Chapter 17
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"Mr. Ivan, It is a pleasure for you to join us today. I believe there isn't a single person in this empire who isn't curious about you, a visitor from outer space," A handsome Vulpes man with short brown hair, the host of this morning talk show, smiled at Ivan.
"I'm honored to be present, Cen" Ivan smiled and gave a cordial response.
Several high definition cameras moved around the front of the under the control of the crewmembers, ensuring they captured every important angle. Several armed soldiers guarded the outside of the studio outside of camera shot and the entire facility was under military surveillance, but none of the Vulpes watching this show at home would know that.
Valeria was also here, but Ivan had agreed to have her remain off camera as a Kivsharr was detested by society and wouldn't make a good response from the public. Ivan would have done this anyway, but he took this as an opportunity to demonstrate his cooperation.
"You are too humble. I want to ask several questions that everyone wants answers to, the main one being your purpose in coming here to this planet. Our sources tell us that you are starting a company, but why come to our planet for that? Surely there are more capable people in the rest of the universe."
Ivan shook his head despondently and reluctantly replied, "I had given consideration to that, but unfortunately it simply wasn't a feasible option. Most people in the universe have gone through genetic adjustments. This makes them faster, stronger and smarter, but unfortunately, makes them unqualified to work in the company I am starting."
"Surely that would make them more qualified, right?" Cen was unsure if pressing this question was against the Empire's interests, but he couldn't just drop the topic without a conclusion or the viewers would be disbelieving.
"The problem actually lies in what is lost through genetic enhancements, mainly in the subconscious processes of the brain that we identify as instinct or intuition. I can't speak a great deal of the issue due to confidentially, but anyone to successfully join my company must go through a rigorous training session, and this natural instinct plays a key role in adaptability to a new life."
The host was satisfied with this answer and started to lead onto different topics.
"I'm sure anyone who joined your company would benefit greatly from your teachings. But the people want to know much more than just that. They also want to know about the universe. What is it like in space, are there many other planets with alien life?"
"Actually, humans have occupied the three major galaxies and are reaching out to others within our cluster. Each galaxy has its own federation in charge of thousands of worlds. Humans are actually very common in the universe that we know, and separated into their own specie depending on genetic traits. Technically, even your race is also a specie of humanity."
"As for alien life, there are endless amounts of planets capable of supporting life, many of which have developed native creature of countless variations, some more intelligent while others merely instinctual."
"I'm sure there are many people greatly stunned by this, but none so more than me," Cen chuckled brightly. "So many horror films and other with existences of aliens depicted as fur covered monstrosities. We put a terrifying image on what we believed aliens to be, little did we expect they were people just like us."
"This is nothing abnormal, In the ancient times of the planet I came from, when we were just as advanced as you are now, we often depicted them as little green men. There were also several others like terrifying creatures whose blood and spit were an acid that would melt through even steel."
Both Cen and Ivan chuckled at this will the support crew played a sound of an audience laughing in the background.
"This is more of a personal question of mine," Cen joyously asked, feeding off the smooth atmosphere, "But do other kinds of human specie also have eyes like this. I have heard that your head researcher, albeit a slightly surprising appearance, has the same kind of eyes."
Ivan turned to face the camera to answer this question with a smile, displaying his '+' shaped eyes that were like a blue ocean to the audience.
"No, this is something unique to the two of us. It is an alteration to enhance perception, but it's not a medical operation or genetic tampering, more of a forced evolution."
"So, what can you see?"
"The same as you can mostly. The rest is difficult to explain in words, you could describe it as a wider range of perception. The same goes for our voice and hearing, they are basically what you know, just a little bit different."
The interview continued for another hour as the host, Cen, asked various questions with Ivan responding. One section even included Ivan asking several predetermined questions about the Vulpes culture and history in order to learn more about them.
After the interview, Cen was still interested and asked Ivan several off-air questions, leaving things on a high note. Valeria joined him and quietly walked behind him. The crew members didn't like her due to her status, but didn't dare say anything as she was under Ivan's protection.
Iris waited outside with a smile and congratulated Ivan on such a successful interview before briefing him on the next interview at lunch. They left the station under a small military convoy and went straight to the next venue.
