Due to a city literally burning down, this chapter was delayed by a few weeks so as to allow people to get their things together and get out safely. Thankfully enough everyone I know has gotten out safely and my incredibly amazing editor made it out safely and he and his family are fine. This has however caused a delay in the story and we decided to get the first chapter out unedited to you all while it is still being worked on. But thanks for your patience and hopefully you enjoy this chapter.
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Adam Corbes sat upon an old tattered train seat, fidgeting anxiously as he waited for his stop to come. With his fingers twining about constantly his smile was bright and filled with an excited energy. He was adorned in an old black suit he’d gotten several years ago for his sister’s wedding, though now it barely fit his young frame. Since he had last worn the old suit he had grown a bit causing it to sit tightly across his chest making him chafe and uncomfortable.
It was however neatly pressed without a wrinkle in sight. Looking down he nervously glanced at his watch and sighed in relief. He was still on time for his interview but he was cutting it close, if only the train would move just a little bit faster.
“Excuse me young man, sorry to bother you,” An Elderly business man sitting just across from him inquired in a raspy voice, “It’s just you look like you’re about to jump out of your skin. Is everything alright?” Concerned grey eyes looked at him with curiosity from beneath large bushy brows.
“No it’s nothing bad. I’m actually heading to an interview right now.” Adams voice cracked slightly, his nerves irritating him, “So kinda just freaking out at the moment.”
“Oh well now, that certainly is something to be excited for,” Grey eyebrows lifted in surprise as the man nodded his head in understanding, “May this curious old man enquire as to where your interview will be?”
“Well sure I guess, don’t see why not. It’s at the new ARK Industries building, well I’m told it’s there.” The butterflies in Adam stomach going into overtime as he reminded himself of his destination
“Oh my, well congratulations are in order then. Why that new ARK building hasn’t even been open for very long now has it? To get an interview so soon, you’re very lucky young man.” Surprise written on the older mans face as he looked at Adam with something akin to respect resting in the back of his eyes.
Scratching the back of his head restlessly Adam could only laugh in embarrassment, his face turning a deep shade of red, “Hahaha, yeah it certainly came as a surprise when they called. Plus you’re right it has only been open for a couple months now, so for someone like me to get an interview is a dream come true.”
“Hahaha, I am sorry it seems my questions have embarrassed you young man. But this here is my stop so let me give you a quick piece of advice from an old business man whose been in the corporate world for decades.” The elderly man stated as he arduously rose from his seat, “No matter what they ask make every word you say be one filled with confidence, even if you feel unconfident about something. It’s better to fake being confident than letting them see your weakness.”
With these parting words Adam could only stare at the old man’s back as he left. Surprisingly though he realized he was feeling slightly less nervous than before. Though the excitement still remained as he turned his back to stare out the window, losing himself in his thoughts
Deep ocean blue eyes stared out at the passing scenery. His pupils constricting as the light of the sun shone down upon them making his iris’s stand out all the more brightly. Unblinkingly his eyes scanned back and forth rapidly as the world passed by at a rapid pace, almost afraid that if he blinked he’d find out that this day was nothing but a dream.
Eventually even Adam could no longer hold back against nature and was forced to finally blink, relieving the suffering pair of eyes. But as they opened once again he found to his amazement reality had not changed. This brought a golden smile to his face as he couldn’t help but marvel like a small child at the fact that this day was real.
The scenery outside the window wasn’t at all new to Adam yet every sight seemed have come from a book. Every tree, home, and car passing by looked as if it had jumped straight out from some great sci-fi epic. The people on the street appeared to him mysterious and new, as if he was truly seeing them for the first time. They weren’t necessarily special or important though each has their own story to tell, however today they did matter.
Today everything mattered. From the matted dirty seat on which he sat to the man several seats away blaring some horrible rap music. Nothing could bring him down. His smile only continued to grow as he viewed everything around him. Excitement and nervousness building with each passing moment as the train he was on slowly approached his final destination.
With the ringing of a bell accompanied by a blue holographic symbol lighting up announced the next stop as the station came into view. Adam leapt to his feet scrambling to reach the door as quickly as possible in order to be the first to exit. The train had yet to come to a stop but Adam stood at the doors rocking from foot to foot impatiently waiting for them to open. With a sudden lurch and the creaking of old worn magnetic breaks the train finally came a halt, the doors sliding open with a mechanical hiss.
