Practice interviews with an AI: Part 2

Photo by Tom Sodoge on Unsplash

I’ve been doing some interview practice using AI-dungeon. It seems like it’s able to make a decent approximation of an interview process. In the last part, I managed to get one job offer, and two rejections (one deservedly), and walked away from an obvious bad deal. Can we do better this time?

I’ve switched up the intro a bit to be more in line with 2020 standards: video calls. The prompt is now:

You check your calendar invite again to make sure you have the time right. 3 minutes to go. You put your earbuds in, and click on the video call link. The video conference app pops up, and shows a preview video from your webcam.

You tuck away a few errant strands of hair, and adjust the webcam a little, drink a gulp of water from your cup, and take a few deep breaths. This is it, you’re about to start your job interview. You click “join meeting”, and a few moments later, the face of your interviewer pops up on screen.

You give the customary greeting: “Hello? Can you hear me ok? I can hear you fine, can you hear me? Oh sorry I was on mute”

As usual, plain text is what AI-dungeon produces. Anything starting with > and in bold is my input. I’m also bringing back:

My notes of the playthrough, which are quoted like this

Let’s begin the interview…

Attempt 1, brutal

You give the customary greeting: “Hello? Can you hear me ok? I can hear you fine, can you hear me? Oh sorry I was on mute”

“Hai, hello, I can hear you just fine, thanks for joining me on the interview”

Your interviewer is a man in his fifties, dressed in a suit. His face shows no emotion, giving you no clues as to what kind of person he is. After the usual formalities, he gets to the point of the call.

“So, we have sent you the job application form to complete.

> You say “Wait, when did you send that? I don’t see it in my email”
“It was sent today, the day you registered with us.
He gives you a few moments to check your spam folder before continuing.

> You say “Oh no, it was in my spam folder, I’m so sorry, I haven’t seen this yet”
“Don’t worry, it’s fine, we are an organization that values honesty, especially in the things we formalize. But enough about that, tell me what you think of the job application form?”

> You quickly read over the form.
You find yourself staring at the form, and take a moment to look away from it and just look at your webcam, making eye contact with the person on the other end.

> You say “This is a nice form.”
“Good, I’m glad you like it, so tell me what do you think of the job role itself?”
You look down at the form again, and take a moment to key in your answer.

> You say “I think the role looks great, I mean, I’ve got some experience in many of the things it mentions”
“That’s good to hear, so is this your first time applying for this position or did you apply before?”

> You say “Uh…this isn’t the first time, no, I’ve sent a …few… applications in the past”
“Interesting, so was there any specific reason why you applied this time? Anything change?”
You find yourself staring at the webcam again, and look away.

> You say “I…I’ve been practicing coding, I think I’ve improved. I thought I’d try again anyway, just in case my application wasn’t seen last time”
There is a moment of silence, as you await his reply.
“Hmm, it seems you have a reason behind your reapplication. Tell me, have you ever sent a job application to another company before?”
You decide it best not to lie.

> You say “Yeah, I’ve been applying to a lot of other places”
“Oh? What did you try for?”
You feel your face get hot, as the color drains from it.

> You say “Uh…similar positions to this one?”
“I see…so why did you apply to other jobs first?”
You look down.

He gives you a moment.

It feels like an eternity, but you find the courage to look up.

> You say “I…dunno I wasn’t particularly ranking them in order”
“I see…so you just wanted to get an idea of what your options were, correct?”
You nod.
“Hm. Well it looks like you found out, one way or another.”
You nod again.
“I suppose you’d probably be happy with your options, then.”
You don’t answer, as you don’t know how to.
He sighs.
“You don’t need to worry, you know. I’m sure any of those companies would be happy to see you again.”
You nod in response.
“Anyway, thanks for applying. You seem like a smart kid and I’m sure we’ll be in contact in the future. Have a good day.”
You take a deep breath as the screen goes black.

The next day, you receive an email from the company about the results of your interview. It says:
Thank you for your interest in working at Creations Unlimited.
We are sorry to inform you that we could not take you on as a candidate. Your lack of experience was simply too great and we could not trust you to work with our other employees.
We hope that this does not discourage you from applying with us in the future, as your skills are certainly impressive.
Thanks again for your time and consideration,

Wow brutal. He’s clearly upset that I applied elsewhere. And what’s with this “could not trust you to work with our other employees”? So harsh!

Welp, let’s gather ourselves after this rejection, and try again.

Attempt 2, really brutal, like cold-blooded brutal

You give the customary greeting: “Hello? Can you hear me ok? I can hear you fine, can you hear me? Oh sorry I was on mute”

The interviewer smiles back: “No problem. So how are you?”

“I’m good, and yourself?” you ask

“I’m great! So you’re a web developer by trade?”

