“Why do I even bother?” Santi tossed her portfolio on the backseat of her ancient beige Volvo––a hand-me-down from her truly ancient abuela.
Another patronizing interview with a mortal who couldn’t see past her youth and inexperience to notice she had fire and drive with a thirst to prove herself. All he saw was a desperate young Latina girl carrying a mountain of student loan debt. He couldn’t see the young Immortal woman who had to figure out how to finance the rest of her eternal life.
A little over a thousand years ago, Santi’s family lived like kings in Belize. Then the Maya civilization mysteriously collapsed and her parents and grandparents were some of the only surviving Immortals to escape the empire. Of course, they recovered long before she was born, but more recently, they found themselves dealing with a whole new struggle––technology.
Santi sighed as she leaned against her car, arms folded across her chest, waiting for the Immortal following her to make her appearance. They always seemed to find her at her lowest points. It started just after she received her undergrad in journalism, before she decided to pursue her master’s degree in social and political sciences.
“Santi.” The Immortal woman nodded as she approached. This one was younger than the others. She couldn’t be more than a few centuries old. She was striking, and formidable, dressed in expensive black clothes with her long, dark hair pulled into a sleek ponytail.
“Livia.” Santi read the name from the business card the woman offered. Her eyes widened when she realized Livia was the CEO of Soma––the questionable Immortal corporation she’d heard horror stories about in recent years. The corporation that desperately wanted to recruit Santi.
“We will have coffee,” Livia said. It wasn’t a question. “I only need a few moments of your time.” She gestured toward the coffee truck at the corner of the busy intersection.
Santi nodded and followed. She’d found it was easier to listen to what they had to say, tell them she’d think about it and then lose their business cards.
She grew anxious, wondering how such a young woman could head a huge company like Soma. Not that Santi––or anyone outside of Soma––really knew what they did. There were rumors, of course. Frightening rumors, but it was still impressive to see a young woman in such a prominent position in the Immortal world.
“How many interviews have you had since you graduated?” Livia sipped her strong, dark coffee.
“More than I anticipated,” Santi admitted.
“Soma could be good to you, Santi. We are not the despicable corporation most of our kind believe us to be. We need young, educated agents like yourself. I don’t expect you to come to us blindly. But you have my card and if you are interested in learning more, call my assistant to schedule an appointment. I’ll be happy to tell you about Soma. Off the record, of course.”
With that, Livia turned and walked away, leaving Santi alone in the midst of the hustle and bustle of the busy Atlanta afternoon.
As she retreated back to her car, she slipped Livia’s card into her pocket ... just in case.
“Do not worry about us, Lucero,” Santi’s mother said as she fussed with the flowerbeds around the porch of their home.
Her family always called her Lucero, little bright star, because that’s what she was to them. She was their future. The youngest of her ancient family.
To think of all the Maya riches her abuela used to tell her about, when they were practically penniless now. All they had was their home and their love for each other as they all held their breath from paycheck to paycheck.
“I’m not a child anymore, mami,” Santi argued. “I know when you’re stressing. Let me help you.”
“Lucero, you are barely twenty-five. You may understand technology in a way I never will, but you are not ready for the burdens of this world yet. You have many years left to be a child. I want you to enjoy them, mija.”
“The modern world is my domain. Please, mami, tell me what’s troubling you.”
“We are behind with the mortgage. It is nothing.” She shrugged indifferently. “We will catch up, just like we always do.”
“How late are we?”
“Just a few months.” Her mother continued to sift through the flowerbeds, searching for anything resembling a weed.
“How many notices have you received?”
“Three, maybe four. Abuelo will have the money in a month or two.”
Santi hated how hard her grandfather worked. At fifteen-hundred years of age, he shouldn’t still have to work a full-time job as a high school history teacher during the school year and for a landscape crew during the summers just to make ends meet. Her abuelo deserved a comfortable retirement with a little breathing room financially.
Santi had struggled all of her life, living among such ancient Immortals. For them, time moved slowly—until the most recent centuries. The Industrial Revolution took them by surprise and they’d let the modern world sneak up on them. Santi’s family struggled to keep up with a world they no longer understood.
When I’m that old, I will never let myself become a burden to my children. The thought shamed her. She loved her family, but they were willfully stubborn when it came to things like interest, bank loans and foreclosures. She feared they would lose the house this time. Santi knew where she could get the money they needed—if she was brave enough.
“I may have a promising interview later this week, mami.” She felt for the card in her pocket, wondering if she would have the nerve to call the number.
After Santi graduated from Georgia Tech, she was eager for the next chapter of her life. But in the months since, her life had stalled as she constantly looked for work before her student loans came due.
“And where is this interview?” Her mother continued sifting through her prized flowerbeds, heedless of the turmoil her daughter struggled with.
“A company in Midtown,” Santi hedged. She knew her mother wouldn’t approve, but if she could get the money they needed to save the house, Santi was willing to give Soma a shot. She still wasn’t sure what they did; she only knew she’d been warned about the suspicious group, active throughout major cities across the world. Some whispered rumors claimed Soma was a more progressive division of the Senate—the ruling body of the Immortal world––and Soma wanted to take over. Others claimed the corporation was simply corrupt and money hungry.
For months, Santi ignored the persistent recruiting, unwilling to take the risk. But now she found herself wondering what the paycheck looked like. Livia’s offer to tell her more about Soma was tempting.
Santi wandered into her grandfather’s study. Scattered papers and unopened mail covered the desk. She picked up the envelop with “Final Notice” stamped across the exterior.
“Thirty-two thousand dollars. How the hell are we behind that much?” Her mother was right; it had been four months since their last payment. But before that, they’d missed three months. And before that it was four. A few partial payments had kept them afloat, but they were so far behind, they would never catch up without a miracle.
Santi reached for Livia’s card. She was curious about Soma, and she just might be brave enough this time.
Quickly dialing, Santi didn’t give herself time to back out. Within moments, she’d spoken with Livia’s assistant and scheduled an interview. It couldn’t hurt to find out more about the job. It didn’t mean she had to accept it.