Chapter 18

"I don't know if this is a good idea," Jae said as they stood in front of the research building of the school after Kristie headed to her class. The place he escaped from. "Back to the scene of the crime."

"I'm giving you work as my assistant." Elias pulled a working watch out of his pocket. "This is programmed for "Jay", and you'll need it going forward. You can return the broken one the Kristie if you want."

"But..." Jae looked at the watch. "I kinda like it. Especially since it's the watch she ruined while talking to me in my cryo pod."

Elias stared at him blankly for a moment. "You're not creeped out that she used to admire your face while you were frozen and daydream about you? I totally thought everyone would find that creepy... I'm surprised you talk to her at all after finding out."

Jae shrugged. "Sometimes, you just can't seem to get someone off your mind, even if you've never met them. I will admit, it's weird that it was my frozen sleeping face that attracted her, but is that any reason not to pursue it? I'm stuck in this time either way; I better find a way to live in it." If possible. With how society changed, he wasn't sure he'd be able to stand it in the long run. "Kristie makes the world more tolerable for me. She's so animated, and innocent, and—"

Elias held his hand up. "Please don't gush about her. I already know all her good sides and bad sides. I grew up with her. I know how amazing she can be."

"Sorry."

"For what?"

Jae took a deep breath. "For coming in between you two."

"Well, that happened long before you were unfrozen. I know how she sees me, or rather doesn't see me, and that's my cross to bear; don't worry about it."

"But—"

"Just don't, Jae. Let's get a move on before we're late."

Jae followed Elias through the building, barely familiar to him from when he broke out in a daze. Outside of a few friendly greetings, no one bothered them.

Elias opened the door to his office and introduced Jae as his new assistant.

Rin examined Jae from head to toe and nodded. "He looks like he could help us with physical stuff at least, but since when do you get a personal assistant? Doesn't that need to be approved by the higher ups? Did you ask AI for one, and they gave it to you? Can I have one, too?"

Brie opened the employee data for their department on their tablet. "Looks like he's in the system as a department assistant, but Elias is listed as his trainer? Weird... But if it's in here, I guess it's legit." Brie held her hand out to Jae. "Welcome to the team."

"Thank you." Jae shook her hand.

"Interesting," Brie mumbled, narrowing her eyes. "Anyway, if Elias is your trainer, you can stick with him. But if you need anything, you can ask any of us. It's been a while since we had a new person in this department, so we could use the change around here."

"Welcome, new boy," Magnus said as he continued working. "You can have the desk beside Elias'. It's been empty since before he got there. You'll be mostly helping him in the beginning, but we'll all expect your help later."

"Thank you, sir," Jae said, bowing his head slightly.

"Call me Magnus."

Elias led Jae over to his new desk and sat down beside him.

"Now, what's your plan?" Jae whispered. "Am I actually here to help you?" Nothing had been explained before. "I'd probably be good for me to have a job."

"I wanted to train you with the official system." Elias wiggled his eyebrows. "If you are going to survive, I think you need a certain set of skills, if you catch my drift."

Jae nodded. "But how hard will this be? I was never bad with computers, but everything's different now."

"If you pay attention and put in the effort, I can have you flying through our servers today, and doing... other stuff within a few days."

"That fast?"

"Yes; unless you're like Kristie and constantly get distracted and forget what you were doing."

"Tried to teach her before?"

"Yes, and it didn't go well. I got so angry I didn't talk to her for days. Well, barely talked to her for days."

"Came to work together even when at odds?"

"Naturally. Now, how about we get started with the basics?"

"This is way easier to navigate than in my time." Jae whizzed through all the tasks Elias instructed him to do.

"But this is still faster than a normal person would pick up things. Are you sure you're not a genius?" Elias asked, baffled by Jae's newfound proficiency.

"In what sense? A high IQ? Then yes, but those tests aren't a good measure. Then again, I don't think there was a proper way to quantify intelligence in my day."

"I don't think they've come up with a reliable one now, either, but I guess that was a yes. Shortens the timeline quite a bit."

"Hey, shouldn't it be time for lunch? Can we eat with Kristie? Even better, can I see her in her element?" Jae asked, itching to see her again.

"I don't think you should interrupt a middle school class."

"I don't want to interrupt; I want to see her teaching. I assume there's a window I can look through."

"And be a creeper like her?"

"It's not creepy. Can you tell me you've never watched her teach before?"

"..."

"Exactly. Besides, I'm curious about what school is like now."

"For reference, I eat lunch with her almost every day. But we like to be away from the crowds and eat in this little window alcove by the... cryo room. Are you okay to go back there?"

Jae nodded. "I'll be fine. I don't remember it all that well, but I want to see them."

"It's still sectioned off right now, and they don't want anyone going in. Please remember, while here, AI is always watching us. I swear it should be always listening, but Kristie should be in more trouble than she has been with what she's said."

"As long as she's not aggressive, maybe it doesn't matter too much what she says."

"Maybe." Elias glanced at his watch. "Let's grab some food and wait for Kristie. We can even walk by her class if you want. She'll be out soon, though."

It only took a few minutes to grab a meal for each of them at the cafeteria, all set up and served by AI like the well-oiled machine it was.

"Surprised it let you grab Kristie's while you were there; reeks of an ability to manipulate the system and take advantage of a free bonus meal," Jae said as Elias carried two trays.

"You have to have it listed in the system, with both parties agreeing. AI reads people while doing the agreement to stop anyone from being pressured into it."

"Good to know." Jae kept his eyes peeled as they traversed the building, trying to memorize the place as much as he could. By the time they arrived at Kristie's classroom, he had already started building a map in his mind.

"And there she is, in her element. Not that I'm sure she still wants to teach." Elias sat down on the window bench and looked through the classroom door window.

"Is that so?" Jae sat beside him and watched Kristie teaching her class. "I'm surprised they even have human teachers now."

"AI helps, but it thought it was best to keep the human element to understand emotions it can't."

"That's... progressive of it."

Elias glanced at his watch. "Lunch break should be starting now." As soon as he said it, students filed out of the classroom.

"Oh!" Kristie's eyes went wide when she saw them. "You're early..."

"I wanted to see you teaching," Jae said before Elias could out him.

Kristie froze. "Um... I'm not sure what there is to watch."

"From the girl who stared at a frozen guy, I'd say I'm watching more here than you were."

"That's only because you don't know what goes on in my head." Jae raised an eyebrow, and she gasped, covering her mouth. "Forget you heard me say that."

"I think we established before that you daydream about him." Elias rolled his eyes. "So this isn't a new revelation."

"No, but it makes me wonder even more what she was daydreaming about." Jae smirked and stood. "So, we're headed near the cryo room for your usual lunch spot, right?"

"We don't have to do that unless you're already planning something."

"I thought that's where you always took your lunch break."

"It is," Kristie said and took her tray from Elias. "Thanks."

"Maybe I should leave you two to it, then." Elias backed away. "There's not enough space there for three."

"Don't be silly." Kristie wrapped her arm around his. "Of course, there's space for three."

Elias looked at Jae. "It's your spot; if anyone isn't welcome there, it's me." Jae shifted around awkwardly and looked out the window. "Maybe I'll eat outside."

"Enough of this; let's just go."