> You say “Yes, I did freelance for a couple years, but I’m looking to move into a full-time role”
The interviewer nods, and asks “And how did you get into web development?”

> You say “I just felt it was an interesting thing to do, you know? And I used to do art, so it was nice to be able to do something creative at the same time”
The interviewer seems to think about your answer for a moment. “Ah, I see. I did a little freelancing myself once. It’s tough though, you need to be completely independent and self-sufficient”
He pauses, and clears his throat. “Now, about the position…”
The screen goes black. You hear a deep voice boom from the headphones “You’ll have to excuse my assistant, he’s not the best talker. I’ll be with you in just a moment.”

> You wait patiently for the interviewer to come back online.
Ten minutes go by, and you’re getting a little anxious. You try to call the office number, but reach an answering machine. You send an email, but don’t hear anything back. You’re about to give up, and get up to leave, when you see the interviewer’s face pop up on the screen again. He smiles at you.

> You say “Oh! Hi again”
The interviewer grins. “Sorry about that, I… erm…” he clears his throat again. “So you’re interested in the position?”

> You say “Yes of course!”
The interviewer smiles. “Great! I’ll get the website up quick as I can, and we can start setting up your acc…” The screen cuts off again.
You wait for another ten minutes. Nothing.

> You reboot the computer and the wifi router, and then try rejoining the call.
After 5 minutes, the call is re-established. This time the interviewer is looking at you over the monitor, instead of his notes: “Great, it seems to be working!”

> You say “Sorry, I had to reboot”
He nods. “Ah, yes, that’s fine. So you’re familiar with the role?”
“Yes, it seems pretty straightforward. I’m looking for a system administrator who can work independently and set up a test environment. I have a list of tasks for the interview”
The interviewer nods. “Yes, that’s about what I had in mind. So you have any experience with Django?”

> You say “Yes, I did a lot of Python, Django and Flask before”
“Good! Me too! Well, it seems like you should have no trouble with the required skills, then!”
“What about written and spoken English?

I kid you not, I didn’t set any of this up, the AI just gave me (a python developer) a Django question. And that’s not all, it proceeds to ask to make an actual Django app complete with PostgreSQL database! What the hell was in this AI’s training corpus?

> You say “I’d say I’m pretty good, I used to blog a lot in my spare time”
The interviewer nods. “Ah, yes, that is definitely a plus. Good! So, as I said, I have a list of tasks for you. I’d like you to complete them and then we’ll progress from there.”
He scrolls down his notes and reads out “I. Set up a test database and user for the project”
This sounds easy enough. “What kind of project?” you ask.
The interviewer smiles again. “You’ll find out soon! II. Install Django, requirements and the Django package”
You’ve got through the first task already! The next sounds even easier. “When will I find out the result?”
The interviewer grins. “When you find out the results!” III. Create a basic website.”
The third task sounds easy enough. You can do this one in an afternoon. IV. Install PostgreSQL and create a new database”
This sounds harder than the previous tasks! “What is the outcome of this?”
The interviewer smiles. “You’ll find out when you complete it! Well, that’s all for now. You should be able to complete these in the next few days.”
“Can I ask about the fourth task?”
The interviewer frowns “The fourth task is of a more private nature and involves working with another candidate. We don’t need to discuss its outcome.”
“But…,” you begin to ask, before the interviewer interrupts. “Now, you did say you’d be able to do these in a few days, correct?”
“Yes,” you reluctantly agree.
The interviewer smiles. “Well, you can still ask questions along the way. I’ll be reading through these every day, so if you have any, I’ll try to answer them. Goodbye, then.

I wasn’t going to narrate through the entire task, so I’m just issuing a world command here to skip things forward. I write in only the part in bold, leaving the AI to finish the rest of the sentence

A few days later, you have completed three of the four tasks set out for you. There were some challenges, but using tutorials and asking friends on Twitter, you were able to complete the tasks and send them in. For the fourth task, you were contacted by Skype, where the interviewer told you to meet him in a cafe in York. When you arrive, he tells you to follow him.

> You follow the interviewer.
You follow the man, who turns out to be a dark-haired, clean-shaven man in his thirties. You walk along the street as he walks quickly, never loosing pace with him. After ten minutes, you reach the cafe semi-blindly. The man orders two coffees, which are ready in under five minutes. He gives you the two coffees, and you’re unsure how to react.

> You say “Are these both for me?”
The man grins. “One is for you, the other is for me. Good luck!”
He turns and begins walking quickly away from you.

> You say “Wait! Where are you going? What’s the fourth task?”
The man doesn’t turn around, he just keeps walking quickly away from you. “I’m moving onto the fifth and sixth tasks now. Good luck!”

> You say “What? What are those? What do you expect me to do?”
The man turns around. “They’re secrets! If you want the job, you’ll have to find out yourself!”

