Creatix Fiction / August 18, 2025
Chapter 5 – Imagine the Future
-- Tysons Corner, Virginia - May 2001 --
The twins were on the phone, their voices carrying that familiar mix of rivalry and camaraderie.
“Can you believe this line?” said Twin #1, pacing outside Tysons Corner Center. “I’ve been standing here since 7 a.m., and it’s like a rock concert for nerds. Apple’s really pulling it off.”
“You’re really wasting your Saturday for a computer store?” Twin #2 laughed from his condo. “You could’ve just gone to Best Buy.”
“Not the same,” Twin #1 shot back. “This feels… different. You should see it—sleek glass, clean lines, people cheering. It’s like walking into the future.”
Twin #2 smirked. “Funny you mention that. You know that new kid at the office? The one management’s been running background on? He’s obsessed with Apple. Says Steve Jobs is about to reinvent everything—computers, music, design. He talks about Apple like it’s destiny.”
Twin #1 chuckled. “So the wunderkind’s a fanboy too, huh?”
“Not just a fanboy,” Twin #2 replied, lowering his voice. “I’ve been pushing management to slow-walk his hiring so he can finish his bar exams. He’s planning to take the New York bar in Albany this summer—out of state—then head down to San Juan for the Puerto Rico bar. Says it’ll broaden his options. Between you and me, I’d bet money he aces both.”
Twin #1 raised his brows. “That confident, huh?”
“Confident isn’t the half of it,” Twin #2 said. “Summa cum laude in electrical engineering from the Colegio de Mayagüez. Summa cum laude at the University of Puerto Rico School of Law. His professors rave about him—say he’s the sharpest they’ve ever had. Every credential, every reference came back spotless. The only knock is his English—it’s a little rough. But give him a few months stateside and he’ll sound like a movie star.”
“Impressive,” Twin #1 admitted. “Sounds like he could be go places.”
Twin #2 laughed. “If we don’t lose him to Navy first. He's got an offer with Navy OGC. We really think he should come our side. We can call the Pentagon to pause the offer if necessary.”
They both paused, as if realizing how quickly the conversation had shifted from shiny gadgets to national security talent scouting. Around Twin #1, the line pressed forward, buzzing with chatter about iMacs and digital lifestyles. The crowd swapped rumors about what was inside and how Apple’s new store was about living with the technology rather than merely using it. Apple was calling it a ‘store for solutions.’ It would not be the typical box store, but rather an open gallery with "zones" for shoppers to try things out. The ‘Genius Bar’ would be a place to sit down with tech support to fix your equipment instead of waiting in line at some big-box service desk.
Twin #1 said “Apple’s selling the experience, not just the product. Press releases say they want people to see and touch technology, to make it feel personal. Judging by this mob, they’ve nailed it.”But the tone shifted again, as Twin #2 lowered his voice. “Not to ruin your Apple scouting morning, but you know what else everyone’s whispering about? Al Qaeda. After we did the research and wrote all those reports last year, nothing. Even after Yemen, the room is dismissing them as noise.”
Twin #1 frowned. “The embassy bombings, the Cole… those weren’t random. They’re testing us. But upstairs, all the oxygen’s going to missile defense. I heard every meeting with State and Rice turns back to China, Russia, and rogue states. No one wants to get near Islam either.”
“What do you mean?,” Twin #2 asked.
"Well, we can't go over it over the phone, but there are some flagpoints with Saudis on student visas", Twin #1 replied
"Got it. We should bring it up during the staff meeting on Monday," said Twin #2.
Twin #1 shook his head. “Higher ups are obsessed with big and no one is seeing little. These crazy jihadists are no joke."
For a moment, silence filled the line, carrying all the weight of what they knew, what they didn't, and and what they feared. They knew better and these topics were not to be tossed over the phone.
Finally, Twin #1 forced a lighter tone. “Well, while Washington buries itself in budget fights and stovepipe wars, I’m about to step into this Apple Store and grab a piece of the future.”
Twin #2 chuckled, though his laugh carried that familiar edge. “You always did fall for shiny objects. What is your crystal ball showin'? Should I buy Apple stock next week? Tell me bro, tell me". By the way, "are you buying anything or just window shopping like usual?"
The store was showcasing iMac G3s in candy colors, the Titanium PowerBook G4, the white “IceBook” iBook for students, under the pitch: “the Mac is your digital hub” for music, video, and photos".
Twin #1 smiled as the line shuffled forward. “I'm not buying anything. Never been a Macintosh guy. Just curious about the hype. That Steve Jobs is quite a storyteller. Who knows where he's going with this. To make the dollars and win the wars, you have to 'imagine the future', 'imagine the future'. Remember that crazy dude at The Farm? The instructor? He was always repeating the same shit, imagine the future. He had a point.
Neither of the twins knew then. One was caught up in glowing iMacs while the other was evaluating a prodigy that could be hard sell in his conservative unit. Both twins worked for the same discrete employer in Virginia, with offices worldwide and tentacles everywhere. The twins had been dead on spotting threats posed by islamist jihadists, but their warnings died in deaf ears. Times were different then and the world was about to change. Imagining the future is the key, but it is easier said than done.
TO BE CONTINUED
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