THE MOMENT
Lois did not know what to expect; but, she wasn't surprised. Something about the interview taking place in a skyscraper made of glass and white metal made sense. It looked like a professional office building. Way too sophisticated for the food runner position she applied for. However, if she read the listing properly it was a lot more than just a delivery job. It could be her ticket to traveling the world, assuming she landed the job.
Lois crossed the lobby to the information desk. Then, the elevators and finally up to the 35th floor. She exited the elevator and informed the receptionist she was there. She sat down when the receptionist asked her to take a seat and in all that time, she hadn't seen anyone else. She expected a building that large to be bustling; but, even the coffee shop in the first-floor lobby was empty with only a single employee.
"Is this a scam...?" the thought crossed her mind; but, Lois shook her head. It was unfeasible to build a skyscraper just to bilk a few suckers. She worked at it a little bit longer and failed to see how a scam could work with what the ad was promising. They advertised specifically for food runners to deliver food from across the world. A few weeks ago she would have considered it impossible; but, then the multiverse arrived. Technology evolved almost overnight and it was almost impossible to tell what was impossible anymore. And, Sharp Development was the multiversal company that changed her world. If this building really was theirs, she felt confident and even hopeful about the job existing.
"Phoenix will see you now," the receptionist said.
"Thank you," Lois nodded at her and crossed the waiting room to the door she was pointed to. The name 'Phoenix' was printed on the white door with a red star beneath it. Lois giggled to herself; it reminded her of the kind of doors movie stars have on TV. She knocked twice and the door opened from the inside.
"Hello, my name is Phoenix," a pale man with bright red hair combed neatly to one side extended his hand. He wore a crisp white suit with a sharp red tie. "You must be Ms. Kennedy."
"It's a pleasure," Lois nodded as they shook hands.
"Please, have a seat," Phoenix gestured at the leather chair in front of a frosted glass desk. Lois sat as he walked around to the high-back leather chair on the other side.
"Welcome to Sharp Development,' he said. "We've got quite a bit to cover and we'll jump right in here in a moment. Before we get started do you have any questions?"
"Oh. I... yes," Lois nodded. She really wanted a job that would let her travel anywhere on Earth. Even if it was listed as 'food runner', she prepared as best as she could. She scoured the internet for tips and tricks to ace the interview. So far, it wasn't anything like she'd thought. She had more answers than questions ready; but, she did have a few questions prepared. "What opportunities are there for training and progression?" she asked. It was kind of a long shot that there would be any advancement for a delivery job. Lois felt asking the question showed she was thinking ahead.
"Sharp Development is a multiversal company with branches on thousands of Earths. I think it's safe to say you have thousands of times more opportunities with us than any other company on Earth." Lois hadn't gotten used to considering the multiverse as part of her regular thought process. Her mind glossed over that detail about the company before but now she had a new realization. As much as she wanted to travel around her own Earth, maybe working for the company meant she could visit other ones regularly. Around here we like to say, 'your job is your responsibility'," he said. "Whatever you need to do to complete your job, the company will assist you. Whether it's to provide you with extra training or more employees beneath you. We also have a number of schools available should you wish to pursue higher education," he added.
"Wh-," Lois caught herself before 'whoa' came out. It sounded amazing; but, she was trying to remain professional. She managed to recover and ask her next question instead. "Where do you think the company is headed in the next five years?" she asked.
"It's a little hard to say...," Phoenix chuckled. Lois wished she thought through the questions a little harder. It was kind of a silly question for a multiversal corporation; they operated on a different scale. "...but at the very least we'll still have branches on thousands of Earths and still growing." Lois felt a slight bit of embarrassment over the flub and decided to let him take over.
"That's it for now I think, I might have more questions after the interview," she said.
"Interview?" Phoenix tilted his head. "Oh no, I think there might have been a miscommunication. There's no interview for this position."
"I..," Lois blinked. "Yes, there is," she nodded. "I submitted my application, then I got this appointment. This is the interview, isn't it?" Phoenix shook his head; but, he smiled.
"This is your orientation," he said.
"I got the job already!?" Lois asked. She sat up straighter. "I get to travel the world?"
"You got the job," Phoenix nodded." But, what do you mean, 'travel the world'?" he asked.
"The ad said we deliver food from famous restaurants across the world...," as she explained it, she heard how dumb it sounded all of a sudden. Up until then, she'd had a picture in her mind of flying across the world to pick up food and drop it off somewhere else. But, it occurred to her they likely had more sophisticated logistics. "...I thought I would get to pick it up...," she finished the sentence with a mumble.
"Oh yes, that is the job," Phoenix nodded. "But, again, there might have been some miscommunication; I believe we'll need to adjust the ad. We don't deliver food from across the world," he said. "... you'll be picking up food from and delivering to other Earths."