Chapter 40: A New Hope

"Why is it you're going in to work early today?" Nikki asked as Ethan drove.

He responded "They've called a general IT Staff meeting to discuss some important changes. With the recent significant downturn in the economy, I expect there to be significant budget cut discussions. Maybe we'll have to start rationing air to save money."

"How would that even work?"

Ethan thought for a second. "I would imagine that we'd be issued diving gear and allocated an air tank every certain number of hours."

"Ah but everyone knows you can't wear air tanks before Labor Day. You'd be committing like one of the ultimate fashion faux pas."

Ethan nodded. "I know, but you know how things go, they don't consider those sorts of concerns. Well we're almost there, I'm going to need you to stay out of trouble while I'm at the meeting. You think you can find something to do?"

Nikki smirked. "I think I'll manage."

Ethan parked the car near one of the campus buildings and hurried in to catch the beginning of the meeting. People were still getting drinks and cookies from the back table when the CIO stepped out in front. "Welcome everyone, please grab what you need from the back and have a seat."

No sooner did he finish saying that, one of the guys that works in networking walked back and pulled the table cloth out from underneath all the snacks and stuff it in his jacket. Another guy pulled the blinds off the wall and piled them on top of his briefcase. At least another two people picked up a chair and walked out with them. Ethan commented to the person next to him "Times really are getting tough, aren't they?"

After the room had settled down once again, the CIO continued. "As you know, we've been targeted by budget cut after budget cut from the state government because apparently they've caught wind of our no learning policy. We looked at the possibility of cutting some jobs but we're really interested in keeping as much of our staff as we can. As a result, we in the leadership committee decided alternative sources of income would be preferable. We've decided the best course of action would be a merger with another company that is still seeing profits and development opportunities even in these oppresive times."

He took a moment to let things sink in before continuing. "Effective immediately, we'll be merging with a company called the Galactic Empire and providing IT installation and support on their flagship project, the PBU Initiative. Here to tell you more is the director from GE in charge of the PBU Initiative, Dr. Vader." The CIO walked over to a boom box by the door and hit play before opening the double doors.

Ominous march music eminated from the boombox as the room was filled with people in white plastic suits of armor with funny looking helmets. Then a man dressed in an all black business suit entered the room. He too is wearing a funny helmet, but also has a pair of glasses on over top the helmet.

"Krzzt, Thank you krzzt. We're attempting to build a krzzt sattelite shaped like a giant eyeball. Initial designs krzzt included it having the ability to blink and the pupil would dilate in krzzt the dark, but some of those really neat features krzzt had to be scrapped due to a budgeting snafu. This sattelitte, called the Planet Blower Upper krzzt would bring peace and harmony to the galaxy and certainly not involve krzzt anything sinister or evil. Thanks Mr. CIO for giving me the opportunity to krzzt speak to all the new members of the team, which is what we all are, krzzt one big team. Remember my door is always open and the chances I'll krzzt strangle you to death with my mind are minimal at best krzzt."

The CIO steps back up to the front. "Thank you for your presentation Dr. Vader, we have such hopes that this merger and the PBU Initiative will be a sucess. That reminds me of another policy change effective immediately, my title will be changing from Chief Information Officier to the Emperor." He then pulled a hood up over his head concealing a good portion of his face. "Two more things on the agenda, heh.. heh.. heh, each of you should take a standard issue energy saber from the buckets near the door. Heh.. heh.. heh, and concerning the meeting with library leadership later today, heh.. heh.. heh. Strike them down ..... All of them ...... heh.. heh.. heh. "

The emperor then started to shoot lightening from his fingers at one of the hourly employees in the front row. The meeting dispersed, leaving just Ethan, the Emperor, a charred hourly employee and a couple of other stragglers. Ethan walked up to the Emperor and asked "How did you shoot the lightning?"

He responded "Static electricity I've been building up for weeks heh.. heh.. heh. You show much promise in you Ethan, heh.. heh.. heh.. strike down an hourly employee and take your rightful place at my side as my new apprentice."

