The Butcher of Gadobhra Chapter 396: Chairmen of the Boards

Bad news first travels up to the top before the shit rolls downhill.

In this case, the bad news was in the form of a ssage from the AI overseeing the Genesis ga, where Alchemarx had invested over a billion dollars. The ssage was very long, going into details of the contract, behavior of employees, financial responsibilities and reminders about the rules of the ga. A battalion of lawyers was already at work contesting the judgnt against them, but it was going to be an uphill battle, especially with how the other corporations were delighted with the ouster of Alchemarx from the ga world. Four corporations had filed a 'friend of the court' brief imdiately, stating that, of course, the rules had to be enforced against such scofflaws.

The eting today of the Alchemarx board of directors was to gain what knowledge they could from the main culprits who had brought this disaster down upon them. Several layers of managent were present, including the head of the online division, the risk managent group, the ga theory group, as well as many of the personnel who had been working online. The first person to testify was Reginald Haldeman, the manager at the factory farms they were building in the northern part of the Empire. Reggie was furious at the turn of events.

"My numbers have been great, with monthly growth of 23% and projected yearly growth of over 1000%. I've followed the plans that were given to and focused on making massive infrastructure improvents on so of the best farmland in the Empire. Hundreds of contract workers were working for day and night."

He paused, but nothing was said, and the chairman waved a hand, encouraging him to continue.

"Sirs, my record speaks for itself. I was brought in to build and manage the Alchemarx assets near Northguard. Under my leadership, the fields were producing a crop every month, and with the farming thods I used, twice the yield per acre compared to local farrs. I mapped out new shipping routes that avoided paying taxes on Imperial roadways and buyers for all of the products we could ship. The buyers we found were directly working against AC's operation at Sedgewick and Tesladyne's mining operations to the west. They were even paying a bonus for assisting them. Our profits were so good that within six months, I would have been moving ahead with our overall plan of land acquisition and been a year ahead of schedule. All of our profits were fueled by the operation I built."

Seven n sat at the end of the room. Their desks were two feet higher than the floor, forcing him to look up at them. Reggie had always imagined he'd make it to one of those desks soday. Now, he didn't have a chance in hell. One of them spoke, "And then what happened?"

Reggie tried to stay calm and failed. "My co-workers failed , and there was nothing I could do, as technically they had seniority on and were in charge. Against my advice, they made promises to the local Baron that they didn't keep. Sothing as simple as finding a butterfly for his collection. He ca to discuss the matter and was so upset that he brought military forces along. They were very high-level fighters that the reports given to said he didn't have, and the reports from my superiors also neglected to ntion that Baron Pinchpenny is a formidable necromancer. In the middle of the discussion, he signaled his henchman to attack, and they killed and all of my managers. This would normally be only a minor problem in the ga. I'd have been back shortly and reopened negotiations with him. I'm sure we could have worked things out. Except that during the ti I was out of the ga, those three..." He gestured to a nearby table where three won sat. "...managed to screw up so badly that everything I had achieved for our corporation was used to pay their debts. My operation is bankrupt, and I'm locked out of the ga."

Low voices talked for a bit while everyone else held their breath and tried not to be noticed.

"Unfortunate, Reggie, very unfortunate. Sit down. Let's move on to your bosses. I've been told you three had a bad reaction to sothing in the ga that gave you severe stress as you left the ga. Too bad, hopefully by now the pain dication and sedatives should have perked you up, so let's get on with it. Irene, you have seniority; I'm appointing you to speak for your group to avoid another waste of my ti where you three scream at each other while we sit here and think about what hellhole we're going to send you to. Would you care to explain your actions? "

Irene had taken double the number of pills she was allowed, and her head was still pounding. Bad, but nothing like how she'd felt in the ga. The effects of hundreds of resurrection debuffs were crippling and would continue for a very long ti.

"The plan was sound and preapproved! We had to improvise parts of it, but everything was OK'd by Risk Managent. We nearly toppled AC's operation. If my requests for funds for additional rcenaries had been granted, the Empire would have seized the city, and we'd have tripled our operation overnight. But every ti we asked for additional funding, sohow it went to that weasel, Reggie, who did everything he could to undermine us."

Reggie turned to her with a pained expression. The chairman signaled for him to speak. "You know that's not how it works, Irene. There is only so much in-ga money available. You put in requests, and so did I. Then wise people above our heads judge the best use of those funds."

"They didn't have a clue! Your operation was familiar to them, and ours was innovative. I told you to quit putting in requests."

