"CTRL + ALT + DEL My Job"

Chapter 1: Welcome to ToonTech, Please Lower Your Expectations

Chapter 1: Welcome to ToonTech, Please Lower Your Expectations

If Taffy had actually read the fine print on the internship form, she might've seen the line that said:
"Job scope may include chaos, confusion, and occasional printer-related trauma."

But she didn't.

Now, she was stuck between a dying plant and a coffee machine that growled every time someone touched it, watching her team lead have a meltdown.

"Don't you dare jam again!" Dex shouted at the office printer. "I swear, if you do this now-!"

The printer made a long, painful beep... and spat out a half-burnt page.

Taffy quietly sipped her coffee and made a mental note:
Dex - Team Lead. Avoid when near electronics. Or before lunch.

She had joined ToonTech Unlimited™ thinking it would be a cool, fun place to work. The job ad said things like "creative freedom" and "dynamic work environment."

Reality? The chairs squeaked, the Wi-Fi disappeared during meetings, and someone had scribbled "RUN" on the breakroom fridge.

Her welcome kit included:

One broken pen,

An expired snack bar,

And a welcome email from Pluto, the company's HR bot, which started with:
"Hello [Insert Name], we're excited to welcome you to [Insert Department]!"

At least they almost got her name right.

"Hey, New Girl," called a voice from across the room. "Word of advice: don't sit near Dex during printer season. He turns into a drama queen."

Taffy looked up. A girl in a hoodie was leaning back in her chair, spinning a lollipop between her fingers.

That was Vel - the IT girl who only helped you if you brought snacks or compliments. She was smart, sarcastic, and somehow managed to ignore 90% of the company rules.

"Is Dex always like this?" Taffy asked.

"This is his calm version," Vel replied. "Wait till month-end."

She pointed toward the glass door at the end of the room. It had a paper sign that read:
"Mr. Scrooge - CEO (we think)"

Underneath it, someone had taped a child's drawing of a spaceship.

"That's the boss's office," Vel said. "Only go in if you're called. Or if there's a fire. A big one."

Taffy nodded slowly.

Before she could say anything else, her phone buzzed.

> 💬 Pluto (HR Bot):
"Hi Taffy! 😊 We hope your first day is going well! Remember to breathe, blink, and keep your ID badge visible at all times. You're doing great!"

Taffy closed the message and opened a folder hidden deep in her laptop.

GiggleBot.ai - her secret project.

It was an AI she built in college to help write funny stories using real-life situations. She had been training it with her own office notes, random overheard conversations, and some embarrassing team chats.

Originally, it was just for fun. But lately... it was starting to get weirdly smart.

She had once typed in a note about Dex and the printer, and the AI replied:

> "Dex stared at the printer like it had betrayed him. The printer beeped once - in victory."

Now the AI was asking her things like:

> "Should the coffee machine become a main villain?"

"Would it be funny if HR-Bot Pluto developed feelings?"

Taffy wasn't sure if she was amused... or worried.

Suddenly, Dex appeared beside her desk, looking sweaty and stressed.

"Hey, uh, Taffy," he said, out of breath. "Can you update the Q3-Maybe-Q4 dashboard? The one with the yellow chart. Or maybe it's green now. It's inside a folder... somewhere."

"Got it," she said quickly, opening a new tab and pretending to type.

Dex nodded, then turned to fight the water dispenser. Again.

Around her, the office was alive with small disasters.
Someone dropped a tray of muffins.
Vel started playing elevator music through the Bluetooth speaker.
A new intern peeked in, saw the chaos, and walked straight back out.

Taffy sighed.
This place was exhausting.
And yet... it was perfect material.

She opened the AI program and typed:

> "Note: Dex is now arguing with the water cooler. Possible running joke?"

A few seconds later, the AI responded:

> "Plot twist: Water cooler joins union."

Taffy laughed out loud.

ToonTech might've been a mess, but she had a front-row seat - and she was writing everything down.

One day, this internship might become the best comedy book ever.

Until then, she just had to survive one meeting, one printer jam, and one HR message at a time.

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End of Chapter 1

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Welcome to ToonTech Unlimited.

Clock in. Take notes. Try not to lose your mind.

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