Interviewing the Applicants

Disclaimer: Don't own Ghostbusters.

The news spread like wildfire.

The Ghostbusters retiring and taking applications for people to replace them? Needless to say their doorstep was completely covered with boxes, letters, packages, everything and anything relating to the company. Some people sent farewell and thank you combo gifts, other people left farewells that weren't exactly heartfelt, some others were letters begging them not to leave and the rest were applications for the new openings in the company.

"Well," Peter popped a brownie from a farewell package into his mouth as he looked at the growing pile of applications, "Who knew so many people wanted the job?"

Egon fanned a few applications outward, looking over them carefully, "I'm as surprised as you are, Venkman, but we can't hire them all,"

"I know, that's way too much paperwork and way too many paychecks!"

Spengler gave his friend a brief look, "Peter, could you stop eating our gifts and help us out here?"

"I would, but I'm taste-testing these so-called gifts," Peter turned away, stuffing another brownie in his mouth, "Who knows, they might be poisoned!"

"Yeah, like you're one for making sure stuff is safe," Ray shook his head a little, "If the little Spud was here, he'd be able to do that for you,"

"Speaking of the little green blob, what are we gonna do about him?" Peter inquired, "I mean, it's been almost a week since you saw anything from him and we haven't gotten a call about him yet?"

"I'm afraid until someone reports a fat blob of green ectoplasm gorging himself on food and drink, there's not much else we can do," Ray replied, "I'm surprised we haven't gotten any calls from the Sedgewick Hotel though, that's usually where he goes once he's out of our hands,"

"We don't need to worry about Slimer, he's practically harmless," Egon waved another batch of applications in the air, "We need to worry about who we're going to hire and train,"

"Isn't there any promising candidates, Spengs?"

"Sadly, no," Egon sighed, "Half of these are joke applications. See, this one says that a man named Ben Dover wants to join the company!"

"What about the other half?" Ray asked, looking over his batch, "They can't all be as bad as those?"

Egon shook his head, "No, but almost. Half of the total applications are pranks and most of the remaining ones are ones we shouldn't even consider hiring,"

"Why the hell not?" Peter swiped one of his files and looked through it, "I don't see anything in here that says we can't hire someone-,"

"A lot of these people have bad criminal histories, Venkman," Egon cut him off, "Do you really want to be the one responsible for giving a convicted felon a device that could very well destroy half the city?"

"...okay, point taken, Brainiac," Peter threw the file back onto the desk, "So, the small batch that actually seem to have a chance, are they the ones we're going to talk to?"

"I'm afraid we don't have a choice,"

"Alright, I'll tell Janine to brew up some coffee, sounds like she's going to have a busy time ahead of her,"

"Venkman...,"

"What?"

A week after their announcement on live TV, and after days of reviewing applications, the Ghostbusters decided to call in the ones with the most potential. There was a handful of good applicants, but only a select few of them would get the jobs...if they passed their interviews. Luckily for her, Janine convinced the boys to take their shares of the interviews so she wouldn't be the one swamped with work. After all, they were the ones retiring, they had to do some of the last bit of work they had on their plates.

Venkman had seen his share of enthusiastic fans of the Ghostbusters before, but the young man that sat directly in front of him in his office was one of the bigger nerds, er, fans that he had ever seen before in his life. The young man was in his early twenties and was practically covered in Ghostbusters merchandise. From his T-shirt with their logo on the front, a loose black jacket with the same logo on the shoulders and a Ghostbusters bandanna wrapped around his head of dark brown hair that was peeking out in long strands in front of his face. Peter could see an incredibly excited look in the kid's blue-green eyes that were hiding behind his eyeglasses and he knew that he had been stuck with a gigantic fanboy.

God, why couldn't I have gotten an interview with a woman? I may be married, but at least I wouldn't have to put up with this... Peter thought as he looked over the application, "So...," he peered at the name written down, "Brian?"

"Yeah. Brian Berg," the young man held out a hand, "Awesome to meet you, Doctor Venkman!"

"Uh, yeah," Peter quickly shook his head and pulled away, "So, we've been going over your file for a while now and I'd like to know something,"

"Of course, anything!"

"Why do you want to be a Ghostbuster?"

Brian grinned widely, "Are you frickin' kidding?!" he leaned forward, the excited look getting brighter, "Doctor Venkman, I have been a fan of you and the other Ghostbusters...all my life!"