The second interview was with a female host in her midyears who was only slightly less popular than Cen. Valeria suffered some discriminatory remarks from people when passing by, but managed to remain passive with her chin raised as Ivan had told her to. Nobody could openly attack or insult her due to Ivan, so she made sure to remain by his side as much as possible.
Iris had accepted her submissiveness this morning and followed any of Ivan's directions. Ivan had whispered to her several times to make sure she walked very close to him, almost arm in arm, as it would give the higher ups the impression that she was doing her job properly. She did this, and even bumped into him several times accidentally out of nervousness, but it only gave the impression that her aim to be intimate with him was more real.
After the second interview, Ivan, Valeria, and Iris under the military convoy travelled to a state-of-the-art research facility where Mazur was leading several top-class talents to understand the new technology. Ivan was genuinely amazed as Mazur demonstrated his super-intellect in grasping the written language shortly after understanding how to speak it.
"How much have you gotten through," Ivan asked curiously upon seeing the whiteboard of complicated calculations and graphs.
Mazur looked toward the scientists diligently copying down the knowledge from the whiteboard, each more excited than the one before.
"They are surprisingly adept at taking in new knowledge. In terms of being able to replicate the technologies, they could manage with half of them. They are still a long way from truly understanding them though, but that is because there is a massive technological gap between what they were at and what this is."
"I will be interviewing potential employees after this, so you stay here and keep working with these scientists and answering these questions. How long will it take you to devise a standardised course in learning the galactic language."
Mazur pondered over this briefly. "There are many learning modules in the galactic web, but we are off the grid here and can't access them, so I'll have to design one from scratch. It should take me approximately a week. I've also been getting hungry, so go hunt some more food."
"Aren't the remains of the last fish I brought up still here?"
"All the energy has dissipated, it is the equivalent of spoilt food, so it has to be discarded."
"Very well, I will go tomorrow."
Mazur glanced at Iris who was standing slightly within earshot. "And you're assistant."
"There are no concerns. Don't forget, I'm the people person."
Ivan split from Mazur and left him to teach the scientists. They also needed to start mass producing nanobots, which were required for forced evolution of a three-dimensional being into a four-dimensional one.
"What is this about… hunting for food?" Iris asked nervously once she could secretly talk with him in the car to the venue prepared for employee interviews. She had even shifted her weight and leaned against Ivan to be able to whisper without the driver hearing.
Ivan chuckled lightly in response, "It is not something you need to worry about, just make sure my schedule is free all of tomorrow. You will understand more about it in the future."
"But… what do I tell the higher ups?"
"Exactly what you will see, I mysteriously disappeared after saying I would return later that night."
"O-Okay."
*****
"Welcome everyone, to the first round of interviews to partake in a new company which will redefine the entire galaxy's understanding of what is possible. Many of you appear to be overly nervous, there is no need for this, none of you will be forced to join."
Ivan spoke from a podium to a throng of a thousand people matching the professions Ivan had requested Yukeli for. Everyone had been provided new clothing for the occasion by the empire, but there were still different expressions depending on their previous social standing. The miners and minor trades had rougher appearances from years of physical labor, while the scientists, land prospectors and architects had more regal countenances and sat straighter.
"Before any confidential company information is provided, at which point in time there will be no turning down the job, I will give you enough of an idea as to whether you wish to partake in this era defining endeavour."
"You will be moving to a new land, one unlike anything you have ever seen or experienced before. This will include an adaption process which does include some danger. There is the chance of failing this adaption, but the rate of failure is lower than 5 percent so you don't need to feel nervous. This adaption process is a forced evolution that will make you stronger, faster, and significantly increase your lifespan."
Ivan watched the people closely, smiling broadly when they appeared to take a great interest at the idea of a longer lifespan.
"Now that you are aware of the danger, I will answer in general questions before you decide to stay for the interview or depart. Nobody will hold you accountable if you do so, but you must be aware that once you do, there will be no second chance."
A middle-aged female Vulpes, a prominently skilled architect, was the first to raise her hand. "I want to know why we should give up our current employment for this new position?"
"Have you ever wanted to broaden your horizons? You will be designing buildings far greater than you could possibly imagine. Not to mention, with the extended lifespan, I wonder just how great you can become."
