6 days ago 60 months ago

  Several weeks have passed since being deployed out into the field when Hilgo was pulled aside by their team leader.

  “Hey, Hilgo,” said Byruo. “You free? We need to have a conversation.”

  “Sure,” said Hilgo. Though he didn’t show it, his heart sank a small bit.

  “Alright, we have a few minutes, let’s go for a quick walk. Don’t worry about the rest for now, they have their business and we have ours.”

  “What is this about? Am I in trouble?”

  Hilgo followed Byruo around the perimeter of the site, an enormous and expansive complex their forces had recently secured. Their team of four dozen are going through what amounts to only a small corner, with countless other teams and groups under their company spread out across the ancient winding fortress. The remains of what looked to be possessed mechanical golems guarding the place lay strewn about, the victors now climbing up and over them.

  “Well, I wouldn’t put it like that,” Byruo continues. “You haven’t done anything wrong, and you’re a good guy. There’s no reason for any write-up.”

  “I see,” says Hilgo.

  “What this is about is I can tell you’re not putting in your all. You’re not putting in full effort. We want to see you succeed as much as you do, and what you’re doing right now isn’t cutting it.

  “Elaborate?”

  “You’ve been putting in not even the bare minimum, and we need to see more coming from you. I get that maybe you’re a quieter guy, you’re unfamiliar with how we do things here as a newcomer. But Hilgo, it’s been eight weeks. You can’t just keep choosing the path of least resistance, your performance has been completely unacceptable so far.”

  “May I say something?”

  “Go ahead.”

  “I’m confused. I thought I’ve been bringing in artifacts just fine. I thought by definition, I am at least doing the bare minimum, even if that is less than ideal?”

  “Yes, on paper, you are correct. But really ask yourself, is that where you want to stop? We want to push you to become your best and brightest, Hilgo. ‘Enough’ gets the job done, but it doesn’t let you go above and beyond, it’s only wasting your time and everybody else’s time. Don’t just meet the quota, surpass it! We have biweekly trainings about these, remember?”

  “Yes, the mindset of the successful few, I know.”

  “Precisely. Take a look at your friend Vertan. He joined at the same time as you. He’s talking with his peers, strategizing new ways to detect and recover artifacts, methods to counter anomalies. He’s opening himself to new opportunities. We’ve seen a significant reduction in injury when encountering these threats, and he’s still ‘new’. Don’t underestimate yourself for a second that just because you’re new, you’re incapable.”

  “I’m not Vertan, and he’s not me, Byruo.”

  “I understand and totally get that. I’m not saying you have to do what he’s doing. But consider stepping outside what you’re typically comfortable with for a second. If things don’t work out the next month, I can just give you your papers and you can put in your leave, and that’s fine, too. This kind of thing doesn’t come easy, I get that; I was in your position ten years ago, too. I mean, it could be that a regular life back in the Myriad Worlds is what’s best for you, just consider these for a second so you don’t drag it out too long.”

  “I get you. What would some of your suggestions be?”

  “I like that you’re asking me that, now. I can help draft you up a re engagement plan to get you up and running for the next month. Don’t worry about anyone or anything else, just worry about and focus on you and only you. Would you be opposed to trying that out?”

  “No, I suppose not. That does sound like a good idea.”

  “Cool, cool. I’m glad we had this conversation, Hilgo. Hey, I gotta get back to the retrieval site I’m working on with Wathya and Daji. Call me up if you need anything, we’re all here rootin’ for you.”

  “Got it. Appreciate it, Byruo.”

  Having returned from the walk, Byruo disappears off into his part of the complex, him, Wathya, and Daji all analyzing and sending back data about what appears to be an ancient defense computer.

  “Hey, Hilgo!” Vertan calls as Hilgo comes back over. “All good? What was that all about?”

  “Oh, just walk and talk with Byruo,” Hilgo answers.

  “How come? About what?”

  “Well, I mean, about how I’m not doing enough.”

  “Hm?” Vertan was confused at this. “I mean you’re not exceptional, but I thought you were doing fine.”

  “Well yeah, he wants me to be exceptional. Or at least putting in effort to get there.”

  “I mean, don’t we all want each other to succeed around here? It’s not like it is back home, you know.”

  “I don’t know, it’s different from how I am. I keep feeling like these guys expect more than what’s stated and I’m not going to actually score through a moving goal-post.”

  “I wouldn’t put it like that, man, I’m sure he means well. What else did he say?”

  “He said I should be more like you.”

  “More like me how?”

  “Like, you move forward with yourself more, you ask the right questions, you connect and work with others better, that type of thing.”

  “Oh, I see, I get what you mean. I mean, if it helps, why don’t you stick to my side for a bit, then? I didn’t mean to have you feel left out.”

  “No man, it’s just—I don’t think I excel at this sort of thing.”

  “Come on, neither did I, it takes practice and showing up, doesn’t it? We weren’t always good at fishing back home, either. The question is do you want to excel and succeed here or not?”

