Conclave of Tyrants: Ambient Occlusion

Bob and Joe were your typical security guards. They were fat, lazy and always ready to kiss the ass of anyone they had to. In turn they took pleasure in insulting anyone they could. The duo were guards of the ground floor at Ambiance Corp. One of the largest tech developing companies in Washington DC. Every day they would see a myriad of people, wearing expensive suits holding brief cases that made them look sophisticated. To enter the building one had to have a key card and sign in by the reception so the duo knew everyone who worked in the building, or so they thought. On a typical Monday morning their favorite victim came in. He was one of the very few who didn't wear an expensive suite when coming to work. All he wore was a white shirt and jeans with some sneakers. He had brown skin, brown eyes and always carried with him an grumpy expression, as if he hated the world. He was neither tall nor short, and he was slightly chubby. His looks were average as well, and were it not for his unkempt hair, one would find it hard to notice him in a crowd. With his comic books in his hand and his double strapped backpack, he looked like a typical nerd. Be it his appearance or his bearing, nothing on the young man was worthy of noting, making him the target of Bob and Joe's scorn. The moment the young man came by the reception, the torment began. The bearded Joe was the first to speak up. "Hey Tristan, where did you shop for your clothes, geeks are us?" "I bet he got a 10% discount because he is a frequent customer, " added Bob. The duo laughed at their own jokes, but Tristan ignored them, as he usually did. In his eyes these two were no different from a rock, a waste of space without purpose. As Tristan took out his key card and entered in into the slot, the duo threw a another barrage of bad jokes but Tristan continued to ignore them. As usual he went straight for the nearest elevator and went in without delay. Insulting Tristan made Bob and Joe feel good about their lives. They knew that he was nothing more than a mere clerk so he wasn't important. What they didn't know was how he managed to get a job at Ambiance Corp. This company only accepted the best of the best, even Bob and Joe were decorated professionals despite their foolish demeanor. They knew that Tristan had graduated from an average university and had no job experience. As far as they were concerned he wasn't even qualified to be a janitor. Rumor had it that the young man's deceased parents knew the company CEO in the past so he got in through connections but there was no way for the duo to verify this. They only had clearance to guard the ground floor and couldn't go anywhere else. Things were as mundane as usual for Tristan. He was 22 years old and had only been working here for only 6 months or so, but he felt like he had wasted half his life here. Like most people he wasn't particularly fond of his job, but he had no choice in the matter. His parents had been very strict on him growing up and had forced him to come and work at this company. Tristan sighed in the elevator as he thought about how sad his life was. As he reached his destination, floor 23, the elevator doors opened and he walked out. Without talking to anyone he went straight to his cubicle and began his work quietly. As usual his coworkers started talking about him behind his back.