"I can see that," Peter glanced at his wardrobe, "But getting all the merchandise you can get your hands on doesn't mean you're qualified, kiddo,"

"No, but I'm sure it gives some brownie points or something," Brian shrugged a little, "But I don't care about that. Because of you guys, for most of my entire life, I've been reading book after book about paranormal stuff! I've been to websites, I've been in chatrooms, I've even read some of the published works of Doctors Stantz and Spengler! I know a lot about this stuff and I think that I can do it!" he grinned wider, "I've always wanted to work alongside the guys who took down the Stay Puft Marhsmallow Man...twice! I also wanted to join you ever since you marched the Statue of Liberty right up to the Manhattan Museum of Art back in '89!"

Peter raised an eyebrow, "You would have been two years back then...according to your application,"

"Yeah, I know, but thanks to digital copying, video archives and websites, I've read reports from eyewitnesses, I've seen videos of you guys in action, I know just about everything about you guys! I even know that you keep a ghost of your own here!" Brian paused and looked around quickly, "Speaking of, is he here? Is Slimer here, I wanna meet him, too!"

Jeez...fanboy's worst than I thought...

"No, he's not here, he's...busy with something for us, but back to the questions, kid," Peter cleared his throat, "What you're pretty much saying is that you want to join up because it's a dream of yours to do so?"

Brian nodded rapidly, "Hell yeah!"

"And...you don't have a problem with spirits?"

"Nuh-uh,"

"Have any problems with the possibilities of being a demon's bitch?"

Brian was quiet for a few moments, but shook his head, "Nope,"

"Why?"

"Because if I was a Ghostbuster, and if I saw a demon, I'd nuke that sucker clean into the new millennium!" Brian sat back in the chair, "To quote the motto: I ain't afraid of no ghosts!"

Peter just stared at him, then at the file, then back at him.

Oh well, not like I'm going to be sticking around here much longer...

"Congratulations, kid, you got the job,"

"HELL YEAH!!!"

"Alrighty," Ray smiled at his applicant and folded his hands, "First of all, Miss...," he looked down at the file, "Uh...,"

"Chambers. Kirsty Chambers," a cute young woman with long blonde hair and a British accent answered for him, giving him her own smile, "It's a pleasure to meet you and to be here,"

Ray's smile stayed, he had just been with this woman for a few moments after his last interview, but he was already starting to get a good feeling about her. He cleared his throat and lifted his hands, putting them in front of his face, "Miss Chambers, before we begin, I would like to express that while this is a rewarding and a very interesting job experience, that it doesn't mean there's no threat to danger to anyone who works here," he said calmly, but with a serious tone, "There were many times when I, and the rest of my team, have faced certain death on a case,"

"Of course," Kirsty nodded, "I known about your reputation as well as the dangerous spirits out there. Don't think that will deter me though, Doctor Stantz,"

She's dead set on this... Ray blinked a few times, then nodded and continued the interview, "It says here you've lived in England most of your life, but you've recently decided to move here. Why?"

Kirsty reached up and scratched the back of her head idly, "Well...it's complicated. Originally, it's my family,"

"Oh? You moved to get away?"

"Yeah," Kirsty nodded quickly, "They don't really believe in what you all do and I was originally moving here to try out a new country, but when I found out that you were retiring, I thought this would be a perfect opportunity to do what you guys do! I'm very enthusiastic about the spirit world, Doctor Stantz,"

"Is that so?"

"Oh yes, very much. I've taken a few courses in the paranormal sciences back home and I've read many books from cover to cover many, many times, particularly the works that you published over the years," Kirsty sat back in her seat and shook her head, "I knew there were all kinds of spirits, but that Spirit Guide that you and Doctor Spengler published really opened my eyes to even more types of spooks! I knew ghosts were scary a lot of the time, but what you all have faced in your careers...it sends shivers down my spine!"

"Hehe, well, if those are good shivers, maybe I'll take you down to the containment unit down in the sub-basement. There's a viewer in there so you can see all the bad spirits we captured over the years,"

"Sounds wonderful,"

Ray looked at the file again, "It says here that you have a decent grade point average, and that you've got a high level of intelligence,"

"I don't mean to sound rude or snobbish, sir, but don't you have to have a certain level of intelligence to work this job? I mean, to use a proton pack or any other equipment you use is one thing, but what is a person of average intelligence going to do if the equipment fails?"

"Heh, don't worry, Kirsty, you're honest and that's a good thing," Ray gave a nod, then looked at the file yet again, "Well,, I must admit, you're certainly qualified and also very eager," he looked up and the smile reappeared, "I don't see any reason why you can't be a part of the company,"

"Does this mean that-?"

