He Called Us the Company Parasites

1
In the conference room, the Director of Operations, a new hire who'd been parachuted in three months ago, pointed a laser at the PowerPoint slide and addressed the entire room.
The art department is a parasite on this company, he declared, his voice dripping with disdain. A single character model takes you two weeks. An outsourced team can deliver it in three days.
I lifted my head and met his gaze. "And you're sure the quality from an outsourced team would pass muster with our investors?"
"Quality?" He let out a cold, sharp laugh. "Does our lead artist, Mr. Hayes, believe he's crafting priceless masterpieces that no one else can touch?"
A few sycophantic chuckles echoed around the table.
Our boss, Mr. Roberts, slammed his hand on the table. "The art department's budget is cut by half this month."
I snapped my laptop shut, stood up, and walked out.
At the door, I paused and glanced back at him.
What he didn't know was that I held the source files to every single one of this company's blockbuster games.
Leaning against the window in the hallway, I opened my phone. A message from the Apex Interactive HR rep, sent three days ago, was still sitting there, unread.
"Liam, have you given our offer any more thought? We're ready for you whenever you are."
I didn't reply. I just pocketed the phone.
The elevator dinged open and Lila stepped out. She froze for a second when she saw me.
I'd mentored her personally, brought her up from a fresh-faced graduate three years ago who could barely handle Photoshop. I didn't blame her for staying silent in the meeting just nowyou have to protect your own job. But I'd seen her cozying up to Steven's clique for weeks.
"Liam..." she started.
"What is it?"
She bit her lip, her eyes darting away. "About the meeting just now, I..."
"Don't worry about it," I cut her off. "Everyone picks a side."
I turned and walked back to my office. She remained rooted to the spot, her eyes welling up with tears.
At nine that night, the art department's group chat exploded.
Steven had posted a new notice: Effective immediately, all overtime meal stipends and cab fare reimbursements for the art department are canceled.
Dave, one of the older modelers, typed a single question mark.
"Steven, we often have to work until eleven or midnight. This is..."
Steven's reply was instantaneous. "This company doesn't pay for dead weight. If you feel mistreated, you're free to resign."
The chat went dead silent.
I stared at my phone screen, then opened my notes app. I took a screenshot, logged the date, and saved it.
That made seven.
The next morning, Lila knocked on my office door.
"Liam, Steven wants me to take over the character design for Shadowblade."
I looked up at her.
Shadowblade was the company's new thirty-million-dollar project. I'd spent a solid month, burning the midnight oil, to perfect the main character design.
"He said the original art is too dark, that the investors won't like it," she mumbled, avoiding my eyes. "He wants me to design a new version with a lighter, more accessible style."
"Fine," I said. "Go ahead."
She was clearly taken aback by how easily I agreed, staring at me for a full two seconds. "So... the source files?"
"They're on the company server. Find them yourself."
I looked back down at my monitor. She lingered for another moment before turning and leaving.
What she didn't know was that the files on the server were all flattened exports.
The real source fileswith every layer, every group, every smart object intactwere on my portable hard drive. Without them, you couldn't even adjust the color palette, let alone make any meaningful changes.
At noon, I headed downstairs to grab lunch from the convenience store.
Just as I reached the main entrance, I saw Steven and Mark from marketing sharing a smoke.
"That Liam Hayes has such a stick up his ass," Mark was saying, flicking ash onto the pavement. "Thinks he's untouchable just because he's been here forever."
Steven took a long drag from his cigarette. "Don't worry. I'll wear him down. I'll have him crawling out of here on his own within three months."
Mark laughed. "About time someone put those dinosaurs in their place."
I stood just inside the glass doors, unseen, unheard.
I turned around and headed back upstairs. The elevator was empty. My phone buzzed. It was a message from Lila.
"Liam, I can't open the files. It says layers are missing..."
I typed back two words.
"That's normal."
Her reply came in a flash. "What do I do? Steven wants to see a first draft by tomorrow!"
I didn't answer. I just shoved my phone back in my pocket.
The elevator doors slid open. I walked back to my office and closed the door behind me.
I opened my desk drawer and pulled out a black portable hard drive. A small label on it read: Shadowblade - Full Asset Backup.
Next to it were two other drives, labeled Starfall and Abyss Hunt.
Those three games had earned the company over two hundred million dollars.
I had designed every core character, every key environment, every UI element.
