Alexander was pleased to see Ridley arrive on time. However, she had what looked like a small black eye… and a new drawing on her arm. He would inquire about it later. He had her and Jerry sign in on a sheet of paper as they didn’t have badges yet. Then he proceeded to begin the introduction course on the fine history of Congo. Like every good mega corporation, it started with a single person with a dream, a garage, and plenty of investment capital.

  Ridley notably wasn’t doing well paying attention. When he asked a few questions at the end he made sure to keep them easy, and simple. Unfortunately, she had difficulty even answering the most basic questions, such as where did Congo first operate? He would have taken either the correct answer—Seattle, Washington—or the more obvious, a garage. Ridley notably blushed when he told them the correct answers.

  Alexander was concerned as the bulk of the day would be safety training. They would need to pass a basic written test in order to start actual work. Which he relayed to them firmly. Otherwise they would need to take the class again.

  As they started the first safety video, he saw Ridley waving her hand in the air. At first he thought she was trying to get his attention to request a bathroom break, but she wasn’t looking at Alexander at all. He recognized those hand movements.

  I can’t even be sure she has the same menu layout, or even source of abilities as my own… and I want to keep it that way. Employee and supervisor relationships need to have well-set boundaries.

  When he stood before them after the thirty-minute video, he asked them some questions that were also going to be on the test to help them memorize it. He was surprised when Ridley was able to answer each one. Alexander smiled and complimented Ridley on her memory. Her enthusiastic smile was encouraging.

  When Alexander called for a five minute break to stretch their legs, use the lavatory, etc. Ridley walked up to him, or strut was more like it.

  He greeted her, “Ah, Ms. Ridley, I have been meaning to ask you a question.”

  “How am I so absolutely amazingly smart?”

  “Um…”

  “Well, the secret is to put some stats into intelligence. You should try it sometime.” Ridley said as she stuck her nose in the air and let out a haughty laugh.

  “No, I’m sorry. Yes, you are very smart Ridley. I had a different question in mind.”

  “Oh?” She asked innocently. “Whatever could you want to know?”

  “You know that sheet of paper I gave you with the living expenses on it?”

  “Uhh-huuh.” She said nodding her head slowly.

  He had the feeling she was patronizing him, but his sense for that wasn’t always the best.

  “There was something else I had written on the paper. Do you still have it?”

  “Maybe, why? Is it… important?” She whispered, again, somewhat patronizingly.

  “No. Forget it.” He said not liking the turn this conversation was taking.

  “Oh! If I recall, they looked like GPS coordinates. Is that the one?”

  Alexander shivered before responding “Yes… for my hobby! Geocaching.” He saved it with his excellent excuse he came up with the day before.

  “Really? I think I’ve heard of that. What kind of things are you looking for?”

  “You know, just random things…”

  Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

  “Like rocks? Or maybe… crystals?”

  Alexander froze. Recognizing what she was likely implying.

  “Ridley… where did you get that black eye?” He asked trying to change the subject away from supernatural things.

  “Oh, this little old thing? You should have seen it yesterday. It covered my entire eye and then some. I looked like a pirate!” She laughed.

  “Ridley…” He said thinking it may have been a bad question.

  “Well, to answer your question it's hard to tell if it was the concrete giant at the park, or the swarm of rats at the dump… I think they’re called Hell Rats.”

  Yep, definitely a bad question.

  “Well, what interesting adventures you have. I love your sense of imagination. It speaks of a highly creative spirit.”

  Just then Alexanders five-minute alarm conveniently went off.

  “Oh look at that. Well, we should start the next training video. Please take your seat Ms. Ridley.

  “Ok, you know I might be able to exchange some crystals for, I dunno. A fairy ring?”

  “Oh?”

  “Yep, I don't know if you have seen one before, but they are very shiny… and colorful.” Ridley said sensing weakness.

  “Colorful?”

  “All the colors of the rainbow…” she whispered, channeling all the energy of a skittles commercial.

  “Umm, are y’all related? Or dating? I hope its related cuz dating would just be weird… possibly illegal?” Jerry said out of the blue.

  “We are comrades in arms!” Ridley said exuberantly as she struck a pose.

  “NO! No. We just… share a mutual hobby. Please see me during the lunch break Ms Ridley. It's time to get back to training.”

  Impatiently, Ridley tried to approach Alexander about the crystals one more time, but Alexander reprimanded her for sidetracking the class. Alexander was a bit impatient as well, though he hid it better. He was lax as they went through the material and decided a review of all questions on the test would be fine later.

  Finally Ridley sat across from him at lunch time with a hot pizza pocket. She obviously hadn’t waited the recommended 2-minute cool time as she bounced it around in her hands and burned her tongue as she took a bite. It didn’t quite spoil Alexanders enjoyment of his turkey pesto on rye, but it came close.

  “So what are the terms you propose for exchanging these crystals? One ring for all of the crystals?” Alexander inquired.

  Ridley answered while still chewing her food, “What? No way. I’ve got a freak ton of crystals, that I had to fight multiple monsters for, I might add. One of which was a lighting bolt-throwing giant. I’ll part with maybe half of them for the ring.”

  Alexander thought about it for a second, it was a reasonable offer. He wasn’t sure if Ridley could even use magic resources however. So he tried to prod for information.

  “What do you even need the crystals for? You don’t strike me as a rock collector.”

  “There are obviously several uses for the energy inside of them. Healing chakras and centering chi's, obviously. What do you need them for?” She said overly confident she had the upper hand. Alexander wished he was a bit better at reading people.

  “Well, similar things to that, certainly. I am all about that crystal life you know. Yoga and incense and stuff. So agreeing to the proposal for half of the crystals…”

  “Funny, you don’t strike me as a yoga kind of guy.”

  “I just did some a few days ago. For about an hour actually.” Alexander felt good about that last bit of half truth.

  “For the other half there may be a few things I could use. First is more, collectible items.”

  Alexander thought about it seriously before revealing, “I don’t think I have any that would be of interest for you.” he definitely wasn't going to separate from his purple hat.

  “Ok, second. I could trade some of them for information.”

  “What kind of information?” Alexander asked hesitantly.

  “What is your super power? Do you have a super hero name yet? A nemesis?” She was getting more and more excited the more questions she posed Alexander, and he did not like it one bit.

  “Nope, no super powers, and certainly no nemesis.” He hoped. He recalled the survive quest from the other day.

  “Gah. You’re so lame. How about money then?”

  “I suppose that would be ok. How’s $100?”

  “$300!” Ridley countered.

  “$200.”

  “$250.”

  “Sold.”

  They shook hands on it before Ridley asked.

  “How about you throw in a ride back to my place so I don’t have to take the super slow bus?”

  Alexander grimaced, ”That would be an inappropriate Manager-to-Employee interaction.”

  “Ugh, fine. Just meet me at my apartment after work.”

  “Ok, but we will have to exchange in the parking lot. I will not enter your apartment.” Alexander said sternly.

  Ridley rolled her eyes.

  They finished the training day without issue. Ridley passed the safety test with a near perfect score and Jerry managed to scrape by. Alexander finished some paperwork for a half an hour after Ridley had left so he wouldn’t have to wait too long. He was almost giddy when she brought out a school backpack filled with the crystals. It wasn’t ‘all the colors of the rainbow’ as Ridley had described it, but there were at least four distinct colors of resources. Three of which he was certain he didn’t have yet.

  Ridley coughed and held out her hand. Alexander pulled out his wallet and counted out $250 and handed it to her. She did a little dance while singing a song under her breath. Alexander didn’t recognize the song but he heard some expletives and the word money in it.

  "Good day Miss Ridley."