Glory To Arstotzka | A Septiplier Fanfiction

Chapter 6: November 23rd

Jack and Mark arrives at the East Grestin Checkpoint just in time for Jack's shift. It was snowing heavily and it was colder than the day before.
"Hey, good luck getting that job, Mark," Jack said, leaning over to give his friend a hug.
"Hey, it should be in the bag." Mark said but couldn't disguise the nervousness in his voice.

"Got your papers and such?" Jack asked as they both got off the tram. Mark patted his coat pockets and felt the papers he had put there last night. He nodded confirmation at Jack, his hands were shaking badly but he put them into his pockets in effort for Jack not to see and an effort to calm his nerves. His legs shook a little as he fell behind the younger man.

Jack didn't see Mark's nervousness and his shaking hands, he had already spotted where to go.
"Mark. Follow me. This way." Jack pointed to the building he went to yesterday and tugged Mark's arm.
"Hm? I drifted off for a second." Mark pulled his arm out of Jack's grip and skipped a little to catch up with the younger man.

"Not a good thing to do right now Mark." Jack sighed, putting his hand into his pocket.
"Hey. You can't help a dreamer." Mark chuckled.

Jack knocked at the office door, heard a voice beckoning h and then entered, giving Mark a nod to follow him.
"Sir." Jack said curtly.
"Ah. McLoughlin. And who is this?" Officer Millicent said, putting down some papers he had been reading.

"Mark Fischbach, he applied for a job at the ministry yesterday and was told to come here." Mark was glad Jack spoke. He had felt his mouth muscles clench up and numb.
"Ah, Fischbach." Officer Millicent rifled through his papers for a moment and pulled out one.
"Yes, we did get notified."
Woah, word goes around fast. Jack bit his lip and thought.

"Give me a moment," the Officer said, picking up the telephone on his desk.
"Hello? Officer Millicent here. Yes of course. That's not to be discussed right now. We have a new - yes him. Send someone over to show him the ropes. Quickly. Goodbye." He put down the phone and looked back up at Jack and Mark.

"A Sargent will show you around, McLoughlin soon. Mr Fischbach..." He seemed to stare at Mark with squinted eyes and a slow idea dawned on him. "- will come with me for the interview." He continued, biting his lip.

"Yes, sir." Jack said, he glanced over at Mark, who was kneading his hands together in anticipation.
Mark glanced at Jack and their eyes met before Jack hastily moved his away.
There was a knock at the door, which was replied to by the Officer, "come in!"

"Sir!" The door flew open and in marched a well-built, red faced man with thin golden locks and a big black beard. The combination was so strange to both Mark and Jack. He didn't exactly look nice at all.
With all of his stripes on his shoulder, Jack guessed it was the sergeant.

"Sarge." Millicent acknowledged him, He waved a hand at Jack and continued, "this is McLoughlin, our new recruit. He will be working at the Checkbooth. Show him around quickly, then get back to work"

"And him?" The Sargent said, indicating at Mark.
"He's staying with me. Good day Sharp, good day McLoughlin."
Jack nodded at Mark and left with the sergeant.

Mark suddenly felt a lot more vulnerable, a lot more scared. But he had to be brave, pssh, this was just an interview? Why am I worried!? Mark thought to himself.

"So, you're the new one everybody's talking about." Sargent Sharp said as they turned in the snow towards some buildings. "What's your name?"
"Jack." Jack said, feeling very small beside the large figure.
"Jack McLoughlin... Hmm. What's the accent?"
"Irish. Is it really that strong?" Jack asked.
The Sargent grunted in confirmation.

"That's the canteen, we eat there, lunch break is only thirty minutes, toilets will be in there too." He glanced at his watch. "You are late. I will show your around another time - follow me."
Jack was following him already, He raised an eyebrow at this but didn't inquire. He and the Sargent trudged through the snow to a high stone wall topped with yards of barbed wires. In the middle of the wall there was a small cabin with a metal gate next to it. As they walked closer to the cabin, Jack could see a large line extending out for yards, queuing up to be accepted into Arstotzka.

They stopped outside the door of the cabin. The Sargent fished out a small book out of his pocket. "Here is a set of rules. Look for correlations, anyone with false information that doesn't go with the records, investigate, if it still doesn't match up, deny them, or you'll get a citation. You'll get citations if you let in people who aren't clear for entry, Get three and you're salary is cut for a month."

Jack nodded, eager to take in information as he received the book.
"A new rule came out yesterday, deny all who are not Arstotzkan."
Jack was about to ask why but the Sargent  nodded at Jack to get a move on and turned to walk away. Jack put his hand onto the handle of the door to tug it open, frost had binded the hinges but he managed to open it.

The cabin was freezing, so cold that Jack didn't want to take off his coat. There was a single desk near a window guarded by metal bars the walls were thin and made out of cheap wood and there was a dull light barely lighting the cabin shining above me on the low roof, the floor was dirty and there were machines on the desk and notes everywhere, there was sticky notes on every single machine on how to work them.

Jack was relieved. He took a good few minutes reading all the sticky notes and soon had a good idea on how to work things. Jack pressed the button on the microphone to speak and he cleared his throat. "The checkpoint is open! Have your passports ready!" Just like the note said he had to say and do.
Jack opened the bars up and blew out, ready for the first person to come by.