Thetarune: Book One

Short Story: An [EMPLOYEE] in Need

Takes place between the Rebellion and the...end of Rouxls' employment with Spamton

Rouxls tugged at his collar nervously as he walked up the stairs. His shoes clacked against them as his legs wobbled like jelly. Oh god, will he even care? Rouxls winced as he thought about how his mother felt all those years ago. He never had the chance to reconcile, as she was pulverized by a Big Shot during the Rebellion. Rouxls felt a sick enjoyment when he heard the news, and he threw up that night in his apartment. Rouxls reached the elevator, and with a long trembling finger pressed the button that would bring him to the executive office. He stared out the window, leaning towards it and over the support bar. The sun was setting over the city as the blimps shined lights on construction sites. Rouxls had never had so much paperwork, but Spamton wanted to ensure no rebels ever took the city. Especially not his precious Business District. Rouxls had been so preoccupied with work, he barely had time to think about anything else. He tossed and turned when he was trying to sleep as is, and much more now that he forced himself to think about his current issue. The elevator dinged as he ascended, until it finally arrived. Rouxls straightened his outfit and walked out. The sharply-dressed yellow Addison at the desk smiled warmly, typing at her computer.

"Evening Ms. Kaard. Would you like me to buzz you into Mr. Spamton's office?" The Addison asked.

"Yes please, Abigale." Rouxls pulled at his collar. The colossal doors buzzed, before slowly opening. Spamton's formerly quiet, albeit massive office was now bustling with construction workers and scaffolding. Rouxls walked the yellow-and-pink carpet towards Spamton's ornate wooden desk. Spamton looked up from his work, pushing his glasses up his nose. He smiled warmly at Rouxls, and motioned for him to sit at a seat before him. Rouxls sat down. Spamton motioned a construction worker with a headset.

"Keep everything here confidential, you got that Jim?" Spamton whispered. Jim nodded, before moving his mic over to his mouth.

"Boss says code blue. Keep it cool, you don't want to get thrown off the building." Jim left the two to their business. Spamton leaned over.

"What can I do for you, Miss Kaard?" He asked with his trademark salesman look. Rouxls squirmed on his chair, although it was very comfortable.

"I wanted to t-talk to you about something sir..." Rouxls started, but trailed off. Spamton waited for a second.

"Well, tell me. I'm a [honest man] with a lotta work to do. You understand that, right? Nothing's gonna leave this room. At least, not without somebody being thrown 5,000 feet onto the pavement..."

"Y-yes, and I'm sorry to take up your time but...well...I'm..." Rouxls felt it get caught in his throat. Say it damn you!

"Yes?" Spamton leaned in closer, adjusting his glasses.

"I-I'M not a woman...I'm a m-man...and I like to be addressed as such..." Rouxls felt a weight lifted from his body, before a new one crushed him as Spamton sat back in his huge cushy office chair.

"I see. Well then, follow me Mr. Kaard." Spamton got up, only barely taller than his desk and feet shorter than Rouxls, and motioned for him to follow. Someone from Medical saw Spamton walking towards him and the elevator door he was guarding.

"Yes sir?" They asked, pulling their mic down.

"Disperse Agent 18 in this room and in all worker dormitories of section 73. Prepare medical bay 12 for a new occupant." Spamton said, before patting the medic on the back.

"Understood, sir. Medbay says it will take then 2 minutes to prep." They responded, talking under their breath into their mic.

"That's all the time we need." Spamton pulled a keycard from his suit pocket and opened the elevator with it. He stepped inside and Rouxls did the same, and it instantly started to descend. Rouxls felt an uncomfortable, horrible silence overtake him as it fell below the clouds and the skyline came back into view. Spamton broke the silence, shining his cufflinks.

"So...how long have you been thinking about this, Kaard?" He asked. Rouxls was startled by the question.

"A-a long while, sir..." Rouxls spoke in a small voice, sure not to upset his boss.

"And you're sure about this, kid?"

"Y-yes, sir...quite." Rouxls confirmed, feeling a little smile creep onto his face. Spamton checked his watch, and the elevator dinged.

"Alright then." He said, stepping off. They emerged in the Medical department. Doctors and wizards crowded around desks with mountains of paperwork. Gurneys covered in patients, potions or experimental drugs were being rushed around by nurses like racecars on the track. Surgery bays could be seen from the main floor as they descended a staircase, blood and guts and all. Rebels were the main patients, and Rouxls squirmed at the sight of large needles full of strange liquid being injected into hearts, lungs, eyes. Spamton led him to an unoccupied room with a door surrounded by doctors and nurses. The room next to it held a strange creature which had grown plates of armor over it's face, almost resembling a bird. Rouxls made a mental note to forget that.

"Evening, sir. Is this the patient?" The head doctor asked Spamton, pointing at Rouxls. Spamton nodded.

"Procedure 110, please." Spamton requested. Rouxls felt a sinking feeling as he was ushered into the sterile room by a horde of doctors and robots. In seconds he was strapped down and told to count backwards from ten.

"W-WAIT! NO!" Rouxls saw the rebels being experimented on in his head, and he thrashed as nurses held him down. They began to strap down his wrists and ankles.

"Calm down, sir! It'll be over soon!" A nurse said, placing an oxygen mask over his face. The world faded. Darkness eternal.

Rouxls felt groggy. Blinding lights overhead filled his vision with pure white. He pushed something aside, it turned out to be bedsheets. He blinked to clear his vision. Beside him was a doctor and 2 nurses monitoring his vitals. Spamton sat in a visitor chair at the foot of his bed. He grinned as Rouxls woke up.

"Patient vitals nominal. Introduced tissue accepted at a rate of...99.98 percent! That's a new record!" The head doctor called out to his colleagues.

"W-what happened, sir?" Rouxls grabbed his head, he felt the drugs still working their way through.

"What do you think, Kaard? You guys bring him a mirror." Spamton said to Rouxls and the nurses, and the two dashed out of the room. Rouxls' face felt...different. Like it had been reformed, changed in some way. The nurses giddily brought in the rolling mirror. Rouxls stood from the bed, and almost fainted. His body had been completely transformed. He felt a coarse stubble growing on his face as he rubbed it.

"I'm...me?" Rouxls asked, looking down at his body. Spamton chuckled.

"Damn right you are, kid! You happy?" Spamton asked, looking him up and down. Unexpectedly, Rouxls bent down and hugged the little businessman. Spamton's eyes went wide, but he awkwardly reciprocated.

"T-thank you so much, s-sir..." Rouxls almost began to cry.

"Anything for an [employee] in need, Rouxls." Spamton responded, properly embracing the lanky blue man.

Rouxls felt in that moment that there was no greater friend or boss than Spamton J. Spamton.