The auditorium buzzed with tense, anxious whispers. A few hundred nervous faces sat motionless in uncomfortable polymer seats. Most of the crowd had a feeling they knew what the subject matter would be and they were dreading it. The contaminated Nuke incident was a painful and humiliating failure of colossal proportions. Hundreds of Chosen Ones from all walks of life had been affected by it in one way or another, some more profoundly than others. The executives sitting in the back looked downright sick to their stomachs. They weren't sure what they were going to hear from Miss Planner, but they knew it wasn't likely to make them feel any better. And yet, there they sat. Uneasily, solemnly, they waited.
And then, at precisely 6 o'clock, Miss Planner walked down the center aisle, her long black skirt billowing gently behind her like a storm cloud in the wind. She approached the podium with purpose and confidence, like a queen approaching her rightful place atop her nation's throne. The dignified Elder Presence in an austere black robe followed right behind her and stood silently next to her on stage. An ominous hush fell over the hall as the Chosen Ones collectively stopped talking to look up and admire the dazzling blonde general manager, standing proudly above them all.
The sound of clapping filled the room at the moment Miss Planner took the podium. It was more of a gesture of acknowledgement than a show of genuine support, a hesitant and uncomfortable sort of clap, the sound of a group of frightened herd animals attempting to reassure each other they were safe. Miss Planner bowed politely before her audience, every inch of her tiny body radiating calm authority and absolute control. With a gentle smile and a wave of the hand she beckoned them all to silence. The big lights dimmed and a spotlight shined upon the woman who was destined to lead the Chosen Ones to glory.
"Ladies and gentlemen, esteemed Elders, honored associates, beloved friends..." said Miss Planner in a high, soft voice. "Thank you so much for coming to today's special sales presentation. Before we begin, I first want to say a few words on a very sensitive subject."
There was scattered mumbling from the crowd and Miss Planner paused, letting her eyes sweep over the room. A few dozen eyes glanced sideways to the stern old man standing next to the general manager with a grim frown on his wrinkled face, his mouth shut tightly as if he was biting down on a sour lemon.
Miss Planner spoke again.
"As many of you are already aware, an unforeseen and tragic accident occurred recently that resulted in the death of a young child and several bodily injuries to our organization's employees and customers. On behalf of the entire management team at the Tower of the Chosen... I wish to extend my sincerest condolences to those impacted and their families. The safety and well being of all Chosen Ones always has been, and always will be, our highest priority."
The room was still except for some shuffling feet, the rustle of clothing and a couple of sniffles from the women in the front row. Miss Planner continued with cold intensity, ignoring the growing awkwardness and embarrassment in the room.
"This incident, unfortunately, served to highlight several serious issues with the Chosen Ones' internal operations, especially with regard to our quality control processes. I want to emphasize that this is not an excuse. It is a fact that this failure was preventable."
There was a collective sigh of resignation, disappointment, and exhaustion.
"Our goal in the days to come will be to take immediate steps to rectify these issues. To ensure such a tragedy never happens again, we will be making major changes to both the management structure of the Chosen Ones organization and its internal policies and procedures. We are instituting an additional level of oversight within all divisions and departments. Every employee in the company will henceforth have access to a full team of managerial support specialists to provide guidance and direction in areas of their specialization. These positions are being opened on a department by department basis starting today."
A few murmurs arose among the crowd, a sign of discontent, or perhaps just skepticism at the boldness of the plan. Miss Planner waved the dissent away with a gentle, apologetic expression. The decision was final, and there would be no more talk of compromise or concessions.
"This model has been tested and refined by our research division over the past year to great success. We will be keeping a careful eye on every aspect of this changeover to monitor its effect on all relevant aspects of Chosen business and making changes as needed, but I am confident this initiative will bring about a marked increase in product quality, delivery times, safety, morale... and perhaps most importantly, in employee performance and satisfaction. I would encourage anyone interested in applying for one of these support positions to contact your human resources representative at your earliest convenience!"
Miss Planner was clearly excited about her bold new initiative. A wide grin broke through her carefully crafted mask of professional poise. She looked like a little girl who'd just been told she could have whatever flavor of ice cream she wanted.
