| > | | | | Arrange a meeting with your boss and Petersen. |
| Someone working as an unappreciated assistant | | | | The advertisement shoot was to start in two |
| receives a two and a half million-dollar fee from his | | | | days. Discussing it with Garretson and Petersen, |
| own company for producing a website-based ad | | | | Charles Hawk decided to go ahead with the shoot |
| campaign that costs just slightly more than one | | | | regardless, since they’d spent so much on it |
| thousand dollars. He then gives away half a million to | | | | already. But we’ll put a hold on all plans to |
| charities. | | | | launching it. |
| Scott carefully pushed the conference door with his | | | | Charles Hawk stood, and his two minions |
| shoulder, all the while watching the tray of coffee | | | | followed his lead. You have until the end of the |
| cups. As the door opened, he heard the soft whisper | | | | day to check out Silfur Talsyn. |
| of executive voices. He turned, letting the door | | | | At five thirty pm, his assistant showed |
| swing shut, and the murmur died away. Worried, | | | | Garretson and Petersen back into Charles |
| Scott inadvertently clenched the tray. His fingers | | | | Hawk’s office. Charles Hawk was waiting, |
| relaxed as he saw it wasn’t anything | | | | hands folded on his lap. So, what have you found |
| he’d done. Charles Hawk, the vice president | | | | out?Petersen jumped in first. I checked their |
| of new projects stood looking at his minions. So, | | | | website and they’re clearly a fast-moving, |
| if we are gong to launch this amazing next wave | | | | bold, wireless, redefine assumptions’ style |
| computer storage device, we need to advertise. Get | | | | of company. Plus, no one has a bad word to say |
| our name out there, so people know Data | | | | about them. |
| Crystals’ have replaced floppy disks. | | | | Garretson gave a dry chuckle. I contacted a |
| Scott started moving around the room, putting | | | | broad range of people, and no one has a bad word |
| coffee cups in front of the executives and trying not | | | | to say because no one has even heard of Silfur |
| to be noticed. Didn’t they know removable | | | | Talsyn. They were registered as a company just a |
| drives had replaced floppies? At best, data crystals | | | | month ago in Florida where you can register fairly |
| would replace CD-ROM. Charles Hawk looked at | | | | cheaply. It is a private company, owned and run by |
| Petersen, who nodded. Advertising, in the modern | | | | someone named Scott Carpenter. |
| world, means television. Unnoticed, Scott shook | | | | None of them recalled hearing of him before. |
| his head. Petersen gestured at the papers in front of | | | | Charles Hawk tapped his expensive-looking pen. It |
| him. We’ll need about three hundred | | | | is only two and a half, but I’d hate to delay |
| thousand to make a pair of ads, and then one | | | | the launch by three months. |
| hundred thousand to run them. We’ll do five | | | | Petersen grinned. Well, give it a month and a |
| times the first week, then three a week for three | | | | half and then reconsider. With the ad in the can, we |
| months. All eyes turned back to Charles Hawk. He | | | | can launch in two months to overlap with the Silfur |
| watched Garretson from accounting tapping at his | | | | Talsyn campaign
perhaps tailoring our campaign to |
| palmtop computer. Three, and five, and forty | | | | dovetail if they have any success. |
| two for fourteen weeks
A nice even five | | | | Scott called in sick and then took out the bank |
| million. He glanced suspiciously at Petersen. | | | | statement again. |
| Exactly five. He nodded to Charles Hawk. | | | | Silfur Talsyn’s assets had gone from less than |
| We can do that. | | | | three hundred dollars to two million, five hundred |
| Scott left, still unnoticed. They tossed around millions | | | | thousand, two hundred and eighty four dollars |
| like it was play money. What could he do with the | | | | overnight. He got busy spending some of the money. |
| five million they were about to waste advertising | | | | Then he realized he might as well quit his job. For the |
| non-rewritable devices on television? | | | | next three months he was the head of a company |
| Garretson picked up the phone handset. Before he | | | | with two million dollars. Then he’d either be |
