purple reef

until the elevator rose to the 108th floor,

and with a ding, she popped back into three dimensions, and the doors slid open, and 💧 Denise walked out without a word.

Her first glance of the office upon her return made her think that it looked all too familiar, maybe a bit too clean. Cheap grey particle-board desks the colour of storm clouds still lay sleeping in the nooks and crannies of cubicle walls. Computer monitors collected dust and her colleagues' little abandoned succulents sat dying under the fluorescent light. Screens upon screens living on the walls and hanging on nooses from the ceiling still ticked away automated information in green-red-orange-black text, tossing out squat red triangles and 0.0 valuations about this and that corporation that had passed away eight days ago. When Denise skittered anxiously to her old desk and looked out the window, she sighed. The rest of the city was bathed in an eerie blue light.

She missed this place, she missed her whole life, but she couldn't linger here. Negotiations were waiting. The scent of chlorine tickled her nose. Whenever she looked too closely at a desk or a wall, she could see it. The white and blue squares, resembling pixels or pool tiles, scattered around like fish scales on office chairs and filing cabinets and even the occasional poor cactus that had been left behind. Her heart could not rest. She must not stay too long here. She followed the pool water scent to the Director's door at the end of the office.

The heavy brass nameplate had fallen off the door. Denise squeezed the briefcase handle again. Her hands were shaking. Her breath ragged. No blood this time. A shame. She held her breath, opened the door, plunged herself into the room, and placed the briefcase on the desk. The world outside the window had turned a sharper blue. She sat down by her desk, put her head in her hands, and waited for her guest.

Eight days prior, the world had come to an end. It started with the crash of a line, then the crash of cars, then the crash of broken glass, then the crash of bodies smashing into the ground. An extraterrestrial cubic mass had appeared in the blue summer sky, and a chlorinated blue burst through the air to clean things up and calm the ruckus. The pools of blood on the asphalt looked purple, like the city had been drowned and submerged. Honestly, the most terrifying thing is that people did not really notice. Who would? The news wouldn't declare it even if it happened. Life continued through the chlorinated blue. Humanity would be okay. The end of one world was the birth of a new one. Every failure is an opportunity. Always buy the dip.

▚ knock

Denise snapped back to the door. Her hands were still shaking. She wasn't sure whether to keep them on her lap or on the desk. With a deep inhale, she composed herself, and jumped.

"Enter."

The door swung open and a tall woman walked in. She wore a neatly tailored black suit beneath a pale beige overcoat, and long hair the colour of a freshly cleaned outdoor pool framed her face. She spun around to thank the shadow behind her with an enthusiastic wave, before she shut the door and turned back to face Denise. Denise could have sworn that, for the briefest moment, she caught the glimpse of a tail beneath the coat.

█ Miss 🩸 Victoria Lian? she asked Denise.

"Yes. Just 🍷 Victoria is fine. A pleasure to meet you."

The woman let out an enthusiastic giggle that sounded like she was underwater. █ Thus have I heard. A pleasure to meet you, human! She walked over to the desk and sat down across from Denise. █ Though ... it's quite a peculiar interior decoration choice to leave your office name plate on the ground like that, say?

"Yes. Budget problems." Denise's words cut through the chaff. The chlorinated scent dominated the room. She did not let her gaze leave the extraterrestrial woman in front of her. Actually, she could not take her eyes off her. Her hair shimmered like sunlight on a still pond. Her empty black eyes drew her into an abyss. If she were not careful she would be lost adrift.

The blue-haired woman giggled again. █ Quite the comedian, say? Well, this negotiation should be more fun than the last one. She extended her hand. █ My name is 🌷 Pala.

"Just 🌷 Pala?"

█ प्रज्ञापारमिता Utpala, but just Utpala. Or 🌷 Pala. She winked. Denise raised her hand in anticipation of a handshake.

