New System, Who Dis?

Sunday, May 19th, 2069

Dave stared down at the multiple folders in front of him then scanned the table, noticing the folders in front of everyone else. He didn't know how things had gotten this bad so quickly.

"Maybe if you imbeciles could figure out how to run a husking company, this wouldn't be happening," Smegma interjected, likely seeing Dave's scrutiny of the folders. "How in purgatory do you let a bumbling moron like Jagger snatch up all the high-rank contracts and now start pushing in on the mid-rank? How is his company beating Abyss in husking Mining when we have the Mana Batteries and three Skilled Awakened in that crew?!"

Dave closed his eyes, prayed for patience, and then opened them, directing a glare at the winged Demon currently hovering in the center of the table—somewhat merged with the cheap chandelier.

"Maybe if you weren't such an ass and could still access your Demonic Vault Shop, this wouldn't be happening," Dave countered.

Everyone at the table gave him a look then glanced around, following his gaze to where Smegma actually resided. Unfortunately, they couldn't see the Demon at the moment. Since he was being an asshole. Dave and Smegma had decided that the Demon needed to make himself invisible to others if he was going to be so negative about things. Dave understood that Smegma was derisive and annoying, but he could take it—the others had been showing signs of anxiety, that may or may not have been due to Smegma's overly critical nature.

Still, for a moment, it must have looked like Dave had been admonishing himself.

Thankfully, the group around the table consisted of Willa, Jared, Gary, and Clara. Basically, all the people—minus the lawyers and Sparkle Legion—who knew about the Imp. Well, Dave guessed you couldn't call him an Imp anymore. But calling him that did piss him off. So, there was that.

Smegma gave Dave a sour look, thanks to his retort, but then countered, "Why don't you imbeciles just hire some Specialists of your own?"

Dave closed his eyes, once again praying for patience. He and the goddamned Demon had already been over this. This time, he didn't even open his eyes, instead choosing to rub at them. Under his breath, he said, "That's the problem. We can't afford it. Jagger is offering outrageous sums of money for them and we can't compete."

"Just imagine more Specialists with the Tools from the Demonic Vault…" Smegma said. "They'll be able to blow any of Jagger's idiots out of the water."

When Dave opened his eyes, everyone at the table was looking at him, and so he made a quick, far more positive, recap of the annoying conversation before responding, "That's the problem, Smegma. We've guaranteed our workers that they will be Equipment Specialists. And we've got no more Demonic Gathering Tools left that aren't claimed. We're actually extremely lucky that none of our workers have stolen a tool and taken it over to P-Squared!"

"That's why we filed a patent and had them all sign the NDAs that John and Mrs. Stovall created," Clara answered.

Smegma was right behind her. "Surely some of your Specialists can go back to Mining Crystals with a normal pick—or one of the newly purchased ones—if it means higher bonuses, no decrease in pay, and hiring people who are going to ensure you keep getting safe contracts…"

"I swear to any god listening, if there is a way to perform an exorcism, send the information my way," Dave intoned, going as far as to actually hold up his hands as if he was praying. The Demon clearly didn't listen. They had gone through this as well.

"The problem," Dave continued, "is that every time we make offers to Specialists, Jagger gives them an extra ten percent once they take that offer to him. And it isn't like Skilled Specialists grow on trees!"

"Then where the husk is Jagger getting them all?" Smegma asked.

"Abyss doesn't have the connections he does. That's why we're struggling. Jagger has called in all of his favors, clawing back all of his contracts that he leased to larger companies. He is definitely losing money at the moment but can keep going at this pace for a year because he has far more money in reserve thanks to the sale of P-Cubed. Whereas, we are now finished with all of the P-Cubed contracts that remained. And guess who's getting the new ones?"

"So, we be husked?" Willa asked.

Dave held up his hands and shook his head simultaneously. "That's not what I'm saying—we've still got daily contracts with Gecko. So, no, we aren't husked. I'm just aggravated because this moronic Imp keeps asking the same questions in new ways."