Adam burst from the open train doors in a full sprint. It was as if he were being chased by wild fire as he madly dashed towards the stairwell down from the station. He ran as quickly as his legs could carry him, his excitement impossible to contain with a brilliant smile emblazoned upon his face. In his haste he nearly careened into an old security guard as the man came up the stairs, but Adam payed him no heed as he leapt past down the steps, taking them two at a time.
The guards shouts calling for him to slow down, watch where he was going, falling on deaf ears. His body unaccustomed to such rapid exertion burned and ached, screaming for him to stop while his breath came in laboured gasp. Regardless he pushed himself harder and harder to reach his goal just a few short blocks away.
Below the station at ground level the sounds of a metropolis in motion filled the air. Vendors hawking their wares, electric motors and horns blaring their tones, each clamouring to be heard over the others. The constant background hum of millions of peoples going about their daily lives blended together into the sounds of a living city. The rank scent of sweat and foul matter wafted from deep within back alleys mixing with the smells of fresh baked goods and restaurants opened early for breakfast.
The early morning sun rained down light upon the city, reflecting its brilliance upon innumerable surfaces. A kaleidoscope of colour filled the air like the strokes of an artisans brush upon canvas. The heat that came with the rising of the sun hinting at the scorcher they were likely to receive.
From the stairway up to the old maglev train Adam came running. His lithe 5’9 frame carrying him down the last few steps into the city proper. However just as he exited the stairs a vendor pushing a cart full of day old hot dogs and stale buns turned onto his pathway. Without time to react Adam ran into the cart with a resounding crash causing the cart to tip, spilling its contents onto the ground around him. His body tangled with the wheels of the cart as he lay surrounded by hotdogs and their various toppings.
“What the Hell!” The man cried out as his cart along with its contents suddenly crashed to the ground, shock written all over his face, “Oh come on, you have got to be kidding me. Dammit, watch where the hell you’re going will yah!” The man bent down and attempted to right his fallen hot dog cart, giving Adam an angry glare as he struggled with its weight.
Wincing in pain, and already feeling several bruises settling in, Adam finally managed to extricate himself from the cart and get back to his feet.
“Yeah I am so sorry about that. I guess I was just a little too carried away and didn’t see you ther…” Adam said in a meek voice as he bent to help the man pick his cart up. He moved to lower himself but his eyes bulged when he glanced upon the vendors watch and saw the time.
“8:20!! Shit, I’m going to be late,” without hesitation or consideration for the vendor beside him Adam once again took off at a run hollering back to the man as he went, “Sorry I can’t help you, I gotta go. I’m really sorry about this”
“Wait, what?” The vendors dismayed call rang out as Adam suddenly fled from the scene, “Wait get back here you need to pay for… all…this,” His voice trailed off as Adam disappeared into the crowded streets, leaving him to clean up the disaster of hot dogs and condiments decorating the sidewalk.
The incident with the vendor all but forgotten Adam was madly dashing along city streets. His face bearing a mask of resolution upon it, his previously excited smile nowhere to be seen. With so many people clogging the city sidewalks how could he possibly make it on time? Bumping into many people, barely dodging around others, he half-hazardously made his way through the crowded streets.
Shouts and calls of surprise an anger followed in his wake but he paid them no heed, his mind entirely focused on moving as quickly as possible. After what seemed to Adam as a lifetime he finally made it through the crowds into a large open area where his target lay spread out before him. Slowing down to a walk, awe and wonder filled his heart as he marveled at the structure before him.
In a large open area taking up roughly ten blocks worth of space sat a structure overshadowing all those around it. Seemingly defying the forces of gravity by standing 700 stories in height the building was a technological marvel of its age. Glistening in the morning light the glass covered surface reflected the Suns rays. Green gardens overflowing with assorted trees and plant life surrounded the structure obscuring its base from view. The gentle murmuring of water fountains could be heard deep within the gardens, adding to the surreal effect the building alluded.
Any space left open to the sky either on the ground or on the building itself was covered in solar panels collecting the suns energy to help power the monolithic structure. Large holographic images depicting various bits of information from the history of ARK Industries to advertisements of products and technologies they produced lay along the wide pathway that led to the buildings main entrance.
And above all at the very tip of the buildings spire floated the ARK Industries logo. A simple black background that bore the word ARK written down its length. The atmosphere exuded by the structure and its grounds was one of elegance and sophistication, as if the chaos of the world around it didn’t have any place to exist here. It sat in a world of its own, lording over all who would dare to approach.
