"Now. The Human Resources department informed me this morning that all but four employees came in today. We should assemble them in the cafeteria immediately. They would be expecting some kind of all-hands meeting at this point. You might as well give them what they are expecting."
"True. I'll have my secretary page the building. Make sure they all come?"
"I already have the doors to the building staffed with my men."
I don't like the way he said that.
*****
Fifteen minutes later Alec stood in his company's cafeteria, surrounded by a large group of his employees. Alec surveyed their faces, trying to get a feel for the assembly.
Most look worried. These meetings are rarely good for morale. Everyone things there are going to be cutbacks and their head is on the block. I've got to get that whole idea out of their head fast. Some look rightly afraid. They know we're involved in this dragon shit, and they expect the worst. I need to make sure those people know they're safe. Some of them look angry. They know something is wrong with what's happening here and they want answers. I'll need to give those people something to chew on. Some kind of moral ownership of it and some kind of moral reasoning to illustrate that what we do is good. All smiles. Here we go.
"Thank you all for coming to this impromptu gathering, folks. I know this is a disruption to your day, but in light of the events down in DC earlier this afternoon, Fitzgerald Industries—me, mainly—felt it was vital to have a conversation about what happened down there and how it relates to what we're doing here."
Okay, so far, so good.
"For those of you who were unable to see the worldwide broadcast, down in Washington, a second dragon, the same dragon that was seen down in Boston breathing fire into the sky, held what amounts to a news conference. He claimed that he was now 'our dragon' and that he was here to help protect humanity."
The group of people had a wide array of responses. Some cheered, some gasped. Most simply murmured. This development was significant for them in a personal way.
"I can completely understand all of you thinking and wondering about how this development affects you personally as employees here at Project Amethyst, as well as how this affects the whole of Fitzgerald industries. Well, I'm here to hopefully address your concerns and fill you in on some details that have been kept secret for some time."
A few people clapped.
"Our dragon, Amethyst, was taken into our protection after an expedition found her in Asia. I can't say exactly where, as that's still secret. I can assure you that when Amethyst was taken here, she was already well on the way to being brain dead, as she is now. My father's wishes were for her to be brought to a place similar to the one we have created for her where she could help others live better lives. I am told her last words to the team that stabilized her were something to the effect of, 'Please use me to make the world a better place.' And for ten years, people of Project Amethyst, we have done just that. Amethyst is in many ways our generation's Henrietta Lacks. We have given back so much to humanity by harvesting the incredible gifts this dragon has provided to us. We are doing her an honor by providing our services to civilization, and I want to thank you for all that you do." Alec clapped hard and put on his best show of emotion. He thought forcefully of his kitten, the one that died in his arms when he was seven after being hit by a car, and how his father died painfully of lung cancer. The memories dredged up old emotions, and tears started to run down his cheeks immediately. Alec could see multiple people well up in response.
Perfect. "Obviously with the knowledge that our dragon is not the only dragon in the world, we need to change how we do things around here. We'll be reaching out in the next few hours to get in touch with the Federal Government on how we can best talk with this new Tesser dragon, and how we can move forward in a way that is both respectful to this new community and that protects humanity's best interests, as well as the best interests of the company at large. We want to be a responsible corporate partner with the world, especially as it changes so dramatically. Also, as we are heading to the end of fiscal quarter four, we'd like to make another announcement as well. Due to Fitzgerald Industries' incredible success this year, we are sharing a package of retention and loyalty bonuses. As a thank you for your incredible dedication to the work we do here, and your discretion in keeping the privacy of the corporation, I'm happy to announce bonuses for every person in this room, starting at no less than five thousand dollars."
The applause was immediate and tremendous. Money talks baby. So far, so good. Here's the last big hurdle. "Now, I know some of you have questions for myself and the organization, and I want you to know many of them will be answered in the next week or two as we sort out what those answers actually are. This is news to us as well. Having said that, do any of you have a pressing question about the bonuses or the events of the past few weeks?"
