Futures Part Ten

fiction
Futures Part Nine

"...of course we expect your honesty, this is a debrief."

"A debrief or an exit interview?"

"I believe you have your next assignment already in hand?"

"It's in Nebraska. I'm being sent to Nebraska. That seems like a banishment more than a new assignment."

"I can assure you that work done in Nebraska is just as important as work done in DC, or San Francisco, or LA."

"I'm just not sure that I am the right person for a job in Nebraska. I don't know how I'll fit in there."

"I understand your trepidation, but you will be fully briefed ahead of time and set up to succeed."

"I am not sure that my current supervisor knows what that means."

"Okay, yes, this is what I want to go over with you. You were not happy with the way your last assignment concluded. I would like you to explain to me why."

"I knew that I was being asked to do something that would fail."

"Did you not get the opportunity to fine tune the request? To add your own expertise on the subject matter?"

"Only to a point. I was able to modify, but only to a point. And I told her that even the modification would probably fail. But I was not listened to. If I am the subject matter expert, I expect to be treated as the expert. A decision made in a boardroom after reviewing case notes is not the same as my own daily interaction being taken seriously."

"Your input was considered."

"It was not taken seriously."

"I assure you that it was. Your original task was modified significantly was it not?"

"It was."

"And it still failed?"

"Just like I said it would. It was the wrong approach."

"But it didn't fail completely. In fact it was showing success at first, was it not?"

"Surface success. But the underlying situation was not sustainable."

"And have you considered what you could have done to make it work? Or that if you had done the original task it might have worked better?"

"You wanted me to seduce her best friend's husband and then claim he raped me. That would not have worked. Not just because he would not have been able to be seduced but because she would have had a harder time believing that he would rape anyone. He also is a close friend of hers."

"So you were allowed to modify it to him being 'inappropriate' and making you 'uncomfortable' which allowed you to isolate her?"

"Yes. But I knew it wouldn't last. She is very loyal to her friends."

"But not to you? You had been her romantic partner for a few years. We expected that relationship to become her primary relationship."

"And, as I stated when given the last assignment, we were well on our way to doing. She needed a gentle hand in steering her decisions not the anvil you dropped on us."

"You do understand how important it is that we watch her and guide her, correct? She is more important than anyone else we are monitoring currently. Her future path is...well...above your clearance, but let's just say it is imperative that we are able to steer her. And even if you find our methods distasteful, they are effective methods."

"The ends justify the means."

"If the ends are to avoid catastrophe, then yes. Always. You were aware that some of the things you would be asked to do would require you to be morally flexible. I am unsure as to why this was your line."

Jayde was silent.

"Oh, I see, you were no longer just performing your duties but had actually formed a real bond with her. Your priorities had shifted."

"It would be impossible to pretend for that long without forming some actual attachment. As I am sure you are aware. And I assure you that my priorities were in place."

"Either way, you failed and we pulled you out. Now she is unstable and searching for answers that cannot be found. I think it will work out."

"It won't. Not like you think."

"You are saying that she will not be sad you are gone? Or confused as to how abruptly you left? Is there other information about your relationship you should have shared?"

"She believes that she has extraordinary luck. That even when shitty things happen to her the path will become clear later as to why. There is very little you could do to her that would send her into some sort of existential spiral. I would bet that she is sad, but just waiting for a reason to reveal itself."

"And if no reason does reveal itself then her confidence will be shaken."

"No, it won't. You really don't understand her at all. That's why it's a mistake to pull me out."

"No, it really wasn't. We need people who are clear on their priorities and I believe we have established that you were not. I do think a few years in Nebraska will help to focus you for your next assignment."

Jayde bit her tongue, she had a lot more she would have liked to say but knew not to. Right now she was going to Nebraska for awhile, one more step over the line and she might never come back. But she did have one more question she needed answered.

"Why now? Why the push to isolate her now? Originally we had a five year plan."

"Circumstances changed. A road block we had put in her way was removed by forces outside of our control."

"Extraordinary luck. She has extraordinary luck."

"I am not sure that this had anything to do with luck. But yes, it will benefit her. We need to be able to steer her future decisions. Isolating her from other influences seemed a good choice at the time. Instead we will try another path, though that is no longer your concern. You will have a week of vacation before you report to Nebraska. Judith has tickets and hotel information for you at the front desk. Enjoy."

Jayde knew she was being dismissed. It would have been nice to choose her own vacation spot, but had to admit wherever they were sending her would end up being perfect. Lonely. But perfect.