The woman smiled contently and sat back down, setting her resolution that this was an opportunity she shouldn't give up.
"What about pay and our families? We work hard just to provide for them every week, we can't suddenly stop that support," A random minor stood and asked pensively.
"As I will be making large investments in you, there will be no monetary compensation during the initial period. You will also have no use of it during this time, but a new currency will be created at a later date, which you will be compensated with."
"During the period in which you are gone, the Yolkien Empire will be providing more than ample monetary support so they will have no concerns in daily life. You will also have the opportunity for your families to migrate over to our location in the future as long as you wish."
Several people had mixed feelings, but the support that would be provided to them and their families was truly generous.
"What about home? Will we get to come back here?" A horticulturist asked this question.
"Becoming a part of my company means your new home will be with the company. You will have the opportunity to come back to this planet to visit, or for vacations, but it will no longer be your home. This is a somewhat tough for some people to understand, but you will understand more once you have transitioned into my company."
Some people appeared slightly unsure and were wavering on whether to leave or not, but nearly everyone stayed. There was only five people who decided to leave and return to their normal lives.
Ivan then took the people for a quick one-on-one private interview. This was only to test several answers through a lie detector. They merely needed to confirm that they were not spies or had ill intentions, and could give loyalty to the company.
Only ten people were rejected through this interview process and were escorted out under a military convoy, while the remaining 985 people returned to the main hall.
Ivan also stood in front of the podium and declared openly with a friendly smile.
"Everyone, I personally welcome you to Celestial Trade Incorporated."
Please report us if you find any errors so we can fix it asap!
"Mr. Ivan, It is a pleasure for you to join us today. I believe there isn't a single person in this empire who isn't curious about you, a visitor from outer space," A handsome Vulpes man with short brown hair, the host of this morning talk show, smiled at Ivan.
"I'm honored to be present, Cen" Ivan smiled and gave a cordial response.
Several high definition cameras moved around the front of the under the control of the crewmembers, ensuring they captured every important angle. Several armed soldiers guarded the outside of the studio outside of camera shot and the entire facility was under military surveillance, but none of the Vulpes watching this show at home would know that.
Valeria was also here, but Ivan had agreed to have her remain off camera as a Kivsharr was detested by society and wouldn't make a good response from the public. Ivan would have done this anyway, but he took this as an opportunity to demonstrate his cooperation.
"You are too humble. I want to ask several questions that everyone wants answers to, the main one being your purpose in coming here to this planet. Our sources tell us that you are starting a company, but why come to our planet for that? Surely there are more capable people in the rest of the universe."
Ivan shook his head despondently and reluctantly replied, "I had given consideration to that, but unfortunately it simply wasn't a feasible option. Most people in the universe have gone through genetic adjustments. This makes them faster, stronger and smarter, but unfortunately, makes them unqualified to work in the company I am starting."
"Surely that would make them more qualified, right?" Cen was unsure if pressing this question was against the Empire's interests, but he couldn't just drop the topic without a conclusion or the viewers would be disbelieving.
"The problem actually lies in what is lost through genetic enhancements, mainly in the subconscious processes of the brain that we identify as instinct or intuition. I can't speak a great deal of the issue due to confidentially, but anyone to successfully join my company must go through a rigorous training session, and this natural instinct plays a key role in adaptability to a new life."
The host was satisfied with this answer and started to lead onto different topics.
"I'm sure anyone who joined your company would benefit greatly from your teachings. But the people want to know much more than just that. They also want to know about the universe. What is it like in space, are there many other planets with alien life?"
"Actually, humans have occupied the three major galaxies and are reaching out to others within our cluster. Each galaxy has its own federation in charge of thousands of worlds. Humans are actually very common in the universe that we know, and separated into their own specie depending on genetic traits. Technically, even your race is also a specie of humanity."
"As for alien life, there are endless amounts of planets capable of supporting life, many of which have developed native creature of countless variations, some more intelligent while others merely instinctual."
"I'm sure there are many people greatly stunned by this, but none so more than me," Cen chuckled brightly. "So many horror films and other with existences of aliens depicted as fur covered monstrosities. We put a terrifying image on what we believed aliens to be, little did we expect they were people just like us."
