8.s.
“So what now?”
Business Woman asked.
“Now? Nothing,” said John Q Public. “You’re free to go if you wish.”
“I feel dirty
and useless,” she said. “And a little
sick.”
“That’s
business,” said General Apathy.
“Did we
seriously just watch him die?” asked Franklin Buck.
“Yeah. And we didn’t do anything. We let it happen,” said Senior Executive.
“That’s usually
how these things go,” said John Q Public.
No one said
anything for a long while.
“Well now,” said General Apathy, breaking the
silence. “This is getting morose. And boring.
Let’s all remember, nothing personal in business.”
“Shut up
asshole,” said Business Woman. She
looked at John Q Public and said, “So how do we get out of here?”
“Oh. Well… I was sort of hoping you’d stay. I mean…
Do you like this building? This
office? Cause I’m giving it to you,”
said John Q Public.
“What?”
“Yeah. This black diamond room is actually an
elevator that will take you anywhere in the building. And, up to now, I’ve pushed all the
buttons. Except one. This one,” he said, striding over to a large,
blinking, white button. “Go on. You push it.”
Business Woman
looked at Senior Executive and Franklin Buck.
Each of their faces a mirror of similar confusion.
“Up and out,”
said John Q Public.
“Are you…
What? Really?”
“No. Of course not,” John Q Public said, pressing
the white button. All the walls on the
black diamond office went clear.
“Fantasy. You see? All that goody good be good crap will never
get you a chocolate factory. Only in
books and musicals.”
“You know,”
Business Woman said. “People may not
give a crap about helping others, but stunts like that will piss them off and
then you’ll get a reaction.”
“A
reaction? What? Like a revolution?” John Q Public asked. “This is a generation of sugar fattened
pussies who we’ve retarded with mass media.
No, I’m afraid it will take decades of living like paupers to affect any
kid of change.”
John Q Public
stroked his luscious moustache with his gloved hand. Then the Big Bossman turned and strode
through a side door, out of the conference room.
“Wait. What about him?” Business Woman asked.
“You mean his
body? My minions will attend to it,”
said John Q Public. He stood in the
doorway for a moment and then said, “Listen.
You’re all free to work for me. I
have high level positions that would benefit from your particular skills.”
“I accept. I don’t care what the job is,” Roger said.
“Not you,
you’re due back at the help desk in the morning. Business Woman, Senior Executive, Franklin
Buck the One Hundred Dollar Man. Regardless of your decision, you are free to
go and my building will remain open to you.
If you choose to decline my offer and start a competing enterprise, you
have my blessings. I’ll even invest if
you wish. There’s no need to decide
yet. Confer amongst yourselves and get
back to me.”
John Q Public
nodded and left them to their decision.
