--Originally published at TI2011 – Miguel’s Blog
The first chapter starts with our main character Webster Tompkins, or Mr. Tompkins, or Mr. T, sitting on the back of an auditorium. He is about to be, as they say it, released to seek opportunity elsewhere (ReSOE). Being laid off is something real that happens often, leaving many people without jobs. There are many causes for being laid off. It isn’t really explicitly said in the text why Mr. Tompkins was a ReSOE, but I assume it was to cut costs, meaning that the company isn’t doing too good. Anyway, our main character doesn’t seem to care all that much since he just goes to sleep in the back. However, this sleep was short lived since the HR people were making too much noise for him to sleep, even in the back.
Mr. T is approached by a woman named Lahksa Hoolihan. It would be safe to assume that she was just another ReSOE, but that’s wrong, as she reveals that she is actually a spy from Morovia, an industrial spy at that. I have never really thought about the possibility of industrial spies, but it doesn’t seem like something from another world. I could actually see there being industrial spies around. Stealing confidential information could really give you an advantage over your competition. It is so beneficial that Hoolihan said that she would kidnap or even kill.
After that, Hoolihan actually gives us a bit of context about the story. It happened during the 1990s. She also mentions that 3.3 million jobs have been lost in the last nine months. That number is quite big. She also mentions that often taking out the CEO won’t really damage the business. If you really want to manage a business you need to take out the managers. This goes to
