I sat in the waiting room, nervously making conversation with the candidates around me. There was a good mix of people with different backgrounds, all looking just as nervous and apprehensive as me. I tried not to let my inner turmoil show.
“He-ey there”, the boy to the left to me started, his voice had cracked embarrassingly but I chose to ignore it for both our sakes. I mean who knew what could happen? I could make a fool of myself as well and it would just be petty to laugh.
“Hi”, I replied shortly, giving him a timid smile. My nerves were brewing up a storm, I focused on my breathing like my father had told me and dove right into the conversation like Emilia had trained me to.
“What are you planning to apply for?” I asked, trying to get a feel for the number of candidates.
He giggled nervously playing with the hem of his business attire. It looked a little too big on him, like he was wearing his father’s suit. My dad went out of his way to get me fitted even though it was likely that I’d grow out of it.
“Marketing and Sales, you?”
“Synch Engineering Division”, I replied and immediately heard a low whistle to my right. I glanced over to see a girl with piercing blue eyes study me more intensely. I felt suddenly uncomfortable. I turned back to my left.
“What made you want to work for Grooble?” I asked and immediately regretted it when I saw the surprise and fear flood his eyes. The poor boy’s hands started shaking as he tried to remember his rehearsed speech on why he wanted to be a part of the fastest growing technology company in the world. I felt a little sympathy for him, he probably thought I was an interviewer, we had all heard the horror stories of course, people seeded throughout the candidates to screen before an interview. Purposefully planted people to perform personality pre-tests.
“Don’t worry”, I assured him quickly. “I’m not an interviewer, personally I think it’s just a bunch of false advertising and social media mongering.”
My companion relaxed a little, dapping his suddenly sweaty brow with a handkerchief.
“Oh thank God, I thought I was already being pre-screened”, he let out, looking very much relieved.
I patted his shoulder, feeling a little guilty.
“Buck up”, I encouraged, gesturing to the others around the room. “At least you won’t have to compete with me. Friends?”
He nodded and I felt relieved, he was the third friend I had made in a while. Listening to Emilia really did pay off.
“Let me add you on Facecook”, he offered reaching into his pocket for his smart phone. I gave him my email ID. He glanced at me and noticed I didn’t bring out my phone.
“Guess you’re going home to add m-“ he frowned “-e how’d you do that?”
I smiled and lifted my hair fringe to reveal the silver circlet underneath.
“No way! A premium edition Synch?!” he exclaimed almost leaping out of his seat.
I grinned, sharing in his enthusiasm. Oh, his name was Paul, double focussing to look at his profile. I felt a tap on my shoulder.
It was the girl that was sitting to my right. Instead of saying anything she merely shook her phone and indicated to my head.
I saw a friend notification from a one ‘Angel Leich’. She must have overheard my email ID. I shrugged and added her with a smile. Seeing my accept notification she broke her cold exterior for a moment with a small grin. I was so surprised I forgot what to say. She looked completely different. Somehow happy Angel was more intimidating than cold Angel. Oh well, two friends in as many minutes, I was on a roll, Emilia would be proud.
Turning back to Paul, he just shrugged and I was about to continue the conversation but I interrupted by a call from the door.
“Will the next candidate come forward?”
Butterflies fluttering in my stomach, I lurched forward. Paul gave me a weak smile and thumbs up and Angel simply nodded at me. Even though I had only met these people for less than ten minutes I felt a small surge of confidence and paced to the door, back straighter.
The small adjoining room was a large affair. The chairs and tables that no doubt comprised the majority of the room were pushed back to the walls and a lone table for which three people in a panel sat at facing a lone wooden chair opposite. Clearly I was to sit in the chair alone and distanced from the interviewers.
The panel consisted of a greying male in his late fifties on the left who looked bored and was playing with his smart phone. He was dressed the most casually out of all the interviewers. To the right a young, clean-shaven male in what looked like his late twenties sat in business attire. In the middle a frosty, aged woman sat peering owlishly at me.
The triumvirate stared at me as I settled into the lone chair. After a moment’s awkward silence the panel seemed to defer to the aged lady in the middle.
“Good Afternoon, my name is Dr. Patricia Watkins, head of the Synch Engineering Division. Your name?” she began, briefly.
I was caught off guard by her claim more than the brevity.
“I'm sorry ma'am but I was under the impression that the gentleman over there, Dr. Martin Hernandez-“ I pointed to the right “-is the head of Synch Engineering Division.”
