Rift

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Book: Read Rift for Free Online
Authors: Richard Cox
in. Answer my question.”
    â€œThe situation you’re in, Cameron, is that you don’t know what to do with your life. You’re a smart man. You don’t have the luxury of coasting through life on ignorance like a lot of people. You’re acutely aware of your potential, that you have something meaningful to offer society, but you can’t really figure out what that ‘something’ is.”
    I was expecting some kind of financial or career-related discussion. I had no idea Batista was going to try his hand at psychology.
    â€œYou’ll just waste away, Cameron. If you don’t figure out a way to play the corporate game or get off your ass and open your own firm, if you don’t figure out some way to be happy in your work, you’ll end up killing yourself. With a heart attack or with a razor blade, it doesn’t matter. And if you don’t want that, if you don’t want to kill yourself, the question you have to ask yourself is this: What
is
going to make me happy?”
    Batista smiles as if he has impressed me with his monstrous intellect, but this apparent insight is nothing more than any intelligent human could surmise about the world around him. Most men age quickly, after all, their career and salary arcs flattening around the age of thirty-five, the balance of their days forming a plateau that for better or worse defines their usefulness to society, and any armchair sociologist can recognize this. Anyone with reasonable observation skills can employ the celebrated bell curve to illustrate how the haves and have-nots occupy America’s nether regions and leave the vast, flat plain of homogeny for the middle-class majority. This is not what I want from him now.
    â€œWe all need something,” he continues. “We all have to make a difference somewhere. You don’t have any kids. You don’t seem to be that much in love with your wife—”
    â€œWhat the hell are you talking about? You have no idea what—”
    â€œLook, Cameron. I’m not going to order Gates to force you into the portal. If you don’t want to do it, then I’ll find someone else. But you need to think hard—and quickly—about what you want from life. I know it isn’t accounting, that’s pretty obvious, so what do you want? I know you’re really into golf, so maybe you could be a professional. I don’t know. But this opportunity for financial freedom will give you the chance to find out what you want and pursue it. How else are you going to do that if not volunteer for this test? At the very least, if you never figure out what turns you on, at least you’ll be able to say you helped test transmission technology. At least you’ll have contributed that.”
    Finally some kernel of adventure, some payoff for my risk besides the money.
    â€œEven if the machine kills you,” he adds, “you’ll be remembered as a pioneer.”
    This is what I want to hear, the affirmation I need to solidify my decision.
    â€œDo you think it’s going to kill me?”
    â€œAbsolutely not.”
    â€œDo you think I’m going to come out on the other side scrambled or insane or permanently blind?”
    â€œI’ve shown you the videotapes. We’ve perfected this machine. But we need human tests on record if we’re going to market this idea to the public, and that’s why I’m willing to pay you so much money. Because this company will make a thousand times that if people buy into the technology.”
    â€œBut you’re not willing to test it yourself. You wouldn’t have to pay yourself five million dollars if you were a test subject.”
    â€œThat would be a conflict of interest, for one thing. And yes, of course there is a risk that something could go wrong. But I don’t have to accept this risk. I have enough money to pay someone who needs it more than I do. And I think you make the perfect

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