"This is nothing abnormal, In the ancient times of the planet I came from, when we were just as advanced as you are now, we often depicted them as little green men. There were also several others like terrifying creatures whose blood and spit were an acid that would melt through even steel."
Both Cen and Ivan chuckled at this will the support crew played a sound of an audience laughing in the background.
"This is more of a personal question of mine," Cen joyously asked, feeding off the smooth atmosphere, "But do other kinds of human specie also have eyes like this. I have heard that your head researcher, albeit a slightly surprising appearance, has the same kind of eyes."
Ivan turned to face the camera to answer this question with a smile, displaying his '+' shaped eyes that were like a blue ocean to the audience.
"No, this is something unique to the two of us. It is an alteration to enhance perception, but it's not a medical operation or genetic tampering, more of a forced evolution."
"So, what can you see?"
"The same as you can mostly. The rest is difficult to explain in words, you could describe it as a wider range of perception. The same goes for our voice and hearing, they are basically what you know, just a little bit different."
The interview continued for another hour as the host, Cen, asked various questions with Ivan responding. One section even included Ivan asking several predetermined questions about the Vulpes culture and history in order to learn more about them.
After the interview, Cen was still interested and asked Ivan several off-air questions, leaving things on a high note. Valeria joined him and quietly walked behind him. The crew members didn't like her due to her status, but didn't dare say anything as she was under Ivan's protection.
Iris waited outside with a smile and congratulated Ivan on such a successful interview before briefing him on the next interview at lunch. They left the station under a small military convoy and went straight to the next venue.
The second interview was with a female host in her midyears who was only slightly less popular than Cen. Valeria suffered some discriminatory remarks from people when passing by, but managed to remain passive with her chin raised as Ivan had told her to. Nobody could openly attack or insult her due to Ivan, so she made sure to remain by his side as much as possible.
Iris had accepted her submissiveness this morning and followed any of Ivan's directions. Ivan had whispered to her several times to make sure she walked very close to him, almost arm in arm, as it would give the higher ups the impression that she was doing her job properly. She did this, and even bumped into him several times accidentally out of nervousness, but it only gave the impression that her aim to be intimate with him was more real.
After the second interview, Ivan, Valeria, and Iris under the military convoy travelled to a state-of-the-art research facility where Mazur was leading several top-class talents to understand the new technology. Ivan was genuinely amazed as Mazur demonstrated his super-intellect in grasping the written language shortly after understanding how to speak it.
"How much have you gotten through," Ivan asked curiously upon seeing the whiteboard of complicated calculations and graphs.
Mazur looked toward the scientists diligently copying down the knowledge from the whiteboard, each more excited than the one before.
"They are surprisingly adept at taking in new knowledge. In terms of being able to replicate the technologies, they could manage with half of them. They are still a long way from truly understanding them though, but that is because there is a massive technological gap between what they were at and what this is."
"I will be interviewing potential employees after this, so you stay here and keep working with these scientists and answering these questions. How long will it take you to devise a standardised course in learning the galactic language."
Mazur pondered over this briefly. "There are many learning modules in the galactic web, but we are off the grid here and can't access them, so I'll have to design one from scratch. It should take me approximately a week. I've also been getting hungry, so go hunt some more food."
"Aren't the remains of the last fish I brought up still here?"
"All the energy has dissipated, it is the equivalent of spoilt food, so it has to be discarded."
"Very well, I will go tomorrow."
Mazur glanced at Iris who was standing slightly within earshot. "And you're assistant."
"There are no concerns. Don't forget, I'm the people person."
Ivan split from Mazur and left him to teach the scientists. They also needed to start mass producing nanobots, which were required for forced evolution of a three-dimensional being into a four-dimensional one.
"What is this about… hunting for food?" Iris asked nervously once she could secretly talk with him in the car to the venue prepared for employee interviews. She had even shifted her weight and leaned against Ivan to be able to whisper without the driver hearing.
Ivan chuckled lightly in response, "It is not something you need to worry about, just make sure my schedule is free all of tomorrow. You will understand more about it in the future."
"But… what do I tell the higher ups?"
"Exactly what you will see, I mysteriously disappeared after saying I would return later that night."
"O-Okay."
*****
"Welcome everyone, to the first round of interviews to partake in a new company which will redefine the entire galaxy's understanding of what is possible. Many of you appear to be overly nervous, there is no need for this, none of you will be forced to join."
