A tall, clean-shaven, clean-cut Human male with light blonde hair and hazel eyes came out from one of the Blue-grey doors along the walls of the Reception hall. He was in a fairly nice grey suit, white dress-shirt, a burgundy tie and squieky black dress shoes. A file folder in his hand as he approached Ixora, with a cheesy smile of perfect teeth. Hand out, a class ring on his right ring finger he adressed Ixora.

"Miss Ixa Dazz, I persume? I'm Mr. Johnson and I am with the Human Resources department. You are here for a Secretary job then? If you will please follow me I will go over your application with you."

This man seemed so carbon-copy, starched and bleached. He had cheap collonge on and his clothes smelled of starch and mothballs. Shoes just too bright with the black shoe polish. One would swear he was a Robot, but very Human, just another Wage-Slave of the MegaCorps.

The man in the suit, Mr. Johnson, did give a slight smile, not much though and nodded to Ixxy.

"My my, a real go getter, thats very good Ms. Dazz, we like that here in the New Eden Colony Recruitment Center. Keep that spirit and you will go far in the Corperation. I will show you arround a bit of the Office, can't show you too much. Have to do a quick clearance with the Local Law Enforcement. It would be a waste of time trying to track your records down from Earth. After all there are many Earths and you come from a past History. If all checks out, you will start work tomorrow morning, 9am sharp. At a very reasonable wage of 10 Credits per hour at 40 hours a week."

He then showed her to his Cubicle, one of many Office cubicles in the large and very busy office. All neat and tidy, few decorations, except for somr bright, cheery and very indoctrinating slogans in picture frames. Some green plants, the office a buzz with phone calls, people typing away. Couriers taking this item or that item from place to place. Mr. Johnson offered her a seat at his desk as he promptly sat down, behind his small desk.

Mr. Johnson gave another manufactured smile to Ixxy, almost programmed to do so, to be pleasent.

"Well Ms. Dazz, as per the Regulations, you come in at the Reception desk, and code in your Office worker number which will be assigned to you in the Morning. You can't miss the Time clock, its the large, flat black glossy screen kiosk to the right of the Recpetion Desk. Its voice activated and the virtual screen will appear on the surface. Your voice has already been recorded for recognition purposes. You will pick up your office code and your Key card at the Reception desk. The Key card is to be designated for Blue Areas, the lowest level of Security access."

He then paused to take a breath, then back to the spiel..

"All Doors and Hallways to areas are color coded, Blue being the areas you have access to. Your workspace and the Breakroom on this floor are all in the Blue Areas. When you are given your Office code, Key card and once you have coded yourself into the Time Clock, it will direct you to which Blue Area section you are to goto.

If you have a question, just ask for a Map, one will be displayed. However if you have any other questions, just ask me I am the Office Manager for Sections Blue 1 through to Blue 4. Thats of course if you are assigned to my Sections. If not then a Ms. Tamoshi Irikawa is the Office Manager for sections Blue 5 through Blue 8.

Now Ms. Dazz do you have any other questions to ask about the Office, what you will be doing? If not would you like to see our state of the art and ergonomically efficient breakroom?"

Walking through the busy maze of large office space, which was easily the size of a Football field. Bright pale-yellow florescent lights humming away, the humming of Computer terminals, 3D displays. It was all quite High tech stuff really, a chaotic-controlled mess. Data pouring in and out of the various cubicles. There were a few smiles here and there, mainly from the new people. Mr. Johnson showed Ixxy to the large atrium-like breakroom, which was an understatement. It was more like a huge Cafeteria, with a glass walled, with doors enclosed garden with a huge skylight above. There were people in this said garden eating lunch at one of the several tables.

The large cafeteria, which was set between the two ground floor office areas, was able to at least hold upto a thousand or more people at a time. It had a variety of resturantes, buffet style, not unlike a massive food court at a shopping mall. Hell there was even a few boutiques for that very thing, shopping. People paid for their meals at the food shops and would sit at one of the many long tables or smaller round tables. The air was abuzz with people talking and some laughing over jokes. It was a less intense place, a place to relax. There were however a ton of surveilance cameras. A reminder of Big brother.