Ray chuckled and rose from his chair, holding his hand out, "Welcome to the Ghostbusters, Miss Chambers!"

Kirsty let out a small squeal and shot up from her chair, shaking Ray's hand as hard as she could, "Thank you, Doctor Stantz, you don't know how much this means to me!"

"Haha, okay, okay," Ray pulled his hand away as politely as he could, "I just have one question,"

"Yes?"

"Your last name, Chambers. Is that a common name in England?"

Kirsty gave a small laugh and nodded, "Pretty common. Why?"

"Oh, no reason," Ray waved her off, "Just something popped into my head,"

Egon looked straight at the young man that sat in front of him. He had pale skin, a pair of horn-rimmed glasses that he wore in front of a pair of eyes that seemed to have a mixture of brown and green, a head of black hair that went down to his shoulders and judging from the clothing he wore, he was one of those reclusive types of people who didn't get much physical activity but also didn't get much fat added to his build. The older Ghostbuster couldn't help but reminded a bit of himself when he was younger.

"Ezekial Cubar," he held up the application, "It says here that you've had some jobs before this, but have always gotten fired or quit shortly after. May I ask why?"

"Because people didn't like me,"

Egon glanced at him, "They didn't like you?"

Ezekial (who also went by both Izzy or Izz) nodded slowly, "That's right, Doctor Spengler. They didn't like me, so I quit,"

"While it's not really any of my business, may I ask why they didn't like you?"

Izz sighed and brushed a strand of hair behind his ear, "I'm smarter than most people and I'm also a bit...eccentric,"

"How so?"

"I tend to take any materials I can think of and make what I can out of them,"

Egon raised an eyebrow.

Izzy leaned forward, noticing the intrigued look on the older scientist, "Ever seen a pair of roller-skates that were powered not by the force of a human being, but by the sheer power of rocket fuel?"

"...to be honest, no,"

"Well, you should have seen the pair I made," Izzy sat back, propping his head on the desk, "It started out okay, but I ended up crashing into a brick wall about five seconds later. I spent a couple of days in the hospital getting treated for broken bones. To be honest, Doctor Spengler, you give me anything that involves technology, I can either fix it or I can improve it,"

"Is that so?" Egon challenged, "So, you consider yourself a prodigy, do you?"

Izzy nodded, "May sound a bit self-absorbed for me to say, but it's true. Besides the old jobs I had, I used to do anything I could to make some money. Hell, my neighbors pay me petty cash just to fix their TV, a microwave or their DVD player,"

"I see," Egon tapped his desk with a pencil a little bit, "Well, even though I'll have to actually check your claims about your talent with technology, I have another important question for you. As a supposed man of science, you must have a level of disbelief with the supernatural and the spirit world,"

"...I did, once upon a time,"

"Beg your pardon?"

"I used to not really believe in crap like that," Izzy explained, "I used to think that the technologies, the stars, the written sciences...all of that was the real deal, not the occult. But when I actually came face to face with a spirit, and a really messed up one I might add, I began to think differently about my beliefs," Izzy looked straight at Egon, "I'll be frank, Doctor Spengler, you can look through candidate after candidate and I'm sure will spark your interest, but by the end of the long search, you'll think about me,"

"Why is that?"

Izzy smiled and pulled his glasses off, wiping them with his shirt, "Because, I doubt one of those people will even come close to fixing a proton pack on the job and I'll bet you fifty bucks that I'll be able to do that on the spot. The question is this: do you think I'm worthy to be a Ghostbuster?"

Egon stared at his applicant again, then returned his gaze to the application in front of his face. It was true, from all the information, Ezekial did seem to have some skills that would be needed on the field, not to mention the high level of intelligence. His attitude could use some work though, but he did seem to have the will to be a part of the team, even if there was a slim chance to join up. The aging Ghostbuster looked back and forth for the longest time, and Izzy held that smug grin on his face for just as long.

Finally, Egon knew that he had better face the facts. Sighing quietly, he leaned over the desk and held out his hand, "Welcome to the Ghostbusters, Ezekial,"

"Aw, thanks. Call me Izzy,"

"I'll be honest with you, son, I don't really know anything about hiring new people," Winston started off his one and only interview, opening a can of soda as he did, "When I joined up with these guys, I didn't know jack shit about what the hell they were packing or what they were doing. Luckily for me, it had good pay and I learned how to handle myself through time and practice,"

A young man with curly brown hair calmly brought out a cigarette and silver lighter, flicking it open, flame already burning. He looked at Zeddmore, "You mind if I-?"

