The Third Floor | Exodus (51.05)

[mragland]

12.19.2050 – Unincorporated Los Angeles County


The demise of the PEBA and the (partially coincidental) release of players as free agents brought several new faces to the Stars.

Most prominently, it brought a new shortstop, Australian Quintin Trewartha, and a new center fielder, American (by way of Puerto Rico) Freddy Ayala, from across the sea. The two had been starters for the Cairo Pharaohs, a team that moved from the PEBA to the new Global Baseball Consortium without having to change cities, but which nevertheless let the pair go as free agents at the end of 2050.

Both were coming off excellent 2050 seasons and had shown that they could play their respective positions well, though the two appeared to be at different points in their careers. Trewartha was entering his age twenty-five season and looked to be approaching the prime of his career. Ayala was thirty-one and already had what was likely the best statistical season of his career the year prior.

But the new faces didn't only come out of Egypt.

Alejandro Suárez, the new general manager, came from PEBA Mumbai. He had known both the good times (championships in '46 and '47) and the more recent bad ones (98 losses in 2050) at that club. He did not make the move with his former team to Sydney. His experience with the Metro Stars seemed to appeal to upper management, which had demonstrated a preference for relative outsiders. And Marwa, who was an intern with Beirut last Grant saw her, also signed on. She took a job up on the fourth floor as an assistant to one of the assistant general managers.

"When the Cedars announced their move to London, I opted to find somewhere sunnier," says Marwa to Grant while the two eat their lunch in the third floor break room on her first day. "I've been to England once. That was enough gray sky for me."

"Sun should not be discounted," replies Grant. "Plus the English can be unbearable sometimes."

"And how is Alden?" asks Marwa, “I haven't had chance to go downstairs to see him yet.”

"Unbearable. He met a girl, like, a year ago, and things are still going 'quite well'. Now he's all 'pip-pip, cheerio', all the damn time. Even here at work, where it's been a bit out of place."

"It can't be that gloomy. I mean, I heard there had been turnover here, before. Lucky for me, I guess, that there were open positions to fill. but everyone has been lovely to me, so far."

"There was turnover, sure. Some quit, some were fired. More quit when they didn't like how things shook out after the first group was replaced and there was restructuring. But ... I might be making it sound worse than it was. It hasn't been a 'beatings will continue until morale improves' kind of situation. There's no other way to put it, the team shit the bed last season and those negative vibes reverberated through the place. But I'm not surprised you've been treated well. The people aren't bad, it's just been a difficult time."

"You're still here,” Marwa, waiving her hand towards Grant. “I presume this means you believe better vibes are ahead. Or are you busy circulating you're resume?"

"I'm tempted to say that the times couldn't get worse, but of course they always can get worse." Grant appears to study his sandwich for a moment. "I guess I'm happy with how things are run, generally. Ownership seems to care about winning, which isn't always the top priority in professional sports. Upper management seems to know what it's doing most of the time. To the extent we have an office culture, it's mostly positive. Collaborative and supportive rather than competitive and cut throat. There are less pleasant places to work for sure, and the checks don't bounce, so I'm good. Things just aren't quite settled, I guess you'd say."

Something in the distance over Grant's shoulder catches Marwa's eye. “Tell me, how is it working here in the office when you can see a roller coaster right over there?” asks Marwa, pointing out the window towards Magic Mountain.

Grant chuckles. “It has its ups and downs.”