The finale of our project coincided with the acquisition of our development house by the publisher. The title had passed CERT earlier in the week, and we were being rewarded on Friday with a day out at Six Flags for our wrap party.

Everyone came dressed for a sunny day in the park, complete with shorts, sandals, and sunscreen. The buses rolled up to the company parking lot promptly at 9am, we loaded in for the trip, and our project manager handed out the tickets. We rolled right up to the main gate, and everyone quickly rushed out. The PM stood and waved and wished everyone a good time, and told us to be back here at sundown (about 9pm), and he departed with the buses.

We all went inside and had a fabulous time. The day rolled on and finally the sun was hanging low in the sky. Many of us began our exodus towards the exit, but no buses were to be found.

Ok, technically the sun wasn’t DOWN yet. I mean it was sunset but not actually NIGHT yet, so we all grabbed some burgers from that little front restaurant.

Still no buses.

The PA announced the rides are closing but the shops are open, so we head back to the main square and shop a little, checking periodically.

Still no buses.

Fair enough, maybe he meant they would be there at the official ”Closing Time” and not just when the rides stop.

Still no buses.

Ok, the park is closed, maybe they would be there once the parking lot had cleared a little bit and in/out had cleared. It was beginning to get the evening chill.

Still no buses.

Everyone with was trying to reach ANYONE about transportation. Some called family members and friends, others began to call taxis. Team members asked and bribed each other for rides home. I simply cannot properly describe the dark humor and delicious chaos of the situation.

By the end of the night, I ended up just getting dropped off at home, and intended on picking my car up the next morning.

On Saturday morning, I (and everyone else who came in the morning to pickup their car) was greeted with a surprise. The security code had been changed and the building was locked up. Literally locked up with heavy chain around the door.

As it turns out, the ”friendly acquisition” was a “passive dissolution.” While we were gone on Friday, the building and our accounts\emails\servers had all been put into lockdown to prevent anyone from deleting\damaging\destroying the publishers “new property.”

We were all out of a job, without so much as a pink slip and a “Goodbye” to show for it.