CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE: ACCELERATION

Wherein Debbie hits a homerun, hackers strike and a back story is shared!

 

 

 

 

 

"Amit Rueben?" The question was asked with mock respect.

The rejoinder was equally flip. "Hunter Downe? Could you be more obvious?"

The two men shook hands, then sat down, the greenish glow of multiple gaming monitors their only ambient, lighting giving each man an eerie, washed-out cast to their features. Muted chatter in Chinese echoed in the back of the cybercafe, interrupted by laser blasts and exclamations of triumph or despair.

"You take me to the nicest places," the Israeli noted. He was known to possess one of the driest wits in the entire organisation and Downe chuckled in turn.

"Maxwell's is my associate's favourite haunt. He'll be here soon. Sorry to drag you out of SciTech. Coke?"

The Israeli nodded and Downe left and returned with two cold cans. Finally, the taller bald man replied.

"Not a problem. Happy to get out in the field once in a while. And the data connection is relevant."

The two men knew it was an understatement. Reuben was Selectaorp's Big Data savant.

"From what I've gleaned from Eckstein, it's a beautiful data play-once the whole thing is up and running. You've made decent inroads-"

"Decent inroads? I almost have-"

The older Israel cut him off with firm assurance. "Almost? Looks to me like we still have some big real estate to sort-starting with my new patch, Marketing."

Downe saluted. "All hail the new CMO! Yes, yes-I know. But as always, I have a-"

"-cunning plan. Of course you do. Well, what is it?"

At that moment, the black hoodied character approached. Taking a seat with the two, his face remained obscured by both the gloominess of Maxwell's and the oversized hoody.

"Exe, this is a-"

"No need for names. What can I do for you, Boss Man?"

Downe explained in succinct details and expectations. Ten minutes later, with the Israeli merely listening with increasing respect, the discussion was concluded with some taps on Downe's phone. Bitcoin had been transferred, with more to follow at the conclusion of the task discussed.

"This has to be in the operations area." The hacker known as Exe slid a phone to Downe, though the Israeli intercepted it.

"What's this? Such a colour!"

"Chartreuse. An Apple iPhone 20. It's been... adapted and painted."

"Adapted?" Amit was inspecting the phone now.

Downe nodded and Exe answered. "A wifi keylogger. It's on all the time-even when it seems like it's been powered off. Keys to the kingdom."

Amit nodded, handing Downe the phone. After the hacker had departed, Amit swallowed the last of his coke.

"Well, credit where credit is due. That should take care of Marketing," Amit begrudgingly conceded.

"Do you want to keep either one of them?" Downe asked, all business.

The new Chief Marketing Officer of Artemis Solution Systems considered. "Since the President has asked, I wouldn't mind keeping the social media girl. I may have a use for her, despite her unfortunate leanings."

"Oh, she can always be reconditioned," Down insisted. "That's not a problem."

Amit shook his head. "Not that kind of use. As for her leanings, yes, once the dust settles... yes."

 

 

 

 

 

Cynthia Fitzgerald cleared her throat- again. The Sales Director tapped her Guccis impatiently. Finally the blonde put the phone down and looked up at her in annoyance.

"Yes? What can I do for you?"

Cynthia didn't like her tone, not one bit, but pressed on, ignoring it.

"I want to know when Hunter will have time to see. I've left several messages since the reorganisation and heard nothing! How am I supposed to know how to proceed if my new boss can't find a spare minute for the DIRECTOR OF SALES?"

Debbie Jones had a barely repressed scowl on her blandly pretty face. "I have passed on all your messages. Mr. Downe is EXTREMELY busy but I'm sure he'll get back to you when-"

"Look... Debbie..." Cynthia squeezed out every drop of disdain she could gather and continued. "When I need to see your boss, it is YOUR job to see the meeting takes place- capiche?"

Instead of the respectful walk back she expected, Debbie Jones's smile was a deliberate smirk.

"And what I'm saying Cynthia is that when YOUR boss wants to see you, I'll let you know! Understand?"

Cynthia Fitzgerald's tapping Guccis were a drumbeat now.

"Now listen to me...Debbie. I'm a senior executive. When you speak to me, I expect the respect my position deserves. Do YOU understand...Debbie?"

