BBB. Roman Stax marched into his office, threw his feet into the air and watched as they slammed onto his desk. It was made of six different kinds of exotic wood, including ebony and Carpathian elm, and a protective layer of bulletproof glass for good measure. Stax clapped his hands and watched a thirty-two inch screen descend from the ceiling.
It was good to be home.
It was good to sit on a throne.
Roman took a deeep breath and closed his eyes and heard a tiptapping noise. It was the high heel tap dance of his new assistant’s spiked heels clinking on the ground.
“Lucy is coming to me.”
She stopped next to his throne.
“You have sharp senses, sir.”
“It’s not the only thing that’s sharp now.”
Lucy sighed and readied her eScroll.
“I’ve sent out invitations to our potential participants for the Blogbuster event, sir.”
Roman opened his eyes and turned to her.
“Let’s hear them.”
She read the list, introduced five famous vloggers and their claim to fame. As she continued to talk, Roman broke her reading spree with a swift wave.
“Lucy, Lucy, darling. What are you doing ?”
“But you asked for famous vloggers.”
He cleared his throat.
“Famous vloggers with an edge. I don’t want a bunch of puppies smooching each other. I want to see explosive personalities.”
She sighed.
“Can you be more specific, sir ?”
He wanted to facepalm himself. Scratch that, he wanted to facekick himself. But this was important, so he took a deep breath and flicked on his teacher mode.
“Lucy, I check your vlogger selections and I see a bunch of politically correct kids that smile like cheesy models on low-cab sugar labels. Now that’s cool for the fluffybunny channel, but it’s not enough for the Blogbuster.”
He jolted from his throne and walked around his office in a shark-like circular attack pattern.
“Tell me, what’s the most exciting thing in the world ?”
She squinted at him.
“Sex ?”
He grinned.
“Yeah, that too. But I mean in a broader sense, metaphorically speaking.”
She shrugged.
“Contrast,” he said and clapped his hands.
“Day and night, hot and cold, communist and capitalist. It’s the essence of excitement. Because when you mix two opposites, you get—”
He motioned her to finish the sentence.
“Explosions ?”
“Billions of views, if you do it right.”
He walked back to his throne and pulled up a few video channels on his mighty screen.
“The web is filled with eccentric personalities. Individuals with oversized egos, asocial behavior and ambitious delusions.”
He glanced back at Lucy.
“I want those people in the Blogbuster. Give me the powder kegs who burn on both fuses.”
Lucy frowned.
“But sir, won’t that cause a lot of conflict ?”
Roman sighed, but kept his blank expression. This woman couldn’t be real, could she ? The facepalm wouldn’t be enough for this one.
“Lucy, I think we aren’t a good match.”
“I can handle it, Mr. Stax. I’ll just find new vloggers based on your recommendations.”
He stretched his mouth.
“No, that’s cool. It’s all covered.”
“Covered ?”
“Don’t worry about it. Goodbye baby.”
She nodded and tiptoed out of the office. Roman watched her go and said,
“And Lucy ?”
She turned around and shot him a nervous smile.
“Yes ?”
“You’re fired.”
“What ?”
“Please pack your things and leave your office in mint-condition. You get twenty-four hours.”
“You’re kidding, right ?”
Roman rolled his eyes. He knew it was going to end up in drama, it always did.
“Lucy, I liked you, you loved me, but frankly, the job has outgrown you. I have no need for you anymore.”
He said it without breaking his gaze from his mighty screen. Probably for the better, because here she stood, sobbing on the spot. Her whining was so loud Roman had to plug his ears and hum a melody from his childhood to drown out her cryfest. A quick press of a button and security arrived to guide the lady out, politely. Two sturdy guys with Stax Media branded armor dragged her out, closed the doors and left Roman Stax back in his favorite element, Alone-ium.
He thought,
“The next babe better be premium both in body AND brains.”
YOU ARE READING
Blogbuster - A comedy-laced blogger sci-fi thriller
Science FictionTo steal attention no one gets, you have to do things no one dares When video blogger Violet Gear’s online techwear show ends in a catastrophe, she faces financial ruin. To cope with the career kill, she enters the Blogbuster - a controversial real...
