serious Marcus, this isn't the booze and synthetics talking is it?"
"Noooo," replied Marcus with an expression of incredulity on the parts of his face not injected with botox, which seemed like it wasn't very much of it. He kind of looked like he was having a stroke, "Christ, he better not have a stroke," thought Sebastian, not before he's sold up. He heaved Marcus back into his seat.
"Everything okay? You guys need some help?" It was Yohan. The remora fish had returned, fucker.
"We're fine," said Sebastian firmly. Keen to continue the conversation with Marcus in private. He checked his watch, 20:25 he needed to go.
"Yohan! My boy!" Marcus suddenly reanimated and greeted Yoahan as if he'd just come back from war, "Take a seat, we have much to discuss."
"No we don't," interjected Sebastian swiftly,
"Don't tell me what to do you jumped up little shit," Snapped Marcus. He was getting agitated now
"Okay sorry," Sebastian tried to placate him as much as he could.
"Don't forget who brought you up my son, you'd still be pushing trade papers in the typing pool, if it wasn't for me, don't forget that."
"Okay Marcus, I'm sorry," Out of the corner of his eye he could see Yohan enjoying this.
"We have much to discuss, plans to be made, a team to be assembled," He was revving up. His father had been a Colonel in the Cold Stream Guards and Marcus would like to emulate what he imagined his pre battle speeches might have been to the company.
"I think Yohan, would be a great addition don't you? He needs to be briefed!" Sebastian needed to think fast. The last thing he wanted was Yohan anywhere near this. He spotted the bowl boobed hospitality bot hovering by the velvet rope.
"Shots!" he shouted, calling her over, "Can we get some shots, please" he said looking earnestly at Marcus and Yohan. Both stared back in silence.
"Yes! excellent idea!" Erupted Marcus with an upthrust of arms, half standing then dropping back onto the seat. The Android nodded dutifully and pulled shot glasses out from a neat little drawer in the table and lined up three crystal glasses. Then, deftly sweeping the bottle from the now half-melted ice trough, it filled each glass.
"Well done my dear!" Acclaimed Marcus.
"Right here we go guys," said Marcus keen to move proceedings along, distributing the glasses among the trio.
"What shall we toast to?" Asked Yohan. Sebastian looked to Marcus.
"To operation, fuck the Dansden!"
"Excellent!"
"What?"
"Down in one, come on Yohan," encouraged Sebastian as the three men knocked back the spirit. Marcus fell back against the back of the coach and semi bounced back to his original position before assisting himself back to balance.
"Another round," demanded Sebastian.
"Oh…I don't think…" Slurred, Marcus.
"Oh come on Marcus, don't show us up, one more for being an absolute fucking legend Sir come on," Sebastian patted his knee and then handed him one of the freshly poured shots. Yohan looked at Sebastian with suspicion. Marcus looked at the clear liquid as if pondering it.
"Down the hatch," and knocked it back in one gulp before wobbling some and then slumping back into the couch.
20:40 he was going to be late, but he could possibly make it up in the Robo Taxi ride. He patted Yohan on the shoulder as he vaulted over his comatose boss, "Make sure he gets home okay Yohan,"
"What the fuck Sebastian, where are you going?"
"I've got urgent business to attend to," shouted back Sebastian as he waved a few quick goodbyes and then charged for the exit.