And I had a backup of every single source file.
I locked the drives back in the drawer and leaned back in my chair.
The sky outside was turning a bruised shade of gray.
At seven p.m., the department chat blew up again. It was a message from Lila.
"Hey everyone, from now on, all art assets will be reviewed by our director, Steven. Please don't send anything to Liam anymore."
Immediately after, Steven tagged everyone in the group.
"@all Starting tomorrow, all art files must be uploaded to the new shared folder. Liam Hayes's administrative access has been revoked."
Dave chimed in. "What about all the previous assets?"
Steven replied. "Liam will cooperate with the handover. Right, @Liam Hayes?"
I looked at the message on my phone and typed a single word.
"Fine."
After sending it, I left the group chat.
My phone buzzed again. A private message from Lila.
"Liam, I'm so sorry..."
I didn't reply. I just deleted her contact.
It wasn't out of anger. It was just... necessary. Once she'd chosen Steven's side, she was on the other team.
And you don't owe the other team an explanation.
The next day, when I arrived at the office, I found my keycard wouldn't work. The lock on my office door had been changed.
A sheet of A4 paper was taped to the door: Art Department Reorganization. Liam Hayes will temporarily work from the main conference room.
I picked up my coffee mug and walked to the conference room.
I pushed the door open. Inside, the room was being used for storage, piled high with old boxes and discarded equipment. In the corner was a folding table and a single plastic chair.
I placed my mug on the table and sat down.
My phone rang. An unfamiliar number.
"Hello, is this Liam Hayes? I'm a reporter from GameForge Magazine. I'd like to interview you about your design philosophy for Shadowblade..."
"Sorry," I said flatly. "I'm no longer in charge of that project."
I hung up. They called back immediately.
"What? Then who is? We were planning a cover story for our next issue..."
"You'll have to ask the company's Director of Operations, Steven Moore."
I hung up again and blocked the number.
Ten minutes later, Steven stormed into the conference room, his face red with fury.
"Liam! What the hell was that? Why did you turn down an interview with a reporter?"
I looked up at him. "Didn't you say I wasn't in charge anymore?"
"That's an internal restructuring! To the public, you're still the Art Director!"
"Oh."
I went back to looking at my phone.
Steven was practically vibrating with rage. "Don't push your luck! The company has thirty million invested in this project. You sink it, and I'll make sure you pay!"
I put down my phone and looked at him. "Steven, you said this was an internal restructuring?"
"Yes!"
"So, what are my new responsibilities?"
He hesitated. "You... you are to provide art support to Lila and assist her in her work."
"Understood."
I looked back down at my phone.
Steven stood there, fuming, before finally slamming the door on his way out. From the hallway, I could hear his muffled voice.
"Just you wait. We'll see how long that attitude lasts."
I leaned back in the plastic chair and closed my eyes.
My phone vibrated again. It was the HR rep from Apex.
"Liam, we were hoping to fly you out to Austin next week to chat. We'll arrange for your flights and hotel."
I stared at the message, thought for a moment, and replied.
"Okay."
After sending the message, I opened my notes app.
I had a running list of over a dozen of Steven's "brilliant moves":
? Public humiliation in a company-wide meeting.
? Cancellation of department benefits.
? Changing my office lock without notice.
? Revoking my administrative access.
? Assigning Lila to take over my core project.
Every single entry had a screenshot, a date, and a list of witnesses.
I locked the note and put my phone away.
Outside, it had started to rain. Fat drops splattered against the glass, a steady, rhythmic tapping.
Like a countdown clock.
At three in the afternoon, Mr. Roberts called me into his office.
He sat back in his plush leather chair, drumming his fingers on the mahogany desk. "Liam, the company is in a phase of cost-cutting and efficiency improvement. I need you to understand that."
I stayed silent, waiting.
"Steven is an MBA graduate with extensive management experience. I need you to cooperate more with his work."
"Mm-hmm."
"The Shadowblade project is critical. The investors are coming to see a demo next week. You need to hand over all the source files to Lila."
I met his gaze. "The source files aren't on the company server."
He paused. "Then where are they?"
"On my personal hard drive. As per company policy, employees are entitled to keep personal backups of their work."
Roberts's face hardened. "Liam, what are you trying to say?"
"Nothing. Just stating the facts."
"Are you threatening me?"
I stood up. "Mr. Roberts, I'm just presenting the facts."