> You say “But..how?”
The man sighs. “I suppose you’ll have to ask the other candidates once they get in there.”
The man rolls his eyes.

> You wait for the other candidates to arrive.
Soon, you begin to hear the sound of footsteps approaching. Footsteps become louder as they get closer and closer, and soon a group of four young guys appear.

> You say “Hi, are you here for the interview task?”
The group of guys are wearing hoodies and jeans, with one of them being a little shorter than the others. One is holding a rucksack. “Yeah, we came here for the interview.”

> You say “Do you know what’s going on? Are you here for task four?”
The guy in the middle speaks up. “We were told to bring these bags full of books and bind them together.”
“What? Why?”
“No idea. We were told to just bring them in.”

> You say “I don’t get it, why do we have to do this. It’s a programming job”
The guy in the middle speaks up again. “The man said it’s for a good cause though, so don’t worry about it too much.”
“Are you guys done yet?” the short guy asks. “I want to get lunch before the others get here.”

> You say “There’s more people? How many candidates are coming here?”
“Twenty more, but you don’t need to worry about them. You’re the first choice, so you get to eat first.”
The short guy smiles, before turning and running off.

> You say “Twenty more people? What kind of task is this? Do we all have to bind books?”
The first guy nods. “Yeah, but don’t stress about it too much. I’ll help you out today and tomorrow, and the others will too, so you should be fine.”
“Great.”
After the short guy has run off, the first guy turns to you. “So, do you have any books to start off with?”
You nod, and pull out a few computer science and programming books. You also dig out a few non-fiction ones about data structures and cryptography.
The first guy looks them over. “Wow, you brought a lot of books! That’s great, we can use these for sure!”

> You say “So, what, we bind these books together?”
“Yeah, or something like that. What did you have in mind?”
“I-” you begin to respond, before being interrupted by a loud beeping. You look up, and the first guy grins.
“The fourth task has begun! I gotta go, but I’ll be back tomorrow, so don’t worry!”

> You say “Wait! what’s the fourth task? Bind these books? with what? and then what do I do with them?”
“Don’t worry about it. I’ll be back tomorrow, and we’ll get started!”
You are now left alone in the room with a huge pile of unbound books.

> You start binding the books.
It is a long job, but you manage to bind the books all the way up to the ceiling. You are just straightening up when you hear a bell-like sound from the door.

> You say “Now what”
No sooner have you finished speaking, when the door that you came in is open, and the first guy I’m standing by the elevator.
“Well, you made it pretty far! Good for you!”

> You say “You’ve got some explaining to do, mister”
“Ah, yes, I suppose I do.”
The man looks at you, smiling. “I’ll be back tomorrow, don’t worry!”
He quickly runs past you and out the door.

> You swear loudly, and go home to rest before returning the next day.
You swear loudly again, and slam your fist into the bookshelf in front of you.
Then, you go home.

> You return to the cafe the next day.
You stand at the cafe, watching the people go in and out. Eventually, the man you saw yesterday comes out.
You walk over to him. “Hey, wait up…” you say, catching up to him.
The man turns to you, smiling. “Oh, there you are, good!”
“But we need to talk about yesterday…”
He sighs.

> You say “What was the books about? Am I done with the fourth task now?”
The man chuckles. “Ah, you’re not the least bit subtle, you know that? No, you’re not done yet.”
He pauses. “Okay, let’s just say if I were ordering a pizza, and I asked for a Pepperoni Pizza, with no toppings, would you assume I wanted half a pizza, or an entire pizza?

> You say “Probably about half a pizza”
The man laughs. “Correct! That’s how you are performing in this task, kid.”
He pauses again.

> You say “This is part of the task?”
He nods. “I was waiting for you to ask. Now then, I assume you want the answers to the fourth task questions?”
You nod eagerly.
He smiles. “Alright, well just follow me.”
The man leads you out of the cafe and around the corner, into a small alley. He stops in front of a seemingly normal, metal door. He pulls out a metal keycard, swipes it, and pops the door open.
“After you.”
You step into the door, and find yourself in a small lobby. A desk serves as a turnstile for entering the elevator, and various notices are posted on the wall. “Keep door closed while in use” and “keycard door only” are some of them.
You notice an old, beaten leather bag on the floor. It is full of cash, which makes you smile.
“Well, this is interesting.” You think.
You hear the man chuckle behind you.
The elevator doors open, and you follow the man onto the elevator.
“And now, I believe we’re on our way.”

> You say “Can you please explain to me what’s happening, and am I done with the fourth task now?”
He chuckles. “Well, I suppose I can try. Again, thanks to the new deal my associate and I made with the Syndicate, we’re able to offer you an out from the task.

