Walking down the long city street, heading back to the residential district, I hang my head in defeat. What started as a day full of hope ended in disappointment. Disappointment stemming from the series of tries and fails at job interviews for various companies, in various managerial positions. Small insurance firm business manager? Rejected. I know I was getting my hopes up for that one, but with the years I put into university to get my degree it was discouraging to say the least. Manager of finance at a small private practice? Rejected. Building manager at a local school? Rejected. Store manager at a super market? Not even considered. Shift manager at the corner convenience store? Laughed at for having a degree and applying to a job that did not even require a secondary school diploma. Those past few aren’t even counting the ones I applied to online, or called from adds in the newspapers.

I was trying to convince myself it was the economy. Or maybe I just wasn’t looking into the right sector. Maybe it was my hair, or the way I dressed. Maybe it was even the way I spoke. I tried to optimize anything and everything about myself just to get my foot in the door somewhere. But nobody wants to hire somebody with a one year gap in their resume after finishing their degree.

To back up and explain briefly: I took time off to take care of the aging members of my extended family. And in that time, the world seems to have left me behind.

After walking for about 30 minutes I got back to my closet of an apartment that I had just moved into with the last bit of money I had saved up over the years before my one year of unemployment. It was gloomy. One light in the main room; one light in the hallway/kitchen leading to it. Just barely enough space for a human to live in comfortably. As long as there was not a bed in the room as well. I dropped my new suit coat onto the floor and sunk down against the wall at the far end of the room.

Another day, gone and without any improvement. I was slowly extending the reach of my job search. First 10 miles, then 20, 30, 40 50, 60…. Anything past that and it would begin to be difficult to make it to and from whatever place I ended up getting a job at with the train schedule.

My stomach began to ache as the third meal time I missed in a row slowly ticked by. I was about to go to sleep. It was only 8 o’clock, but the hunger pains would at least be ignored while I was sleeping. I looked around and noticed a faint glow coming from the phone in my coat pocket that I had dropped on the opposite side of the dingy little room.

That reminds me… my phone was only paid until the end of the month… Two more days of cell service and then that its… I will be completely on foot then…

Wait… its lighting up… LIGHTING UP!?!?!?

I scrambled to my phone and ended up rolling into the wall in the process, almost going right through it. I ripped the phone out of my pocket and flipped it open. An unknown number! I smashed the call receive button like my life depended on it and put the mic to my ear.

“Hi, yes, th,this is Tatsuo Kei! May I ask who I am speaking to?”

“Hi Mr. Tatsuo! This is City Management, calling you to inform you that we have received your application, and would like to invite you in for an interview! Please come to xxxxx, xxxxx at 1:00 P.M. tomorrow and we can talk more about the position.”

“Y-yes, sir!”

As I could feel the phone call drawing to a close, I realized I hadn’t even asked who I was meeting.

“Could I please get your name, sir?”

“Oh!... Um… You may call me Mr. A…”

I couldn’t help but notice the slight hesitation in his voice as he told me his name.

“… Yes sir, Mr. A. I look forward to meeting with you tomorrow!”

By the time I had said my last word he had already ended the call. As an employer he seemed a little brunt. But honestly at this point I don’t even care about what the employer is like. I would be fine with the worst boss in the world, demanding late nights and heavy over time. I just wanted a job.

I quickly took off the rest of my clothes and carefully laid them out along with my suit coat, next to me while I slept. It didn’t even take me 5 minutes to fall asleep despite the prospect of a new job tomorrow because I was so exhausted from poor eating habits over the past few days.

The next day, 12:00 P.M. came faster than expected. If anybody out there has ever had to go without food for a while, you know that when your body sleeps, it becomes increasingly hard for you to wake up and get yourself out of the house. So when I woke up late at 12:00 I got prepared for my interview as quickly as possible, and ran to the train station. I was just barely able to catch my train, somehow all the while keeping the last resume I had on hand safe in a plastic colored folder I found in a trash can a few days ago.

I arrived at the previously specified location of the interview with 5 minutes to spare after running as fast as my nutrition deprived legs could take me. When I got there I was sweaty, cramping, and out of breath. My head was dizzy and my vision was foggy. But I still made it. I walked inside the plain air-conditioned building, sheltering myself from the heat of the summer sun. Inside was a small drink fountain, which I promptly used as a support to keep myself from collapsing. While I drank water for almost a minute straight.

Only after I finished drinking did I look up to see the rest of the room. It was just a simple square room, with a door the led to the rest of the building on the left side of the wall facing the entry door. Seats were to the right of the entry, and there was a small window that had a middle-aged woman sitting behind it with what looked to be a sign-in sheet.

I walked to the receptionist behind the glass and without even looking up from her PC screen she said:

“Sign in on the sheet, wait to be called.”

I gave her an appreciative okay, and looked at the sign in sheet. Not good. Ten other people had been here today. All signed in before me. All with the reason being “Interview with Mr. A”. None of them left a sign out time though… maybe they left through another exit?

