“Fucking oil spill,” Nova muttered, looking down from her office to the street below. Taking a glass of water and spoke “There must be 10,000 fucking protesters there. Sure, I gave the order. Sure, I fired the man who actually told me there was a problem. It’s not like I expected the thing to blow and cause those deaths and this mess. Now to figure out how many more people I have to pay off.”
Nova was the CEO of Epic Oil and it was their oil spill in Florida that had caused this massive rally, aptly timed for today, Earth Day.
The oil spill had already cost the company billions of dollars and a variety of lawsuits were pending. But all those could be dealt with by bribery. All you needed was enough cash; as Nova had learned early in life—everyone has a price.
Still engrossed in her thoughts, she did not hear the commotion coming from the reception area. She pondered all the work it had taken to get this position, this plush office on the top floor of this magnificent building. “Okay, lots of fucking too,” she muttered again.
Her thoughts were immediately stopped by a sudden burst through her office door. Two strange women came rushing towards her and, before she could react, one of them sprayed her face with what she smelled as an odd-smelling perfume. “What the hell are you doing in my office?” she was able to blurt before gagging from the spray.
Feeling woozy, she tottered towards her desk. Though she heard one of the women order her to sit down, it was all she could do to manage it. Groggily, she watched as the two women, one a blonde, the other a redhead, quickly marched around the room. They appeared to be checking for security and exit locations. Many thoughts went through her mind as they did so.
Like why she had not resisted the woman’s direct command. Sure, she had to sit because of the dizziness, but some sort of wanting to obey this woman, not just from fear or safety, but from the wish to obey, to submit. Normally, she would be in command, not some stranger invading her office. She had no fear, though.
She tried to tell herself it was not so much the woman’s command that caused her to sit so quickly, but that sudden wooziness from the spray. What could that be? Trying to assess the situation, she eyed her intruders. The blonde looked to be in her early twenties, probably a college student; but her tone showed she was a strong-willed woman. The other, a short redhead, looked older, probably in her mid-twenties. For some reason, Nova deemed this one to be the leader.
Nova was an expert at crisis control and had to think quickly. She cursed herself not to have had the forethought to have considered a break-in. Actually she had, but had dismissed the possibility. Alarms would certainly be sounded long before any environmental terrorist group could reach her and Mia in this, her personal top-floor office shrine. She wondered why there were no alarms. And what of Mia, for that matter?
Glancing through the window into Mia’s separate reception area, she saw that another woman had overpowered her and was busy restraining her. Not wanting any harm to come to Mia, or herself for that matter, she tried to remain calm.
Nova took a deep breath to collect herself as the two women in her office, having finished surveying her office, sat before her. She tried to speak in a very business-like tone, as if in a business meeting, “Ladies, what can I do for you?”
The pretty redhead said with spite and controlled rage, “What can you do for us? How about treating our environment with respect?”
Nova kept a poker face front, but inside she thought to herself, ‘Oh great, environmentalist freaks. They are always the hardest to please. Many of them have morals and crap’. The words she spoke were the opposite of her thoughts as they were very politically correct. “I am so sorry about the Florida incident. We are doing our best to contain the damage and make sure nothing like this ever happens again.”
“Right,” the redhead sarcastically responded. She looked around the office before adding, sarcasm dripping with each word, “I see the oil spill has done a lot of damage to your life?”
Nova knew she was in trouble. The oil spill and subsequent explosion probably damaged this girl’s home. Still calm and cool, Nova asked, “How can I help you, young ladies?”
The blonde said, in a disturbingly foreboding voice, “Oh, don’t worry, you are going to help us. Before we’re done with you, you’re even going to be happy you did.”
Nova did not like that threatening tone. Nor did she like the implication that she would like whatever these freaks intended. She decided she would put a stop to this right now. She reached for her cell phone, but heard the redhead demand, “Put that phone down.”
She instantly did so, not out of fear, but oddly, out of obedience. Nova tried to come to grips with why she obeyed so quickly. The girls were far enough away for her to at least dial a number. She pondered this as the redhead called out, “Amelia, bring in her chubby secretary.”
Mia was indeed a chubby girl, though Nova often thought she probably got enough dates with those huge tits she had, As Nova watched Mia brought in with her hands behind her back by a tall, thin, extremely pretty brunette, who looked to be nineteen or so.
Nova knew the situation was quickly getting way too out of control, and for the first time in years, she felt a sense of vulnerability. Although nervous inside while also trying to fight off the drug she now concluded she had been given, she spoke with complete confidence, standing up to regain the power position, “Ladies, if this is about money, I am sure we can work this out. Right here, right now.”
