Read Online Collapse by Richard Stephenson - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Richard Stephenson
Tags: thriller, Science-Fiction
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ended my political career while close to a million people have died! You haven’t done one goddamned thing to help!”
The president’s Chief of Staff, Stacy Reid, was so alarmed that she almost screamed. Her shock was not that the governor had interrupted the president and used profanity, but rather what she had said.
Did she really just say a million?
CHAPTER FIVE
While the governor of the great state of Florida was becoming the first visitor of the Clinton Room to use profanity at a sitting president, Chester Stephens was thinking about a promotion. He just knew it was coming. Chester was already thinking about what he would do with the extra money. Good ole’ Chester was grinning; he was so proud of himself.
Chester Stephens was the General Manager at the Kissimmee Wal-Mart Supercenter located ten minutes from the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida. His store hadn’t fared too well in the Second Great Depression. Its proximity to the Magic Kingdom and Universal Studios theme parks had helped keep his store above water – but just barely. Chester had been a loyal Wal-Mart employee for twelve years, working his way up to General Manager in record time. He took his job seriously and ran a very tight ship. He knew that the top executives at corporate headquarters in Bentonville, Arkansas were watching his career with great interest. They had told him that if he managed to end each year above the line drawn by the Second Great Depression or hopefully see a little increase, he would be moving to Bentonville to join them.
When Hurricane Luther made his fourth trip ashore greet the citizens of the greater Orlando area, Chester knew he was facing the defining moment in his career. The boys in Bentonville had told him that if he had two more successful years, there would be a big promotion waiting for him. Chester welcomed Luther with open arms and knew that the disaster would move up his promotion two years ahead of schedule.
When the hurricane began to demolish Orlando, Chester realized just how stupid he was for welcoming a disaster. Luther rose up from the pits of hell. The Magic Kingdom stood in ruins. Cinderella’s Castle would only be remembered in the company’s logo; it would be a very long time before it would be rebuilt, if ever. Over at Universal Studios, Hogwarts Castle was no more, the boy wizard himself would not be able to put it together, with or without magic.
Then the city caught on fire.
Chester had no idea how fires could be set in a rain-soaked town. He gave up trying to figure it out and hoped for the best. The General Manager and many of the employees rode out the storm in the store’s loading docks. The employees figured they would be much safer at their work site and Chester welcomed them in because he needed help protecting the store.
Luther answered Chester’s prayers and spared the store. The massive superstore was not untouched, however, but it was one of the few large structures in the Orlando area still standing. At the front of the store, the “W” and “T” had fallen from the sign, renaming the store “al-Mar”. Luther’s massive right hook punched Orlando square in the balls with a world record two hundred twenty-five mile per hour wind. The Safir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale would later be upgraded to max out at a Category 6. Chester was convinced that the Good Lord in heaven above did his shopping at Wal-Mart.
Chester set out to execute his plan for the store that clearly had the blessing of divine intervention. He knew that he must protect the store at all costs. Just the simple fact that the store had no customers meant that he would not manage to meet his goal for the year. Chester shrugged this fact off, as it was clearly not under his control. What was in his control, however, were the tens of millions of dollars worth of inventory for which he was responsible.
Chester was no fool. He knew he was
The president’s Chief of Staff, Stacy Reid, was so alarmed that she almost screamed. Her shock was not that the governor had interrupted the president and used profanity, but rather what she had said.
Did she really just say a million?
CHAPTER FIVE
While the governor of the great state of Florida was becoming the first visitor of the Clinton Room to use profanity at a sitting president, Chester Stephens was thinking about a promotion. He just knew it was coming. Chester was already thinking about what he would do with the extra money. Good ole’ Chester was grinning; he was so proud of himself.
Chester Stephens was the General Manager at the Kissimmee Wal-Mart Supercenter located ten minutes from the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida. His store hadn’t fared too well in the Second Great Depression. Its proximity to the Magic Kingdom and Universal Studios theme parks had helped keep his store above water – but just barely. Chester had been a loyal Wal-Mart employee for twelve years, working his way up to General Manager in record time. He took his job seriously and ran a very tight ship. He knew that the top executives at corporate headquarters in Bentonville, Arkansas were watching his career with great interest. They had told him that if he managed to end each year above the line drawn by the Second Great Depression or hopefully see a little increase, he would be moving to Bentonville to join them.
When Hurricane Luther made his fourth trip ashore greet the citizens of the greater Orlando area, Chester knew he was facing the defining moment in his career. The boys in Bentonville had told him that if he had two more successful years, there would be a big promotion waiting for him. Chester welcomed Luther with open arms and knew that the disaster would move up his promotion two years ahead of schedule.
When the hurricane began to demolish Orlando, Chester realized just how stupid he was for welcoming a disaster. Luther rose up from the pits of hell. The Magic Kingdom stood in ruins. Cinderella’s Castle would only be remembered in the company’s logo; it would be a very long time before it would be rebuilt, if ever. Over at Universal Studios, Hogwarts Castle was no more, the boy wizard himself would not be able to put it together, with or without magic.
Then the city caught on fire.
Chester had no idea how fires could be set in a rain-soaked town. He gave up trying to figure it out and hoped for the best. The General Manager and many of the employees rode out the storm in the store’s loading docks. The employees figured they would be much safer at their work site and Chester welcomed them in because he needed help protecting the store.
Luther answered Chester’s prayers and spared the store. The massive superstore was not untouched, however, but it was one of the few large structures in the Orlando area still standing. At the front of the store, the “W” and “T” had fallen from the sign, renaming the store “al-Mar”. Luther’s massive right hook punched Orlando square in the balls with a world record two hundred twenty-five mile per hour wind. The Safir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale would later be upgraded to max out at a Category 6. Chester was convinced that the Good Lord in heaven above did his shopping at Wal-Mart.
Chester set out to execute his plan for the store that clearly had the blessing of divine intervention. He knew that he must protect the store at all costs. Just the simple fact that the store had no customers meant that he would not manage to meet his goal for the year. Chester shrugged this fact off, as it was clearly not under his control. What was in his control, however, were the tens of millions of dollars worth of inventory for which he was responsible.
Chester was no fool. He knew he was
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