I can’t get myself down now. Not before the fight has even begun.

I sit down in the chair, enjoying the comfort of the A/C as I try to dry some of the sweat I have dripping off of me.

“Mr. Tatsuo, you will be seen now.”

Is this what all interviews are like? I feel like I am at the doctor’s office. There is even a slight smell of cleaning supplies in the air as I walk down the hallway all the way to the back. I stop in front of the last door with a golden placard that reads “Mr. A”.

This is it… one.. tw-..

The door opens suddenly.

“Ah, there you are Mr. Tatsuo. I am happy you could make it. Quickly, come in and take a seat. This shouldn’t be long.”

“Hello Mr. A, it’s nice to meet you in person!”

“Ah… that name… you can go ahead and just refer to me as Director. That’s just what everyone around here calls me.”

“..Yes sir… Mr. Director.”

He looks at me with a slightly annoyed face.

“…Just Director is fine.”

“Yes, Director.”

“First thing’s first. This won’t be your average interview. In a sense, you already have the job.”

My heartbeat after hearing those words skyrockets.

“What this interview is mainly about is if you want the jo-“

“I want it.”

“Just… let me explain it first. What you will be doing is not on the scale of small business or corporation management.”

“So are we talking international?”

“No… well… it could get to that point, yes.”

Wow…. After so long… I will finally be able to use my abilities to their full potential!

I almost began crying after hearing the general job description.

“What this job really requires is somebody who will be efficient in micromanaging, as well as macro managing. I need somebody who is able to direct every part of the operation to produce the best results. I need somebody who is willing to give their life to the company. To give all their time, all their being, everything that they are, to this company. And one of the reasons I called you in today is because I believe that you not only have the skills you need to do this, but you also have no real ties to your life right now. No real family members, no close friends or associates. I have looked into your background extensively and I really think that you could be one of the chosen few for this particular job.”

 They looked into me… could it be… that I am actually that interesting? To the point a company like this researched me?

“I can fully accept all of those conditions, Director!”

“Wait, I am glad you have accepted it this far. However, we haven’t even talked about what the job actually is… This job… This company “City Management” does exactly what the name suggests. We manage cities. Everything about them. From the people to the businesses. Every aspect of human life, every aspect of life in general. We manage it. Coming into this company would mean taking on the responsibility of an entire city. By yourself. The people we want to hire see it as an opportunity. The people that normally do not succeed in this company see this more of a burden… Which one are you?”

“I will do it. I have trained many years for this day and I promise not to let the company down! So, will I be responsible for city policy? Like city government, law and regulations, stuff like that?”

“Yes… but deeper. You will shape the very essence of human life in your city. You see… The thing is, by taking this job you basically gain total control over an entire city and it’s entire population… Every last thing that goes on in the city can be controlled by you. Because you will be the deciding factor in the people’s thoughts, feeling, and actions…”

What…. Ok now this has to be a joke…

“Ah..haha… I see… I think I will head out now….”

I should have never gotten my hopes up… Of course nobody was going to hire me…

I walk to the door quickly and as I open it:

“Watch your step…”

The hallway is no longer there. The building is gone. It is just the room. Floating high above a lush green forest in what looks like a mountain valley. Far below, I can see signs of civilization.  Some fields, some houses, a store or two, a school. There are even some cars moving around like tiny ants. I slam the door shut before I fall out.

“It’s beautiful isn’t it? That is Haila. The town you would be managing. Population 3,000, just beginning to blossom. We prepare little seeds like this all across the world and this one is in desperate need of a permanent manager. Somebody that can take it and mold it into a thriving metropolis.”

“…Who… are you?”

“Me…. Well…. Just refer to me as Director.”

“So…. Just to get this straight… I am basically the deity of the city if I take the job?”

“…ahh… no…. That is a few rungs above your pay grade. You are what we call a “City Manager”. Tokyo, Shang Hai, London, Washington, Rio; all thriving cities in their own way now. But they all used to be just like that little city down there, Haila. And they all have their respective city managers. Your most powerful tool as a city manager is the ability to impact the thoughts, feelings, emotions, and actions of the people in your city. You can change every aspect of the way they view life. Use this ability to build. This company is about raising small cities up to become thriving centers of civilization. You would be hired to do exactly that. You have no other power besides the power of the city and the people that live in it. If your city thrives, then you thrive. If it fails, then you are fired, and are returned to your old life without any memoires of this company and your time here.”

Okay… this… If I chose this… I will basically begin anew at the ripe age of 23… This is essentially a reset button…

“I… accept your offer…”

“I am glad to hear it. Walking out that door will put you in the city itself, and it will also be the moment your new abilities are gifted to you. You can always contact the company by coming back to the building you walk out of when you get there. Just sign in like you did before, but next time… call me Director.”

“Yes, sir… Just wondering but… what would have happened if I didn’t accept?”

