B IS FOR BLUE
Chapter One: Mr. Joja
"Blue is the perfect employee." Mr. Joja said, hands folded behind his crisply pressed suit, surveying the office workers from high above in his corporate office.
All he could see were the tops of their heads, tucked neatly inside their boxed, grey cubicles, illuminated by little squares of light from their flickering computer screens.
But even from there, he could spot Blue, her seafoam hair only slightly faded beneath the draining fluorescence in the office.
It was an unnatural colour, but a side-effect after the accident.
"She even wears the merchandise." He nodded approvingly, referring to her matching blue Joja t-shirt. "Tell me, No.7, how can we make more employees exactly like her and maximize efficiency?"
No.7 stood in direct contrast to Mr. Joja.
Where Mr. Joja had black hair streaked with white No.7's was a youthful orange. Mr. Joja wore sharp spectacles and a beard trimmed close to his face and No.7 had no adornments to speak of. Not even a watch. Mr. Joja always dressed in a bright blue, pin-striped suit - No.7 wore a stony grey. Mr. Joja's head only reached No.7's shoulders, yet it would be clear to anyone standing in the room who was in charge.
The man in the blue suit had a commanding air of an emperor, where the man in the grey faded into the shadows.
They were exact opposites.
"Aside from accidentally dropping them in a vat of our secret cola formula?" No.7 asked.
A sharp look from Mr. Joja made No.7 cough away his joke.
No.7 always said the dumbest things in Mr. Joja's office.
It was cleaner than the cubicle floor, and made of silver tiles instead of grey. The walls were bare, stark of any unnecessary decoration, and Mr. Joja's enormous desk was its only furniture.
No.7 always thought that the desk's unusual size was intended for intimidation, but it only ever seemed to dwarf Mr. Joja and make him look like a child in comparison.
"We don't speak of the...accident." Mr. Joja reminded him, adjusting his cufflinks in a huff. "Lawsuits, insurance-"
"She would never sue." No.7 replied with confidence. "It was years ago. Besides, she loves JojaCorp."
A buzzing horn from the office below sounded.
"Looks like another one fainted." No.7 noted as minor men in suits entered the office with a stretcher.
"Dock his pay." Mr. Joja shook his head and muttered curses about employee laziness. "Blue never faints. Blue never complains. Blue doesn't even cash her paychecks."
"Well, she does live here, sir."
"Right, right. We took her in as a child. What happened to her crazy mother again? Jumped in the ocean?"
"Fell in. A storm." No.7 corrected. "When they were crossing the Gem Sea, escaping the Gotoro conflict, I believe."
"Ah, I remember. Must have thought she was a fish, huh?" Mr. Joja's lips pulled back into a smile.
No.7 realized his boss was attempting to make a joke. He forced out a laugh until Mr. Joja looked satisfied.
"And her father?"
"A soldier. We don't know which side." No.7 straightened. "Otherwise unknown."
"No other family?"
"Not that she's mentioned."
"How tragically convenient." Mr. Joja smiled again. He clapped his hands three times. "I've decided, No.7, I want more orphans working for me."
"I'll...get right on that, sir."
"Good." Mr. Joja checked his shiny silver watch. "Time for tea."
In the office below, the green 'work' light switched off and the red 'rest' light turned on for the employees' five minute lunch break.
"As always you are a deep well of useful information, No.7."
No.7 bowed his head. "Thank you."
"I see a promotion in your future." Mr. Joja patted him on the shoulder as he made his way for the door.
To this day, No.7 does not know what drove him to say what he said next. "What about Blue?" He blurted out.
Mr. Joja kept walking, but slowed. "What about her?"
"Well, you said so yourself. She's our best employee. Loyal. Hardworking." No.7 stumbled over himself. "Shouldn't she be promoted to upper management?"
Mr. Joja paused in the doorway.
No.7 tried to stare down Mr. Joja with as innocent an expression as possible, but it was difficult, his boss's shined spectacles always gave him a robotic effect. No.7 shifted uncomfortably as the silence stretched between them.
"Why would I do that? She's most efficient exactly where she is. She can work inside that cubicle for the rest of her life."
"Aren't you worried she'll get unhappy? Quit?"
Mr. Joja's gaze fell heavy on No.7. "No." The tone of his voice sent chills down No.7's spine. "Because you won't let her, will you, No.7?"
It was not a question.
No.7 swallowed, his adam's apple bobbing up and down his throat.
"I would be very displeased if anything happened to Blue. She sets the example for the others. Don't disappoint me, No.7."
"I...won't let you down, sir."
Mr. Joja waited for a moment, then nodded. "I can always count on you." He smiled, showing all his teeth. "Get it? Count?" He let out a harsh, barking laugh as he strolled down the hallway.
No.7 was left alone in the office. His back, arrow straight, relaxed once he was certain Mr. Joja would not return.
He looked back through the window and watched the employees mill around the office for their lunch break, like a hive of bees, swapping gossip and food.
His eyes naturally drifted to the little head of blue hair, which never moved from her cubicle. Blue never talked to anyone, or did anything, except work.
Ever.
She's happy. No.7 thought, reaffirming himself. She loves JojaCorp. She'll never leave us. His heart thumped in his chest. She'll never leave me.
Right?
End of Chapter One
Just for fun. I've spent enough hours playing this game I thought I'd try my hand at writing about it.
~Satchelle