Sick Wires – Hired (2)

Finding myself in a class again was an odd experience. I had to quit college due to the passing of my father and had to start paying off the mess he made while he was away from home. My mom was long gone when I was around 10, and no other relatives were found so I had to stop everything and tend to the load of crap my father left me with. I missed sitting in a well tempered room with people that were all looking toward the same direction as I was.

The lecturer was talking about mental strength and perseverance, and ways to practice the art of perfection. There was a very strong emphasis about not being where we shouldn't be, as if we would face great consequences. I listened to every word and tried to work out what kind of a person this young heir was, and why he would need some sort of work ants to work behind the scenes for him when he already has his professionals.

"Now, we will be taking a tour through an example of an Anakai's household. I ask of you to watch your steps and not touch anything. As I said before, we will treat this training time as actual work hours, so you will get paid, but can also be fired for misconduct. One strike and you're out."

The lecturer gestured to us to get up and motioned to the door. We all got up almost at the same time and walked in silence towards the exit. It was evident that no one knew anyone just yet, and that even though they have been there for two days already, they were just as clueless as I was.

Outside in the corridor I noticed Maurice. His act of kindness towards me made me glad to see him around. It gave me a bit of confidence when our eyes met and he nodded as greeting. I nodded back and he mouthed "good luck" as we all went towards the grand elevators.

I smiled to myself and fixated my gaze at the elevator's floor as it went up. This can really be a change in my life. I pursed my lips and clenched my fists as if it would ease the tension that slowly built up inside me. As I was gazing down, I could see another pair of clenched fists, and some wiped their palms against their sides. I looked to the one closest to me, that seemed to almost shake with tension. She was younger than me, so it seemed, and had a pretty profile. She noticed I was looking and flashed a quick, nervous smile.

The elevator doors opened and we found ourselves at the kitchen's warehouse. It was quiet, and spacious. The lecturer halted near the exit of the warehouse and told us to wait for the instructor and security.

That was when a little chatter began. The trainees almost immediately turned to each other and I could hear the low and gentle buzz that started to rise bit by bit. I assumed they already were acquainted with each other because they spent a few days together. Humans naturally start social circles quite fast, so I wasn't surprised.

"Are you as nervous as me?" a low whisper startled me from behind. I turned to see the pretty girl that was shaking in the elevator.

"Yeah, kind of." I nodded, feeling a little uncomfortable by the sudden confrontation.

"Did you arrive later than usual? I haven't seen you before." She inched closer, and I fought my urge to lean away as she did.

"Yeah, I had a late interview and asked to leave right away." I smiled hesitantly and searched for the instructor with my eyes.

"Oh, I understand. Abusive household too?" She looked at me as if she already knew everything about me. I was getting a bit of an eerie feeling from her, even though she smiled at me.

Security came for my rescue as if on cue. They positioned themselves front, sides and behind as the instructor finally started to talk. "We will be entering the main house in a short while. I demand perfect behavior, or you will be removed from the training. Never, by any means, step outside of the security line, and needless to say, do not touch anything."

I read the rules booklet yesterday, so I already knew that I could be prosecuted for opening a window, so I wasn't going to mess with anything. I was never a courageous person anyway. We started to follow the instructor after he was done preaching, and I was thankful that the young woman stopped trying to talk to me.

The tour was boring, but we had to memorize the corridors and the essential passages for staff and places we should never dare to even sniff by. I took some notes when details began to get too ramified, and just listened when explanations were plain and simple. I was surprised to see how many of my fellow trainees didn't even seem to care, and some even sneered at my little notebook.

Was I taking things too seriously? I couldn't really tell if they were being too lighthearted, or whether I was too excited to be on the studying side rather than on the working night shift one. I shook my doubts off and reminded myself that me doing my best to get the job will most likely just help, even if it really was unnecessary.

"And that will be it for now. We will take a short break, and resume the tour in an hour." We halted at a staff passage that had many corridors branching off of it. "We will now go to the west staff' breakfast room. While you are there, you can eat and chat in a civilized manner. You may not, however, leave the room. Now please follow me."

The breakfast room was almost remarkably polished, as if it was never ever used. I would never have thought this was a staff dining room, it looked way too fancy. The pleasant smell of well-seasoned food, however, was proof that it was indeed a place people eat in.

Security guarded the entrances as the wave of trainees hurried to form a line at the heavy tables packed with food. I walked slowly to that direction, but immediately regretted my steps when I heard the lively chatter and trainees elbowing their way around. I decided to sit down at a secluded table and observe from afar until the commotion died.