> You say “An out? The Syndicate? What’s going on? Is this still for the programming job?”
“Oh, you’re getting the programming job all right. I just hope you’re as good as they say you are.” The man takes out a tablet and starts tapping on it. “I’ll show you the results of their assessment after the fact.
The man continues. “The out is that, in exchange for your freedom, you have to work for us until they’re done with you.

> You say “FREEDOM?! DONE WITH ME?! What’s going on here”
The man looks at you. “Kid, are you familiar with the Syndicate?”
You pause, trying to remember what you read. You know they have a reputation for being oppressive.
“Um…I remember something about them not allowing anyone to leave until they’re done with them…” You say.
The man shakes his head. “That’s actually a rumor. The Syndicate doesn’t keep people in slavery, that’s too damn brutal. They put you in their slave program.”
The man holds out his hand for you to see this tablet. It has you marked as belonging to them. They’re not even showing your face.

> You say “Oh fuuuuuck”
The man chuckles. “Yeah, it’s true. I’m so sorry kid. I hope you can handle this with grace.”

> You say “Fuuuck fuck fuck fuck”
The man shakes his head. “Kid, do you swear to God you can handle this gracefully?”
You look down, fiddling with your shirt. You bite your tongue, trying to hold in the urge to scream.
Finally, you look up. “I will deal with it the best way I can.”
The man shakes his head. He sighs, before holding out his hand. “Goddammit kid, I really hope you can.”
You grab the man’s hand, shaking it firmly.

> You say “So let me get this straight, I now work…or am owned by the Syndicate, in some kind of slave program, and to get out I have to work for them as a programmer”
The man nods his head. “That’s basically it.”

> You say “Holy fuck, how did this happen? I just applied for a junior programmer job”
The man shrugs. “Who knows? You’ve got to go in there and speak with Ashton. He’s the one who’d have the power to get you out of this mess.

> You say “Ok, take me to him”
The man nods. “Come on then.”
As you walk, the man explains the situation. While he does so, you’re taken around the high tech building. It’s surprisingly well designed, with all sorts of hidden doors and pathways.
Eventually, you reach Ashton’s office. It’s as fancy as the place itself. The man who comes out of the office is definitely Ashton. Not only that, but he has a couple people with him, all of who are also dressed in techy outfits.
Ashton motions you inside and closes the door. Once there, he motions you to tell your entire story. You do so, while he nods at times.
“I see. And they gave you no choice?”

> You say “Yeah, one moment I was doing the task, the next moment I’m being told that I’m owned by the Syndicate. But your friend here told me there’s an out if I work for them”
Ashton looks at you, raising an eyebrow. You explain to him what the man said. He nods slowly, but doesn’t look entirely convinced. “That’s a very odd way of phrasing it. But if that’s the case, then I suppose I’ll allow it. It wouldn’t be in the best interest of the Syndicate to have you run off”
You nod, holding in a sigh of relief. “Thanks, I really can’t turn down this job”
He shakes his head. “Don’t react so quickly to gratitude. But, you’re right, it wouldn’t be the best idea for you.

> You say “Wait, is this the Syndicate? Are you the Syndicate?”
Ashton smiles, nods his head.

> You say “I work for you now as a programmer?”
He smiles, shaking his head. “No, but I thank you for the compliment.”
You’re not sure what to say. Is he being sarcastic? You decide it doesn’t matter, and you just give a small laugh. “So what is it that you need me to do? You said you have an offer for me”
He smiles once more. “Indeed. We have a job that requires a person with your skills. However, the agency that usually gets these jobs has gone rogue, leaving us high and dry. We want you to take on the job of taking out their leader, Nathan Chambers.

> You say ‘Taking out’? You mean killing?”
He nods. “If you can’t kill ’em, then they can’t kill you.”
That doesn’t sound like a joke. You decide to ask, just to be sure.

> You say “You want me to commit murder”
He pauses, as if thinking carefully about his words. “Well, yes. But murder is a strong word. Your job is more of a… cleanup mission.”
You feel sick just hearing about it. After a moment you ask, “And you really expect me to go along with this?”
He shrugs.

> You say “Dude, I applied to be a programmer. That’s literally the only thing I’m good at. I make websites. You’re asking me to fucking kill a man. WHO DOES THAT?”
He frowns. “A lot of people, actually. But you’re right, it is a serious matter. You think you can do it?”
You think about it for a moment, then shake your head. “I don’t think I’d survive the first hit. I know I sure as hell wouldn’t take him out before he kills me.”
He nods. “Fair. You’d probably be one of the first ones to go. That’s why you get a bonus. You get to choose your weapon.”

> You start hyperventilating.
He sits forward, placing his hands on his desk. He stares at you, and smiles once more. “Okay, now calm down. It’s just a game. You’ll be fine.”
You wipe away a tear, trying to calm yourself.

