Why does a company need 3rd Shift Tech Support? Think about that question for a few moments, because I thought about it a lot that first day. From the moment I was put on the phones to a good two hours later, I had only received a single phone call for a simple password reset. This may be expected, given the time of night the shift starts. How many people calling in company problems are even still awake at this time? This situation would definitely prove a good favor for me, as my work will be very relaxed, particularly with learning how they use the software. I could definitely get used to nice, quiet nights of working and getting paid to sit around and wait 30 minutes or more for a single phone call.
This gave me a lot of time to think about things. About the blond receptionist and the woman I'd accidentally called. What was the story behind that receptionist? I've never met such a cold, blunt woman in my life. It was like she's going out of my way to make things hard and strict for me. Her very presence frightened me. Then there was this Doctor that seemed to be the opposite. She sounded more bubbly and willing to meet and socialize with new employees. I glanced over towards my clock and thought about those plans for my break. My computer soon sent an alarm off, my digital assistant notifying me that it was my break time. Speaking of Break Time...the Doctor seemed to know my schedule, but what would happen if--
My train of thought was broken at loud knocking outside of my door. My head quickly moved and stared at the silhouette outside the stained window. My fears began to rise, and continued to do so as I heard a voice reach through the doorway. The voice was that of the Doctor, not the receptionist. "You there? I'm ready to give you that tour!" I slowly got up to answer the door, but not without doubts in my mind. I was told not to talk or interact with anyone here but the person who led me back here. A tour of the building could be risky of being caught by her. Still, I unlocked the door and opened it...to see a pair of ocean blue eyes staring up at me.
As my eyes adjusted to the hallway's light, I could see her. Short, petite, glasses, long black hair in a ponytail. It was definitely the same woman I'd passed earlier that day. But now she was right in front of me, offering me a pleasant smile as she looked me over and reached for my arm. "It's about time you came out. Now, come on, newbie. I'm gonna show you all the exciting places that you haven't seen yet!" The woman seemed so pushy and eager that I found myself nearly dragged along with her before I could even get out single word.
As we walked, she began walking me by the labs, explaining each to me. "So this is the production lab area, where all of the ideas we get are put through their final stages. If someone presents an idea for a new toaster, this is where all the parts are put together and tested. Since we do all kinds of different projects, this entire section is designed for these production facilities, each equipped with its own unique equipment." The more we walked around, the less tense I became about the blond finding me. I was actually enjoying this little tour, learning more about the company that I was working for. In all honesty, I'd learned next to nothing from anyone else, other than all those training guides.
Our tour ended with going inside one of the labs. The Doctor brought me into her own lab, where she took me to a small office attached to a large room with a lot of tables and various machines that I wasn't familiar with. Inside the office was a desk as well as a small table with a few chairs. "Go on, sit down. I'll get us some tea. Sugar or Sweetner?" I nervously came down into a small metal chair at the time and motioned for sugar. I never could drink unsweetened tea. As she was preparing the tea at her desk and getting out several packets and cups, I asked her what she did.
"Oh, I do this and that. This is really the experimental section of the company. When all of the new ideas come in, it's my team's job to figure out how to make it work. If someone ever brought in the idea of turning peanut oil into rocket fuel, it would be thrown on me to perform miracles to make it work. Though the lab is usually more lively. I'm the only one who stays here after 8:00 PM." As she talked for what felt like forever, she finally got finished preparing the tea and placed a cup for herself but offered a covered glass for me. I looked at it and back at her as I sniffed it. "So what kind is this?"
"Oh, it's my own blend. Since I make everything else here, I tested around with mixing different kinds of teas together. But we don't have time to talk about that. It's almost 12:45. Isn't your break almost up now?" She was right. I had to be back in my office in less than 2 minutes. I quickly got up and nodded, thanking her. Taking the tea with me, she came after me. "Oh, I almost forgot! Here's a special set of spices. Put them in the tea for a little extra kick. It helps on long nights like these. See you around!" She winked to me as I walked out, causing a natural redness in my cheeks.
I moved back towards my office, where I saw my door, open just like I left it. I quickly came back inside and shut the door behind me. It didn't look like anyone had been there. No messages on the phone. So I sat down and put my glass of tea on my desk, arranging the spices the Doctor had given me, listening to it almost sizzle down into the liquid. I smiled looking down at the glass, at the kind friend I had made.