It appears that Al Amarja's business district has seriously restricted access.
After another couple of minutes of driving Li turns left onto a smaller street and comes to a stop behind a line of very pricey cars - Mercedes, Porche, Rolls Royce, etc. Around 100 meters ahead the party can see that a security checkpoint is blocking access to traffic. Pedestrian activity is heavy, with men and women in power suits and noose neckties hurrying to and from the checkpoint down the street.
"Its much faster if you go in on foot," Li says. "It takes a lot longer to search a car than a person. That'll be $12.50 for the ride."
She pulls out a cigar and lights up.
Leo looks at Ghishu and Kitty with a half-grimace, half-smile. "Here goes nothing!" he comments. He carefully counts his share of the fare; he still has some money but, as is quickly apparent, only a small amount and mostly in change and small crumpled bills that looked like they have been retrieved out of long-forgotten pockets.
"Thanks for your help, Li," he says. I guess maybe we'll meet later when you get together with Ghishu for dinner."
He opens his door and unfolds out of the Dart, then looks around. The smell of money is unmistakable, and just as unmistakably accompanied with the tang of armed persuasion to protect it. This is a Barrio where Leo does not belong. Flowers was strange, yet somehow familiar; this bunker of international business and finance is all too familiar, but forever strange.
He takes a step forward, turns back to his companions, smiles tentatively. "All for one and one for all?" he says lightly.
About to exit the cab, Ghishu turns to Li. "Thanks for everything, Li. I'll call you tonight and we can have dinner or something." Once outside the cab, Ghishu gets the cold and sterile feeling of the barrio. "Say, Li," he turns back to face her, "do you think they'll let us in?"
Leo grins. "Ghishu, Li dropped us here because it was the easiest way in! Let's try." He gestures to the young man and, grabbing Kitty's hand lightly, pulls her with him as he starts walking up to the checkpoint.
With a final honk of the horn Li spins the Dart around and roars off into traffic, while Ghishu, Leo, and Kitty head in the direction of the security check point. This turns out to look something like a cross between an airport security check and one of the crossings in the old Berlin Wall. All vehicular traffic - incoming and outgoing - is stopped at the gate and thoroughly searched by men and women who look like something out of Men in Black. Foot traffic is run through a metal detector and carried items (such as briefcases) are run through an X-ray machine. Hanging above the metal detector is a sign with two arrows. One - labeled "Pass" points left. The other, labeled "Visitor" points right. As the trio moves closer to the front of the line, they can see another sign repeating this information just past the metal detector.
The guards all wear neat black suits and white shirts with black noose neckties, making them look somewhat like athletic undertakers. They also wear mirrored sunglasses, and have little earplugs in their ears, which give them that cool "Secret Service" look. No weapons are in evidence, but neither Leo nor Ghishu has any doubt that the guards are packing heat. The guards go about their business smoothly and professionally.
After a wait of around 4 minutes the trio makes it to the entrance. By now the three have had a chance to hear several other people go through the procedure, so nobody is surprised when one of the security personnel steps up to them and says "Pass please," in a thick Italian accent.
Leo pays close attention to the way other visitors behave, trying to learn how to stay out of trouble without making the mistakes first hand.
He shakes his head at the security guard's words and says politely: "No pass, we're visitors." He indicates himself, Kitty and Ghishu. "What is the correct procedure to be allowed into the Barrio?"
The security man's reply is smooth and professional - clearly he has had long practice. "After you're cleared through the checkpoint turn right to the security kiosk to apply for a day pass."
The trio is run through the scanner without incident, and are directed by another security guard on the far side (who checks them a second time with a metal detector wand) towards the security kiosk. There they join a small group of others waiting in line. Each individual speaks briefly to a security guard behind a window, then enters the kiosk briefly, emerging a few minutes later with a laminated plastic ID card hung around their neck on a chain. There is a large sign over the window which says "Please have photo ID ready".
