#previous captivity

She checks her phone and notices a few missed calls and some text messages. Unsurprisingly it's all from the same person, Zak, with a text from Ash buried in them to pick up some groceries on the way back. She blinks, thinking whether she should open this can of worms now or during her lunch break. It could just be Zak excited about the bot fight again, or something more serious. She checks the text messages.

it's another! she's another! a mutant like us!

The grammar is horrible, and Zak uses way too many exclamation marks. He does that when he's in his nervous but excited moods, though the next messages tell her he's learning more on the former.

she just yelled it in the lunch hall people heard her is she insane i can't deal with this alone you have to help me

It doesn't occur to Zak to use commas. It never does. She should make him use commas. It's an important skill.

She supposes she's fussing about Zak's grammar to allay her own worries. This could get messy, and she didn't want to involve the others in another mess, the ACP seemed to be settling down into its quiet inordinaries, not to mention the three of them still had moving boxes to unpack.

She squints at the texts, it also didn't occur to Zak to tell her who this person even was. She supposed she'll find out soon enough.

Listen, tell me about it when we get home. Bring her too if she wants. And make sure to keep her from telling anyone else.

She puts down her phone and looks back at her computer screen. The same blank Excel sheet open. She didn't particularly like this admin job, but it was at a media company and they said she could work her way up. She would end up with her job soon, she just had to be patient.

She was good at being patient.

Her phone lights up and its Zak with another spiel of nervousness but she gets the general idea that he'd bring her over so she texts Ash in case he decides he's having one of his shirtless days. She didn't particularly mind those days and Zak definitely didn't, but their guest might.

"You look busy."

She jolts, her head spins to her manager with an unamused look on her face.

"Sorry, Ma'am, I'll get right on it."

Funny how she escaped years of captivity to find herself working hours a day under an uncompromising superior for little pay. She supposed it was a little better, after all it was a 9-5 rather than a 24/7 torture experience.

Her manager lets out a huff, then says in a rather reluctant tone, "The boss wants to see you."

She nods and gets up to walk towards the office of the company boss. There's a horrible sense of familar dread rising in her.

"The worst he can do is fire you. The worst he can do is fire you."

Great, now she's mumbling to herself like a maniac.

She takes a breath and opens the office door. Her boss, which she would describe in an article as a stout man of a cheery disposition, brightens as she enters.

"Ms. Reyes! Please come in."

She winces at the name as she follows the instruction. It's common enough to not arouse suspicion and Arthur was kind enough to give it to her. But it doesn't really sound like her name. She doesn't want Zak's though and she'd die before becoming a Vittal.

"I've an opportunity for you!"

She blinks, "What do you mean?"

Please say it, please say it.

"I want you to cover a story. I thought you deserved the chance."

"Oh, thank you! I won't let you down." This is great. She didn't expect this so soon.

"Of course not. Though I'll warn you, you were only given this because the others didn't want to deal with the person I'm asking you to interview without a bonus."

So she's been given the dirty work. Fine, she can take on anyone. No one could be worse than -

"Kamal Vittal, the new CEO of the international wholesaler, Metals, Molecules & More, is known for his unsavoury personality. Perhaps you could go down that angle, would people really want to follow a man who some might describe as off-putting? Well, whatever your approach, I'm sure you're ready to jump right on the job."