Stepping off the bus with a dozen others, Piper felt her nerves getting to her as she craned her neck upwards to look at the great glass skyscraper that was the YengCorp building, the Japanese lettering of the company spelled out in darkened panels along the side about ten stories up. It wasn't the tallest building in the city, but it was certainly the most impressive, and the most intimidating to boot. Something about the steel and glass just screamed 'I'm the biggest badass in town, don't fuck with me.'
Taking a deep breath, Piper followed the crowd of harried businessmen through the front entrance into a packed reception area, shooting a quick glance at her cell phone and hoping she could get where she was going in the next ten minutes. Not exactly good odds of that happening, Piper Black thought to herself as she squeezed through the crowded lobby, starting to feel a little claustrophobic. Maybe it would have been easier to just veg out at home, she thought.
No. No it wouldn't be, Piper thought to herself, clenching her fists in determination. You're better then that pig trying to overflow the sofa back home. You can make this work, you just need a sign...
Salvation came in the form of a directory along the wall next to the elevators, listing off floors and phone numbers for different departments, and between a couple dozen corporate buzzwords was the name "Research and Development, Floor 14," in shiny green lettering. Forcing her way through the crowded lobby, even elbowing out of the way a few suits more interested in chatting then getting to work, Piper managed to slip into an elevator, adding her Floor 14 to the floors already selected.
After a few minutes that felt like hours, Piper stepped onto the 14th floor by herself, feeling like she was able to breath again. Compared to the frantic front lobby, the reception desk here was like a doctor's office, cool and clean and sterile, if a little dull. Behind the desk, a middle-aged woman with her black hair in a bun spoke rapid-fire Japanese into the phone as she typed on her keyboard. With one snapping retort at the person on the other end, the woman slammed the phone down and turned to Piper with a sunny but clearly fake smile.
"Good morning," she said with just the hint of an accent. "Can I help you?"
"Er, yeah, I'm Piper Black, the new girl?" Piper said, unsure of how this worked. Did she clock in and get to work like at a fast food place, or something?
Turning to her computer again, the secretary typed in Piper's name and scrolled a bit. "Hmm...lot of names to scroll through, do you know where you're working Miss Black? Something to narrow it down?"
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