I will now cast my net toward all of creation... --25.9 Seconds Post-Integration.
Clark woke up. His rise was not as though he needed more rest, but from hunger. Somehow, he had gone the whole day without eating. He wanted to be productive so much during his shift, he didn't even consider slowing down long enough to have a bite, not even on his lunch break, which he skipped in lou of working. He looked at how many Culinary Credits he had, oblivious to the fact his new daily allotment had come in without him even noticing. His total number of Culinary Credits reached fifty.
"You should get something to eat," SIMP told him.
"I know!" he said tersely. "I am going to do that now..."
Clark checked the time. Nine-thirty at night. He knew places would be open, but where? He decided to be proactive about it. "Uh, SIMP? Could you please direct me to an eatery?"
"Why not! That's my job as your resident Spiritual consciousness and Old Man AI. What kind of eatery would you like?"
He took a moment to think about it. "Something cheap and with a lot of meat. Not that place Theo and I patroned, though. Too salty. Good, but salty."
"Understood. I have finally patched myself into the social media network. So much to sift through. Allow me several minutes to look through what is popular and what is not popular," SIMP told him. "I've noticed you still have several unopened Opportunities. I suggest taking the time to open them as I search."
From hunger and exhaustion, he did not feel much like opening Opportunities. The sounds, the image popping up, looking at what he got. Silly as it sounded, he sometimes felt the stimulation was too much. Even so, he followed SIMP's advice once a couple of minutes went by and they still hadn't found them a place to eat.
His blue screen open, he 'clicked' on an Opportunity. The box opened in a display of lights and images -- a beam of sunshine beaming from the open box.
His first award was a heaping twenty Judgement Points. This brought a smile to his face.
Next, he won a four credit Store Coupon.
And the following:
[+10 Incentive Points]
[+10 Culinary Credits]
[+1 Promotion Point]
By the end of it, he had five Opportunity boxes left to open...
'Wait,' he told himself dumbly. 'That number isn't five. It is seven. How do I have two more loot chests than I thought I had?'
Thinking on the question, he wasn't considering it any longer than a minute before he remembered how he dismissed several notifications he received throughout the day. He dismissed them, feeling too tired to take joy in his good performance and how it was being recognized by the store and System. But he remembered clear as day he had simply dismissed his notification of receiving the Opportunities.
Ending his internal bullmuckery, SIMP declared they had found him a place to eat. "The location is a kiosk located in a nearby food court. Follow my trail!"
Clark eagerly followed the trail, wondering to what kind of eatery it would lead. Although the place he visited with Theo had been delicious, it has been a touch too salty for him to want to revisit so soon.
He passed by the typical sights on his way to the eatery. Rows upon rows of dorms, most of which were much better decorated than his tiny lot, and which looked picturesque, even. Red shutters, a white picket fence, and green 'grass' with even flamingo lawn ornaments dotted many dorm exteriors. Meanwhile, his own dorm was plain structure, the only decoration being the skid marks of occupants' past.
Past the dormitories, next came the seemingly endless hallways of the Tower's interior. Here, only Augustford Associates were allowed.
But the sights in these back passages weren't anything to write home about. Sterile, white, and either filled with co-workers and pallets full of product, or abandoned, with but the squeak of a clean floor to signify continued value to the company.
After a good twenty minutes of following SIMP's path, he came out of the back spaces. Emerging into the salesfloor was always a large change for him. So many lights, scents, and sounds of customers -- and their Associate prey -- filled his eardrums. With the intercom blaring requests for departments no matter the actual time of day, and he had to stop walking a moment just to get his bearings.
Breath in, then out... focus on the noise; place the noise; then move on with yourself, Clark instructed himself.
A couple of minutes later and his mind cleared. He thanked his parents for teaching him clarity then moved on with his route.
Finally coming to the eatery SIMP selected for him. As SIMP told him, the eatery was a stall on the far-edge of a massive circular food court. The stall's overhanging sign was replete with vegetables boiling in a large soup kettle. It read, 'Soup Farm: Come Plant your Soup!'
