Chương 172: Chapter 170 – The Wonders of Tut

Elios sat behind his desk, eagerly awaiting Tuthmosis' arrival. His concern about poaching Mordak's assistant had been for nothing. Mordak didn't even seem to notice the personnel change. The new assistant was just another nameless, faceless body sitting temporarily at the reception desk. He had even gone so far as to acquire an appropriate desk for him. Being on a first name basis with the supply manager had made the whole process a lot more streamlined than it normally was.

He just told Joe to hook him up and he did. He couldn't expect his assistant to be forced to manage at a card table and use that horrendous plastic chair and do his job with any amount of dignity or respect. He knew from his recent stint with Hardscrabble that demeaning your employees only bred contempt. He did want that for Tut. He wanted him to be proud of where he worked and who he worked for. Having an employee feel valued and respected would get maximum performance and productivity.

They would put in the extra effort without question or being asked. He knew Tut. He genuinely liked him, so that was a plus. He was smart, funny, and organized. He knew what to do to get the job done, and done right. Mordak was a fool to not appreciate Tut. He shrugged his shoulders.

"His loss, my gain," he muttered. He looked up at the clock. Tut should be here any minute, he thought excitedly. Standing up, he smoothed down his immaculate lab coat. It felt good to be wearing it again. Now maybe he would actually be able to get back to research, he thought, feeling empowered. Today, he had Tut. Tut could handle all the stuff he hated, the reporting, the paperwork, the administrative side of things, while he… he could focus on the stuff that mattered most.

Like finally understanding how the teleport worked. How was it able to change things down to the last atom that it deemed unworthy to transport? How was it even able to make that kind of distinction? Excitement coursed through his veins at the prospect of the discoveries he would be able to make. Now that he was off the performance enhancing drugs, he felt sharp, clear headed and focused. He placed his hands behind his back and stood by the window. It was a lovely day.

A nervous cough broke the quiet of the office, followed by a soft knock. Elios turned to see Tut standing just inside the doorway, clutching a worn leather satchel, dressed impeccably in a tailor fit suit. Seeing this, Elios couldn't help but to think, dress for the job you want, not the job you have. Elios watched as Tut's eyes darted around his office.

"That's right you have never been to the bowels of Mordak's operation, have you?" Elios remarked.

"Let me show you around so you can get a feel for the place."

"No, I've never been down here, but I've heard stories." He snickered.

"All kinds of things go on down here if I'm not mistaken," he said, shifting the bag on his shoulder.

"Well, you're not wrong. This is where the magic happens, we devise new systems, develop new tech. It is really quite fascinating once you get a feel for it," Elios said as he led Tut out of his office and into the large work area.

"So this is where you'll be." He motioned to the solid Oak Desk, strategically placed just outside Elios' office.

"I know it's nothing compared to the glitz of Mordak's office, but I am hoping you will find it far more interesting and rewarding." Tut took his bag off his shoulder and placed it on his chair. The leather seat groaned slightly under the weight of the bag, causing Elios to look curiously at it.

"What the hell you got in there, Tut? Sounds like it weighs a ton." Tut looked down at the bag.

"Oh, it's my go bag, after working for Mordak I started carrying it. It is more or less the ultimate assistant bag. You name it… I've probably got it." He went over to the bag and started pulling things out.

"You want snacks… we got snacks. You need a drink… we have several. You need me to take dictation…" He pulled out a recorder.

"Ready when you are." This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Elios stopped him.

"I get it, you don't need to pull it all out." He snickered.

"I guess working for Mordak you had to be prepared for pretty much everything." Tut raised his eyebrows.

"You have no idea Elios, no idea," he scoffed.

"These are things I now feel compelled to carry because not having them got me fired."

"Well, although I appreciate your sense of preparedness, it won't be necessary now, Tut. I don't expect you to pull what I need out of your magic bag," he laughed.

"Before we go any further, I do need to ask you a question," Tut said nervously.

"Go ahead, you can ask me anything," Elios said.

"The only bad question is the one not asked," he said, smiling.

"I would rather have you ask me five hundred questions than walk around with even one doubt."

"So while on the clock am I to call you Mr. Tusk or is it alright that I call you Elios?" he asked shakily.

"I mean I know you and I have a friendly rapport and all, but I don't want to take liberties that I shouldn't."

"You can call me Elios, it's fine, Tut," he mused.

"Considering we will be working closely for ten hour days sometimes, I think we will be past Mister anybody. You are my assistant, not my butler." Tut smiled at this, relieved.

"Okay, now that that is out of the way, let me give you the grand tour," Elios said standing at the head of his desk.

"Not much to it really." He pointed at several tables with several strange contraptions scattered on them.

"This is where the magic really happens. These are the things currently being worked on or developed. You won't be dealing with this aspect of things I'm afraid. You will be handling mostly the administrative functions of this office," Elios said flatly. Tut looked at him with awe and apprehension then relief.

"I was getting a little nervous there for a minute. I can type you up a twenty‑page report, complete with footnotes and a slide show, but I couldn't tell you what any of that is."

"Excellent, because that is what I need. Someone who can handle the reports and spreadsheets. Someone who can handle the phone calls and calendar," Elios said, gesturing to Tut's desk.

"Your work at this desk is just as important as the work that goes on over at those tables, Tut. Once I get started on a project, I lose all sense of everything else. I will be relying on you to keep me where I need to be, when I need to be there."

"I can certainly do that," Tut said.

"The better you do your job, the easier you make mine," Elios smiled, sitting on the edge of Tut's desk.

"Before the whole Hardscrabble thing, I was down here alone trying to juggle it all. Sure there was the occasional lab assistant but no one to handle the day to day stuff, like the phones, and mail, checking in the deliveries, that kind of stuff. It took a lot of my time away from the projects. I am really looking forward to focusing my attention on the things it should be focused on.

I have no doubt in my mind that you will have the rest of this office running like a well oiled machine while I get the machines oiled, if you get what I mean." He laughed. Tut quickly stuffed the items he had pulled out of his bag earlier back in and put the bag on the floor with a thunk. He pulled out the chair and sat down, looking for a pad and pen. He reached down to his bag and pulled one out.

"See, got everything," he laughed.

"Well I was going to take you to the supply cupboard, but that works too," Elios remarked.

"So first things first, IT hasn't delivered your computer yet so we are going to just have to focus on the little stuff, like the mail. Or, as I like to call it, the bane of my existence. It has a tendency to…" he paused, searching for the right word, "…multiply. Unpredictably. We're expecting a rather large delivery today, including a… very important part. You'll be responsible for tracking that. Harold usually brings the mail by around ten. Packages usually are here by noon," Elios said as Tut took notes.

"I am expecting a very important piece today so when he brings the packages look for the one from Innovative Chemical Industries. I paid more money than either of our salaries to get that piece here today so it better be here."

"It must be a very important piece to spend so much to ship it," Tut remarked.

"That part can be the difference between life and death," Elios replied.

"Just ask Jethro, he knows better than anyone."