Oh wow!  It's only been like five months since the last update!   

Thanks for posting, and hopefully it will FINALLY have a happy ending.  *hint hint hint*     

Quote from: Zach Ziggster on August 12, 2012, 04:35:07 PM

Oh wow!  It's only been like five months since the last update!   

Thanks for posting, and hopefully it will FINALLY have a happy ending.  *hint hint hint*     

Nopes, happy endings are boring

Awwwww, okay. 

"You never told me !"

"You were the first person I wanted to tell !" Nancy said "But where were you, Miss Amelia Earhart Cooper ?"

Betty blushed and pulled Nancy into another embrace. Nancy and Chuck were getting married in a week. Betty was the last to know since she was also the last to appear on the scene.

"You know that we postponed it thanks to you." Nancy told Betty "There was no way I was going to get hitched without my golden girl." Betty smiled "Sorry." she said.

"Now come on, there's so much to do !" Nancy dragged Betty off the bed, the blonde shaking her tears out as she shook her head.
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Archie was sad. College was not working out as he had thought. Sure, the classes were no big deal but Archie never thought he was the academic type. It gave him some solace thinking Jug would give him company after school, but after Jug changed radically in the last two months, Archie found himself falling into a bottomless pit.

Losing Betty didn't help matters either.

He was in the old Basketball court. The paint was peeling off and the panels underneath were cracking more then ever, now that Riverdale High finally managed to cajole some funds out for a new facility, the Bee decided to let the old court rust. Some kids still hung out in the summer when it was really hot and the broken ventilation system ensured there was a cold draught.

Archie picked up an old ball lying on the floor and tossed it. The hoop was still there, minus the net. Oh how would he give for another game, Jug, Chuck, Moose, Dilton, Reggie.....

Reggie ?

Wonder what he is up to now ?
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"What do you mean you cannot find him ?"

"Sir, we have tried all our sources, our team also got into the systems of all the flight, train and road operators. We can't find any such man."

"He is a 75 year old geezer for heaven's sake !" Reggie screamed "What the hell did he do ? Fly like Superman ?"

"I realise Sir that the situation is complicated." The ex SEAL answered "but we are trying our best, we will track him down."

Reggie pressed his temples with his fingertips. This was all wrong, he should have concentrated more on this old lunatic than Betty and Jug, to think that he really thought he was untouchable.

"I want him." Reggie said in an audible whisper, his eyes down on his desk "I want him, Alive ! Do I make myself clear ?"

The strongman nodded "Understood."

After he left, Reggie picked up his phone and pressed a hotline key. It was picked up almost instantly on the other side.

"Are you sure he can break it ?" Reggie asked.

"I am sure." the voice said "It was the best system of it's kind and he designed it. If anyone can get to the bottom of what really happened, it's him."

"I can't be a Murdoch." Reggie muttered "I can't afford to go down Rupert's way."
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Jug cringed to see. He had been driving for 20 hours non-stop, his eyes were blood shot and if he went on like this, he would either veer off into a field or collide head on with a truck which occaisionally crossed him. He pulled over reluctantly and closed his eyes.

A butterfly landed on the windshield and spread it's wings.
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"Try this !"

"No that's too modest, wait !"

Betty couldn't make head or tail of it. Nancy and Midge were fitting her in one dress after another. Wasn't Nancy getting married ? And although they were the same build, what fit Betty like a glove wouldn't be true for Nancy.

"Say that looks good......"

"Hmm, yeah, really goes with her eyes."

"Would you please make up your mind about what you are going to wear, Nance ?" Betty crossed her srms, exasperated.

"What am I gonna wear ? Girl, we fixed that two weeks ago !"

Betty couldn't speak in shock, she raised her hands in amazement, "Then what on Earth was all this for ?" as she ponted to the heap of dresses she had been made to put on.

"Well we want the bridesmaid to look as good as the bride." Midge replied.

And then there were tears.
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It was funny when it came back to him now.

He didn't have a clue where to look for Betty, she did a good job in leaving no clues and covering up her tracks. That's where his advice came in handy.

Observe.

Betty ran away but she was a smart girl. She wouldn't wreck her life completely, she would find something to support herself.

Hypothesise.

She would have gone to some place where people would never think of looking for her, because it would be so obvious.

Induce.

