I Took a Walk episode 1

Earning this bonus could cost Jimmy his life

With an eye on the clock, Jimmy cleaned up his workstation. He had no intention of missing game time down at the pub, but didn’t dare cut out early to make that hour and a half drive with the new computer monitoring system in place. The brown-nosers next to him, who both started early and skipped lunch, were already gone, leaving that part of the floor nearly empty. This was a day he should have skipped lunch, too.

 “Mr. Roeing, would you be interested in some overtime and possibly a big bonus?”

Turning, Jimmy was startled to find the company’s Junior Vice President Charles Griever, and one of the bigwig scientists, Dr. Eastland, standing there. Both were men he almost never saw except on company fliers, and had never spoken to.

This was his lucky day. Both men were known for giving out big bonuses for doing stupid things, like seeing how fast you could break one of their machines by abusing it. Jimmy smiled. “What did you have in mind?”

“Your record shows you are fully experienced on an artic powered-environmental-survival suit. The one that will keep you alive even if you are knocked into the icy water and have to stay there for a day?”

“Yes, the company I used to work for made them mandatory on North Sea rigs whenever the wind exceeded 45 miles per hour one winter. They canceled it as too costly within six weeks, about the time we had finally learned to get the work done right, wearing the damn things.”

Griever lowered his voice. “What this entails is wearing a suit we are working on for the military, for a few hours early tomorrow morning. It is halfway between that and the NASA EVA suit. There is a lot of top-secret equipment involved. More than covered by your NDA with this company. We need this test done, and can’t get you the clearance quicky, so there will be no record that the test was ever done. As far as the military is concerned, they will be doing the first manned test of the suit six months from now. Since there is to be no record, you will be paid cash with no record of the payment in payroll.”

Eastland spoke. “We are way ahead of schedule and haven’t reported that fact, as they would then cut off our development funds.”

Griever glared at Eastland. Jimmy guessed he hadn’t wanted that revealed.

“Quite,” Griever said. “Without those funds, two departments would need to be shut down, one being the one you work for. So not only are you getting a big bonus, you are making sure you still have a job by keeping this quiet.”

“How much?”

“Seventy-five thousand, paid whether the equipment works or not when we are done tomorrow. We start early: four a.m. You should be out of here with your money, no later than eight. It being a Saturday, only you, Doctor Eastland, myself, and two gate guards, will be here, or know we were here. Keep it that way.”

“Ok, I’m in.”

“Come down to lab 327B tomorrow at four a.m. Doctor Eastland and myself will help you into the suit and start explaining the special equipment to you then. Remember, not a word to anyone that you are here.”

“It will be hard keeping it from my girlfriend. She will demand to know where I am going.”

“Do you fish?”

“Sometimes.”

“Show her the company website. There is a twenty-four-hour fishing charter starting at eight tonight. Tell her someone got sick and gave you their place and go stay in a hotel.”

“That would work.”