█ Your hands, your hands, Pala said, immediately cupping Denise's hand in both of hers. With a slender finger, her blue nail tapered to a flat edge, Pala traced the faint veins on Denise's skin. █ So pretty. Like the rivers on this planet. Pala smiled. Denise tensed. █ So cute, so cute. Pala intertwined her fingers with Denise's as she shook her hand. Her hands felt like cold marble. She stared at Denise without blinking.

"Right, uh- thanks," Denise said, tearing back her hand and sitting back down. She felt the warmth on her cheeks but quickly shut it out.

Pala frowned. █ Say, are you mad at me?

"What? I- why would I be mad?"

█ Well, Miss 🩸 Victoria Lian, your countenance has been grim, say? Certainly, this should be an auspicious occasion, auspicious occasion. Pala smiled again. She always smiled with her mouth shut. █ Humanity is making the greatest deal in its short little history. Miss Lian, you are a hero!

Denise felt a shiver down her spine and a lump in her throat.

█ Let's be a little less tense, say? I have just the thing. Pala rustled a little on her chair, and her tail, black and shiny but banded in red and yellow like a coral snake, emerged from within her coat carrying a purse. The purse was made of the same blue and white pool tiles that Denise had seen growing on various objects in the office. Pala plopped down the purse and used her two hands to rummage through it, humming what sounded like a sea shanty, before taking out two cups and what looked like a metal flask.

█ Some tea?

█ Delicious, say? I did some research on our beloved trading partner of course, and learned about Miss 🩸 Victoria Lian's favourite drink! Pala chirped and slid a cup of tea to Denise. Denise kept her expression completely blank. She looked down at the liquid. What she saw in it was a weary face she could barely recognize.

She must not slip. She must not slip. There is no way. How did she know? That was impossible. She made sure of it. She wanted to leave but there was nowhere to run. She wished the elevator had crushed her to a pulp.

Pala took a sip from her cup. █ See? Completely safe. We can switch cups if you'd like, say? She placed her hand to her mouth and giggled again. █ Oh, you could just say so! If you want an indirect- (˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶)

"May we begin trade negotiations?" Denise's voice was cold. "Thank you for the tea."

Denise felt the weight of tears in her heart. She held her breath, ready to dive in.

█ "Of course, of course," Pala sat back on her chair. █ Wonderful, wonderful, Miss 🩸 Victoria Lian. I have the contract on the ready. Pala cleared her throat.

"प्रज्ञापारमिता Utpala, standing attorney acting on behalf of the ◥ Bletchley Down ILLC (intergalactic limited liability corporation), regarding dark pool trades, mergers and acquisitions, franchising, and joint partnerships." She took out a blocky blue device from out of her purse and began to read out text. "An agreement, written initially by one Denise Lian to cede the physical resources of Earth as assets leased for local management under the purview of ◥ Bletchley Down, in exchange for access to proprietary next generation technology." Pala tapped the device's screen. "And Denise Lian, who made the franchising request, could not make it today, say?"

Denise continued to hold her breath and did not break her gaze. "That is correct."

Pala’s black eyes carefully scanned the human. "And what is the reason she is unavailable to sign, say?"

"That is information unnecessary for ◥ Bletchley Down to be privy to."

Pala frowned again. █ Say, do you hate me?

"What does that have to do with negotiations?" Denise felt her hands stir. "I am acting on behalf of Earth and its best interest here."

█ I am just curious, just curious. Have I touched a nerve, say? Hmm, Pala closed her eyes and feigned a thought. █ When ◥ Bletchley Down appeared, it caused quite a commotion, say? Oh, the national governments, poor little things, getting ready to get their nuclear weapons ready. Oh, oh, don't tell me-

"Enough," Denise cut back. May we get back to the agreement?""

Pala giggled again. █ Of course, of course. Let me continue.

Pala brought the cup of tea to her mouth and took a sip. "Initially, the investment division of ◥ Bletchley Down had been shorting the assets of your planet. Were you aware, say? They were convinced you would all kill each other. Well, well, I guess none of you would be, since the galactic market was unknown to you all until eight days ago! What a quick time to cut a deal, say?"