Not a soup guy, this time around, Clark felt hungry enough for anything. He approached the counter and saw how many options were available. 'Spicy Sweet and Sour Gumbo,' sounded interesting. But so did 'Black Bean and Chedder Broccoli.' Scanning through several unappetizing options -- 'Fish Fin Wedding Soup' and 'Mug Bug and Carrot,' to name only a couple, he settled on one which contained his safe foods -- 'Rice and Chicken with Noodles.' When the clerk behind the counter asked if he wanted it mild or spicy, he choose spicy.
"Would you like any of our delicious sides? Augustford Associates get a modest discount on orders more than twenty credits," the clerk asked.
Clark didn't want to spend too much money, but he was also too hungry to care. He looked over the menu then ordered a side of honey cornbread, and a small side-salad topped with a number of fancy croutons, shredded cheese, and ranch dressing. Knowing he would need a drink to go with such a meal, he also ordered a large lemonade with iced water. His total came to exactly fifteen Standard Credits. With his discount -- rounded -- his total came to thirteen credits. Not a bad sum for what he got!
"Thank you, sir! I will call when your order is ready."
With that, Clark found an empty seat. Surprisingly hard to do considering the time of day. Though, when he also considered how the first floor of Augustford Central was a cornerstone of not only the company but also the region, it seemed strange to him that it should ever not be busy.
[Accomplishment Unlocked!] his System notified him... 'What's this all about?' he wondered. He checked what the System thought was noteworthy.
[Beginner Gourmet: 'You've eaten at, at least, three different company sponsored locations. Now, you're nearly on par with a termite!]
Not thinking much of the so-called 'accomplishment,' not when it was the System's prerogative to insult him at every turn, he waited for his food to come out. "SIMP?" he asked. "Do these 'accomplishments' do anything? Like, for me?"
"Yeah, 'snapper, they do, but you need to accumulate a ton of 'em," SIMP said, gruffly.
"Care to explain?"
"Fine: Accomplishments will eventually increase your Imbued Power Level but only once their diffuse mana reaches a certain concentration. Sorta like how a bucket will eventually overflow even if only a tiny, but constant, drip is doled out. That increase in your power level is like that overflow. Meaning, it's not going to happen until you do a whole bunch of stuff the system recognizes as noteworthy. Get it?"
"I get it," he replied, eyeing his food about to come out of the kitchen. "I don't get how the store recognizing my dining out as noteworthy, though..."
This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.
"There is much to this place you do not know, Clark. Just as there is a world outside of this megastructure, the Tower itself is a world unto itself. You can be or do anything you want, here. So long as you obey the dictates of the Augustford Corporation."
'Anything I want?' It was hard for Clark to imagine leading his life how he wanted to live. His life back in his village was small. He lived to support himself and his parents through crop harvesting, foraging, and hunting. If he wasn't doing something for his family, he was working to help his neighbors, or the community, or village leader. That and regular upkeep on his home and garments, defending the community against beasts and raiders... there was never such a thing as 'personal time.'
"Here you go, sir! I hope you enjoy every bite!" the clerk from behind the counter said as they placed his meal before them, everything on a single large tray.
Accepting that Augustford was a world unto itself, Clark shoved the more pessimistic of his thoughts aside and dug into his food.
What he ordered was delicious. His face and hands were a mess by the end of it, but it was well-worth the cleaning. His belly filled, he tipped his proverbial hat toward the clerk and returned to his dorm. With his stomach no longer demanding he devour all the world's harvest, he fell asleep with hardly a complaint.
His alarm woke him earlier than he would have enjoyed, but it was fine. He wanted to get up early so he could review everything which happened to him since starting the position. Which he did as he slowly showered, dried himself, amused himself, and dressed himself; 'so, the Core Metric Bar relies on adherence to labor standards, which are, in turn, based on facets such as Niceness and Speed, along with more abstract notions, like Honor and Endurance. Then, there is all the stuff with scanning peoples' groceries when I am checking them out... while I am in produce, there is the stations outback where I prepare the in-house products...' and on he went. His first week-ish had taught him many things. Most, if not all, of these things, he still only had a loose handle on; sure, he knew enough to get by, such as when he had to bring up his Labor Dynamics Map and check for progress blocks, but that was only recently introduced, so he had a better grip on that then, say, the intricacies of staying At Base, let alone Above Base.
