Alpha Incorporated

I-ii TEST MADE OF MY METTLE

 Angelo hears the thunder of applause from the auditorium. A hand slaps him on the back. There are others too, voices congratulating him, saying things. But he's not listening. Angelo stares at the stage curtain in front of him. He needs to be strong, needs to show himself as solid, stoic, the saviour. It's not what the people, those hundreds sitting in the theatre, think that matters. Nor the thirty or so employees that the PR spinners have selected to surround him on the stage to provide the backdrop that will make him the man of the people. They're already the believers. It is the markets that he must convince, and that can only be done through the eye of the cameras.

Angelo shrugs his shoulders as he pulls down on his jacket. He is dressed impeccably, in a black suit and grey tie, tailored specifically to make his statement to the corporate world. Things are going to change.

He stands straight, reaching outward; with the back of his hand he parts the curtain and steps forward into the light. The ovation greets him. He reminds himself that this applause is not really for him. It is staged for the cameras too. He will need to earn their applause. He walks, dramatic and slow, towards the podium, towards Charles, his mentor and ally, towards Vincent Duke, the public face of the company and the man who has, until now, shaded his ambition. Both are welcoming him to the stage, to the lead role.

The white glare of the lights on his left hides the audience. He sees, instead, only the three rows of cheerful young faces, smiling, in awe. He scans the tiers, thinking how someone arranged them in order of height, with the tallest at the back, so the cameras can see the ocean of followers behind him. The pretty ones are at the front. Angelo sees one girl, so very young, standing out from the crowd. Is it her dress that draws his attention, the pattern of dots and dashes across her body? Or is it the innocence of that face? He finds comfort in focusing on this girl, a shelter from the eyes upon him and a moment of peace, before he speaks his lines.

Typical. On the most important day of his life, the man who has just assumed control of a multi-national conglomerate, who is about to address the financial world with the most important speech of his career, his mind is fixed on the girl who is standing just behind him, to his right. He still sees her. Her blond hair is long and flows over her shoulder on one side. Petite might not be quite right, but she isn't a tall woman. Angelo struggles to find the words to describe the girl's looks. There is something that is drawing him to her, something that is taking his focus away from the speech he is about to give. Angelo will admit that he has a weakness for attractive women, but this time, his loss of focus gives him the calmness that will be conveyed to the audience and interpreted as coolness. As strength. As control.

Angelo turns to the audience and recites his lines. He doesn't use the flowery prose of Escalus or the rhetoric of the philosopher-king Vincent. Angelo is to the point. Cuts to the chase, tells it like it is. People like that. It shows that you aren't dicking around, not afraid to be in charge. He learned this himself, always having to prove himself, fighting his way to the top. Not like Vincent. He had been handed everything: best schools, privileged upbringing, daddy's connections. And now Angelo is CEO. Shows you, doesn't it?

"Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to Alpha 2.0!" He waits for the applause to subside. He wants to continue right away, wants to establish momentum, but the applause continues. He wishes he could make it stop. He doesn't like to wait.

"Thank you," he finally continues. "First, let me thank Vincent for his legacy, for his leadership, and for his confidence in my ability." The two men nod back in agreement.

Angelo feels a brief pang of nervousness as he is about to continue. He must suppress that; he needs to appear strong. He conjures the image of the pretty girl behind him, takes an instant to let her beauty calm him, makes him feel in control again. There, that is better.

He continues. He talks about the history of Alpha International. How Casper Duke, Vincent's father, saw opportunity in the burgeoning technical sector, how his foresight allowed him to invest in those new areas of growth, to encourage development in the fields that today, drive the economy. Originally, when Casper founded the corporation, Angelo explains, the Greek letter Alpha represented the beginning. The first letter. But the beginning is only relevant when one is at the start; after that, it is all behind you. Alpha must mean more than that, going forward. He asks: what does Alpha mean, today?

"Alpha means leadership. Alpha means dominance. It means order and obedience. It means doing that which is necessary for survival of the pack. It means knowing that one's role in the organization is vital to the success of the organization as a whole. This is today's Alpha International Incorporated. This is the year of the wolf!"

Angelo pumps his fist high into the air. The rush of applause isn't the roar he expected. There is clapping, certainly, but Angelo had dreamed of this moment, dreamed of when the entire theatre would rise with him in solidarity, in submission. Everyone would leap to their feet at the same instant and with their arms raised and fists held high in a salute, and would howl their allegiance.

The applause is there, but it is restrained. It is professional and it is courteous, but the ovation is more like an audience at a performance of the symphony or at a play, than a football game. Angelo was expecting the latter.

There are some whistles now, and a few barks of support. Angelo remains in front of the stage, arm held above, fist clenched, staring into the crowd. Gradually, the applause increases as a sense of duty overcomes each individual's apprehension. People in the audience look around to see how others are responding and measure their applause based on those around them. Good thing Angelo has had the PR people place some enthusiastic supporters in key positions throughout the hall. They are now setting the level of applause. One by one, each member of the audience is on their feet and, finally, Angelo receives the standing ovation that is the critical image he needs for the news feeds. He hears the clapping from the beautiful supporters behind him. Angelo is pleased. He has passed his first test. The show will continue.