Thick, pale smog wrapped around the protective shield around her work-city. Steam pulsed out of stout towers of the lower factory districts. High-speed monorails left through the distant electric gates and into the tunnels which protected them from the inhospitable environment to other work-cities. Over her entrance, her clock rang out for the approach of her shift while her entire apartment echoed it through some of the rotting floorboards. Her cot tucked into a corner beside the main thing which took up all her savings. The Astral Elevona Drive — her one means of escape from her shitty apartment and life, a bed-like cocoon which kept her body freshened and stable while she entered another world. Inside her closet, several of the same variants of her work slacks pushed away any of her casual clothes.

A horn blared through the entire city — the signal to head to work, and tardiness was never accepted; its punishments disproportionate to keep them all in line, safe in the city. Ugh. Nayli cleaned herself off in her small attached bathroom, tearing out tangles from her thick hair with a brush to make herself halfway presentable and professional. Work clothes on, she slipped into her shoes and rushed out of the dinky apartment complex that was threatening to collapse in on itself. In the center of the metropolis, the tall penthouse towers pierced the thick smog, spiraling around small complexes for those who could afford the real estate. Yet, the Infinity Tower cast them all in shadow in the other world of Elevona.

Out onto the streets, she kicked the toes of her shoes and kept an even pace to conserve energy for her chosen duties to the city. Her, a mere package deliverer between the districts. It wasn't the worst job to get when she reached adulthood, she knew others who worked in the bowels of the city to keep it up and running, and often it brought back bodies instead. Nope, don't think about it and I won't end up down there myself. Hands against her temples, she stepped onto the electric tram with the rest of the crowd, almost suffocating at the closeness they forced her into. Her only solace was the farthest section of the bus, clinging onto a metal railing as it rumbled on.

Every so often it stopped and released workers in a grouping of sheep, corralled into their buildings before the tram went on its predictable, expected route on time. Her warehouse came into sight with the factory nearby, and she readied herself to depart once the doors opened. Thick smog smashed into her nose, and she brought up her mask to tread the grounds with the others who came in for their shift. Safely inside, she slipped it off and sent her ID card into the slot to clock herself in. Her name glimmered on the holoboard, and she sighed at the long shift she found herself beset with.

"Keep moving along!" the son of a bitch that was her Overseer barked from the upper rungs. "We need to meet our quota."

Quota this, jackass. Nayli scowled and slipped into the warehouse confines. Huge stacks wound around as package delivers checked their information dockets, swiping what they needed to rush along. As she checked her own for her mind-numbing routine, she jolted when someone psst'd in her direction.

Felix, the person who she essentially abandoned in Elevona. "You know if we're caught talking our Overseer will dump more loads on us," she said as she tapped the panel to bring down her stack. Her own organization gave her a sense of peace, dividing her packages by districts and sectors within them. "I'm sorry for dipping out on you — I got caught up in the game and... lost track of time." Nayli checked over the packages, separating them onto the conveyor to move to other people's stacks. After all, the Overseer couldn't be arsed to make their jobs any easier.

"It's no problem, I had to get off because my shift started earlier than normal, so, no problem, we'll just have to figure it out another time. I really want to get into Infinity — it's all people are talking about in my sector," Felix said as he repeated the process of the other package deliverers. "What happened to you, then? Gloom fog? Dungeoneering? Did you try to raid one of the floors of the tower?" he whispered under his breath — any conversation that wasn't work was considered punishable.

"Ran into another new player, almost got PK'd, got saved." Nayli hoisted a bundle of a package over her shoulder. "Try not to get into trouble when I'm not around, Felix. I'll be back after I deliver these packages too—" She flipped over the tags and tapped their small screens. "Erm... in the work servicing sector." Curiosity almost made her open the package to investigate what the package contained, but the last time someone sneaked a peek in the package, they were thrown out and given a different duty — markedly cleaning up others' messes. "Ugh..." Nayli fixed her shirt, nodding at Felix as he continued to organize, who returned her nod as he put metal containers to the side.

Timer on, she rushed out of the warehouse backdoors to grab a company car as transports hooked onto the conveyors, with other people she barely had any time to learn the names of loaded more important packages into them. Identification in the slot, she drove out of the lot and uploaded her package's destination into the directional helper. It beeped out several lines, before choosing the most optimal route to the servicing district to avoid jams or stops. Never have any packages go here... Her thumb tapped the wheel as lights pulsed over her head through the thick smog. Watchers. Her heart fluttered in dread when they blinked into nothing, but their shadows sometimes crossed the city.

Tall offices pushed themselves against each other with small food stores to provide sustenance to those who actually got a break to get them. Her tracker led her to a wider building between a trifecta of stubby towers. Into the designated parking spot for package delivery, she hoisted the bag over her shoulder with a huff, molding into the line of people who entered. Inside, the creased flooring below remained immaculate even with the multitudes of people stomping across it and to service desks. Some wore fancier threads and appeared to scrunch their noses at those beneath them. Her lip folded as she tore herself out of the crowds to stop between the drink station, the servicer's behind the desks looking short of miserable people, though the line in front of her held the most soulless looking husk imaginable.

The man in front of him barked out, though his words blended with the activity around her. "I'm sorry I can't help you, sir," the servicer said dully, his dark hazel eyes void of emotion, his thick brown waves disheveled as he stayed on his spot, where one of his coworkers worked in the back, free of the burden that was people. "I'm not officekeeping. If you have another complaint—"

"I have another complaint, alright?" the man spat, though the husk barely reacted. "I'm half-wondering why this building keeps people like you around if you can't even do your jobs right!" He slapped his hand on the booth between them, and the husk studied him. "You'd be more useful in the bowels. If you can't help me, have the decency to be useful somewhere else instead of wasting my time and money at this rate." He threw his hands up in the air. "I want to talk to your Overseer."