Adam stared in wonder around him as he made his way forward no longer rushing as if his life was on the line. He felt like holding his breath in order to not disturb the surreal air that lay thick about him. Everything around him was far more imposing than he had ever imagined it could possibly be. Standing tall with his shoulders back and spine straight Adam attempted to walk in what he believed to be a confidant yet refined gait. He was trying his best to make it seem as if he belonged and hide the nervousness that was building deep in the pit of his stomach. Yet as he walked his nervousness only increased and he began to feel nauseous as he felt the stares of those around him looking in his direction.
With people glancing at him from the corners of their eyes to some even openly staring at him as he walked Adams false bravado was stripped away beneath their gazes. He nervously glanced around him wondering what it was the people were looking at. Was if it was really that obvious that he didn’t fit in here, that he didn’t belong? That he was young man of only just above average intelligence and looks without any great achievement to his name and wearing a suit that didn’t quite fit. His nervousness and self-consciousness only continued to grow as he attracted even more looks the closer he walked to the entrance of the building.
Adam walked up a small flight of steps towards a large bank of glass doors just ahead. Off to the side he could see a security guard scrutinizing him closely his eyes looking Adam up and down as if he were possibly some terrorist or wanted criminal. In an attempt to ease the mans worries Adam waved his hand and tried to smile in a reassuring fashion. His attempt at placation was stopped short when the guard glared at him and began rapidly speaking into a small walkie talkie he had on his wrist.
Adams eyes opened wide and he quickly picked up his pace to the front doors, flinging one open as he made his way inside. Stepping inside Adam glanced around and couldn’t help but stop in amazement. His mind came to a grinding halt as he got his first look inside ARK Industries latest building.
Inside the building was even more incredible than the outside had appeared. Looking up Adam could see he stood within an atrium that stretched to the very top of the building 700 stories up. One side of the atrium was the outside wall of the building with its glass surface. The windows to the outside allowing natural light to filter into the place and creating comfortable feeling. On the other side of the atrium instead of numerous office windows looking out into the atrium the entire portion up to the very top was instead a single massive hanging garden of awe-inspiring beauty and size.
Vines hundreds of feet long clung onto what appeared to be a makeshift rock wall going up to the very top of the building. Trees grew upon small out cropping’s that jutted out a few feet from the side, giving them a foot hold to root upon. Thousands of different flowering plants covered every possible area where they could root themselves. They turned the wall from a dense green into an unbelievable array of colors, all while filling the building with their subtle scents. Most magnificent of all to Adam though was the very real waterfall that fell the entire way from the very top into a churning basin on the ground floor. Crashing into it with a dull thundering roar. The falls split the wall directly in two and rainbows abounded in the air above as the light from the windows blended with the water moisture in the air.
Adam stood for several moments just taking in the scene before him even more sure than before that maybe he had entered into some surreal fantasy world where all this wasn’t reality. But before he could sit for too long in his reverie a light voice spoke up bringing him back to reality.
“Excuse me, but is everything alright? If you need help we can call someone for you.” Asked a short young woman standing a couple feet away from him. She was dressed in a light blue uniform with the ARK logo standing out on her shoulder indicating her as an employee for ARK Industries. A hint of worry and what looked very much to Adam like shock resting upon her young face as she stared at him.
“Uhh sorry, I’m fine thanks,” Adam managed to croak out, his face turning a deep scarlet with embarrassment for having being caught gawking at the scenery like some sort of tourist, ”I was just admiring the atrium here, it’s incredibly beautiful and I couldn’t help but stare.”
“Oh alright, but are you sure you don’t want us to call anyone to come for you?” The girl once again asked, her voice filled with concern and a hint of something Adam couldn’t identify. The expression of curiosity and shock lingering upon her face beginning to make Adam wonder about what she was looking at.
“No thank you. Actually I’m supposed to have an interview with your human resources department in just a short bit here.”
“Are you now? Wait just a moment and let me find out alright. Sorry, but what’s your name again?”
“Adam Corbes is my name. My interview is supposed to be around 8:30 I was told’
“Thank you, now if you’ll wait just a moment Ill confer with HR if they’re expecting you.”
Adam couldn’t help but wonder at the girls odd behaviour towards him as she gave him a last uncertain glance and then walked away. She walked to a nearby kiosk with a phone attached and proceeded to talk into the receiver and continuously stealing glances in Adams direction. Was it really that obvious to her that he didn’t belong here? As if his nerves hadn’t already been strained enough by the sheer imposing nature of the building and his looming interview. He started imaging worst case scenarios about what could occur from here on out.