Ivan spoke from a podium to a throng of a thousand people matching the professions Ivan had requested Yukeli for. Everyone had been provided new clothing for the occasion by the empire, but there were still different expressions depending on their previous social standing. The miners and minor trades had rougher appearances from years of physical labor, while the scientists, land prospectors and architects had more regal countenances and sat straighter.
"Before any confidential company information is provided, at which point in time there will be no turning down the job, I will give you enough of an idea as to whether you wish to partake in this era defining endeavour."
"You will be moving to a new land, one unlike anything you have ever seen or experienced before. This will include an adaption process which does include some danger. There is the chance of failing this adaption, but the rate of failure is lower than 5 percent so you don't need to feel nervous. This adaption process is a forced evolution that will make you stronger, faster, and significantly increase your lifespan."
Ivan watched the people closely, smiling broadly when they appeared to take a great interest at the idea of a longer lifespan.
"Now that you are aware of the danger, I will answer in general questions before you decide to stay for the interview or depart. Nobody will hold you accountable if you do so, but you must be aware that once you do, there will be no second chance."
A middle-aged female Vulpes, a prominently skilled architect, was the first to raise her hand. "I want to know why we should give up our current employment for this new position?"
"Have you ever wanted to broaden your horizons? You will be designing buildings far greater than you could possibly imagine. Not to mention, with the extended lifespan, I wonder just how great you can become."
The woman smiled contently and sat back down, setting her resolution that this was an opportunity she shouldn't give up.
"What about pay and our families? We work hard just to provide for them every week, we can't suddenly stop that support," A random minor stood and asked pensively.
"As I will be making large investments in you, there will be no monetary compensation during the initial period. You will also have no use of it during this time, but a new currency will be created at a later date, which you will be compensated with."
"During the period in which you are gone, the Yolkien Empire will be providing more than ample monetary support so they will have no concerns in daily life. You will also have the opportunity for your families to migrate over to our location in the future as long as you wish."
Several people had mixed feelings, but the support that would be provided to them and their families was truly generous.
"What about home? Will we get to come back here?" A horticulturist asked this question.
"Becoming a part of my company means your new home will be with the company. You will have the opportunity to come back to this planet to visit, or for vacations, but it will no longer be your home. This is a somewhat tough for some people to understand, but you will understand more once you have transitioned into my company."
Some people appeared slightly unsure and were wavering on whether to leave or not, but nearly everyone stayed. There was only five people who decided to leave and return to their normal lives.
Ivan then took the people for a quick one-on-one private interview. This was only to test several answers through a lie detector. They merely needed to confirm that they were not spies or had ill intentions, and could give loyalty to the company.
Only ten people were rejected through this interview process and were escorted out under a military convoy, while the remaining 985 people returned to the main hall.
Ivan also stood in front of the podium and declared openly with a friendly smile.
"Everyone, I personally welcome you to Celestial Trade Incorporated."
