Tinker's Toy
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by: Anomaly
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Word Count: 6961
The Tinker's Toy
Ward C. Tipton
Tink Lochs started working for the trade federation right out of college. He started out as a legal assistant in the legal department for litigation and complaints. His job was to review litigation and complaints against the trade federation by the sponsoring corporations and the colonists. He would then annotate them with any and all of the proper and relevant laws, by-laws, rules, regulations and requirements and forward them to the proper legal department for adjudication. Six years later, here he was, performing the same mundane and routine tasks on a daily basis.
Unlike many people who get lost in a single cubicle among thousands of others just like it and seemingly forgotten as long as they continue to perform the duties which are expected of them; Tink had never become disillusioned. He still believed in the federation and the work and services that they performed and provided for the Planetary Inhabitation Project Colonies. The PIP colonies provided many benefits to both the trade federation and the people of earth. In exchange, colonists were given the opportunity to own land without any cost to them. As much land as they could control or care for was there for the taking.
As a direct result of his work for the federation, Tink had an intimate knowledge of all of the red tape that kept the massive gears turning smoothly. He understood that sometimes individuals had to suffer a bit in order to maintain the greater good. It really was quite that simple. It was harsh in some ways but it was a necessary part of doing business. If a vendor found himself in the position of having a monopoly on a colony, that was fine as long as they did not abuse the situation to take advantage of the others there. If a corporation was found to be in violation of the laws, they too were held equally accountable. Anybody openly trying to maintain a monopoly or any type of abusive control was subject to fines and penalties including the loss of everything that they owned or even their corporate autonomy.
It was not that the federation was inherently evil, it was just that everything had to operate according to the way it worked. There was no room for personal involvement and no margin for error. It was inevitable that there would be some costs and losses but the way things were done kept that to a minimum. There were all manner of laws and rules, never mind the fact that the trade federation was the very one who implemented them.
If it was difficult to operate one multi-faceted corporation, how much more so to coordinate the logistics and support for tens of thousands of those corporations. If it was difficult to run one government, how much more so would it be to coordinate the operations of just as many micro-government systems such as those on the PIP colonies. Tink not only understood why everything worked the way that it did but he also still enjoyed his job. Frequently he would stay at work late to review cases that interested him. If he was guilty of anything, it was constantly dreaming. Still, even if he did allow his mind to wander, it was mostly on his own time and he had never missed a day's work and always met his quotas.
His clearance level did not give him a complete breakdown of all of the adjudication reports but it did let him see what the rulings had been. These were usually accompanied by letters of explanation to the corporation or colonist, so he had a pretty good idea what they were saying and why they had ruled the way they had. Besides, the better Tink could do his job, the better chance he had to get an actual office someday, even if he did have to share it with a lot of other people. While Tink had never been overly ambitious, he did believe that there was more to life than just this one little cubicle among thousands of others just like it. Tink was not the most intelligent person in the worlds but neither was he stupid. He graduated safely enough, deep in the middle of his class. He worked in a mid-level job that provided a fairly comfortable, if somewhat boring middle-class lifestyle. The only thing that really set him aside from the thousands of others there, was his tendency to dream.
Over the course of years, Tink began to see patterns forming. He knew what kind of problems certain types of corporations and colonists were going to be facing. He found himself dreaming more and more about what it must be like for all those people. One month in particular, Tink spent so much time dreaming that he barely made his quota. Fearing any possibility of losing his mid-level job with it's mid-level pay, Tink had to devise a means to quit dreaming at work. In order to facilitate his constant dreaming while maintaining his efficiency at work, Tink started his own little game.
Tink began creating his own map of the colonies. It was not a physical map showing locations, but more of a reference regarding leaders, sponsoring corporations and any information that he could find out about the settlers who were there. He frequently stayed late and followed up cases on his own time in order to fill in all the blanks that he could. When he got home, he would sit there with a cold cola and put together all of the information that he had. That gave him time to dream on his own time while still being able to get all of his work done when he was supposed to. What started out as a simple game designed only to keep his mind from wandering too far quickly turned into a comprehensive analysis. One day, Tink was scanning a copy of a regularly heard complaint from vendors of large and bulky items. It was not the case itself that caught his attention however.
