Human Resources
"Good morning, Mr. Archer. Please, take a seat. Before we begin, let us remind you that, as an employee of Emerald Industries Incorporated, you are in the obligation of withholding no information from us in this investigation. This is not a trial, and we are neither judges nor juries, so if you choose not to collaborate, your contract will be terminated, effective immediately. Do you understand these conditions?"
"Yeah, sure."
"Very well, Mr. Archer. Are you aware of the reason why you were called here today?
"Of course I do."
"Let us begin, then. On the third of October, our security team uncovered security footage featuring an unusual event that occurred around midnight in the R&D department. Were you in the laboratory that night?"
"Yeah."
"Please elaborate, Mr. Archer. What were you doing at the facilities so late at night?"
"I wanted to use the prototype."
"Are you aware that the prototype is property of Emerald Industries and that its personal use is strictly prohibited?"
"Yes."
"Do you acknowledge that you made unauthorised use of the prototype, then?"
"Yes."
"And how do you justify this behaviour?"
"I wanted to see her one more time."
"She, meaning…?"
"You know who. Sarah. My wife."
"Excuse us, Mr. Archer. As you are well aware, your wife died last year."
"She didn't die. You killed her!"
"Our investigation determined that the event was due to a device malfunction, Mr Archer. The death of Mrs. Thornton was a tragic accident, but Emerald Industries acknowledges no responsibility."
"You knew what would happen! We told you!"
"Please Mr. Archer, calm down, or we will have to call security."
"You know what? It doesn't fucking matter anymore. She's not dead."
"We are afraid that we do not follow."
"You saw it, on your security cameras, right?"
"The footage revealed your unauthorised use of the prototype, as well as some strange phenomena occurring in the laboratory. After that, the recording was corrupted."
"Well, she's alive. I saw her."
"That is not possible, Mr. Archer. The prototype is not designed to open a rift large enough for a human to travel safely through it. All prior tests failed."
"I know that. We made the damn thing. But she's in there, I saw it!"
"Is it possible that the trauma of losing your wife has created this delusion, Mr. Archer?"
"You're not listening to me! She is alive, and I can bring her back!"
"We are afraid that is not possible. The Department of Defense is very impressed with the performance of the prototype in its current state, and are looking forward to putting it to use."
"Wait, you cannot do this. It's not ready. It will fail. The consequences could be terrible!"
"The project has been delayed long enough. We need to deliver and move on to the next iteration. We can fix any potential issues as we implement the mass production phase."
"This is insane! And what about Sarah?"
"We are sorry, Mr. Archer. We believe you present a severe case of dissociation and paranoia. We really wish you the best in seeking the professional help that you are in clear need of."
"You cannot do this! You are killing her again!"
"The prototype has been shipped, and the laboratory is being dismantled as we speak. Your contract is now officially rescinded. Our security team will escort you outside the premises of Emerald Industries. Your personal belongings will be sent to your home address shortly."
"You murderers! You fucking murderers! You will pay for this!"
"Have a good rest of your day, Mr. Archer."