What it Takes Pt. 03

"No, I'm serious."

"But that's for... pastries and such."

"Yeah, well it was on the last batch and I think that's how it made them so fucking crunchy. One tablespoon of baking powder. It's that other one over there."

His spice containers now were graced by the ingredients for this item. The unneeded one was the vegetable powder he could use on the occasional tasteless frozen mix. Eva made a confused expression as she added the white powder into the bowls.

"And two tablespoons of garlic powder. Mix well."

"That it? I expected you to bring out seven other herbs and spices."

"That's it."

And so was the last wing cut up as he laid the halves in the bigger bowl. The two trays had been readied with baking paper to receive the food at the end. Jack washed his hands after sliding past his girlfriend with great care to not have that knife go places. The woman ground her ass into his crotch for a tease.

"Hey, trying to focus here! We can play when we're done." It was amazing that Jack was keeping her in line from fucking his brains out.

"Oh, we will."

"AFTER the meal. The oven is a bit too powerful. Don't want to burn them."

"Bleh. Is it wrong that I'm starting to see all these issues with the place?"

"That's how it is. But it's better than your place."

"Oh, for sure! Fuck that place. Didn't even have an oven, just this hot plate."

Jack had visited once just to see it and... it felt crowded with the two of them. They had to constantly touch just by requirement of the space limitation. Forget separating a bit to see to their own thing... that place was a closet. But it did have some comfy air of requiring such closeness. But his bed here was far more pleasing.

That big hunting knife was washed to be employed first on the two odd extras in their side dish. About a kilogram of potatoes were to be cubed and set out in a tray with the same spice mix, though the recipe also required two cubed white onions of not too big size.

"Where did you get this recipe? You don't look like you go looking for this stuff. And the ones on the internet seem to never be simple."

"This is gonna sound weird, but I got it from one of the drivers for the ride sharing."

"You guys talked recipes?" Jack talked with them about anything.

"Nah, he had it on this plaque. Said another guy filled it in on the ride at his request. Praised it to hell and back. Oh, and you had it after a bit of steaming. When they come right out they are REALLY crunchy."

"Still damn good." The spice mix was done after her insistent stirring. The girl sat back at the table, opposite of her boyfriend who was using the cutting board to cube the veggies. He was insistently blinking from the onions. Eva found an opportunity.

"What did I say about crying with me?"

"Not the same thing! Now it's just burning my eyes."

"I know, just teasing. Why the onions? I didn't feel them in that other mix."

"They were in there."

"Get out of here! Okay, now I'm really curious how it comes out. Might make it our recipe."

"Easy enough for you, eh?"

A tongue was held out for him, but Eva was not one for this task. Just some very basic things. Cooking was still done in the empire, but she had nothing more than the occasional try. Towards the end, she was outright handing him her peeled potatoes for the man to cube them up and set them aside. One bowl of meat got one spice mix, one got the other and each stirred one before they could fully cover those products in condiments, the wings laid down with plenty of room to breathe on the tray while the veggies had to make do with as spread out as they could... a bit of oil poured on top of the potatoes and onions to help them bake. And inside the oven they go for an hour. Or 25 minutes with Jack's over-eager appliance.

Even after a thorough washing of hands, their fingers would bear the scent of that mixture. A laugh was shared while they stepped on the balcony for a smoke, phone alarm set for twenty minutes after which the man would check them every minute for the sight of their meals being done.

"I like doing this with you." She let him know.

"Still amazing how you're breaking all these norms in a good way. But why do you like it?"

"Because this is what we're supposed to do. Go at life together. Helping each other with daily things. It's not all passionate fucking and amorous dates. THIS is what a relationship is about."

"You guys have some extensive schooling over there. Wish some of ours had the same."

"Well, some are now. I like to think they'll come out in a few years and make the rest of the world feel stupid."

"Feels like you guys have some sort of secret, some hidden wonder that makes you come ahead. Special resources, some alien caches from someone who came before... bigger brains or so on. Why do you keep coming back to being like us?"

"Because we are. We've got means for people to achieve more, but the basic guy or girl is the same. We still think the same. You know how many other alien species we have on record for being so god damn similar?!"

Jack never heard about the other species.

"I thought it was just you guys. No other people in the galaxy."

"Well, there WERE more. Before our time. Like, the last other alien empire fell about a hundred years ago. Big fuck off fleet of robots. Like SKYNET on every drug at once. There were empires who were here for thousands of years before we came to space... when we started, their technology just humiliated us. They got taken down by the bots. We held. Last ones."

To the man's justification, he had not researched everything about the empire and such history was still being considered. Wikipedia wanted facts and sources. And some other things. But it happened as the girl said, though their encyclopedic knowledge was only given a basic training... small details to know such things but extensive detail was usually for a book.

"Sounds... kinda how we are now."

"Uh... technically no... you're not a space empire. You aren't able to consistently go out and explore the stars. Gotta develop ships and be able to do FTL. Pre-spaceflight planet. There are a few others around as well."

"Wait... there's more people out there?"

"Yeah, but I don't know more about that. Something to look up. At best, I know that the most advanced of the others is basically in a medieval age. And that they're crabs."