Tink knew the complaint by heart. He knew every law and regulation that had to be filled in without even thinking about it, much less having to spend time looking them all up. What interested him however, was that the argument was followed up by solutions that not only looked possible, they looked profitable as well. Tink had no delusions about changing the course of all of the known worlds, but he was interested to see how the trade federation would respond to this case. While he had no way to know it at the time, that one little case was going to change substantially more than just his life.
This particular complaint was filed as a “Motion of Unfair Trading Practices Resulting in Substantial Financial Loss to the Vendor. The case opened with all of the complaints that Tink was all too familiar with. He could pick out enough key words by scanning the document to read most of it in a matter of seconds. When he got to the addendum, he read it very carefully a couple of times. The following deposition is what got his own wheels turning.
Pertinent Facts Relevant to the Case:
To: The Adjudication Council of the Trade Federation
RE: Case #PIPMC1842739-UTP-RFA
I fully understand the current limitations and restrictions in regards to the capacity of goods that a Trade Federation Vendor is allowed to order. I further understand that the Trade Federation has dealt quite fairly in this matter. Despite that fact, I am certain that the Council, in its wisdom, is able to see that due to circumstances beyond the control of any of the involved parties, certain merchants must inevitably suffer financial harm despite the best efforts to minimize the impact and offset certain losses.
I also fully understand the necessity for such strict regulations regarding the use of corporate vessels for the transportation of mercantile goods. The use of corporate vessels would quickly create economic microcosms which would open up many opportunities for corruption and abuse. Once again, you have acted wisely and benevolently on behalf of all of the parties involved. After a careful review of all of the legalities regarding such matters, I duly request that the Trade Federation implement either one of the following solutions. Such solutions will provide many benefits and free up valuable resources that can be better utilized elsewhere. It will also afford the Trade Federation the opportunity to create a new and more profitable means of conducting business among the PIP colonies.
One:
The creation of a Trade Federation fleet expressly designed and purposed to establish direct trade routes among the PIP colonies.
Two: If the Trade Federation is either unwilling or incapable of financing such a venture at this time, the establishment of a publicly or privately held corporation to be formed to establish just such a business venture.
Please see the attached documentation for the pertinent laws and additional documentation for a list of the benefits directly resulting from these proposals.
With humble regards,
Fortu Will
Trade Federation Vendor
Maroud Colony
Tink viewed and reviewed all of the attached forms, documents and references very carefully. He did not know who this person was but he certainly had to give him credit for doing his homework. Everything was right there for the taking. This would certainly result in a profitable new venture he was certain. He marked the case for a return and a follow up and thought only about opening up the next case. His mind was busy, but not on his work. His thoughts were coming together but not on the next case. Unfortunately for Tink, he started dreaming.
The next few weeks like most of Tink’s life, passed by uneventfully. He showed up to work, usually stayed late and gathered information for his game so that he could go home, have a cold cola and dream without getting in trouble. While his thoughts always wandered, he was very careful never to let them wander too far off in any direction that was not related to his work. When the follow up returned to his cubicle, he initially remembered it only as one of many that he had flagged out of a personal interest. It was one of many that he would use to fill in another series of blanks on his game. That was how he remembered it at first at least. When he opened it up, he read the report again. His mind began to drift ever so slowly as he read the decree of the adjudication council.
To: Fortu Will
RE: Case #PIPMC1842739-UTP-RFA
Colonist Will,
We appreciate your keen understanding of both the law and the difficulties facing the Trade Federation. As you are no doubt well aware, many cases similar in nature to your own are brought to us on a daily basis. While your research is sound, it is not feasible at this point in time for the Trade Federation to undertake such an endeavor. Please understand that we have given a substantial amount of time and consideration to your proposals and solutions. While it may seem like a relatively simple task to someone who is not fully aware of the level of complexity involved, the research alone would take years to complete. We greatly appreciate the sacrifices you are making for your fellow colonists, the sponsoring corporation as well as for the trade federation. However, at this time it is not possible for us to track the needs and surpluses of each colony individually. That being the case, there is certainly no means for us to establish a fleet in order to meet those requirements. We hope that you will continue to understand the difficulty and the magnitude of the work we are doing on behalf of all of the interested parties.
