The story of 6: Part 1

[Revised: December 10, 2009]

Professor Karros had recently hired the new L. A. (Lobby Assistant) and for the past month, she was doing well. Number 7 was doing well. What L. A. may not realize is the amount of danger and hazard involved with controlling the Lobby for one of the greatest entertainment companies Headquarters. It’s a fact, all the previous Lobby Assistants are dead, or close to it.

Now I’m not going to say this isn’t a sad story, but it is one that needs to be… This will lead to greater and better stories being told.

L. A. had just stepped out of a very successful employee review, and received her permanent parking space, permanent credentials, permanent office space (that she’ll never use), permanent security clearance (Level 1, the highest there is) and respect from everyone around - Except Sealfy. Sealfy was giving L. A. one of the toughest days ever. In the terms of an old friend, “the toughest day in the history of toughest days.” Sealfy was throwing fireballs, new inventions, sick puppies, alien protests, and God only knows what else.

L. A. was about to scream her head off, and go all skinning-homicidal again. Just as a General Bakes walks up to her and says, “I’m so sorry.”

L. A. looks behind her and says, “Excuse me? Why?”

The General was already gone, out the door.

Professor Karros slowly walked down the stairs. His face looked as if he had just lost his best friend, or his wife. He didn’t look up at any of the casual customers, didn’t even notice Sealfy’s L. A.test inventions, and didn’t even say a word to L. A.. Professor Karros just spoke to Greg and then told the Chief Security Officer, “Its time.”

The Chief Security Officer, Jarred Fervor, become overwhelmed by feelings of deep sadness and lost. His face dropped, and his hands fell to their sides. He took a key from a locked cabinet, and slowly waked down the hall to the Corporate Elevator. Professor Karros slid his way to the same elevator, and inserting his key into the elevator. Jarred joined the Professor and they both walked into the elevator, the doors shut.

Jarred comforted Professor Karros, as Professor Karros went for the panel on the wall. He turned the panel to the left, revealing a secret hidden panel. He pushed a few buttons on the hidden panel and let it scan his eye. The elevator started descending.

L. A.’s ears perked up, her eyebrows dented, and her eyes widen with surprise. The elevator never went down, it always went up. She knew there were some secret sub levels about EGT, such as the one that led to Professor Karros personal home. What she didn’t know, was there was a forth. The forth was a small hallway which at the end rested a warning sign and a hermetically tight door. She would not know anything about this… unless she asked.

An hour later there was a screech of machinery and a shriek heard below where Greg and the Professor went to. Much later Greg walked to the elevator just as the Professor exited. Greg walked with the Professor and began comforting him. Greg and Professor Karros took the stairs to his office, which was exceedingly out of character seeing that Professor Karros’s office resided on the L. A.st floor, almost 6,000 steps from the first floor. Professor Karros and Greg stayed up there for hours.





The clock swung to 4:30 pm. The notification music sounded 3 times and an announcer announced, “Attention. The EGT Open-Door policy is now closed. All unauthorized persons are asked to leave the building in the next 15 minutes. Thank You. Attention…” It repeated the announcement the same notification music, which ran before the announcement, resounded.

L. A. began picking up her office, on this late Friday afternoon. It was December 4 and no sign of Greg or Professor Karros.

Greg finally walked by L. A., and about to leave the building when L. A. spoke. “Greg?”

“Yes, L. A.?” Greg responded to the question, and stopped half way to main entrance.

“What is wrong with the Professor?” L. A. paused, waiting for a response. When no response came she asked again, “What happened?”

“Remember the Lobby Assistant before you, number 6?”

“Ya,” she spoke in a quiet, timid voice.

“It was final decided today.” Greg began to walk away, sadly realizing the truth of that statement.

“Decided, what toady?” L. A.’s curiosity grew as she turned around to face Greg, eye to eye.

“Ask the Professor.” Greg motioned that the Professor was still in his office.

“I will.” L. A. smiled at Greg and a ‘Thank You’ could be felt by both parties. Greg began leaving and L. A. went to work.





It was now 5:30 in the afternoon, and L. A. was prepared for everything. She knew the Professor might make a break for it so she sealed the back door with super sticky gum that she borrowed from Sealfy, in exchange for testing his new hair cleaner. She would test it Monday morning, as it was currently ‘out of commission’. Whatever, ‘out of commission’ meant.

She had the elevator temporarily reprogrammed to tell Professor Karros it, was out of order. She had assigned a drill team to work on reformatting the sidewalk so the Professor could not fly down from his Office balcony as he had many times before.

She turned the corner only to see the Professor in his office, head down and crying. Fairly quietly now, but she could imagine that the tears were rather fierce earlier today. L. A. wondered what could possibly make the president of a multimillion dollar corporation, then anything she has ever seen.

She quietly walked in, and heard the signs that the Professor had cried himself to sleep. “This is the first," She said to herself as she looked around for something anything she could use to wake him up. She found a cup of water.

The Professor instinctively, jumped to his feet and hit the ceiling.

“And that ceiling is what, 7/9 feet? Hey, Professor, can we talk.”

Professor Karros, grabbed his L. A.st remaining tissue and wiped his eyes, face, cheeks, shoulders, desk, and if it wasn’t for an absorbent rug he would have down that to. That poor sheet of tissue… Professor Karros collects himself and slowly brings himself to reality, sighs then says, “Sure. Remember 6?”

“Caprica?” L. A. thought it would be great to add humor, not a bad idea.

“The sixth Lobby Assistant.”

“Not much, do tell.”

“Most Lobby Assistants I’ve had die and those that don’t are well… Six was great.” L. A., grabs a seat and moves some soaking wet junk mail to the side and rests her head on the table.

“You have all day.”

“6 was the greatest of employee of them all, she was brilliant. she had everyone in the Lobby whipped into shape. Except Sealfy, but no one is that good. Six and I had a very good relationship. We went out to coffee shops and to malls. 6 even helped buy my wife’s Christmas gift.”

“It wasn’t going to last. About 3 months ago, I had news that an old friend of mine had resurrected himself into the world. He was planning on using some of my more ‘colorful inventions,’ against me and the western world.”