"Yes. It was something I had negotiated with Denise when both of us were put on the Emergency Task Force." Denise tapped her fingers rhythmically on her desk. "Who knew it would simply take a business deal."

█ Negotiated with 🍷 Denise, say? By the way, what is she to you?

"What is she to me?"

█ "Well, you two share the same surname. Relatives?"

"No- no. Absolutely not. She- can we get back on topic? Please-"

█ You know, Miss 🍷 Victoria Lian, Pala replied, █ You haven't touched your tea once. Here I was believing this was your favourite drink!

Denise cut her off. Every time she looked at the untouched blue liquid in her cup she tried not to vomit out her guts. She dug her shoes into the floor to keep her as stable as she could be.

"Let me state the deals of our offer. The Earth, represented by the United Nations Development Corporation, a sui generis corporate body negotiating in the galactic market with ◥ Bletchley Down, seeks peace by way of developmental investment. The UNDC will act as the managing corporate body for ADS-3, the planet Earth, adopting the branding and technology of ◥ Bletchley Down, and Earth's physical resources and technology will officially be assets of ◥ Bletchley Down leased to the UNDC for a period of 999 galactic revolutions." Denise hid her shaking hands in her lap. Pala was smiling without opening her mouth.

Denise continued on with her terms. The two of them went back and forth, negotiating words, clarifying the distribution of dividends, and making clear the rights of franchisees and "employees". This went on for a while, and through it all, Denise came to the conclusion that, in the grand scheme of things, humanity, her humanity—its great strides, its horrors, its history, its potential—would be nothing more than a single line on an intergalactic accounting sheet of a corporation that was so incomprehensibly huge that there was no doubt that one hundred years from now the people of Earth would forget this whole agreement and genuinely believe that their inevitable rebellion would mean something in the grand scale of the universe.

Her nerves were fried. She wanted more than anything to apologize to Vicky. More than anything. But with the weight of dread in her stomach she realized she was not even sorry anymore.

Denise concluded, "... and finally, averting a hostile takeover of all publicly traded Earth corporations, ◥ Bletchley Down will avoid damage to its property and the residents of Earth will avoid eviction and liquidation."

"And thank goodness, thank goodness!" Pala said. She tapped a finger on her little device. "It would be terrible if there were more evictions and liquidations, say?" Pala looked at Denise and back to her device. "◥ Bletchley Down will have a controlling shareholder stake in the UNDC while the UNDC reports earnings every period of 100 solar cycles. Under these terms, the Earth will be protected for 999 galactic revolutions while all cash flow will be reported and handed to the Management Corporation. Do these terms sound reasonable?"

"Well, we have little choice," Denise said with a flat tone.

█ How do you mean, say? You always have a choice.

"Surely you understand. It was this or war."

Pala giggled. █ ◥ Bletchley Down does not wage wars. A total acquisition is simply a change of leadership and direction, with some asset redistribution, say? Wouldn't you know, Miss 🍷 Victoria Lian? You and your wife were all too familiar with private equity. (◡ ‿ ◡ .)

"Wife? It wasn't up to us."

█ It was up to one of you, right?"

"What?" Denise shot back at Pala. Her eyes were closed and she was smiling again. That damned smile. The smell of seawater and chlorine was overpowering. Denise could not think straight anymore.

█ Hm? Whatever is the matter, say? You have barely drunk your tea. I am almost finished with my cup!

She would never forgive herself. She would never forgive herself. She would never forgive herself. She would never forgive herself. She would never forgive herself.

If Denise were here, she would know that this must be done for humanity to survive." Denise's heart felt like it was going to burst out of her chest. Stain the whole damn room red.

█ Of course, of course she would Pala said, █ As Miss 💧 Denise Lian is willing to do anything it takes for humanity to survive. She took another sip of her tea. █ Do you think she is cold down there?

Denise did not say anything.

█ "At the bottom of that dark pool."