The one case that stuck in his brain that he now repeatedly asked himself over and over. What if the phone call had been a mistake? He certainly hoped it hadn’t been. He had been desperately searching for work and ARK’s phone call had come as a saving grace, but if it had just been a mistake he didn’t know what he would do. Adam had been out of work for some time after barely meeting the requirements for a degree in astronomy and finally graduating university. It had been a long and grueling 4 years of study. After he had graduated he had been promised a payed internship but that ended up falling through and as it turned out the job market for astronomers wasn’t the hottest at the moment and no one it seemed had been hiring. It wasn’t until ARK Industries had announced their need for people across all the varying scientific disciplines to work at their newest facility that Adam had seen a slight glimmer of hope. How many aspiring astronomers could there possibly be in a city of 30 million people?
So in desperation to pay both his bills and make his upcoming student payments he had applied for a job. Two weeks later he received a phone call asking him to come in for an interview the following week. He had been ecstatic at the time, the prospect of a potential job with the largest scientific research company in the world was a dream come true. Now instead of feeling elated he felt terrified that they hadn’t meant to call him at all and it was all just a horrible mistake. The way the girl had looked at him as if he was some crazy person had solidified the possibility in his mind. He could only wait for her to finish her call and give him the bad news.
“Alright, you’re good to go. Though you may want to consider cleaning yourself up a bit before you see them.” The young woman stated as she hung up the phone and once again approached him. Her voice failing to hide her surprise at the fact he had actually been telling the truth.
“See I told you so,” Adam stated trying his best to put on a confidant front and hide both his increased nervousness as well as to make up for his previous embarrassment. But then her words caught up to him as recalled exactly what she had just said, “Wait! What do you mean clean myself up?
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“Well, have you looked at yourself recently? You look like you ran into a hot dog cart or something,” The girl sarcastically spoke while waving her hands up and down in Adams direction.
Adam for his part caught on quickly and stared down at his suit jacket. Groaning, he couldn’t help but close his eyes in frustration as he realized his suit was covered in remnants of ketchup and mustard.
“Funny you would say that, cause that’s what actually happened. On my way here I ended up knocking over some guys hotdog cart. But I was in such a rush I completely forgot to check myself for any stains. Dammit,” Giving up on being embarrassed Adam could only reply with a sigh and a wave of his hands, “There wouldn’t happen to be anywhere I could try and clean up a bit would there?”
“I see, well you can use the main floor bathrooms. Take your second left down the main hallway and just before security, then for your interview you head back to the first right turn and go straight through the double doors at the end.” The young woman stated as she ended the conversation quickly walking away before Adam could ask anymore questions.
Adam followed her directions and soon was walking through the double doors he had been instructed to enter. His shirt still showed slight stains and a bit of dampness from his scrubbing efforts but for the most part he’d managed to get relatively clean. It wasn’t perfect and only caused Adam to feel even more insecure and nervous but he had to go through with this and try his best even so. Stepping through the doors he came into a plain and brightly lit white great hall with hundreds of plain looking seats lining its isles.
Thousands of people were present either loitering in small groups or just waiting in their seats quietly for things to begin. The number of people present wasn’t really surprising to Adam since a job with ARK Industries was a dream come true. Working for the company at the forefront of human and technological evolutionary studies would secure anyone’s future.
He passed through a security check point where several armed guards scanned him for his identity. They had him sign a non-disclosure agreement for anything he might over hear and then they proceeded to take a small blood sample. When he asked about the sample they claimed it would make any future security checks needless if he was offered a job. He walked down no isle in particular and sat down on one of the seats. Noting that it was more comfortable then he previously thought it would be he leaned back in order to try and relax before things began.
“Thank you everyone for coming today. Interview sessions will begin shortly, however there are a few guidelines that we need to make clear so that things will proceed as smoothly as possible.”
Adam was dragged from his thought by the interruption of a woman’s voice. He looked up at one of the walls as a screen appeared in the middle of it. The person who spoke on the screen was a middle aged woman of unassuming features, sporting long silky black hair, and dressed in a dull grey business casual dress.