“Well…. You would have gone home thinking you failed another interview. Also… I am not great in predicting the future… but I imagine you would have resorted to some drastic measures to fix your food problem sooner or later…”

I laugh dryly.

“Haha… That’s true…. Well, I promise to make this city great! Oh! Are there any tips you have for me in city managing?”

“Here we like to give you free reign of everything that happens in your city. So do what you feel like doing, and create something unique.”

I give Director one last smile as I walk out the door, right into the scoring heat of summer once again. The door closes behind me, and the last bit of air conditioning rushes past me as it escapes into the atmosphere. I look at the building I came out of. It’s just a run-down strip center. Only two stores really. The City Management office, and an old convenience store. Probably the only one in this little town.

I walk into the store and noticed a poorly stocked selection of snacks and instant meals. An old drink cooler holds some soft drinks and waters in it against the wall to my right just as I walk inside, and a small ice cream cooler sits next to that. Both sound like they could use some serious maintenance.

An unenthusiastic old man stands at the counter and barely raises an eye to me as I walk in.

I was sure with the town being so small that people could recognize a new face but… maybe this old man just doesn’t care?

I walk up to him and smile.

“Hello sir, how has your day been?”

I receive a grunt and the old man goes back to ignoring me by reading the paper on the store counter.

Well… Director said I could alter people’s thoughts and feelings… Could I make it so that people are more willing to talk with me and share information?

As I thought that the man looks up at me. Visibly more interested and with light in his once dead fish eyes.

“Well! If it isn’t a new face in town! We hardly get any of those all the way out here!”

Wow, ok, that was a big change in reaction.

“Yes sir! I am from a little ways out of town, and just wanted to know a little bit more about the city in general. Could you help me out a bit?”

“Sure! Sure! I have been living here for almost 40 years so I have been here for almost every big landmark! Just like when I opened up the first convenience store here 10 years ago!”

Wow so I was right… just how far behind is this place?

“Since then more people have moved in, and we even have a school for the kids in town now. Wow… life really passes by quickly doesn’t it. If only my wife were here to see all of this with me…”

“Oh, I am sorry to make you bring up such a sad subject.”

“No, no, it’s really alright. She would just be so happy about how we have an entire school building of our own now. She wanted to be a teacher so bad but there wasn’t ever school for her to teach in here. When the first kids started showing up she took it upon herself to teach them the basics until they could get transportation worked out to get to a school a few miles away. She ended up passing on a year before the school building was built.”

“Well I am sorry to hear about that… I am sure she was a lovely lady.”

“Yes, she was mister… Come to think of it I haven’t gotten your name yet.”

“Tatsuo Kei, but you can just call me Kei.”

“Oh no! I couldn’t! You look like a business man in your prime! At least let me call you Kei san.”

Since I am taking care of the city I feel like I should address everybody familiarly, almost as if they were my family. I wonder….

“No, I insist gramps! Just Kei is fine!”

“… Sounds good to me, Kei!”

Ah… there it is again. All I did was think about changing his thoughts and it worked. Easy as that. I guess to apply this to the whole city all I would need to do is think about it in terms of the entire population instead of just this gramps here… I guess I just need to meet somebody else to test it out.

For the next 30 minutes the old gramps and I talked about the layout of the town. The school, the small but growing residential area, the acres of farm land stretching out for miles all around the town. We also talked about the geography itself. This city was built in a valley, in between two mountains. Everywhere you looked, nature could be seen. Small rivers composed of the runoff rain water made their way down to a lake near edge of the town, and a larger river flowed right out of the valley. In its own way this valley was almost like its own fertile crescent. The soil was rich in nutrients, and the crops produced good yield continually, provided drastic flooding or drought didn’t occur.

If possible…. I want to preserve the nature around the city as it is now…

I said goodbye to the old gramps and left the store in the direction of the residential area he pointed me to. I walked along an old dirt road that ran alongside a paved one that clearly had years of use on it. To my left was a forest that went up at a slant, and to my right were fields likely used for farming.

If I’m not mistaken the school should be behind these trees to my left here… He said I might be able to see the tops of the buildings if I looked at a certain angle… And right past that should be the resident-…

At that moment the world began to spin. My stomach was screaming, by breathing became ragged. I felt as if the ground was moving underneath me.

I hav-.. I haven’t eaten…

How long was it since I had eaten? Almost a full day and I was already getting close to blacking out? Forget what the director said about me doing something bad if I couldn’t get food soon. I would probably have been run over by a car long before then with all the swaying I am doing. Or I might have gotten arrested for public drunkenness.

This is bad…. I need to.. need to find food… I need to get away from this road…

As I swayed towards the forest to my left, my vision began to blur. I felt my feet leave the dirt path behind me. The soft top layer of leaves and soil greeted me along with the fresh scent of nature as I unsteadily continued moving forward. I could feel myself moving uphill. However where I was going was completely unbeknownst to me. My vision had completely gone dark, and shortly after that my consciousness followed as well.