QualitySoft

Later that month, in the office

Sophie: “Chase, I’ve got good news, and bad. The bad is that the market’s now at 66%, and falling. It dropped massively overnight – I don’t think anyone saw it coming. They’re calling it the “4.0 effect”. The good… and bad too, I suppose – is that the wrestler’s unions are mobilising. Wrestlers all over the country are now working by a pay per appearance contract. It’s going to cause all sorts of hell for the NWA, but it won’t bother us until we get some TV. Basically, if you don’t use a worker, you don’t have to pay them.”

“Huh – at least it’s going to ramp the costs up for our televised competition. Anyway… Sophie, listen. About last month… I was pretty drunk. Did I say anything… um… ‘odd’ to you?”

Sophie: “As a matter of fact… hmm. I suppose we have to have this conversation sooner or later, Chase. I have to tell you-”

I never found out what she would have said next – Frankie burst through the door without knocking. I was about to swear at him and throw him out, until I took a second look. He had a black eye, was out of breath, and deathly pale. He looked scared… but I saw something else, too. Behind the fear in his eyes, a spark of anger burned, and I knew then I was looking at a driven man. I didn’t know what had happened, but when he threw down a piece of paper on my desk, my heart sank. I had a fair idea of what it was.

“Let me guess, Frankie. One of the NWA feds has just offered you an extraordinary opportunity. What did they offer you, Frankie? Are you selling me out for your thirty pieces of silver?”

Frankie glared up at me, and I took a step back. The guy had pure venom in his eyes, and I didn’t want to cross that. The look faded as fast as it had appeared, and I realised it was directed at something other than me.

Frankie: “No, Chase – it’s not like that. Money isn’t what matters to me…”

I closed my eyes and thought back to AHW. I remembered one of the wrestlers citing ‘family issues’, and leaving. I remembered the fire. No, there was more the NWA could do than just money… still, I’m surprised they escalated this far, this fast. Did Frankie even have a family? I didn’t know – but I suppose he had himself to look after, and he certainly didn’t get a black eye and turn sheet-white from walking into a door. Now I understood Frankie’s reasons.

“I understand, Frankie – you’re got to do what you’ve got to do. I’m sorry to see you go, but-”

Frankie gave me one look, and my sentence got left hung out to dry as I practically bit my tongue. The normally cheerful Flying Armadillo wasn’t anywhere to be seen – the man standing in my office, the man who had worked for me for a year – I didn’t know him at all. I’d never seen anything like it. His face flickered through a dozen emotions in a second – fear, to worry, to anger, then to a look of pure determination.

Frankie: “I’M. NOT. LEAVING. Read it, Chase – and sign it quick before I change my mind.”

I glanced down at the piece of paper, then did an immediate double-take. It wasn’t a letter of resignation, it was…

“Frankie, do you know what you’re asking? An UNSACKABLE contract? This would… this could tie to LAW for years! With NO option to leave for a bigger fed, EVER – are you sure about this? Why would you want to do this?”

Frankie’s face softened, and he opened his mouth to speak. He then saw Sophie, standing quietly in the room, and his face hardened again.

Frankie: “My reasons are my own – but this is nothing but good for you.”

“But I’ve got to know why…”

Frankie: “Because I won’t be pushed around, and I damn sure won’t be intimidated! I have no intentions of leaving this company any more – not now, not ever. Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth, Sumner – just sign it!”

I signed the contract, and Frankie picked it up. He read through it again, then slowly smiled, that look of pure determination again in his eyes. He smiled at me, looked suspiciously at Sophie again, and left.

3 days later, I called to check up on him. He was back to his old happy self, but got cold fast when I asked him again what it was all about. He curtly told me it wasn’t my business, then lit up again and we discussed ideas for the next show. I hung up, confused, but happy. Whatever the NWA had done to that guy… they’d lit a fire under his ass, alright. Whatever they wanted Frankie for, they’d just given me a gift instead.

------------------------------------------------

I came into the office to find Sophie had been working hard again – there was a list on my desk updating LAW’s information.

Alexis Machine, F, 46 Over, Bad Ass
Kurt Stryker, F, 56 Over, Man on a Mission
Mitch Paradise, F, 42 Over, Angry Young Man
Ryan Wing, F, 47 Over, Blue Chipper
Smoothsteps Shawn Wright, F, 56 Over, Fun Babyface
The Flying Armadillo (Frankie), F, 48 Over, Comedy Character
The Law, F, 45 Over, Law Enforcer
Vito Thomaselli, F, 44 Over, Fiery Italian

Danny Drake, T, 43 Over, Stoner
Mike Tobin, T, 41 Over, Stoner
Paper Bag Man, T, 13 Over, Putz
‘Psycho’ Mike Legion, T, 47 Over, Psycho
XTC (Manager), T, 21 Over, Seductress

Big Time Barry Hammond, H, 46 Over, Rapper
Doug Delicious, H, 50 Over, Prima Donna
Garrett Jaxx, H, 57 Over, Degenerate
Kamikaze Kid, H, 40 Over, Cowardly
Lord Jeremiah V, H, 51 Over, Royalty
Tommy Suede, H, 53 Over, Whole Damn Show

LAW:
Size: Small
Public Image: 66%
Finances: $472,565
Risk: 70%
Production: 15%
Advertising: 15%
Merchandising: 0%

Those numbers couldn’t be right. I got on the phone with my financial advisor, who told me it was – 15% advertising was essential if we wanted to keep our name out there, especially with the sudden downturn in wrestling. I sighed, and prepared to pull a few workers off the show in order to cut costs for this month. Good thing we hadn’t advertised any matches with Stryker, Suede, Vito, Legion, Kamikaze Kid or Ryan Wing yet. I’d have to cancel Vito vs Wing, and Suede vs Stryker. I just hoped our scheduled big main event would be enough for people. It WAS the top face vs the top heel of the fed, after all.

Still, there was another useful piece of information Sophie had – she’d turned up a writer who was willing to work with us for a mere $5,000 a month. I phoned our new one woman writing team, Elanor Blackhawk, to discuss some ideas.

Enhancer's Current Status:

ALPHA 0.01 finished