When the group gets to the window each is asked "Please state your full name and destination." by the security guard at the window. After receiving appropriate answers (and checking them against passport IDs) the security guard says: "Deadly Temptations is five blocks up, turn right, then four blocks over. Your pass will give you access to the Deadly Temptations offices and any other establishment marked with a green diamond displayed in the front window or door. This pass is good until 6:00 pm only. You must carry your pass in a visible manner at all times. Upon departure from the barrio you must surrender your ID card. Please step through the door on your right so that you may have your picture taken."
Really, except for the warning and the security guards, it's a lot like getting a CostCo card.
A few minutes later, Leo, Kitty, and Ghishu - all with green ID tags hung around their necks, are ready to make the trip to Deadly Temptations. The walk itself is unexciting - Golden Barrio looks a lot like the business district of any large city, save for the fact that it seems as busy as ever on a Saturday afternoon. Businesses with green diamonds in the windows seem to be predominantly eateries, with the occasional small market of office supply store. Some restaurants (the more exclusive looking ones) are marked with different colored diamonds, though nobody can quite figure out the system of designation. Office buildings are not marked with any color whatsoever, but all of them seem to have pretty good security - Peace Force presence is highly visible, and there are also more men and women dressed in black checking IDs at many of the building entrances.
Deadly Temptations itself is a five story building set in between two larger structures in the middle of the block. It is constructed in a modern, but rather sinister style, with black tinted glass and dark metal beams predominating. In order to get in the three must present their ID tags and passport IDs to another security guard at the entrance. Security guard scrutinizes the pictures, runs the ID tags through a scanner, and clears them inside. The interior is considerably more friendly than the exterior, looking like any large business. There's an elevator, rest rooms, a drinking fountain, a listing of the various offices and who or what is in them, and a secretary sitting behind a desk. She is dressed in a conservative gray business suit, and has short brown hair and glasses. She looks to be in her mid forties.
"Welcome to Deadly Temptations," she says. "How may I help you?"
Leo looks at his companions, clears his throat, and takes a half-step towards the desk. "Ah, good afternoon, ma'am," he says politely. "We are interested in employment with Deadly Temptations, and we'd like to know what the job application process is. I'm Leo Barbeau, and my friends are Ghishu," he hesitates at the absence of a last name, but continues pretty smoothly, "and Kaila MacCombe."
He does not mention that Kitty already has a job, thinking that she may want to at least hear what's available. He does however turn on the charm to what extent he can. It wouldn't do to look sullen when applying for a job.
"Very well," replies the secretary. She points with a pencil towards the elevator. "Take the elevator to the third floor and go down the hallway. Look for the office on your right with a sign above the door saying 'Personnel Intake'. Go inside and take a number, and one of our agents will be with you shortly."
As the three Burger walk off in the direction of the elevator, Leo gives a little sigh. "Does that remind anyone else of C&I?" he whispers. "Are we going to spend our time on the island interviewing with caseworkers? At least Kuan Tun's interview style was more innovative. I wish I could have qualified..."
"You're right", Ghishu comments back, "The visit here seems to include a lot of interviews and formalities. This is not something I expected from Al Amarja. And then there are these people who drop dead oozing green slime from their mouths. If nothing else, this place has a special theme to it."
Leo, Ghishu, and Kitty make their way to the assigned office without much trouble. The office looks a lot like your typical waiting room, with magazines somewhere around a decade old sitting on low tables next to drab chairs, and a couple of artificial looking plants to give the room some semblance of life. There is a small stand holding plastic cards with numbers on them, a door with the word "enter" on it, another on the opposite side of the same wall with the words "exit only" on it, a small electronic device over the door that displays numbers (currently displaying "11"), and a single window which looks out to a not unpleasant - but not particularly moving - view of Golden Barrio. Quiet muzak is pumped in via a couple of speakers, and lighting is provided by a fluorescent light panel on the ceiling. The place smells vaguely of cigarette smoke and cleaning solution.
Both Leo and Ghishu pick up number cards while Kitty starts digging through magazines looking for a Readers Digest so she can read the "Humor In Uniform" section. Leo snags #12, and Ghishu gets #13. The two then head over to the chairs, but just as they are sitting down there is a soft chime and the number above the door changes to "12".
