Elspeth

Some people are born to the upper class of society, and others fight there way there stepping on everyone possible in the process. These are two types of people that everyone keeps an eye on because they are movers and shakers, the highlight of the news world and always on the vids.

Then there are other kinds of people who live in the shadows work best during the night. Elspeth was a Shadow person, had cultivated this and her dual life because those are the kinds that get things done. And it was nice to have nice things. During the day she was the office manager for Luminoktus HQ, one of the most power mega corps on Earth and a major contributor to the TW HQ R&D. She was nobody, but she was also the go to person to get anything done and manage 13 different office sites with a sum of 43,000 employees. In effect she was the CEO of the offices, and yet she was just a name on the fast packet email service that most of the upper management emailed when something was needed, that is when they were not having their assistants doing it.

"Good Morning Ms Panthers." Martin, the new office intern greeted her with his usual sunshine, "Mr Peels is requesting an early appointment with you in Medical Bay 12."

She nodded, not slowing her pace to her office or letting her perfect mask to crack under the thought that it was time for her Renewal. Had it been another 10 years already, she wondered as she entered her corner office shutting the door behind her. Just enough time to prepare before her meeting with Robert Peel, the acting CEO. Medical Bay 12... There was one of these in every TW HQ installation that housed anyone of major importance. Only those who's security clearance ranked in upper management could even get in let alone walk around freely. Everything was sterile, white and reprocessed.

"Elspeth Panthers reporting as ordered." Elspeth declared as she stood within the slightly darker white circle before the MB 12 doors. A red glow bathed her from the sensor bar above the door, turned green and vanished allowing the doors to split in the middle and slide into the walls to each side. She was used to all this, but there was always a feeling of dread that stole over her as she entered the 5 by 5 airlock. Just as quietly as they had opened the doors closed behind her. Ears popping a bit the doors before her split and gushed sterile air into her face causing her to blink.

"Welcome Ms Panthers, so glad you could join us today." Robert Peel was a thin creepy man that always gave her the impression he was a walking corpse full of something she could not fathom, but her instinct was always to run from the man. Closing her eyes she bowed her head to him, he did not allow anyone to touch him and this was the traditional response to his greetings. "Always perfect at your protocols I see. That is very good my dear, and we will be testing you today but I think you shall do quite well."

"Is there something wrong My Lord?" she moved forward as he waved her toward the right and an open conference room. "I did not expect to be refreshed for another couple of years."

"Oh, nothing is wrong. We are just looking into some new strategies and... well, let's just say this is an interview for a higher level position." he seemed to chuckle deep in his throat, and the sound did nothing to relax her.

This room was different then any she had ever been, the most obvious was a blood red carpet runner down the center of the room and ending at a white marble throne with a crown emblem on the back near the top. Cold fear snaked up her spine as she and Robert moved toward the throne. They both stopped at the end of the runner, three steps up and a stones throw away from the throne.

"Long Live the Queen!" They said in unison as the stately figure moved from behind the throne. Both her and Robert knelt down as Queen Victoria entered the room and took a seat on the throne.