As I walked out of his office, I heard the sound of a ceramic mug shattering against the wall.
In the hallway, Mark was leaning against a pillar, a smug, knowing smirk on his face. "Really, Liam? Was it worth it?"
I ignored him and walked back to my makeshift office in the conference room.
The moment I sat down, my phone lit up with notifications.
Someone had sent me screenshots from a smaller art department group chatone I'd been kicked out of long ago.
Steven had written: "Liam is just trying to sabotage the project out of spite. People like him are a cancer to this company."
Lila had replied: "It's true. He has no regard for the bigger picture."
Dave had simply added a thumbs-up emoji.
Then came another message from Steven. "I've already recommended to Mr. Roberts that we terminate his employment immediately."
The person sending me the screenshots was Chris, the youngest intern in the art department.
He sent me a private message: "Liam, this is messed up. They're going too far."
I replied: "It's fine. Just keep watching."
At eight p.m., I packed up my things to leave. As I was walking out of the building, I saw Steven and a few other department heads having dinner at the restaurant across the street. Through the large glass window, I could see him raising a glass, his face flushed with victory.
"That prick Liam Hayes... I guarantee you, I'll have him out on his ass within three months!"
The others raised their glasses in a toast. "To Steven!"
"He had it coming!"
I watched them for a moment from the darkness, then turned and walked away.
On the subway ride home, I opened my notes app and added two more entries.
Suddenly, my phone rang. It was an Austin area code.
"Mr. Hayes? This is Apex Interactive HR. Would next Wednesday work for your visit to Austin?"
"Yes, that's fine."
"Wonderful! Our studio head is very excited to meet you. He said your character design for Shadowblade is one of the most stunning concepts he's ever seen."
A small smile touched my lips. "Thank you."
I hung up and leaned my head against the cool glass of the window. The city's neon lights blurred past, a river of vibrant color. Just like this city, I thought. All glitz and glamour on the surface, but underneath, it's nothing but calculations.
The next morning, I was stopped by security in the lobby.
"Mr. Hayes, your keycard has been deactivated."
"Why?"
"I don't have that information, sir. You'll have to ask HR."
I went to the HR office. A notice was taped to the door.
Due to an office restructuring, all art department keycard access has been reset. For questions, please contact Director Steven Moore.
I took a picture of the notice and left.
I found a seat at the coffee shop downstairs and sent a message to Chris.
"Keep an eye out for me. Let me know if anything happens."
"You got it, Liam!"
Ten minutes later, a new message came through.
"Liam, Steven is holding a meeting in the conference room. He's talking about reorganizing all art assets and putting Lila in charge of the library."
I set down my coffee cup. "What else?"
"He's saying you're violating professional ethics by hiding the source files and that he has already filed a formal complaint with Roberts to have you penalized."
I stared at the screen and typed. "Keep me posted."
A little while later, another message. "Lila just told everyone she can redraw the character from scratch. She said she doesn't need your source files."
I chuckled. Redraw it?
I had gone through thirty-seven different versions of the main character for Shadowblade. I had over a hundred pages of rough sketches alone. Did she think this was a coloring book?
At noon, I received an email from HR.
"In light of your refusal to cooperate with company directives, the company has decided to deduct this month's performance bonus and issue a formal warning."
The email was CC'd to every department head.
My phone immediately started buzzing with messages. Some were sympathetic. Others were just a string of popcorn emojis from people enjoying the drama. I ignored them all and set my work chats to mute.
I opened my personal email. Another message from Apex Interactive.
"Liam, our studio head also said we can offer you a private studio and allow you to build your own hand-picked team."
I stared at the message for a long time.
Finally, I typed back: "Great. See you next Wednesday."
That afternoon, Chris sent me another screenshot.
It was from the art department chat. Lila had posted a new character design.
The style was childish, the proportions were off, and the color scheme was garish. It looked like something a kindergartener would draw.
The chat was silent.
Five minutes later, Steven finally broke the silence. "Excellent! This is exactly the kind of fresh, accessible style we need! So much better than that gloomy stuff Liam was doing!"
Mark immediately chimed in: "Totally. This will appeal much more to a younger demographic."
A cascade of likes and thumbs-ups followed.
Only Chris messaged me privately: "Liam, are these people blind?"
I replied: "They're not blind. They're pretending."
I was still sitting in the coffee shop at nine that night.

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