Satyr Play

True to her word, the moment he woke up this morning when he spun the black ring on his finger as Baba instructed, he felt the briefest moment of dizziness and found himself in his original human body. He'd never felt so relieved in his life! The ring had even magically resized to fit his much smaller human finger! To think he'd always had the ring there but just hadn't been able to see it. That confused him, so he pushed the thought from his mind.

He'd also discovered that he'd want to be naked each time he changed, as the folding of reality had a nasty effect on any clothing he wore. The huge robe he'd had on when the change began showed rips and tears in it when he was human again. That sucked, and needing two distinct and very different sets of clothing sucked too.

He'd have to buy himself a hooded robe for home. Speaking of home, Sigrid would meet him at lunch to take him over to a building with a condo he needed to look at. The building apparently catered to the Hidden Races. He sighed. That was something else he was going to have to get used to.

He heard noises coming from his waiting room and leapt to his feet. He'd been disappointed to see Paloma wasn't at her desk when he'd arrived. He needed to talk with her, make sure she was okay. He rushed out of his office.

"Paloma!"

"EEP!" squeaked a petite blonde woman as she spun to gape at him wide-eyed. Lovely, soft brown eyes.

"Oh! I'm sorry! I thought you were Paloma," he gasped in embarrassment.

"Do you give her a heart attack every morning too!" the woman scolded him, and he froze when he heard her lovely Irish accent.

"Actually, this is only my second day. I've barely begun to make all the mistakes I'm going to make working here," he said as he blushed.

Her scowl became a small smile as she saw his apologetic expression. She tilted her head. "I don't know what you were doing in Mr. Garin's office, but you'd better be off before he arrives, or he might sick Mr. Duncan on you." She made a shooing motion to direct him out of the waiting room.

Stanley blinked at her.

"Am I not being clear? This is the office of the CIO. I'm not sure which floor you should be on, but you'd better find your way back to it quickly. If you want, you can leave me your name, and if the younger Ms. Villamor calls in, I'll tell her that her paramour stopped by to say hello."

Stanley was soaking in her accent and could have stood there listening to her speak all day, but he had things to do. "Sure, Stanley. Stanley Garin."

The woman's eyes flashed to his as she looked confused. "Are you... Mr. Garin's son?"

"I never met my dad, but I'm pretty sure I had one, so I'm going to say yes." He was beginning to enjoy this.

"You. You're Mr. Garin, aren't you," she peeped in embarrassment.

He grinned. "Yes, I am."

"I'm terribly sorry, sir! It's just... you're so young for a CIO!" she blurted as her face became a lovely shade of warm pink.

"Yeah, I agree, but that's the job they gave me," he acknowledged.

Her phone began to ring. She rushed over to it to answer. "Mr. Garin's office. Yes, he's right here. I'll let him know."

After she hung up, she turned back to him and collected herself. "That was Ms. Villamor, our CEO. She would like you to join her in her office. Once again, I apologize."

"Really, it's not a problem. Your name?" Stanley said as he moved towards the door.

"Siobhan Whelan."

"That's lovely! Like your accent."

"What accent?" she said, smiling teasingly as he looked back in surprise. He grinned in return and stepped out into the hall.

It wasn't until he'd almost reached the CEO's office that the realization struck. He had to put a hand out to brace himself against the wall as his surprise was so profound. He was so dazed he glanced at his hand to ensure he hadn't switched back to his Satyr form. Four fingers and a thumb. Still human.

He'd just had a conversation with a pretty blond woman, who he found very attractive, and not once did he stutter. The stutter was gone! It was such a relief! He wondered what cured him, but he wouldn't look too closely in case that caused it to return.

Stanley walked into Ms. Villamor's waiting room and smiled at Felix. The man returned his smile and gestured for him to go right in. The door was open, so he looked inside as he stepped through the doorway.

"Ah, good morning, Stanley. Close the door behind you, please."

He closed it and walked over to the chair she gestured to. "Good morning, Ms. Villamor."

"When it's just us, please call me Camila," the woman said with a smile, and he flashed back to the night before when she'd dropped to her knees at his feet and—He pulled his mind away from that moment, but his face flushed with embarrassment.

