Chapter 1APP: Animal Whisperer

After scoring what I thought was an easy job at a zoo, I was in for a rude awakening.

Turns out, the entire park was home to just me and two scruffy, bald-headed monkeys.

And apparently, they could talk. Or at least, the app on my phone let me hear their thoughts.

Bella, the female, was already sizing me up: [Is this human the new keeper? Ugh, another female. You are NOT allowed to like her, Beau!]

Beau, the male, shot back: [Give me a break. I'll be lucky if she doesn't harass me.]

My jaw hit the floor. These two weren't just narcissists—they had their own relationship drama?

And just then, my phone buzzed with a notification from the app: [A large shipment of animals in need of rescue is en route to the zoo. Please prepare for their arrival!]

* * *

After shotgunning my resume to over a thousand companies, I landed a job at a zoo. The reason? I’d listed “animal lover” under my hobbies. And just like that, I was in.

I stared at the offer in my inbox, counting the zeros in the salary again. Ten thousand a month. A single, triumphant tear rolled down my cheek.

The director, who I only ever communicated with online, told me to report directly to the zoo and download a special app beforehand.

"The gate will scan your face for entry. Just clock in and out," he'd texted. "Food and housing are covered. Your salary will be deposited on time every month, with performance bonuses."

"Your duties will be posted on the app. Keep an eye on it."

"Good luck."

I stood before the desolate-looking zoo, a flicker of doubt in my mind, and opened the app. My first task popped up: [Clean up the monkey enclosure.]

With a sigh that could wither flowers, I went to find the monkey area. It was easy enough to find, given the park's sparse population. As I got closer, I saw the app’s chat interface light up with their thoughts again.

I typed back: [You know I can hear you, right?]

In an instant, both their faces flushed bright red. They scrambled further into their rusty cage, only their wide, round eyes visible as they watched me.

The app pinged again. A large convoy of animals was on its way. My next task: clean up the rest of the rundown zoo.