The supercilious little blonde's gaze wavered. "Yes, Ms. Fitzgerald."

Cynthia shook her head. "I doubt Hunter would be impressed, but I'll let it go. Oh my-is that new?" She pointed down at the secretary's midriff, bare below her form-fitting white top.

The secretary's eyes clouded, any confidence shredded.

"I asked you a question, Debbie-did you hear me?"

"Yes, Ms. Fitzgerald, it's new," she responded in a suitable subdued tone.

"What is it, Debbie?"

The secretary sighed and looked down at the newly acquired belly ring. "It's a Playboy Bunny, Ms. Fitzgerald."

"Oh! Well then!" Cynthia's snark was intended to wound and she was pleased when the arrow sunk deep. "Very subtle, Debbie. Very classy. Did you get this before you got your MBA-or afterward?" She pointed at the framed degree behind the blonde.

"Never mind. Say, weren't you originally in our Management Trainee Program? It doesn't matter-as long as you've found the right fit. I'm sure you're the right fit for your boss, aren't you sweetie?"

Turning without waiting for the secretary to respond, she issued a final warning as she left the newly appointed President's office.

"Have him call me, Debbie- ASAP!"

 

 

 

 

 

"Please, Ms. Tremont- Mr. Downe will see you now!"

Stephanie nodded, rising from the visitor's chair outside Downe's office. It was dizzying to think she might well be walking into her own her dismissal meeting. Days ago, she'd been Jennifer's Page's de facto successor at a high-profile next-gen tech company on the verge of an IPO. Now she felt like she was about to be cast into a volcano as a corporate sacrifice by a Johnny come lately more than ten years her junior.

Story of my life, she thought. My timing's always off!

She thanked the secretary. Debbie seemed efficient enough, if a bit obvious. Had Hunter restrained from indulging himself with such a teasingly presented office tart?

Of course not. With feminine intuition, she knew damn well the new president was doing whatever the hell he wanted to with his secretary. Irony was in full bloom at Artemis these days, Stephanie realised with a delayed shock.

"Stephanie-so good to see you! Would you like a coffee? Debbie's quite the barista these days!" Hunter offered breezily.

"No. We should...get down to it," she replied, taking a seat. "Do you intend to move over to the Main Campus? And, congratulations, of course."

Downe nodded, accepted the congratulations with clear-eyed respect. "No- best to leave the Queen Bee her own hive! Sorry for the way this all happened. It isn't the way I'd have handled it."

That caught Stephanie off guard, but in a good way. "I'm an old hand. I know how these things go down sometimes. And there's no hard feelings, Hunter. It is what it is."

The dismay on the new president's face was also unexpected. "Stephanie, I hope you aren't thinking about leaving Artemis!"

"Of course, I am. I'm sure you'll want a COO of your own choosing. Obviously, Jennifer's made her call-really, there's no need-"

"Well, I'd like you to stay on. In fact, I was hoping you'd take on the leadership of a major initiative I had in mind. Look, I like you and Allison hold you in very high esteem."

This was not at all going where she had thought it would. "Uh, well-how's she doing?"

"Just made CEO at Prime Mover. I knew it would happen," Downe nodded sagely.

"A shame-you two seemed quite the couple!"

Hunter shrugged. "That's life in the big city! In any case, please tell me you'll stay on."

Now Stephanie leaned in. "What is it that you have in mind for me?"

"A bank! I want my own!" He laughed. "Well, more specifically, a credit union for our employees. I think our payroll more than makes the business case."

Stephanie considered. "You're doing this because..."

Hunter toyed with his gold pen. "Many reasons. To support our staff. To help finance some construction I want to do. To collateralise our cash reserves to add volume to the IPO... what do you say?"

Stephanie nodded. Of course, she'd agree. It would be a big project-the regulatory requirements and chartering process would be staggering-but right in her corporate wheelhouse. It would at least give her a breathing space and if she chose to leave, do so on her own terms.

"I'll do it!"

"Excellent!"

"But with one proviso! I think I'll need access to you to cover off on how it all goes," she added.

Hunter nodded. "And vice versa, Steph! Just what I was thinking," he assured her.