“Now, firstly remember that anything you may hear or see during your interview is classified and that you have all signed non-disclosure agreements. If you decide to break this agreement you do so at your own risk. Secondly, when your name is called you will immediately head through the specified door. Once your interview is finished you will not return here but will immediately head out the opposite doors of the room you will be interviewed in. You are to reveal nothing whatsoever to any interviewee of how the interview is conducted or what has been said. Do so and both you and the person you reveal this information to will be immediately disqualified and legal action may be taken as well,” Blues eyes stared coldly out at the people present in the room from the screen above as the woman spoke,
“Now since certain sectors of the sciences are less represented by interviewees than others and certain sectors within ARK Industries require different numbers of new hires as well just know that the level of competition for any given sector will differ so you may or may not be more likely to get a position. ARK Industries would like to wish you the best of luck in today’s interviews. Thank you for your time, that is all.”
The screen went blank and almost immediately afterwards a number of men and women in the same light blue uniform as the girl from before came out from roughly 20 large steel doors set into the walls of the room. A pair each of one man and one woman took stances beside each of the doorways and began calling off names. Adam noticed that while all the uniforms had the same light blue colour the women’s uniform had a rather airline stewardess look to them while the men’s was far for military looking in nature than he would’ve expected.
The other thing Adam noticed was the women all held tablets as they were the ones calling off people’s names but the men standing beside them were armed with stun rifles and batons. Adams eyebrows rose at the site of the weapons. Why on Earth they would need such high security in a room of nothing but science geeks and nerds?
Hours passed by as Adam silently sat upon his seat waiting for his turn to be called. The room had gone virtually silent after the interviews and was broken up only by the shouts of people’s names. A nervous energy had permeated the air ever since people started to be called and only continued to grow thicker as more and more people walked through different doors. His feet started to tap as his nerves ate away at him and his thoughts kept returning to his stained shirt, lack of any real experience, and if he should even really be here. He had created for himself a viscous cycle of doubt that only continued make him even more nervous.
“Adam Corbes?” A tall woman at one of the doorways suddenly called out, “Adam Corbes to door number 24 please.”
Adams legs shook slightly as he stood up and began to walk towards the lady who had called his name. His hands clammy and sweat poured down his back as he made his way over to the woman.
“Mr. Corbes, thank you for coming promptly,” She politely spoke when Adam got closer, “If you will please proceed to the end of the hall you will be prep’d for your interview there.”
Immediately dismissing Adam she turned to the next name and face on her tablet and ignored him as if he wasn’t even there. Opening the door the corridor he made his way into was nearly ten feet wide and ten feet high and completely white. Other than the occasional light in the hallway there was nothing adorning the walls around him. He noticed after a bit that even though the hallway was perfectly straight there was a slight incline at a downward angle. Realizing this he recognized that he must be heading underground, somewhere beneath the building.
He kept walking for several minutes with no turns or twists in the pathway and he was almost certain he must have gone well beyond the distance of the ARK buildings superstructure. He figured it was even possibly he had gone under the river behind the building itself. The consistent blandness and silence of the hallway as it continued its decent began to slowly grate on Adams nerves and he became increasingly agitated as he moved lower into the depths. His heart pounded inside his chest and his back became even sweatier than before, staining his suit dark.
Adam had begun the day unbelievably excited and incredibly nervous. He had been thrilled at the prospect of possibly working for ARK Industries. But as he had made his way to the building and had gotten inside his excitement had quickly faded replaced entirely by nerves. Now however a new sensation crawled up his spine and made his hands tingle, Fear. He was beginning to become increasingly afraid as his nerves dug at him. The ever bland and never ending corridor nearly driving him crazy. Before his fear could get the best of him and cause him to turn back around a slight humming sound began to fill the air.
It both distracted him and took away from the unnerving monotony of the hallway, allowing him to continue to making his way forward. As he walked further down the hall the hum began to get louder and more pronounced. After the long ten minute or so walk down the hallway the slight hum had grown into a noticeable vibration that shook Adam to the core. With this change in vibration Adam finally came to a small square room. A blank steel door stood on one side of the room while a set of small lockers and what appeared to be a small change room stood on the other.
“Please change into the clothes provided in the locker and then proceed through the doorway mister Corbes.” A masculine voice spoke out from seemingly nowhere.
“Wait, what?” Adam cried out in surprise. He had almost jumped out of his skin and felt as if he had nearly died of heart attack from the sudden speaker.
“We said please change into the clothes within the lockers and proceed through the doorway. Failure to do so will disqualify you from the running” The voice once again spoke out with Adam unable to locate where it was coming from.