I noticed the nervous girl from before had managed to find a group of young guys to mingle with. She seemed like she was calmer and her hands weren't shaking anymore. My eyes wandered mindlessly around the room, and I noticed a few cameras that were scattered through the corners. I wondered if someone was now watching me while I was looking at the lenses. It felt a bit weird so I averted my eyes.

"Hello. Nectar, right?" I turned to the voice and saw the instructor from before looking through his list. He caught my gaze as I nodded. "Good to have you here, I see you haven't gone through the filtering process, and I need you to do that as soon as possible. Please follow the lady over there to take you to it."

"But…" I got up in confusion. Filtering process? "What about the rest of the tour?"

"I am not authorized to have you do the next part of the tour without the filtering process." He marked some stuff on the papers and then looked at me. My worry must have been showing clearly on my face because he immediately smiled in reassurance. "Oh don't worry, it shouldn't take long. It's nothing serious, it's part of the procedure everyone has been doing. Almost everyone passes."

I wasn't reassured, but I had no choice. I followed the lady through the corridor to a small room on the same floor. The room was evidently a small office and it smelled like perfume. The lady sat herself at the desk and gestured to me to take a seat.

"Hello Nectar, I am Rin and I will be conducting your personal interview today. I understand you arrived later than usual, why is that?"

She pushed a bunch of papers aside and found the file she was looking for. I tried to sit comfortably and not look as nervous as I felt. "I found the job a bit late, but wanted to start right away."

"Is it because of a housing issue?" she asked knowingly.

"Yes."

"Alright, we don't normally do that, but it can't be helped since you are already here." She looked displeased. "You do know, Nectar, that this job is highly demanding and not for people who like shortcuts, right?

"Yes."

"So tell me, Nectar. Why are you homeless?"

I could tell she knew, because the info was plastered all over my formal information. "I could not afford a house due to paying a debt. I don't have a family that I know of and the debt wasn't mine."

"Are you aware that by accepting the job, you will give permission to grant us access to possibly personal and sensitive information about yourself?" She kept the monotone questioning.

"Yes."

"I see you don't have any involvement with anything illegal, is there anything we should be aware of?"

I took a few seconds to ponder about it. "No."

"Why do you want this job, Nectar?"

I hated being evaluated, especially when it was to determine whether I was good enough for something. I was not good with rejections, and even though I knew I wasn't very skilled, I still hated having to admit I was not up to par. I knew this approach held me back in life, but I felt safer not wanting things so I wouldn't have to be denied them.

"Nectar?"

"I uh…" I finally managed to word out some thoughts. "I need a job that I can stay in while also having a place to sleep in."

Stupid. Stupid. Stupid! That did not reflect how much I wanted the job, if anything, it sounded as if I didn't care if it was this job or another. I took a quick breath and gathered my courage before Rin could ask the next question.

"I want this job because it seems like a good opportunity for me to dedicate myself to one job only without having to worry about expenses. I'm a good worker and I care about the quality and dedication I put into what I do, even if it's a meaningless or bland thing."

I looked up as Rin nodded and continued shortly after. "As you probably know, we are hiring for multiple positions. What kind of job do you think can suit you the most? Think of it like describing a situation."

I thought about it for a while, and then decided to answer with complete honesty. "I think I'm suitable for work that does not involve much human interaction, I'm fine with going a whole day without speaking to anyone. I don't mind company though, if it's the same people everyday. I can do anything I'm asked of as long as it's safe. I don't really need excitement or thrill, and I much prefer a grounded and stable pace of work. I'm a fast learner, so I can also be assigned more complicated work or things that need more thought put into them. I'm patient and…-"

"Alright, that's enough description." She cut me off abruptly and smiled at me as a quick apology. I could feel my face heat up and I wanted to smack my head at my oblivious self.

"Ah yes, sorry." I felt my mouth getting dry.

"Anakai does value people that put dedication and diligence before all else. You said you are a fast learner. How are you with digesting large amounts of information?"

She moved the questions from background to requirements. I felt a little relieved now that I could move from the part of my life that I couldn't really control and start talking about things I was capable of. "I can remember most information quite well if I practice it daily, and I have a good memory when it comes to learning things on the go as well."

"I see. Would you say you have a strong presence?"

I almost laughed, and I knew Rin was asking it more out of politeness than anything. "No, I like to remain unnoticed because I prefer to be by myself most of the time."

Rin ticked some stuff and wrote down some notes while I shifted in my seat. Her eyes went over the paper and then finally rose to meet mine. "Last question, are you sensitive?"

It caught me off-guard. Why did they need to know whether I was sensitive or not? But a quick look at Rin's expression showed that it was a crucial question. If I lied, I probably would be accepted into a job I was not fit for. But if I told the truth, would that mean I would narrow my opportunity to be accepted?