In the meantime, we have also carefully reviewed all of your legal arguments considering the formation of a privately held corporation to undertake this project. If you have the capacity for such a concentrated effort, please feel free to proceed with our blessings.
In thanks for your service
The Trade Federation Adjudication Council
After Tink read the reply, he knew exactly what he had to do. Surely this would get him recognized. He thought out each argument in exacting detail as he proceeded with his plan. He included a brief synopsis of his “game” and sent messages out to all of the right people in all of the right departments. He allowed himself a brief moment of pride when he completed his task. Maybe he would even get an office, even if he did have to share it.
“An office!” He spat the words out in bitter disgust. The only reason that he had not been fired was because after twelve years he always met his quotas and never missed a day's work. What he got was written and verbal warnings about everything that he had been doing. He was warned about playing games on company time despite the fact that all of that work had been done on his own time. He was told directly by the supervisor of the legal department that he was very close to losing his mid-level job with the mid-level pay that supported his middle-class lifestyle. Questioning the rulings of the council was the worst possible mistake that he could have ever made. As Tink was leaving the supervisor's office, he was told in no uncertain terms that he was on a short leash at the top of the short list. Tink had only wanted to give them everything that they needed, served up nicely on a silver platter. The only thing that had been served up had been his head.
Tink became absolutely paranoid at work. His mind wandered more than ever and he found it increasingly difficult to concentrate. He knew if there was an axe to grind or a head to roll, it would be his. He thought about how difficult it was to find good jobs in the city where he lived. He realized with a great sense of fear that the only thing he knew was Trade Federation laws, by-laws, rules, regulations and requirements and everything about the PIP colonies from his game. As he planned, he thought and as he thought, he dreamed. As he dreamed, he planned. It was a vicious cycle that resulted in some really crazy ideas.
Tink still had no major ambition or delusions about changing the known worlds; he just wanted to be able to support his relatively comfortable, if somewhat mundane lifestyle. He did not however, relish the idea of being homeless or out of work in this city. He knew he did not have much to lose but he was losing it quickly. Seeing that he was quickly running out of time and any other options, Tink began acting on those crazy thoughts.
Tink contacted every bank that he could find. Most of them never got back to him at all. Those few that did mostly did so only in order to share a good laugh at his expense. More often than not, those meetings only resulted in his being thrown out ... usually quickly and almost always in quite a rude fashion. It did not take long before he had run out of banks to get kicked out of. Seeing no other openings for someone like him, he continued with his plan and began trying to find private investors.
On this particular day, Tink was going to one of the few investors who had actually gotten enough information to make an informed decision and knew that his plan was solid. Tink arrived a full half an hour early hoping to make a good impression. He was already late by the time he got through all of the security checkpoints and sign in counters. When he finally did find the conference room he was looking for, he was a full half hour late. When he entered, he found it difficult to concentrate on anything but the scene in front of him.
The carpet was a plush burgundy and black. Tink absentmindedly wondered what it would feel like on his bare feet. The table looked to be about thirty feet long and carved out of a single piece of wood. The recessed lighting reflected off of it in subtle shades of red and black. The chairs, he was quite certain, were real leather. The studs holding the material down looked to be made out of solid gold. Only when someone cleared their throat very loudly did he actually look up to see who was there. What he saw gave him no comfort at all. Around the large table sat a group of very old and stern looking men all in black suits. Thinking to greet each one of them individually, Tink started at the right side of the table and began working his way around, nodding at each man individually. He had not made it very far when a very loud and intrusive voice shattered his thoughts. “Well get on with it man! We haven't got all day you know!” When Tink looked up to put a face to the voice, he was distracted by the lady sitting on the man's right side. In stark contrast with the old men in the room, she was young and seemingly very attractive. She had on what seemed to be an exceptionally white dress that stood out apart from all of the black suits. Before long, he found himself in the all-too-familiar position of being quite rudely escorted out the door. As he was being led out, he wondered how an organ as small as the human ear could be manipulated in such a fashion as to make him emit an audible cry.