The panel looked at me with collective surprise. The man to the left recovered first.
“And what made you reach that conclusion?” he asked in a deep gravelly baritone.
I smiled nervously, “Well it says here you, Mr. Andrew Farrell are from the Human Resources and Management Division and that Dr. Patricia Watkins a.k.a Dr. Elizabeth Graham is actually from the Marketing and Sales Division. It says so right here.”
I lifted my fringe to show them my Synch.
Intrigued, the Dr. Martin threw out the question they were all thinking.
“It has been barely a few months since Synch has been released how did you piece all this together?”
I smiled sadly, “I had a lot of help from a friend, she was amazing with code and I simply came up with the hardware.”
Dr. Martin’s gaze hardened, “What sort of hardware?”
I brought out a brick-like object out of my pocket. It was a solid black case with only two indicator lights, ‘on’ and ‘broadcast’. They were both lit.
“This. Is a fast key decryption block, the Black Box, it uses the processor on Synch to provide the power and the computation to decrypt any key. The core of this model is that it does not require installation of a knot onto the central board and any device that has been bypassed becomes immediately ‘recruited’ into the decryption network”, I explained.
The panel sat there silent.
Andrew was the first to break the silence once again.
“Well, that seems to be all, we will contact you as soon as we reach a decision, thank you for your time”, he stated dismissing me.
I walked out of the room, feeling as if a fleet of cars had driven over me for the last ten minutes.
If they thought it was strange that my interview lasted such a short period of time, Angel and Paul didn’t comment on it. I tried to keep a positive expression but was unable to maintain it due to the weight of uncertainty that pulled at my smile. I sent them a quick message through my Synch to their Facecook.
See you outside let’s meet at this café link.
I had waited over an hour and a half for both Paul and Angel to finish their interviews, I found out that they were immediately after me and had spent about half an hour each on their own interviews. They had been immediately notified of their success. I sunk into a deeper rut, thinking of all the things I should’ve and could’ve done. I thought my strategy to wow the interviewers was way too arrogant and ambitious but Emilia had insisted I should try it. Of course, there was always next year…
I shook my head and focused on my new friends. They were talking about the Synch, the one thing that could make me instantly happy and excited.
“You know, the specs that keep being improved through the updates are just amazing”, Paul began, sipping his iced coffee.
“The ability to change the hardware through software has definitely been a strong standpoint for Synch”, I commented.
Angel glanced at the both of us and spoke quietly.
“The Quantum Matrices”, she said, taking a small bite of the sandwich she had ordered. She was less cool and unapproachable than before. She blamed it on interview nerves.
I nodded, “Changing the chip designs on the device itself, genius!”
Paul nodded excitedly.
“This is why I’m glad to be working at Groo-“ he stopped midway as Angel shot him an ice cold stare “-I mean I-I-“ he fell silent.
My face twisted up in anguish for a second before stifling it under layers of indifference. Emilia would hate me for it but I couldn’t help it. Angel put her hand on my shoulder.
“It’s okay”, she said, giving me a pat. “You know what went wrong and you can do better next time.”
I nodded, still unable to reply.
After a moment’s awkward silence I drew out my Black Box and started explaining how it worked.
“Wow”, Angel breathed enraptured by my crowning achievement. Paul stared with laser-like intensity.
He frowned, addressing me.
“This is dangerous technology”, he warned, pointing at the box.
I sighed.
“Synch makes so many things possible, I guess it’s up to us to make it dangerous or not…”
Angel inclined her head in agreement and we lapsed into a more comfortable silence.
A ringing sound pierced through the silence. Angel and Paul didn’t react and I realised it was coming from Synch. I frowned. I have not given anyone my Synch-connect ID. I gesticulated to the call and answered it.
Hello? I sent.
You know, these things can happen both ways… came the reply.
Welcome to the Synch Engineering Division – Security subsection, it ended.
I was beyond elated and I grabbed both my new friends in a great big hug.
“I’m assuming you got in”, Paul grinned.
“Yes. YES. YES!” I answered ecstatically, hugging tighter.
Angel tapped my arm.
“Need a little space… And. More. Breathing”, she gasped but still wore a look of amusement mixed with delight. I released them both and brought my cold, untouched coffee to the air.
“Here’s to being a part of Synch! Here’s to being the future!” I cheered.