incredibly disturbing
sensation. The graphics of the image on the floor were such a high
quality resolution that it really looked as though he was gazing
into the depths of a massive shaft — he felt like a cartoon
character that was only hovering in the air for a moment before
inevitably crashing to his doom. He looked up. The shaft continued
into the sky… except that he couldn’t see the sky.
Shaking his head to ward off the dizzy
feeling he turned and strode down the hallway. He knocked on the
first door he came to. Kaia answered. She grinned.
“ You made it. Quin’s
waiting. Come in.”
Quin sat at a large wooden desk. In front of
it were two chairs. A bookcase leaned against one wall. Other than
the furniture and a few books, there was nothing in the office.
Quin frowned. Clyde stared into Quin’s eyes
and then sat in a chair facing him.
They sat in silence for twenty minutes, with
Kaia watching. She tapped a pencil, twisted her hands, and played
with her hair. She was clearly uncomfortable. Clyde only mirrored
Quin.
“ Your resume is weak,” Quin
said suddenly. He held out a piece of paper which had Clyde’s name
and contact information. Clyde glanced it over and
swallowed.
“ That’s... my old resume.”
He closed his eyes briefly and then met Quin’s gaze. “My apologies.
I must have printed out the wrong one before I left this
morning.”
“ I see,” Quin replied.
“Well, it just so happens that as long as your qualifications are
correct, it doesn’t matter. Good work on the keys and in the
hallway.”
“ Oh my goodness, it was
amazing!” The man that hid the keys popped out from behind Quin.
Quin didn’t flinch. “I’m John and you were absolutely incredible!
You found all the keys I hid – you even figured out the pattern!
Excellent work. And the hallway – those are Smith’s LEDs with a MST
45mcs processing computer running the simulation. Realistic, isn’t
it? And I loved your snowflake! Seven corners! That is nearly
impossible! High quality work, young man.”
The door opened and Rock walked in.
“ You passed the girl test,
the written test, the key test, and the hallway test!” John
continued without taking a breath. “So basically, if we don’t hire
you now it’s because we have somebody else or we’re being
discriminatory.”
“ If you would like the
position, then we will talk pay.” Rock reached out his
hand.
“ Thank you, sir!” Clyde
exclaimed, standing up and taking Rock’s hand. “I
accept.”
*******
Paperwork is of the devil , Ivanna the
Bard had once said, but without it society will fall .
She had never been so right , Clyde
thought, stretching. He sat in front of a large stack of paper in
the office of the esteemed Mr. Drake, the man who apparently both
ran this entire department and could crush Clyde with a twitch of
his finger. Luckily, much of it had included copies for him to take
home or were instructions for sections that didn’t apply to
him.
He was amazed that in a matter of a couple
of hours he had interviewed, been offered a job, accepted the job,
and filled out his paperwork. At this rate, he would be an expert
at working here by the end of the week.
“ Oh good, you’re
done.”
Clyde turned to see Rock standing in the
doorway. He stepped forward and picked up half of the large stack
of papers from the table.
“ Great. So what does your
availability look like?”
Opening his mouth, Clyde barely made out,
“Well, anytime really—” before Rock cut him off.
“ Can you start right now?
We’re a bit short-handed.”
“ I have no problem with
it,” Clyde responded, surprised. “I just need to make a phone
call.”
“ Sure,” Rock said. “I’ll be
back to get you in, say, fifteen minutes?”
Clyde nodded as he turned and strode from
the room.
As soon as the door swung shut, Clyde pulled
out his phone. He let a small smile cross his features as he
dialed.
“ Mom!” he said, as soon as
she answered. “I
sensation. The graphics of the image on the floor were such a high
quality resolution that it really looked as though he was gazing
into the depths of a massive shaft — he felt like a cartoon
character that was only hovering in the air for a moment before
inevitably crashing to his doom. He looked up. The shaft continued
into the sky… except that he couldn’t see the sky.
Shaking his head to ward off the dizzy
feeling he turned and strode down the hallway. He knocked on the
first door he came to. Kaia answered. She grinned.
“ You made it. Quin’s
waiting. Come in.”
Quin sat at a large wooden desk. In front of
it were two chairs. A bookcase leaned against one wall. Other than
the furniture and a few books, there was nothing in the office.
Quin frowned. Clyde stared into Quin’s eyes
and then sat in a chair facing him.
They sat in silence for twenty minutes, with
Kaia watching. She tapped a pencil, twisted her hands, and played
with her hair. She was clearly uncomfortable. Clyde only mirrored
Quin.
“ Your resume is weak,” Quin
said suddenly. He held out a piece of paper which had Clyde’s name
and contact information. Clyde glanced it over and
swallowed.
“ That’s... my old resume.”
He closed his eyes briefly and then met Quin’s gaze. “My apologies.
I must have printed out the wrong one before I left this
morning.”
“ I see,” Quin replied.
“Well, it just so happens that as long as your qualifications are
correct, it doesn’t matter. Good work on the keys and in the
hallway.”
“ Oh my goodness, it was
amazing!” The man that hid the keys popped out from behind Quin.
Quin didn’t flinch. “I’m John and you were absolutely incredible!
You found all the keys I hid – you even figured out the pattern!
Excellent work. And the hallway – those are Smith’s LEDs with a MST
45mcs processing computer running the simulation. Realistic, isn’t
it? And I loved your snowflake! Seven corners! That is nearly
impossible! High quality work, young man.”
The door opened and Rock walked in.
“ You passed the girl test,
the written test, the key test, and the hallway test!” John
continued without taking a breath. “So basically, if we don’t hire
you now it’s because we have somebody else or we’re being
discriminatory.”
“ If you would like the
position, then we will talk pay.” Rock reached out his
hand.
“ Thank you, sir!” Clyde
exclaimed, standing up and taking Rock’s hand. “I
accept.”
*******
Paperwork is of the devil , Ivanna the
Bard had once said, but without it society will fall .
She had never been so right , Clyde
thought, stretching. He sat in front of a large stack of paper in
the office of the esteemed Mr. Drake, the man who apparently both
ran this entire department and could crush Clyde with a twitch of
his finger. Luckily, much of it had included copies for him to take
home or were instructions for sections that didn’t apply to
him.
He was amazed that in a matter of a couple
of hours he had interviewed, been offered a job, accepted the job,
and filled out his paperwork. At this rate, he would be an expert
at working here by the end of the week.
“ Oh good, you’re
done.”
Clyde turned to see Rock standing in the
doorway. He stepped forward and picked up half of the large stack
of papers from the table.
“ Great. So what does your
availability look like?”
Opening his mouth, Clyde barely made out,
“Well, anytime really—” before Rock cut him off.
“ Can you start right now?
We’re a bit short-handed.”
“ I have no problem with
it,” Clyde responded, surprised. “I just need to make a phone
call.”
“ Sure,” Rock said. “I’ll be
back to get you in, say, fifteen minutes?”
Clyde nodded as he turned and strode from
the room.
As soon as the door swung shut, Clyde pulled
out his phone. He let a small smile cross his features as he
dialed.
“ Mom!” he said, as soon as
she answered. “I
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