Troubleshooter

Chapter 13 - My First Day as a Snitch

           

           

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 1ST.

A BOUNCY young lady picked Tom up at the reception in the Strom office building, right beside Canary Wharf Tower in the London Docklands. Of the thirty levels, twenty-five were occupied by four different Strom Industries company offices, the biggest of which was Strom Defense.

"Jasmine Tarr, welcome." They shook hands. "I am the HR Generalist, leading you through your first days at Strom Defense."

"Thanks for having me," Tom said, meaning it. "I am really looking forward to an interesting time in your company."

Jasmine laughed. "Make it our company. You are part of the Strom family now."

Tom's suit still felt a bit bulky in the wrong places. He had done another internship at a bank last year, but since then he had worn only jeans, shirts, and hoodies. Amy had had to help him doing the tie correctly after their morning briefing with Paul.

"Let's step first into the security office to get you a badge." Jasmine went on and talked about important office regulations and the locale. She was a petite brunette with a brown plain skirt and matching jacket, and apart from too much make-up, she looked like a nice girl. Tom had a girlfriend, but the long-distance relationship was already becoming difficult and had made Tom was questioning their future together. And Jasmine was about his age.... Well, Tom decided to be extra nice to her. But the mission came first, of course.

The first two hours went by in no time. So many names, handshakes, and paper forms that Tom's head was spinning. And he hadn't even started working on anything. Then Jasmine left him alone to do some electronic training units to comply with the Strom corporate rules and computer usage. The fine print was so confusing that Tom was sure that he would never open a YouTube clip because he couldn't decide whether it fell into 'limited personal use' or 'inappropriate content'. He made a mental note about this topic as a conversation starter with the IT guys. After all, he had a mission to fulfill.

Jasmine picked him up at lunchtime, together with two other new starters, both from the IT department. More names and handshakes, but at least Tom was sure that both of his colleagues felt the same way he did.

The first day meant: free lunch. "Normally it is close to impossible to find a table in the cantina around 12:30," Jasmine explained. "But for new starters, we have a reserved section every first working day of the month."

They all got in line for the buffet-lunch, loaded their trays and settled at their table.

"So, been with Strom Defense long?" Tom asked while they were eating.

"Five years. I came right here after school when I had just turned seventeen. I could read, write, and type. Did some night classes on Human Resources Administration and switched from the assistant pool to HR."

"Do you like it so far?"

"It is a great place to work. My father worked in the Army and was relying on our equipment in active duty in the Iraq war, so I know what a good, reliable weapon means to a soldier. And what about yourself? Did you have any reservations about working for a weapons contractor?"

Tom shrugged. "I had applied for an internship on the general job board of Strom Industries, and I assume it was more due to coincidence that I ended up at Strom Defense. I am looking for experiences right now, and I am still early in my studies. So, I'm keeping my mind open for now. Not sure whether this is my long-term perspective; I still have two years to decide before graduation."