"No, go ahead,"

"Sweet," the job hunter lit his cigarette and took a long drag before blowing a puff of smoke into the air above him, "Needed that. Alright, old timer, here's my honest schtick,"

Winston couldn't help but feel an eyebrow twitch at the term "Old Timer". He knew he was getting in his age, but STILL!

"You know my name is Jonathan Jarocki from my special piece of paper there," the young man nodded to the application in Winston's hand, "The only reason I'm even trying for this job is because I need a job that pays more than $1.25 an hour. I don't really believe in the ghost stories or whatever the hell you got going on there. I'm just a guy who is interested in the gothic crowd, and who is looking for some cash. My best and pretty much only noteworthy skill is that I'm good with vehicles. Give me a junker and the right parts, I can have it up and running in no time at all. You want me to believe in ghosts, then I'll believe it as long as I get paid for doing whatever job you give me,"

Old Zeddmore stared at him and the memory of the day he got hired came flooding back to him.

-Flashback-

"Do you believe in UFOs, astral projections, mental telepathy, ESP, clairvoyance, spirit photography, telekinetic movement, full trance mediums, the Loch Ness Monster and the Theory of Atlantis?" Janine shot question after question, propping her head up in complete boredom.

Winston took a few moments to answer, "Uh...if there's a steady paycheck in it...then I'll believe anything you say,"

-End Flashback-

"So, waddya say, old timer?"

Winston clicked his tongue, "Kid, I'm gonna tell you what someone told me a long time ago,"

"Hm?"

"Welcome aboard!"

Peter, Ray, Egon, Janine and Winston looked out at the newly hired team from the safety and privacy of Peter's soon-to-be empty office in the back of the firehouse.

"So, these are the newbloods, huh?" Janine asked her friends as she chewed a relatively fresh piece of gum, "A fanboy who just might have ADD, a Goth kid who doesn't really believe and just wants to get money in his pockets, a smartass whose ego matches his IQ level and a girl from England. Sure know how to pick 'em, guys,"

Ray shrugged, "I think they'll do alright,"

"Fifty bucks says the fan whose overdosed on sugar blows himself up in a week," Janine cracked, "Well, it's your call guys, you gotta live with it. Luckily with my choice, I don't have a thing to worry about,"

The four older men turned to her, "Your choice?" they asked in unison.

Janine smiled and pointed a finger to the front through the open doorway. The guys followed her finger to see a fifth person, a young man with shaggy brown hair sitting on top of Ecto-1a, tapping the front of the grill in boredom.

"Who the hell is that?"

"You guys are retiring and getting new people to help out, so am I," Janine folded her arms, "The kids name is Toby Dicey. He came looking for a job, but since the odds of him being hired as a new Ghostbuster were pretty damn slim so...," she waved slightly, "Meet the new receptionist. He's good with computers, he can type, he knows how to work a lot of the new gear out there today, which is a giant plus since it's a major pain in the ass for me nowadays. All I have to do is give him the basic run-through and he'll be set,"

Peter nudged her lightly, "Guess that means you're out of here, huh Bug-Eyes?"

Janine glared at him.

"Sorry...dunno why that old nickname came up," Peter scratched his head, "All that's left is to get them trained and they're ready, huh?"

"That and decide what to do with the car," Winston reminded him, "Might as well get them uniforms as well,"

"Oh, that will be a challenge. Where on earth are we going to find four gray jumpsuits with customizable name tags?" Peter asked loudly, "We're doomed!!"

SMACK

"Ow! Janine...!"

Kilnorc: Alright, there's that chapter! Hope you guys like the new team (those you may know already, but last one named Jonathan is a new OC given from a friend. The following OCs belong to the following people.

Brian Berg - Belongs to me.

Ezekial Cubar - Belongs to Dude of Doom

Kirsty Chambers - Belongs to Super-nanny

Jonathan Jarocki - Belongs to gambit508.

Tutorials and possible on the job training coming very soon!

Now, before I go, I'm curious. In the video game, although it was unexplained, they had Vigo's painting in the firehouse, even though it was destroyed AND altered in the last movie. I'm good either way on this, but I'm wondering, should I include Vigo's painting? I have an idea of what kind of collection the guys have from jobs and stuff, and with GB fandom and knowledge of the game, I'm wondering about Vigo's painting.