Once he was safely back outside on the crowded street, Tink decided to walk home in order to try and calm what he came to know as his “Rejection jitters”. He never saw the door open or the person leaving. Lost as he was in thought, he only recognized the strong odor of garlic on the person's breath as they cussed him and Tink tried to excuse himself. Looking up, he found his path blocked by the open door of a diner. Seeing that he was already half way inside, he decided to stop and get some water and maybe a milkshake. Walking in, he took a seat at the counter and sat down. When the waitress came over, he ordered his milkshake and an additional glass of water and decided to try and eat while he was there. It would save him from having to cook and clean when he got home. In just a few moments, the waitress had his extra glass of water and the milkshake sitting in front of him.
Tink was still wiping the ice water across his face when he heard the voice. He heard the voice but never associated it as speaking to him. He jumped, knocking over the glass of ice water when the hand touched his shoulder. “I said, you are a funny man!” He never even looked up, the waitress was already there cleaning up the spill so he answered. “I must be. I seem to be getting laughed at a lot lately.” “I'm Erstoy” was what he heard as the hand came around to take his. “What's your name?” Tink, thinking only about getting home, still could not be rude, as he turned to face the voice, he began his introduction. “I'm ... the girl from the office!” he stopped as he recognized the dark hair and the shining green eyes. The white dress was unmistakable and he knew it was her. She giggled like a small child as she responded. “No ... I am the girl from 'the office' as you call it, and you are the funny man who just asked my daddy and all of his old fuddy-duddy buddies to give you money to buy you a space ship.”
He regretted his slip instantly and knew he looked like an idiot. Hoping to avoid any other errors or looking an even bigger fool, Tink went to work trying to suck what amounted to a glass of ice cream through an impossibly small straw. He breathed a sigh of relief as the waitress brought his food. His panic quickly returned when she looked at the sharp-dressed woman next to him and asked very simply “The usual honey?” Erstoy just nodded a yes in reply and Tink wished he had never stopped in to this diner. Not having many opportunities to speak to beautiful women, Tink, while not socially active, did not wish to appear rude either. He made another attempt at speech.
“I thought y'all had ... like ... like corporate dining rooms ... or ... or something?” Tink looked at her closely for the first time as he turned to point towards the office building they had just exited. She smiled an infectious smile when she replied. “Oh they do, but it's all old fogey food and healthy crap you know. Sometimes I just want a big, fat, juicy, greasy cheeseburger and a milkshake. You know?” Tink looked self-consciously at the cheeseburger and milkshake sitting in front of him and just wished he could disappear. Tink was getting over his rejection jitters but this girl, lovely as she was, was not making his life any easier. “I'm Erstoy” she repeated. “So who are you? And show me what you got!”
Tink was not sure what to think about that. He was still quite nervous about the way she was making fun of him. However, when the waitress brought her food, he noticed, much to his amazement, that she had ordered the same thing he had. Only for her, the waitress had called it “the usual”. Tink took a moment to catch his breath and began trying to speak. Seeing that he was having a difficult time, Erstoy patiently explained a few things to him. You made it through Daddy's gauntlet of secretaries, executives, yes-men and professional butt-kissers, so I know you have something good. Then you show up in the middle of a full-blown board meeting and all you can say is 'Gimme money to buy a space ship so I can start direct trading between the PIP colonies.' You had no handouts, no graphs, no charts, no eye candy.” When Erstoy noticed that he became extremely flustered when she said that, she laughed yet again as she asked him what was bothering him this time.
“I thought that was ... that was what ... what you were ... you know ... back there.” Tink said it very sofly and once again pointed towards the office building they had just exited. She never seemed to stop giggling, even as she spoke. “I think Daddy likes it better that way. All of his buddies are too old to think about S-E-X and if anybody else ever looked at me that way, Daddy would just have them killed I am sure.” Tink had been trying to take another drink of his milkshake but choked on what little he already managed to get through the straw. He did not relax any at all when she repeated “So show me what you got!” However, as Tink began talking about his work and his game, he finally began to calm down a little.
