Power and Corruption Ch. 09

It's something I often discussed with her but she refused to see my point. For her everyone is out for themselves and everything is allowed in order to advance yourself. That's why she is so insistent on power corrupting the one who wields it.

But I'd show her the error of her ways. Soon she'd have to correct her views.

Sudden applause brought me back from my thoughts. She had finished her speech and everyone had stood up and was clapping. Guess I shouldn't be surprised. Those investment zombies were her kind of people.

The following Q and A session was about what I expected it to be. She answered their trite questions in a concise and direct manner. Unfortunately, noone was willing to challenge her with a more difficult question.

As soon as we were back in the uber she let her hair down and looked at me.

"What did you think, Miss Brooks? You were surprisingly quiet after my speech."

I shrugged. "You know that I don't agree with your views, Professor. With all due respect. Also, I found your audience a bit unsettling."

She actually laughed at that. "They can be a bit much, agreed. Wouldn't be surprised if they all wore the same brand of underwear."

She gave me one of her quick grins. "But I stand by what I said. How many were there? A hundred? More? Only a handful of them will still be in this career in five years time. Only the best, the toughest will succeed in this field and then they will then have the wealth they wanted."

"Yeah, but climbing to the top over everyone else just doesn't sit right with me. What about ethics? Human decency?"

"Miss Brooks, I'm fairly certain that even you would do a lot of things in order to achieve the career you've been dreaming of. Or do you disagree?"

I couldn't answer. That felt way too close to my situation. Did she suspect anything? She couldn't possibly.... It had to be a figure of speech.

I shook my head and thankfully she did not pry any further.

Back at the hotel I said goodbye to the Professor. I simply wanted to spend the day walking the streets, sitting in small coffee shops and just enjoying my freedom. There was no one here to give me any humiliating orders or that I needed to lie to.

I couldn't help thinking about what Professor Logan said. That I would be willing to do a lot of things to achieve my goals. She was not wrong about that and it irked me to no end. Even after all I did I still considered myself a decent person. Someone with morals and integrity.

Was what I was doing wrong? I wondered sometimes. But it couldn't be. I wasn't hurting anyone but myself. And that was a price I was more than willing to pay.

Before returning to the hotel for the night I went and visited a sex shop. I desperately did not want a repetition of what happened on the flight here. So I bought a butt plug without vibrating balls or any other extras. It was large enough to stay in my ass but not as big as the one I usually had to wear. My plan was to wear it on the plane and then switch it with my standard plug on the toilet after we landed. This way Lela and Hanna would be none the wiser.

Professor Logan picked me up for breakfast and then we made our way to her publisher. Her agent greeted us at the door and led us to a rather impressive meeting room with an amazing view over the city.

They discussed marketing strategies and stuff like that. It was a fascinating conversation. It gave me a real glimpse into the Professor's world. It was so evident that she moved in circles that were absolutely alien to me. She mentioned calling famous talk show hosts to see if she could have an appearance like it was nothing.

I did not agree with her theories but her success could not be denied.

Towards the end her agent, a middle aged lady who introduced herself as Tamara, turned to me and handed me her card.

"From what I hear you've got quite the potential. Let me know if you ever write something worth publishing."

I nodded. Could I make my thesis into a book? Maybe. Something to think about in the future.

"Thank you very much. I'll keep it in mind."

After the meeting the Professor glanced at her watch.

"We have some time before our flight. Care for a cocktail?"

I accepted and so we found ourselves in a bar near the airport drinking ridiculously overpriced cocktails.

"Why did Tamara give me her card, Professor?"

She shrugged.

"I just told her that you're smart and like to challenge me. In vain, of course."

She gave me a little grin.

"Maybe she thinks that you could be worth her time in the future. Who knows? I'd recommend holding on to her card. She's one of the best in her field."

"Will do. And thanks again for the invitation. This has been a really interesting experience."

"Glad to hear it. I'm curious, Miss Brooks. Now that you've gotten a glimpse of my success, why do you still disagree with my theories? Is everyone else wrong but you?"

I thought about that for a moment. She made me sound so arrogant or ignorant. But it wasn't that.

"I don't think that I'm smarter than others, Professor. It's just that I think people are generally decent and your theories don't support that. That's why I just cannot agree with you."

She looked at me, utterly unreadable as always.

"So you think I'm a decent person?"

What a weird question. I nodded. "Of course."

"Okay, then let me give you something to think about. A last piece of advice before we head to the plane."

"I'm all ears, Professor."

"On our flight home, try to really think about your project. Do you really, truly believe that your theory can challenge my work? Is all your time and effort really producing something worthwhile in the end or are you simply too stubborn to accept your failure?"

She gave me a brief smile.

"I like you, Miss Brooks. And I admire your drive. Therefore, I'm going to give you an out. If you want to drop your project and admit your failure, just come talk to me. I promise I will not let it negatively impact your final grade."

I was stunned. This offer was so weird. Again, I could not help but wonder if she suspected something. Or was she simply afraid my theory could overthrow her work? Maybe she was just protecting herself? I just did not know. It was maddening.

"No need to answer now. Just think about it."

That I did. I was lost in thought on the whole flight home. Luckily, there were no incidents on the flight. Thanks to the new plug. So I could concentrate on this new development.

Was I tempted by her offer? Ending my project without it impacting my grades negatively? I was, yes. I could just come clean to Hanna and Lela. But what would they do? How would they react? At this point their good side had not won out yet, so who knows how they'd behave after I told them.

Also, I did not want to let Professor Logan win. It was a selfish argument but I could not deny it. I was absolutely convinced that my theory was correct. In fact, the Professor's offer kind of proved that she thought so as well. At the very least she was scared of it. I had to push through.

When we landed I had come to a decision. I would not abandon my project. I told the Professor as much and she did not seem surprised.

"I suspected as much, Miss Brooks. Then I wish you good luck. Should you run into any problems or wish to talk, my door is always open."

I thanked her again for the trip and we said our goodbyes. I quickly went to a nearby bathroom to switch the plugs. I simply tossed the new one into the trash. No sense in keeping it.

Then I returned home. More motivated than ever to finish my project.

When I entered my apartment, Lela greeted me at the door and handed me a drink.

"Hi Claudia. Good to have you back."

I was a bit taken aback by her friendliness. Then I saw Barbara, the lady from the sex shop, sitting on our sofa.

"What is she doing here?" I asked. Unable to hide my irritation.

Hanna gestured to the glasses on the table. "Chill, we were just having drinks. Come on. Have a drink with us and tell us about your trip."

I really did not want to but I also did not want to anger them. They were in a good mood and I absolutely did not want them to play with me today.

I sat down on the sofa. "Fine, but only one drink." I emptied the glass that Lela gave me in one go and shook myself. "Bah, that tasted awful. What was that?"

Lela sat down next to me and put her arm around my shoulders. "Whiskey. And a little something extra. Good night, Claudia."

I couldn't even answer anymore. They had drugged me, was my last thought then everything went black.

Little did I know that I was in for the shock of my life. Had I known what they'd do to me, I would have never accepted this damn drink.