The Applicant

By Michael W. Layne

Chris is nervous, yet excited about his job interview. He has no idea that he's about to be introduced to a company where magic and technology blend together seamlessly. When he experiences the power stored in the company's mysterious cubes, he wants the job at Rune Corp more than ever. But first he must prove that he's the best applicant for the position and be willing to fight for it in ways he's never dreamed before possible.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Michael W. Layne
• Release date: Jan 11, 2014
• ISBN: 9781311088437

Michael W. Layne

Mike has been writing short story fiction since his college days and is the author of multiple fantasy and urban fantasy series. He lives in Northern Virginia with his dog, Rocky, and lots of computers. He does not get nearly enough sleep...

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THE APPLICANT

By Michael W. Layne

THE APPLICANT

By Michael W. Layne

Smashwords Edition

This novel is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination, or, if real, used fictitiously.

Copyright 2013 Michael W. Layne

Cover art by Jeff Brown Graphics (http://www.jeffbrowngraphics.com)

Smashwords Author Page

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

The world is full of magic things, patiently waiting for our senses to grow sharper.

W.B. Yeats

Contents

The Applicant

Excerpt from The Conservation of Magic

Note from Mike

Acknowledgements

About the Author

1

It was just past dawn in the Tysons Corner area of Northern Virginia, and the Rune Corp employees were filing one by one through the front doors of the five-story, all-glass office building. For them, it was the start of just another workday. But for Chris, this morning was potentially the beginning of a whole new life.

Chris was fresh out of college with a B.S. in computer programming, but so far he had only been able to find temporary work doing construction jobs. A temp construction worker was not the career he had been hoping for, although the truth was that Chris had no idea of what he wanted to do in the real world. He only hoped to one day make more money, get a girlfriend, and if possible, be happy. That was one thing he noticed right away about the Rune Corp employees slogging their way through the oppressive morning humidity of the D.C. summer—despite the heat, they all seemed happy. Chris also noticed that none of them were wearing suits. In fact, they were all dressed in comfortable clothes such as jeans and tee shirts. Maybe Chris had wasted his money buying a new suit for the interview after all. Then again, if he didn’t get this job, at least he’d be ready for the next opportunity when and if it came along. The thought of having another interview lined up made Chris laugh since he had been looking for a job all summer, and Rune Corp had been the first place to show even a remote amount of interest.

The Rune Corp logo looked down on him from five floors above the ground as Chris hopped out of his car and made his way to the bank of reflective glass doors that led into the building. As he approached, a young woman with short blonde hair and dressed in a well-tailored blue pants suit stepped forward to greet him.

Chris? she asked, holding her hand out to shake. Hi. I’m Cara. It’s a pleasure to meet you.

Chris returned her firm handshake. From that brief touch alone, he was instantly in what Chris referred to as severe like and was unable to form much of a coherent sentence. Instead, he simply nodded and followed Cara for a few feet to where a man and a woman stood waiting. As Chris was introduced to Natalie and David, hands were shaken, and premature judgments were made by all parties. Natalie looked slightly older than Chris and was red-cheeked and petite with auburn hair, while David was tall and rail thin with shaggy dark brown hair. Both were dressed well in sharp, dark colored business suits, making Chris feel a little better about his own choice of attire. After chatting for a minute or two while Cara made a phone call on her cell, Chris thought that Natalie seemed overly tough and determined, whereas David came across as being a bit reserved and shy, but with an intense stare. Chris tried to not let his first impressions dictate how he was going to interact with the other two candidates. In other circumstances they might have all been friends and might have had a beer after a long day of interviewing, but today they were combatants. Chris would be nice and considerate, of course, but he also would be prepared to do whatever it would take to win.

First, we need to get you inside, Cara said to the group, with a smile. "That may not seem like a big deal, but I have to ask you to please leave any cell