"Dave's right, Abyss isn't truly in trouble yet," Clara added, looking directly at Willa. She then glanced over to Dave and where she rightly assumed Smegma was. "As it stands, P-Squared doesn't have a quality B or C-Ranked crew. What we're able to do is take on those jobs and do them at a higher level than what P-Squared can currently manage or offer. This keeps our employees safe, and brings in a great deal of Greenbacks. If we figure out a way to get the Equipment Specialists to Mine more Ores, or Harvest better quality Herbs, we'd be well in the black. Especially seeing how much Jagger must have had in reserve from exploiting his teams in the past…"

"Yeah, but the Equipment, except for the Mining Picks, are stuck at F-Rank," Dave answered with a confirming glance at Smegma. After the Demon gave a shallow nod, he continued, "So, the best we can do is two mid-ranked Monsters a day, or two high-ranked Mana Plants. Many of the Gardeners can't even use the tools they have to Harvest better Herbs without damaging them—and the Cleaners are similarly stuck. So, the current projection if we plan to buy and repair normal Enchanted Gathering Tools is in the red, and if we go that route, we'd slowly be cutting into any funds that we had in reserve," Dave responded. "If we could get access to the money that Brodie had for the resources that his unique encounter uncovered, we would be fine for years. Right now, well, we're at risk of running a deficit, and unless the new videos start working on Swiftgram, Smilebook, or ClipClop to bring in Mana Pool Gatherers, we're going to continue to lose contracts to Jagger. Even the B-Ranked ones…"

"So, would stopping our investments help?" Gary asked, pointing down through the floor of the old industrial building.

Dave followed his finger, already knowing what he was intending to point at. A few floors below them, they had started what could only be described as a Portal Herb Greenhouse, with their fused Portal Plants, potted Herbs, and Flowers and Tree Saplings. This was a contentious subject. In essence, they were creating a stable, constant income for the future that Dave knew Brodie wanted. However, if they were to sell all the Plants they had kept, it might help them hire more Equipment Specialists.

Before Brodie left, they had also put in place a policy where the company kept a small amount of full Mana Crystals from each job. The problem was that Brodie wasn't around to sell them to Smegma. Dave got Gary's attention and pointed in another direction, toward the massive safe in Jagger's old office.

"I don't think we should sell the Plants. Those should create a recurring income later down the road. However, what about all the Crystals that we're saving for Brodie? Those could help us get more Equipment and counter Jagger's offer to experienced Mana Pool Gatherers."

Immediately, Dave knew that it might have been too soon to bring that up. Brodie had only been gone for a little over two weeks, and as much as Gary and Clara had gotten back to work, they weren't really ready to talk about it. In fact, they were probably hoping he'd walk through that door at any minute.

Dave put both of his hands up again and said, "Forget I said anything."

"No, you're right," Smegma said. "Those Crystals might help you with repair or purchase costs of more human-Crafted gear—why hold on to them? Abyss can get more once Brodie returns."

Dave wished he could talk to Smegma like Brodie did—telepathically. Thankfully Willa spoke up. "Clara, Gary, if we be sellin' dem Crystals, it don't be meanin' we be givin' up on Brodie. We just be buyin' Abyss time till he be gettin' back."

She said it both lovingly but also forcefully—trying to make sure that Brodie's parents knew he wasn't gone. Jarred added his view too. "You two know that everyone around this table," Jarred began and even pointed at the chandelier, where Smegma no longer resided, "believe that Brodie is coming back. We'd all do whatever was in our power to have him back right now—but since we can't guarantee when he'll be back—shouldn't we plan for a long time and keep hoping for less?"

Gary nodded and stood. Slowly he reached out and squeezed Clara's shoulder. "They're right—and the Crystals in there should be able to help us get more Specialists. Brodie's coming back, so let's keep investing as we have been, and plan to get more Crystals when he returns!"

* * *

Monday, May 20th, 2069

The conversation yesterday, and initiation of the plan to hire more Equipment Specialists using company funds, should have made Dave feel better, but it didn't. Instead, his anxiety had reached an all-time high. That one decision could in theory put Abyss in the red, depending on how often those new Picks, Gardening Kits, or Skinning Knives broke.

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Abyss still needed something more. A further advantage that couldn't be negated.