  “Oh come on man, don’t be talking to me like that.”

  “Like what?”

  “You know what.”

  “No really, what?”

  “That whole, ‘you want to excel and succeed, here’s how you get ahead!’ type of talk.”

  “What about it? I think there’s merit to that mindset.”

  “It’s that whole freakin’ mindset! Like, I get it, ok? I don’t know, the way it’s worded, it’s like it’s trying to say that I don’t want to succeed, that I want to stay poor or mediocre.”

  “Woah, I wouldn’t say it like that. It’s a different culture here, and people come from all over. Byruo might not talk like us, you know. It’s his fifth language and he still makes it work!”

  “No, I swear everyone here’s in on that kind of thing. Like damn, just leave me be! Everyone’s convinced with their own answer to success, but mine’s subpar because it’s not tied to a clear number?”

  A distant crash momentarily interrupts their conversation. Looking over, Vertan and Hilgo can see what appears to be a small tank erupting from behind a wall. It seems that ghosts can possess physical golems in such forms. Like hunters preying upon wild beasts, the expeditionaries swiftly and skillfully subdue the enraged metallic golem, but not before its defense mechanism pulls several men with it. It would be another difficult endeavor trying to remove them from the loop-construct, and in the scuffle, the golem disappears back out of existence. So the hunt would continue trying to locate it for another hour, as the confused men struggled to find their way out of the shifting non-euclidean pocket they had become entrapped in.

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  “Well, okay, true, everyone’s story is obviously going to be a little different from each other out here,” continues Vertan as he scans the reading of another floor. The Daero Counter read 2%; at least something could be extracted. “But you do realize that this has been going on for decades, right? They’re going to have an optimal strategy with how they do things. Why are you so pressed about doing things your way when they have this whole system with all its tools set up for you?”

  “It’s not about that,” says Hilgo, surveilling the room with Vertan. Despite the strangeness of certain objects and artifacts, not all of them return a reading on the Daero Counter, to which they ignore to save time and resources. What’s more strange, perhaps, is their vague familiarity; they weren’t completely alien. “Like, what’s their urgency?”

  “Urgency?” asks Vertan. “Did you forget we’re containing and neutralizing an ancient demon threat escaping from its box?”

  “No, that’s not what I meant,” says Hilgo. “Like, what’s with the rush to succeed? Of all things?”

  “Elaborate?”

  “They keep pushing us to be exceptional, doing all these things to build morale and whatever. Like, I have to succeed soon or I’ll get pushed off the team type of thing.”

  “Um, yeah? It’s in the name, Hilgo. Special Expeditions?”

  “We go and collect artifacts, Vertan. How is it much different from when we’re fishing? Except I’m more relaxed when I’m fishing!”

  “You ever see someone get rich off of fishing?”

  “You seen anyone bring back wealth from this or you just hear about it from a higher up?”

  “Come on, look at our team! Look at Byruo!”

  “I don’t care that he gets a cut from each team member below him! He’s still here after ten years!”

  “And we’ve been fishing since we were kids, Hilgo.”

  “But we were home with our own kin. When’s this man last seen his family?”

  Vertan went silent for a moment at this sentence. Father—?

  “It’s not that deep, man,” Vertan finally declares. “And how do we know he has a family? Have you asked? Everyone’s story is different here and I’m sure he has a good reason to be here for however long he chooses.”

  Vertan releases a long exhale through his nostrils. With a soft clicking and a long beep, he locates what the Daero Counter had initially detected. “Log ID: C02-155274” read the screen. Clipping it back onto his utility belt, he uncovers what looks to be a pistol, and puts it into his collection tub, floating nearby making similar clicking and beeping noises.

  Hm, so the ghosts out here use guns, Vertan thought to himself. How intriguing.

  Hilgo, still doubtful and frustrated by the experience, leaves the room for an adjacent one, pulling out his Counter, its clicks and beeps accompanying his scanning.

  “Successful?” Hilgo mutters to himself, scowling. “I’ll show successful! ‘Team lead’ hooks up with all the barracks bunnies and then has the audacity to tell me about success!”

  *****

  “Hey, you alright, Hilgo?” asks Vertan. “I didn’t see you for the rest of today, I don’t know how that conversation went for you but I’m sorry if I angered you.”

  Hilgo looks over, his light frown softening. A perspective different from his, but nonetheless earnest. He couldn’t stay mad forever.

  “Yeah, I’m alright,” sighs Hilgo. “I just needed some time and space to cool off, is all. I just turned in all my stuff for the day earlier.”

  “Oh, alright, that’s good,” says Vertan. “How’d it go though? Heard some things about the others but today’s a bit slower for me.”

  “Yeah, it was pretty good. Glad I’m not like one of those unlucky blokes getting caught in that loop-construct. Crazy.”

