Rainbow Factory Quality Control

Chapter 3: Clean Up and Clock Out

Wally grabbed a few snacks out of the vending machines in the cafeteria, then went to the nearest door and opened it to the upstairs hall just outside of his office. This shortcut thing was amazing. He had just had the equivalent of a full nights sleep and didn't feel like returning home just yet. He told Frank that he could start as soon as he liked, and the sour Puppet responded that he would be in bright and early the following morning. Which meant that Wally had a lot of work to do to prepare for the arrival of the newest HR Manager. He had to contact IT and have an account set up, permissions to be given, records to be accessed, and of course a to-do list to arrange. And that was just to start. There was still the matter of the complaint letter he intended to send to the head of Living Island Farms about the Doozy and subsequent damage it had done to the Factory. Although Wally had a strange feeling that even with the path of destruction the Doozy had left, the Rainbow Factory itself could never be harmed, not in any large capacity anyway. He felt that knowledge in the same way he had known where to find the HR packet for Frank.

And thus armed with a cup of coffee and a good nights sleep, he sat down at his computer and got to work. After roughly three hours of typing and searching through his notes, he finally had a detailed list of all the positions he needed filled, with varying levels of priority included. He doubted that Frank would have computer access just yet and had a copy printed out using the large copier in the break room. Wally stood up from his desk and stretched. He had to keep his arms bent because they hit the lower ceiling. Maybe one day when he had a better grasp on the comings and goings he could move to a larger office with a higher ceiling. Wally grabbed his empty mug and headed for the break room then set his mug in the sink to be washed. He turned the water on and out of the corner of his eye saw an old over-sized pleather couch to one side of the break room near the windows. Wally crossed the gap in two strides and sat down. He felt his weight sink into the ripped seats, then turned his long legs around and lay down fully, resting his hands behind his head. His back was given the chance to properly stretch and Wally sighed. The couch was just long enough to fit his entire length and he took a moment to close his eyes and relax.

He wondered what it would be like to have all the offices outside of his door full, along with the bustle of people at work, the smell of fresh coffee and snacks drifting through the air. What kind of workplace was he trying to create?

"Disrespectful brat!"

Wally was yanked out of his thoughts by a heavy weight dropping onto his midsection.

"Really boy! Could you have found a worse place to take a nap than the top Managers break room?"

Wally opened his red eyes and saw an angry green Puppet with heavy eyebrows and a permanent scowl. The thought that it and Frank might be related crossed his mind.

"Kids these days, all they want to do is sleep, eat, and play videotube! Get up! If you want to keep your job then get to work!"

The weight that had been dropped onto Wallys lap was a bucket of rags and various spray bottles. "The hell?"

"I think you mean 'I'm sorry Mr Clayburn, it will never happen again Mr Clayburn, because I'm a new hire and need this job Mr Clayburn' Get up and get started, that floor isn't going to mop itself!"

Wally looked down at the bucket and noted that he was still wearing the clean janitors uniform that QC had given him. "I'm--"

Clayburn put his hands on his hips. "I don't care what your name is! You are Newbie, everyone is Newbie until I decide otherwise. Mop and bucket are in the hall, don't forget to sweep and don't leave streaks."

Wally swung his legs off the couch and set the bucket on the floor. He thought for a moment, then decided to play along. He could use a bit of a break from the computer screen for a while and there was no better way to get to know a place than cleaning. "Yes sir Mr Clayburn."