Director Hernandez kept smiling as she put two packets on the table, “I am required by our department regulations of offering a choice. The choices must include at least one job for which you have aptitude for, it must be among the top 10 jobs for which you are projected at being successful in. The other options are given based on availability.”
Jessica said nothing. Her dislike of the woman growing by the second. “I have decided to hold this interview personally, to ensure that this goes the right way. To make it clear that you have a “Choice” but not a choice in the matter.” The director explained, making air quotes at her. Fucking airquotes.
“There is no higher authority here, Jessica. There is no scenario where you can go over my head. These are your choices, so do everyone a favor and sign.”
She slid one packet towards her. Jessica didn’t pick it up. That didn’t seem to affect the smile of the director in the least. “Would you like me to explain this to you?”
Jessica stared silently, the director was clearly enjoying this. “This is a remote employment opportunity. You will be given a suite in Marsh Towers, I’m sure you’ve heard of it yes? It is very nice. You’ll be given a healthy salary, excellent amenities, a wonderful view, and anyone can visit you at any time.”
“They can visit me?” Jessica asked, the director nods.
“One of the requirements of this opportunity is that you will not be allowed to leave your suite for any reason outside of a medical emergency. In such a case you will be taken to the VIP section of West Hospital and given the best care medical science can provide. The work is all basic utility paperwork and review. Low effort with a high reward. Many would kill for an opportunity like this.”
“But I'd be a prisoner.”
“Not at all. It is merely a requirement of continued employment with the Department.”
So this was the box. A place where she would be nice and out of the way, far from any trouble she could cause. It was a good deal, really good. Jessica knew she should probably take it.
“And the other option?”
The director’s smile widened even farther, pushing forward the other packet. Jessica opened this one, and read it slowly. It was an agent position, versatile, a bit actiony, and…
“This puts me on a promotion fast track?” Jessica had to be sure she was reading correctly.
“That’s right. It is another great opportunity, but you will sign the first one.”
“You seem so sure,”
The director smiled, “Well, you must understand that neither option is perfect for me. Personally I would love to stuff you on a night watch in the deepest parts of the grave, that’s what we call the underground portion of the department in case you were wondering, but unfortunately you’re aptitude test prevented that option, it is rather undesirable.”
The woman leaned in, her tight hair glimmering in the harsh light of the room, “So it is often used for demotions. That’s what this is,” She tapped the agent packet, “A roundabout way to get you here, “She tapped the remote packet.
“So you see, you will sign on to the first job, and we can be on our way.”
Jessica pondered this, King preemptively refusing to advise. “This is your life, you must take charge of it without my interference.”
“Why would I be demoted?”
The director shrugged, “You will be promoted to squad leader quickly, your aptitude test listed agent as being the tenth most successful job for you, but Squad Leader was a big fat question mark. So that’s where you’ll be, on a tightrope with me waiting for you to fall, which you will, so I can demote you to a nice, cheap office so far below the earth you’ll never see the sun for as long as I live.”
The first packet was once more pushed towards Jessica, a pen rolled across the table at her, “So sign and please let me be on my way. I’m a busy woman.”
Jessica realized she had heard this voice before, back in the Entity Exam, she had ordered Dr. Herris to not inject the pain inhibitor. This bitch!
“What if I don’t like either option?”
The director’s grin grew almost freakishly wide, “Then you can try to find employment elsewhere.”
Jessica might just do that, work in her father’s shop, he’d surely hire her.
“Of course that may be difficult, what with businesses needing to be licensed to hire Bound, and few ever try. Fewer still would hire someone arrested for murder. I’m afraid that’s still on your record until you file to seal it. Of course many smaller businesses simply won’t qualify for the license, like hardware stores.”
Jessica raged internally, this fucking bitch! Jessica had to breathe for a bit and refocus. She decided to ask the obvious question,
“Why are you trying to get rid of me?” Jessica asked as she picked up the pen.
The director shrugged, “What gives you that impression? Would it be that you’re an existential threat to the city? Or maybe a timebomb waiting to explode and kill hundreds? Or maybe I just don’t like your face. Whose to say?”
Jessica played with the pen, looking through the remote opportunity. It really was good. She could live a happy life, despite not being allowed to leave. She really should be signing.
“If, hypothetically, I take the agent position, and I never fuck up, would you be able to demote me?” She asked.
The director’s smile faltered a moment, “I don’t understand the question. You should really sign.”
It was Jessica’s turn to grin, “I’m asking if you have the ability to arbitrarily demote me, or if you need a reason to do so. I’m guessing the latter or you wouldn’t have given me such a risky job offer.”
The director frowned, and it was glorious. “Sign. The. Job.”
