Tartarus 16
05-06-2007, 03:38
George Mattel sat at his desk, looking out at his office. It was a nice place, and soon enough they'd be making money faster than they could count it.
The Mattel Plant and Corporate Headquarters had recently been built just outside of the Cloak of Darkness region. Hah, what a ridiculous name. thought George as he kicked back his feet. The only problem he had with the whole thing was leaving his wife and daughter on all these extended business trips. He picked up a picture of them from his desk.
Maybe it'll be a problem for them not to have me around all that much. No, no, I'm out making money for them, and that's what matters.
The plant was built outside the Cloak of Darkness because it was known that The Acheron Delta and Mbulu do not allow corporations. The idea was that if there was a supply of Mattel products close, the Acheronians and Mbulans would flock to the newfound source of spending.
* * *
Of course, this didn't sit well with certain people. To these people, corporations were among the many things wrong with the world, and they weren't going to let the corporate bastards try to pull a fast one so close to home.
A man walked into a dimly lit chamber and spoke to a figure sitting at the head of a long table.
"Hyperion, we are almost ready to begin."
He was answered with a deep voice. "Good, begin preparations at once Orestes."
"Yes Sir!" The man said as he snapped into a salute, and then jogged out the door.
* * *
George was just about to get something to eat when his video phone blinked to life. He clicked the button as a face appeared onscreen and a voice poured from the speakers.
"George Mattel, this is Richard McDonald, we spoke about doing some business a little while ago."
"Ah, yes, Richard, good to hear from you again, and business between us sounds like a good idea."
Richard's response seemed somewhat rushed. "Alright then, I'll be there tomorrow."
"Well I can't exactly make executive decisions, I'll have to talk to some-"
The video clicked out
* * *
The next morning, a limousine pulled up to the gate of the Mattel building and five men walked out. Four of them were large, wearing black suits, and the fifth was a bit shorter, wearing a gray suit with black pinstripes and carrying a briefcase. One of the large men spoke up.
"NRA Security force, looks like."
"Noted." Replied the gray-suited man.
They walked toward the gate and were stopped by the guards, one of whom began asking questions.
"Who are you and what's your business here?"
The gray-suited man replied. "My name is Richard McDonald, I'm here to see George Mattel."
The NRA man seemed to believe him, but still looked at them suspiciously.
"Why the bodyguards, Richard?"
Richard hesitated before answering. "I'm a bit worried about local trouble, you see I have this second cousin and-"
"Okay whatever, I don't really give a shit about your cousin. You're cleared to go ahead"
The five men continued on and walked through the door to the lobby and one of the large men spat out his gum. It was clean, and there were posters advertising products all over the walls. One of the bodyguards scowled. Richard told the receptionist that he was there to see George, and she told him where to go, but he wasn't paying attention, and he didn't need to be, because he wasn't headed for some top level office. The group shuffled onward, this time toward the cafeteria.
It was nine in the morning. There wouldn't be anyone in the cafeteria until eleven, when the kitchen staff began making lunch. They came to the cafeteria, it was massive, built to hold all of the workers and executives at one time. They sat at the large table in the center of the room as Richard opened his briefcase and spoke.
"Okay now, each one of you take one piece of this and put it in a corner of the room, and I'll get this table."
"Yes Orestes." The men replied in unison.
* * *
It was now noon, time for the men to get out, and fifteen minutes from the time for the Mattel employees to enjoy their last meal. Orestes and his men began walking back toward the lobby when one tapped his earpiece and stopped in his tracks.
"Sir, we have a problem. The security just got word back from McDonald's HQ that nobody named Richard has family around here, and nobody named Richard McDonald is even supposed to be on this continent right now."
* * *
George sat in his office, feet up on his desk. He decided not to go to lunch that day in case Richard McDonald showed up.
* * *
Orestes was jogging along now, trying to get out the back door of the building. The same bodyguard that had warned them about their cover being blown stopped again.
"I'm going to stay here, that way I can buy you some time."
Orestes looked at him and then shook his hand. "Thank you Antinous."
"It's been an honor, Sir."
The remaining four men got out of the now unguarded back door and raced to the edge of the fence surrounding the complex, taking cover in some trees. Now it was twelve thirteen, two minutes left.
Antinous unholstered his pistol and held it out. One guard went into the corridor, only to meet a nine millimeter bullet face first. Three more guards came around the corner. Antinous fired three rounds, one grazing the arm of a guard. The other guards fired their guns, making Antinous convulse like a marionette as his blood splattered outward. Twelve fifteen.
Orestes sat and took a deep breath. He then produced a detonator from his pocket.
"Well, I suppose that's that, then." He muttered to himself.
He pushed the button.
* * *
The building shook, knocking George out of his chair. He knew what had happened, he could feel it, recalling old news clips of similar events. Now it all made sense. He grabbed the picture of his wife and daughter and ran out of his office. He expected that the elevators wouldn't be working, and headed for the stairs. After making it down seven stories, he came to the cafeteria and dropped to his knees.
All around him were bodies and fire, bodies of people he knew, charred and strewn about like ragdolls. George vomited profusely, getting it all over his expensive suit. Shaking his head, he got up and began shambling toward the exit. There was gunfire outside, probably the guards and whoever did this.
George emerged from the door and looked out. The sun was unbearably bright, making seem almost as if there was no smoke, but his coughing attested the other way. From a little way away, he could see three men advancing in his direction, two large men in black suits and a smaller man in a gray suit. Upon their getting closer, he recognized the smaller man.
He spoke in a defeated tone. "Hi Richard."
