THE MOMENT
"Here we go...," Connie kissed the back of her infant son's head, then took in a deep breath for courage as she walked into the executive office. He was strapped to her front and giggling at the contact as she sighed. "...they'll take care of you...," she added to affirm herself more than the baby.
The office was bigger than her house. It was spacious and spartan with polished chrome floors and walls, except for the wall of windows behind the executive's desk. And, she was glad to see her appointment was with another woman. But, that was short lived until she approached the desk and the muscular executive with curly brown hair stood in a polite fashion. She was twice as broad and almost twice as tall as Connie, and at least a million times more imposing than the middle-aged waitress. As nervous as she was, she also wondered if she was in the right place. The mountainous woman didn't look like a fairy despite the company being 'run by Fae'.
"Hi, welcome to Chroma Corp., my name's Minerva," the woman introduced herself and gestured at the seat in front of her desk.
"Connie Miller and this is my so-," she hesitated for a moment. If all went well, it would be the, if not one of the last times she would get to say that. "...My son Caleb..," she said.
"Well, welcome to both of you then," Minerva smiled. She'd already sat down again and she leaned forward ready to talk business. "So, how can Chroma Corp. help you?" she asked.
"I'm... not sure..," Connie said. "I heard... I mean, Chroma Corp. is run by Fae, right? You're all fairies?"
"Chroma Corp. is owned by dragons, I'm not one," Minerva smiled as she clarified. "We're a multiversal corporation and we use the 'Fae' descriptor to cover more than just fairies. Dragons, vampires, werewolves and plenty of others are 'Fae' for our purposes. Although, we do have a soft spot for Fairies in particular and we mostly operate the way they would," she said. "Did you need to talk to a fairy? I can arrange that."
"I don't know...," Connie wished she had more time to research. But, as of that morning she was homeless and unemployed starting the day before. "... I heard fairies often make deals for firstborn children..., and I thought Chroma Corp. might do that too...," she said.
"Oh, we do," Minerva nodded. If Connie hadn't spent years as a waitress, she might not have noticed Minerva's smile dimmed slightly. She didn't know what to make of it, but Minerva continued. "Although, it's usually quite an involved process that begins before the child is born. I'll assume you're here about Caleb then?" she asked.
"Yes!" Connie needed to get the thought out before she changed her mind. "In exchange for my firstborn, I want you to...," she almost hesitated, but pushed through. ".. to give him the best upbringing ever!" she said.
"I see," Minerva nodded. The cooler expression she developed when the subject came up warmed slightly. "... and what would you be providing in exchange?" she asked.
"What?" Connie was surprised. "My son!"
"It might help if I explain the situation...," Minerva said. "While it's true Chroma Corp. has the procedures in place to conduct this form of business, it's not our preferred method. When we do accept children as payments, the understanding is we're free to raise them as the Company sees fit. From our perspective, it's not much of a deal if we have to follow your rules. We essentially get nothing but extra responsibility. Arrangements like this require two parties, and in this instance, I see no benefit for Chroma Corp.," Minerva shook her head. "I think we'll pass on taking in Caleb."
"I'll sell you my soul!" Connie blurted out her backup plan while Minerva retrieved something from her desk drawer. It was said that the Fae dealt in souls too. She set a transparent glass card on the desk, but looked up.
"You know, most people that come looking for this deal tend to have materialistic goals in mind. Those are fun," Minerva giggled. "It's always a treat to watch people ask for more and more and more. But, I don't get that from you at all. Your concern is obvious, so I'm curious... why are you trying to sell your son?"
"I want to do what I can to guarantee him a good life. I've got no family and I'm homeless....," she sighed. "...and unemployed...," she continued, but Minerva interrupted.
"Chroma Corp. does offer comprehensive social services, we'd be happy to help you get back on your feet without giving up your son."
"... and I've got about three months to live," Connie added.
"Ah," Minerva nodded. "That does change things," she pulled back the transparent card without explaining it, and then pulled a loaded clipboard from her desk instead. "If you're dying in three months, then Chroma Corp. is absolutely interested in claiming your soul. Just sign here and we'll make sure Caleb has the best upbringing ever."
"It's that simple...?" Connie accepted the chrome pen she was offered but she still had some doubts.
"Oh yes, we're very well organized, as I'm sure you'll learn," Minerva replied with a smile.
Hope was the only thing Connie had left in the world. She fully expected to sign her name, and walk out of the building entirely broken. The doctor said three months was almost guaranteed, for whatever it was worth. She knew she wouldn't make it the three months without her son and that was okay, he was headed to the best life possible. She signed her name once she had the courage; and, she'd spent most of that time building up her nerves and not reading the contract. After she signed it and Minerva pulled it away, Connie caught sight of the phrase 'Chroma Corp. Employee' a few times. The deed was done, but she still had to ask, as she squeezed Caleb closer.
"Did that say 'Employee!?' You're listing a 6-month old child as an employee??" Logically, she knew they couldn't put the infant to work, but it was still shady as all heck that they were putting him on the payroll.
"No, why would we do that?" Minerva giggled as she shook her head.
"Let me see that! It's an employee contract!" she said.
"That's right," Minerva nodded as she slid the clipboard back to Connie for inspection. "And, you signed it. As of now, you're officially a Chroma Corp. Employee," she said.
"I thought I was selling you my soul! Who's going to take care of Caleb!?" Connie asked.
"Oh, yeah,...," Minerva nodded. "Did you mean literally? We're equipped for that too, but you're kind of out of the loop, so I thought you meant it figuratively. You know... 'sold your soul to the company', type stuff."
"I don't need a job! I need someone to take care of my son!"
"Our health plan is quite extraordinary," Minerva nodded. "We have branches on billions of alternate Earths; I don't know what's wrong with you exactly, but I can almost guarantee there's an Earth out there that has it solved already. As an employee, you'll get access to the best doctors in the multiverse," she said. Connie was beyond befuddled, but Minerva's smile was almost infectious at that point.
"And, research shows children have the best upbringing with a loving parent or two in their lives. You haven't been working for us for very long, but I don't think you'll mind if I give you a task right away, right? There's an infant boy named Caleb that needs to be cared for."