I find most reflexive anti-corporatism these days faintly tedious, boring, and unoriginal.
“What Chief Pilot Tanaka said,” Greg added. “You want to look at people’s private computers, go ahead and ask them first. You want us to run a voluntary audit of our own files? Sure, we’ll grant that request, and tell you what we find. Or you can look at our quarterly reports, because we do check for that, believe it or not. You want more, show us your warrant.”
I expected a bit more bluster from Rubicon, but it was like he expected the response. “The Council assumed you would remember your duty as Terrans. Clearly they were mistaken.” When this sneer didn’t make us start weeping and begging for forgiveness, he shook his head. “We will call for volunteers, then — and we expect to see both the old audit, and the new one. Is that clear?”
“As crystal,” replied Maki. “Will you be needing anything else, Captain Rubicon?”
The silence grew. This time, I just sat in my chair and leaned back a little. Eventually, Rubicon spoke. “No.”
“Then thank you for coming to meet with us! We will of course provide you with the audits you requested. And should you want anything else, you have only to ask,” Maki burbled, in full fuck-you-with-sugar-frosting mode. I hear they spend an entire class teaching managers that in corp school, and you can see why: Rubicon had to visibly restrain his breathing before he gave Greg a short bow, and left.