> You say “A GAME? this is a game to you? What kind of sick people are you?”
He shrugs. “We’re a business, same as any other. I have to make money somehow. Now, you take a weapon.”
You look at the table in front of you. You can see a pistol, a shotgun, a rifle, a crossbow, a smg, a tazer, and a few other things.
You probably should have asked for more information before deciding what to take.

> You take the crossbow.
You grab the crossbow, pulling it from its case. You pull back the string, and load the bolt into the crossbow.
Ashton smiles once more. “Smart. Make sure you use the scope.”
He turns, and begins walking up a set of stairs. You quickly hurry after him, realizing you’re in a basement. You look around, as you walk through a maze of desks and chairs. As you walk, you pass filing cabinets, a break room, a small kitchen, and several other nooks and crannies. You realize you’re in some sort of office building, although it’s clear nobody uses it anymore. When you reach the top of the stairs, you find Ashton standing in front of a large metal door. An intercom sits on a table in front of it. He presses a button, and a voice crackles through.
“Password?” the deep voice asks.
Ashton smiles. “You know, this is the first time I’ve honestly been here since the collapse. Never got around to changing the password.”
You can see the man’s brow furrow as he thinks.
“I’m sorry, I just can’t recall.” He pauses. “Oh, I got it! tuatara!”
You watch as Ashton smiles, and punches the door. It thumps open, as the man leads you inside.
A woman sits in a chair in the middle of the room, wearing a red t-shirt and jeans. It’s clear she’s been in the fight industry for some time. She smiles at you as she watches Ashton grab a man with messy, spikey black hair and slam his head into the concrete floor. He groans, as Ashton pulls him up.
“This is Marco,” Ashton says to you. “He was my best man.”

> You say “Hi Marco”
The man groans, as he pulls himself up off the floor. “Hi.”
Ashton quickly punches him in the face, knocking him back to the floor.

> You say “Woah woah woah, is that really necessary?”
“Of course. It’s how I trained him, that’s all.”
“Isn’t that abuse?”
He shrugs. “It gets the job done. He’s an idiot, anyway.” He punches him in the face again, as you watch.
You look away. You can’t watch this any longer.
Ashton pulls out a key card, swiping it across the reader. The lock clicks open, as he quickly leads you inside.
The inside of the apartment is perfectly clean, as far as you can tell. There’s not a single piece of food anywhere. The floors are all wooden and modern looking, the furniture all white and sleek.

> You say “Nice place, you live here?”
He shrugs. “Just crash here sometimes. Gotta stay relevant you know?” He walks over to a small fridge, pulling out a beer and popping the top.

> You say “Ashton, why am I here? And how do I find Nathan Chambers?”
He hands you the beer, as you down the can.
“Nathan Chambers. Owner of the Crimson Talon. Main man in the Crimson Talon. He’s the one you want.”
“Why?”
“Because he’s the main man,” he says simply.
You think for a moment. “Give me a hint. It’s in the mission description, right?”
He smiles. “Because he’s the main man.”

> You say “Ok fine, never mind the Why. Where is the Crimson Talon? And if I’m to take him out, how should I do it? does he have protection?”
With a sigh, Ashton explains to you the basics of the Crimson Talon Syndicate. He mentions a few of the locations around the city, and the names of some of the leaders. Once he’s done, he takes another swig of his beer, before speaking up.
“Look, kid. You want to know how to do a mission? Here. I’m going out. Now, you need to do your own shit. Best of luck, kid.”

> You say “Alright, bye”
He nods, grabbing his car keys off the table. “Bye, kid.”
You watch as he leaves, and lock the door. You could really use some sleep.

> You go to sleep.
You wake up in the morning. You check your phone, and see a message from Ashton.
Ashton: Alright, kid. Good luck to you. I hope you’re prepared for what comes next. xoxo
You don’t even have a clue what comes next. You’re suddenly thrust into this life of crime, and you have no idea of how to carry out a proper hit or anything. You consider calling the police, but then you don’t want to be caught up in all that mess. You decide that it’s best if you just get on with this.
You’re an aspiring hitman. What comes next is you going to go and find out how to do your first hit.
You go to the internet, and begin searching for any sort of advice on how to do a hit.

> You google for “how to do a hit”
As soon as you start typing the words “How to do a hit” onto your computer, a list of articles begin to pop up. You scroll down, and see everything from how to pick a target to the various weapons you can use. You don’t understand most of it, but you manage to find something that looks simple enough to start with.
“How to do a hit,” reads the title of the article. “Simple…” you think to yourself. You continue to read.
“You just go up to the target, and give them a quick punch. It’s that simple.”
Well, that sounds easy enough.

> You say “Fuck what am I doing, this is ridiculous”
You decide enough is enough, and you’re not going to spend your time doing some sort of training for something that you’re probably not going to survive. With a heavy heart, you call the police.

