"Between every two pines, is a doorway to another world". Once they figured that out, the one we know as ours changed forever.

First came the small experiments, the little techniqual questions arose. 'What if three pines stand in a row, does that make two portals?' and the follow up question 'What if they stand in a triangle?'.

It's is been a while since then. Multiple decades even. A world wide department was created, one to document each and every of those doorway with exact coördinates and what world it leads to. When new trees grow, the new portals need to be explored, which is quite time consuming. And when trees fall, portals are either repaired, or they were put in the history database, in memory of the world we'll never see again.

We do not have many explorers anymore, as they are not that necessary as they used to be. Most our resources are now in maintaining our database and checking up on portals.

Currently, I am busy deciphering a rapport, containing 3 years worth of data, from one of our explorers who just got back, dumped the document on my desk before enjoying half a year off.

These privileged assholes don't have to analyse their own data, like a proper scientist. No, that is a job for the database managers. And now we have no clue what they mean with 'little tree, dragon'.

It does not help that they also won't respond for months if you have any questions. And those questions, you get at least one every single line of that rapport.

I hate it here. The explorers are all self centered assholes, only taking the best part of the task, and do not think about how we have to pick their lackluster job. And if something  about the other world is put wrong in the database, the blame falls on us.

With a deep sigh, I put in the data handed to me. It is slow work. With a bit of luck, we finish one rapport per month.

It helps to imagine running away through one of the doorways. Never to return. One where pine trees are almost extinct. Maybe I do like to go to the world that has as notable flora and fauna 'little trees, dragon'. There are more then enough worlds put there to chose from. And the database is at the tip of my fingers. I could do some research before deciding onto my destination.

But this is only wishful thinking. Besides noting on the new worlds, the explorers have one more job. Retrieving those who abandoned their job.

So I'll have to sit here until I fall. Analyse rapport after rapport after rapport. Hoping that the sweet release of retirement will finally bring me to a world far enough from this one.