"You find out something every day. Hopefully one day we can rise up to the stars and do just as well. And NOT see you guys wiped out."

"Pfft! Please... we have to teach you guys how to not fall apart. Yeah, I guess maybe you can recover from this naturally, but at the same time we could see you guys wipe each other out. There are planets out there where people nuked themselves into nothing. Or something came down to wipe it clean."

"Still stuff beyond our time, so... doesn't much matter. For now, maybe see about you being to go around here and not hate it."

"Feels like it will never come..."

The alarm started to sound. The wings were not quite done but the man had to watch them with oven mitts at the ready. Their conversation would later drift to the crunchiness of the wings and their flavor, what next occasion would come for them to be prepared by Eva while he helped with the side which came out crisp on the outside and soft inside, still bearing good taste and even the onions were now soft and less obtrusive in their flavor profile. His apartment would stink of garlic for a while and they had another serving for tomorrow. Whatever they could not eat they could share with the other girls to have them praise their effort.

It was just a bit odd for her to see the man leaving for the office in the morning after his extensive work from home.

*

Sometimes those shops close at lunchtime for every hand to be on deck for a meal. There was a temptation to make a second batch of those delicious baked wings for all her community members, but since some had brought their own cooking or other food, it would instead turn into this collective sharing of meals. Too much of a good thing was a thing and Eva did not want more of them after a far too hearty morning feast on them, instead enjoying some risotto that was brought in. But she did enjoy them amazingly last night. Truly the best.

Moans of pleasure went around as all had to praise their cooperative cooking.

"You've gotta give me the recipe! No offense, Eva... but if you made it like this..." One of the girls prided herself on her culinary skill.

"Yeah, yeah... Tom can get you a printout. I expected this."

"Things between you two going well? You're starting to go into that second phase." Questions came from all around.

"Still good. I'm on the lookout for problems and he's just... good all the way through. Oh... Cindy, did the thing with Mark go well?"

"Gave him some fun but... don't feel it."

They had turned their weekly tabletop visits into doing it once every two weeks. Eva intentionally had Mark not know to instead send one of the other girls there to arrange a sort of blind date. One he did not expect. The man was far more open this time to such a situation, but still needed assurance. The twenty-two year old Cindy was a blonde with delicate features and a sweet personality, but it seemed they didn't match.

"Eh, worth a try. Made for a good consolation prize for us not being there."

"Jack is still being supportive of you doing that?"

"He's coming out to help with it now! Actually easier. Guys trust other guys much easier. Him being there feels like it's an endorsement."

A while ago, things were the opposite. Conversation would not linger on Eva, but she was a big subject.

"You didn't tell him about your other thing, did you?" It was barely a question.

"No... I don't really know how he'll react. Saying that those people deserve that is one thing but..."

"Yeah, doing it is another. You'll have to tell him. Or it's not gonna work out."

"Otherwise you're gonna start going out at night without him and excusing yourself. They'll pick it up." That was Tom to tell her. Guys knew when women went behind their backs.

"Fuck. Didn't consider this. Easier when we were separated."

"Or you can stop doing it." Frank suggested, taking a bite out of his sandwich.

"But I don't want to stop! That stuff makes just as much a difference. More, even."

"Then you have to tell him. Pick your time well, prepare him a bit... but not too much. He can tell when you're dropping a bomb. Too much softening and he's gonna know something is up."

"Come by my place in the weekend." Jasmine told her. "Maybe I can help. And get some quiet time with him."

"Haven't had a chance to try him yet? Oh, you have to. Boy is a right gentleman. His oral is getting better." Another girl said that.

"Oh, I know." Eva said with a grin. But her expression got serious again. "Alright, we'll come by on saturday."

"I'll make some cupcakes." A smile to show the support.

"And on a grave subject... I have nothing on the guy you said is stalking you." Tom had to say. "You said he was at the supermarket as well. Got their camera recordings... guy is just not there. And people don't even react as if he was there. I didn't even see you look towards something that wasn't there."

"He's editing the footage? You sure it's not the... everything... covering for him?" Frank was worried on that, but for now they had nothing.

"I'm sure that one of us could do it, but I asked for a complete list of our people here, everyone is accounted for. No other ships coming in, no nothing."

"Think he's one of those supernatural guys the outsider was fighting a while ago?"

"Only option. And since none of the others saw him, seems he's only interested in Eva. Why... I don't know."

"Well, I didn't do anything with him. I don't even have a name. Just plaid shirt, jeans and that face."

"Right, but even that face matches like five hundred others. With the stuff those guys were throwing around, I think only military stuff could hold up. So... take care of yourself."

"Hopefully he's new and I can deal. And if he's not... James will take care of him."

"Maybe. Can't let god do all the work."

The subject drifted back to Jack to gauge his worthiness to the community. Just like other things, he was now in a proving phase. He would need to naturally slip in over a good and long time. Eventually their relationships would reinforce to the point that people could not imagine it without them. But for now they could... Eva would be able to still be with them, but her boyfriend was in no way essential to their functioning.

But life... or God... find a way.

*

"We're letting you go."