Denise jolted out of her chair, almost toppling it behind her. What on earth are you talking about? She is back home. She is fine."

Pala tapped a nail on her cup. █ At the bottom of that dark pool. Stuck in her head. So lonely. The world on her shoulders. Willing to give up happiness. Say, she continued, █ when you meet her tonight, what are you going to say about me?

"That I made the deal."

For the first time since they had met, Pala let out a wide-mouthed grin. Her teeth were sharp and triangular. █ So cute. So cute. Humans are so cute. That is our agreement, then. Miss 🍷 Victoria Lian, on behalf of the UNDC, please sign here She turned the device towards Denise. It was a single screen with the text of their agreement carefully laid out.

█ Please give me your hand, Pala said.

She was too far gone now. Denise wordlessly raised her left hand again. A great void stirred at the base of her stomach.

█ No, no, the other hand. Pala stood up and over the table.

"Why? Do you like my hands that much?"

Pala smiled. █ No. I like what your hands can do for me.

Denise gave Pala her right hand instead. The hand that had been gripping the briefcase. The hand she tried so hard to hide.

█ Oh dear, oh dear! Pala said. █ Hands, already stained with blood, say? Even your ring. So eager for our deal!

Pala opened her mouth and nibbled on Denise's hand. Denise closed her eyes and held her breath as if she were underwater. Pala let her mouth completely take in Denise's index finger. Her warm, wet tongue caressed it at its very tip, searching, searching. She then moved to her middle finger, then her ring finger. Denise squirmed. She had slunk further into her chair. With her teeth, she bit down on the ring and slowly slid it off, and let herself puncture the end of the skin.

█ Good job, Miss Lian, Pala said. She swallowed the ring. A little bit of Denise's blood dripped down from her mouth. She held up the device. Denise pressed her bloody, salivated ring finger to the screen. The device let out a jingle as it recorded her blood.

█ How did it feel? Pala asked.

She would never forgive herself. It felt good. It was everything she wanted and planned to do. And she would never forgive herself.

I am happy to be of service to humanity's future," Denise said. Her voice was clean and crisp.

█ Woohoo! I'm glad Pala cheered. She stood up and twirled, her tail spinning behind her, before she quickly composed herself. █ On behalf of ◥ Bletchley Down, we welcome the people of Earth to our big corporate family. I will be back tomorrow to get the rest of the paperwork ready. Humanity may rest easy - its future is in the stars! Please do not worry. Human resources will ensure that every human being receives adequate representation by the corporate union.

Denise had turned her chair to look out the window, her back to Pala.

"Sure. Thank you," said Denise.

█ Thank you, Pala replied. █ Enjoy the rest of your day, Miss 🍷 Victoria Lian.

Denise heard the door shut behind her, and she was left in silence.

She resurfaced, taking in a massive breath. She quickly turned back around and grabbed the cup of tea the colour of antifreeze, first bringing it to her lips, then breathing in and slamming down the whole drink. The overwhelming smell of chlorine did not leave her nose. The liquid was hot and sweet like cotton candy or bubble gum or cough syrup or whisky and she wanted it to spread through her belly and up her lungs and through her arteries and veins and pour out her mouth and eyes and every pore on her skin. She crushed the cup, a fragile little eggshell of a thing, like a forgotten pool tile on the far shore of the deep end, and let the ceramic shred up her right hand. She wiped her mouth and left a smear of blood on her lips. It was too sweet.

The nausea grabbed her waist. She wanted to vomit it all out, like the contents of the last eight days could come back up again, like none of it happened, like she could reach into the dark pool and find Vicky's hand and grab it and pull it from the bottom of the abyss. So she toppled down on the desk. She tried to heave. She tried to cry. The tea was so sickeningly sweet. It stung on her tongue and throat. She tried to heave. She tried to cry. To just let it all out. But there was nothing inside.

गते गते पारगते पारसंगते बोधि स्वाहा

by hari calico (bloomfilters)

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