"Nectar?"

"Yes." I couldn't lie.

Rin nodded and sighed, sending arrows of doubt into my heart. "I see. Well then, let us return to the breakfast room, you still have around twenty minutes left to eat something."

I couldn't think of eating, and the rest of the tour was rather blurry. I tried focusing, but the familiar creeping of anxiety started to mess with my composure. When I was back at the small room I was given, I threw myself onto the bed, thinking all sorts of thoughts about how I could have lied and what would happen if I returned back to the streets. How would I be able to pay my debt?

"Don't think about it now… Don't think about it." I closed my eyes and listened to my breath. Don't think about it, do something else. I opened my eyes and grabbed one of the booklets that were piled on the desk. "Time to read about…" I turned the booklet and read its title, "…etiquette."

I did not sleep well that night, but when I woke up I wasn't tired. I took a shower and suited up with the personally fit attire I was given. It was rather fancy, and it had a skirt. I didn't really enjoy showing the world my calves so I was thankful for the mat stockings that were mandatory along with it.

I combed my hair and tried to style it according to Anakai's dressing code. I was determined to grab onto this job, whatever it might be. This was a golden chance to make a change. I looked at my reflection in the mirror and flinched almost immediately.

"Cursed image." I muttered and stepped closer so I wouldn't need to see my whole body. I had long hair I adamantly refused to cut, and styling it was a bit of a chore, but I made it. I grabbed my notebook and pens and sneaked a look at the mirror once again, only to check I didn't miss anything.

"Out we go," I told myself as I stepped out. The sun hadn't risen yet, and the air was chill and clean. The fact that this place was not close to any busy road was a bliss. I imagined myself settling in some rural area once I made enough money to quit society, and that gave me even more motivation to get the job so I can do that sooner than later.

The trainees gathered in a different room today. I was surprised to see no one was wearing the attire they were given yesterday, and the fact that I did wear it, immediately attracted looks. I walked to the back of the room and wanted to bury myself beneath the floor tiles. Why weren't they wearing their uniform?

"Good morning, please be seated. I'd like to start right away since we have a long day before us." The lecturer walked in with a fast paced stride and didn't pay much attention to any of us. I hugged my notebook as if it could hide my buttoned up white shirt that was covered with a vest. And if it wasn't enough, a fluffy butterfly bowtie.

"Today is going to be a bit different. You guys are going to split into groups according to the filtering results. Each group that I split you into, will get a separate instructor who will lead their way. I must warn you however, that these instructors are not external guides like me, but actual Anakai staff. Anything you do will be monitored from now on, and those who don't prove themselves useful to Anakai will be going home. Starting from today, your goal is to show Anakai how you act on the job. Good luck."

The room was filled with chatter almost immediately as the instructor showed the list of the groups on the large screen. Suddenly, I was relieved by the fact I actually dressed with all the fancy clothes I was given. Some dashed out of the room after finding their name in their group, and some didn't bother much, and just leisurely went outside towards their dedicated group rooms.

My name was on the screen, under a group named "Room 54". I couldn't help but sigh in relief at the fact that I apparently passed that interview the other day. I waited a little bit until most of the trainees were out of the room, and then stepped out myself into a long, spotless corridor. The class hall we just left was locked once the last of the trainees passed by the door, and I waited for the instructor to turn around.

"Excuse me, where is room 54?" I asked right as the lecturer turned to face me.

"It should be in this corridor, just keep looking at the signs to the left of the doors."

She tapped her hills on the floor and then turned to leave. I wanted to stop her and tell her that this corridor is only 60-70 and not 50 but I was too hesitant to call out to her so I just clenched my fist and decided to find it out by myself. I started walking towards the end of the corridor where room 60 was, and I tried to recall where I'd seen the other corridors when I was on the way here earlier this morning. I could see trainees going the same direction as I was, but they were all in the 60s rooms. I tried to remember how many names I saw under the room I was appointed to, but I couldn't recall anything. I only remembered being happy for not being kicked out of the process.

Once I was close to the end of the corridor, I heard someone call my name.

"Nectar, over here."

I lifted my head up and saw a tall woman that had a similar outfit style to mine. She stood up like a general of an army, with her hands holding a few books as if they held the secret to life. Her face was tired, but her eyes were stern as they looked down at me with a gaze that could pierce stone.

"I am Wendy, I will be your instructor for this process. Are you aware of which vacancy you were filtered to?"

I shook my head and shifted my weight from leg to leg as the discomfort started to mess with my thoughts. I looked around to see the rest of the trainees going into the rooms across the corridor without having to talk to an instructor. Not even one.