Leo looks up at the number above the door, then at the plastic square
he's holding, then back at Ghishu and Kitty. "I'll see you guys shortly,"
he says with more assurance than he feels. He straightens up and
strolls as casually as he can towards the door. With a grimace when
the muzak starts maiming "Couldn't Stand the Weather," he tries the door
handle.
"Number 12?" She calls out, her voice flat, and slightly nasal. She stands in the doorway, clad in a brown suit, white silk shirt, and rather inappropriate four-inch stiletto heels. Her hair is piled tight on the top of her head in a bun so tight, it nearly pulls her eyes up in the corners. She looks around.
"Number 12?" Her eyes make contact with the two people in the room. "I assume one of you is number 12. Step lively now."
Leo smiles cheerfully and gives a little wave of the hand, showing the plastic number he's holding. "I have number twelve," he announces. Obeying the order, he walks up to the lady framed in the doorway.
"Pleased to meet you, ma'am," he salutes. "My name is Leo Barbeau."
He glances briefly at Ghishu and Kitty over his shoulder, then follows his interviewer into the office, closing the door behind him. He looks around for a chair, but politely waits for an invitation before sitting.
Tierna stands behind the throne of her desk and gives him the once over. Nodding slightly to herself, she sits, her spine rigid and not touching the back of her computer chair. "You may sit, if you'd like." She points to a chair that was once black but is now the shade of a mud puddle. Tierna looks down at her desk, shuffles through a few papers, then looks up once more at Leo.
"If you would please tell me a little about your work history, we can get to the point of why you are here." She smiles a polite smile that does not reach her eyes, and sits back to listen to him.
Leo sits down, folding his long legs and crossinghis long arms. "Well," he begins slowly, my name is Leo Barbeau and I have been making a career as a performance artist, a circus artist to be specific. I have worked for several circuses, such as Barnum & Bailey, and most recently (until a few weeks ago), the Cirque du Soleil. My specialties are contorsions, tight-rope walking, juggling, and escape performances. I performed both in teams, especially for flying trapeze and Spanish web work, and solo. I would be happy to supply you with pictures from past work, and give demonstrations."
He pauses and a pained expression flashes briefly across his face. He uncrosses his arms and puts his hands on his knees, as if to keep himself from gesturing too much. "Of course," he continues, "I understand that this is a bit... specialised. I would also consider any employment I can reasonably fulfill, such as labour requiring some degree physical skill, balance, precision, etc."
He looks at the interviewer with a hopeful smile.
For the briefest of moments, an almost magical look of wonder appears on Tierna's face when Leo mentions the Cirque du Soleil. Her eyes widen, a tiny smile comes to her lips, and she remembers, briefly, of going to Las Vegas on her honeymoon, and seeing Mystere (before her husband lost all their money at the black jack tables). The show was one of the few good memories she had of her abusive husband. But, after just a moment, her face hardens back into its mask, and she scowls, listening to the rest of Leo's specialities.
"Mr. Barbeau, let me see what is in our database." She types for a few minutes into her computer, and after about two minutes, pauses to slant Leo an inquisitive look before returning to glace at the computer screen. "Ah, yes... I think I have some options for you. Are you looking for temporary or permanent work? Well, let me just tell you what I've got... hmm.." She looks at the computer again.
"Ah, yes.. Well, if you are looking for a short time position, I have several here." She looks at him. "Have you ever thought of hiring yourself out as a slave? Really, its a wonderful oppertunity. You don't have to worry about food or housing, the benefits are great, and these positions last between one and four months! Wwhy, you could do them one at a time -- picking apples one month, escort some pretty ladies another-- it could be exciting!" She smiles, but it does not reach her eyes.
"If this does not suit you -- I do have some other alternatives."
Slave??? Leo quirks an eyebrow, but manages to keep a straight face at the suggestion. He makes a mental note to drop by the library of an Internet Café (but not Breakneck!) to research Al Amarjan labour laws.
