2013.06.26 - Hired and Fired

Tuesday morning. It's nearing 11AM, and Justin Hammer is in his office working on pricing for a new project he is hoping to get a contract for. Sure he could have the accounting department work it up and send it over for review, but this is something both highly sensitive and highly important, and he wants to handle it himself. Leaning back in his chair and away from the computer monitor, he starts to reach for a piece of candy in a small steel bowl on his desk. He grabs a Tootsie Roll, unwraps it and pops it into his mouth as he rereads the figures again.

While concentrating on his current task, Justin has completely spaced the fact he has an 11-o'clock scheduled with one Doctor Karla Sofen. He has his suit jacket off and slung over the back of his chair, leaving him looking slightly less formal than usual.

Having been accepted despite her questionable contacts, Karla Sofen has compiled some of the research Justin Hammer wanted since their previous discussion. She clutches the folder in her hand as she pensively stands outside the door of his office, as if protectively keeping it, to accompany all her other secrets. She brushes her blonde hair off her shoulder and glances annoyedly at the secretary as a questionable glance is raised. She ignores the bimbo and glances down at the folder again, then simply enters the room for her meeting, as if wanting to get it over with. Striding across the room in her heels with a silent brooding, Karla sits and says, "Good morning."

The sudden voice in his office makes the CEO look up and toward the door. Before he can stop it there's a slight scowl, though it isn't actually directed at Karla. Upon seeing, and recognizing her, he quickly remembers the meeting they had arranged. But it would have been nice of that daffy secretary of his to /call/ him and tell him that his 11-o'clock was here. What is he paying her to do, anyway? Justin hits Ctrl-Alt-Backspace on his computer to lock it and swivels in his chair so he's facing fully forward and toward the approaching woman. Like last time he doesn't stand up to greet her, remaining seated behind his desk.

"Doctor Sofen, good to see you again," Hammer says with one of his used car salesman grins. "Please, have a seat. You have a project outline for me, I hope?" He motions toward one of the two leather chairs in front of his desk.

Sitting down in the chair, Karla plops the manilla folder into her lap and puts her hand over the top of it protectively. "I have completed the task you asked for," she tells him straight, "But I'd like to talk to you about it a bit...further," she adds. She grabs that manilla folder again in her hand as if it were the bane of her existence and crosses her legs, "This is the project outline and research summary," she tells him, "I think we better talk about it," she adds, as if repeating herself.

Hammer quirks a brow and studies the woman for a moment. She seems to be nervous or hiding something, which doesn't bode well. The searches and background checks he had run on her came back with some interesting ties, though nothing harmful enough to hurt Hammer Industries by hiring her. Still, it was enough to throw a yellow flag in the CEO's mind. Justin leans forward, putting his elbows on his desk and interlacing his fingers. "Well, then let's talk," he says, his tone a bit short. "What have you got for me?"

Karla raises her chin as the man demands the job she has done and delayed in delivering to him, "The research shows that a mindaltering weapon can be created to overcome enemies, but its a strange concoction that I've...never seen before. I was trying to follow your directives and I guess I got carried away exploring a way to drive someone bat-shit insane..." she tells him, almost regretfully, looking down, "Perhaps we can move the project to a more conventional approach," she suggests. She looks him in the eye, as if a supervillain waiting to be let off the hook, or wanting to be.

Justin's expression hardens. He's starting to think that she's already bat-shit insane, maybe ate some of her chemistry set at some point. "If I wanted a conventional weapon," he says, straightening up enough that he can motion back toward the large windows behind him, "I have a whole /division/ for that. I'm looking for something new, Doctor Sofen, something effective. Something that hasn't been seen yet, that'll make the pentagon piss themselves. If you can't produce that, then we're done here." Hammer leans forward again on his desk, awaiting the doctor's response.

Karla frowns as the hardened business man delivers the hardened businessman response, "I see," she comments, as if contemplating why should would have thought otherwise. "Alright, I understand. You want a bomb to drive the enemy out of their gourd so the army can march in all triumphant. I get that. But its not that simple. Some of this stuff has been dropped for a reason," she says with an unintentional pun, "The effects...have varied results and the research shows massive amounts of psychosis. You really want the USA's enemies clawing their eyes out or stripping nude and setting themselves on fire?"

"It doesn't have to be a bomb," Hammer says, "Though I wouldn't complain if it was. But I'm really looking for a psychological weapon. If the delivery system is explosive? Fine. If not? As long as it gets the job done. Naturally it would look a lot better on us, ya know, reflect better on the United States military, if we didn't have people burning themselves into piles of barbecue. But the bottom line is that I want something that works on the /mind/. I want something that some super-strong pink mega-ape can't fight against by throwing a building at it." Justin leans back in his chair again and pushes his glasses back up the bridge of his nose. "I hired you on a trail basis to come up with a psychological weapon, Doctor Sofen. Not a bomb. So, now, what have you got?"

Karla hmms and still seems unresolved about the conversation, as well as Hammer's greedy demands, "I don't think what I have is going to work," he tells him simply, as if suddenly depressed with her fate, "It's not going to work," she repeats. "It might be simplier to develop a conventional weapon with psychological or physical effects. Well, its more practical than a mind-altering gas, anyway," she tells him.

"It won't work?" Justin asks with a raised brow. "Well, if that's the case, then I'm afraid your services will no longer be necessary." The CEO is quick to move his stance, not wanting to waste money on something that is obviously not going to produce a final product he can sell. The woman's heart isn't in it, and her shady dealings are enough to call it off alone. Had she shown something with real promise, he could have overlooked the rest. "My secretary will make sure that HR send you your final check, Doctor Sofen, but your access to Hammer Industries' facilities and resources is terminated immediately."

Karla stands up and nods in a resolve, then puts a hand on her hip, "You don't know what you're dealing with," she tells him directly. She walks out.