It was late, well ino the 3rd hour of a new day. The 100 story corporate building was pretty much silent. The workers? Asleep at home, or...out causing mayhem on the town since Friday nights seemed to bring out peoples wild sides. Something about not having anyone to answer to the next day I suppose.
But up there, on the very top floor, in the grandiose conference room adjoined to my office sat me. The CEO Apathy herself, burning the night oil with my most trusted execs, it was here, at this hour, when the world below slept, that we made the decisons that would guide the day to day operations of Apathy Inc......
The file read the same as it did last quarter. Our sister company's education fund was bottoming out and it was now up to debate on whether or not we would stop her from going bankrupt.
"If we do a bailout we will most likely have to do another next quarter." Gut, my 40 year old co head of security mainly with a knack for being right reasoned.
Conscience, my head of ethics, rolled her eyes at him. "You're missing the point, it's our sister company and our only ally. She's been around since we started."
"Your thoughts body?" I asked putting out no opinion of my own. I learned quickly that it was best to be just a face, and trust my team to be the best at what they did.
Body looked up at me through small framed glasses. Even in the late hour she was pefectly groomed her hair slicked back in a perfect bun, controled, you could never tell what she was thinking from facial expressions alone. She never formally adressed anyone without discussing what was best with her colleages. PR wise, she tended to be on the flawless side. That's why I never hesitated to let her be the voice of the company.
"It goes against my instinct not to bail out. Brain can we afford it?"
Brain looked thru our own financial profile. He was the head of financial, HR, record keeping the works, but where he really shined was working security alongside Gut. His former sniper training and military background made him an expert at soft entry, and he preffered this approach better than Guts "hostile takeover" method. I needed them for balance. "We can cover the bail out,but our own expansion will take ahit."
"That's irrelevant, we have investments in enough projects that our own expansion can afford to be postponed." Conscience added.
Paura sat at th end of the table timidy taking notes of the meeting, the only time she tended to speak was when there was a chance something could go wrong. She raised a finger getting my attention, "miss apathy, what if all of our baskets lose their eggs at once and we need bailing out? We won't have the reserves to--"
"Grow a pair and vote Paura. You only talk about depressing stuff...." Libido snapped impatiently. She hated meetings that didn't involve her.
Her outburst made poor Paura jump. "You are a very important part of the team Paura. You give Brain something to think about." I reassured before turning to Libido to admonish her, "Do you have something constructive to add Libido?"
"It's Priscilla..." she boldly corrected rolling her eyes at me. She was the only one not in business attire. Her scarlet low cut dress matched the shade ofher lipstick exactly, her hair resting around her face and shoulders in wild curls. "And no. I don't care about this topic, but if I have to vote I'll go with watever Body said." She shrugged and went back to filing her nails.
She always sided with Body. They were best frends, so her vote didn't surprise me.
"Ok so Priscilla, Body, and Conscience vote 'yes' and a definite 'no' for gut. Brain? " I asked growing weary of the topic.
Brain was silent for a moment processing everything objectively. "Bail out, she has no other investments, we can logically afford to delay expansion more than she can."
"Ok, so that's four.... We'll bail out our sister comapny and delay expansion." I concluded closing the file.
"Ill make the announcment tomorrow," Body assured.
I pulled out another stack of files and passed it around eachletting them take one. "Next order of business. We have a potential merger...."
Brain was the first to open it, his forehead creasing as he viewed the portfolio. Body perked up at the mention of 'merger' alone, not even looking a the file yet. Priscilla's face remained bored as she took the new folder. "Please let this one at least be beneficial to us..." She sighed hopeful. She rarely found challenge in her work these days.
Conscience opened her file skimming only the title before slamming it shut. The wind from it blowing her bangs upward. "Move for dismissal...."
This made Priscilla curious. She opened her file, the only file she opened all night and a mischevious grin flashed across her face. "Do it."
"Its up for discussion, not for voting yet." I clarified. "This is serious. Our last few attempts at merging were a waste of time"
Gut lookedit over, "I thought this particular file was settled years ago..."
"Yes filed away back in 05 if I recall correctly." Brain concurred carefully, he always recalled correctly.
Conscience nodded. "Yes we did, so there is no need to bring it back to the table. This was qualified as an ethical issue, and it was sealed and filed away."
"Well things are different now, I see no harm in bringing it to the floor for discussion." Priscilla smiled too innocently.
Paura looked at all of us, nervously biting her nails. "I don't think we should bring this to the floor without Heart being here."
"NO!" Everyone shouted at once.
"Let Heart rest, she's been through a lot the past few years." I explained.
Brain added, "Heartdoesnt have the best judgement, and its late"
Paura understood, she was there for it all, "But... I also think her imput would be more valid than Brain and Gut's in this. She's going to be really mad if we do this without her."
