Odyssey of the City of Lights

Odyssey of the City of Lights - Book 1 - Chapter 15

We arrived at the warehouse for my first day of work a bit earlier than Aaron needed to get on his route. He led me to the warehouse space before heading for his truck and starting his route.

I sighed and walked through the loading bay, looking around for something to tell me where to start working.

"Miller," called the grumpy boss, leaning against a stack of crates nearby, fingering through a data pad. I walked over, holding my hands together in front of me. His eyes held a mix of scrutiny and expectation as he studied me. "Aaron has a short schedule today. If he hustles he'll be done just after lunch. I'm assuming you want his help with banking and whatnot?"

I nodded, wondering how he knew, and he continued, "If you can handle today's load on your own, under Rocket's supervision, you can kick off early. Sound good?"

"Yes, Sir. I'll get it done," I replied firmly. He grunted in response, and I turned and walked off to find Rocket.

"Hey, Eli," Rocket greeted me as I rounded a corner, giving me a startle and a smile playing on his lips.

Steadying my breath, I said, "Hey man. You are sneaky."

He laughed "Yeah people tell me that. Boss told me your my shadow for the day. Ready to work?"

I nodded. "Yeah. Put me to work."

He looked at me and blinked in confusion. "How are you going to get the instructions." He pointed to his AR glasses.

I blinked. "Um, I'm not sure; is that mandatory?"

Rocket shook his head. "No, but you really should consider getting AR glasses. They're a game changer for work. Everything you need is right there in front of your eyes, and the Logistics AI can guide you directly to the parcels."

"Are they expensive?" I frowned, thinking of my limited funds.

Rocket chuckled, "They are, but they last. You buy them once, maybe every several years." He laughed again, "Unless you're clumsy after a night out, stumble, and land face-first into the pavement or wall or car." He pointed to his crooked nose and scars around his eyes and cheeks.

I suppressed a nervous laugh and nodded. I felt bad laughing at his pain, but it slipped out.

He sighed and led me to a room by the side of the loading bay. "For today, I guess you are using the handheld." On a book shelf was a stack of data pads. He took one and turned to me, holding it out for me. "Here, type your name in, and follow the directions on this. It'll help you get through the day." I took the device from him, staring at it blankly for a few seconds. When I looked up, Rocket had disappeared.

I stepped out of the room and looked around. "Rocket?" I called out, scanning the warehouse for any sign of my coworker and guide. I felt like a fish out of water with this handheld device, completely clueless about what to do next.

"Over here, Eli!" Rocket's voice came from two rows down. I hurried over and found him efficiently scanning parcels and moving them onto nearby lifts.

"Got a bit lost there," I admitted sheepishly. "I didn't even figure out how to turn it on."

Rocket chuckled and shook his head, not missing a beat. He took the device from my hands and showed me the side button. "It's pretty straightforward, Eli. Just follow the prompts and directions it gives you. The side button is there, and it turns on. The screen is a touch screen. The voice-activated is shit, so don't bother. When you find your package, scan it. When you drop it off at the color-coded square, scan it. Rinse and repeat. How do I spell your last name?"