As more and more days passed since Jake's termination, he felt more and more down. This wasn't the way things were supposed to turn out. He sent his resume to company after company, every single company that employed computer programmers within an hour and half's drive got one. He got interviews too; more than a dozen of them in the first two months. But he never heard back from any of them and the strain was beginning to build. He lived with his parents but that didn't relieve the financial strain. He knew that now that they were retired, they were depending on him to help with the house and utility payments. If this went on much longer, things were going to get very difficult.
Again he regretted not being more observant about the little things when he had visited 2068. If only he had looked at just one stock chart and memorized 2014's trading patterns, he would be rich by now. He did know a few companies that would still be around, he had seen the advertising. He also knew about some, such as the Aye Corporation founded by Zach Yessler, which would be very successful but didn't exist yet. Nothing would be able to help him with money now, though.
One day in September, a mysterious letter appeared in his mailbox. It told him that he would receive $50,000 to go on an interview, but he had to go tomorrow morning. If he went to the Glendale train station, he would be picked up by a limousine at 7 o’clock sharp. It would take him to the final interview destination.
Jake was intrigued beyond description. Very few companies had that kind of money to throw around. Google didn’t even know about him. Even if they did, why would they pay such an exorbitant amount just for an interview? Did they know how desperate he was?
He knew that if he didn't take this offer, he would regret it for the rest of his life. Fifty thousand dollar offers didn't come every day. Who knew what possibilities there were after that?