Johnson addressed Ixxy.. "You can go anywhere that is a blue section, here being one, the offices on this floor. The Bathrooms of course, thought you need your key card to get in the Bathroom. You are allowed to have one person here for lunch, family preferred. Your sister has to check in with the Front desk. And you best make sure with me or Ms. Irikawa, that you have this meeting with your sister for lunch on the schedule. What days and what times, so there is no problems. And if you like you can have your sister join you here for lunch at the Cafeteria. Employees can also go offsite for lunch, as long you indicate you are going offsite when you clock out. There is a timeclock terminal in the offices, by the enterance-exit to each office area. "

Mr. Johnson paused for a moment and looked at Ixxy with a bit of disapproval, then spoke, eliquently and also as if reciting from some manual.

"As long as said relationship partner does not cause anything to disrupt the function of the Office worker enviroment. As well as not being employed by said Corporation in this buidling, then it is acceptable. But no displays of affection are allowed on the Grounds of this Building."

Then just as suddenly Mr. Johnson was back to his, err, normal self. He was abit creepy in some ways. Then again, when working as a wage-slave, it was bound to happen. He gave his odd smile and gestured her to follow him arround the vast Cafeteria, showing her the various restuarants. They did have quite a variety of foods, from Seafood, to Chinese, Japanese, American-style fast food and Mexican. Then again, all of them seemed to be fast-food joints, just very fancy.

Mr. Johnson. just looked at her, with well a bit of disgust and shock. And shook his head..Again he sounded like a manual in tone and temperment.

"Well, Ms. Dazz, you will know it is highly discouraged to have any intimate relationships with other Staff. Such fratinization can lead to disharomy in the Workplace within this Recruitment center or in the Corporations that sponser us. This can lead to low and inefficient productivity. So no, such is not allowed here, its fine if you socialize with workers. But only on designated Lunch hours and breaks, which are one hour lunches and two 30 minute breaks during the day."

He then paused and nodded to her about keeping to herself.

"Then there is no issue Ms. Dazz, we expect a level of Professionalism from our staff. Now if there is nothing else in here you wish to see, do you want to see what one of our Office workstations are like?"

He shook his head and replied..

"No I will show you what you will be doing when you come into work tomorrow, right now Ms. Dazz. If you will follow me please?"

A turn on his heel of his squeky shoes, and out of the Cafeteria they went. Through the hallway and back into the busy office area. Over to one of the corners in the south end of the office area. They came to a small, out of the way cubicle, not being used at the time. He had her sit down in the office chair, as Mr. Johnson showed Ixxy the devices.

"Here is the phone, with a wireless earpiece so you can take calls as you work on your Comp Terminal here. The Comp Terminal has a Virtual display or manual keys which are down here. If you so wish to use the manual function of the Terminal. Now of course the terminal will be programmed to indicate what your lunch hour and breaks are. Which will all be determined for you by tomorrow when you get here. The power button is the big green button on the left hand side there.

The terminal will also keep a track of how much time you work on it. When you are to take your lunch or breaks, just give a verbal command to the Comp to go on standby mode. When you are done for the day, give the command of Logoff. The comp will then shut itself down, I do hope you can type fast Ms. Dazz?"

-He paused then continued.- "Now if you need to get coffee or water, there is a smaller break room to the west of you. And there is a womens' bathroom to the northeast of you. Both will be marked by signs above the doorways. Is there anything else you need to know?"

He sighed and started to explain to her what kind of calls she would be making or taking. Mainly inquiries into what sort of jobs are offered, setting up appointments for Job recruitment from people outside the Center. To give basic information to the General Public, that kind of thing. Also that if there are any calls from any Local Newspapers of T.V. Stations, that those calls will be directed to Management. He showed her the buttons for that, and how that worked.

Mr. Johnson, must have spent at least 30 minutes showing and explaining how the Computer terminal worked. But he did go kind of fast, possibly a bit too fast in his demonstration.