"Thank you, Camila. How is Paloma? I noticed she isn't in today. She's okay, isn't she?" he asked with concern.

"Yes, I believe she'll be fine. It will take some time for her to burn off all that energy she's absorbed. I'll check in on her a few times today."

Stanley just nodded, and Camila handed him a tablet. "She told me to give you the notes she took yesterday."

"Ah! Perfect!" he exclaimed as he saw the hardware listing he and Paloma had created the day before. "Uh, I need to start preparing the new server room. Did you, by any chance, hear back about our access to the roof for adding in a diesel generator and an air conditioning unit?"

"Yes, we have permission to install units up to a specific size. I've just sent you the restriction list, and you can tell me if it is sufficient."

"I don't actually have a computer of my own yet. I'll be getting on that immediately. Did you CC my assistant?" he explained.

"Yes."

"Great, I'll check with her. Now, about the interior work in the existing boardroom?"

"Who did they send you as a temp for Paloma?"

"Siobhan Whelan."

"Good. Have her summon the workers. You can tell them what you need them to do, and they will get started."

Stanley felt a chill run up his spine. "Is there anything... strange about those guys? They give me the creeps."

Camila looked him in the eye. "Mr. Duncan informed me that he spoke with you about asking questions regarding the Humanity of beings you meet."

"Yeah, he said don't."

She nodded. "Rule number one is you don't talk about the Hidden Races. This is critically important. The only time it's safe to do so is when you are in a sanctuary with the appropriate runes activated. My office, when the door is closed, is a sanctuary. Your office is not. You must be trained to be eternally vigilant, so we won't protect your office. There will be wards, but they will just blare painfully loud should you slip and say something forbidden."

Stanley frowned, but he acknowledged it was probably a good idea.

She paused to choose her words so he would understand. "The workers we use for menial labor are artificial men. Tools powered by magic. They pass for Human, but they're just a simulacrum. Ultimately loyal and trustworthy, you need to give them explicit instructions, and the more complex the task, the more specific you need to be."

He stared at her. "Is everyone at VRL a member of the Hidden Races?"

"No. That's actually what I called you in here to discuss. Last night, you discovered you're one of us, but because you grew up as a Human, you haven't had any of the training required for hiding your true self."

"The spell hides my other self," he clarified.

Camila caught his evasion and frowned. "Stanley, you need to find the strength to accept the truth of what you are. For your safety and the safety of those around you. If you can't say it...."

Stanley scowled and looked away. He knew what she was saying was true, but he'd been given no choice.

He sighed. He'd never been able to stay mad. It just felt so unfair. He sighed again. Shit.

"I know. I'm not human. I'm a Satyr. One of the Hidden Races. Is there a handbook or manual to learn all this?"

Camila smiled. "No, Stanley. That would be a little too dangerous to leave lying around."

"What about those Myths and Legends books? Couldn't I read up on all the different kinds of beings in those?" he asked curiously.

"Unfortunately, what you'll find in them is mostly misinformation. Far simpler and safer to create a wide variety of fanciful lies to muddy the waters than to try to disprove the truth. The Greeks called your people Satyrs, and the Romans changed the name to Fauns, but neither really understood," Camila said with a sad smile.

"So... how will I learn how to behave around others?" he said in frustration.

"You already know how. Act like a Human. That's how we all survive," she explained.

"Oh!" he said in surprise.

"I understand Sigrid will take you to a condo building at lunch to check out an available unit. All the units on specific floors in that building are sold to people like us. This is done in every building we share with Humans as a precautionary measure. The buildings have a mix, but the floors are not intermixed. Even numbered floors are for Humans. Building management in these buildings is always run by someone from the Hidden Races, and they ensure this division is maintained. There are many buildings in the city like this. If this one doesn't appeal, we can try to find another. I'd like to exhaust those options before risking you staying in a non-controlled building."

"I lived in the attic of an old cottage in a swamp. I think anything with actual working electrical outlets will be fine," he said with a small smile. "I can't begin to tell you how grateful I am for your support and guidance. I'm completely out of my element."