On Clark went reviewing the information he learned. When his timer rang, signaling it was time for his shift, he thought he had a decent handle on everything, though he wished he had something like a sheet of paper to record his thoughts or even a voice recorder. He knew both such products existed and were available for purchase somewhere in this store, but he also knew he couldn't afford such products. Not yet. In a few weeks? Different story... if he was good in paying off his village's land grant for the month, that is...
'Big if,' Clark droned to himself as he followed his now usual trail back to the first floor salesfloor.
Arriving back on the first floor, he was happy to see it was deserted. Not literally, of course, but in terms of customers? Hardly anyone was milling about. Which he thought weird. Not that he disliked the idea of customers leaving him well alone.
Clocking in a couple of hours early, Clark wanted to get done his remaining trainings so he could finally move on with his job. A couple of hours wouldn't be the sort of time he needed to finish the entire list of Computer Based Trainings, or CBLs, but it would let him complete the mandatory ones.
Back in the office space, it surprised him to see the office area full up. Not a single seat available. 'Crap. Guess I will have to find a different office space.' And so, he did but only after searching for ten-plus minutes. When he finally discovered an office space which wasn't filled with fellow associates, he had the right mind to ask someone why everyone had the same idea to use the terminals. Regrettably, no one around could answer that question. And Clark wasn't about to track a team lead down just so he could waste their time with knowledge dumps. So, instead, he booted up his machine, the System now signing him in automatically, and got to work.
What trainings remained for me to complete where the basic sort which everyone who hired had to do. Units such as 'Knowing Your Space: Delicatessen.' And the sequel, 'Knowing Your Space: Produce.' And the even crappier and unwanted spin-off, 'Knowing Your Space: Center Store.'
Every department and even sub-department had similar units. Clark saw a list of 'Knowing Your Space' modules at least a dozen strong. He thanked the Gods for only a few of them being mandatory. He ground the units out, stopping only once to take a break and make himself a (free) cup of green tea from the employee lounge attached to the office space. For such amenities, he was appreciative, likely more so, he thought, than the typical Associate, who never knew the kind of struggle he endured while living with his family in the Wastes.
"Ah, Clark!" A voice -- Dani -- said. He turned to the side slightly to face his interlocuter.
"Oh. Dani. How are you doing?" he said.
"Very fine. Thank you for asking. I am happy I got to run into you one more time before you begin your Climbing. It looks like you are already hard at work on your paperwork. I wanted to touch base with you about another aspect to paperwork before you leave my sight for good."
"Which is..." he asked, wondering what new element they were going to force on him.
"Which is Permits! Permits are most of what paperwork is about. The CBLs you're doing now are an incidental aspect of paperwork. It's stuff pretty much everyone has to do a couple times per year or more. Permits are more specialized. They tend to be either for skilled labor or for Lifers like yourself -- who are more or less 'skilled laborers in training,' so I guess the point's moot. Anyway! Click that on the screen. Good. Now click this," Dani explained, pointing with her finger at the on-screen headers.
The screen changed. Away were the modules containing his training videos and 'on' were a hefty list of... what, he didn't know.
At the top of the list was 'Nightlight Fixture Remediation Permit.' Then came 'Floor Buffing Expertise Application Form.' Would he truly need to learn all of this? Dani answered his question before he had time to speak it: "Not all of this is applicable to you. Hit that button there to bring up the filter. Now hit the Lifer option. Next, click the 'relevant features' tab, then select 'Clerk' and 'all.' Oh, also, see that button in the top left corner? The 'new hire'? Hit that as well. Now 'Enter.' And viola!"
