ADMINISTRATOR LOGS:

EIGHT BLADES UPON TWO PAIRS OF WINGS

CHAPTER 1
STUDENT ADMINISTRATOR

668.074 - [MEMORY]

[MEMORY] PRIVATE Eight Blades Upon Two Pairs of Wings

An airliner glides through the night sky with an unspoken grace.

The leather seats and luxurious décor speak of extravagance and comfort, but yet there’s a palpable tension in the air. Stray air currents cause the cabin to shudder every once in a while, adding onto an odd sense of anticipation.

"Blades, are you nervous?" Treasures looks over at Blades, a hint of concern in his eyes.

Blades' fingers tap restlessly against her thigh. "I... of course I am, Treasures-"

Treasures nods and reaches into his bag to pass Blades a can of water. "I understand." He says, smiling warmly.

"You should be proud of yourself, you know? The odds were stacked against you, and yet you managed to come out on top! I couldn't be more proud-"

Blades takes a sip. "I wouldn't say I came out on top... and you must understand half the test is the actual job, too?"

"This iterator... Wandering Mind... she activates within the major cycle. From my briefings, she seems almost, if not equally as unique as your Nights..."

"I recall thinking similarly while going over the documentation you sent me. It seems Hermes is preparing for an entire local group here. Three iterators, maybe more."

"Y-yes... that means, if no one else takes the position, I'm set to become the group administrator as well! One step below the fucking high administrator-"

Treasures chuckles softly. "That would mean you technically outrank me, no?"

Blades nods frantically, a mix of pride and anxiety present in her expression.

"Hey, it's nothing to be ashamed of! Any respectable mentor would want that of their protégée, after all."

"Thanks. It's just... it's quite a responsibility. A-a whole experimental iterator!" Worry flickers in her eyes. "What if I mess up? What if I blank out and do something uncalled for?"

A bout of turbulence rattles the cabin, making Treasures pause before he speaks again. His gaze is steady and reassuring.

"It is a challenging position at times. Being a leader means one has to make sacrifices... sometimes very difficult ones."

"All you really need to do is to think things through. With some very, very rare exceptions, most decisions you have to make are not urgent. You will have a council of executives to support you, as well... all with their own thoughts and beliefs to keep you grounded."

"Just know that, even though we are a minority in our beliefs... we are still strong." Treasures adds softly.

"Mm-hm..."

"I, uh-" Blades suddenly leans over, hugging Treasures tightly for a brief moment. "Thank you, again... for a lot of things."

Treasures nods, wrapping an arm around Blades' shoulder. "All this... it is the least I can do, really. No problem at all."

668.494 - [MEMORY]

[MEMORY] PRIVATE Eight Blades Upon Two Pairs of Wings

Blades sighs as she stares at the inbox of her administrator fulfillment system. Only three requests from this new iterator of hers managed to populate any space on her ID drone's holographic screen. To be completely honest, she was expecting far more work from such an esteemed position.

"Mach, I need you for a minute." She asks as herself and More Enigmatic Machinations walk through the bustling streets of Fragmented Memories' city. He responded coyly.

"What is it this time, oh group administrator?"

"Shut up... you know I didn't get the promotion yet. I just need your input for something."

"And you didn't bother to ask during the meeting we were just at?

"These came in as it was ending. All these formalities, man-"

He sighs. "Fair point." 

She swipes her screen over between herself and Machinations as they head towards the public train station, Blades highlighting the third request marked low priority.

"Hmm... seems to be an executive change request. What exactly do you need help with?"

"I don't know. It seems a tad early and, well, all of our branding is already out."

"I see. Well, remember the priority list of iterator efficiency influences? Happiness is on there, albeit closer to the bottom."

"Hah. You're one to talk."

"No, seriously. I helped write it. When all else is tried, tested, and true... an iterator's happiness is the last measure to employ if you're seeking any additional gains. Emphasis on the 'all else', though. Rather important if you're looking to squeeze every last drop of efficiency out of these fine machines-"

"And you're saying identity influences that?"

Machinations nods enthusiastically as the two round the corner, entering the rail station lobby and walking past the long check-in lines.

"Yeah! How you would feel if you knew you were one person, but everything associated with your name represented someone else?"

"I can tell nobody really taught you that."

"No, I'm just weirded out because it's coming from you."

"Very funny. Go ask the admin of dear Nights if you need it in writing."

"So you're saying it's worth the extra costs that come with rebranding. Why are you saying this?"

"If iterators were designed partially in our image, what's stopping them from seeking the same kind of self-edits we get so often? How many reassignments did you get before you ended up like this, hm? It took me, like, three."

"I'm still on my second life... but I get what you mean."

"I suggest getting rid of that mascara, though. Everything else seems f-"

Blades quickly picks up a brochure from a nearby stall and bonks Machinations in the head. He yelps.

"-right."