Dismantled Pipeline

Dismantled Pipeline

A Novel by

Mike Andora

January 14th, 2013

Today was my first day at Edenic. After being briefed on everything from sexual harassment to a non-disclosure agreement, and signing the associated paperwork; I was asked to meet the CEO, Brian Russell in his office. I wondered if this was standard for all new hires? The nerves made my muscles tight and movements robotic. After an exchange of genuine handshakes and fake smiles, he shut the door and sat down. He was tall and hid his weight well. He had a jet black flat top haircut and was clean shaven. He had a copy of my resume and saw that my last job was with a private investigation agency, known as Salinas & Ward.

Mr. Gannon. Tell me about what types of things your agency was capable of?

Well, we located witnesses, domestic cases with families, surveillance, and other civil investigations. We even caught a congresswoman having an affair, as well as taking money from an oil and gas company for an upcoming vote to reform California’s Rule of Capture Law (which would force Oil Companies that drill to pay a tax based on how much oil they extract to surrounding landowners, because of problems with groundwater in the past). Apparently the handout was completely legal, although the pictures of the incumbent with her boyfriend led to a divorce and later a loss in re-election. I explained that was the job that I worked my way through college with, and that this Microbiologist position in Research & Development would be my first job that utilized my degree.

I spoke with your former boss, Trevor Ward about your skills, and he said that you were one of the best private investigators that he had.

Brian walked behind me and shut the door to his office.

Would you be willing to put both your skills as a private investigator and your degree in microbiology to good use, Mr. Gannon?

Sure, I would have to familiarize myself with the details of the job, but yah…I feel like I would be able to help.

I discussed this opportunity with my colleagues, and we would like you to work for Edenic’s competitor, Solizer Pharmaceuticals.

I’m sorry, what? I don’t understand.

He slid a paper over to me, and asked me to read it, think about it and sign it; then I can tell you what we can offer you.

The paper said that I would be reporting the development of future products in Solizer’s Research and Development Department, and if I was accused of violating there companies non-disclosure agreement, then Edenic would deny any affiliation with me. My right leg began to bounce up and down erraticly.

I’m sorry. I can’t sign, because if I were caught no one would ever hire me again.

I understands, and because of the risk involved we will give you a $30,000 signing bonus, we will also give you a salary of $80,000 a year with a chance to increase as much as 20% annually after job reviews. The money would be placed into an account that I have access to, but under a fake name as a precaution in the case something went wrong and money was traced. Keep in mind that Solizer will know nothing about this, so you will be earning a salary with them, probably in the ballpark of 40 to 50 thousand dollars per year. Not a lot of recent college graduates can say that they earn over 100k a year? The duration of the job would be 8 months, and then I would return to the microbiologist position I was originally hired for. Unfortunately this agreement will be void if we find that you have discussed the specifics with anyone, this includes parents, siblings, friends, and significant others.

My mind raced. I thought about how the money would allow me to get cable TV, a gym membership, groceries other than discounted frozen dinners, and dress clothes I couldn’t afford in the past. I felt tear drops of sweat traveling from under my arms down to my waste. I dragged the black pen across the paper, to form a signature that was less tidy then usual from the constituent shaking of my hands.

It’s 10pm right now and I’m writing to continue the habit of reflecting events in my journal at least twice a week, since I’m now 22 years old and the transition to post college life may be interesting to read years from now. I can tell I’m going to have trouble sleeping, but I have a lot to prepare for. The company is giving me a new resume, and coaching me for the interview with Solizer. It will also be nice to have money in my account. I can finally afford my own place without needing roommates, a car, and maybe even a dog to keep me company.

I woke up at 5:30am, after only four hours of sleep. I made Yerba Mate tea and sipped it while the steam condensed on my eyebrows. I clicked the “Favorites” icon on my computer tool bar, taking me to “Today I Learned” section of my most visited website that specialized in informative articles from various sources. Apparently fingers and toes wrinkle in water due to a neurological adaptation, which is believed to have helped our ancestors grip objects in wet conditions. The endless facts from headlines of articles lined up vertically on my screen and made me feel productive even though the facts will never be practical in everyday life. I slid on gym shorts and a long sleeve shirt, and went for a jog down Main Street, watching the employees of coffee shops and bakeries set up behind the closed doors. I passed people on park benches, in their sleeping bags with their shopping carts next to them. Sacramento was full of thrift shops, record shops, or any other business that had something marketable towards the wanderlust young professionals that occupied the downtown area.

After a short shower, I put on the new dress shirt that still had creases in it from the manufacturer. I arrived at the lobby, where I was directed to a security booth on the opposite side of the building to receive my employee badge to check in and out. Upon entering through the large glass doors and pretentiously modern lobby furniture, I arrived at my desk. I logged into the computer using the post-it note with my username and password. The first thing I did was open my e-mail to find a day full of meetings for trainings and overviews of procedures. The first meeting was at 10am with Brian and some other people with prestigious titles.

Brian was sitting at the head of the table with a large coffee mug. When he turned to activate the projector, his portly figure was more apparent.