Tink gave her a brief explanation of his job, his history, the singularly important case that had given him all the problems but also his only other option. He explained about his game and all of the information that he had readily available and why he thought it would all work. He explained that he knew it was crazy, but it was all he knew and it was all he could do and he just did not want to be out of work.
Erstoy was many things, including being very savvy. She saw the implications of what he was saying and the full potential and what it meant. She realized that somebody would be doing it soon enough. She also knew that the first dog in always gets the biggest bone and the most meat. She told Tink to be back at her office at eight the next morning and be ready to get to work. There was no way that he could fully understand what she was saying. He tried to protest, explaining that he had to work; he had been there more than twelve years and never missed a day. Erstoy held a finger to his lips as she pulled out her cell phone. Much to his dismay, with one simple phone call, this giggling girl finished the job that he had started. With one little phone call made on his day off, she had Tink fired from his little cubicle from his mid-level job that supported his relatively comfortable if somewhat mundane middle class lifestyle. Still, he had no clue what she was really saying.
As Erstoy got up to leave, her food still untouched on the counter, she handed him a business card. On a light blue background were bright silver letters that boldly announced “Erstoy Industries”. The address of the same office building was also there, along with six different phone numbers. He visibly blushed as she placed the card in his hand, holding his hand and closing it around the card so that he did not drop it. As Tink tried to finish his food, he decided the better of it and tried to make his way home. He did not know how much he had consumed but he was certain that he regurgitated a substantial amount more. Getting home at last, Tink was consumed by confusion and feelings of helplessness. He had never been without a job before and he did not know what he was going to do now. What choice did he have? He tried to concentrate on his game but even thinking was difficult. He tried to sleep but that was impossible. Not knowing what else to do, he turned on his television. In short order, he fell into a fitful sleep.
When he woke up in the morning he knew that eating was out of the question. He realized with something of a panic that he had no clue what was going to happen next. After showering, he tried to figure out what to wear. He had worn his only suit the day before. Not wanting to wear the same things two days in a row, he dug around in the back of his closet for his reserve wear. He wiped off the dust as best as he was able to and tried to press out the creases from the clothes hanger by hand. After he did all that he could, he got dressed and looked around at the mountains of paperwork he put together over the course of so many years. Not knowing what to take for his first day, he decided not to take anything at all. Tink left his house and headed for his new job to see what he would see.
He arrived at the office building at just after seven. When at last he found the part of the building that contained the offices for Erstoy Industries, it was fifteen minutes after seven. He reached for his ear instinctively when he noticed the same security guard who escorted him out so brusquely the previous day was seated at the guard post. Looking back, he was glad he had decided not to bring anything. He noticed the guard's right eyebrow raise in surprise as his finger stopped about half way down the page on the clipboard he was holding. Tink was hopeful that today, he might actually be escorted out gently. He was so surprised by the Guard's answer that he just stood there. “I said you gotta sign in over there Bub!” The guard was a little louder than he had been the first time but still much more polite than he had been the day before. Tink was still subconsciously rubbing his ear as he made his way to the receptionist.
Once he arrived at the receptionist's desk he was forced to wait again as she got up without even so much as a word for his benefit. He noted with some dismay that she went over to the small army of secretaries working behind the glass partition and was saying something while obviously pointing at him. At first, he thought he was still just being paranoid. After watching a group of the women together, he realized beyond any doubts that they were all pointing at him and blatantly laughing. Paranoid or not, they really were laughing at him. He wondered at the smile on the receptionist's face when she returned.
By the time he made it to the very plush and fashionable waiting room for Erstoy industries it was three minutes before eight. He looked around at the décor as he waited. The room had no windows and limited lighting. Still, the light blue, chrome and silver of the office seemed to blend nicely and give the room a light and airy appearance. Tink did not know much about decorating but he did appreciate the aesthetic comfort of the office. Tink did not have long to appreciate the comforts however. The lone door at the back of the waiting room opened at precisely eight in the morning and out walked Erstoy.
