Page 108 of Light Leech

“Oh, I wouldn’t be so sure. There are a lot of people out there.”

“I doubt you can surpass me with your truth, even if you gain a few. Might as well help one of the only people here that isn’t trying to bang the system like you said.”

He let out an airy laugh, free of hope. “I’m good. I appreciate it but would rather not waste the effort. My mind is still dead after the race. See? I’m not even trying despite thinking I’ll die. Now I’m just thinking out loud like that other idiot. Thanks again for listening, but I’m just going to take my chances and see if I can survive by playing neutral.

A message appeared in my interface.

“Well done, Scholars! While we approach the end of this segment, please be aware that any participant who fails to convince another of their truth will be collected and disposed of by corporate.”

The message faded after I finished it.

The man’s eyes moved back and forth as he glared forward. He scoffed and shook his head. “They’re really leaning into this office setting, aren’t they?”

“Get up! Are you that stupid?”

“What? No. Of course I know that message was for me. Corporate can piss off with the rest of the competitors.”

“I dunno, du–”

A trio consisting of two men fronted by a woman in tasteless business attire pushed past me to surround the man.

He flipped them off and winked at me.

The woman spoke with an intense positivity and a smile from cheek to cheek. “Corporate would like to thank you for your cooperation with an employee appreciation gift!”

One of the men removed a black jewelry-sized box from his suitcoat and placed it on the man’s abdomen.

He sat up. “Is this the severance package?”

The woman giggled. “No, silly, we at corporate value every employee and—“

“Then why are you wasting my time with this guk?”

“We understand your concern and want to know that you are heard–”

“Cut the guk.” He opened the box and held up a small trinket with the word Correction on the end of a chain. “What is this, a keychain? Who makes these anymore?””We have also sent out an appreciation email to you for everything you have done to help this company progress.”

“What’s my name?”

“Dear employee, we have–”

He stared at me. “I used to work in sales for a Pharma company and dealt with HR guk like this all the time.”

He tossed the keychain up to the woman, who smiled as it dropped at her feet. “Thank you for the employee appreciation–birthday–Christmas–charity–reward–festival gift, but you can piss the zeg off.”

One of the men retrieved the keychain and touched it to the back of the man’s skull where his neurospace port would have been. He vanished in an instant.

She waved at me before pivoting towards the next lonesome competitor. “Thank you for your contribution!”

Her companions followed with dead faces, as if they were fading from the simulation.

I left my rest, feeling an unsettling ache that only dissipated as I focused on something besides the man and the corporate reps.

Ralia was easy to locate. She spoke louder than everyone and led her group as they surrounded smaller groups like a hungry amoeba.

I raised my hand out to catch her attention but dropped it as she waved at me without ceasing her conversation.

I stepped back from the crowd and placed my hands on my head as I scanned them. To the right, my horde continued their labor with minimal growth. To the left, the unsuccessful loners ran from the corporate reps who continued to collect them. I turned back to Ralia.