The Truth About Bubbles

The Truth About Bubbles

     “Let’s stay together,” said the Public Relations Executive, Sarah, who is giving the tour of the “Bubbles” beverage manufacturing to about thirty “Bubbles” lovers. “We still have a lot to look at here.”

     Sarah went around a corner. Which led to the to the next section of the tour: A large room with a single who vat in the center of it. The rest of the tour followed her in. But a few of them were a little slow in doing it though.

     “Everyone needs to stay together,” said Sarah. “No wondering off. There are some areas here we can’t show you. It’s not that we don’t want to. But it’s because we can’t – for health reasons. That’s why we’re are all wearing hairnets a beard nets. It’s for health reasons. We can’t take the chance of hair falling into our product.”

     After taking a deep breath or two Sarah continues, “That’s also why we asked you not to wear button shirt and pants today too. Anything that might fall into the product is a health hazard.” Looking back among the group Sarah added, “And I see some of you didn’t follow the request.”

     Lance looked down at his shirt. He’s one of them with buttons on his shirt. He smiled. “Good! Maybe I will ‘accidently’ drop one or two into their product – as they call it.”

     Tracy was walking right next to Lance. In fact, they were together. They were among the last in that group taking the tour of “Bubbles” – for a very good reason. “Did you say something, Lance?”

     “I asked you what you thing is really going on here.” Lance didn’t know why he lied to Tracy. After all, they were both Reporters – and friends. But he couldn’t help himself. It’s the writer in me.

     “There is definitely something wrong here,” said Tracy so softly only Lance could hear. “I’m not just sure what it is – yet.”

     “Yes, I agree,” said Lance – also softly. “There is something going on here. But we both know what that something is.”

     “We think we know what it is,” said Tracy. “Now all we have to do is prove it.”

     “You stay with the tour group,” Lance said. “I’ll sneak off to find out what the secret of “Bubbles” rapid success really is.?

     “Staying with the tour group isn’t going to be a problem,” said Tracy. “It’s keeping our tour guide from noticing you have left. She is watching all of us like a mother bird protecting her young.”

*******

     Lance didn’t have any trouble sneaking away from the tour group. He also didn’t have any trouble finding out what the secret of “Bubbles” was too. It happened almost right after he left the group. Lance was about to turn a corner when he heard three executive looking people talking to a fourth plant worker looking person.

     “Would you keep your voice down.” said one of the executives. His name was Jason. “You don’t know who might be listening.”

     “No one is listening,” said another executive. is name was Danny. “The only other people here are the ones with Sarah. And Sarah is taking care of them.”

     “What does that mean?” Lance thought to himself.

     “Another batch of the Hypno Powder is almost done,” said the plant worker - who turned out to be a supervisor instead of a worker. Lance would never know who the Plant Supervisor. But his name was Vincent. “It should be done within an hour or two.”

     “Good,” said the third executive. His name was Patrick. But he wasn’t sure about that. “We were almost out of the last batch of the Hypno Powder.”

     “This batch should make another five billion “Bubbles” bottles,” said Danny. “Once they are consumed we will have more than enough to go on to Phase Two.”

     Suddenly a shadow covered Lance. He looked behind him, and up, to see a Security Guard standing behind him.

*******

     It wasn’t a big office. But it was big enough. The three executive Lance just listened to was there. So was Lance and Tracy.

     “What have you go to say?” Jason said. “Who are you?

     “We are no one,” said Lance. “I got separated from the group. And I was about to ask you guys how to get back to them when the Security Guard grabbed me.”

     “That’s the same Security Guard who grabbed me,” said Tracy. “And force me to come here.”

     “Who are you? And What did you overhear?” That was Patrick.

     “I’d like to know what you overheard too,” thought Tracy. “But you aren’t going to tell me – are you? You want the secret of their rapid success all to yourself.”

     “I didn’t hear anything,” said Lance. “Besides, I was too far away to hear anything anyway.”

     The three executives looked at each other. Then at Lance. “We don’t believe you,” said Danny. “What are we going to do with you now that you know our secret?”

     “Don’t say we,” said Tracy. “I didn’t overhear anything.”

     “But you too are working together,” said Patrick. “So you will be treated together.”

     “They aren’t going to do anything to us,” Lance said. “The world is going to know the truth about the “Bubbles” beverage. What are you going to do – kill us.”

     Once again the three executives looked at each other. Then at Lance – and Tracy. But this time when they looked at him, them, they had big smiles on their faces.

*******

     “Phase Two is almost ready to begin,” said a familiar sounding female voice. “Phase one was just a test. A test to see if everyone could be hypnotized into buying something like “Bubbles” no matter how bad it tasted.”

     “A mind is a terrible thing to waste,” the familiar female voice said. “And controlling those minds is so easy.” She leaned back in her chair with her hands behind her head – and a big smile on her face. It was Sarah.

The End?