The Quartermaster
There was another long pause, as if Mendoza was hesitant to endorse a rash course of action. “I’ve been listening carefully to you, my son. I think what I am hearing is that you have been considering some new plan for a long time. I know how your mind works, take a moment and explain your thoughts to me.”
Ranell struggled for words. “It hasn’t been a long time.” Then he corrected himself. “Well, I guess I’ve wanted a change for a long time, but I just got some news today that seems to be crystallizing. Plans are building that feel like puzzle pieces coming together.”
Mendoza just waited silently, allowing Ranell to sort through his ideas.
“We’re talking about donating three airships to charity.” Ranell leaned forward, phone at his ear, staring intently at the floor as the familiar sensation of planning and balancing countless variables washed over him. He felt alive with renewed vigor. “What if I was to run the charity they donated these airships to?”
“Do you mean, like a non-profit?” Mendoza asked. “What kind of charity work could you do with airships?”
“Think about it, Father.” Much welcomed bubbles of enthusiasm began to percolate again in Ranell’s heart. “The whole world is in turmoil. The one thing I know how to do well is transport goods from where they are to where they need to be. With these airships, I could deliver food to famine victims in places that were inaccessible to anyone else. I could do search and rescue operations. Think about the endless possibilities for disaster relief.”
“This seems so sudden,” Mendoza said cautiously. “But I’ve known you too long to interfere with your planning once it’s started. Just be cautious, my son.”
Ranell grinned. “You know me, Father. I’ve always got contingencies. But I think I might just become the global Quartermaster for those in need!”
You are the CEO of GML. You make the call:
Good work. You have managed to save the bulk of your employees from the depredations of the unemployment line during an economic depression. You jumped into the airship business too soon, but you were right about the “Race for the Kingdom of the Sky” in airship travel. Your plan to donate your LMH-1s to charity is a win-win.
Option 1: Choose this option if you wish to return to a different point and explore other possibilities.
Option 2: Choose this option if you wish to quit this exercise in Directed Fiction. Continue to the solutions page to learn more about how these scenarios were developed.