Ethan smiled. "I may just do that, but maybe later. I've got to get over to the lab to start my shift."

The emperor laughed. "Heh.. heh.. heh.. I can sense the IT flowing through you is strong, remember my offer.. heh heh heh. Now go and do my bidding."

Ethan left the meeting room to head off to the lab. On the way Nikki caught up. "How did your meeting go?"

"It was alright. They were giving out these things as door prizes, some sort of energy saber. But would you believe it? One of the more uneventful staff meetings this year."

Chapter 39: Home Life

As Ethan and Nikki returned from work, they were greeted by Jade at the door. "Hey you two, I finally figured out where I've seen that big orange cat before."

Nikki asked "You mean the one that has been hanging around inside our house for the last couple months?"

Jade nodded. "Yes that one. Why are there other orange cats in the house? I'm pretty sure its just the one, because from what I've observed, he doesn't move very fast or hardly at all come to think of it."

Nikki shrugged. "I'm just making sure we're all on the same page."

Ethan asked "What orange cat?"

Nikki laughed. "OK well maybe Ethan's in a completely different book, let alone the same page."

"I'm in a book? Did I get something published without my knowledge?"

Jade continued "Anyways I was thinking really hard about it and I've seen that orange cat before back at your parents house mostly face down in the cat food bowl. That was why I had trouble recognizing him up until now. I'm kind of surprised that neither of you had recognized him if he belongs to someone in your family."

Nikki scratched her head. "Now that you mention it, he does look a lot like, Garf the family cat. But what is he doing out here?"

Jade thought about it for a moment. "As near as I can tell, we first started having Garf sightings as soon as we got back from the last family holiday at your parents house. Maybe he climbed into the truck and rode back without us knowing."

"We packed that truck pretty tight, I'm sure we would have found him if he was in there" Nikki added.

Ethan joined the conversation finally. "He could have hid in one of the secret compartments I had installed back when I was into international smuggling and espionage. No body ever checks the secret compartments."

Jade's eyes suddenly got very wide. Nikki asked "What's wrong?"

Jade pointed at the glass door behind Nikki and Ethan where there was a semi-curly hair man with a puppy dog look on his face staring intently through the glass. "Who is that and why are they staring through the glass like that?"

Ethan and Nikki both said "Oh crap, I forgot" at the same time.

Jade groaned. "OK one at a time guys, you, explain" she said as she pointed at Ethan.

"That's Jim. He's agreed to move into the empty room at the end of the hall and pay us some rent. He's a nice guy, friendly, easily spooked though. He's not been the same since the war." Nikki nodded as Ethan explained.

Jade looked at them suspiciously. "There's no way he's old enough to have been in any wars, past or present."

"Shh he might here you." Nikki said whispered. "So can we keep him?"

"Tenants are a big responsibility. Do you think you can handle it? You have to feed them every day and take care of them or they curl up in the corner and die. I'm not going to clean up your mess for you if you get bored with him. We're going to take him to a field and let him go if that happens, so promise me you're going to be responsible, both of you."

Nikki and Ethan nodded at each other. "We promise!"

Jade sighed. "Alright, you can let him in, but he better not make a mess on the carpet."

Ethan and Nikki turn and give each other a high five before letting Jim in. "It's about time someone opened the door for me. I've been standing out here forever. Now which way to the room I'll be staying in?"

Jade points down the hall. "Go through the kitchen, last door on the left." Nikki and Ethan follow him excitedly into the other room discussing who gets to brush his hair first. Shaking her head, she comments to herself "Those kids, let me tell you."

A moment later, she becomes aware of Garf who has wandered into the room and has sat about a foot away from her leg. He sits there quietly looking up at her with a straight emotionless face.
Finally after a few minutes of staring back and forth, Jade speaks up. "What?"

Garf stares back another minute before coughing up a hairball on her shoe. Only then does he turn slowly and walk away.