It was the same as it had always been. “Open enough boxes of Cracker Jack” became “use your decoder goggles,” which became “get a full set of hidden stickers,” which became “scan the right QR code.” And always for a prize that could be, but was statistically unlikely to be, a higher cost than the variable number of items purchased to earn it. A model that manipulated dopamine, cultivated a sense of wonder, and perhaps most importantly, held statistically lower volatility and risk for larger-scale operations. Yet another model that slowly, insidiously, by law of averages, moved wealth up the chain to the toy megacorporations and conglomerates that set the market’s path. But it wasn’t a bad deal for the buyer. It let parents use the money they got from working at those corporations to provide moments of happiness for their children, while paying back into the system that put food on their table. And when it comes down to it, what market need could be more important than putting a smile on a child’s face?
After all,
It’s only business.
MUSIC CREDITS
“Lightless Dawn” by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com)
License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
PLAYERS
- Greg – Andrew Burke. An aging corporate spokesman, Andrew has worked for many companies to defuse tense situations and make questionable sales pitches. After surviving cancer, a car crash and a mugging, he takes precautions to ensure that he packs a lot more than just words for when things get rough.
- Kevin – Isaac Soklarus. A company man, Isaac has been working for Polycorp for the last year, becoming closely entangled with their inner workings. Something of a know-it-all, he has an extensive array of knowledge and a few specialized cybernetic implants to help him through his day to day life.
- Matt – Kayla Fox. A late thirties ex-Silicon-Valley network engineer who started working on the black market after realizing that sexism was less rampant in the criminal sector.
- Molly – Pepper Abe. A short and scarred yet deathly fashionable Japanese-American woman, Pepper is almost as adept at solving problems as she is at creating them. With an entry plan to anywhere and a deep seated anger toward society her reputation is louder than she ever could be.
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