Hey how ya been, boss.

Sandy plopped down next to the man seated on the leather sofa. He was Jack Singh, CEO of the Company. Relaxed in loose-fitting athleisure clothes and spread comfortably on the sofa, he did not look like the world’s most powerful man.

Together, the two sat for a moment in silence, watching the twinkling lights atop the City’s skyscrapers.

I bet you never get tired of the view from the top.

Jack chuckled. “The City at night is certainly a nice view. When I have a chance to enjoy it.” He raised a tea cup to lips and took a sip. Setting down his drink, he pulled a few peanut butter treats out of a canister on the coffee table and held his hand out to Sandy.

“So tell me, Sandy. How are things going for you?”

Sandy sniffed the treats appreciatively, and snarfed them down, one at a time.

Never better, boss, Never better. You know me, I never complain. Living the dream, boss.

“Ha! Here it comes. I do know you quite well. And I know if you’re not complaining, you’ll be asking for something.”

The Corgi paused his snarfing a moment to cock his head to the side so one eye could affix on Jack’s face.

Jack. C’mon, man. That’s not fair. How far back we go? Geez, you had to ruin the vibe. We were havin a nice moment.

Jack sighed. “It was a very nice moment. But the moment has passed. Tell me what you got.”

What I got is a pretty poor paystub. Have you seen the inflation numbers this quarter? Have you seen our profit numbers this quarter? My salary could use a little bump. I know you can afford it. C’mon, do me a solid.

Sandy put on his best puppy-eyed expression and pointed it right at Jack, but he didn’t flinch. His face was neutral and unmoving, like it was carved from granite. The moment stretched out.

Jack picked up his tea cup, took an unhurried sip, and looked inquisitively back at Sandy. “So I take it your little side hustles must not be earning you enough.”

Side hustles? I don’t know what you’re talking about, unless you mean my multiple philanthropic efforts. I don’t make a dime off those. I’m actually losing money helping other people!

“Oh really,” he replied.

Sandy let out a little whine and flopped down in a huff.

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Alright. No problem, boss. We can table my comp requirements for now and come back to it after I give you an update on all the hard work I’ve been doing.

“Let’s do that,” he replied.

I’ll start with the fun stuff. As I predicted, the intern program is a complete cluster. There might be a couple diamonds in the rough, so to speak, but the way ‘ole Wolfy runs the program, there’s a good chance all the kids will be casualties by the end of the week.

Jack frowned, but nodded for Sandy to continue.

The intern you asked me to look into? Definitely suspicious. And definitely up to something. Haven’t escalated to Security. Are you sure you want to let this play out?

He took a sip of his chai, thinking for a moment.

“Yes, let’s see where this goes. I’m less worried about our potential exposure and more interested in finding out what they hope to gain. It’s still unclear to me.”

You got it, boss. Will keep it hush-hush for now. You want me to loop in security?

“Yes, I think now’s a good time to do so. But keep it just between you, me and Stu. And if Stu says he wants to involve more people, tell him he needs to clear it with me first.”

Hehehe, I’m going to enjoy that conversation.

Jack rolled his eyes. “Sandy, please. Let the Chief of Security do his job. Just keep it professional.”

You got it, boss. Professional. Since you asked so nicely.

Bill sighed as Sandy rolled over on the couch, stretching his legs and offering his belly up for a scratch. He obliged.

Can I ask a question about recent events?

“What do you want to know?”

What the hell is going on with R&D and that heat wave inside the Tower last week? I mean, sometimes those guys freak me out. Do they forget what they’re messing with?

He just shook his head as continued scratching Sandy’s belly.

“It’s under control.”

Ha! I’ve heard that one before. No offense, but those nerds have no concept of “unintended consequences.” They’re only focused on their own results. And you already know what I think of the dipshit running that department. Nothing more than an empty shirt! Based on what happened, I can guess what his underlings are up to – more experiments with dungeon seeds. And if you ask me, they’re putting us all at risk. The Tower. The Company. The whole world, for that matter. If the Travelers ever found out what they’re up to – lights out for all of us. And for what benefit?

“Trust me, I’ve had my eyes all over it.” Jack rubbed his face as if to make the thought go away. “I’ve already made some changes to help oversee the more adventurous avenues of our research.”

That’s good to hear, but I’m telling ya. Something ain’t right. And whatever they’re telling you, it’s bullshit.

“Noted, Sandy. Noted. Please continue.”

OK OK. Moving on. Let me tell you about that happy hour on Friday. Prepare yourself for some absolutely outrageous rumors I heard. You know that Siamese in marketing? Get a load of this…