 

 

 

 

 

"Hey-I'm home!" For the first time in a few days, Jayme Keller felt her spirits lighten and she smiled unconsciously.

"Wow! What's that!" Lesley, still in her de rigeur workout togs, lifted the bottle off the counter. Like the entire condominium, the marble top was white. In one corner of the large open planned space that incorporated the studio, the work-out space, the living room and the kitchen. On the far wall, a digital sign reported "OFF THE AIR". Their place served as both a home and studio for her high profile partner who now made her money as an online personality.

"Grenadine Sparkling? Never heard of it. What are we celebrating?" her buff blonde girlfriend asked, popping the cork and already pouring two glasses.

"Hey-can't you--- from my new boss, Amit. Sort of a peace offering-hey, give me that!" Jayme squeaked, finally joining her girlfriend as she sipped down the fizzy drink.

"Not bad!" Lesley declared. "It's... limey sort of!"

Jayme nodded. It had a very appealing citrus aftertaste. She had been relieved after the chat that had produced the bottle. The new CMO had assured her he was a big fan and hoped they could continue to work together as well as she and Allision Riordan had. She'd agreed to try and back in her office, she'd felt a huge weight that had burdened her since the Management Meeting suddenly take flight like some balloon.

"So you're good with the new boss? That must be a relief!" Lesley smiled.

To us both, Jayme knew, nodding back in response They'd been together for about a year and while Lesley's internet brand influencer career had taken off, the place still required two incomes. It was funny-at first, Jayme had been the main breadwinner, if still the more submissive in the relationship. She'd ponied up the deposit for this place, though Lesley had promised to pay the monthly mortgage. She'd been skeptical but Lesley was now by earning far more than herself.

Typical. Lesley had the confidence she'd always lacked. It had been Lesley who'd approached her at a meeting of the Zenith Social Media Club for some advice and Lesley who'd planted the first kiss on her. Lesley had made it clear she wanted a monogamous relationship with her and been the one who guided her through increasingly exciting taboos. Jayme had always been a reluctant and not entirely committed lesbian, while Lesley, three years older and far more self-identified, was more than an out of the closet lesbian-she was the Dykon. Her online persona had grown out of being a personal trainer to some Hollywood lesbian talent. From there, the Dykon had become an increasingly popular lesbian advocate and brand influencer, shamelessly comparing herself to far bigger internet voices while utterly owning the online lesbian space. Between her online subscriber base, advertising and sponsorship and merchandise, Lesley Dibble AKA the Dykon was on her way to making a small fortune.

"Some more?"

Jayme was surprised her glass was empty. "Oh, yeah please!'

Lesley obliged. She was on her second glass as well. The lime is so nice.

"Where'd you get this?" Lesley was holding up her new phone.

"Just a new company phone." Blair Santos has brought it around, then helped her swap out the sim card. New corporate carrier, she'd explained, a company called TeleCorp. Better next-gen phones were part of the deal, evidently.

"Nice- cool colour too! Now I want one!"

Of course you do, Jayme winced. Lesley was a force of nature, always picking up on anything Jayme said or did, and then, if she approved, it would become part of the Dykon's brand. It had all been exciting at first, as had the intensity of the intimacy. That was before Lesley had gotten big. Now more often than not, Jayme was alone in their bed while Lesley was being adored by her online worshippers.

Lesbian bed death. She'd never been in a relationship deep enough to be worried about. Now it hung like a pall between the two of them.

"Going back online soon? You want dinner?" Jayme asked, banishing the dark clouds.

"You know, maybe..." her girlfriend began, then stopped. Lesley had finished- her third glass already? Her fierce blue eyes were locked on her now and Jayme felt a familiar warm building within. She sipped the remainder of her own glass, watching Lesley tap a keyboard in her studio set up.

"Steinem, go to be back in twenty-no, an hour," Lesley ordered the household digital assistant.

ACKNOWLEDGED!, a voice through the speakers confirmed. On the white wall, the digital sign now read "BACK IN AN HOUR!"

"How about you and me get reacquainted, babe?" Lesley was gesturing Jayme to follow her into the bedroom and, heart skipping fast, she followed.