"She's irrational," Gut sighed. "I don't need to remind you of last time."
Everyone looked away from each other at the memory. Paura hiding a wince. "She bought us useful information..." Conscience mused.
"And almost destroyed Apathy Inc. In the process". Brain added.
Priscilla extended her hands pushing down air in a gesture to bring down the tension. "Whoa, calm it down. Were talking about a merger here. That's me and Body's department. We don't always involve Heart. No big deal."
"No, it is a big deal" Paura argued. " Miss Apathy tell them."
I hesitated, for once joining in on their meeting, no longer a mediator. "Um..."
Body looked up at me, her eyes judging. " We are just talking about a merger here right Apathy?"
"Thisone is a very big deal...." I answered criptically.
Guts eyes widened, "A Merger of equals?"
I shook my head.
Brain caught on immediately. " An aquisition?"
I nodded. "Quite possibly."
There was murmuring amongst the execs and I could distinctly hear Paura repeat her suggestion " We need Heart..."
"We shouldn't involve Heart until were sure that --" My words were cut off by the sound of the conference room door swinging open.
There Heart stood, sleepily rubbing her eyes in her long white cotton nightgown. "What are you guys doing up here?" Her soft voice inquired.
Everyone stared at her like they just got caught with their hands in a cookie jar. Even Brain and Gut looked guilty. "Nothing Heart... go back to sleep." I suggested softly, she looked so tired and weak. She shouldn't be up.
"You guys are having a meeting..." She accused looking around at the files in front of us. "How could you have a meeting without me?" Her voice was hurt, but that was Heart...always taking things personal.
Brain's eyes softened at the small girl. "Its our job to protect you Heart." It was always odd to hear him use something other than logic and objectivity, to coddle. But all of he execs had a soft spot for little Heart. She was frail, and if she went out, Apathy Inc would be no more.
Heart pouted, her button nose wrinkling in distaste as she turned what Brain said over in her head. The chocolate pools in her eyes were an exact mirror of her feelings. "I don't want to be protected, I want to be included." She demanded coming in, her mousy voice strong, but tired. There were no extra chairs and she didn't hesitate to come sit in my lap. I didn't mind holding her, atleast in my arms I knew she was safe.
She glanced down at the file infont of me, and I could feel her tense in my lap as she read it. Everyone watched her warily as they reopened their folders.
"Who wants to start?" Heart asked taking over the meeting.
To be continued.......
But up there, on the very top floor, in the grandiose conference room adjoined to my office sat me. The CEO Apathy herself, burning the night oil with my most trusted execs, it was here, at this hour, when the world below slept, that we made the decisons that would guide the day to day operations of Apathy Inc......
The file read the same as it did last quarter. Our sister company's education fund was bottoming out and it was now up to debate on whether or not we would stop her from going bankrupt.
"If we do a bailout we will most likely have to do another next quarter." Gut, my 40 year old co head of security mainly with a knack for being right reasoned.
Conscience, my head of ethics, rolled her eyes at him. "You're missing the point, it's our sister company and our only ally. She's been around since we started."
"Your thoughts body?" I asked putting out no opinion of my own. I learned quickly that it was best to be just a face, and trust my team to be the best at what they did.
Body looked up at me through small framed glasses. Even in the late hour she was pefectly groomed her hair slicked back in a perfect bun, controled, you could never tell what she was thinking from facial expressions alone. She never formally adressed anyone without discussing what was best with her colleages. PR wise, she tended to be on the flawless side. That's why I never hesitated to let her be the voice of the company.
"It goes against my instinct not to bail out. Brain can we afford it?"
Brain looked thru our own financial profile. He was the head of financial, HR, record keeping the works, but where he really shined was working security alongside Gut. His former sniper training and military background made him an expert at soft entry, and he preffered this approach better than Guts "hostile takeover" method. I needed them for balance. "We can cover the bail out,but our own expansion will take ahit."
"That's irrelevant, we have investments in enough projects that our own expansion can afford to be postponed." Conscience added.
Paura sat at th end of the table timidy taking notes of the meeting, the only time she tended to speak was when there was a chance something could go wrong. She raised a finger getting my attention, "miss apathy, what if all of our baskets lose their eggs at once and we need bailing out? We won't have the reserves to--"
"Grow a pair and vote Paura. You only talk about depressing stuff...." Libido snapped impatiently. She hated meetings that didn't involve her.
Her outburst made poor Paura jump. "You are a very important part of the team Paura. You give Brain something to think about." I reassured before turning to Libido to admonish her, "Do you have something constructive to add Libido?"
