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The next morning Rick was headed into the conference room when he was stopped by Tim. “Good morning Sir, I have some good news. Your office is finished.”
“Good. I’m tired of working out of that huge conference room.” Rick’s imagination was going into overdrive. He was wondering how Paula managed to achieve the directive. Conservative but extravagant.
Rick walked into his office followed by Tim. He was surprised that the office did in fact look conservative. A simple desk made from wood. Behind the desk was a leather chair that was overstuffed and looked like it would be comfortable. Off to his left was a low cabinet also made from wood and it almost matched the color of the desk. In the corner was a potted plant on a stand and across the room was a print of a family having a feast.
Rick went and sat behind the desk. The chair felt perfect and that seemed odd. It seemed like the chair was made for him. In front of him was a pen set that was for signing documents. “Where is the computer?”
“Oh, that is part of the desk. Let me show you.” Tim came around the desk and stood behind Rick. He pressed a spot on the desk off to Rick’s right. Five bright dots appeared. “Put your fingertips on those dots.”
Rick did as he was instructed, and a lighted keyboard appeared in front of him and a monitor came up out of the desk. The room had almost a Spartan feel to it. “Well, she got the conservative part right.”
Tim laughed. It was the kind of laugh used when someone didn’t get the joke.
Rick felt like he was being made fun of and didn’t like it. “What?” he said in a tone of displeasure.
“No,” said Tim. Seeing Rick’s mood he stopped laughing. “She got the extravagant part right as well. That desk you are sitting in belonged to the first CEO of the Wilson Corporation, Jeb Wilson.
Rick jumped out of his seat and backed away from the desk. “Shouldn’t that be in a museum?”
“Yes, it should but a private collector was willing to sell it to you.”
“Do I want to know for how much?”
“Judging by your reaction, no you really don’t. This print on the wall is a Norman Rockwell original from old earth. Only one of three that are known to still exist.”
“Wow,” Rick could think of anything else to say.
“That cabinet belong to one of the President of the United States. Because of him the spacing corporations were allowed to be formed.”
Rick didn’t know what to say, or even if he should touch any of the priceless objects in the room.
Tim continued. “In the corner you have the last Bonsai Tree brought up before the quarantine of earth.”
Rick gulped, “That would mean that it is over three hundred years old. Oh great, I don’t know how to take care of plants. It will be dead in a month.”
Tim let his head hang to his chest. Rick didn’t know if it was because of laughter or disgust. He raised his head with a smile and said, “Sir, you have people to do that for you now.”
Rick remembered something Tim once said when he really didn’t understand. ‘No, he doesn’t and that’s part of his charm.’ “So, I guess I’m being charming?”
There was a quizzical look on Tim’s face, and it took him a moment to understand the comment. Once he did Tim smiled and said, “Yes you are.”
“Do you truly expect me to use this office? I feel like I should be wearing white gloves.”
“Yes,” said Tim. “I truly expect you to use this office when you are here. We have people to come in and take care of and preserve these artifacts. So don’t worry about it. It’s all about image.”
“But there has got to be over twenty million credits in these artifacts.”
“More like five hundred million.” Rick started to object but Tim stopped him. “Rick! Let me tell you about image. It is what people see; it is not reality.”
“What do you mean by that?” The thought of Benson’s question hit him, ‘dragging him kicking and screaming all the way’.
“Okay, I will explain this in the simplest way I can. If a simple man looks at your office, he will see a simple office. He would admire you for that simple office.”
“That sounds good.”
“Now a person with more refined tastes will pick up on some of the fineries in the room and will admire a director that has a simple office with a few indulgences. The Directors will see the room for what it is. They will hate you or admire you for it.”
“While I’m not concerned about what people think about me, I don’t want people to hate me because of what I have.”
“They are not people. They are Directors. I need you to understand this. Directors are enemies or allies, there is ‘no’ in between. And the Directors that are allies are as fluid as water. I wanted to give you the education you needed, but the CEO made it clear to me to keep you out of the politics.”
“Yeah, he told me that too. But don’t I have to vote or something?”
Tim looked like a man that was withholding something. “How do I say this?”
“Tim, spit it out. Give it to me straight.”
“The CEO is going to take your vote. The plan is to tell your double what to say.” Tim paused looking for a reaction. When he got none he continued. “Please understand that it will take a lot of education for you to make informed decisions. That is time that would pull you away from the job you need to do.”
While Tim was speaking, Rick was thinking about the Board and games they played. He really didn’t want to get involved with the moves and counter moves of politics. “Okay, Tim. I got it. I am grateful for what is being done on my behalf. And you are right, I do have my own job to do. So back to the office.”
“Do you like your new office?” said Tim.
“It is exactly what I asked for. Keep it. I won’t be using it much anyway. However, just to give me peace of mind, any meetings will be held in the conference room.”
“Yes Sir.”
“Speaking of meetings when is Bannic going to be here?”
“He should be here in a half an hour.”
“Good I’m going to get used to my new office. Come and get me when he arrives.”
“Yes Sir.” Tim left Rick in a room with priceless artifacts.
Rick was looking at the Norman Rockwell print. It was strange. He said that he didn’t want people to hate him for what he had. Yet he used to be one of those people. He hated the rich for what they had. Maybe that was why as Benson put it, he was being dragged into a life of luxury. He didn’t want to be one of the people that he hated.
He needed to take a different perspective. He was put into this life of luxury not for comfort, but to save lives. Rick had to look at it like a mask, so that he had the power and authority to do what needed to be done. Somehow he felt better about the whole situation. He went to sit behind his desk and turned on the computer. Pulling up the Bannic files he wanted to see if he could trace Collier’s movements. In truth he was just killing time until Bannic showed up.