A hand shot up from the middle of the crowd. Alec pointed at him, and he asked a question. "When will the bonuses show up in our paychecks?"
Alec nodded, agreeing with the sense of the question. I know him, perfect. "I can't say for sure, Tony, but the paperwork has already been submitted to payroll, and unless I'm mistaken, it'll be a week or two for them to get everything in order. I'd say you'll all have your money no later than Thanksgiving. Pretty exciting."
Another hand shot up. The girl asked her question before Alec called on her. "What do we do now as far as telling people what we know? I'm having a real hard time not running my mouth at night right now to my roommate."
"Well, I think our Human Resources department would remind you that you signed a legally binding contract to keep everything we do here at Fitzgerald Industries very secret. That includes pillow talk with spouses and slipping up with our roommates. Medical Research and Development is a very cutthroat industry to work in, Megan, and nothing has changed so far as that is concerned. I'd say now more than ever your respect for the company's need for privacy is vital. I know I'd appreciate it, and I know all the people here in this room want to keep their jobs. Making sure that we keep our tongues from wagging will ensure that. Great question, Megan; thank you. Anyone else have any questions?"
An older man on the edge of the group raised his hand. Alec recognized him as one of the senior biotechnologists. Alec inclined his head, and the man spoke. He had a faded European accent. "Mr. Fitzgerald, I watched the announcement on one of the televisions in the break room. I'm feeling overwhelmed as I'm sure many of us here are. All of what's happened in the world has made me rethink everything. Goblins, Trolls, Dragons, warlocks and witches. It's almost more than the rational mind can fathom. But I am working on dealing with this change. What I am left wondering in the wake of all that we now know is how much of the truth of the world that has been hiding for so long has Fitzgerald Industries has been aware of."
"I don't follow, Peter." Shit. I don't like where this is going.
"I mean to say, what of the world have you known about? It strikes me as very peculiar that for a decade now you've had a formulated medicinal cocktail that has kept a dragon in a sustained coma, brain dead or not. It would've taken months to invent such a substance at best. Most likely a year. It may seem convenient to some, but to the prying mind, your story rings as false."
"I don't appreciate what you're implying, Peter. I wouldn't lie to my own people."
The older man took a step forward, emboldened by the tiniest sound of defense in Alec's voice. His accent became more pronounced as his emotion grew. "I think you would lie to us, Alec. I think you're lying right now. Some of our neuroscientists have written reports at length detailing significant cerebral activity in the purple dragon downstairs. She is not brain dead. She is sleeping. She dreams. We are not keeping a brain dead dragon alive. We are keeping her asleep. When I thought she was a pacified savage beast, I had no qualms about this, but now, I worry about the morality of it all. I think we are not the heroes; we are the jailers."
Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck.
"Mr. Ehrlichmann, your accusations are beyond the pale. They border on treason to the company," Mr. Host said. Alec hadn't even seen him arrive in the room.
"Mr. Host, with all due respect, your job is to keep us safe and to keep the dragon and this facility secure. Your opinion on my observations is not needed." The German scientist was animated now.
"Yeah, Host. Piss off. We want to hear what Fitzgerald has to say," another scientist said. I think he's in neuroscience. Shit. I wish I'd had longer to prepare for this.
"Gentlemen, ladies. I don't know what to say. We're dealing with a species that defies all logic and reason. They're too big to even be alive according to what we know about biology, yet there is a dragon a hundred feet below us. How are we to know what her mental state is? Perhaps a dragon brain has a completely different network of neurons that would trigger what appear to be dreams. I think we've a lot left to learn about the world, Mr. Ehrlichmann. As for us being jailers, I'd be unable to sleep at night if that were the case. My father founded this company to save lives, not incarcerate them."
