Change of scenery! It's related.

Outside the Doors

Part 2: Ms. Des

Her prim and proper shoes clicked across the lobby floor of the Moon Enterprises building as she made her way to the lift, but then a voice cried out, "Ms. Des! Ms. Des! Can I please have an interview with you?"

She stopped and turned around to face the young reporter and cameraman heading her way. She sighed and shook her head, but then said, "You can have a few words from me, but not a full interview. Who are you and what news organization do you represent?"

"My name is Tomas Alexander, and I represent the Mystiva Press." He said as the cameraman focused his device on the reporter and businesswoman. "I wish to ask you, Ms. Des, about the Howling Machine you are about to release to the public. Is it true that there are still some safety issues that have to be cleared up?"

Ms. Des glanced at the cameraman and, speaking to his device, said, "Mr. Tomas Alexander, I can assure you as founder and CEO of Moon Enterprises that the Howling Machine is absolutely safe for public use. It has passed through every test we can think of, we have examined and inspected every one of the devices, and we have performed successful trial runs with numerous test subjects."

"Who were the test subjects, Ms. Des?"

"You know I can't answer that, Mr. Alexander, I don't even know. They were anonymous." Ms. Des said, annoyed with him. "But the results were satisfactory. The device is fully licensed and approved by the state bureau. It is ready for public consumption. By this time tomorrow, the Howling Machine will be available for public sale and usage. We have already presold a million devices, and the entertainment centers are already fully stocked with not just Howling Machines, but the numerous consoles, games, and add-on components that we will soon release to the public." She remarked.

"Sounds like a lot of investment into a fairly new and untested piece of technology." The reporter remarked. "Were you prepared to sustain such heavy losses if the Howling Machines proved unsuccessful?"

"All business and scientific endeavors carry with them some forms of risk, whether monetary or otherwise. You should know that." Ms. Des said. "Now, if you will please excuse me, I have a meeting I must attend straightway, and you have already delayed me a couple of minutes. Good day." She said, bowing her head as she pressed the lift button and soon left behind the reporter and his cameraman in the lobby.

"Well, at least you got the chance to talk to her." The cameraman said. "That's something, to say the least."

"But I didn't get enough out of her, just the spiel." The reporter said, annoyed. Yet he knew when to admit defeat. "Come on, let's go check the footage and see if we can get something good out of it."

Meanwhile, upstairs, Ms. Des stormed through the corridors and barged into the conference room. The board members stood up and bowed their heads, greeting her politely as she went up to the head of the table. "All right, let's get this thing straightened out." She said, pulling out her chair and sitting down. "What's the damage report?" She asked.

"Sixteen devices out of thirty exploded in the last trial run." One of the board members stated. "Twelve of them were still running with a test subject inside. Nine of them have already died." The board members grimaced amongst themselves.

Ms. Des's eyes roved through the conference room. "So whose fault is that?" She asked. "I want to know who!" She slammed her fist down on the table and groaned as she sat back in her chair. "Who is the person responsible for all of these problems? And who told the public that the Howling Machines would be ready by tomorrow?"

"I believe MacPhearson might have said…" Someone started to suggest, and then an argument broke out before Ms. Des called for silence.

"Twelve years we've been working on this product, twelve years, and we're still closer to creating the optimal device than we were before." Ms. Des said. "We should have had it working by now, but no! If it's not exploding machines, then it's leaking toxins, or the programming is faulty and needs rewiring, or there's an electrical fault that blacks out the whole city, or the test subjects go crazy and become vegetables!" She practically screamed. "Something must be going wrong here, someone must be interfering or sabotaging the project! How can this thing be so complicated?"

"Why are we doing this?" Someone on the board said. "Why are we throwing all of our resources into developing and advertising a product that we know is a health hazard, a danger to the public?"

"Because of how important the Howling Machine is, the value of the technology that we are developing." Ms. Des said. "Think of the sales! Think of the fortune and influence that we stand to make, not just here on this planet, but on every known planet in the galaxy! The Howling Machine could be the greatest scientific breakthrough of our time, and the most revolutionary product out there! Why, the prestige alone is worth the risks to Moon Enterprises." She said and then turned to face the members of the board. "In spite of the risks, as CEO and founder of Moon Enterprises, I say the Howling Machine is worth the investment we have made and that it will be a resounding success. You are all excused."

The members of the board muttered amongst themselves as they got up to leave the room, but then Ms. Des called out, "MacPhearson? I want to have a word with you in my office."

MacPhearson hesitated, glancing around at the other board members, but none of them would even say a word to him or look in his direction as they left him behind. Finally, gulping, he nodded and followed Ms. Des into her office like a man going to his execution. The room was stylishly furnished and exquisitely decorated, with the stone and metal sculpture of a moon situated right behind Ms. Des's desk. The sculpture itself had given Ms. Des the idea of naming her company 'Moon Enterprises'. The portrait of the late Mr. Des hung on the opposite wall so that Ms. Des always faced him whenever she was working.

"MacPhearson, how long have you been with Moon Enterprises?" Ms. Des asked as she approached the liquor cabinet and got out a bottle and two glasses, pouring herself and MacPhearson a couple of drinks.

"I've been here twenty years, ever since you started this company." MacPhearson said. "Back then, we were just a software firm, and I was a programmer. But then we also acquired a hardware firm, and I moved up to checking out the systems-"

"I don't need your life history." Ms. Des muttered, coming over and handing MacPhearson his drink. She raised her glass and said, "What shall we toast to? World peace? No, too boring and mundane. How about…to the success of the Howling Machine?" MacPhearson hesitated again, glancing down at his glass, and Ms. Des asked, "What's the matter? Don't you want to drink to the success of our most brilliant product ever? OR are you averse to claiming to support something you secretly hate?"

MacPhearson frowned and gazed up at her, steel in his eyes at last. "Ms. Helena Ulrica Des, you are a monster. You are the most despicable, evil person I have ever met. You don't even care what this product is going to do to all of those people who use it. You just want your name and the company's name advertised throughout the galaxy, and the sales, the sales!" He gulped down his drink as fast as he could. "Ms. Des, I don't want to be a part of this company anymore."

"Fine. Be that way." Ms. Des said, reaching over to press an intercom button on her desk. "Jacque, come in here and restrain MacPhearson."

The side door to Ms. Des's office opened, and a large, heavy-set man, Jacque, entered the room. MacPhearson turned around to flee, but suddenly he stumbled as he realized that his feet weren't working properly anymore. "What's happening to me?" He asked, a dull ache spreading throughout his body as he felt so very tired. Everything was too heavy to lift, even his eyelids.

"I drugged you, just in case you resisted." Ms. Des said. "Don't struggle, it's already taking effect." Jacque reached MacPhearson's side and started to bind him. "Jacque, please take MacPhearson to the Howling Machine on the fourth floor." She said.

"Yes, ma'am." Jacque said, lifting up MacPhearson, who tried to scream and shout, but nothing came out.

Ms. Des gulped down her drink as she watched them go. "MacPhearson was a valued member of the board. We shall not see his like again. Unfortunately, he was caught stealing funds and sabotaging the Howling Machine project." She muttered to herself, already rehearsing her address to the board. "Now what shall we do?" She asked.

Hey, what do you think? Sort of like one of the classic stories with a corrupt business person...