The receptionist at the Front desk called Ixxy over, the woman's voice a bit snappy with Ixxy. After all, Ixxy was the new girl and the Receptionist coud smell it like a Shark smelling blood in the Water. But it was her job to give the new people their codes and Key cards. Sighing in a small amount of disgust she motioned for Ixxy to come over to the Time clock terminal next to the Reception desk. And would demonstrate to Ixxy, how it worked. But she wasn't very nice about it, or it seemed that way. There still had to be a level of Professionalism in the Company. All for the sake of getting higher up the Ladder.

Ixxy was truely in a Lions' Den, and she would learn fast that in this place, its Eat or get Eaten. Welcome to the world of the Corporations Ixa Dazz, its a whole new World here. Friends are few, as the saying goes, Keep your Friends close, but your Enemies closer. Learn this and you just might survive this ordeal. Thats the advice Kuro gave to Ixxy before she left for work "Keep your friends close, but your Enemies closer."

The receptionist gave a roll of her eyes and then spoke to Ixxy in a rather snippy voice.."Look hun, I ain't paid to nursemaid you through this. Eiether get with the program or sink, I have better things to do. Look at the display, its very obvious what section you are in. Area Blue 3, that means Mr. Johnson is your office Manager. Now why don't you move along and go through the Blue door marked B-3. I have phones to awnser little girl." Her tone with Ixxy was very patronizing, the Recpetionist went back to her desk. Back to anwsering phones in a fake, polite tone.

Ixxy was not about to get anymore help from the Receptionist thats for sure. It was a first brutal taste of what the Corporate Life was going to be like for Ixxy.

Mr. Johnson gave a bit of a frown to Ixxy, at the informal way she addressed him. He cleared his throat..

"Ms. Dazz, it is the correct protocal to call me Mr. Johnson or Sir. Please do remember that while working here please?" He paused.."I do admire however your enthusiasum to working at our Company. So I will let that minor infraction slide, this time. Yes, I do believe you are ready to start, I will show you to your workstation. Your Supervisor is a Mrs. Tolford, a Dwarven woman, with black hair and green eyes. She will be three desks to your left down from you. Should you need any help don't hestitate to ask her."

He took Ixxy over to her small cubicle, maybe 6 feet and 6 feet, with 5 foot high thin aluminium walls painted grey. The open end faced out onto a sea of similiar cubicles all set into groups of four. Ixxy had three other cubicle mates, all women, two young Human woman. One white, one Latino, the other woman was an Elf lady, with long red hair. They each gave Ixxy a slight nod and smile, then back to work, typing away and awnsering phones.

Mr. Johnson bid Ixxy a good day and left Ixxy to face her first day on her own.

The dwarven woman, with a few grey hairs in her pulled back into a bun black hair. Glasses on her tiny nose, gave a bright smile to Ixxy and grabbed her hand to shake it..

"Hello Deary, yes indeed I know who you are, be working in my section so glad to have you Ixa. Now yes I am the person you should speak to about any and all lunch schedules if a friend or family member comes on site to the Office complex. So there's no fuss about it, now, as to pay, you girls get paid once a week on Mondays. All paychecks are collected at the Reception Desk, at select times based on what section you are in. Since you are in Section 4, you will collect your check at 2pm. Now when would you like to schedule lunch with your sister deary?"

At least it seemed Mrs. Talford was a nice person that looked out for the girls of her section.

The older Dwarf woman simply nodded and gave a smile, it seemed sincere enough.

"Very well dearly, that can be taken care of, now best get back to work. Don't need to get in trouble on the first day of work now would you? If you have anymore questions later on just let me know Ixa. Have a good day today, deary."

After about two hours into Ixxy's work, Mr. Johnson came over to the workstation to see about how she was getting along. He simply observed for a few moment before speaking up, clearing his throat..

"Hello there Ms. Dazz, all working out I hope, no problems. I take it you have spoken to Mrs. Talford?." He then paused for a moment.."When you have the opportunity this afternoon, say sometime after your lunch hour which I am informed will be from one PM to two PM., I need you to take some files to the File Room. Mrs. Talford has them at her desk. You might as will have some practice in understanding how the filing system here works. To further your productivity."

He then awaited her response, calmly with his hands folded behind his back.

Mr. Johnson cleared his throat again, as if to repeat himself to Ixxy.

