Panel 01 — Day 1
Chapter I — The Sub-Basement
01 / 36
A Westminster Career Profile

Being the Founder's Daughter Didn't Hurt Either…

Alessia Rathford's thirty-day sprint from the mailroom to senior management, told entirely on the record, mostly.

A short fictional account·The Roar of Winchester·From the world of An Enduring Spark
Scroll ↓   or press ↓

A fictional account. Any resemblance to real career trajectories or corporate practices is coincidental and, somehow, not surprising.

Chapter I

The Sub-Basement

Days 1–3
Panel 01 · Day 1
The mailroom. Cute, Father.
Panel 02 · Day 2
Alphabetical by department, then by ego. Simple.
Panel 03 · Day 3
I redesigned the entire logistical chain. I might as well keep busy while Father has his fun.
Panel 04 · Day 3 · Exit
Three days was plenty of time to learn the plumbing. Moving up.
Chapter II

Junior Analyst

Days 4–7
Panel 05 · Day 4
Junior Analyst. The coffee is better. The job, not so much.
Panel 06 · Day 5
You missed a zero. Unless you intended to bankrupt the Rodgastian Office by Tuesday?
Panel 07 · Day 6
I automated my week in twenty minutes. Now, we wait.
Panel 08 · Day 7
I guess I impressed them. Not a high bar, apparently.
Chapter III

The Crisis

Days 8–10
Panel 09 · Day 8
A ‘crisis.’ Or as I call it, a Tuesday.
Panel 10 · Day 9
Have you tried turning the entire company off and on again? No? Just me?
Panel 11 · Day 10
The servers are up. My reputation is rising faster than the stock.
Panel 12 · Day 10 · Notification
Level 40. Immediate. Right on schedule.
Chapter IV

Advising VPs

Days 11–14
Panel 13 · Day 11
They still think I’m an intern. I let them think that. It’s funnier.
Panel 14 · Day 12
The tax loophole is on page six. You’re welcome.
Panel 15 · Day 13
Which department? All of them, eventually.
Panel 16 · Day 14
Regional Director. Two weeks in. I should probably buy a plant.
Chapter V

Regional Director

Days 15–18
Panel 17 · Day 15
Much better. Less ‘middle management,’ more ‘inevitable.’
Panel 18 · Day 16
Your numbers are down. My patience is lower. Fix it by lunch.
Panel 19 · Day 17
The hierarchy is starting to feel like a suggestion.
Panel 20 · Day 18
Another room. Another stage.
Chapter VI

Boardroom Dominance

Days 19–22
Panel 21 · Day 19
Step one: act like it’s beneath you. Step two: make it so.
Panel 22 · Day 20
Unanimous. Sigh. It’s a good thing I trust my own opinion, since it seems to be the only one in the room.
Panel 23 · Day 21
The view is getting better by the day.
Panel 24 · Day 22
The final boss. Luckily, I have the cheat codes. Nice to see you, Father.
Chapter VII

The CEO’s Floor

Days 23–26
Panel 25 · Day 23
I’m usually much nicer, but there is a clock ticking.
Panel 26 · Day 24
Some days it feels like performance is ninety percent wardrobe selection.
Panel 27 · Day 25
To our newest Senior Executive. A meteoric rise.
Panel 28 · Day 26
The mail girl? I knew she looked familiar…
Chapter VIII

The Inauguration

Days 27–30
Panel 29 · Day 27
First order of business: we’re replacing the mailroom lights. It’s tacky.
Panel 30 · Day 28
It’s good to be home.
Panel 31 · Day 29
One last thing to settle.
Panel 32 · Day 30
Thirty days, Alessia. A little slow, don’t you think?
Chapter IX

The Rooftop Finale

Day 30
Panel 33 · Day 30
I took a two-week nap in Regional. I wanted to give them a head start.
Panel 34 · Day 30
Careful what you wish for. Xerah Corp is no picnic.
Panel 35 · Day 30 · Horizon
Yes, Father. You know me — if it’s not the pinnacle, I didn’t aim high enough.
Panel 36 · Final Frame
Day 30. Mission accomplished.
Some details have been compressed for narrative. Most of them, however, are real. Names, dates, and certain timepiece price points have been adjusted at the request of counsel.
End of Account

Thirty days. Mission accomplished.

From the world of An Enduring Spark by Nicholas Dowbiggin.

← Roar of Winchester