Melinda decided to stop by the company cafeteria to get a cup of coffee before heading off to her meeting. After paying for her purchase at the cashier station she noticed a familiar face seated alone at one of the tables. She headed over to the table. On reaching it, she said, "Hello, Shelly."
Shelly looked up and said, "Hello, Melinda."
"How's it going?" Melinda asked.
"I'm engaged," Shelly said. She wiggled a finger to show off the engagement ring.
"My condolences."
"Thanks."
Melinda took a sip of her coffee. She asked, "What got you?"
"That's a long story."
Melinda glanced at her watch and decided that she could miss her meeting. "I've got time."
Shelly sighed and said, "We're out in Colorado appreciating the view of the mountains. Let me tell you something, it is really pretty there."
"I know. I was there last week."
"I forgot about that," Shelly said. So much had happened over the past few weeks that it was hard to keep track of thing. "Anyway, I'm doing my best to keep Steve as far away from me as possible and he starts talking about my dissertation. After five sentences, I knew that he had read it and understood it. He was making connections that no one else has ever made. Five minutes into the discussion, we're arguing esoteric points that I've worked on in my spare time."
Melinda said, "Ah."
"The next thing I know I'm on my back announcing my orgasm to the stars," Shelly said. She had no idea how that had happened. It had followed a declaration of her brilliance.
"Mike did the same thing to me," Melinda said.
"I was about to object when I recovered, but he started all over again," Shelly said.
"They cheat," Melinda said.
"He must have been raised at the Kitty Cat Ranch because he did things to my body that defy words," Shelly said. She sighed.
"It sure makes it hard to stay at work," Melinda said knowing exactly what Shelly was feeling. "What convinced you to marry him?"
Shelly said, "Steve gave me a new computer. Her name is Emma."
"Mine is Myra," Melinda said.
"We spent a week improving the inferential algorithms it uses. My God, I've never learned so much in my life. It was intoxicating," Shelly said.
"I know the feeling," Melinda said.
"I guess you do." Shelly was silent for a moment. In a change of subject, she asked, "Have you ever met Steve's sister, Cynthia?"
"No," Melinda said.
"She's a physicist and very brilliant," Shelly said.
"She's a Connor," Melinda said.
Shelly said, "I had a long talk with her the other night when Steve was installing a secure network for the Ables. She told me about Samuel Donaldson. He was a really remarkable man for the times."
"What do you mean?" Melinda asked. Mike had given her an overview of the family, but she hadn't walked away so impressed with Samuel Donaldson.
"Samuel Donaldson had six daughters at a time when women were expected to be nice little subservient wives. He had a different idea. He encouraged them to pursue their interests far beyond what was socially acceptable. One of his daughters got a doctorate in chemistry. Another of his daughters got a degree in engineering. One of his daughters was the first woman in the state to become a judge. One of his daughters was the first woman doctor in the state. One of his daughters went to Paris and studied the culinary arts. He had a daughter who could outshoot and outfight any man this side of the Mississippi."
"Ah," Melinda said understanding how it was that they had chosen the men they had married.
"Samuel Donaldson instilled in his daughters the idea that they never had to settle for second best. He raised them to be independent, intelligent, and driven. Above all, he taught them to pursue excellence."
"That explains a lot," Melinda said.
Shelly was silent for a moment and then said, "It is so easy to assume that the clans are ruled by testosterone driven men, particularly the Ables clan. Five minutes of listening to them talk about women like sexual objects and you want to cut their balls off. The truth is very different. Cynthia explained to me that the women run the families and they run it with an iron fist."
"She said it that way?" Melinda asked.
"Well, she actually said that they ruled with an iron cunt," Shelly said rolling her eyes.
"That sounds a little better. They are flavorful when it comes to describing relationships between men and women," Melinda said.
"The important thing to understand is that every child is taught to pursue excellence from the cradle. Everything a child does while growing up is a lesson. Not one member of the family has failed to graduate high school by the time they reach sixteen. Not one in three generations."
"My God. That's incredible," Melinda said.
"They grow up to be confident because they know they can excel at whatever they attempt," Shelly said. "They are tested constantly. Each time they pass a test their confidence grows."
Melinda said, "Interesting observation."
"You've seen it. Those kids working for you when you built the trebuchet were being trained to take a pile of rubbish and turn it into a weapon. Those four kids had competed to see who would get to help Mike. You got the best four of all of the kids who wanted to help," Shelly said.
"I didn't realize that," Melinda said. She had never seen kids that age work so hard on something. It had been hard backbreaking work.
"Excellence," Shelly said looking thoughtful.
"Excellence," Melinda said thinking about the implications of an entire family dedicated to that concept.
Shelly said, "They are so arrogant."
