The second interactive story by Al Kristopher
Help Wanted
“KIT!!!”
A petite young blonde hastily dropped everything she was doing and rushed to the room where the shout had originated. There, she found her boss reclining on the floor, a patient but slightly irritated look on his face. Confused, she asked him what the problem was.
“Uh, y-yes, s-sir?”
“Kit, do you notice anything… unusual in this room?” Kit looked around carefully, a feeling of dread welling up in her stomach. She was deathly afraid to discover a failure, especially if it resulted from her poor performance, but aside from a tiny mess on the floor, there was little out of the ordinary in the room.
“Uh, well, uh… n-no, I don’t… think so…”
“Hm…” Her boss crossed his arms, still flat on the floor, and tossed a small rubber ball up in the air. It sailed in an arc and landed, of course, bouncing along until it came to a stop at the wall. Kit still didn’t understand, so he explained it to her.
“This is the antigravity room, Kit,” stated her boss. “Do you understand what’s wrong with it? You saw what I did to that ball, right? It fell straight to the floor. Are balls supposed to fall to the floor in an antigravity room?”
“Oh!” Kit gasped out loud, turned red in the face, and covered her mouth as the mistake was revealed to her. “Uh, no sir! N-not at all, sir! Uh, I’m s-sorry for the error, s-sir!” He shrugged and gave her a casual smile.
“I’m not blaming you, I’d just like it fixed as soon as possible so I can get back to work. See that console over there?” He pointed to a small terminal lodged into the wall, filled with buttons and levers. “That’s the main port to this room. It’s what activates the gravity, and since I don’t understand what’s wrong with it, I figure you could put whatever you were doing on hold and fix it. Is that a problem?”
“Uhh… n-no, s-sir… it’s not… a problem…” Shyly, Kit shuffled towards the terminal and examined it. She found a toolbox close by (put there by her boss for her convenience), and took out several small tools from it, such as screwdrivers, a flashlight, something that looked like a prod, and began to work. Kit’s boss got up off the floor and walked out of the room, giving her the privacy she liked.
“Hey, Kit--catch!” He gently tossed the ball at her, and with a yelp, she hastily caught it. He smiled, complimented her quick reflexes, and left her alone in the room.
The boss let out a weary sigh as he finished mopping up the hangar, and once again wished that there were more people working for him than just Kit. She was a genuine gift from heaven, a sweet and gentle girl whom he couldn’t help but like. Kit was a shy little thing who rarely spoke unless spoken to, and up until very recently, she had shied away from any physical touch. On the other hand, she was astounding with machines and math, and the boss paid her well for her services. Unfortunately, she was also expected to perform other duties, such as cleaning and cooking whenever it was her turn. Having only two people to work in the same business together was a terrible hassle.
After cleaning the entire hangar all by himself, the boss let out a weary sigh and figured he had earned a rest (and Kit had too, once she finished fixing the antigravity unit), so he sat down on his soft lounge chair, plucked up a paper, and began to read through it casually. As usual, he checked the Want Ads, and still found his own advertisement still there, largely left unanswered.
“HELP WANTED! Apply at Lazarus Mechanics, 56 Thresh Rd. for further details. Experience with machines a plus but not required. Currently searching for cooks & cleaners to lighten the load. Walk-ins preferred.”
The boss let out another weary sigh, and flipped through the rest of the paper in search of interesting news. There was an article about Ezra Price as always, and a strange blurb about the legendary “Ice Djinn” was printed somewhere in the “Rumors” section. The boss read through this article a little and found nothing he didn’t already know, or wanted to know, so he placed the paper aside and let out another breath. He was hungry, but since his business was very small and the budget was tight, all he could have was a cold sandwich.
An hour passed before he realized that he had fallen asleep. The boss woke with blur in his eyes, the sound of the antigravity room door opening having been his alarm. From out of it emerged Kit, wiping her hands and smiling shyly. She was a pretty little thing, short in stature but carrying a huge mind, with shorn blonde hair and two cute green eyes. She was wearing a one-piece mechanic’s suit, a loose-fitting dark-green material that was painted with grease and oil, and had goggles to protect her eyes from anything that squirted out.
