Chapter 120 – Sick Day
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Miss Planner was not feeling well. She'd suffered a terrible headache and an upset stomach, of course, but she'd dismissed those symptoms as nothing to worry about. That was the familiar sensation that always came when she used her powers too much. Yes, they'd come and gone without much consequence. But now, she was feeling much worse. She was dizzy and on the verge of passing out. Her fingers and toes felt numb. She had pins and needles all over her body. Her skin tingled and itched. She was not going to make it in to work today, as much as she wanted to. Kay was going to be disappointed she couldn't make it to the big fundraising event for Spirit Life Day, but she had no choice. She was in no condition to show off to the media and mingle with the donors. She'd have to call in sick, which would be a first for her.

She knew what was happening. She'd experienced something very similar once before, when she tried and failed to merge a piece of her soul with an artificially created spiritual being. She ended up losing all sensation in her arms and legs for three days after that. She was greedy for results and she'd rushed into something she wasn't ready for. But this time, she was better prepared. This time, she'd succeeded. The benefit of hindsight, she supposed.

Maybe it would have been better to wait a little longer before attempting something so big. But she didn't regret doing it. She did it for Erica. And Erica was worth it. Or at least, she would be.

"This sucks..."

Miss Planner rolled out of bed and slowly slithered outside with a big blanket wrapped around her tiny body. The sun was just rising, casting a purple glow through the smog. The air was bitterly cold. She struggled to light up a Rampage cigarette with her numb fingers. Eventually, she managed to get it going and desperately sucked down a lungful of smoke.

She was alone. And she felt miserable. She was losing control of her extremities. It wouldn't be long until she had to use her psychokinesis to propel herself from place to place. But she was going to make the most of the last few hours before that happened.

She sat down against the wall of the five story apartment building and gazed up at the half-finished structure across the street. The Rampage was helping a little. So she smoked another three cigarettes and began counting to keep her mind off her aching limbs. The sun climbed higher into the sky, but didn't offer any warmth. She shivered and grabbed her blanket. The cold made her sleepy. But she wanted to stay awake.

"What am I even going to do with myself today? I need to think of a plan... I need to strengthen my powers somehow... is there something I could absorb, or some type of new drug..."

She was starting to feel a little delirious. And she was having a hard time focusing. It would help if she had more Rampage. But she was almost out. She went ahead and finished the rest of the pack before kneeling down and collecting the smoldering butts one by one, throwing them away on her way inside.

Back in her room, she stretched out on her bed and stared at the ceiling, trying to pick herself up. She was exhausted. But she needed to concentrate. She needed to think.

"Maybe I should read some of these old business books... get some inspiration... and it'd be something to do..."

She grabbed a few of the management books that were left on her shelf and began leafing through them. Her favorite type of book was the so-called 'business fable,' a genre that had fallen out of fashion long before she was even born. These were simple stories that purported to teach young people valuable lessons about the working world, perhaps overly simple, most of the time. But there was always a little bit of truth hidden in there somewhere. Some timeless kernels of wisdom that everyone trying to get a leg up at work should know.

Miss Planner flipped through the pages of her favorite book, looking for something that caught her interest. She found it near the middle. A section on motivation. She could use some motivation right now. She skimmed the text, nodding along as she read.

"Fill your life with positive energy, and deliver it to everyone around you... that's right. That's how I got to where I am."

"Always do your best to show your appreciation for the people who make an effort to help you succeed. The more you give, the more you'll receive."

"You're in charge of your energy delivery service! You're responsible for making sure everyone around you gets their share of positive energy!"

Miss Planner smiled to herself. This book was her go-to-read back when she worked at World Alliance Bank, back when she was still fighting to hit the commission cap every month...

"I've come a long way since then..."

She closed the book and lay down on her bed. She looked at the clock. It was almost noon. She couldn't go back to sleep. Not yet. She had to keep her wits about her. She crawled out of bed wrapped tightly in her blanket that stank like horrible Rampage smoke and ate a few of the sandwiches Nikki bought her before they got soggy. She felt much better after eating. But it was getting harder and harder to use her arms.

DING ding ding DING DING DIIING!

Miss Planner's cell phone was ringing. She couldn't quite manage to manuever it out of her pocket with her hands alone, so she lifted it in the air with psychokinesis and floated it up to her ear.

"Hello?"
"It's Erica! How are you doing today, Miss Planner?"

"Ugh. Not great. I'm... not moving very well. But I'm getting better. I think I'll be able to make it in tomorrow... I don't want to miss Spirit Life Day... how are you doing?"
"I'm f-f-fantastic! Actually, after all the medication wore off last night... I started feeling really, really good!"

“Are you working with Maxwell today?"
"No, actually, I've been talking with you... I mean, the you inside me... and she told me about all the interesting projects you've been working on... so I called because I wanted to know if you'd let me work on the Soul Shell! I thought of a really good idea that might help you finish it faster! What do you think?"

"Really? Go nuts... the prototypes are in my office closet. You can work on them in there, if you want. Just be careful not to get any little metal or plastic pieces on the carpet. That’s what the tarp is for. What was your idea?"
"The core! I wanted to try replacing the core inside the helmet!"

Miss Planner was shocked by little Erica's sudden change of attitude. It appeared as though her little successor was already utilizing her soul to its fullest potential. As a matter of fact, she'd already gotten herself swept away in the throes of a creative mania.

"You want to replace the core? With what?"
"Well, I'll tell you later. It's a... a really good idea! You'll love it. I promise."

"Ugh. Okay. Don't do anything crazy until I get back, and try to stay away from the Elders and the Sages. If you need any help, call me. Just be smart, okay?"
"Ahaha. I feel like the smartest woman in the world right now! Thanks, Miss Planner!"

"See you soon."
"Bye!"

The call ended. Miss Planner stared at her phone for a while. She couldn't believe what she'd just heard. She wondered if she should be worried. But she wasn't. She was thrilled. Erica was always such a good, hard-working girl!

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