"No... don't like this one... hmmm..."

Miss Planner was lost in a trance inside her office. She was staring at her computer monitor, listlessly scrolling through a list of new recruits with a sour expression on her face. It was early in the morning. The distribution division's morning meeting was usually just about wrapping up by now, so Erica was probably on her way up... but Maxwell or one of the other managers might have asked her to stick around for some stupid reason. The poor girl just didn't know how to say 'no.'

"I want someone I can show off to the executives... someone fun. A strong personality."

Her mind drifted to the group of young Chosen Ones in training she met at the cafeteria the other day. Dr. Tuske's research subjects. Four teenagers who'd been given the reformulated Controller androgens in a liquid form. They weren't the brightest bulbs in the box, but they had potential. Garth in particular seemed very eager to please. And Malcolm... well, he was just so funny!

"Hmm... well, it would be nice working with them, I guess."

She tapped her fingers against her chin, thinking. Maybe she should go ahead and hire them. Dalton would be delighted to see them test their powers in combat. And the other divisions wouldn't be able to complain she was poaching their talent, since her research division was where they originally came from...

"All right! I'll take them!"

She liked them a lot. She knew she wanted them. The proper thing to do was give them a job interview first. A group interview. Let them know what kind of work they'd be doing. She opened her e-mail program and started composing a message for Dalton.

"I'll get them all set up with nice black robes, and I'll assign them a mentor who can help them develop their talents. Black Smoke's a Controller too, sort of, and he's good at managing rough personalities... we're going to have to make a new job title... we can go with the acolyte payment schedule, for now. I'd better take a quick look at the recruitment packet, make sure everything's up to date..."

A knock at the door interrupted her thoughts. Miss Planner opened her office doors with the press of a button, and Erica walked in. She looked nervous. But that wasn't rare for her.

"Erica! Good morning!"
"Good morning, ma'am..."

Miss Planner gestured to a chair right next to hers. Erica scampered over and sat down.

"Look, I've already got four potential recruits for our Soul Shell testing team!"
"W-wow!"

"This is the best one. His name's Garth Taylor. I know these numbers probably don't mean much to you, but trust me, he's a very impressive specimen. He's got great raw power, and he's very respectful, too."
"He... he kind of looks like you. What about the others?"

"Well, this one's Clay. He's in excellent physical shape. Here's Malcolm. He's a bit of a comedian... a real charmer, actually. Then, there's Chase, the quiet one. His powers aren't all the way there yet, but it'll only be a matter of time until he catches up. What do you think?"
"What do I think? Um... hmm..."

"I really, really want them. I think they'll make a pretty solid team. A nice blend of personalities and abilities."
"I'm not sure... I don't know if I can approve of them."

"Why not?"
"Well, uh... they're kids, right?"

"Seventeen, eighteen years old. Maybe they're not old enough to vote, but they're old enough to get a job. And they've been helping us with our research for months. They're here because they want to learn how to use their powers properly. They're ready to work."
"Yeah, but... I don't know. I just feel like they're too young to fight. I don't want them getting hurt."

"The Soul Shell will keep them safe. They'll be fine. I promise."
"Well, I... I guess I can't stop you."

"No, no, it's not like that at all. If I didn't want your input on this, I wouldn't have asked you to come here in the first place. If you're against hiring them, we can find someone else. I don't mind one bit."
"Hmmm..."

"We could see if any of the acolytes in the security division want to volunteer for the testing if you think that'd be better. Or we could talk to one of the other managers and see what their recommendations are."

Erica looked confused and uncertain, and a little sad. Miss Planner could probably bully her into going along with whatever idea she had in mind. But she didn't want to do that. She wanted to treat Erica like an equal, even if that meant she wouldn't always get what she wanted.

"I think they'd be a good fit. I really do. I think they've got a lot of potential. But if you don't agree, we can just scratch them off the list. It's no big deal."

Erica smiled weakly.

"If you think they're a good fit, I... okay..."
"How about this. You can help me conduct their group interview. If you're still not sure after that, we'll forget all about them."
"That sounds good..."

Erica was a little intimidated by the idea of conducting an interview. Her hands felt sweaty. The room felt too warm. She took a breath and tried to steady herself. The poor girl was in way over her head.

"We're going to need a lot more than just one team, anyway... come here, scoot in. Help me sort through these trainees from the Grand Temple. We can try to get some older people as well. I'm thinking maybe four teams of four would be a great start. Then we'll make sure they all get top-quality training... after that, I want to give them a nice little ceremony and officially induct them into our experimental combat unit. Milly can take pictures and everything. We'll have them all wearing the Soul Shell, of course... ooh, I'm so excited!"