“Uh… I’m, uh… I’m done, sir,” she said timidly. Her boss smiled enthusiastically and gave her a wave.
“Ah, that’s great! Now at least I can get some real work done! Good job, Kit! You’ve earned yourself a break! Thirty minutes, okay?”
“S-sure, sir!” she exclaimed, a smile of satisfaction on her face. Her boss watched her leave for the bathroom before getting out of his chair and returning to the antigravity room. Kit may have been a shy, stuttering young lady, but she was an amazing whiz at machines, and for that alone, she was an invaluable member of the “team”.
Once the boss had shut the door to the room, he turned on the antigravity unit. With a single hop, he easily floated to the top of the ceiling, and began to work on the delicate units fixed far above the surface. He would normally have Kit work on the machines, except that this was the only piece of equipment she could not work on (and only because it required feedback from the boss himself). Hence, he needed the antigravity to work at such a high altitude.
Kit didn’t bother to clean herself up. She would be working again in half an hour anyway, so there was really no point. She only washed her hands and face, freeing them from the dirt and oil that had collected while she operated on the antigravity unit. Her meal was no more extravagant than her employer’s, but she was just happy to be fed. She also felt that her job needed more employers, but for the moment, it would just be her and the boss.
Kit liked her boss, and trusted him more than she had trusted any other living creature. She let him pat her on the shoulder and shake her hand, which was amazing considering she shied away from physical touch. Kit usually let her boss do the talking; she just answered his questions and performed the tasks given to her. It was by no means a bad or difficult job, but it would definitely be easier with three or four more workers.
After eating and reading quietly to herself, Kit took a deep breath and returned to work (in theory, because the lounge area was directly connected to the rest of the business). She found her boss scrubbing the walls, as he usually did once every month, and decided to return to the work she had been doing before he called her to fix the antigravity unit. Just as she arrived at the other side of the room, sitting down on the floor to fix the toaster, a knock came at the door.
“Which is it this time?” asked her boss as he froze. Kit meekly shrugged.
“Umm… I would guess… uhh… well, I would hope it would be… you know… another worker.”
“Yeah, me too!” he exclaimed with a smile. “Lord knows we need it! Long as it’s not another bill collector!” The boss put down his rag and dried his hands before opening the door. On the other side was a smiling creature, a young lady with shining orange eyes and fur all over. Her smile was a little blinding; the boss gazed back at her in wonder. Seeing her floppy rabbit-like ears, he made a guess as to what she was.
“Hmm? A demi-human?”
“No, crazy!” replied the creature in a playful voice. “I’m a cabbit!”
“A what?”
“It’s kinda like a cross between a cat and a rabbit--and I’m also kind of a human too!”
“So that’s… three species?” wondered the boss. He quietly calculated to himself, figuring what kind of creature he was dealing with. “Okay, um, there’s a word for what you are… A, uh… a trifecta--no, wait… Ah, a trispecial creature!”
“Huh?” The furry creature standing at the doorway scrunched her face up in confusion, not afraid at all to show her emotion. “Uhh, whatever! I’m here for the job in the paper! The one that was looking for work?”
“Oh yeah! Well, jeez, c’mon in!” The boss politely guided the furry creature inside, smiling happily that his prayers (and to an extent, Kit’s as well) had been answered. The trispecial creature before him--the humanoid cabbit, it claimed to be--was definitely not human, so his earlier guess could be understood. She was taller than Kit, but not by much, and looked to be considerably more athletic, but not quite as much as the boss himself. She had long fuzzy ears that looked like a rabbit’s, spiky brown hair that stood out like a blossoming flower, fiery eyes, and an aura that suggested she had lots of energy and spunk. A bracer was on her left arm, possibly for decoration.
“So, what’s your name?” asked the boss.
“Oh, uh, Eien Kinu.”
“Eien Kinu… Hmm… it’s not the most unusual name I’ve come across.”
“Thanks, I guess,” she smiled. “And what’s yours?”
“Just call me Jack for now, Miss Kinu. So why do you want this job?”
“Nothing special, I just need the money and something to occupy my time. I’ve got a lot of bills to pay and debts to cover, so… yeah, I need the job. Say, where’s the manager?”
