Sitting on the huge chair that surprisingly could fit him with ease, Robert was looking at the woman who was on the opposite side of a small table. The surface of the latter was covered with a screen, which was showing the information that Rob had given about himself. However, checking at it once again, he started to feel that nothing would work as he wished. There were too many additional questions from the woman that led to a logical conclusion. All his strong points were completely useless in this place, literally worth nothing.
“So, if I may repeat everything that we concluded through conversation. You are Robert Flop, a former soldier from Terra or Earth as you call it, but your identity is made up as your name is absent from the military data of that time. All we have is your word about your own experience in participating in wars. And as far as I understood, your role wasn’t a technician, pilot, or any specialized profession. Just an ordinary infantry. Am I correct?”
“Yes,” Rob nodded, barely hiding a sigh. No matter how hard he would try to fake anything, the high-technological world had enough opportunities to check the details without much problem. Another thing went from the same advanced level of development – Robert simply couldn’t know how to use most of the local gear.
He wasn’t even sure about all armor’s capabilities, how to use it in space during boarding missions, or what heavy weapons did they have. Like did they use the same plasma rifles, which he had seen in the realm with demons, or just ordinary ballistic types. Was there any anti-gravity system inside the ships? And so on, so forth. Too many answered questions on most common things. Obviously, it wasn’t hard to find everything out given an opportunity. The problem was that he had none. Robert had to be hired to learn, but nobody wanted to offer a job to an unskilled person, while there was a real possibility of getting an experienced worker.
“And currently you lack any money to go through the certification process to confirm your skills and knowledge, yes?”
Squinting her eyes, the woman asked what she had already discovered early. Robert only nodded at it, looking around as if avoiding eye contact. The latter was true – it was too hard to listen to how pathetic he appeared to be after thinking about himself as a superhuman. The whole thing about job search went completely wrong from the start.
Met by the very same woman in a strict formal suit that was oddly similar to the one from Earth, just made from flashy green fabric, Robert was basically convoyed by four guards in full battle gear. Going through the hall with tens of open cabins where potential employees were speaking with recruiters, he ended his walk in inside weirdly big lift as if it was meant for transportation of cargos but not humans. Few levels down and two corridors later he found himself in a small room with a single table in the center and a pair of chairs.
The only decorations of the grey-walled “closet” were three pictures with scenes from Fantasy City streets, and that was all. His comment about the place being like an “interrogation room” was ignored before they started to talk. The guards that each took their own corner didn’t help, slowly making Rob quite irritated with the whole ordeal. He only endured because of the real need for work, but the hope for a good outcome soon vanished without a trace.
The main reason appeared in certification or certs in short. Reaching a high developed level and making it simply impossible to learn everything, the realm changed its education system into multiple courses, starting from the basic school. Universally acknowledged by everyone as a standard measurement of qualification, it became the needed thing for almost any job. Of course, it wasn’t needed in a place where your employer was sure about your hard skills, but in such a place like Fantasy City, where there was a constant stream of newcomers, it was a must.
This demand effectively stopped Rob from getting most of the offers. Not only did he lack money to go through the certification, but Robert also wasn’t sure he would pass in the first place. It was a different realm after all. In his current state, he knew absolutely nothing, starting from the currency, duration of the year, or any historical events. On the other hand, Rob needed money right now and not in some distant future. That whole thing led to a closed circle, where he needed money to get an ability to earn money. Unsurprisingly, such place didn’t wish to provide any credits to the unknown person without a proper history behind.
“Unfortunately at this point and in your current situation I can’t give a recommendation to any mercenaries companies to hire you as I lack a confirmation about your abilities…”
“I can break any of your guards to show. Or all of them at once,” Robert interrupted, failing to hold his annoyance inside himself. His words immediately led to a raise of weapons, but he didn’t even blink. The sensation of control over obedient steel, which was ready to explode into a few constructs to block possible attacks, was enough to feel confidence even in such circumstances.
“Neither it is needed, nor it will help you,” the woman didn’t even change her calm tone, “Your abilities to fight in close combat won’t be needed for the job of mercenary as according to the statistics most of their combat clashes are either in space during boarding, or at a long distance. Moreover, as you said earlier, you don’t have any combat armor. Considering your big frame, you will need to a custom-made gear, which isn’t cheap. The potential increase in muscle strength by using an exoskeleton has its own limits, making it almost useless for someone like you who has undergone a deep body modification while breaching the gap for an ordinary person. The medical treatment of your wounds might differ from…”
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“Okay-okay, I got it. No merc career for me. What about participating in the arena? They have an open tournament upcoming, so I can take my chance there,” Rob had to use all his willpower to stop the bowling emotions. All his uniqueness wasn’t needed at all, turning into a useless set of skills. Even a hidden ability to conjure steel wouldn’t change it.
“This championship is restricted only to non-modified humans without any cybernetic improvements,” the woman shook her head, not changing her forever-frozen expression. Middle-aged, with perfect skin and almost ideal facial features, she looked more like a mannequin than a living person.