A place close to home, but not too close. Where she knew the locality, but nobody would know her.

Deduce.

What follwed next was a list of all the places she could have chosen. It had to be a low profile job but one which gave her enough security. Nothing which would throw her up in any systems or databases but safe.

Conclude.

The final answer ? He had no idea how the hell he figured it out, but the answer, down to the address was in that document which he handed him over three months ago. That in fact was the hardest puzzle to crack.

His hands fumbled for the cell as his eyes were still closed, it was improbable, totally, but what if ?

"Hello, Prof. Johnson speaking."

"Hello Prof. Johnson, this is Forsythe P. Jones from the Maths class of 2011."

"I was expecting your call Mr. Jones." Prof. Johnson smiled.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------"That's awesome Betty !" Archie whooped "A real bridesmaid, woo-hoo ! And guess what ! Chuck asked me to be his best man."

"Hey that's really nice of him." Betty patted Chuck on the hand. "Yeah, couldn't do without my bud Arch here." Chuck grinned. "Man but it will be really wierd in a suit you know ? I never liked those things !"

"Well you better get used to it !" Nancy retorted. "I want it to be just like in the fairy tales !"

"They didn't have suits in fairy tales." Betty smirked at which Nancy gasped and lightly jabbed her in the side. All of them fell giggling and Pop Tate watched the group fondly from behind his counter, shaking his head. Presently, he brought them up drinks.

"On the house !" Pops said "Here's to Riverdale High's first couple as he handed the drinks to Nancy and Chuck. Oh what I would give for Jug to be here !" he sauid as he left.

Betty quitened suddenly and looked away. They didn't say much after that and Nancy's arms enveloped her in a hug.
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The guy at the soda stand looked at him, quite interested.

He seemed, well strange. Evidently he was here for the free wi-fi but the people who came for that were all kids or at least below 50.

This guy was old, darned old.

After some light strokes, closed the flap and put it in his satchel. He got up, took hold of his stick and walked out.

The soda guy couldn't see himself doing that even in a hundred years.

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Of all the places on Earth, why the hell did he have to choose this ? And how the hell was he living here ? He was close to the grave, walked slowly, Jug was sure he had a caretaker in college, so what the hell was he doing here ?

On the other side of the world,

Tokyo Stock Exchange :

Traders looked at the figures, they were not good. This script was a good performer. It held even in the high recession, but this was bad. They would have to sell it and the stock would tank, there was nothing anyone could do.

Jug looked at the clock on the dashboard, another 5 hours till first light, he would have to wait.

By then, Sydney, Singapore, Beijing, Mumbai, Frankfurt, Paris and even London have already woken up.

Everywhere it was the same story, the stock was tanking.

"I told you Jim." A London trader said sipping the morning coffee. "It's another Murdoch for you."

"Think it will make it ?" his friend asked.

The trader shook his head "Murdoch was big, this guy was big too, but not that much, no Jim, he is dead."

"Oh well, so much for another Yank !" his friend tossed his hand.

"Yeah he will really blow when NY wakes up !" the trader chortled "Nice name he has too, Mantle !"
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He could see him.

He was standing at the water's edge, facing Lake Superior. The cottage was a little way off. He was surprised to see him in something other than black for a change, white.

What would he say ? More importantly, what would he ask ?

Was he mad ? No, why should he be. He wanted answers. Why, how, how did he know, why did he do what he did ?

On his part he was prepared for everything.

He was closer now.

He wouldn't be taken aback by anything.

"Good Morning Mr. Jones, I hope the journey was pleasant."

Anything but that.

She was always silver haired.

As far back as she could remember, even before the first toddler steps she took towards Riverdale High, she was always silver haired. That same kind, gentle face, she could be stern yes, but she had a heart of gold.
And she always knew her with golden hair. Her golden girl, her Goldilocks, one who could never go wrong and even if she did was quick to amend. She was the daughter she never had. Through her, she relived the youth she never had.

Her own mother, her father, her dearest friends asked her why, why did she do what she did. She was told how they never doubted her, how shocked they were, how horrified, the stories went on.
Not her, she accepted her the way she was. She was special, always hers.

"Take a seat, Dear." she smiled, her old face breaking into a thousand smiles "I just finished with the garden, let me wash my hands."