George Mattel took one look at the photo as Orestes raised his gun and fired.
The Mattel Plant and Corporate Headquarters had recently been built just outside of the Cloak of Darkness region. Hah, what a ridiculous name. thought George as he kicked back his feet. The only problem he had with the whole thing was leaving his wife and daughter on all these extended business trips. He picked up a picture of them from his desk.
Maybe it'll be a problem for them not to have me around all that much. No, no, I'm out making money for them, and that's what matters.
The plant was built outside the Cloak of Darkness because it was known that The Acheron Delta and Mbulu do not allow corporations. The idea was that if there was a supply of Mattel products close, the Acheronians and Mbulans would flock to the newfound source of spending.
* * *
Of course, this didn't sit well with certain people. To these people, corporations were among the many things wrong with the world, and they weren't going to let the corporate bastards try to pull a fast one so close to home.
A man walked into a dimly lit chamber and spoke to a figure sitting at the head of a long table.
"Hyperion, we are almost ready to begin."
He was answered with a deep voice. "Good, begin preparations at once Orestes."
"Yes Sir!" The man said as he snapped into a salute, and then jogged out the door.
* * *
George was just about to get something to eat when his video phone blinked to life. He clicked the button as a face appeared onscreen and a voice poured from the speakers.
"George Mattel, this is Richard McDonald, we spoke about doing some business a little while ago."
"Ah, yes, Richard, good to hear from you again, and business between us sounds like a good idea."
Richard's response seemed somewhat rushed. "Alright then, I'll be there tomorrow."
"Well I can't exactly make executive decisions, I'll have to talk to some-"
The video clicked out
* * *
The next morning, a limousine pulled up to the gate of the Mattel building and five men walked out. Four of them were large, wearing black suits, and the fifth was a bit shorter, wearing a gray suit with black pinstripes and carrying a briefcase. One of the large men spoke up.
"NRA Security force, looks like."
"Noted." Replied the gray-suited man.
They walked toward the gate and were stopped by the guards, one of whom began asking questions.
"Who are you and what's your business here?"
The gray-suited man replied. "My name is Richard McDonald, I'm here to see George Mattel."
The NRA man seemed to believe him, but still looked at them suspiciously.
"Why the bodyguards, Richard?"
Richard hesitated before answering. "I'm a bit worried about local trouble, you see I have this second cousin and-"
"Okay whatever, I don't really give a shit about your cousin. You're cleared to go ahead"
The five men continued on and walked through the door to the lobby and one of the large men spat out his gum. It was clean, and there were posters advertising products all over the walls. One of the bodyguards scowled. Richard told the receptionist that he was there to see George, and she told him where to go, but he wasn't paying attention, and he didn't need to be, because he wasn't headed for some top level office. The group shuffled onward, this time toward the cafeteria.
It was nine in the morning. There wouldn't be anyone in the cafeteria until eleven, when the kitchen staff began making lunch. They came to the cafeteria, it was massive, built to hold all of the workers and executives at one time. They sat at the large table in the center of the room as Richard opened his briefcase and spoke.
"Okay now, each one of you take one piece of this and put it in a corner of the room, and I'll get this table."
"Yes Orestes." The men replied in unison.
* * *
It was now noon, time for the men to get out, and fifteen minutes from the time for the Mattel employees to enjoy their last meal. Orestes and his men began walking back toward the lobby when one tapped his earpiece and stopped in his tracks.
"Sir, we have a problem. The security just got word back from McDonald's HQ that nobody named Richard has family around here, and nobody named Richard McDonald is even supposed to be on this continent right now."
* * *
George sat in his office, feet up on his desk. He decided not to go to lunch that day in case Richard McDonald showed up.
* * *
Orestes was jogging along now, trying to get out the back door of the building. The same bodyguard that had warned them about their cover being blown stopped again.
"I'm going to stay here, that way I can buy you some time."
Orestes looked at him and then shook his hand. "Thank you Antinous."
"It's been an honor, Sir."
The remaining four men got out of the now unguarded back door and raced to the edge of the fence surrounding the complex, taking cover in some trees. Now it was twelve thirteen, two minutes left.
Antinous unholstered his pistol and held it out. One guard went into the corridor, only to meet a nine millimeter bullet face first. Three more guards came around the corner. Antinous fired three rounds, one grazing the arm of a guard. The other guards fired their guns, making Antinous convulse like a marionette as his blood splattered outward. Twelve fifteen.
Orestes sat and took a deep breath. He then produced a detonator from his pocket.
"Well, I suppose that's that, then." He muttered to himself.
He pushed the button.
* * *
The building shook, knocking George out of his chair. He knew what had happened, he could feel it, recalling old news clips of similar events. Now it all made sense. He grabbed the picture of his wife and daughter and ran out of his office. He expected that the elevators wouldn't be working, and headed for the stairs. After making it down seven stories, he came to the cafeteria and dropped to his knees.
All around him were bodies and fire, bodies of people he knew, charred and strewn about like ragdolls. George vomited profusely, getting it all over his expensive suit. Shaking his head, he got up and began shambling toward the exit. There was gunfire outside, probably the guards and whoever did this.
George emerged from the door and looked out. The sun was unbearably bright, making seem almost as if there was no smoke, but his coughing attested the other way. From a little way away, he could see three men advancing in his direction, two large men in black suits and a smaller man in a gray suit. Upon their getting closer, he recognized the smaller man.
He spoke in a defeated tone. "Hi Richard."
George Mattel took one look at the photo as Orestes raised his gun and fired.