Dead End: Hell of Customer Service

Chapter 11 - Termination Without Severance

The lift to the 50th floor hurtled upwards at a speed capable of leaving an ordinary human’s stomach behind on the ground floor. Inside the polished, chrome-plated metal box, Mark Miller stood rigid, unmoving. His reflection on the lift wall was no longer that of an exhausted man in a crumpled office shirt, but a predator with a dark aura shimmering faintly around his body.

David leaned against the corner of the lift, gasping for air. He stared at Mark with a look that bordered more on fear than admiration. "Mark... you... are you alright? You haven't blinked since we left the lobby."

Mark turned his head slowly. His movements were calculated and highly efficient, as if every inch of his muscle had been calibrated by an algorithm. "A low blink rate increases visual focus by 12%. I am currently performing asset optimisation, David. You should also learn to regulate your oxygen intake. You’re wasting breath."

"Wasting breath?" David gave a bitter laugh. "Mark, you’re talking like a possessed fax machine. That black fluid... what has it done to you?"

[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION: ON-BOARDING STATUS COMPLETE]

[Welcome to 'The Liquidation Squad', Senior Operator Miller. Your Helpdesk voice has been upgraded to the Executive Version.]

The voice that emerged this time was no longer that of a cheerful robotic woman, but a heavy, authoritative baritone that sounded utterly indifferent.

[Executive Voice: "Miller, forget the sentimentality. Before you lies the final test of your probation. Remember, failure to liquidate the target will be deemed a voluntary resignation without life-severance. Understood?"]

"Crystal clear," Mark replied curtly.

TING!

The lift doors slid open. The sharp tang of ozone and machine lubricant immediately assaulted their senses. The 50th floor was no longer an office. It was a gargantuan, endless hangar with a ceiling lost behind a grey digital mist. In the centre of the hangar stood a mechanical monster as tall as a hill: The Industrial Shredder. The machine roared, its black steel teeth spinning incessantly, devouring anything that passed along the conveyor belts stretching from every corner of the room.

Upon those belts, thousands of unconscious humans—"Failed Assets"—were queuing to be ground into point particles.

"God... Sarah!" David screamed, pointing towards conveyor belt number 4.

There, bound to a stack of old documents, Sarah was moving slowly towards the mouth of the roaring shredder. She was less than fifty metres away from a very noisy death.

"Halt there, Operator Miller."

A man emerged from the mist. He wore a pristine white suit, a stark contrast to the grimy hangar floor. His face was flat, possessing no eyes, nose, or mouth—just a smooth surface resembling porcelain. In his right hand, he held a massive stamp engraved with a corporate skull logo.

He was The Head of Liquidation.

"This asset deletion process is in accordance with the laws governing the External Collection Agreement," the man in the white suit said in a calm voice. "Your interference will be recorded as a hindrance to the audit."

"I’m not hindering the audit," Mark countered, his steps steady as he approached the figure. The 'Contract Termination' hammer in his hand began to emit black sparks. "I simply wish to perform a budget revision. And the asset on that belt... she is my private property."

[Executive Voice: "Warning! Private property is not recognised under the 'Permanent Overtime' contract. Miller, do not let your performance slip for a single unit of collateral."]

"Shut up," Mark hissed at his own system. "I’m working."

The White Suit moved. His speed defied logic. He appeared directly in front of Mark and brought down his massive stamp. Mark parried with the handle of his hammer.

CLANG!

The shockwave from the collision shattered the glass around the hangar. Mark felt his hands vibrate, yet the Empathy Removal Fluid prevented him from feeling fear. He swung his hammer, attempting to strike the White Suit's legs, but the bureaucratic monster suddenly dissolved into a flurry of paper forms, only to rematerialise behind Mark.

"You cannot strike something registered as an intangible asset," the White Suit mocked. He stamped the floor beneath Mark’s feet.

Instantly, the concrete floor turned into transparent digital crystal, causing Mark’s feet to sink and freeze in place.

[System: "You are caught in a 'Bureaucracy Trap'. Estimated release time: 40 minutes. Suggestion: Use the 'Administrative Bribe' feature for 200 Points."]

Mark looked at Sarah. She was now a mere ten metres from the shredder’s mouth. David tried to run towards the belt, but he was immediately intercepted by dozens of small, stapler-shaped monsters firing steel nails at his feet.