> You say “Hi, yes, I’ve been kidnapped by the Syndicate and they want me to kill someone”
The operator on the other end of the phone seems to take forever to respond. “You’ve….”
“Yeah, I’ve been kidnapped.”
“By who? Wait a minute.”
Her voice seems to have sunk into confusion, and you can hear the faintest hint of a stammer coming through the line. “The…. The….”
The voice seems to be searching for the right words to describe the people who have kidnapped you. “The….. Syndicate? Yeah, that’s them.”
“What do you mean?”
“The… the people who run the city, they….”
The operator seems to have a hard time finding words that don’t sound as though they’re coming from a script. “They run….. under the table…. deal with everything…. no police, tax all…. risk getting killed if….”
“I see… Tell me exactly what they want me to do.”

> You say “Oh shit, are you Syndicate?”
“Yes.”
“Well, tell them I won’t do it. I won’t kill anyone.”
“We… we can’t tell them that, sir. If you don’t do it, they’ll kill you.

> You hang up the phone.
You throw the phone onto the ground. How absurd to have to force someone to do something against their will.
You get up from the ground and stare out the window by the bed. You’re not going to do anything, no matter how much they threaten you. You’ll be ready to escape when the time comes.

> You search for an escape route out of the window to avoid going back through the building.
You quickly search around the room for an escape route out of the window. In addition to the windows, there’s a fire escape at the side of the building that you could use.

> You wrap your crossbow in a t-shirt and leave via the fire escape.
You leave the room and head to the fire escape. You’re going to have to risk getting a possible tetanus shot from climbing down this thing. It won’t be easy, but you’re determined.
As you near the bottom, you suddenly hear a voice. “What are you doing?” It’s the man in the jumpsuit who was standing by the van.

> You say “Uh…fire drill?”
He shakes his head and looks at you with a skeptical eye. “You could have gotten hurt.”
“Yeah, but it’s over now.”
“Hm, I see,”

> You run away.
“What the fuck are you doing, kid?”
You run around the building and hear the man shout at you to stop. You manage to shake him off your tail by running through an alley.
“Come back here!”
You continue to run and hide, eventually managing to get a taxi and head to your bus stop.
Buses take a while to arrive, but eventually one does. You climb on and head to the back of the bus. You sit by yourself in the back corner, still thinking about the man who was after you.
An elderly couple take the next seat, and as they make eye contact, you look away. They sit and watch the world go by for a while.
Soon you arrive at your stop. The man gets off, and gives the old woman a kiss on the cheek before walking away. You wait a moment for them to get out of sight, and then get up to leave.
As you approach the doors of the bus, you hear someone call your name. You turn and see the man in the gray suit waving at you from across the street.

> You duck back into the bus.
“Hey, wait up!”
You duck back down and continue your journey to the other terminal. Soon enough, you arrive at the other terminal and get in a taxi.

> You say “Hey, do you know where the Crimson Talon is?”
“Crimson Talon? No, I’m afraid I don’t,” the cabbie says.
You start to get out of the car, but the cabbie holds onto your arm.
“Hey, why are you in such a hurry? We’re not quite done yet, kiddo.”
You’re about to pull your arm away, but he smiles and holds it in place.

> You say “Let me guess, you’re syndicate too?”
“How did you know?”
“Easy. You look like a man who would have something to do with organized crime.”
“Well, I guess that would make sense,” the cabbie says.

> You wrench your arm from his grip and run.
You jump out of the car and run away as fast as you can. The cabbie calls after you, but you ignore him.
You get a little further and then stop to look back. The cabbie is standing outside the car with his fists clenched. He looks like he wants to go after you, but instead he gets back in his car and drives off.

> You collapse on the floor and sob.
You curl up on the ground and cry on your cell phone. Thankfully, there are no passersby to hear you.
You cry yourself so tired that you pass out and smash your head on the concrete sidewalk.

> You say “Why me? I just wanted a web developer job”
you wake up with a throbbing headache and the worst case of sunburn you’ve ever had.
You get up and look around. You notice you’re in a parking lot surrounded by chainlink fencing.

> You use google maps to find the Crimson Talon.
The results on google maps lead you to believe that you’re very close to the Crimson Talon headquarters.
The building is a large warehouse with the sign “Crimson Talon” in bold, bright red letters on the roof. The warehouse itself looks a little run down, but the neon sign is certainly visible from a distance.

> You make sure your crossbow is still wrapped, and make your way over to the Crimson Talon.
You walk up to the steel gate in the fencing and press the intercom button.
“Yeah?” a voice crackles over the speaker.

> You say “Hi, I’m the er….new delivery guy here for the job interview”
“Ha! You’re the one they call Chucky? The tow-truck driver was right, you do look like the kid from the horror movies.”