"Ah, interesting suggestion, but I'm afraid it doesn't fit very well with any long-term plans," he evades. "For one thing I want to generate income, not just room and board. However, short-term work is fine. What would you suggest?"
As an afterthought strikes him, he leans forward a bit, lowering his voice slightly. "I, ah, should mention I'm not looking for any employment involving sexual transactions, violence, or acting as test subject in experiments." He blushes slightly. The caveat would hardly seem necessary elsewhere, but he's starting to get a clearer picture of what makes the island so unique...
Tierna nods at Leo. "Well, yes. I suppose I can see why you would not be interested in that sort of job. Now, let's see what else might appeal to a man of your talents.." She looks down, tapping once or twice at her computer.
"I have several entertainer positions looking to be filled. Please indicate which one might suit your preferences." She pauses, taps on the computer keys once more, and looks up at Leo.
"One of our local hospitals is looking to hire an entertainer between operations. The job would entail several short entertainment pieces, to fill in the void of prep-time." She slants him an inquisitive glance, and then continues. "If you care to return to the circus, The Circus of the Grotesque is hiring -- they are looking for Entertainers, performers, and freaks. Hhmm... freaks." She pauses, as if to determine into which of the above categories Leo might fit. "Hhmm... lastly, an Entertainer is wanted in the evenings at Home Brew. The hours are flexible, and the pay rate is reasonable."
She taps another few keystrokes at the computer, and without looking up, says "Come to the house-- we need you." And then continues to tap at the keyboard.
Leo frowns lightly in concentration, comparing possibilities -- then looks up sharply at the last few words. He makes a move as if to jump out of his chair, then sits back down and leans forward with an intense expression.
"What house?" he finally says after a quick internal debate.
Tierna looks up from her computer with a startled expression on her face. "Calm down, Mr. Barbeau. You act as if I am about to feed you to the lions. What house might you be talking about? I've mentioned nothing about houses -- I'm not quite sure what you are talking about." She raises an eyebrow. "About that job -- do any of those possibilities sound interesting to you? You can start right away on all of them."
Leo's eye narrow. "You said 'Come to the house, we need you'," he says slowly. "I was wondering which of the three positions was for 'the House'." He smiles, but for once the smile fails to reach his eyes, which are restless and wary.
"Mr. Barbeau, again -- I don't know what it is you speak of. I don't know what house you are referring to -- none of these jobs are for any 'house.' Are you sure you heard me correctly?" She smiles ever so slightly. "Are you sure you are feeling well? You look a little flushed..."
After a short pause, Leo sighs and continues, "I'd like to hear more about the gig at Home Brew, and about the job as an entertainer for hospital patients." He notices he's started fidgetting and makes a visible effort to stop.
"The Job at Home Brew..." She frowns a little, watching his fidgets increase, and shuffles through some papers. "The hours of the job are between 5 PM and midnight, Tuesday through Thursday, and 7 PM to 2 AM Friday and Saturday. The job includes set up and take down, and you are welcome to provide your own creativity as for your act. You will get a percentage of the tips gathered that night, and you may talk to the owner of the bar about how much that percentage will be. The pay is fifteen dollars an hour." She stops reading to look up. "Well, Mr. Barbeau, what say you?"
"Mmmm... sounds convenient," Leo acquiesces warily. "What style of place is 'Home Brew'? What kind of crowd does it cater to? And you haven't talked about the job at the hospital, what was it to, to entertain patients between operations?"
Tierna nods. "It would be convenient, and leaves you with your days open. The Home Brew is a restaurant and bar, specializing in the under 30 crowd -- Students, Artists, and a fair share of tourists. Sometimes they have live music, but mostly they request different acts, such as tumbling, acrobatics, magic -- you name it. I do know that they had hired a young woman from our staff, but she had to leave the island last week, due to a family emergency." She smiles sympathetically.
Leo is beginning to feel a nagging suspicion about the kind of emergencies one can encounter on Al Amarja in general, and in employment suppplied by Deadly Temptations in particular, but remains silent.
