https://youtu.be/jW6LYqODW4I - MS. WHITE
The office is claustrophobically small, barely bigger than a broom closet. There's a roughly two-foot gap between your head and the ceiling. The only pieces of furniture in the room are a cheap metal desk, a far cheaper metal chair, and an old clock hanging off the back wall.
<span class="mu-i">tick. tick. tick.</span> Its incessant ticking almost makes time slow down, stretching seconds out into what feels like minutes.
Sitting behind the chair is the higher-up you were warned about. She's roughly around your age, you think. It's hard to tell since you can't see most of her face. It's hidden underneath a thick white face mask, and a pair of tinted white shades obscures most of her face.
She's dressed in a bland white dress suit and blazer that looks brand new, not a wrinkle in sight. Her skin is paler than winter snow, and her hair is a blindingly pale platinum blonde.
You've seen more color in a piece of unused printer paper. There's not a single trace of color on her besides the tinted black lenses of her shades.
She gestures at you to sit down. You take a seat, and, HOO, this chair is <span class="mu-i">incredibly</span> uncomfortable. It digs into your backside with a vengeance as if you owe it money.
"Good morning, Ms...?"
"Ms. White." Her voice is low and monotone. The robots you've met here have more emotion in their voices. "Vincent Cruz, Edward Trinity, correctly?"
"Yes."
Edward silently nods.
"Excellent. I would like to ask you some questions, Mr. Cruz." She dryly responds. "If you don't mind, of course."
"I don't mind, but may I ask why?"
"It's to see if I should approve your promotion." She reaches for the clipboard and pen on her desk. "Your answers will be the main determining factor."
"Huh? I thought the promotion from Level 0 to Level 1 was automatic."
You can't read her expression with that mask on. You know her expression changed, but you can't tell how. "Mr. Yellow was half right. A.R.C wishes to know more about you before it makes any hasty decisions."
"Please answer truthfully." Ms. White clicks her pen. "Any and all responses will be recorded. If your answers are satisfactory, we can approve your promotion today."
You glance at Edward from the corner of your eye. He's doing his best to blend into the background. His once jovial demeanor is gone now, replaced with the stiff posture of a trained soldier.
This is clearly a <span class="mu-b">test</span> of some sort, but you're not sure for what. Is it supposed to gauge if you're a loyal employee? If you actually tell the truth? Is she just trying to mess with you?
"Question 1. How do you feel about your employer, A.R.C?"
>"Can't say I'm a fan." They kidnapped you, for fuck's sake.>"No strong feelings either way.">"I've worked with worse companies." A half-truth.>"As long as they pay me, I'm fine with them.">"I respect their mission: to contain and research anomalies, it's commendable." Some praise couldn't hurt.>Write in.(1/2)