“Oh, he’s around here somewhere…” mumbled the boss casually. Kit, who had hidden herself behind the wall, let out a tiny smile as her boss began his usual charade. He had playacted as just another guy when they first met, and by the time Kit proved herself to him, he had already offered her a job. She anticipated that the furry woman walking around the building would receive the same treatment.
“So anyway, are you good with machines?” he asked as he led her around. Eien gave him an honest smile and shrugged.
“Uh, nothing really advanced. I know how to fix a few things, but it’s nothing more than what your average Joe or Jane could do. Sorry!”
“Eh, it’s no big deal,” shrugged the boss. “There’s already an ace mechanic working here, but we always could use another. She can’t handle all the problems by herself, now!”
“She?”
“Yeah, you’ll meet her later. She’s kinda shy, so don’t take it personally if she’s not very friendly. She barely even talks to me, and we’ve known each other for about three months.”
“Oh. Okay.” The boss smiled at the creature as her ears drooped just slightly. He ended up leading her into the kitchen, where their supplies were considerably low.
“Well, if you can’t work on machines, what else can you do? Think you can cook or clean, because the boss would love it if you did.”
“Well, cleaning’s not exactly a tough job, so I guess I could do that. As for cooking, well…”
“It doesn’t matter,” said the boss. “As long as it’s edible, everyone here will eat it. There’s not enough food here for us to be picky, anyway. Hey, why don’t you whip us up a test meal? That way, we’ll know if you’re any good or not.”
“Well, okay,” she sang with some reluctance. “But don’t expect a culinary masterpiece. I’m just a mediocre chef.”
“We never do. Just do your best and we’ll be the judge.”
Fifteen minutes later, two plates full of steaming spaghetti were placed before the boss and Kit. She had made a quiet introduction to Eien before (actually, her boss had to make the introductions himself, since all Kit really did was stammer), so thus far, everybody knew everybody else. Of course, the boss still denied knowing where the manager was (to Kit’s secret amusement). Both he and Kit took a bite from the spaghetti, underneath the hopeful eyes of the humanoid cabbit.
“Well?” she squealed, her hopes and pride at risk as she waited for their verdict. “Is it any good?” The boss’ eyebrows twitched as he swallowed down the noodles.
“Hmm, it’s a little too wet for my taste. I like mine with cheese and meat.”
“Well you can get that stuff yourself, can’t you?!” Kit withdrew sharply as Eien snapped back at the boss, completely unaware of who she was yelling at. He, on the other hand, merely shrugged.
“Well, okay. And it’s not bad or inedible or anything. Now for the cleaning.”
“Hmm?”
“The boss has been meaning to wash out the bathroom for awhile now,” he elaborated. “Kit’s had to use the other one, since that one was so dirty. I don’t mind myself, but it doesn’t make me happy that she can’t even shower or brush her teeth in a clean room. Miss Kinu, if you can pick up for the boss’ slack and clean that bathroom, you could very well have yourself a job. It’s not exciting, sure, but I guarantee you’ll get your money, and something to do as well.”
“All right, lead me to it!” she exclaimed, balling up her fist enthusiastically. The boss let out a laugh as he saw just how much energy she really had.
“Calm down there, Miss Kinu! Why don’t you grab a chair and have something to eat while you’re here? Wouldn’t want you to work on an empty stomach now, would we?”
“Uh, no. That’s sure nice of you, Jack!” With a smile, Eien sat down next to the man who could be her future boss (without knowing it), and the spaghetti was divided up so that everybody would have a fair share. She ate with moderately good manners, no better or worse than the boss’, and Kit quietly took her time with her meal, almost never speaking unless somebody spoke to her first. She didn’t know what to make of the new girl, but as long as somebody could take the stress off their backs, it really didn’t matter.
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While Eien cleaned the bathroom, Kit completed her work on the toaster and took another break. She was not a very athletic girl, so her stamina was poor and her strength was a little shabby. She worked best when the job called for something small and delicate, or if there was a stronger person helping her (which was usually her boss). Her boss recognized this frailty in her and encouraged her to rest nearly every time she completed a job, or if she ever got tired. The two of them were more than just employer and employee--they were coworkers as well, and on friendly terms with each other.