They talked about the things girls talk about, a mother and daughter would talk about. She was the only one else apart from her own mother, and perhaps Ron, with whom she could talk so freely on so many things.
She on the other hand, was the only person in the world with whom she could talk about such things.

"I...I didn't know what else to do, whom to turn to..." she was at the point of tears.

"I believe you." she squeezed her hand and pulled her into a hug, the daughter she never had. "Everything will be all right, Dear, I promise."

Betty was with Ms. Grundy, and all was right with the world.
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He was never a big talker. If it wasn't for Archie and Betty, he would have been labelled an anti-social, an outcast for the world. He didn't care, obviously.

He however searched long and hard for someone who could understand him, even challenge him, someone who could be his mentor and show him there was a world, a whole universe outside his biblical obsession with food.

He wasn't a big talker either. When he talked, every word carried such import that the few talks he did give were recorded. He was unique, he was strange, weird. He did not conform to society's rules, it's laws and all the other things which went by the name of etiquette.

He defined things, systems which were unquestioned from the day they left his pen, his mouth. Not because he wielded any power in the mortal world, but because his mind wandered in something which was beyond the realm of ordinary human beings.

He was searching for a mentor. He was searching for a companion.

"Nature is so beautiful." he said, his eyes on the Canadian horizon. He nodded silently, it was the first time he had talked of beauty in anything. All those questions and here he was quiet as a child beside his teacher.

"Have studied the works of Dr. Mandelbrot ?"

"I have...a little." he said as he took down his crown.

They talked about nature, about the beauty of forms, of order, of chaos. The beauty of a still, crystal clear lake, the beauty of a fearsome tsunami and whirlpool. Unlike their previous encounters however both of them contributed equally.

"So..." he smiled turning to face him "Why are you here ?"

That, was the hardest question of all.
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"No dear, not really." she shook her head smiling, Betty looked on half amused, half shy.
"I didn't really 'have' anything for Mr. Weatherbee." Ms Grundy smiled "We were of the same age, the same generation and that's why fate and events threw us together a lot but we respected each other. As individuals, as free people."

"Sorry." Betty said in a low voice "I always thought..."

Ms. Grundy squeezed her hand "It's all right, Dear. You or anyone of your friends never meant any harm, deep down you had our best in your hearts." She smiled "The Bee was not Archie or Adam and not even Forsythe."
Betty blushed, "And I was not Ms. Cooper with the blue eyes and golden locks." Betty turned crimson "who could charm men so easily."

"Ma'm !" she called out in playful protest.

"Dear" Ms. Grundy said "I have a request."

"Yes Ma'm, Ms. Grundy !" Betty straightened up, all smiles and eager.

"I know this is too much to ask." Ms. Grundy squeezed her shoulder "I am an old woman and my time is running out."
 
Betty's eyes mirrored her concern.

"I have one wish."
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"Do I really have to ask ?"

It was the second time he adopted this tone withhim but he too was tired. All these years, more than any other thing, except when it came to Betty, he thought about him. How did he do it ? How was it possible for a normal human being ? Was he normal at all ? Were all the rumours true ? Was he not a human at all ?

"The answers should be just as obvious." he smiled. The smile of a master who knows his charge is ready for the world. His job was done except for this last detail.

"Let's start at the beginning." he said "Let's sit down on this pier, I find the scenery quite enchanting."

It was a pity Betty had not met him yet, he knew in his heart, this was the one Betty had foretold he would find.

"I knew about Ms. Betty Cooper even before you applied to Stanford. I had your full life history, all activities which were ever documented in any way whatsoever, some which concerned you and even before you were born. I had to know this because I wanted to ensure that the task which you had to take up was to your abilities."

Jug stared at him dumbfounded "How...What do you mean.......From where..."

"40 years ago" he replied "When the foundations of today's digital world were being laid down, I was involved in the design of systems which would document and monitor every single happening in the universe. Yes, Mr. Jones, that was the optimism in those days, the whole Universe."

He tilted his head a bit backwards "It was a crazy dream to be frank, but our efforts laid the plans and structure for the Orwellian world we now call home. From the workings of networks to the logic behind Google or Facebook, it was all put down from that day itself. We made what would later be called Google then itself."

This was too much.

