“That’s odd. I mean, the simple fact that we’d be buying a building should grant residence. Did they put this in recently?” Felix asked, leaning forward.
“Yes sir, almost as soon as they realized that we were buying in. As for solving it, we simply bought existing businesses that have had a long history of ownership and residence. It’s enough of a loophole that they can’t reasonably close it without us being able to get litigious,” Jim said.
“In other words, we could hit them with a lawsuit saying they’re discriminating against us directly. Good. Next?”
“They’re having teams of surveyors and engineers going through the entire grounds and fining us for everything they can think of. We’re just paying the fine and having the work completed as quickly as possible,” Jim said.
“Well, that’s a good short-term solution, but I feel like it invites problems down the road,” Felix said. “How do we get them to stop it in the future?”
“I’m working that one, Felix,” Lily said. “I’ve demanded that they show me the protocol for this amount of scrutiny. I’ve also requested all the documentation around it to show me where it’s been utilized on other companies. It’s likely that it’ll take a week or two, but we should see it lessen.”
“Great. Next?” Felix asked.
“Uhm. Yes, next. Next we have the guild itself. They’re trying to push a law through that will grant them the ability to inspect the facilities at any time so long as they have probable cause. Unfortunately, we’re fairly certain that they’ll use it more as a way to disrupt operations,” Jim said. “We’re pushing the details of the law out to the press. Through a leak of course.”
Felix nodded his head at that.
That’ll get the entire country up and moving about in a butt-hurt sort of way.
“Alright. So far everything you’re describing doesn’t seem like issues to me. What’s preventing us from launching the campus tomorrow?” Felix asked directly.
“Ah… yes… that is…” Jim said. After his pause went on for a second longer his eyes latched onto Lily, as if seeking rescue.
The soul-drinking lawyer looked at Felix.
“There really isn’t a problem. The real issue is that the company we used to leverage the purchase and the mortgage is dragging their feet. They’re waiting for the very last minute of each deadline to process it. All within legal limits but… it costs us. The delays are starting to mount and we’re probably behind schedule by a week already.”
Felix shook his head and then pointed at the two analysts. “Turn on the lights, and please exit the room. Thank you for your time. It was a good presentation, I’m afraid I’m just not the right audience for it today.”
That shook up everyone in the room.
Even Andrea put her pad away and stopped fooling around.
When the door closed, Felix folded his hands on his desk.
“Do we know who the processor is for the purchase?” Felix asked. “The actual person, not the company.”
“Yes, of course,” Lily said.
“And the mortgage, too?”
“Yes.”
“Great. Miu?”
“Yes?” asked the security guard turned assassin.
“Slip in, and have a discussion with them both. Take one of the Fixers with you. See what the hold up is. If it’s them, kill them. If it’s their bosses, kill their bosses. Accidents only. Have the Fixer pop a blood vessel in their head, get creative, don’t be repetitive. I hear accidents are going around these days,” Felix said in a deadpan voice.
Fixers were a recent creation of his and part of the HR team.
Where Telemedics were there to help people and get them away, the HR Fixer was there to fix memories. Or simply end people with a minor expulsion of telekinetic energy. Fixing a situation either way.
“Ah…” Miu said softly.
“If you do it perfectly, I’ll let you drop the control for a few hours in a public setting and I’ll even take responsibility for it,” Felix promised.
Carrot goes so much further. Even with the crazies.
Kit squirmed in her chair, and Miu sat up straighter, her eyes fixating on him.
“I’ll make sure it goes off perfectly,” she promised, a hint of zealotry in her tone.
Eva wouldn’t much care for this… and to think she won’t get it out of someone’s head is infantile.
“Kit… if Miu ends up taking care of this problem, let’s see if we can’t make sure their families are taken care of. Actually, Miu, amend that order a bit. See if they’re willing to be bought. Offer them jobs, bribes, whatever,” Felix said uncomfortably.
“I’ll make sure that a death is the last possible action,” Miu promised.
“Thanks,” Felix said, shaking his head. “Anyone else being a problem?”
“The education board doesn’t much care for our presentations. Any school we’ve visited has gotten us a twenty to fifty percent attendance to application,” Kit said. “Give it two years in our system and you’ll have triple the workforce today.”
“Goodie. A bunch of kids who grew up without knowing what the world was like before the Internet all working for me,” Felix grumped, feeling like an old man. “Whatever. Can’t fault them for being born, but can we at least do some head-scans to make sure we’re only getting people we actually want?”
Kit laughed and gave her head a shake. “I assumed you’d be that way. We’re already doing it. Of the applicants we’ve received, only about seventy percent are being admitted.”
“Though I did force them to admit a few spies. I’d like to keep track of them,” Lily said.
“Oh? Good. Get a Fixer assigned to each one as a counselor. Any shape shifters in the lot? Or more specifically, any non-minors?” Felix asked.
“One or two,” Lily admitted.
“Have the Fixers take their memories after they sign on, ship ’em to Skippercity. They can join the main workforce and vanish. That agreement was designed for minors,” Felix said dismissively. “Anything else?” he asked.
Andrea leaned over next to him, practically pressing her mouth into his ear. “You promised to upgrade Felicia and Ioana a few times already,” she whispered loudly in the way only she could.
“Felicia and Ioana… yeah, that’s a good point. I’ll set up some time with them later and take care of it. Ioana will just want something combat related I’m sure. Felicia… I have no idea. What do you give to a woman who can make whatever she wants?”
“The ability to make more things!” Andrea said, lifting her arms above her head. “And I’ll book your meetings for you. It’s my job.”
Not… a bad idea.
“If there isn’t anything else then, I’ll cut this one to a close and we can go about our business. That business being, how do we get inside of that damn guild and find out why they want Kit so bad,” Felix said.
“Can you make Miu stop killing my Others?” Andrea asked. “It’s not that big a deal since I don’t have to absorb their memories anymore, but the constant change of clothes and cleaning up the mess is getting tiring.”
Uh… what?
Felix looked to Miu who started to tremble slightly, her lips twitching in what looked like it might be a smile.
“It doesn’t harm her. I asked her many questions to make sure. So long as it isn’t Prime, it does her no harm at all. I asked,” Miu said, staring back at him. She nodded her head as she spoke, her control clearly starting to slip little by little.
Andrea nodded her head, then frowned, looking at Miu. “Why do you keep killing me by the way? I never asked.”
Miu’s grin tightened up and it was clear she was fighting herself.
“Nevermind, Andrea, I doubt you’d understand it,” Felix said shaking his head. “Even I barely do.”
Felix felt a headache growing. He felt like calling it Miu, but he wasn’t sure it was entirely her fault.