The Page of Swords

"... And so we are pleased to admit Mr Stevenson as the latest partner of Raffridge Engineering. Give him a round of applause!" the old bitch announces to the packed meeting room. I roll my eyes and clap my hands with a complete lack of enthusiasm. Wonder Boy stands up from his seat and gives everyone a gracious bow coupled with a shy smile. I quick glance to my left tells me that Anna is busy blushing and fanning herself with a file while ogling Wonder Boy.

It doesn't take a genius to work out what she's thinking of at the moment. 'Ooh, do me now, Wonder Boy.' Something like that. And my money is on the other female staffers thinking the exact same thing at this moment.

Yes, I am bitter and jealous. What about it? Anyone would be too in my position.

"Anna, I need the updated status reports before you leave the office today." I whisper. Anna's face turns as sour as a lemon and she quickly makes excuses.

"Uh, its my birthday today and we were planning on going for a party." Anna protests. I internally snicker to myself. Yeah, I know. That's why I'm asking you for the status reports.

"Before you leave." I repeat as I give Wonder Boy a friendly salute from my place. Its mean and petty, but I feel better already. Wonder Boy graces me with a friendly smile and salutes back.

My mood sinks again and I lean back in my seat as the bitch starts talking about the big project that's going to take this company to the top. That's an understatement at the very least. What most of the staffers don't know is that the company stands on the threshold of going out of business. Everything looks hunky dorky now, but the company running out of cash. By my estimate, we can hold out for around six months at our current level of operational spending. Anything more than that, and things are going to get really uncomfortable for everyone.

So this meeting is less about Wonder Boy being promoted to partner and more about the old bitch appointing a newly minted hero to save her ailing kingdom. Like those novels you can read online. Except that instead of throwing down against a demon king, Wonder Boy is going to do battle against Insolvency, the eternal enemy of any company.

I roll my eyes again as Wonder Boy is announced as the leading manager for that new project. The old bitch probably caught me in the act and shoots me warning glare. Oh alright, maybe I'm not being particular fair here. The bitch is not old. She's also hot. But she's still a bitch. Inherited the company from her family after the old man retired to go senile in peace. Or so I heard. Its not as if I'm particularly close to the circles of power.

I allow my eyes to glaze over with boredom and retreat back into the sanctuary of my own mind. How did I manage to sink so low?

If the staffers around me knew what I was thinking, they would be surprised. Say what you like, I am a manager in this company. Not a particularly important one, but I do have an office of my own and I do preside over a section of the cubicle farm. But in reality my position is incredibly precarious.

I'm an employee that had embarked on the management track, just like Wonder Boy. In fact, we joined the firm at roughly the same time as well. The difference between us is Wonder Boy had been earmarked by the executives for grooming, while I languished in administration. Things didn't seem so bad at first, our paychecks rose at the same rate and the benefits we each received were fairly similar. But soon the differences became apparent. Wonder Boy got the good assignments while I kept slaving away in the bowels of the firm. He got the opportunities to make industry contacts while the old bitch kept insisting that I show up at the office everyday.

And now Wonder Boy is made the firm's savior while I'm staring at doom in the face.

"I'm sure if we all work together, this project will be a success!" Wonder Boy declares with a beaming face, interrupting my train of thought.

Come off it. The bids haven't been finalized yet. Though we are very close to winning it. So I guess the season of Wonder Boy will continue. As the meeting wraps up, I trudge despondently back to my office.

....

Doom. A single word. Yet it means so much. Its even more scary when you know that doom is coming, breathing down your neck. You want to look away, but you can't.

And doom is coming for me. Surely, like the rising of the sun, doom comes for me.

The old bitch has begun a thorough review of my performance. My friends in HR told me about it. Bitch has not found anything yet, but its only a matter of time before a mistake I committed in my work turns up. I've been working at this place for too long, fuck ups are inevitable. HR can only provide me with temporary cover as well. Once my protection wears off, the song and dance will begin.

Bad performance reviews. The steady reduction of benefits. Then the kind offer to peacefully leave the firm in return for a favorable reference. If I resist, I could probably keep the wheels spinning for some time, but eventually I would be 'right-sized' as HR would put in.

Then where would I go? I have work experience that is common. I don't know any industry players. I could take a lower position in another company, but that would be advertising my failure to the world. My current pay makes me an unattractive hire.

My career would hit a dead end. Few options. Poor prospects.

I would be nothing.

A knock on my door rouses me from my ruminations. I grunt out an acknowledgement and the door opens, revealing my visitor to be Wonder Boy, with Anna standing timidly behind him.

Wonder Boy smiles apologetically, "Sorry to intrude."

I waive at him to get on with what he wants to say.

"Well, we're going to have a party for Anna tonight. Its her birthday you know?" Wonder Boy gently asks, "Could you, just give her a bit of time off? The paperwork can wait."

I smile blandly as rage begins to fill my mind. No prospects. No respect. No future. I can't stand it. I won't stand for it.

"Sure." I reply and go back to surfing the internet on my PC.

Wonder Boy looks slightly taken aback by my easy agreement before he responds, "Uh, you're welcome to join us as well?"

"Nah. I've got stuff to do." I say offhandedly, "You guys have fun for me."

Wonder Boy gives me a thumbs up and leaves, with Anna hopping happily behind him like a rabbit.

....

I am the Lord of Administration, my loyal subjects the pens, papers and files. There is nothing within the boundary of this realm that is beyond my sight.

Including the tender documents that this firm's future hinges upon.

The photocopies nestle snugly against my coat with their conspiratorial warmth. I am literally holding the fate of my co-workers in my hands. The bidding for the project is not closed yet, and I hold the keys to the proverbial kingdom.

All mine to sell, to secure my future. With the tender documents, I could easily advise one of our competitors on how to win the bid. That information is at the very least worth a managerial position.

Maybe even partnership.

I quickly lock up the office. Everyone else had already left to attend Anna's party, leaving me to my own devices. My spirits are high, but cold sweat runs down my back. The fear of discovery. The possibility of retribution. These things weigh down upon my mind.

A treacherous thought comes to me. Perhaps I should just shred the documents when I get back home. Resign from the firm quickly and quietly. Look for new opportunities in an unrelated field. Get a fresh start. It would be difficult sure, but not impossible. And certainly preferable to watching my back all the time or living with the guilt of ruining someone else.

My head feels like its about to split open. I need a drink. Preferably several.

....

"Transmigrator, wake up." The Voice rasps, rousing me from my doze.

I wipe the drool off my face with the sleeve of the sex offender trench coat. Damn, I had fallen asleep in the black cab while The Voice was taking me to the mission site. And I had an unwelcome dream about the past added in the bargain. I rub my eyes and try to focus, but the dream remains fresh in my mind.

Before I was abducted by The Voice, I had been standing at a junction of my life. A divergence point one would say. I was split as to how to move forwards, and my cowardice was what allowed The Voice to snatch me. I wanted to deal with my problems by running away, even though the solution was within my grasp. And look where it got me.

I complained to The Voice about not having power in this world, when I wielded true power in my own. I just did not have the spine to use it. But I have grown in my time here. While I will never admit it to The Voice, I have learnt much from it. The proper way of living. The courage to take what I want.

A wise man once said, it is better to wrong the world, than to allow a single wrong to be inflicted on yourself. At least I think that's what he said, I never really studied history. But the point is, that man was a winner. That was the philosophy of a winner.

"I'm ready." I answer The Voice.