| could even identify himself, Charles Hawk’s | | | | rich, or broke. Either way, his life as a lowly assistant |
| executive assistant asked, Did you look at that | | | | was over. |
| outside bid for the data crystal advertising? | | | | Scott emailed the address of his new website to |
| Outside bid? | | | | everyone in the company as well as various friends |
| It should be there. | | | | and contacts. |
| Hawk’s assistant sounded either worried or | | | | The website claimed a group, which couldn’t |
| excited. In a red folder, in accord with the new | | | | confirm it was the CIA, or even a federal |
| company procedures. Garretson looked through | | | | government agency, had transferred the files they |
| the pile of files and found a standard red folder. | | | | didn’t keep on all citizens onto the new data |
| Here it is. When did we start outsourcing? | | | | crystals. Below the information about data crystals |
| We aren’t, unless they can do the job | | | | they explained this had saved them nearly half a |
| much cheaper. I think someone just wants to show | | | | million dollars. Not wanting to return money, since |
| that outside contractors wouldn’t be more | | | | they’d then get a smaller budget next year, |
| efficient by letting them bid to do peripheral jobs. | | | | the might-be-CIA was giving the money away. One |
| Hawk’s assistant paused, and then sounded | | | | hundred and twenty thousand dollars was to be sent |
| calmer. There is a copy of the memo with the | | | | each month, for four months, to the charity most |
| bid. Let me know what you think. | | | | voted for by people visiting the site. Each winner was |
| Garretson looked through the folder finding the copy | | | | to be excluded from further wins. |
| of the memo that had been sent to a contractor, | | | | Garretson voted for The Red Cross, giving his email |
| Silfur Talsyn’. It was a photocopy of a | | | | address as proof of identity. Curious that Silfur Talsyn |
| photocopy but he could read most of it. It was | | | | could afford to give away so much, Garretson |
| largely waffle’ about making the company | | | | realized they were only giving away the half a million |
| more efficient by using outside contractors if they | | | | he’d casually offered with the extra five |
| could do a job just as well but for lower costs. | | | | percent penalty. He decided it would be best not to |
| Garretson suspected that the company would buy | | | | tell anyone that. |
| out any company that did anything more efficient | | | | In a week, the website was mentioned on various |
| than the existing department so to replace them. | | | | television news shows and in a number of |
| Unfortunately, one time the memo was photocopied | | | | newspapers, and reporters began investigating. They |
| someone hadn’t unfolded it completely, so the | | | | announced the website was owned by Silfur Talsyn, |
| bottom of the text was missing. Without the | | | | and that the name was Icelandic for Silver |
| signature block and department, Garretson | | | | Phantom’ or Silver Will-o-the-Wisp’. |
| couldn’t tell who’d written the original | | | | That seemed appropriate, as people failed to |
| memo. Turning to the bid itself, Silfur Talsyn offered | | | | discover much else about the company. All mail to |
| nationwide advertising for a period of three months, | | | | their P. |
| for two million dollars. They seemed to think the | | | | O. Box in Gainesville was redirected, so the head of |
| company had budgeted for three and a half to four | | | | Silfur Talsyn seemed to be in the same city as |
| million. If it was real, and they could deliver on their | | | | Garretson. |
| promise, the company would save millions. There had | | | | Annoyed, some reporters started attacking Silfur |
| to be a catch. | | | | Talsyn, claiming it was cruel to promise such a large |
| Reading carefully, Garretson found nothing amiss. | | | | donation and not deliver. Scott Carpenter replied by |
| Silfur Talsyn was offering virtually the same goals for | | | | pointing out that the first donation was due in five |
| audience targets as their five million dollar campaign, | | | | days, so he hadn’t defaulted. Then he |
| and a full refund if they failed to meet those targets. | | | | followed by saying that the donation would be made |
