something a little less morbid and contraversial. enjoy
"I'd like to place an order please."
'ID and SCL required.'
"Investigation Operative Grib, SCL 10"
'Identity confirmed. Please hold...'
Grib heard giggling behind him, so he swiveled round on his chair.
Volt and Terry were stood in his rooms doorway.
"What's so funny?"
Volt smiled. "BLA will make you wait for a few hours before they deal with you."
Terry spoke up as well. "Hell, they don't like giving Blitzers out to experienced ops, so why should they let a 10'er like you buy one."
Grib was a bit upset. His dad had always used a blitzer when he was an op, and he wanted to follow in his fathers footsteps. And here he was, on his graduation day and BLA had put him on hold for good knows how long.
Volt passed him a beer and smiled at him, the same way she had done throughout their friendship at Meny. He would have really liked to get closer to her but she preferred Terry's muscles and strength to his intelligence.
Terry thumped Grib on the back. "Don't worry mate. Slayer gives us a 603 which should do for a few weeks till they decide you're old enough to have a blitzer."
Volt smiled again and pulled Terry back towards the door. He looked confused till she whispered something in his ear. He looked over at Grib, phone still held to one ear. "We're, err, off to do some exercise, don't forget to be at the award ceremony."
Grib laughed at his friends difficulty in not admitting he was off to have sex. The music playing on the phone was that new shity STROBE stuff. He never could understand why people went to the dance nightclubs at Meny simply to listen to repeating noise and have bright lights flashed in their eyes.
Grib managed to get through 5 minutes before the awards ceremony. He ordered a transparent turquiose blitzer with white barrel and grip, gave the woman his account number and his fathers address to deliver it to.
He dashed off to the ceremony without getting into his suit he'd bought for the occasion. He hoped that he wouldn't look too out of place.
He skidded round the corner into the assembly hall and saw all the other students standing around aimlessly. Some were, like him, dressed casually, while others, like Volt and Terry had on their finest clothes and had gone to a great deal of trouble to afford their clothes.
He went over to them. "Where's the ceremony?"
Volt looked up, tears welling in her pupil-less eyes. "I don't know. All this effort. Wasted."
Terry didn't look much better, though instead of being near tears, he looked ready to tear someone in half.
A small man came on stage and Grib recognised him as being their year tutor. He tapped on the mike then spoke into it.
"Class of 901, you have completed your studies at Meny. There is no ceremony for you today, and neither will you see ceremonies in the World Of Progress when you achieve something.
You have succeeded to get this far and join SLA Industries as operatives, now go and succeed at being operatives.
In the name of Slayer, class dismissed."
Grib expected some kind of cheer from the class but the air of dissapointment was overpowering and slowly the room emptied.
Grib held out his hand to his friends.
"Friends forever?"Volt placed her hand on his as did Terry.
"Friends forever."Grib tried to smile but failed.
"See you at the Pit in a week."He left them, standing alone in the large hall, cuddled close and looking up at the carving of Slayers face above the stage.
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