Without much hesitation, Dave decided to try the experiment he'd thought of with his Cut Skill. The one that Smegma's words to Willa and Jarred had inspired. He was at full Mana and knew that if he could master this, then he'd likely be able to do even greater things with the Skill.

Dave picked up a bucket and threw the bloody water from inside into the air with one hand, and with the Skinning Knife in his other, he activated Cut.

In one smooth motion, he moved the Knife through the water, picturing the bonds as shown by his chemistry textbook in grade twelve.

The result may not have surprised experts in the System, but it certainly shocked Dave. He instantly became lightheaded, his eyes unfocused. He thought he saw a small wisp, or perhaps it was more like a tiny tendril of white smoke, exiting the water near the top of the stream. But before he could replay the scene in his mind, he found himself sitting on the ground.

Smegma stared at him. "What the shit was that?" he asked.

Dave tried to answer, but vertigo forced him to blink and he could only manage a weak groan in response. His stomach lurched, threatening to expel his morning's breakfast onto the ground around him. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to center himself, but it didn't help. Instead, he succumbed to gravity's suggestion and lay back on the ground.

Smegma must have hovered nearer because the sunlight from the Portal dimmed. Dave couldn't figure out how the Demon, who wasn't truly there, was still able to affect light, but he did. Smegma's annoying voice soon asked again, "What the shit was that?"

Thanks to Dave's current position of laying on his back, he was able to answer, albeit weakly, "I think I just bottomed out my Mana."

Smegma scoffed. "Duh, that part was obvious, but why did you attempt to run your Knife through the water?"

Dave brought a hand up and started massaging his nose, hoping that might alleviate some of the vertigo he was still feeling. It helped a little thanks to the tactile sensation, but his stomach still seemed to be turning in circles. With a groan, he continued to answer Smegma, "I thought maybe I could turn water into steam using my Cut Skill."

"You tried to turn your Cut Skill into heat?" Smegma asked.

"No," Dave groaned. "I was trying to cut the chemical bonds…"

"Chemical bonds? You mean the ones between those elements on the period table?" Smegma asked. Dave let the error go, and nodded weakly. "Oh, well, that's definitely not how that works…"

"I saw steam though," Dave grumbled sickly.

"I'm sure heat is still involved somehow, but yeah, I don't think that's how you turn water to steam, dummy."

"Thanks…" Dave answered, as sarcastically as he could in the moment.

Smegma went quiet, which was strange. Dave cracked an eyelid and glanced to find Smegma tapping a talon to his fangs.

Dave had at least become relatively familiar with Smegma habits. The Demon was tapping a talon on his fang. It meant he was thinking. Still a little sick to his stomach, Dave asked, "What?"

Smegma stopped tapping and looked at the wetness the water had made when it hit the ground. Then, in a contemplative voice, he answered, "The fact that it took your Mana, and you saw 'steam,' means it attempted to work."

Dave blinked and might have sat up, except for the fact that pain suddenly wracked his chest. It was something like heartburn but amplified to include needles, physical punching, and a great deal of unfortunate sensations that Dave wasn't a fan of right off the bat. His groan turned into a cry, which turned into something of a muffled exclamation of pain.

What exactly he did, he didn't quite hear because the pain only intensified, but it must have been loud because Cleaners started coming over.

Smegma allowed many of them to pass right through him and went back to tapping a fang with a talon. Then, out of the corner of his teary eyes, Dave saw a moment of realization strike the Demon as he explained, "I know what's happened. You just damaged your Mana Funnel."

Dave, who was already in pain, felt sick to his stomach for a whole other reason. He'd been trying to help Abyss, and now he'd likely just hurt it!

And yet the hovering screen that popped up meant Smegma was definitely onto something.

Dave was pulled out of studying the screen when the Cleaners around him all began exclaiming. That and the light from the Sun in the Portal increased by about thirty times. Had Smegma moved?

Why was Dave's hand hot?

He looked down and found the Skinning Knife glowing, and suddenly realized that the light was increased because all the Skinning Knives in the hands of all the Cleaners were glowing. Just like the stories said a human did when they re-Awakened…

"What the hell?" Dave whispered, even as Smegma whistled.

"I guess you did something impressive after all…" the Demon whispered.

