At first Reese hadn't been overly impressed with their headquarters. It was an old library, with an air of abandonment and neglect. His opinion changed as Harold gave him a tour of the interior. There was an elaborate state-of-the-art security system to discourage intruders. The upstairs rooms had been cleaned and furnished with comfortable plush chairs and couches. And beneath the building there were several floors of underground laboratories for Harold's R&D.
The main lab was the ending point of the tour. It gleamed under the fluorescent lighting. On a stainless steel table a number of beakers bubbled away over Bunsen burners. A collection of test tubes, petri dishes, and a large microscope covered the rest of the table top.
Various gadgets and gizmos were crammed together on the shelves, and one wall was occupied by a row of tall machines covered in buttons and levers and flashing lights. The central device proudly displayed that wavy oscilloscope pattern that was a must-have for all laboratories.
"I am impressed Mr. Finch. How did you manage all of this?"
"A few well-placed bribes and the application of quite a large sum of off-the-books money to some unscrupulous contractors. But no need to worry about our current financial situation, we still have plenty of operating funds. Let me show you."
Finch took a seat at the main computer console, typing in his password while the large plasma screen flickered to life. After a few moments he brought up a website for "Gramma Moses' Home for Wayward Kitties." The picture of an adorable but somewhat wistful orphaned kitty appeared just above a plea for support for these needy animals.
Restraining his urge to coo, Reese remarked "That's one cute kitten."
"It's a fake" Finch said smugly.
"What?"
"A fake. A composite derived from several different felines. It was constructed using an algorithm to calculate optimum fluffiness, big eyes, and perky ears for maximum 'Awwwww' factor. The website also has several subliminal messages. Most notably, that catchy little tune you hear will repeat endlessly in the viewer's head unless they pledge a donation."
"That's...diabolical."
"I know" said Finch, chuckling evilly. "And it is just the beginning. I am also working on a Puppy-based website, as well as an upgrade to Cute Kitten version 2.0"
"So all those videos you have been watching on YouTube?"
"Research. Pure scientific research. Really."
"Riiiiight."