“This one? So there are others that I…”
“I am sorry to disappoint you, but no. Terranoids are banned from them as they tend to have an unfair advantage because of their superior physique qualities. And yes, it includes most of the sports and even shooting duels as with your heightened reaction the result of the fight would be obvious. The only exception is if you are famous, so the match can be turned into a bigger show. In such a way the organizations can attract more attention and thus money to create a profitable event… But considering the reputation of your kind, the chance of happening is small. Too controversial.”
“Fucking great! Okay, what do you have for me then?”
“Not much, unfortunately for you, Mr. Flop. Once again, considering your origin that isn’t welcomed by most of the employers after the war, your lack of certs…,” Grouping everything on the main screen in front, the woman started to speak, but Rob once again interrupted her, raising his voice, while adding metal to his words.
“What. Do. You. Have.”
“The best offer with the highest income is to become a pleasure place employee. Your type of appearance isn’t on the level needed, but with a few surgical adjustments, taking into account your frame and intriguing origin you will get your name well spread in no time without doubts. We have around three dozen of brothels that might be interested in your candidature…,” It took some time for Robert to process what she was offering. And even bigger effort to keep himself in the same spot, so his next words were almost barely audible. However, such a reaction immediately led guards to point their rifles at him.
“Are you fucking with me? And make your lap dogs lower their weapons as the next time they do it, they die.”
The threat finally reached something inside this cold parody of a woman. Sighing, she leaned backward, before confirming the command to the guards. After a short consideration, the woman even pointed to the door, forcing them to leave the room. The long silence enveloped the place. After another loud sigh, she focused her attention on Robert. Only this time her earlier cold eyes were radiating with visible resolve, making a huge contrast with her previous lifeless expression.
“Let’s be straight, Mr. Flop. In most cases, our center is doing its best to find the best job for our clients as we are getting 30% of the salary for three months as payment for our work. However, your situation is special. Despite the end of the war ten standard cycles ago, most of the population just can’t forget what your Earth has done. Even here, in a neutral place where half of the owners are criminals, such thoughts are well spread. Adding this shaking stand to the fact that you don’t have anything of value, it is already a good outcome for you that we are having this conversation. We can’t properly assess your real skills, but each of the Terranoids was extremely dangerous. Especially those who were trained in sabotage. Nobody wants to risk their business, giving such a person like you even a potential possibility to ruin anything… However, here in Fantasy City, we like to think that anyone can have a chance. That’s why I am explaining this to you.”
“I bet you aren’t an ordinary recruiter here… And you have an offer. I am listening,” nodding to his thought, Robert calmly spoke.
“Yes, indeed. For both assumptions. In fact, it’s nothing special. More like a test term to see how you fit here. To give you time to adjust your mentality to a peaceful one because you definitely need it. You will manage to get some money to pass certs. And if everything goes well, I am sure you will get better offers in no time.”
“Why are you helping me?”
“It’s simple, Mr. Flop. I was also born on Earth, but my family escaped way before the situation there escalated to the point of no return. I don’t remember anything as I was no more than a clueless child. However, I do know that less than one-hundredth of a percent was left alive from the pre-war population by the end. The statistic for such modified persons like you is even worse. In fact, you are the second Terranoid that entered Fantasy City after the war. After all, we are too far from the place where Earth was located. And I believe that with your potential you can be quite helpful to our city in one way or another. In this way even the service of my Center would get more profit, getting a part of your future pie. Therefore, it’s not a help but an investment. Just business.”
Looking at this woman, who clearly was playing on his emotions during the first part of the conversation just to evaluate him, Robert fell into a deep thought. He was sure that there was more in her words than she was admitting openly. Not just money she mentioned. Some kind of plan to use him in a specific way. Maybe it wasn’t the time, or she wanted to test him more to be sure that the tool would work well. Maybe there were other reasons. At least Rob wasn’t ready to believe in her words about common origin at once. It didn’t fit her previous cold style.
On the other hand, what choice did he really have? The center was obviously a part of the system that ruled Fantasy City. And, considering he currently was on a lifeless planet, Robert simply couldn’t leave the place by walking out or taking any ship. Not without paying transportation fees. Of course, he could jump into another realm, but what was the point of giving up in front of the very first obstacle. There will be a new one in a different world. He couldn’t escape the first problem he had to face. Moreover, Rob needed the rest without any dangers lingering around. Even the short one. To calm his nerves, to cool his emotions, to see how he would fit into the “normal” life. Therefore, like previously with the Tower’s System, his answer was obvious from the start.
“I agree if it’s not a brothel… Or dishwashing,” Rob asked, before relaxing in his chair.
Hate to acknowledge, but with my inhuman regeneration and unlimited endurance, I would make a perfect prostitute. Damn, here goes all my steel conjuring. Nope. The latter could also be used as a dildo... Just stop it, Rob, your imagination is too wild sometimes… Still, no arena conquering under loud gasps of the crowd. Or pirate’s career… Wait, the last one may be just on pause. Yes. I have all the time in the world to try to find a good place for me in this realm.
“Don’t worry, no dishwashing,” the woman smiled lightly, for the first time showing any emotions, “But I suggest dropping your expectations.”