Jack found it odd to be summoned to the office with his work computer in tow. Every once in a while HR might require him to come fill something out, but that was usually the task of ten minutes after another ten of car ride and a return trip back. There were barely any people in the building, his direct boss, the HR girl and those over in financial and legal, people who had to be here as well as the downstairs operational employees.

He had worked at this logistics firm for slightly over three years after leaving his last job when it had reached the end of his development, coming from "your salary won't get any higher than this" to a straight increase at the time, one small raise after a year and a far more impressive payout after the aliens came in to do that "fortune system" thing.

"But... I haven't had any problems. Everything is done on time, you guys actually grew a bit from my work. Even put in some extra work outside the job."

"I know, Jack. I know. But it's not in my hands. Came down from higher up. You know how it is. But you have two more weeks that will be paid, no need to do anything... just sign off here and you can start looking. I can give you a great letter of recommendation." He would not.

The job market seems to have barely improved, mostly because business stayed the same. Companies still treated people as disposable and in turn people have started to treat jobs as disposable. His parents could go on about the times where people held on to you for dear life.

"Can I at least know why?"

"Officially, you have a great number of projects given far beyond deadline."

"On which there were more and more demands added, given in time and the initial request was fulfilled according to schedule." Another look would show that those deadlines were moved back now.

"I know. Unofficially... we can't afford to keep you."

"You heard that fortune index, I'm making you guys five times my salary in the collective efficiency." He decided to let go of the niceties. "What, much better to hire IT guys with seven years of experience on minimum wage?"

"We know. But the problem is that our investors are making noise about the higher salaries. And those who got a cut left... making it look not at all a good idea. And those people can sue us if their profits go down."

"It's an investment. It has risk. But you guys are still growing."

"Yes, but their returns got a bit smaller. So they want something to be cut back."

"Now it makes sense why I had no more projects after the one I finished on thursday. You guys were planning this."

"Always how it is. No need to work in these two weeks. Wish you well on your next job."

It would take a while to sink in. There was no desk to be cleared, the man had brought back everything home already. Just a sign off on him returning the laptop, final papers with HR which was equally understanding but as always protecting the company. No one stood up for anyone else. Behind them awaited a mass of unemployed and qualified people eager to work for less. Or so companies thought. The truth was that very few were of great value and low price and eventually that value was recognized by them and met with an equal demand for pay. The next man to come in for half of Jack's salary would be unable to do even a fifth of his work.

But it was none of his concern how this company would fall behind and collapse over the next five years as hungry investors drained it of all value before discarding it and moving on, just as many others in this world do. Some justified it as a survival instinct, the only way to get ahead. They all hoped to have enough good runs to retire comfortably. The fun thing about such a practice is that you eventually run out of hunting grounds. An up and coming politician was running on a policy to remove this overwhelming power that some have in the world. It made him severely unpopular with the higher strata and other demographics.

Jack made the silent walk out of the building with a farewell to people he knew. Some would miss him, some would forget him tomorrow. There was nothing to do right now but hit up the job market and see what he gets. For now, the man assumed he would get tired since he tried to fish for a new job two years ago and got absolutely nothing going. People wanted to hire him for less than he had here with bigger tasks. Promises that the salary will go up later, but he'd been here for three years and if it wasn't for the aliens he might have left on just a sliver more than before.

Such times make people worried for their life, their future... their living situation. He had enough money to last through a month because it was impossible to make savings. He could not explain it... while the man tried to save up, it was like his money reached less and less the more he went forward. He had done no adjustment to his spending to increase them, actually giving up on some things and yet he had to dig into savings more and more. The most obvious indicator would be his usual supermarket visits. He could remember times when just a quarter of what he spent last night would get him a bigger bag, but now he was spending big on just a handful of stuff. It seemed that every time there was a problem it trickled down while benefits stayed up.

Mostly he worried about Eva and what they're gonna do. The man had confidence that she'd react better than most, but no man wants his woman to exclusively sustain him... at least no man above the age of maturity and with an equally mature mind. At least it felt better to have someone to help him through this. They might have to do a lot more home cooking, though even that was starting to be expensive.

Taking his smoke while making the journey on foot, he let the situation sink in as he left the industrial district one step at a time to make his way home. It was now far more tempting to have her get fed up with this place and bring him over to the aliens. From what he gathered, employment was far better over there, as were living costs. If this was Deliverance or any other planet they had in their care, he could walk into any building and ask if they needed an IT guy. It was that easy. The grand majority would accept him to ease the tension off the other guys and allow them far more days off. Here... he had to dance the long tango of interviews which more often than not led to either the company not answering anymore or him having to settle for some job that pays pennies for him juggling the world. Because if he doesn't, someone else will and if neither of them do... good luck on the guy next door who does exactly the same. It felt like all of them agreed to pay shitty wages. Worker unions were close to being outlawed while companies working together is just how things function.

A year ago, they got a bit more relaxed after that deity murdered a lot of people. The vast majority of millionaires and politicians were dead. And yet here they were back at the start with these guys unable to learn. Felt like the James guy had to make this some biannual occurrence. People don't remember stuff for more than six months. Always the same... no matter how many bad guys you take out of their power, new ones will come in their place.