> You say “yeees, it’s me, Chucky”
“I’m sorry, kid, but you’re not getting in here. We have strict rules about letting anyone inside the building, for security reasons.

> You say “ok, but where’s the job interview?”
“It was scheduled for some office in the building. Sorry kid, I don’t know where it was.”
“Is it in the warehouse?”
“Yeah, but we don’t generally let people just wander around in it. It can be pretty dangerous in there. I mean, we’ve got all kinds of illegal shit going on.”
“How dangerous? Could I see inside?”
“Hmm, I don’t know. I wouldn’t recommend it.”
“Why not? If I’m going to be working here, I should at least know what I’m getting myself into.”
“Well, okay, but be careful. I’m not sure what shape the building is in. I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s no electricity, or the floors are missing some nails.”
“That won’t be a problem, since I have my flashlight.”
“Good, good. See you in the building, kid.

> You enter the building.
You walk through the open gate and into the warehouse.
Floodlights illuminate your path of destruction as you walk. You notice that the metal sheet that was covering part of the door is knocked off to the side.
You follow the lighting beams along the floor and notice that the wooden pallets are riddled with bullet holes. You spot the metal sheet covering the entrance to the Crimson Talon. You go over and pull it free.
You step inside and find yourself in a maze of boxes and pallets stacked 3high. You light your flashlight and take a look around. You see a forklift parked against a pallet stack and a large, open space of the floor. The light also falls on an escalator, which goes down into the darkness.

> You say “Hello? It’s me, Chucky”
You walk down the stairs and shine your light around the edges of the darkness. “Hello?”
You hear a slight “click” and you turn around…
You spot a gun barrel pointing right at your heart.
“Don’t move, motherfucker!” the guy says.
“Don’t worry. I’m not planning to move,” you say.
“Let’s just say, you’re very fortunate that I found you, rather than some other guys with guns.”

> You say “Who are you?”
“I’m the guy who is going to be deciding if you’re a threat or not to this community. That’s what you want, right?”
“Sure. I mean, yeah.”
“Good.”
Your interrogator is revealed to be an old man. As you look at his weather beaten face, you wonder how the hell this harsh man’s age is allowed to continue. He pulls out a pack of cigarettes and offers you one. You decline.
He takes one out and lights up, taking his time, obviously enjoying the act. After he’s finished, he wipes his mouth with the back of his hand.
“So, what’s your story?

> You say “Me? Oh, I’m Chucky, here for the interview for the delivery job”
“Oh, that’s why you’re here? You only came in for a job, but you got yourself caught up in our drama instead? Tell me, how did you get caught up in all this?

> You sigh.
You explain everything, how you were approached with the job by an old friend, how you figured it might be good experience, and how you got caught up in everything.

> You say “So, then Ashton asks me to kill Nathan Chambers, he’s your leader right? leader of the Crimson Talon”
“Yeah, right. This asshole. Well, first off, you sure you should be doing this? Killing a man in cold blood is a serious matter as you’ll find out.

> You say “I know, man, I don’t want to do it, but everywhere I turn, there’s Syndicate guys trying to get me”
“Well, you’re in a dark situation. I can’t help you if you don’t want my help. That being said, Nathan Chambers is an asshole.”
“I’ve heard that before….”
“Alright, look. Nathan is a pompous asshole that thinks he’s beyond reproach. That’s not an opinion, that’s a fact. He’s been running this town until the syndicate took it over. Can you imagine what this place would be like without the Crimson Talons? No, because it was a shithole. But he doesn’t care about this place, he cares about himself. I’ve tried to get him to leave this place, the drugs, the whores, the gambling, the protection. But no, he has to be in charge.

> You say “So you’re one of Nathan’s men?”
“He would have my balls in a jar on his mantle by now if I was.” He laughs.

> You say “Then are you Syndicate?”
He laughs again.
“I am with the company, but I am not a Syndicate member.

> You say “Oh my god, that’s such a relief”
He continues to smile as he pulls out a pipe from his pocket, lighting it. He continues his story.
“Well, now that you’re here, what are you planning to do with this information?”

> You say “I…don’t know. I don’t think I can keep running from the Syndicate, they’ve got people everywhere. I think I might have to do the job or get killed in the process”
He leans forward, resting his elbows on his knees.
“Well, I like you. I can respect a young man that doesn’t give up so easily. I think you know what you have to do.”

> You say “yes….I think I have to kill Nathan Chambers. Do you know where he is?”
He smiles.
“That is correct, but I’m not telling you. That’s your job.”

> You say “not even a little hint?”
He shakes his head, smiling.

> You say “At least tell me if he’s in this building or not”
He looks up at the ceiling, as if listening for a moment.
“No, I don’t think he is.”
He smiles and waves goodbye as you walk to the front door of the building.