"As for the hospital, you would be required to be on-call, Sunday through Thursday, between the hours of 8 AM and 10 PM. The pay is around 17 dollars an hour, and you would be performing for an audience between different operations -- mainly lobotomies, kidney transplants, and castrations." She smiles a little, her eyes alight with a secret delight.
A picture of the later job is starting to form in Leo's mind, and it's not M*A*S*H nor Patch Adams. "Long hours," he comments with a straight face.
"Perhaps... but you'd be on call, and not working the entire shift. And just think, how exciting it would be, to see those medical operations close hand! And you would not be working alone -- there would be more performers than just you, and you would all take turns entertaining the watching audiance between operations. You'd all be working as a team of sorts -- it could be exciting." She smiles her cold little smile, the one that never reaches her piercing blue eyes.
"So, Leo -- what will it be? Can I help you with a job, or should I show you the door?"
Leo winces at what he hopes is an attempt at humour. "Uh..." he flounders momentarily, then continues with more assurance: "I'm more interested in the gig for Home Brew. What are the contract terms, and the duration of the contract? Is the fifteen dollars hourly rate net or gross, and does Deadly Temptations take a cut? And is there any way to trade Wednesday nights for Sundays or Mondays instead?"
Tierna pecks at the computer delicately -- like a prissy scavenger delicately picking through bones for the marrow. "Hmmm... well, let's see here. The job pays 15 dollars an hour before taxes, and that is after we take our percentage. As for switching the days, you should be able to trade Wednesday for Monday -- the Home Brew is closed on Sundays, it being the sabbath and all." She nods once. "As for other benefits -- you get one free meal for every night you perform, non-alcoholic drinks are on the house, and any food or alcohol you may purchase on your breaks will be bought at a fifty percent discount. The contract runs for three months, with the option to hire on permanently at the end, if both parties find such an agreement satisfactory."
Leo is on more familiar territory here. Haggling over employment terms is old news for the circus artist. He smiles at Ms. Nog, forcing himself to relax a bit. Bizarre as this place is, it's not the worse he's seen... yet.
"What do you think, Mr. Barbeau?"
"Sounds interesting," he says cautiously. "Are there any provisions for resiliation, for example in case of emergency or if Home Brew is not satisfied with my act? Perhaps a trial period? I mean, three months can be a long time if things don't work out."
Tierna is quiet for a moment, then nods. "You can have a two week trial period. If the Home Brew does not like you -- or if you do not like them -- return here and we will find you something more... suitable." She smiles a little, but that smile is not comforting. Rather, it sends chills of unease down Leo's spine.
As he speaks, he examines his interviewer and the office. There is a subtext here, as if Ms. Tierna Nog is superimposing another message over the interview. His eyes slide across the scratched desk, over the paperclip holder, the tape dispenser and the stapler (all implements meant to hold things together, he muses), to the old computer. He looks for any small items that would give a clue on Ms. Nog's personality: photos, mug, pen, frames, vase...
And... finds nothing of the sort. The office is sterile. There is nothing in any sense organic that might link Tierna to a life outside work. It as if she is absent of all things human -- warmth, compassion, understanding. There are no laugh lines around her lips, and when she does not think you are looking, there is a slightly frightened look in her deep blue eyes. It is as if, Leo might muse, she clings to these cold objects -- the tape dispenser, the stapler, the paper clips -- in a desperate attempt to hold herself together. And in this sterility -- she attempts to shut herself away from memories, the past, and the secrets that lie within.
Leo feels uncomfortable in the woman's presence, and yet strangely sorry
for her. He nods: "Well, then, I'll try that gig at Home Brew.
I have to start somewhere, this sounds like it may be a good opportunity
to make more contacts." He smiles tentatively. "Maybe you'll come
and see my number?" he suggests. "You could give me your opinion
on whether the act can work for Al Amarja..." He stops, muses for
a second. "Hmmm, I may have to use 'canned' music. Or does
Home Brew have a band?"
To Be Continued...