Chương 100: Chapter 99 – Mister Hardscrabble’s Cup of Emberbrew

Elios sat at the workstation, looking at the part of the teleport but not truly seeing it. He had been putting it together slowly. Why not? That replacement piece had still not arrived, so there really was no rush. To his relief, he had not seen hide nor hare of Mordak since the attack. He couldn't understand why Mordak's lack of care or concern bothered him so much. I mean, this was typical Mordak behavior. If it had something to do with anyone but himself, he could care less. He couldn't help the sting though.

He thought, that after all these years, Mordak to some degree appreciated the long hours and dedication. He wouldn't have called them friends, but he truly believed their relationship extended beyond employer and employee. His attention shifted to the corridor as he heard the unmistakable sound of Mordak's voice quickly approaching. He did not recognize the other voice, but it sounded like Mordak was very well acquainted with whoever it belonged to. He strained his ears to listen as the voices continued.

"I really think you're going to like it here, Jethro. Elios shouldn't be a problem. His performance has been, shall we say, slipping. He's been missing deadlines, and now with the lab being vandalized like this, well, I would just feel far more comfortable if someone else took the reins," Mordak said, with an almost joyous lilt to his voice.

"We need some new blood around here anyway." Elios looked down at the piece he held in his hand, his heart sinking to the pit of his stomach. He had heard the name Jethro before, but where? It hit him like a slap in the face. Jethro Hardscrabble? No, it couldn't be. Even Mordak wouldn't stoop to that level… he knew how they felt about each other. Hardscrabble was lazy, inept, and incompetent. Elios had fired him years ago, and now he was back?

I will just have to assign him to the most mundane manual work I can think of. I cannot risk him screwing up and setting my research back any further than it already was, he thought, shaking his head and walking toward the teleport to install the piece in his hand.

"Elios, where are you?" Mordak called out as he entered the room.

"Elios?" Elios stood perfectly still, trying to maintain composure. He couldn't let either Mordak or Hardscrabble see his contempt.

"See? He's never around when you need him," Mordak grumbled.

"I'm right here, sir," Elios said, stepping out from behind the machine, smiling while the anger inside churned.

"Ah, there you are. Napping on the job again?" Mordak asked, then shot Hardscrabble a look, which caused him to smile faintly. A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

"No, sir, I am putting the teleport together. That piece still has not arrived, so I'm afraid it's not going to be operational until it gets here," Elios said calmly.

"No worries. I got you some help because, well, to be honest, your performance has been, let's just say, not up to my standards as of late." He sighed.

"I don't know what's wrong with you, but I've had enough downtime with your projects. It's time we got someone here to move things along." Elios looked at him, confused.

"Sir, I was attacked. The reason why the machine isn't fixed is I'm waiting for the part…"

"Enough with the excuses, Elios. This is Jethro Hardscrabble. He's going to be taking over your projects. You will be reporting to him," he said coldly.

"If you have a problem with that, then feel free to leave," Mordak said.

"But I will expect your rent payment before you go. By the way, it's late." Elios looked at him wide eyed.

"Rent payment, sir?"

"Yes, for your accommodations here. Didn't you get my memo? Your rent is due by the first of the month, and today is the seventeenth, so it's late. There is also the matter of the twenty-percent penalty, which of course will be due upon your resignation."

"Sir, I have no intention of resigning," Elios said flatly.

"Good to hear," Mordak said indifferently.

"So, I expect you to bring Jethro here up to speed on what you are working on. He'll direct you on what he would like done to get these projects finished. Once your projects are back on track, we will reevaluate your position and see what modifications need to be made. If you keep on your current trajectory, you could be looking at reduced hours or maybe even termination," he said, eyeing him up and down.

"But we'll worry about that later." He smiled and nodded at Hardscrabble.

"Oh, yeah, I also expect you to clean out your stuff from Hardscrabble's new office. It's not right for you to continue utilizing the boss' office now, is it?" He gave him a matter of fact look.

"I'll let you take it from here, Jethro," he said, giving him a nod and a smile before heading out the door.

"Jethro, we are currently working on putting the teleport back together…" Elios said, doing his best to maintain professional courtesy.

"First off, you will address me as Mister Hardscrabble or sir. And secondly, you will be continuing to put the teleport back together, not me, after, of course, you clear your stuff out of my office."

"Of course, sir," he said through a clenched jaw.

"Will there be anything else… sir?"

"Yeah, as a matter of fact, come to think of it, go fetch me a cup of emberbrew. Not that swill from the first-floor cafeteria, but one from the executive lounge. Well, that is, if you can get in," Hardscrabble said.

"I'm not sure if your badge has been modified yet." Elios stood blankly staring at Hardscrabble. It took every ounce of energy he had not to slap the smug look off his face.

"Do you need directions or something?" Hardscrabble asked.

"I heard you had a head injury. Did you forget how to get there? I know how much Mordak values his handicapped employees, so if you need assistance, please let me know and I will have someone escort you so you don't get lost," he said sarcastically.

"In other words… stupid, move your ass!" he yelled. Elios turned abruptly and headed for the door. He moved carefully in controlled footsteps, when every instinct was telling him to run, run far and run fast.

"Sure, I'll get you your emberbrew… sir…" he muttered.

"I may spit in it, but I'll be sure to get that for you," he muttered, snickering to himself.