10) Looking for a few violent men.

The invitation from White Forest Security led me to do some research.

They were new. Like brand new. Established less than a month ago new.

But the ticket and the check for five thousand for travel expenses were real. As was the prepaid three day hotel stay.

I had always wanted to visit New York. Three days would give me a chance to play tourist there as well.

A limo driven by a terse, closed mouth man picked me up at the airport and took me right to their building, or at least the building they had a floor rented on. The smiling man waiting for me in the lobby who introduced themselves as Mr Sardox immediately gave me the creeps.

He gave me a nod and handshake with a strangely cool and narrow hand. As he slipped his hand out of mine he took out a bottle of light pink fluid and sprayed it on his hand before wiping it with a clean white cloth.

“Nothing personal Mr. Brenner. I’m just a little bit vulnerable and have to be careful.”

He walked me over to the elevator and used a mechanical key on the control panel. “This gets us to our floor without stopping.”

Then he fiddled with a rather delicate looking bracelet on his wrist and transformed from a tall, dark skinned man with neatly trimmed hair to a tall woman with long white hair, a near white complexion, and red colored eyes dressed in overlapping robes all made of layers of near white fabrics.

All that with a set of ridged ears sticking out to either side of her head.

"I could see that my glamour was bothering you. From your blog, I've picked up that you haven't had much luck learning magic. But you are sensitive to it, so there might be hope for you yet."

I nodded. “Ah, yeah.”

She blushed. “Sorry, I understand talking in an elevator is something of a social no no, but I'm still figuring out when it's permitted and when not. The video entertainments are very unreliable.” The elevator dinged. She smiled. “Here we are.”

The lobby of White Tree security looked… fancy. Like someone had watched a movie showing the main office of a shady powerful corporation and said, "Let's go with something like that!"

Most of the staff looked like they could have been related to Sardox, or at least what he, or now she, looked like when I came into the building. And they all gave me the same twitchy feeling.

Sardox held out her hand to show me where to head to, “This way. You’ll be interviewing, and being interviewed, with Vetianne.”

The green eyed woman in a red power suit, who shared the same white hair, pale skin, and ears as Sardox rose to her feet as I came into the glass panel lined room. And kept rising until her head came just short of the seven foot plus ceiling. “Welcome to White Tree Mr. Brenner. Please call me Verianne. No title necessary.”

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She held out her narrow long fingered hand for me to shake. It wasn't cold, but it was cooler than a human's.

Serious uncanny valley stuff was happening here, but it was less creepy than their false faces. She also pulled out a bottle of blue tinted fluid that had a floral scent and cleaned her hand after shaking mine.

I held up my phone to ask if I could record, but she held up one of her hands and shook her head. "I would prefer if you didn't. We'll send you a copy of our recording of this interview, suitably edited of course."

I nodded “Of course.” I guess I could have protested. Claimed that I didn’t work that way. But it wasn’t like I knew how this stuff was done. I freely admit that I’m an amateur here.

As I settled down in my chair, Sardox offered me a bottle of water and then wandered off as her boss sat with her hand clasped until Sardox slid the two glass doors to the room shut behind her.

Then Vetrianne started what I quickly realized was a sales pitch.

“Our world recently became aware of yours when one of our deep patrols rescued the remaining two members of a group of lost hikers from this world who had been captured by our eternal enemies.”

She looked down at her hands and allowed herself a brief, grim grin. "You might as well call them Orcs, and my kind Elves. Those aren't the words we use or would have chosen, but they do make things simpler."

“The surviving hikers have been returned to Earth, with their limbs regrown, and were given large amounts of the cash we have raised by converting gems. As were as the dependents of those the Orcs killed, and ate.”

She unclasped her hands and held them up to either side. “We can afford to be generous, and finding this world has given us something so much more valuable them money.”

“Hope.”

The Elf grinned. I noticed she had one more set of canines than humans did.

“Our conflict with the Orcs had made my people warlike by necessity. But humans, dear sweet humans, are warlike by nature. You guys love it, and that has made you good at it.”

Setting the tips of her hands down the table in front of her, she leaned forward. “So we want to hire you.”

I pointed at myself and raised my eyebrows.

The incorporated elf laughed as she threw herself back in her chair. “Yes, you. But it’s more like we want to hire humans in general. Although hiring you and letting you report on what it’s like in our world as a mercenary on a six month contract might bring in more of the people we want.”

She leaned on one elbow. “A hundred thousand dollars for six months there, plus combat bonuses, and it will be only six days here. Full magical medical benefits so everyone coming home will be in good shape, fully intact, with no need for glasses, and a full set of healthy, straight teeth for as long as they last them once they get back.”

Clasping her hands again, she sat up straight. “No need for a crash diet, or advanced science pills for you Mr. Brenner. We might even be able to help you with learning magic."

I held up my hand. “Tempting, but I’m not signing up for anything right this moment. Why don’t you tell me more about what’s involved.”

She nodded. “We prefer people with a military background, but even for them the first four weeks are a training program for fitness and familiarizing people with the enemy, their beasts, and their vulgar version of magic.”

For a moment she had a look of distaste on her lips.

"Everyone gets equipped with AK-47 rifles, 45. automatics pistols, and body armor. All made on Earth. And all proven, reliable gear. We can afford cutting edge, but we would rather hand out what our employees know will work.”

“The pay will go to designated heirs if someone falls in our service, but any wound short of death can be healed. At our expense of course.”

I did ask a few more questions and made some requests. Like pictures of her world, and their enemy. But she wasn't that helpful.

All in all, I would say if you’re desperate, and trained, this might not be a bad deal.

For me, I wasn't sure. Six months in a fantasy world might do a lot to help me prepare if I ever do get Isekaied, or whatever you call it when your world changes around you to a fantasy one.

But…

I like living in a world with flush toilets, dentists, and antibiotics. Seriously considering going to another world, for real, has given me a moment of clarity.

No matter how much effort in preparing to be taken I've been doing, I don’t want to go. I guess I’m like a doomsday prepper that doesn't want to see the world end, but just feels like it will and accepts it as something to prepare for.

If anyone does sign up with White Tree, send me some pictures, and maybe we can do an interview.

Addendum:

Apocalypse. When your world changes all around you into some fantasy version where things are out to kill you, Apocalypse is the word I was looking for.

I think I might want to start stocking up on stuff in my house in case that happens, not just collecting things I want to take with me.