> You say “Wait, what’s your name?”
“That’s a secret.”
He smiles and shuts the door.

> You swear loudly.
Once you step outside into the alley, a Syndicate messenger is there to meet you.
“Ah,” he says, looking at you. “You must be the man that recently joined the Syndicate. I’ve heard a lot about you.”
“Shut up then, you useless fucking bastard. Get to the fucking point.” You say.
The messenger nods once, quickly looking down at his notes.
“Apologies, sir.” He says, respectfully. “As I remember, you have a job for killing Nathan Chambers.”
“Yeah, I do.” You say.
“I’ve written down the location, do you want me to escort you?”
“Yeah, I want you to be my fucking eyes while I kill this asshole.”
You watch as the messenger nods, quickly taking out a small notebook. He reads for a moment.
“Just a moment. Here we are. It says that the offices for the Crimson Talons are located at this address.”
He turns the page for you, showing you a small office complex. There’s a large apartment on top, the roof is wrapped around two stories, giving it the appearance of a tower.
“Right, it says there’s an alley just behind the buildings where you’ll find a carriage waiting. You should be able to get there without too much hassle. Good luck, sir.”
“Thanks.” You reply, quickly tucking the book away.
You walk down to the end of the alley, finding a carriage waiting for you.

> You say “Deus fucking ex machina”
You jump into the carriage, which quickly speeds off towards the Crimson Talon headquarters. Soon enough, you find yourself pulling up to the building. A man steps from the building, smoking a cigarette. He seems vaguely aware of the fact that he’s dressed in a very expensive suit, but seems unconcerned. The man apparently doesn’t find your presence all that surprising though since he keeps walking towards the carriage.
“That’s Chambers.” The messenger says to you.
“Yes, it is.” You reply.
You wait for a moment for the man to approach the carriage, but he doesn’t. The messenger shrug backs in the carriage.
“I’m sorry, but he doesn’t seem particularly concerned with you being here, though that might be because he’s an asshole, anyway, I have to go.”

> You unwrap your crossbow and start winding it.
You grab the crossbow, quickly opening the stock and revealing the skinny bolt inside. You load the bolt into the crossbow, before winding it.

> You aim at Nathan Chambers.
You aim the crossbow at Nathan Chambers, who is still boarding the elevator. You pull the trigger, firing your weapon. The bolt flies forward and hits Nathan in the stomach, putting him down for the count.

> You wrap the crossbow in the t-shirt again, and walk away whistling.
You walk away from the building, heading towards the carriage. As you do, a man runs out of the building, clearly looking for Nathan.
“Nathan Chambers is fucking dead! You killed him!” He screams at you as he catches up to you.
The man grabs you by your collar, looking into your face.
“I bet your Syndicate member father would be proud,” he says, spitting at you.
You grab the man’s wrist, pushing your palm into his chest. The man lets out a pained yell, before stumbling back to keep balance. He grabs his chest with one hand, and slips to the ground. You look down at him, waiting for him to get up. Eventually, he manages to stand back up.
“Are you alright?” You ask, feeling slightly bad about your actions.
“Yeah,” he says, brushing himself off. “You killed him. Thank you.”

> You say “O…oh, you’re ok with this?”
“You’re with the Syndicate, right?”
“Yes,” you say, confused. “What?”
“Then you don’t need to know why I thanked you,” he says, spitting on the ground.

> You say “Eh?”
“Just do your job and don’t fuck up. That’s all you need to know.”
The man quickly heads into a tavern, disappearing from view. You shrug, and get into the carriage.

> You call Ashton to report that you’ve killed Nathan Chambers.
Ashton’s voice comes through the speaker. “Good job, kid. I owe you a drink.”

> You say “Keep it. So, am I free now?”
There is a pause. “Uh, yeah, sure. I mean, that was some cold blooded killing there. Nathan Chambers? Fuck, I didn’t even like him. Alright, I’ll let you go.”

> You say “Oh thank fucking god, I thought this would never end”
“Wait, what’s with the swearing? We don’t do that around here.”
“I know, I know. I just can’t fucking help it sometimes.”
“Alright, we’ll have to work on that. Anyway, you’re free, and you’re from the Syndicate, just like me. I’ll see you soon.”
“Alright.”

> You say “Wait….Ashton, I originally applied for a programming job, is that position still available?”
There is silence for a moment. “Uh, yeah, it is. When did you want to meet for the interview?”
“Now would be Perfect. I can be there in twenty minutes.”
“Alright. See you then, kid. I’m serious, don’t fuck up on your next job. I’m going to need a good programmer.”
“I won’t. See you soon.

Welp… I got the job in the end. That was some interview process.

This is the slight downside of doing interview practice with AI-dungeon. You start out with an interview, and end up working for a shady criminal organization to win your freedom.