The thought of the upcoming journey made Kyle bounce with joyful impatience. The professional zeal of a novice plus the thirst for discovery innate to a curious Prime native — quite a combination, producing near-euphoria.
It spread through his veins like a warm wave, making a smile appear involuntarily on the young agent's face as his hands, with mild impatience, sorted through the items laid out on his desk, prepared for the future mission.
Cheerfully pushing aside the mug with his recently finished tea, he set to work with an energy that even Niall's gloomiest forecasts couldn't have dampened.
His new office, which had barely become his personal space, had once again transformed into an operations headquarters. Final preparations before departure. This was serious business. It was important not to forget anything.
His inner perfectionist was right there. Kyle wasn't just packing his things; he was orchestrating the logistics of his first real adventure.
Packing was a ritual, almost a meditation. He didn't just take things with him; he pondered every little detail, imagining how each would perform in the field.
The agent critically examined the contents of his travel bag, which he'd packed in advance at home. It wasn't just a simple sack but a stylish, lightweight, and incredibly capacious model with witch-locks and compartments for everything imaginable. It had cost a fortune, but packing with it was a pleasure.
Official VST documents lay in a hidden compartment, while a stack of mini-tablets for notes and witchographs was in plain sight. Also a pricey indulgence… but the Agency was footing the bill.
Speaking of payment… The little pouch was here. A few small gnomon crystals inside. Without those, it would be impossible to go anywhere. Hopefully, they will suffice.
It is a business trip, after all… It won't be long, right?
He'd just go there, charm everyone, as usual, get the necessary information, sample the local cuisine, admire the scenery, stock up on souvenirs, and, enriched with knowledge about the case as well as the life and culture of the new city, return home with a light heart to analyze the data. In theory, the funds should suffice.
Just as his language skills should suffice. Good thing that important part of his luggage weighed nothing. However, even though he was the best in his class at Kantinian, a dictionary still wouldn't hurt…
You can't know everything, and overconfidence is unnecessary.
He quickly flipped through the clay pages, mentally refreshing some idioms and features of the local dialect. Of course, there's no limit to perfection, but his modest knowledge, far exceeding that of the average Prime native, should be enough, say, to order something authentic in a tavern and even engage in a simple conversation.
Really, when arriving somewhere, it's good to know a couple of local phrases. Not just for your own convenience, but as a sign of respect. It's strange that Prime folk, who seldom descend but trade extensively with Kantine, often disregard this seemingly obvious rule of good manners.
It's precisely because of arrogant, stone-headed nobles like ours that Prime is known as a bastion of smug snobbery. Time to show that it isn't so.
Prime has moved far beyond old grievances and conflicts. All that is in the past. Eras change. And now is the time to show that we can communicate and interact constructively, forgetting the affairs of bygone days and prejudices. We need to build new bridges in new, modern ways. Isn't progress the goal of Prime?
Then why is the city of all things progressive standing in its own way? Did they come this far only to look down on others as savages? Now that is truly low… And unworthy of people claiming to be highly developed.
You can find a common language with anyone if you try. Even with the most unwelcoming, if you break through the wall of long-standing alienation. Which isn't hard when there are shared interests. Such as stopping illegal activities and ensuring public safety.
And Kantine is not some dreadful backwater where rookies are sent to face harsh reality, but a new, unexplored territory. A challenge. And even an opportunity. One just needs to look at the world more broadly. And see beyond one's own narrow interests.
Well, and to pack for the future journey, of course… What else do we have in the luggage?
Right. Clothes. Simple, durable, made of practical fabrics, devoid of ostentation and Prime polish. Modest, practical, reliable. No need to attract attention that way.
But an ultra-light cloak made of water- and dirt-repelling material, considering our destination, certainly won't hurt. Nor will a spare set of comfortable shoes for long treks. Even though the fast VST self-propelled vehicle will take him almost to the location, he'll still have to cover some distance on foot. And no one can vouch for the weather. And getting blisters would be most inconvenient… What's always handy in these and more serious cases is a well-stocked travel med kit.
No complaints here. This one was assembled with a pedantry worthy of the best medical students at the University. Whom Kyle had always admired. Healing work is important and no less fascinating than law enforcement. If Kyle hadn't been set on the VST, he might have considered its diagnostic aspect as a career choice.
So. What else do we have?
A mug. Got to take care of mental comfort too. Therefore… Of course, his favorite tea mug simply must accompany him on any trip. As should a supply of the city's signature beverage.
Maybe he could even offer some to someone in Kantine. That would be amusing.
Also, a small supply of food, just in case, until he reaches the local taverns with their famous wild berry pastries, and a compact travel water flask.
A working brain consumes a lot of fluids. And he shouldn't be wanting for that.
From the inner desk shelf, he thoughtfully retrieved a sturdy little case of dark clay-fabric — a graduation gift from the Academy.
"For important missions." Well, this mission promised to be as important as they come. After all, it was the first one…
…Thrilling? Very.
The bag was filling up but remained as light as a feather. Prime technology in all its glory.
Kyle slung it over his shoulder and took a few steps around the office.
Perfect! Nothing weighed him down excessively or pulled, and his enthusiasm provided an extra boost of energy.
…Just imagine. His first trip outside of Prime!
Not just for work. For the most interesting job on the Mainland! Investigating strange affairs. With local food and anthropological research. Just like in the adventure books.
And this, while his acquaintances toil away in dusty government offices. Not the worst option, of course, prestigious and well-paid… But that's just it – Kyle got the best one! The happiest boy in the Galaxy… Who could argue with that?
Long, fascinating studies at the Academy… and now the chance to apply his knowledge and skills in practice. What more could one wish for?
The road from Prime to Kantine wasn't just a journey from one geographical point on the map to another. It was a voyage from the center to the periphery, from the heavens, one might say, to the earth, from the world of abstract knowledge to the world of harsh practice. A descent down the mountain road to places whose life he had so far known only from rumors and textbooks.
…So. Challenge accepted. World, get ready. Kyle is coming.
And there's nothing to worry about; everything will be just fine. He can handle it all. Because behind him stands the entire monolith of the influential capital Agency, with which he sincerely shares the desire to make this Mainland safer, more understandable, and consequently, a little happier for everyone.
The Prime native stood up and returned to the huge office window.
The suns had risen higher, bathing the precious city in immaterial gold. Somewhere down there lay the endless diversity of treasures of this beautiful place. Research Centers, extracting new technologies from the world's stream of ideas and phenomena. Libraries, those repositories of countless volumes of priceless information, painstakingly gathered from across the Mainland. Fine restaurants with their creatively incredible cuisine. Universities, spreading advanced ideas and new knowledge. And people, open to accepting them and with minds striving towards the future… This city is beautiful. And the world of which it is a part is too.
Kyle, as a particle of Prime, was leaving it only briefly, for his own and the common cause of expanding boundaries, for the sake of progress.
The familiar, pleasant hum of the city, rhythmic and dense, with the massive rustling noise of the ocean wind atop the mountain peak, would soon be replaced by other sounds: the low hum of the wind in the fields, rustling the tops of the ishitsa grass, the sounds of diggers and reapers at work, and the rough, melodic speech of the Kantinese.
The thought of it made him smile again.
Taking one last look at his native city, the Prime native stepped away from the window and headed back to his desk.
He closed the packed travel bag and carefully moved the small crystalline plant to a brighter and safe spot.
"You'll manage without me for a couple of cycles, my friend. Maintain the bio-balance here; don't let Niall drag this place into the Abyss of Chthonic Despair. I won't be long. I'll return with all sorts of stories. Hopefully, mostly fascinating and positive ones."