Jessica smiled, it was a sweet smile, much sweeter than the director’s smile. She picked up the packet, read through it nice and slow, then sighed, “You’re right of course, it’s a damn good offer. Too good to pass up.”
Jessica leaned in to sign it, pen hovering over the line. She paused and raised her eyes, savoring the look in the woman’s eyes.
“I would have taken it in a heartbeat.”
The sudden shift to anger was amazing. Jessica could see a lot of Maddy in the director. Smart, able to play whatever game this new job would be, but just another bully. Same triggers, same gripes, same as a highschool girl that never learned to grow up. She looked like she had bitten into a chocolate cake and tasted coconut. Jessica laughed.
“In fact, had anyone but you offered it I wouldn’t have even asked about the other job offer.”
Jessica picked up the remote job packet, and really considered if she was this petty. It only took a moment. She was, in fact, that petty. She let the packet drop to the floor, papers scattering everywhere.
“But you wanted to be there in person, to relish in holding power over a girl, not even an adult, a fucking child. It’s pathetic. You’re pathetic.”
Jessica knew this was making an enemy, but really, just taking the job was already enough to make the director hate her, so Jessica was going to milk this for what she could.
“So,” Jessica pulled the other packet towards her, “I’m going to make you a promise,”
Flipping each page, reading them one by one, she continued.
“I’m going to take this job, be an agent.” Flip, “I’m going to be an amazing agent, one of the best, no, the best agent of the year.” Flip, “And when I am squad leader, my record will be so squeaky clean you’ll be able to eat off of it.” Flip.
Jessica signed it and passed it back to her. “On page 423, in the employee handbook, Section b states that exemplary employees would get accolades, and even a hand shake from the director should their service warrant it.”
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Jessica lay her palms flat and leaned out of her chair towards the director, stopping less than a foot away, “So when you’re on stage, Amelia, and you’re shaking my hand wit ha big fat fake smile on your face, remember that the only reason I’m there, was because of you’re pitiful display today.”
The director glared at her, if looks could kill Jessica would be a stain on the wall. Slowly, Jessica sat back onto her chair, leaned back and sent a sweet smile back to her. The director shut her eyes, and slowly regained her composer. She smiled at Jessica, “Alright,”
She stood, and Director Hernandez walked to the door, and opened it. “We’ll do this the fun way.” She left.
Jessica sat in that room for several minutes, going over everything that just happened. She grabbed her face and groaned. What the fuck had she done? That was the opportunity of a lifetime! Fuck her LIIIIIIFFFFFEEEE! Slamming her head against the table she groaned, still no pain but man she wished she could feel it.
“For what it’s worth, I believe you made the right decision. People like her made up many of the rulers in the Dusk. People with power over others with no clue of the responsibility it carried beyond some arbitrary measure of success. They fell, just as she will in time.” King’s words echoed with gravity.
“I am not becoming the fucking director, are you insane? I’m shitting myself just thinking about leading a fucking squad.” Jessica hissed.
King just sent a smug feeling to her, as if he knew something she didn’t. Fuck this, she needed a shower. She set the communal showers as the destination and was led there by the path. She slowly washed the day away, the water making the fading of the inhibitor very easy to track. By the time she was done, her back was sore as hell and her spirits were high as a kite. Despite everything going on, Jessica had been a top student. This was just highschool but more important, dangerous, and with no tolerance of fucking up. She could do this, Yeah.
When she got her glasses back on, she found several files available to read, including the agent’s handbook that was alluded to earlier. She was going to study it tonight with King. She walked back to her room and ate dinner. Her dinner was late but it wasn’t served before the interview as scheduled. She set the document to scroll at a decent speed. Slow enough to get a good look at the page but too fast to do more than skim. By the time lights out hit, she had worked through the majority of the book, which she would memorize by morning. As she slowly fell asleep she smiled, the memory of the director’s face as she signed clear in her mind’s eye.
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Jessica groaned as King shook his head for the millionth time. “The answer is code 311. Agent unavailable; personal.”
“Why is there a code for agents on the toilet? What’s the point? Just say you’re on the damn toilet!” Jessica fell back onto the mattress.
She was back in the castle room, King leaning in through the window. He simply shook his head. “That’s hardly relevant, We have many more such frivolous codes to get through.”
Jessica covered her face, King had reassured her that they had plenty of time, dream logic of a sort affecting the passage of time. Technically, they had the equivalent of a month, about 24 hours per minute for the 30 or so minutes Jessica’s mind moved from being awake to her first deep sleep cycle. She naturally has no intention of taking that long, it would have a similar strain as making that bloody amusement park that first night.
“What is a code 24-30B” King asked,
Jessica frowned, thinking for a bit. “Arrived at patrol zone, proceeding with patrol?”