"Mr. Ivan, It is a pleasure for you to join us today. I believe there isn't a single person in this empire who isn't curious about you, a visitor from outer space," A handsome Vulpes man with short brown hair, the host of this morning talk show, smiled at Ivan."I'm honored to be present, Cen" Ivan smiled and gave a cordial response.Several high definition cameras moved around the front of the under the control of the crewmembers, ensuring they captured every important angle. Several armed soldiers guarded the outside of the studio outside of camera shot and the entire facility was under military surveillance, but none of the Vulpes watching this show at home would know that.Valeria was also here, but Ivan had agreed to have her remain off camera as a Kivsharr was detested by society and wouldn't make a good response from the public. Ivan would have done this anyway, but he took this as an opportunity to demonstrate his cooperation."You are too humble. I want to ask several questions that everyone wants answers to, the main one being your purpose in coming here to this planet. Our sources tell us that you are starting a company, but why come to our planet for that? Surely there are more capable people in the rest of the universe."Ivan shook his head despondently and reluctantly replied, "I had given consideration to that, but unfortunately it simply wasn't a feasible option. Most people in the universe have gone through genetic adjustments. This makes them faster, stronger and smarter, but unfortunately, makes them unqualified to work in the company I am starting.""Surely that would make them more qualified, right?" Cen was unsure if pressing this question was against the Empire's interests, but he couldn't just drop the topic without a conclusion or the viewers would be disbelieving."The problem actually lies in what is lost through genetic enhancements, mainly in the subconscious processes of the brain that we identify as instinct or intuition. I can't speak a great deal of the issue due to confidentially, but anyone to successfully join my company must go through a rigorous training session, and this natural instinct plays a key role in adaptability to a new life."The host was satisfied with this answer and started to lead onto different topics."I'm sure anyone who joined your company would benefit greatly from your teachings. But the people want to know much more than just that. They also want to know about the universe. What is it like in space, are there many other planets with alien life?""Actually, humans have occupied the three major galaxies and are reaching out to others within our cluster. Each galaxy has its own federation in charge of thousands of worlds. Humans are actually very common in the universe that we know, and separated into their own specie depending on genetic traits. Technically, even your race is also a specie of humanity.""As for alien life, there are endless amounts of planets capable of supporting life, many of which have developed native creature of countless variations, some more intelligent while others merely instinctual.""I'm sure there are many people greatly stunned by this, but none so more than me," Cen chuckled brightly. "So many horror films and other with existences of aliens depicted as fur covered monstrosities. We put a terrifying image on what we believed aliens to be, little did we expect they were people just like us.""This is nothing abnormal, In the ancient times of the planet I came from, when we were just as advanced as you are now, we often depicted them as little green men. There were also several others like terrifying creatures whose blood and spit were an acid that would melt through even steel."Both Cen and Ivan chuckled at this will the support crew played a sound of an audience laughing in the background."This is more of a personal question of mine," Cen joyously asked, feeding off the smooth atmosphere, "But do other kinds of human specie also have eyes like this. I have heard that your head researcher, albeit a slightly surprising appearance, has the same kind of eyes."Ivan turned to face the camera to answer this question with a smile, displaying his '+' shaped eyes that were like a blue ocean to the audience."No, this is something unique to the two of us. It is an alteration to enhance perception, but it's not a medical operation or genetic tampering, more of a forced evolution.""So, what can you see?""The same as you can mostly. The rest is difficult to explain in words, you could describe it as a wider range of perception. The same goes for our voice and hearing, they are basically what you know, just a little bit different."The interview continued for another hour as the host, Cen, asked various questions with Ivan responding. One section even included Ivan asking several predetermined questions about the Vulpes culture and history in order to learn more about them.After the interview, Cen was still interested and asked Ivan several off-air questions, leaving things on a high note. Valeria joined him and quietly walked behind him. The crew members didn't like her due to her status, but didn't dare say anything as she was under Ivan's protection.Iris waited outside with a smile and congratulated Ivan on such a successful interview before briefing him on the next interview at lunch. They left the station under a small military convoy and went straight to the next venue.The second interview was with a female host in her midyears who was only slightly less popular than Cen. Valeria suffered some discriminatory remarks from people when passing by, but managed to remain passive with her chin raised as Ivan had told her to. Nobody could openly attack or insult her due to Ivan, so she made sure to remain by his side as much as possible.Iris had accepted her submissiveness this morning and followed any of Ivan's directions. Ivan had whispered to her several times to make sure she walked very close to him, almost arm in arm, as it would give the higher ups the impression that she was doing her job properly. She did this, and even bumped into him several times accidentally out of nervousness, but it only gave the impression that her aim to be intimate with him was more real.After the second interview, Ivan, Valeria, and Iris under the military convoy travelled to a state-of-the-art research facility where Mazur was leading several top-class talents to understand the new technology. Ivan was genuinely amazed as Mazur demonstrated his super-intellect