//------------------------------// // Black Moon // Story: Beyond The Stars // by Flutter Guy //------------------------------// “Mike, get your ass out of bed dude!” My eyes snapped open just in time to see Max’s pillow come flying down at my face and whack me full force on the nose. “OW” I complained as I sat up, stretching my arms into the air. “How could you over sleep on a day like today man?” Max was rushing all over the dorm getting everything packed up. “I mean, it’s graduation day and we have that interview with the guy from Black Moon today. Seriously it’s like the most important day of our lives, and you’re still sleeping?” I tried to get my groggy mind to get going. Graduation? Interview? Then it hit me. “Holy Shit!” I leaped out of bed and started to throw my clothes on. Today was the day Max and I would graduate and potentially get jobs working with Black Moon Laboratories, the most famous experimental technology company in the world. I had dreamed of being in their wormhole department ever since I found out about it ten years ago. At twenty-five, Max and I would be their youngest employees ever. And we didn’t even have master’s degrees! I had slept horribly that night because I was so excited. Like little kid on Christmas morning excited. “What time is it?” I asked Max as I struggled to put my pants on my head and my shirt on my legs. “It’s already 7:30, we only have an hour until we have to be at the gymnasium.” I almost choked on the bagel I was stuffing in my mouth. “Seriously? You could have woken me up earlier!” “I tried but you sleep like a fracking bear.” “Try harder next time we have to be somewhere then.” “Fine, as long as I’m allowed to use whatever techniques necessary to rouse you, including, but not limited to, pillows, air horns, two-by-fours, and-“ “Yes, yes, alright. Wait, did you say two-by-fours?” “Well…” After four hours in the burning hot sun, Max and I rushed to my car as fast as we could before the streets got completely plugged up by traffic. You should have seen the parking lot; it was like someone was playing Tetris with the cars. We managed to get out without too much of a problem and then spent the entire three-hour drive to Black Moon preparing for the interview. Luckily we were meeting with the guy at the same time so if one of us started to falter or run on and on (and by one of us, I mean Max), the other could lend a hand and rescue them. When we finally reached the enormous building that was just the main entrance, our jaws dropped at the sheer size of the surrounding laboratories. The buildings ranged from low, heavy looking, bunker type buildings to ridiculously tall towers and observatories, and everything in between. It all stretched on for miles, but I couldn’t see just how far because of the magnitude of the structures all around us. After parking the car in a parking lot the size of a small country, Max and I timidly entered the lobby and approached the pretty receptionist who’s nameplate said Lisa Stone. She looked up when we reached her desk and asked in a dainty but official voice, “Hello, welcome to Black Moon Laboratories. You must be here for the job interview.” We nodded. “Dr. Cooper is waiting in conference room 27a, which is down that hall on your left. Go up the stairs at the end until you reach the third floor then make an immediate left. It should a few doors down from there on the right side.” We murmured our thanks for the directions and headed down the corridor. It took several minutes just to walk down the first corridor, but we eventually came to the large polished steel door with an onyx 27a in the middle. “This is it.” I whispered to Max. He took a deep breathe as I turned the handle and pushed the door open, which swung open surprisingly easy for how heavy it looked. The first thing we noticed was how empty the conference room was. It was a completely white room with a long black marble table and chairs in the center. Sitting at the head of said table was a tall man with dark hair and a stern look on his face. “Ah, Michael, Max. Please sit, if you will.” He gestured to the chairs at his left and his right. The two of us exchanged glances then walked over to the seats offered to us. As we approached they silently slid out from under the table and turned toward us. I raised my eyebrows at this, for it was rather impressive considering there were no grooves on the floor or wheels under the legs for the chair to move along easily like that. And these chairs have got to weigh at least a hundred pounds, I thought to myself as my seat slid back under the table, taking me with it. Dr. Cooper seemed rather amused at all this, but moved on to start the interview by saying, “First off, this is not an interview.” “Wait… what do you mean ‘not an interview’” I questioned nervously. “What I mean is, I will not be asking you very many questions at all. Only two, to be exact. We have already been analyzing your lives for the past eight years so we know all we need to know about you.” He paused to let this sink in. “The Director saw potential in you both when you were merely in middle school and we began tracking you when you entered high school. You seemed to be very promising young minds, so we put you down as potentials. You are not hired at Black Moon, you are selected. “Now, onto those questions I promised you. No need to worry yourselves, they are not difficult.” He stopped to bring a briefcase out from under his chair then continued, “First off, are you willing to accept the risks in working here, which can range from minor scratches and bruises to death and worse.” Seeing the worried expressions on our faces he added, “Don’t be afraid, people are always getting burned and battered in standard lab work, but serious cases are no where near as common. Why, we haven’t had a death, disappearance, or mutation since June!” “Uh, it’s July Dr. Cooper.” Max said quietly, his face a mask of poorly concealed terror. “Good point. Well, before that there wasn’t one for three years.” I could tell that wasn’t helping the poor guy so I interjected, “I’m sure we’ll be fine Max. I for one accept the risks of employment.” “Excellent!” Dr. Cooper smiled and passes me a small stack of papers from his briefcase. “If you would just sign the last page there, you’ll be all set. Max? Are you willing to accept the dangers of lab work?” I looked up and nodded to Max, who gulped and said, “Yeah. Yeah, I guess so.” He received his own stack of papers, which he skimmed through then signed. “Now, the second question. Black Moon Laboratories offers housing to all its employees. Do you two already have living quarters set up elsewhere or would you like to live in the village here? You will have to be roommates, because unfortunately the west block was disintegrated in an energy pulse weapon test.” Dr. Cooper chuckled as Max paled a little. “No one was injured, but those were the newest houses in the South Village. Damn nice places.” He shook his head as if the houses were his friends or something. From what I was hearing so far though, it was entirely possible that the houses were sentient. “I think it would be fine for Max and I to live here. We’ve been living together for four years now, so it won’t be anything new.” Dr. Cooper laughed as he rose and said, “Yes, I am aware. Outstanding! You may head back to the lobby where Miss Stone will direct you to your new home. You will find your belongings have already been safely retrieved from your dorm at the university.” ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Obvious Big Bang Theory Reference is obvious. More to come if you so wish!