"What do you mean you're cutting my hours boss?" I asked in an exasperated tone. "You know I can't afford rent and my loan payments if you cut my hours."
The pudgy man in front of me huffed slightly as he studied me with his eyes. "We simply have no need for you, with the influx of new EMTs and Paramedics, why should we keep paying you the way we are?" he sneered.
"Come on boss, I am the best Paramedic you have, I was top of my class in my clinicals and I always deliver, you know that!" I pleaded slightly.
At this, the boss laughed almost maniacly. "You lot never seem to get this." He said as he put an arm over my shoulder. He smelled of gas station hot dogs and old Cheetos. "You are completely replaceable, I would much rather hire some newbie and pay him less than you."
"You're lucky you still have a job at all," He continued, removing his arm from my soldier and walking to the back of his office, taking a seat in his chair, and propping up his feet at his desk. "Now scram, before I change my mind and decide to get rid of you entirely."
"Yes sir," I said before turning around and walking out of his door and closing it. "Pillsbury dough boy fuck." I muttered under my breath.
I walked out of the Trinity Medical Response building, a small private ambulance company located in my city, and began heading down the sidewalk, fumbling a cigarette into my mouth and lighting it.
I felt a few droplets of water fall on top of my head, as I looked up to the darkening sky. It was beginning to rain. "of course." I said to myself. As the downpour got heavier and heavier as I walked, I took shelter on the side of a convenience store, hoping to shield myself from the rain ever so slightly. I sat against the wall and rested my arms on my knees.
"What a fucked up day," I muttered, before a loud dinging noise interrupted me from my thoughts as I looked forward.
A transparent screen appeared before my eyes, like something you would see in a video game, as confetti shot in my face.
"What the hell?" I said shocked as I wiped confetti off of my face.
Congratulations! You have gained access to The System!
My mouth hung open wide in shock, my cigarette falling out of my mouth and to the wet floor. Was this real, or was I finally losing it?
Generating Character Profile, please wait!
Character profile? What was this, a video game? Before I could even react, another screen appeared before my eyes, which shocked me even more.
Name: Jared Wilson
Title: The Broke Paramedic
Level: 6
Class: Medic
Stats:
STR: 12
AGI: 10
INT: 17
CHA: 15
RES: 4
EVA: 7
LUK: 1
Skills:
Medical Knowledge (Passive) [Level 3]
Practical Medicine (Active) [Level 2]
First Aid (Active) [Max Level]
I looked at the screen and felt anger rising in me. "Hey, who are you calling broke?!" I yelled at nobody. I whipped my head to my left as people walking down the sidewalk gave me concerned glances. "Sorry, I swear I am not crazy!" I called out to them as they looked away and walked faster.
I sighed heavily as I brought my attention back to the screen in front of me. "What the hell does any of this mean?" I said to myself quietly. "Whatever." I quickly said to myself. I had more pressing matters to worry about, like finding a new job.
I rose to my feet and held my hand out to feel the rain which had reduced to a light sprinkle before turning and exiting the alleyway to start walking home. Eventually, I arrived at my apartment complex, walked up the stairs to the third floor, and opened my door to reveal the shabby dark room that I called home. I walked inside, collapsing face-first on my bed, and fell into a deep sleep.
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
The following days consisted of me working at my dead-end job and beginning my job hunt. I searched high and low for a place that would take me with the experience I had. I submitted applications left and right online, called different employers directly, and even went to some places in person and dropped off my resume, only to get no responses at all. It was beginning to feel hopeless.
Once the weekend came, I found myself unable to sleep and went to the local diner to get a late-night meal. I ordered a plate of pancakes and some hashbrowns and began to dig in. I only got about halfway through my meal, before a strange man in a suit with dark sunglasses sat directly across from me at my table.
I swallowed the bite of food that I had taken, looked up at the man, and raised one eyebrow questioningly. "Uhh, can I help you sir?"
"Your name is Jared right?" he asked without answering my question.
"Yeah, what's it to you?" I answered back, feeling slightly annoyed that my meal had been interrupted.
"How would you feel if I told you I had a job offer for you?" he asked quickly. "We have been watching you for a few days, and you have the exact skillset we have been looking for," he said. "More importantly, you have access to the system, which is a prerequisite for working in our field."
As he said those last words, I looked up at him, my eyes growing wide. "How did you-" I managed to say before he cut me off.
"You are not the only one with access to the system." The man said, raising his sunglasses slightly to show his eyes. One of his eyes looked different from the other, it looked almost like a camera lens and glowed blue. "An observation skill." the man continued "Useful for us seekers, helps us recruit new talent for the organization."
"Okay," I said tentatively. "And why should I accept your offer? I have no idea who you are."
The man silently pulled a business card out of his coat pocket and slid it across the table, to which I picked it up hesitantly.
The card read the following:
John Schrader
Seeker
Entity Engagement Bureau (EEB)
Along with a phone number.
I raised an eyebrow and asked the man. "A three-letter agency? The Entity Engagement Bureau?" I paused for a minute, examining the card closely. "How come I have never heard of this before?"
"We are a highly secretive agency and we scout our recruits directly," John said. "We can offer you a starting salary of $220,000 annually." he continued. "And we can also answer any questions you have about the system."
As the man said this, my eyes grew wide once again. $220,000 a year? That was enough for me to pay off my debts, and get a new place to live and live comfortably. The offer seemed suspicious at first but the idea of the money quickly pushed any doubts out of my mind.
"If you are interested feel free to give me a call," John said as he began to stand from his seat. I quickly grabbed the side of his coat, stopping him in his tracks.
"I want to join!" I said excitedly.
John smiled and sat back down. "That was quick," he said.
"So, are there any requirements? Anything I have to do before I am hired?" I asked him.
"The only thing we require of new recruits is for them to attend the EEB Bootcamp. It's about a three-week program and you are paid for the duration of it." John answered. "Any questions you have about our organization, as well as the system, will be answered there."
Questions swirled in my mind. What was the System? What was this agency? Why was the starting salary so high? What would I be doing? But I set those questions aside for later. If I wanted answers, attending this boot camp seemed like the best bet, and in reality, I was running out of options. My rent was due in a week, as well as my loan payments and I had nowhere near enough money to pay them off and continue to buy necessities.
"When do I start?" I asked John, as he stood up once again.
"Tomorrow." He said, adjusting his suit. "We will send a car for you to your place at ten in the morning." before turning around.
"Wait!" I called out to John. "Don't you need my address?" I asked.
"Oh." He said aloud, turning his head around to face me. "We already know where you live Jared," he said quickly, before facing forward again, and leaving out the restaurant door.
I shivered as I heard his last statement. What the hell was I getting myself into?