grinned, showing bright shark-like teeth. “You do more than that. The moment you noticed the door and the monitors, you shifted to see who could come in through the hidden door. It was impressive.”
“Um, thank you?”
“Why did you come here today?”
She made a face. “My car broke down and it started to rain. I would not have normally come down here, but there was construction on the three alternative routes. I can take a hint when it is hammered home.”
“Do you often get such hints?”
Cierra considered his question. “Often enough. When it has to do with my future, the hints are very strong. They have to be or I ignore them. The suggestions for other folk are much easier to see. They are a different colour.”
“Colour?”
“As I mentioned in my application, I see important information or details and their use is determined by the colour my mind surrounds them with.”
“It says here that you work at a bank?”
“I do. I am a teller. I process customer transactions.”
“Would you like to volunteer to travel to the stars?”
She looked him in the eyes and folded her hands in front of her. “Let me be frank. My entire life up until this point has been to make myself comfortable and to prepare for an uncertain future. I do not want to go, but if my destiny is in the stars, it is not going to stop pushing me because I am unsure. I am here to volunteer only because I have no choice. When I am pushed into a path, the pushing doesn’t stop until I give in. This is me giving in.”
He cocked his head. “That is possibly the least enthusiastic agreement to volunteering I have heard, but if you are willing, I can find a place for you where you can rebuild your life and comfort. The skills you have will need to be tested for an exact match to a world who has opened to your species, but it should not be too difficult.”
Cierra sighed. “I work until five each day. When would I have to come in?”
“If you have time tonight, we could get you something to eat and you could work on the testing.”
She hadn’t even realized she was hungry, but as soon as he mentioned it, she smiled warily. “What is your particular talent, Norz?”
He shrugged. “Me? I have no talent. My species does not have the mental makeup to maintain an export of psychic energy.”
He phrased it carefully enough that she sensed it was the most polite way he could think of to describe something he thought should not be explained.
Cierra nodded. “Well, I don’t have anything planned tonight that can’t wait until I get a tow truck.”
Norz blinked rapidly. “Your vehicle is truly disabled?”
“Yes, it truly is.”
“I will send one of the attendants out to see what he can do.”
“Don’t bother. I know what the problem is. I just don’t want to spend any money to fix it. So, I will have a few weeks of taking the bus to work and then I will get my new car.”
“You have no husband or male of your own?”
She chuckled. “No. They are more trouble than they are worth, and I can always tell when then don’t fit.”
He nodded. “Well, come with me, and we will put you somewhere comfortable. You will eat and the tests will begin.”
It was bizarre to follow him through the sliding door that he had entered by. A series of hallways worked to a set of steps leading under the Centre. She followed him step by step, and he finally stopped inside a room with several pads lined up on a table.
“What is this?”
“These are the Volunteer contracts. I want you to look through them and find any anomalies. When you find one that is suspect, record the name on this pad here and continue on.”
She nodded. “Fair enough. You mentioned food?”
He chuckled. “Is pizza acceptable?”
“It sounds wonderful. Pepperoni only please.”
“Excellent. There is a local shop that has gotten used to going through security protocols. I will have it brought down when it arrives. I will leave you to it.” He smiled and left
“Um, thank you?”
“Why did you come here today?”
She made a face. “My car broke down and it started to rain. I would not have normally come down here, but there was construction on the three alternative routes. I can take a hint when it is hammered home.”
“Do you often get such hints?”
Cierra considered his question. “Often enough. When it has to do with my future, the hints are very strong. They have to be or I ignore them. The suggestions for other folk are much easier to see. They are a different colour.”
“Colour?”
“As I mentioned in my application, I see important information or details and their use is determined by the colour my mind surrounds them with.”
“It says here that you work at a bank?”
“I do. I am a teller. I process customer transactions.”
“Would you like to volunteer to travel to the stars?”
She looked him in the eyes and folded her hands in front of her. “Let me be frank. My entire life up until this point has been to make myself comfortable and to prepare for an uncertain future. I do not want to go, but if my destiny is in the stars, it is not going to stop pushing me because I am unsure. I am here to volunteer only because I have no choice. When I am pushed into a path, the pushing doesn’t stop until I give in. This is me giving in.”
He cocked his head. “That is possibly the least enthusiastic agreement to volunteering I have heard, but if you are willing, I can find a place for you where you can rebuild your life and comfort. The skills you have will need to be tested for an exact match to a world who has opened to your species, but it should not be too difficult.”
Cierra sighed. “I work until five each day. When would I have to come in?”
“If you have time tonight, we could get you something to eat and you could work on the testing.”
She hadn’t even realized she was hungry, but as soon as he mentioned it, she smiled warily. “What is your particular talent, Norz?”
He shrugged. “Me? I have no talent. My species does not have the mental makeup to maintain an export of psychic energy.”
He phrased it carefully enough that she sensed it was the most polite way he could think of to describe something he thought should not be explained.
Cierra nodded. “Well, I don’t have anything planned tonight that can’t wait until I get a tow truck.”
Norz blinked rapidly. “Your vehicle is truly disabled?”
“Yes, it truly is.”
“I will send one of the attendants out to see what he can do.”
“Don’t bother. I know what the problem is. I just don’t want to spend any money to fix it. So, I will have a few weeks of taking the bus to work and then I will get my new car.”
“You have no husband or male of your own?”
She chuckled. “No. They are more trouble than they are worth, and I can always tell when then don’t fit.”
He nodded. “Well, come with me, and we will put you somewhere comfortable. You will eat and the tests will begin.”
It was bizarre to follow him through the sliding door that he had entered by. A series of hallways worked to a set of steps leading under the Centre. She followed him step by step, and he finally stopped inside a room with several pads lined up on a table.
“What is this?”
“These are the Volunteer contracts. I want you to look through them and find any anomalies. When you find one that is suspect, record the name on this pad here and continue on.”
She nodded. “Fair enough. You mentioned food?”
He chuckled. “Is pizza acceptable?”
“It sounds wonderful. Pepperoni only please.”
“Excellent. There is a local shop that has gotten used to going through security protocols. I will have it brought down when it arrives. I will leave you to it.” He smiled and left
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