Thoroughly
vexed, Alan looked at his boss, eyes pleading. “But he is supposed to be the
managing these people. That’s why we hired him. He was to
give it all believability.”
Max said nothing as he returned
the Alan’s stare. Alan continued, “Max,
you know how important all this research is.
You know how much is on the line.
Why are you throwing a monkey wrench in the works at the eleventh hour?”
His brow knitted and lips
pursed, Max stared at the board room table. With finality he
announced, “No, I won’t let him become a lab rat. Russell, make a position for him and an offer
he can’t refuse. He needs to move up the ladder. I can see him around this table someday. He
has done well, and he’ll be surprised, but….”
Obviously unhappy with the
pronouncement, Liz demanded, “But what?”
Max stopped and glared at Liz. Like a teapot about to erupt, Max felt the
pressure building. All who observed him
saw his face aglow with rage. They knew
the tempest about the crash upon them. Eyes
blazing, Max screamed with emphasis on each word, “He won’t be a lab rat!”
The silence that followed
echoed off the walls. Several attendees
shifted nervously in their seats. Liz knew
Max won again.
Max continued with strong even
tones, “Paul has done everything we’ve demanded and more. He’s worked extra hours and taken on other
responsibilities. He’s been loyal and
should be rewarded. To subject him to this just isn’t right.” Max added with a wry grin, “Besides, he
reminds me a little bit of myself when I was his age.”
Murmuring rolled
throughout the meeting room. Liz rolled
her eyes but said nothing. When Max made
up his mind there was no changing it. At
least now they knew the truth. It was
Max being Max. All he ever really cared
about was Max. They would simply need to
find another way to make it work. It was
what they did best. In spite of all the planning,
they were professionals at improvisation.
They had to be with Max at the helm.
All those seated
around the table were anxious for the trials to start and there had been many
delays. The facility was ready and
subjects chosen. Those who supplied the
funding were eager to see the first fruits.
It was time to get the train moving.
Max returned to his
office and fell into his chair. He hated
to be demanding. Actually, he didn’t
care what they thought. He was in charge
of the operation and it was his decision.
No one’s neck was on the line but his.
It was true Paul
was an outstanding employee. Everyone
was surprised how quickly he learned the ropes.
He was eager and asked intelligent questions. In no time he worked independently. It was Liz who first noted Paul’s ability to
grasp the vital points of the job. This
prompted Max to follow up with Greg, Paul’s immediate superior, to get his
opinion. Max posed the inquiry as mere
curiosity but Max wanted someone who could see the big picture.
Ultimately, Max
needed an ally. He saw the envious eyes
that surrounded him in the board room. It
was a matter of time until someone tried to derail his successful run at the
firm. Nevertheless, if Max could get a
fruitful harvest from the new project, he would retire in luxury. Meanwhile, he would groom Paul to be his successor. The rest of them could go to hell.
Gloria recognized
the look on Liz’s face as she returned from the board room. Still she waited for Liz to speak first. Liz marched passed Gloria and into her
office. Meanwhile, Gloria looked at Liz’s
upcoming schedule. It was clear for the
rest of the day. Gloria calmly waited
for the inevitable instant message. She
was rewarded when a tone on her computer pinged. Liz wrote, “You ready for a smoke?”
“Always”
Neither Liz nor Gloria
smoked. It was code for the two of them
to go to a place where they could speak freely.
There were no cameras or microphones outside in the smoking area. Even if there were, they spoke in hushed
tones and used code words for everyone. When
alone, they discussed events in the board room and strategies to use. When a smoker or another employee was
present, they chatted about work, home, relationships or whatever suited for
the moment. No one questioned their
presence in the smoking area. They weren’t
the only nonsmokers who utilized the space.
The setting, with the trees, flowers, and man-made waterfall, was soothing. It was the only real thing about the
office. Everything else was fake. Especially, the people.
Nearing the smoking
area, Gloria asked, “So what happened this time?”
“You know The Boy
Wonder?”
“Of course, the
next captain of the troops.”
“Well, El Capitan
is pulling him from the study.”
“What? Why?”
“His Highness wants
him to be a pet, a yes man. Probably to
be his replacement in a few years.”
“What a crock!”
“That bastard! If you ever want to do a case study for glass
ceilings, just spend five minutes here.”
Gloria thought for
a moment. “Whadaya going to do?”
“I don’t know. There’s not much I can do. The Blob is supposed to give him some other
special job that he can’t refuse. He’ll
probably get a big raise too. I guess,
until that happens, there is nothing to do. I’ll need to find some other way to
make whoopee.”
“Make whoopee” was
another code Liz and Gloria used. It
stood for actions Liz did to undermine Max.
After some idle
chit chat, Liz said, “We may as well get back to work. I’ll kiss up to Max like always.” As they walked side by side, Liz looked at
Gloria. In a serious tone, she added, “I
appreciate you being here. There just
aren’t enough ladies here to put those coggers in their place.”
“Yes, we need to
stick together.”
“We definitely have
12 solid candidates? Unless one of them
dies or is in the hospital, I can’t afford to come up short on this in any way,
shape, or form.”
“Would you
relax?! All 12 have been contacted and
they each confirmed their desire to work here.
They know they will have a special work place that has all the modern
amenities. All of them sounded excited
when they were offered the jobs.”
Liz exhaled in
relief. “Sorry, I can’t wait for this to
start. It’s been hanging over all of us
for so long.”
Gloria laughed, “Let
the fun begin.”
Liz added, “Bring
on the victims.”