The German scientist stared at Alec. After a tense moment, he threw up his hands. "You're lying. I can see it in your face. This goon, this Mr. Host, is here to intimidate us. This is no different than the Communists, or the Nazis."
"No, Mr. Ehrlichmann," Mr. Host said quietly, "this is very different than the Nazis. I was only able to control them for a few years. You, I've controlled for more than a decade."
"What?" The German man asked confused.
Mr. Host suddenly drew his stainless steel sidearm and calmly blew the scientist's brains out. The gore sprayed across the gathered crowd, hitting more than ten employees in the face.
"Wipe them away," Mr. Host said to no one listening. The ear splitting crash of automatic weapons fire ripped the room apart. Alec covered his face and dropped to a knee in shock as he watched hundreds of highly trained scientists, accountants, and technicians murdered by a hail of bullets. Mr. Host calmly again walked over to him and shielded Alec's body from a stray bullet. None came, as all of the weapons fire was pouring in from the edges of the room where Mr. Host had carefully placed his men. Alec watched in horror as each of his employees died, dropping to the floor with pierced hearts, shattered bones, and destroyed skulls. One of the bullets flew high and struck one of Mr. Host's men, and instead of dropping to the floor wounded, he erupted in a nebulous black cloud of mist, vaporized as if he never existed at all. His gear fell to the floor, empty of the person who wore it moments before. The gunfire stopped as suddenly as it had begun. Everyone save for him and the security people was dead.
"What the FUCK have you done? You're a fucking MURDERER! These were MY people!! HOW COULD YOU?" Alec reached out and punched Mr. Host in the face hard. The security agent's jaw rocked sideways, but he was otherwise unharmed, and entirely indifferent.
"You'd lost them. The German had made a compelling case. At this point, it was wiser to cut your losses and start anew. Look at the bright side. You no longer have to pay out any bonuses."
"BY KILLING EVERYONE? YOU FUCKING MANIAC! Kidnapping Matty, that I could almost stomach, at least we were protecting a baby, but this is too much!" Alec's mind was broken. He tried to punch Mr. Host again, but the infernal guard stepped aside and caught the fist easily. He squeezed hard and Alec's legs buckled from the pain. Mr. Host's crew of men were closing in on him like sharks at a feeding frenzy. They too wanted a taste of Alec's blood.
Sweet Jesus. He's going to break every bone in my hand.
"Shut up, you little bitch," Host said angrily. "You and your short lifespan and inability to see the big picture. Your father wanted me to help you. Your father signed a contract, Alec Fitzgerald. One, I must remind you yet again, that you ratified when you came of age and took this corporation over. We are bound as one, Alec Fitzgerald. Your successes are inextricably linked to my presence and my assistance, however it may come. You're nothing like your father. He was strong. Bold. He would be disgusted."
"I don't want this. I don't want the death. These people were INNOCENT!" Spittle flew.
"No one is innocent," Mr. Host said with confidence, letting go of Alec's hand. It felt like Alec's bones were throbbing in pain.
Alec collapsed on the floor, overcome with emotion. "How can we go on? How can I live with this?"
"Today is insignificant when weighed against the loss of all we've achieved, Alec. Rest assured. In short order, all will return to normal."
All Alec could do was rock back and forth on the blood-smeared tile as a dozen of Mr. Host's men passively watched him cry.
Chapter Forty-Four
The Dragons
Surrounded by earth, miles deep underground, Garamos dug, as was his task in life. Garamos didn't need to breathe down below the surface of the earth. He subsisted on the sheer presence of so much precious soil, stone, water and mineral. This was what he was meant to do, and he loved it. The packed earth parted for his claws as easily as his seldom-used wings would part a cloud. His goal was simple; sculpt a continent, then the world. His goal was ever just out of reach, as was the design of things.
Garamos was titanic in size, even compared to the other dragons. He was twice the length of Kiarohn and a hundred feet longer than his brother Tesser, the next largest dragon. His immense size made grinding away at the stone and rock near the edges of tectonic plates that much easier. It also meant that when he breathed flame into a volcano, causing an eruption took only moments. Garamos' breath was second only to his red sister's.