“That’s A” King advised. Jessica sighed. “Potential crime detected, leaving patrol.. No, that's C.”
Jessica rubbed her temples. This was a bit ridiculous. “Patrol path blocked? Rerouting?” She asked.
King smiled and nodded. “Good, but we’ll go over it again. I doubt you’ll be allowed a second chance if you’re given a test.”
Jessica sighed, “They’ll probably go over all of this in training,”
She was regretting every life choice she had ever made at the moment. What had gotten into her?
“Ah,” King said, “I should probably explain that.”
Jessica blinked, very slowly sitting up, “Explain what?”
“Well, one of the reasons I ended up on a warpath in the Dusk was due to the Hierarchy’s effect on me.” King explained.
Jessica just absorbed that for a moment. King simply continued.
“The Hierarchy doesn’t stand those who abuse their authority. I butted heads with many and such interactions with others who disrespect their responsibilities lead to similar confrontations as the one you had with the director.” His explanation only raised more questions, but something ate at her.
“So… what. I was manipulated by this Hierarchy? Is it alive?” Jessica asked, the last thing she wanted was to be controlled like that.
“Not in the traditional sense. The Hierarchy simply is. You could feel that the Director was out of line and out of favor in the Hierarchy. She can likely feel that you are above her in the Hierarchy, but since you’ve signed the employment contract your opposing authorities will have a lesser effect. People who allow authority to go to their heads, or fail to uphold their responsibilities their authority demands of them can… create a sort of balance owed to the Hierarchy. It is subtly ticking you off since you are in good standing.” King finished with a shrug, “I didn’t realize what would happen until she entered the interview room and by then it was too late to intervene.”
“Like HELL!” Jessica shouted, she threw a pillow at his stupid scaly face. “You should have interrupted me. Do you have any idea the absolute hell that’s waiting for me out there? Why didn’t you stop me?” Jessica glared as she summoned another pillow to throw.
King just let the pillow bounce harmlessly off him, “Because it is your life, this decision was too great for me to interfere, and quite frankly you made the right choice.”
Jessica growled at that, “Is that a fact then. So glad you declared it as such. I’m sure everything will just be alright then.”
“Oh stop your tantrum.” King admonished, “Nothing worth anything comes easy. I would have been greatly disappointed had you taken that first job, though I would keep that to myself. Instead you chose the harder path and never have I regretted taking the harder path.”
His head pulled close, “I am proud of you, of how hard you’re working to make sure that smug bitch of a director eats her words. I will not promise that everything will work out but don’t for a second think that you made a petty choice. It is never “petty” to stand up to a bully of a leader. It was brave, and don't you forget it.”
Jessica still glared, then flopped back onto the bed, “Whatever, let’s drop the codes for now, we’ll get back to that later,”
Jessica could feel King’s grin, “Alright, next chapter’s procedure.”
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Jessica sighed as she was led back to the elevator. She had signed more paperwork, eaten lunch, then a pair of agents, one bound one not as was apparently standard according to the handbook, had been standing by her door. They didn’t speak, though the headphones were nowhere to be seen. Seems the contracts she signed were enough to have a base level of trust established.
The elevator went up, and up some more. She was surprised when she stepped out of the elevator and saw windows that let in actual sunlight. She wasn’t allowed to dawdle but even passing by windows was a relief after days underground. Jessica was led to a processing office. She knew what to expect, the intake of an agent was explained at the start of the handbook.
She pressed her wrist against a special computer that was disconnected from the system, this would ensure a safe, independent record of her being an agent of the Bound Department. Her picture was taken for her identification and she was taken back to the elevator. She managed to keep her tongue, asking to stand in front of a window before going back underground seemed incredibly childish.
She would be taken to a training level for a week of training, then set up with a senior training agent for six months. She would be paired with a partner unbound agent and for another six months she would be a part of a squad. Then she would be tested as per her contract, and if she passed testing she would become a squad leader herself, where Director Hernandez would no doubt attempt to sabotage her. All in all it was a great career path, for most people. Jessica was simply happy she had a year to prepare for that sort of duty.
The elevator opened to a much more populated floor, with young men and women walking up and down the hallway. Jessica was led down the hall, then another and another. Training floor, it lived up to its name, she saw different signs everywhere on her glasses, shooting ranges, classrooms, even sparring chambers and laboratories. She walked past such a spar chamber and saw a man toss a young woman to the ground, hard. Jessica winced and walked on.
The dorm she was led to was a multi-bunk dorm, just six bunks and six lockers. At least she won’t be alone? She deposited her belongings at an assigned locker and was then taken to a classroom. Jessica walked in to find a group of 12 or so listening to a lecture on basic procedure. Good, most of these classes should be stupid easy. No one turned to look at her, which was a blessing. She didn’t think she could handle any more high school bullshit.
