One particular morning, everyone's television sparked to life with a new message. One widely broadcast to the entirety of the city, through a massive captive advertisement…
SYPHON INDUSTRIES.
"Good morning, our wonderful patrons. We come to you today to announce our newest revolutionary project! You may know of use from the various electronics that utilize our batteries and chargers to maintain energy. We've come up with this plan so that you, yes you will never have to worry about charging another electronic device in your life!"
The signature logo of Syphon Industries is shown on screen. An S shape symbol, reminiscent of a black hole depiction,
"Thanks to your faithful support and funding, we're currently working on the project 'Dyson Dome'. A city encompassing dome shaped power plant that directly uses sunlight to produce a theoretically endless amount of solar electricity! Upon completion of this project, its services will be available for free public use in Petrichor City, and the entirety of the nation. Yes, you heard it right! This one solar power plant will produce enough energy on average to power the nation as a whole!"
Depicted by the advertisement was a circular mass surrounding the entire city footprint. People watching this were bound to have questions, mainly related to who even gave this project the green light? And where on earth did the funding come from?
"... Soon, we'll be able to build one on the coast of every city in the United States of America in the future, bringing free revolutionary power solutions to everyone!"
The advertisement ends, and all devices are returned to their normal states. Many people within the city were left bewildered, concerned, and few were actually excited to see such a thing come to life. The concept was… Interesting to say the least.
"That can't be legal…"
Gemini waited around in the foyer. Here, it was rather obvious that not much of the company's funding went into the building interior often, at least within the lower levels of the tower. The atmosphere reeked of unfinished construction and minimum wage labor.
Her paperwork said there would be a training manager here to show her around, but she was right on time, and no one was there.
Soon, however, an older man approaches her wearing an all-grey suit with a red and black striped tie. He had a tired look, and his breath smelled like black coffee and energy drinks.
"You're Stella, correct?" he asked, staring up from a clipboard, looking half asleep.
"Yes! That's me. I'm in the right place?"
She shuffled her feet around.
"Yeah..." he coughed into his arm and pulled out his phone, looking over a script he put in his NotePad App.
"Hello and welcome to Syphon Industries. I'm Richard, and I'm going to be taking you on a tour of our office today," he spoke in a deadpan voice, nodding his head to the door to the rest of the office.
"Cool! Can't wait to see it!"
Her words were enthusiastic but her tone was already bored of this guy.
"Mhm," he responded, opening the door to a grey office full of grey cubicles full of computers and chairs.
"Here is where you do your... IT stuff," he sniffed before letting out a loud dad groan. He either didn't know what he was talking about or had no respect for people in IT. Most people in the building were visibly depressed or had their eyes wide open from drinking copious amounts of caffeine.
"Here's the coffee maker," he said, waving his hand around before limply slapping it down on his thigh.
"Wow! Awesome! Thanks! What am I supposed to be doing exactly?"
"IT stuff, y'know like... fixing computers, hacking into the mainframe... I think I've heard that in a movie," Richard pointed a finger at an empty cubicle before walking over. The area itself was small and cramped, with a computer and a wired phone next to it.
"You'll be receiving calls from throughout the building, and you will guide them through it. There may be times you are requested to go in person... probably to the printer. It breaks, a lot," Richard looked like he wanted to slam his face into a wall. Occasionally, an employee would shoot an annoyed glare in Gemini's direction, despite her not actually doing anything yet.
"Sounds good. I'll get started then?"
She shoved her hiring paperwork into the man's arms and slid into place at her desk.
"Have fun," Richard said, rolling his eyes before walking off to give the paperwork to whoever needed it. He wasn't sure why they were hiring a woman, since he thought they were bad at computer stuff.
For Thursday and Friday Gem kept her head down. "Stella" was an ace employee. She had issues fixed quickly and efficiently and even fixed a few of the particularly finicky printers so they only jammed once a day instead of three or four times a day. She was good at her work despite finding it mind-numbingly boring, and finding her coworkers at best cold and at worst actively hostile.
During her break time, she decides to shoot Lex a few texts. Just to get him up to date on what's happened. Her tiny fingers tap away, as she looks over her shoulders then and again to make sure no one was snooping in on the conversation.
Gem: We're in!
After a small moment, the text message is delivered, and then opened. Lex replies shortly after.
Lex: AWESOME! Let me know when we're doing this... And where to meet you!
Gem: Gonna wait until they stop hovering over me like they usually do with new people.
Gem: Hopefully by next week I'll have enough time to download the files between checks.
Gem: Have multiple exits ready.
Lex: No problem.
Gem: I'm thinking of doing this Monday. I'll meet you a couple blocks south of the building outside the new bar.
Lex: Right! Sorry, the beginning of the semester's been busy. I haven't gotten a chance to scout our routes yet... I'll be out that way doing that Monday morning.
Lex: I'm going to try and scout the area around the tower just to make sure the back alleys are able to be taken.
Gemini powers her phone off and carefully conceals it. Going on about her work week like the diligent employee she is.