The Fifth Correction

A bawdy satirical romp through space and enterprise. Not for persons easily offended, or managers anywhere.

There is a theory that death is not the end, but is simply a shift into an alternative universe. This is true and keeps happening to Tom Two-Dan $mith (sic). Usually, one forgets everything of the past and can relax into a new life of tax and torment. Tom is not so lucky; he remembers... every time it happens.

In his last transition, he became the head of a large corporation, famous for doing something; nobody knows what, including the staff. It might be something to do with the Plank of Directors, headed by the infamous Ferdinand Badloser, or the revolutionary star-drive fitted to the Hynishota Pig-Ugly, or it could simply be that the organisation is in a closed loop, self-perpetuating, running continuously on procedures which have been in place since forever. Tom is still trying to find out. And of course, the Grasping Universal Taxation System wants their piece as always.

To make life more challenging, he is dodging the Temporal Conduct Authority, who don't believe the above theory, and are miffed about the fact he has shamelessly flaunted the Laws of Time and Space. They are looking to return him to his proper place (i.e. completely dead) and won't give up, despite their lack of funds caused by the final salary pension of an android agent who has just retired after 1500 years' service.

And then there is the mystery of where all the data in the universe is hiding.