"To hell with bribes," Mark muttered. He accessed the Black Market with his mind. "System, I have a 10% discount voucher from that slaughter earlier. Is there anything that can stop this arrogant monster from talking?"

[Black Market: "'The Whistleblower's Silence' (Illegal Item) available. Price: 450 Points (After Discount). Effect: Mutes all system frequencies and authorities within a 50-metre radius for 60 seconds."]

"Buy it. Now!"

[Transaction Successful. Point Balance: -1,390 (Status: Total Bankruptcy).]

Suddenly, a small black sphere appeared in Mark’s hand. He crushed it. Silence. Abruptly, all system voices—including the nagging Executive—vanished. The hangar fell into an eerie hush, leaving only the roar of the shredder, which now sounded far more real.

The White Suit appeared panicked. The light from his body dimmed. He tried to lift his stamp, but without instructions from the central server, his movements became slow and rigid.

Mark let out a roar. Using every ounce of strength in his legs, he forcibly shattered the digital crystals binding him. His shins cracked and blood seeped out, but he didn't care. He launched himself like a black bullet, slamming his hammer directly into the White Suit’s chest.

CRASH!

The White Suit’s chest imploded, spilling thousands of digital gold coins that were worthless in this apocalyptic world. Mark didn't stop there. He leapt onto the conveyor belt, grabbing Sarah just as the tips of her hair began to touch the shredder’s teeth.

With one powerful wrench, Mark pulled Sarah away, rolling with her onto the concrete floor. The machine let out a deafening screech as it attempted to "chew" the empty air.

"Sarah! Wake up!" Mark shook her shoulders.

Sarah opened her eyes slightly, gazing at Mark with blurred vision. "Mark...? Your face... why do you look so cold?"

Mark didn't answer. The effect of 'The Whistleblower’s Silence' began to wear off.

[Executive Voice: "ERROR! COMMUNICATION INTERFERENCE DETECTED! MILLER, YOU HAVE COMMITTED AN ALPHA-LEVEL VIOLATION!"]

The hangar ceiling suddenly shook. A giant hole opened, and from it descended a drone shaped like a mechanical eyeball surrounded by bronze wings—The Regional Director.

"Mark Miller," the drone’s voice was so powerful it forced David to his knees as he covered his ears. "You have damaged the primary liquidation facility. Property damage value: 4.2 Billion Points. The Board of Directors has conducted an emergency review of your performance."

Mark stood up, shielding Sarah’s body with his back. He stared at the giant eyeball with pure defiance. "Tell your board of directors that if they want their points back, they’ll have to come down here and take them from my hands themselves."

"Pitiful bravery," The Regional Director replied. "Since this sector is now deemed inefficient due to your actions, we have decided to initiate a 'Forced Merger'. Welcome to a more competitive new world."

Suddenly, the entire building began to shrink. The hangar walls folded in on themselves like origami. Mark watched through the gaps in the structure as other buildings in the city also began to move, colliding and merging into a single, architecturally impossible megastructure. The Earth was being "restructured" into one solitary office spanning the entire planet.

[New Mission: 'The Integration Crisis']

[Description: Survive amidst the dimensional merger. You are no longer a solitary Operator. 10,000 other Operators from different sectors will arrive at your location shortly.]

[Note: Only one 'CEO' is permitted per planet. Prepare your CV.]

Mark felt the floor beneath him vanish, replaced by a spiral staircase that was now merging with thousands of other stairs from different dimensions. In the distance, he saw other operators—humans like himself, but equipped with far more insane gear—beginning to slaughter one another to fight for a position at the top.

"Mark... what’s happening?" Sarah asked, her voice trembling as she watched the world being folded before her eyes.

Mark gripped his hammer tightly, watching the thousands of Operators appearing on the new horizon. "This isn't about debt collection anymore, Sarah."

Mark Miller grinned—a smile that left no room for humanity. "This is a war to become the most ruthless boss in this hell. And I just got a discount voucher for a new weapon."

On his vision screen, one last notification flickered, inviting a deeper horror:

[System: "Warning! The Global CEO will conduct an inspection visit in 24 hours. Prepare your death report."]

Will Mark Miller survive this war between Operators, or will he be the first casualty of this cruel 'Galactic Merger'?