< Day 0 >

Day 0 marked when new faces would finally arrive at a Site. Where optimism was at its highest, and when seeds of friendship were sowed into the hearts of fellow co-workers. Peak morality, as higher ups would call it in their usual monotone, begrudging voices.

If one thought Aisyle was bad, then they hadn’t seen what the overworked Overseers of the other Sites were like, never mind the deep sea Aquatid creatures who perpetually wore a coat of nihilism.

Aquatids were beings that bared the characteristics of their ocean counterparts, whether they had tentacle legs or were transparent enough where their organs could be seen in the presence of a bright light.

Despite the workforce of ImpulseWorks being most humans, Demi-humans, and half-breeds – who were a cross between humans and other races, such as Aquatids and Elves – the higher ups were almost solely comprised of Aquatids.

That being said –

– It was finally time for the Site to receive its first wave of Workers and Employees.

The heavy doors of the Reception’s elevator rattled before it released a sharp groan. The Site vibrated, as if eager to greet these new faces as Papilia planted herself in the center of the Reception like a statue. She was stiff and awkward, but she put on a convincing bravado as she clutched her paperwork close to her chest.

Aisyle was not seen anywhere within the Reception. The reason for this was because Overseers were considered Gods amongst the Workers and Employees.

To see the Overseer in person was problematic, particularly for newer Workers and Employees. It was not by choice, but rather by ImpulseWork’s code of conduct. It was better that they didn’t know the face of the one who dictated whether today would be their last.

The doors shuddered before swiftly opening to reveal 20 unique individuals. They came flooding out, heavy boots and leather footwear meeting with the wooden floorboards. Their eyes were drawn to the majesty of the Reception, heads turning left and right as curious gazes led them to cautiously wander in.

All except for 5 particular members, all donned in a fine, black two-piece suit, fitted with a pristine tie. They were tailor made for each Worker, whereas the Employees that meandered behind were fitted in simple white suits to easily differentiate them.

“Wheeeeeeeew~! Bwaaaaah~! I love the fresh smell of an unopened Facility!” A blue haired, bunny-eared Demi-human stretched her arms wide, brushing her knuckles against the face of another fellow. “Mmmmnghhh~! Hehe~! – YOWCH!”

“Stupid bunny. Keep your hands to yourself.” A white, short haired, small statured woman with razor sharp teeth nipped on the back of the bunny girl’s hand, causing her to recoil and blow at the small wound. “There ain’t no way I got sent here to work with an idiot!”

The short girl was obviously a cross breed between a shark and a human. Aside from her teeth, she had a blue shark tail protruding from the base of her back, swatting the ground in frustration.

“Mah hand!” The bunny girl’s eyes watered as she hopped on each leg to combat the pain.

“Ugh. So noisy… If you’re going to fight, then do it outside of the Receptionist’s time.” A much taller woman stated, fitting on a pair of black gloves.

She towered over them at 2 meters tall and boasted a muscular body that her suit could barely contain. Her voluptuous body was the kind that immediately drew eyes, but her muscles demanded just as much attention.

“Receptioniiiist! We have a casualty!” She called out, grabbing the bunny girl’s hand as the group of five approached Papilia, obviously mistaking her for someone else entirely.

“I need a healer!” The bunny girl cried melodramatically.

“Haaaah. Calm down. Healers don’t arrive before we do.” A man scoffed with a gruff voice. His hair was long and elegant, and he had a magnificent beard to match it. “Section 15.3.2, Article 12: Workers and Employees are sent first into a Site on Day 0. Didn’t you get the memo?”

“Oh? You remembered? Because I didn’t. Thank you for the heads up!” Another man with wavy hair suitable only for a noble genuinely thanked, appearing just as much as a clutz as the bunny-eared girl.

If only Aisyle could see Papilia’s face. She struggled to maintain a smile, wondering who in the world were these 5 supposed to be. Of course, she knew very well who and what they were, but her mind adamantly refused to believe it. In fact, she had closed her eyes as though it were all just a dream.

Surely, more respectable people would appear before her when they opened again.

But to her dismay…

“Um… Receptionist? You look kinda familiar.” The bunny girl’s face was mere inches away from hers.

“We’re here to check in.” The shark girl crudely spoke.

“This isn’t a hotel. Oh… By the way, aren’t you kind of small to be a Receptionist? When did they start hiring kids?” The tall woman pondered with a hand on her chin.

“So this is a Receptionist!” The wavy-haired man exclaimed.

“Idiots. Get back in line.” The gruff man dragged them back a solid meter away from Papilia before immediately apologizing. “Don’t you know a Navigator when you see one? Working with a bunch of fools. Navigator.”

He gave a firm nod, and the others followed suit almost immediately. The bunny eared girl most especially. In spite of her ditzy personality, she was perhaps the most trained out of all the Workers present.

How did Papilia come to this conclusion? Was it merely because of how quickly she reacted?

Not quite.

She actually knew this bunny-eared girl from a previous Site when she was just a trainee Navigator.

“Mm. Thank you. I know it’s sudden, and I know it’s rare for a Navigator to show their face this early.”

Her voice was amplified by the Reception like it was an auditorium, immediately drawing the attention of all Employees as they gathered around who was effectively their boss.

“But I felt the need to greet you personally due to the nature of this Site. I’m aware that some of you carry previous experiences in other Sites.” She looked over at the bunny girl, whose eyes widened all of a sudden as she giddily bobbed left and right, greatly irritating the tiny shark girl.

“And that this is the first time many of you are stepping foot into an active Site. We’re all aware of the history of G-Z7, and what working in a General Site means for us as a whole. The Site follows a semi-nonstandard design, so please, allow me to personally guide you through the Site.”

Papilia worked up a small speech to connect with her Employees and Workers. Unlike in other work settings, there was no applause or cheer. There was only silence and nods of confirmation, followed by the sound of shuffling.

Many were eager to settle in. Many carried stars and shimmers in their eyes. And in the expected silence burst forth a surprising cry:

“Woooooo! Papiliaaaaaa~!” The bunny eared girl applauded with her ears, embarrassing Papilia.

But a part of her was glad that at least one of them was full of life.

And she sincerely hoped she could preserve the twinkles in their eyes.