As she came out to meet him they both froze, each one staring at the other as if in amazement. Tink realized for the first time how incredibly beautiful she really was. He did not know much about clothes but he was certain that her dress had been tailor made. He noted that it fit properly in all the right places. He wondered how it was that it could reveal so much without revealing anything at all. The light pouring out of her office seemed to give the appearance of an aura surrounding her. He immediately regretted having any such thoughts about her. Erstoy had quite a different reason for staring. His thoughts were shattered when she finally spoke.
“Awww Hell No!” she exclaimed. “Get in my office before anybody sees you!” He was forced to cover his eyes as he entered the office. Sunlight reflected brilliantly off the large chrome letters on the back wall that spelled out “Erstoy Industries”. Not being certain exactly what to do next, he waited as she followed him into the office. If he was expecting the giggling girl he had met the day before, she seemed to be gone. The woman that he met that morning scared him. As he thought about it however, he decided that it was not a total surprise. That giddy little girl he met had gotten him fired on his day off with one simple phone call. As she passed him, she never even greeted him. She walked over to a very large desk situated all too close to the larger window for Tink's liking. Leaning on it and looking him up and down she gave him his next clue about what was really happening.
“Listen carefully Funny Man. You are at a crossroads in your life and you only have two options to choose from. You get your act together, grow a pair and learn how to be a professional and my partner or I take everything you have, waste valuable time and resources rebuilding all your data and leave you with nothing at all. Which one is it going to be data boy?” If he had been looking for sympathy, he found none. He stammered and stuttered as he tried to register the full implications of what she had said. Once again, he was brought rudely back to the present when she fully echoed her Daddy's words from the day before. “Well get on with it man! We haven't got all day you know!” From somewhere deep in the quagmire of mush that was the remnant of his brain, Tink heard his own voice escaping from somewhere he did not recognize. “Where do I start partner?”
“The first thing we have to do is teach you how to dress. Daddy is going to have you kicked out on your ear again if he catches you running around the halls looking like that. You don't get out much do you?” Tink never even heard the second question. He was busy looking at his clothes and wondering what all the fuss was about. When she repeated it, he found it difficult to reply, though he was not exactly certain why. “Huh? No. No I guess I don't really; mostly I just work and read. Why do you ask?” Tink had been sullen before but as she responded, he was at first taken aback and then actually ashamed by her blunt response.
“You wore a suit yesterday but not today so you probably only have one. You’re wearing the same shoes you wore yesterday so they are probably your only pair. Your clothes smell musty and you can still see the creases from the clothes hanger which means you save them, likely for special occasions. The fact that they are not worn much tells me that you do not go out much. So what do you read?” Tink was still trying to absorb the words she had spoken at first and her rapid-fire questions were not helping him any. Still, he broke away from his thoughts long enough to answer her. He noted again how beautiful she was as she walked over to the window, sunlight pouring across her and making her seem almost radiant. Tink took a deep breath and tried to relax before he answered.
“Mostly I read case histories, complaints, adjudication reports and things like that.” She turned about halfway towards him, still standing in the window. The sunlight caught her stunning green eyes and he was forced to gulp and try to breathe even deeper. He was certain he understood what she had been saying but it was still impossible for him to comprehend. “Not at work Funny Man. What do you read for fun? Like when you are at home?” Tink knew that this was going to make him look even worse. He was still ashamed about his clothes and appearance but this was going to make him look really bad. He blushed and stared at the ground as he replied. “That is mostly what I read for fun.” Once again, Erstoy turned to look at him directly. “That is either very sad or very impressive Funny Man. What size suit do you wear? We need to get you some new clothes and get you fixed up some. We have to meet with the legal department as soon as possible. We also need to do something about your name. Tink is just not very corporate or professional somehow.”
