Headquarters

While Khan Industries divisions can be found in major cities worldwide, the central base of operations for the entire Khan corporation is Khan Tower, located in downtown Cape Suzette. Over eighty stories tall, this imposing skyscraper has the distinction of being the single tallest building in Cape Suzette as well as one of the most prominent points in the city's skyline. Erected before the Great War and expanded to its current height thereafter, Khan Tower serves as the headquarters of Khan Industries and also stands as a monument to Shere Khan's greatness.

Khan Tower is an architectural masterpiece both aesthetically pleasing and fully functional in all respects. Concrete walls and steel superstructure certainly make Khan Tower one of the most heavily fortified buildings in Cape Suzette. Slender yet solid, Khan Tower stretches high above Cape Suzette, gradually tapering to a tall spire. The upper floors of the skyscraper often protrude through low-lying clouds during stormy weather over the city, symbolic of the idea that Khan Industries rises far above the bitter fray of the business world.

Recurring throughout the tower's design are distinct animal motifs — per Shere Khan's request — from the huge twin panther statues "guarding" Khan Tower's entrance to the cat-like gargoyles overlooking the city from the uppermost ledges, as well as the tiger stripe markings decorating walls and elevator doors. Potted plants are abundant throughout the building's hallways and offices, reflecting Shere Khan's personal philosophy that the business world is like a jungle.

Within the walls of Khan Tower are offices and work rooms representing nearly every single division of the corporation, staffed around the clock by Khan Industries employees. The building is neatly subdivided into levels consisting of several floors each, with the more important departments located on the higher levels. Banks of elevators transport visitors and workers from the ground floor to various areas of the building. Travel to the very highest levels of Khan Tower is usually restricted for security reasons, forcing high-level personnel to pass checkpoints on intermediate floors before reaching their desired destination.

Among the many areas inside Khan Tower are sections for engineering, market analysis, investments, deliveries, manufacturing, and development. Many floors are simply dedicated to board rooms and other meeting areas, while some departments (such as research) occupy an entire level of the building.

MAIN ENTRANCE

No sight in downtown Cape Suzette gives newcomers pause like that of two panthers couched before the steps of a huge skyscraper, in the pulsing heart of the city's financial district. This spectacle marks the entrance to Khan Tower, Cape Suzette's tallest building and home to multi-billionaire Shere Khan, the chief executive and chairman of Khan Industries.

The Khan brand means many things to people in Cape Suzette. To some, Khan Industries embodies the very ideals of hard work and industry that destined their city for greatness; others, out of scorn or envy, sneer at the corporate colossus that overshadows City Hall in size, importance, and influence, and the man that set it up.

GRAND LOBBY

If success in business relies largely on making a good first impression, as experts say, then one who takes his first step past Khan Tower's revolving doors need not wonder how Shere Khan stays on top. The tower's grand lobby looks less like the foyer of a major corporation and more like a cathedral venerating art of the avant-garde, immense works that dwarf visitors.

Comprehensive floor directories on either side of the walkway direct guests to the elevator bays on the left and right of the central elevator; this lift ascends to Khan Tower's highest levels and is usually under guard.

UPPER RECEPTION AREA

Normal visitors to Khan Tower ascend no further than the executive department levels, the nucleus of which is the upper reception area. Invited guests of Shere Khan and top-level employees may proceed to the main elevator leading up to the chairman's office. Khan's secretary Mrs. Snarly, seated at the front desk, admits no one without an appointment, special clearance, or a million-dollar reason (minimum) to see Mr. Khan.

Shere Khan's Office

Needless to say, the single most important room in Khan Tower is the personal office of Shere Khan himself, located near the very top of the skyscraper. More aptly described as a throne room, this cavernous space contains a lush private garden watered by two ornate fountains on either side of the main walkway. Shere Khan personally tends this miniature jungle in his spare time; rumor has it that small, rare carnivorous plants lurk within the exotic foliage.

Tall lamps in the corners of the room lend eerie lighting to the dim office. A walkway leads from the elevator to an expensive black oak desk at the far end of the office, behind which Shere Khan sits like a king upon his throne.