"It's Priscilla..." she boldly corrected rolling her eyes at me. She was the only one not in business attire. Her scarlet low cut dress matched the shade ofher lipstick exactly, her hair resting around her face and shoulders in wild curls. "And no. I don't care about this topic, but if I have to vote I'll go with watever Body said." She shrugged and went back to filing her nails.
She always sided with Body. They were best frends, so her vote didn't surprise me.
"Ok so Priscilla, Body, and Conscience vote 'yes' and a definite 'no' for gut. Brain? " I asked growing weary of the topic.
Brain was silent for a moment processing everything objectively. "Bail out, she has no other investments, we can logically afford to delay expansion more than she can."
"Ok, so that's four.... We'll bail out our sister comapny and delay expansion." I concluded closing the file.
"Ill make the announcment tomorrow," Body assured.
I pulled out another stack of files and passed it around eachletting them take one. "Next order of business. We have a potential merger...."
Brain was the first to open it, his forehead creasing as he viewed the portfolio. Body perked up at the mention of 'merger' alone, not even looking a the file yet. Priscilla's face remained bored as she took the new folder. "Please let this one at least be beneficial to us..." She sighed hopeful. She rarely found challenge in her work these days.
Conscience opened her file skimming only the title before slamming it shut. The wind from it blowing her bangs upward. "Move for dismissal...."
This made Priscilla curious. She opened her file, the only file she opened all night and a mischevious grin flashed across her face. "Do it."
"Its up for discussion, not for voting yet." I clarified. "This is serious. Our last few attempts at merging were a waste of time"
Gut lookedit over, "I thought this particular file was settled years ago..."
"Yes filed away back in 05 if I recall correctly." Brain concurred carefully, he always recalled correctly.
Conscience nodded. "Yes we did, so there is no need to bring it back to the table. This was qualified as an ethical issue, and it was sealed and filed away."
"Well things are different now, I see no harm in bringing it to the floor for discussion." Priscilla smiled too innocently.
Paura looked at all of us, nervously biting her nails. "I don't think we should bring this to the floor without Heart being here."
"NO!" Everyone shouted at once.
"Let Heart rest, she's been through a lot the past few years." I explained.
Brain added, "Heartdoesnt have the best judgement, and its late"
Paura understood, she was there for it all, "But... I also think her imput would be more valid than Brain and Gut's in this. She's going to be really mad if we do this without her."
"She's irrational," Gut sighed. "I don't need to remind you of last time."
Everyone looked away from each other at the memory. Paura hiding a wince. "She bought us useful information..." Conscience mused.
"And almost destroyed Apathy Inc. In the process". Brain added.
Priscilla extended her hands pushing down air in a gesture to bring down the tension. "Whoa, calm it down. Were talking about a merger here. That's me and Body's department. We don't always involve Heart. No big deal."
"No, it is a big deal" Paura argued. " Miss Apathy tell them."
I hesitated, for once joining in on their meeting, no longer a mediator. "Um..."
Body looked up at me, her eyes judging. " We are just talking about a merger here right Apathy?"
"Thisone is a very big deal...." I answered criptically.
Guts eyes widened, "A Merger of equals?"
I shook my head.
Brain caught on immediately. " An aquisition?"
I nodded. "Quite possibly."
There was murmuring amongst the execs and I could distinctly hear Paura repeat her suggestion " We need Heart..."
"We shouldn't involve Heart until were sure that --" My words were cut off by the sound of the conference room door swinging open.
There Heart stood, sleepily rubbing her eyes in her long white cotton nightgown. "What are you guys doing up here?" Her soft voice inquired.
Everyone stared at her like they just got caught with their hands in a cookie jar. Even Brain and Gut looked guilty. "Nothing Heart... go back to sleep." I suggested softly, she looked so tired and weak. She shouldn't be up.
"You guys are having a meeting..." She accused looking around at the files in front of us. "How could you have a meeting without me?" Her voice was hurt, but that was Heart...always taking things personal.
Brain's eyes softened at the small girl. "Its our job to protect you Heart." It was always odd to hear him use something other than logic and objectivity, to coddle. But all of he execs had a soft spot for little Heart. She was frail, and if she went out, Apathy Inc would be no more.
Heart pouted, her button nose wrinkling in distaste as she turned what Brain said over in her head. The chocolate pools in her eyes were an exact mirror of her feelings. "I don't want to be protected, I want to be included." She demanded coming in, her mousy voice strong, but tired. There were no extra chairs and she didn't hesitate to come sit in my lap. I didn't mind holding her, atleast in my arms I knew she was safe.
She glanced down at the file infont of me, and I could feel her tense in my lap as she read it. Everyone watched her warily as they reopened their folders.
"Who wants to start?" Heart asked taking over the meeting.
To be continued.......
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