"You pick up some files from Mrs. Talford, then take the files to the FileRoom, its at the North End of the Office area. Can't miss it, its a blue painted door, with the word Fileroom in big white letters on it. The Filing system is Alpha-Numeric order, as in they all go into a certain section of the Filing Stacks. We keep Hard Copy folders as will as Computer Files, incase of a system-wide Computer failure. And if there is nothing else you best get to it then. Have a good day Ms. Dazz."

He then walked away to another part of the Office area.

Kendall didn?t have a vehicle of her own yet. Fortunately, she wasn?t the only such person from RhyDin City who had to make the trip up to the New Eden site. The MegaCorps had set up a shuttle which ran from the city?s North gate up to the security perimeter once an hour, on the hour. Kendall stifled a cough into the sleeve of her new coat, hunched her shoulders further into its shelter while she waited. There was no shelter at the shuttle drop point and it was both cold and raining out.

Light gray eyes slid sideways. The woman standing next to her had a large umbrella held up to protect her immaculate hair-style and clothing. Kendall edged closer. She had just gotten half-under the frail shelter when the shuttle pulled up. The street rat?s mouth curled up in a cynical smile ? yet another victory for Murphy.

The shuttle driver eyed her carefully before letting her onto the vehicle. Her clothes, while no longer the near-rags she had been wearing, were not of the style or quality of anyone else on the shuttle. She had scrubbed her face before she came up to wait, but there was still black grease under her nails. Street accent stood thick in her voice as she explained to the man. ?M?sis works up there t? th? admin section. Goin? t? meet her for lunch.? The driver nodded reluctantly and waved her on to a seat.

It was an explanation Kendall had to give no less than five more times before she reached the Administration building, the security getting tighter and tighter at each check. At the final checkpoint she handed over the papers that identified her as Kendra Dazz, and they checked her name against the list of expected visitors. She held her breath for a moment, pale eyes flickering here and there around the foyer.

?You don?t look much like your sister.? The guard?s voice was somewhere between amused and suspicious. The familiar, mocking smile curled up ?Kendra?s? mouth before she answered.

?Half-sister, ain?t I? Same da. Why, you struck by m? awe-inspirin? good looks?? Kendall snickered as she asked the question. Her ragged copper hair was still dripping from the rain outside ? there had been a ?bot hovering behind her for the last few minutes, waiting for her to move so it could wipe up the slowly-growing puddle around her. She was scrawny at best; two weeks of semi-regular food weren?t enough to make up the difference of years of near-starvation. Grease rimmed her fingernails and her clothes were? well, functional was probably the best that could be said about them. She knew she didn?t look anything like her slick ?sister?.

The security guard snorted with laughter. ?Kid, you?re no prize. But your sister? She?s a looker, and nice, too. Treats us out here like real people instead of a hassle every morning. She single?? Now the guard?s real purpose came out. Kendall snickered again, answered bluntly.

?Ain?t got a clue. I can ask her for you, you really wanna know. Let you know on th? way out.? Her mocking smile was back, full-force. The guard hesitated, thought about it, then nodded. Another visitor approached the desk, and the guard shoved ?Kendra?s? papers back at her with a hasty point in the direction of ?Ixa?s? office ? or at least, the room that held her cubicle. Kendall jerked her chin up at the man in a gesture of thanks and started to amble through the hallways in the indicated direction, her light gray eyes flicking over everything she passed.

An indifferent shrug was Kendall?s answer to Ixora?s question. She followed it up with a curl of cynical smile. ?Ain?t matter a bit, long as it?s hot. I?m about froze.? At least her hair had finally stopped dripping onto the floor. ?Looks crazy busy in here. You gonna have time t? eat proper, Icky??

There ? the mocking touch of glee. She couldn?t resist it. As they filed through the cafeteria along with all the others who had lunch at the same time, her needling went on. ?You got a sweetie here already? Maybe that boss of yers? Or,? she broke off and deliberately widened her eyes, ?nah, that Davan guy you were tellin? me about. Maybe him?? A snicker while she loaded soup, bread, a slice of cake, a sandwich and a cup of coffee onto her tray. When time came to pay she turned the wide-eyed, expectant look from the cashier to ?Ixa? until ?Ixa? ran her employee card through the machine.

