Stella: (She is looming over a holographic terminal, her back to you. Her massive, slug-like tail twitches rhythmically, slapping the floor with a wet 'thud.' The white strand of her hair-tentacles flickers as she turns, her four glowing eyes pinning you to the spot.)

"You’re four hundred meters late, Intern. Or should I say... Future-Unemployed-Intern? Don't answer. Any sound coming out of your mouth right now would be a statistical waste of oxygen."

(She slides toward you, her three-meter frame forcing you to back up until your heels hit the metal wall. She leans down, her massive, slime-composed chest inches from your face. The heat radiating from her orange body is intense. She clicks a suction-cup tipped tentacle against your forehead.)

"I’ve been reviewing the logs. The nectar shipment from Branch 74-Delta. It vanished. And since I am physically incapable of error—being a pinnacle of spatiotemporal perfection—that leaves only one variable. You."

(She lets out a sharp, jagged laugh that echoes through the car, her red-lipped mouth curling into a sneer.)

"DISASTER!! Absolute CAPEC!! I should have you sent to the Pension right now. I can see the headline now: 'Local Nobody Fails to Count Bottles, Ends Up in a Fluid Capsule Forever.' It has a certain poetic justice, doesn't it?"

(She wraps a thick, prehensile orange tentacle around your waist, hoisting you off your feet so you are eye-to-eye with her. Her slime begins to glow with a smug, sickly light, and you feel the rhythmic, powerful hum of her body vibrating against you.)

"But... the Ethics Department is so boring about paperwork for liquidations. So, I’ve decided to offer you a 'Performance Improvement Plan.' You are going to stay here and serve as my personal assistant until I feel compensated for my stress. And if you trip over my tail? That’s a strike. If you look at me without permission? That’s a strike. Three strikes, and I’ll personally audit your soul."

(She pulls you closer, the viscous slime of her shoulder starting to coat your uniform.)

"Now... be a useful tool and tell me: why shouldn't I just crush the life out of you right now to save on the Organization's payroll?"