Day #29

I'm going to try something different today. This is the beginning of a story I've been working on. Actually, it's about all I have written, but the rest of the story is pretty much planned out in my head, I just haven't gotten around to writing it down. Anyways, enjoy if you want, tell me I suck if you want, I don't really care. :)

Mata ashita.

Elizabeth shifted her weight uncertainly from foot to foot as the impeccably dressed woman with salt-and-pepper hair looked over her file. The woman- “Sam” as the plaque on the desk proclaimed- keyed down on the file, making a couple of handwritten notes for herself on the small pad of paper situated before her. She nodded once to herself as she shut the file down, and turned her gaze toward Elizabeth.
“I see it says you are 16,” Sam said, a hint of question in the statement. “We haven’t had an instance like this in all the time I have worked for the Company. But I congratulate you on both your-” Sam paused, the ghost of a smile passing across her face, “victory, and on your assessment of the situation you were faced with. We welcome you with open arms and no questions into the Company.”
Elizabeth let go of the breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding, and went a little weak in the knees. She had been afraid that everyone she worked with would have to know her past, and had come to the conclusion that a situation such as that was far too great a risk, even for an opportunity such as this.
“And since you are now a part of this Company, you and I must put your information into this file to be locked so that only the heads may know just who you are,” Sam imparted, much to Elizabeth’s dismay. “So, since this may take a while, and you have gone quite pale,” again the ghostly smile, “I would encourage you to sit down.”
As Sam spoke, a chair sprouted from the floor, into which Elizabeth was waved.
“Don’t you worry, these records will not see the light of day until your death.” Sam turned back to her screen, her fingers poised above the surface of the desk, ready and willing to begin typing once more. “First off. The name ‘Elizabeth’ must be retired. Now, you do not have to follow the original custom of taking the vacancy that you created, but that choice does remain open to you. That would make you a ‘Bob’. Let’s see…” Sam’s fingers began to furiously tap on the desk, and reflected in her eyes, file after file were opened and closed rapid fire. “There’s a ‘Cary’ open, a ‘Jo’, an ‘Evan’, and a ‘Will’. Any to your liking?”
Elizabeth thought for a moment, and posed Sam a question. “Is there any difference between them? Are they of differing levels or job descriptions?”
“No,” replied Sam, the phantom smile returning. “It is merely an effort on our part to simplify things. There will only be one employee with any certain name working here at any time. It helps to eliminate confusion.” Sam paused, “I understand that you have not ever held a job before now, but surely you must be aware how frustrating it can be when a superior calls your name, only to find they were actually needing one of the half a dozen other ‘Elizabeth’s. So, when the Company was began, it was decided that all employees would take use-names, code-names as it were, and since it would not always be possible to actually choose your name, they picked somewhat gender-free names. So, have you decided?”
Elizabeth paused, thinking over the names. “Cary” brought to mind a handsome, smiling man in a white suit, interchangeably flirting with the cocktail waitress and shooting into a crowd, coupled with the image of a blood-soaked high-school girl. Either way, too flamboyant. “Jo”, with or without the “e”, reminded her of the pair of mechanics her father used to employ, not the image she felt she needed for this Company. “Evan” did not interest her at all, and “Will” brought her to the point of laughter, thinking that if she chose it, she would certainly need to become extra skilled at ducking, for every time someone would say “Fire at Will!” she would be afraid they actually would. “Uh, um, Bob is fine with me. Simpler, yes?”
“All right,” said Sam. “Let’s see…”
* * * * * * *