Spy School At Work

Prologue

Prologue (by tehImpossible) (HEY! Why did you rewrite my previous prologue- speakamumbo)

Private Log of Ben Ripley

Day 05

After all this, I am a desk jockey, or at least temporarily. I'll be working at the new CIA headquarters in Washington since the other one was blown up a few days ago (I wasn't the agent responsible). They say that they'll "activate me at the right time." I suppose that makes sense since it's not like top-secret missions needing field agents of my particular expertise start every day.

For now, I am finally happy to feel safe while actually contributing to something, even if it is just basic analysis for some random stranger I just met. Mary would be proud. The field agents I primarily work for are two of my old classmates from the year above me whom I did not know very well. I privately wished that I would get assigned to help Erica since she is already out as a field agent, but I suppose they are not able to let a newbie like me help on such high-profile cases as hers, even though I have already been on missions as a student.

Day 63

Ever since I started off as an analyst, I have been the perfect employee. I assist the agents in the field with precision and comply with their requests no matter how stupid they are. After a few weeks on the job, I am starting to become aware of how monotonous the job of an analyst can be. Every day, I wake up, drive to work, get a coffee, and explain to my idiotic field agents how to do some ridiculously simple task only for them to fail anyhow.

Mike and Zoe got deployed on their first field mission yesterday, as partners. I know I should feel good for them, but I only feel jealousy. Yes, I had previously despised going on missions because I would almost die on them multiple times and even get humiliated in front of Erica, but I want to dangle from helicopters again and defuse bombs with only seconds to spare. I want to run from enemy agents shooting after me because I have thwarted their plans and to throw up afterward from exertion. But most of all, I want to be with my friends again: Mike, Zoe, Jawa, and more importantly, Erica. Those missions were when Erica and I bonded most, and without them, we are drifting apart more every day.

Mike and Zoe's mission, while possessing some degree of danger, is probably more of a honeymoon to them than an event of national security. I wish Erica and I could do something exciting together.

Day 493

Erica and I have agreed to take a break from each other. We were "dating" for the past few years, but ever since our graduation she has gone on more and more field missions so we started seeing each other less and less. We've gradually grown apart from the lack of communication and a week ago we decided it was for the best if we just broke up.

I have given up all hope of a field mission. I would honestly consider sabotaging a mission for the fun of it if only it was not actually that important, which it (unfortunately) is.

Day 2553

Today is the seven-year anniversary graduation reunion, not that I will be attending anyway. If I do go, walk in, and approach my old classmates and friends, it would be a pathetic sight to see: a supposed "field agent" waiting to be activated, who was actually a desk jockey, trying to cozy up to his more successful peers.

I cannot face Erica and Mike and Zoe and Jawa, not after years of not talking to them. I will not give them the satisfaction of unintentionally (or purposefully) humiliating me. I will not go, just like last year and the year before that. I will slink around my apartment and "enjoy" my day off by not going to the event they gave me the day off for.

It's fine that my friends do not care about me anymore. I do not like them much either, and I do not have lingering feelings for Erica anyway. However after we broke up, she has grown more and more distant towards everyone else, including me. Mary passed away a year ago, and Cyrus, who was devastated and overwhelmed by grief, joined his wife just 4 months afterward. This pushed Erica over the edge and according to one of my co-workers, she is rumored to be the Ice Queen again.

Tehimpossible "edited" the first "chapter" so much (now it's called prologue), even though I was happy with the original one 🙄. (thanks anyhow) Anyways, I actually decided to plan out this book this time rather than writing down ideas for the plot in the middle of the book for the plot will probably flow more smoothly and seem well thought out. Enjoy the first chapter!

(That is heavily edited by tehImpossible lol)

(tehImpossible here, wdym "heavily edited" I wrote the whole thing)

(After you deleted my original prologue!!!! Yarr 🏴‍☠️)