"Stop looking around, you won't find your answers there. I would suggest you never try to understand things alone here, if you have any questions please come to me. Now follow me, I will tell you everything you need to know."

She didn't wait for me to nod or answer, she just turned on her heels in one swift movement and started to tap away in a consistent hastened rhythm. I hurried to catch up to her and tried to reassure myself that it didn't mean anything bad that apparently I was the only one to go to "room 54". I was still in here, and I was still adamant to get that high pay that could help me change my life. Maybe the role I was filtered into was just something fit for people that have low self confidence or something, considering I remembered the interviewer asked me whether I was sensitive or not.

"Please take a seat." Wendy pulled me out of my turmoil of thoughts.

I looked up again, and noticed Wendy opened a door for me. I looked around as I finally came back to reality and noticed we were in a completely different part of the building. I walked inside quickly because I felt uncomfortable with how long I kept Wendy holding the door for me, and murmured an apology. Inside was a small room with two sofas that were separated by a low wooden table. I sat down and felt out of place once I felt the quality of the fabric, fearing I might damage it.

"I am sorry if you feel uncomfortable, Nectar, but the role you were chosen for is a bit unconventional." Wendy sat on the sofa in front of me, except she made me even more self aware with how straight her back was, and how her hands were resting on her legs closed tight. "Anakai has a need for someone that can do things quietly but thoroughly. Things that may seem to you like nonsense, but Anakai needs those things to be done perfectly and precisely. Your interview results showed someone who's willing to do boring work diligently, and as someone that can live without much social interaction. Correct me if I'm wrong."

I shook my head.

"Very well. I will be guiding you through this job, and I must warn you that it isn't easy. Let me explain some background to you so this lost expression of yours can ease even just a little. Anakai company was named after the family Anakai, who are known to be tough and diligent workers of relentless will and passion. They thrive for perfection, because it is in their blood. And when I say blood, I mean their genes. They have a history of perfectionism and narcissism, which is like a double edged sword when it comes to their empire of a company. It's no secret that to be on the top you must be willing to give up your whole life to maintain it, but when it clashes with their personality traits, their tendency for perfection can often be their downfall. Our job is to keep their environment as perfect and as spotless as a human can achieve, and even then they will not be pleased."

She made a slight pause to greet a man that walked into the room with two cups of coffee and some pastries. She thanked the man and offered me to help myself, I was more than happy to.

"Your role, Nectar, is a new experiment Anakai is doing. We do have a team that goes around to make sure everything is perfect wherever an Anakai might show up. Multiple teams in fact. The owner of the company, Master Liam, has his own set of rules and numerous teams orbiting around him any given time. Your role, however, is not with him. His son, who manages the Tech branch, has shown regression in his profits lately, and Master Liam is displeased. His son already has teams dedicated to him, but it seems it is not enough. There is always something lacking that will bother him, the professional treatment he goes through shows no progress."

"Is he mentally ill?" I finally found my courage to ask.

"Like I said, it is no secret that an Anakai will not rest until perfection is achieved, but with Master Liam' son it seems that perfection has never been more far away, and it will consume him until it is taken care of. We don't speak of our Masters' mental health, we only obey orders. Whatever reason there is for their hunger for perfection, you must not ponder about it, only do your best and beyond to create an environment where Anakai can dedicate themselves to keeping this empire running for many more generations to come."

I looked down at my coffee, it was still too hot for me to sip on so I just casually blew on it throughout the explanation. It sounded like a tale from an exaggerated novel to me, and I tried to imagine how it possibly would be true in reality.

"Now getting to your role. Your job is to always follow Master Liam's son wherever he goes. You are to become his shadow, except that you will walk before him rather than behind. Our teams make everything as perfect as they can a long time before the Master arrives, but with the young Master it's not enough. We tried a team that will be present with him, but it distracts him even more. We came to a conclusion that he needs a shadow, someone that is there at any given time without being there at the same time. We found multiple possible trainees for the experiment, and if it goes well then you will keep your jobs at Anakai with all the benefits that come with it."

An experiment, so I could possibly lose the job in the future. But remembering the pay, I could be fine even after a few months of work. All I had to do was follow orders, and I was good at doing so, especially when it meant not having to deal with customers.

"We have appointed shadows for night times and day times, both at work, houses and cars. The experiment will start once the last slot will be filled by you, once you agree. The shadows will receive guidance and training throughout the experiment and then the true test will begin once the instructors leave you to do your job alone. To accept this job, you must agree to stay at the job for a year. What do you say?"

A year. The job sounded like hard work, but it was only for a year. Whatever hell I was about to walk into, I thought it couldn't be worse than the fear of sleeping on the street at night and the anxiety eating me from the inside.

"I agree."