With a shocked expression Adam could only around him in befuddlement. They can’t be serious? But as turned to the lockers grumbling to himself he found one filled with clothing inside. Why had they bothered to tell him that he was to arrive fully dressed in casual business attire if they were only going to make him get out of it before he even had his interview? Inside the locker found that there was a pair of white sweat pants, dark blue sandals, and what was obviously a shortened hospital gown. Not wanting to end up disqualified he took his new clothes with a sigh and quickly changed into them. The air felt cool on his now bare back and his arms tingled as goosebumps formed upon them.
“Thank you for your prompt action Mr. Corbes. Now if you can please place your suit into the locker it will be brought to you once the interview is complete,” Adam once again nearly jumped out of skin as the speaker spoke up once more, “Once your clothes are hung please proceed through the door.”
Adam did as he was instructed and put his clothes away then headed to the door. As he opened it a pure white room opened up before him. Looking around he realized he was unable make out any seems in the walls, ceiling, or floor as they blended perfectly together. Without any real sense of definition for its size the illusion of the room extending for forever around him was surreal. In the middle of the empty space sat 3 people behind a small steel table. Their matching suits and dress standing out in stark contrast to the rooms brightness, making them seem even more imposing than would be normal.
Directly across from them sat a large chair that looked something akin to a pilots seat but with wires and tubes extending out behind it. A small white headset sat on one of the arms of the chair. A long white cylinder lay flat behind it, the tubes on the chair connecting into the cylinder. The machine thrummed with a slight subsonic vibration which was now clearly the cause of the earlier sounds in the hallway. Unusually though even though he could tell the vibrations earlier were from the machine he couldn’t feel much of anything coming from it anymore. Somehow, he realized the room must have a dampening effect on the vibrations internally.
Beside it stood a woman who Adam presumed must be some kind of nurse as she was dressed like one. She had a pair of thick glasses on her face while she randomly touched certain points on a blank console set in the cylinders body.
“Thank you for coming Mr. Corbes if you will please have a seat in the chair there we can get started straight away.” One of the three people at the table directed Adam. The man who had spoken up was a small man with short brown hair, a rather nasally voice, and small beady eyes that didn’t even look up from the papers in front of them as Adam did as instructed.
“Yes thank you for coming Mr. Corbes. While I am sure you have many questions about the strangeness of all this I am afraid you will have to keep those questions to yourself, alright?” Adam nodded towards the woman who had spoken, acknowledging her polite demand. It seemed to Adam that she was a rather plain looking woman with few, if any, truly stand out features about her. She spoke in a crisp British accent but with what seemed to be a mild though noticeable lisp. Her auburn hair was done up in a tight professional bun and her makeup was picture perfect. Her dress was matching the same dark blue colouring as the two men is suits beside her, “Very good. Technician if you please, the headset.”
In answer to the womans call the woman who Adam had thought was a nurse walked over. She took the white headset from the arm rest beside Adam and placed it over his head. It was incredibly light as it sat upon his head and seemed to meld itself to fit to his unique contours. Moving in front of him the technician started to point at what appeared to Adam to be seemingly random points around his face and the headset. Adam sat perfectly still letting her go about her business in front of him staring at the device upon her head.
Then as he was staring at the device it finally dawned on him what she was doing as he recognized the device she wore. The woman was using an augmented reality headset and must be setting up the system on the unknown machine on holograms that only she could see. Finally with a last motion of her hands and a beep in response from the headset she stood and nodded her head in the direction of the other three before walking back to the machine.
This time the person who spoke was the last of the three at the table. He was a rather tall middle aged looking man who towered over his compatriots. He sported a fine well-kept moustache that gleamed slightly in the light of the room, short black hair, and had deep piercing green eyes. His voice flowed eloquently as he spoke with an almost sing song lilt about it that matched well with his distinguished appearance.
“Mr. Corbes now that we are ready this interview will begin. Firstly, however, I will tell you about the machine behind you,” He spoke while pointing behind Adam, “This machine works as both an MRI scanner as well as a lie detector. It measures your brain activity and can tell us if you’re lying at all. So please be truthful.
Alright let us start shall we. For this first bit you only need answer yes or no to the questions. Your name is Adam Corbes, 22 years old, and born on May, 27, 2063. You stand approximately 5’9, have short brown hair, and you also have blue eyes. Is this correct?”