| Putting it aside Garretson leaned back, staring into | | | | on time, live on the The Oprah Winfrey |
| space turning the facts over in his mind. After a few | | | | Show’. |
| minutes, it came to him. That is cunning. It is such | | | | Garretson was watching, and saw Scott, who used |
| a trivial detail, it might have just worked. He called | | | | to work for Petersen, representing Silfur Talsyn. Not |
| Hawk’s assistant. Sorry, it only looks like a | | | | only speaking on behalf of the president of Silfur |
| golden goose. It’s just a scam. They have no | | | | Talsyn, but claiming to be Scott Carpenter. |
| intention of doing anything. They will just take our | | | | Garretson called his fellow executive. That kid, |
| money, and then bank it in a short-term bond at | | | | Scott, who worked for you
What was his last |
| twelve percent earning sixty thousand. After three | | | | name?I’m watching too, and I have |
| months, they will apologize for their failure, refund our | | | | someone finding out right now. |
| original two million and pocket seventy five thousand | | | | Two months into the contract, Scott wrote to |
| for doing nothing. | | | | Charles Hawk detailing how many people had voted |
| Are you sure? | | | | on and stating Silfur Talsyn had already exceeded the |
| Look, write back to them in
he looked at | | | | targets promised. Scott asked if the company wished |
| the folder, Gainesville, and offer them two and a | | | | to pay another one million three hundred and sixty |
| half, but with a hundred and five percent penalty | | | | thousand dollars for another three months of |
| clause. If I’m right, they’ll say no, since | | | | not-CIA Charity. The letter also offered to stream |
| investing our money will get them seventy five, but | | | | their ad on his website, twenty-four hours a day, for |
| they’ll owe us an extra one hundred and | | | | what it would cost to broadcasting it on television |
| twenty five. | | | | once a week. Charles Hawk sent copies to Petersen |
| Scott was shocked to be offered another half a | | | | and Garretson with a brief note. |
| million, and spent hours confused as to why | | | | Organize website and streaming our ad. Hire this |
| they’d offered more, and why they wanted | | | | guy. |
| one hundred and five percent back. Was he | | | | Garretson contacted Scott, suggesting one million |
| supposed to make a hundred thousand dollars, as | | | | two hundred and forty thousand, since he’d |
| well as run a successful advertising campaign? | | | | already committed to pay the fourth donation. |
| He’d sent the bid, and phony memo, | | | | Am I getting the hundred thousand a |
| expecting failure would only cost him around three | | | | week?If you agree, yes. |
| hundred dollars in expenses. Why were the stakes | | | | Okay. |
| suddenly raised so high?After nearly three hours, he | | | | Garretson hesitated, but then decided to be |
| realized the potential for interest on two million | | | | direct. Charles Hawk also wants us to hire you. |
| dollars. | | | | What could we offer to lure you back?Scott |
| He wrestled with himself for a few days. How sure | | | | laughed. I have millions of dollars. I’m |
| was he his idea would work? Was he willing to bet | | | | getting all kinds of offers to do talk shows and head |
| his house and his car his idea was as good, or better, | | | | charities. |
| than their out-of-date television campaign?In the end, | | | | He went silent. |
| he decided he didn’t have that much to lose, | | | | Garretson lowered his voice. Any way I could |
| and it would be sure to work, if he was willing to | | | | convince Silfur Talsyn to hire me?No, sorry |
| give away the half a million bonus. | | | | Garretson. I’m selling the company and retiring |
| This time, Hawk’s assistant came over to | | | | at the end of the three month extension. |
| Garretson’s office. Silfur Talsyn agreed. A | | | | After selling Silfur Talsyn, Scott told someone |
| penalty of one hundred and five percent. | | | | he’d worked for the same company that |
| Garretson stared at him. So. It | | | | he’d run his million dollar advertising campaign |
| wasn’t
isn’t a simple scam. | | | | for. During the resulting media frenzy, he did an ad |
| He gestured for the assistant to leave. | | | | for a credit card company. |