"That's true," Melinda said. She was beginning to realize that they had earned that arrogance.
"I graduated high school at fifteen," Shelly said.
"Me too," Melinda said.
Shelly said, "So did Jimbo."
"You're kidding?" Melinda said.
"His father was a sergeant in the Army and won the Congressional Medal of Valor. He raised Jimbo with an iron fist. He pushed him to succeed in scholastic endeavors as well as martial arts. Apparently, he felt that a dumb man with a gun was a dead man with a gun. It wasn't a matter of luck that Jimbo won the obstacle course race," Shelly said.
"He said it was tough, but he didn't make a big deal out of it," Melinda said.
"Half the people who started didn't finish. That's saying a lot; particularly since we're talking Ables here," Shelly said. "The medics there were young members of the Sanders clan."
"I haven't had a chance to meet any members of the medical branch of the Donaldson family," Melinda said.
"They're the same as the others -- Arrogant, confident, and driven to excel," Shelly said.
"I'm not surprised," Melinda said.
Shelly rose from the table and said, "I guess I can't put it off any more."
"What?" Melinda asked.
"I'm clearing out my office. I'm resigning tomorrow. Steve and I are going to work on a signal processing system for an advanced sonar system," Shelly said.
Melinda had been in office for only five minutes when Buck Ables walked in. He sat down in a chair before she had a chance to offer him a seat. He smiled at her and said, "You're problems are over."
"That's nice," Melinda replied taken aback by his informal invasion of her office space. She asked, "Which problems?"
"The ones concerning a certain black project," Buck answered.
"Oh those problems," Melinda said wide-eyed. She hadn't known that WhiteIce Global was trying to solve her problems. She had hired them to provide protection for her people.
"We tracked your problems back to the source. Interestingly enough, a certain government had already paid a rather unique organization to take care of the source of your problems. This morning, the source had a fatal encounter with its citizenry," Buck said with a wink.
"You mean that mess in South America?" Melinda asked.
"I didn't say that," Buck said with a wink.
"I got it," Melinda said.
Buck looked around the office and said, "I guess you're going to miss this place."
"I didn't know I was leaving," Melinda said.
"You will," Buck said.
"You might be right," Melinda said.
"We've got a bunch of young Ables who have graduated high school and are too young to enter the Army. They are all looking for jobs. When you and Mike head down to Florida to build your submarine, you might consider taking a handful of them along with you to work security."
"We'll do that," Melinda said. Buck Ables ran WhiteIce Global. She didn't think it would be a good idea to get on his bad side.
"Thanks," Buck said. He rose from the chair and headed towards the door. Just after reaching it, he turned to face her and said, "Welcome to the family."
"Thanks," Melinda said.
"I love freckles," Buck mumbled while leaving the office.
"I'm telling your wife you said that."
Buck laughed. He called back, "Don't you dare."
Melinda stepped into Jack Armstrong's office without knocking on the door. He looked up from his desk and frowned at her. Irritated at being disturbed, he said, "What?"
"Buck Ables just informed me that the security problem on the Bird-4 project has been solved," Melinda said.
"Buck Ables? Do you mean Buckley Ables?" Jack asked with a frown.
"Yes," Melinda answered.
Jack sighed. He said, "I guess if Buckley says he solved the problem then it is solved. WhiteIce Global has a reputation to maintain. He's not going to blow it on a job like this."
"The project is ahead of schedule," Melinda said. The engine problems had been solved by Mike. A test engine had been built and it had performed within specifications. Others could make the necessary design tweaks to take it to a production level. Steve had solved the guidance and control problems. A dozen programmers were working on pulling it all together.
"How did that happen?" Jack asked.
"Mike O'Connor solved the engine problems. Steve Connor solved the guidance problems," Melinda answered.
"I wasn't aware that Steve Connor was involved in this project," Jack said. His frown grew.
"I borrowed him from Dale," Melinda said.
Hoping that he would get some good news, he asked, "How did your date with Mike O'Connor go?"
"We're engaged."
"Shit!"
"What's the matter?" Melinda asked surprised by his reaction.
"I thought that a date with him would drive you apart," Jack answered.
"Why?"
He spun in his chair and stared out the window for a minute. Finally, he said, "You're arrogant, but rightfully so. I knew one minute after talking to you during your interview for a job here that you would accomplish great things. I was right. Your rise through the company was unprecedented."
"Arrogant?" Melinda said thinking about how Shelly had used that same word to describe the members of the Donaldson clan.
"I did everything I could to keep you two apart. I didn't want you contaminated by the Donaldsons," Jack said.
"What? Why?"
"I hate my sister-in-law," Jack said.
"Who is your sister-in-law?" Melinda asked confused by the direction of the conversation.