“Sit down,” roared the redhead.
Nova again instantly obeyed, although she was unsure why. She sat there speechless, pondering her next move, if, that is, she had the power or will to make a next move. The conversation between the redhead and Ashley took on grim proportions,
She listened as the redhead interrogated Mia.
The redhead asked the secretary, “What is your name?”
“Mia.”
“Why do you work for this bitch?”
Nova gave out a surprised gasp at being called a bitch, and watched as Mia responded.
Mia, tears running down her face, answered, “It pays really well.”
The redhead asked, “Is the bitch good to work for?”
Mia looked at her boss before quickly looking away, and answered “She is tough to please.”
“I bet,” chuckled the redhead.
Nova, furious at the direction the conversation was taking, not to mention the betrayal of her secretary, blurted, “Mia, how dare you say that.”
The redhead, fire and brimstone in her voice, turned to Nova and exploded, “Shut up.”
Nova instantly quit speaking, her face a red flush of anger. Definitely, she tried to speak again, but no words left her lips. She tried over and over again, but nothing. She was mystified as to why.
The redhead gave a devious smirk and said, “What, big boss bitch, cat got your tongue?”
All three of the girls burst out laughing as Nova sat there, a frustrated, furious mute.
The redhead then asked Mia, “So do you hate your boss?”
“No,” Mia answered, though somewhat unconvincingly.
The redhead smiled and said, “Be honest, Mia. Believe me, your boss won’t be your boss much longer, so please, answer all my questions honestly. So again, do you hate your boss?”
Mia sighed and answered honestly, “With a passion.”
Nova glared at her secretary, who she was convinced she would be firing when this situation was resolved.
“I see,” said the redhead, jubilantly. “Why do you hate her so much?”
Mia, now with passion and a hateful spite in each word, answered, “She is cold, selfish and a bitch. She treats me like a servant and only cares about herself.”
Nova’s rage desperately wanted to escape her lips, but no words would come. Desperate to show her anger, she slammed her fist on her desk, her eyes speaking daggers.
The redhead glared at Nova and said, “Get on your knees, like a dog, bitch.”
Nova’s glare shifted to the young redhead, but even as her mind resisted, her body dropped to the floor like a puppy. She could not explain why she obeyed such a command. Again, she wanted to speak, but couldn’t.
The redhead smiled like a villain. “Crawl over to your secretary, bitch,” she ordered casually.
Seemingly powerless to resist, Nova’s humiliation still burned inside her as she nevertheless immediately began to slowly crawl across her plush carpet floor to her plump secretary.
The redhead offered, “Do you want some revenge, Mia?”
Mia’s face went from scared to devious as she answered slyly, “Hmmmm, yes. I’d like that very much.”
The redhead leaned on Nova’s desk and said, “Mrs. Brace, you will obey every command that Mia gives you. Do you understand?”
Nova looked up from the floor and though still raging with anger inside, she nodded her head compliantly.
The redhead smiled, “You may talk now, bitch. But remember, there will be severe consequences to any disobedience.”
Nova’s invisible muzzle disappeared. Still managing anger in her voice, she demanded “What have you done to me?”
The redhead smiled, walked over to Nova, bent down and said, “Take away your free will.”
“Excuse me?” Nova questioned, confused.
The redhead said, matter-of-factly, “You will obey every command from,” and she paused before stressing, “anyone.”
Nova looked at her mystified as she stuttered, officially nervous, “W-w-why?”
“Are you kidding me?” the blonde interrupted. “Revenge, of course. Plus when today is over, we will have changed the world.”
Nova was still perplexed as she tried to process all of this.
The blonde continued, “Do you know the name Edna Parker?”
Nova racked her brain trying to place the name with a face. No matter how much she tried, no remembrance came. Finally, she answered, “Sorry, no I don’t.”
The blonde’s words spit out with deliberate disdain as she said, “I figured you wouldn’t.”
The redhead asked, “Did you know there is a ‘I hate Nova Brace’ website?”
“No,” Nova said, unbelievingly.
“Oh yes,” the blonde said, “It has hundreds of members. That is how we all met. On a chat at www.ihateNovabrace.com.”
The redhead jokes, “We are even thinking of getting t-shirts made.”
Nova, stunned and frustrated, said arrogantly, “Oh, who is on it? A bunch of environmentalists? Boo-fucking-hoo.”