"This opportunity had better be worth it," grumbled Alexandria as she drove her sputtering and rattling Toyota Corolla that was stuffed to bursting with her belongings.

"Mom, you're speaking in German again," commented Adelaide, her daughter from the front passenger seat, as she scrolled idly on her phone.

"Yeah, well, I still harbor some love for the Fatherland, even if my idiot of an ex-husband's politics made it impossible to live there," sighed Alexandria.

"Father has come back to Germany, haven't you heard? And they're going full nationalist. They've actually left NATO and the EU," chuckled Adelaide.

"I heard all right. Politics aside, I simply couldn't live that kind of intense and scrutinized life he has. Not to mention that he's a work-obsessed asshole," said Alexandria as the car approached the Sirius Zone.

Her stress gave way to astonishment as she took in the sights of sleek glass and concrete, wide sidewalks, and the rumble of gas powered cars plying the perfectly paved roads.

"This place feels like a different country. Hell, it actually is," she muttered, as they stopped at a signal light, and saw a gaggle of women crossing the street on stiletto heels, their skirts swishing and swaying as they walked.

"Well, you certainly aren't going to like it," chuckled Adelaide.

"Hey! I'm not that much of an old prude OK!" said Alexandria, her cheeks burning.

"Yeah, right. I haven't seen you in a skirt since you divorced Father," scoffed Adelaide.

They soon approached the imposing security checkpoint of the Sirius Software compound.

"OK, I think I'm having second thoughts on this one," muttered Alexandria, as she fumbled for her phone to show the guard the invitation that Kavitha had sent her.

"Welcome Dr. Messerschmitt. Dr. Khan is expecting you. Proceed to the hospital complex," said the guard.

"What?" asked Alexandria, as she eased the Toyota forward, and bristling at Adelaide's smirk.

"For a woman who divorced her husband because she didn't want to be associated with Nazism, you sure like the surname of an infamous company," pointed out Adelaide.

"Hey! I'm proud of my name and heritage! I just don't want to go around shouting about it!" shot back Alexandria.

She parked the car, and got out.

"Now, you stay here and be a good girl. I really need to nail this interview," she said, smoothening out her pantsuit as best she could.

"Fine," sighed Adelaide, turning back to her phone.

---

"Dr. Messerschmitt, a pleasure to meet you," said Kavitha, shaking the taller and older woman's hand.

"Thank you for seeing me, Dr. Khan," said Alexandria trying hard to mask her nervousness as she sat down in the plush leather chair.

Kavitha gave her a warm smile to put her at ease.

"Relax, this place might look intense, but it is actually a pretty nice place to work," she said.

"I see," said Alexandria uncertainly, but starting to relax a bit.

"Now, the position that you are interviewing for is genetic researcher. I'll be your direct report, and your responsibilities will be to conduct genetic research and head up our new gene therapy department. Any questions on that?" asked Kavitha.

"No, sounds pretty straightforward," answered Alexandria.

"OK, are you comfortable signing an NDA and other legal agreements to work here?" asked Kavitha.

"Well, I suppose that confidentiality is par for the course for a research facility," said Alexandria, apprehension creeping up her spine.

"Here is the NDA, read it carefully," said Kavitha, handing her a tablet.

"OK, this is intense," said Alexandria as she browsed through the clauses and gag orders in the NDA.

"Well, that's why the paycheck is nearly a million a year," chuckled Kavitha.

"I saw the Sirius Zone, rent in a place like this isn't going to be cheap," pushed back Alexandria.

"We do offer on-campus housing, you want to take it?" asked Kavitha.

"What's the catch?" asked Alexandria.

"This is the catch," chuckled Kavitha, handing her the dress code agreement.

"You cannot be serious. They actually fine you for chipped nail polish?" asked Alexandria as she skimmed through the dress code.

"What you do in the on-campus apartment is entirely up to you, but once you're out, it's work mode baby," said Kavitha.

"OK, I suppose I don't have much of a choice. It's either this, or working my ass off in some dead end ER," sighed Alexandria, signing the documents.

"If you don't have skirts, there is a tie-in boutique in the Sirius Zone," offered Kavitha.

"I have some that I might still be able to squeeze into, when do I start?" asked Alexandria.

"Since you've applied for on-campus housing, you can settle in first, and then report for work. How does the day after tomorrow sound?" asked Kavitha.

"That will work. I've got most of my stuff in my car anyway," said Alexandria, standing up and shaking Kavitha's hand.

---

"Wow, Mom, you've hit the jackpot," said Adelaide, as a campus guard showed them into their new employee apartment.

"Yeah, well it comes with a lot of strings, still it's better than any of the jobs I've had so far," said Alexandria in resignation, flopping down on the bed.

"Now that you're loaded, can I please not go to yet another shitty public school?" asked Adelaide.

"Fine, but you better research and apply for it yourself," sighed Alexandria, too tired to argue.

"You got it," said Adelaide, and skipped off to her room to set up her laptop and research schools in the area.

---

"OK, this is it! It almost feels like this school was made for me," muttered Adelaide as she skimmed through the website of St. Ignatius Academy.

"They've opened a middle school section! Great! I can apply directly for seventh grade!" she said, eagerly filling out the online application form.

"Adelaide, dinner's ready," called out Alexandria.

"In a minute Mom!" called back Adelaide, as she filled out the last section of the form that asked for religious affiliation, and choice of secondary/foreign languages.