When the tailor arrived, he took all of the appropriate measurements and let Tink try on the suit that he had brought as an example. He was absolutely mortified at the prospect of leaving an unfinished suit for one of his clients to wear, afraid that someone would see it and recognize it as his work. Tink was busily checking his appearance in the mirror and did not hear the conversation at all. If he had been privy to it, he would not have understood what the fuss was all about anyway. He was very pleased with the new suit. When Erstoy reminded the tailor what Tink had been wearing when he arrived, the tailor relented but only on the condition that he be allowed to call ahead to his shop so that they could start working on a suit right away and have it delivered in a couple of hours. The rest of the morning was spent creating an entirely new look and image for Tink.
When Tink asked where they had to go to meet the people from the legal department the giggling girl returned. “When you are the owner of a major corporation Mr. Lochs, people report to you directly. You do not report to anyone!.” Tink was certain he had heard her correctly. “But I thought your da... your Father owned the corporation and maybe he named it after you ... or something like that.” Tink put his head down as she spoke, not knowing why he was suddenly so self-conscious. Erstoy, still managing to laugh even as she spoke explained a bit more fully what the situation really was.
“My 'Daddy', though you may wish to address him as 'Mr. Scarrdich', is the Chairman of the board and CEO of Scarrdich Enterprises. Daddy abhors lazy and complacent people. He feels, and perhaps rightfully so, that inherited money destroys character more than it builds it. I did have the best teachers Funny Man but my Daddy gave me very little else. When I turned eighteen he gave me a small but profitable company. From that, I personally built up Erstoy Industries. When all of the paperwork is done, you will see that both Erstoy Industries and Scarrdich Enterprises are major contributors to and beneficiaries of The Tink-Erstoy Corporation.
When she said it, the full realization of what was happening hit him hard. He was forced to sit down and try to catch his breath. Things like this only happened in the movies. He could not believe it would actually happen to him. Fighting off the urge to be sick, he managed to ask weakly “But why me?” When Erstoy Scarrdich replied, Tink began to understand.
Mr. Scarrdich was the proverbial self-made man. He came from very poor and humble beginnings and with nothing more than drive and desire had built up his fortune. He was able to see past the benefits of a proper and formal education to also see the drawbacks. While he was not resentful of well-educated people, he did not grant them any more benefit than he would the average man on the street. He saw that they quickly became complacent. They could run any corporation but that was about all that they could do. They would quickly become comfortable with the norms and wallow in the comfortable ruts created by their corporation. Most of them lacked the drive, the desire and the ability to risk their careers or positions on anything that was new and unproven. They would never be the first at anything. While the corporations would still grow, they would never expand to their full potential.
Early on in his career, he made a very bold statement at a board meeting. “Give me a man with a dream, a big pair of balls and nothing to lose and I will make more money with him than I will with any five properly educated men!” Some of his better educated associates attempted to call his bluff. They openly resented his presence among their privileged ranks and thought that they could oust him in this way. After all of the wagers and arrangements had been made, he proved to them how right he had been. Time and time again he proved to them how right he was.
Erstoy concluded the story of her father's rise with a little personal note strictly for Tink's benefit. “Daddy threw you back to the wolves because you did not present your idea properly. I was intrigued and I wanted to know more. Perhaps unwittingly, you actually made that task much easier for me when you went to the same place I go for lunch quite frequently. I have picked up some very nice scraps from Daddy's table before. If your comprehensive analysis holds up to the light Funny Man, you are not just a scrap; you are a whole prime rib dinner. I have no reason to doubt what you say. Once you calmed down a little, the facts and figures you rattled off were very impressive. If you are right, someone is going to be doing this soon anyhow. If you are wrong Funny Man, you owe me a lot of money.
Then, as if caught completely off guard herself, she screamed out causing Tink to shift uncomfortably in his seat. “That's it! Many people use just their initials in the corporate world. F.M. Lochs sounds quite professional and that way ... that way you will always be my Funny Man.” Even Tink could not suppress his laughter as she broke into a grin that seemed to outshine the sunlight pouring in the window. F.M. Lochs did not know what to think but h
About the Author
Ward Tipton
Rating: 5.00