Garamos was happy to do this, his job. It was slow, deliberate, and it afforded him the luxury of living in a world that was of his design. Granted, he did have to suffer the machinations of the other dragons, but what they did was fleeting. Tesser's living offspring were flashes of irritation to Garamos, despite their widespread influence on the world. If he had it his way, Garamos would eradicate all of humanity, but dealing out death on that scale wasn't his task. He would no sooner boil the oceans his other sister lorded over.
As Garamos tugged away a massive stone, setting free enormous chunks of plate he felt an itching sensation at the back of his skull. I must've gotten some wretched insect under a scale again. I will never understand why that of all things bothers me.
The itching came again, more severe this time. Garamos stopped his digging and reached back to scratch at his tough brown scales. As he used a claw the size of a black bear to dig at the edge of a scale as hard as steel, he suddenly realized the itch was coming from within.
Garamos would've closed his eyes to concentrate, but they were already sealed shut against the dirt. There was no need for eyes to see the presence of light miles below the kiss of the sun. What is that sensation?
"It is me, brother," a friendly voice whispered faintly inside Garamos' mind. It was almost drowned out by the pulse of the Earth all around.
I know that voice. "Kaula? I can barely hear your voice. Where have you been? Are you okay?
"You must go to Tesser in America now. With haste. I can say no more."
"Kaula? Sister?"
Garamos was suddenly at a loss for emotion, something he was unfamiliar with. Garamos was, of all the dragons, the prepared one. To have a variable like this thrown in the air was unsettling in the extreme. She must be where he is. She must be in grave danger. It is time to find my sister. My brother will answer for it if her disappearance is linked to his return.
Garamos tilted his gargantuan head upwards and with a great cough, erupted flame from his throat at the ceiling of the tunnel he had been carving. The flame liquefied the earth and stone instantly, and began to etch away an open column that would lead to the surface. As the molten stone fell all around him, Garamos reached up and began to rip away even more burning earth. The surface couldn't come fast enough.
*****
Kiarohn, the smallest of all the dragons, flew high in the air above the Pacific Ocean. Kiarohn was slender, built more like a winged serpent than the dragons of
western myth and legend. The whole length of that body was covered in fine white and blue scales. Some cultures had memories of Kiarohn, and they named those memories the great Coatl. Blue eyes surveyed all the ocean below. Two pairs of great gossamer wings, three times as wide as Kiarohn’s body was long, flapped powerfully. They should've moved the dragon's body far faster through the air, but no matter the speed of the wing's beat, the dragon moved along lazily. But Kiarohn's wings were meant less to keep a body aloft and more to move the air about.
Kiarohn was the father and the mother of the wind.
"Kiarohn." Kaula's voice whispered to him high in the nighttime sky. The voice came from the pure ether of the magic she was made of.
Kiarohn's mouth formed a mischievous grin. The dragon expected the sister to return soon. "Hello, sister. It is a pleasure to hear your voice once more."
"Tesser will need you soon. Find him."
"He won't be particularly hard to find now. Is it important?"
"Yes. Leave now. The world must wait."
"So be it," Kiarohn said into the sky. He wheeled about in the air and started to head east, towards America. This sudden change of plans might result in terrible storms in the southern Pacific, but such was the way of the world. It wouldn't take long for him to find Tesser, and hopefully, he could return to his stirring of the world's winds quickly.
*****
A naked, blonde woman relaxed in the white sand of a sunny beach on the eastern coast of South Africa. She was tall, impossibly tall, well over six feet, yet still beautiful and dainty. Several men gawked at her from the nearby resort bar. She would've been an impressive sight even if she hadn't simply appeared out of the rough Atlantic surf, striding languidly. After building up some courage by downing several drinks, one tall man walked over.
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