The office was sparsely decorated, just a couple dusty trinkets on the front desk. Jack had been sitting in the waiting room for twenty minutes before the receptionist showed up and noticed him.
“Sorry about that, waiting long?” the man said.
“Not too long, but my appointment was 5 minutes ago and I don’t want them to think I was late,” Jack said, standing up and walking over, offering his hand. The man responded with a combination of limp fish/just fingers handshake. Jack felt underwhelmed by the interaction.
“I’ll let them know you’re here.” It looked like the receptionist did nothing, but two minutes later the interior door opened. An angry-looking woman stepped through, file folders in hand. She looked at him briefly and said “Jack?”
“Yes, I’m Jack A-” He stood, offering his hand again.
“Through here, please,” she said, turning and walking back into the inner office. Jack hurried to catch up.
They walked silently down a narrow hallway. A low drop ceiling added to the feeling of claustrophobia; Jack began to worry that he was sweating. At a t-junction with another narrow, low hallway, the angry woman pointed straight ahead and said “Last door on the left, have a seat facing the door, someone will be with you shortly” and strode off down the hallway to the right.
Jack did as he was told.
Sitting in the bare room, with nothing but a small vent, two chairs facing each other and a cheap desk between them, Jack reflected. He hadn’t recognized the name on the message suggesting he contact this firm, but then he’d put out hundreds of resumes in the last months. No leads but this one; run every lead out.
He’d been sitting, reflecting, for about fifteen minutes before the door opened, and the angry woman walked in. Jack stood, surprised, as she entered and resisted the urge to offer his hand again. She waved at him to sit down as she sat. He did.
“Jack Aarons. Hello. So, you are looking for a job with our corporation, yes?” Brusk.
“Ahh, yes,” he stammered. “Sorry, I was sent a message saying to send my resume to your HR people, but there wasn’t a specific position mentioned. I figured it would be part of the selection process.” He leaned forward and tried his best to smile mildly.
“Indeed.” She still hadn’t looked up from the open file folder in front of her. “Your education seems adequate to a number of tasks here.”
Jack felt a wave of relief crash over him. “That’s really, uh, that’s great to hear. I work well in a group or individually, and am a self motivated team player.”
She finally looked at him. “Has that been important in your previous positions?”
“Uh… sure. I’ve worked with a lot of people and never had a complaint against me,” Jack offered. “I have a number of references on the second page.” He gestured at what he assumed was his resume in her file folder.
“That will not be necessary.” Head down again, she continued through the file. “Aarons was your father’s name?”
This was a new question. “Uh, I don’t know. I assume so. I never met him, I grew up in an orphanage.” Jack shifted slightly in his seat.
“And you are physically active?” she asked.
Non sequitur, but Jack felt he was ready this time. “I try to be, as time allows. Usually soccer on Sat-uh, Sunday afternoons, maybe the odd basketball game or jog.”
“It was recently your birthday.”
How did they know that? “Yesterday, actually. I’m 33.”
“Any sexually transmitted infections or other infectious diseases?”
“Wait, what? No! Listen, I-”
“Any chronic illnesses, mental health problems or outstanding debts?”
“I… uh, really? Is that an interview question?” He was truly puzzled. “You… you can’t legally ask me that.”
“It is part of your new employee survey.” She closed the file folder and looked up. The sudden, terrifying eye contact made Jack quail on the inside, but he managed to hold her gaze. “We decided to hire you a while ago. Any history of drug use?”
Jack almost missed her question, drowned out as it was by the stadium sized cheering going on in his head. “Uh, ah well, just a little pot in college.”
“Typical,” she said, and turned to look as the small vent opened and a low fog rolled out into the room.
“What the hell is-” Jack was cut off by the sound of his own head hitting the desk. He blinked twice, mouth made a confused o, and then everything went black.
Her face finally relaxing, the woman stood. She moved over to where jack lay slumped, reconfiguring her index and middle finger into long syringe. A quick motion and the needle was in behind his ear, cutting through flesh and into bone. She drew a long sample. Jack’s body collapsed to the floor as she withdrew.
She stepped over him, picked up the folder and headed towards the door. Her hand reconfigured to normal, holding a large sample vial. She closed the door and transmitted her report.
Subject: alpha-alpha romeo oscar november sierra, jack
Results: gene stock viable to 33y, no external evidence of genetic modification. synthetic 2-2-adrenal gland functioning to expected levels. The subject displays a harvest ready level of the compound.
Notes: subject in good health, good physical activity and education levels. Backscatter scans in the waiting room suggest no tumor development. Slight vocal stutter
Recommendation: remedy gene GNPTAB for the stutter before next test cycle. Harvest organs for transplant market.