Once more, the screen changed. Now before him was a list of items only relevant to his experiences as a new Lifer.
"These permits are the only permits which you can fill out at your current time. More than you would expect, but not all of them can be filled out for free. Usually, permits require resources before you receive the benefit of whatever the permit entails. The best way to explain is to demonstrate, so see the item at the top of the list? 'Climbing'? Click that one..."
In the near silence of the office space, the only sounds other than his own breathing and Dani's instructions, were the clicking of mouses as the other enlisted went about their own CBLs, or whatever it was the others in the room were doing on their terminals. Clark didn't know. For all he knew, they could be playing games. Unlikely as it seemed.
An instant later, a new display appeared. The display said, 'Tower Climbing Permit: LIFERS ONLY.' It then listed a large set of requirements which needed to be fulfilled in order for the permit to take effect.
Dani continued: "This permit is a great learning example. It looks complicated but it isn't. Most permits aren't even this complicated. Permits are a pain because they are busywork."
"If they're busywork, why do we have to do them?" Clark asked.
"Because -- theoretically -- they regulate the workflow. If you have a hundred workers and only five of them are permitted to do a certain job, then you know who to assign, and to where, and for how long. Does this always function so smoothly? No and for evident reasons and a lot of people have redundant permits because they needed to grind a raise or whatever it is that led them to this workplace in the first place. Provided, redundant or not, if you have the permit, you are expected to perform the labor associated with it. No excuses!"
"Alrighty. I get it. So, what do I do here?" Clark turned toward the screen, still intimidated by the sheer amount of information.
"As I said -- read the screen then hit 'Confirm' while checking the boxes. Now, while you're doing that, I have to help other people with their paperwork. There was just a recruiting event, so we have a lot of new hires."
With one question answered -- why there was so many people crowding the office space -- he turned his focus toward the permit.
He read the first paragraph: "Tower Climbing, ergo, 'Climbing,' is a Lifer-specific permit function only those who have signed a Lifer Contract and have passed their Orientation and Probationary Periods are allowed to sign. If you lack any of these three requirements, please stop reading and return to work."
Well, I have done all of that, Clark reminded himself. I'll keep reading: "Climbing (AKA, 'Tower Climbing') is a unique activity designed to train long-term employees on the logistics of Augustford and, where applicable, recruit individuals capable of Corporate Cultivation. Individuals who are permitted to Climb, are expected to take on a large variety of tasks while engaged in the activity of Climbing. Should they refuse to partake in any activity while Climbing -- whether that is disobeying an order from a direct superior or disregarding the workflow in favor of Climbing -- it will be dealt with as standard disobedience and be subjected to disciplinary proceedings..."
On it went...
Paragraphs later, Clark read the following: "By reading thus far, you have confirmed your identity as a Lifer in good standing with the company. The remaining details are below. Check each box as you see fit."
Finally... so many paragraphs, so much reading, so many words I had to look up!
Although Clark knew how to read, his skills weren't proficient past basic reading material. The lengthy permit required him to use the machine's built-in dictionary to learn a good number of the words. Even then, there were certain words which he did not understand. One being 'Cultivation,' which was a concept no matter how many times he read it over in the dictionary, made no sense.
On to the first permit requirement, the line stated, "I certify I am [Associate Type Name Here]." He checked the box.
The second permit requirement, read: "I certify I am a Full Time Associate who has Signed a Lifer Contract." He checked the box.
The third requirement, read: "I certify I have completed Orientation as well as my Probationary Period." He checked the box.
The fourth requirement, read: "I certify I am in Good Standing with the company (No Disciplinary Proceedings)." He checked the box.
The fifth requirement, read: "I have received the proper training due to an Associate of My Standing and Position." He checked the box.
And on the requirements went. He checked each box as they applied to him, although, the last one stood out.
Requirement fifty, read: "I hereby certify I am ready to give my life for the good of the company."
With a slightly trembling hand, Clark checked the final box.
WHOA! Just like that, Part One of Superstore is done!
Would You Want a Tower Climbing Job?
