Chapter 4 - The Vipers' Den
Moving from the boiler room to the 40th floor was like stepping onto an alien planet.
Eleanor didn't just give me an office; she gave me a seat at the R&D table. My title was Lead Accessibility Consultant. But to the rest of the executives, I was just a glorified babysitter who had conned the CEO.
The worst of them was Richard Sterling, the VP of Product Development. He was a Yale graduate with a trust fund and a sneer that never quite left his face.
During my first board meeting, I was explaining how tactile feedback on our new tablets could help ground individuals experiencing sensory overload.
"Fascinating," Richard interrupted, leaning back in his leather chair. "Tell me, Thomas, where did you get your engineering degree? Was it before or after you learned how to unclog a urinal?"
A few junior executives snickered.
I didn't flush with anger. I just looked at him. "I don't have a degree, Richard. But I do know that your current tablet prototype uses a glass screen that emits a 12,000-hertz frequency when it overheats. You can't hear it. But an autistic child can. It sounds like a dog whistle. That's why your test groups keep throwing the devices against the wall."
Richard’s smug smile vanished. "That's... that's absurd."
Eleanor, sitting at the head of the table, turned to her lead engineer. "Is he right?"
The engineer nervously checked his laptop. "Yes, ma'am. The processor emits a high-pitch whine at peak load. We didn't think it was in the human hearing range."
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"Fix it," Eleanor snapped. She looked at Richard. "And if you ever disrespect my consultant again, Richard, you'll be the one cleaning the bathrooms. Are we clear?"
Richard swallowed hard, his face pale. "Crystal."
