Rainbow Factory Quality Control

Chapter 10: Burn Out

Frank received a letter in the mail one day announcing that the furlough was over and that if he so desired, he would be welcome back to the Rainbow Factory to take up his former position. The letter made a statement even before he opened it. The envelope was made of glossy white paper that had an almost holographic sheen to it in the sunlight. In the top left corner where the return address was printed, was a new logo that resembled a splatter of multi-colored paint instead of the old rainbow logo, and a new slogan "What Will You Create Today?" printed underneath. The letter on the inside was printed on good quality paper with another holographic rainbow border, and the bottom of the offer was signed,

Walden Darling, Production Director, Iridian Campus

and

Home, Facility Manager, Iridian Campus

Frank chuckled to himself. The very design and balance of the letter brought a sense of satisfaction. Clear yet identifiable font, kerning was on point, the weight and texture of the paper felt good on the hands, and that subtle yet not overpowering holographic sheen added a sense of whimsy, yet still remained professional. Even the new logo and slogan inspired a burst of creative impulses. "Well if the offer letter looks this nice I can't wait to see the rest of the facility," Frank took note of the response number, went into the house and picked up his phone. It rang twice then picked up.

"Waldens office."

"Hey, it went right to you! How are you? I just got your letter," Frank said and began pacing back and forth through his living room.

"Frank? good to hear from you. Yeah, I'm inviting the Part-Timers back that I can, some of them like Ms Capri do better in a work from home position. I could use an HR Director, and you know the factory well. Are you interested?"

"Heck yeah! Even if its just to look the place over. I can't wait to see what the rebuild looks like. Its been what? A year?"

"Too damn long if I'm honest. Got a little worried a few times,"  Wally said softly.

"And how is Home doing?"

"Absolutely great. They've settled into the Facility nicely. I think Home likes being a Factory."

"Seems that both of you did some growing in the last year. In that case I look forward to seeing you tomorrow, uh, what time?"

There came the sound of rustling papers as Wally checked his schedule. "How does two in the afternoon sound?"

"Perfect, I'll be there. See you Wally."

"See you."

Frank hung up the phone, then went to tell Eddie the good news.

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Wally tapped the button on his desk phone off and glanced up at Canary seated at a small table near his desk. His new office was much better than the old one, but he still kept some elements of the old factory in place. The floor of his office was a combination of hardwood and soft carpet depending on the traffic area, his new desk was a heavy granite-topped behemoth with plenty of room for three large screens, two holo projectors, and all of the paperwork that he was trying to whittle down on and convert to a digital format. His chair had been designed to support his large frame for hours of extended sitting time, and none of it creaked or groaned. The ceiling was high enough so he could stretch as needed with softer lighting that allowed for him to better study the Pure that came his way. One of the main features was a wall of windows similar to the old break room that overlooked the production floor and a mechanism that he designed to harvest Pure from a wide variety of material, both living and otherwise. On the desk was a datapad that Home used to communicate with either text or emojis. They took to that new skill fast. And finally, taking up one corner of the room was Fizzy's bed. The Doozy was now the size of a couch with silky-fine fluffy fur that held every color of Pure they had ever been fed. Wally couldn't deny he had developed a fondness for his pet, and spoiled them rotten.