Adelaide selected Catholic and German from the dropdown menus, and quickly clicked the submit button.

The website displayed an acknowledgement slip that contained a schedule for the entrance examination that she could either print or save to her phone.

She saved it to her phone, closed her laptop, and went to join her mother in the dining area.

---

"Well, Mom. I've applied. I'll let you know if I clear the entrance test," said Adelaide as she sat down at the dining table.

It took Alexandria a few seconds to remember.

"You should have sent me the fee structure before you went and applied. What if we can't afford it even with my new salary?" she chided Adelaide.

"They have scholarships. If I ace the test, I get a free ride," said Adelaide with a shrug.

"If you ace the test. How much is it if you don't?" pressed Alexandria.

"It's thirty grand a year," mumbled Adelaide, avoiding Alexandria's eyes.

"Thirty thousand dollars a year? Are you insane? I've not even started work yet!" thundered Alexandria.

"I'll get the scholarship Mom! Even if I can't make that, they have student aid that's three grand a year. I'll bus tables if I have to! I want to get into that school!" retorted Adelaide, fire in her blue eyes.

"Fine, it's your neck on the line," sighed Alexandria, picking at the chicken schnitzel she had made, and now lost the appetite for.

---

"Ugh! I can't stay inside all day. Let's see what this compound has," muttered Adelaide, closing her chemistry book, and stretching in her chair.

She padded out of her room, put on her sneakers, and left the apartment.

"Place is too quiet," she muttered, hurrying down the silent hallway and taking the elevator down to the ground level.

She took a deep breath, inhaling the air as she came outside the apartment complex. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

"OK, where should I go first?" she wondered, looking around.

Her eyes fell on the massive black obelisk tower that loomed over all the other buildings in the compound.

"Let's check out the guy who runs this place," she decided, and started heading towards it.

---

"Damn, this place is bigger than I thought," panted Adelaide, as she walked down the wide concrete path towards the main building that seemed to get further with every step.

The rumble of an engine made her turn around to see a sleek black low-slung car that seemed to be composed entirely of flat surfaces come up from behind her and stop.

The tinted black glass window rolled down to reveal the handsome face of a young man with piercing ice-blue eyes, sleek black hair slicked back into a low ponytail, and a neatly trimmed French beard.

"Where are you headed?" he asked her in a deep gravelly voice, that sounded much more mature than his features would suggest.

"U-um, my mom just got a job here, and I just wanted to check out the place," mumbled Adelaide nervously, blushing furiously under the guy's gaze.

"That answers why you are here, not where you are going," chuckled the man.

Adelaide pointed in the direction of the main building, blushing even harder.

"Hop in, I'll give you a lift," said the man, opening the passenger door, which swung forwards in a scissor motion.

Adelaide climbed in, grateful for the cool blast of the car's air conditioner.

The man closed the door, and drove forward at a leisurely pace.

"I'm Adelaide Albrecht, what's your name?" asked Adelaide.

"Name's Aaron, how are you and your mom settling in?" asked Aaron in return.

"We're fine. Mom spent all morning grumbling about how crazy the dress code is. I think it is good for her though, she really let herself go after she split from my dad," chuckled Adelaide.

"I see, and what about you?" asked Aaron.

"I'm actually digging this place. That's why I wanted to see the main building. Whoever is running this joint knows how to make a statement," said Adelaide.

"Well, that level of flattery deserves a guided tour," chuckled Aaron, as he pulled into an underground parking lot.

They got out of the car, and Aaron lead them to the elevator alcove.

"First up, the lobby," said Aaron, as the elevator doors opened to show a massive lobby that had sleek black glass walls, a black polished granite floor, and a glowing white ceiling comprised of OLED panels.

Adelaide let out an appreciative whistle as she stepped out of the elevator.

"Wow," she said, as a tall woman with chestnut brown hair, and dressed in sleek black leather approached her and Aaron, her stiletto boot heels making a rythmic clip-clopping sound that echoed through the lobby.

"Good morning, Master Zakhrov. I see you've picked up a stray," chuckled the woman.

"Morning, Natasha. This young lady says she's Adelaide Albrecht, and that her mother just got a job here," said Aaron.

"Master Zakhrov? Are you Aaron Zakhrov? Founder of Sirius Software, and whom every one calls the baddest guy ever?" asked Adelaide, her eyes wide.

"The one and only," chuckled Aaron, as Adelaide started to tremble.

"I-I'm sorry if I was rude, Master Zakhrov, please don't kill my mom," she said, tears starting to well up.

"Relax, I'm not killing anyone," said Aaron, looking a little taken aback.

"Sweetie, relax. Nobody is going to hurt your mom," said Natasha, getting to her knees, and giving the sobbing Adelaide a comforting hug.

"My reputation as a bad guy is basically just lies the press say. I'm not that bad," said Aaron, trying and failing to sound reassuring.

Adelaide however had managed to calm down a bit, and wiped her eyes.

"Sorry, sir. I just got super worried, my mom really needs this job, and I'm trying for a scholarship," she said.

"Hey, I've been there too. I actually started this company when I was your age," said Aaron with a wry chuckle.

"You did?" asked Adelaide surprised.

"Yup, it has come a long way since then. Now do you still want the tour?" asked Aaron.

"Yes, please," said Adelaide.