Reggie shot her a quick smile, not visible to the n at the front. "And I told you that taking out huge loans to rent Crystal Balls, Cauldrons, and Spell Books from a demon was dangerous. Had I known what that loan shark was charging you, I'd have filed reports imdiately. Did you even send those contracts you signed in blood up the chain of command?"

Gerald from Risk Managent stood up and signaled his desire to talk. "Sirs, I had the opportunity to review the original plan for sabotaging AC by delaying the completion of Rowan Keep. It involved using a mixed army of players and in-ga rcenary forces. Funds were made available, both real and in-ga. Our forces should have caused enough havoc against AC's contract workers that little would be accomplished. "

One of the board mbers laughed. "Let guess, Ac fought back."

"Err, yes, sir. The plan obviously didn't have the predicted success, even with senior managent being in complete control of their own plan. Project reports each week, however, painted a glowing picture and assured a positive outco. I have to question the validity of those reports at this juncture. However, this...contract..."

He held up a piece of black paper written in red ink. "This is an exact copy of the in-ga contract signed by our agents. I specifically use that term since it nas them as our agents in the contract they signed."

"Let see that." Gerald walked the paper to the largest desk where the chairman sat. He stared at it, put on a pair of old-fashioned glasses, and then scanned it and put it on his screen with x13 magnification. "Dear heavens, this is a contract? It's written in a typeface so small it's unreadable! The letters aren't all the sa size, and the font changes constantly. So of the letters and numbers are flipped backward. This is a nightmare to read, let alone understand. It's a masterpiece!"

"Legal thought so as well and are incorporating so of the innovations we see here into our own contracts. Legal was also disappointed that we couldn't hire the person who wrote it."

The chairman made one last attempt to read the contract, then handed it back. "Yes, I can see our legal division wanting that. What the hell does it say?"

One of the lawyers present stood. "In summary, these three, acting as agents of the corporation borrowed for a set period of ti several Legendary magical artifacts from a demon known as Impkray. Alchemarx assets in the ga stood as collateral. At the end of the ti period, a large sum of gold was due, along with the return of the borrowed artifacts. Irene's team failed in their mission, did not have the funds available to cover the debt, and sohow also lost the artifacts, incurring a huge penalty fee. Normally, the land and goods controlled by Mr. Haldeman would have covered the debt, but because of Irene's failures, those assets weren't available, having been repossessed by the original owner. This lead to seizure of remaining assets and bankruptcy." He sat down.

The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

The chairman brooded.

"Demons, cauldrons, and loan sharks! What the hell, Irene? Did you forget how to make money? I'll give you a hint: It doesn't involve high-interest-rate loans with predatory penalties! And you idiots...why do I have a Risk Managent team that didn't see this coming? Screw it, you're all fired, the lot of you. And everyone else in our Online Division along with you. We can't do business, so we don't need you. The legal teams can keep their jobs if they can find a way out of this ss."

Most people weren't shocked at all. When the shit hit the fan, heads rolled. Reggie was already thinking about his options and how to spin this into a new job. The Family and Symtech were always hiring, and even AC might be an option. The voice of the chairman stopped him as he went to leave.

"Not you, Reggie, sit your ass down. I might have a use for you. But I think we'll deal with our Witches first. There's still a job for you in Alchemarx, but I think we'll be adjusting your position. Think of it as a generous rehabilitation program. Part of Alchemarx's debt is listed as 'Infernal,' and I've been told it's a result of so sort of magical shenanigans you caused. It requires employees of Alchemarx to be in the ga and endure the consequences until our debt is paid. I know just the three people who are going to handle that."

The three Witches, suffering from migraines, knew that what waited for them in the ga was much worse. Irene drew herself up and stood as straight as she could; the other two put their heads down and wept. "You can't make us. We quit."

"Oh, you can quit, certainly. And I will invoke so very nasty clauses in your contracts. Not to ntion the legal e consequences of filing false reports. Our lawyers will sue you for every di you have, and our security guards will hand you over to the authorities for embezzlent. You'll be lucky if you get out of jail in a decade and can get a job in a habitat fixing sewer pipes. We all know you're smart enough to avoid jail ti, especially over a little vacation in a silly ga. Off you go, ladies. We have a nice room waiting for you where you can sign so papers before you go back to your pods."

