It's the first day after my transfer and I'm already getting cold feet about this whole thing. Instead of going through the usual morning briefing, short break, long hours of work, lunch break and then watch the clock do its thing I had to present myself first thing in the morning at the white room. I'm familiar with the induction department and I have nothing against the repetitive sentences designed by top psychologists to put the voices at ease. What I disliked about this new job was that there would be no way to establish a new routine since I could be sent into other worlds anytime.
Sure, I would be reimbursed for the time lost and I would also get extra pay, but what does it matter when I won't be drinking the grimy break room coffee anymore. No more office gossip, no more folders neatly stacked on my desk and I don't want to begin with my stationary.
"Bertha Graham, your days on earth have come to an end." I say in the most neutral tone I can muster. A tone I am quite proud of as I mastered it through countless hours of office grind.
"Finally!" The cheerful voice shook the entire script.
"Ahem, there is no need to be afraid because you will be sent into a new world where you will have a second chance in life."
"Oh, dear. I'm tired already, can't we just skip this part and go straight to the rest in peace part?" The voice echoed.
"I'm afraid that is not possible, but we can make sure you are comfortable in your new life. It is a dream come true."
"Will Mr. Mittens be there?" The voice asked prompting me to skim through the file.
Bertha Graham, 85 five years old, outlived her husband, never had kids and... here it is, a cat named Mr. Mittens.
"I'm sorry, but you can't bring him."
"Then I don't want this. I'm taking my own life the moment I am born."
"Hold on a second, I need to speak to my manager." The thing about the voices is that they come in the entire width of the emotional range. I have encountered many such cases even though up until today I only covered shifts. However, when someone threatens with taking their own life I have to take it seriously and contact the manager.
"Is there any problem?"
"There is this lady..." I summarize the case file and what happened when I followed the script.
"This is your first official mission and it was hand picked as the easiest one we could find. You really make things everything more complicated than it needs to be."
"Are you the system manager?"
"Yes," The voice lingered for a few seconds before continuing probably in frustration. "I was assigned to you and we will work together from today onward. Keep in mind that I do not know any information about you. The same applies to you and it must remain like that."
"I'm good with compartmentalizing information, but if the agency goes as far as keeping us in the dark then why is there a need for us to work together instead of randomly assigning managers to agents during each mission?"
"System managers need to be familiar with their agent's capabilities and the experiences they go through in other worlds. Tying a system manager to an agent is more efficient since we don't need to read the case files each time. On your side is also more efficient since we can learn how to communicate with each other without speaking."
"I see, you can also anticipate my actions providing better support. Then, the need for us to remain anonymous is to prevent us from bonding."
"Precisely, do you have an issue with that?"
"No, it suits me well." I say.
"Good, then let's continue. Today's mission is not just about convincing Bertha to going ahead with the transmigration, but to also ensure that she gets settled in her new world. I will evaluate your performance and in future missions you will be asked to follow the entire process from gathering information to even customs."
It may sound odd, but now I know I'll have to accompany Bertha into the other world she stopped being just a voice in the white room. This played in my favor as it allowed me to connect to her in a special way and tactfully said. "You're being sent to the other world whether you like it or not." After my first experience with the summoning sickness I was ready for what was to come. Or so I thought, but knowing and enduring are two different things.
"Are you alright, sweetheart?" A granny said to me the moment I composed myself after throwing up.
"I'm fine." The thought that this will keep happening pops into mind the second time I threw up, but at least I know it'll get better.
"This world is relatively small, it's clean and there are no hostile creatures. Bertha's green thumb will eventually become legendary, but getting started is going to be difficult which is why you're there to help her get settled." The system informed.
"Why are you old?"
"Because I lived long. What a silly question." Bertha chuckled.
"I mean, aren't you supposed to rejuvenate or something?"
"She just needs to level up. I'll guide you through this, try and relay this information to her in a fashion she can understand."
Following the system's instructions I started picking seeds from the nearby plants no matter if they were edible or useful. They're not meant to produce anything, but simply level up my harvesting and sowing skills. The first time I grab a new seed an automatic system alert pops up informing me a new species has been discovered, though no further information is provided stating my skill is too low.
Bertha limited herself to watch me work hard, her arms crossed as she stared intently as if waiting for me to speak. I find words to be useless in the face of actions and my plan is to entice her curiosity. With the help of the system manager who highlighted the plants I had to harvest it wasn't long until I leveled up and I finally broke the silence.
"This world is beautiful, isn't it?"
"I'm tired, sweetie. Asking me to live again is cruel."
"Maybe, but I don't make the rules. You may think you're done with life, but this world is different to ours." I kneel on the ground in front of her and dug a small hole in the ground, placing a seed I just picked inside. Then I place my hands over it and water sprinkles down from them as if by magic. Now that I think about it, it really is magic.
"How did you do that?"
"You can do it too, you just need to do the same thing I did." Half an hour later and Bertha had collected a sizeable amount of seeds despite her old age. She did as I instructed her and the moment water came out of her hands she laughed like a child. Maybe this assignment is not so bad after all.
"This is wonderful! What is this thingy?" She exclaimed as she swatted the air like repelling a mosquito. I lean closer but there's nothing.
"She's trying to swipe away the system." The system informed prompting me to commit what in hindsight was the worst mistake.
"That's the system." What could have been a fun evening of hanging out with a granny turned into a week long nightmare as I tried to explain someone whose closest approach to technology was the typewriter she used back in the day. Teaching a granny was the single most difficult assignment I was ever tasked with and even the system manager agreed.
Thankfully, that week allowed me to provide the subject with a decent shelter and gave her enough time to level up her Green thumb skill to a point where she could accelerate the plants growth. Not just that, as she leveled up she looked healthier than before. The time I spent in that world also helped me to familiarize myself with the system proving there's no better way to learn something than teaching.
The system turned out to be way more convenient than I expected, even if the system manager was offline I could still access it and make things easier. Otherwise, building a cabin would have been impossible with my little experience in building anything.
After clocking out I didn't go straight home. I needed time to think about what I learned, not just about the system but about the expectations of my new position and whether or not I would be able to fulfill them. Once you sign a contract there is no way to un-sign it, but I could still quit if the challenge proved to be too much for a desk potato like myself.
A quick stop at a convenience store was followed by a couple hours of mindlessly driving until I arrive at a place I've never been before. I lift a potted plant and find a poorly hidden key.
"They said this mission would be easy but It took me an entire week to complete it, and it also came with strings attached." I grumble as I pour the contents of a cat food can on a plate that reads 'Mr. Mittens.'