Between Assignments

Written by Luckie Krog

Break Room

The room hums with its usual low, ambient vibration. On the wall, a screen scrolls through announcements. One line flashes briefly in soft blue: High Witness Engagement (HWE) Assignments: Relief is always an option. Request W7 (short-term) or W4 (longer-term) subs as needed.

Two Witnesses sit at a table, their postures slightly slouched under the weight of the conversation.

N940 – How did it go?

M782 (weary, rubbing their temples) – It’s not over yet. I just turned in my Monitor report. Debriefing that alone took all day.

N940 (brows furrowing) – Wait… So you have to go back?

M782 – Yup. The debrief was just my chance to explain all my Witness statements. But since this was my first full-time Being, everything I submitted has to be reviewed—especially the Highly Significant Events.

N940 (understanding dawning, voice soft) – Oh… So then what happens?

M782 – Tomorrow, a W2 goes over any discrepancies with me.

N940 (pauses, hesitant) – Discrepancies? But… he’s gone. It’s not like you can go back and check, or re-record anything now.

M782 – Yeah, that’s what I thought. But apparently, there’s some kind of backup system to help us out the first time. I guess it’s not widely discussed because they want us to try our best to Witness on our own. But there is a way to make sure we don’t miss anything. I’ll learn more about it tomorrow.

N940 (frowning slightly) – Weird.

(A pause stretches between them, neither quite sure what to say.)

(They both begin to speak at the same time.)

N940 – I can’t believe he’s gon—

M782 – I can’t believe he’s—

(They both stop, exchanging glances before chuckling self-consciously.)

M782 (rubbing the back of their head) – It’s definitely going to be weird not doing that anymore.

N940 (chuckling, shaking their head) – Yeah… I know you almost as well as I know Gloria at this point. I can hardly imagine the rest of our time here without you and Anthony.

M782 – They got married so young. We’ve all been together for most of our time on this planet.

N940 – True. Though… it didn’t seem that young at the time. Gloria is my first Being, but even I could tell she was made for family life. She knew what she wanted early on.

M782 (grinning) – Tony loved that about her. She asked him about his intentions on their second date. Said, “I don’t have time to mess around, so please do not waste my time.”

(They both laugh at the memory.)

N940 – I wasn’t totally convinced at first. Anthony was obviously enamored, but Gloria got that reaction from a lot of men. It took a little while longer before I thought he might be the one for her.

M782 – I remember. You were very suspicious of us in the beginning.

N940 (smirking, arms crossed) – Mmhmm.

M782 (grinning) – But he convinced you.

N940 (laughing, shaking their head) – Of course! The little bugger changed majors mid-semester just to spend more time with her.

M782 (crossing arms, grinning) – My man.

N940 (still laughing) – Your man passed out in biology lab because he couldn’t stand the sight of blood.

M782 – And who walked him all the way to the nurse?

N940 (rolling their eye) – You two were impossible together.

(The past tense lands between them like a stone. The laughter fades. Another long pause stretches between them.)

M782 (quietly) – The service was beautiful, though.

N940 (nods, voice soft) – Wasn’t it? Pastor Burnes did a wonderful job with the sermon.

M782 (nodding, voice thick with emotion) – It was perfect. We see so many lives begin and end, I imagine it’s easy to forget what they mean. I don’t want to do that, though. Tony was important. He mattered, even if it was just in a tiny place for a fraction of a moment.

N940 (after a beat, voice unsure) – I hope that’s true.

M782 (softly, but with quiet conviction) – I hope our work makes it true.