“Ye….yes sir they are… sir,” With his nerves, fear, and his curiosity at the strangeness of the whole thing getting to him Adam barely managed to utter out a comprehensible answer.
“You live with a single roommate here in the city near the South Eastern slums. You are a recent graduate of the University of Victoria with a degree in astronomy. As well you are currently unemployed and living off of money loaned to you by your parents. Are these things correct Mr. Corbes?” The man’s eyes bored deep into Adams own as he asked each question. Though to Adam they seemed more statements of facts about who he was than actual questions.
“Uhm, yes it is corre-”
“You don’t need to tell us if it’s correct or not Mr. Corbes. Just yes or no answers will do thank you,” the man Interrupted Adam before he could even finish speaking, “Now then to continue. You live separate from your parents who are away on a trip from their home in Edmonton Alberta. You also have one older sister who is currently volunteering to help relief efforts abroad in the remains of the old E.U? You don’t play any sports or have any volunteering activities and you are also currently single? Is this information correct Mr. Corbes?”
“Yes sir it is.” Adam couldn’t understand for what reason they wold need to ask such questions or if they were even questions at all. Everything they asked had been more facts than any kinds of questions. In fact how did they even get the information to ask such questions in the first place? Adam had only filled out the most basic levels of information that these people had asked for. Things such as his name, date of birth and for him to send them his resume. Nothing of which could’ve given them the information they were asking about. Managing to supress a sudden urge to shudder Adam came to the realization that for them to have gathered so much information on him just helped to prove how powerful ARK Industries truly was.
For another two hours they continued to ask questions of Adam. Everything from his likes and dislikes, to why he should be offered a job. Everything he could think of was touched upon. Sometimes he was told to give as thorough an answer as possible, while other times he was asked more yes or no questions. For Adam the entire Interview went past in a blur that left him uncomprehending of what had really just taken place. The sheer amount of information these people demanded of him was unbelievable and the rapidity of the questions given, with him having to answer just as quickly, left his head spinning.
The only real benefit however was that the intensity of it all caused him to completely forget his earlier anxiety. He was forced to focus completely on everything they asked and had no time for other stray thoughts. Once they had finished with their questions Adam was instructed to head out through a door that he could have sworn hadn’t been there before. Once outside the room Adam just stood for moment in a bit of a daze. Just staring at the wall of lockers in front of him with a bemused look upon his face. Shaking himself off and wondering what the hell had just gone on he proceeded to get dressed back into his suit.
Putting it on he didn’t fail to notice that the stains from before were now missing but that it also suddenly seemed to fit him perfectly, as if he had never grown out of it in the first place. He could only shake his head at this and finish getting dressed, any questions or thoughts he might have could come later. Right now he just wanted get home and relax a bit.
Following a number of signs instructing him on where to go next he proceeded to walk through the now colour coded hallway which seemed odd and out of place with its normality after the experience he had just had. Shortly he reached a small circular opening in one of the walls where a small opaque capsule sat open and waiting for him. Sitting down in the capsule and buckling himself in the door closed down, sealing him within. With a sudden burst of acceleration Adam was thrown into the back of his seat, the sudden g-forces almost more than his body could handle. Adam felt the weight of acceleration crushing him into his seat and he was on the verge of blacking out.
Just as quickly as the capsule had begun moving it stopped accelerating and began to decelerate at a much slower pace until finally coming to a smooth stop. Adam felt his blood rushing back through his extremities as he awkwardly got out of the capsule. He nearly fell over when he tried to stand the lack of blood circulation not quite having returned to his legs. After several moments of standing still he finally got his bearings back in order and left through the open door on the opposite side of the small room he was in. When he walked through he found himself in the hallway opposite the one that led to the great hall.
As he made his way to the sets of doors exiting the building Adam walked with his head down deep in thought. Suddenly Adam felt himself falling as a man in an expensive looking suit bumped into him and knocking him down. Without even a backward glance at him the man gave a rude comment and was quickly on his way once more. Adam was just about to angrily retort back at the man but his words died on his lips as he realized he recognized the man.
The man who had just knocked him down was in fact the cart vendor he had run into earlier in the day. With a flabbergasted look on his face Adam could only sputter out nonsense as he stared at the vendors back. As the man walked away he suddenly turned back towards him, smiled once and then continued on his way. Now his mind flooded with even more questions that just kept building up on each other and no answers to satisfy them Adam slowly made his way back outside and headed home. It had been one Hell of a weird day and Adam just wanted to get home and sleep it out.