"Outside of ensuring you switch back to your true self at night to recharge and let your body remember its real shape, nothing in your life really has to change. Your job is still the same. I need you to rescue us from the technical nightmare we've found ourselves in. That's just technology. You like technology." Stanley grinned and nodded. "Act like you usually do—" she paused as she suddenly realized something. A smile spread across her face. "You don't seem to be having trouble speaking with me now. Is that because of what we did last night?" she asked with an impish smile.

Stanley's face turned quite red, but he shook his head.

"No, no. I—uh, just seem to have gotten over my stutter. Last night... well, probably everything that happened last night had something to do with it," he reluctantly agreed.

"That's good," she smiled. "Thanks to you, I won't have to feed for a few more days."

Stanley stared at her as she recalled the moment and gave herself a little shake.

"I guess I'd better get started," he said as he squirmed.

Camila noted his discomfort.

"I'm sorry if I've upset you, Stanley. I'll do my best to keep our relationship purely professional from now on," she said contritely.

"Thank you," he said with a grateful smile and stood.

She nodded, and he went back to his office carrying the tablet. Siobhan looked up and smiled at him. "Siobhan, I need you to call the workers who'll be preparing the new server room. Have them meet me in the board room, please."

"Right away, Mr. Garin," she responded.

"Stanley, please," he said as he turned to head down the hall.

"Yes, Mr. Garin."

He looked back in surprise and saw she was on the phone, but there was just the hint of a smirk on her lips. Cheeky girl.

Stanley shook his head and went to the board room. He took it all in once more, and the plan began to form in his head.

The funky glass wall on the hallway side with the liquid crystal privacy membrane could stay as it added exceptional soundproofing.

The carpet and underlay would need to be pulled up, and the concrete under it would need to be free of dirt and dust. He would order the server room raised flooring system.

There was a noise behind him, and he turned to see a group of men enter the boardroom. There had to be at least twenty of them, and they all wore the same outfits: grey slacks, a white dress shirt with a black tie, and black shoes.

He took a deep breath to settle his nerves and addressed the one in the center as he'd seen Camila do.

"I need this table disassembled and put into storage with all of these chairs. I need the projection system, including its screen, disconnected and put into storage as well. Let me know when all this is done, and I'll give you the next instructions. Understood?"

The center worker nodded, and the nodding rippled outwards through the rest of them. Stanley's skin crawled. He returned to his office and saw Siobhan was off the phone.

"I need a tape measure. A big one."

"Yes, Mr. Garin," she responded with a cheeky smile and picked up her phone. Stanley sighed and looked to the doorway to see the workers passing by, each carrying a chair. He went to his office and realized he still had no computer. He needed something now. Something powerful but portable, as he expected to be taking his work home with him on occasion. He returned to tell Siobhan that he was heading out for a bit. He'd stop by the accounting department to see if they had a company credit card he could use.

At her desk, a worker was delivering a large reel-type tape measure. "Thank you," Stanley said, taking the device from its hands. The worker nodded and joined the others in the hall, and Stanley saw the table was going by in sections. He thought he might as well get the measurements now, so he made his way back down the hall to the new server room. He enlisted the aid of one of the workers, and they took measurements of the room while the others took out the last of the furniture.

Another worker arrived with a ladder, followed by one with a toolbox. They set up under the projector and began disconnecting it from the cables while some others worked on taking down the screen.

Stanley entered the room's dimensions into his phone, then handed the wound-up tape measure to the worker assisting him. "This can go back to where it came from," he said, and the worker left with a nod. Stanley watched him leave and realized he could work with these guys... as long as he didn't think of them as anything other than guys. Another shudder went through him.

The room was quickly emptied, and the workers returned for further instructions. Once more, he addressed the one in the center.

"Okay, now we need the carpet and underlay removed. I don't know if you will reuse the carpet, so maybe you can just roll it up and put it in storage? The whole room must be cleaned once the floor is back to the concrete. This means washing the walls and floor with damp rags to ensure they are clean and as clear of dust as possible. Understood?"

The worker nodded, and the acknowledgment rippled outwards. Stanley didn't think he'd ever get used to that. With a nod of his own, he made his way back to his office.