It was a threat that often got the 'lower' workers to flinch every time. Not the husk as he let out a heavy sigh, though his coworker cowered at the substantial threat.

"My statement still stands, sir," the husk replied. "I apologise for the inconvenience. However, if you are to talk to my Overseer, please state concisely your issues as specifically and detailed as possible. I am simply a booth filler," he said. "You're also holding up the line, sir. If there's nothing else you require that I am able to assist with, I kindly request that you move along."

Grumbling and spitting, the man wandered off and the line continued to shorten with quite a few other hecklers emboldened by each other's actions and treatment. Makes me glad I work in a warehouse... Deliver the package and leave. Nayli went to check the tabs once more, but frowned at the soulless husk as abuse was hurled in his direction for the crime of being the closest person in the way of their convenience. Nayli tugged out her finance card, slipping it into the water booth to grab a cup once the line was free of most of the hecklers.

"Welcome, how may I help you?" he asked without emotion when she faced him.

"I have a package delivery," she said and pulled the package out of her bag to set it in front of him, where his gaze slid down to stare at the confirmation tab she put next to it. "Can you find this ID number and have them sign the tab for me, please?" Quota. Quota. Quota. As the dark-haired servicer tugged the delivery out of the way to pass it off to one of the backroom servicers, he stuttered to a stop when she put the capsule of water in front of her. "Here."

"I can't accept a drink on the job, ma'am," he said with an added sense of dull dismay. "It is against company policy to accept refreshments on duty and from non-company workers."

Nayli frowned at the proclamation. Her job was rough and cruel, but they had the decency to keep their deliverers revitalized and parched for longer work. "Surely a drop won't hurt anything."

"I'm afraid I can't accept this, Miss," he repeated and nudged the water back towards her. "Thank you for the delivery. If there's anything else I can assist or provide, please let me know." He forced a smile on his face, but it tore through his expression at the attempt of a service smile. It dropped fast when a coworker left their computer.

"Oi, Duncan!"

Duncan appeared to lean around her, and she checked as well. No one else stood behind her, so Duncan sighed and gave his attention to his coworker. "What is it, Peric? Keep it snappy." He tapped his fingers together and folded his arms.

"Loias isn't coming in today... or, er, ever," Peric said from his computer.

Nayli frowned at the news, uncertain of what or who they meant. Duncan brushed his nose, then asked, "What happened? Did he get sent down into the bowels? I did notice their work habits dwindling, what with the Overseer constantly on his ass about his behavior towards the customers—"

"He was found dead in his complex."

Nayli stood there aghast at Duncan's lack of a reaction. He sucked in the corner of his lips as he drew his eyes up to the ceiling. "Self-inflicted or outside sources?" he asked dully.

"Self-inflicted, it looks like."

"At the rate the Overseer is constantly looming over his shoulder, I might join him," Duncan whispered, and Nayli flinched when he mumbled it under his breath, clearly not realizing she heard him when he turned around. "Has the Overseer already had someone placed on his shifts?"

"Not yet, I think they'll send out the alert soon."

His lack of surprise unsettled her as Duncan turned to her and pushed the water capsule further away from himself. "Apologies for the disturbances, ma'am," he said, as if hearing about the death of a coworker left the soulless husk unfazed. "I'll get the package to the intended recipient at the earliest convenience and send an alert to your company that the package was received timely and in one peice. If there is nothing else, I thank you for coming to our company for..." He trailed off. "For whatever..."

"Are you sure you don't want a drink?" she pressed.

"Ma'am, I cannot accept refreshments on shift," he repeated. "Please do not hold up the line. We pride ourselves on our efficiency and deftness as seeing everyone's needs met." His words came through his teeth as the other backroom workers gossipped. Duncan flipped through the numbers board next to him, clicking one of them.

"Um, Duncan?" Peric said from the computer.

"What now?" Duncan swiped the number slides, and Nayli found herself trapped at the working environment in front of her.

"The Overseer decided to give you Loias's shifts."

Duncan's eyes steeled into cold space. "Why?"

"Several complaints left by customers about your slack and your previous unacceptable, unprofessional behavior last shift," Peric reported with a sympathetic glance in Duncan's direction. "It said it is for further training in how to interact and have patience with the general public."

"Yes, because getting bitchslapped and defending myself is unacceptable and unprofessional." Duncan slammed his number board closed and ignored his coworker further to glare at her. "Ma'am, I kindly request that you continue on. I am sure you have your own job to tend to." He smiled once more, but it looked as dead as the last one he gave.

Nayli frowned at Duncan when he stared soullessly at her. "I'll just leave the water here."

"I kindly request that you take it with you," he stated and drew his eyes once more to the ceiling. "We pride ourselves on our due diligence to not have any distractions while we work."

"How is water a distraction?" she argued.

Duncan blinked, then leaned closer. "Because I am going to get in trouble if it's at my station," he hissed under his breath, but he quickly smoothed himself out with a smile. "Thank you. Please have a great day."

Nayli took the water capsule with a frown at him, though his expression refused to break. "I'm sorry."

"There is no need to apologise, ma'am." Duncan returned to the soulless husk.

"Nayli."

Duncan blinked at her.

"That's my name," she repeated. "You don't have to refer to me as 'ma'am.' I'm not a customer."

"Company policy dictates that we avoid using customer's or other company worker's first names," he said, looking a little wearier by the second. "It will be noted if we have any further interactions with your delivery company." In show, he wrote it down on a small piece of paper. He tapped the pen against the notebook. "Enjoy the water."

Dismissed, Nayli shuffled out of the way, forced to listen to the next heckler as she left the servicing building. Her timer rang, and she only had so much time to return to the warehouse and grab the next packages.