"It was pretty simple really, people were so ready to share information without a second thought, we put down everything back then. The ground rules, the structure, the reason I tell you this is because when I needed to know something, I could from anywhere."

This was seriously weird.

"The system is now so advanced that were it's full power to be released to the world at large there would be utter chaos. There would be no secrets, none at all, and therefore a deliberate decision was made to tone down that power to a great extent, at least the one which was public."

"You mean..." Jug said

"Yes." he nodded "I knew and was able to predict accurately things which would happen in the future."
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Betty gasped, it was a childhood dream she still cherished, but to hear it from Ms. Grundy was so unreal, so wonderful.

"Yes Dear." The old woman said with tears in her eyes "For me you are the daughter I always wished for, I can't ask you to be my daughter, but please, before I die, till I die, please, can you make me your Grand Ma ?"

Betty gathered her in her arms, her tears flowing freely "Granny ! I dreamt of this for so long."
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"If you knew it all along, why, why didn't you say anything or do anything ?" Jug was furious "You could have spared Betty so much torture. Her life is ruined, she doesn't have a future now, thanks to you !" Jug stood up his whole body shaking with rage, he knew everything ! Probably even down to how it all came to pass and who did it, it was horrible and he looked up to this man !

"Nothing is ruined." the old man said calmly "You now know better who your friends and enemies are. I will cut a long story short, the entire plan was hatched by your 'friend' Mr. Mantle with help from Ms. Cooper's 'friend' Maria. The sequence of events after the news broke were automatic, to stop it then would have needed massive manipulation. That is why I waited. You had to know but only when the time was right."

"Right ? What the hell do you mean ?" Jug screamed "She almost committed suicide thanks to you ! And what about Reggie ? There's nothing I can do ! I can't get anywhere near him ! It's no use screaming about the revenge I want to exact because it's useless."

"As we speak" the old man said coolly "Mr. Mantle has lost his fortune, he will be forced out of his positon by evening today."

Jug grabbed his hair by both hands, he wanted to tear it out, first all the stuff about Betty and now this. What the hell was true ? What was false ?

"I don't care how you did it." Jug said keeping himself calm with great difficulty after a long time "Just answer Why ? We are ruined. I can't give Betty anything but misery. She lost her career, thanks to your little experiment."

"As to why" the old man said "The answer is so fantastic that even I am amazed by the probabilities involved. You would have a hard time believing that you and Ms. Cooper are the spitting images of my parents who died in the Second World War."

Jug's eyes were on the edge of bursting. No, this is all a dream. He never met the old man, he never won the ACM. He will wake up right now in the Stanford dorm facing a humiliating washout. Worse, Betty never loved him, when she woke up that night, she shrieked and looked the other way and life went on as usual.

"As to your futures, you will receive your PhD within a week's time. Your work was accepted by the review panel and you will get a role allowing you to work in your chosen field, no questions asked. Ms. Cooper will be accepted by the Stanford school of Journalism, she too will graduate with full honours but will choose the career of a writer, an author after she finishes your studies."

He didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He had left the university for four months now and now he is going to get what he actually went to Stanford for ? And Betty ? Was this old man playing a joke on them ?

"It is true, you can check with the university and find out."

"Why ?" was all that Jug could stammer.

The old man smiled "My work is done Mr. Jones" he got up "I will not be returning to Stanford, it is a beautiful world and I would like to study and live in nature in peace."

"Why ? Why ? Why ?" Jug screamed "Why us of all people ? Why did you do this ? I respected you ! Looked up to you  ! You experimented with us ! You played with our lives ! All the humiliation, all the torture and now you throw this in our lap as if it was some freaking toy ! How could you ?"

"I am sorry Mr. Jones." he said "I am truly sorry, maybe one day you will understand."
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They parted for the day, but they would never part even in death. For the first time in many years, sleep came easily to Ms. Grundy and she dreamt of happy days ahead.

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He left him fuming, in disgust. He who had such power played with Betty's life. A part of him wanted to strike him down, to kill him. Another part reminded him of all he had done for him, for them.

The old man watched Jug as he sped off in his car, it wasn't even afternoon.

"You were the best I ever saw Mr. Jones, you will achieve great things." he said. His eyes on the car even when it was lost from view.

Jug was still mad as he blazed away,  it was a pity that they parted like this.

That was the last time they ever met.