After the three weeping ex-vice presidents were escorted away and the rest of the board left, only Reggie and the chairman remained. He waited long enough for Reggie to start sweating and then lit a cigarette and smoked it half down. "You're a weasel, Reggie, but an effective one. You covered your little errors well. Small things like cheating your Baron out of his cut. It was small potatoes to make him a little happier. Rember that next ti. But it wouldn't have mattered in the long run. AC is still around, and our agreent with Pinchpenny is voided. But you were headed in the right direction, so we're going to give you another chance. Don't make small mistakes this ti, Reggie; we'll be watching you closely."

Hope sprang up, but also puzzlent. "I was under the impression we can't do business for seven years."

"We can't; you're correct on that point. Or rather, Alchemarx can't. But Blevins Cough Syrup is in the ga, with one little village and twenty-five contract workers. They aren't doing so well in either world. Alchemarx bought Blevins eleven minutes ago, and we are putting you to work in that little village with a new character. We've cleared it with the Genesis People. You'll be down South, in the breadbox area of the Empire. Far from the main markets but with a regular trade route North. Work your magic again, build up, and buy up the area. We aren't out of the ga yet."

The room was quiet tonight, for dire tidings had co from the Northlands:

"The Tribes of the Silver Axe have fallen in battle to the encroaching horde of Dire Trolls, Blood Goblins, and Dark Spawnlings. General Ironjaw has appeased the Hell-Drake Anthraxies with a wagon of treasure and a hundred captives taken in the fall of the Elven City of Frostfire. The alliance of tribesn fought hard, but they hadn't counted on fighting a Dragon from the Fallen Tis."

As the Great Bard spoke, his eyes glead. He looked at each hero seated at the ebony table. They had feasted and feasted well, but the cost of that feast was hearing the horrible news and being asked to do sothing about it.

"His majesty marches forth, but the army is small, and many of the treacherous nobility have held back their support. The king cannot prevail on a field of battle when the other side has a dragon! But there is one hope..."

Everyone tensed, waiting for what they knew was coming. "...one thin hope that hangs like a gossar thread. Within the Tower of Wintertide is the Staff of the Wyrm King. If a brave group of adventurers could retrieve the staff in ti and bring it to the field of battle, Anthraxies could be compelled to fight for the King. How say you, assembled heroes? Will you take up this quest and..."

On the table, a ringing sound ca from a glowing skull, and its eyes flashed brightly. The Great Bard reached for it, annoyed, and pushed a button. "This is Willy. What's up? I hope you rember that it's one of my ga nights. This better be major news."

"Very good news, boss. Alchemarx has been kicked out of the ga world. They were in a war with our northern region manager and causing him so problems. He fought back. They took out loans to cover the costs of hiring people in the ga but got their ass kicked. They can't pay; they're bankrupt and gone. The AI kicked them out for seven years."

Willy raised his other arm over his head, made a fist, and shouted, "Victory!" Then slamd the skull down on the table, took a sip of his diet coke, and turned back to his ga.

"Why the hesitation, Heroes? Will you accept the quest?"

Everyone nodded their acceptance or raised a glass. Willy passed around the Quest Agreent, printed on crinkly parchnt he had specially made for all of his gas, and they all signed it using red ink and old-fashioned quill pens.

At the end of the table, Ricardo was trying to control his curiosity. He still hadn't made it to the area controlled by Billy. The teleportation system in the Empire was near collapse, and even spending Vern's gold had only gotten him to Wolfsburg. He and his guildmates had been forced to ride overland to Sedgewick along crappy, muddy roads. The snow hadn't helped, nor had the constant annoying attacks by blue-skinned Nomadic Trollkin. Ricardo and his group were heading North, while the little trolls were heading in the opposite direction. They were only level 6 to 10, but a group of twenty of them was a problem even for a tier four group. They would would finally arrive in two days, if the weather held up, and the weather had beco unpredictable with frequent ice storms.

His group had grumbled about the bad luck of missing a small war but were looking forward to what might be an even bigger event. They were slowly progressing through a quest line that started when they killed their first trollkin. They took a vote and decided to fight against Winter. Every encounter gave them additional experience if it was part of the war. Around the table, the rest of his group shared a few looks and nods. As soon as Willy's ga was over, they would head to their pods for a marathon session, spending all weekend in Genesis. If Billy had managed a big win against Alchemarx, Vern was going to be on a rampage, wanting to know how he'd done it.

"Now that you have signed the quest agreent let warn you of so of the obstacles you will face on your journey to the Tower of Wintertide. It seems that the fae are upset about rampaging goats in their lands and have asked for the aid of anyone who wishes to pass through the Glade Lands. You will need to ta the Wild Gruffs and take them with you because the Scorn Giants of Bitter Tooth pass have filled the only path with Prickle Death Vines...."