She stepped onto the long escalator from the parking bay and arrived at the entrance of the Gear Factory Company. The massive glass doors emitted a soft blue scan across her face.
"Scanning… Welcome, Ms. Adeline Callahan," the digital voice chimed. The doors slid open, leading into a vast lobby. At the center desk sat the robotic secretary, framed by a domed ceiling that illuminated on its own. Intricate carvings of a lion adorned the floor, and a monumental clock on the wall read: 7:17 A.M.
The android secretary, her face crafted with a gentle smile, greeted her: "Ohayō, Lady Callahan. You're here very early today."
Adeline stepped forward. "Might be a long day. We've got new employees coming in."
"New employees registered: Eric Perlman and Brian Dixon. Would you like me to—"
"No need. I'll handle it. Employers should show some respect to their workers."
"Understood. Then I shall carry out my usual duties." The secretary nodded. Adeline took a seat nearby, browsing her holographic wrist screen while the android's fingers flew across the desk, typing at astonishing speed.
Ten minutes later, her scanner eyes detected movement: a red car had just pulled into the parking lot. A young man with brown hair stepped out, ran a hand through it, and made his way toward the entrance. He looked up, letting the system scan his face.
"Welcome, Mr. Dixon."
Adeline approached with a smile. Mr. Dixon, welcome to the company."
"I woke up right when you emailed me. Thank you so much for hiring me. I'll work twice as hard from now on."
"Oh, no need for that. Here are your documents." She handed back his paperwork.
"Thanks. What time do people usually start arriving?"
"We open at nine. Most staff show up around eight. You're earlier than I expected—it's lucky I had time to prep. And this here is…" She gestured to the android.
"Yokumi Model A2.B, at your service. We at CMI greet our staff warmly." The robot spoke with an eerily natural tone, but Brian's eyes darted over her mechanical features with clear unease.
"A… robot. Right," he replied curtly.
Adeline's eyes widened with a grin."Now, shall we go see something amazing?"
"I just hope this isn't a chocolate factory," Brian joked as they headed in.
"Haha, you've got quite the sense of humor. Come along, I'll give you the tour. Oh—Yokumi, the umbrella please!" As soon as she said it, Yokumi tossed her a folded umbrella, which Adeline caught with ease. She spun gracefully, as if performing a ballet movement, her long ponytail sweeping through the air with every turn.
"Looks like you could use a pure dose of imagination, Mr. Dixon. Haha, follow me." Adeline led Brian through the company, explaining each department as they passed.
"Callaghan Mechanical Industries—everything here runs through Yokumi. She's like the bloodstream of the company. The whole facility was designed by David Mathews, an architect from England. That's why the factory looks like something out of a dream." She twirled as she walked through the lobby. "So, what do you think of this place?"
"I'm a big fan of Victorian steam aesthetics, actually," Brian said, giving a casual thumbs-up.
"Fantastic! And don't mind my volume—I've got a condition where I can't help but speak passionately. Haha."
"I won't argue with that. Hmm… I'm kinda curious to see the manufacturing floor now."
"Oh, definitely! This way~~" Adeline gestured playfully and led him to a massive elevator in the back of the lobby. She pressed the button and stepped inside.
"Before we go down—here." She handed him a pair of round black-tinted glasses. "Put these on, just in case you have seizures."
"Welding goggles?" Brian raised an eyebrow.
She nodded and slipped on her own pair."Wear them! Unless you want your eyeballs to fly out."That was enough to convince him. He tightened the glasses over his face.