[sachmo]

Invexus Corporation

2401.1

The view from the pressurized window was the same as always; a dark sky choked with gray clouds of ash. The ash was a constant companion to the colonists on Drasnia, the second settlement of the Cherek people. The western hemisphere of the planet was experiencing a high degree of plate movement, and the result was a large amount of volcanic activity. The volcanoes were constantly throwing more ash into the atmosphere, barely giving Drasnia’s ecosystem a chance to scrub any of it from the atmosphere. As a result, everything was covered with ash. The dome over the colony had to be cleared of ash constantly for fear that the added weight might cause the dome to collapse. Rumor had it that the home office was working on a more efficient solution, but in the meantime large workGroups had to be organized to go outside and clean the ash off of the dome. This unplanned allocation of labor affected production, and so the amount of research generated by the new colony was not very close to what had been projected. Executives on Drasnia were beginning to fear for their jobs. True to the ancient laws of the universe, this fear was passed down from supervisor to subordinate all the way down thru the colony until even the schoolchildren were on edge. The good news for them was that they did not know why, and so resumed playing games and getting into mischief without giving it more than a moment’s thought. Their parents looked on, green with envy.

Schell Ambrose, executive assistant to the Board Chairman, intercepted the messenger before he had even penetrated the outer ring of the Board Chairman’s office. The Board Chairman would be very pleased with this message, his sources told him, and if Dana Wallace was too stupid to deliver it herself, Ambrose would be more than willing to reap the rewards of making the most powerful man in the universe happy.
“Thank you. I’ll take it from here, messenger.”
The messenger was only too happy to give the hard copy to Ambrose. He was obviously uncomfortable being in the executive office. He practically ran for the tube that would take him back to the Fleet Services division.
Ambrose turned and walked down the hall to his office. For most of his adult life, he had served James Hartnell, and he took great personal pride in the job that he did for him. He genuinely admired the Board Chairman, and would gladly do anything for him. However, Ambrose was not without ambition, and he knew from experience that the bearer of good tidings was often remembered when promotions were being handed out.
He stood before the door to the Board Chairman’s inner office, and straightened his suit before knocking.
“Come” was the response from inside.
Ambrose swung the doors wide and walked across the huge office. He kept his eyes down on the white marble tile, trying to hold back his excitement. Before he knew it, he was standing in front of the desk.
“Sir, here is the communication from Fleet Services.”
Board Chairman Hartnell took it, and sliced it open. Ambrose watched as Hartnell’s intelligent eyes scanned the page, and a smile spread across his face.
“Ambrose, this is wonderful news. Captain Bromley has discovered a planet in the Midos system that we should be able to colonize without a dome! That will allow us to utilize much more of the planet’s resources, and the colony will be much more profitable.”
Ambrose smiled back at his superior. “Wonderful news, sir!” He could see that Hartnell’s mind was whirring, as it usually did when he was presented with a golden opportunity. He quickly began scribbling down notes and orders.
“Ambrose, get me an emergency meeting with the department heads. We’ll have to shuffle some resources to get that planet colonized as soon as possible.’
Ambrose turned to leave. “It will be done, sir.” He began walking toward the door.
From behind him, Hartnell called out to him. “Ambrose, wait. Thanks for delivering this to me personally. I want you to join me for dinner tonight. I’m in such a good mood and I want to share it with someone. We might even talk about a reward for your excellent service. How does that sound?”
Ambrose nodded, trying to contain his anticipation. “I would be honored, sir.”
He turned and left the office, dreaming of what his reward would be.

[ October 06, 2002, 04:08: Message edited by: sachmo ]