"Elizabeth O'Connor. She's my wife's sister," Jack answered. He leaned forward and pointed at her. He said, "Mike is my nephew by marriage, but you'll never hear him call me Uncle."
"Oh," Melinda said. "Why?"
"I'm not a Donaldson," Jack answered.
"I understand," Melinda said and it was true that she did understand. Jack Armstrong might be a successful person, but he wasn't a Donaldson. He was driven by ambition; not by excellence. He was good, but he wasn't outstanding.
Jack said, "They are the biggest bunch of arrogant assholes you'll ever meet. There are so many of them that you can't swing a cat without hitting one of them."
Melinda stood up straighter. She said, "I am a Donaldson."
"They've contaminated you," Jack said.
Putting a sheet of paper on his desk, Melinda said, "I also wanted to tender my resignation."
"Of course," Jack said. He glanced down at the letter of resignation. He shook his head. "Get out of here."
Melinda packed her personal possessions under the watchful eyes of three members of the corporate security force. Two of them watched every move that she made. The third leaned against the wall reading a book on military weapons. Whenever one of the two watchdogs got a little too aggressive, the third would yank his leash.
The first things to get packed were the awards. There were wood plagues on the wall; each one a token of some honor that she had received. Aligned on a shelf were six crystal corporate awards praising her for her pursuit of excellence. She wrapped each one in newspaper before carefully packing it in a box.
Clearing out her desk was a pretty simple matter. There were only a few items, but she took her time with them. Each item represented a significant memory and she allowed herself to relive them.
She picked up a simple gold Cross pen. It had been given to her by her parents upon graduating high school. They had been so proud that she had graduated at such a young age. The fact that she had been valedictorian had been icing on the cake.
The crystal candy bowl had been a gift by one of her bosses back when she was a fledgling engineer. She had saved his career on a project that had been near total failure. She had worked night and day to fix the problem; going so far as to sleep in her cubicle. Those had been heady days.
Her ever present companion at meetings had been an exquisite writing portfolio made of tanned English Bridle leather. That had been a gift from her parents. They had given it to her when she had defended her dissertation. A small brass plate adorned the leather. It was etched with 'Dr. Melinda Davis.' She had cried upon seeing it. The significance of her accomplishment had become real upon reading her name.
When she had started to put it in her box, one of the guards stepped forward and said, "You have to remove the papers."
Melinda opened the leather cover and removed the pad of paper. She dropped the blank pad on the desk and asked, "Satisfied?"
"Yes," the guard said.
She put the leather writing portfolio in her box. She moved the box off the desk. The guard who had been reading said, "Double check your desk. Take everything out of the drawers and put it on the desk. That way you will know that you didn't miss something."
"Good idea," Melinda said. She went through each drawer one at a time. All that remained were typical office supplies.
She didn't take nearly as much time packing her books. When she had started, one of the guards said, "We need to check those to make sure that you aren't walking off with company property."
"Drop it, Irving," the guard reading the book said. He didn't even bother to look up from his book.
"We've got our orders."
"Drop it, Irving."
"Ivan!"
Ivan lowered his book and glared at the guard. After a minute, the guard said, "Okay. Just don't take a book that belongs to the company."
Melinda shook her head. She dumped the books into three boxes. They would be heavy, but the guards would get someone to carry them out. When she had finished, she said, "That's it."
Ivan said, "Why don't you two get someone in here to take these boxes to her car?"
Melinda waited for the two watchdogs to leave her office. Once they were gone, she winked at the remaining guard. "Cousin Ivan."
"Cousin Melinda."
"Cousin Steve."
"Cousin Melinda."
"Cousin Shelly."
"Cousin Melinda."
Turning to her entourage consisting of a guy with a dolly and three security guards, Melinda said, "You can set the boxes by my car."
"Yes, ma'am."
Melinda watched them set the boxes down. Once they were gone, she turned to Shelly. She asked, "Were you escorted out?"
"Yes we were," Shelly answered.
"Fortunately, Shelly, Mike, and I had tendered our resignations before you had your little chat with Jack Armstrong," Steve said. He grinned and held up his box. Everything of any importance had been removed the previous day.
Melinda said, "I can't wait to get to work on that submarine."
"We'll make it a family project," Steve said.
"It will be mostly O'Connors," Shelly said.
"O'Connors aren't so bad. They kind of grow on you," Steve said.
Escorted by two guards, Mike walked up to the group. He stopped beside Melinda and nodded to the other couple. He said, "Poor Jack. The fucker at the top of the pyramid didn't even get to fire us."
"I'm sure that ruined his day," Melinda said.
"At least I got to clean out my desk," Mike said looking inside his box.
"That was nice of them," Melinda said.
Holding up his box, Mike asked, "Does anyone need a light bulb?"