  Sitting down with their meal at the base’s cafeteria, Byruo calls the attention of the rest of his team. Everyone looked over to see him displaying the day’s results, set up as a scoreboard for friendly competition. At the very top, sat Hilgo’s name, raking in the equivalent of the next person’s accomplishments five-fold.

  “Today’s been a good day, but I wanted to bring some special attention to one of us here today,” announces Byruo. Everyone murmured in excitement around the surprisingly high “score”.

  “Hilgo went above and beyond, and did a fantastic job today!” he continues. “He brought us back invaluable, loaded artifacts that could be used in research and development. Everyone, please give him a hand!”

  Everyone around the table excitedly applauds, congratulating on Hilgo’s sudden and silent rise to fame.

  Hilgo simply nods in acknowledgement, much to Vertan’s confusion.

  “Whenever you have the time, Hilgo, I’d love to hear you share how you do it,” Byruo continues. “But what’s more important that I want to let everyone know about today, is that perhaps you’ve noticed that Hilgo struggled a bit from the start. It took some time for him to get there. But, I want to emphasize that with even a little encouragement, we can all be empowered to perform as our best selves! Please, let’s give one more round to Hilgo!”

  Another applause.

  “Go team!” cheers Byruo.

  “Go team!” cheers the rest.

  Hilgo nods again silently to show acknowledgement, continuing to simply eat his meal in peace.

  *****

  “What was that all about?” asks Vertan from his rack, his eyes following the ceiling fan’s blades as they went round and round.

  “What was what about?” asks Hilgo back from their desk. He continues to inspect his Daero Counter, screws laying strewn about as he looks upon its interior workings. The orb lamp continues floating nearby in a set position, casting light onto his small operation.

  “I guess not just that whole thing earlier,” continues Vertan. “The whole day, I suppose. What’s going on, man? You didn’t react much when you were congratulated earlier.”

  “Oh, that,” responds Hilgo. He removes another screw.

  “Yeah, I mean, you seemed quiet, like you were at least apathetic.”

  “Oh, I was spiting him for sure.”

  “Really? How come? Byruo’s cool though.”

  “He tells me I’m not doing enough. That enough for him? I gave him five-times what the next guy could.”

  “Alright, I get that—”

  “Talking down to me like he didn’t come from some backwater planet like we did, either.”

  “Woah, hey, let it out man, but you don’t gotta say it like that.”

  “Say it like what?”

  “I’m sure he means well! People have their ways of expressing things, and sometimes it can rub us the wrong way.”

  “I don’t care that he means well if it still rubs me the wrong way anyway. That’s not my responsibility.”

  “Alright, fine, I get that. What’s really going on though? I feel like something’s built up for a while, man. Talk to me.”

  “One, these guys are full of themselves. Two, they’re rushing my process. Three, my process is better.”

  “If your process is so much better than these experienced guys, why’d it take so long for you to come out like that?”

  “One, I’m not particularly interested in it, and two, it takes a while for me to prove my methods.”

  “And what would that be?”

  Hilgo peers in at the Daero Counter’s internals, his eyebrows furrowing.

  “Tell me, what are we looking for out here, Vertan?”

  “Artifacts?”

  “Right, like, define that for me.”

  “What is there to define? There’s anomalous threats we have to contend with that we sometimes have to bring back, but otherwise we recover anything we can retrieve that’s deemed valuable. And we make a killing from it.”

  “Right, right. I’m asking you, what do you think the artifacts are?”

  “What? Valuable objects?”

  “True.”

  “Hilgo, what are you getting at?”

  “My point is, you guys are looking for dead stuff.”

  “...Enlighten me.”

  “I said it, dead stuff.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “You’re basically doing what amounts to scanning the beach for precious metals under the sand, alright?”

  “I guess you can put it like that? I don’t understand. These are artifacts, Hilgo.”

  “Not like you think.”

  “Fine, how do you think about them then?”

  “So you guys are searching for dead stuff. I’m searching for living stuff.”

  “You’re telling me that the cursed vase I found today is alive?”

  “Not exactly. Maybe it’ll have traces of something.”

  “Come on, Hilgo, you’re losing me, what is this really about?”

  “Remember how we fish back on Ulminh?”

  “Yeah?”

  “With our experience, we know how to best anticipate, catch, and haul in the fish based on species and behavior, right?”

  “You’re doing that here?”

  “More or less.”

  “No way?”

  “Yes way.”

  “You’re telling me you treat these artifacts like living things?”

  “Pretty much.”

  “...What?”

  “I don’t exactly know how or why it works yet; I just pick up on patterns as I go. Looking at this Daero Counter, it’s quite advanced and I don’t know how all of it functions—but, I see it using the same or similar kind of structure so that in principle, it’s somewhat like how we use our own instruments to detect and predict our catch of fish.”

  “So what you’re saying is?”

  “My theory, Vertan, is that these things behave similarly to living beings. The technology used here reflects that it detects certain signs of biology.”