in grasping the written language shortly after understanding how to speak it."How much have you gotten through," Ivan asked curiously upon seeing the whiteboard of complicated calculations and graphs.Mazur looked toward the scientists diligently copying down the knowledge from the whiteboard, each more excited than the one before."They are surprisingly adept at taking in new knowledge. In terms of being able to replicate the technologies, they could manage with half of them. They are still a long way from truly understanding them though, but that is because there is a massive technological gap between what they were at and what this is.""I will be interviewing potential employees after this, so you stay here and keep working with these scientists and answering these questions. How long will it take you to devise a standardised course in learning the galactic language."Mazur pondered over this briefly. "There are many learning modules in the galactic web, but we are off the grid here and can't access them, so I'll have to design one from scratch. It should take me approximately a week. I've also been getting hungry, so go hunt some more food.""Aren't the remains of the last fish I brought up still here?""All the energy has dissipated, it is the equivalent of spoilt food, so it has to be discarded.""Very well, I will go tomorrow."Mazur glanced at Iris who was standing slightly within earshot. "And you're assistant.""There are no concerns. Don't forget, I'm the people person."Ivan split from Mazur and left him to teach the scientists. They also needed to start mass producing nanobots, which were required for forced evolution of a three-dimensional being into a four-dimensional one."What is this about hunting for food?" Iris asked nervously once she could secretly talk with him in the car to the venue prepared for employee interviews. She had even shifted her weight and leaned against Ivan to be able to whisper without the driver hearing.Ivan chuckled lightly in response, "It is not something you need to worry about, just make sure my schedule is free all of tomorrow. You will understand more about it in the future.""But what do I tell the higher ups?""Exactly what you will see, I mysteriously disappeared after saying I would return later that night.""O-Okay."*****"Welcome everyone, to the first round of interviews to partake in a new company which will redefine the entire galaxy's understanding of what is possible. Many of you appear to be overly nervous, there is no need for this, none of you will be forced to join."Ivan spoke from a podium to a throng of a thousand people matching the professions Ivan had requested Yukeli for. Everyone had been provided new clothing for the occasion by the empire, but there were still different expressions depending on their previous social standing. The miners and minor trades had rougher appearances from years of physical labor, while the scientists, land prospectors and architects had more regal countenances and sat straighter."Before any confidential company information is provided, at which point in time there will be no turning down the job, I will give you enough of an idea as to whether you wish to partake in this era defining endeavour.""You will be moving to a new land, one unlike anything you have ever seen or experienced before. This will include an adaption process which does include some danger. There is the chance of failing this adaption, but the rate of failure is lower than 5 percent so you don't need to feel nervous. This adaption process is a forced evolution that will make you stronger, faster, and significantly increase your lifespan."Ivan watched the people closely, smiling broadly when they appeared to take a great interest at the idea of a longer lifespan."Now that you are aware of the danger, I will answer in general questions before you decide to stay for the interview or depart. Nobody will hold you accountable if you do so, but you must be aware that once you do, there will be no second chance."A middle-aged female Vulpes, a prominently skilled architect, was the first to raise her hand. "I want to know why we should give up our current employment for this new position?""Have you ever wanted to broaden your horizons? You will be designing buildings far greater than you could possibly imagine. Not to mention, with the extended lifespan, I wonder just how great you can become."The woman smiled contently and sat back down, setting her resolution that this was an opportunity she shouldn't give up."What about pay and our families? We work hard just to provide for them every week, we can't suddenly stop that support," A random minor stood and asked pensively."As I will be making large investments in you, there will be no monetary compensation during the initial period. You will also have no use of it during this time, but a new currency will be created at a later date, which you will be compensated with.""During the period in which you are gone, the Yolkien Empire will be providing more than ample monetary support so they will have no concerns in daily life. You will also have the opportunity for your families to migrate over to our location in the future as long as you wish."Several people had mixed feelings, but the support that would be provided to them and their families was truly generous."What about home? Will we get to come back here?" A horticulturist asked this question."Becoming a part of my company means your new home will be with the company. You will have the opportunity to come back to this planet to visit, or for vacations, but it will no longer be your home. This is a somewhat tough for some people to understand, but you will understand more once you have transitioned into my company."Some people appeared slightly unsure and were wavering on whether to leave or not, but nearly everyone stayed. There was only five people who decided to leave and return to their normal lives.Ivan then took the people for a quick one-on-one private interview. This was only to test several answers through a lie detector. They merely needed to confirm that they were not spies or had ill intentions, and could give loyalty to the company.Only ten people were rejected through this interview process and were escorted out under a military convoy, while the remaining 985 people returned to the main hall.Ivan also stood in front of the podium and declared openly with a friendly smile."Everyone, I personally welcome you to Celestial Trade Incorporated."
