The office carpet was a bland shade of beige and the walls were a neutral cream color. A few framed posters hung on the wall, but they didn't really do much to add personality to the room. The only thing that did make it stand out from any other generic corporate office was the large coffee machine situated by one of the two meeting rooms. It looked like an old-fashioned percolator, stainless steel and chrome with glass doors that revealed the machine's innards. My shoes trodded over the carpeted floor as I approached my cubicle, a NAI branded seperator between each desk. I found my seat, a Herman Miller Aeron chair with my ID plaque attached to the backrest:

${fname} ${lname}

${id}

Customer Service

I settled into the chair as my eyes scanned my desk. On top of it was a white mug filled with black coffee, a slice of apple sitting next to it. Next to that was a company phone, a corded landline model with a headset connected to it. Beneath it was an empty water bottle with the company logo imprinted on it, along with a small stack of paper clips. I seated myself and took a sip from my cup. The coffee tasted bitter and strong, but not entirely unpleasant.

I jolted slightly as the phone began ringing, and my throat went dry in anticipation. Don't mess this up ${fname}, it's your first day! I grabbed the handset off the cradle, "This is the Novel AI support line. How can we help you?"

"Why isn't Novel AI free? You're charging money for it!" The caller's voice was scratchy and eargrating, like nails against chalkboard. I swallowed hard and tried to keep my composure.