Comari Dawn

Part One: A New Dawn - Chapter Eight

On the morning of the 10th of August, after I'd dropped a still sleeping Tracy off with my cousin Amanda, I found myself working feverishly against the tides of misfortune as the bottom seemed to be in the process of falling out from under the stock markets. By the time lunch had rolled around every active market which I was working on had closed for the day due to the trading safeguards which were built into them. However, while the safeguards were doing their jobs it was still quite obvious to me there was much more havoc to come for the markets. So far most of my efforts to curb the damage had been almost exclusively been for the benefit of myself and the company, though to be honest I wasn't sure I was having much in the way of success.

"You look stressed Martin? Are you okay?" Simon said as he entered my office.

I looked over at him, dressed rather sharply in a dark grey suit and nodded, "I feel I will survive, though I'm not sure how much money I will be able to salvage from this mess." I told him while indicating the wall of monitors to my left.

Simon nodded while looking to the monitors. "How much damage has this caused to your future plans for the company Martin?" He asked.

I shook my head, "I can't really be sure Simon, but what I can tell you is I've been doing what I can to preserve as much wealth as I can." I answered, "Though to be perfectly honest I'm not really sure how much I can protect given the downward trend in the markets."

"Well I trust you're doing the best you can." He assured me.

"I know Simon but given how much things look like they're headed into the shitter I'm not sure how much I can do to keep us going." I told him while leaning back in my chair. "I'd hate to be called a downer but under the circumstances..." I trailed off.

"You don't want to get my hopes up or shoot me down." He said, "But you feel we're entering a period of instability in the markets?"

I found myself chuckling at the level of understatement which he was using. "Simon, I don't think the instability will limit itself to just the markets." I informed him. "I wouldn't be at all surprised if this state of chaos doesn't extend to society around us."

"You think there's going to be a breakdown in social order?" He asked while sitting down in one of the chairs in front of my desk.

I found myself nodding at his question. "Simon right now people are frightened and unsure of what is going on with Chimera running rampant, killing and changing those around them."

He nodded slightly, "I see what you're saying, and I do agree with you to some degree." He said with a sigh. "Seeing something like this coming isn't what any person really would hope for."

"You've got that right Simon." I told him while closing my eyes. "All we can really do is to try and help our people as much as we can."

"I guess you're right about it Martin, all we can do is to do the best we can, but how are we going to explain it to Walter?"

"Explain what to me?" Walter asked as he came into the room to sit down in the other chair beside Simon, coughing slightly into his cupped hands.

Simon turned to face Walter. "Walter have you seen what is happening in the financial markets?"

"Not really, I've been up to my ears in clients... and most of them are trying to do what they can to salvage something from what's going on." Uncle Walter said, his voice showing a hint of desperation.

"Let me guess," I ventured, "They're terminating their contracts with us in an effort to save some money?"

Walter nodded while looking at me, "Please tell me you can do something to keep us afloat."