Alister shuffled a pile of papers in a weak attempt to neaten up his desk. He never had been good at keeping things orderly. He wished he could have had a different job, any job other than this but it was all he could get at the time when he needed a job.
Jarvis was working in the cube next to him. It was hard to keep a job and he had 5 kids to take care of. Jarvis was not as neat as Alister but he made sure he got the work done.
In a room full of busy Terachnoids, Alister and Jarvis sort of stood out. With Alister being a Lombax and Jarvis being a Terachnoid with below average Terachnoid level intelligence, there was no one else quite like either of them in the building.
Jarvis peered over the top of the cube to ask Alister a question. "So Azimuth what are you going to do after work?"
"What do you think I'm doing Jarvis? I'm going home and having a beer." Azimuth replied.
"Like always. Don't you think that lifestyle will get boring to you? You need to get out and live life."
"I do get out and do things- on the weekends when I have the time. Now would you stop trying to be my life coach and get back to work before the boss comes in to sack us." Alister growled.
"And that's why you need a girlfriend you are so grumpy!" Jarvis replied. "You are a grumpy lombax." Jarvis repeated as he sat back down in his seat.
Alister rolled his eyes and got back to what he was doing. 'I'm not grumpy.' He thought. 'And if I was, its because I'm stuck here shuffling paperwork instead of doing a real job.'
Jarvis got up to go and get a drink of water.
The boss came into the room and walked up to Alister. "Mr Azimuth, I'm afraid we need to have a talk about something." He started.
Of course. A feeling of dread came over Alister. "What's wrong?"
"Well we are just starting to have a breakthrough in our study, our workers have come up with a very... dangerous piece of equipment which its sole purpose is for defence, and used in the wrong way could be disastrous."
Jarvis turns around to listening, not realising that he was overfilling his cup. "Oh dear!"
The boss quickly glances over at Jarvis who gets the water flow under control, smiles nervously and waves.
With a sigh the boss turns back to Alister. "I'm sorry Mr Azimuth, but with your past decisions considered, we have decided we need to let you go."
"What?!" Alister shoots up to stand in defence.
Jarvis drops his cup and shouted from where he was standing across the room. "What why?"
The boss shot a quick glare at Jarvis for having dropped his full cup of water on the ground but proceeded to answer the question.
"You see, it's a matter of security, we cannot allow the information on how to make such a thing fall into the wrong hands..."
"So basically you're saying you can't trust me?" Alister growled and crossed his arms.
"Personally Mr Azimuth I do trust you, but the Planetary Board of Security regarding Dangerous Equipment had already made the decision. I'm sorry, but you are fired."
"At least you get a package." Jarvis put in.
The boss turned annoyed toward the Terachnoid. "Jarvis I think we also need to have a talk, for a Terachnoid you don't seem to be doing very well. To put it gently, I'm firing you too."
"Whaaaat?!" Jarvis gaped.
"I'm not kidding. You are clumsy, slow, incompetent and... And you know what, I don't have to explain this to you. We've talked about it plenty of times before and nothing changes. It's high time I did something about it. You can pack up at the end of the day."
"You're supposed to give me notice!"
"We're paying you to leave, you can't complain."
Jarvis got on his knees and pleaded. "Don't fire me I got 5 kids! Once of them eats five times a day instead of three!"
"Get up Jarvis, you're being ridiculous. You will have plenty of time to find a job fit for your particular skill level."
Jarvis sat in his rolling chair and crossed his arms. "No I'm not going anywhere!"
The boss growled. "Security!"
It wasn't too long before a rather large security guard appeared to 'escort' Jarvis and Alister out.
"What good were you thinking that was going to do Jarvis?" Alister asked.
"Keep my job!" Jarvis yelled
"Yeah right, when the boss says you're fired, you are fired!"
Jarvis sighs. "I guess you're right. I'll see you soon Azimith."
Jarvis begins to walk toward his ship. Alister watched him go to his ship and begins to walk towards his own. Alister was equally unsure what he was going to do. Soon his lights, water and electricity would be out and he was just be living in a dark hovel. Alister decided to take a walk to get his mind off of things.