As the shift progresses, I find myself seated at my desk, pondering the various paths I could choose. This situation presents an opportunity to address Chelsea's bullying tendencies, although I must be cautious not to overstep my bounds. While reviewing the customer's profile once more, I notice the girl in question approaching.

"3578," she greets assertively, arms crossed. "I heard you and your TL did an excellent job with the code blue."

"Indeed, Chelsea," I reply, closing my laptop. "Although what we accomplished yesterday might pale in comparison to your team's achievements. I understand you've already chosen your specialization?"

"Automaton Development and Deployment," she proudly announces. "Considering MagicPerformax's focus on magic, showcasing our tech capabilities seems wise."

"I couldn't agree more," I nod.

"I suppose your modest brain can grasp competence," Chelsea taunts, narrowing her eyes as she moves closer.

"What about you, 3578? Are you leaning towards supporting TL Willingford and pursuing a Techtra-"

"I haven't made a decision yet, Chelsea," I gently interject. "I have time to carefully consider this significant choice."

"Chelsea," a familiar voice interrupts, and I see SME, Judy, and Lemi approaching.

"J-Judy," Chelsea stammers. "What brings you here? Your station is in the east wing, right? Why leave your team during such a busy period?"

"I appreciate your concern, Chelsea," Judy responds, "but my team can manage without me. If I may, I'd suggest you stop referring to Vaughn by his badge ID. It's impolite; we all have names."

"They're just teasing, Judy," Lemi remarks as Chelsea shoots him a disdainful look. "Or maybe not. I don't know, but I doubt Chelsea is that mean, especially for someone specializing in Automaton Development and Deployment."

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"Don't act like you know everything, Lemi!" Chelsea snaps. "Choosing machinist as a specialization won't make you-"

Suddenly, a chime rings across the entire production floor, cutting Chelsea off.

"All SMEs and TLs, please return to your stations. I repeat. All SMEs and TLs, return to your stations."

"It seems like a hectic day," Judy sighs, turning to the plasma screen displaying a 50% abandonment rate. "We can't catch a break, right, Lemi?"

"Yeah, I hope they pay us overtime for this," Lemi adds, glancing at Chelsea. "And no, Chelsea, I don't know much about Automatons, other than TL Willingford's expertise."

"Hmph. I don't have time to argue with all of you. I'm heading back to my station."

Chelsea gives us all one last glare before returning to her station, and Judy pats my back.

"I can't believe your patience with her, Vaughn. I need to learn that skill," she teases. "I hope to find someone patient with me someday."

"I'm not so sure about that myself," I reply, "but she's bearable. Why would you say that? You're the complete opposite of Chelsea."

"Just a thought, Vaughn. Don't take it too seriously.

...

"Ugh, just when I escape the meeting, that notice comes in," Alliana groans, taking a seat in my chair. "What's going on, Vaughn? Why are they making that announcement all of a sudden?"

"It could be an 'All Hands on Deck' situation, TL," I inform her, watching as she groans once more. "Oh, come on! I was supposed to take you to the Techtrae and Arcanae Halls, remember?"

"There's always another time, TL. Don't worry about it. Besides, I haven't finalized my specialization yet, although I wanted you to look into something," I mention, picking up my laptop and showing her the customer's profile from earlier.

"Hmm, what's this? You forwarded the customer's issue to Esca?" Alliana asks, taking the laptop and placing it on her desk. "It appears to be an automaton recommendation... but why would someone suggest that when the customer is an elemental mage?" Alliana questions, growing increasingly frustrated as she examines the notes and notices Chelsea's documentation.

"Oh, it's that girl, Ava's SME who just got her specialization... Isn't she supposed to be competent, Vaughn?" Alliana inquires. "I can't say for sure, TL, but since she's an SME, one would expect her to possess the knowledge needed to propose suitable solutions for the customer."

"I... actually agree with that. Has QA been informed about this yet?" Alliana continues, her eyes fixed on the laptop screen.

"It hasn't been flagged yet, so I assume I'm the first to notice this discrepancy."

"Good, then I'll go talk to Ava and straighten this out," Alliana suddenly decides.

"T-TL?!"