System Jazz

The morning finds me on the bus towards the turnaround, the closest station to the yard.

Baldie didn't say when he wants that report, so let's get over it fast.

Except I'm too sleep-deprived with ringing ears from struggling with that stupid game.

It's a budding love-hate relationship, stronger than the high-pitched noise.

It was harsh, leveling up to get killed and lose everything then find out that most stuff's Premium only.

And it's still impossible to drop the controller hence traveling in the morning.

That's the safest option because the sun appeared before logging off for the night.

'Try this one thing or look up that and call it a day', and then hours later this head wants to explode.

While it's full of swirling thoughts, it feels light and better rested than after the guard house.

The game's more addicting than smoking, and it only occurred to me in the morning that I went to sleep without a cig.

It's stressful, and for some reason, the cravings don't kick in when the headset's on. Plus it would be lame to give up after the first try.

The plan was to bring it back and tell the cops to shove it up, but it's too intriguing.

They promised money and food. The first is already gone, so dancing back now would piss them off for sure.

The meal never arrived though, the stomach protesting it with grumbling noises.

While the yard's a nice-looking building, it's strange to come here of your free will.

It's not like one of those crazy modernist structures in the center, the area's rather beat down and quiet.

Laying halfway between the old harbor and the city it's like someone tried to hide it in plain sight.

Everything looks different in broad daylight. Nature tries to reclaim the area, birds chirp, even if the ears can't distinguish it from the ringing.

There are no cars or crowds, only the fact that it's a police station is a turnoff, and somehow still calming.

The inside is busier than the place suggests, and a receptionist stops at the entrance. He couldn't bother yesterday, no, it was two days ago.

Entering the building is more challenging than leaving it after a night in the guard house.

"Do you have an appointment?" The guy asks it as unenthusiastic as possible, like an NPC.

What if someone tries to ask for help, or report a crime?

Telling him Baldie wants to see me won't cut it. And he didn't give his number or real name.

"Wow, Arnim, you're here early."

The familiar voice makes me spin and there she is, Boobie Girl looks prettier than yesterday.

It can't be her uniform. Seeing her the second time in broad daylight, she keeps getting nicer.

"He's here to see Inspector Baldwin, I'll take him in."

It's crazy that she remembers the name, what left an impression on her?

It's hard to think when all the memories from the past two days flood in.

I must be slower than normal because her words don't register first, taking their sweet time to sink in.

Did she say, Baldwin? Baldie's name sounds bald, and he mentioned that the Old Fox was Fennec too.

What a coincidence, I can't help giggling, and the Girl shoots a curious glance. It would be funny if her name rhymed with hottie.

"What's so funny?" She asks, furrowing her eyebrows.

They don't match her hair color, a bit darker, not that the blonde ponytail looks bleached.

Her bangs are long and messy. She has an effortless cute look that girls in school almost died to achieve without ever pulling off.

And then the uniform makes her look serious.

It's a strange mix, and it might turn into a new fetish.

Remember, no matter how they look, it's best to keep your distance from the cops.

If they act kind, they want you to confess something, then throw you behind bars, no exceptions.

"Well, nobody bothered with the checkpoint last time." There will be no confessions today, ma'am, you'll never know.

The nickname is mine, and mine alone. Apart from being cute, she sees right through this response and puts her hands on her hips.

"Come on, you had no idea who you were looking for, right?" She hits the nail on the head and waves towards the corridor once the door opens.

The receptionist operates it from his booth, and there's a second set too. It's like a safety floodgate, except both were open yesterday.

Safety is only a concern when the higher-ups are in and demand that you follow protocol.

They put a lot of effort into keeping someone out they summoned.

The Aspirant waits for the answer, and shrugging it off doesn't please her either. The furrowed eyebrows are cute too.

"Ugh, you guys fished out my data with a scanner, and nobody bothered with introductions." The answer sounds defensive and she laughs it off.

She must think I'm an idiot, but at least her looks don't scream trash like the Old Fox's.

"That's fair."

She nods with a grin, showing the way, getting chatty.

"I'm kinda new to this whole thing but knew these people for ages. Still, you signed your confession, and you should have brought that back with you. It has everyone's name on it."

"Yeah, sure, hit me with your logic after the fact."

The head shaking triggers another cute laugh, soothing these ringing ears.

Whether it's loud enough so she can hear it or she's a mind reader is a mystery, her next question can't be a coincidence.

"How are your ears?" She puts a few loose strands behind hers, almost as if trying to communicate with sign language.

She has a bunch of piercings lining hers, not something you'd expect from the Main Cop's daughter. She might have a wild side too.

"They are ringing. How did you know?"

The confused look triggers her brightest laughter. She walks up a set of stairs, then along a corridor, and stops in front of a plain door.

Even with all the clutter, everything seems so uniform here, it's disorienting.

"I bet you had the headset on most of the day." She notes, nodding toward the door.

It has a tiny nametag that says 'Inspector J. Baldwin', but she doesn't open it.

"It's like when your muscles get sore after a rough workout. Take a lot of breaks early on."

"Oh, great."

This shouldn't be a surprise at this point.

"That's another thing nobody talked about and would have been nice to know. That game gave me some serious headaches and there have been a few rage quits too. Not enough to prevent this ringing as it seems."

"Hahaha, don't worry, they didn't tell me either, and I work here. Ears rang for three days." She laughs again, and it will be troublesome if she continues like that.

To make it worse, she offers her hand for a shake.

"Okay, let's do this the proper way. I'm Anna Lee, fresh trainee."

"Anallee?! Um, nice to meet you."

Whether it's the inner idiot speaking or a Freudian slip, it sounds different as I pronounce it.

The stupid laugh doesn't help either and she frowns, retracting her hand.

She won't say a word, but the next door speaks louder as she slams it.

It has 'Chief Inspector O. Fennec' on it.

If that's the Old Fox, I'm as good as dead.

If there is a chance, it's better to apologize to her later.