Change Is On The Horizon

**“You failed.”**

Lyudmila jumps slightly as a large stack of papers is dropped onto her desk by the woman looming over her, startled as she didn’t see or hear the intimidating woman enter her office. She looks up at the woman with an annoyed expression, her eyebrows furrowed, and eyes narrowed almost to say, ‘*how dare you bother me with such nonsense*’. The room seemed to feel colder when their frowns met, each woman’s stare as icy and menacing as the other.

Lyudmila scoffs as she shuts the book she was reading and places it on her perfectly organised desk. “*When have I ever passed inspection?*” She says matter-of-factly as she leisurely leans back in her desk chair. She sighs lightly as her hand goes to open one of the drawers on her desk and pulls out a packet of Prima brand cigarettes, and she’s got one resting in between her lips before offering one to the woman in front of her silently. The other woman clicks her tongue and tosses her long black braid over her shoulder, looking at Lyudmila incredulously as she takes one of the offered cigarettes.

“*Never. That is going to change.*” The woman’s tone is sharp and void of emotions, a strange way to be talking to the woman in charge of the Kuznetsov Conglomerate, yet she doesn’t seem to care. The tall woman lights her cigarette by striking it against her wrist like a match, clicking her tongue before placing it in her mouth. She takes a small drag of her cigarette and blows the smoke into the air before glaring at Lyudmila once more, “*Things are going to change around here now that there is a chance that my Corporate Standard is going to be put through.*”

Lyudmila rolls her eyes and lights her own cigarette using the lighter function from one of her fingers, taking a quick drag of her own before she speaks in an exasperated manner. “*Give it up already, Nadezhda. Why fix something if it’s not broken?*” She smiles at Nadezhda who takes another drag of her cigarette in response. “*I have everything planned out already.*” Lyudmila stares at the other woman with a mocking smile, her whole demeanour switching into one that exudes hostility.

Nadezhda clicks her tongue again, annoyed at how Lyudmila refuses to take the situation even remotely seriously. She frowns at her as she sits in the uncomfortable chair opposite Lyudmila’s desk, picking up the top couple of papers off the pile she set down on Lyudmila’s desk when she entered. Nadezhda reads through them at no hurry, her eyebrow raising as she reads the final sentence of the page she was reading. She sets them back down on the pile of similar papers and looks at Lyudmila again, taking her cigarette out of her mouth and resting it between two of her fingertips.

“*You are a hypocrite.*” Nadezhda says firmly, her grey eyes almost seeming to see straight through Lyudmila’s facade. “*My **Corporate Standard** will go through, and if you want any chance of not being ripped limb from limb considering KZC suggested this idea, then you will need to implement some changes.*” The sheer amount of confidence and willingness to take to Lyudmila in this way was astonishing, Nadezhda stood steadfast in front of a woman that most would cower at the sight of. It wasn’t surprising once you realise that Nadezhda used to be one of Katyusha’s advisors.

That was a long time ago when Nadezhda was much younger, but her skills still remained sharp as she was constantly tested being a member of the Kuznetsov Executive Board. Not a day goes by where she doesn’t have to put someone in their place and today just happened to be the day where she put Lyudmila in her place. Considering most of the executive board had been discussing a Corporate Standard for the Kuznetsovian factories anyway, it was about time they sent Nadezhda to deal with the one in charge. She was not about to be told no by a girl who had no idea about the inner workings of her own conglomerate.

Nadezhda’s intense gaze finally starts to pierce through Lyudmila’s own and she shifts nervously in her chair, taking another drag of her cigarette as she regains her composure. "*Here is my list of suggestions so that we will be up to code with the standard, do you wish to hear them?*” It was a rhetorical question considering that Nadezhda had already slid a piece of paper across to the desk to Lyudmila before she could answer. Lyudmila sighs in defeat as she reads the list of what Nadezhda and the rest of the executive board thinks should be done to bring KZC up to standard.

“*Increase wages by at least 15% percent, preferably 20?!*” Lyudmila exclaims, her face one of shock and disgust. “*Do you think we’re made of money?*” The retort leaves her mouth before she realises that, yes, they are indeed made out of money and have the money to spare. Nadezhda stares at Lyudmila with a deadpan look as Lyudmila laughs sheepishly, her cheeks turning red. She clears her throat and continues reading. She makes a hum of disagreement as she finishes reading and slides the paper back to Nadezhda, taking a final drag of her cigarette before she leaves the remains of it in the ashtray on the corner of her desk. “*You’re only asking for two things … is this the full list?*” She asks curiously as she lights up another cigarette.

Nadezhda nods her head, confirming that the executive board is only asking for two changes. “*That’s it. Increased wages and better working conditions. We are content with everything else for now*.” Lyudmila looks at the other woman with a confused expression on her face. “*Despite our reputation, we do actually treat our workers better than most corporations. They only ask for a wage that can support a little luxury on top of their basic needs and for the factories to at least not look like they are going to fall down at any moment.*" Nadezhda says with a small sigh. “*We can do better for our people.*”

Lyudmila is overcome by a sense of guilt that she has abandoned her own people for the purpose of trying to impress others. It’s not a nice feeling and she doesn’t have the words to describe it either, so she just sits there with a guilty look on her face instead. She moves one of her elbows on the desk and leans on her hand, a million thoughts racing through her mind as she tries to think about what she should do. This would surely be a hit to their profits, but was it worth it for the betterment of her people? Nadezhda sits there and watches Lyudmila with an unimpressed look. Is it really that hard to make an obvious decision?

“*I need an answer, Lyudmila.*” Nadezhda breaks the silence with her stern voice. “T*he executive board is already quite displeased with you at the moment.*” Lyudmila looks over at Nadezhda with a defeated expression as she finally finishes pondering her answer.

“*You sound just like my mother.*” Lyudmila shudders slightly at the uncanny resemblance between Nadezhda’s way of operating and her mother’s. "*Nonetheless, I do agree with these … demands. I will put them into place at the earliest convenience.*” She says with an annoyed sigh. Upon hearing Lyudmila concede, Nadezhda stands from her chair and leaves what’s left of her cigarette in the ashtray. She folds the paper that had her list of suggestions in half and slips it in her jacket pocket.

**“*Keep your word, Lyudmila. Do the right thing for once, да?*”**