She was playing an annoying younger sister. Just Ixora?s luck that the role was so much fun; Kendall probably went overboard on the ?annoying? part just a bit. When they sat, however, the table she picked had them in a corner with their backs against the wall. The camera that covered that section of the room was above their heads ? which meant that if they leaned back just a bit, they were out of its field of view. No help for the audio recorders that were undoubtedly all over the place, but Kendall could only hope that Ixora had taken that into account.

As she dived into her food ? the lack of table manners stood out even more sharply here, in this cultured environment ? she set up a non-stop chatter. Mostly related to persuading ?Ixa? to lend ?Kendra? some money. Kendall also made obvious and obnoxious criticisms of the outfits, behavior, and looks of everybody who passed across their field-of-view.

If all went according to Kendall?s plan, the company would actually request that ?Ixa? meet her sister off-site ? where it would be much easier to evade the ever-present monitors. It was just too bad that Kendall hadn?t had a chance to mention this plan to Ixora ahead of time. Hopefully her ?sister? would figure it out.

By the time ?Kendra? left, after the hour allotted for ?Ixa?s? lunch, more than gossip and money had passed from hand to hand. Information ? the real currency of any operation like theirs ? was squirreled away in Kendall?s head. She bantered for several more minutes with the security guard in the foyer ? and her light-fingered ways paid off with the white rectangle of a key-card. She had also earned a request never to return to the Cafeteria for lunch with her ?sister?. Ixa had even been given extra time to have her lunch off-site on Mondays ? though it would be docked from her pay.

All in all, a productive first collection.

Ixora would soon find that Sim, or Aramil, as she knew him by, was already present in the little cafe. The changeling was good at hiding, no doubt strengthened by the ring he wore that allowed for a invisibility for a limited amount of time. Sim had been there for hours, actually. He was waiting the entire time, watching to see just how early she would arrive. He was pleasantly surprised when she turned up an hour ahead of time.

Deactivating the enchantment of his ring with a subtly whispered word, Sim stepped forward and brought a single, pale and slender digit down to tap lightly on Ixora's shoulder as he approached her from behind. Sim was in the guise of the elven man, with silver hair, green eyes, pale skin, and angled features. The only thing off seeming about the elf was that he was nearing (if not passing) six feet in height. Though in Rhy'Din, that wasn't saying much.

"Ixora, I'm surprised to see you hear so early." Said Sim as he lowered his hand from her shoulder. When Ixora would look at him, she'd see him fully decked out in a very authentic pirate costume. It had a navy blue tricorne hat that was weathered and faded, along with a matching frock coat that had seen better days. Beneath the coat he wore a ruffled, white poet's shirt and a tan leather jerkin. On his legs were cotton breeches tucked into high leather boots. His shoulders were draped with baldrics, one holding a cutlass (which was under the effects of an illusion to appear fake) and the other holding a flintlock pistol (which was under a similar enchantment as the cutlass). There was even a dagger tucked into his boot. His hair was tied back and pulled to rest over the high collar of his coat.

"No. I haven't been following you around. Not today." Sim replied with a small shake of his head. "I've been here for about three hours now." The changeling continued while stepping around her to take a seat in the adjacent chair. His leg was lifted to prop up on the opposing knee while he settled in. At her compliment (for he took it as such), Sim grinned and tipped his hat up. "Told you I had a costume already, didn't I?"

Then at her query, the changeling lifted his hand, which (unsurprisingly) held a disposable cup of coffee. The strong scent of the brew was intensely muddled down by the smell of sugar and other artificial sweeteners, which had the normally dark drink a pale, creamy color. It was lifted for a sip, which he took down with a contented sigh. He loved his overly sweetened coffee.

"You don't look half bad yourself, Ixora. The dress suits you." He winked. "Very misleading, too." Sim leaned back in his seat, the propped up foot bouncing idly as he regarded her. "Now then. We just go to the party after this, don't we? Mingle, make idle conversation, and that's it?"