Corporate Man is called in to investigate reports of vile, unethical business practices at Great American Business Company. What he finds there just might destroy him (except we all know the ending to The Tragic Death of Corporate Man so it should be fairly obvious that it can't really destroy him, though it can come close).

Enslaved by the Bonus Whores is an all new Corporate Man Adventure Serial. Chapters will post every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

After nearly a decade of imprisonment, Corporate Man returns to find the economy in ruins and his deadliest enemies in control of all but a fraction of society's wealth. He embarks upon a quest to set right the wrongs of the business world; a task that will ultimately destroy him.

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Chapter 199


7.c.viii.
Deep bellowing growls echoed through the labyrinth accompanied on occasion by high-pitched, blood curdling shrieks.
“We’ve been this way already,” Supply said.
“No we haven’t,” said Business Woman.  “I don’t recognize… Oh wait.  Yep.  That dead guy over there.  I’ve seen that poor bastard before.”
Pieces of torn up day traders lie scattered about their feet. A metal, gamey smell clung to air, intermingling with the scent of terror loosened bowels. The deep roar sounded in the corridors again.  They could feel it vibrate through their chests.
“We’ve got to move,” said Demand.  “Quickly.”
“Yeah, but which way?  Where is that thing?” said Supply.
Business Woman peered tentatively around a corner and then motioned for her companions to follow.  When the path split they paused to consider their options.  Someone nearby screamed.  This was followed by a loud roar and more screaming. 
And then wet sounds.  
Cracking sounds. 
Gurgling choking sounds.
Business Woman led them toward the disturbance.
“Wait?  Why are we going toward it?” asked Supply.
“We don’t know if this path leads toward that thing or not,” said Business Woman.  “The other direction might double back and put us right in Bear Market’s jaws.”
They turned another corner and saw a bear-man eating a day trader. 
Supply jumped and Business Woman shifted into a defensive posture.
Financial stats scrolled beneath the image and the scene played again but this time in slow motion.
“That’s it,” said Business Woman pointing to the huge telescreen hanging above the far end of the corridor.  “This whole place is jammed with TVs.  Everything is being filmed.  We should be able to get a fix on Bear Market once they cut back to live footage.”
Another slow motion replay of a particularly gory encounter appeared on the screen.  A group, consisting of two day traders and an errand boy, ran afoul of Bear Market.  The chivalrous day traders let the errand boy have first go at the snarling beast, shoving their younger colleague forward and then, in a further display of generosity, allowing him ample space for the impending exchange by turning quickly and running down the corridor.  Luckily, the day traders were not refused a part in the fray as the errand boy held up as well as wet toilet paper against a circular saw and Bear Market was on top of them before they could disappear around the first corner.
Several statistics flickered across the screen and the stock ticker continued its ceaseless scrolling.  A wide angle, bird’s-eye shot of the arena replaced the slow motion brutality.  The Crash stamped along the top of the maze, bulldozing the scurrying day traders, trampling a few unlucky ones and knocking several more into the death trench.
Bear Market was visible at the edge of the screen.  A red fog seemed to hover around him.
“He’s a couple of walls that way,” Business Woman said, gesturing.  “And it looks like we can get to the end of this maze if we keep heading the way we’re going, then take the second right, followed by the third right, and then a quick left before – Ah!  The screen changed.  We’ll just have to find another TV when we get that far.”
They moved down the corridor, through echoing growls and screams, hoping that Bear Market wouldn’t roar into their path.