Tabletops for the desk and armrests for Khan's chair are replaced on a regular basis, given the chairman's unusual habit of clawing such surfaces during fits of rage. In the back wall beyond the desk is a massive window flanked by red curtains, through which one can enjoy an unparalleled view of downtown Cape Suzette and the bay.

An intercom on the desk puts Shere Khan in direct communication with his two secretaries, Mrs. Snarly and Miss Greeley; as well as his personal assistant, a nervous, wiry individual snidely referred to as Khan's "yes man." Khan's assistant provides the chairman with updates and carries out minor assignments, while the secretaries schedule Khan's appointments and prevent troublemakers or unwanted visitors from bothering Mr. Khan. Shere Khan literally lives in his office: directly adjoining the office on the floor above is Khan's private living quarters as well as his extensive personal library.

Shere Khan conducts business with Klopstokia's finance minister LaFong in Khan's penthouse suite.

WORKPLACE & STAFF

The general public's misgivings about Shere Khan and Khan Industries, though voiced loudly and often, have not diminished workers' aspirations to join the ranks of the megacorporation. Their motives are not as mercenary as the company's detractors might profess — Khan Industries jobs give their holders the financial security to support their families, generous pension and retirement plans, and peace of mind knowing they work for a company that is always expanding. Such privileges do not come without an equal investment of dedication, commitment, time, and labor from employees who may never follow in Khan's footsteps, but cannot ignore their chairman's great strides in business.

Below: Khan's secretary Mrs. Snarly, and Shere Khan's personal assistant.

MAIN BOARD ROOM

Whenever Shere Khan is not in his office, he is usually in conference with his cabinet, which convenes in Khan Tower's main board room. Representative members from each department give regular status reports on their divisions to Chairman Khan, who sits in the center of the main conference room upon an elevated chair mounted atop a motorized, rotating pedestal. Sliding panels in the back wall, inscribed with the Khan Industries insignia, move apart to reveal a display screen suitable for important briefings and presentations. Two-way speakers on the wall and in the console of Khan's chair connect to Khan Tower's main transmitter, which can broadcast to and receive transmissions from Khan planes, stations, and vessels hundreds of miles away.

Cabinet reports are the highlights of Khan's week; no article of business passes the tables without his full approval and complete satisfaction. Often, main cabinet meetings with the seemingly tireless Shere Khan take the better part of the evening and the early morning to complete.

MEETING ROOMS

Shere Khan holds meetings in other board rooms within Khan Tower as well, usually to discuss specific financial strategies or points of business relating to particular departments. Shere Khan personally reviews the performance of his executives and investors, fully expecting them to show keen business acumen, killer instincts, and ruthless pursuit of their goals. Even Khan cannot be everywhere at once, but he makes sure loyal subordinates follow his example, treading the fine line between excess caution and excess zeal. Investment orders, trade proposals, project budgets, resource allocations — none pass without Shere Khan's scrutiny and his signature.

RESIDENTIAL FLOORS

Khan Industries staff are typically expected to spend a "mere" sixteen hours each day hard at work on their respective assignments. For those employees whose jobs demand instant availability at all hours, six whole floors of Khan Tower have been reserved as permanent residential space.

RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT WING

Shere Khan's financial genius finds its perfect match in the brilliance of the inventors, chemists, and aerospace technicians who work for Khan Industries, bringing Khan's visions to high-profit reality. The research and development ("R & D") sector of Khan Tower has its largest laboratory below the residence level, a futuristic facility with a pneumatic elevator and advanced chemical equipment. Other laboratories, workshops, and top-secret areas share the executive floors higher up. Storage spaces abound here as well, holding everything from remains of experimental aircraft to spare uranium isotopes! These technological playgrounds are home to the finest minds in pure and applied sciences, headed by Professor Buzz and Doctor Debolt.

SECURITY

Given the size of Khan Tower and the scope of the operations housed there, the building has a security force equal to the task. Teams of trained security guards patrol the corridors of Khan Tower, ready to react to crises at a moment's notice. Furthermore, Khan's assistants act as the first line of defense, alerting security to disruptions or handling the problem themselves.

Security measures and alarms are installed throughout the building. The main elevators in Khan Tower even contain concealed listening devices linked to Shere Khan's desk intercom, allowing Khan to eavesdrop on private conversations and company gossip from the comfort of his own office!