Big Business, Small Business [Kaplan]
Apr 23, 2012 16:16:13 GMT -5
Post by rook on Apr 23, 2012 16:16:13 GMT -5
://Benson_Altchringham_
Being at the top of one of District Three's largest businesses has it's perks. Those perks are doubled when you're the son of the man who owns that business. And you may as well triple it when you've been scouted as one of District Three's most promising young entrepreneurs. Yeah. I have the full package really. A fantastic career on the horizon, support from my family, encouragement from District Three officials... And money. I have lots of money.
What does the kid who seemingly has everything do in his spare time? Simple. He doesn't have spare time. I spend all of my waking hours working. Seeing as father's put me in charge of the entire computing system of Altchringham Steelworks Ltd. I have a lot to do each day. Sort out who's working at what post, deal with any errors, defect viruses, douse egos. It's just as much man-management as it is technological talent.
It's a lot to deal with. Patrice hates Anders, and Anders hates Yiadom. Yiadom won't work unless he's next to Riouq. Riouq needs Coffee. Coffee is expensive. Expense comes out of paychecks. Paychecks are made on Fridays. Fridays are when people stop working. People stop working when there are fire drills. Fire drills happen every other Wednesday at noon. Noon is lunch time. Lunch time is now.
Now I'm hungry.
I'm sat at my desk, which is in a small room off of the main Finance block, a large room of Capitol Computers. I have my own computer made in the Capitol, complete with holographic touch screen and handheld tablet. I stare at it, nonchalantly dragging a window to the corner of the holo. This sends a filled out paycheck to a sister company in District 1. My stomach growls again.
Some fish for lunch would be nice.
I stand up, pushing my chair to and grabbing my dark brown shoulder bag, the green strap hangs loosely over my shoulder. I think of father. He's upstairs in his massive office on the top floor. His room is far more impressive than mine. Fishtank, televisions for wallpaper and a view that could kill. I love his office, I love it even more when I think that one day, it will be mine. When he's gone, this business is mine.
The thought of that view keeps me motivated. I know I have a lot to do today, but already I'm thinking of taking my lunch break.
No, I need to work
I fill out a few more payslips, sending them to high-end employees. The budget decreases by an immeasurably small amount each time I send a sum of money, displayed at the side of the holo screen. That too will be mine someday. I'm rich already, what will I do with all that money?
"Mr. Altchringham Jr, Sir, there seems to be something wrong with the computer in the basement. Your father rang to ask you to look at it~!"
It's Yiadom, asking me to run some errand. I wave him away impatiently. Guess that settles it, no lunch for me. I press a button on my desk, it rings my father's phone in a rapid amount of time. Within seconds, he's picked up.
"Yes, son?"[/color]
"What seems to be the problem?" I ask the cold voice, leaning back in my leather chair, the phone on loudspeaker. His is also on loudspeaker, I can hear other voices. Strange, Dad never lets people in his office unless something major is going on.
"Problem?
"Yes! The problem with the basement computer, what seems to be wrong with it?" I say, impatient and annoyed that he is too preoccupied to remember what I'm talking about.
"I don't know what you're on about Benson, but I'm busy, as you've probably guessed..."[/color] And he's hung up on me, as quick as that. This leaves me confused and angry. What's going on up there? More importantly, what's going on down in the basement? Is this a prank of Yiadom's?
I open the door to the main Finance office and march over to Yiadom.
"Yeah, real funny... Let's see how funny it is when you've got no job, huh Yiadom?" I say, throwing my authority around. He puts his hands up defensively, the others look at me as if I'm crazy.
"I swear, that's what the phonecall said!"
I growl and march to the phone, where I prod at the touchpad to see the received calls. The last call, which was answered by Yiadom, was actually from the cellars themselves. It couldn't have been dad. So who was calling from down there?
"I have to do everything myself..."
I walk to the elevator and press the only button that isn't a number. A big menacing "B". B for Basement. B for Bottom. The bottom employees worked in the basement, the worst paid. The box movers. The conveyor belt bunch. These people are rough, and harder to negotiate with than Yiadom or Riouq.
The doors open and I'm greeted with a wave of heat. It's hot down here: Furnaces. Here is where the steel of Altchringham Steelworks is made. I find the phone pretty quickly. No one is near it, which annoys me. It could have been anyone in this room who rang. But they must have sounded like father. Yiadom isn't fooled by some mediocre impression from a steelworker. Which meant that it had to be-
"What's up, Junior?" I'm grabbed in a headlock and Kingston is rubbing his fist into my hair, giving me friction burn and making me emit a half-wail as I try to break free from the superior grasp of my older brother. Eventually, he lets go, I brush myself down, not amused.
"Cute..."
"You get my phonecall okay?" He grins that cocky grin.
"Yeah, impersonating Dad, had the office in chaos. You know he's in an important meeting, right?" I fold my arms, not afraid of my older brother.
"Yeah. That's why I called." He grunts. He's bigger than me, and more well defined. He was once a Career, he trained endlessly. Mother and Father encouraged it, I was still training under father to be a technician at the time. He was never picked, and heartbroken upon turning nineteen. I'm just happy he's alive. He's distraught he didn't focus on a career instead of a lottery.
"Something's going on, Bens'. Something big, and I don't like it. I figured you're in a better position to find out than me..." His voice is genuinely concerned. I know my brother well enough to know he's serious about this. Are we being bought out? Is Dad under arrest by the Capitol or something? It reeks of wrong, and I agree with Kingston for once, I need to find out what's going on.
"I'll check it out. You should get back to work..." I say, he gives me a grin and a nod, turning away, "Oh, and Kingston... Next time you want to contact me, just call me directly, instead of trying to get me in trouble..."[/color] I growl, my warning actually half-serious.
"Where's the fun in that?"[/color] He calls back. Before I can retort, he's gone.
I grumble to myself. I hate this. I hate having to snoop around, like I don't trust my father. He's done some dodgy deals in the past, yes. He's gotten into trouble before, but he's always got himself out of it. That's what he is, a smooth operator. He's got exactly what I haven't. Social skills. If I found myself in a situation like that in the future, I wouldn't trust myself to get out of it. It'd probably be resolved by bribing.
I head back to the elevator and jab "F1" for the lobby. The doors open to a fancy reception room with a desk and a pretty Capitolesque lady working there. I forget her name, but she knows me.
"Good morning, Mr. Altchringham Jr."
"That's Mr. Altchingham Jr, Jr." I correct. My grandfather was quite the businessman, as most employees forget. But mainly my father is known as Altchringham Sr. whilst me and Kingston are known as Altchringham Jr. Whichever. It doesn't bother me too much, I just like to make a point.
I exit the main building and enter the streets of District Three. I turn to face the block. I stare up to the top floor, some twelve stories above me. I narrow my eyes. How the hell am I going to do this? Maybe I should just stop sticking my nose where it doesn't belong.
theme~ none.
notes~ Changed color scheme to fit new overhall.
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