She picked a seat in the middle and listened as the teacher went over proper search procedures for vehicles. Agent training, from what Jessica read, goes over a lot of ground that enforcer training does, along with law enforcement, patrolling for criminal activity, etc… The fact is that the city is not a country, so an agency like the pre-war FBI was unnecessary, and most such jobs fall under old world police with extra duties.
Jessica allowed the lecture to wash by her, occasionally listening in to make sure she wasn’t missing anything. She wasn’t. No questions were asked of her, though others were called upon. The teacher… training officer? Teacher. The teacher finished up the lecture and moved on to taking questions. Mostly hypotheticals and clarifications.
“So when it says in the handbook that specific permission or articulable exigent circumstances are required for thorough searches, can you explain the difference between a search and a thorough search?”
The professor was pretty good at answering these sorts of questions, making the information easier to understand, Jessica decided to ask a few, just to make it seem like she was paying attention. “When the procedure talks about exigent circumstances, what exactly does that mean?”
The professor looked at Jessica for a moment, “Primarily, it means that you can articulate a reasonable suspicion that a crime is actively being committed, that means you should be able to say that you believed there were illicit substances being transported, before engaging in a search for said drugs.”
He turned his back and wrote a page and line number, “Check your indexes people, they have these definitions. Exigent circumstances will be covered at a later date in more depth.”
Jessica smiled and sat back, planning to wait out the class for the last 20 minutes or so. She checked her glasses and sure enough a new schedule had populated, exactly like her class schedule for high school. This class was labeled Basic Procedures, her next class was History of enforcement. She sighed, that sounded interesting at least, the rest of the class was pretty dull.
She got up with the rest and made to leave when the teacher stopped her. “Just a moment please,”
Jessica frowned, wondering if she was about to be given a hard time. She leaned against the wall and waited as other trainees filed out. Once alone, the teacher spoke.
“I don’t believe we met, you’re our new trainee Jessica Adams.” It wasn’t a question, “You seemed bored, I just want to make sure you understand that this course is mandatory, and just because your training will be primarily practical over the next week, that does not mean you can simply sleep through my class.”
Jessica smiled, “On the contrary, I was paying close attention.”
The teacher gave her a flat look, “Then explain the process of a traffic stop?”
Jessica sighed, “Is it normal for you to keep trainees from their classes?”
The teacher scoffs, “Please, even Margret knows my class is far more important than hers. History of Enforcement is just a hit piece on law enforcement before the Grand City, mostly the mistakes they made as an explanation of our own system. You are hardly missing much.”
Jessica sighed, she could almost hear Mr. Henderson speaking through the man. Another teacher who hated being ignored. Lovely.
“You flash your lights, pull the suspected car over. There are many reasons why a car can be pulled over and one must be entered into the system before the stop can continue. Turn on your body camera and face the entry to have an independent record. Approach the car, if there is no reason to suspect the citizen to be violent then leave any lethal weapons in the car. Have the unbound partner approach the driver’s side-”
The teacher stopped her, “If you suspect the driver to be violent?”
Jessica gave an exasperated look. She felt like a child being scolded by an adult and she hated it. “Alert dispatch of your suspicions, have the unbound agent securely holster the weapon in a quick draw position. The bound agent approaches the driver while the unbound heads around the otherside to beagle to see into the driver’s lap.”
The teacher gave her a long look, “You memorized the chapter?”
Jessica didn’t respond, she figured he would know after the question was asked, it wasn’t as if she did something wrong.
“You didn’t memorize the handbook.” He said, a bit of shock in his voice. He checked something on his glasses, “But you’ve read it, somehow.”
Jessica frowned at that, how could he… oh. Her reading progress was probably available to him so he could verify the trainees read the relevant chapters. That made this easier. “I have a good memory. I can see something and pull it up mentally. It’s not quite eidetic but it’s close. So I spent yesterday after my interview speed reading.”
“Bullshit, you didn’t just read it and repeat. You understand it as well.” The teacher tapped his desk, sitting in his chair. “Well, no reason to waste your time then.”
Jessica frowned, “what?”
The teacher motioned to the desk directly in front of him. “Sit, There’s no reason for you to be in my class when you could be learning other things. You’re on an accelerated schedule after all.”
Jessica frowned deeply, why did this feel like a trap. She sat, and a pop-up covered her vision. It was a test… for Basic Procedure. “I’m Trainer Jackson, I teach a few other classes but feel free to forget me since none of those are important enough to be added to an accelerated schedule. Please take the test, I’ve cleared you for Margret’s class and Lunch will be delivered.”
Jessica opened the test with a sigh, her fault for thinking she could get away with thinking of this as high school. She opened the first section and went to work.