" Final resting place confirmed! B-rank case solved! +1,000 premium credits!"

They withdrew from immersion.

An hour in immersion was equal to a minute in real time. It wasn't even past noon.

Christel, still sulky, was signing the case over. Their operator had a mandated 15 minute break.

Allen looked over the case data by himself again, and then brought up the Bureau credit system. It took up nearly his entire optic contact display.

" What's up with this credit system?" he asked.

" From what I understand, the behavioural science division of human resources designed it," Christel said. " Non-essentials are with standard credits, work tools are with the premium ones. It's something about how having a 'robust reward system' keeps observers 'engaged' and reduces burnout and rates of stereotypy."

" It seems like bullshit to me," Allen said. " There's no reason they should be withholding things that'll make the job easier."

He continued to scroll through. Everything that didn't seem completely mundane was on the far opposite end of the spectrum, completely esoteric.

" Is there anything in here you would like?" Allen asked.

" How much is automatic SSNN override?" Christel asked. " All that digital work was exhausting."

" ...5,000 premium," Allen said.

" Bookmark it for later," Christel said.

" Do you want to work another case today, or should we retire early?" Allen asked, trying to be considerate. He looked tired.

" I'll find one," Christel said shortly. " We may as well work while we can. It's the last day of office service for the week."

...True. The offices were open six hours a day, four days a week. They'd have the whole weekend to themselves after this; Allen assumed it was so that he could get his living arrangements in order. He hadn't seen the apartment he'd been assigned yet, but he got the feeling it'd be empty.

" Just tell me when you've found something," he said.

Return......Next