"Siobhan, I'll be out for thirty minutes or so."

"Yes, sir. Where shall I say you are?"

"I'm picking up a new computer for myself. Back soon," he said with a smile, and she returned it.

He took the elevator to the next floor and looked for the new CFO. He spotted some workers replacing a large section of drywall and tried not to think of how it might have been damaged. He found the corner office and was greeted with a huge smile from the executive assistant sitting at the desk just outside the door.

"Good morning, Mr. Garin! I'm Anna, Ms. Summerly's assistant. How may I help you today?" the middle-aged woman asked. She was very smartly dressed and had one of those auras of total competency that led one to suspect she could run the department if the need arose.

"Good morning, Anna! Ms. Summerly is the new CFO?" At her nod, he continued. "I was wondering if she has a moment to speak with me."

"I'll check." She spoke quietly into her phone, then gestured to the closed door with a smile. He nodded his thanks and knocked before entering.

A woman stood up from behind her desk and came around to shake his hand. Stanley's smile froze as he realized Ms. Summerly was identical to the woman sitting at the desk outside the door, including her clothing.

"Anna is my twin," the woman said with a smile as she read his surprise. "My name is Eve."

"Stanley. Pardon me for asking, but doesn't working with your twin present some difficulties with mistaken identity?" he asked.

"Not so far, but this is only our first day in our new positions, so we'll just have to see!" she replied with a friendly smile. "I understand it was partially due to your intervention with the former inhabitant of this office that the opportunity became available to us."

"What? No, I couldn't have had anything to do with that. I'd only met the man once, and it was a very strange and rude conversation. My first and only impression of the man wasn't very good," Stanley admitted.

Eve gave him a smile for his modesty, then gestured for him to sit as she returned to her chair behind the desk. "What can I do for you this morning?"

"I just wanted to touch base to let you know I will need to make some rather expensive purchases in very short order. The deadline for replacing all the faulty and outdated equipment is extremely short. I need to know if this will present any issues for your department," he explained.

"Ms. Villamor spoke to me this morning to fill me in on the project. I have been authorized to support any and all purchase orders you submit to the department... as long as it pertains to technology and software for VRL," she finished with a coy grin.

He grinned in return. "I guess I'd better cancel that beer fridge and foosball table order. I do have a more immediate requirement, though. I have no computer of my own, and I need to pick one up this morning. Is there a company credit card I can use for that?"

"Ah, yes. I can take care of that immediately." She placed her thumb against a desk drawer, and there was an audible beep and click. She opened the drawer and looked inside to pull out a black and gold credit card. She turned to her terminal and tapped out something on the keys. "Okay, it's activated. There is no credit limit on this, so again, only purchases for VRL. We watch the bills very closely. Don't even add a pack of gum to the invoice. All right?"

"Understood! Thank you!" Stanley said, accepting the card from her hand. He added it to his wallet. When he looked back at her, she was still smiling at him. "Congratulations on your promotion, and thanks again."

"Anna and I are looking forward to working with you, Stanley!" she said, standing up to shake his hand once more.

"Same here," Stanley said and left her office. He nodded to Anna and made his way to the elevators and down. He stepped outside and turned left as his favorite tech shop was only a few blocks away. He kept his eyes open and left himself space when he crossed alleyways. He had no intention of being grabbed again.

It didn't take him long to select a laptop that would meet his needs, and soon, he was heading back to the office with his purchases. He felt eyes on him as he walked along the street and glanced over his shoulder a few times, but it could have just been paranoia due to carrying the expensive equipment along the street in bags that advertised where he'd just shopped.

As he stepped up to VRL's glass doors, he saw the distinctive shape of the car from last night's abduction attempt reflected in the glass. He spun to see its taillights move off down the street. He went inside and headed directly to the security office. They buzzed him in.

"Is Mr. Duncan available?" he asked a man watching the bank of monitors. The man simply pointed towards his office.

The door was open, so Stanley knocked on the door jamb. The Security Chief looked up and smiled.

"Mr. Garin! How are you this morning?"

"I'm good! Better. Do you have a second?" Stanley asked.