O5-1 shivered. He wasn't cold, though. In fact, his palms and brow were damp with sweat. O5-1 squirmed. He could feel the gaze of the cameras—even ones he couldn't see—on every surface, cold and unblinking. O5-1 squinted. He had left his reading glasses at home, and the print on the introductory paper seemed insultingly small.
As he screwed up his eyes to better focus on the text, the heavy oaken door on the far side of the room slowly swung open. A diminutive woman with fiery red hair and a pointed nose walked toward him. She wore thick, round glasses, and a heavy military overcoat.
"Ah, you're O5-1's replacement." She stated casually, as if discussing the weather. "Nice tie, did you have it custom made?" O5-1 reddened. He was wearing a black neck tie with a moiré of white Foundation logos.
"I thought it was… appropriate."
"Of course. Well, I am Administrator Williams. If the O5's are the bosses of the entire Foundation, I'm the boss of the bosses. Have you looked over the intake forms?"
"Uh, yeah," He glanced back down at the papers in front of him. "Just one question. What happened to the previous O5-1?"
Williams sniffed and took the sheaf of papers from him and began flipping through them. After a time she spoke. "I'm afraid that's classified. Sign here." She pointed at a highlighted section of the page.
"Oh, of course, yeah that makes sense…" O5-1 trailed off, signing the paper. The Administrator took the papers back and found more sections she need him to sign. They fell into a rhythm. For a few minutes there was no sound but the shuffling of papers and skritch of the pen. Then the incumbent overseer spoke up.