Dave's excitement was somewhat balanced by his disappointment with himself.

* * *

Wednesday, May 22nd, 2069

Geneva studied the trends and top comments that the software had collated for her. Then cross-checked it by simply clicking on the latest video for Alonzo's Abyss: Portal Services and Consumables. Sure enough, the overwhelming number of comments seemed to be about moving to Windsor to join the company.

"What's happening to all these people that are coming to town to join Alonzo's Abyss, if the company is still having trouble hiring?" Geneva asked, not looking away from her screen.

Kristen was sitting only a few yards away, and Geneva wasn't worried if she'd heard her question. They were both looking into this after talking with Dave. It sure was strange to use a single room when you had an entire floor for your offices, but it felt lonely if they stayed in their original rooms. It truly might be time for them to move out and 'downsize' since they had the entire floor and only two of them.

"Open some of the replies," Kristen responded.

Geneva felt her jaw clench when she did so and read the reply from P-Squared: Gathering, Gathering, Gathering. She read it aloud with a great deal of incredulity once she'd done it twice in her head. "'Come to our company instead. We're also in Windsor, and we'll guarantee ten percent more an hour than any offer Abyss makes!' What the hell is this?"

"Kind of clever actually," Kristen replied as she stood from her chair and came around. She sat on the edge of Geneva's desk. "They're using our viral videos to market themselves. It's not illegal, not really. The real question is how do we strike back?"

Geneva took a moment to take a deep, centering breath and then opened their newest video. Another they were cutting apart to show the lives and success of Abyss employees. They had quite a large amount of content, since more than a hundred employees were wearing cameras.

"Can we focus in on the new hires?" Geneva thought aloud.

"We certainly could, but it might be best to really dig down into the bonuses and stop mentioning wage," Kristen countered. "If you read enough of the replies you'll notice that P-Squared is only mentioning the ten percent increase to wage in them."

"Good idea, focus on the newbies and bonuses more. What about directly hitting at P-Squared and Jagger. We still have that footage of him firing Brodie and threatening Clara," Geneva said.

"We don't need it to pressure him anymore. Let me call Mrs. Stovall to make sure she didn't make a deal with him to keep it wrapped."

Kristen went back to her side of the office and snatched up her phone, leaving Geneva to think. Alonzo's Abyss wasn't truly doing that poorly. In fact, if this was a month ago, they'd be the top-performing Gathering company in the Windsor area. However, a boom was happening across the area, and world to a lesser extent. It was probably why their videos were going so viral.

Despite their best attempts at first, Kristen and Geneva had been forced to reveal some small tidbits on Smilebook, SwiftGram and ClipClop about the products that Abyss was producing. They only revealed it after P-Squared had copied them, but now other companies and Guilds were also using the Smegma's Sapling method to keep Herbs and Plants fresher.

In time, that might lower the resale cost of Portal Plants and Herbs. Most companies still refused to Gather full Crystals and Hides, since even Abyss wasn't truly making much more money from that method. However, with what Geneva and Abyss' upper brass knew about Crystals, that might not last forever. She took her eyes off her screen and the video editor to pick up her two Skill Cards.

If Brodie or Alonzo's Abyss revealed this. Well, they wouldn't ever be in trouble for Greenbacks again…

Geneva heard Kristen on the phone and stood up to move closer. On her way, she passed the two Cards on Kristen's desk. She didn't need to pick them up, since she'd seen them many times. Both their Skills could be extremely useful, in the right circumstances—or if they had more experience using them.

For example Geneva could likely edit a video with her Minor Illusion Skill to put Brodie in it. Not that it would help Abyss or Brodie. If they added a video with Brodie in it, Geneva assumed the Windsor Police Department or bounty hunters would end up banging down poor Clara's door. However, if she could add him to a video, then donations from his page may start rolling in again.

The content there was growing stale. As for Kristen's Skills. Well, hers would be more valuable in a Portal. Simply put she could maybe use her Minions to Gather Portal Goods, or to record Guild combat from multiple angles. Only if she could figure out how to summon more than one of them.

Geneva couldn't tell if the conversation with Mrs. Stovall was going well or not, so she decided to read Kristen's Skills once again while she waited.