Kit had been his first (and up until that time, his only) employee, a young lady he liked, trusted, and respected deeply. He had actually started his business with her--first by dreaming it up, then by recruiting a competent mechanic to make his dreams work. Originally, her boss had envisioned at least a dozen people working under him by the end of his first year in business, but so far, he was falling short. Kit was good, but she wasn’t that good; they needed all the help they could get. Even if somebody cooked or cleaned, it would have been a huge relief.
When Kit felt rested up, she first walked over to where her boss was performing his paperwork duties. He liked working with music playing, so there was a nice soft tune floating through the building as Kit approached him. Since he did manage the store, all of that was his business, though Kit’s math skills were applied now and then to balance the budget. She didn’t need to say anything to get his attention--unfortunately for him, the boss was easily distracted.
“You rested?” he asked.
“Y-yes, sir.”
“Good, good. Well, I don’t have anything else for you to do today, so you can go on home if you want. I’m gonna go check up on the new girl once I write up a few more papers.”
“Ah. Uh, well, um… may I please, uh… stay a little while longer?”
“Yeah,” he shrugged, “but why? You’ll be bored, and I can’t pay you for doing nothing.”
“I… I know,” she murmured. “I just… w-want… to see… uh… uh, you know… The, uh… the new girl…”
“Ah, you wanna initiate her as well, eh?” Her boss grinned, and stood up to give her a wink. “Well, all right then. Tell ya what--my papers can wait. What say we go check up on her right now?”
“…Okay!” she smiled. Both the boss and Kit left the table full of papers and walked to the bathroom where Eien was working. He politely knocked on the door and asked how she was doing, and received a positive response. Eien emerged from the room letting out a long gust, and whistled with relief as she presented her work proudly.
“I’m all done here,” she indicated. “It was a little tough, but I put my heart into it.”
“I can tell!” exclaimed the boss, a big smile on his mouth as he studied the recently-cleaned bathroom. “I haven’t seen it this clean in days! You like it, Kit?” The shy young lady smiled and quietly nodded her head. Keeping his smile, the boss turned back to Eien and extended his hand. “Well, I for one would definitely like it if you worked for us, Eien!”
“Cool!” She grabbed his hand and shook it vigorously. “I just wish the manager were here, though. It doesn’t mean much if you tell me I have the job.”
“Actually,” said the boss, a twinkle in his eye, “I am the manager here. The name’s Jack Lazarus, chief of Lazarus Mechanics, where we can raise any machine from the dead!”
“Oh, wow, no way!” exclaimed Eien as she did a double-take. The surprised expression on her face even caused Kit to chuckle softly. “So… were you testing me or something?”
“Yeah… sorry for the deception, but I had to see how you performed when there was no authority to supervise you. You passed with flying colors, though, so feel free to come in tomorrow morning and start working. Of course, until I figure out what you’re good at, you’ll have to settle with cleaning and cooking for the time being.”
“Hey, as long as I have a job!” she replied, holding her palms out. Eien let out a smile and shook hands with her new boss, but when she offered her paw to Kit, the shorter girl stepped back and shied away. Eien didn’t bother to hide her crestfallen face, but her new boss intervened and whispered something in her ear.
“(Like I said, she’s really uncomfortable around other people. Don’t take it personally, okay? She just needs time to understand you and trust you. She’s a really sweet and kind kid, just a little nervous around other people.)”
“(Yeah, I kinda know what you mean,)” whispered the cabbit in reply. “(I don’t like wide open spaces that much myself. It’s way too overwhelming for me. Sorry.)”
“Don’t worry, you’ll be friends with each other in no time,” he assured out loud. “And as long as you come in on time, do your duties, and behave within a reasonable standard, I’ll be happy. It’s good to have you working for us, Miss Kinu. Welcome to the team. I’ll look forward to seeing you again tomorrow.”
“Gotcha, cap’n!”
Thanks go out to Timid Girl for Kit Hiro, Nutzoide for Eien Kinu (and the drawing!), and Darke Raven for Captain Jack Lazarus. Preview of next chapter: Lantariz Tornheart and Shellby Blake explore the universe together…
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